Two youngsters were reported to have drowned in separate incidents on Friday and Saturday at the waterfall, one of Navi Mumbai’s best-known natural landmarks in the Kharghar hills that draws thousands of monsoon visitors every year.

Navi Mumbai: Environmentalists urged the Maharashtra govt to revive the long-abandoned eco-tourism project at the Pandavkada waterfall in the Kharghar node amid a rise in drowning accidents in and around the site.Two youngsters were reported to have drowned in separate incidents on Friday and Saturday at the waterfall, one of Navi Mumbai’s best-known natural landmarks in the Kharghar hills that draws thousands of monsoon visitors every year. The Kharghar fire brigade and police teams conducted a search operation to track the two youngsters missing at the Pandavkada waterfall, Kharghar, and they were feared to have drowned.A Taloja resident, Mohammed Mobshir Mohammed Shahid (20), was missing since Friday evening and a collegian, Shannon Kini (19), from Santacruz, was missing from Saturday after entering the gorge of the waterfall. Five on a picnic had reached the waterfall on Friday and two collegians on Saturday, defying the prohibitory orders.Social activists said scientific management rather than blanket prohibitory orders was needed to prevent recurring loss of life at the iconic site. They said continued access via multiple unofficial and treacherous routes led to repeated tragedies despite a ban, barricades and police deployment.The environmentalists said the limits of an enforcement-only approach were exposed again by the latest drowning cases, and said the groundwork for a managed solution already existed because the Forest Department initiated an eco-tourism project at Pandavkada in 2014 and constructed a compound wall, ticket counter and changing room before the initiative was abruptly abandoned. The unfinished infrastructure remains unused while rescue operations and drowning incidents occur almost every monsoon. Environmentalists have called on the state govt to establish a coordinated institutional framework involving the Forest Department, CIDCO, Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation, Panvel civic body, police, fire services, the Bombay Natural History Society and local environmental groups to prepare and implement a comprehensive eco-tourism, visitor safety and water conservation plan for the Kharghar hill range. “The administration cannot wish away people’s desire to experience nature,” said Jyoti Nadkarni, Director of SwarnSrishti Habitat Restorer Foundation. “Pandavkada has become a magnet for monsoon visitors despite the ban. Instead of allowing people to slip into dangerous, unmonitored areas, the government should create a professionally managed eco-tourism destination with strict safety protocols. Saving lives and protecting nature must go hand in hand,” she said.NatConnect Foundation Director B N Kumar said the Kharghar-Belapur hill range, extending towards Taloja, offered an opportunity to create one of Maharashtra’s finest urban eco-tourism destinations. “Navi Mumbai is uniquely endowed with hills, waterfalls, mangroves, wetlands, creeks and flamingo habitats. With proper planning, Pandavkada can become a national model for safe nature tourism and climate resilience instead of making headlines every monsoon for tragic drownings,” Kumar said.The activists said the govt must replace reactive rescue operations with proactive ecological planning, and that a well-managed eco-tourism zone could enhance visitor safety, conserve biodiversity, generate local livelihoods and showcase Navi Mumbai’s natural heritage.Meanwhile, 14 monsoon revellers from Mumbai were sent back before the water levels swelled in a discharge channel near the Adoshi waterfall, off the Mumbai-Pune expressway, on Sunday morning. Khopoli police beat marshal constable Shubham Jadhav said, “The youths had arrived in their vehicles but were asked to leave due to heavy rainfall. They had moved more than 5km from the E-way. ” A Dharavi teenager Ashraf Shaikh (17) on a picnic with his friends was drowned on June 30 in a pond at the foothills of the Kharghar hills behind the Bharati Vidyapeeth.

Bombay high court slapped a Rs 1 lakh penalty on a Kalyan college for admitting a student to a BMS course despite his ineligibility and then informing him late (Representative image)

MUMBAI: Bombay high court has imposed costs of Rs 1 lakh on a college for belatedly informing a student last February, of his ineligibility to a BMS course he was admitted to in 2022, and denying him permission for final semester examination.The college said he was ineligible as he hadn’t cleared the HSC exam in the first attempt, as required. The cost must be paid in 2 week to the Mumbai University and its Examination Board, Justices RI Chagla and Farhan Dubash held in their July 1 order available on Friday.Mehul Ghavari, the student had last year petitioned the HC to challenge the denial of permission by the college to appear for the sixth semester.The college, Seth Hirachand Mutha College in Kalyan is “entirely to blame” and “student should not be made to suffer,’’ since the college was aware of his ineligibility in December 2022, yet allowed him to continue, said the HC.Mumbai University’s counsel Rui Rodrigues informed the HC that in December 2022 itself following scrutiny the college was informed that the students was amongst two, found to be ineligible.In March the HC had directed the college to comply with its December 2025 order permitting the student, represented by advocate Atharva Dandekar, to fill the exam form and now the student wanted his results.Advocate Sumit Kothari for the college submitted its affidavit dated June 29 which said the Covid-19 pandemic led to remote working, communication challenges, staff shortage and the unprecedented circumstances led to the “oversight in admission’’ to the Bachelor of Management Studies. It was “a human error’’, sans malafides.Rodrigues citing a July 2025 HC order against the same college for a similar oversight in the same course, in 2021-22, where while granting relief to that student, who cleared HSC in his third attempt– said, court imposts costs of Rs 50,000. The HC had directed the college to scrupulously follow the rules on eligibility. This was the second instance and heavy costs be imposed on college, Rodrigues argued.The HC, agreeing with MU counsel, said the college had committed lapse earlier too in student admission for the same course. “The Petitioner should not be made to suffer at the hands of the College,’’ the HC said and directing the results be given to the petitioner in a week, sought an undertaking from the college to not commit such lapses of granting admission to similarly placed students, in the future.

