Security and Safety for Elderly in India

Extend You Family. Enjoy Your Age!
www.samarthlife.org | Volume01 | Issue01 | July 2016 | `50
FEATURE
Your home is your
retirement nest.
Plan ahead.
FLASHBACK
The Silent
Era of Silver
Screen
MONEY MATTERS
Independence
till Your Last
Breath
Sowing the
Seeds of
Learning
Why retired banker Abhay
Singh was not swayed by
lucrative job offers post
retirement. Pg: 14
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“R
FROM THE EDITOR
Asheesh Gupta
Chief Care Officer
“The best is yet
to be...”
Why should age or aging shadow
our lives? Each day is a new dawn
and promises a new beginning.
Grow old along with me. The best is yet to be!”
obert Browning, the English poet whose
famous works include the Pied Piper of
Hamelin, said these words to paint an
inspiring characterisation of “successful aging”. It
reminds us that it is possible to enjoy your later years in
a way that exceeds your expectations.
It is my privilege to present the maiden issue of
Samarth magazine to you. Samarth, meaning “capable”
or self-reliant, was conceived not just as a magazine
or a publication, but really as a sincere attempt to
connect with and to serve senior citizens in India; to
help them enjoy and live life on their own terms.
In the pages that follow, we bring you news,
information, stories and poems you can use and enjoy,
activities you may want to take up, places you may
want to go to and people who may inspire you. This is
a starting point, we hope to evolve, improve and make
this more exciting as we go. Please send your feedback,
suggestions and contributions to me at editor@
sasasamarthlife.org.
SAMARTH TEAM
Gaurav Agarwal
Chief Operating
Officer
Dinesh Budhiraja
Leader, Care
Technology
Swati Mukherjee
Care Consultant
Nitin Jain
Care Operations
Associate
Bhupinder
Sharma
Controller of Care
Operations
Sangita Thakur
Varma
Managing Editor
July 2016 | samarth | 11

32 | samarth | July 2016
CoverDesign:HaridasBalan
CONTENTS | JUNE 2016
36 The Giving Tree
Sowing the Seeds of Learning
Why retired banker Abhay Singh was not swayed by
lucrative job offers post retirement.
Feature 10 Tech for
Silvers
What kind of
technology do
senior citizens
need?
Feature 24 Your home is
your retirement
nest. Plan ahead.
Homes are one-time buys
where we often end up
investing our life’s
savings
Eenjoy life 17 Janpath –
India in
Microcosm
Take a memorable walk
down People’s Path in
Lutyen’s Delhi.
Flashback 30 The Silent Era
of Silver Screen
Cinematic excellence of
India is best seen in its
silent movies.

Barometer
Money Matters
Gourmet
34 Video Calls –
Your Window...
There are tech
platforms that take you
closer to your loved
ones.
48 Independence
till Your Last
Breath
Reverse mortgagepromises
senior citizens anassured
incomeand a home to stay
till their lastdays.
54 Oh! Calcutta
Get authentic taste and
flavours of the City
of Joy in the heart of
Delhi. A must visit!
EDITORIAL
Editor: Asheesh Gupta Coordinating
Editor: Deepak Garg Managing Editor:
Sangita Thakur Varma Deputy Managing
Editor: Sanjay K Ojha
DESIGN
Sr. Art Director: Anil VK
Associate Art Director: Anil T
Visualiser: NV Baiju
Sr. Designers: Haridas Balan, Peterson PJ
Charu Dwivedi & Pradeep G Nair
ONLINE & MARCOM DESIGN
Associate Art Director: Shokeen Saifi
Sr. Designer: Manoj Kumar VP
PHOTOGRAPHY
Sr. Photographer: Jiten Gandhi
PRODUCTION & LOGISTICS
Manager Operations: Rakesh Upadhyay
Manager Logistics: Vijay Menon
Asst Mgr Production & Logistics: MP Singh
Executive: Mohd. Ansari
dfork X6 n[s krs gh n[s krs OFFICE ADDRESS
toku ek&¡ cki c w <+s Published, Printed and Owned by Samarth
gks tkrs gS-a--
Regular Sections
Life Managem ent Pvt. Ltd. Published and
printed on their behalf by Asheesh Gupta.
Published at D-278, Basement, Sarvodaya
Enclave, New Delhi. Printed at Tara Art
Printers Pvt Ltd., A-46-47, Sector-5, NOIDA
(U.P.) 201301
For any customer queries and assistance
please together@sam arthlife.org.
01 | From the Editor
04| Around the World-News
14 | Q&A
52 | Mind Benders
56 | Poem
Plea se rec yc le t his m ag azin e an d
re m ove in se r ts b efo re re c yc ling

AROUND THE WORLD |FEATURE
Silver Tech for
Grey Heads
“I’m young at heart,
but slightly older in other places.”
By Subha Chandrasekaran

W
FEATURE
of the new age technology
doesn’t specific ally cater to
‘silver’ citizens, their con-
sumption is pretty much
limited to a Skye call with
a grandchild or exchanging
Whatsapp messages among
a group of senior friends.
Thankfully the spotlight is
beginning to shine on this
space – companies trying
to understand how technol-
ogy can be made more use-
ful and relevant to senior
citizens - Silver Tech as it is
being called.
The focus till a few years
back was to force-fit tech-
The device could keep a
family member updated on
when their elderly parents
woke up, walked for a while,
left the perimeter of the
house, etc. But for an active
senior citizen, this can be
extremely intrusive and also
misleading at times. Focus
is now shifting to remote-
health monitoring for regular
feeds on blood pressure,
sugar levels, etc. The trick is
to allow for blips and aber-
rations so that every swing
from norm al does not lead
to excessive medication
being prescribed.
The way to tech-enable a
senior citizen is not by
simply handing them a
smartphone...they may not
be comfortable...
hat kind
of tech-
nol-
ogy do
seniors
really need? Senior citizens
today have not been blind-
sided by technology. They
have seen the rapid changes
and many have been quick
to adopt too. Yet, as most
nology that works for the
younger generations to
seniors. For example, wear-
ables like fitness bands were
becom ing a rage among
young working men and
women. It becam e a natural
extension to assume that
seniors would be okay to
wear such a device all day
and be monitored so closely.
Similarly, the way to tech-
enable a senior citizen is
not by simply handing them
a smartphone. Smart they
still are, but maybe not that
physic ally comfor table with
handling such a gadget. A
typic al smartphone needs
quite a bit of work to make
it ready for comfortable use
by a senior citizen. Think

FEATURE
about it - you would need
to put the phone is a no-
slip, easy to grip and view
case; increase the default
font size; update names as
appropriate for Favourites
lists and Frequently Called
names; set up chat appli-
cations like Whatsapp or
Skype and explain once,
twice or thrice how it works
(mute the group, Dad but
don’t keep exiting it with a
swipe!); pre-set all the regu-
lar wi-fi networks; help them
get their way around auto-
correc t; etc!
After all this you would
be lucky if they have locked
their screen so that you
don’t keep getting FaceTime
calls every time they touch
the phone! And all this,
for no fault of theirs. The
phones just aren’t designed
to be used by them.
A lot of good work is hap-
pening to focus on Silver
Tech. Phones with larger
text, colour coded icons for
easy usage and emergency
buttons are now available
in India and overseas. And
a key to a great user experi-
ence may be to voice enable
a lot of basic functions in
a simple manner as it’s not
always easy to type or touch
with an arthritic hand or the
shake of Parkinson’s.
Speaking of arthritis and
the like, did you know, falls
are the leading cause of
both non-fatal and fatal
injuries among those aged
65 and over? Medical alert
systems can be a lifesaver,
passing on critic al inform a-
tion in a timely manner.
This can also allow for a
great degree of customisa-
tion and focus on senior
citizens. Such systems typi-
cally involve a small pendant
or clip that is worn always.
This is connec ted to a base
device in the home. In the
event of a fall or accident,
the wearer just needs to trig-
ger the device on them. This
will in turn activate the base
device to message, call, alert
the required family mem-
bers and seek medic al help.
Here again the technology
has started taking the next
step of being available for
the active senior citizen who
may not always be indoors,
yet the same emergency
situation can occur.
Accurate fall-alert technol-
ogy is critical and combined
with a durable yet comfort-
able device to be worn; this is
a win-win for elderly folk on
their own and their families.
And finally we hope the
latest buzz word in the finan-
cial services space, FinTech,
is able to deliver solutions
that the elderly can get
excited about. Even in its
simplest form, today man-
aging a savings account
is cumbersom e for many.
Being able to transact online

FEATURE
is almost a necessity - to
see your account statem ent
since banks don’t issue pass-
books anymore; to check
if you received the regular
credits related to pension
seek help without wading
through IVRs of call centres.
Giving them financial inde-
pendence online opens up
a world of possibilities for
senior citizens living alone
card so that you can be as
mobile as you want to be.
Get bill payments set up
to auto-debit your account
or card or send you a trig-
ger to pay with one click
so that you aren’t spend-
Accurate fall-alert
technology is critical and
combined with a durable
yet comfortable device to
be worn; this is a win-win...
ing hours in long queues.
Simple health monitoring
devices like a BP monitor or
Sugar level tester for a quick
check to quell any panic that
things are not okay.
Technology should not
just aid but empower the
and from your loved ones; to
pay bills without needlessly
stepping out of your home.
Yet the systems are
designed for a savvy user.
Multiple pins and passwords
to remember and sometim es
very convoluted navigation
screens making sure that
bill will never get paid! With
the increasing reliance on
OTP (an SMS code sent to
the linked mobile number),
multiple devices are required
to be accessed to finish any
transaction online. Technol-
ogy that works on voice
recognition for a custom er
profile like senior citizens -
typically regular set of trans-
actions and not very high
value - would be a real boon.
This could enable them to
transact more online from the
safety of their home and also
or spending most of the day
by themselves. From hailing
a cab to ordering lunch to
buying their favourite book
without having to rely on
someone else.
As a senior citizen, it’s not
necessarily a long wait for
the write tools. Even today
with a little effort and help
from family, you must enable
yourself with a basic smart-
phone and learn how to set
up a few features that will
make daily life easier.
A food delivery app that
lets you pay cash once the
food is delivered – for
those days when you are
just too tired to whip up a
meal or your crave variety.
A taxi app with cash pay-
ment option or linked to
your son’s or daughter’s
consum er. The idea is be
independent and self-suffi-
cient to the largest extent
possible. And if young folks
start thinking more about
how a product can help their
grandm a or grandpa live a
little more comfortably, Sil-
ver Tech will surely deliver
on its promise!
Subha is an ex-
banker with over
15 years of opera-
tions and large
team management
experience at Citibank NA. She is
now running her own process,
people and finance consulting
firm, RainKraft. She blogs at
www.dolphindives.in and loves
to look at how technology can be
simplified and made useful to
young and old alike.

