EDUCATION

Encourage kids to discover maths: Bambah
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Sept 23 — “The child should be encouraged to discover mathematics, not taught,” said Dr R.P. Bambah, former Vice-Chancellor, Panjab University, while inaugurating a workshop on “Teaching mathematics at the kindergarten level’ by Ms Sheetal Choudhery organised today at Nehru Bhavan by the Durga Das Foundation.

In the interactive workshop, she asked teachers to think like children if they wanted to teach them anything. She also underlined the importance of teaching mathematics with the help of music, the five senses, communication, logic and observation.

No clarity in PU student politics
By Sanjeev Singh Bariana
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Sept 23 — An unclear picture prevails in the student politics of Panjab University, with organisations seeming to reach out for helping hands for identity in a vague atmosphere for the forthcoming Senate elections.

The Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad and the Punjab University Students Union have announced a common platform for the elections in support of Bhupinder Singh Bhuppi, a Haryana Students Association presidential candidate last time. The ABVP was in pact with the Students Organisation of Panjab University last time. Surat Negi, a senior office-bearer, said things had not worked fine with the alliance. The ABVP did not have a free hand in carrying out dreamt plans for students in the alliance.

Bhuppi was a big name last time. The HSA-backed leader announced a pact with the PUSU and the ABVP for the coming elections. The HSA old-timers said the new alliance indicated that the name of HSA would not find place in banners and other official communication, which was unacceptable.

In an interesting move, the executive of the HSA has refused to back Bhuppi because he did not seek the grace of the seniors. Chand Singh Madaan, chairman, said the executive had been dissolved. The meeting decided that the chairman be vested with all powers related to decisions concerning the elections.

The HSA body will elect the party’s executive body following the PUCSC elections. Certain old-timers who were active and most recognised faces for the party, including Sanjay, Sudhir Ahlawat and Sunder Pal, had quit the scene, which had affected the party functioning. The party was not taken into confidence, said the chairman. Clippings of a newspaper quoting Bhuppi as the president of the PUSU were also shown.

The Students Organisation of Panjab University, who are in power, held a meeting regarding elections yesterday. The president of the Campus Students Council for the last term, Dayal Pratap Singh Randhawa, said candidates had not yet been finalised. The organisation had first to access the involvement of students at the grassroots level.

One name in the air is that of a controversial candidate of the organisation for the post of president. Mr Randhawa said he would like to first meet the students at the ground level to access their requirements.

The other two big names, the Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad and the PUSU, are maintaining a low profile on the issue at the moment. The PUSU seems to have decided on campaigning on a low note. Big names have quit the campus or are avoiding presence on the campus at the moment. The NSUI is also missing from the scene.

The Dean Student Welfare, Prof V.K. Bansal, said the date of elections had not been finalised. The DSW has written to the UT Administration as a procedural requirement and awaits a formal reply. 

Cases of 118 students to figure
 in Syndicate meeting
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Sept 23 — A forthcoming Syndicate meeting of Panjab University, scheduled for September 30, features cases of 118 candidates accused of “submitting fake certificates” particularly those in the Department of Correspondence Studies.

Sources said that Prof S.K.S Sharma of Department of Chemical Engineering and Technology has been made the Director of the RSIC/USIC/CIL wing of the campus with immediate effect.

Among others, the issue to be taken up at the meeting are Prof S.K. Kulkarni, who had been elected as president of the Indian Pharmacy Association; Prof I.B.S. Passi, a former Dean, University Instructions, who taken voluntarily retirement from August 31; Dr Jagir Singh , a Punjabi teacher at Muktsar; and granting of affiliation to colleges for running new courses namely BBA, BCA, commerce and public administration.

COURTS

Bail granted in forgery case
From Our Correspondent

CHANDIGARH, Sept 23 — Gian Singh Malhotra, a resident of Maloya, was granted anticipatory bail in a forgery case by the UT Additional District and Sessions Judge, Mr R.C Godara, today.

