The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

	Fools’ Day virus Deepkamal Kaur Tribune News Service Fools’ Day seems to be going hi-tech this year for city residents. People have already started circulating virus-laden messages from their mobile phones to play pranks with their dear ones. Many students from Regional Campus of Guru Nanak Dev University, Ladhewali, the DAV Institute of Engineering and Technology and the Lovely Institute of Technology said that they had received messages on their cell phones that interrupted the functioning of their mobile phone for quite some time on March 31. Radha Sahni, a student of Guru Nanak Dev University regional campus, said that she received one such message from her friend this morning. “But when I tried to read it, I could not open it. Instead, the set got restarted automatically. I again surfed the message and tried to open it. The set got jammed once again and after a while it got restarted. Then I called up my friend and asked her and she told me that she was trying to make a fool of me on the eve of April 1,” she explained. Since then Radha Sahni has sent as many as 20 messages of the kind to the friends in her circle. But she was fortunate enough to get the message from an acquaintance. However, Aneesha from the DAV Institute of Engineering and Technology had a hard time, as she got the message from an unknown number. “I was so confused that it did not strike my mind that I should call up on that number. I repeatedly tried to read the message and I thought that my cell phone had got damaged. I went to a cell phone repair shop where a technician put my phone chip in another set and was able to read it,” she said. Aneesha said that she was told that it was in fact a trapdoom, which was a kind of virus that targeted a specific function of the mobile phone. She was also told that the message would only affect the functioning of 3315, 3310 and 55 mobile phone sets as it was set in a specific java programming that was used in those phones. The other sets were opening the message conveniently as they read, “Send this message to your friends who have 3315, 3310 and 55 phones”, she was told. A BSNL expert said that he, too, had heard about the incident and discussed it with the officials but he said that nothing could be done to check it. He said that while the virus-infected e-mails could be scanned before use, there was no software to keep a track of virus that could hit the cell phones.
	Many exhibits of Science City, Kapurthala, non-functional Deepkamal Kaur Many interactive exhibits displayed at Pushpa Gujral Science City that was opened for public a fortnight ago have become non-functional, thanks to rowdy crowd of visitors who have mishandled the exhibits and even stolen their parts. The visitors have taken away differently sized balls that were used to explain various scientific principles. Without these the models have become non-functional. The bulbs emitting lights of specific colours and power have been taken away, rendering various exhibits ineffective. A model based on photosensitive effect titled "Catch me if you can" is not working since the past two days, as the mirror used especially for the purpose has been destroyed by a visitor. A model called "Ball and container paradox" is also in non-working condition, as the visitors have stolen the ball that was used to explain its functioning. "2 D to 3 D", a model used for explaining the illusion effect, too, is awaiting repair after it was destroyed yesterday. Similarly, a model called "Colour illusion panel" lost its real effect when the visitors took away the bulbs fitted in the model that helped the users understand the contraction and dilation of the pupil of the eye. Though another bulb has been fitted into it, the model has lost its sheen. Not just that, the pulleys made of high strength iron and steel ropes are lying in bad condition in the kids' park. It is learnt that some college-going students had mishandled these pulleys. Even a metal rope of a swing is lying broken. Apparently, some adults had tried to enjoy the rides meant for children. Though the maintenance staff of the Science City is checking all exhibits as per their routine, many knobs and switches have also become loose. A bob of "Sympathetic Swing" based on oscillation movement, too, is lying broken. During a visit to the Science City, The Tribune found that the visitors were quite careless while using the delicate science exhibits. The short leather belt used in the model "Moboeus band with moving train" that operates with sound was being hit very hard by youngsters despite repeated instructions from the staff deployed in the science hall. Boys were jumping so hard on the "Grand shuttle" working on the principle of "similar charges repel each other" that it stopped functioning after short intervals. Even more unruly was the scene when some boys jumped over the short-height railings in the ticketing counters to avoid long queues. The instructors employed by the Science City have become extra-cautious after last Sunday when over a thousand visitors took a round of the place. Light weight balls used to explain two models based Bernoulli's principle are now available only on demand and shown to visitors taking keen interest in the world of science. Commenting on the issue, Dr R.S. Khandpur, Director General, said that he, too, had heard of such complaints from his staff. He said he was planning to depute more people around the exhibits. He said more security personnel would be deployed around the area to keep a check on crowds. Besides, he said that he was planning to print feedback forms so that he could get better response in order to improve the situation and get teething troubles eliminated as quickly as possible.
