The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Chandigarh Stories

PU plans more academic independence
Tribune News Service

VARSITY MATTERS

Panjab University aims to take decisions pertaining to academic matters of admissions and examination independent of the approval of the Centre for every change.
Amendments in rules and regulations concerning academics sought to be incorporated with a two-thirds majority of the Senate following legal vetting by legal experts.
Syndicate willing for the change. However, changes mooted keeping in mind the legal implications which will be studied again.
Academics feel that already the university is following a rigid pattern of thorough debate on any academic issue, which passes through a committee followed by the Syndicate and the Senate. So, a change is welcome.

Chandigarh, July 7
Panjab University plans more independence in decisions pertaining to academic matters. This is evident from a proposal that was mooted by the university seeking amendment of Section 31 of the Panjab University Act that says that all university decisions — both academic and non-academic— have to bear the final stamp of the Centre for final approval.

The matter figured at the syndicate meeting of the university. Although a final decision was not taken, the university has decided to go ahead with re-studying the proposal and redrafting it before being submitted again for consideration.

The syndicate has not taken a final decision on the proposal, “seeking the regulation dealing with academic matters, including regulations, amendments, additions and deletions in the regulations for the admissions to various courses and examination be finalised at the level of the Senate with a two thirds majority. Legal vetting of the regulations will also be done before the final approval of the senate”.

It was said in the Syndicate that the proposal had certain legal implications that needed to be studied in depth before any decision in this regard. The draft of the proposed amendment would now be studied in consultation with legal experts. Subsequently the proposal needs to be submitted to the regulations committee that then comes up before the university syndicate and the senate for a final decision.

It is felt that any university decision for freedom in academic matters was a positive step in terms of independent planning and quicker implementation. The university was not washing its hands off its responsibility of answering the Centre.

Each academic decision would be passed on to the Centre. A fellow pointed out that that academic decisions as such were not taken independently by the university. Even here, any amendment, addition or deletion was thoroughly discussed at the level of committees of Syndicate and the Senate before any decision.

It is also felt that the university was aware of the fact that the Centre being the main funding agency, it had every right to monitor the developmental activities on the campus and suggest changes.

The university draft proposal does not want an inch of freedom on account of non-academic matters.

The Centre would be main the controlling agency.

A fellow said that under the current system a regulation passed through all university agencies, including the Syndicate and the Senate, took a long time waiting for the Centre to notify the regulation.

The university handling the student matters directly should be empowered enough to take independent decisions because it understood the problems regarding admissions, classroom, teaching and examination better than the planning agency. However, the university should remain open to Centre’s suggestions on national-level decisions concerning education.

WHITHER HUMANITY
Won’t anyone stop for the dead?
Bipin Bhardwaj

Chhat Bir (Patiala), July 7
The body of a man lies crumpled on the road but heavy volume of traffic and cycles moves on unfazed by the occurrence. The scene was a real one today on the Chandigarh-Patiala road where the body of a man lay unattended for over 12 hours near Chhat bus stop while no one bothered to stop and inform the authorities concerned.

There may be societies for the prevention of cruelty against animals but the fate of a common man is lesser on the scale of tragedy.

The body of an unidentified elderly man was mowed down by hundreds of vehicles on the busy road. The incident appeared more ghastly when this correspondent visited the site. While human population marched on, the body was “visited” by scores of crows and dogs eating into the bloody remains splattered on the road.

The body remained lying on the highway for over 12 hours and the speeding vehicles, including those of VVIPs, VIPs, politicians and even police kept on running over it till 12.15 this noon when the police had to be summoned following a call by the correspondent.

In a blatant show of callousness and apathy none of the passers-by even bothered to inform the police earlier. The speeding vehicles splattered pieces of his body within a half kilometre radius.

As the body remained unguarded a swarm of crows and vultures in addition to stray dogs and jackals had a feast. The birds kept on hovering over the body and picking up scattered pieces of flesh while the wild animals were looking for a chance to get their ‘pound of flesh’ till the remains of the body were removed by the police.

Some onlookers said the incident had elements of intrigue attached to it as there was every possibility that someone had been murdered and later crushed under a vehicle to make identification difficult. The police could be seen making use of a spade to collect the mortal remains of the man after a day of a feast for the crows and dogs. The body was taken to the Rajpura Civil Hospital for the post-mortem examination.

