Dinesh Kamath's Editorial (Rift withing is dangerous for Indian cricket team) that was published in Newsband

Rift within is dangerous for Indian cricket team
There is a rift within the Indian cricket team. This is because the team is on a losing streak. There are people who say that the team's poor performance is due to this deep divide within the team Down Under. Are these people making a mountain out of a molehill? Are these differences the real cause for poor performance?
Last year, the same Team India had won the World Cup, despite purported differences between captain M S Dhoni and his deputy, Virender Sehwag. As long as the team was winning, those differences didn't surface. It's only when the chips were down that all hell broke loose. But the right thing for the Indian team members to do is not to fight among themselves but to focus on improving the on-field performance of players.
We should derive inspiration from the Australian team of the early and mid-2000s. They achieved enviable victories in spite of the fact that they had players who didn't see eye to eye. Their cricketing feats remain legendary to this day. On the contrary, there were teams who had displayed the highest degree of camaraderie and cohesion, yet failed abjectly on the field.
The rift between skipper M S Dhoni and vice-captain Virender Sehwag has proved bad for the team. The two should patch up and maintain team unity. The row could not have come at a worse time for Team India. First of all our tour of Australia was very disappointing. Then we have this factionalism. These two factors are bound to have a negative impact on the overall morale of the squad.
This is not the first time that we are witnessing personality clashes in Team India. The situation was far worse during the dark days of the Sourav Ganguly-Greg Chappell episode. But what we find today is that our senior players are washing dirty linen in public.
Differences in a team do crop up time and again. But it is the job of the team management to handle these issues amicably. Dhoni publicly expressed his concern that the fielding of his team will be affected if Sachin Tendulkar, Gautam Gambhir and Sehwag were all played together. This expression by Dhoni was not well received in many quarters. It created an uneasy dressing room atmosphere and brought to the surface simmering tensions exacerbated by a frustrating tour. If a player has to perform he should be unburdened by off-field politics. In this particular case, the team management should have lifted a finger to control the damage. It failed to nip the problem in the bud and only allowed the situation to aggravate.
There's clearly a communication gap not only among the players but also between the team and the management. For a team to achieve success, its internal team dynamics is as important as its performance on the field. It should air and settle differences in private, not wash its dirty linens in public.

Dinesh Kamath's Editorials (Do bookshops have a future?) that was published in Newsband

Do bookshops have a future?
When you open a school, said a French Enlightenment philosopher, you shut down a prison. In the same vein, some could argue that when you shut down a good bookshop you leave the field wide open for Philistines to run riot. Book publishing thrives in India - more than 19,000 publishers produce more than 90,000 titles a year in all the major languages. Literary festivals, held in many parts of the country, including several small towns, draw unprecedented crowds. Book fairs too attract vast numbers of bibliophiles. So do annual discount sales held by bookshops such as Strand in Mumbai. Do footfalls match the sales? The jury is still out on this one. Some book sellers swear that business has been brisk. But others are not happy with the way their business is progressing.
This brings us to the crux of the issue. Do bookshops have a future? Do books, as we have known them since Gutenberg some 600 years ago, have a future? The only really necessary people in the publishing process now are the writer and reader. Everyone who stands between the two has both risk and opportunity.
What are these opportunities? Let's begin with the obvious. Time and again we have been told that ours is a culture dominated by images. Then arrives the computer. Much of what you find on it has to be read, not just seen. The computer establishes the sovereignty of the act of reading. So, much like the advent of photography, cinema and television did not kill painting, can one assume that electronic publishing will kill the printed book?
There are book lovers who argue that books in their printed form will survive because no amount of technological innovations can deprive them of their quintessential qualities. The book, they say, is like the spoon, scissors, the hammer, the wheel. Once invented, they cannot be improved. Much in the same spirit, we can assert: Bookshops can't go under. They allow you to do things which no one else can: an opportunity to browse, chat with the knowledgeable owner, meet fellow bibliophiles. Some book shops will shut down; but the spirit that sustained its vast reputation will survive.

