EDUCATION

Science Day celebrated
From A Correspondent

CHANDIGARH, Feb 26 — Scientific research requires considerable exposure which can be exploited in the interest of people and true spirit of science needs to be inculcated in the minds of children and young researchers.

This was stated by Ms Vineeta Rai, Adviser to the Administrator, UT, while inaugurating the National Science Day celebrations in Mathematics Auditorium, Panjab University (PU), here today. Dr Ashok Sahni, DUI, PU, presided over the function.

Nine departments of PU observed open door to educate the young minds about rare work that had been carried out in the university. A number of events have been planned for inquisitive and competitive minds. A volume of Biotech Bulletin, edited by Dr R.C. Sobti, was released by the chief guest.

Ms Rai said the Government of India had rightly decided to commemorate February 28, the day Sir C.V. Raman was conferred Nobel Prize, as National Science Day. The country had produced great scientists like Raman, S. Chander Shekhar, Hargobind Khorana, S. Ramanujan, J.C.Bose, Homi Bhabha and Abdul Kalam, she added.

She said science had come a long way and it had become a stepping stone to gateways of better living and understanding in all walks of life, besides giving a futuristic vision. India was the forerunner in scientific exploration and discoveries and our scientists had made us self-sufficient, she said.

Proposing the vote of thanks, Dr S.K. Malik, Editor, INSA, drew the attention of the UT Administration to some demands of the science community, like establishing a science museum in the city, connecting Chandigarh to Sankhaya Vahini, an information superhighway and laying fibre optics cable in the city. The celebrations will continue till February 28.

English Dept seminar on
From A Correspondent

CHANDIGARH, Feb 26 — The seminar on Locating English Literatures being organised by the Department of English of Panjab University entered into its second day today.

While continuing with a session on Critical Discourses, Prof (retd) Jasbir Jain, asked if the theory was absent in the Indian critical practice. She outlined the three-fold division of the critical practice in India — western, Sanskritic and the nativist. Mr Shelley Walia of the PU Department of English asked if the critical discourse should be allowed to succumb to the absolutist notions of nationalism and cultural difference. A noted critic, Namwar Singh, talked about how canon-formation was imbricated within western theories.

Earlier, a session on Sources and Survivals included presentations by Prof Surjit Hans. The final session focused on Translations. Prof Harish Narang of the JNU, Mr S.S. Noor, a well known Punjabi critic, and Balraj Komal gave presentations on the problems and politics of translation.

College students get degrees
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Feb 26 — Yuvraj Singh Lehal was declared the best all-round student of Sri Guru Gobind Singh College, Sector 26, for the session 1999-2000 at the annual prize distribution function here today.

More than 250 students were awarded prizes for excellence in various fields. Mr K.A.P.Sinha, Director Public Instructions (Colleges), presented the degrees.

Addressing the convocation Mr Sinha pointed out various areas where the administration needed to change for a superior education system.

Mr P.S. Sangha, principal, noted that students left their chairs after they received their prizes. The hall was nearly deserted towards the end.The principal said that for a basic courtesy, awardees should not have left their their seats till the end.

Sanjiv Kumar, Harvir Singh, Ashwinder Singh and Cdt Capt Rupinder Singh were awarded College Colours for excellence in extra-curricular activities.

Jyoti Prakash was chosen the best cadet in the NCC wing of army; Gulab Singh in the air wing; and Jaspreet kaur in the girls' wing. The college colour awardees in academics included Chanchal Singh, Deepti Sharma, Omrita Nong Kynth and Navpreet Walia.

Puran Chand was awarded a college roll of honour for excellence in sports. Other awardees included Devi Lal, Raj Kumar, Malwinder Singh and Rajinder Prasad.

As many as 206 graduates were conferred the university academic degrees. Eight students of post-graduate courses received degrees 15 for graduate (honours).

Disabled kids taken for picnic
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Feb 26 — Nearly 20 mentally retarded, physically handicapped and deaf and dumb children of Prayaas Rehabilitation Centre for Handicapped children were taken to Pinjore Gardens for picnic today. They were accompanied by their parents/guardians, therapists and staff of Prayaas-RCHC.

The trip to Pinjore was flagged off by Mr Satish Chandra, MD CITCO. These children played various games and took part in creative activities. The visit was organised to inculcate the spirit of understanding and empathy amongst society towards these children. CITCO in its efforts to make these children feel like normal children provided free conveyance and free lunch for them.

