The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

	Gorakhpur nuke plant to have pressurised heavy water reactors Sushil Manav Tribune News Service Fatehabad, October 7 The upcoming nuclear power project at Gorakhpur in Fatehabad will have pressurised heavy water reactors (PHWR) that have been developed indigenously by Indian nuclear scientists and like all other reactors, it will be completely safe with multiple barriers in the transmission path of radioactive fission products from fuel to environment. This was stated by the scientists of Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) and Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) to dispel misgivings about the safety of the project at a public awareness programme “DAE Technologies for Rural India” organised by the Global Centre for Nuclear Energy Partnership (GCNEP), Bahadurgarh, at Manohar Memorial Postgraduate College here recently. Fatehabad Deputy Commissioner Dr Saket Kumar, who inaugurated the awareness programme and an exhibition organised on this occasion, said nuclear energy was the only answer to India’s growing need of electricity in future. Dr SP Kale, a Padamshree awardee and Head, Technology Transfer and Collaboration Division in the BARC, said had atomic bombs not been dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki cities of Japan during the World War II, people across the world would have an entirely different perception about the nuclear energy. “Technology is never bad, it is its use that makes a technology good or bad,” said Kale, adding that the same knife that cuts fruits and vegetables could kill a human being too. Dr AK Sharma, Head, Food Technology Division, BARC, demonstrated how nuclear radiations, which some people perceived to be dangerous, were being used to preserve packed food items and to prolong their shelf life. Dr SK Malhotra, Head, Public Awareness Division in BARC, said India had set a target of producing 63,500 MW of nuclear electricity by 2032, while presently the country’s total production of atomic power was 4,780 MW. He said some of the developed countries like France were meeting 75 per cent of their total electricity needs from nuclear energy, while in India, only 3 per cent of the total electricity was produced in atomic reactors. Emphasising the need to produce more electricity for better development, Malhotra said in India, the availability of electricity per person per year was 700 to 800 units, while in the developed countries it was 3,000 units per person per year. Terming atomic energy as much cheaper than the electricity produced on thermal or other plants, Malhotra said the cost of production in the Tarapur Atomic Power Station was Rs 1 per unit, while in Rawatbhata and Narora, it was Rs 3 and Rs 1.90 per unit, respectively. LR Jangra, Head, Coordination Division, GCNEP, also spoke on the occasion. Showing a model of a nuclear reactor identical to one being set up at Gorakhpur, the scientists said the mechanical arrangement of the PHWR, which places most of the moderator at lower temperatures, was more efficient than the traditional reactors and safer too. The scientists said so far, Haryana had been contributing indirectly in the field of nuclear energy by giving some excellent scientists educated in its universities to the BARC and the DAE, but now, with the setting up of a nuclear power project at Gorakhpur and GCNEP at Bahadurgarh, the DAE has a physical presence in the state. A large number of students, teachers and local people attended the programme and saw the exhibition.
	Few effigy makers turn up for Dasehra Suman Bhatnagar Ambala, October 7 Following the communal tension in some of the areas of Uttar Pradesh recently, few effigy makers have turned up for Dasehra festival. Most of the effigy makers are from the Muslim community. Owing to the shortage of effigy makers, the organisers of the festival have been forced to seek help of local artists. Most of the effigies on Dasehra in various parts of the state are prepared by the muslim artists who come from Saharanpur, Merut, Muzaffarnagar and Ghaziabad every year. This year only one team of effigy makers from Saharnpur has arrived in the district. The team is making effigies at Ambala City, Ambala Cantt, Naraingarh and two other towns of Ambala. The contractor of the team, Deen Mohammad, said he had been visiting Ambala for making effigies for the past two decades. This year, due to the tension in some of areas of UP, a few teams have arrived for the festival. He says the Muslim artists generally make around 200 effigies of Ravana in various parts of the state. He says the effigies are made on the traditional pattern with the help of bamboos, papers and firecrackers. Notably, the tallest effigy of Ravana that found place in the Guinness Book of World Records was prepared in Barara, close to Ambala, by the artists from Uttar Pradesh. According to a effigy maker, the expenditure on preparing three effigies is around Rs 50,000, out of which they earn around Rs 10 to 15 thousand . A team of four to five persons takes a fortnight for to prepare the effigies.