Mr Balwinder Singh, Deputy Superintendent of Police, was not available for comments while Mr Arvind Puri, SHO, Dera Bassi, when questioned about the delay said they had received no information prior to the call made by this correspondent.

The police, however, said the unidentified man was a lunatic and wandering in this locality for the past couple of months. A case has been registered against the unidentified vehicle owner in this regard.

14 lawyers to face inquiry
Kiran Deep

Chandigarh, July 7
Taking a serious note of the increasing number of complaints of professional misconduct, the Bar Council of Punjab and Haryana has referred 14 complaints against advocates belonging to Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh to the disciplinary committee for initiating an inquiry against them.

Sources reveal that about 132 new complaints of professional misconduct are pending before the Bar Council. Out of these, complaints against 14 advocates have been referred for an inquiry. As many as 50 advocates have been directed to file a reply in a complaints of professional misconduct pending against them. The remaining complaints have been dismissed by the Bar Council due to lack of merit.

In a complaint filed against an advocate practising in Chandigarh, the complainant had stated that he had engaged the lawyer to fight his case but the said advocate had grabbed his money. When the complainant grew suspicious about the honesty of the advocate, he demanded all his briefs back. On this the advocate allegedly became furious, grabbed his hand and chewed his little finger. The complainant had also submitted a medical certificate to strengthen his complaint.

In another complaint filed against an advocate practising in Bathinda, the complainant stated that he had engaged the advocate for filing his case before the consumer disputes redressal forum at Chandigarh. He alleged that his counsel connived with the opposite party and withdrew his complaint from the forum without his instruction or permission.

In yet another complaint filed against an advocate practising in Chandigarh, the complainant stated that he had engaged a counsel and settled a fee of Rs 15, 000 with him. He further alleged that after having paid some part of the settled fee, the advocate obtained his signature on blank and printed papers. He later allegedly demanded Rs 5000 over and above the settled fee for the purpose of listing the case before the judge of his choice. When the complainant refused to pay and demanded back his brief, the advocate refused.

Levelling serious allegations against another advocate practising in Chandigarh, a complainant alleged that his advocate made someone else appear in the court, impersonating him as the complainant. He alleged that this was repeated thrice. Later, the court also directed the complainant to file a criminal complaint against the advocate. The complainant further stated that he did not want to drag the advocate to the court. He, however, filed a case against the advocate before the Bar Council and prayed for appropriate action against the lawyer. The complainant has also attached a copy of the court’s order.

Reacting to the issue, the Chairman of the Bar Council of Punjab and Haryana, Mr Anmol Rattan Sidhu, said the inquiry had been marked against advocates whose professional conduct was under scrutiny. “Many complaints of professional misconduct, which have been pending before the Council, have further been referred to the disciplinary committee.” He said, adding that such cases could not be handled with lesser strictness, because lawyers are said to be the guardians of society.

Filming the strange and the unexplained
Aditi Tandon
Tribune News Service

SOME STRANGE FACTS

A perennial stream near Bikaner dries up on a particular amavasya
A temple in Rajasthan accepts animals as offerings. In temple precincts all animals live harmoniously.
A dry patch of land in Barmer bears water during the month of chaitra; then again dries up.
A tribe in MP eats mango kernel (highly poisonous) as staple diet.
A woman in Amravati can tears apart a hot water bottle with her breath
People in Barmer can make dough without using water

Chandigarh, July 7
At long last, here is someone who not only harbours faith in strange happenings but also believes in documenting them for posterity. On the trail of things unexplained is a Delhi-based film maker Shyam Malick, who has filmed over 300 case histories of people, places, phenomena and animals, which defy the principles of modern science.

Hunted down from places far into the dense forests of Madhya Pradesh and deserts of Rajasthan, Shyam Malick has captured stories of human prowess over science.

His search for the paranormal began four years back when he found himself in the thick forests of Palankot, a place in Madhya Pradesh which is a crucible of herbal medicines. This area exists in a deep gorge that resembles the Grand Canyons and houses a tribe, the only one in the world which has the poisonous mango kernels as its staple diet.

