Maharashtra
Save Our Playgrounds: Azad Maidan Lost To Non-Sporting Activities One Pitch At A Time

Mumbai: Azad Maidan has hosted many of India’s legendary cricketers for their first tournaments as well as some of their record-breaking partnerships, giving Mumbai an identity as the city of cricket. As the need for open spaces to facilitate various developmental, social and political purposes has increased, its oldest playground has been shrinking one pitch at a time.
The triangular Azad Maidan was a hub for the Civil Disobedience Movement, when around two lakh people joined to greet Mahatma Gandhi. However, the ground has been more popular for launching cricketers like Sachin Tendulkar, Vinod Kambli and others.
The 25-acre maidan has been distributed among 22 sports clubs, which have one pitch each. Since 2015, 16 plots, belonging to John Bright Cricket Club, Muslim United, Young Mohammedan and St Xaviers’, among others, have been handed over to the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Limited for the construction of the underground corridor for Metro 3. While MMRCL had promised to hand over the ground and pitches after restoration by June 2024, the process is still nowhere close to being completed.
One of the remaining six plots has been handed over to Mumbai Police for their parade practice, one ground is appropriate only for children. This leaves Mumbai’s cricket enthusiasts with only four grounds that are fit to host a professional tournaments. These comprise Sassanian Cricket Club, Elphinstone Cricket Club, New Era and Hindustan Construction. Several political parties have also been permitted by PWD officials to build permanent offices on the ground.
“In the early 1990s, I had fought to evict illegal hawkers and slums which had encroached upon the playground, restricting cricket activities,” said Nadeem Memon, cricket secretary of the Mumbai School Sports Association. “We could successfully push out the illegal encroachment but are unable to do anything about the legal encroachment. Players have to go as far as Navi Mumbai and Vasai-Virar to play interschool matches.”
Azad Maidan has always hosted sports and civil protests, which flourished in the city alongside each other. After the metro construction work occupied a large part of the ground, including the protest site in front of the BMC headquarters, protestors were diverted to Fort Vijay Cricket Club, a 115-year-old club represented by renowned cricketer Vijay Merchant.
Jayant Jhaveri, secretary of Fort Vijay Cricket Club, said, “We opposed the decision to allow protests on our playground but that resulted in our field being concretised. Since 2017, we have not played any match on our ground and have to depend on the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) for a substitute ground. This has also affected players’ performance. We are not able to form good teams due to this setback.”
While the maidan has also been hosting a few Ramlila performances and the annual Sunni Ijtema on a regular basis, the frequency of such non-sporting events has increased in recent times. Mega marathon events and political rallies have hindered sports activities. The recent swearing-in ceremony of the Mahayuti government was also organised at Azad Maidan.
Several religious functions are also held here, and have caused a lot of damage.
“When we ask for permission to upgrade something, the authorities deny the request citing the heritage status of the ground. At the same time, [organisers of] non-sporting activities are allowed to dig up the ground to set up huge pandals for multiple days. In some of these events, they have also broken the fencing of the ground. While setting up the pandals their trucks run over our pitches which hurts like they are running over our hearts,” said Memon.
These surprise events pause the game for a few days as the permission given to the organisers to set up their pandals starts two days before and ends two days after the actual event. This results in postponement of multiple tournaments as well as affecting the playing field, which is known for hosting various prestigious tournaments including the Harris Shield and the Giles Shield.
Manik Madkaikar, a cricket coach associated with MCA, said, “The number of non-sport events in Azad Maidan has increased in the last year. Such events cause irreparable loss to the field and a lot of things go for a toss. Groundsmen work tirelessly to level the field and everything is ruined with one event. These mega marathon events earn crores of rupees in profit, but this money is never spent on betterment of the ground.”
“Days when events are organised on the maidan, they become no-play days for us. Irregular matches and uneven ground affects our performance in tournaments, where we aspire to perform well. The effect of this is suffered mostly by schoolchildren who cannot participate in interschool tournaments as the postponement collides with their examinations,” said Vineet Kumar, a young cricketer.
Education
CBSE pattern in Maha govt schools from academic year 2025-26: Education Minister Bhuse

