EDUCATION

400 GNPS students receive prizes
From Our Correspondent

LUDHIANA, Feb 19 — Nearly 400 students of Guru Nanak Public School, Sarabha Nagar, were given prizes for their performance in academics, sports and extra curricular activities at an annual day held here last evening.

Students from Class I to Class XII, who had secured most marks in various subjects were also awarded. Besides, the top scoring three Class X students also received prizes. The cultural programme began with a shabad, followed by a welcome song. Tiny tots of the school performed an action song, Alice in Wonderland. The senior section students enacted a Punjabi play, depicting the differences in rural and urban life. The girls of middle section performed Manjira dance.

The senior section students of the school read the annual report and performed giddha and bhangra. The chief guest on the occasion was Mr Amrik Singh Randhawa, Chief Engineer, Punjab State Electricity Board. Ms K.Virdi, principal, appreciated the efforts of the students.

Sikhya karmis not being paid
From Our Correspondent

MACHHIWARA, Feb 19 — Though the Sikhya Karmi Scheme of the state government to fill vacant posts in areas of rural Punjab along the border has shown good results, but these sikhya karmis are yet to be paid.

In 86 primary schools of Machhiwara block, out of 246 posts of teacher, 125 are vacant. Out of the remaining 121 teachers, 40 are on census duty. Sikhya karmis have replaced them temporarily.

This scheme is being taken seriously, keeping in view the recently announced voluntary retirement scheme. These teachers are paid only Rs 2,500 per head.

Mr Gurtej Singh Pherurain, DEO (P) Ludhiana, said the karmis could collect their salaries from the block primary education officers.

CULTURE

Mohan Rakesh Puruskar for Anand
From Our Correspondent

LUDHIANA, Feb 19 — The Languages Department, Punjab, has chosen Mr Manohar Lal Anand, a retired Principal, for Mohan Rakesh Puruskar 2000 on his Hindi play, Kangaal. He will receive the award in a function scheduled to be held next week at Patiala.

Mr Anand (71), has been writing plays and poems since the past more than 40 years. Two years back, he was awarded Sahitya Sewa Award by the Hindu Sahitya Parishad. In 1997, he received award from the Hindi Sahitya Samelan at Prayag.

Besides, Mr Anand has received several other awards on the academic front. In 1994, the Jagatguru Shankaracharya Award was bestowed upon him. He received an award for principalship at Arya College for Boys, Ludhiana, in 1986. Also, he received a best teacher award in 1989.

Other prominent contributions of Mr Anand include Padmini, a play, Daere, an anthology and ‘Battle of grades’, an account of heroic battle of the college teachers in 1967 when they had gone on strike. Presently, he is working on another play, Pashan, to be published by the end of this month.