The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Chandigarh Stories

EDUCATION

PEC Principal’s post lying vacant
Chitleen K. Sethi
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 4
Mired in apprehensions, the post of Principal, Punjab Engineering College, is up for grabs. The post which was vacated by the former Principal, Prof. Rajnish Prakash, after his retirement on December 31, 2000, had been advertised by the Union Public Service Commission. But with half the year gone, while serious apprehensions surround the credibility of the whole appointment process, the UT Administration is keen to get over with the whole thing.

The UPSC advertised the post of the Principal in the last week of February this year and the last date of receiving applications for the post was three weeks from the date of advertisement. After mid-March, it has been a two-and-a-half-month-long wait for the applicants for the interview, “which is normally scheduled for a month after the last dates of having received applications is over.”

Sources state that the delay is being caused by the current acting Principal of the college, Prof R.S. Gupta, along with another head of department, both of whom have applied for the post of Principal, but having crossed the age limit set by UPSC (55 years), are not eligible. These two had requested the Administration to forward their applications after condoning the UPSC age limit. The Administration has reportedly written back to them asking why such a exception be made in their cases. The other applicants, however, claim that never in the history of the college has a condonation of age limit been done and it is this “correspondence which is delaying the process.”

But many other reasons are being given why no one is in a hurry to get the interview done with. The proposed conversion of the college into a national institute of technology and the formation of a society to carry out the whole thing is a process which many fear might take a back seat with a new Principal at the helm of affairs. Highly placed sources in the Administration state that a plea was made with the Administration to postpone the interview till the conversion was done, but it was turned down.

Another proposal doing the rounds of the UPSC-UT Administration circuit is that the interview for the post of Principal be conducted according to the new recruitment rules. These rules which are still in the state of being formulated are being awaited now for more than two years to be implemented. “And if the new recruitment rules take another two years to get implemented, will the post continue to be manned by an acting Principal?”

For the time being, the applicants for the post, all senior professors from the college and the region, wait for the UPSC to set a date for the interview.

Summer camp at Mt. Carmel
Our Correspondent

Chandigarh, June 4
A four-day summer camp, “Hats Holiday...”, being conducted by Marga’s Global Kids Club commenced at Mount Carmel School in Sector 47 here today.

About 22 students between six and 14 years of age are participating in the workshop. The focus on the first day was on indoor games, which included Master Mind and UNO.

The camp aims at inculcating in the participants a sense of sharing. It wants to teach how one can be more responsible as a member of society through various games, dance and music.

The camp would also focus on inculcating good habits which include time management, proper social behaviour, honesty and moral values in children.

Parents will be a part of the workshop. To develop the habit of speaking English and how to play clean games will also be highlighted.

The camp is being conducted under the guidance of Monica, Sarah and Sharon. It will conclude on June 8.

Army takes Kashmiri youths on Aman Yatra
Tribune News Service

Officiating Commander, PH and HP Sub-Area, Col Rakesh Mohan, interacts with the Aman Yatris from the Kashmir valley at Ambala cantonment on Monday.

Chandigarh, June 4
A group of 33 students, including six girls, from Baramula district of Jammu and Kashmir today left Ambala for Delhi on the next leg of their 15-day educational and cultural tour, Aman Yatra. Hailing from Mambla, Garhkot and Balkot in the Rampur area of the district, they were accompanied by two of their teachers and the conducting officer, Major Raj Kumar.

The officiating Commander, HQ PH and HP Sub-Area, Col Rakesh Mohan, flagged off the group at a brief function held in Ambala cantonment. All children were excited and exuberant to go around various places of interest outside the Kashmir valley.

Organised by the Daggar Division of the Army, the tour aims at exposing the young generation of the valley to the diversity of our country and to enable them to experience the richness of our heritage and culture. It was flagged off by Major-Gen M.C. Bhandari, GOC of the division, at Bandi on June 1.

During the two-week tour, the students are scheduled to visit places of historical interest in Delhi, Jaipur, Ajmer, Jalandhar and Jammu.

COURTS

HIGH COURT
Bench reunites NRI couple
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 4
An NRI couple, forced to part ways after the bride was brought back to the country by her parents, came together once again following the intervention of the Punjab and Haryana High Court here. The bride, “forcibly detained” by her parents, was released from their custody after their house in Jalandhar district was raided by a warrant officer appointed by the court.

Seeking directions to the bride’s parents to produce Preet Mehra, groom’s uncle Ajit Singh of Kapurthala district had earlier alleged that the girl, brought to India soon after her marriage with Mr Redrose Singh of California, was being held against her wishes.

He had added that Preet Mehra was not being allowed to contact her husband but had managed to call him up and inform him about her parents’ desire to get her married to someone else.

