The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Chandigarh Stories

EDUCATION

Contests without participants
Our Correspondent

Chandigarh, March 16
The four-day All-India Inter University Youth Festival, ‘Jhankar 2001’, turned out to be a disappointment as most of the participants failed to show up at various venues on the Panjab University campus on the second day of the events here today.

Bhupinder Singh Bhupi, President of the Punjab University Campus Students Council and member of the organising committee of the festival said the programme was to be held in February, but the earthquake in Gujarat delayed the things. Most of the participants of various colleges and other universities did not turn up as the dates clashed with their own functions. The festival has been organised after three years.

The quiz contest in the English Auditorium could not be held as two out of the three participating teams were not present. The teams of Dr B.R. Ambedkar University of Lucknow and hosts Panjab University decided not to contest at the last minute. The remaining team, the HP University of Shimla, was declared the winner.

In poster-making, collage-making and on-the-spot painting contests, out of 15, only five participants took part. Jeesu Kanwar of Panjab University and Manish Sapihiya of Himachal Pradesh University made sketches on the theme ‘Jai Vigyan’. Rekha Siag of PU, Vishal Kapoor of Punjabi University, Patiala, and Nand Lal of the HPU, Shimla, made collages on the themes ‘Colourful India,’ ‘Indian Economy’ and ‘Democratic India’.

However, the on-act play competition in the University Auditorium saw some good performance by three groups. ‘Mukti’ staged by Swami Ram Tirtha Marathwara University of Nander portrays the hardships that the poor have to face.

The MLN College of Yamunanagar, representing Kurukshetra University, staged a play ‘Poster’ written by S.Sesh. The third play, ‘Brahm Rakshash Aur Uske Shishya’ was a comedy where the good triumphs at the end.

Girls of Haryana Agricultural University of Hisar, performed on the song ‘Kab Se Khadi Hu’. The Panjab University team presented a ‘gidha’. Most outstanding of these was the performance by the team of the HP University.

448 students get degrees
Our Correspondent

Chandigarh, March 16
As many as 448 graduates and postgraduates were awarded degrees at the annual convocation held at Government College in Sector 11 here today.

The Director PGI, Dr S.K. Sharma, presided over the function. He urged the students to make full use of information technology revolution which is sweeping the world. The youth are the real wealth of the country and their energy should be channelised in the right direction to take the country forward; he added

Sajjan Singh was adjudged the best student of the college. Kapil Pandey secured the second position in geography honours. Baljeet Singh, Anant Modgill, Avneet Singh, Sandeep Singh, Ravjot Singh and Parvesh Kumar were honoured for excelling in co-curricular, academics and sports activities. Sumeet Singh of the college displayed extraordinary bravery in saving a child from ravaging fire.

The Principal of the college Dr S.N. Singla, welcomed the chief guest . He highlighted various achievements of the college in field of academics, sports and co-curricular activities. The Vice Principal of the college, Prof J.P. Garg, proposed a vote of thanks.

Investment in IT education stressed
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 16
In the present-day world where IT has established a global digital network economy, investment in basic infrastructure education and IT is the need of the hour to ensure that we are globally competitive. Successful domestic IT and knowledge based industry should be built and the focus should be on producing IT-enabled human resource that is able to match the best quality standards in the world.

This was stated by Mr N S Kalsi, Director and Secretary, Department of Information Systems and Administrative Reforms, Punjab. Mr Kalsi was speaking at the seminar on Industrial Applications of Information Technology, organised by Sri Sukhmani Institute of Engineering and Technology, Dera Bassi, here at CII today.

He said that India spends merely 1.6 per cent of its GDP on IT, compared to the USA which spends 4 per cent on this. By 2003, however, the scenario will witness a vast change. While the number of ISP licenses issued will increase to 500 by the end of this month , the number of Internet connections would reach 7 million. He stressed on the need of becoming IT savvy and spreading IT education in the country.

Mr G D Singh, vice-president, Glide, said, ”We should create our own content , domains, servers and e-mail servers”. People need to be more aware about the quality of services they hire.

Mr Sudarshan Arora of Quark Media spoke on the implementation of IT in Industry. Dr Kiran from IIM Kolkata, Dr V S Ramgopal from the CSIO, Dr R S Khandpur CEDTI were among those who spoke on the occasion.

Free coaching for CET/PMT
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 16
The Sikh Missionary College (Circle Chandigarh), in association with the Managing Committee of Gurdwara, Sector 34, will hold coaching classes for needy students aspiring to appear in the CET/PMT competitions free of cost.

Professors and lecturers from Panjab University and various colleges of Chandigarh provide free services for the classes which are being organised for the past six years.

The entrance test would be conducted on March 30 and the classes start on April 2. Admission forms are available at gurdwaras of Sectors 19, 34, 40 and 46 in Chandigarh and Phases IV and VI, Saacha Dhan and Amb Sahib in Mohali.

The success rate has been encouraging, with approximately 80 per cent of the students getting seats in various engineering and medical colleges, according to a press note issued by Mr Gurbir Singh of Sikh Missionary College.

The college also provides scholarships to needy students and organises subsidised computer training, free kirtan and gurmat and martial arts (gatka) classes.

PECFEST results
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 16
PECFEST, the three-day annual Punjab Engineering College extravaganza, began in the college here today. It was inaugurated by the Home Secretary, UT, Mr R.S. Gujral. The festival is being organised by the Chandigarh Administration and CII in collaboration with the college.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Gujral stated that PECFEST represents a perfect harmony of technological development and excellence with culture.