	Begging menace plagues Phagwara J.S. Gandam It may sound paradoxical but beggars in Phagwara thrive on the ban on begging in our country! Begging menace has become a headache here, especially for commuters passing through the National Highway Number 1 and NRIs visiting the shopping mall in the crowded Gaushala Bazaar and the Banga Road having multi-storey glittering show rooms. "Beggars buzz around the NRIs as honey bees hover over flowers. They pester the shoppers with cringing and continued chant for money. Since the NRIs are easily recognisable by their style of dressing, they are the soft targets for the beggars," says a city resident. She adds that teenaged girls can be seen tugging at the NRIs' clothes. The NRIs are veritably mobbed, chased till far or till they shell out some money. Jalandhar Plus noticed that it was a hellish experience to have a glass of juice at a noted fruit and juice shop at the Banga Road. Even though the owner of the vend shooed away the beggars several times, they kept clustering around an NRI family with pleas for money. One of the male members of the NRI family was so perturbed at the begging menace that he eventually hurled choicest Punjabi invectives on the beggars to get rid of them. Since the NRIs frequent the garments and shoes houses in the market, the Gaushala Bazaar and the Bansawala Bazaar and the Banga Road are the favourite haunts of beggars. The eating joint in the posh locality of Hargobindnagar is another favourite place for the beggars. Other haunts of beggars are the crossings on the busy GT Road, traffic lights at Sugar Mill, the Hoshiarpur Road and Hargobindnagar. When commuters, particularly car drivers, wait for the green signal, the beggars glue to their windows with uninterrupted chants for money. Some of them keep hopping from one vehicle to the other, while a few keep jumping in front of these, thus becoming a traffic hazard. Usually, one of the beggars appears (or pretends) to be mentally retarded. His entire body keeps shaking. He keeps coming in front of the vehicles waiting for the signal. "For the nouveau riche category, these beggars soil the wind panes of their luxury cars by touching the window glass repeatedly; for other vehicle users, they create unnecessary distraction and disturbance," explains a resident of a posh locality in the city. Another place where beggars pester public, again mostly NRIs, is the site where private buses stop at the service lane opposite the PWD Rest House for picking or dropping passengers going to or coming from the Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi. Some undesirable elements also operate in the garb of beggars. Sometimes children are used by their elders, who are a part of an organised criminal gang, for doing a daytime reccee, under the cover of begging. When the menace of begging was brought to the notice of Phagwara DSP, Mr Jaspal Singh, he said, "You would see a sea-change tomorrow itself." However, it is a pity that hardly any NGO comes forward to either educate the young beggars or rehabilitate them. And that too in a city teeming with voluntary bodies!
