Latest news with #Marathi
Time of India
5 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Recreating Bal Thackeray's voice and making Saamana anchor, Sena (UBT) banks big time on AI
From recreating Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray's voice to developing an Artificial Intelligence anchor for its mouthpiece Saamana , the Shiv Sena (UBT) is betting big on AI ahead of the coming civic polls in Maharashtra. The opposition party is likely to use this new-age technology to reach out to a wider section of people, specially youngsters who are tech-savvy. Elections to various civic bodies, including the cash-rich Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, are likely to be held later this year. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Semua yang Perlu Anda Ketahui Tentang Limfoma Limfoma Pelajari Undo Banking on AI by the Uddhav Thackeray-led party comes at a time when he is facing challenges in his political career, in view of the split in the Shiv Sena and collapse of his Maha Vikas Aghadi government in 2022 as well as poor show in the state polls last year. Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Anil Desai told PTI that he uses AI as much as possible, specially for data analysis. Live Events In April, the Shiv Sena (UBT) used AI to recreate a voice resembling Bal Thackeray, in his trademark style, to address party workers at an event in Nashik, in a bid to shore up the Uddhav Thackeray-led outfit's prospects after the state assembly polls debacle last year. The speech tried to create, according to the Shiv Sena (UBT), what Bal Thackeray would have said had he been alive. The AI speech saw attacks primarily aimed at the ruling BJP and the rival Shiv Sena led by Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde . It also tried to have the mannerisms, tone which Bal Thackeray used during his speeches. On Friday, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP and party mouthpiece's executive editor Sanjay Raut unveiled 'Tejasvi AI', claimed to be the first Artificial Intelligence anchor in Marathi media. The AI anchor will read out news on Saamana's YouTube channel, he said. Dressed in a black suit, AI anchor appears to be a man in his late twenties or early thirties with a sharp nose and jawline. Some Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders, including its Lok Sabha member Anil Desai, are even using AI for their day-to-day use. Desai credited Uddhav Thackeray 's son and Yuva Sena chief Aaditya Thackeray behind using AI in functioning. The Mumbai South-Central MP said he has been using AI for data analysis wherever possible to understand statistics better. "I try to use the AI as much as possible. But it is not the only tool or source I use," Desai said. Last month, Telugu Desam Party (TDP) digitally recreated the voice of its founder N T Rama Rao (NTR) using AI for an invitation video for its annual conclave in Kadapa district.
Hindustan Times
12 hours ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Sena (UBT), MNS workers in joint protest in Dombivali
Saurabha Kulshreshtha MUMBAI: A protest over an incomplete bridge in Dombivali has assumed importance well beyond the inconvenience it's been causing – it's being seen as a possible bridge between two political rivals, whose possible rapprochement could trigger a political realignment ahead of upcoming local elections. The agitation over the bridge at Palava township on the Shil-Kalyan Road comes amid speculation of a reunion of the Thackeray cousins – and an alliance of the Shiv Sena (UBT) and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) led by them. Local leaders of the two parties joined forces on Saturday, taking on a common political foe – the Shiv Sena. The development, although local in scope, left political parties and observers wondering whether the Sena (UBT) and MNS might reconcile, at least at the grassroots, given that party workers are keen on a thaw in relations. The bridge has been under construction for seven years, leading to traffic congestion in the area. Local leaders of the Sena led by deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde had promised to make sure that the work would be completed by May 31 but failed to keep their promise. Saturday's protest, at around 11 am on site, was led by Deepesh Mhatre, Dombivali chief of the Sena (UBT). Not long after, Raju Patil, local MNS leader and former MLA from the Kalyan rural constituency, turned up with party workers. Patil had lost the assembly election in November 2024 to Rajesh More of the Sena. The agitation turned into a joint protest by the Sena (UBT) and MNS, which have been at loggerheads till recently. Speaking at the protest, both Mhatre and Patil slammed Sena leaders for offering hollow assurances regarding the bridge. Vaishali Darekar, chief of the Sena (UBT)'s women's wing, was also present during the protest. The battle for dominance in the region assumes significance in view of the civic elections due later this year. Mhatre and Patil are both struggling to make an impact in the Kalyan-Dombivali region even as the Sena led by Eknath Shinde, particularly party MP Shrikant Shinde, have adopted an aggressive approach against these two leaders. The united front by the Sena (UBT) and MNS on Saturday is seen as a possible alliance of these two parties, at least in the Kalyan-Dombivali Municipal Corporation elections. Mhatre said every 'Marathi monoos' wants to see the Thackeray cousins working together but they were not at liberty to take a decision on this. 