Latest news with #Ramdas
Time of India
2 days ago
- Time of India
Head jail warder suspended after undertrial dies by suicide
Lucknow: The head jail warder of Sitapur District Jail, Surya Kumar Sharma, was on Friday suspended after an undertrial prisoner allegedly died by suicide inside a high-security barrack on June 4. The deceased, 52-year-old Ramdas, was lodged in the jail since March 16 in connection with the murder of his son. Jail superintendent SK Singh submitted a report to district magistrate Abhishek Anand, recommending action against Sharma for gross negligence during his duty shift from 4 am to 8 am, when the incident occurred. The inmate was last seen performing his morning routine but was later found hanging inside the barrack around 7 am. A post-mortem, conducted under videography, confirmed hanging as cause of death, ruling out any signs of assault. A judicial probe has been requested. tnn Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Eid wishes , messages , and quotes !
Time of India
26-05-2025
- Science
- Time of India
Meet the ISRO technician who was once a golgappa seller; discover how his late-night studies made his dream a reality
In the rural areas of Maharashtra, away from metro limelight and scholarly circles, an unsung saga of determination and turn-around unfolded silently. Ramdas Hemraj Marbade , a young man from Gondia district, is the hero who used to sell golgappas (pani puri) for his livelihood and now works at India's premier space research organisation, ISRO . His own journey, one of struggle and resistance and unyielding drive, is a testament to what can happen when dreams do not die, no matter how improbable they might be. In a world ruled by influencers and virality, Ramdas Hemraj Marbade is a true hero. His journey to success was not glamorous or fast, but it was certainly real. He is a living example that dreams coupled with commitment can overcome all obstacles. ISRO technician Ramdas Marbade's journey from golgappa seller to space tech expert Ramdas comes from the tiny village of Khairbodi, falling under Tiroda tehsil of Gondia district, Maharashtra. The means of his family were modest: his father served as a peon in a government school until his retirement, and his mother is a homemaker. Financial difficulties were ever-present companions, but never became an obstacle to his aspirations — thanks mostly to the moral support and encouragement he got at home. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Trade Bitcoin & Ethereum – No Wallet Needed! IC Markets Start Now Undo With college education financially out of reach, Ramdas had to choose between abandoning his dreams or working twice as hard to achieve them. He chose the latter. To supplement his family, Ramdas began selling golgappas, peddling his cart from village to village. Most people viewed him as any other street vendor, but not many realized that after completing his day's sales, he would get immersed in textbooks at night, reading under faint lights with burning resolve. He finished his school at Ganesh High School in Gumadhavada and then his 12th standard in C.G. Patel College. Acknowledging the importance of a college degree, he continued his Bachelor of Arts through correspondence courses at YCM College, Nashik. When others depended on classrooms and tuition centers, Ramdas counted on self-motivation, discipline, and an intense passion to construct a better future. Ramdas gains technical skills that pave his way to ISRO Realizing that academic qualifications alone would not land him a job in technical areas, Ramdas opted for vocational training. He went to the Industrial Training Institute (ITI) in Tirora, where he studied a Pump Operator-cum-Mechanic course. This decision turned out to be crucial to his future. At ITI, he received hands-on training in: Handling centrifugal and reciprocating pumps Maintenance of oil equipment Water treatment and filtration systems These skills would later become the very building blocks that took him to ISRO. Ramdas becomes a vital part of ISRO's operations after years of hard work In 2023, ISRO had its application window open for apprentice trainee positions. Ramdas spotted his opportunity and applied. In spite of tough competition, he passed the written examination held in Nagpur in 2024. He then proceeded to excel at the practical skill test held in Sriharikota in August 2024. Then, the breakthrough moment arrived — in May 2025, Ramdas received his official appointment letter from ISRO. What had once been an almost unimaginable aspiration had now become reality. Ramdas is now a Pump Operator-cum-Mechanic at ISRO's Space Centre in Sriharikota. His work may not be rocket design or programming satellites, but it is no less important. He operates and maintains technical machinery that aids India's most cutting-edge space missions. Balancing plates and hot snacks are all a thing of the past. Ramdas now has to contend with mechanical systems critical to national research and innovation. The roads he used to take selling golgappas now feel galaxies away from the labs and machines he manages. Also Read | ISRO chief announces 2025 as 'Gaganyaan Year' with first mission featuring Vyommitra robot to launch in December
Time of India
25-05-2025
- Science
- Time of India
Selling golgappas by day, studying by night: How a Maharashtra man chased his ISRO dream with sheer grit and perseverance