	unique initiative Karnal Model Jail to start tele-booking Tribune News Service Karnal, October 7 The Karnal Model Jail has achieved another milestone and has become the first jail in Haryana to take a unique initiative to start tele-booking for interviews of the inmates with their family and relatives. Under the new system, the visitors could register themselves for a telephonic interview by giving the details of their identity card and other relevant information. After receiving the information, they would be given a registration number which would give them an access to the interview room on priority. Two special numbers have been installed in the administration block and the visitors can call on these numbers for registration of their visit from 03:00 pm to 05:00 pm. Sher Singh, superintendent, district jail, Karnal, said the tele-booking of visits in advance would save a lot of time of the visitors, reduce the long queues and also bring more transparency in the system. Sher Singh attended the 33rd Asian and Pacific Conference of Correctional Administrators in New Delhi recently. He said for the first time in the history of Haryana jails, a display and sale counter of the crafts and articles manufactured by the jail inmates was set up during the conference and Sushil Kumar Shinde, Union Home Minister, was very happy to see the craft of inmates, especially the articles made from waste newspapers. Yash Pal Singhal, DG, prisons, Haryana, headed the delegation of the state. Sher Singh also exchanged views about various correctional measures which were being implemented in various states of India as well as other Asian Pacific Countries during the conference. All the new ideas would be implemented in the district jail, Karnal, in the near future.
	2014 parliamentary poll Cong, HJC aim to storm Chautalas’ citadel Sushil Manav/TNS Sirsa, October 7 With the 2014 parliamentary elections approaching near, political activities have suddenly witnessed a spurt in Sirsa. Sirsa is the home district of former Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala and his Indian National Lok Dal enjoys a considerable following in the district. However, in an effort to make a dent in the Chautala’s citadel, the Congress as well as the Haryana Janhit Congress - Bhartiya Janata Party alliance have suddenly increased their political activities. The ruling party is in the forefront of launching a slew of political activities in the district. The Congress is going to hold a rally to be addressed by Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and others at Chopta in Sirsa on October 19. Chopta is part of the Ellenabad assembly segment represented by senior INLD leader Abhey Singh Chautala and the rally is being organised by Bharat Singh Beniwal who contested the last elections against him. In December, Hooda will address a rally at Dabwali, the Assembly segment represented by Ajay Singh Chautala and CM’s OSD (Media) KV Singh, who contested the last Assembly elections from Dabwali. “I will seek the exact date from the Chief Minister after the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) allots tenders for the work on railway over bridge (RoB) on the Sirsa - Abohar road so that the work on the project starts immediately after Hooda lays the foundation stone,” KV Singh said. He added that the previous government had laid the foundation stone thrice without caring for the project. Besides, Rohtak MP Deepender Singh Hooda will lay the foundation stone of a 33-Kv power substation at Chautala village and address a meeting there on October 12 and on October 16. Power Minister Ajay Singh Yadav will also lay the foundation stone of a power substation at Chormar village. Earlier, former minister Ranjit Singh had organised a mammoth rally at Kharia in the Rania assembly segment of Sirsa on September 29. On October 2, veteran Congress leader and an HPCC delegate Hoshiari Lal Sharma led a padyatra from Congress office in Sirsa to Phoolka village. Sirsa MP Ashok Tanwar had also flagged off a rally in which hundreds of Congress workers from Sirsa participated.
	Convention on equanimity Tribune News Service Gurgaon, October 7 The Satyug Darshan Trust organised a convention on the theme “Becoming Virtuous by Adopting Equanimity” here recently. Addressing the gathering, trust mentor Shri Sajanji underlined the point that all religions in the world have emanated from the religion of humanity. He said in view of the prevailing circumstances, adopting equanimity was the need of the hour in order to attain a peaceful world inside as well as outside ourselves. Shri Sajanji disclosed that the trust would soon start the world’s first “School of Equanimity and Even-sightedness” on its Faridabad campus.
