The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Chandigarh Stories

Admn reshuffles 11 bureaucrats
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Nov 14 — In a long expected administrative reshuffle the Chandigarh Administration today re-allocated work to 10 of its PCS and HCS officers besides an IAS official. A PCS officer, Mr R.K. Kaushik, was repatriated to his parent cadre of Punjab. A fresh post of Additional Director, DPI (Colleges) has also been created.

Mr Gyanesh Bharti, a UT cadre IAS officer, formerly posted as SDM (south), has been posted as SDM (East) and will hold additional portfolios of Deputy Secretary (Urban Development) and Branch Officer Finance Department I. Mr H.K. Nagpal earlier posted as SDM (East), will be the new SDM (South). Along with this Mr Nagpal will retain his old work of District Agriculture Officer; Block and Panchayat Officer; Administrator Market Committee. Besides this he will also be the new Assistant Estate Officer (AEO), Appeals.

Previously the work of AEO (Appeals) was being handled by Mr Ashok Vasistha, work retains his other work as Assistant Commissioner-I, Municipal Corporation.

Mr Gurmel Singh, handling work of Controller Printing and Stationery; Secretary STA; Deputy Director Food Supplies; Registering and Licensing Authority has also been given the charge of Director Industries and Director Tourism. Previously the Director Industries was Mr R.K. Kaushik, who has been repatriated to Punjab while the Director Tourism was Mr Ashok Sangwan.

Mr Gurmel Singh’s work as Registering and Licensing Authority and Secretary STA, now goes to Mr P.S. Gill, who was posted as Chief General Manger, CITCO and Additional Director Sports. Mr Gill will retain his work of Additional Director Sports but the new CGM, CITCO will be Mr N.S Brar, a PCS officer, who is expected to join the Chandigarh Administration within a few days.

Ms Madhvi Kataria, Director, Social Welfare, will be the new DPI Colleges in addition to her existing duties.

The Administrative Officer of Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Sector 32 and the Deputy Secretary Medical Education and Research, Mr Chander Sekhar, has been shifted as Joint Registrar Co-operative Societies and also as the Director Technical Education. Mr Chander Sekhar’s work will handled by Mr Sunil Bhatia, a PCS official, who is scheduled to join the Chandigarh Administration shortly.

The work of Joint Registrar Co-operative Societies was being handled by Mr R.K. Kaushik while Mr Ashok Sangwan was holding charge as Director, Technical Education. Mr Sangwan has retain his work as Joint Secretary Home; Joint Secretary Vigilance; Controller Weights and Measures. Besides this Mr Sangwan will also be Director Hospitality in place of Mr Vivek Atray, whose work as Deputy Secretary Urban Development will now be handled by Mr Gyanesh Bharti.

Mr Atray will continue to be DPR as well as Director Information Technology.

‘Insult’ to Justice Pandian flayed
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Nov 14 — The Movement Against State Repression in a statement issued here today has strongly condemned the insult heaped on Justice S. Ratnavel Pandian by asking him to vacate a room in Kashmir House in Delhi by certain officials. Justice Pandian had headed the inquiry commission concerning the Brakpora firing on April 3.

Members of the MASR said today that Justice Pandian, a retired Judge of the Supreme Court, was staying in Kashmir House for the past 10 days. His request to stay for some more days because of illness of his wife was turned down and he was asked to vacate the room.

It was petty mindedness exhibited on the part of the persons concerned. The authorities concerned in the Union Government should apologise for what has happened with Justice Pandian. The MASR leaders have posed a question that whether Justice Pandian was deliberately insulted as he had given an inconvenient inquiry report.

The commitment made by Dr Farooq Abdullah and his Cabinet that Justice Pandian would also be requested to probe the Chitti Singhpora massacre and Pathribal killing of five innocent Kashmiris because these incidents had a relation with the Brakpora firing incident had not been fulfilled so far. Why the Government had not done this yet?

The doubts in the mind of the people must be immediately removed by the Home Ministry by endorsing the commitment made by Mr Farooq Abdullah. Justice Pandian had also shown benevolence by distributing his emoluments earned as a head of the Commission among victims of the firing.

Colourful programmes mark Children’s Day
From Our Correspondent

CHANDIGARH, Nov 14 — Colourful programmes marked Children’s Day celebrations in schools all over the city.