AROUND THE WORLD | NEWS
Senior Citizens are Fastest Growing
Community on Facebook
FACEBOOK is fast becoming popular among elderly
community. In fact, senior citizens happen to be the fast-
est growing demography on this social website. Accord-
ing to a Penn State researchers report published in the
journal Computers in Human Behavior, the reasons found
were the same that motivated youngsters to hook on the
Facebook a decade ago. The study investigated the rea-
sons behind senior citizens using Facebook and how they
participate in specific activities to satisfy their needs. An
online survey on 352 senior citizens of 60–86 years old
was conducted. It revealed four primary motivations viz
social bonding, social bridging, curiosity, and respond-
ing to family member requests – as reason to log on to
Facebook. The urge to see what their kids and friends
are doing happens to be one of the biggest factors to log
on to Facebook. Social bonding is a major motivation for
seniors to participate in most activities on Facebook. In
addition, message-based interactivity features like post-
ing on other people’s wall and chatting with others leads
to greater Facebook use. Senior citizens are not moti-
vated to actively participate on Facebook when family
and friends push them to use the website.
Haryana govt to
train people to
help elderly
THE RAPID rise in the
number of nuclear families
in India, has meant many
elderly and disabled people
have been left abandoned.
To provide much-needed
care, Haryana government
has launched an initiative
called the ‘Caregiver’ in the
state. Under this two-month
programme, the government
will train people to work with
elderly and the persons with
disability and will equip them
with basic medical knowl-
edge, first aid, counselling
and consultation skills. The
government will make a list
of the trained candidates and
anyone needing a ‘caregiver’
can approach the social wel-
fare department of the dis-
trict administration for the
service at nominal charges.

NEWS
Train Berth Quota
for Senior Citizens
Enhanced by 50%
THE BERTH quota in trains
for senior citizens has been
increased by 50 per cent
by the Ministry of Railways,
with effect from April 01.
The berths were increased
in accordance with Railway
Minister Suresh Prabhu’s
announcem ent during Rail
Budget presentation in Parlia-
ment. Now, elderly will have
about 90 reserved berths
available for them in a train.
The reserved quota for senior
citizens was introduced in
2007 and a quota of two
lower berths per coach in
Sleeper, AC-3 tier and AC-2
tier classes was earmarked for
them. In 2015, Railway dou-
bled the existing quota of two
lower berths to four lower
berths per coach in Sleeper
class. In 2016, the berths were
enhanced to six lower berths
per coach in Sleeper class
and three lower berths per
coach in AC-3 tier and AC-2
tier classes. However, in Rajd-
hani, Duronto and fully air-
conditioned Express trains,
the quota in AC-3 tier class
will be four lower berths per
coach as against three lower
berths per coach.
ACTING on a public interest
litigation (PIL), the Supreme
Court of India has issued
notice to the Centre and
the National Legal Services
Authority (Nalsa), with regard
SC Issues
Notice to
Centre on
Old-age
Homes in
Each Districts
to the establishment of old-age
homes in each district. The PIL
noted that the constitutional
rights of the senior citizens
are being violated, because
of the non-implementation
of National Policy for Elderly in
India. The petition, filed by
former Union law minister Ash-
wini Kumar, pleaded for the
establishment of an adequate
number of old-age homes in
each districtacross the coun-
try to enable them to live a
life of dignity. As per him, the
draft National Policy on Senior
Citizens was prepared in 2011,
but has yet not been finalised.
The apex court has appointed
Helpage India, an NGO, as an
amicus in the case and has
asked Nalsa to inform the court
of all the schemes and pro-
grammes meant for seniors.

NEWS
More Elderly
Residing in
Rural Areas;
Female Silvers
Outnumber Men
THE POPULATION of per-
sons aged above 60 years has
increased substantially, with
silvers residing in rural areas
outnumbering elderly living in
urban areas. According to a
report Elderly in India 2016 by
the Ministry of Statistics and
Program me Implementation,
the population of senior citi-
zens increased from 77 million
(5.6 per cent) to 103.9 million
(8.6 per cent) during 2001-
2011. Among these 103.9 mil-
lion seniors, 73.3 million (36
million male and 37.3 million
females) live in rural coun-
tryside, while 30.6 million
(15.1 males and 15.5 million
females) reside in urban areas
of the country.
Elderly One-child
Parents Left in
Lurch in China
THE SILVERS in China are
distraught and dismayed with
the ‘insensitive’ act of the
Chinese Comm unist Party. In
1980s, Chinese government
had promised to take care of
Chinese couples when they
grow older, if they follow
one-child policy. Now, those
senior Chinese one-child par-
ents are finding that promise
hollow. On April 18, many
one-child parents gave peti-
tion at National Health and
Family Planning Commission
headquarters in Beijing, ask-
ing for better social support,
according to media reports.
These elderly were, however,
put in Beijing’s Jiujingzhuang
petitioner service centre, an
extralegal detention facility.
The media reports said that
there were no petitioners left
outside the family planning
headquarters by April 20.
Petitioners in detention facil-
ity are usually held, and fre-
quently tortured and abused,
for days or months before
being released.
Meanwhile, faced with
mounting population prob-
lem of elderly, a mandarin
in Shanghai, recently, has
warned local residents of
being enlisted in a credit
blacklist, being refused a
bank account or loans, among
others, if they neglected their
elderly parents. According to
the official China Daily news-
paper, these people would
be treated as miscreants and
categorised as hit and run
drivers, or those jumping sub-
way ticket barriers, etc. They
can also face other punish-
ments under the law passed
in 2013 if they don’t visit their
aged parents regularly.

NEWS
Govt Sets up Welfare Fund to Use Unclaimed Money
THE GOVERNMENT of India
has established Senior
Citizens Welfare Fund to use
unclaimed fund lying in gov-
ernment accounts estimated
to be in excess of `9,000
crore. According to a Finance
Ministry notification on March
18, the deposits that remain
unclaim ed for seven years
Public Provident Fund (PPF)
and Employees’ Provident
Fund (EPF) and small saving
schemes such as Post Office
Savings Accounts, Post
Office Recurring Deposit
Accounts and National Sav-
ings Certificates, will be
transferred to the newly cre-
ated Fund within one year.
The move by the government
is aimed to finance schemes
for the promotion of the
welfare of senior citizens
benefits in
line with National Policy on
Older Persons and National
Policy on Senior Citizens. The
report said, “The Senior Citi-
zens Welfare Fund shall be
an interest bearing account in
the Public Account of the
Union of India and shall be
administered by the Commit-
tee.” The Committee will be
headed by Secretary in the
Ministry of Social Justice and
Empowerm ent who shall be
the ex-officio chairperson.
The members will be officials
(not below the rank of a Dep-
uty Secretary) from Depart-
ment of Financial Services,
Ministry of Health and Fam-
ily Welfare, Ministry of Rural
Developm ent and Ministry
of Labour and Employment,
among others. The Commit-
tee shall meet at least twice
a year. The nodal ministry for
the administration of the
welfare fund shall be Min-
istry of Social Justice and
Empowerm ent. Every institu-
tion which has the unclaimed
deposits in their small sav-
ings accounts shall prepare
list of unclaim ed deposits in
the accounts and notify to
the public. The rate of inter-
est for the money lying in
the Fund shall be determined
and notified by the Central
Governm ent in the Minis-
try of Finance on an annual
basis, the notification said.
Union Finance Minister Arun
Jaitley in his Budget 2015-16
speech had proposed the
creation of the fund using
unclaimed deposits of about
Rs 3,000 crore in the PPF, and
Rs 6,000 crore in the EPF.

NEWS
In Distress, Indian Elderly Need Care
Lack of awareness and sensitisation is leading to
rising abuse of senior citizens in India. HelpAge
India reports almost 50 per cent of elderly in
India are facing abuse.
of elderly by their children.
Even the Constitution of India
recognizes the rights of the
elderly and in its set of direc-
tive principles has laid out:
“The state shall, within the
limits ofits economic capacity
and development, make effec-
tive provisionfor securing the
right to work, education and
public assistance in cases of
unemploym ent, old age, sick-
ness and disability, and in other
cases of undeserved want.”
The Government of India
last year constituted the
National Council of Senior
Citizens (NCSrC), renam-
ing the National Council for
Older Persons (NCOP) under
Ministry of Social Justice &
Empowerment. NCSrC is man-
dated to advise the central
and state governments on the
A RATHER disturbing video
went viral on social media
in January this year – a
CCTV video of a woman beat-
ing her elderly mother-in-law.
The video garnered more than
six million views and the social
media erupted. The video
effectively raised the issue of
elderly abuse in India, till now
an issue conveniently swept
under the carpet.
The United Nations General
Assembly, in its resolution
66/127, designated June 15 as
World Elder Abuse Awareness
Day (WEAAD). Launched on
June 15, 2006 by the Interna-
tional Network for the Preven-
tion of Elder Abuse and the
World Health Organization at
the United Nations, WEAAD,
the purpose is to provide an
opportunity to the people
around the world to recognize
this malaise and promote a
better understanding of abuse
and neglect of olderpersons.
India passed Maintenance
and Welfare of Parents and
Senior Citizens (MWPSC) Act
in 2007 empowering rev-
enue departm ent officials to
intervene and enforce care
entire gamut of issues related
to the welfare of senior
citizens, including policies,
program mes and legislative
measures. Besides, Ministry of
Health & Family Welfare, dur-
ing Eleventh Five Year Plan
period, launched the National
Program m e for Health
Care of Elderly (NPHCE) to
address various health related
problem s of elderly people.
The Program me is presently
being implemented in over
100 districts of the country
under National
Health Mission scheme.

NEWS
Despite these measures,
the neglect, abuse and aban-
donment of elderly has con-
tinued and in fact multiplied.
According to the report Elder
Abuse in India-2013, released
by HelpAge India on June
16, 50 per cent of the elderly
suffer abuse in the country.
The survey reported that
sons and daughter-in-law are
the primary culprits with sons
accounting for 73 per cent of
elders abused, follow ed by 15
per cent abused by daugh-
ters-in-law.
What is dismal is the
fact that more than 79 per
cent of elderly abuse cases
goes unreported. The find-
ings point to the need for
sustained sensitization and
awareness building pro-
gramm es across the country
for all age groups, starting
with children. HelpAge India
also suggests building a
robust social security system
network to ensure income
security for the elderly.
An App that Takes
Care of Elderly
IF YOU ARE a senior citizen,
you don’t need to bother any
more. An app is always there
to help you. Called eSenior-
Care, the app takes care of
silvers in numerous ways.
It creates a personalized
socio-ecological construct
around the seniors, and
helps the elderly connect
with care providers by send-
ing concerns and questions
as text or voice recordings .
Even healthcare workers
can reach out to seniors via
this app, when they need
help, without violating their
independence. The app inti-
mates workers when medica-
tions aren’t being followed
properly or renewed on
time, thus helping workers
to intervene to address the
problem. Developed by the
University of Notre Dame
researchers, the app is aimed
at enhancing the physical
health, vitality and brain fit-
ness of seniors residing in
independent living communi-
ties. It helps elderly to track
a variety of health goals and
features medication sched-
uling and managem ent,
medication history, medica-
tion reminders and medica-
tion adherence. The app is
loaded with brain games viz
crossword, Sudoku puzzles
and other games, etc., designed
to enhance cognitive health
and avoid impairment of men-
tal function.
A lot of this with more
personalized support
and companionship is
offered by the Samarth
app. This app is avail-
able for free on Android
phones and will soon
come to iphones as well.