While sharing his exemplary experiences with The Tribune today, Shyam Malick sounded most awe-struck about Palankot, "How they take out poison from the kernel is another strange process. Another peculiar fact is this tribe's fascination with soap. They regard soap as something divine, something meant to give fragrance. So they first take a bath, then apply soap."

In Punjab these days to track down strange happenings, Shyam Malick began his search for the supernatural out of curiosity. But after confronting the tribals of MP, his appetite increased. He went deeper into the state and found a man, who can dip his hand in a vessel containing boiling oil, without causing himself harm. From MP to Maharashtra, Shyam sought the help of Public Relations Departments to confirm and film many strange cases.

In Amravati he met one Shobha Tipnis who tears apart a hot water bottle with a blow of her breath. He also met a man who writes with both hands at a speed of 150 words per minute and who, while writing, can create mirror images.

From people and places to phenomena, Shyam's passion is endless. Most of the 300 striking visuals have been recorded on a special website created for the purpose.

It is called www.vibgyorvisuals.com. In Rajasthan, Shyam filmed two places of supernatural significance. A certain dry patch of land in Barmer suddenly starts bearing water during the month of chaitra, when the place hosts a special animal fair.

Another perennial spring at Awari in Bikaner suddenly dries up on a particular amavasya. "Water flow becomes sluggish at 8 pm, stops at 12 in the night, resumes at 4 am and becomes normal with sunrise."

This and much more is yet to come. For Shyam, who has made many documentaries on forces like the Coast Guard and the BSF, this experience is the closest to his heart. He is now documenting strange treatments and true stories of reincarnation. He said, "The series will take long before it is accomplished. I am also going to Pakistan and Bangladesh in this connection. Anyone who wants to provide leads can contact us at contribute@vibgyorvisuals.com."

CMD: negative growth in civil aviation sector
Prabhjot Singh
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 7
In the aftermath of the September 11 terrorist attacks in the USA, the civil aviation sector in India registered negative growth. Against projected growth of 5 per cent in 2001-2002, the domestic civil aviation sector witnessed 7 to 13 per cent fall in its turnover. Now negative growth has stabilised at 7 per cent, says Mr Sunil Arora, Chairman-cum-Managing Director of Indian Airlines.

Talking to The Tribune here this morning, Mr Sunil Arora, who belongs to the 1980 batch of the IAS (Rajasthan cadre), said that at the last IATA conference held in Shanghai, it was revealed that civil aviation industry suffered a loss of $ 12 billion during 2001-2002. As such, the impact was also felt in India.

Two of the important reasons for the aviation industry running red in the country had been the ATF (aviation fuel) and insurance . Against a price of Rs 14,200 to Rs 14,800 per KL of aviation fuel in 1999, the price had now stabilised at 19,500 per KL after touching a new high of Rs 22,000 per KL in September, 2000.

Similarly, against the third party insurance cover of Rs 59 crore in 200 — 2001, it was Rs 185 crore in 2001-2002, mainly because of reinforcement of safety and security of air passengers after the September 11 terorist attacks.

“In spite of losses, how come the domestic airlines, including IA, have reduced air fares drastically,?” he was asked. “It was Indian Airlines which took the lead in accordance with the worldwide phenomenon, introduced a flexi fare module in the country in 1999. Now all private air carriers too have fallen in line and taken to this module,” says Mr Arora, maintaining that July-September is the leanest period for the domestic aviation industry.

“We reduce the fares on certain sectors to improve passenger load factor. A seat going vacant on a flight means irrecoverable loss. So it is better to have some revenue than making a total loss on that seat. After the success of the Bharat Darshan “scheme, we have now introduced flexi fares on a number of select sectors for travel during August to October. The only condition is that confirmed tickets must be purchased 21 days in advance,” said Mr Arora, maintaining that private air carriers, too, have slashed fares on these “high density routes”.

“Other reason,” says Mr Arora, “has been the addition of capacity by private carriers. Though we too got six new aircraft last year, these came as replacement for our ageing fleet. Now we have also proposed to the Government to allow us addition in the fleet. Based on the recommenadtions of high-powered committee, we may go in for Airbus A319, A320 and A321 aircraft subject to government clearance”.

Indian Arilines might introduce a direct flight to Mumbai via New Delhi and might also consider airlinking Chandigarh with Jammu.