'Both parties, and their leaders and party workers, are united on the issues of the common man. We have come out on the street to raise our voice on the suffering of the common man. This bridge has remained incomplete for seven years. People and vehicle owners daily suffer due to the traffic jams,' said Mhatre. Patil said: 'There is speculation about an alliance between the two parties but a decision will be taken at the party leadership level. But here, in Kalyan-Dombivali, we came together to raise our voices on a people's issue. This bridge at Palava is a long-pending issue and people are suffering as it is still incomplete.' Last month, in a podcast with filmmaker Mahesh Manjrekar, MNS chief Raj Thackeray had said he was willing to set aside differences with his cousin and Sena ((UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray in the interests of the 'Marathi manoos'. Within hours, Uddhav responded, saying he too would set aside petty fights for Marathi pride but insisted that his cousin stop hobnobbing with Mahayuti leaders. While senior Sena (UBT) leaders have been speaking in favour of a reunion of the estranged cousins, there has been no further word on the issue from the Thackeray cousins themselves.
Hindustan Times
13 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
1st batch of engg grads tutored in Marathi join the workforce
PUNE: Sufiya Sayyad, 22, is the first from her village Belwadi, in Pune district's Indapur taluka, to become a computer engineer; she is in fact the first learner from her village. Her father Mahamad Sayyad is a farm labourer who brings home between ₹300- ₹400 on good days, while her mother is a homemaker. Her classmate Vaibhav Indure, 23, is the son of a farmer, Ganesh Indure, from Shahajanpur village, in Beed district. While Sufiya's parents took a loan of ₹4 lakh to put her through engineering college, Vaibhav joined his college's earn-and-learn scheme, which he says 'not only helped him make productive use of free hours but also earn an hourly pay' to fund his tuition. Sufiya, Vaibhav and 64 others are the first batch of students, who having emerged from Marathi medium or semi-English medium state and zilla parishad schools, received their degrees from the Pimpri Chinchwad College of Engineering (PCCOE) yesterday – their social advancement an academic milestone from the college's Computer Engineering (Regional Language) Department that tutored students in Marathi, marking a major achievement in the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. Forty of the 66 graduates have found tech jobs through campus placements, with salaries between ₹5 to 10 lakh per annum – 'way beyond our dreams,' said one -- dispelling all scepticism about the employability of regional language-trained engineers. PCCOE was among 14 institutions across India to receive approval from the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) in 2021 to offer undergraduate engineering programmes in vernacular languages. It is the only institution in Maharashtra that was granted permission to initiate such a programme, to make technical education more inclusive. How the programme started 'Before the programme formally began, we conducted a pilot project on diploma students, teaching them core engineering subjects in Marathi for two weeks. The initiative included assessments and feedback,' said Rachana Patil, head of the Computer Engineering (Regional Language) Department. 'Most students appreciated the effort and found it beneficial, although they requested that the core textbooks remain in English.' Armed with insights from this pilot, the institute launched the in Marathi programme in July 2021, admitting 66 students through the state's Common Entrance Test (CET) Cell – the cut off for the course was above 96 per cent that year, which has now gone up to 98 per cent. The first batch included 51 boys and 15 girls from 20 districts across Maharashtra (who had a rudimentary knowledge of English), reflecting the wide reach and demand for such an initiative. At least 50 students are first generation learners emerging from the state's tribal belts, such as Chandrapur, and tribal parts of Nashik, Buldhana and Akola. 'A dedicated team of nine faculty members was appointed to teach this batch, and a detailed curriculum delivery strategy was drawn up. Initially, the team aimed to translate the entire syllabus into Marathi, but due to technical limitations and terminological challenges, they adopted a blended approach,' said Patil. Early challenges The admissions were not without challenges either: as this was the first-ever regional language engineering course in the state, families feared their children might face discrimination and lack of opportunities in the job market. Counselling and assurance of industry interaction and internships integrated into the curriculum, quelled their doubts. 