
21 ambassadors to promote inclusivity at Purple Fest '25
Twenty-one persons overcoming different disabilities have been appointed as Purple Ambassadors for Goa govt's Purple Fest, scheduled between Oct 9 and 12 in Panaji. Most ambassadors are women, and three are from Goa.
The 21 individuals represent a different disability each and include an acid attack survivor, persons with low vision, locomotor disability, haemophilia, dwarfism, autism, muscular dystrophy, intellectual disability, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, and other disabilities.
The 2025 edition of the Purple Fest will emphasise participation from rural regions to ensure that voices from all corners of the country are represented.
The Purple Ambassadors will engage in on-ground and online outreach to promote the fest, participate in key segments of the festival, contribute to inclusive dialogues, offer feedback to improve accessibility and inclusivity of the festival, and continue advocacy for disability rights within their regions post the festival.
Minister for empowerment of persons with disabilities, Subhash Phal Dessai, said the individuals are 'not just representatives but change-makers who will lead the way in promoting accessibility, awareness, and dignity for persons with disability'. Director of the department of empowerment of persons with disabilities, Varsha Naik, said each Purple Ambassador was carefully chosen not just for representation but for their potential to inspire, engage and create change.

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Time of India
06-08-2025
- Time of India
21 ambassadors to promote inclusivity at Purple Fest '25
Panaji: Twenty-one persons overcoming different disabilities have been appointed as Purple Ambassadors for Goa govt's Purple Fest, scheduled between Oct 9 and 12 in Panaji. Most ambassadors are women, and three are from Goa. The 21 individuals represent a different disability each and include an acid attack survivor, persons with low vision, locomotor disability, haemophilia, dwarfism, autism, muscular dystrophy, intellectual disability, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, and other disabilities. The 2025 edition of the Purple Fest will emphasise participation from rural regions to ensure that voices from all corners of the country are represented. The Purple Ambassadors will engage in on-ground and online outreach to promote the fest, participate in key segments of the festival, contribute to inclusive dialogues, offer feedback to improve accessibility and inclusivity of the festival, and continue advocacy for disability rights within their regions post the festival. Minister for empowerment of persons with disabilities, Subhash Phal Dessai, said the individuals are 'not just representatives but change-makers who will lead the way in promoting accessibility, awareness, and dignity for persons with disability'. Director of the department of empowerment of persons with disabilities, Varsha Naik, said each Purple Ambassador was carefully chosen not just for representation but for their potential to inspire, engage and create change.


Time of India
24-06-2025
- Time of India
Two days on, ferry remains under water
Panaji: Ferry boat 'Betim' remains submerged at its dock at Chorao for the second consecutive day after sinking on Monday. Authorities have initiated salvage operations, but the retrieval process is delayed due to technical and logistical challenges. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now 'Machinery is being mobilised. A pontoon crane with pumps has already arrived at the site. Two additional pontoons are expected to reach by 11pm on Wednesday. We will begin salvage operations from tomorrow,' said Vikram Rajebhosale, director of the river navigation department (RND). The ferry, serving the Chorao route, sank after one of its tanks got flooded. Preliminary investigations by the RND suggest that the incident could be caused by inadequate drainage from the tanks, particularly the air tanks positioned at the bottom of the vessel. These air tanks are critical for maintaining the buoyancy of the ferry. On Monday, the fire brigade was called in to assist in the operation, deploying large water pumps to try and drain the water from the vessel. However, despite their efforts, the vessel could not be raised. RND minister Subhash Phal Dessai also visited the site on Monday and said, 'Such incidents should not lead to a calamity in future. A safety and structural audit of all ferries will be done.'


Time of India
20-06-2025
- Time of India
New policy to safeguard intangible assets unveiled
Panaji: Biodiversity sites like sacred groves and khazan lands will be safeguarded as govt has unveiled a comprehensive 182-page Goa Heritage Policy on Friday aimed at preserving both tangible and intangible heritage assets. The heritage policy's categories under intangible assets are natural, cultural and eco-cultural. 'This policy was put together because we have a lot of concern for all of Goa's heritage sites,' said archives and archaeology minister Subhash Phal Dessai. 'Sacred groves, khazan lands, wetlands, rivers, tidal agro-ecosystems and biodiversity zones will be protected under the policy. It will also include the gaanvkari communidade system and village governance. This will be done without encroaching into other departments such as agriculture and forests,' he said. He said that documentation of shigmo, romtamel, intruz, cantaram, mussol khell, tiatr and various other folk forms will be done. 'There is a need to preserve our intangible heritage, which is slowly disappearing. We will make video documentation of the folk forms and preserve it in our library to be accessible to future generations. We will also promote research work on heritage,' he said. 'There will be detailed guidelines, acts and schemes that will be implemented under this policy.'