Dinesh Kamath's videos: his favourite Marathi songs

Dinesh Kamath's videos: Best songs

Dinesh Kamath's videos: Best songs of Khans

Dinesh Kamath's videos: Best songs of Amitabh Bachchan

Dinesh Kamath's videos: Best songs of Kapoors

Dinesh Kamath's videos: best songs of Dev Anand

Dinesh Kamath's videos: Best songs of Rajesh Khanna

Dinesh Kamath's Editorial (Perfect education system needed) that was published in Newsband

Perfect education system needed
A country can become rich and developed only when education is given the importance that is due to it. It is very essential for education revolution to take place if the country has to become advanced.
We in India are only boasting about our economic growth rates. But what about education? Even today India has many people who are illiterate, ignorant and backward. This is due to education not being available to this section of the society. The state of our education system has undoubtedly improved considerably and it is much better than what it was at the time of independence. But yet our education system appears pathetic to those who belong to advanced countries.
There are many pseudo-educated people who claim that Indian education is unique and is not geared to foreign tests and that Indians are "essentially" clever. They will boast that India has its own way, its own genius and its own time horizons. They will not accept any truthful person's claim that India is backward in terms of global comparisons. Perhaps this is all correct. Or perhaps we just don`t want to face reality.
Let`s face it. Our school system, vocational education (such as it is), colleges and universities are in a shambles. At the time of Independence, India would have ranked much higher in Asia. One has to agree that the population of India at that time was much less than today. Today, much more Indians are educated. But the population also has risen to such an extent that the number of uneducated people are much more than the elite group. That's the reason why our education system appears to have fallen massively behind. Our universities certainly were at the top of the pile in Asia in 1950. Today, not a single Indian university ranks in the top hundred institutions of the world while there are over a dozen Asian universities on that list. Even amongst Asian IT and engineering universities, India has only half a dozen out of the top 50 institutions - when India is the second most populous country in Asia and, on a purchasing power parity basis, the third biggest economy after China and Japan.
The reason for this mess is that the central government spends very little on education. Then there is the quality of teachers. Most literate countries recruit their teachers from the top 10% of their graduates (yet do not pay them exorbitantly); In India we choose our teachers from among those who are average. The government recruits teachers, pays their salaries, and cannot get them to perform. The government teachers are paid twice the salary of private school teachers. There is no accountability because the teachers` unions are too strong, legal protections for teachers seem unassailable and the government just does not care enough to challenge either.
Some say that the government interference in education matters creates a large part of the problem. An ordinary Indian is also to be blamed, especially those who are educated and well off. They don't wish to face the fact that our education system needs overhauling. Until we insist on high quality education for all Indians, little will change.

Dinesh Kamath's video: his career

Dinesh Kamath's cartoons on 'Alooramji' that were published in Newsband

Dinesh Kamath's Editorial (Test to determine length of one's lifespan) that was published in Newsband

Test to determine length of one's lifespanMedical science is all about extending people's lifespans. It seems some scientists have come up with a new medical test, which can determine your lifespan. A simple blood test like the one that estimates cholesterol, it will tell patients the rate at which they are ageing. It is called telomere test. The question is should people be told as to when they are going to die? Is it ethical to do so? Unless means can also be found for slowing down this rate of ageing, one should not reveal to people as to how long their lifespan is going to be.
This medical test makes one know how fast one's biological clock is ticking - from the length of telomeres or protective chromosome caps in our cells. This is hardly helpful. A person's longevity is determined by several factors, some of which can hardly be measured. Not knowing how long one lives is part of the glorious uncertainty of life. But the telomere test threatens to take all that away by putting an expiry date on each person.
Of course, taking the test is a matter of individual choice. But there is danger of some scientists misusing this test. The marketing of the test as a definitive gauge of one's health makes it susceptible to mischief and misuse. For instance, insurance providers could deny a customer their service based on her telomere test. An employer could use the test as an excuse to fire an employee. In addition to their existing stringent criteria, matrimonial advertisements could demand the test for prospective brides and grooms.
But the biggest argument against the test is that it militates against hope. Hope is the ultimate embodiment of the human spirit. It can push people to conquer the impossible, allowing us to celebrate life rather than brood over its finiteness. In that sense, the telomere test will create a negative outlook on life.
But there are some people who call this test a boon to mankind. They call this test yet another important gift that science has bestowed on humanity. Uncertainties about individual lifespan have been a major worry that has plagued civilisations since ancient times. This scientific study of lifespan will drive away the worry. This test will give birth to a distinct branch of science called life extension science. The ultimate goal in these disciplines is to discover how to slow down or even reverse the ageing process. There can be a lot of value in finding out how long one's lifespan extends.
Telomere test will adversely affect the business of soothsayer, fortune tellers, palm readers and so on who would have a field day speculating on how long the lifespan of a person will be. Since now the blood test can tell it all there will be no need of such people. An accurate projection of lifespan will be a major breakthrough and a boon as it will empower people to take informed decisions on major matters of personal importance. These include career choices, marriage and size of families. One would not, for example, like to have children and then leave them orphaned at a young age. The test will help many to fulfill long-cherished dreams, ensure smooth succession planning, help provide for retirement or dependents and also ensure safe transfer of wealth to inheritors. And, above all, it will also make people to attempt to prolong the estimated lifespan by making substantial changes in lifestyles or seeking other medical remedies.