QUICK FACTS
115Crores
Number of elderly in India. This is
roughly 8% of all population and
makes India an ‘ageing’ country as
per UN definition
12,000Average increase in the number
of elderly in India likely to hap-
pen everyday for the next 10
years
36million
Numberof older people
who live without
spouses. That is more
than the population of
Australia
25%Of all new toys
purchased by
the elderly in
the US

QUICK FACTS
0.032%
80%Percentage of all
luxury travel in the
US accounted for by
the elderly
Share of GDP the government
spends on senior citizens in India
500%The increase in Indian population of oldest
elderly(80 plus) between 2006 and 2050,
as comparedto overallpopulation growth
of 40% in the same period.
1/3rd Proportion
of the elder population over
the age of
65 falls each year in the US. The
risk of falls increases
proportionately with age. At 80
years, over half of seniors fall
annually. Falls account for 25%
of all hospital admissions every
year in the US.

Q&A
Q
Q
A
Q&AWITH
XXX THE PERSON
“Our vision is that
all senior citizens in
India enjoys a high-
quality, independent
lifestyle...”
Personal pain point over the trauma
and guilt that accompanies ‘less than the best’
support for senior citizens in their families led a
group of concerned citizens to launch Samarth
with the aim to serve senior citizens and their
sons, daughters and well-wishers.
By Sangita Thakur Varma
What led to the idea of
Samarth?
We believe that senior
A citizens deserve a life
that is comfortable, safe and
enjoyable – a universal wish
we have for our parents and
elders. But a lack of adequate
care for them is a real issue in
India cutting across economic
strata. Many of us have per-
sonally witnessed the trauma
and guilt that accompanies
‘less than the best’ support
for senior citizens in our own
families. Senior care, an
established, large and rea-
sonably mature business
sector in developed markets
like the US, is in a very
nascent stage in India and
represents a huge gap.
All of us co-founders are
passionate about filling this
vacuum and therefore, we
launched “samarth” (mean-
ing capable) that aims to
serve senior citizens and their
sons, daughters and well-
wishers.
What is the vision and
mission of Samarth?
Our vision is that all
senior citizen in India
enjoys a high-quality, inde-
pendent lifestyle without hav-
ing to move out of their
community. Our mission,

Q&A
Q
A
How does Samarth
make its services
available
We have a membership
A program for senior citi-
therefore, is rather straight-
forward: to bring peace of
mind and happiness to the
XXXXof the Person
XXXDesignation and
company name
be building trust with
theelderly. While in major met-
ros there are organizations
zens to join the Samarth com-
munity. They can subscribe
themselves or as we have
seen many times, their chil-
dren who subcribe them to
the program. Members can
select from among the vari-
ous options or customise their
plans. All subscription options
come with a 24X7 emergency
support at home or outside
in the city the elderly mem-
ber lives. The members as
well as their family can
access Samarth through an
elderly and their children who
care about them. We realized
that to do this, we have to act
like the son or daughter or a
trusted friend of the elderly.
How does Samarth help
Q elderly?
We did a lot of research
with elderly Indians, their
children and family members
living in India as well as over-
seas. That and our own experi-
ence taught us that our
number one priority oughtto
offering a range of services
and products, the reason why
elderly hesitate in accessing
them is the lack of trust.
Samar th offers support not
only for physic al needs such
as security, safety, medi-
cal services, home mainte-
nance, out-of-hom e tasks
but also emotional needs
such as companionship and
entertainm ent, and even
volunteering or part-time
engagem ent depending on
what members want.
assigned care-manager, who
stays in regular touch and
meets them personally, our
call-center or through our
mobile app. The app allows
children to setup and track
reminders, track location,
request and track services
for their elderly parents in
addition to calling for emer-
gency assistance if needed.
How did you go about
Q building Samarth
community?

Q
A
Q&A
In our view, trust and
sensitivity are the two
most important aspects for
serving the elderly. Our single
minded focus is on delivering
on these two aspects. Our
community building is largely
through referrals and word of
mouth. Our members are the
best, and most trusted,
means to reach other seniors.
If one of them believes in and
experiences our work and
sees our passion, they
introduce other friends or
family to our community.
We also have an outreach
program where we work with
Senior citizen forums, RWAs,
associations and organiza-
tions involved with senior citi-
zens to developtailor-made
options for seniors. Even
though our physical services
are limited to a few locations,
our community program is
available to senior citizens
everywhere in the country.
Anyone above the age of 50
years can becom e a member
and benefit.
What has been the
response of people
especially senior citizens to
this initiative?
There is clearly a
A strongly felt need not
only among the senior citi-
zens but also their children
who want to provide them
the best possible and reliable
support. In our most recent
samarthmilan, the get-
togethers we organize for our
members, we were com-
pletely humbled by how con-
fident and happy they felt
having Samarth by their side.
All of us in the team meet
many groups of senior citi-
zens every week – in condo-
miniums, clubs, in mornings
in gardens and parks, at
RWAs. In almost all discus-
sions, people share stories of
We have a
membership
program
for senior
citizens... They
can subscribe
themselves...
or, their
children who
subcribe
them to the
program.
how they were not treated
well or taken advantage of or
the compromises they have
done due to lack of reliable
support. Many people also
question us – about us and
our people, how we fund this,
how we ensure quality, why
we are doing this? But once
they are convinced, you can
see the relief they feel that
now they can perhaps live life
on their own terms. It also puts
a lot of pressure on us to
deliver. We have an 85 year old
member in South Delhi who
has three sons but lives alone
in her house. Our Care man-
ager is the goto person for her
for everything from doctors’
appointmentto buying stuff,
organizing everything in her
home. There is a member cou-
ple in Gurgaon who visits us
atleast twice a week at our
office to spend time with our
team. Another member works
for a couple of hours every
alternate day with us.
Almost every week we get
requests from concerned
family members, who come
to know about Samarth, to
offer our services in this city
or that wherever their parents
stay. We have plans to cover
the entire country but we
want to do this without com-
promising on quality of our
service. This means expand-
ing our full services slowly.
However, our community
offering is available across.
Having said that, many
seniors can be very demand-
ing and we have to con-
stantly meet their exacting
standards. But the love and
affection we get, makes it a
pleasure.

KNOW YOUR FAMILY
PROUD TO BE SAMARTH
With Samarth team at their assistance, members of Samarth are
enjoying life once again.
MR. HAR PRASAD &
MRS. SWARNASHREE BHATTACHARYA
The Bhattachar yya’s w orked and lived in India and the
US w here Mr. Bhattacharyya retired from The World
Bank. With a son and his family settled in US, they have
made DLF Phase IV in Gurgaon their home. Both of
them have a keen interest in travel, movies and good
food, w hich they w ere forced to give up for lack of a
support system. They are now back to enjoying their
days and life w ith the support of their Samarth care
consultant Sw ati and the team w hich is like an extended
family. After learning make skype calls, going shopping
for clothes, organising their long-p en ding tasks w ith
Samarth, they are now planning an outing w ith like-
minded Samarth members.
“I w anted a carefree life, how ever due to health rea-
sons I could not comp letely enjoy my retirement. I feel
so much more comfortab le and assured that Samarth
team is there to help and advise on w hatever ongoing
or emergency needs that me and my w ife have.”

ENJOY LIFE | LEISURE
Little India: Jan-
path street where
you can find high
street fashion co-
mmingling with
heritage pieces
from all nooks and
cranies of India.
JANPATH
Janpath-India in
Microcosm
Take a stroll down Janpath and discover
sheer nostalgia amid its quaint shops
with old world charm.

JANPATH
Highstreet Fashion: Janpath export
market is a must visit for branded clothes.
Dper’s paradise
Iconic: Depaul’s, a landmark store in
Janpath square, has generations of
patrons hooked to its coffee and care.
Famous! The bookstore that takes you back three gen-
erations. Nothing has changed here, only evolved.
elhi is a shop-
and Janpath
Market is the
mecca of any
diehard shopper from India
and abroad. To call Janpath
Market, the artery of India
wouldn’t be far-fetched.
The long road with its pic-
turesque row of tiny shops
fronted by designer pave-
ment, is not representative
of the national capital alone,
but a microcosm of India in
motion—colourful, vibrant and
milling with chaotic crowds.
The thousands of visitors you
may see here on any given
day, except Sunday when the
market is closed, prove the
the popularity of this ultimate
global tourism destination.
The historical antecedent
of Janpath or ‘people’s path’
makes it even more
interesting. In 1931, Janpath’s
antecedents lie in royalty. In
1931, it was named Queen’s
Way, as it was an important
part of ‘New Capital’ of India
designed by Edwin Lutyen.
It starts as Radial Road 1 in
Connaught Place, adjacent
to Palika Bazaar, runs north-
south perpendicular to, and
past Rajpath (erstwhile King’s
Way). Janpath road stretches
in the north from the Con-
naught Place and winds up at
the intersection of Aurangzeb
Road and junction of South
End road and Tees January
Marg in the south.
Post Independence, Jan-
path lost its royal commuters
and also its name. It became
a street on which com-
mon people trod daily and a
street bazaar for masses.
Over the years, Janpath
evolved into a microcosm of
India, lined with shops repre-
senting almost all its states.
Despite Delhi’s rapid devel-
opment, Janpath has managed
to retain its quaint charm. The
shops here are multi-genera-
tional in business for the past
six decades or more.They still
sell theirsignature ware and
though have evolved to cater
to the newer generations,

JANPATH
The Bazaar for All: First offs and fakes, you can find all brands here.
due to this relationship that
most of these stores cater to
three generations of clients.
Indraprasth is among the old-
est stores in Janpath square.
Indraprasth too began as a
stall by Satyapal Vij, a migrant
from Lahore at the time of
Partition. Still today, it retains
its reputation as a quality
hosiery and intimatewear
store. According to Manoj Vij,
the current owner, the quality
retain their older patrons.
Take for instance Depaul’s.
It once boasted of clients like
erstwhile maharajas, celebri-
ties, top bureaucrats and the
who’s who of Delhi in the 70s
and 80s. Ashwani Kathpalia,
current generation propri-
etor says, “Depaul’s played
the best grooves in Delhi.”
Depaul’s has had three gen-
erations coming for its signa-
ture cold coffee. Interestingly,
Depaul’s which was originally
named Dharampal’s, after the
founder, changed to D’Paul
upon the suggestion of a
French customer and over
time got shortened to D’Paul.
Sixty years on, the store
remains the same. Today, for-
eign visitors take their photo-
graphs in the backdrop of the
store, much like Taj Mahal or
Eiffel Tower.
Sanjeev Arora, proprietor
of Famous Book Store is
convinced that the charm
of Janpath is irreplaceable.
Famous Book Store is itself
like a time machine. Rewind
to 1970s or 80s—the same
musky smell of books assails
your senses as you enter and
you are immediately in sea
of thousands of books. The
book store was begun by
Arora’s father when he chose
to stay in India post Partition.
“In Pakistan, we had three
shops. But when we migrated
to India in 1947 my father had
to start from scratch.”
The store owners in Janpath
Bhawan were initially allotted
stalls on Janpath in the 50s.
In 1971, the stores relocated
to their present address. It
is not just the stores’ ambi-
ence that speaks of an era
gone by. Speak to any of the
storekeepers here, and their
genteel mien and demeanour
becomes apparent. These are
family stores who found life-
long friends amid clients. It is
of services which has continu-
ously evolved is the hallmark
of Janpath. This is why it has
evolved from a circuit hall to a
prime market, he says.
Tucked in between these
stores and outside on the
pavement sit the hawkers, who
too trace theirlineage here
back to three generations. This
is the heart of Janpath, and the
milling crowds are a testimony
that here you can get a good
bargain for the authentic curios
and garments. from around
India. From the 70s and the
80s generation, for whom Jan-
path was the coolest hangout
to Gen-Y, Janpath has paved
its way to everyone’s heart
with its indescribable charm.
To join an assisted
walk on Janpath and
relive the joy, call
Samarth on ….