	Residents rue lack of civic amenities J.S. Malhotra Residents of about seven residential colonies situated on the Mithapur Road here are being forced to live in miserable conditions, thanks to the local municipal corporation authorities, who have failed to construct new roads. Dusty, potholed, bumpy roads that cut through these colonies make it more a picture of slum than a developed area. The situation worsens during the rainy season. There is no proper drainage system for the exit of rainwater. The majority of the lanes and the main road get converted into a temporary pond during rains. To add to the woes of the residents, the authorities concerned have failed to make arrangements for proper storage and regular lifting of garbage from these colonies. Foul smell keeps emanating from the heaps of garbage. These dumps are also a breeding place for various types of insects. During a visit to the affected colonies by The Tribune team, it was found that scores of residential colonies had developed, most of these in an unauthorised manner. These colonies have been sans the basic civic amenities for the past several years. These colonies include Friends Avenue, Dashmesh Avenue, Mithapur Road, Karol Bagh, Raja Garden, Ishar Colony and Harwinder Nagar. "I have been living here for the past four years. This colony does not have even the basic amenities. A new road was laid about four years back, which got damaged within a period of just six months. The authorities concerned have turned a blind eye towards our problems," Mr Arvinder Singh, owner of Funcity Departmental Store, rues. The residents complain that bad roads pose a serious health risk to them. "Those prone to neck and back problems are affected the most. Every time they drive on these roads, their problem gets worse," says a resident. The residents also rue that the badly damaged 'kutcha' roads are playing havoc with their vehicles. "Though we submitted several memorandums to the corporation authorities in the past, every time it was told to us that funds for construction of new roads could be allocated since these colonies were carved out of agricultural land in an unauthorised manner. What is our fault? We had paid full amount to the property dealer for the purchase of the plots. Why does the corporation or PUDA not take any action when someone starts carving out a colony?" Mr Sukhwinder Singh Ahluwalia, a resident of Friends Avenue, says. "We came to this locality about five years back. It was a grave mistake. Even a remote village will have better roads. It is very embarrassing for us when a visiting relative or a friend advises us to shift to some other place," says Ms Nirmal Kaur of Ishar Colony. The Superintending Engineer (B&R) of the Municipal Corporation here, Mr V.K. Talwar, said that the state government had recently decided to provide all civic amenities to such illegal colonies in case 60 to 70 per cent residents were ready to deposit development charges. "We have recently identified 233 such colonies in the city and efforts are being made to persuade the residents to get their plans approved to enable us to start developmental projects," said Mr Talwar, adding that the authorities had to abide by the rulebook.
	Govt College no longer a sports nursery J.S. Malhotra The college produced international hockey icons — Olympian Surjit Singh, former captain of Indian hockey team, Olympian Col Balbir Singh, Olympian Harcharan Singh. Besides, Anil Kumar Punj, Sajjan Singh Cheema (basketball), Manjeet Singh (football) and Satwant Singh, Jugraj Singh, Bhadur Singh were also groomed here to bring laurels to the country. But today, Government College (Co-Education) is a mute witness to its gradual decay. Once known as an international sports nursery, it is now in shambles. Thanks to the indifference of the state sports department that has gradually stopped recruiting budding players in different sports streams during the last seven years. The failure of the Indian hockey team to win a gold medal for the first time in 1960 Olympic Games had necessitated setting up of a special sports college for imparting proper training to players. The then-Punjab-Chief-Minister, Mr Partap Singh Kairon, with a view to provide the latest training and infrastructure facilities to budding sportspersons, had taken the initiative and the State College of Sports was established here in 1961. There was a provision to recruit 140 budding players every year. The college was credited with producing hundreds of players of national and international fame. Later in the year 1977, the state government renamed the college as Government Arts and Sports College, which turned out to be a nursery of sportspersons of the country. Everything was going on a fine note till the year 1993, when the state government handed over the control of the sports wing of the college to the newly carved out state sports department. The college, spread over 334 kanals of land on Jalandhar-Kapurthala road started losing its sheen due to the alleged indifference of the sports department, which failed to select 140 players for different sports streams. The college, which once boasted of ultra-modern swimming pool, a synthetic track for athletes, a gymnasium hall and a hockey ground, was left at the mercy of the sports department. The department concerned, while citing the paucity of funds as the major reason, had recruited 44 players against a sanctioned strength of 140 in 1998-1999, 43 in 1999-2000, 46 in 2000-2001, 25 in 2001-2002 and 35 in 2002-2003. Ironically, the state sports department failed to find talented players during the past two years; no player was recruited since then. "It is a sorry state of affairs. Though the department is funding players of different academies and sports wings of different educational institutions all over the state on its own and is making efforts to get the players sponsored by national and multi-national companies, it is not ready to spend a single penny for promotion of sports in the college. This is highly deplorable," says Ms Karamjit Kaur, officiating Principal of the college. "Keeping in view the non-recruitment of players by the sports department and to ensure the optimum use of sports and educational infrastructure here, we approached the state government to allow the admission of non-playing students. The request was approved in the year 2002. Now, the students, the majority of them hailing from poor families, are getting education here," the principal adds. She maintains that the college is extending the facility of depositing fee in two installments to the deserving candidates, while the bright students belonging to poor families are exempted from the tuition fee. The college offers graduation programme with subjects like geography, functional English, public administration, physical education, English, Hindi, Punjabi, mathematics and history. The college authorities have approached the state government for permission to introduce post graduate programmes in political science and Punjabi from the next academic session. The college authorities also rue that various state and Central government departments, including the Punjab Police, BSF, PAP, do not pay any user charges for using sports infrastructure of the college to impart training to their players and to hold competitions.