A state-level function was organised at Punjab Raj Bhavan where children from 12 districts of the state participated. The children performed with zeal and enthusiasm in the song and dance competitions, besides taking part in on-the-spot painting competition The function was organised by the Punjab Child Welfare Council.

Giddha and dances of Haryanai, Himachal, Bengal and Rajasthan were the highlight of the show.

The festivities were started by Punjab Governor, Lt Gen (retd) JFR Jacob, who is also the president of the council. He garlanded the portrait of Jawaharlal Nehru. Speaking on the occasion, he said the children are the future of the country and it was our duty to ensure their overall personality development. He further added that the prosperity and strength of a nation depended largely upon the health, well being and education of its children.

Later on, the Governor distributed prizes to the winners of various competitions. Baba Farid Public School, Bathinda, bagged the first prize in the group dance competition. In the devotional songs competition, Jalandhar took the lead while in poetry recitation, Jasminder Kaur of Amritsar bagged the first prize.

The first inter night school sports meet was organised at Government Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 23, by the UT Education Department. Students from eight night schools functioning in slum areas of Chandigarh participated in the competitions.

As many as 406 students competed in 21 different sports events like wrestling, kabaddi and chatti race.

Mr R.S. Gujral, Home-cum-Education Secretary, inaugurated the sports meet. Mr D.S. Saroya DPI Schools and Mr Brahmjit Kalia, DEO, presided over the function. Mr Vineet Khanna, Director, YTTS, and Mr A.S. Mann were among the eminent guests present on the occasion.

Mr Shiv Kumar, Principal of the host school, had put in lots of efforts towards the success of the programme. The State Bank of India, Sector 37-D, Bharat Vikas Parishad and Mahabir International were the sponsors for the celebration.

The children were given away prizes of school bags, sweaters, note books and pencils. Wrist watches were also given to the four best all-rounders. Government High School, Sector 25 bagged the first position and Government High School Sector 40 bagged the second position. Mr Alamjit Singh Mann sponsored lunch for five hundred children.

Tender Heart School, celebrated Children’s Day in an atmosphere of fun, frolic and gaiety. Under bright umbrellas, amidst colourful festoons with fluorescent balloons and scrumptious food, the children enjoyed their day. Collage making competition was organised to mark the occasion.

The students of D.A.V Public School, Derabassi, celebrated Children’s Day at the Indus Valley Park near here today. Various sports competitions were organised for the students and the teachers including musical chairs and skipping. Principal Jaya Bhardwaj gave a message of co-operation to the children.

A cultural programme was organised at Ram Das Public School, Sector 19, Government Girls Senior Secondary School, Sector 20-B and Prince Model School, Sector 47, as a part of the celebration.

CITCO distributed food packets to the children of the construction labour. An exhibition on food and nutrition, food and personal hygiene, and the ill effects of malnutrition was organised at Government Girls Senior Secondary School, Sector 23-A, in collaboration with the Food and Nutrition Board.

Children’s Day was also celebrated at various branches of the State Bank of Patiala, State Bank of India, Ankur Nursery School, Sector 14 and Cloud 9.

Creativity came to the fore during the Children’s Day celebration at the D.A.V. Public School at Sector 8 here today. The students made a statement on the conservation of nature by displaying various items made of recycled paper and other waste materials in the makeshift stalls for gift shopping.

Besides a mini book fair, various skill games were organised for the students. Two nukkar natak were also enacted as a part of the entertainment programme on this occasion.

Golden Bell Public School, Sector 16, organised various events including sports, rangoli, fancy dress competition and cultural programme to mark the occasion. Speaking on the significance of the day, the Principal of the school urged the students to pay their true homage to Pandit Nehru by following his ideologies and principles in life.

Celebrating the occasion with gaiety and fervour, the students of the Blue Bird Model School, Sector 16, participated in various cultural activities including fancy dress competition and folk dances. To mark this occasion an inter house cross country race was organised by Yadavindra Public School, SAS Nagar, today.

The students of Mount Carmal School Sector 47-B, enthusiastically participated in various competitions and contests including rangoli, paper flower making, fabric painting, clay modelling, poetry recitation, debate and dumb charades.

