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Children’s books find many takers
KV No 4 on the brink of closure
Pak singer Bashir weaves Sufi magic |
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Shahkot bus stand, a scene of utter neglect
Jaundice cases on rise;NC sleeping
Say no to illegal acts: Admn to shopkeepers, residents
Retired BSNL employees get 30 pc hike in pension
Facebook founder’s portrayal unfair
Rs 55-lakh central grant for
Khalsa College
LPU comes up with new evaluation plan
2,000 donate blood
Gala Baisakhi celebrations in institutions
Dr Jai Kishan to attend Hong Kong conference
California institute selects Khalsa College Professor for award
Spring-Summer Fiesta woos shoppers
‘Jis Lahore nai vekhya...’ staged
RCF celebrates Railway Week
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Children’s books find many takers
Jalandhar, April 12 Dr Baldev Singh Baddan, chief editor and joint director of the National Book Trust, himself a writer of children’s books, said, “The response to the fair was better than apprehended and children’s literature was in demand most of all. The total NBT sales were of little below Rs 5 lakh and around Rs 1.45 lakh out of it were of children’s books.” Jaico, SM Books International, Aun publications, Mansi Publishers Vishva Books and many others also had a sizable collection, with Aun also boasting of a huge CD collection of children’s stories, which played on a little TV the day through, found many takers. Jitender Prashar of SM Books International (Yamunanagar) said the heightened sale of children’s books was also due to the fact that “many schools bought a lot many children’s books, adding them to their collection. While parents and schools bought a lot of stuff, compared to the other fairs we have been to, there was a lack of interest in youngsters here.” While beautiful and colourful illustrations in various painting styles and techniques drew children and parents to the lovely books, a worrisome aspect in the scenario was the dearth of Punjabi illustrators. While children’s stories from many Punjabi writers like Darshan Singh Ashat, Rajinder Kaur, Professor Pritam Singh, Jaswant Singh Kanwal and Dr Baddan himself, were seen on the stands, it’s sad that most of these were illustrated by artistes in Delhi or elsewhere. Speaking on the issue, Dr Baddan said, “There are very few illustrators for children’s books in Punjab. Most of the artistes who illustrate our books are from Delhi or elsewhere.” Also, there was a marked difference between the illustrations for original Punjabi children’s books and those in Hindi or English (or translated to Punjabi). While the former reminded one of primitive, sketchy, textbook illustrations, the latter were more inventive, using painting styles from tribal art to modern graphics. NBT Book Fair A discussion on the “State of children’s literature in Punjab” was also organised at the fair. Speaking on the occasion, Dr Harshinder Kaur, who has also spoken on female foeticide at the United Nations, said it is important that children’s literature is written with children in mind, unlike what happens. She said much of the children’s literature doesn’t keep an account of the way a child thinks.@@Her lecture was also marked by another quaint recommendation. She emphasised on the importance of literature being read out to the baby while it is still in the mother’s womb.@@She said research has proved that the foetus responds to what happens in its environment. “It’s important for a mother to read out stories to her unborn child. It is the important first phase in the development of a child that is mostly overlooked,” she said.@@Other speakers on the occasion were Dr Sarbjit Bedi, Jas Mand, Bajinder Mann, Rama Ratan, Kuldip Singh Dheer, Bachint Kaur, Surjit Marjara, Darshan Singh Ashat, Sukhdev Madhopuri, Simrat Sumaira, Hardev Chauhan and Jasbir Bhullar
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KV No 4 on the brink of closure