	Paddy arrival gains momentum Steps have been taken to block produce from Punjab Sushil Manav Tribune News Service Fatehabad, October 7 With the arrival of paddy in various grain markets of Fatehabad slowly picking momentum, the district authorities have taken steps to stop crop from the neighbouring Punjab coming to the district. Fatehabad Deputy Commissioner Saket Kumar said in a meeting to review procurement operations that police barriers had been set up on roads connecting the district with Punjab to check influx of paddy from that state. Fatehabad is one of the important districts in terms of production of paddy, as it is a major crop in the Ratia and Tohana areas of the district. Incidentally, both these subdivisions are located on Punjab’s border with Haryana and farmers from that state tend to bring their crop in Fatehabad mandis. “In Punjab, farmers plant their paddy 15 days ahead of their counterparts in Haryana. If we allow farmers from there to sell crops in our mandis, our millers are likely to complete their targets much before the arrival of paddy from Haryana reaches its peak,” said Rajbir Singh, District Food and Supplies Controller, Fatehabad. Last year, the Haryana government had officially banned influx of paddy from other states to Haryana. Though no such orders have been issued by the state government this year, Rajbir said the last year’s orders were still valid. Meanwhile, the DC said the authorities had earmarked 36 mandis for the purchase of wheat. He said senior officers had been assigned duties of mandis, where they would see to it that farmers were not harassed.
	Unmindful development cause of natural disasters: Expert Bhanu P Lohumi Tribune News Service Kurukshetra, October 7 A two-day international conference of Punjab geographers on disaster, natural resource management and socio-economic development concluded at Kurukshetra University here recently. Issues like extensive use of spatial maps, use of special space science techniques, judicious use of natural resources and need to have detailed deliberations on natural disasters and mitigation were highlighted at the conference. The first international conference organised by the Department of Geography, Kurukshetra University, and the Association of Punjab Geographers (APG) was attended by 412 delegates from five different countries and 15 different states of India. There were total 17 sub-themes under three major themes of disaster, natural resources management and socio-economic development and in addition to plenary session, 20 technical sessions were held during the conference. Dr Prithvish Nag, Vice-Chancellor, Mahatama Gandhi Kashi Vidyapeeth, Varanasi, inaugurated the conference. He underlined the need to make best use of wealth of information available in the form of maps with spatial dimensions for real time planning as different type of maps generated at small scale may not be useful for local level planning. "We need to generate highly accurate maps on large scale, at 1:2,000 scale to address the problems like urban flooding, utilities management and facilities development," said Nag. He emphasised on applications of recent tools like LiDAR and large scale aerial photography to address not only the issues of detailed mapping in terms of horizontal accuracy or positional accuracy, but also to take third dimension into consideration i.e. accurate measurement of heights. Dr Arun K Saraf, professor and head, Department of Earth Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Roorkee, spoke on Fog- as a menace or disaster. He also discussed about various aspects of fog formation, mapping through satellite technology and inconveniences caused by these, specifically in south-east Asia region. He underscored the need of converting it for the benefit of mankind. Dr Harjiit Singh, professor, Jawhar Lal Nehru University, New Delhi, said the excess use of natural resources was leading to changes in the ecosystem which in fact were aiding to the disasters all round the globe. "The economic development, which is unmindful of the sustained use of natural resources is basically responsible for disasters, while the greed of people who are not following any norms and codes or listening to the warning of nature are aiding to further worsening of the situation and losses," he added and observed that sustainable development was becoming a far dream in such challenging situations. Dr Krishan Chand Ralhan, Registrar, Kurukshetra University, stressed the need of detailed deliberations for mitigating the impacts of disasters all round the globe. "It is possible only when we are capable of using all the latest techniques of space sciences which are available from global to local scale," he added. Prof MS Jaglan, organising secretary of the conference, informed that Tejpal, research scholar, Department of Geography, Kurukshetra University, won the Dr Saminder Jit Singh Young Geographer Award.