Speaking on the occasion, Major D.P. Singh, Principal of the NSS unit of Government Post Graduate College, urged the NSS volunteers to educate school children and parents on environment, literacy and population. He also appealed to the volunteers to preach brotherhood and humanity to promote communal harmony and world peace.

Various schools of Panchkula, including D.A.V. English Medium Senior Secondary School, Sector 8, Jainendra Public School, Sector 1 and Shemrock International School also celebrated Children’s Day with fun and frolic. Fun games, fancy dress competitions, skit and cultural programmes were conducted by the schools on this occasion.

Celebrating Children’s Day, Lion’s Club, Panchkula central district, honoured 50 students, for their achievement in various fields, at Hallomajra Deep Complex School, today. About 500 copies, pencils and sweets were also distributed to the needy students.

As a part of Children’s Day celebrations, the Indian Council for Child Welfare organised an on the spot painting competition. About 50 handicapped children also competed in the special category.

Traders union in collaboration with NSS Department, Panjab University, Chandigarh, celebrated Children’s Day in a unique manner by deploring the discrimination of girl child in our society. Progressive Education Society, Sector 15, Chandigarh Nationalist Congress Party and the State Bank of India also celebrated Children’s Day by organising colourful functions.

Children’s Day was celebrated with fanfare and gaiety in Government Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 10. Cash awards were given to the students who secured 80 per cent marks in the matric examinations. Mementos were also given to the winners of various sport and co-curricular activities.

A function was organised by Sanskrit Sahitya Parishad to promote Hindi and Sanskrit on Children ‘Day at DAV College, Sector 10 today. More than 50 students participated in various functions.

‘Politics in student life- right or wrong ‘was the topics of a debate in which 15 students took part . Manish, Neeraj and Balwant were declared first, second and third, respectively.

In poetry recitation Sidharth, Girish and Gourav secured first, second and third positions respectively.

In Sanskrit shlokocharan competition Sameer, Om Parkash and Dheeraj secured first, second, third positions, respectively.

The chief guest was Mr D.S Gupt on the function. The Dean, Cultural Activity, Prof Nirmal Dutt, Prof S.B Driwedi and the Sanskrit In charge, Prof Surender appreciated the efforts of students.

The president of the Sangeet Sahitya Sabha, Varun Jain, emphasized on using more and more of Hindi. “We should respect our mother tongue and should do all our efforts to promote it. The Sanskrit language holds an important position in our country and we are the only ones who can save it,’’ he said. Sunil Sharma, the secretary of the sabha, also emphasised the same points.

The tiny tots of Spring Valley Public school, SAS Nagar celebrated Children’s Day with a fancy dress competition. The children were dressed as Chahcha Nehru, Daler Mehndi, Balloon sellers, bride and bridegroom miss Universe etc. The children were distributed sweets.

Abduction of minors on rise
By Saurabh Malik
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Nov 14 — It’s a fact most complainants residing in slums and colonies all over the city hate to acknowledge. In a number of cases, their little girls, playing with the neighbour’s young son, are not abducted. Dazzled by charming looks, they elope.

Senior officials in the Police Department believe several girls — not all, reportedly abducted every year leave their homes of their own. In just a few cases, add officials, the child is kidnapped by estranged relatives with the intention of taking him in their custody.

“Cases of abduction,” says the SP Mr Baldev Singh, “are registered even when the girl elopes as running away with a minor, despite her consent, amounts to committing an offence”.

Although studies have been not been conducted, a look at the first information reports registered this year reveal that out of 35 cases of abduction reported till October, 31 involved girls.

As many as 20 “victims of abduction” had been “kidnapped” from the colonies and slums. The remaining 11 had been “forcibly taken away from the sectors”. Sources claim that except for one, all girls were “traced and recovered”.

The data also shows that most of the alleged victims “were aged between 15 and 22”. The alleged abductors, in a large number of cases, were less than 25. None of abductions in the city had taken place for ransom.

The sources disclosed that a call was recently received by a leading city lawyer informing him about the kidnapping of his minor son from the school. A ransom of Rs 1 crore was also demanded. The call, however, turned out to be a hoax.

