EDUCATION

M.M. Puri to head panel on vocational courses
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, April 8 — A committee has been constituted under the chairmanship of the Prof M.M.Puri, Vice Chancellor of Panjab University, to identify vocational courses which could be introduced at college and university levels. Prof Puri has been asked to submit report within a month. Decision to constitute the committee was taken at a high level meeting of educationists held under the chairmanship of the Punjab Higher Education Minister, Mr Mohan Lal.

Other issues discussed at the meeting were the financial condition of educational institutions, uniformity in fee structures and UGC recommendations regarding minimum working hours in colleges and universities and slashing of number of holidays.

Course on bridge building
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, April 8 — The local chapter of the Indian Institution of Bridge Engineers began its first two-day refresher course to understand the modalities of quality bridge building. Engineers of Punjab, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, besides the city, are taking part.

The course was inaugurated by Mr R.R. Sheoran, Engineer-in-Chief of the Haryana PWD. Also present were Mr R.K. Jain, UT Chief Engineer; Mr M.R. Aggarwal, CE of the Haryana PWD; Mr S.P. Gupta, a former CE; and Mr K.B. Lal Singal, a former Engineer-in-Chief of Haryana. The latter is also the Chairman of the chapter and is conducting the course.

The main objective of the course is to disseminate knowledge on bridge engineering, its designs, standards, documentations, codes, bridges, construction and subsequent maintenance, besides rehabilitation of the existing ones.

Mr Singal said the course would impart knowledge on site selection and fixing abutment position correctly, collection of site data, analysis of data and fixing design parameters. These topics form the very basis of the bridge project since it has been seen that when engineers have gone wrong, it is because they have not strictly adhered to these basic principles.

The course would not only enable young engineers to participate and give their views but also provide them with a chance to interact with experts.

The delegates were taken to the Ghaggar bridge in Panchkula and the Jhajra bridge in Himachal Pradesh where they were explained the merits and demerits of a particular type of construction. The technology of pre-stressing on the Jhajra bridge was also explained to them.

Teachers to gherao DPI office
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, April 8 — The Punjab Government College Teachers Association said on Thursday that the state government had betrayed the association by not fulfilling the promises made to it.

The government had not paid arrears on account of revised pay scales though Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and Chief Secretary R.S. Mann had given assurance that arrears would be paid in the financial year 1999-2000. Even notifications to pay the arrears were issued, said Dr P.S. Bhatti, President of the association .In addition to release of arrears, the state government had also promised to give incentive increments to in-service Ph.D teachers, exemption from the refresher course up to December 31, 2000 and promotion of lecturers as principals on seniority-cum-merit basis. But none of these demands had been implemented yet, said Mr Bhatti. The association had decided to move to court for seeking 18 per cent interest on delayed payment, he added. The association would also gherao the office of the DPI (Colleges) on April 10.

COURTS

14 more lawyers go on fast
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, April 8 — The fast being observed by lawyers at the local district courts complex entered its fourth day today, with more lawyers staging a protest against the government’s proposed amendments to the existing Code of Civil Procedure (CPC). The lawyers are also showing resentment against the manhandling of some advocates by Delhi policemen. Yet another area of concern is the proposed amendment to the Advocates Act.

The strike began here on April 5 following a meeting of the District Bar Association which resolved to go on fast till April 17. The strike was observed today with the following lawyers sitting in protest: Mr Atma Singh, Mr Rajesh Singh, Mr Rakesh Ahluwalia, Mr Anil Aggarwal, Mr Pradeep Kumar, Mr Paramjit Singh, Mr Sanjiv Dua, Mr Arun Kumar, Mr Kapil Kumar, Mrs Shamsher Kaur, Mr Kamlesh Ahuja, Mr O.P. Dabla, Mr N.S. Bhangu and Mr K.K. Joshi.

Meanwhile, the President of the Sikh Lawyers Association, Mr N.S. Minhas, today demanded that a commission of enquiry be constituted at the earliest to look into the incident of manhandling of lawyers by the Delhi police.

CULTURE

Listeners taken to heights divine
Tribune News Service

PANCHKULA, April 8—The Sharma Bandhus, doyens of the Shri Ram Darbar style of singing, performed to a receptive audience at the Mansa Devi Temple Satsang Bhavan as a part of the on-going Navratra mela, here today.