Jalandhar, April 12 The decision came into effect as the Army authorities at the Western Command Headquarters have reportedly refused to give up its land to the school, where it is presently situated. At present there are total four KVs in Jalandhar Cantonment. While the other three KVs in the cantonment, namely number 1, 2 and 3, have their own land, buildings and infrastructure, but KV No 4 has been functioning from its old building situated on approximately 26 acres of defence land given by the Army authorities at Jalandhar Cantonment. Talking to The Tribune in this regard, Principal of the school A.K. Loomra said, “Recently, the Assistant Commissioner K.V. Sangthan, Jammu Region, issued directions to temporarily close the school. We are just an implementing authority and bound to follow whatever orders are passed.” He added that they too didn’t want that the school should be closed, but in any case if this happened the students would be adjusted in the other three KVs of Jalandhar Cantonment. According to the norms, all Kendriya Vidyalayas across the country are started after a final approval from the HRD Ministry, the KV Sangthan and final availability of land, mostly by the Army authorities under various Army commands. However, since the KVs are situated in cantonments and primarily meant for the children of the Central Government employees, armed forces and paramilitary forces, the land for starting up these schools is given by the Army authorities. Sources also maintained that if the Army authorities had finally backed out, then the school stood on the brink of closure. “Even Chairman of the school Brig Arup Sen, also the Sub Area Commander, Headquarters, 11 Corps, too, did not took any initiative in this regard. The school has an excellent track record and if the matter is discussed with the Army officials at Western Command, it can be saved from finally being closed,” the sources added. Meanwhile, this has led to widespread anxiety among the students, their parents and teachers. At present more than 1,300 students are studying in KV No 4. Even students maintained that they too didn’t want the school to be closed. “I have been studying here since Class III and it is very disheartening to know that the school will be closed. This is one of the best KVs and we just wish that the worst does not take place,” said a student.
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Pak singer Bashir weaves Sufi magic
Jalandhar, April 12 The evening saw a recital by Pakistani Sufi singer Javed Bashir and friends. Bashir sung backed by a vocal troupe. Bashir had first come to Jalandhar with Pakistani playwright Madiha Gauhar’s play “Bulla”, providing the arousing music for the intense play. Bashir began with “Ghunghat chuk ve sajna” moving on to “Kinna sohna tennu rab ne banaya”. The recital got to a lingering slow start. But later the tempo upped as Bashir moved on to Sufi renditions one after another, singing “Chal bulleya chal otthe chaliye”, “Yaadan vichre sajan diyan”, “Tere ishq nachaya”, “Ye jo halka halka suroor hai” and Nusrat’s “Jhule-jhule laal”. The audience showered him with paper-strip requests and money (as is the tradition in Sufi recitals). His voice, with the husky Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s tinge, was forceful and his presence on the stage theatrical and alive. Akbar Ali, who rendered vocal support, showed a lot of promise and rendered bits that reflected a bold, well-rehearsed voice and depth in music. Asif Ali and Waris Ali also provided important vocal backing. Earlier in the evening, there was a recital with singer Poonam Sharma’s “Tere ishq nachaya”, followed by the talented granddaughters of Nooran - Punjab’s iconic folk singer. Jyoti Nooran and Sulatana Nooran, who have been regulars at the folk and Sufi gatherings in Punjab, truly reflect the brilliance of the tradition that they come from. Singing “Kulli rah vich payi” and “Etthe zora zori lar paindiyan”, their voice was bold and full of the magic and soulfulness of Punjabi kafis. Their voices took one back in time and young as they are, they are artistes in their own right. It was a disappointment that they had to be cut short to accommodate the lectures of dignitaries.
