<h2>Burger by the bay</h2>
Three girls share a moment while eating burgers at Marine Drive
<h2>Change in the air</h2>
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2023/jul/Divyasha-Arora-a_e.jpg" alt="Divyasha Arora, project coordinator for Waatavran, speaks at the conference" width="1280" height="720" /> Divyasha Arora, project coordinator for Waatavran, speaks at the conference
Be the change you want to see, goes the adage. Bhagwan Kesbhat (below), founder of the NGO Waatavran, stands by it. The NGO participated in a civic outreach programme led by People&rsquo;s Science Institute, Dehradun, backed by USAID-India earlier this week to discuss ways to combat the rising air pollution threat across Maharashtra.
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2023/jul/Bhagwan-Kesbhat_e.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" />
&ldquo;We have just added a 19th city &mdash; Vasai Virar Nalasopara &mdash; to the list of polluted cities in the state,&rdquo; Kesbhat shared, adding that air pollution is the fifth highest cause of mortality in the country. To combat this, the discussion featured several stakeholders, including people from less affluent areas to voice their experiences to address policy needs. &ldquo;As a city with a rich history in civic participation, it is important to include their knowledge in policy decisions,&rdquo; he remarked.
<h2>A Swift-ie celebration</h2>
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2023/jul/Taylor-Swift-a_e.jpg" alt="Taylor Swift. Pic Courtesy/Wikimedia Commons" width="1280" height="720" /> Taylor Swift. Pic Courtesy/Wikimedia Commons
Now that Taylor Swift has dropped her Speak Now album, Swiftie fans are set to take over the city to celebrate their idol. On Sunday, Andheri will see a contingent of the pop star&rsquo;s fans celebrate a Swiftie-night.
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2023/jul/Ritu-Bhoite_e.jpg" alt="Ritu Bhoite" width="1280" height="720" /> Ritu Bhoite
&ldquo;This will be our 20th show,&rdquo; said Ritu Bhoite, organiser of Swiftie Night Mumbai. Bhoite and co-founder, Priyanka Shirsath have been organising events for fans since 2021.
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2023/jul/Taylor-Swift-Fans_e.jpg" alt="Fans of Taylor Swift celebrate at a previous event in Mumbai" width="1280" height="720" /> Fans of Taylor Swift celebrate at a previous event in Mumbai
The Mumbai event begins the final leg for the tour after a few stops in Kolkata, Hyderabad and Pune. &ldquo;We shall all be dressed in purple, to keep with the theme of her Speak Now album. The best dressed fan will also receive a giveaway prize at the end of the party,&rdquo; she remarked.
<h2>Yeats in Mumbai</h2>
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2023/jul/NCPA_e.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" />
The foyer of the Jamshed Bhabha Theatre at NCPA now hosts a bust of the Irish poet, William Butler Yeats. A gift from the Bulbulia Bequest &mdash; a philanthropic initiative run by Dr.Abdul Bulbulia and Senator Katherine Bulbulia and sculptor Rory Breslin &mdash; it was unveiled by the Consul General of Ireland Anita Kelly and the NCPA chairman Mr Khusroo Suntook in the presence of Ireland&rsquo;s Ambassador Brendan Ward and Deputy Consul General Alison Reilly on June 13 as part of Yeats&rsquo; 158th birth anniversary. It was Yeats, after all, who discovered Rabindranath Tagore&rsquo;s genius, and championed him in the West. &ldquo;As a bust of Tagore overlooks St Stephen&rsquo;s Green in Dublin, we are honoured to have received a bust of WB Yeats. This significant gesture of friendship by the Irish government is deeply appreciated and we shall, with pleasure, host a discussion on the poet,&rdquo; shared Santook, chairman, NCPA.
<h2>Past to the future</h2>
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2023/jul/Anwa-temple_e.jpg" alt="A temple at Anwa in Aurangabad. Pic Courtesy/Jayen Mistry" width="1280" height="720" /> A temple at Anwa in Aurangabad. Pic Courtesy/Jayen Mistry
How does history inform technology or vice versa? A three-day gathering of museum curators, historians, policy makers and experts at Somaiya Vidyavihar sought to examine that very aspect. The conference, Maharashtra&rsquo;s Cultural Heritage: Retrospection and Roadmap of Archaeology and Museums organised by the state Ministry of Culture is part of a series of 75 conferences to be held across the state this year, said Dr Supriya Rai (inset), director, K J Somaiya Institute of Dharma Studies.
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2023/jul/Dr-Supriya-Rai_e.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" />
&ldquo;The focus of the conference is to highlight the historic, architectural and cultural past of the state. In addition, we also hope to do some retrospection leading to introspection and building a roadmap ahead,&rdquo; she shared. From the idea for a museum centred around the state&rsquo;s heritage to discussions on the technological future, the conference saw experts share ideas on a range of subjects. &ldquo;Such conferences also allow us as educationists to encourage students to connect with heritage, and help them realise the employability of these programmes,&rdquo; Dr Rai noted.
<h2>Tech enabling</h2>
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2023/jul/Jitender-Aggarwal_e.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" />
Technology is meant to enable, and the latest step by Sarthak Educational Trust is a move in the right direction. &ldquo;The ground-breaking ed-tech platform Gyan Sarathi aims to revolutionise the education system for persons with disability,&rdquo; said Dr Jitender Aggarwal (below), founder and director of the trust. The website is the first-of-its kind online learning management system. &ldquo;It will be highly beneficial to reach rural, urban and peri-urban persons with disability to enhance possibilities of employment with corporate hiring partners and self-employment,&rdquo; he said.

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Mumbai Diary: Saturday Dossier

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