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By:

Naresh Kamath

5 November 2024 at 5:30:38 am

Battle royale at Prabhadevi-Mahim belt

Amidst cut-throat competition, five seats up for grabs Mumbai: South Central Mumbai’s Prabhadevi-Mahim belt, an epicentre of Mumbai’s politics, promises a cut-throat competition as the two combines – Mahayuti and the Shiv Sena (UBT)-Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) combine – sweat it out in the upcoming BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) polls. It is the same ward where Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray used to address mammoth rallies at Shivaji Park and also the residence of MNS chief...

Battle royale at Prabhadevi-Mahim belt

Amidst cut-throat competition, five seats up for grabs Mumbai: South Central Mumbai’s Prabhadevi-Mahim belt, an epicentre of Mumbai’s politics, promises a cut-throat competition as the two combines – Mahayuti and the Shiv Sena (UBT)-Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) combine – sweat it out in the upcoming BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) polls. It is the same ward where Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray used to address mammoth rallies at Shivaji Park and also the residence of MNS chief Raj Thackeray. This belt has five wards and boasts of famous landmarks like the Siddhivinayak temple, Mahim Dargah and Mahim Church, and Chaityabhoomi, along with the Sena Bhavan, the headquarters of Shiv Sena (UBT) combine. This belt is dominated by the Maharashtrians, and hence the Shiv Sena (UBT)-MNS has been vocal about upholding the Marathi pride. This narrative is being challenged by Shiv Sena (Shinde) leader Sada Sarvankar, who is at the front. In fact, Sada has fielded both his children Samadhan and Priya, from two of these five wards. Take the case of Ward number 192, where the MNS has fielded Yeshwant Killedar, who was the first MNS candidate announced by its chief, Raj Thackeray. This announcement created a controversy as former Shiv Sena (UBT) corporator Priti Patankar overnight jumped to the Eknath Shinde camp and secured a ticket. This raised heckles among the existing Shiv Sena (Shinde) loyalists who raised objections. “We worked hard for the party for years, and here Priti has been thrust on us. My name was considered till the last moment, and overnight everything changed,” rued Kunal Wadekar, a Sada Sarvankar loyalist. ‘Dadar Neglected’ Killedar said that Dadar has been neglected for years. “The people in chawls don’t get proper water supply, and traffic is in doldrums,” said Killadar. Ward number 191 Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate Vishaka Raut, former Mumbai mayor, is locked in a tough fight against Priya Sarvankar, who is fighting on the Shiv Sena (Shinde) ticket. Priya’s brother Samadhan is fighting for his second term from neighbouring ward 194 against Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate Nishikant Shinde. Nishikant is the brother of legislator Sunil Shinde, a popular figure in this belt who vacated his Worli seat to accommodate Sena leader Aaditya Thackeray. Sada Sarvankar exudes confidence that both his children will be victorious. “Samadhan has served the people with all his dedication so much that he put his life at stake during the Covid-19 epidemic,” said Sada. “Priya has worked very hard for years and has secured this seat on merit. She will win, as people want a fresh face who will redress their grievances, as Vishaka Raut has been ineffective,” he added. He says the Mahayuti will Ward number 190 is the only ward where the BJP was the winner last term (2017) in this area, and the party has once nominated its candidate, Sheetal Gambhir Desai. Sheetal is being challenged by Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate Vaishali Patankar. Sheetal vouches for the BJP, saying it’s time to replace the Shiv Sena (UBT) from the BMC. “They did nothing in the last 25 years, and people should now give a chance to the BJP,” said Sheetal. Incidentally, Sheetal is the daughter of Suresh Gambhir, a hardcore Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray loyalist, who has been a Mahim legislator for 4 terms and even won the 1985 BMC with the highest margin in Mumbai. In the neighbouring ward number 182, Shiv Sena (UBT) has given a ticket to former mayor and veteran corporator Milind Vaidya. He is being challenged by BJP candidate Rajan Parkar. Like the rest of Mumbai, this belt is also plagued by inadequate infrastructure to support the large-scale redevelopment projects. The traffic is in the doldrums, especially due to the closure of the Elphinstone bridge. There are thousands of old buildings and chawls which are in an extremely dilapidated state. The belt is significant, as top leaders like Manohar Joshi, Diwakar Raote and Suresh Gambhir have dominated local politics for years. In fact, Shiv Sena party’s first Chief Minister, Manohar Joshi, hailed from this belt.

Science Beyond Laboratories

The India International Science Festival sends a wider message that a nation’s scientific future is built not only in laboratories but in how enthusiastically its people embrace scientific thinking.