	Foot ulcer acquiring serious dimensions in diabetics: Doc Bijendra Ahlawat/TNS Rohtak, October 7 While foot ulcer affects 25 per cent of diabetics, illiteracy, lack of awareness and poverty among patients contributes to a rise in the number of foot-ulcer patients reporting at the PGIMS here. Claiming this, Dr Sameer Aggarwal, a Consultant and Professor in the Department of Endocrinology that runs a special clinic for diabetics, Aggarwal said the incidence of foot ulcer could go up greatly in the coming years if a drive was not launched at various levels especially in rural areas, where the level of awareness about such diseases was low. Stating that while a large number of patients try home remedies before visiting physicians, Aggarwal said the number of people with diabetes was expected to double in the next about 20 to 30 years. Dwelling on the reasons for the high prevalence of foot infection, he said it could be attributed to prevalence of barefoot walking, lesser use of customised footwear and increased prevalence of smoking coupled with poor awareness regarding the need for foot care among diabetics. He said there were fewer recurrences of ulcers and the healing process was faster in patients adhering to foot-care advice than in those patients who did not follow the doctor’s advice. Rural subjects had a lower educational status, therefore more intensive methods for awareness are required, he added. Aggarwal said though foot ulcers and wounds were a common complication in people with diabetes, most of these complications could be prevented with careful foot care. Regarding the complications, he said, diabetes could lead to different types of foot complications, including athlete's foot (a fungal infection), calluses, bunions, ulcers and the main causes included poor circulation of blood as long standing high blood sugar could damage blood vessels, decreasing blood flow to the foot. Poor circulation could contribute to the formation of ulcers, and impair wound healing. Many bacteria and fungi survive on high levels of sugar in the bloodstream and bacterial and fungal infections could invade the skin and infect ulcers. More serious complications include deep-skin and bone infections. Gangrene is a very serious complication that may include infection. Widespread gangrene may require foot amputation. Approximately 5 per cent of men and women with diabetes eventually require amputation of a toe or foot, he stated. He said while nerve damage (neuropathy), elevated blood glucose levels over time could damage the nerves of the foot, it could also weaken certain foot muscles, further contributing to foot deformities. About treatment, he said, several approaches were being evaluated for treatment and the options included synthetic- wound dressings, skin grown in a laboratory, substances that stimulate healing and support the growth of infection-fighting cells, electrical stimulation, and exposure to elevated-oxygen levels. While routine medical exams were important, every day foot care played the biggest role in preventing the problem.
	PDM Group becomes Platinum Campus of Microsoft Ravinder Saini Jhajjar, October 7 World famous IT Company Microsoft Corporation has declared the PDM Group of Institutions here as its first Ed-Vantage Platinum Campus in Haryana. The declaration was made by Himanshu Chawla, Director, Microsoft India, while handing over the Ed-Vantage Platinum Campus Certification to Chitresh Lather, CEO of PDM Group of Institutions, at a function organised on the PDM Campus in Bahadurgarh town here recently. As part of the certification, the PDM Group will be listed on the global Microsoft website Bahadurgarh. Later, interacting with students, Chawla said that Microsoft, in collaboration with the PDM Group of Institutions, will host a Microsoft Innovation Centre, a state-of the-art technology facility for innovative research, technology and software solutions in order to develop the IT skill of the students. Moreover, students would be encouraged to complete Microsoft certifications like Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS), Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP) and Microsoft Technology Associate (MTA), he adde“Such students will be eligible for internships and placements in various organisations which work on Microsoft platform. The Microsoft Corporation, on its part, will also connect industry and students through the Ed-vantage portal. It is expected that approximately 250 students of the PDM Institutions will receive internships and about 100 of them will get employment through this programme,” said Chawla. Chitresh Lather, CEO of the PDM Group of Institutions, while speaking on the occasion said, “The Ed-Vantage collaborative model of Microsoft provides the right platform to enable institutes across the nation to rise to their true potential by bringing in more technology innovation and capacity-building for faculty and students, thus making the students more employable.” Dr Rajesh Sood, director of the PDM group, Prof Paramjeet Singh, Prof VR Singh, Prof Yusuf Mulge, Naresh Dua and HR Manager Jyoti Saksena were among those who present on the occasion.
