Latest news with #GuruGobindSinghIndraprasthaUniversity
Time of India
25-05-2025
- General
- Time of India
In Rajasthan's Chambal, wives of ex-dacoits lead revival of water sources and hope
Until about 15 years ago, Sampatti Devi and many women like her in Rajasthan 's Karauli district lived in constant fear, dreading the day their husbands might not return home. Repeated droughts, driven in part by declining rainfall linked to climate change, had turned their lands barren. Water sources dried up, crippling agriculture and animal husbandry, the lifeblood of their livelihood. With no other way to survive, many men were forced into dacoity, hiding in jungles and risking their lives every day to evade police. Karauli's average annual rainfall dropped from 722.1 mm (1951-2000) to 563.94 mm (2001-2011), according to government data. But in the 2010s, something remarkable happened. The women, weary of fear and despair, resolved to reclaim their lives. They convinced their husbands to come out of the jungles and give up arms. Together, they began reviving old, dried-up ponds and constructing new pokhars (water bodies) with the help of Tarun Bharat Sangh (TBS), an Alwar-based NGO dedicated to water conservation since 1975. "I would have been dead by now. She convinced me to come back and start farming again," recalled Jagdish, Sampatti Devi's husband, now 58, who surrendered his weapons and chose peace. Live Events Pooling every penny earned over the years by selling milk, they built a pokhar at the base of a hill near their village, Alampur, in 2015-16. When the rains came, the 'pokhar' was filled and for the first time in years, their family had water, enough to sustain them for a longer period. "Now, we grow mustard, wheat, pearl millet and vegetables," says Sampatti Devi, sitting proudly on the pokhar's embankment. She even rents it out for water chestnut cultivation, earning about Rs 1 lakh each season. Over the years, TBS and the local community have together built 16 such pokhars in the forest surrounding the village and around 500 across the entire district, each capturing runoff from the slopes, preventing droughts and floods. Karauli, once among Rajasthan's worst-hit dacoit areas, witnessed a transformation. Karauli district is part of the Chambal region, which extends across Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh . It has historically been notorious for dacoity due to its rugged terrain, ravines and forests that provided hideouts for dacoits. "With community-led conservation efforts, stability is returning," said Karauli Superintendent of Police Brijesh Jyoti Upadhyay. He says rainfall in the region is erratic and leads to periods of both water scarcity and intense short-term downpours. "Karauli faces droughts during dry times and flash floods when it rains heavily, like last year, when the monsoon brought over 1,900 mm of rain." Sumit Dookia, an associate professor at Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University and a native of Rajasthan, said the rocky terrain makes water run off quickly and stops much of it from soaking into the ground. "With all this going on, smart water management is really important." The wave of conservation in Karauli has transformed the Serni, once a seasonal river, into a perennial one. Just a decade ago, the river would run dry after Diwali, leaving people desperate for water. "Now, the river holds water even at the peak of summer, thanks to around 150 water harvesting structures constructed along its entire length and breadth. The groundwater level has risen to just 5 to 10 feet below the surface," said Ranveer Singh from TBS. Forty years ago, he said, the river flowed all year round, but overuse and climate change had left it dry. With no options left, some men migrated to cities in search of work while others turned to mining or dacoity. "Illegal mining exposed them to lethal silica dust, causing silicosis, a painful and incurable lung disease. Many did not live past 40," said Rajendra Singh, the Magsaysay Award and Stockholm Water Prize-winning water conservationist who leads TBS. A 2013 study by the National Institute of Miners' Health (now part of ICMR-NIOH) found that 74 per cent of surveyed