In a quiet village tucked away in Maharashtra's Gondia district , a young man once roamed the dusty lanes pushing a 'golgappa' cart from village to village. While others saw a roadside snack vendor, Ramdas Hemraj Marbade carried a dream far bigger than the sky above him — to one day work at India's most prestigious space agency , ISRO . According to a report from India TV, by day, Ramdas sold golgappas to earn a living and support his family. By night, under dim lights and sheer determination, he immersed himself in textbooks, driven by an ambition that refused to be crushed by his circumstances. Today, at 25, he is living that dream — working as a Pump Operator-cum-Mechanic at ISRO's Space Centre in Sriharikota. Rooted in Struggles, Rising Through Grit Ramdas hails from Khairbodi village in Tiroda tehsil. His father, a retired peon from a government school, and his mother, a homemaker, had little to offer in material wealth — but gave him unwavering support and the spirit to persevere. Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Secure Your Child's Future with Strong English Fluency Planet Spark Learn More Undo Formal college education wasn't a luxury he could afford. After completing school at Ganesh High School in Gumadhavada and his 12th at C.G. Patel College, Ramdas pursued his B.A. privately through YCM College in Nashik. The finances were tight, but giving up wasn't in his vocabulary. A Path Less Trodden: Skills Over Syllabus Realising the power of vocational skills in opening doors, Ramdas enrolled in a Pump Operator-cum-Mechanic course at the Industrial Training Institute (ITI) in Tirora. There, he picked up vital technical know-how — from operating centrifugal and reciprocating pumps to water treatment techniques and oil equipment maintenance. You Might Also Like: 'Lost a ₹1.25 lakh job to a car accident': Zomato rider's journey of struggle without complaints will strengthen your faith in humility and courage This hands-on expertise became his ticket to the stars. In 2023, when ISRO invited applications for apprentice trainees , Ramdas applied without hesitation. He cleared the written exam in Nagpur in 2024 and aced the skill test in Sriharikota in August, 2024. In May, 2025, a letter that once seemed like a distant dream became reality; Ramdas officially joined ISRO. — IndianTechGuide (@IndianTechGuide) From Local Streets to Launchpads Now employed at ISRO, Ramdas contributes to intricate research tasks as part of India's space endeavours. His daily routine no longer involves spicy street treats but the precision and focus required in the world of advanced technology and national space missions. The boy who once balanced steel plates on his golgappa cart now handles the complexities of pump mechanics vital to ISRO's functioning. His tale echoes far beyond his hometown — it stands as a soaring testament to ambition meeting action. You Might Also Like: How a PhD dropout became the Indian Forest Service topper: Kanika Anabh's journey of grit and persistence An Inspiration Rising from the Dust Ramdas's incredible transformation has become a source of immense pride in Gondia district. His story is not just about a job at ISRO — it is about hope, hard work, and never letting go of one's dreams, no matter how distant they may seem. In a world that often looks for heroes in headlines, this young man from Maharashtra reminds us that true inspiration sometimes rolls quietly down the street, with a golgappa cart and stars in its eyes. You Might Also Like: ISRO vs Diwali rockets? Chairman V Narayanan recalls fireworks mishap during Google event speech
Scroll.in
11-05-2025
- Politics
- Scroll.in
Beyond the drumbeats of war, the quiet thrum of peace activism
In the heavy fog of artillery fire, drone attacks and shrill rhetoric, the mere mention of peace or even dialogue seems inconceivable. Early on May 7, the Indian military struck nine locations in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack. Public discourse was triumphant, even encouraging further military action. In a quiet corner of the internet, a petition by the Southasia Peace Action Network or Sapan urging both sides to end hostilities, had garnered nearly 3,000 signatures in the 24 hours since it was issued on May 9. It may be a drop in the ocean but it reflects the tireless efforts of peace advocates like Lalita Ramdas. On Saturday evening, when India announced that the two countries had agreed to a ceasefire, Ramdas was relieved – as, she said, 'any sensible person would be'. 'I hope this will be the start of a positive, constructive dialogue as the way forward,' she said. As far back as the 1970s, Ramdas was an anti-nuclear activist. She recalls how her husband, the late Admiral Laxminarayan Ramdas, reacted to India test-firing nuclear weapons at Pokhran in 1998. 'He said, 'this is probably the worst thing we have done because very soon I know what's going to happen',' she said. 'And sure enough, on the 11th of May…was when India detonated the nuclear weapon in Pokhran and on the 28th of May Pakistan followed suit.' India and Pakistan are nuclear-armed states at hand-holding distance, she noted. But now, peace activism in the subcontinent has never been more difficult. 'Many people still ask me where I still find the energy to stay engaged. I happen to be 85 at the moment. I can't answer where it's coming from,' she said. 'For me, and for many of us in the women's movement, the personal actually becomes the political. I believe that contributes in large measure to keep us going.' Ramdas recalls being deeply affected by her husband's accounts of his formative experience as a young boy during Partition when he watched his parents stand up to a mob demanding that they hand over the Muslim family sheltering in their home. Her own efforts through the 1984 anti-Sikh pogrom were just as defining: she organised peace marches, helped at relief camps, wrote down the testimonies of Sikh widows and even testified before the Ranganath Mishra Commission of Inquiry knowing it could risk her husband's naval career. 