It was alleged that some persons, with the help of bogus documents, got sheds in Maloya. These sheds were allotted by the CITCO in 1992 and one of the shed Number 19 was allotted to Prem Chand. It was further alleged that Malhotra had helped Prem Chand to get shed with the help of forged document.

The counsel argued that the accused name was not mentioned in an FIR and further argued that if Melhotra’s address was mentioned in the bogus documents it did not mean that he had been involved in the forgery. The counsel further argued that the main accused Prem Chand, had already been granted anticipatory bail so Malhotra also deserves anticipatory bail.

The Judge released the accused on anticipatory bail of Rs 10,000 and surety of same amount.

Dowry case
The dowry case filed against former Punjab Chief Minister Surjit Singh Barnala and his family members by her daughter-in-law, Parveshbir Kaur, was adjourned today by the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate till October 14.

Parveshbir Kaur had alleged that his husband, Jasjit Singh, father-in-law and mother-in-law harassed her for dowry. A case was registered under Sections 406,420, and 498-A, IPC, against them. Today statements of Parveshbir Kaur and her mother were recorded before the court.

Forgery case
An anticipatory bail moved by Sudesh Kumari of Haryana in a forgery case was dismissed by the UT Additional District and Sessions Judge today.

The complainant , B.R. Chawla, secretary, Haryana Staff Selection Commission, had alleged that Sudesh Kumari had produced a fake marksheet, issued by the Bihar Vidalaya Parikhsa Samiti, for getting a JBT job.

The case against her was registered under Sections 420,467,468 and 471 of the IPC at the police station North, Chandigarh, in 1999.

The Judge observed that the accused first bail had already been rejected. It was second anticipatory bail without new ground and the accused had been avoiding her arrest for the past one-and-half year, therefore she could not be granted bail. 

CULTURE

Kishore, Lata award contest
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Sept 23 — The Majlis Journalists’ and Artistes’ Association will hold its eighth Kishore Kumar and Lata award contest for men and women, respectively, at Tagore Theatre here on October 3.

A spokesperson of the association said today shortlisting of the contestants would be done during preliminary rounds at Tagore Theatre on October 1 at 9 a.m. Only the five top best in each competition will compete for the awards on October 3. Participants can contact on telephone numbers (0172) 548777 and 548911.

Attractive prizes will be given to the winners in the two competitions. There will be two first prizes of Rs 5,100 each, two second prizes of Rs 3,100 each and two third prizes of Rs 2,100 each.

Jacob honours artists
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Sept 23 — Over 100 artists are displaying their works at Government Museum and Art Gallery, Sector 10. Interesting to note is the fact that the artists hail not only from the city, but also from various parts of Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh.

Although the gallery looks a little over stocked, the works by artists are largely promising keeping in view the fact that all artists who are participating in the exhibition through the City Beautiful Fine Arts Academy, are amateurs.

The exhibition was inaugurated here today by the UT Administrator, Lieut-Gen J.F.R. Jacob, who also presented awards to nine artists namely Mehar Singh (Sundaram Satyam Shivam Award), Balwinder Singh (Sobha Singh Award), P.S. Verma (Raja Ravi Verma Award), Amar Singh (Thakar Singh Award), Baljit Singh Fariyadi (Kirpal Singh Award), Gursewak Singh (Amrita Shergill Award), Harjeet Singh, H.S. Sohal and Gopal Krishan Sharma.

Apart from the painting exhibition, an on-the- spot painting competition was also organised. The Advisor to the Administrator, Ms Vineeta Rai, also honoured 90 artists, who had submitted over 300 works for being exhibited in the ongoing exhibition. The exhibition will be on till September 27 from 10 am to 7 pm.

An evening of fancy footwork
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Sept 23 — It was an evening full of jazz, colour, lights and a show of electrically charged young talent at the Tagore Theatre today. West -17, a dance training school, along with Lions Club, region I, District 321F, and Piara Lal Rukhmini Devi Foundation organised Rhythm 2000, a talent search-cum-dance show of their students.