Dinesh Kamath's column on 'Movie and TV World' (Movie Marilyn) that was published in Newsband

Dinesh Kamath's Editorial (Life-saving vaccines) that was published in Newsband

Life-saving vaccines
We are witnessing in global health today, growing equity between rich and poor nations in health - and even a shot in the arm can save a child's life. Today vaccines can help in bringing down mortality across the globe.
About 50 years ago, vaccine-preventable diseases were common and commonly feared. But thanks to the enormous progress in vaccine development and use, many of these diseases today are a distant memory. As a result, fewer and fewer children are dying around the world from disease - from 12 million deaths each year in 1990 to 7.6 million in 2010 - despite a large increase in the population.
For the first time in history, children in developing countries are receiving new life-saving vaccines at nearly the same time these are given to those in high-income countries. This remarkable change was unthinkable just a few years ago and shows dramatic progress towards vaccine access and equity. Never before have we seen so many vaccine innovations over such a short period of time. India's emergence as a leader in vaccine manufacturing is a prime example of how this landscape has changed so dramatically.
The Indian government's commitment to primary healthcare should be appreciated. It has spent considerably to improve the health of the country and also introduced new vaccines. Universal immunization programmes have made enormous strides in reaching many of the neediest and remotest populations, although barriers remain. The result of all this innovation and effort - with India playing a major role - is that immunization rates are exceeding 80% in developing countries - a historic high.
But this still means almost one in every five children remains unvaccinated - more than 19 million in total. More than seven million of them are in India. While the country has one of the world's largest universal immunization programmes, immunization rates remain uneven across its 28 states. Country-wide, more than a quarter of children miss out on routine immunization which is very important for their health every year, nearly 40% of all children's deaths in the world are attributable to pneumonia and diarrhoea. Vaccines exist that prevent the infections causing the most serious forms of these diseases. In India, pneumonia remains the leading killer of children. Simply ensuring that existing vaccines reach Indian children would make a major impact on child mortality in the country.
Some have questioned the value of vaccines and their role in protecting and improving health. But the fact is that vaccines save lives and prevent unnecessary suffering. We have reached a profound moment in the history of immunization with more and more powerful vaccines available. The world needs to recognize the massive impact that Indian technology is having in preventing disease and saving lives globally - and India should use that world-beating technology to give a shot at life to all its children.

Dinesh Kamath's column on 'Movie and TV World' (Movie: Married 2 America) that was published in Newsband

Dinesh Kamath's video in which he introduces himself

Dinesh Kamath's Editorial (Buddha was the genuine conqueror of the world) that was published in Newsband