'Their faith has now been rewarded, evidenced by over 60 per cent placements in the first batch from well-known start-ups and established companies,' added Patil. Sujata Kolhe, associate dean (academics), said offering conceptual clarity was key for the faculty. 'We realised that a full translation was not feasible due to the lack of equivalent terminology in Marathi for many technical terms. So, we decided to teach in Marathi while retaining the textbooks and core materials in English,' said Kolhe. It fell upon the instructors to simplify complex subjects explaining them in the mother tongue, all the while encouraging students to refer to English textbooks for industry-standard knowledge. 'The dual-medium approach helped students gain a deeper understanding without being overwhelmed by language barriers,' she added. Examinations were also conducted in a blended format, where students were allowed to write in both languages together. 'The endeavour was to offer them flexibility without compromising on academic rigour,' Kolhe added. First stepping stone Internships from the third year onwards allowed students hands-on experience about interactions in the real world, with mentors focussing on personality development, interview preparation and soft skills, helping students from the special batch gain confidence to compete with their English-speaking peers. 'We ensured they felt no less than any other graduate,' shared an alumni volunteer. Prajakta Maratkar, from Chandrapur district, shared her journey saying, 'My father is a state government employee; we are used to speaking and thinking in Marathi which filled me with anxiety when I went to college. But, over time, the faculty's support and teaching methods helped me, and others like me, not just survive but also succeed.' Her classmate Gauri Nimje from Yavatmal district, echoed similar sentiments, 'I come from a family of small farmers; my primary goal was to get a good job to support my family financially. We were apprehensive initially about how we would be treated in the industry. But during internships and interviews, we realized that what mattered were was our skills, not the language we studied in.' Prathamesh Theurkar, from Pimpri Chinchwad, who bagged the highest salary package of ₹10 lakh per annum, said, 'Studying in Marathi actually helped me grasp difficult concepts more easily. Equally helpful was the blend of languages in the exams and during interviews, as it allowed us to express our understanding clearly.' Dr Govind Kulkarni, director of PCCOE, termed this endeavour 'a landmark event in the landscape of Indian technical education'. 'Today, as we witness our first batch of graduates with outstanding placement records and industry recognition, it reaffirms our belief that regional language can be a powerful medium for technical excellence,' he said. Ashish Gawali, founder and CEO of ATX Labs, based in upscale Baner, Pune, said he was apprehensive when one of the students, Guruprasad Pathak, joined the company for an internship. 'We were curious how his background would amalgamate with a fast-paced tech environment. However, within weeks it became clear that he had both the technical depth and the right attitude we look for in our team members. Guruprasad quickly stood out with clarity of concepts, eagerness to learn, and ability to apply knowledge in practical product development. We gave him a key responsibility on one of our flagship products, and he handled it with professionalism, insight, and maturity well beyond his years. Naturally, when it was time to expand our team, hiring him full-time was an easy decision,' said Gawali. Moment of pride On Saturday, some of the parents gathered at the campus to celebrate their children's successes. A beaming Ganesh Sunderrav Indure, Vaibhav's father, said: 'He is the first in our family who has pursued degree-level education. He had the spark and we let him pursue his interest. All subsequent decisions were taken by him independently.' Vaibhav, who was placed at Encora, an information technology (IT) company, said, 'Every hour I worked as part of the Earn and Learn scheme was a lifeline – it made me disciplined and every subject I studied brought me closer to my dream. My journey proves that with hard work and the right opportunities, anything is possible.' Mahammad Sayyad, Sufiya's father, recalled how his daughter would study under a single dim light 'not ever complaining'. 'I work on someone else's land and barely earn enough to make ends meet. She made every rupee of the loan we took count,' he said. 'There were days when even affording a bus pass felt like a luxury, but I never let my circumstances define my future. Every semester I topped was a silent answer to every doubt and struggle we faced. Completing my engineering degree is not just my achievement, it's a victory for every girl in my village who dares to dream,' said Sufiya.
