EDUCATION

Facility to benefit students
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Feb 18 — Completion of work on and successful running of National High Performance Scientific Computing Facility at Panjab University (PU) promises better and latest educational facilities to a number of local schools and colleges, which can access one of the nation’s premier institutions in the field.

Set up by the Technology Information, Forecasting and Assessment Council (TIFAC), Department of Science and Technology, at a cost of nearly Rs 1 crore, the facility would be of use to the entire region and result in qualitative gain in research output, said Prof N. Balakrishnan, Head of the Super Computer Educational Research Institute, while addressing mediapersons here today.

The facility has proven considerably successful at the preliminary stage. The formal inauguration of the centre by Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, Principal Scientific Adviser of the Government of India, is scheduled at the campus tomorrow.

Prof K.S.Prabhu, a former director of the computers sections of the ISRO, also addressed the press conference. He heads the REC, Suratgarh, and a leading research centre at Mangalore. Dr Sujan Dha from the Indian Institute of Science, Mangalore, and Suneeta Wadhwa from TIFAC, Delhi, were also present.

It was pointed out that applications of the new facility would range from data processing, to practical applications in drug design and imaging (medical as well as space-based terrestrial).

It was also pointed out that establishment of inter-connected computation facilities for scientific research (ICOSER) programmes promised improvement in scientific computing.

The major areas of the TIFAC included technology assessment and forecasting studies in selected areas of economy; watch global trends; establish nationally accessible technology information system; and promotion of key technological introductions.

The Level-III ICOSER centre at PU is housed in the Department of Computer Science and Application. It has seven computer servers and one graphic server, besides other facilities.

Under Phase I of the ICOSER, seven Level-III centres have been established nationally. The centres are at Chandigarh, Calcutta, Bhubneshwar, Cochin, Chennai, Mumbai and Guwahati. The project took off in 1993.

Seminar on environment protection
From a Correspondent

CHANDIGARH, Feb 18 — The National Service Scheme (NSS) Department of Panjab University (PU) organised a seminar on Environment Protection in collaboration with Government Home Science College, here today. A number of social workers, community leaders, opinion leaders, NSS volunteers and teachers participated in the seminar.

Mr C.L. Narang, Director, NSS, PU, while inaugurating the seminar, said population explosion was mainly responsible for environment degradation. Pollution of water, soil and air due to industrialisation and urbanisation had become a threat to human existence, he said.

The Principal of the college, Ms Usha Dhawal, said it was unfortunate that people were living in unhygienic conditions. Number of slums in the city had no sewerage or lighting system, he added.

Local social workers objected the use of polythene bags. They said every year during rainy season, sewerage system got choked. They demanded that use of polythene bags be banned. Voluntary agencies should come forward to keep the city clean and beautiful, they added.

Seminar on challenges for Hindi
From A Correspondent

CHANDIGARH, Feb 18 — "With the advent of the computer era in the new millennium, Hindi will have to adopt scientific vocabulary for the expression of research in industry and science," said Mr Vijay Sehgal, Editor of Dainik Tribune, at IMTECH Auditorium, Sector 39, as part of the celebrations to mark the golden jubilee year of Hindi as official language.

Mr Sehgal said, "We are on the threshold of the 21st century. Hindi is rich enough to be adopted in education, judiciary, industry and other fields. There should be translation of what has been expressed in English."

"There is a need for introspection if we are serious about adopting the language in our day-to-day working. Why should we stick to the literature of mediaeval age? We should have close relation at the global level and that is possible through the use of simple Hindi," Mr Sehgal added.

Dr Amit Ghosh, Director of IMTECH, welcome the chief guest. Dr Naresh Kumar introduced the subject — Challenges for Hindi in the New Millennium.

COURTS

Women gets bail in cheating case
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Feb 18 — The UT Chief Judicial Magistrate, Mr Sant Parkash, today granted bail to a woman, accused of taking money from a city resident for getting his son a job in the Punjab School Education Board.

Pronouncing the orders on the application moved by Anjali Kaplish, the CJM observed: "Admittedly the accused has been arrested under Section 420 of the IPC and has remained in custody of the police for a day. She is a lady of about 30 years and at the time of her appearance in the court, she was carrying a baby in her lap."

The CJM also observed: "The investigation of the present case qua the present accused is already complete.... Accordingly, the accused is allowed bail in the sum of Rs 50,000 along with two sureties of Rs 25,000 each".

The CJM also directed the accused to intimate the change of address to the court on shifting. The CJM further directed the accused to surrender the passport, if any.

She was earlier booked by the Chandigarh police for cheating under Section 420 of the Indian Penal Code on the complaint of Labh Singh. He had alleged that Anjali, running a placement agency, had asked for Rs 30,000 for the post of a clerk.

Theft accused granted bail
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Feb 18 — A Sector 45 resident, accused of being involved in the theft of a printer and scrolls, was today granted bail by the UT Chief Judicial Magistrate, Mr Sant Parkash.

The accused, Babu Ram, was directed to be released on bail after furnishing a bond of Rs10,000 along with a surety of the like amount. He had earlier been booked by the Chandigarh police for theft and dishonestly receiving stolen property knowing it to be stolen under Sections 380 and 411 of the Indian Penal Code at the complaint of the Assistant General Manager of the State Bank of Patiala

He had alleged that the printer and scrolls were stolen from the bank. The prosecution had stated that the stolen property was recovered from the accused.