'I think it's important that you have a clear, steady belief in the fact that what you're doing is right, what you're doing is in line with your conscience,' Ramdas said. A week ago, Ramdas wrote two letters of support to Himanshi Narwal, the widow of naval officer Lieutenant Vinay Narwal who was shot dead in Pahalgam. Himanshi Narwal was viciously attacked online. 'Because she talked of peace and love and no hatred for Muslims and Kashmiris – the trolling she's been subjected to that I never thought I'd live to see it,' said Ramdas. 'If we really want peace, we have to look at some of these underlying systems and structures – including militarism, patriarchy and misogyny – which also militate against peace,' she said. 'There are all of these layers and layers that go into making it such a difficult thing to achieve.' 'But we have to keep going.' Excerpts from an interview. What does it feel like to speak for peace in the midst of jingoism and when there seems to be no place for any talk of opposing war? I'm not even using the word peace. I'm saying if one suggests maybe there are other ways, maybe we need dialogue, maybe we need to look at another's point of view…it's then immediately…sort of completely… people scream at you and say therefore you are anti-national when you even make that suggestion. So, all forms of reasoning or dialogue or critical thought are not only seen as negative but are actively discouraged. We need to remember what [Rabindranath] Tagore had written about nationalism being the real menace in India. He was convinced that his countrymen will really gain their idea of India by fighting against an education system which teaches them that a country is greater than the ideas of humanity. Of course, everyone turns around and says 'oh come on now, that's a very long agenda and it will take forever'. But he said this a 100 years ago and we actually never took him seriously. It's gone so deeply into our collective psyche that it is going to take a lot of work – it is like unlearning and then relearning – to look at the whole thing in a different context. I don't know if that is an answer but it's the best one that I have at the moment, to explain I think the place we have arrived at. There is a vacuum in peace activism when it comes to the younger generation, which has only known heightened tensions and the influence of highly polarised societies. We've just had a two-hour-long absolutely wonderful meeting over Zoom where about 50 people from Pakistan and 50 of us from India talked, shared our pain and our feelings. It was so reassuring because we were all saying and hearing the same message, 'no, we don't want war; we need to talk, we need to have dialogue'; but the refrain everywhere was we need more young people. And I think that we have not actually given serious energy and time to bringing in more people to tell them what all this is about. Peace sounds dull… certainly not something which will excite people. [We need to] reach out, talk to young people, get them involved, not by saying 'hello, hi I want to talk about peace'. But let's have conversations, in which these options about what happens with the ugliness of war. And in some senses, in a very perverse way, maybe today is the right time. Because we've seen young people willing to put their freedom on the line, sometimes their lives on the line, because they have stood up for Gaza and the Palestinians. How do we find a way of drawing in young people? Let's hear what they are saying without giving them lectures about what has to be done. I think we have to now clearly focus on that; there's not many of us who'll carry on for much longer.
Time of India
06-05-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Kalyan woman dies during 5-hour wait for ambulance
Thane: Savita Birajdar , a 43-year-old woman from Vitthalwadi in Kalyan, died at Rukminibai Hospital in Kalyan on Monday while waiting for an ambulance to take her to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Municipal (CSMM) Hospital in was rushed to the Kalyan Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC)-run facility after suffering a suspected paralytic stroke but was unable to receive timely and proper care due to the hospital's alleged lack of a widow, who worked at a tailoring unit to support her children, Anjali (18) and Ramdas (22), was feeling unwell for days before her condition worsened on Monday. After her son rushed her to the hospital around 11:30 am Monday, doctors confirmed the stroke but said they couldn't admit her without tests and instead referred her to the CSMM Hospital in family claimed they waited for five hours for an ambulance, but the municipal-run hospital was unable to provide one. "We were told the hospital lacked the infrastructure to treat her and instead asked us to call 108 for an ambulance," said Ramdas. "We called the 108 service but to no use as most of their vehicles were apparently engaged. We later arranged a private ambulance, but no one responded. Finally, one ambulance driver who responded demanded Rs 500-1000 to transport her."Even before she could be shifted to the ambulance, her family said that Savita collapsed and breathed her last 4.30 pm. "We tried everything to save her, but we lost her due to the hospital's negligence and lack of support. We lost our father a few years back and our mother was our only support," said an emotional commissioner Abhinav Goel confirmed the incident and announced an inquiry. "There seems to be a delay in treatment, and we are investigating the matter. Strict action will be taken against those found responsible," Goel said.