	NIT-Kurukshetra, IIT-Roorkee signs MoU Our Correspondent Kurukshetra, October 7 A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between National Institute of Technology (NIT), Kurukshetra, and Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Roorkee, here recently. The MoU was signed by Prof Anand Mohan, Director, NIT, Kurukshetra, and Prof Pradipta Banerji, Director, IIT, Roorkee. Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee, and Nation Institute of Technology, Kurukshetra, are the two leading centrally funded institutions of higher and technical education in the country. Both the institutions will support each other's endeavours in delivering the academic programmes and research activities including the implementation of--Trainee Teacher Award NIT/IIT Joint Scheme of Ministry of Human Resource and Development (MHRD), and other joint activities of mutual academic interest. Prof Banerji said he was aware of individual collaborations between the faculty of the two institutions, but by institutionalising the collaboration, he expected better results. Dr Shyam Narayan, Registrar, Prof VK Arora, Prof VK Sehgal, Prof AK Gupta, Prof SK Sharma, Prof A Swarup, Prof KK Singh and Deans of all the departments were also present on the occasion.
	Drug, liquor addiction cause of spurt in crime, say residents Bijendra Ahlawat Tribune News Service Jind, October 7 Drug and liquor addiction in the district seems to be growing and the authorities concerned have perhaps no data of about the addicts and there is no clear strategy to tackle the problem. The cold-blooded murder of a middle-aged woman by her own son on Friday is linked to this problem as the accused is reported to be a drug addict. ‘’ With drug and liquor addiction growing leaps and bounds, the authorities concerned seem least bothered about the problem affecting thousands of youngsters in the district,’’ claimed Ramphal Kandela, a social activist from Kandela village in the district. He said the woman's murder by her son at Bharat Nagar locality on Friday was an example of the fallout of the menace because she dared to rebuke her son for the addiction. It may be recalled that the victim, identified as Santosh (46), was beaten to death by her son Sonu (25) while she was asleep. She had an argument with her son a night before over the issue," said a police sources. The source said the family was upset and the mother had rebuked her son several times over his habit. The accused was married recently but failed to give up his habit ‘’With an unchecked supply of drugs, the functioning of hundreds of authorised and unauthorised liquor vends, the liquor and drug addiction has certainly risen to serious proportions and this has directly or indirectly affected the crime rate as more addicts are involved in the crime now," claimed the authorities. Expressing concern over it, Dalip Singh Sharma, a resident of the district, alleged that the authorities had failed to check the easy availability of drugs. He said the police department was proving to be a lame duck in cracking the smugglers' network. ‘’The growth of the menace can be judged from the fact that the auction rate and number of liquor vends had risen sharply over the years and there is a free flow of liquor in nearly every village in the district," said Kuldeep Singh Dhanda. As the district was not having any full-time drug control official at present, certain spots in the town were known for the availability of the drugs, he added. When contacted, Civil Surgeon Dr Dayanand admitted that an official survey regarding the addicts or addiction was yet to be carried out. He said while the Health Department had no direct authority to supervise the two official de-addiction centres functioning in the district, private centres lacked the required infrastructure and staff to provide such a facility.
	‘Devotees should pledge to abolish foeticide’ Our Correspondent Kurukshetra, October 7 The worship of 'Devi' will only be successful after checking female foeticide and every devotee should take a pledge to eradicate the menace,’" said Asha Hooda, vice-president, Haryana State Child Welfare Council, before flagging off the Kalash procession from Bhadrakali temple, Kurukshetra, recently. Asha Hooda said every devotee visiting the Bhadrakali temple should take a pledge to abolish social evils like female foeticide and dowry. Earlier, she inaugurated the newly constructed gate of the temple, costing Rs 25 lakh. Temple president Satpal Sharma, Maa Bhadrakali Mahila Mandal president Nirmal Jhelam, Kurukshetra University Registrar Krishan Chand Ralhan, Former MLA Banta Ram and DSP Nirmal Singh were also present on this occasion.