Some of the children, who saw the zoo for the first time in their life, were delighted to see the animals and birds even as they found it difficult to walk. The government and welfare bodies along with the general public should come forward to take care of such children.

Group prayas by fine-arts students
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Feb 26 — Students of MA-II of the Fine Arts Department of the Government College of Hoshiarpur have put up a three-day group show of their paintings, titled 'Prayas' at the Government Museum and Art Gallery, Sector 10.

What is creditable is that all the participating nine students have painted four or more works for this exhibition.

Whether a work that uses flat colours to paint landscapes or another showing kites soaring high or various themes of mysticisms, desires, dreams and fantasies, the students appear to be heavily influenced by either the calendar art forms or sometimes the rapid fleeting images of either the telly or the big screen.

This exhibition will remain open till February 27.

Races liven up school show
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, Feb 26 — Sri Guru Ram Dass Public School, Sector 19, celebrated sports day today. A colourful programme was also presented by the students.

The day began with a shabad rendition followed by mass PT and various races. An enthusiastic set of boys and girls were seen running in various races like the frog race, hat race, bursting the balloon, dressing up, obstacle and the spoon and lemon race. One of the most interesting was the packing up the school bag race, in which the students not only had to run from one post to the next but also had to pack their school bags before doing so — an exercise for the late-risers perhaps!

The students then went on to present an impressive cycle drill and pyramid making drill. The tug-of-war was also enthusiastically received and cheered.

The other highlights of the day included musical chairs for the teachers and the balancing-the-book for the class IV employees of the school.

Later, the Principal of the school, Ms S. Ahluwalia, read the school report and said that such school activities and functions are organised for the overall physical, mental and spiritual development of the students.

Mr Joginder Singh Sawhney, chairman of the school, presided over the function. He also presented Rs 1 lakh for the upcoming school.

COURTS

Computers yet to enter courts
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Feb 26 — Computerisation at the District Courts here is still a dream. Nearly 11 years after Justice Malimath Committee recommended the use of computers "on the administrative and judicial sides", the machines are still miserly employed. Suggestions, including the use of micro-films for preserving records, have also been over-looked.

In the Punjab and Haryana High Court, from the recording of interim orders to final judgements, everything is on computers. However, it is not so at the District Courts. Here, computers are used for bringing out the cause-lists alone.

"That's not what five or six computers were installed here for at a cost of over Rs 5 lakh," say sources. "The idea was to train judgement writers and stenographers in typing interim and final orders on these machines, besides keeping track of closed and pending cases. The machines were also to be used for keying-in the case name, finding out the next date, or ascertaining whether the file had been sent to the record room or not. These were also to be used for the preservation of records."

"However, only one ahlmed of each court was trained. Judgement writers and stenographers were left out," say sources. Results of this delay can be seen. Amidst the deafening clink clank of age-old manual typewriters, bored fingers press the hard black keys in rapid succession; one error and the page has to be retyped often.

"Sometimes, it is not even our mistake," says a judgement writer on the condition of anonymity. "The judicial officer decides to reframe a sentence for the sake of clarity. Sometimes, a word here and a word there is changed. We have to retype the page, that also on the same machine."

This is not all. Copies of the orders have to be supplied, too, with no computers or print-outs available. "The file has to be sent to the copying agency for xerox, causing some delay," says another stenographer.

A committee of three Chief Justices constituted in January 1989 had also recommended the provision of at least one photocopying machine in "every criminal court" for "speeding up the preparation of paper books and furnishing of copies under Section 207 of the CrPC".

The committee had also recommended that the courts should be furnished with modern equipment, including "telex machines, word processors, electronic typewriters, calculators and dictaphones".

Asking the state and the Central Governments to allot necessary funds, the committee had also suggested the use of micro-films for preserving records. It was also suggested that "once this was done, the rule requiring the destruction of the records after a prescribed time might be reviewed".

CULTURE

Mohan Bhatt mesmerises
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Feb 14 — ‘Rasmanjari’, a music festival dedicated to late the Ustad Allarakha Khan, being organised by SPIC MACAY, began today with a brilliant performance of world renowned mohan-veena player Pandit Vishwa Mohan Bhatt at the Government College, Sector 11. But it was to a lukewarm response that this music festival started.

The first Indian musician to win the Grammy award, along with Roy Cooder, this creator of mohan veena had a very small gathering to hear the mesmerising notes of his veena and the Indianised version of the Hawaiian guitar.