“The last case of abduction for ransom,” says SP Baldev Singh, “was reported to the police by a city businessman way back in 1994. Several lakhs were demanded for the boy’s release. He was, however, abandoned by the kidnappers”.

The story behind the complaints is almost the same. The girl, residing in the slums or the colonies, comes in contact with the accused. Intimacy develops between them against the parent’s wishes. Fearing opposition, they leave the city together. Parents of the girl come to know about the incident and get a case registered.

Giving details, the SP said: “It is love affair in most of the cases. As the parents do not approve of the match, the girls take the extreme step of leaving their homes with the guys they love”.

There are no precautions that can be taken by the parents. “Keeping tabs on their activities is the only safeguard,” he said.

Stress level among IAF pilots low: study
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Nov 14 — Stress level among aircrew is low. This situation could lead to a false sense of security and increase the probability of a mistake while flying. These inferences were made in a study, conducted under the aegis of the IAF’s Institute of Aviation Medicine.

The study, excerpts of which have been circulated among some IAF installations, was conducted on 50 pilots of fighter squadrons and attack helicopters. Interestingly, the stress level among aircrew was found lower than that of bankers, nurses and researchers by a PhD scholar of the University of Gujrat.

The study was based on a questionnaire and a discussion, which covered all aspects of their jobs. Mistakes caused by stress in aviation may result in the loss of life of self or others, which is not true in case of other professions.

Though the overall stress ratings were low, the study has brought out that all pilots had high scores on “role isolation” and “inter-role distance” factors.

“High scores on the role isolation and inter-role distance factors indicate that fighter pilots feel isolated from other branches of the IAF. He would prefer better interaction with engineering, logistics, accounts and medical officers, who he feels do not understand his role or the problems associated with it,” the study mentions.

These scores, the study adds, confirm the oft-repeated complaint that the role as an aviator prevents a person from effectively performing other roles as well as devote adequate time to himself. Further, aircrew see their role as an aviator interfering with their roles of father, husband or a family man, which is a major cause of stress.

Exposure to danger or work load is not the major cause of stress, the study has brought out.

Significantly, the study has revealed that helicopter pilots had high scores on the “role isolation” factor. This indicates that attack helicopter pilots feel stressed by the fact that they were not getting adequate importance.

Encroachment drive interrupted
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Nov 14 — The drive launched by the anti-enforcement wing, UT, to remove encroachments from Sector 19-A today was interrupted when the son of a former Punjab minister opposed the removal of encroachments from his residence.

However, following the interference of the police, the enforcement staff was able to carry on with the drive of removing the extended structures and hedges.

Meanwhile, the drive being carried out by the enforcement staff of the MC at New Indira Colony, Mani Majra continued for the second day today. More than 50 illegal structures, including staircases, boundary walls and toilets reaching the road berms were removed. No untoward incident was reported.

PU dithers on languages as compulsory subjects
By Sanjeev Singh Bariana
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Nov 14 — More than two years after initiation of an action proposing introduction of Hindi, Sanskrit and all Indian languages as compulsory subjects at the Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Commerce, part III level, Panjab University still struggles to make a final decision.

The university faculty of languages had asked for introduction of these subjects at the undergraduate level.

University teachers and members of a special committee remain divided on the issue with one view proposing introduction of compulsory courses and others against it. Hindi and Sanskrit are national languages and should be included in curricula, one opinion says.

English and Punjabi or Punjab history and culture are already compulsory subjects. The introduction of more subjects will have students studying optional subjects only and the main subjects will take a backseat, the other opinion group says.

A senior level committee formed to study the case includes Dr Deepak Manmohan, Dean, Faculty of Languages, Prof B. M. Deb, Prof N. K.Oberoi, Prof A.C. Jhulka, Prof I. M.Govil, Prof B.S.Brar, Prof P.P.Arya, Prof Dinesh Gupta, Principal P. S. Sangha and Principal R. C. Jeevan.

A special meeting in this regard is scheduled for November 3. The opinion of private colleges is also likely to have a significant effect.

Prof R.D.Anand raised an important question saying whether all languages mentioned in the Schedule VIII of Constitution of India would be included in the options ?

Dr Shinder Pal said that Punjabi and English had already been introduced as compulsory subjects. This group should not be touched at all. Dr S. S. Sooch also opposed the introduction of the course.