PLACE
I
JODHPUR
Colour Me Blue:
Jodhpur, the Sun City,
is drenched in hues of
blue. The colour has a
historical antecedent.
JODHPUR
In this Sun City, the
World Looks Blue
Jodhpur, the second largest city of Rajasthan,
beckons the intrepid traveller with its rich
royal heritage and famous folklore.
By Binita Singh
t’s royal, no doubt and
blue! Defying all notions
that purple is the colour
of royalty, its epony-
mous sartorial avataar has
graced many a royal prince
and continues to rule the
ramp. It also has a signature
world famous cuisine – the
original mawa kachoris for
which flights have been
delayed famously.
We are talking about Jodh-
pur, the erstwhile seat of
the royal Rathods. Jodhpur is
the second largest city of
Rajasthan and while the best
season for tour of this intrigu-
ing desert city is between
October and March, it is best
to start planning ahead as

PLACE
Jodhpur is a popular desert
destination with travellers –
both domestic and foreign.
The Thar desert, boder-
ing the township, is hot and
dry, making Jodhpur a bright
and sunny spot to be in. The
city enjoys a typical desert
weather for most parts of the
year and depending on your
physical tolerance level, you
can plan your itinerary.
Going to Jodhpur is easy,
as it is the destination of
several bus services, trains
and flight s around the year.
The royal abode beckons
one and all. However, a road
trip to Rajasthan, if you can
bear the long hours in a bus,
offers its own indescribable
charm. If you want to make
your trip more memorable
and royal, book a trip on the
Palace on Wheels — Royal
Rajasthan on Wheels. The
regal chariot that leaves
Delhi Railway Station under-
takes a seven-day round
trip of Rajasthan, taking the
traveller to all the erstwhile
princely states of Rajasthan.
Meanwhile, be prepared to
be pampered like members
of India’s royalty, as you
travel ensconced in ultra luxe
surroundings , reminiscent of
Rajasthan’s royal yore.
Planning ahead will enable
you to attend famous festi-
vals and events of Jodhpur.
Rural Art Deco: Terracota
windchimes, built to last and
chime in the desert winds. These
can be seen hanging atop door-
ways in rural homes in Jodhpur.
The Marwar festival, which
takes place in October, is one
such not to be missed events
on Jodhpur’s social calendar.
Held in the auspicious
month of Ashwin, it was
known as Maand in ancient
times. The days are warm and
sunny leading to cool and
pleasant nights at the time.
The festival is celebrated on
a full moon night and the
desert air assails your senses.
The two-day long festivities
Footloose Fancy: Mojris or
Jodhpuri jootis are today a must
have item for all wardrobes.
unleash a riot of colours with
revellers wearing bandhani
odhanis in bright hues. The
world renowned Jodhpuri
jootis, and members of the
erstwhile royals of Rajasthan
and the gentry in their trade-
mark jodhpurs and bandhgala
jackets are a sight to behold.
The melodious strains of
folk music and the rythmic
beat to which the local folk
artists perform are mes-
merising. With the full moon
enfolding the entire festivi-
ties in a pale white glow, the
visitor feels as though trans-
ported to an enchanted land.
The magic of the desert and
the dancers cajoles you into
shedding all your inhibitions.
Dance into the twilight or
just sit around enjoying the
rhythmic beats of the tradi-
tional drums.
The folk dances and the
ballads are based on the
Jodhpur’s romantic folklore
and recount the tales of
love and war, lives of great

36 | samarth | July 201636 | samarth | June 2016
JODHPUR
princes and princesses and
the smaller warlords and local
folk heroes. In the backdrop
of all this festivity stands the
imposing Mehrangarh Fort,
the captivating Umaid Bha-
wan Palace and Mandore. You
feel transported to another
era, of the royal, the rich, the
brave and their intrigues, pas-
sions, pains, loves and life.
At the polo match held on
the occasion, you can wit-
ness magnificent horses and
their royal riders displaying
redoutable equestrian skills.
The camels come here annu-
ally for tattoos at the camel
tattoo show and show off
the inking skills of local folk
artistes.
Also include the Rajasthan
International Folk Festival in
your itinerary, which is held
around the same time at
Mehrangarh Fort. Musicians,
storytellers , dancers and
singers from Rajasthan’s folk
comm unities descend here
for the festival, apart from a
select gathering of national
and international artistes.
The soul stirring Indian
Grind Machine: This ancient spice grinder is a rural innovation. Bull-
ocks used to turn this industrial whole spice grounder.
History Unbound: An enchanting view of the architectural marvel
called Mehrangarh Fort.
music and local traditional
oral fare that these artists
present, takes you on a cul-
tural trip that extends well
into the night.
Jodhpur International
Desert Kite Festival held in
January and the World Sufi
Spirit Festival in February
at Mehrabgarh and Nagaur
respec tively are other fes-
tivals that you can plan to
catch while on a visit here.
Recent attractions to the
historical cultural festivals
in Jodhpur, these are now
extremely popular with visi-
tors to Jodhpur.
Heritage Staycation: Ajit Bha-
wan, an erstwhile palace, func-
tions today as a heritage hotel
offering royal stay to visitors.

PLACE
Heritage Restored: Umaid Bhawan Palace is today part heritage hotel and part musem.
Explore the Mehrangarh
Fort, the reason why the city
houses are painted blue, giv-
ing Jodhpur the nomencla-
ture of Blue City. The highest
castes painted their homes
blue in a show of allegiance
to the father of the city – Rao
Jodha, chiefof the Rathore
clan. Rao Jodha lay the foun-
dation of Jodhpur in 1459
and gave the city his name.
With each generation of
his clan, the Fort got some
additions and by the end it,
Mehrangarh Fort had trans-
formed into a heritage mas-
terpiece. Past the Fort lies
the sprawling city at its foot-
hills. The city extends to the
Samarth organizes
special tours for
elderly members to
places of interest. It is
like a trip with friends
and family with every-
thing taken care of
door to door.
10 km 16th century city wall.
Jaswant Thada is about
a kilometre from the fort. It
is a beautiful white marble
cenotaph built in honour of
Maharaja Jaswant Singh II.
The Umaid Bhawan Palace
is another iconic heritage
piece of architec ture. Atop
the Chittar hill, the palace
is an architec tural marvel
exhibiting influences of colo-
nial era brought in by British
architect Henry Vaughan,
Block of Art:
Sanganeri block
printing is a textile
handblock printing
art that flourished
towards the end of
end of 17th and in
the 18th century.
It is still the most
sought after hand-
loom textile today.
Bandhej or
Bandhani: A
famous tie and dye
technique that is
native to Jodhpur.
Do not forget to
collect a couple of
vivid odhni!
who built it. The palace is
relatively new as a monu-
ment as it was completed in
1944. Visit the heritage hotel
and the museum housed
in it today. The museum has
a famous vintage car and
watch collection. Stroll
through the famous Umed
Garden with its museum ,
zoo and aviary. Jodhpur is a
tourist’s delight with many
hidden gems waiting to be
explored.

July 2016 | samarth | 3740 | samarth | July 2016
KNOW YOUR FAMILY
PROUD TO BE SAMARTH
With Samarth team at their assistance, members of Samarth are
enjoying life once again.
MRS. BEENA ROY
BURMAN
Mrs. Burman w as very active and independ ent for
most of her life and still has the energy and zest to live
life on her ow n terms at the age of 83. With her three
sons settled in dif ferent cities in India and overseas,
she w as living in and maintaining her independ ent
house in South Delhi with the help of a servant. The
sons w ere concerned given her health and introduced
her to Samarth. Since then, w hether it w as a medical
emerg ency w hich needed immediate attentio n,
routine eye checkup, finding a reliable nurse to stay at
home, organizin g home cooked food of her liking or
installing security cameras at home, the Samarth care
consultant has been the go-to person.

T
FEATURE
Your home is
your retirement
nest. Plan ahead.
Homes are one-time buys where we often end up investing our
life’s savings. For those planning to buy one, planning a multi-
generational house is sensible, while those who already own their
home, they can still be made comfortable for the senior members.
he Govern-
ment of
India’s Acces-
sible India
Campaign to
achieve uni-
versal accessibility for Per-
son’s with Disability (PwDs),
though late is laudable. How-
ever, universal accessibility
is not something required
by PwDs alone. For senior
citizens too accessibility is
a major issue, often even at
their homes.
In a developing country
like India, with a large middle
class population, homes
often are a one-tim e invest-
ment – permanent. Shouldn’t
then they be designed to so
as to allow the home owner
to age in it gracefully? Unfor-
tunately, planners and archi-
tects in the country are yet
to perceive the importance
of the principle of universal
design while building homes.
In a country where roti,
kapda are still the two pri-
mary necessities for which
more than half of its popu-
lation is still striving for,
makaan, the third require-
ment, is often a lifetime
dream and achievement for
Indians. They invest their
life’s savings in a home and
often end up paying EMIs
well past retirement.
Periodical renovations are
an added cost and most
people can ill afford to get
their homes redesigned to
suit the needs of advanc-
ing age. In western coun-
tries though, people do pull
down their homes to get it
rebuilt for aging occupants.
However, designers and
architects abroad are now
actively adopting universally
designed multi-generational
house plans, as increasing
life expectancy means more
homes will have grandpar-
ents living longer even as

FEATURE
Home is where the Heart is:
Build multi-generational homes or
just carry out a few basic changes
to for the comfort of elderly
family members. Relocating
can be painful in old-age. It is
better to build homes that are
meant to last generations and
accommodate at least three of
them at once.