	Samiti to plant saplings in 100 schools Our Correspondent Sonepat, October 7 The Malcha Kalyan Samiti had started a campaign for planting of 20 trees (10 fruit trees and 10 shadow trees) each in 100 schools of the district under its environment programme, initially. The campaign was launched in Government Girls’ Senior Secondary School, Murthal Stand, Sonepat, by Dr Aditya Arya (Retd IPS), former Director General of Prisons, and Suraj Bhan Kajal, Deputy Inspector General of Sonepat Group Kendra of CRPF, Khewra. Sajjan Singh, coordinator, Malcha Kalyan Samiti, said the samiti had earlier planted 100 trees in Motilal Nehru School of Sports, Rai, and has also planed to cover all the community and primary health centres, police stations and community complexes. He said the Forest Department had promised to provide 500 trees each of Jamun and Neem, 350 of Anaar, 300 of Bakaan, 200 each of Sheesham, Papri, Anwala, Tulsi and Papaya. "The CRPF is extending its full support to make the campaign a success," he added. In its other welfare activities, he said, the samiti had distributed school bags, jerseys, lunch boxes among 1,222 students of 10 schools on January 25 this year. "Stationary, books, copies, pen etc were distributed among the brilliant students of different classes in 12 schools in the district," he added.
	Two-day golden jubilee celebrations conclude at NIT Our Correspondent Kurukshetra, October 7 A two-day Golden Jubilee Celebrations of National Institute of Technology (NIT), Kurukshetra, successfully concluded with a valedictory function on the NIT campus here recently. Prof Pradipta Banerji, Director, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Roorkee, was the chief guest while Prof Anand Mohan, Director, NIT, presided over the function. Prof Banerji congratulated the institute for developing itself into a premier institution of technical education. "We look back and celebrate our achievements over the last 50 years, similarly, we also need to look forward and set a road map for the next 50 years," said Prof Banerji. He emphasised the need to develop research that would focus on innovation. Prof Anand Mohan, acknowledged the contributions of principals, directors, faculty members, staff and students who have served the institute during the last 50 years. He added that he has definite plans for the institute, particularly in developing the research and consultancy potential of the institute, and sought the cooperation and commitment of all the stakeholders - the faculty, the staff and the students - in executing the plan. During the function, Prof BK Kaul, Prof PV Gupta, Prof NP Mehta and Prof SN Mahendra - were felicitated. While, Chaman Lal, Ram Swarup, Inderjeet Gover, Prof SP Jain, Prof Kuldeep Kumar and Prof BK Kaushik were also honoured. A souvenir detailing the history of the institute in the last 50 years and the activities undertaken during the Golden Jubilee Year was also released by the chief guest. This was followed by a one-hour cultural program presented by the students of the institute.
	Paintings of hope on display in Gurgaon Tribune News Service Gurgaon, October 7 If there is life, there has to be hope. The strokes of brush wielded by promising artist Ekta Jain bear testimony to the fact that the desire to achieve peace and harmony can also permeate an artist’s work. Harmony, an exhibition of Ekta’s art works, commenced at the Beanstalk Gallery of Hotel Galaxy in Gurgaon last week and will continue for 20 days. The exhibition was inaugurated by eminent painter and art educator Niren Sen Gupta, former Principal of College of Art, Delhi, and Barkha Singh, Delhi MLA and chairperson of the Delhi Women Commission. Brimming with positivity and enthusiasm, Ekta says her works are intended to spread hope and faith. Hope remains the core theme of her creations. Illuminated niches, ray of dance lighting in dark crevices and beam of radiance dispelling the gloom are subtle statements occupying the focal point. “As an artist, I believe in spreading hope and the belief that we should not give up even during the darkest hour. I am drawn more towards the ideas of promise and optimism rather than doom,” she observes.