Buddha was the genuine conqueror of the world
The enlightenment of Gautama at Bodh Gaya made a great impact on human consciousness and changed our future course. It was Buddha, and not Alexander or Napoleon or America, who had conquered the world.
Buddha spread the message that one should observe moderation in all things, accommodate antithetical points of view, and display a common-sense approach. He advised all to arrive at the middle path by not compromising but by holding harmonious view among conflicting interpretations. This is a difficult task. At a deeper level, it denotes unity of mind and thought.
In Buddha's conception of dharma, there was no place for priest-craft and ritualism. Love and kindness are the very basis of society. Hatred, he said, is never appeased by more hatred - it could only be defused by friendship and sympathy.
Our ordinary sense of love and compassion is involved with attachment. The deep feeling of compassion and love for one's own family is related to attachment, and so is confined to a limited circle. It is centred on familial relationship. Buddha's teachings makes one realize the importance and rights of others and in the process one develops compassion even for one's enemy.
Buddha believed that every individual must find the truth in his own way and should question everything - even his own words and sayings. In this new rationality there was no place for blind faith.
M K Gandhi felt that if we had accepted Buddha's social philosophy there would have been no question of practising untouchability. There would have been no denial of education to women or to certain sections of society.
Buddha is today seen as a rationalist, an empiricist, and a social prophet, and his dharma based on non-violence and compassion presents a practical ideology for a new age. In his teachings, he spoke about the importance of enlightenment.
Buddha's teachings of karuna and love help specially those individuals who have experienced cruelty.
Buddha's scrupulous empiricism, his support of intellectual and personal independence, his belief in dialogue and promotion of the 'middle path' are beacons to help us see our way out of present-day problems. We may not be able to fully practise the method he prescribed or raise ourselves to the level of his conduct but can certainly build a truly compassionate political and social architecture by following his teachings.
Buddhism teaches that the approach of rational self-enquiry also enables a person to achieve a higher state of discipline and harmony beyond narrow sectarian and national prejudices. Here is the well-known Buddhist maxim: 'Be a lamp unto yourself'.

Dinesh Kamath's Editorial (Free laptops for Indian students) that appeared in Newsband

Free laptops for Indian students?High school students will be given free laptops? If this happens it will give a boost to our education system. This will end or narrow the divide between urban and rural areas as well as social groups. E-learning would also expand, improving the overall quality of education. This is the era of globalization and hence such innovative ideas need to be implemented if India has to be on par with the most developed countries in the world.
AIADMK of Tamil Nadu achieved assembly poll success by promising laptops for all students. Remember it was Tamil Nadu which had come with the midday meal scheme which later replicated in the rest of the country.
There are critics who say that there are many schools which run without blackboards, toilets, electricity and even adequate number of teachers. Education is the property of privileged, they say. They question as to how can laptops be provided to all students when there are major problems like those mentioned above left to be tackled?
But if we have to progress rapidly such innovative schemes need to be implemented urgently. Such schemes will buoy the learning skills of vast numbers of youngsters and augment their employability. Governments across India should not find it a problem to spend huge sums on laptops since it is already spending extremely huge amount on social welfare schemes. Laptops will upgrade students' skills. Also a fast-globalizing nation like India should place technology-aided education at the core of its developmental strategies.
Many political parties in UP and Punjab have promised free laptops for 11th and 12th standard students if they win the elections. But can they keep their promise, considering the high costs involved. If they succeed in keeping the promise, it will radically change the country's educational scenario.
Distributing laptops, which can contribute to efficient accessing of information and knowledge, is no doubt a good thing. But some experts say that providing of laptops to the students can considerably lower their levels of reading, writing and math skills. They question as to where large numbers of students are struggling to do basic math and constructing properly worded sentences, what use are laptops? Another question they ask is after a lot of money is spent on providing laptops to students, who will maintain those laptops, and who will provide appropriate educational software? The next question they ask is whether villages have electricity and the internet to power laptops?
It is true that introduction of such technology is possible only when there is a robust educational base. So it would be wise on the part of government if it first provided all the schools the minimum infrastructures like blackboards, toilets and enough teachers before doling out free laptops.

Dinesh Kamath's Editorial (Doubtful method but result achieved) that was published in Newsband