Dr Sooch wondered what was the reason behind introduction of these subjects. He said that probably Hindi teachers were in surplus. He added that seemed that students would be left with no option but to study optional papers alone.

Prof Lalit Kumar Bansal differed on the subject of turning down the proposal. B Com II and other course did not have any optional subjects. He said the introduction of the courses would be no burden.

Prof B.B. Choubey said that Sanskrit was the soul of our country. He urged that recommendation for introduction of the subjects in courses be accepted.

Dr Parminder Singh said that he felt sorry after hearing the deliberations as these were far from ground reality.

Prof J. S. Yadav said that the issue was serious and needed a review. Dr Amrik Singh said that issue should not be taken too seriously nor too emotionally but sensibly.

The Vice-Chancellor said that it was not merely a question of studying languages at the BA or B Sc level but the entire life of the student would be affected. Would this help the commerce stream students in the present scenario. Dr P.P. Arya also opined that the issue needed to be re-examined.

PEC’s computational centre in eye of storm
By Chitleen K Sethi
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Nov 14 — The Centre for Computational Engineering (CCE), Punjab Engineering College (PEC) is in the eye of a storm, for a simple reason, that it is doing rather well. The PEC teaching community is up in arms against the working of the CCE which according to them is “functioning completely autono-mously” while the centre’s coordinator states that it is just a case of “professional jealousy and heartburn.”

The points of contention among the PEC authorities and the CCE are basically two. The college authorities feel that this centre was upgraded from being a small laboratory in the Civil Engineering Department into a single window Computational Engineering Laboratory (CEL) for the students in 1994 by spending a large sum of money from the college resources. But last year, on March 31, this laboratory was upgraded into a full-fledged centre of Computational Engineering by the Administration and is now functioning under an administrative committee comprising of the Secretary, Technical Education, Joint Secretary Finance, Chandigarh Administration, the Principal PEC and the Coordinator of the centre. “The administrative committee will decide the centre’s policies, Budget allocations, matching grants, recruitment to the sanctioned posts on contract basis and purchase/ expenditure above a specified limit etc. Prof S.C. Dhawan will look into the day-to-day working of the above-mentioned works being the member coordinator under the administrative control of the above committee.” lays down the letter from the Home Secretary to the Principal, dated March 31,1999.

Claims the Principal, in an official letter to the Adviser, UT Administration, Mrs Vineeta Rai, dated April 7, 2000, “the CEL, in the development of which the college funds have been utilised, is not allowed to be used by the students and the teachers of this college for their research and project works....he (Prof Dhawan) propagated half truths ... that the lab has been raised through consultancy and other schemes, only whereas in fact the college has contributed towards its development through plan besides central schemes for R&D etc.”

The coordinator of the centre denies any of this and says that the amount the college did use out of its plan budget to pick up some latest software for the CCE was much lower that what has been claimed. Secondly, students from the third year of mechanical, civil, and aeronautical engineering are regularly visiting the centre for their works. The CCE also has signed letters to this effect from the respective head of departments.

One senior faculty member says: “The equipment being used is the college’s, the software which was bought initially for use of students is now being used for consultancy work and to top it all the college pays for the water and electricity bills which sometimes amount to almost Rs 8 lakh by the end of the year. The college is also paying the internet charges for the 100kbps connectivity which the college has.”

Says Prof Dhawan: “We are following the consultancy rules adopted by the college, according to which we are dividing what we earn in the one third, two thirds ratio. We pay 33 per cent share to the government and that should be taking care of it all. The rest we have been authorised to reinvest in the laboratory to upgrade the software and hardware equipment we use here. “

But the college authorities feel differently. “The consultancy rules which the CCE follows clearly state that in case of consultancy work being undertaken by a centre it will be pay a 50 per cent share to the government if it is using their equipment. The coordinator states that new consultancy rules are in the pipeline and there is a glitch regarding the ratios as at some places computers are not considered as “equipment.”

The students do seem to have a grudge though since last year the CCE has been functioning like a commercial organisation without any benefit to the students.” Only selected students are allowed in and we have to wait for days to get our application for internet access passed" says Jitin Talwar, a final year student and convener executive council of the college. But the problem of Internet access is endemic throughout the college which is using the obsolete ERNET connectivity. “We ourselves get an abominably low speed, so there is no question of our having retained high speed and giving low speed to the college’s computer centre.” says Vinay Mehta an ex-student of the college and now an employee of the CCE.

