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| Thursday,
June 14, 2001, Chandigarh, India
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STATE OF THE HOSTELS Chandigarh, June 13 You treat Mr Om Prakash to tea, which leads to a heavy lunch, which is followed by some meetha and then just when you think that this is the last item of food you are going to pay for, Mr Om Prakash says, “Bahut meetha ho gaya, kuch namkeen ho jaye.” After having parted with a precious 300 rupees, you rest assured that Mr Om Prakash will be now at least change your room. The effort has been worth it. “We have no choice but to keep running after Om Prakash. He is a god out here. I even brought ghee for him from home. My earlier room had a broken window and no fan and I had no other option but to beg and beg before Om Prakash,” says one of the PGI students. Mr Om Prakash is not the only problem in this hostel, but all PGI residents agree that he is the most “chronic”. The Sector 15 International Hostel has been for years one of the most badly maintained hostels in the city, but a single surprise visit from the UT Administrator a few months back and the face of the hostel has changed enormously, all for the better. The hostel, which is actually an extension of Government Postgraduate College, Sector 46, has a massive building with four floors and a basement. With more than 200-room capacity, the hostel has a strength of over 250 residents. The hostel has been partially let out to students of Government College of Art, Sector 10, and partially to the PGI. Ideally located for the PGI and art students, the hostel is a long distance for the students of Government College, Sector 46. They feel that the college premises should have a hostel inside, not this far. Food has been the biggest problem for the residents. Food was cooked on chulhas fired with wood. “No hygiene, no cleanliness, in the cost of vegetarian food get non-vegetarian articles floating in it for free,” quip residents. But the students are all hopeful now after the visit of the Administrator, when the whole mess has been rebuilt, LPG chulahs have been brought and a new mess contractor is to be employed. “Things are bound to become better. They had gone so bad,” says a resident. Even the area outside the hostel has improved a lot. “We have a boundary wall and grilled entrance now,” informs the chowkidar. “Let us just hope that the boys do not break open the glass again to enter the hostel.” The time limit is set for 10.30 pm, but not many residents are happy with a limit on the time they can remain outside. It is the PGI residents who are complaining the most. “We have no peon for us here, so when we get late studying in the PGI library or even after having watched a late night movie, we wait outside the gate and shout for the GC-46 chowkidar or GCA peon to open the gates,” they say. The other boys get in any time of the night. The PGI residents are the black sheep in the hostel. They have the upper floor, but no common room, no TV room, no warden staying in the hostel to listen to their problems or sort them out. They have a caretaker of the variety of Mr Om Prakash, who has an office in the hostel, but is never here and is rarely found in PGI. Petty and some not so petty thefts are another problem of the residents. Daylight thefts from rooms have been reported. Money and valuables are lost by these residents almost every third day. The residents have complained endlessly to the various wardens, but nothing has stopped the thieves. The GC-46 has two wardens for its residents. One visits the hostel each day in the mornings and the other resides here in the night. There is a full-time warden for the GCA students. The other major problem is that there is no telephone in the hostel. There is an STD outside, but it has been non-functional for the past six months. “The STD fellow finds it too uneconomical to run an STD here as the number of students is not enough for him to make profits,” says the chowkidar. “But he charges us Rs 5 to receive a call,” say the residents. “At least there ought to a phone to make emergency calls and receive calls from home. There was one earlier but then it was removed,” they added. The hostel has a lift, which according to the students, hardly ever works. In case it is in working condition, the operator refuses to use it, saying it is not safe to use it. “There are no buttons to call the lift at two of the floors. I have asked the engineering department to get the lift repaired, but no one listens to me.” informs the lift operator. Lots of things need to change, but the residents are one in sending a message to the UT Administrator. “Sir, thank you for your visit. It has changed our lives,” they proclaim. |
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City lad invited to USA Chandigarh, June 13 The ‘Presidential Classroom, a leading civic education
