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By:

Quaid Najmi

4 January 2025 at 3:26:24 pm

Seventy-six mayors ruled BMC since 1931

After four years, Mumbai to salute its first citizen Kishori Pednekar Vishwanath Mahadeshwar Snehal Ambekar Sunil Prabhu Mumbai: As the date for appointing Mumbai’s First Citizen looms closer, various political parties have adopted tough posturing to foist their own person for the coveted post of Mayor – the ‘face’ of the country’s commercial capital. Ruling Mahayuti allies Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Shiv Sena have vowed that the city...

Seventy-six mayors ruled BMC since 1931

After four years, Mumbai to salute its first citizen Kishori Pednekar Vishwanath Mahadeshwar Snehal Ambekar Sunil Prabhu Mumbai: As the date for appointing Mumbai’s First Citizen looms closer, various political parties have adopted tough posturing to foist their own person for the coveted post of Mayor – the ‘face’ of the country’s commercial capital. Ruling Mahayuti allies Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Shiv Sena have vowed that the city will get a ‘Hindu Marathi’ person to head India’s richest civic body, while the Opposition Shiv Sena (UBT)-Maharashtra Navnirman Sena also harbour fond hopes of a miracle that could ensure their own person for the post. The Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) optimism stems from expectations of possible political permutations-combinations that could develop with a realignment of forces as the Supreme Court is hearing the cases involving the Shiv Sena-Nationalist Congress Party this week. Catapulted as the largest single party, the BJP hopes to install a first ever party-man as Mayor, but that may not create history. Way back in 1982-1983, a BJP leader Dr. Prabhakar Pai had served in the top post in Mumbai (then Bombay). Incidentally, Dr. Pai hailed from Udupi district of Karnataka, and his appointment came barely a couple of years after the BJP was formed (1980), capping a distinguished career as a city father, said experts. Originally a Congressman, Dr. Pai later shifted to the Bharatiya Janata Party, then back to Congress briefly, founded the Janata Seva Sangh before immersing himself in social activities. Second Administrator The 2026 Mayoral elections have evoked huge interest not only among Mumbaikars but across the country as it comes after nearly four years since the BMC was governed by an Administrator. This was only the second time in the BMC history that an Administrator was named after April 1984-May 1985. On both occasions, there were election-related issues, the first time the elections got delayed for certain reasons and the second time the polling was put off owing to Ward delimitations and OBC quotas as the matter was pending in the courts. From 1931 till 2022, Mumbai has been lorded over by 76 Mayors, men and women, hailing from various regions, backgrounds, castes and communities. They included Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Parsis, Sikhs, even a Jew, etc., truly reflecting the cosmopolitan personality of the coastal city and India’s financial powerhouse. In 1931-1932, the Mayor was a Parsi, J. B. Boman Behram, and others from his community followed like Khurshed Framji Nariman (after whom Nariman Point is named), E. A. Bandukwala, Minoo Masani, B. N. Karanjia and other bigwigs. There were Muslims like Hoosenally Rahimtoola, Sultan M. Chinoy, the legendary Yusuf Meherally, Dr. A. U. Memon and others. The Christian community got a fair share of Mayors with Joseph A. D’Souza – who was Member of Constituent Assembly representing Bombay Province for writing-approving the Constitution of India, M. U. Mascarenhas, P. A. Dias, Simon C. Fernandes, J. Leon D’Souza, et al. A Jew Elijah Moses (1937-1938) and a Sikh M. H. Bedi (1983-1984), served as Mayors, but post-1985, for the past 40 years, nobody from any minority community occupied the august post. During the silver jubilee year of the post, Sulochana M. Modi became the first woman Mayor of Mumbai (1956), and later with tweaks in the rules, many women ruled in this post – Nirmala Samant-Prabhavalkar (1994-1995), Vishakha Raut (997-1998), Dr. Shubha Raul (March 2007-Nov. 2009), Shraddha Jadhav (Dec. 2009-March 2012), Snehal Ambedkar (Sep. 2014-March 2017). The last incumbent (before the Administrator) was a government nurse, Kishori Pednekar (Nov. 2019-March 2022) - who earned the sobriquet of ‘Florence Nightingale’ of Mumbai - as she flitted around in her full white uniform at the height of the Covid-19 Pandemic, earning the admiration of the citizens. Mumbai Mayor – high-profile post The Mumbai Mayor’s post is considered a crucial step in the political ladder and many went on to become MLAs, MPs, state-central ministers, a Lok Sabha Speaker, Chief Ministers and union ministers. The formidable S. K. Patil was Mayor (1949-1952) and later served in the union cabinets of PMs Jawaharlal Nehru, Lah Bahadur Shastri and Indira Gandhi; Dahyabhai V. Patel (1954-1955) was the son of India’s first Home Minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel; Manohar Joshi (1976-1977) became the CM of Maharashtra, later union minister and Speaker of Lok Sabha; Chhagan Bhujbal (1985-1986 – 1990-1991) became a Deputy CM.

From Soil to Sunlight

Mango season is at its peak. Ethylene, which acts as a gaseous hormone in plants, plays an important role in ripening of mangoes both naturally and artificially. However, this phytohormone does much more in plants. A team of scientists at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) in Bhopal (which included Nevedha Ravindran, Kavuri Venkateswara Rao and myself) have uncovered an interesting role of ethylene in detecting soil depth and successful emergence of seedlings from underneath the soil during germination. Ethylene production is increased in seeds when they perceive mechanical pressure of soil over them. In natural conditions, when a seed germinates and tries to emerge out of the soil, pressure of soil induces ethylene production and the seedling slowly gets exposed to light.


In a scientific study that we published in the journal New Phytologist, we detail how scientists identified that a protein BBX32 is promoted by ethylene and light, to optimize the timing of successful emergence out of the soil. Soil pressure leads to the production of more ethylene that increases the stability of the BBX32 protein. Light also promotes the accumulation of BBX32 which helps to maintain a hook-like structure at the tip of the growing seedling. The hook allows the seedling to pierce through the abrasive soil particles without damaging the plant tip which gives rise to stems and other above ground parts of the plant. The protein BBX32 helps the plant maintain the hook until conditions are favourable for emergence.


The study was conducted using Arabidopsis thaliana, a widely used model plant. The team compared seedlings with normal levels of BBX32 against those that either lacked the protein or overproduced it. The plants were grown under controlled conditions: on plates with and without ethylene exposure, under layers of sand to mimic soil pressure, and under various wavelengths of light including white, red, blue and far-red. The goal was to determine how ethylene and light interact to influence the behaviour of BBX32 and the timing of hook opening.


The researchers monitored hook angles at different stages of seedling development as the plants transitioned from darkness to light. They also measured the percentage of seedlings able to emerge from beneath the sand. The findings were clear: the more BBX32 present, the higher the success rate of emergence. BBX32, in concert with another protein, PIF3, induces HLS1, which keeps the hook closed until the time is right.


The study offers new insight into how seeds navigate their journey from the subterranean dark to the light above. For farmers, this is more than just academic, given that seedling establishment failures account for a significant share of crop loss. Understanding and manipulating this process could have far-reaching implications for agricultural productivity.


In future, then, ethylene may be valued for more than just ripening fruit. Its role in helping plants emerge into the light could prove just as vital.


(The writer is a Professor at the Department of Biological Sciences, IISER Bhopal.)

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