The CCE which is now a fully self-sufficient centre for consultancy had undertaken projects in engineering analysis, geographical information systems and software development has been with Prof Dhawan “from day one. Its interesting that the Principal himself recommended its upgradation from CEL to CCE and now when it is running well everyone seems to be cribbing instead of appreciating the efforts.” Says Prof Dhawan.

Civic body chief’s election today
Tribune News Service

SAS NAGAR, Nov 14 — Even as the local administration, today, reiterated that the election of the president of the SAS Nagar Municipal Council — scheduled for tomorrow — was not being postponed, some of the municipal councillors are keeping their fingers crossed. They apprehend that at the last moment a public notice could be put in the council office for the postponement of the election due to “certain reasons”.

The administrator of the civic body, Mr Jaipal Singh, who had been appointed as the convener for the election, dismissed any possibility of the postponement of the election. But the fears of the councillors are not unfounded. During the election for the post of the president in the earlier elected body, the election was postponed on January 15, 1995 and then on January 18, 1995. The election was finally held on January 20.

Meanwhile, the councillors in race for the post of the president of the civic body are all set for a show down tomorrow, when the voting is held. Informed sources in the government said after the oath taking ceremony the process for electing the president would be held. If the name of more than one person was proposed then the majority vote would be the deciding factor. There had to be at least half the strength of the elected councillors — which comes to around 15 — to fulfill the quorum.

A number of councillors owing allegiance to one of the front runners have reportedly gone underground to avoid horse-trading. The councillors would be brought straight to the election venue. Another contender for the post of the president claims to have the support of at least 12 members. In a related development, a councillor, Mr Amrik Singh Tehsildar, has staked his candidature for the post of the senior vice-president of the civic body. Meanwhile, the district administration has appointed the DTO, Ropar, as the observer for the smooth conduct of the election.

To avoid any clash between the supporters of the councillors in the fray, around 24 cops including NGO’s would be on duty. The Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), City and the Station House Officer of the area would also be on duty.

COMMUNITY

Defacing walls with impunity
By Bipin Bhardwaj

PANCHKULA, Nov 14 — In violation of norms, walls adjoining the main entrance to the District Secretariat are plastered with posters and advertisements. Several senior officers, including the Deputy Commissioner, use the entrance everyday.

The exterior wall and pillars of the main door are seemingly “owned” by political parties, social organisations besides other sundry elements, totally unconnected with public dealing or utility work.

Multicoloured posters of the Chief Minister, Mr O.P. Chautala, invitations to religious discourses and other advertisements vie for space in welcoming the visitors. Posters have even pasted upon guide maps, signboards and even on the public properties which put the general public to great inconvenience.

Though the display boards have been placed on each floor of the complex, yet a majority of the posters, pamphlets and banners have been pasted elsewhere.

The complex is not the only one affected by the menace. Elsewhere in the city, signboards indicating sectors and other important institutions such as hospitals, colleges and schools have been completely papered over by posters and pamphlets and in some cases defaced with lettering in paint.

These defaced signboards and indicators mislead visitors to the city or those wanting to go to the secretariat.

Bus stops are the worst affected. They have virtually been “taken over” by pamphlets announcing discourses by religious persons. At some places they vie for space with obscene posters of films being screened at local cinema halls. The local bus stand is the worst affected.

The condition of the boundary walls of various school, dispensaries and other government building in the vicinity of the town are also not unaffected.

Mr Jatinder Arora, a resident of Sector 12, said the district authorities should take a serious view of the menace and take necessary action against the guilty. He opined that the authorities should install big noticeboards for the particular purpose at selected places in the city.

For removing the defacement the administration should charge the money for setting things right from the guilty. This would not only generate revenue but also help in controlling the nuisance, said Mr O.P. Verma, a resident of Sector 16.

Mr S.K. Monga, Deputy Commissioner was not available for comments as he was busy in a meeting with some political leaders at Mansa Devi Temple Complex.

