Monday,
April 8, 2002, Chandigarh, India
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More luck for third-time lucky Chandigarh, April 7 They were able to join the first-year undergraduate courses, hoping to clear the board examination in two chances. When they could not, the university held back the results of their first-year examinations. Then, they got this special chance. They were given roll numbers just before the examinations. The issue had been raised at the last meeting of the Senate, where the Vice-Chancellor had promised quick action in this regard. When contacted, Dr Sodhi Ram, Controller of Examination, said such a decision had indeed been taken. Mr Ashok Goyal, who had raised the issue at the Senate meeting, had said that the university had set a precedent in 1999 by giving such students a special chance. His view was that, now, when the board had given such students a third chance, the university should react positively. It was said that, if students did not get a third chance, they would lose two academic years. A senior student said either the PU should decide not to give more than two chances under any circumstance or the third-chance results should be accepted whenever announced. A PU official said the university needed to be careful in giving a third chance to unsuccessful candidates in future because, if the other boards followed the practice, the list of candidates could become endless and university would not be able to refuse them roll numbers. A senior fellow of the PU said the university should give students endless chances, but to maintain academic standards, promote a student only when he or she had cleared all previous examinations. There have been cases where students have cleared examinations of senior classes, but wasted two years at being unable to clear compartment tests of junior classes. |
WORLD HEALTH
DAY Chandigarh, April 7 A special function to mark the day was organised by the PGI, where the warning issued by the WHO that physical inactivity is one of the leading causes of diseases and disability was reiterated by Dr
S.K. Sharma, Director, PGI. ‘‘If people continue regular physical activity they can prevent many diseases. Physical activity could be enjoyable and fun,’’ he said. Dr Rajesh Kumar also warned that north Indians, in general, have to change their lifestyles from sedentary nature to a more physical one and take the WHO action plan for 2002 seriously. Quoting the WHO World Health Day report, Deputy Commissioner M. Ramsekhar who was the chief guest at the function, stated that approximately 2 million deaths per year are attributed to physical inactivity. The WHO, through a worldwide press release, had issued a warning that sedentary lifestyle could very well be among the 10 leading causes of death and disability in the world. “The habit of maintaining a healthy lifestyle, including regular exercise and a nutritious diet ideally begins in childhood and we hope that parents and schools everywhere will use this day to spread this message,” said Dr Gro Harlem
Brundtland, WHO’s Director-General. “We should all be ready to move for health and to adopt healthy and active lifestyles. World Health Day 2002 is a call to action to individuals, families, communities governments and policy-makers to move for health.” Sedentary lifestyles increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, obesity, and increase the risks of colon cancer, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, lipid disorders, depression and anxiety. According to the WHO, 60 to 85 per cent of the people in the world — from both developed and developing countries — lead sedentary lifestyles, making it one of the more serious yet insufficiently addressed public health problems of our time. It is estimated that nearly two-thirds of children are also insufficiently active, with serious implications for their future health. Among the preventive measures recommended by the WHO are moderate physical activity for up to 30 minutes every day, tobacco cessation, and healthy nutrition. In addition to individual lifestyle changes, governments and policy-makers are also recommended to “move for health” by creating a supportive environment for people. Meanwhile, students of the Sector 38 Guru Harkrishan Model School performed yoga and demonstrated various “asanas” on the occasion. A cycle rally was flagged off by the DC from PGI to Sukhna lake who also rode with the 250 schoolchildren. Prizes were also awarded to some of the cyclists by the Chandigarh Amateur Cycling Association. Dr Inderjit Walia, Principal, College of Nursing and president,
IPHA, had earlier welcomed the guests and Dr Rajesh Kumar thanked them. |
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Mountview sauna catches fire Chandigarh, April 7 “As the information about the fire in the premier hotel of the city, which has very advanced firefighting systems, reached the department, we sent 5 fire engines thinking that the evacuation effort will be monumental,” the Chief Fire Officer, Mr G. S. Bajwa, told TNS. The fire suspected to have been caused by a short circuit was brought under control after one hour's difficult exercise as the fire engines did not have access to the club. No damage to life was caused and a minor loss to property was estimated. Mr Bajwa said every structure needed to have a clearance from the Fire Department but the club had not got it. As a result fire engines could not reach it. However, Mr Bajwa said the hotel's firefighting system was perfectly functional and very effective. The hotel staff reported the matter immediately after they smelt some substance burning and shut off water and electricity supply to the health club. The fire fighters had to scale walls to reach the place and vehicles could not be taken to the spot, which was unusual. But the vehicle could still be positioned at a place near the wall from where it could have used water jets through pipes that had to be taken over the boundary wall, firemen said. The department had sent one fire tender each from Sectors 11, 32 and 38 fire stations and 2 from Sector 17. Senior Fire Officers M. L. Sharma and S. K. Gosain themselves supervised the operation. |