sandstone workers in Karauli suffered from silicosis. Water scarcity even disrupted marriage decisions. Families of prospective brides avoided sending daughters to this parched land while poverty forced many Karauli parents to marry off their daughters early, Rajendra Singh said. In Bhoorkheda village, where many families once felt forced to marry off their daughters early under the heavy burden of financial hardship, 55-year-old Prem, a woman married to a former dacoit, made a courageous sacrifice. She gave up four bighas of her own land to build a pokhar on the village's edge. She beams with pride as she shares how the pond now brings water to grow wheat and pearl millet, nourishing the families of her village. "Though I do not have much to offer, I am content knowing that people can grow crops and have enough to eat," she said. Lajja Ram, 60, also from Bhoorkheda, admitted he turned to dacoity out of desperation. "My father was a farmer. There was enough water in his time. But as I grew up, rainfall declined, wells dried up and farming became impossible. We were lucky to produce even two to four manns (80-160 kg) per bigha. Our cattle died, and we felt like we were next," said Lajja Ram, who once faced 40 criminal cases. It was his sister who finally persuaded him to surrender and join water conservation efforts. Now, they grow wheat, mustard, chickpea and pearl millet on their 10 bighas of land, own eight buffalos, several goats and have enough to eat. "Ab anand hai (Now, there is happiness)," he says. In Arora village, 70-year-old folk singer Siyaram remembers when rains failed, crops withered and children wept from hunger. His 30 bighas of land lay parched and his sons migrated to cities. His wife, Prem Devi, who passed away two years ago, had inspired him to join the water conservation efforts. Siyaram sings of that time: "Paani ki dori hath nahi, tum chaho to barsat nahi. Paani ki ajab kahani hai. Ab bhai khuwari bin paani hai. (You cannot control rain; it won't come when you wish. Water's story is strange. Now brother, the land is barren without water)." Today, Siyaram sings a song of hope. "Paani hi jeevan ka saathi, paani bin mar jaye haathi. Sun lo dada, bhai, naati... mil jayega dhan ratan, agar hum paani rokne ka karein jatan. (Water is life's companion. Without it, even the elephant dies. Listen, elders, brother, nephew... We will find treasure if we work to conserve water)." On a scorching May afternoon, water shimmers in Karauli's ponds and pokhars. The Serni river flows gently, with children splashing and cattle grazing along its banks. "A decade ago, no one would have imagined this. Our women made this possible!" said Ranveer Singh.
Hindustan Times
25-05-2025
- General
- Hindustan Times
Way of water: Resilient Rajasthan women's conservation efforts reroute bandits to farming
Karauli , Until about 15 years ago, Sampatti Devi and many women like her in Rajasthan's Karauli district lived in constant fear, dreading the day their husbands might not return home. Repeated droughts, driven in part by declining rainfall linked to climate change, had turned their land barren. Water sources dried up, crippling agriculture and animal husbandry, the lifeblood of their livelihood. With no other way to survive, many men were forced into dacoity, hiding in jungles and risking their lives every day to evade the police. Karauli's average annual rainfall dropped from 722.1 mm to 563.94 mm , according to government data. But in the 2010s, something remarkable happened. The women, weary of fear and despair, resolved to reclaim their lives. They convinced their husbands to come out of the jungle and give up arms. Together, they began reviving old, dried-up ponds and constructing new pokhars with the help of Tarun Bharat Sangh , an Alwar-based NGO dedicated to water conservation since 1975. "I would have been dead by now. She convinced me to come back and start farming again," recalls Jagdish, Sampatti Devi's husband, now 58, who surrendered his weapons and chose peace. Pooling every penny earned over the years by selling milk, they built a pokhar at the base of a hill near their village, Alampur, in 2015–16. When the rains came, the pokhar filled and for the