With notes steeped in devotion, the quartet doled out bhajan after bhajan in praise of the lord while a few others focussed on Mata Mansa Devi. Well known and loved favourites such as Devi daya nidhan and Jai, jai, jai Jagdambe had the audience swaying to the melody. A bhajan from their latest album, Jaise parbat se jharne jhar, jhar jharte hain expressed the beauty of nature and its power to restore and refresh the soul.

As if the auditory pleasure of the evening were not enough, the scent of thousands of flowers decorating the state provided an additional delight to the senses.

Speaking at the beginning of the programme Pandit Gopal Sharma described their music as a means of searching for God and an unfailing source of peace and satisfaction. Their father was a renowned vocalist and the four brothers had followed in his footsteps. "Now, we have successfully passed it on to the third generation; our children have also developed interest in this particular style,'' Sharma said.

With 34 years of professional singing to look back on, the four brothers, Gopal, Sukhdev, Kaushlendra and Raghvendra, still insist that "we have a long way to go".

They pointed out that even those singers who basically belong to the pop or film genres like to include a few devotional songs in their albums because "people want it. They are caught up in this mad race to outdo each other and at the end of the day turn to devotional music looking for solace. For these singers, including a bhajan is a marketing ploy. For us, bhajan are our entire repertoire."

Performing at the Mata Mansa Devi shrine is not new for them.``We have given performances during Navratras on quite a few occasions and the appreciation of the audience has brought us back each time. The place exudes happiness and all that is wonderful in the world which is reason enough for us to return to this place,'' they add.

Haryana Finance Minister of Haryana Sampat Singh, was the chief guest at the function. He arrived almost two hours behind schedule and had the audience as well as the artists cooling their heels at the venue.

Detective Trotter 'does it again'
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, April 8 — The world's most-staged murder mystery, The Mousetrap, was performed commendably once again by artistes of the Chandigarh Amateur Dramatic Society at Tagore Theatre here today.

It was good to see the kind of response Agatha Christie's play evoked, judging not merely by the number of persons in the audience but also by their critical appreciation of it.

The scene of unfolding of the details of a murder at a newly-established Great Hall at Monkswell Manor sustains the crowd interest. The story follows the murder trail. There is a lot of personal judgement involved on part of the viewers as the play progresses. Everyone in the cast is suspected to be guilty at one point or the other in the story.

The actors have been able to maintain the separate identities of the characters as intended by Christie in order to increase the suspense. Each character has enough arguments against him or her to be suspected of being guilty.

The inn-keeper has deceived his wife by going to London (the scene of the crime), saying he will be elsewhere. The wife visits the same place. Only in the end, they clear that both had gone there to buy surprise gifts for each other.

Kanwaljit Singh "acting" as Detective Sergeant Trotter, deserves a special mention for creating the realistic feeling of a policeman investigating the murder and placing nearly each character under suspicion. Only in the end, he is discovered as the guilty.

Adarsh Monocha as Mrs Boyle and Mr Paraviccini also deserves a special mention. The play has been directed by Bela Sahgal and Meeta Mann.

A highlight of the play is the stage setting. Rarely such good stage work is seen in the performances in the city. The drawing room, a number of exits, a staircase and a glowing fireplace lend originality to the script.

Things would have looked better if the pace of this story of characters caught in the web of intrigue, suspense and murder, was a little faster.

Singers perform at exhibition
Tribune News Service

PANCHKULA, April 8 — A cultural programme and exhibition of soft toys and paintings was organised by Ghoomer Academy at Red Bishop in Sector 1, here today.

These were prepared by participants of a workshop organised earlier. In an effort to provide a platform to local talent, the academy roped in local singers, who presented folk songs during the entire programme. Kavita Kashyap’s Rajasthani lok song and Sumita Nain’s Haryanvi ragni won applause from the audience.

A melodious evening
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, April 8 — It was an evening of melody as Naresh Jacob and Kanchan Kulkarni of ‘The Vibrations’ group performed at the Sector 17 Plaza during Plaza Carnival here today.

The group presented Hindi and Punjabi songs, including Gata rahe mera dil, Kaho na pyar hai and Kudi kudi. The artists corner was dominated by Raj K. Jain. Students of the local Government College of Art also displayed their work.