Researchers from IIT Bombay and the ICMR-National Institute for Research on Women’s Health (NIRWoH) have developed an indigenous placenta-on-chip platform that mimics the human placenta in the laboratory.

MUMBAI: In a breakthrough that could make medicines safer for pregnant women while reducing animal testing, researchers from IIT Bombay and the ICMR-National Institute for Research on Women’s Health (NIRWoH) have developed an indigenous placenta-on-chip platform that mimics the human placenta in the laboratory.The placenta is a temporary organ that develops during pregnancy and serves as an interface between mother and baby. It regulates the exchange of nutrients, oxygen, hormones, drugs and waste products while protecting the developing foetus.However, due to ethical and practical limitations, direct investigation of placental function during pregnancy remains extremely difficult.The new device allows scientists to study how medicines, nutrients and waste products move between the mother and foetus.

Major leap

The study, published in the journal Biofabrication, describes a compact two-chamber device containing human placental and blood vessel cells grown on opposite sides of a porous membrane.The model successfully reproduced placental functions, including hormone secretion, nutrient transport, waste exchange and selective barrier function.Unlike many existing organ-on-chip systems that require complex equipment, the Indian platform uses a simpler design that is easier to manufacture and operate.“Many organ-on-chip systems are powerful but often require specialised infrastructure. We wanted to develop a robust platform that could be adopted more broadly by research laboratories,” said IIT Bombay’s Prof Abhijit Majumder, co-corresponding author of the study.The system’s biological validation was led by researchers at ICMR-NIRWoH’s Prof Deepak Modi, who said such human-relevant models are increasingly important for understanding disease biology and evaluating therapeutic safety.“By combining engineering and reproductive biology, we have created a platform that can help bridge this gap and advance research,” he said.

Padmini Kolhapure returns to the stage as a vocalist for Hema Malini’s Diamond Jubilee Concert, celebrating a six-decade cinematic legacy. Reflecting on her own 50-year acting career, Kolhapure emphasizes music’s personal significance and the irreplaceable magic of live performance.

Padmini Kolhapure is set to return to the stage as a vocalist at Hema Malini’s Diamond Jubilee Concert on July 10. As she prepares to celebrate the Dream Girl’s six-decade journey in cinema, Padmini, whose acting career has spanned 50 years, reflects on her enduring bond with music, the changing face of the entertainment industry, and the importance of continually reinventing oneself. BACK TO WHERE IT ALL BEGAN Though she became one of Hindi cinema’s most beloved actresses, Padmini says music has always occupied a special place in her heart. “Music was my first love long before acting happened,” she says. “Singing has always been deeply personal because it comes directly from the soul. Acting allows you to portray different characters, but music allows you to express your own emotions.” For Padmini, performing at Hema Malini’s Diamond Jubilee Concert carries both personal and emotional significance. She believes the concert, conceived under RJ Anirudh Chawla’s Legends Ki Kahani, Legends Ki Zubaani format, will be a fitting tribute to Malini’s extraordinary six-decade legacy. THE IRREPLACEABLE MAGIC OF LIVE PERFORMANCE Having recently returned to the stage through theatre, Padmini says live performance offers a thrill that cinema cannot replicate. “In films, you have retakes and editing. On stage, there are no second chances,” she says. “The audience is right there with you, sharing every emotion in real time.” While digital platforms dominate entertainment today, Padmini remains encouraged by audiences’ continued appetite for live storytelling. “Theatre reminded me that genuine human connection will never go out of fashion,” she says, adding that performing live prepares an artiste for special evenings where emotions, memories and music converge before an audience. STARDOM MAY EVOLVE, BUT LONGEVITY REMAINS UNCHANGED As she reflects on Hema Malini’s enduring appeal, Padmini notes how the nature of stardom has evolved in the age of social media. “In our time, there was a certain mystery associated with stars. Audiences connected with us primarily through our work,” she says. “Today, social media has made artistes far more accessible.” Yet she believes the fundamentals of a lasting career remain unchanged. “Longevity still comes from talent, discipline, hard work and the ability to connect with audiences over time,” she says, pointing to Malini as a perfect example of an artiste whose contribution continues to inspire admiration decades later. HAS THE INDUSTRY LOST SOMETHING ALONG THE WAY? Asked whether the industry has lost patience in craft, respect for senior artistes or emotional depth in storytelling, Padmini prefers to see it as a shift rather than a decline. “The pace of life today is much faster and entertainment reflects that reality,” she says. “Earlier, there was more time for nurturing stories, music and performances.” She acknowledges that songs and films from earlier decades often enjoyed a deeper emotional rhythm, but maintains that every generation develops its own creative language. “I still believe that good storytelling, meaningful music and genuine talent will always find an audience. The mediums may change, but the power of emotion remains timeless.” REINVENTING WITH AGE AND EXPERIENCE Over the years, Padmini has moved seamlessly between films, music, television and theatre. While many actresses from her generation have spoken about being sidelined with age, she says she chose to focus on growth rather than relevance. “Every artiste faces phases of transition. As women, we have often had to redefine ourselves and seek meaningful opportunities beyond conventional roles,” she says. Instead of resisting change, she embraced it. “Creativity has no age limit. Whether through acting, music, television or stage performances, I embraced every new opportunity with gratitude.” Today, she says, experience has brought a different kind of fulfilment. “I feel more confident and comfortable in my own skin than ever before. The love and support I continue to receive from audiences have been my greatest strength.” As she takes the stage once again on July 10, Padmini sees the evening not only as a tribute to Hema Malini but also as a celebration of artistic longevity, reinvention and the enduring power of music.