Talking about travel agents, he said during his tenure a number of procedural irritants had been removed. It was with agents that the airline prospered, he quipped.

CHANDIGARH CALLING

CAN a few bucketfuls of sand extinguish a fire in any of the petrol pumps in the city? The answer is a clear and big “no”. Is it not surprising then that none of the petrol stations in the city has fire hydrants or any provision for stocking adequate quantity of water and other firefighting means and equipment.

Going by the number of vehicles on the roads of the city, it can be anyone’s guess to estimate the risk factor involved in going on without adequate fire safety measures at the storehouses of fuel material. Fire is always a possibility at the fuel stations as is evident from reports from all over the world. Also, location of certain fuel stations near the residential quarters should be a big reason for the administration to act in this direction.

There are plenty of norms existing in the bye-laws and necessary conditions in setting up petrol stations. Much, however, depends on the intention and sincerity of the administration in ensuring compliance with the statutory provisions.

As petrol and diesel are highly inflammable fuels, in case any tragedy strikes, there will be a great loss of life and property.

Lotus saplings

About a fortnight ago, the Environment Society of India (ESI) received a gift of several saplings of lotus from Dal Lake in Srinagar. These plants now adorn the pond in the “Nature Discovery” (M.C.C. Nursery) Sector 26, Chandigarh.

Lotus — a type of water lilly the roots of which are buried in earth while flowers open out above the water — attract, bees and kingfishers throughout the day.

The Hindu Lotus (Nelumbo nucifera) has a wide distribution in Asia and North East Australia. The Hindus compare India to the lotus, the petals suggesting Central India and the leaves the surrounding states. The Hindus and Buddhists practice lotus posture (a style of sitting upright and crosslegged) for meditation.

Mahayana Buddhists perform “Lotus Sutra”, a sermon preached by the Buddha to a vast throng of gods, demons, cosmic powers and rulers.

Silicon Valley

The City Beautiful was recently discovered in the Silicon Valley by the officers of the Chandigarh Administration.

The presence of Chandigarhians in the Valley straightaway turned into a lobby for getting the city investments in the sunrise industry of software.

Not only the beauty of the city was enough for the entrepreneurs to come to the city which in their perception was not a destination for this industry but the city’s capital tag of Punjab swelled the lobby.

The Director, Information Technology, Mr Vivek Atrey who was in the Silicon Valley said as many as 2500 persons in the Valley were from Punjab and Chandigarh.

They showed their enthusiasm to invest in the city but the result will prove whether nostalgia can overcome the business sense which had been drawing the investors to Bangalore, Chennai and Hyderabad.

The people from Chandigarh and Punjab, however, promised to work as a lobby to make the city an investment destination.

The Chandigarh counter along with Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand turned out to be a rendezvous for Punjabis and Chandigarhians who had not met each other for years.

The people from this area were even surprised to see such a large number of Punjabis who had been thronging the Chandigarh Counter.

Mud-slinging

The Municipal Corporation of Chandigarh did not know it was unwittingly engaging in mud-slinging with the monsoon hitting the city.

The Corporation was busy in laying a sewage line on the round about of Sectors 19 and 27.

The digging left lot of mud and sand by the side of the road which was flying on the face of scooterists.

But when rains came, the danger of the people slipping on the soiled roads increased leading the Corporation officials to start lifting the mud.

The mud had almost covered half the road blocking traffic in case of the Chandigarh Transport Undertaking buses stopping just on the middle of the road because of the mud.

The men in white

For many decades now, a doctor has been associated with a white coat and a stethoscope. At the same time there is something called the ‘‘white coat syndrome’’ which refers to the sudden increase in the patient’s stress levels on seeing the white coat. Perhaps as a consequence there has been a definite sartorial shift among the more accomplished doctors. Seldom does one find a doctor today, whether in private practice or government, who is wearing the white coat or carrying the stethoscope. In the PGI the residents, however, are compelled to wear the white coat perhaps in order to distinguish them from their seniors or to emphasise their junior status.

Security angle

A fallout of these men in white has been the problem that the PGI security has been facing of late. Unscrupulous elements and fraudsters are able to get easy entry into various blocks of the PGI donning just a white coat and a stethoscope around their necks. This is the easiest ticket to the innards of various PGI buildings.