organisation, will host the international conference from July 7 to July 14. Joining in hundreds of outstanding students from around the globe, Amanpreet Singh will take part in seminars presented by leaders representing a variety of countries and international organisations . Among the venues to be visited include the US State Department, the Organisation of American States, the US House of Representatives and the National Defense University. The schedule also includes a private visit to the White House the US Holocaust Memorial Museum. Small group workshops will focus on issues such as human rights, arms control and nationalism. The programme culminates in a summit meeting where students showcase their diplomatic skills. Since 1969, the Presidential Classroom has provided more than 87,000 of the top students from the USA and abroad with unprecedented access to Washington’s halls of power and the people shaping public policy. Alumni have gone on to be leaders in their own communities and many like US Representatives Chet Edwards (TX) and Chris John (LA) and US Senator Robert Torricelli (NJ) have returned to Washington as public
servants. Mr Inderjeet Singh, the proud father says, ‘’ This exposure will give my son a lot of confidence to face the future competitions. He will also get chance to gain entry into American
universities.’’ Amanpreet’s mother, Neena Dhawan, a lecturer of Sociology in MCM DAV College, says ‘’ I am feeling on the top of the world. He is the only one from the country to be a part of the delegation. These days of tough competition it is really impossible to get to be a part of international delegations.” As for
Amanpreet, it’s the cloud nine feeling. He said, “This has come to me as a very pleasant surprise. I am not one of those hard workers. I like to take things easy, but I like to learn and explore. It is going to be a lifetime experience and I want to live each moment of it.” |
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Making revelations about
dinosaurs Chandigarh, June 13 This and many more revealing facts about the life of dinosaurs have been represented in “Dinosaurs in India” authored by Prof Ashok Sahni. Professor Sahni is the Dean University Instructions at Panjab University. The book has been released by the National Book Trust very recently and is currently being translated into 15 Indian languages. Professor Sahni is a PhD from Minnesota (USA). As a part of his long academic career, Professor Sahni has the distinction of having worked at the American Museum of National History, New York, the National Museum of National History, Washington, Marie Curie University, Paris, and the University of Bonn, Germany. His PhD features in the bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History. Professor Sahni remarks in the opening of the book that “ many people in the country are unaware of the remarkable dinosaur fossils that have been unearthed from rocks in India. They may perhaps also be unaware of the fact that bones of dinosaurs were found in Jabalpur cantonment over 170 years ago in 1828.” The first illustration and description of a ‘giant reptile’ (dino- terrible and sauria - lizard) was made by Professor Plot of the Chemistry Department, Oxford University, in 1676 A.D. The living period of the animal with ‘reptile-like characteristics’ is between 230 million and 65 million years ago. Professor Sahni says that in the Indian context, several important localities are known to exist in the western sector including the Dinosaur Fossil Park and the Rahioli village in Kheda district, Gujarat. The park has several eggs and nests and a large number of bones of dinosaurs which can be seen embedded in the rocks. The natural treasure is among the most remarkable exhibits of dinosaurian material anywhere in the world. It has been extremely difficult to maintain the park against vandals who wish to take away its priceless heritage. He writes, “I was attending a seminar at the Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad, when a young officer of the Geological Survey of India asked me about spherical objects 18 cm in diameter.” These were unearthed during blasting. On verification of the finds as dinosaur eggs, hundreds of more such eggs were discovered within a year. Recently, there have been reports of a dinosaur graveyard from the western and northern extremity of Kutch. Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra (eastern) represent some of the richest dinosaurian sites, but more exploration is required as most of the dinosaur-bearing rocks are in densely forested areas. Professor Sahni makes a mention of Pranhita-Godavari areas in south where rich stores of fossils have been found. There is a complete record of Indian dinosaurs from Alwalkeria maleriensis (225 million years ago) to Titanosaurus ( 65 million years ago). Professor Sahni remained a member of the teams from Panjab University and Delhi University which were constituted to probe why these reserves had survived so long. Computer illustrations in the book have been done by Mr R.S. Loyal. |