	Help arrest criminals, police to public Ravi S Singh Tribune News Service Faridabad, October 7 Although the Faridabad police has nabbed more than 500 proclaimed offenders (POs) and bail jumpers till September this year, a large number of them are still on the run. According to sources, 613 POs and 6,121 bail jumpers are still on the run, a cause of concern for the security agencies. A considerable number of them are charged with heinous crimes. The police has gone into an overdrive to arrest the absconders. Faridabad Police Commissioner AS Chawla issued an appeal to the public to help them in nabbing the criminals. Chawla has particularly appealed to the victims of proclaimed offenders, bail jumpers and the people who are involved in litigations against them. The police has created a special cell in the Faridabad Judicial Complex for this purpose. Sources said the move was aimed at roping in the public to expand the source of intelligence. According to Chawla, fom July to September, the police had arrested 25 proclaimed offenders and 174 bail jumpers. Although a police officer played down the campaign saying it was as a routine matter, sources say the authorities are mindful of the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections and want to pre-empt any active role in it by the fugitives.
	Dentist elected ISPPD chief Tribune News Service Ambala/Yamunanagar, October 7 Dr IK Pandit, principal, JN Kapoor DAV (C) Dental College and Hospital, Yamunanagar, has been elected as the president of the Indian Society of Pedodontics and Preventive Dentistry (ISPPD- A National Society) in its executive and general body meetings held between September 26 and 28 at Birla Auditorium, Jaipur. The meeting was organised during the 35th ISPPD National Annual Conference, where the teaching faculty along with MDS students participated. The conference witnessed a galaxy of both the national and the international speakers of repute who contributed by presenting their scientific research and expertise to the society members. The conference organised various sessions of scientific paper and poster making competitions along with pre-conference scientific workshops. Dr Harsh Malhan, third year MDS student of JN Kapoor DAV (C) Dental College, was awarded the best scientific paper presentation. Dr IK Pandit along with Dr Neeraj Gugnani and Dr Monika Gupta, conducted the pre-conference workshop on "Research Methodology and Scientific Writing" which was appreciated by everyone.
	Conclave on biomarkers Tribune News Service Gurgaon, October 7 Medical practitioners, including primary-care physicians, emergency-medicine physicians, cardiologists and nephrologists discussed the latest advances in the clinical applications of biomarkers at a two-day conclave here recently. On the first day, three back-to-back sessions were held on topics, including biomarkers in acute coronary syndromes, biomarkers in heart failure, and biomarkers in renal injury and failure. The second day saw a session on consensus formation.
	'Stress, irregular eating habits make youth prone to heart attack' Tribune News Service Rohtak, October 7 Dr Kuldeep Lallar, senior cardiologist, PGIMS, expressed his views regarding the importance of heart diseases on the occasion of World Heart Day here recently. "Stress, erratic lifestyle and lack of discipline regarding daily food intake can make even a young person a victim of heart disorder or an attack," said Lullar. Lallar, who is also the head of the Cardiology Department, PGIMS, said the number of patients and the decrease in their average age had been going up simultaneously. "An individual is himself responsible for being diagnosed with an unhealthy heart or it is up to him to keep it healthy by adopting a viable lifestyle," he said. He said the number of young patients, especially those in their mid thirties and forties, who had been diagnosed with heart disease had been constantly on a rise. The matter of th concern was that many did not take it seriously due to lack of awareness. He said the percentage of the affected patients had gone up to seven per cent in the rural areas and up to 15 per cent in the urban areas respectively. The number of angiographies done daily in the department had risen to 12. "One of the patients I attended recently was only 18 years old," he added. He said the number of patients visiting OPD everyday could rise to 200. The department had also given a slogan: "Walk to a Healthy Heart". "The doctors and the staff also advises every patient to adopt a healthy lifestyle so that the factors do not contribute to make him a victim of the heart disorder at any stage," he said. Some of the patients who reported at the PGIMS clinic in the recent past were aged in their early twenties, he said. This was perhaps mainly due to overweight, stress and lack of physical exercise regime, which were important issue to understand for any individual, he added. "Prevention is the best cure. People who have high blood pressure, high blood sugar, obesity or have any family history are more prone to an attack," he said. He said the youth should change their lifestyle which includes discipline in the eating habits and a physical exercise routine.