This has also led to some of the junior resident doctors not wearing their coats so that anyone wearing it around and outside of the hospital is now a suspect in the eyes of PGI security.

In fact, the only person among the senior doctors in the PGI who insist on donning the white coat is the Medical Superintendent. Perhaps he is the only one carrying aloft the lofty sartorial tradition of yore. However, wearing a coat in the peak of summer has its own problems, No wonder the MS is routinely complaining of headaches and such like specially on occasions when journalists approach him for some information. ‘‘Mera to sar phata ja raha hai... is the routine response everyone gets...’’ May be he should try removing this coat for a few minutes to see if it helps the headache.

Wide choice

Complaints against the stiffness of university exams have been rife in the recent past. A quick perusal of the examination papers and the syllabi, however, suggests a dismal level of understanding on the part of students. All the social science subjects offer a hundred per cent choice in answering exams.

The Department of History offers even greater choice. Students are supposed to answer two out of five questions. And many students routinely study only about a third of the syllabus in order to pass with reasonably good marks.

The surprise therefore is not that such a large number get low marks but that such a large number fail. Perhaps it is high time that the university did away with the system of giving such wide choices in its MA examinations. Otherwise today the student is not the master of his subject but someone who has a mere nodding acquaintance with some portions of it.

— Sentinel

COMMUNITY

Water in abundance, but not potable
Rise in shallow water table in southern sectors
Sanjay Sharma
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 7
Structures in the southern sectors of Chandigarh are facing a threat from the rise in shallow water table but the people still seem destined to a scarcity of drinking water.

Though waterlogging has not occurred but the table has been increasing every year due to no exploitation of shallow water and over drawal of the ground water,'' sources in the Central Ground Water Board told the Chandigarh Tribune here today.

A unique phenomenon of rising shallow water table and decreasing ground water level had been witnessed, which had not been noticed anywhere in the country, the sources said. The increase in the shallow water table weakens structures and makes land infertile because of salinity, the experts feel. Salinity also harms buildings.

The situation has landed the Municipal Corporation of Chandigarh in twin problems of arranging for utilising the shallow water to allow acquafiers recharge the ground water and also to rationalise the use of ground water through tube wells.

The abundance of the ground water, however, is not going to bring any immediate relief in terms of higher drinking water supply as the shallow water is considered to be polluted in cities.

The Municipal Corporation and senior officials of the Chandigarh Administration had already discussed the issue and are likely to allow the exploitation of shallow water for non-drinking purposes and check the digging of tubewells in southern sectors.

The exploitation of the shallow water, however, may indirectly reduce the burden on the water supply by meeting the non-drinking water needs of the people.

The Chandigarh Administration and Municipal Corporation will now have to make efforts to frame policies for arranging for ground water recharging facility.

The Central Ground Water Board had mooted the idea of changes in building bylaws to make water recharging a necessary feature of the architecture of each building post-Gujarat and Rajasthan famines.

Shallow water in southern sectors had not been percolating to the ground water resulting in water resources becoming scarce for drinking purposes. The reason for a blockage between shallow water and ground water is thought to be clay as no rock structures were found in southern sectors.

With an alarming situation developing, the Municipal Corporation may have to ban the exploitation of ground water and allow free extraction of the shallow water. The municipal corporation charges a hefty amount for digging a tubewell.

The shallow water, however, may not be polluted as studies have not been done on the quality of water in the city.

CHAWLA MURDER CASE
Mobile calls could lead to vital clues
Tribune News Service

The assailant(s) exchanged information through their mobile sets; the messages exchanged through the Sector 26 communication tower of Spice — during the period the trader went missing — are under scrutiny.

The food, consisting of potatoes and bread, was found undigested during the autopsy.

It takes about three hours for a human body to digest food. This means that the victim died within three hours of consuming the food.

Chandigarh, July 7
In the three-week-old murder case of Sector 26 trader Ramesh Chawla, communication between the assailants through their mobile phones could lead the investigators to vital clues.

The police believes that assailants exchanged vital information about the movement of the victim moments before he was reportedly picked up from the busy market area of Sector 26.

The victim’s body, with partially disfigured face, was found in wild growth, adjacent to the Panjab University campus on June 17. The autopsy revealed that the victim had been hit twice in the head and he died due to the first blow.