When four year old Udita, along with her group, ended the dance to the tune of Boogie Woogie and Ik dana, the 1000 plus crowd at the Tagore Theatre broke out of their reverie and remembered to clap. Though film songs and Punjabi pop were the order of the day, many of those in the audience thought it was one of the most entertaining shows they had seen. The most to enjoy were the children who came along with their parents and were dancing on their seats, and this included the three year daughter of Mr K.A.P. Sinha, Joint Secretary, Finance, Chandigarh Administration, also the chief guest of the function.

The show began with Satinder dancing to Dil hai chota sa, followed by Twinkle Sardana to Chunri chunri, Kanchan Rana to Piya Piya, Ivan to Aisa pehli baar hua, Sankalp Sardana to Ek pal ka jeena, Aditya Chawla to jungle hai aadhi raat hai, and Komal Walia to nimuda nimuda. The other dancers were Chandni, Heena, Teena, Shaan, Vishakha, Ashtosh, Gurvinder Singh. Group dances of the Youth Cultural Centre wing of West-17 presented dil chori sada ho gaya and dil le gayi le gayi.

The Lions Club, Grace, also brought on stage for the first time children of Government School, Naya Gaon, who performed a break dance and giddha .

Nature at its virgin best
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Sept 23 — The artistic might of West Bengal is finding expression in the works put up in the Punjab Lalit Kala Academi in Sector 16. The collection bears a distinct character, which seems to have come naturally. The characteristic feature of the 65 Drawings of the Millennium on the show by seven Calcutta-based artists is that these are more or less virgin when it comes to the form of expression.

With little modification and technique employed, the themes reach out to the audience comfortably. The mediums range from water colours and oil to mixed media. The works hear a direct relation to the social concerns, which have been vividly portrayed in the works of progressive artists, especially Debnath Sadhukhan and Pradip Sarkar.

Debnath’s works of oil on canvas scan through the various human forms, and give a bold texture to these. Social concerns have been voiced in the works which have been titled to suit the theme — Play with birds, Lady with peacock, Fear and Singing in dark. Colours used are dull, to go with the moods that have been portrayed. He has experimented with this kind of theme for the first time. He says, “I have earlier concentrated on landscapes in water colours.”

Another promising collection comes from Ranjan Chakraborty, who is consciously using images which come straight from the street, right from his painting titled Street beggar to another titled Sacrificer, where he shows a woman sitting in a subversive mood. “I am concerned about all the malady I see. There is a lot of stigma in society, which bothers me as a creative person. I feel obliged to reflect social concerns through my works.” Working as an art and craft teacher in Malwa School, Punjab, he has done a diploma from the Calcutta Academy of Creative Art.

Keya Ghosh, the only girl in the seven-member team, belongs to Ichapur, Calcutta. She concentrates on nature, especially trees, which she tries to relate with the complexities of the human mind. She uses dull browns and yellows to show trees in various forms, which look similar to men entangled in a host of emotions. Says Keya, “Mixed media was used to garner impact and power, which is important to put across a theme as serious as the one I am attempting to portray.”

Subrata Paul’s works also reflect a languid tone. He paints family, suffocation, and other tender human concerns. He uses mixed media, except in one work, where fibre glass has been employed.

Sudipta Majumdar and Samaresh Bhattacharya, are exhibiting works in water colours. Their works bear a nostalgic tinge as they wander in the ambience of their villages.Says Sudipta, “The four water colour works were created on the spot when I was overwhelmed by the beauty of the surroundings around West Bengal.”

Pradip Sarkar’s frames capture the beauty of Darjeeling and the coastal regions of Calcutta. A member of the Arts Acre, he has his collections in Lalit Kala Academi, Delhi. He has also painted the coasts in all their might. The colours used are mostly soothing.

Samaresh also shows villages of the West. Water colours have been powerfully employed to reflect nature at its best, be it the meandering lanes of a tiny West Bengal village or the coastal majesty of the region.

The assemblage, will be on display till September 29.