	24 crore eye patients in country don't have glasses Fatehabad, October 7 “Nearly 30 crore people in India need vision glasses for correction of their eyesight. However, merely 6 crore of these are the lucky ones, who possess glasses, while the rest 24 crore have to do without these.” This is what Sirsa MP Ashok Tanwar said while launching the operations of VisionSpring, an NGO working in the field of ophthalmology, in Fatehabad today. Tanwar has roped in VisionSpring, a non-profit international organisation working in India, for providing eye check-up services and highly subsidised glasses to people on their doorstep. “For the next five years, villagers living in even the remotest areas of Fatehabad district will get the services of an optometrist right on their doorsteps,” he said. The MP inaugurated an outreach camp of the NGO at Dariyapur and a sales counter in the General Hospital, Fatehabad, today. The NGO, VisionSpring, has already signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the District Blindness Control Society (DBCS), said Tanwar after inauguration. “VisionSpring will organise outreach camps in different villages of Fatehabad in the next five years according to a roaster, where an optometrist, a person trained in grinding and fitting of glasses and a salesperson will accompany it,” Tanwar added. “VisionSpring is an Associate Member of the World Health Organisation’s Vision 2020 consortium and contributes to its global initiative towards eliminating avoidable blindness,” said Sakarama Somayaji, Social Development Adviser to Sirsa MP Ashok Tanwar. VisionSpring functions in 20 countries in the world and has as its partners some of the best optical manufacturers and retailers. It brings on board a great wealth of experience in the spectacle industry. — TNS
	Rural livelihood mission to benefit 8.5 lakh families Kaithal, October 7 The purpose of the Haryana Rural Livelihood Mission is to uplift the poor families by providing them suitable employment opportunities on the basis of their skills and experience. “If such persons are provided permanent and better sources of earning and livelihood, it would certainly improve their economic condition and help in minimising poverty in the state,” said TK Sharma, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Haryana Rural Livelihood Mission (HRLM). during a meeting of ADCs-cum-CEO’s of respective DRDAs of Ambala and Hisar divisions in Kaithal recently . He said the mission had been launched in 12 blocks Kaithal, Bhiwani Jhajjar and Mewat districts. He said special steps would be taken to strengthen the existing self-help groups in 17 other districts so that their efficiency could be increase and the members get the benefit of better livelihood. He said as many as 8.5 lakh poor families would be benefited under the mission. Elaborating further, Sharma said in Kaithal district this scheme had been launched in Siwan, Guhla and Rajound blocks. In Bhiwani, the mission has been launched in Bawani Khera , Bhiwani and Tosham blocks. — OC
	GVM girls runners-up in badminton Our Correspondent Sonepat, October 7 The badminton players of Geeta Vidya Mandir (GVM) Girls’ College participated in the North Zone Inter-State Badminton championship held in Jammu and Kashmir recently. The team comprising Komal, Seema and Lalita bagged the first position in the team event and remained runners-up in the under-19 category of the championship. The girls represented Haryana in the championship. Prof Dr Savita Chaudhary accompanied the girls in the championship. She said in the team event, GVM girls defeated Delhi in the final by 2-0. However, in the under-19 final, the girls lost to Chandigarh after registering a comfortable win over Rajasthan in the semi-final. The winners were given a warm welcome after their arrival in the college by Dr Jyoti Juneja, president, GVM institutions, and college principle. Dr Juneja congratulated the students for their excellent performance.
	32 miscreants arrested, 35 pistols seized Our Correspondent Sonepat, October 7 In a special drive against the anti-social elements in September, the police claim to have arrested 32 miscreants and seized 35 pistols, one rifle, 59 live cartridges and knives from their possession. According to a police spokesman, three drug traffickers were nabbed and police recovered 1.030 kg Charas and 60 kg Ganja from their possession. More than 105 persons were arrested while drinking and creating nuisance at the public places. Similarly, in 12 cases of gambling and playing “Satta” on cricket matches, the police arrested 26 persons and seized an amount of Rs 33,330 from their possession. Proclaimed offender held Sonepat: After a period of around seven years, a proclaimed offender who was convicted for life imprisonment, was arrested by the police. He was declared as a proclaimed offender by a court in 2007 and since then he was evading his arrest. Identified as Raj Singh of Jagsi village under Baroda police station was sentenced to life imprisonment in 1999 in a murder case. He was released on 20 days parole from July 21 to August 10 in 2006 by a court, but he did not return.