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Shahkot bus stand, a scene of utter neglect
Nakodar, April 12 The Chairman of Mandi Board, Punjab, had laid the foundation stone of the bus stand in December 17, 1983. Then, it cost the government 10 lakh to build it. But soon its productivity started to decline. The dilapidated buildings relate the tale of a sorry state of affairs. The civic amenities are also conspicuous by their absence at the bus stand, making it inhospitable for commuters. A Municipal Committee official said that after its construction the bus stand had never received any grant for its development. Now, almost after eight years, the authority concerned is not able to auction its canteen contract, while the taxi stand contract has also not been operational for the last three years. Earlier, the canteen contract was auctioned at around Rs 1.50 lakh for a year, and the contract of taxi stand used to give an income of around Rs60,000 per year to the department, the official said, adding that now the department was just earning Rs300 from each taxi. A few years back, the contract of “adda fees” was given to a private contractor. “I had taken the contract of “adda fees” four years back at Rs 7.65 lakh, but it did not prove a lucrative deal for me,” said Tilak Raj, a private contractor. Private contractors did not feel it a lucrative deal because the minimum contract adda fees set by the government was too high, said another official of the Municipal Committee. However, he also said, “Though the “adda fees” contract is not there, the Municipal Committee is earning around Rs 9 lakh a year by deploying its own officials there.” When asked why the authority was not spending on the development of the bus stand, he said, “Though the development of the bus stand is totally under the jurisdiction of the Committee, the Committee has no extra funds to spend, as its expenditures are more than its income.” Sources also say that there is not even a single safai karmchari to look after the cleanliness of the bus stand. Deplorable condition of the bus stand prevents long route buses from entering it, and they prefer to pick passengers from outside its gate. This often leads to traffic jam on the roads. Robin, one of the private bus operators said, “Why should we take our buses inside where facilities of canteen and urinals are lacking?” When SDM Iqbal Singh was asked about the plight of the bus stand, he said that he had just taken the charge of Shahkot, so he was not aware of the facts about the bus stand’s auction, and was unable to comment on the situation as of now
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Jaundice cases on rise;NC sleeping
Phagwara, April 12 Though, the teams of Health Department headed by Senior Medical Officer Dr Rajiv Gupta, had visited and distributed chlorine tablets among the people in the affected localities and advised the people to take boiled drinking water. Meanwhile, Taranjit Singh died of suspected jaundice on Friday. His body has been kept in a mortuary. SMO Dr Rajiv Gupta said no such case was brought to his notice. “It was learnt that some relatives and family friends of the deceased informed ADC Kapurthala about the said death,” he added. The SMO said nothing could be ascertained before examining the case or post-mortem examination. It may be recalled that more than 50 cases of jaundice, caused due to the contaminated water, supplied by the Nagar Council, have been reported in the localities. The Executive Officer on the NC could not be contacted. Surprisingly, it was learnt that Punjab Health Minister Laxmi Kanta Chawla too visited Phagwara and a nearby village on Sunday, but she too was not aware about the jaundice outbreak in different parts of the town. Phagwara SDM Amarjit Paul said he had instructed NC officials to take steps for the prevention of the disease by ensuring clean water supply to the people. |
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Say no to illegal acts: Admn to shopkeepers, residents
Nakodar, April 12 SDM Supreet Singh Gulati along with SHO Surinderpal Singh issued strict instructions to the inhabitants, shopkeepers and rehriwalas to stop encroaching roads and pavements. The SDM said those shopkeepers, who have extended their shops on the footpaths against the MC rules, would be fined in future. Warnings were also served to shopkeepers of Dakhni Gate, Ambedkar Chowk, Fowara Chowk, bus stand and Koat road areas. The SHO said on the traffic front, people were told not to park their vehicle at those places which may lead to traffic jams. Along with the police team, food supplies officials also warned shopkeepers and rehriwalas not to use domestic LPG cylinder. |
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Retired BSNL employees get 30 pc hike in pension
Jalandhar, April 12 In the recently issued orders, the copy of which is with The Tribune, the Deputy Director General (DDG), Department of Telecom (DOT), has directed all the General Managers (Telecom) across the country to implement the revised pension rules before April 30. V.S. Jolly, secretary general, All-India Central Government Pensioners Association, said as the decision to give benefits of pension hike would be applicable with effect from January, 2007, the DDG has also directed that all such pensioners should be paid their pending benefits in the form of arrears before September, 2011. Adding that as around 38 lakh Central Government pensioners and family pensioners were already granted revised pension benefits and arrears, Jolly demanded that the government should provide the benefits to the BSNL pensioners at the earliest. — TNS |
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Facebook founder’s portrayal unfair
Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg's father Edward Zuckerberg has reportedly criticized his son's portrayal in the Hollywood filmThe Social Network. Edward Zuckerberg, who is a dentist in Dobbs Ferry, New York, told the Los Angeles Times that the film was unfair to his son, and described it as "inaccurate" and "disturbing", reports the Telegraph.
