Rajasthan mourns Queen Harish
The sudden demise of folk dancer Harish Kumar, popularly known as Queen Harish, and three others send shockwaves through Rajasthan’s art community. In the past decade, Harish had performed in nearly 60 countries showcasing Ghumar, Kalbelia, Chang, Bhavai, Chari, and other folk dances of the state. Hailing from a carpenter family in Jaisalmer, the 38-year-old was also a choreographer with more than two thousand pupils in Japan.
WHO award for state health department
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has selected the Rajasthan government’s Medical & Health Department for its award in recognition of its achievements in tobacco control this year. The department is the only government body in the country to be awarded for its tobacco-free initiatives. The Vallabhbhai Patel Chest Institute, New Delhi, is also among the recipients of the award. In the last couple of years, the department has initiated anti-tobacco consumption programs in schools, colleges, police stations and government offices. As part of the initiatives, more than 1 crore people took a pledge against tobacco consumption. Three other organisations in the South-East Asian region have been selected from Thailand and Indonesia. Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has praised the department’s efforts for tobacco control,
which, he said, were being acknowledged internationally.
State government bans E-cigarettes
On World Anti Tobacco Day, the Rajasthan Government banned e-cigarettes
in the state. Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot put a stop to the manufacturing, storage, distribution and marketing along with the selling of e-cigarettes on online or offline platforms. “We had promised in our manifesto that we will make efforts to make our youth quit addictions. This will prove to a strong step in the fight against addictions,” said Gehlot
Now, robots to be your waiters in Jaipur
Jaipur got a taste of the future with the launch of its first robot restaurant, Yellow House, at Paanch Batti Circle. The customers can now get their food delivered by robots, Ruby and Ruby 2.0, developed by students at Jaipur-based Arya Group of Colleges and at a cost of D4.5 lakh. “The process of upgrading the robots to interact with customers in English and Hindi is on,” said Harshit Surana, owner of the restaurant. The technology of magnetic strips has been used for the path of the robot to walk through the restaurant, with motion sensors. The Yellow House serves pure vegetarian food.