Sources in the police said three different theories were being probed. But the family-angle and dispute over some payment are not being considered as the prime reason for the motive behind the murder. It is learnt that the assailants, believed to be having Spice mobile connection, communicated through the communication tower in the area.

All messages exchanged within the period when the victim was kidnapped were being scrutinised to single out the suspicious mobile users. Police officials believe that after being picked up, Chawla remained in Chandigarh for more than nine hours before being done to death. The assailants were apparently hiding in some northern sector. Since the wireless message, including the number of the Santro Car, was flashed within few hours of missing of the trader, it is being believed that they remained somewhere near the spot where the body was found.

The police, however, does not rule out the case to be that of mistaken identity as most of the vehicles owned by the family had 16 as last two digits in the registration number. The registration number of the victim’s car was HR-43-D-0016.

The role of the servant of the victim of not identifying the body of his employer has raised doubts in the mind of the investigators. He was the last person to have seen the victim before the latter was picked up. The theory of the victim being kidnapped from the busy area of the Sector 26 market is itself doubtful. Either the assailant(s) knew the victim or he was picked from some other spot.

Significantly, the presence of about 300 gm of potatoes along with lumps of bread in the stomach of Chawla has puzzled the investigators. The victim was a diabetic and never ate potatoes under medical advice. The post-mortem revealed that the food, consisting of potato and bread, was undigested. According to medical experts, it normally takes up to three hours for a human body to digest food, which means that the victim was killed within three hours of being forced to consume the food.

Emphasis on stress management
Tribune News Service

Panchkula, July 7
“The birds of worry and care fly over your head, this you cannot change, but they build nests in your hair, this you can prevent,” sums up the motto of the Institute of Stress Management and Research, launched, here today, with a seminar on “Media and Stress”.

Focussing on “de-stressing” an individual constantly plagued with overwork, competition and worry, former Additional Director General of Police and Director of the institute, Mr V.K. Kapoor, quoting alarming statistics, said 80 per cent of the modern diseases were related to stress and four to five per cent of the population was suffering from anxiety.

He added that Americans were consuming five billion doses of tranquillisers and 16,000 tonnes of Asprin, according to information available.

Conducted with the help of slides, the talk by Mr Kapoor added that stress was a psychobiological response, which was a reaction to change. “Change is stressful whether it is for the good or bad,” he said.

Caused by stress reactivity and stimulus to trigger fight or flight, stress took its toll on the health of an individual causing headache, heart disease, hypertension, lowered immunity, sexual dysfunction, stomach and intestinal problems among others, he added.

After a detailed speech on stress, its causes and fallout, Mr Kapoor went on to term journalism as a “high-risk lifestyle”, responsible for attitudinal, behavioral and relationship problems.

Comparing journalism with an airplane, he went on to state that maximum thrust into maximum resistance produces lift. “However, it makes journalists cynical and destroys all attitude. Nobody ever warns a newcomer of the dangers that lie within the portals of this profession, the danger of being on your own, of operating without back-up, of being under constant scrutiny and the dehumanising effect of being treated nothing more than a machine,” Mr Kapoor explained.

Moving on to “burst stress”, a term applied to movement from complete calm to high activity and a high stress state, he said frequent situations of this kind could lead to physical, emotional exhaustion, burnout, internal changes and disturbed food and sleep patterns.

Rather than listing out stress-management techniques, he enumerated on “How not to manage stress”. He said relying on liquor, coffee, tea, cigarettes and pills or tranquillisers did more harm than good.

“The only answer lies in leading a balanced life, which has a golden blend of professional, social, cultural, financial and creative ingredients,” he said. He concluded his talk by making a strong recommendation for company of friends and family as well as pursuing a faith to fight stress.

Later, Mr Kapoor said the institute would run short programme capsules on checking increasing stress levels for all kinds of professionals, couples, children besides organising yoga and meditation classes.

Among those present at the function were Dr Jaswant Rai, chairman of the managing committee, Mr S.K. Monga, vice-president, and Mr M.P. Seth, secretary, Mr Sanjiv Tewari, Director Public Relations, Panjab University, and Mr Vivek Atray, DPR, UT.