Doubtful method but result achieved
There are safety measures stipulated in the state's school bus safety policy. Yet there were many school buses in Navi Mumbai which were not implementing these measures. Now this was a serious issue and due to this adamant stand taken by some school bus owners, the politics surrounding the issue was becoming more and more serious. It was the negligence displayed by some school bus owners that had provoked Maharashtra Navnirman Party (MNS), and hence some of its members went ahead and formed a 'flying squad' which did the work of pulling up school buses to perform spot inspections of safety provisions and hauling the RTO officers to the spot if they were found missing.
But the bus owners were not happy with this drive undertaken by MNS. They threatened to retaliate if the drive wasn't called off. MNS also invited the wrath of many school authorities and teachers after the way in which its party workers stormed into DAV school in Nerul, vandalized the school premises, and roughed up the prinicipal. These workers had to bear the brunt of the angry teachers, who thrashed them till they beat a hasty retreat. All these dramas had occurred over school bus issue.
There were people who questioned as to why MNS was treating school bus issue so seriously? Both school bus owners and teachers were provoked by MNS' self-proclaimed flying squads, which often halted school buses and inspected the interiors to check whether safety norms were being followed. These workers were zealously noting down plate numbers of errant buses, and forcing the Vashi RTO officers to take strict action against them.
This drive had made school bus owners unhappy. They were so irked that they had termed this kind of vigilantism illegal and warned the MNS to call off the squad. The argument of the school bus owners was that the guidelines issued by the state government are complex, and difficult to implement immediately. So they had asked the government for some time to implement the policy. In fact, the government was also mulling over the feasibility of some of the complicated rules.
By conducting this drive, MNS was certainly not taking the law into its hand. This was a wrong allegation made against it by some people. It is true that it is the RTO's responsibility to look into the implementation of safety measures. Maybe MNS was doing this for publicity, and their stunt was having an adverse effect on school bus business. Even though the school bus owners call this an illegal drive by MNS and threatened to take serious action the fact was RTO could not ignore the MNS workers' complaints about school buses, as any individual was free to lodge complaints. Whenever a complaint is lodged, RTO is forced to dispatch an official to the spot to check for violations and take strict action since school bus safety is a very sensitive issue.
MNS had refused to call off its campaign. It had the right to do that. Their idea of ensuring the safety of school children in the city was a noble one even though it is affecting some people's business. What should be appreciated is that today almost all school bus owners are quietly implementing safety measures and guidelines issued by the state government.
So one can say that although MNS had adopted a doubtful method the final result was achieved. MNS could do what RTO could not.

Dinesh Kamath's Editorial (Good intention but wrong method) that was published in Newsband

Good intention but wrong method
Maharashtra Navnirman Vidyarthi Sena (MNVS), which is the youth wing of the MNS, turned vigilantes by floating a 'flying squad' to check school buses in Navi Mumbai. The move has raised the hackles of bus operators who are questioning the rationale behind a political outfit taking up the role of officials. The questions that arise are whether MNVS possesses the right to play RTO and whether a political party has the right to check school buses? The party workers of MNVS displayed the daring of attacking school buses and threatening drivers in front of RTO officials. Is this another case of taking law in one's hand? This is the work which RTO officials or the government have to do. Why are workers of MNVS doing the work?
But there are some people who defend this act of MNVS. According to these people there is nothing wrong in doing social work. They say that MNVS is just doing something that is good for the society. Even some parents of the children who travel by school buses are feeling relieved that MNVS is doing something which they were expecting RTO to do since a very long time. According to them it doesn't matter whether MNVS is taking law in their hands or whether they are displaying their criminal powers. What matters according to them is that MNVS is ensuring safety of their school-going children.
One way MNVS is assisting RTO by taking the school bus safety seriously and by showing deep concern for those students who travel by school buses. They not only raided the buses but also passed on the tip-off about buses flouting norms to RTO which in turn checked the buses, found some buses flouting norms and immediately issued memos. RTO also found that the emergency exit door of one bus was jammed and a few buses were not carrying the list of students they were carrying. Now RTO would never get to know about all these offenses if MNVS had not taken the initiative of personally checking all the school buses.
In fact, MNVS formed a squad to ensure that safety measures introduced by the state government are implemented by school buses. They have planned to keep a vigil on buses from time to time and inform the RTO. Now what's wrong if they assist RTO in the matter of school buses? They're indeed doing a kind of social work.
On December 14, MNVS activists had roughed up the principal of DAV school, Nerul, and blackened his face. The reason was his school was not following the bus safety norms. The incident had led to anger among parents and teachers of all schools in Navi Mumbai, who protested. Now attack on principal was certainly not the right thing to do. This was a case of taking law in the hands and MNVS had no right to do that. Had they adopted some legal methods in this matter also they would have received huge applauds from all the quarters. But this particular act has tarnished the image of MNVS and people are questioning as to what is the difference between MNS and Shiv Sena which too would adopt such illegal methods in the past to put forward their demands? The intention of MNVS is undoubtedly good but the method adopted is wrong.