Hindustan Times
13 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Branded as ‘obscene' 60 years ago, Shyama stages a comeback
MUMBAI: In the summer of 2018, Pankaj Bhosale, 44, a young researcher fascinated by classic Marathi suspense literature, stumbled upon Shyama (1964), a novel considered a racy romance for its time. Once buried under court cases and censorship debates, the novel had faded from public memory for more than 60 years. Now it is poised for a revival. Written by Mumbai-based author Chandrakant Kakodkar, Shyama revolves around Nishikant Kadam, a poet and teacher drawn to Shyama Shinde, a progressive art teacher at the same school. Nishikant encourages Shyama to overcome the conservative resistance she faces and she evolves into a successful singer on All India Radio. Their journey is layered with emotional complexity, misunderstandings, and the tension between love and ambition. Beyond its romantic core, Shyama captures the social mindset of its time—especially in its portrayal of a strong, modern woman navigating a traditional world. Shyama was originally published as a story in 1963, in Rambha, a magazine traditionally brought out during Diwali. The story caught the attention of a Pune reader, who disturbed by its content filed a complaint against Kakodkar, alleging obscenity. He also wanted Rambha to be declared as a magazine with 'adult content'. What followed was a six-year legal battle, which started in a Pune court in December in 1963. A few months later, Kakodkar published Shyama as a novel, even though the case was being heard. On August 25, 1969, the Supreme Court finally ruled in Kakodkar's favour, upholding his right to creative freedom. The verdict didn't just clear his name; it brought relief to several other authors whose works had been dragged into similar legal disputes. 'Many people told me to just pay the ₹25 fine imposed by the (Bombay) High Court and walk away,' wrote Kakodkar, in the preface to Shyama's second edition in 1971. 'But that was not acceptable to me. I had to defend what I believed in.' Kakodkar's literary journey started very early. He translated several stories of Bengali writer Sarat Chandra Chatterjee while he was still in school. Driven by an unstoppable creative force, he went on to write more than 300 novels in his lifetime. Kakodkar's influence also stretched into the world of cinema. His novel Neelambari was adapted into the Bollywood hit film Do Raaste (1969), starring Rajesh Khanna and Mumtaz. Kakodkar received a Filmfare award for Best Story, becoming one of the few Marathi authors to be honoured in mainstream Hindi cinema. Likewise, the movie Main Tulsi Tere Aangan Ki (1978), directed by Raj Khosla and Sudesh Issar, was an adaptation of Kakodkar's Marathi novel Ashi Tujhi Preet. It too was a super-hit at the box office. Kakodkar died in 1988, leaving a rich creative legacy that lingered for a while before it slipped into obscurity. However, in 2018, driven by a curiosity for forgotten voices in Marathi literature, Bhosale began hunting for a copy of Shyama. His search took him from Mumbai's dusty second-hand bookstores to junkyards in Thane and Badlapur, from roadside stalls in Pune to libraries in Kolhapur and Nashik. A resident of Kharghar in Navi Mumbai, Bhosale also scoured old Marathi libraries in Goa, Kakodkar's home state. 'Eventually, I found one copy of the second edition at Shinde Book Stall at Fort in Mumbai. That changed everything,' says Bhosale, an author himself and a collector of classic and rare Marathi literature. Encouraged by this find, Bhosale began researching Kakodkar's life and the cultural impact of the Shyama case. He met professors, fellow writers, and people who had known Kakodkar. Surprisingly, many had no idea about the novel or the court battle behind it. Bhosale also spoke with Kakodkar's son, Shwetank, now in his 80s. 'I watched my father write with dedication for years. But, to be honest, I don't have a copy of Shyama, such an important work in its time. Now, thanks to the efforts of the younger generation, this novel is coming back to life.' In 2023, Bhosale approached Pradeep Champanerkar of Pune-based Rohan Prakashan, hoping to reprint Shyama. 'Reprinting the novel is about reconnecting with an era. I believe even today's young readers will find something meaningful in it,' says Champanerkar. He reached out to Shwetank Kakodkar and secured the rights to publishing the book. The proofs are ready and the third edition will be published in mid-June, he adds. On the tendency to ban certain kinds of literature, Marathi author and critic Vinay Hardikar says, 'There has always been a push and pull between what is considered acceptable in our culture and what people actually enjoy reading. Shyama got caught in the middle and paid the price.' Hardikar adds, 'What is even more disheartening is that even after Kakodkar won the case, there wasn't much celebration. It came and went quietly.' Hopefully, that's about to change.