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Minister’s kin assault cops SAS Nagar, April 7 The Minister, Mr Jagmohan Singh Kang, was not available for comment. The VIP lad, Rajpal Singh, who is said to be working as a Naib Tehsildar at the Commissioner’s office in Patiala and his two associates created a lot of ruckus before they were overpowered by the
cops there. The Phase I police has booked them for assaulting a police official and trespassing. A case under Sections 353 and 186 of the IPC has been registered against them. The suspect, Rajpal Singh, came to the police station along with two other persons, Jaspal Singh Bhatti, a resident of Sector 3-A and Jugrag Singh, a son of the owner of Singh Gun House and a resident of Sector 37 in Chandigarh. One of the youths, Jaspal Singh Bhatti, is said to be involved in a case registered by a former minister in the last Badal government. The youths, who reportedly had a drinking session at Morinda, came to the police station and asked for the Station House Officer (SHO). The ‘nephew’ went into the room of the SHO and sat on his chair and hurled abuses at the cops there. The bedlam continued till 2 p.m. before they were taken to the local government hospital. |
PUDA pool cold-shouldered SAS Nagar, April 7
Reason. After the tragic death, last year of a13-year-old boy of Paragon Senior Secondary School due to drowning here, officials of the Punjab Urban Planning and Development Authority (PUDA) are reluctant to open the pool to the public. Enquires reveal that since the drowning incident, no steps have been taken to rectify the shortcomings at the pool. Due to the pool remaining dry for long, and the lying were exposed to the vagaries of the weather, the tiles need urgent repair at a number of places bottom at the walls. “The pool was emptied some days after the drowning incident and has not been filled since then”, says a resident of the area. Even the dirty water at the deep end of the pool has not been dried. Its been eight months, enough time to set things right. The then minister, Dr Upinderjit Kaur had visited the house of the victim, Karanbir Singh in Sector 55, Chandigarh and said that steps would be taken to prevent such an incident in the future. An inquiry conducted by an official of PUDA had also suggested ways and means to improve the functioning at the pool. But apparently, neither have “No diving” signs been marked clearly in the shallow area on both the walls and the deck, nor have the safety rules been written and prominently displayed in the precincts. The Punjab Human Rights Commission has awarded an interim compensation of Rs three lakh to the family of the victim. The victim’s father, Mr Surinder Singh Aujla, said the commission had taken suo motto notice of the incident after the CHB Flats Resident Welfare Association of Sector 55 had made representations at different forums. The commission has fixed April 15, 2002 as the final date for announcing the order. The association has sought that a video camera be fixed at different levels in the pools in the region for timely detection of any mishap. |
Challenges to secular policy discussed Chandigarh, April 7 Presiding over the discussion, Swami Pitambarananda, secretary, Ramkrishna Mission Ashram, said the basic tenets of human values were destroyed by the Gujarat carnage. He said the education system had failed to provide physical, mental and moral training to people since it was bereft of spiritual values. Prof Satya Dava warned that quarrels on the basis of caste, religion and race would make people more backward. Prof G.S. Brar, Department of Political Science, Panjab University, criticised the transfer of certain police officers for doing their duty by the Gujarat Government. He also attacked the Congress and Left parties for playing communal card during elections. The secretary of the Society, Mr Onkar Chand, said the Gujarat police had failed to handle the crisis which engulfed the state. Prof P.P Arya, convener, Janshakti, was of the view that social forces should come forward in Gujarat and take the democratic institutions to grass-root level involving the poor. |
‘Channelling was meant for rainwater only’ SAS Nagar, April 7 In late eighties, the then housing board had consulted renowned engineers to protect houses around the choe from being damaged during the rainy season. In 1991, on the advice of late Mr L.S. Passi, a known engineer who was then with the Union Ministry of Surface Transport, the decision on channeling the choe was taken. The work on channelling the choe was executed in phases during the tenure of different officials of the housing board and the Punjab Urban Planning and Development Authority (PUDA). The official said at least 19 acres of prime land had been reclaimed and the bed of the choe had been restricted to a small area due to channelling. Dry stone pitching with wire grades was done to allow recharging of the ground water. Experts say that the choe was never designed to carry sullage, which has now become a source of nuisance for the residents of the area. |