Dinesh Kamath's Editorial (Three factors that can control crime) that was published in Newsband

Three factors that can control crimeVehicle thefts and house break-ins in Navi Mumbai have been the highest registered crimes in 2011. Their detection rate is low (around 25% for break-ins and 15% for vehicle thefts). It is high time that citizens of Navi Mumbai got "tech-savvy" to protect their valuables and vehicles.
Residents of Navi Mumbai should see to it that they have a standard lock on their main door so that the thieves just can't break into their houses while they are away. Also an affordable electronic device in their vehicles can help the police recover them if they get stolen.
In 2011, close to 654 house break-ins were registered in Navi Mumbai, of which only 161 were detected. In 2010, 662 cases of break-ins were lodged and just 149 of them were detected. As many as 913 cases of vehicle theft were registered in 2011, of which 137 were detected. Thieves made way with 135 heavy vehicles, 278 cars and jeeps and 500 two-wheelers, as the police notched a detection rate of 15%. In 2010, there were 1,004 automobile thefts, of which 144 were detected.
Why is the rate of detection so low? Either our police force don't possess adequate resources and manpower or our policemen are not giving their hundred percent when it comes to investigating and detecting of cases. There could be a third reason too and that is the residents of the city are not extending enough cooperation to the police force to enable them to perform their duties satisfactorily.
The residents can contribute to lessening the occurrences of crimes by installing devices like CCTV cameras in housing societies and burglar alarms in flats. Also, global positioning system (GPS) and anti-theft tools in cars can help the policemen to track stolen vehicles. A motorist was able to trace his stolen car because he had installed a GPS device that automatically sent a text message to his cell phone stating that the vehicle was on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway. If you can spend lakhs to buy a car, why not invest some more money on anti-theft gadgets?
There has also been an increase in the number of murders and rapes in 2011 as compared to the last year. There were 70 murders registered in 2011, compared to 56 in 2010. Nearly 38 rapes were reported in 2011 as compared to 27 in 2010. However, the detection rate for rape was 100% in 2011 as compared to 85% in 2010. Moreover, there were 172 cases of chain-snatchings, of which only 35 were detected in 2011. Lastly, pick-pocketing seems to be on the wane with only 10 cases being reported in 2011.
Installation of CCTV cameras in the public places, especially at the sensitive spots, is the only way to get the descriptions of criminals like chain-snatchers and pick pockets. Once the police get the descriptions of the culprits more than 50% of the case is as good as solved. The rest is simple.
Thus public's cooperation, use of technology and display of total interest in their work can enable police force to eliminate or lessen crimes considerably.

Dinesh Kamath rated as the best film journalist by an expert, holds world record

Dinesh Kamath, Editor of Newsband, is rated as the best film journalist. He holds the world record of having got published in the newspaper most number of and longest film columns (most number of English words also) in the shortest period of time. He has been holding this record since a long time. He has been contributing film columns to the newspaper since last more than seven and a half years. In the beginning he would contribute film columns to weekly newspaper 'In New Bombay' under the title 'What's Cooking In Bollywood?'. After that, from 1 May 2007, he started contributing his film columns to daily newspaper 'Newsband' under the title 'Movie and TV World'. This column appears in Newsband even today.
Dinesh owes this success to publisher of 'In New Bombay' and 'Newsband' Kailash Gindodia and former Editor of the same two newspapers K R Bhat who gave him the big break as journalist on 12 April 2004. Dinesh Kamath also owes his success to his staff members who gave him excellent cooperation and his readers who not only cared to read his works but also appreciated them in a big way. Dinesh Kamath also owes his success to his family members, who include his mother, wife, daughter and his late brother and his wife and daughter. These members of his family gave him all the encouragement, cooperation and support that he required to perform this feat. Dinesh thanks all these above-mentioned people!