FEATURE
parents are aging.
In India too, life expectancy
has been steadily climbing in
the past decades, thanks to
better nutrition and health-
care. In 1960, the average life
expectancy was around 42.
In the next four decades it
improved, climbing to around
48 in 1980, 58.5 in 1990 and
around 62 in 2000. In fact, life
expectancy since 2001–2005,
had gone up by five years in
2011-2015, from 62.3 years
for males and 63.9 years for
females to 67.3 years and
69.6 years for males and
females respectively.
The principle of universal
design being adopted agres-
sively, is partly rooted in the
concept of creating a univer-
sally accessible environment
for the disabled population.
The aim of planners and
architects is to build an envi-
ronment that would cater
to as wider a section of the
population as possible and
that too for the longest part
of their lives.
One of the first architects
of universal design was Sel-
wyn Goldsmith, the first
designer to who created a
dropped curb for wheel-
chairs. Since growing fraility
makes the elderly lose vital
faculties, the principles of
universal design caters to
their growing needs, espe-
cially if they will age in one
home. In India, this is true
for majority of homebuyers.
People buy homes in their
30s to 40s with the sole pur-
pose of living in it till they
breathe their last.
In the West, architects
are now focussing on multi-
generational homes and
retirement house plans that
attempt to accom modate
individuals at all stages of life
and the changes that may
come into their lifestyle as
they grow older. This also
means that from grandchil-
dren to grandparents, all can
live under the same roof, if
desired, without cramping
the lifestyle or the needs of
one another.
How many of homes in
India are built with such
an eye on the future? Not
many. The result being that
senior members of the fam-
ily becom e confined to a
small space, mostly their
bedrooms. The doorways
are too narrow, steps are
steep, toilets are low, floors
slippery, entrance to homes
have steps and no ramps,
stairways to upper storeys
are without balustrade, etc.,
etc. Even the furniture is not
designed to address their
requirem ents. Low sofas, din-
ing chairs without armrests,
beds sunk to the floor, light
switch far from the beds and
without remote…the list goes
on. Kitchens generally remain
out of bounds.
Unfortunately, most of
us are condemned to grow
old in such a space that we
have built lovingly yet with-
out foresight to address
our basic requirements. But
don’t get disheartened yet. A
few thoughtful features can
transform your home into a
universally accessible abode.
If you are a young buyer,
you will not require to move
your aging parents to a more
thoughtfully built retirement
home because your house
is out of bounds for them,
and if you are old, there is
no need to move out to a
senior citizens community, as
your own home has become
a death trap. Alternatively,
you may need a live-in nurs-
ing attendant, which is nei-
Samarth offers a com-
plementary home safety
audit to its members
which includes a 120
point check and recom-
mendations on how to
make each space more
elderly-friendly, less
prone to falls and safe.

FEATURE
ther comfortable (having an
outsider constantly amid the
family), nor affordable for all.
The benefits of building or
buying multi-generational
homes are plenty. For
instance, you can modify and
adapt the functional spaces
of your house to your chang-
ing lifestyle. These spaces
like the sitting room, dining,
gardens, etc., are designed
to incorporate space for
extended family and are
eco-friendly, as their design
is meant to be relevant for
much longer period, lead-
ing to lesser requirem ent for
remodeling.
Here is what home buy-
ers should look out for when
building or buying homes
that are meant to accom -
modate senior members of
the household or where you
intend aging yourself. These
modifications can also be
done in homes where seniors
are living to make them
more livable.
Single Floors & More As
a child and wwwwa young
adult, you were sprinting up
and down the steps. Today,
you need support to climb
step by step. You may even
be requiring a stick or a
walker.
When you were youn, duplex
homes or multi-storey ones
seemed ideal and attractive.
Today, with living area and
kitchen on one floor and the
bedroom s on another, life is
no longer a picnic.
If for some purpose you
cannot have a single-storey
house or already own one
that has several floors , or if
you live on the upper storey,
get an elevator installed.
In India, home-owners are
doing, even in small cities
like Patna and Patiala, to
make life comfortable for
your elderly.
Most homes, especially
bathroom s, have narrow door-
ways. Elderly are forced to use
bedpans or have to be carried
into the bathrooms. Those
without 24-hourcare, have
to wait for someone to help
them to the bathroom and this
can create some uncomfort-
able scenarios. Such living
conditions are harsh for both
parties – the elderly and their
children. In an ideal home, all
open spaces should be wide
enough to allow maneuvering
of wheelchairs and walkers.
When it comes to corridors,
they too need to be wide to
allow unhindered passage of
seniors who may be using aids.
If you have ever sprained
or hurt a foot and were
required to hobble around
on one foot or take a shower
on one foot, you are already
familiar with the pain and
the practical impossibility of
such a scenario. Now imagine
your aging parents standing
under the shower, bending
each time to fill a mug from
the bucket of water to pour

67.3
FEATURE
on themselves? If you are old,
well, you can vouch for this.
Yes, life can be made a lot
easier for the elderly, if we
equip them with assistive
aids. These simple, thought-
ful measures can be taken
by the elderly themselves
to ease their life. A bathing
chair in the bathroom under
the shower, strong basins
that can support them while
brushing, shaving, washing,
etc., raised toilet seats (you
get the kinds that can be fit-
ted atop the existing toilets)
or a toilet chair with armrests
if the toilet seat is low or if
the seniors cannot leverage
themselves up from seats
without support, can make
life more enjoyable for them.
Also, install grab bars in the
bathroom walls especially
near the showering space
and basins, while you are car-
rying out these renovations.
For Easy Living
If on a wheelchair, reaching
into your wardrobe can be a
pain. The room should be set
up in such a way that there
is space for the wheelchair
around the wardrobe. If you
don’t already have it, get the
sold wood doors of the ward-
robe replaced with lighter
sliding ones. Get the shelves
redesigned as pullout or pull
down versions. Remember,
The number of
years an Indian
male is expected
to live. Females life
expectancy is 69.6
years. There was a
five year leap from
2001–2005 to
20011-2015.
reaching lower drawers/
shelves or the top ones is dif-
ficult as you grow older and
weaker.
Slip Proof Flooring: Have
you ever had a dog and seen
him grow old? Remember,
how difficult it became for
him to stand or walk on the
floor as he kept slipping?
Well, humans have similar dif-
ficulties when they grow old.
Slip resistant flooring all
over the house and especially
the bathroom is mandatory
to prevent the elderly from
slipping. Remember, bones
grow fragile as you age and
take longer to heal. Hence,
here prevention is the best
cure. In case the flooring
cannot be changed, thick
wall to wall carpeting helps.
It also cushions a fall.
Remote control and not
just for TV, but blinds, cur-
tains, air-conditioners, fans
and light switches too, if pos-
sible, makes life comfortable.
The seniors can then sit in
peace and at night, need not
trouble others or themselves,
if they need the light on to
visit the bathroom or switch
off the airconditioner.
Doorknobs, faucets, water
taps that need to be twisted
open or close, are a pain for
old knobbly hands that may
even be arthritic by now. It
is a good idea to have lever
doors that need only a small
swing to open. Additionally,
heavy doors, latches, chairs,
kitchen utensils, plates, and
even glasses, should be
banned. As we grow older,
our strength wanes and man-
aging any force more than 2
two kg drains their strength.
It is good that modern
apartments have open floor
plans combining drawing,
dining and kitchen areas.
Apart from providing space
to manoeuvre walkers and
wheelchairs, open floor plans
are also open to rearrange-
ments of furniture forever.
You can organise your sit-
ting, dining or even kitchen
space as per your increasing
requirements. While at it,
it also makes sense to have
kitchen counters and any
other that you may have in

FEATURE
your home fixed at different
heights. It will make working
around the kitchen and the
house easier for each mem-
ber of the family.
Fading eyesight, cataract,
and just general aging process
lead to our faculties becom-
ing less sharp over the years.
Green homes with glass panels
allow more natural lightto flow
in, a boon both for the envi-
ronment and the elderly. From
dusk to dawn, the seniors
will be dependent on internal
lightings for the smallest work.
Discreet lighting or twilight
may seem romantic, but for
the aged, it could be plain tor-
ture. Install bright functional
lighteverywhere, especially
where there are curves, cor-
ners and alcoves. The newer
varieties of flat panel switches
are also easier to operate than
the older narrow switches.
Windows can be widened and
glass panelled and wooded
doors replaced with glass ones
to allow more natural lightinto
the house.
The empty-nester house
plans, where parents live on
their own, are ideally single-
storey and when furnished
with basements, they make
life convenient. Water tanks
can be installed in the base-
ment or it can be an ideal
car parking. Basements
also function as storage. If
equipped with hydraulic chair
lifts, basements becom e an
extension of the house.
Water harvesting, solar
panels, easy garbage dis-
posal, are other important
concerns when planning a
home or redoing one for old
age or multi-generation liv-
ing. Single storey houses
can easily be converted
into green homes with solar
panel roofs and gardens
that work as water harvest-
ing pools. Water recycling of
washing machines, water fil-
ters waters should be made
part of the design. The outer
space or garden can be
made accessible from home
on wheelchair by making
the gardens an extension of
the home with wide sliding
doorways.
No need to break down and
rebuild, just make some essen-
tial changes to make your nest
cozy and comfortable.

FLASHBACK
T
FLASHBACK
The Silent Era of
Silver Screen
Indian cinema has an exciting history. We delve
into its genesis and discover some gems.
Once again, an era seems to be ending in the
cinematic history of India as we watch single
screens die silently, one after the other.
By Binita Singh
he evolution of
cinematic excel-
lence in India
makes for an
inspiring story.
Who could have imagined
in 1913 that India would one
day become the largest film
industry in the world? More
than sheer size, it is the variety
of cinematic experience that
India turns out every year that
is mesmerizing. Bollywood,
Kollywood, Tollywood and
then the richness of various
languages and dialects, from
Bhojpuri to Marathi, Konkani
and what not, Indian cinema
has no parallels.
Satyawadi Raja Harishch-
nadra, the king who is an