first time in years, their family had water, enough to sustain them for a longer period. "Now, we grow mustard, wheat, pearl millet and vegetables," says Sampatti Devi, sitting proudly on the pokhar's embankment. She even rents it out for water chestnut cultivation, earning about ₹1 lakh each season. Over the years, 16 such pokhars have been built in the surrounding forest, each capturing runoff from the slopes. Diesel pumps now lift water to irrigate fields. Karauli, once among Rajasthan's worst-hit dacoit areas, witnessed a transformation. "With water, stability is returning," says Karauli Superintendent of Police Brijesh Jyoti Upadhyay. Community-led water conservation revived groundwater sparked hope and renewed farming opportunities. Sumit Dookia, an associate professor at Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University and a Rajasthan native, says the Chambal region's rocky terrain hastens rainwater runoff, limiting groundwater recharge. He says that similar transformations have also occurred in Uttar Pradesh's Etawah, where former dacoits returned to farming. In Karauli, this wave of conservation has transformed the Serni, once a seasonal river, into a perennial one. Just a decade ago, the river would run dry after Diwali, leaving people desperate for water. "Now, the river holds water even in the peak of summer. The groundwater level has risen to just five to 10 feet below the surface," says Ranveer Singh from TBS. Forty years ago, he says, the river flowed all year round, but overuse and climate change had drained it dry. With no options left, some men migrated to cities in search of work, while others turned to mining or dacoity. "Illegal mining exposed them to lethal silica dust, causing silicosis, a painful and incurable lung disease. Many did not live past 40," said Rajendra Singh, the Magsaysay Award and Stockholm Water Prize-winning water conservationist who leads TBS. A 2013 study by the National Institute of Miners' Health found that 74 per cent of surveyed sandstone workers in Karauli suffered from silicosis. Water scarcity even disrupted marriage decisions. Families of prospective brides avoided sending daughters to this parched land, while poverty forced many Karauli parents to marry off their daughters early. In Bhoorkheda village, where many families were forced to marry off their daughters early under the weight of financial hardship, 55-year-old Prem, the wife of a former dacoit, gave up four bighas of her own land to build a pokhar on the village's edge. Though she speaks little of her husband's past, she proudly shares how the pond has brought water to grow wheat and pearl millet and fed the families in her village. Lajja Ram, 60, also from Bhoorkheda, admits he turned to dacoity out of desperation. "My father was a farmer. There was enough water in his time. But as I grew up, rainfall declined, wells dried up and farming became impossible. We were lucky to produce even two to four manns per bigha. Our cattle died, and we felt like we were next," says Lajja Ram, who once faced 40 criminal cases. It was his sister who finally persuaded him to surrender and join water conservation efforts. Now, they grow wheat, mustard, chickpea and pearl millet on their 10 bighas of land, own eight buffalos, several goats and have enough to eat. "'Ab aanad hai' ," he says. In Arora village, 70-year-old folk singer Siyaram remembers when rains failed, crops withered and children wept from hunger. His 30 bighas of land lay parched and his sons migrated to cities. His wife, Prem Devi, who passed away two years ago, had inspired him to join water conservation. Siyaram sings of that time: "'Paani ki dori hath nahi, tum chaho to barsat nahi. Paani ki ajab kahani hai. Ab bhai khuwari bin paani hai'. ." Today, Siyaram sings another tune of hope. "'Paani hi jeevan ka saathi, paani bin mar jaye haathi. Sun lo dada, bhai, naati... mil jayega dhan ratan, agar hum paani rokne ka karein jatan'. " On a scorching May afternoon, Karauli's ponds and pokhars shimmer with water. The Serni river flows gently, with children splashing and cattle grazing along its banks. "A decade ago, no one would have imagined this. Our women made this possible!" says Ranveer.
