Latest news with #Konkan
Hindustan Times
2 hours ago
- General
- Hindustan Times
Over 12.7 lakh students register for FYJC admissions in round 1
As many as 12,71,295 students registered for first-year junior college (FYJC) admissions across the state as the first round of registration closed on Thursday at 2 pm. In Pune district 1,19,853 students completed the registration, said officials. This year, the (CAP) centralised admission process has been implemented across the state for the first time, enabling students to apply for any junior college seats across eight major divisions through a single online platform. The process excludes the Konkan division. The students are competing for a total of 20.43 lakh seats in 9,281 junior colleges across the state. These seats are distributed across the three major streams: commerce-5.40 lakh, arts-6.50 lakh and science stream 8.52 lakh seats. Students who find errors in their provisional merit details can file objections or request corrections between June 6 and 7. All such requests must be submitted through the official online portal. The final and revised general merit list will be announced on June 8. The admission process includes a special zero round for the students who apply for quota-based admissions including minority, in-house, and management quota seats. It will start from June 9 to June 11. Students who receive allotments in their respective colleges must confirm their admissions between June 11 and June 18. In this step, students have to upload the required documents, submit undertaking forms, and pay the necessary admission fees. Shriram Panzade, director of secondary and higher secondary education, said, 'The final general merit list will be released on June 8, zero-round admissions, covering in-house, management, and minority quotas, will take place from June 9 to 11. The first allotment list for the regular CAP round will be published on June 10, with admissions and document verification scheduled from June 11 to 18. We urge all applicants to stay informed and stick to the timelines to ensure a smooth admission experience'
News18
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- News18
Akshay Kumar Teaches Jacqueline Fernandez The Fugdi Dance; Fans Recall Mujhse Shaadi Karogi
Last Updated: Akshay Kumar and Jacqueline Fernandez recreate the Fugdi dance in a fun video ahead of Housefull 5, sparking comparisons to Mujhse Shaadi Karogi. As the release of Housefull 5 draws closer, the promotional fever is rising—and with good reason. The makers recently unveiled The Phoogdi Dance, a high-energy track blending traditional Konkan folk elements with a modern rap twist. The song features the film's ensemble cast letting loose on a cruise ship, setting the tone for what promises to be a wild, laughter-packed ride. But it's a behind-the-scenes moment that's now stealing the spotlight online. Jacqueline Fernandez took to Instagram to share a fun video with co-star Akshay Kumar, who can be seen showing her the moves to the Fugdi dance—a traditional Maharashtrian folk dance form typically performed during festive celebrations. The playful chemistry between the two instantly reminded fans of the iconic camaraderie between Sunny (Akshay) and Sameer (Salman Khan) from Mujhse Shaadi Karogi. One fan even posted a GIF from the film's dance sequence in the comments section, and the resemblance is uncanny. The comment section lit up with excitement. 'Now this gonna be energy for Housefull 5," wrote one user, while another joked, 'Movie se zyada to promotion dhekne mei maja aa raha hai." Someone else chimed in with, 'Don't mess with Khiladi," and another fan called Jacqueline and Akshay 'the most energetic celebrity in whole Bollywood." The Phoogdi Dance features Nana Patekar introducing the gang to the Fugdi, infusing the number with regional flair and nostalgic echoes of Papa Toh Band Bajaye from Housefull 2. The song's fusion of folk rhythms and contemporary beats is already catching on with fans eager for the film's release. Directed by Tarun Mansukhani, Housefull 5 is the fifth installment in the blockbuster comedy franchise and comes with a twist: a murder mystery set aboard a luxurious cruise ship. Akshay Kumar, Riteish Deshmukh, and Abhishek Bachchan headline the comedic chaos as prime suspects in the whodunit-meets-farce narrative. Pinkvilla previously reported that the film's producers submitted two different cuts of the movie to the CBFC, hinting at alternate climaxes or edits. At 2 hours and 43 minutes, Housefull 5 is also longer than its predecessors, likely owing to its massive ensemble cast and intricate storyline. The cast lineup reads like a who's who of Bollywood's funniest and most charismatic faces. Apart from Akshay, Jacqueline, Riteish, and Abhishek, the film stars Sonam Bajwa, Nargis Fakhri, Chitrangda Singh, Shreyas Talpade, Johnny Lever, Sanjay Dutt, Jackie Shroff, Nana Patekar, Fardeen Khan, and Chunky Panday. With its theatrical release set for June 6, 2025, Housefull 5 promises to bring a storm of laughter, music, and madness to the big screen. And if The Phoogdi Dance is anything to go by, fans are in for an all-out celebration. First Published:
India.com
4 days ago
- India.com
5 Serene Villages Near Mumbai For Your Next Relaxing Retreat
The financial hub of India known as Mumbai showcases rapid living through high-rise buildings and an exciting cultural atmosphere. The quiet residential areas surrounding Mumbai provide visitors an escape from urban commotion after they take a brief road journey into the countryside. Meditative villages located near the city offer visitors wholehearted peace and natural environments along with basic rural experiences. The following villages near Mumbai should be at the top of your exploration list because they offer peaceful holiday destinations. Village The coastal Konkan village Kashid exists at a distance of 125 kilometers south of Mumbai. Kashid village presents visitors with tranquil surroundings that encompass its perfect white sand shoreline and the gentle movement of coconut palms. The holy Kashid Temple serves as a religious destination for Lord Shiva worshipers within the village. The local adventure scene in Kashid Village includes recreational activities including paragliding flights and trips to nearby attractions including Revdanda along with Korlai forts. Relax in one of the environmentally sensitive cottage accommodations or homestays that provide panoramic views toward the Arabian Sea. Mumbai residents choose Alibaug village as their weekend getaway through ferry services. The well-known beaches Nagaon and Versoli are highlights of this village which retains traditional Marathi architecture and its pastoral paddy fields create a rustic atmosphere throughout the rural area. You should go to the Kanakeshwar Temple which stands on top of a hill for sweeping scenery of the region. The maritime history of the region becomes visible because Alibaug maintains historical sites such as the powerful Kolaba and Janjira Forts. Relaxation can be found through market browsing and tasting the true Konkani dishes. The small town of Murud maintains its position 160 kilometers south of Mumbai as a charming settlement noted for its scenic charm and historic importance. The main attraction in this village stands as the magnificent Murud-Janjira Fort which rests on a sea island facing the Arabian Sea. The fort can be reached by boat since it stands as a remarkable example of medieval engineering that displays fascinating details about the past. Land visitors to Murud have two informal enjoyment options between spending time at peaceful Murud Beach or walking the traditional village neighborhoods with their vibrant houses. Fresh seafood should not be missed because the traditional Malvani cooking methods make them impossible to resist. Village The Raigad district embraces Pali as a little cultural town reachable by driving 80 kilometers from Mumbai. You can find the ancient Ganesha Temple in this village which celebrates thousands of devotees yearly during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival with its 12th-century history. The scenic countryside environment with gentle mountains and natural vegetation provides residents with relaxation from busy metropolitan environments in Pali. The place allows visitors to launch waterfall exploration at Tamhini Ghat and conduct bird watching activities in the thick forest areas. The relaxed atmosphere of the village provides an excellent experience for visitors whether they travel alone or with family members. As a hill station by definition Matheran maintains an atmosphere that resembles a village space because of its limits on vehicles and compact dimensions. Prime Forest Reserve in Western Ghats region at 90 kilometers northeast of Mumbai provides stunning sights of landscape descent alongside waterfall views. Matheran gained its reputation from its 38 official lookout spots which showcase spectacular views at Panorama Point along with Echo Point. Travelers can take pleasure in riding the heritage toy train running between Neral and Matheran for a classic experience. The peaceful climate of Matheran together with its cool temperatures creates the perfect atmosphere for weekend relaxation. Why Choose These Villages? The residential towns around Mumbai function as both shelter from urban chaos and as places to rediscover natural elements and traditional way of life. This collection of villages presents distinct attractions because each one showcases either natural beaches or historic forts combined with traditional festivals together with encounters with wildlife. Sustainable touristic sites within these locations work to protect the environment while providing visitors memorable experiences that do not damage nature. Final Thoughts Every traveler will find their perfect match among these villages since they serve visitors from every background. Get ready for an adventure that will uncover the exceptional villages surrounding Mumbai since paradise lies just beyond the bustle of urban living.