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MIS is now MSc (IT) Chandigarh, June 13 A committee met today under the chairmanship of Prof Ashok Sahni, the Dean University Instructions. Principal S.N. Singla, Dr A.C. Vaid, Principal Tarsem Bahia, Principal Khatra, Dr Ramesh Kapoor and Dr C.M. Behl also attended the meeting. Students of the Bachelor of Computer Application degree are eligible for entry to the course. The examination is reportedly scheduled for July 10. Forms will be available from June 17. The last date for applications will be June 30, reliable sources said. The classes are likely to commence from July 23. The reservation policy, as applicable in UT and Punjab, will be applicable in respective colleges. Examination are scheduled at Chandigarh and Ludhiana centres, sources added. |
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Heavy rush for admissions at
DAV College Chandigarh, June 13 Dr
K.L. Toky, coordinator admissions, said nearly 100 seats were filled today. Students scoring 86 per cent and above were selected. The highest percentage recorded was 95.4 per cent. There are 160 seats in the medical stream and 400 seats in the non-medical stream. The admissions will also continue tomorrow and students scoring 80 per cent and above have been called for the interview. |
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Admissions
to B.Com, BCA, BBA from July 5 Chandigarh, June 13 This decision was taken yesterday at a meeting at the Panjab University under the chairmanship of the Chief Coordinator of these admissions Mr Ramesh
Kapoor, who recently took over as the Dean College Development Council,
PU. The University will also be issuing an advertisement of the schedule of these admissions. This year these admissions will be held in a centralised manner at MCM DAV College Sector 36 for the city colleges. |
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"Add management tips to professional courses" Chandigarh, June 13 This was stated by Mr Kamlesh Sajnani, Managing Director, IMS Learning Resources, a preparatory course runners for entry into management courses. The 24-year-old centre has 27 branches in the country. “Basic management tips should be added to the regular professional courses and any specialisation can be followed up after little experience in the related field”, he said. Mr Sajnani said the centre offered preparatory lessons in correspondence and real classroom teaching. A course is of six months . “The course contents are tough going by normal standards and we are conscious of the fact. Our aim is to make surety of entry to places in top management institutes of the country. Going in terms of post- course placement in jobs, I would select six IIMs, XLRI, Jamshedpur, FMS, Delhi, Bajaj Institute and SP Jain Management Institute, both at Mumbai, as the top 10 management institutes in the country”, he said. Mr Sajnani claimed that last year we had 743 all-India calls from IIMS alone. Although, the Chandigarh centre was set up in 1999, its contribution was 109 calls in top institutes. Ms Guneet R.Singh, head of the local centre, said a special cell was operating for education avenues abroad. The centre was also looking into related aspects of education facilities abroad and means to get through, she added. |
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150 kids attend
workshop Panchkula, June 13 The in charge of the academy, Mr R.K. Sharma, said, “The main aim of the workshop is to explore and develop hidden natural creativity among children. Also ideas of children who have come from different places to spend vacations, are shared through interactions”. The workshop takes place in the morning for four hours and in the evening for two hours daily. Mr Sharma, his wife, Bharati, are trying to make it a success along with staff members, including Anjali, Deepshikha, Deepika, Monika and Manu, each taking care of different art works. |
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HIGH
COURT Chandigarh, June 13 Delivering the verdict on Pinky’s petition, Mr Justice Gill observed that there was no infirmity in the orders of Ludhiana’s District and Sessions Judge vide which the petitioner’s earlier application for bail was dismissed. Pinky was arrested by the Ludhiana police under Sections 307, 323, 336, 148 and 149 of the Indian Penal Code following an FIR registered on January 8 after Amrik Singh was fired upon. According to the prosecution, the bullet fired by the petitioner from his pistol had hit Amrik Singh on the left side of his forehead. Seeking the grant of bail, counsel for the petitioner had stated that, according to the medico-legal report, the injury had been caused by a blunt weapon.