Hindustan Times
13 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Engineering change with mother tongue
Sufiya Sayyad, 22, is the first from her village Belwadi, in Pune district's Indapur taluka, to become a computer engineer; she is in fact the first learner from her village. Her father Mahamad Sayyad is a farm labourer who brings home between ₹300- ₹400 on good days, while her mother is a homemaker. Her classmate Vaibhav Indure, 23, is the son of a farmer, Ganesh Indure, from Shahajanpur village, in Beed district. While Sufiya's parents took a loan of ₹4 lakh to put her through engineering college, Vaibhav joined his college's earn-and-learn scheme, which he says 'not only helped him make productive use of free hours but also earn an hourly pay' to fund his tuition. Sufiya, Vaibhav and 64 others are the first batch of students, who having emerged from Marathi medium or semi-English medium state and zilla parishad schools, received their degrees from the Pimpri Chinchwad College of Engineering (PCCOE) yesterday – their social advancement an academic milestone from the college's Computer Engineering (Regional Language) Department that tutored students in Marathi, marking a major achievement in the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. Forty of the 66 graduates have found tech jobs through campus placements, with salaries between ₹5 to 10 lakh per annum – 'way beyond our dreams,' said one -- dispelling all scepticism about the employability of regional language-trained engineers. PCCOE was among 14 institutions across India to receive approval from the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) in 2021 to offer undergraduate engineering programmes in vernacular languages. It is the only institution in Maharashtra that was granted permission to initiate such a programme, to make technical education more inclusive. How the programme started 'Before the programme formally began, we conducted a pilot project on diploma students, teaching them core engineering subjects in Marathi for two weeks. The initiative included assessments and feedback,' said Rachana Patil, head of the Computer Engineering (Regional Language) Department. 'Most students appreciated the effort and found it beneficial, although they requested that the core textbooks remain in English.' Armed with insights from this pilot, the institute launched the in Marathi programme in July 2021, admitting 66 students through the state's Centralized Entrance Test (CET) Cell – the cut off for the course was above 96 per cent that year, which has now gone up to 98 per cent. The first batch included 51 boys and 15 girls from 20 districts across Maharashtra (who had a rudimentary knowledge of English), reflecting the wide reach and demand for such an initiative. At least 50 students are first generation learners emerging from the state's tribal belts, such as Chandrapur, and tribal parts of Nashik, Buldhana and Akola. 'A dedicated team of nine faculty members was appointed to teach this batch, and a detailed curriculum delivery strategy was drawn up. Initially, the team aimed to translate the entire syllabus into Marathi, but due to technical limitations and terminological challenges, they adopted a blended approach,' said Patil. Early challenges The admissions were not without challenges either: as this was the first-ever regional language engineering course in the state, families feared their children might face discrimination and lack of opportunities in the job market. Counselling and assurance of industry interaction and internships integrated into the curriculum, quelled their doubts. 'Their faith has now been rewarded, evidenced by over 60 per cent placements in the first batch from well-known start-ups and established companies,' added Patil. Sujata Kolhe, associate dean (academics), said offering conceptual clarity was key for the faculty. 'We realised that a full translation was not feasible due to the lack of equivalent terminology in Marathi for many technical terms. So, we decided to teach in Marathi while retaining the textbooks and core materials in English,' said Kolhe. It fell upon the instructors to simplify complex subjects explaining them in the mother tongue, all the while encouraging students to refer to English textbooks for industry-standard knowledge. 