Benefits of yoga highlighted
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 7
In his endeavour to highlight the benefits of yoga and meditation for city residents, Swami Adhyatmananda has been holding camps here.

“It is unfortunate that Indians have so far not realised how valuable yoga and meditation can be for the overall well-being of not only the individual but also the nation, while foreigners, realising its worth, are trying to gain from it,” he remarked after a yoga session at the Sector 10 tennis stadium here.

Swami Adhyatmananda, who has travelled around the world, holding yoga and meditation courses, says that in their quest for peace and tranquillity, foreigners have found the ultimate answer in yoga. “Only those who practise yoga can realise that it ushers in hope for life , making you realise the beauty of the soul,” he says.

He lamented that today all of us have become so self-centered that nobody is sparing a thought for national interest.

“The need of the hour is that people who are selfless and upright come forward to take the reins of the nation in their hands.”

The shift from joint family system to the nuclear family is also a major concern, as he feels that it is through caring and sharing that we learn what is “maryada” or respect for each other.

He cautioned that we are not far from the stage when violence, ego , hypocrisy , drugs and sexual problems cause irreparable damage to the very essence of Indian culture and tradition.

Practising yoga since 1973, Swami Adhyatmananda, yesterday delivered a lecture on “Stress management through yoga”.

The 10-day yoga camp till July 11 is being organised by the Department of Health and Family Welfare, Punjab, in collaboration with the Chandigarh Lawn Tennis Association

Over 160 doctors from the three branches of medicine — allopathy, homoeopathy and ayurveda — are attending the camp.

They are being given theoretical as well as practical training so that they can create awareness among the masses about the benefits of yoga. In the long-run, yoga would be encouraged as an alternative system of medicine.

A proper booklet with guidelines for the doctors working in the Punjab Government hospitals would be printed after the camp.

Dr Kochhar installed Rotary President
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 7
At a brief but impressive ceremony, Rotary Chandigarh Shivalik installed Rtn. Dr G.S. Kochhar as President and other members of his team on Saturday night at GK International in Sector 35 here today.

The team consists of the immediate past President, Col A.P.S. Dhillon, Rtn. Prithi Vohra as secretary; Rtn. Hemi Sablok, Rtn. Dharinder Tayal, Rtn. Sandeep Luthra, Rtn. H.S. Thukral and Rtn. Virender Sachdeva as Directors; Rtn. Sneh Popli, Rtn Harshvir Jaspal and Rtn. Lt-Col Balbir Singh as treasurer, joint secretary and Sergeant-at-Arms, respectively, for the year 2002-2003.

Mr Justice Jawahar Lal Gupta, Judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, was the chief guest and Prof B.S. Mann, Director Principal, Govt Medical College, was the guest of honour. Rtn. Raja Saboo, past RI President, while concluding his address to the Rotarians commented that this function was the future of yesterday, while the coming year 2002-2003 led by Dr Kochhar would be the future of today. He wished all the best to Dr Kochhar and his team.

Colonel Dhillon presented a review of the various projects carried out by the club during the year 2001-02, while the incoming President of Rotary Shivalik, Chandigarh, Dr Kochhar, said he planned to executive various projects for senior citizens, environment protection, traffic awareness, health education, medical camps, AIDS awareness, TB control and helping the disabled. Youth would be given career guidance. Seminars and declamation contests would be held on issues of importance in which specialists from complementary fields would be involved.

Cataract operations for the poor would be performed with the help of Rotary Club Elgin Breakfast, Chicago, USA, and restorative surgery for birth defects in children would be undertaken with financial assistance from Rotary District 6270, USA.

ITFT introduces PG course
Our Correspondent

Chandigarh, July 7
With the service sector emerging as one of the major job creators, related industry like tourism, hospitality, aviation and event management will have maximum direct and indirect employment opportunities the world over. According to the Planning Commission report, in the next 10 years about 70 per cent of the new jobs created will be in the service sector.

Taking a cue from the ongoing trend, the Institute of Tourism and Future Management Trends (ITFT) has introduced a postgraduate course in conferences and event management — covering all aspects of events management from conceptualisation to marketing and budgeting.

In another major step, the institute has also collaborated with Woodbury University, California, for starting a one-year MBA programme. It has also introduced diploma in Computer Applications, postgraduate diploma courses in business entreprenuerial management, human resource management and in Journalism and Mass Communication.