Interim bail granted Mr Justice Mehtab Singh Gill of the
High Court on Wednesday granted interim bail to Ms Romila Sinha, a shareholder of Golden Projects Limited, in a cheating and forgery case. In her petition, Ms Sinha had earlier stated that interim bail was required as she wanted to look after her child admitted to the Sector 32 Government Medical College and Hospital here as he was suffering from hiatus hernia. Ms Sinha was booked by the Jalandhar Vigilance Bureau on December 23 last year under Sections 420, 406, 467, 468, 471 and 120-b of the Indian Penal Code. According to the FIR, the directors of the company had “collected money from people by hook or by crook and had used it for their personal affairs”. Denying the allegations, her counsel had stated that the petitioner was working neither as a director nor as a manager with the company. Today, pronouncing the orders, Mr Justice Gill directed the petitioner to furnish surety bonds to the satisfaction of the Chief Judicial Magistrate and surrender before the court on June 26 at 11 a.m. |
Overthrowing intolerance
through theatre Chandigarh, June 13 A once-renowned TV artiste, Madeeha Gauhar has been running the theatre group in Pakistan for about 15 years now. In an interface held with the artiste today at Punjab Kala Bhavan, she said, “For us, the existence of this group till date is a big enough achievement.” Though Madeeha said that the situation in Pakistan was much better now. “Now there are more theatre groups in Pakistan but the number of such groups is abysmally low in comparison to those in
India," she said. For Madeeha, who is in town to direct a joint Indo-Pak theatre workshop at Art Folio, the objective of theatre in Pakistan is to revive the significance of freedom and human rights. She said, “At Ajoka, we concentrate on productions which target fundementalism. Also, we are more into working on our own scripts. We are also planning to make a production on a Girish Karnad play.” Gauhar also stressed that in a scenario where religious intolerance was increasing, cultural exchange through theatre could help India, Pakistan and Bangladesh in rising above political differences and coming together. She added that Ajoka was increasingly concentrating on children’s theatre. “Children hold the key to our future. In these formative years they will imbibe whatever is given to them.” While Madeeha is holding one children’s workshop in the city, she will conduct more such workshops in other Indian cities. |
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The little master’s voice Chandigarh, June 13 Seen in this context, Sachin Sahni comes across as a man of conviction. He may not be the ultimate man in the fast-growing industry of the voice, but is a highly-rated radio jockey with AIR FM at an unbelievably young age and has a long list of credits to his name. He is an advertisement man (with ads like Park Royale, Ponds and Hyatt in his kitty), an event manager, a musician in his own right, and a lot more. In town to conduct lessons in radio jockeying, the young Delhi boy talked about the events that led him to the wonderful world of radio, the medium Sachin loves with all his heart. “No matter where I stand tomorrow, radio will continue to be a part of life — much as it is now. Even if I am not working with one, I will myself own a radio station.” Surprisingly, most people who have been associated with the radio have found it difficult to abandon it. Sachin agrees, “As a medium, radio is very lively and intimate. It offers great scope for experimentation. I love my radio shows, so much so that while I am playing songs for my listeners, I am myself dancing in the studio.” Sahni is currently hosting some primetime FM shows like
“Campus Rock” (every Tuesday, 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.). “This one is all about rock”, says Sachin, “If I don’t play metal or hard rock on this show, I get tremendous hate mail.” The other programmes he is hosting include Get Connected (Mondays, 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.). The most popular of his shows has been “Just For You” which he hosted for a full two years. As the conversation progressed, Sachin talked about what it takes to be a good radio jockey. “It is mainly about humour, spontaneity and a sense of timing. Although it is difficult to impart these skills, one can always polish whatever one has. Training does help at times. “Also important is to keep in mind the demographic factor — what kind of a section are you catering to, what is the age group of the audience and what are their likely interests. The script has to be written with all these things in mind. As for Sachin, life has been more about growing along the line. His first job happened when he was just 11 years of age. Later he dated event management, which gave him a wonderful chance of blending creativity with management skills. From a copywriter to a radio jockey —Sachin has had a chequered career. The future will be dedicated more towards music, which happens to be Sachin’s passion. “I am learning motion photography and some day I want to be a composer.” A project with ZEE music is in the pipeline already. But the young man does not like planning his life religiously. The smartest statement from the radio jockey came in the last second of the interface: “I would rather have actions in concrete and plans in sand, than the other way round.” |
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