The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Chandigarh Stories

Heavy rush for college admissions
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, July 27 — A business related streams, including commerce, computers and management, were the most sought after on the first day of regular admissions in colleges affiliated to Panjab University here today.

The Government College for Men, Sector 11, witnessed a heavy rush for B.Com I and BCA courses. There are, however, vacancies in the BA and B.Sc (I) courses where admissions will continue tomorrow. The BA (functional English) course also has vacancies.

The local DAV College has recorded a cut-off percentage of 74.2 for the BBA course and 81.2 for the BCA course. The B.Com (I) has attracted an applicant with as high an aggregate as 94.6 per cent. Some seats are still vacant in the arts and science streams .

MCM DAV College witnessed a comparatively less rush today. One of the major reasons was advance availability of the merit lists. Ms Sneh Mahajan, Principal, said the college received a notice about postponement of admissions only in the afternoon of the day when the interviews were being conducted. The already admitted students could not be thrown out.

The B.Com (I) course has recorded a merit as high as 84 per cent and is nearly on verge of completion. Seats for the freedom fighters were not filled as the applicants could not produce the required certificates. Admissions for the B.Sc (computer engineering) are also over. The BA (I) course still has some vacancies while the admissions for B.Sc are almost complete.

The local SGGS College, Sector 26, today concentrated on admissions to the BCA course only. Interviews for B.Com (I) will be held tomorrow. Interviews for the computer science stream will be held on July 29.

Mr P. S. Sangha, Principal, said admissions to the BA and the B.Sc courses would also be conducted later on. The college had nearly 500 seats for these courses.

Ms Vijayalakshmi, Principal of the Government College for Girls, Sector 11, said that the interviews for the reserved seats could start tomorrow. All 30 seats in the functional English course have been filled. Interviews for B.Sc and BA (I) classes would also be conducted tomorrow.

GGDSD College witnessed a heavy rush of the commerce-loving student. The B.Com (I) registered a merit percentage of 96. The BCA course registered a high 83 per cent while the BBA course that of 68 per cent.

Dr Vaid, Principal of the college, said that admission process for the second and the third year courses was nearly completed.

Troubled due to results later awards (RLA), a number of students could be seen trying without success to grab a seat. Mentionable complaint was that the students had not failed on any account in terms of fees or certificates or not having appeared along with the normal students. Due to RLA, several students were refused seats in various courses.

The most severely affected category was that of the ‘outsiders’ seeking hostel facilities in the city. Even if they later on manage to get seats in the colleges when the result is declared the hostel seats are generally filled. Dr Deepak Manmohan, Dean College Development Council, has expressed concern over the existing norms. The fact that students in this category needed to be compensated for the undue delay in the declarations of results was supported by a majority of the principals and faculty members.

Last date extended
Tribune News Service

SAS NAGAR, July 27 — The Punjab School Education Board has postponed the last date of admissions under the open school scheme matriculation course, with a payment of Rs 25, from July 31 to August 10.

The board has also decided to open special enquiry counters for the convenience of the public, which crowds the office each day to enquire regarding results. It has also been decided that special messengers will be sent to those schools where the results have not reached by post. All those who have to come to SAS Nagar for enquiry have been requested to check out the same from their respective schools.

The board has also declared that many of the RLA cases are due to the non-receipt of “on-the-job” training award list of vocational courses from many schools. These schools will be contacted on the telephone to send the award list so that the results can be declared.

CULTURE

From acting to making candles
By Aditi Tandon
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, July 27 — About three decades down the lane, Dimple Kapadia, the woman who has almost become synonymous with the very definition of beauty, is still the same. So when we climbed up the stairs of Hotel Mountview tonight to reach the banquet hall where Dimple was said to be busy arranging her candles, her face looked vibrant even in fatigue which came naturally with the hectic schedule of arranging a vast assemblage of candles which she will be displaying to the public from July 29 onwards. Her looks defied age, and vehemently so...and one was led into thought as to whether she is the same woman who played the old “Shanichari” in “Rudaali”.

“I will be glad to talk to you, but please excuse me from a shoot,” she said. “My daughters are my friends and I share a wonderful relationship with them,” she added. Her fondness was also revealed when she addressed herself as Twinkle’s mother to a fan of hers.

Ask her if she is happy to be a mother and she tells you how complete she feels. Another passion which is keeping her busy is her candles which she nurses with a lot of love and affection.

She seems to be more than just satisfied in her new avtaar and she has reasons to be. These days she is concentrating on her candles, on the formulations which make them look better still and on the growing indigenous and foreign market. “This business happened about five years ago when we got on to making some candles which were expectionally well-received. After a lot of investment in the field we observed that the work was getting appreciated. That was when my daughters decided to open a company which they called The Faraway Tree.”

As for Dimple, she said the company was owned by her daughters and she works for them. Her services are, however, indispensable. “I have learnt the art from Charles Constabl, who is a candle maker appointed by the Prince of Wales. I had specially gone to the Wales to do the course,” she said.

After the required technical training, the business bloomed which is explained by the fact that Dimple has already conducted five exhibitions. “Two out of them have been for charity. One at Hotel Oberoi in New Delhi for Maneka Gandhi and the second for the PFA due to open in Chandigarh on July 29.”

As she guided people in arranging candles, she told us that this was her second visit to the city. “The first was about 20 years back when I came here for the shooting of a film of my ex-husband. I have yet not had the opportunity to go around because my candles keep me awfully busy.”

But that is not the reason one is not seeing enough of Dimple on the big screen these days. “There is no role worth my effort. I am waiting for good character roles to come by. In fact, I think we don’t have many good directors these days. No one to match the calibre of Raj Kapoor. For me, there is no one on a par with him.”

She is, however, working on two films — Dil Chahta Hai, being directed by Javed Akhtar’s son, and Leela, being made by Somnath Sen. Recalling her performances, she said she was perhaps the best in Batwara, Lekin and Rudaali.

Before another question could be asked, she said, “For it’s 9 p.m. and I should not miss Kaun Banega Crorepati,” and rushed out.

Sufism dwells on harmony: Hans
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, July 27 — “The world is being ravaged buy divisive forces, communal tension, materialistic tendencies and economic disparities. Harmony, peace and mutual understanding are the need of the hour.” These views were expressed by Punjabi folk singer Hans Raj Hans at a seminar on “Sufism in music”, organised by the Institute of Tourism and Future Management Trends here today.

He said Sufism was teaching harmony and humanitarian values and it was a way to take the people out of present problems. He also said that Sufism addressed the subtleties of psychological and heart-related issues by presenting mystical poetry and prose.

He further said that the most powerful method of realising truth was music and it had the ability to transform the subtle nuances of Sufism in a melodious way, easily understood by even the ordinary people.