Hindustan Times
6 days ago
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Startup Mantra: Brining millets back to our plates
In Tetavali village, a five-hour drive 180 km from Pune, where traditional millets were once grown in every field, change had quietly crept in. Most of the youths in the village had migrated to nearby cities for jobs, and those who stayed back were cultivating only rice and had forgotten about the legacy of millet farming. Nitin Deodhar, 59, and his wife Meenakshi, 58, who visited the village quite often, saw both a crisis and an opportunity here. This gave birth to Sonkan in 2021, a startup that sells nutritious and wholesome millet-based foods, and other products of Konkan. How it started Nitin, who was at the time running a very successful MEP (Mechanical, Electrical Plumbing) Consultancy offering services across the globe, said, 'Our family roots are in Konkan and we'd go there regularly, and, on our trips, we saw that the locals were leaving the village to work in cities. The bright students would go to the cities to get jobs as clerks, and delivery men while the not-so-bright students would stay back to tend to the farm. In addition to this, their dietary habits were changing. Instead of eating what was over generations produced by their farms, they were switching to government-provided rice and wheat that came from ration shops and came with its own economic pitfalls.' Nitin and Meenakshi found this very disturbing. Says Nitin, 'The area traditionally would grow millets – the hardy crop. Hardy because it could withstand a drought as well as flood excess rainfall situations. Besides being a hardy crop, it was grown in the sloping wastelands of Konkan. However, falling prey to the ongoing trends, the villagers of Konkan shifted to growing only rice and giving up ragi (finger millet) and varai (barnyard millet) which need very little tending. This was also changing their food habits. This not only affected their earnings but also impacted their health.' Initial steps The situation of the villagers of Tetavali had a deep impact on the Deodhars. Nitin thought that he should lead by example and bought 15 acres of land in the area (self-invested) to grow their traditional crops – ragi and varai along with cashew. He employed some locals to do the job hoping that it would spur the others to get back to the crops their land could bear. However, in 2020 Covid hit the country. Says Nitin, 'We put the 300 kgs of ragi in our car and came back to our home in Pune.' Not knowing what to do with the ragi, Meenakshi sprouted a few kilos, dried it and after roasting ground it in her kitchen grinder. 'We put it into 200 gms packets and distributed it to family and friends.' Soon those same people were asking for more and Meenakshi made some more. After all, she had 300 kgs of ragi at home. Says Nitin, 'Our friends said why don't you keep this ragi satva in a local store, so we won't have to nag you for it.' And Nitin did just that. He went to the local grocer near his house at Swargate and kept a few packets there. Soon they were sold. The grocer then said, 'Why don't you get a Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) licence and Nitin followed that advice. 'My daughter who's done her architecture offered to design the label, logo and other such marketing collateral. After the FSSAI registration, you need to have a trademark. We first thought of the name Deodhar's Konkan Sampanna. However, this was not possible because Deodhar being a proper name, Konkan was a geographic area and Sampanna was a brand owned by the Tatas. So, we coined the name Sonkan. In 2021 we had it registered. Learning the ropes What started with an effort to help their family village was soon turning out to be a small company. Nitin started by distributing his ragi satva for free and when the demand kept increasing, he got into the commercial and legal mandates required. He now had to charge for the satva. How did he figure out how much it costs? Says Nitin, 'I simply saw what was the price of the other satva products. They sold for ₹50 generally for 200 gms. I priced ours at ₹55/- because our process was more demanding and the product more nutritious.' Sonkan satva is made by sprouting, roasting and then milling the ragi. This meant that the fibre was available as the ragi was semi-cooked whilst roasting, making it easier to digest. Something that hooked his customers who kept repeating their orders. The 300 kgs of ragi would soon get over and be depleted. What next? At that time the couple invested in a flour mill and a weighing machine. However, grinding large amounts of ragi made the machine too noisy in the house. 'So, we bought a professional flour mill and shifted operations to our village where the ragi was being grown. At first, we employed a local lady who would grind the flour, weigh it and pack it. Once a week we drove down to our village and picked up the stock for sale.' Growing organically This pushed Nitin to procure the ragi from local aggregator agents. 