“Since tourism and aviation are interlinked for their growth, the ITFT has clubbed these two disciplines into one course — a one-year postgraduate diploma in tourism and airlines management — with two months on the job training,” said Dr Gulshan Sharma, Director, ITFT. The diploma covers a wide spectrum of topics from global tourism to emerging trends in health tourism. The diploma is of three-year duration, which consists of two and half years study at the ITFT and six months on the job training,.

CITCO employees regret demotion orders
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 7
Employees of the Chandigarh Industry and Tourism Development Corporation (CITCO) here have reacted sharply to the Board of Directors’ ( BOD) decision to demote 14 employees, by the managing director about two years ago.

The CITCO Workers Union has strongly protested the board’s decision to demote employees after such a long time, even though it would not financially help the corporation in any way since these employees were not given higher employees pay scale benefits after the promotions. The union has called a meeting on Monday to chalk out the next course of action. It has already sent letters to the Adviser, Chandigarh Administration, Home Secretary, Finance Secretary and Managing Director. It has warned the management of resorting to agitation if the decision to demote the employees is not reviewed.

Condemning the decision, Mr Yashwant Singh Jaswal, general secretary of the union, said,‘‘ There has been no promotion policy in CITCO for the past 10 to 12 years and the employees and officers are on the same posts despite good performance. In July, 2000, Mr Satish Chandra, Managing Director, using his powers had taken a decision to promote certain officers and employees but with same pay scales, and their cases were recommended for full promotion to the Board of Directors. One can imagine the impact of this decision on employees’ morale who had started working on their new designations.’’

CRIME

Woman alleges rape
Tribune News Service

Panchkula, July 7
A woman was allegedly raped by her mother’s neighbour at Rattewali village, when she had gone to stay there.

It is alleged that the victim had come from Mauli Jagran to visit her mother, Ms Phoolwati. She was sleeping on the terrace on the night of July 5, when the accused Balwinder Singh, from the adjoining house sneaked onto their terrace.

It was around 2 a.m. that the complainant heard her daughter crying for help. She rushed upstairs to find the accused sneaking away from their house. He allegedly also threatened the victim of dire consequences, if she reported the matter to anyone.

A case under Sections 376 and 506 of the IPC has been registered.

Burnt to death

A young woman was allegedly burnt to death at Chandimandir by her husband on July 4, allegedly because she could not satisfy her husband’s lust for more dowry.

Mr Karunassi, a resident of Jamnagar in Gujarat has complained that his daughter Bhavna was married to Sanjay Kumar in February 2000 and had a 13-month old baby. Sanjay had been harassing her daughter for bringing less dowry since their marriage, he alleged.

Sanjay reportedly called up the complainant on July 4 and said Bhavna had received serious burn injuries, while lighting a lamp. When the complainant reached here, he was told that his daughter had died. Suspecting foul play, the complainant approached the police . A case under Sections 304-A and 498-A of the IPC has been registered.

Assaulted

Pritam Singh, a resident of Old Panchkula and his 13-year-old son Sunny were reportedly assaulted by four persons, when they demanded Rs 400 for repairing an air cooler. The accused took away the cooler without paying them their charges.

Cash, jewellery stolen

Chandigarh: A Sector 15 resident, Mr Saravpal Singh, has complained to the police that gold jewellery worth thousands was stolen from his house on the night of July 5. He reported that four gold bangles, three pairs of ear rings, two gold chains, three gold rings and Rs 1,500 had been stolen. A case has been registered.

Meanwhile, Deepak, a resident of Rajiv Colony, Panchkula was arrested from Mani Majra yesterday for allegedly stealing Rs 170 from the shop of Mr Rohit Kumar. A case has been registered.

Rickshaw-pullers booked

The police continued its drive against rickshaw-pullers who create danger and obstruction on roads. The police registered five cases under Section 283 of the IPC against six rickshaw-pullers here yesterday.

Car lifted

Mr Narinder Mehta, a resident of Sector 22, has reported to the police that his Maruti Car (PB 02 F 1482) was stolen from his residence on the night of July 4. A case has been registered.

Gambling case

Kanwar, a resident of Sector 38, was arrested allegedly for gambling at a public place here yesterday.