ImageSource:http://www.wikiwand.com/en/Silent_film
FLASHBACK
embodiment of Indian ideals of
truth and honesty, finds men-
tion in several Indian classic
literature – Aitareya Brahmana,
Mahabharata, Markandeya
Purana, and the Devi-Bhaga-
vata Purana, to name a few.
However, it was an eponymous
film, India’s first feature film,
made by the legendary Dada
Saheb Phalke in 1913, which
immortalised the king. The
silent movie with English and
Hindi titles was to rewrite the
history of world cinema.
Notably, though the French
introduced moving images, the
creditfor motion pictures rests
with India. In fact, prior to the
epochal 3,700 feet long Raja
Harishchandra, two short films
were made by Harishchan-
dra Sakharam Bhatavdekar,
namely, The Wrestlers and Man
and Monkey. However, it was
Raja Harishchandra’s official
premier in Coronation Theatre
of Bombay on May 3, 1913,
which broke all records. This
film was to lead to the produc-
tion of several silent films in
Bombay and Madras. Satyavan
Savitri is a 1914 Indian silent
film, directed and produced by
Dadasaheb Phalke, the second
feature film created by him.
By the mid 1920s, Madras
had gained prominence as
the epicentre for cinema in
India with famous names as
Raghupathi Venkaiah Naidu,
SS Vasan, AV Meiyappan set-
ting up production houses
there and churning out Telugu
and Tamil films. Keechaka
Vadham, a critically acclaimed
movie on the characters
of Kichaka and Draupadi of the
epic Mahabharata, was the first
silent film of south India. It was
also a resounding commercial
success.
The treasure trove of silent
films included such gems as
Lanka Dahan (1917), Bhakta
Vidur (1921), A Throw of
Dice (1929), by German-born
director Franz Ostenon on the
famous dice game played in
the Mahabharata. In 1921 also
came a silent Bengali film, Bilat
Ferat (England Returned). The
year 1925 witnessed another
landmark silent film, an Indo-
European co-production,
titled Prem Sanyas (The Light
of Asia in English and Die
Leuchte Asiens in German)
adapted from the book in
verse, The Lightof Asia (1879),
authored by Edwin Arnold.
The film depicted the life of
Prince Siddhartha Gautama
who wenton to attain enlight-
enment as Gautam Buddha.
Book adaptations began in
earnest with another silent film
Marthanda Varma in 1933. A
black & white silent film, it was
directed by P V Rao and was
based on 1891 Malayalam novel
by C. V. Raman Pillai. This was
the first film to be adapted
from Malayalam literature.
Savkari Pash is Indian cine-
ma’s 1925 social melodrama, a
silent film directed by Baburao
Painter. It was in this film that
the legenary V Shantaram
made his acting debutas the
young village peasant. Later
in 1936, a talkie version of the
film was remade by Painter.
The crowning glory of the
silent era was perhaps the
unforgettable Devdas in 1928,
a silent film based on the
Sharat Chandra Chattopad-
hyay’s novella of the same title.
This was the first film adapta-
tion of the novella, and many
were to follow later on the
immortalised lovers.
In the loud, crass and
cacophonous film industry
of India today, the silent era
of films brings back nostalgic
memories of class acts and
direction par excellence. How-
ever, as they say, times are
changing, and for silvers, it is
just a linear progression to be
celebrated.

BAROMETER
T
BAROMETER
Video
Calls–
Your
Window
to the
World
Want to be in touch
with your loved ones
in real-time? Just learn
the tricks of video
calling and talk to them
one to one.
echnology has its
uses. It is a tool
of comm unica-
tion with loved
ones. Seniors
have had a late exposure
to the wonders of technol-
ogy. Yet, many of them have
adapted with easy to the
complicated devices and life-
easing apps. There are gran-
nies posting selfies on social
media forums like Facebook
and Instagram, finding long
lost friends and making new
ones. In the digital social
place, age is no bar and your
new friends may well be your
granddaughter’s age.
One such technology
platform that has special
utility for the seniors is
one to one video calls. It
erases distances and makes
conversation come alive in
your personal space –
could be your home sitting
room or even your garden.
There is a lovely video of
an elderly couple in the
US trying to figure out the
webcam. (You can see it @:
https://www.youtube.com /
watch?v=M95CAeiOPtE).
The goofy hilarious video
of the US couple though

BAROMETER
master it, the joy on their
faces is infectious.
When we relocated to Delhi
in 2005 from Ranchi, our
daughter was just 3 years old.
65%
proved that age does not
dampen curiosity and the
love for learning new things.
Elderly in India too are experi-
menting with webcams and
Skype. Good! But we all know
using the millennial genera-
tion devices, be it the PC–lap-
top or smartphone–landline,
the so described easy apps
It was a painful parting for
both the child and her grand-
parents who doted on her.
My mother-in-law, a retired
college principal, was at the
time we were in Ranchi trying
to master our PC. When we
moved out, we had left it for
her to carry on experimenting.
Some years down the line, we
discovered Skype and with a
few lessons via the mobile, we
had my in-laws Skyping. The
joy not just of seeing us in real
time but also the pride they
felt at mastering the webcam
and Skype was indescribable.
Now, Skype has become the
medium for daily conversa-
tions and lessons in science
and math for my daughter.
Video calls ensure that the
elders in our family are never
lonely or feel left out of cele-
brations in the family, in situ-
ations where you cannot be
with them physically. Here’s
how you can also connect
with your loved ones through
video calls.
Steps to Setting Up
Skype on your
Windows Desktop
of adults now use social
networking sites – a
nearly tenfold jump in
the past
decade. Today, 35% of
all those 65 and older
report using social
media, compared with
just 2% in 2005
and above) and create your
account to log in
2 Click Contacts in Skype
3 Find the contact of the
one you want to call, may
be your son
4 A tick in a green circle
means they are on Skype
5 You can call them for free
on desktop, but mobile and
landline call for subscription
6 Click the Call button on
screen
7 The screen colour changes
and you can hear the ringing
8 The moment the person at
the other end picks up the
call, you are on a video chat
9 ENJOY!
10 At the end, press the red
end call button.
like Skype is befuddling in the 1 Download and install Skype
extreme. But once the elderly (it works on Windows 7 Source: PewRese achCentrre

“H
THE GIVING TREE
Sowing the
Seeds of
Learning
Children need just a little
encouragement to flower
into admirable achievers. At
Protsahan, they speak through
the language of learning, all
because of that little loving push
from their master, a retired
banker Abhay Singh.
umko
padha
deejeeya,
humko
padha deejeeyay (Please
teach us)!” a chorus that
warmed the cockles of Mr
Abhay Singh’s heart. The call
for tutoring had not come
from his grandkids, but chil-
dren of the village border-
ing his residence on Noida
Expressway. For the retired
banker (he was with State
Bank of India), the call was,
but the signal he was waiting
for unconsciously, to step into
the realm of teaching. The
difference being that for this
teacher, it was teaching the
less privileged rural kids that
fascinated him.
The lure of post retirement
lucrative job offers from
various corporates had been
meaningless for Mr Singh
when he retired in 2011. He
wanted to teach but not at
colleges and universities.
Surrounded by village kids
at open air school that has
a one-room library that he
rents, Mr Singh is at ease
and happy. The oppressing
heat does not bother him,
nor does the kids who are
at the moment enjoying a
surprise feast, courtsey a
couple known to Mr Singh
who wanted to celebrate
their son’s birthday in a more
meaningful way. The teacher
though is skeptical of such
indulgences. He categorically
states that the purpose of
Protsahan, which translates
aptly to encouragem ent in
English, is not to convert

THE GIVING TREE
Giving the Gift of Learning:
Abhay Singh with his students at
Protsahan, his library cum school
in Gheja Village.
the school into a freebies
zone where the motivation
for children to come is the
occasional cake and party,
rather than studying. There
are lots of people who want
to contribute to his fledgling
venture. But at Protsahan
gifts and food are welcomed
only occasionally. They would
rather accept studying aids
like pen and notebooks and
books for their library.
The banker has seen and
experienced both the urban
and the rural lives closely. He
joined SBI in 1976. The trans-
ferrable job saw him being
posted across the country
with a couple of foreign post-
ings thrown in. SBI has a rural
development departm ent and
also works for urban poor. Mr
Singh was thus exposed to all
the nuances of banking – for
big corporate houses as well
as the small borrowers under
microfinance. All through his
career, he had his post retire-
ment goal clear. “I had just
thoughtof teaching,” he says.
He had seen the stark inequal-
ity in society and was deter-
mined to contribute his mite.
“I am simple person,” he
says, and you can see that for
him the glitz or the glamour
of a high profile job has left
little impression. All that it
has done is to drive home the
need for correcting societal
anomalies. He quotes two
instances to drive home the
inequalities in life. One: the
SBI scheme on differential
rate of interest to provide
loan to rickshaw-pullers at
just 4 per cent interest rate,
which drove home their
plight. Two: when post retire-
ment, he was called to inter-
view probationary officers at
Kolkata and Bhubaneswar.
There were many candidates
from under-priviledged back-
grounds, a widow’s child, a
labourer’s son and the son
of a waiter who worked at
Jamshedpur Club, a personal
acquaintance of Mr Singh
when he was posted in Jam-
shedpur. The one common
thread that ran all through
these interviewees was their
communication difficulties.
“The candidates called for
interview are shortlisted from
among 2.5 lakh aspirants who
sit for the written test. They

THE GIVING TREE
must be given encourage-
ment,” he says.
The interviews took place
in July and once back home
his commitm ent was firmed.
He rented a room in Gheja
Village, the back yard of the
swank Noida Expressway,
and first tried to encourage
and convince Class 12th stu-
dents to appear for exams
like banking. Though he did
not succeed in this, he had
the village kids asking to be
taught.
The man who sat for his
law entrance at the age of 50
along with his daughter, and
the determination to com-
plete the course, though his
daughter dropped out, has
The silent crusader is ploughing a lonely furrow, but says he gets
help from friends and now has four volunteers to help out.
an obvious love for acquir-
ing and sharing knowledge.
It is this quest that firmed his
resolution and since Janu-
ary this year, he has been
visiting the tiny school daily.
The number of students too
has been swelling up, with
word of mouth appreciation
from the parents and chil-
dren under his tutelage. “This
school opened on October
6, 2013 and we started open
school on January 1, 2014 for
the village kids. For the past
three to four years, we have
been providing basic lessons
to 30-40 students before
admitting them into local
government schools.”
No mean feat for a lone
crusader. Yet, Mr Singh
regrets that the intensity of
dropouts is very high. “The
students neither have peer
pressure nor family pressure
to study. Their mothers go
to work at 7 in the morning
and return by 9 in the night.
For these children, going to
school is not an important
issue. They wouldn’t go to
school after being thrashed
twice or thrice there for one
reason or the other.”
To overcom e the drop-
outs, and this is an issue the
government is struggling
with, Protsahan began call-
ing the students in the eve-
ning to help them complete
their homework. “We have
to be in touch with them to
see that they don’t leave
school.” This year, Protsahan
has succeeded in putting
17-18 of its students into the
local schools. These students
come to Protsahan in the
evening to study.
The initiative which began
as a one man endeavour
today boasts of four vol-
unteers. As the expenses
increased, Protsahan has
found some benefactors.
Some of Mr Singh’s friends
supported him with funds
and the SBI also lent a hand
providing the school with an

THE GIVING TREE
For the chil-
dren, it is an
evening well
spent amid
colourful books
and with the
added bonus
of help in doing
their home-
work. They love
being here.
It may be a drop in the ocean, but Protsahan is making an impres-
sion on the children and their families. For Mr Singh, this is happiness.
school till class eight. “Then
maxim um children could be
inducted into it,” he explains.
What stops him though into
putting his plan into action
is the sustainability question.
“Who would look after it as
I don’t have the bandwidth,”
he admits. Today, about 70
children come here and 15
women are training. I think
that I should be satisfied
with this.”
However the doughty ex-
banker had other plans of
expansion. “We thought how
could we expand here? There
are two government schools
in the area. We began visit-
ing them. We have opened a
library (of about 1,000 books)
in one of these schools and
have also appointed a
librarian-cum-teacher. The
inverter. “Now, at least during
power cut, we don’t sit in the
sun…and that’s a big thing,”
Mr Singh laughs.
Apart from the institutional
support from SBI, help also
came from Usha company
and Protsahan has launched a
tailoring and sewing training
school for the village women.
Constrained by lack of
resources, Mr Singh is tread-
ing cautiously. “There is
constraint and this is not
a proper school,” he says.
Protsahan has divided the
students into groups under
sections A to E, on the basis
of their capability. The stu-
dents belong to different
schools and do not even
have the same uniform.
“We have tried to give them
each at least one book,” he
adds. A modest attempt,
yet meaningful if you could
witness the excitement with
which the children handle
the books. Their devotion for
and ease around their “sir” is
also fascinating.
No wonder Mr Singh does
sometimes think of upgrad-
ing protsahan into a proper
teacher gets a salary of Rs
2,000 and also supplements
the resources of the school,
by teaching students there.”
Protsahan also organises
quiz competition on differ-
ent subjects every Saturday
at these schools. In this way,
its expanse is more than 100
children and there is also no
need to bring them to Prot-
sahan’s establishment. “The
objective is to bring as many
people as possible on the
floor,” explains Mr Singh. As
establishing and maintaining
a school would be much dif-

