EDUCATION

Degrees awarded to dental students
Tribune News Service

PANCHKULA, Oct 15 — Three batches of students of BRS Dental College, Kot Billa, were awarded degrees of Bachelor of Dental Surgery at the first convocation of the college held on the premises, today.

Gold medalists of the three batches of May 1997, May 1998 and May 1999, Dr Harpreet Kaur Bal, Dr Nelly Chawla and Dr Anshu Sabharwal, respectively, were also honoured on the occasion.

The convocation provided an opportunity for students to meet each other and excitement and jubilation prevailed on the premises as they exchanged notes with each other.

The chief guest, Mr R.S. Chaudhary, Vice- Chancellor of Kurukshetra University, handed over degrees to students at the function which lasted for over two hours.In his address, he appealed to the students to perform their duty with dedication and devotion and keep scope for helping the needy as well. He emphasised the need of providing quality service to the patients and not compromising on principles.

Earlier, the principal of the college, Dr Jagmohan Lal, addressing the students said that it was essential to check the brain drain which was taking the intelligentsia to other countries, while India was being deprived of expert help in all sectors.

He appealed to the students to set up practice in the country instead of completing their studies here and leaving it for foreign lands.

Earlier, students presented a dance to Vande Mataram.

Focus on human resource challenges
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Oct 15 — The University Business School, Panjab University, organised an HR meet in the university campus yesterday on “HR challenges in the era of uncertainty.” The meet was organised by Dr Ashok Sahni, Dean, University Instructions, and the chief guest, Mr Binay Kumar, Director, Personnel, Power Grid Corporation of India, delivered the keynote address.

The focus of the meet was on human resource management and human resource implications in the information technology environment. Experts from the field of human resource management spoke on the occasion. 

CULTURE

23 take part in Dance Masti
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Oct 15 — With every dance show or contest which is organised in the city, one fact gets underlined — that there is no dearth of talent when it comes to performing arts. Today was yet another evening, which saw about 23 contestants sweat it out to win the title of the best dancer.

The occasion was the Dance Masti 2000 contest organised by the Chandigarh Institute for Performing Arts at Bal Bhawan in Sector 23. The evening began with a lot of wild music, which suited the moods. As Harpreet Singh set the pace of the evening with Sukhbir’s hot dance number — Ishq tera tadpave, the moods kept soaring high and higher still.

There were individual performances on folk numbers, the most favourite being Sardool Sikander’s Ik charkha gali de vich dalya, and the latest soft number by the Pakistani singer Shazia — Kalyan guzaran kiyen ratan kailyan —There were also group performances on numbers from the film Taal, with Taal se talal mila being the most played number.

The gestures were generally convincing, although the performance was not very matured. However, the dance performance by Harmanjit Mani on Ik charkha gali de vich was well appreciated. So was the dance of Simpy on the legendary Pakeezah song Inhi logon ne le lina dupatta mera.

Among the judges were Veena Ravish, dance director at the Mayuri Dance School, Panchkula, Charanjit Kaur, choreographer, Sensational School of Music and Dance, SAS Nagar, and Naresh Saini, actor, director, choreographer based at Chandigarh. Among the points being noted for the judgment were the way a contestant was making the entry, costumes and songs chosen, rhythm and music, steps, actions, gestures and postures, and the way exit was made.

Harinder, Vijay win Sa Re Ga Ma
By Pradeep Sharma
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Oct 15 — The best of upcoming talent in Punjabi music was in full flow at grand finale of the Zee Network's musical show, Sa Re Ga Ma(Punjabi), held at Tagore Theatre here late last night.

In fact, it was night music connoisseurs will remember for a long time to come. Right from the start, when the director of the programme, Jagmeet Bal, announced "silence, rolling, action" the select audience was treated to some of the gems of the rich Punjabi musical heritage by the four finalists.

Even as four finalists — Ravjot Kaur, Harinder Hundal, Subhash Puppy and Vijay Kumar — put their best feet forward, their grounding in the classical music was clearly visible. The anchor, Micky Narula, did a commendable job making finalists at ease and managing a section of rowdy students well.

It was the battle of nerves for over two hours. The father figures of Punjabi music — Jaswant Bhanwra and Kesar Singh Narula —who were the judges, apparently did not have much difficulty in choosing Harinder and Vijay as winners of the third schedule, which to be telecast on Alpha TV from next month.

The Amritsar-based Vijay was all way at the theatre. Starting off with a tarana in the semi-classical round, he went on to sing Mirza and mesmerised the audience with Mere shauq da nahin eitbar tenu, a Ghulam Ali number in the judges' choice round.

And for the Jalandhar-based Harinder, everything went off well when she took the mike with the traditional Mitti da bawa in the semi-classical round. Mirza in the compulsory round and the effective rendering of Ghori originally sung by Jaspinder Narula in the judges' choice round, ensured her top spot.

Meanwhile, Jagmeet informed that the next schedules of the programme will be organised in the region, including Amritsar." We are even open to the idea of holding the show even in Pakistan and Canada", he added.

Micky lashes out at music companies
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Oct 15 — Upcoming singer and anchor of Sa Re Ga Ma (Punjabi); Micky Narula today lashed out music companies for the degeneration of Punjabi music and obscenity in the music videos.

Talking to mediapersons here, Micky lamented that the artistes were sidelined when the music videos were shot.

Micky, who has worked with Punjabi singers like Malkit Singh, Kuldip Manak, KP and Jagmohan Kaur as music director, informed that his big break as music director came when he composed the hit number of his sister, Jaspinder Narula; Munda tu hai Punjabi Sohna”. Since then there has been no looking back with the result that he was now composing music for Farooq Nadiadwala ’s film.

K.S. Narula, renowned music director and father of Micky, lamented that standard of Punjabi music had gone as there was more emphasis on quantity than quality and commercialisation of music had taken its toll.

Eminent Punjabi singer, Sardool Sikandar, was of the opinion that obscene videos were not a must for sale of albums.