The petitioner had added that the bride’s passport and air ticket had been taken by the respondents to prevent her from leaving the country to join her husband. Going into the background, he had added that the two had tied the knot in the USA on February 21.

Taking up the petition, Ms Justice Bakshish Kaur of the High Court had directed the appointment of a warrant officer to accompany the petitioner and “ensure the release of the alleged detainee”.

In his report subsequently submitted to the High Court, warrant officer Hemant Singh Walia had stated that Preet Mehra, found in the house, had repeatedly expressed desire to join her husband in the USA. The detainee, according to the officer, had claimed that she had been confined in a room and was not allowed to move out even for a minute.

Giving details of the rescue operation, he had stated that the detainee’s mother, upon his arrival, started shouting and used “unparliamentary language without paying any regard to the Court and the judicial system”. Refusing to accept the notice, she started “creating nuisance” and additional police force had to be called in, Mr Walia had stated.

Preet Mehra, he had added, was released after two hours with the help of a lady constable but even as she was going towards the police station, a “caravan” of supporters followed her. At the police station, more musclemen were present, he had added. Preet Mehra’s custody was finally handed over to the petitioner after an entry was made in the police register, he had concluded.

Bail plea dismissed

Dismissing the anticipatory bail applications filed by two Jalandhar district residents accused of selling the share of a relative living abroad, Mr Justice S.S. Nijjar of the High Court has observed that properties belonging to NRIs were either being sold or illegally occupied by relatives.

Pronouncing the orders on the petition filed by Gurbachan Singh and his son Nagar Singh, Mr Justice Nijjar added: “In such circumstances, it would be wholly inappropriate to entertain their application for anticipatory bail”.

The two were apprehending arrest in a first information report registered on March 26 under Sections 419, 420, 465, 468, 471 and 120-B of the Indian Penal Code.

According to the prosecution, two of the accused had sold Joginder Singh’s land after forging a power of attorney. Joginder Singh, they had added, was living in the UK and had last visited his village in 1995.

Plot allotment fraud: 6 get bail
Our Correspondent

Chandigarh, June 4
A local court today granted bail to Bapu Lal and five others arrested by the Vigilance Cell for their alleged involvement in the fraud regarding the allotment of plots in Mauli Jagran on the basis of fake slips issued on behalf of a tehsildar.

They were booked under Sections 419, 420, 467, 468, 471 and 120- B of the IPC. A large number of jhuggi-dwellers from colony numbers 1and 2, Coal Depot area, Faidan Colony, near Masjid Burail, near Kali Bari, and jhuggis in Sector 35 had been resettled in Mauli Jagran in 1990-91. There were a total of 957 plots of which 650 were allotted. The remaining plots were lying vacant and it was for these vacant plots that the forgery was committed.

It was alleged that the modus operandi was to get the plot allotted on fake slips of the Estate Office in fictitious names. A person was produced with an unreal name and the plot was allotted.

TV firm told to replace CD player
Our Correspondent

Chandigarh, June 4
The UT Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum-II has directed the Managing Director of New Baron Point, Sector 35, and Baron International, Mumbai, to replace the defective CD player of a city resident.

The complainant, Mr Anil Singh Bhambra, stated in the complaint that in pursuance of a scheme floated by the Baron company (opposite parties) he had purchased two Akai television sets — one 29 inches and the other 21 inches — for Rs 33,500 in exchange for two television sets, one of the Videocon and the other of Binatone mark. He alleged that within two months of their purchase, both sets developed defect.

The complainant alleged that the company had not supplied a sub-woofer speaker along with the 29-inch television set as promised in the scheme. In the other television set, first, the picture tube was replaced within two months of the purchase of the set and then the set developed another problem with regard to the video CD player.

The complainant further alleged that despite repeated requests and a legal notice served on the opposite parties, the defect in the CD player was not set right. Hence, he filed a complaint, seeking directions to the opposite parties to supply the sub-woofer speaker in respect of the 29-inch television set and replace the other television set along with cost and compensation for harassment.

The Bench comprising the President, Mr R.P. Bajaj, and a member, Mr H.S. Walia, observed that the complaint merited success and the same was allowed with costs of Rs 550. As to the relief sought by the complainant, his prayer for supply of a sub-woofer in respect of 29-inch television set was absolutely genuine.

Accordingly the opposite parties were directed to supply the same to the complainant or alternatively to refund its price within 15 days of the receipt of this order. As regards the other television set, the only grievance of the complainant was that its CD player was not functioning properly, otherwise there was no defect in the television set.

That being so there was no case for replacement of the entire TV set. The opposite parties are, therefore, directed to replace the defective video CD player with a new one.