AI generated image
AI generated image

The India International Science Festival 2025 will be held in Chandigarh from 6 to 9 December, bringing together scientists, students, innovators, educators and citizens in a national celebration of science. In just a decade, the festival has grown into one of the country’s most visible platforms for public engagement with science. It is relatively young, yet it carries a historical aspiration that Indian science should not remain confined to laboratories, research institutes or specialist conversations. The festival was conceived to give this aspiration a national expression. Its founders, the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Ministry of Earth Sciences and Vijnana Bharati, envisioned it as a place where students, teachers, scientists, entrepreneurs, artists and citizens can meet in an environment that blends learning with curiosity and research with imagination.


Scientific Temper

India is a country of festivals, and in this vast celebratory landscape, a science festival stands out as something uniquely powerful. The India International Science Festival is not merely an event but a collective expression of scientific temper. Article 51A(h) of the Constitution of India explicitly calls upon every citizen to develop the scientific temper, humanism and the spirit of inquiry and reform. IISF brings this constitutional expectation to life in a dynamic and inclusive way. It belongs to Bharat and to every Indian, reminding us that the pursuit of knowledge deserves the same joy, participation and national pride that we associate with our cultural festivals. This quality makes IISF distinctive and explains why its popularity has risen rapidly across regions and age groups.


The first edition was held in 2015 in New Delhi. Its intent was clear from the beginning. India needed a major annual event dedicated not only to showcasing scientific achievements but also to nurturing scientific temper among millions of citizens. Over successive editions in New Delhi, Chennai, Lucknow, Kolkata, Goa, Bhopal and Guwahati, the festival evolved into one of the largest gatherings of scientific talent and public engagement in India. Participation expanded steadily, and the variety of activities widened. The 2024 edition held at IIT Guwahati, for example, drew around 7,000 delegates and more than 45,000 visitors over four days. One of the distinctive features of the festival has been its insistence that science must feel accessible, enjoyable and inspirational.


The significance of the festival becomes clearer when viewed against the backdrop of India’s scientific ecosystem. The country has a vast network of research institutes and universities, and hundreds of scientific conferences, symposia and workshops are held every year across fields ranging from physics and agriculture to materials science and artificial intelligence. These meetings are essential for research progress and peer-to-peer exchange, but they are designed for specialists. Their discussions, technical vocabulary and formats are rarely accessible to the wider public. The India International Science Festival fills this important gap. It brings contemporary developments in science and technology to a broad audience in a form that is engaging, experiential and easy to understand. Its popularity reflects India’s shift from a publication driven view of science to a more innovation oriented and society-centred vision.


The festival has grown during a period in which India’s scientific standing has expanded significantly. India is now among the top publishing nations globally. Patent filings have increased consistently over the last decade and the number of technology startups has crossed one lakh. Participation in the festival mirrors these trends. Students encounter role models and live demonstrations of technologies. Innovators gain visibility and mentorship. Government agencies explain missions and emerging opportunities to young people. Scientists engage directly with society, something they seldom get to do at academic conferences. For many young attendees, this is their first encounter with science as an exciting career possibility rather than a textbook subject.


Across the world, science festivals wear different temperaments. Edinburgh courts families and classrooms with hands-on wonder; New York’s World Science Festival leans on theatre and public conversation; Genoa splices science with art and design; Washington’s version is a playground for schoolchildren and engineers-in-the-making. India’s International Science Festival, by contrast, has carved out a more overtly national purpose. With multiple ministries, research bodies, state governments, startups and universities in tow, it is a showcase of how science is meant to serve the nation’s developmental project.


The themes of the festival have evolved with the changing priorities of the country. They reflect national aspirations such as Science for New India, Science for Transformation, Science for Self-Reliant India and Science and Technology Outreach in Amrit Kaal. The 2024 edition focused on transforming India into a science and technology driven global manufacturing hub. The 2025 edition in Chandigarh is centred on ‘Vigyan Se Samruddhi,’ emphasising how science and technology can contribute to national prosperity and self-reliance. This places students in direct contact with affordable technologies, AI models, medical devices, energy systems, water purification approaches, farm mechanisation tools and space technologies. Instead of reading about science, they witness it in operation.


Inclusive Platform

What makes the festival especially valuable is its inclusiveness. It brings together school children from remote districts, young innovators from small towns, eminent scientists who lead national missions, artists who interpret science creatively, teachers who nurture scientific curiosity and government agencies implementing major programmes. This mixture creates a democratic and optimistic energy around Indian science. For scientists, it is a reminder that public engagement is not peripheral to their work but central to building a scientifically aware society.


As India aspires to become a major scientific and technological power, events like the India International Science Festival will play an increasingly important role. They also send a wider message that science belongs to everyone and that a nation’s scientific future is built not only in laboratories but in how enthusiastically its people embrace scientific thinking.


(The author is the former Director, Agharkar Research Institute, Pune; Visiting Professor, IIT Bombay. Views personal.)

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