In the various informal events, the first to begin was cacophony in which out of the 24 entries received, Kartikey of PEC stood first, while Gobind and Rohit Sharma came second jointly, and Aseem and Neeraj stood third. The cacophony event was followed by the Rockshow by the PEC team of Nitin Bhatia, Shiraz and Adit Kundra. Catch the egg event was the most popular event of the day with more than 60 entries for the competition.

Gurpreet got the first prize in clay modelling while Suvina and Rajani stood second and third, respectively. K. Aarti won the first prize in the Blind Fold event, while Sourabh Kumar and Pallavi came second and third.

The team from Fatehgarh won the first prize in Bhangra while the team from PEC came second in the regional dance round. Vandana Sareen and Sunit Behl were chosen Miss PECFEST and Mr PECFEST, respectively.

COURTS

Complete mining probe in 10 days
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 16
Directing Gurgaon’s Superintendent of Police (Vigilance) Parshant Kumar Aggarwal to complete within 10 days an inquiry into the allegations of illegal mining in Faridabad district by a Haryana minister along with another respondent, Mr Justice Jawahar Lal Gupta and Mr Justice N.K. Sud of the Punjab and Haryana High Court today asked him to submit the report on or before the next date of hearing.

At the very onset today, Haryana’s Advocate-General produced before the court a file in which it was recorded that the Chief Minister had approved the proposal of getting a vigilance inquiry conducted into the allegations through a senior IPS officer.

Arguing before the Bench, counsel for petitioner contended that Haryana’s Cooperation Minister Kartar Singh Bhadana “has continued to extract major and minor minerals from 26.40 hectares in village Anangpur, unauthorisedly by using his official position”.

Pronouncing orders, Mr Justice Gupta, speaking for the Bench, observed that the prayer for stay would be considered on April 4, the next date of hearing.

The petitioner, journalist Subhash Sharma, had earlier sought directions to the authorities to stop illegal extraction of minerals by the respondents and to take action against them.

Centre sets deadline in Bhatnagar case

Disposing of a writ petition filed by Major Maneesh Bhatnagar, a Division Bench of the High Court today directed the Union of India to take decision on the statutory complaint in accordance with the law “expeditiously, but not later than two months from today”.

In his petition, taken up by Mr Justice R.S. Mongia and Mr Justice K.C. Gupta, Major Bhatnagar had, besides seeking release on bail, prayed that the court summon the records of the case and issue a writ directing the respondents (Union of India), to decide the complaint dated July 31, 2000.

Major Bhatnagar had filed a statutory complaint under Sections 27 of the Army Act against his superior officers, alleging that he was being made a scapegoat as he tried to expose their “misdeeds”.

The petitioner had also sought that the proceedings of the GCM be stayed till the statutory complaint is disposed of. Stating that the mandatory time frame for disposing of such complaints, according to Army Regulations, was six months, the petitioner had questioned whether the authorities be allowed to sit over Statutory complaints. He had further contended that the action of the authorities to initiate disciplinary proceedings against the petitioner without first disposing off the said complaint is illegal and contrary to provisions of law.

While seeking release on bail, it was contended that the petitioner, who had been attached for disciplinary proceedings since October 1999, was without reasons and justification, placed under arrest on January 5, 2001. In this manner the rights available to the petitioner to produce his own defence have been curtailed, he added.

Order against coop member’s arrest

Mr Justice Mehtab Singh Gill of the High Court today held that a society member should have been arrested only after exhausting all remedies to recover the loan from him.

Delivering the verdict on a petition filed by Darshan Singh of Yamunanagar district seeking the release of his father, Mr Justice Gill also directed the Assistant Registrar of Cooperative Societies and other respondents not to arrest Hem Raj, unless all other remedies were exhausted.

The Judge observed that the respondents should have first attached the land of the petitioner’s father and should have tried to get the amount recovered from the sureties. Only after trying all methods, should they come forward to arrest him.

Police to get Punwire records
Tribune News Service

SAS Nagar, March 16
In connection with the cases of cheating and misappropriation of funds of the Punjab Wireless Systems Limited (Punwire), the Punjab and Haryana High Court has directed the liquidating officer to handover the records of the company to the SAS Nagar police for further investigation.

Sources in the police said the directions had been passed after the police officials had moved an application in this regard in the High Court. The investigation officers were finding it difficult to submit the challan in these cases, in absence of the Punwire records.

So far, 19 cases have been registered against 14 persons. Recently the Executive Director of the company, Ved Parkash, had been arrested by a special team of the Ropar police. Sources said the local police had sent the report of interrogation of the Executive Director to senior police officials.

CULTURE

Opening the doors of heart
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 16
The underlying sentiment behind all works on display at Art Folio in Sector 9 is hope — hope to build the future on the rubble of yesterday and to keep going...despite odds.

The exhibition of pottery works put up by Amarjit Brar holds a lot of strength, not precisely on account of the finesse alone, but also due to the fact that the woman has decided to come up in arms against a bitter truth of her life. Ask Amarjit and she does not want to be identified through this one truth. But the fact is that she is suffering from cancer, the terminal disease which, despite its grave proportion, has not been able to dictate the artist in Amarjit.

At 60, with very little time in hand (as doctors say), the artist has decided to open the doors of her heart and let her feelings fly through the works. No wonder then the works, though not too much tutored, exude a strange warmth. Created in tiles, in stained glass, clay and any other medium the artist could find substance in, the creations make a statement in maturity.

Another pleasant aspect of the works is their brightness. And this brightness speaks for the spirit of Amarjit who looks gay in the face of death.

After a brief chat with the artist, one discovered that this talent had been groomed very recently. Amarjit woke up to the call of creativity only few years ago and in this attempt, she was assisted by her US-based daughter, also a potter.

The works will be on display for a week.