CULTURE

35-foot-high mural painted
Our Correspondent

Panchkula, June 4
Bharati Sharma and Poonam Diwan from Bama Academy of Fine Arts, Panchkula, have created a 35 feet high and 7 feet wide wall painting-cum-mural. The creation depicting the old Egyptian civilization related to Pharaoh dynasty will be displayed at Taksons Hotel, Ludhiana.

Seven pieces have been joined together to make one piece out of it. The background of the painting is a popular pyramid of Egypt covered with various pictographs called hieroglyphs.

The top two pieces include sun, top of the pyramid and Sphinx and men at work in construction of pyramids. The next three pieces contain Tomb of Tutankhamun, the king of Pharaoh's dynasty.

The last two panels project Queen Nefertiti, wife of Pharaoh Akhenaten, including part of a huge temple built by Rameses II at Abu Simbel weighing 1150 tons, also red crown of lower Egypt, white crown of upper Egypt and crown of two kingdoms united under one Pharaoh.

There is a scarab beetle on the right side of the queen used as emblem in jewellery and decoration. At the lower most end there are two guards facing each other having lion’s body and human faces.

The idea behind this creation is comparing India and Egypt as one of the oldest civilizations of the world. Both the civilizations have many common traditions, feelings and emotions. The creation also shows art and creativity is not biased. The medium of painting is mainly oil colour and texture white to give a three-D effect. Three main shades applied are brown, yellow and green.

Poonam, a student of M.A. Economics, has been attached to Bama Academy of Fine Arts Panchkula since past four years. She is being guided by the in charge of the academy, Mr R K Sharma. Bharti Sharma is M.Sc in Physics. She is wife of Mr R.K Sharama. She is teaching in Army School, Chandimandir.

A good-looker who is comfortable behind
the camera
Parbina Rashid

Chandigarh, June 4
Ashwini Karandikar is the driving force behind the team which is currently shooting for Punjabi ‘Sa-re-ga-ma’ in the city. She is one of those rare species of female who despite having good looks and a pleasant personality opted to stay behind the camera rather than facing it. She is at present the director of all four regional ‘Sa-re-ga-mas’ — Punjabi, Bengali, Marathi and Gujrati.

Ashwini, who had her first brush with the camera in 1994 when she participated in ‘Antakshari’ on Zee TV, says she got intrigued by the technicality that is involved in producing a TV show. “My dream to work in the production team came true when Gajendra Singh of ‘Close Up Antakshari’ and ‘TVS sa-re-ga-ma’ fame gave me a chance to work as his assistant,” says this lady from Pune.

Ashwini, who started her career as a trained teacher, faced stiff opposition from her parents for choosing such an unconventional profession. “When I was asked to join Mr. Gajendra Singh’s team , my parents gave me just 15 days time to try it out.

But I stayed on for seven long years,” she adds. Ashwini has independently been directing the regional ‘Sa-re-ga-ma’ shows since the last two years.

The regional ‘Sa-re-ga-ma’ provides a platform to the upcoming singers to explore their talent besides giving national level exposure to the winners. “The winners of the regional shows are often given a chance to participate in ‘Close up Antakshari’ and ‘TVS Sa-re-ga-ma,” she informs. “We are also toying with the idea of making albums with these participants,” she says.

Ashwini, who is shooting with the local talents of Punjab for the second time, says there is lack of experience among the singers here. “One has to have a deep knowledge of an array of things like his own culture, right pronunciation, way of presentation, she says”.

“The musical scene in Punjab does not comprise just of bhangra and giddah. It goes much more deeper than that and to come out as a winner ,one has to know a lot more than just a few songs,” she adds.

Talking about her experience as a director, she says it is the experience that makes one perfect in this line. “A degree in mass communications may help in polishing and grooming a person as a director but when it comes to the actual work, it is the practical experience that comes handy,” says Ashwini. “As a director one should have the capacity to visualise things, and one should be a pleasant yet strict and disciplined personality to inspire team members,” she says.”

Ashwini, along with her online editor, Ashok Singh, and director of photography, Madhu Naidu, is shooting for 14 episodes of Punjabi ‘Sa-re-ga-ma’ which is going to be telecast on Zee Alpha Punjabi sometime at the end of this month. About 32 participants from all over Punjab will be taking part in the preliminary round that started after a prolonged delay than the scheduled time at Tagore Theatre in Sector 18 here today.

For the semi-final rounds about 16 participants will be chosen by a panel of judges which will ultimately come down to just four for the final round which will be held on June 8.

The judges for this event are Savar Koti, Bhupinder Bhupi, Harmit Inder Singh (Kuki), Salim Shah Koti, Hussain Baksh, S Madan and Puran singh Koti. Famous folk singer Sardool Sikander will be anchoring all the 14 episodes of the show.