Since the conception of the idea, the Shivaji statue has found itself amidst a controversy. But at no point of time was the issue ever discussed on the basis of reason. When senate member Y G Shinde moved the resolution to install such a statue way back in 1995, the issue of where to erect it soon raised much heat.

Initially it was opposed by environmentalists as the varsity had proposed to chop off some 50-odd trees near the main gate for erecting the statue. However an alternative site was selected and artist B R Khedkar undertook the work of sculpting the nearly Rs 5-6 lakh worth statue.

Now with the new V-C Dr Arun Nigavekar taking charge during the golden jubilee year of the varsity, the controversy has erupted yet again with blame being placed squarely on the varsity administration for dragging its feet over the proposed installation. Irrespective of whether the statue will be erected or not, the dominant feeling in the 50-year old varsity is whether there is a requirement for any statue at all.

Waiting to exhale
EVER heard of the phrase `As easy as breathing''? So when the Art of Life Foundation announces a camp on, hold your breath, breathing, you begin to wonder. ``Normally we only breathe in 30 per cent of our lung capacity. Breathing techniques improve our oxygen intake and help us to gain mental peace,'' says Dr Vaishali Agate, organiser and teacher of the five-day camp which starts on April 29. The breathing techniques that will be taught in the camp include pranayam, yogasanas and something called rhythmic breathing. ``Rhythmic breathing or Sudarshan Kriya is a way to control breathing to the regular rhythm of musical beats,'' she says. The Bangalore-based foundation opened their Pune chapter recently and has already conducted 13 camps. This time it will be conducted at 6.30 pm at the Ravi Shankar Hall, near the Patrya Maruti temple in Narayan Peth. Still waiting to inhale?

The writing's on the wall
``WHY write on a wall ? Because it is there '' this is the philosophy behind the `Scrawl of the Wild'. Whazzat ? A week-long graffiti contest starting on April 29 every night at the Crystal Ball onwards from 9 pm to celebrate the spirit of graffiti. Says the tandav team which has organised the event, ``Since writing a graffiti is neither for personal acclaim nor for financial reward, it must be the purest form of art. Ever since man could write, he has written on walls. There is no form of literature so old or so universal as graffiti.'' The choicest graffiti will be selected and given prizes. So are you ready for the writing on the wall?

Who's the real boss?
The invisible hand behind every boss's success - the secretary - made her presence felt, when the Pune Chapter of the National Institute of Professional Secretaries (NIPS) celebrated the Secretaries Week between April 19 and 25, which incidentally is commemorated all over the world. Besides holding a series of lectures, a Boss and Secretary dinner was organised at the Hotel Blue Diamond with the chief guest being Krishen Dev, president, Century Enka. The guest speaker, Dr P C Shejwalkar stressed that secretaries were the ideal teachers of time management and were examples of how to get tough during work. To which the vice-chairperson of NIPA, Hyacinth Arya stated in her vote of thanks that ``when the going gets tough, then the tough (that is, NIPS) get going.'' A forthcoming event on a grand scale is the `Secretary of the year contest' to be held shortly. The winner of this title of the Pune Chapter will vie for further titles at the national and international level. And the organisers remind you that ``it isnot just the beauty that is tested here, intelligence is given more preference.'' So, now you know the brains that tick behind any big shot's success!
(Contributed by Anuradha, Aishwarya and Vinita)