EDUCATION

10-day NSS camps come to a close
From Our Correspondent

CHANDIGARH, Oct 3 — The 10-day NSS camps organised by different schools and colleges concluded with valedictory functions here today.

Under the theme “Youth for development and youth for healthy society”, a 10-day camp was organised by the NSS unit of the Government Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 37-B. Mr Jaspal Singh Tiwana, programme officer of the NSS unit, informed that during the camp, the volunteers uprooted wild growth on the school campus, developed a park and presented solo songs. Painting and paper-reading contests and chart-making contests on drug abuse were also held. Tripat Kaur, Rupinder Kaur, Sary Mitter and Sunil were adjudged the best volunteers.

The camp organised by the MCM DAV College was divided in two sessions. The morning session was for lectures and discussions with experts on issues like environment protection, sexual harassment and women empowerment. The volunteers also imparted lessons on health and hygiene and taught children in Palsora Colony. They also inspired them to enrol in schools, besides distributing clothes and tulsi plants among the residents.

Dr CL Narang, Director NSS, Panjab University, who presided over the valedictory function, focused on issues like westernisation of Indian youth, depletion of values from life and the digression of teachers from the right path. Ms Sneh Mahajan, Principal of the college, called upon the students to utilise every opportunity to prove their worth.

A total of 140 volunteers cleaned the college campus during the 10-day NSS camp organised by the DAV College, Sector 10. The volunteers also visited Government Senior Secondary School, Dhanas, and Institute for the Blind, Sector 26. Dr CL Narang appreciated the volunteers for their social service on the concluding day of the camp, said Mr RC Jeewan, Principal of the college.

The NSS volunteers of Government College of Education, Sector 20, removed congress grass from different parts of the sector. Mr Kuldip Singh, a retired lecturer from YPS, Patiala, who was the chief guest, said NSS volunteers should come forward for environment cleanliness.

Electronic magazine by PU scholar
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Oct 3 — Buddhism Today, a non profit electronic magazine designed and edited by Thich Nhat Tu, a Vietnamese PhD scholar of Panjab University, has emerged as one of the major sites on Buddhism and stood second among the 253 Buddhist sites linked to Dharamnet International Webring, a press note said.

Launched in May this year, the site recorded more than 20,000 visitors by September end. This site gives detailed information for those interested in Buddhism, the life of Buddha, his teachings, Buddhist meditation, culture, poems, sociology, ecology, management, philosophy, literature etc.

Panchkula school in aero-quiz semis
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Oct 3 — St. Edward’s Public School, Shimla and Hans Raj Public School, Panchkula, have been selected for the semi-finals of the Aero Quiz - 2000 during the zonal round organised by the local chapter of Aeronautical Society of India at Satluj Public School, Panchkula, today.

According to a statement issued here eight teams had participated in the quiz. These included two teams each from schools of Panchkula, Chandimandir, Kalka, Shimla and Surajpur.

The winning teams from Shimla comprised Shashank Sood and Kunal Verma, while the runners up from Panchkula were Arun Koul and Naveen Mittal.

The prizes, a book of quotations, were given away by principal of the Satluj Public School, Mr Krit Serai, while mementos to the participants were given by the North India Area Manager of egurukool.com, Ms Shaefali Jain.

Kids to be shown forest areas
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Oct 3 — To mark the Wildlife Week, the Forest Department of Chandigarh has decided to allow city school children to visit the Kansal and Nepali forest areas.

Every year the first week of October is observed as Wildlife Week all over the country. Entry to this 25.42 sq km of Class A forest area, falling under the jurisdiction of the Chandigarh Administration, is otherwise by a permit issued by the Forest Department.

This area has been declared a wild life sanctuary by the administration and constitutes major part of forest area of Chandigarh. The only other reserved forests the 7 km of area marked inside the city.

Kansal and Nepali are rich in wildlife with a host of sambhars, deer, red jungle fowls and other birds. It is also best conserved land from the soil conservation point of view. There are as many 160 dams in the forest area.

According to Mr H. S. Sohal, Director, Chief Wildlife Warden, and Deputy Conservator of Forests, the gesture is aimed at providing the school children an awareness forests and conservation.

The children will be provided forest guards to guide them around, he said adding that school concerned would have to intimate the Forest Department in advance. 

COURT

Chemist granted anticipatory bail
From Our Correspondent

CHANDIGARH, Oct 3 — Mr Justice K. S. Kumaran of the Punjab and Haryana High Court today granted anticipatory bail to Gurvikram Singh Duggal, a partner of Sector 17 chemist Sahib Singh and Sons.

The Judge, while pronouncing the order in the open court, directed that in the event of his arrest, the petitioner shall be released on bail after furnishing security to the satisfaction of the arresting officer.

Justice Kumaran also directed the petitioner to join investigations as and when required by the arresting officer.

Duggal was apprehending arrest in a cheating and a conspiracy case registered by the city police under Sections 276, 420 and 120-B of the IPC.

Claiming to be innocent, the petitioner's counsel had contended that the petitioner was not connected with the commission of the offence. He had stated that the petitioner was not even present when the complainant's daughter was administered chickenpox vaccination.

He had also stated that Major Singh, a pharmacist employed with the petitioner, being aged, had forgotten to mix "unit dose of chickenpox vaccine". The counsel said Major Singh, realising his mistake after the same was pointed out, had injected the vaccine.

The counsel stated that the petitioner could not be held guilty of cheating as "it was a case of inadvertence on part of Major Singh and no offence was made out against Duggal". He added that petitioner's firm was carrying out the business of medicine for three generations and till date no complaint had been received .