'The dual-medium approach helped students gain a deeper understanding without being overwhelmed by language barriers,' she added. Examinations were also conducted in a blended format, where students were allowed to write in both languages together. 'The endeavour was to offer them flexibility without compromising on academic rigour,' Kolhe added. First stepping stone Internships from the third year onwards allowed students hands-on experience about interactions in the real world, with mentors focussing on personality development, interview preparation and soft skills, helping students from the special batch gain confidence to compete with their English-speaking peers. 'We ensured they felt no less than any other graduate,' shared an alumni volunteer. Prajakta Maratkar, from Chandrapur district, shared her journey saying, 'My father is a state government employee; we are used to speaking and thinking in Marathi which filled me with anxiety when I went to college. But, over time, the faculty's support and teaching methods helped me, and others like me, not just survive but also succeed.' Her classmate Gauri Nimje from Yavatmal district, echoed similar sentiments, 'I come from a family of small farmers; my primary goal was to get a good job to support my family financially. We were apprehensive initially about how we would be treated in the industry. But during internships and interviews, we realized that what mattered were was our skills, not the language we studied in.' Prathamesh Theurkar, from Pimpri Chinchwad, who bagged the highest salary package of ₹10 lakh per annum, said, 'Studying in Marathi actually helped me grasp difficult concepts more easily. Equally helpful was the blend of languages in the exams and during interviews, as it allowed us to express our understanding clearly.' Dr Govind Kulkarni, director of PCCOE, termed this endeavour 'a landmark event in the landscape of Indian technical education'. 'Today, as we witness our first batch of graduates with outstanding placement records and industry recognition, it reaffirms our belief that regional language can be a powerful medium for technical excellence,' he said. Ashish Gawali, founder and CEO of ATX Labs, based in upscale Baner, Pune, said he was apprehensive when one of the students, Guruprasad Pathak, joined the company for an internship. 'We were curious how his background would amalgamate with a fast-paced tech environment. However, within weeks it became clear that he had both the technical depth and the right attitude we look for in our team members. Guruprasad quickly stood out with clarity of concepts, eagerness to learn, and ability to apply knowledge in practical product development. We gave him a key responsibility on one of our flagship products, and he handled it with professionalism, insight, and maturity well beyond his years. Naturally, when it was time to expand our team, hiring him full-time was an easy decision,' said Gawali. Moment of pride On Saturday, some of the parents gathered at the campus to celebrate their children's successes. A beaming Ganesh Sunderrav Indure, Vaibhav's father, said: 'He is the first in our family who has pursued degree-level education. He had the spark and we let him pursue his interest. All subsequent decisions were taken by him independently.' Vaibhav, who was placed at Encora, an information technology (IT) company, said, 'Every hour I worked as part of the Earn and Learn scheme was a lifeline – it made me disciplined and every subject I studied brought me closer to my dream. My journey proves that with hard work and the right opportunities, anything is possible.' Mahammad Sayyad, Sufiya's father, recalled how his daughter would study under a single dim light 'not ever complaining'. 'I work on someone else's land and barely earn enough to make ends meet. She made every rupee of the loan we took count,' he said. 'There were days when even affording a bus pass felt like a luxury, but I never let my circumstances define my future. Every semester I topped was a silent answer to every doubt and struggle we faced. Completing my engineering degree is not just my achievement, it's a victory for every girl in my village who dares to dream,' said Sufiya.