Mumbai, March 20: Maharashtra Education Minister Dadaji Bhuse announced on Thursday that the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) pattern will be implemented in government schools across the state from the academic year 2025-26.
Textbooks under CBSE will be made available in Marathi by April 1.
The Education Department has issued instructions to the schools governed by the state education boards to implement the CBSE curriculum, the Minister told the Legislative Council.
The minister replied to the question raised by the BJP legislator Prasad Lad. He wanted to know whether the Steering Committee has approved the curriculum plan of the CBSE especially when the implementation of the National Education Policy for schools from class 3 to 12 is underway in the state.
“CBSE pattern will be implemented from the academic year 2025-2026 and the government has taken this decision with an aim of improving the quality of students in the state,” said the minister.
His announcement comes days after the Steering Committee had approved the State Curriculum Framework in relation to the school education department.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had reviewed the work of all the departments including the school education department for the next 100 days.
Accordingly, he had expressed confidence in the meeting of the School Education Department that Maharashtra would once again come to the forefront of school education.
The Chief Minister directed that the Education Department should take steps for quality education.
He has also directed the School Education Department about the adoption of the CBSE pattern in the state government schools by making necessary changes.
Business
Bill Gates will support Maha’s digital governance model, Lakhpati Didi project: CM Fadnavis

Mumbai, March 20: Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday said that Microsoft and Gates Foundation will provide support to make Maharashtra a role model in the country in digital governance and right to service, especially when the government has started the use of artificial intelligence (AI).
Also, the Gates Foundation has shown its readiness to participate in the Lakhpati Didi initiative to fulfil the state government’s goal of making 25 lakh women entrepreneurs.
CM Fadnavis said this after meeting Microsoft co-founder, renowned entrepreneur and founder of the Gates Foundation Bill Gates.
The chief minister’s office in a release said that the duo also held a positive discussion on the use of artificial intelligence in health, agriculture and infrastructure.
CM Fadnavis said that as Maharashtra is going through a transformation phase, major projects are underway in infrastructure, agriculture, and health.
“Since there is a shortage of doctors in rural areas, the Gates Foundation should cooperate to provide quality health services and facilities. The Budget has also made provision for the use of AI in the health and agriculture sectors,” he added while giving the example of doubling the production of sugarcane in the Pune district using the technology.
CM Fadnavis told Bill Gates that the state government is trying to ensure that farmers have access to electricity during the day and for this, solar power is being used from 2022-23. From 30 per cent of electricity generation, now up to 52 per cent is being generated through solar, so farmers are getting electricity at a lower cost.
He also shared that there is a plan to make all the electricity feeders solar to provide them with electricity for 24 hours.
The Chief Minister also informed that an Innovation City is being set up in an area of 300 acres in Navi Mumbai.
Bill Gates assured to partner in technical assistance along with financial assistance for the Innovation City and other initiatives, according to the release.
Gates Foundation will provide technical and financial support to the state government to contain dengue in Gadchiroli district.
Bill Gates invited the chief minister to Seattle.
Maharashtra
Ruckus in both houses of Maharashtra Legislative Assembly over mysterious death of Disha Salian

Mumbai: After the mysterious suicide of actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s manager Disha Salian, there was an uproar in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly and Vidhan Sabha and the members demanded an inquiry into the matter. The proceedings of the Upper House were adjourned twice, while the proceedings of the Lower House had to be adjourned once for 10 minutes. Disha Salian’s father had filed a petition in the High Court demanding an inquiry into his daughter’s death, after which the ruling members not only created a ruckus in the House over the matter but also demanded action against the accused involved in it.
In the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly, Legislative Assembly member Amit Sattam said that Disha Salian’s father has suspected suicide and the investigation of the case is not yet complete. Amit Sattam has also demanded that the government take necessary steps and take action against the culprits and investigate.
Minister Nitesh Rane said that the Supreme Court’s guiding principle is present in cases of gang rape and atrocities on women, yet action has not been taken in the Disha Salian case. Is there a separate law for the accused? He said that the Supreme Court has directed that the accused in rape and murder cases should be arrested immediately, so why are these three people being protected? They should be arrested and sent to jail.
When Rane was asked why he did not come for investigation even when he was called by the SIT, he said, “I have doubts about the person who was appointed as the ST officer, Chimaji Udayo. I have written a letter to express my views. Why should I go to the same officer with evidence, so that he can give these evidences to the accused and destroy them?” In this matter, Aditya Thackeray said that what should be done if the work of the House is to be stopped on this issue because we are raising questions on the development of Maharashtra and other issues. Where has Maharashtra been taken?
He said that earlier the proceedings of the House were affected on the Aurangzeb issue, during which a minister had to resign. This is being done to suppress all these things, but Maharashtra has sent you to the House to work. The public will have to answer this.
Minister of State for Home Yogesh Kadam has ordered to complete the investigation of the Disha Salian case and said that the government will not accept any pressure in this matter and he has also demanded to seek the SIT report on this matter as soon as possible.
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