THE GIVING TREE
Protsahan provides training in sewing to underpriv-
ilged women to help them secure their livelihood.
From Curiosity to Learning: Kids turn into avid read-
ers, with the easy availability of books.
Joy Doubled: The kids have become a
source of happiness for this teacher.
ficult without adequate sup-
port and resources, “outreach
is the better way to cover
more children”, says Mr Singh.
Another attempt at out-
reach is being made in one
of the other government
schools, which extends from
Anganbadi to class five. “We
go there to teach math every
Wednesday and Thursday.,”
Mr Singh shares. This again
has provided an outreach of
about 100 students. “In this
way, we reach 250-300 fami-
lies,” Mr Singh explains.
The results of these initia-
tives are there to see. The
teacher underscores the
value of motivation. And
when he discourages people
to distribute gifts and good-
ies unnecessarily, it is for
this reason. “If people are
serious about contributing,
they should gift children on
the day results of monthly
exams are announced. It
will then be a motivatio n for
these kids to study here.”
The children though are
very understanding, says
their guru and you can see
the gleam of pride in his
eyes. Kajal and her younger
brother Lokendra, who are
regulars at Protsahan, did
excellently at the spelling test
organised on the campus. “If
they are nurtured well, they
have the capability to per-
form.” The children had pre-
pared for the test under the
light of their shop. “Till now,
we had heard that people
like Vivekanand and Rajendra
Prasad had studied under
streetlights. Here almost
every child does it.”
Sheela, another of his regu-
lar students, was very young

THE GIVING TREE
when Protsahan began. She
didn’teven know English
alphabets. Today, she is a stu-
dent of class six after joining
school directly in class four
in a government school. “We
thought she wouldn’t be able
to pass class four, but she is
doing well,” he says. Protsahan
had a big hand in her transfor-
mation and is scripting many
such stories.
Now the kids are also
learning computers with
one of Mr Singh’s colleagues
teaching them.
“Protsahan today is a vital
part of me,” says Mr Singh.
The feelings is “indescrib-
able”, he adds. “When you
take care of your own kids,
you don’t say that you feel
satisfaction. Do you say that
you feel satisfied by teaching
your kids? You don’t. Same
is the case here. I don’t have
any feelings now. It was very
satisfying to begin with, then
it was uplifting, but now it’s a
part of my daily life.”
His message to senior citi-
zens: “Before retirement, you
have too many responsibilities.
So you are engaged. But post
retirement, you are relieved of
these responsibilities. Keep-
ing oneself engaged is very
necessary. Disengagement
means not only stagnation,
but you start waiting for the
day when you finally depart.
“When you take
care of your own
kids, you don’t say
that you feel sat-
isfaction... Same
is the case here.
I don’t have any
feelings now. It
was very satisfying
to begin with, then
it was uplifting,
but now it’s a part
of my daily life.”
This shouldn’t happen,” he
explains.
However, this kind of work is
physically tough. For many
seniors living in Mr Singh’s
colony, there is the desire but
not all can sustain it. “They say
they would come, however
they don’t come on regular
basis. They distribute books,
or donate cash.”
Mr Singh sees nothing
wrong in this. “People should
do in accordance with their
comfort level. It’s a tough
decision and tough thing to
continue,” he advises.
Moreover, he feels efforts
like Protsahan are a drop in
the ocean. “Unless govern-
ments get serious about social
causes, no NGO can make a
dent, be it Greenpeace, Ford
Foundation, or any other NGO,
The social inequality problem
in India is so gigantic that
cumulatively also these NGOs
can make only a small differ-
ence. Governments will have
to come up with better facili-
ties and plans,” he suggests.
If we really want to literate
India, then two years are
enough, he is confident. “I
feel that if you teach them
three subjects, you can make
all literate. These three sub-
jects are critical—English,
Math and Hindi for junior
level and English, Math and
Computer for senior level. If
you know these subjects, you
can get a job of Rs 15,000
and can have a better life.”
Just to developreading
habits, Protsahan has depos-
ited 1,000 books in the school.
“We can’t have perfection,”
admits Mr Singh and adds,
“We haven’t even reached the
desired level.”
Naughty kids are not a no
no at Protsahan. The kindly
“sir’ continues to encourage
them to be naughty to some
extent, for he says, “intelligent
kids are naughty. To encour-
age reading habits in these
kids, we ask them to take at
least two books every week.”
We saw them squabbling
over books they wanted to
take home. The seeds of lit-
eracy have been sown here, all
with a little protsahan.

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dk s fNnok;k ;k xkns
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dk s Mjkus ds mí’s; vkVZ ds x.qkks a nk“skks a dks /;kue sa vuHq ko f druk gS
ls çpfyr c‚Mh vkVZ j[kdj gh bls viukuk pkf g,- VVS w & VVS w ,d çdkj dk LFkkbZ
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dk s fNnok;k ;k xkns k tkrk O;f ä ds pDdj e sa u iMd+ j] kdrj VVS w vkfVLZ V cgs k’s kh dh
g-S c‚Mh vkVZ vkid s O;fäÙo f dlh vPNs c‚Mh vkVZ ikyjZ esa nok dk bLres ky f d;s f cuk gh
dk s n’kkrZ k g]S blf y, viuh tkdj gh viuk ’kkdS i w jk djs-a ¼f lykbZ dh e’khu tlS h½ ,d
bets ds vulq kj gh ’kjhj ds lkFk gh bl ckr dk Hkh irk gLrpkf yr e’khu ls Ropk dks
f dl vxa ij bls djokuk g S yxk;sa f d vedq ikyjZ f drus xkns rs gS-a bl çf Ø;k esa dbZ ?kVa s
vkjS dlS k f MtkbuZ cuokuk gS f nuksa ls bl dke ls tMq k+ gS yx tkr s gS-a ,d ckj cuk, g,q

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ds bnZ fxnZ j’Sskts gkus s dk dnkf i u dj s-a
[krjk c< + tkrk g-S ;g ,ythZ
o“kk Zs rd ’kj hj ij viuk çHkko 8 ikyjZ ds Mkª;j] Vfs cy] f lda
ug ha NkMs r+ h- i w jh rjg ls dhVk.kuq k’kd
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lkcuq ls lkQ f d;s g,q gks-a
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gks ldrk g-S vk jS lØa f er LFkku ij QkMs +s
gk s ldrs gS-a

G
HOBBY
Grow your
Garden of
Colourful
Petunias
Pink, Purple, Red, White and
Yellow…if you love colours,
Petunias in their many
hues are the right choice to
brighten your space.
By Binita Singh
rowing petunias
is like nurturing
your child. Right
from the seed-
ling stage, petunias require
special care as the seeds of
this ornam ental flowering
plant are tiny. But once they
bloom, your garden turns
into a riot of colours.
Know Your Petunias
Petunias are often grown
as annuals and are tender
perennials that can be grown
throughout the season.
From purple hues to reds,
the colour range of Petunias
extends all the way to white.
There are hybrid varieties in
pink, lavender, eggplant or
maroon. Petunias also don’t
grow sparsely or in ones and
twos. They sprawl or trail
across the garden making a
grand colour statement.
Petunias also like hot and
fairly dry climate. What’s
amazing is the ability ofnewer
varieties at “self-cleaning” –
the old blooms just drop off.
There are several variet-
ies of this flowering plant
and before you jaunt off to
the neighbourhood nursery,
it would be a good idea to
arm yourself with some basic
knowledge about Petunias.
Grandiflora is the most
popular for the large flow-
ers it produces.
Multiflora, as the name sug-
gests produces many blos-
soms and though smaller in
size makes up for its lack of
height with sheer numbers.
Milliflora is the smaller vari-

HOBBY
ety with small, compact
flowers.
If you are looking for an
ornamental plant that
sprawls across your garden,
Groundcover is the perfect
choice. A fast spreading
flowering plant, it lives up to
its name and covers the
ground fast where it is
planted. Ideal for creating
flower beds or rows.
Seeding or Transplanting?
A million dollar question, but
you need not scratch your
head to come up with the
right answer. Here we discuss
both the methods. You can
choose the one that suits your
skills and time availability.
As said earlier, the seeds of
Petunias are extremely tiny.
Smaller than even mustard
seeds! Add to that they are
expensive. When you buy a
packet of seeds, you need to
be careful not to spill and to
make every seed count.
Being the size that the
seeds are, it is a wonder to
see the pretty flowers blos-
som and cover your garden
in rainbow hues.
Before sowing the Petunia
seeds you bought, please
bear in mind, they are not
to be buried under the soil.
These tiny seeds are surface
sown that is sprinkled on the
top of the soil.
Prepare the potting mix –
you can use just coco peat
or compost mixed with coco
peat - your choice entirely.
Know you are handling
pretty sensitive seedlings
and a mix of 80:20 coco peat

HOBBY
and compost is just perfect.
Water the container or the
pot you want to plant them in
thoroughly. But let the water
drain. Now sprinkle seeds on
the well drained soil. You can
even mix the tiny seeds with
a little sand to make sprin-
kling even and easier. Now
very gently push the seeds a
little down taking care not to
cover them with soil. Do not
pour water on the seeds as
they may dislodge in the tor-
rent of water. Sprinkle gently.
Petunia seeds devour light
to germinate and since they
are tiny, they a have a small
storage of food for germina-
tion. Next, cover the seeds
with a transparent polythene
sheet, which will protect
them while allowing light to
pass through and keep the
humidity high helping the
seeds germinate faster.
Wait for a week and lo
and behold! It takes petunia
seeds 5 to 7 days to germi-
nate. But don’t get disheart-
ened if you don’t see this
happening. Some varieties
may take longer.
To grow Petunias or in fact
anything, you need patience.
Have you noticed the
patience on a farmer’s face?
How they water, tend and
wait for the seeds to germi-
nate. Lovingly nurturing the
babies for they know plants
will take their own time. You
cannot force them to germi-
nate at will. Tender coaxing
and caring is what they need.
Also be sure not to fall in
the trap of buying discounted
Petunia seeds. Do check the
date and never buy expired
seeds. Always use fresh
seeds, else no matter what
effort you are putting in, your
Petunias will never blossom.
You need to watch over
your petunia seeds diligently.
Any sign of growth that is
the moment you see a seed
sprouting, remove the poly-
thene. This is to prevent dry-
ing out of the sprouts.
Transplant to Propagate
Petunias can also be propa-
gated through transplanting.
You can buy seedlings from
the local nursery and trans-
plant them in your garden.
Transplanting seedlings is
certainly the easier option.