But the 26-year-old billionaire has been publicly diplomatic about the movie, which depicted him as ruthless back-stabber with no social skills, and even took his staff to a cinema to watch it. — ANI |
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Rs 55-lakh central grant for
Khalsa College
Jalandhar, April 12 This is the only college in the state to have been selected under this scheme by the ministry. The college was selected in recognition of its excellent academic performance and contribution to research in the field of science. Under the Star College Scheme, research would be conducted in subjects including biotechnology, physics, chemistry, zoology, botany and computer science. Principal of the college, Dr Jaspal Singh Randhawa, said, “Realising the importance of scientific research in the present scenario, the college is committed to provide every support to its students in the form of state-of-the-art infrastructure, labs and teaching so that science subject gets deserved and required support at the fundamental level.” It was also highlighted that the Head of the Biotechnology Department, Dr Arun Dev Sharma was working on two projects being sponsored by DST and UGC. “Dr Sharma is working on drought induced charge in the expression of acid phosphate and protein folding enzymes. The research undertaken by him is to improve wheat production under water stress conditions as the level of ground water is decreasing day to day”, the principal said. He added that Dr Sharma has already presented his research findings in various countries like the US, Italy, China and Poland. While another professor, Dr Navjot Kaur from the Department of Chemistry has also been awarded a minor research project under a UGC scheme. Earlier also, the Department of Biotechnology was awarded a grant of Rs 35 lakh by the Ministry of Science and Biotechnology under DST-FST scheme to promote research. |
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LPU comes up with new evaluation plan
Jalandhar, April 12 Various concepts such as giving weightage to attendance, having open book examination and doing continuous assessment on the basis of analytical problems have been adopted to evolve a unique evaluating module. Sharing the details, university Chancellor Ashok Mittal explained, “Our evaluation system has helped the students automatically get motivated to attend to their lectures and participate in the class discussions. To ensure this, a total 10 per cent evaluation is for attendance”. In LPU, a student gets full 10 per cent marks in the subject if he has attended 95 per cent or more classes, 8 per cent for 90 to 95 per cent classes, 6 per cent for 85 to 90 per cent classes, 4 per cent for 80 to 85 per cent classes and 2 per cent for 75 per cent to 80 per cent classes. “In fact, the components of evaluation for each course are attendance, continuous assessment (CA), mid-term examination (MTE) and end-term examination (ETE). There is a continuous assessment of 30 per cent marks by way of homework and an attempt to solve analytical problem given at the beginning of the term which is to be submitted later”, Mittal added. He further informed, “Our university is experimenting with unique concept for few of the courses where open book examination system is being promoted. This system allows the students to carry the books in the examination hall. We have to ensure the question paper is so set that it does not carry direct questions which students may easily copy from the books.” Adding he said, “Even our evaluation system is unique. Teachers evaluate the answer sheets using table-marking system where single question is checked by one faculty for all the students. As such, five to six teachers check an answer sheet to ensure uniformity in marks of evaluation.” Also, a chance is given to all the students to check their final answer sheets to clear ambiguities or errors under request from students for re-checking or complaint about unmarked questions, on a particular day of scrutinising. After re-checking, the marks are put on a university portal, the Chancellor explained the procedure. He further elaborated, “Along with absolute percentage system, popular relative grading system is also adopted. The university also provides special access on portal to parents through which they can themselves check the percentage of their wards. In addition, students can even request for their results by sending SMS to the examination department.”