Time of India
14-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
GGSIPU MBA admission 2025: Choice filling through CAT 2024 begins at ipu.ac.in
IPU MBA admission 2025: Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University (IPU), Delhi, has initiated the admission process for its MBA programme for the academic session 2025. The university has announced that candidates who have applied through the Common Admission Test (CAT) 2024 and paid the required application fee can now participate in the online choice filling process. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The choice filling for the MBA programme, designated under programme code 101, began on May 14 and will continue until May 20. The entire counselling process is being conducted online, and candidates are required to log in to the official admission portals— and further instructions and updates. Online counselling schedule and fee payment As per the press release issued by the Public Relations Department of IPU, the result of the first round of online counselling will be announced on May 22. Following the allotment, candidates must pay a part academic fee of Rs. 96,000 online by May 26 to confirm their seat. Candidates can download their provisional seat allotment letter by May 26. Verification of uploaded documents can be carried out up to May 28. Those wishing to cancel their allotted seats may also do so by May 28. Choice filling available for candidates who paid Rs. 2,500 application fee The university clarified that only those candidates who have deposited the application fee of Rs. 2,500 are eligible to participate in the online counselling and choice filling for the MBA admission. The process is streamlined to ensure transparency and convenience for applicants seeking admission through CAT 2024 scores. Meanwhile, application deadline extended for 30 other programmes In addition to the MBA admission, IPU has extended the application deadline for 30 National Level Test (NLT) and merit-based programmes till May 20. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now This extension comes in response to growing interest and requests from prospective candidates. The programmes include (based on NATA), (based on JEE Mains), BA (based on NCET), MBBS, BAMS, BHMS, and BSc (Hons) Nursing (all based on NEET UG). Other courses include Diploma in Pharmacy, Executive MBA, Integrated BA LLB/BBA LLB (based on CLAT UG), (AI and Data Science), (Industrial Biotechnology), and Additional programmes covered under the extension are LLM Weekend, MSc (Nursing), MBA (based on CMAT), MBA (Fire and Industrial Safety), MBA (Disaster Management) Weekend, MCA/MCA/SE (based on NIMCET), PG Diploma in Fire and Life Safety Audit, PG Diploma in Yoga Therapy, PG Homoeopathy, Post Basic BSc Nursing, PGAC (based on AIAPGET), LLM (based on NEET PG), Nurse Practitioner Critical Care, and (based on various national level tests), (Urban Design), and (Urban and Regional Planning). Candidates are advised to visit the university's official websites for detailed eligibility criteria, application procedures, and admission timelines.
Indian Express
12-05-2025
- General
- Indian Express
GGSIPU Admissions: IP University extends deadline application for 30 NLT, merit-based courses
Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University (IPU) has announced the extension of application deadline for its National Level Tests (NLT) and merit-based courses till May 20. The notification says the admission into the following courses will depend on the students merit of the NLT or the candidate's qualifying merit (in Bachelor's/Master's programs). Here is the list of 30 programmes under these categories: IPU has requested all the interested stakeholders to visit the varsity's website & for regular updates.
Indian Express
27-04-2025
- General
- Indian Express
IPU CET 2025: Exams begins; know marking scheme
IPU CET 2025: The Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University (GGSIPU) had announced the schedule for the Common Entrance Tests (CET). This year, the examination will be held in pen and paper mode between April 26 and May 18. The schedule released by the Indraprastha University includes admissions to various programmes at UG, PG, and PhD levels across science, humanities, and commerce streams. IPU CET 2025 Exam pattern and marking scheme The IPU CET 2025 exam will have a duration of 2 hours and 30 minutes. According to the marking scheme, candidates will be awarded four marks for each correct response, while one mark will be deducted for each incorrect answer. The total marks for the exam will be 400. Candidates who qualify for the IPU CET 2025 will need to participate in the counselling process to secure their admission. The counselling sessions will be conducted in both online and offline modes. IPU CET 2025: Exam session –Applicants must note that the exams will be held in two sessions- Morning shift (10 am to 12:30 pm) and Evening shift (2:30 pm to 5 pm). –There will be multiple-choice questions that will be marked by the candidates on OMR sheets. There will be negative marking for incorrect answers. –The exams will be held at centres in Delhi -NCR. However, exams scheduled on May 3 and 4 will also be held at centres across Lucknow, Jaipur, Chandigarh and Kolkata. No requests for changes in the exam centre or session will be entertained. –The Pwd candidates appearing for GGSIP University CET-2025 were required to apply for permission to allow his/her scribe at least 3 days before the commencement of the CET exam. –Such candidates must email with their name, application number, medical certificate, type of disability, name of scribe, along with an undertaking written by the scribe and a copy of their Aadhar card to coe2@ –For any issues related to the entrance exams, applicants can contact the helpline numbers- 25302278 or 25302263 or email their concerns at cet@ As estimated by the University, about 55,000 candidates are taking the admission exams for 81 CET-based programs in this academic year. Students can check out the complete exam schedule on the official websites and