Dinesh Kamath's Editorial (NMMC vs. Plastic bags) that was published in Newsband

NMMC vs. Plastic bagsNMMC has been doing a great job in the matter of curbing production and sale of plastic bags. But NMMC has been finding it difficult or rather impossible to control the inflow from neighbouring areas. In a bid to curb the usage of plastic bags less than 50-microns thick, Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) authorities have raided many factories and shops in the city. Despite the crackdown, it cannot control the inflow of banned plastic bags into the market, as the stock is being imported from neighbouring areas. The thing is major chunk of these plastic bags are not manufactured in Navi Mumbai. During investigations, it was discovered that thin plastic bags are being sourced from small factories located in Bhiwandi, Govandi, Mulund and Mumbra. By paying regular visits to the factories in the city, NMMC has ensured that no plastic bag below 50 micron is manufactured in Navi Mumbai. But NMMC cannot do much about those bags that are produced outside.
NMMC did the right thing by holding discussions with Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) for curbing the production of bags less than 50 microns in their respective jurisdictions. It is high time for BMC and TMC to initiate strict action against offenders, so that the distribution of banned plastic bags is controlled.
In Navi Mumbai there was a time when we would witness these plastic bags hanging from the branches, flying in the air, stuck in corners racing along with the vehicles on the road and so on. This wonder material of the 20th century had invaded every aspect of our lives; it used to be all over the place messing up the streets and parks, clogging up the drains and gutters. These plastic bags or shoppers as they are commonly called were available in all sizes, shapes and colours, and because of their lightweight, flexibility and low cost they were used and cast off freely. People from all walks of life would use plastic bags mainly because of their easy availability and convenience.
These plastic bags have harmful effects on the soil, water and air. The accumulation of plastic prevents the sunlight from entering the soil thus destroying the beneficial bacteria, so necessary for soil fertility. These bags disturb the chemical formula of the soil, again causing loss of fertility. Plastic wastes when dumped in or thrown into rivers, ponds or sea have disastrous effects on the species living underwater, and a lot of marine life is lost due to this. Domestic animals like cows and goats are often found dead after swallowing bits of plastic that gets mingled with the grass they eat. Workers and people living near a plastic or resin factory are prone to certain kinds of cancer and birth defects.
NMMC has succeeded in bringing under control the menace caused by plastic bags but it has yet to do a lot to totally eliminate the use of plastic bags. NMMC makes the offenders pay heavy fines for producing or possessing banned plastic items. This method has indeed reduced considerably the use of plastic bags in Navi Mumbai at least. That's a good sign!

Dinesh Kamath's column on 'Movie and TV Worl' that was published in Newsband

Dinesh Kamath of Newsband is rated as the best cartoonist of Navi Mumbai (New Bombay) by an Expert

Dinesh Kamath, Editor of Newsband, is rated as best cartoonist of Navi Mumbai (New Bombay) by an Expert. He has been contributing his cartoons based on 'Alooramji' and 'Puno' to weekly newspaper 'In New Bombay' and daily newspaper 'Newsband' for last more than seven and a half years. Some of the above cartoons are the ones he had contributed to this Blog. His cartoons were appreciated and loved by a large number of readers of these two newspapers and also blog-readers. Seen above are a few samples of his cartoons. Right on top is the photograph of Dinesh Kamath, Editor, Columnist and Cartoonist of Newsband.

Dinesh Kamath's Editorial (IAC vs. errant auto drivers) that was published in Newsband