Contests mark Children’s Day celebrations
Tribune News Service

PANCHKULA, Nov 14 — Contests in poster-making, rangoli, bookmark-making and fancy dress marked the district-level Children’s Day celebrations held at the Yavnika open theatre in Sector 5, here today.

A children’s rally on skates highlighting the ``Rights of the child’’ was flagged off from Hansraj Public School, Sector 6, by the Superintendent of Police, Dr C.S. Rao, which saw participation of 200 children between six and 14 years. Alongside played the band of Haryana Model School and went straight to the open-air theatre.

At the venue, with a participation of over 800 children from 20 schools, the contests generated tremendous excitement as the students vied with each other for the first three positions. Later, a magic show presented by the Indian Magic Society, Ambala, enthralled the children.

The entertainment came as a pleasant surprise for children from Saket, Bal Niketan, Aashiana and Bal Sadan, all homes for the destitute. Bringing a smile to the faces of children, Mr SC Sharma, the magician, doled out magic after magic.

The programme concluded with the address of the Deputy Commissioner, Mr SK Monga. Briefly touching upon the life history of Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru, Mr Monga went on to explain the significance of the day. He said that the nation and the masses needed to be aware of children’s rights which had gained significance in present times.

The results of the various contests held are as follows: Poster-making: Navdeep Singh-Satluj Public School (1), Shubham-Jaynendra Public School (2), Ashwini Kumar-Haryana Model School (3). Rangoli: Saket High School (1), Government High School, Sector 19 (2); Satluj Public School (3). Fancy Dress:

Arti (statue)-Government Primary School, Sector 17 (1); Mohanjeet (Narad)-Bal Niketan (2); Suraj (Spiderman)-Hansraj Public School (3).

Bookmark-making: Rohit-Jaynendra Public School (1); Shilpi-Florence Convent School (2), Meenakshi Rawat-Saket High School (3). Poster-making: Vikas-Jaynendra Public School (10, Sonia-Saket High School (2), Sangeeta-Government Girls School, Sector 7 (3).

Advice on voice modulation
By Aditi Tandon
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Nov 14 — One remembers him from the days when the television was just beginning to find its way into hearts of urban householders. At that time he used to host Krishi Darshan, the programmes designed by Doordarshan for educating Indian farmers. But this stint was over soon. What lasted for Mr Ved Prakash was an over 20-year long association with newscasting on the DD’s national network.

After being into active newscasting for long, Mr Prakash is now regarded as an authority in the subject, which he teaches with great passion. Also he is serving as an English teacher with Kendriya Vidyalaya, Tughlaqabad, New Delhi. This reporter spoke to him today when he was in town to deliver a lecture on “TV news reading and physical appearance” under the ongoing radio jockey workshop at Hotel Aroma.

Among the many assets of this news reader is his powerful voice As Mr Ved Prakash admitted, “Good voice is quintessential for a good newscast, both on TV and radio. Any aspirant for the job must be able to exercise control over his voice. Voice modulation means that the news reader should be able to modify the voice to suit the gravity of the news report.”

Mr Prakash recalled the day when he had himself faltered on the screen. “My voice choked, when I had to read the news pertaining to Mrs Indira Gandhi’s death. I can’t tell you how I read the news script that day.” Talking about the two-day session he is here for, Mr Ved Prakash, said,” I will cover all the aspects essential to newscasting — right from working to break that unpleasant monotony in one’s voice and rejuvenating it with more vibrancy and confidence to managing a good look on the screen. Physical appearance will aso be dealt with.”

About himself, Ved Prakash said that even while he was working as a teacher, he felt this incessant urge to make it big. “The only medium I could think of was DD. I was rejected in the audition twice. After that I was selected for news reading on Samachar Diary. Then came Krishi Darshan. Regular newscasting on DD’s national network happened in 1986, three years after I joined DD.”

He added that getting opportunities now was much easy in comparison to the old days when there was a single channel. “Now every channel has an exclusive news channel and they all need trained staff. That is what I am here for,” said Mr Prakash who feels proud to be associated with DD. Nowadays he is giving voice for news reports. “This is meant to break the monotony of newscasting,” he said.

Mr Prakash is also publishing a monthly magazine Student Today. “We print 25,000 copies every month and send them to all major cities in India, even Chandigarh,” he informed.