In fact, before the start of the concert, Pandit Bhatt also remarked that this was the first time that he was playing for such a small audience in the city. “Most of us musicians feel that we are responsible for the youth and so whenever SPIC MACAY calls us we are always there to perform. In fact after two days from now I would be leaving on a 40-concert tour of USA, but I did want to play the mohan veena for the city, and especially because this organisation for the youth had called me”.

He began the evening with Raga Madhuwanti, just the apt raga for the season. The various tenors of his notes reverberated the joys and ecstasies of the spring season that the city is also already celebrating in the form of the Festival of Gardens.

Beyond doubt, the raga itself always is a delight to listen to, but the sounds that Pandit Bhatt manages to create cast their own spell. At times, the sounds that he creates in fact have this strange quality of both stirring and alternatively soothing passions.

But at times these notes were marred by disturbances in the audiences, which so disturbed Pandit Bhatt that he had to stop in between and ask the audiences to maintain silence.

Pandit Vishwa Mohan Bhatt was ably accompanied by Sandip Das on the tabla. Das is the disciple of Pandit Kishan Maharaj of the Benaras Gharana.

He would be performing again tomorrow at the Government College for Education, Sector 20, at 10 a.m.

The next artiste in line would be Baha-ud-Din Dagar, the rudra veena player. He would perform on March 1 at Government College for Girls, Sector 11, at 6 p.m. and the next day at 9:30 a.m. at DAV College, Sector 10.

Play-reading by Swadesh Deepak
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARGH Feb 26 — Abhinet, a premier theatre group of the region, has organised a play-reading session by the renowned playwright, Prof Swadesh Deepak, on Sunday. Professor Deepak will read parts of his latest play titled “Sab se Udas Kavita”. According to Dr Virendra Mehendiratta, the founder of Abhinet, the author of “Court-martial”, (the dramatic classic), a dozen novels and hundreds of short stories, will read from his new book at 432, Sector 44A, Chandigarh, at 10.30 a.m.

Court Martial by bankers is best play
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, Feb 26 — The three-day Fourth Northern Region Inter-Bank Drama Competition concluded here today.

As many as six banks — RBI, NABARD, BoB, Central Bank of India, PNB and PSB — took part in the competition. The programme was organised under the aegis of the Banks Sports Board at Tagore Theatre.

Court Martial staged by personnel of the PNB was declared the best play and Ik Aurat Frido Vi Hai enacted by PSB staff, second. Mr H. R. D. Singh and Manvinder Kaur were declared the best actor and actress, respectively. Both of them are from the Punjab and Sind Bank.

Mr J. S. Kathuria, DGM, PSB, said such activities provide officers with an opportunity to renew bonds of relationships and help them in customer service. He also gave away the prizes to the winners. The committee of judges comprised Dr Harcharan Singh, Mr Bhag Singh and Ms Parbin Purba.

Shaan-Sagarika step up the heat
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Feb 26 — Crowd broke into a frenzy as the brother-sister duo Shaan and Sagarika, illuminated by the colourful blinking lights, shook, rattled and rolled through a wall of translucent synthetic smoke at a live concert today evening.

The Sector 10 Leisure Valley was transformed into a make-shift open-air discotheque as high-wattage beat music, bellowing from massive speakers, charmed the audience.

Excited hands, in rhythm with Sagarika's chirpy voice, clapped over the heads as the crowd pushed aside chairs to twirl around, while the duo sang their one-time hit Fifty-Fifty.

The show, however, began late. At about 7.30 pm, the organisers were still testing the microphone, while the crowd shifted impatiently in their seats.

The seemingly endless wait was made a little more difficult with a Junior Nana Patekar commenting on the "flower-like night". The imitation was rather natural. When he presented Nana's dialogue Ek Machhar, only those in the back rows clapped. He continued with copying various artistes like Amitabh Bachan, Raj Babbar, Om Parkash and Rajesh Khanna for over 20 minutes.

After this, Ganesh Vandhana was presented, followed by songs by various artistes, till the crowd was exhausted. It was not that the singers lacked in talent, just that the crowd wanted only Shaan and Sagarika.

It was at about 9.15 pm that the two arrived on the stage, holding microphones and smiling at the cheering crowd. Sagarika's diamond necklace changed colours from red to yellow to purple under the lights as she sang Toofani Raat. Shaan, in a half-sleeve green check shirt and leather trousers, also displayed his vocal talent.