	Schools gear up for new session The city schools are gearing up for the new academic session that would begin from April 1 onwards. Meanwhile, two new private schools, including Cambridge International School for Girls and Mayor World School, would also have the first day of their first session on April 1. Likewise, many schools, including MGN Public School, have started their new branches. Pre-primary classes Come new session and the government elementary schools would introduce pre-primary classes. The schools that usually offered admission to children of the age five years and above for class I would now take children of three and four years for pre-nursery and nursery classes. Mr Kulbir Saini, District Education Officer (Elementary), said that he had already instructed all headmasters of the schools to start admissions for the same. He said that funds for the purpose would come from the Sarv Sikhya Abhiyan Scheme.
	From the Colleges Deepkamal Kaur Tribune News Service The mayor of Lamington County, UK, and alumnus of Doaba College, Mr Mota Singh, visited his alma mater on Saturday. The mayor was accorded a warm welcome by Principal, Dr R.P. Bhardwaj, members of teaching and non-teaching staff and students. He took a round of the college and lauded the academic and infrastructural strides made by the institution from where he had completed his graduation in the year 1955. Addressing the students, Mr Mota Singh said that the students should choose their subjects and profession according to their capability, environment and current scenario. He motivated them to adopt right attitude, commitment and diligence. Seminar on women empowerment The Guru Granth Sahib Research Centre of Lyallpur Khalsa College hosted a seminar on the topic "Women empowerment and women awareness in context of Guru Granth Sahib and Sikh history" on Wednesday. Various eminent speakers participated in the seminar. The speakers included Mr Jaswant Singh Virdi, a noted Punjabi writer, Ms Karanjit Kaur, Principal, BD Arya Girls' College, Prof Mohan Singh Johal, former registrar of Guru Nanak Dev University, and Prof Tejinder Kaur, Punjabi University, Patiala. Mr Niranjan Singh Dhesi, director of the centre, said that the Gurus had considered women as the progenitors of the life and had called for their due respect. The function was presided over by Ms Balbir Kaur, member of the college governing council. Mr S.S. Chatha, Principal, was also present on the occasion. Workshop on phonetics As a part of communication and personality development programme organised by the Lovely Institute of Management, a two-day workshop on phonetics concluded on Monday. The students of MBA, engineering and law participated in the workshop. Speaking on the occasion, Dr Sanjay Modi, director, stressed that the students must learn correct pronunciation apart from fluency and vocabulary. The key resource person, Mr Harpreet Singh, suggested that by correcting their pronunciation, students could boost their job potential in upcoming call centres, electronic media, telemarketing and many other fields. He trained the students by making them pronounce commonly used words through oral, breath control and pitch control techniques. Athletic meet organised The CT Institutions organised their first Sardarni Manjit Kaur Memorial Athletic Meet on their campus in Shahpur village on Friday. Olympian and former hockey team captain and coach, Pargat Singh, was the chief guest. The meet began with a march past by the students from various CT institutions. Rajni from the CT Institute of Engineering, Management and Technology won the trophy for the best athlete (girls). Among boys, Gurjinder Singh Mann of the CT Institute of Management and IT was adjudged the best. Ajit Pal of the CT Institute of Management was declared the fastest runner among boys. The CT Institute of Pharmacy won the overall best performer trophy.