HOBBY
However, if you want the
pleasure of growing Petunias
from your own seedlings,
then you will need to trans-
plant the seedlings when
they are about a month old.
To transplant, buy softwood
cuttings that are green
stems that are not mature
yet. Now, if the seedling has
several leaves, do remove
them leaving just 2 leaves on
the top. Also remove all the
buds, as they will exhaust
the energy of the seedlings
and may slowly kill them.
The seedlings or cuttings
must be pushed down in soil
or potting mix gently. A good
potting mix is composed of
soil base mix, with equal parts
of red soil, compost and sand.
Now cover the container with
the transplants with a plastic
bag. This is to save the mois-
ture for the plants. If the soil
is dry, moist it, but do ensure
that the pot is well drained.
To stress once again, Petu-
nias need a load of sunlight to
grow. Ensure your transplants
get at least four hours of sun-
light. Better still, if you grow
them in full sun. The sunnier
the spot, the more lightto
grow and more the flowers.
Caring for your Petunias
Keep soil moist. Your Petunias
need well drained soil in addi-
tion to the steady stream of
sunlight. The plants are heat
tolerant, hence you may allow
them to dry out between
watering sessions. In fact,
you don’t need to water them
regularly and can fix watering
schedule for once a week. If
you see the leaves drooping,
don’t worry, just water the
plant. Your Petunias will be
standing straight again.
Do take care not to drench
them deep as overwatering
leads to root rot and invites
bacterial and fungus infection.
Adding a handful of com-
post to the pot when the plant
starts flowering, is helpful. You
will also need to remove the
flowers that start fading peri-
If you have a hobby that
you are passionate
about, or want to learn
something new, join the
Samarth community
and share your passion
and interests with other
members.
odically. This is called dead-
heading, that is, removing
flowers that are spent and
tired. The process helps pro-
motes flowering of fresh ones
and prolongs blooming.
However, if you want to save
seeds from next cycle, do NOT
deadhead.
Petunias that spread and
cover the ground and those
that you have planted in
containers will require more
frequent watering. Fertilising
your Petunias once a month
will prom ote their good
health and growth.
So now you have a garden
lush with Petunias. Enjoy!
The Carpet Series cov-
ers your flower bed, with
its wide variety of colours;
Sugar Daddy (Petu-
nia Daddy Series), has blos-
somed into purple flowers
with dark veins and Rose
Star (Petunia Ultra Series)
has flowered into striped
rose-pink flowers with a
white centre.

MONEY MATTERS
L
MONEY MATTERS
Independence
till Your Last
Breath
Reverse mortgage promises senior
citizens an assured income and a
home to stay till their last days.
By Binita Singh
ongevity comes
with its own issues.
While improved life
expectancy means
we will be living longer with
better medical care and
nutrition, it also brings in its
wake mounting medical and
other expenses. Times have
also brought in changes in
our thinking. Today, we are
strong individuals who like
privacy and space. So are
our children. Living together
till death do us part, may
not be the ideal scenario for
many of us. Taking monetary
help from your children to
an extent perhaps is fine,
but since they too have their
growing expenses, again it
calls for some calibration.
Reverse Mortgage
to the Rescue
In 2007, the Governm ent of
India, introduced reverse
mortgage, the answer to
many of the financial issues
faced by senior citizens. If

MONEY MATTERS
you own a house you have
invested your life’s savings
in and have a small pension
to survive on with no other
sources of income, reverse
mortgage can be of help.
Children are settled abroad
or have their own properties?
Reverse mortgage can be
a steady source of income.
Retired from private organ-
isation with no pension? Look
into reverse mortgage for
solutions. These and many
other scenarios where post
retirement you are left with
a house and a load of prob-
lems, reverse mortgage can
come to your rescue.
Decoding
Reverse Mortgage
Simply put, when you
approach a bank for a loan,
you get a certain sum of
money and pay interest on
it. The opposite of a con-
ventional home loan, when
a senior citizen opts for
a reverse mortgage, the
lender, that is a bank or a
financial institution, pays a
regular incom e against the
mortgage of his home.
When the borrower pledges
his home, the bank calculates
the monetary value of the
property taking various fac-
tors into consideration. These
include current property
prices, demand for it, and the
general physical condition of
the property.
Once the property has
been assessed and its value
arrived at, the lending bank
will disburse a loan amount
to the property owner. The
bank also takes into account
a margin for interest costs
and price fluctuations, while
estimating the property
value and subsequent pay-
ments to the borrower. The
payment is not one time, but
in the form of periodic pay-
outs known as reverse EMI.
This EMI is paid to the bor-
rower over fixed loan tenure.
Payments can be monthly
or quarterly, and with each
EMI paid to the borrower,
the borrower’s interest that
is the equit y in the house,
decreases .
In such an arrangem ent, the
borrower pledges his prop-
erty, but can reside in that
property till the end of his life,
while also receiving a periodic
payment on the property.
This makes a reverse mort-
gage ideal for senior citizens.
You receive a regular income
as long as you are alive and
also can stay in your own
home for life without tension.
Are You Eligible for
Reverse Mortgage?
Yes you are, if you are
above the age of 60. If your
spouse is a co-applicant,
then she must be more than
58 years old. Additionally,
the property you intend to
reverse mortgage must be
self acquired and occupied
by you. It can be a flat or a
private house and must be
located in India. The house
should have minim um of 20

MONEY MATTERS
years of life left for it to be
eligible and should be free
from any encumbrances. The
house should also be your
permanent and primary resi-
dence for as long as you live.
What You Must
Know about
Reverse Mortgage
Since the amount that a borrower
receives through reverse
mortgage is treated as a loan and
not income, it does not attract
any tax. The interest rates can be
either fixed or floating...
The following guidelines
have been formulated by
the Reserve Bank of India to
help applicants understand
reverse mortgage plan.
Maximum loan amount that
can be availed is 60 per
cent of the value of prop-
erty the applicant wants to
mortgage
A borrower can mortgage
property for a minimum of
10 and a maxim um of 15
years; with some banks
offering even up to 20
years.
Individuals can avail the
payment as per their
requirements in monthly,
quarterly, annual or one
time payment.
The lender will reevaluate
property once every five
years and if the value of the
property is found to have
increased, the borrower can
increase the quantum of
loan. The lender bank will
pay the incremental
amount in lump sum.
Since the amount that the
borrower receives through
reverse mortgage is treated
as a loan and not income, it
does not attract any tax.
The interest rates can either
be fixed or floating and deter-
mined by the rate prevailing
in the market.
How is Reverse Mort-
gage Settled?
Once the last surviving bor-
rower passes away, the loan
becomes due. It also is con-
sidered due, if the borrower
chooses to sell the property.
The bank then first offers the
property to the next of kin
to settle the loan along with
accumulated interest. In case
there is no next of kin or the
kin is unable or uninterested
in settling the loan and inter-
est, the lender recovers the
amount from the sale pro-
ceeds of the property.
Interestingly, if the amount
recovered from the sale of
property exceeds the loan
amount with interests and
other expenses, the bank
passes on the benefits to the
next of kin/legal heirs. How-
ever, if the amount falls short,
the bank bears the loss.
To make it easy for borrow-
ers, reverse mortgage allows
borrowers to prepay the loan
at any time and that too with-
out penalty or charges.
More than this, senior citi-
zens who outlive the tenure
of the loan have the assur-
ance that they can continue
to live in their homes. In the
eventuality that one of the
spouses dies, the other can

MONEY MATTERS
still continue to live in their
home. However, the monthly
payments may be stopped
and the settlement of loan
can only be done after death
of both the spouses.
The borrower needs to
heed the following to avoid
foreclosure of loan:
Stay in your home. If the
borrower does not reside in
the house for one year at a
stretch, abandon or donate
it, the loan may be fore-
closed by the lender.
Failure to pay property
taxes and insure home can
also lead to foreclosure.
Bankruptcy of the borrower
is another reason leading to
foreclosure.
Making changes in the
property, renting out par-
tially or entire property or
change in ownership title,
etc., which may affect the
security of the lender can
lead to foreclosure too.
Finally, in cases where the
government wants to
acquire the property under
statutory provisions for
health or safety reasons can
lead the lender to
foreclosure.
While, reverse mortgage
has its benefits, while think-
ing of it, senior citizens must
also take into account a few
of its drawbacks.
The process of applying for
reverse mortgage is com-
plicated, lengthy and tortu-
ous and for the elderly this
can lead to difficulties.
Since the payments are
fixed, if in a month you
have some extra require-
ments, the bank does not
make any provision for it.
However, in the long run,
reverse mortgage can be the
safest option for senior citi-
zens in India, promising inde-
pendence and regular income
well after retirement.

Source:puzzles-to-print.comSource:puzzles-to-print.com
Mind
Benders
Puzzle 1 Puzzle 3
Matchstick Puzzles
You are given a 10x10x10 cube
composed of one thousand 1x1x1
mini-cubes glued together.
If you removed the outermost
layer, how many mini-cubes
would you have removed?
1. Leave just three squares
by removing three
matchsticks
2. Leave just three
squares by removing five
matchsticks
3. Leave just two
squares by removing
eight matchsticks
4. Leave just two
squares by removing
two matchsticks
5. Leave just six squares by
removing eight matchsticks
6. Leave just three squares by
removing six matchsticks
Source: brainbashers.com
Puzzle 2
Can you find a five letter
word that can suffix (go
after) each of these letters:
re
deva
rein
over
inter
under
Puzzle 4
Can you figure out what the top number in the
pyramid is? Add each pair of blockstogether to
find out the number that appears in the block
just above them

MIND BENDERS
Sudoku Puzzle i gsfy ; k¡
1 yksgk [khapw ,slh rkdr gS]
ij jcM+ eq>s gjkrk gS]
[kksbZ lwbZ eSa ik ysrk gw¡]
esjk [ksy fujkyk gSA
2 rqe u cqykvks eSa vk tkÅ¡xh]
u HkkM+k u fdjk;k nw¡xh]
?kj ds gj dejs esa jgw¡xh]
idM+ u eq>dks rqe ikvksxs]
esjs fcu rqe u jg ikvksxs]
crkvks eSa dkSu gw¡
Source: 7Sudoku
Source: Webduniya.com
Riddle dchj dsnksgs
1 What is as light as a feather, but even
the world’s strongest man couldn’t
frudk dcg¡q uk fufUn;]s
hold it for more than a minute?
tks ik¡ou rj gks;]
dcg¡q mMh+ vkf¡ [ku iM]s+
2 Two girls were born to the same
mother, on the same day, at the same
time, in the same month and year
and yet they’re not twins.
How can this be?
rks ihj ?kusjh gks;A
Source: Brainden.com Source: achhikhabar.com

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