2,000 donate blood
Jalandhar, April 12 More than 2000 students and members of the staff donated blood during the camp. In all, 1,100 units of blood were collected. A contingent of 25 team members, comprising doctors and technicians, visited the campus during the camp. |
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Gala Baisakhi celebrations in institutions
Jalandhar, April 12 World Health Day observed
The Science Department of the Kamla Nehru College for Women, Phagwara, organised a programme ‘Eat Healthy, Do Exercise and Stay Healthy’ on the occasion of World Health Day. Head of Department, Dr Bina Sood gave tips on healthy lifestyle. She said physically active lifestyle was the only way for people to fight modern day lifestyle diseases like coronary, artery, hypertension, diabetes and much more. National conference
A national conference on ‘Engineering Applications’ was organised by the St Soldier Group of Institutions. During the conference more than 100 research papers on topics like wireless resources, 4G wireless systems, mathematical modeling, datamining, adhoc networks, robotics and much more. Addressing the gathering, Chief Guest, Professor CL Kochhar, Regional Director, DAV Engineering Colleges said engineering applications can change human lifestyle and is responsible for making human life comfortable. “It is a high time when students and academicians start focusing and researching on more engineering applications”, he added. |
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Dr Jai Kishan to attend Hong Kong conference
Jalandhar, April 12 On the basis of research conducted on the TB patients of Punjab, Dr Jai Kishan, along with co-authors Dr Kranti Garg, Dr Nishi Garg, Dr Pritpal Kaur and Dr Veer Bhan Singla, all from Punjab, would present research papers highlighting the emerging trends in prevalence of TB and its relation with diseases like asthma and diabetes.
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California institute selects Khalsa College Professor for award
Jalandhar, April 12 He has completed three major plant biotechnology research projects in the past, out of which one was sponsored by the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India, and the other by UGC, New Delhi. Talking to The Tribune, Dr Arun said he is the only researcher from the state to have been selected for the award. “A committee of ARI finalised the list of awardees on March 23. Now, they will conduct a conference in July and honour the selected researchers”, he added. It might be noted that Dr Sharma has published more than 30 research papers in the international journals in the area of plant biotechnology. At present three students of MSc and one PhD student are doing research under his guidance. Earlier also, he has presented research findings in the international conferences at various countries including Italy, USA, Poland and China in the past. Recently, management committee of the Lyallpur Khalsa College along with joint secretary, UGC, New Delhi honored Dr Sharma during the annual function of the college. At present, he is working as principal scientist in a UGC-sponsored major research project. “My research team is studying the effect of some of very important enzymes like chaperones and its likely role in plants in wheat under water stress. As water table is on a decline, we are conducting research on water stress wheat crop, which would be a future necessity”, he said adding that he chose wheat for his research project as it is an important tropical crop. He said wheat is one of the most important crops in arid and semi arid areas across the region and it is sensitive to drought and temperature. “Through this research we will be able to fish out some of the main biochemical and molecular processes, which would be helpful in imparting water stress tolerance to wheat”, he said.
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Spring-Summer Fiesta woos shoppers
Jalandhar, April 12 This time the exhibition saw 55 entrepreneurs, mostly women, displaying their creations. There were businesspersons from Bangkok, Pakistan, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Nagpur, Mumbai, Delhi and Ludhiana. Suits were very popular among the shoppers. Adaa, showcasing Pakistani salwars and dupattas as well as the Prayas range from Delhi, which also sold suits, were the major crowd pullers. The costume-jewellery exhibit by Deevina from Bangkok was also greatly loved and appreciated. Reeti Singh, who has been organising the exhibition along with her sister, Nikku, every year, for the last eight years, said, “We concentrate on shuffling people and try to get new ones every time.” “Some exhibits were greatly loved and we plan to bring them back,” Reeti said. The exhibition also included garden accessories, home products, artistic pieces of work, lamps, paintings and décor products. |
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‘Jis Lahore nai vekhya...’ staged
Jalandhar, April 12 The play presented the travails of an old woman who refuses to move from Lahore after all her kin are killed, and is eventually adopted by a Muslim family. It talked of Hindu-Muslim feud during the partition and the long-lasting human ties that stayed alive even in difficult times.
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RCF celebrates Railway Week
Jalandhar, April 12 On the occasion, the GM announced that the last financial year 2010-11 had been a remarkable year for the RCF, since it produced 1,602 coaches making it the largest rail coach-manufacturing unit in the world. “The production of stainless steel high-speed coaches saw a substantial increase for wider propagation of new technology in the Indian Railways. For increasing the carrying capacity, double-decker AC coaches were developed for the first time in the country at a much lower cost while maintaining quality and safety features comparable to European standards,” Saxena declared. Setting the next target, he said it would be producing nine Duranto rakes and two double-decker rakes in 2011-12.
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