	From the Schools 127 computer labs to be set up Deepkamal Kaur Tribune News Service After a gap of three years, as many as 109 government senior secondary schools of the district would have computer education back in their curriculum. Nearly 127 computer laboratories are being set up in the schools and many of them would have two to four laboratories depending on the strength of the school. Mr R.R. Badhan, District Education Officer (Secondary), said that Government Senior Secondary School, Nehru Garden, would have four laboratories, as it had the highest strength. The DEO said that while 109 schools had been selected for the first phase, many more would be added up in the second phase that would follow soon. Apeejay School Apeejay School has decided to introduce humanities stream for the students taking admission in Plus One. Ms Ranjana Sud, Principal, said that interviews of the students for admission to Plus One were on in the campus. She said the school had already sought the approval of the Central Board of Secondary Education for introducing the subjects of engineering drawing and entrepreneurship. The session would, however, begin from April 4, she said. Police DAV School Police DAV Public School has obtained 100 per cent result in class X examination conducted by the DAV Board of Examination. Raghav Vadhera secured the first rank with 93 per cent marks, while Somya Vij followed him with 92.8 per cent marks. Vanita Singh secured the third rank with 91.6 per cent marks, followed by Harsimrat Singh Cheema with 91.1 per cent marks and Prakshi Chaudhary with 90 per cent marks.
	Passion for music keeps Gagan going Minna Zutshi Tribune News Service He's hung up on the sunny side of life. And he calls himself an incorrigible optimist, who is unfazed by quirks of fate. Not willing to let visual impairment become the focus of his life, Gagandeep Singh, MA II vocal music student of the Apeejay College of Fine Arts, has taken upon himself to hone his talent for music. "Life is ballgame with enough of rainbow in it," he says. Already a winner of many prizes in music competitions, including youth festivals organised by Guru Nanak Dev University, this young upcoming singer, who secured top positions in BA III and MA I university examinations, has a yen for learning. "One is constantly learning. The study of music is vast and it leaves one thirsting for more," he says. It was in school itself that he decided to pursue music as his field of study. His goal is to be a teacher, though he is not averse to taking up singing at professional level. "The teacher-taught relationship is a sacred one. If students learn from teachers, the teachers, too, have a lot to learn from the students. For a teacher, each day is a new day loaded with oodles of experiences," he quips. Books fascinate him. He does manage to coax friends and relatives to read out books to him, though he wishes more books were available in Braille. "I think with the advent of new technology, people like me may be able to have access to what is published in the latest books," he remarks. "I will make the best of what I have. There's no point in ruing about what may have been. What I have right now is what matters," he says, adding that pity is something that he detests thoroughly.
	Weekly Round-up A day-long strike was observed by insurance employees of Jalandhar division on Thursday. The employees held a massive rally and demonstration in front of the local divisional building of the corporation. Addressing the gathering, Mr Surjit Ram, secretary, Northern Zone Insurance Employees' Association, said that as many as 14,000 employees had retired from services of the Life Insurance Corporation but no fresh recruitments had taken place since then, thus increasing the workload of the existing employees. He said the government was not allowing the LIC management to settle the question of wage revision in keeping with the paying capacity of the corporation as well as the aspirations of the employees. P&T road show The Department of Posts, in collaboration with Western Union Money Transfer, held a road show on Wednesday to spread awareness about money transfer services. Mr Charan Singh, Senior Superintendent of Post Offices, Jalandhar Division, Mr K.P. Dutta, Assistant Superintendent of Post Offices, said that the service was now available in over 70 post offices of the division. He said the service that was started in April, 2001 with just 37 transactions had grown up to 2166 transactions in the year 2004. He said that people could also deposit the amount received in different saving schemes of the post office on the spot. Nature education The Department of Environmental Monitoring, in association with an NGO Pahal, held a nature education camp for school students. Nearly 70 students from 10 schools of the district participated in the camp. The students were taken around the dam at Ropar and various power houses of the Punjab State Electricity Board. The students participated in a quiz contest based on environmental awareness at Ropar. The overall trophy went to the team from Police DAV Public School. Individual prizes were bagged by Reena, Rupinderjit and Nisha. On the occasion, Mr Harnek Singh, ADC (development), gave prizes to the students. Compiled by Deepkamal Kaur