IAC vs. errant auto drivers
The best thing that happened owing to Anna's movement is the birth of the organization called India Against Corruption (IAC). IAC makes it a point to entertain complaints relating to corruption and takes action along those directions. India was badly in need of one such organization and the law abiding citizens of India can now heave a sigh of relief after IAC has come into existence.
Navi Mumbai auto passengers have taken advantage of this fact and they have started sending to IAC SMSs of complaints against auto fare demanded, autos plying without meters and refusals by drivers between Vashi and Panvel. What IAC does is compile the complaints and forward them to the local Road Traffic Office (RTO) for action. RTO does not hesitate to take action against the errant drivers.
Thus auto drivers of Navi Mumbai are at last brought under control, thanks to the emergence of IAC. This association's SMS-complaint system had been a tremendous success in Mumbai. The IAC is now pursuing the campaign in a big way in Navi Mumbai.
The maximum number of complaints being received in Navi Mumbai is for overcharging. A significant number of auto drivers demand fares as high as 70% to 80% above the normal fare. If you are traveling at night, you end up paying two to three times the actual fare. The drivers here refuse to ply by the meter and demand return fares from passengers. This is illegal and IAC is determined to put an end to this menace.
What IAC does is accept the complaints sent to them by auto passengers of Navi Mumbai and then pass on those grievances to RTO which in turn doesn't fail to take action along that direction. Now this is just the beginning. IAC is also conducting regular 'awareness camps' outside prominent railway stations like Vashi, Sanpada and Panvel. IAC volunteers even resort to assembling at the auto stands and distribute pamphlets among passengers_urging them to lodge sms complaints against errant drivers.
The best thing is IAC is getting great response from auto passengers who don't fail to send sms complaints against the auto drivers who prefer not to ply by the meter or who demand huge fares from gullible passengers or refuse to ply at all and so on. The IAC receives many valid complaints_from passengers who sms from areas such as Vashi, Belapur, Airoli, Koparkhairne, Kalamboli, Nerul, Rabale, Sanpada, Seawoods and Panvel. This response has encouraged IAC to spread in still bigger way the awareness among citizens about its helpline number.
Citizens can complain about drivers who are rude and ply without meters, refusals, tampered meters and excess fare by sending an SMS to 9869089898.
Another noble work that IAC is doing is it is trying to get chief minister Prithviraj Chavan to make the auto fares in Navi Mumbai at par with those in Mumbai. They have expressed to CM their demand that the fare should be CNG-based tariff card, where the minimum fare begins from Rs 11 (instead of Rs 15, which is the case for petrol-driven autos in Navi Mumbai). If the CM fails to intervene, the IAC volunteers have threatened to file a PIL in the court. IAC is indeed doing a noble job - no doubt about it!

Dinesh Kamath's Editorial (India disillusioned) that was published in Newsband

India disillusioned
India's position in cricket today is not so good. Why? What has gone wrong with our cricket team? Is it the negative effect of T20 on technique or the IPL's easy money on commitment? Are our players suffering from some kind of fatigue due to excessive cricket? Is BCCI making our players over work just to make more profits or were Australians so good a team that India just could not match it?
In the last 4-5 years, India were T20 champions, the number one Test team and World Cup champions. Last year's World Cup victory was expected to trigger off new zest and ambition. But, for some reason, Indian cricket seems to have lost its form since and losing eight matches on the trot overseas should be a matter of deep concern.
Rahul Dravid, V V S Laxman and Sachin Tendulkar are the three main reasons for our debacle. The failure of India's great batting trio has affected the team adversely and questions must be asked as to why their form has declined so steeply so rapidly. Is it just a lean trot that can happen to the best, or the killing burden of expectations from these superstars, or just their advancing age that is the reason for their poor performances? There is clearly no fixed age which determines when a player is 'finished'. But considering that all three are on the wrong side of 30, there was always the danger that all of them could lose form or quit almost simultaneously.
This is where the BCCI and the selectors appear to have let matters slip out of their control. An exit plan - which hurts neither team nor them - should have been ready much in advance to ensure a smoother makeover.
Skill, form and fitness are the key determinants to sporting achievement, but Indian cricket has often preferred to look the other way where the third attribute is concerned. While their skill is hardly in doubt, serious questions can be raised about the athleticism of our players.
The modern game punishes such laxity heavily. In the recent series, Australian fielders were obviously more energetic than our slow-coach Indian fielders and sloppy catchers. How one fields determines one's fitness.
If we want our cricketers to regain the lost glory, more attention needs to be paid to domestic cricket. The national team can only be as good as the talent it gets. Pitches here need to be made more 'sporting' to ensure that we don't have 'monster' performers with bat or ball who are shown up as midgets when they go overseas. Above all, however, is the need for a mindset shift: of the administration from being primarily profit-seeking to excellence-driven; of players (fans too!) from being records-stricken to results-stricken.
Explanations like "we can beat everybody at home'' are not acceptable. Being the richest cricket playing country does not necessarily mean being the best. At least now we should stop harboring such delusion.