'The village economy is different. A small farmer may approach an agent with the produce of his farm which may be a few 100 kilos. Instead of money he may need dal or rice or some such and do a barter. This is something I cannot offer. So, I procure the ragi but from our village only. The aggregator does agents do the settling of their dues.' But has this succeeded in increment of areas growing millets in the Konkan district? Says Nitin, 'It most certainly has. While I would not have the acreage of land, I now required that when we started when we had just one farmer, i.e. me, growing millets, but now 30 farmers are growing growing millets.' Finding opportunities Meenakshi, who has a deep knowledge of medicines, knew very well that eating right can keep you away from pharmaceutical products. So, she kept experimenting with the millets as the customers wanted more. 'They wanted to know if they could make idlis and cakes with millets.' With her PhD in pharmacy and study in psychology and nutrition, Meenakshi knew that people were getting health conscious, but also did not have the time or the inclination to slog over cooking. They wanted quick, easy-to-make nutritious foods.'Says she, 'No one would spend time and effort to make a jowari bhakri but would very easily flip it on a tawa to make a pancake or chila in minutes.' She started by making a ragi cake mix. But realisation dawned. 'Who would want to eat a healthy cake on their child's birthday? Celebrations are meant to be cheat days when the occasion overrides all health issues. So, I abandoned the cake mix and created a pancake mix that also doubles up as a cake mix' says Meenakshi. She took ragi and dal, and added soda bicarb to make a ready-to-cook idli mix. Added dals to make a chila. 'All healthy and tasty.' Growth compulsions Understanding that as a business grows one needs to prepare professionally for it, the couple has now hired a sales manager, four salesmen, and a brand consultant to help them. Says Nitin, 'Our brand consultant told us that we should position ourselves as 'the first meal of the day' largely because people may eat early or late but generally stay true to their 'breakfast.' So, we have added that as our positioning statement. Also, we are in talks with retailers to display our products as 'the first meal of the day' be it pancakes, chilas, breakfast cereals, satva, thalipeeth bhajanis and so on.' Future plan So far, the Deodhars have invested ₹40 lakh in this venture and Sonkan has grown 3X. Sonkan now has a total of 22 products consuming 800 kgs of millet per month with revenues of ₹90 lakh projected for this year. Last year his revenue was ₹36 lakh and the year before that ₹11 lakh. They started with three people and today they are employing 22 people. They aspire to become an international brand selling nutritious and wholesome millet-based foods, and other produce of Konkan.
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Business Standard
23-05-2025
- General
- Business Standard
Maharashtra SSC, HSC supplementary exam dates 2025 out for class 10th, 12th
Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (MSBSHSE) has declared the Class 10 secondary school certificate exam (SSC) and Class 12 higher secondary certificate exam (HSC) 2025 supplementary exam dates. Students who are appearing for the supplementary exams can view the Maharashtra board schedule from the official website at The supplementary examinations for Class 10 (SSC) and Class 12 (HSC) will begin on June 24, 2025, according to the Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (MSBSHSE). Those who failed one or more subjects on the main board exams are eligible to take these tests. Maharashtra SSC, HSC results 2025: Overview The pass percentage of class 10 is 94.10 this year. The percentage is 92.31 for boys and 96.14 percent for girls. With a pass percentage of 98.82, the Konkan division was in first place, followed by the Kolhapur division with 96.78. The overall pass percentage in the class 12 results was 91.88%. With a pass percentage of 96.74%, Konkan had the highest of the 9 divisions, while Latur had the lowest at 89.46%. In terms of total pass percentage, science students scored 97.35 percent, commerce students scored 92.68 percent, arts students scored 80.53 percent, and vocational students scored 83.3%. This year, 4,07,438 students received marks between 60 and 74.99%, while 1,49,932 students received scores of 75% or more. Maharashtra board class 10th Supplementary exam dates • Class 10th exam begin - June 24 (including theory, practical, oral, and internal exams) • Class 10th exam conclusion - July 8, 2025. • Class 10th vocational courses (written and practical exams)- June 24 to July 4 for students with disabilities. Maharashtra board class 12th Supplementary exam dates • Class 12th exam begin- June 24, 2025 (including theory, practical, oral, internal, and vocational course exams) • Class 12th exam conclusion - July 16, 2025. • Class 12th online IT exam date- June 15, 2025 • Class 12th GK exams - July 16, 2025. Maharashtra board class 10th and class 12th exam dates The original exam dates for the Maharashtra class 10th and 12th exams in 2025 are as follows: • HSC (Class 12): February 11 to March 11, 2025. • SSC (Class 10): February 21 to March 17, 2025.