Road without lights causing deaths SAS Nagar, April 7 The only time the lights work is when an international match is to be held at PCA Stadium, recalls Mr
T.S. Teer, president of the Residents Welfare Association of Phase X. He points out that streetlights had been out of order for the past three years. Various representations to the Mayor of the Municipal Corporation of Chandigarh
(MCC) and officials of other departments of the Chandigarh Administration have failed to yield results. Enquiries reveal that a 47-year-old person, Bhajan Singh, and 28-year-old Ravinder Singh had died in accidents on the road. The association has urged the MCC to repair the lights at the earliest. |
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CTCC holds ‘sadbhavna rally’ Chandigarh, April 7 The rally was the 11th in the series of rallies organised on the direction of the All-India Congress Committee after violent incidents took place in Gujarat. The rally was led by the CTCC president, Mr B.B. Bahl, and attended by the Senior Deputy Mayor, Mr Surinder Singh, Deputy Mayor, Mr Balraj Singh, Mr D.V. Manchanda, Mr Mohmmed Sadiq, Maulvi Shakeel Ahmed, Ms Sulochana Ahuja and Ms Kulwant Dhaliwal. The “sadbhavna” programmes will end on April 13. The party had earlier decided not to raise any slogans and to convey the message through banners and placards. |
‘Sikh values eroding’ Chandigarh, April 7 Principal Bharpur Singh while introducing the subject, said a forum was to ponder over the problem. |
Car thieves held SAS Nagar, April 7 Though no police official was available for confirmation, according to information available, the traffic police signalled the Maruti car, bearing temporary registration no CH-01-T-0338, to stop at the Phase 8 traffic lights. While one of the occupants of the car, said to be Avtar Singh, was showing the registration documents, the other two persons sitting in the car drove away and brought the car to Dhiman Autos in Industrial Area, Phase 2, Panchkula. They left saying that they would be back in some time and gave their mobile phone number. In the meantime, the owner of the auto repair shop, Jeetinder, rang up on the mobile phone number given to him by the two persons, but the call accidentally landed with a cop trailing the thieves. The cops asked the garage owner to hold back the occupants of the car when they come to get their vehicle. In the ensuing moments when one of the suspects, Bablu, living in Sector 19 of Panchkula, came to get the vehicle, the cops pounced upon him. The Panchkula police was, however, not aware of the arrests. The vehicle and suspects were taken to the Phase 8 police station. The police has registered a case under Section 411 of the IPC against Bablu, one of the suspects. |
Kumhar Colony resident stabbed Chandigarh, April 7 Bicycles stolen In separate incidents, two persons were caught red-handed while trying to steal bicycles from various parts of the city. A resident of Ropar, Mohan Singh was caught red-handed by Anil Kumar while the former was trying to steal his bicycle from Sector 46. In the second incident, a resident of Moradabad, Suraj Pal, was caught red-handed by Mahi Pal while the former was trying to steal his bicycle from the Modern Housing Complex in Mani Majra. The accused were handed over to the police, who have arrested them and registered separate cases against them.
Bootlegger held Police has arrested a rickshaw-puller from Sector 11, Dinesh Kumar, and recovered 39 pouches of whisky and seven pouches of gin from his possession. A case under the Excise Act has been registered against him.
Cyclists injured Two persons were injured after their bicycle was knocked down by a Maruti car near the Sector 4-5-8-9 chowk. The injured have been identified as Nachhttar Pal Singh, a resident of Yamunanagar and Santosh, a resident of Garhi Koth near Panchkula. They have been admitted to the PGI. A case has been registered.
Fraudsters booked Police has booked two persons operating from a Sector 34 office, for allegedly duping several persons on the pretext of sending them abroad. A resident of Ropar, Ranjit Singh, had complained that the accused collected Rs 4.28 lakh from 12 persons with the promise to send them to Kuwait, but they did not fulfil their promise nor returned their money. Police has registered a case of cheating and conspiracy.
Van stolen A Sector-46 resident, Rahul Kohli, has reported that a Maruti van (CH-01-Q-5384) has been stolen from his residence. Police has registered a case. |
MARKET PULSE SAS Nagar, April 7 Mr Kumar said it was the duty of the bank employees to sort out the old currency notes. ‘‘If any bank was found providing old currency notes then the customers could complain to the RBI,’’ he said, adding that the banking sector was undergoing a big change. From social banking the emphasis had changed to customer service now. In coming days, the banks would become financial super markets and with facilities like e-banking, the customer could transfer money sitting in their homes. Dr KM Bhattacharaya, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Bank of Rajasthan Ltd, said the institution had tied up with the Infosys for technological upgradation in its centres. He said after passing through a financial crisis, the business handled by the bank during the year ending March 31,2002, was Rs 6500 crore. Mr Vinod Juneja, Executive Director, Mr Niraj Tyal, Chairman, Mr SN Sharma, Deputy General Manager and Mr SC Maheshwari, Assistant General Manager, were among those who spoke on the occasion. |
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