The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Chandigarh Stories

EDUCATION

Painting and paper-reading competition
Our Correspondent

Chandigarh, August 9
Students of Government Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 46, got an opportunity to express their views on the horrors of modern war and have an insight into the Quit India Movement during a painting and paper-reading contest, organised by the school authority in association with the World Peace Mission to mark Hiroshima Day and Quit India Day, here today.

Stressing the need to maintain internal peace and security, Mr R.S. Goraya, Principal of the school, said it was important to take effective measures for the prevention and removal of threats to peace. The President of World Peace Mission, Mr Avtar Singh, talked about the need for developing friendly relations among the nations, while Punjabi singer K.C. Rahi described the damages caused by atom bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki that left a trail of destruction.

The painting contest was won by Ruksar followed by Deepali and Arvind in the second and third positions.

In the paper-reading contest Arvind Thakur got the first prize while Pankaj Verma and Kusum got the second and third prize, respectively.

Meanwhile, the two-day silver jubilee celebrations of St Anne’s Convent School, Sector 32, started with an English group song competition at Tagore Theatre in Sector 18 here today. At least about 12 teams participated in the contest.

The contest was won by Sacred Heart High School, Sector 26, followed by St Stephens School, Sector 45. The third prize was bagged jointly by St Kabir High School, Sector 26, and St John’s High School, Sector 26.

Father Stephen from Catholic Church, Sector 19, along with renowned musicians Sunil Kumar Dhiayani and Paul, judged the event.

Mount Carmel students bag prizes
Our Correspondent

Panchkula, August 9
As part of Independence Day celebrations, the Lions Club Chandigarh (Nightingale) organised an awareness programme against drug abuse at Satluj Public School, here today.

The club also organised a poster making competition in which nearly 150 students participated. Mr Surjeet Pathyer, president of the club, gave away prizes.

The winners of Category I, which was for the junior students, included Rishav Bhandt from Mount Carmel School (first), Baljinder Singh from Mount Carmel (first runner-up) and Sheetal Kaur from Mount Carmel (second runner-up).

In the Category II, first prize was won by Parul Mahajan followed by Mithun Sharma and Gurlove Singh. All winners were from Mount Carmel School.

Students can apply for NRI quota seats
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 9
All eligible students who had applied for admissions but did not apply in the foreign, non-resident Indian (NRI) or NRI- sponsored category can now opt for the particular subject in the special category by applying to the respective chairpersons on plain paper by August 16, according to an official press note issued here today.

The number of seats available in the category and more related information can be had from the respective chairpersons or the admission committees.

Students will have to bring along with them all necessary documents at the time of counselling along with bank draft and a certificate of proof of withdrawal of money from the sponsor’s account at the time of counselling.

Final counselling for all reserved categories will be carried out on August 24; general categories will be done on August 25; and foreign, NRI and NRI sponsored seats will be filled on August 26.

300 students attend seminar
Our Correspondent

Chandigarh, August 9
Nearly 300 students from different colleges of the city participated in an information seminar held at the Sector 10 Art Gallery Auditorium, here today.

The seminar was organised by the local chapter of the AIESEC. According to a press note, the intention behind holding the seminar was to promote the AIESEC among the student community.

Chandigarh’s IT Director, Mr Vivek Atray, explained to the students the importance of inter-personal communication and managerial skills.

The president of the AIESEC in Chandigarh, Mr Avneet Singh, also answered the queries of the students.

COURTS

HIGH COURT
Rs 1 lakh compensation for student
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 9
Acting on a petition filed by a B-Tech student, Mr Justice N.K. Sud of the Punjab and Haryana High Court today directed the Principal and Chairman of M.M. Engineering College at Mullana in Ambala district to pay Rs 1 lakh as compensation to him.

Delivering the verdict on a petition filed by student Bhupesh Gupta of Naraingarh, Mr Justice Sud also directed the respondents to pay the amount within a month.

Bhupesh Gupta had earlier alleged that he was admitted to the III semester in August, 2001, after passing a diploma course, but was later informed about infirmity in his admission. His aggregate score in the diploma course was 57.8 per cent against the requisite of 60 per cent, counsel had contended.

Seeking directions to the college authorities for allowing the petitioner to continue with his studies in the V and the VI semester, he had added that the petitioner’s result of the III and the IV semester should also be declared. After going through the arguments and the case record, Mr Justice Sud dismissed the petition but ordered the payment of compensation.

Transfer of case

Mr Justice Ashutosh Mohunta of the High Court on Friday reserved orders on a petition seeking the transfer of a case pertaining to the murder of Akali leader Gurdial Singh and five other activists from the local police to the Central Bureau of Investigation or any other independent agency.

In his petition against the state of Punjab, Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh and 12 others, Gurdial Singh’s brother Nau Nihal Singh had further sought directions to the investigating agency to present the challan before the court of competent jurisdiction within the stipulated period of 90 days.

He had submitted that his brother, whose security cover was withdrawn, was murdered on May 19 in broad daylight in Bhikhiwind bazar, just 200 yards away from a police station, after a conspiracy for his elimination, involving Congress minister Gurchet Singh Bhullar, was hatched. The petitioner had added that highly sophisticated weapons were used and about 100 bullets were fired. The police, he had claimed, had initially refused to register a case despite the statement of an alleged victim.

Going into the background of the case, he had stated that Gurdial Singh had contested the elections as Shiromani Akali Dal candidate from Valtoha but had lost to Mr Bhullar. He had further added that Mr Bhullar had engineered two other attacks on Gurdial Singh’s life. Two persons had even been convicted and sentenced to four years rigorous imprisonment, besides being fined Rs 1,000, he had asserted.

Sentence reduced

Partly allowing a petition filed by four NDPS convicts, Mr Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel of the Punjab and Haryana High Court on Friday reduced their sentence from 10 years rigorous imprisonment to three years.

Pronouncing the orders, Mr Justice Goel also reduced the fine from Rs 1 lakh each to Rs 20,000 each. The three — Ajmer Singh, Sat Narain and Mohan Lal — were earlier booked by the police on the allegations of possession 1 kg of opium. Another accused, Chhinder Singh, was taken into custody for possessing 1.5 kg of opium without valid licence or permit.

After hearing arguments and going through the record, Mr Justice Goel observed: “The quantity recovered from them taken individually does not fall in the category of commercial quantity. Accordingly, their sentence is reduced to three years rigorous imprisonment and the fine is reduced to Rs 20, 000”.

Notice of motion issued for Sept 3
Project for draining flood water
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 9
Taking up a petition filed by city advocate Tejinder Singh Sudan and 14 other residents of Phase V in SAS Nagar seeking directions to the state of Punjab and other respondents for completing the proposed project for draining out the flood water from their sector, a Division Bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, comprising Mr Justice G.S. Singhvi and Ms Justice Kiran Anand Lall, yesterday issued notice of motion to the respondents for September 3.

In their petition against Chief Administrator of the Punjab Urban Development and Planning Authority, besides other respondents, the residents had claimed that the completion of the project was necessary to save their lives and property.

Going into the background of the case, the petitioners had contended that they had been experiencing flood-like situation during the rainy season for several years now, but it had assumed alarming proportion during the past few years “due to environmental degradation and non-availability of any outlet for the rain water”.

Giving details, they had submitted that the “residents were spending sleepless nights as the overflowing water was entering their residences and destroying the household goods, adversely affecting their daily routine”. Counsel for the petitioners had further submitted that “the whole area was getting filled with knee-deep water”. Moreover, overflowing sewage water from the toilets was resulting in unbearable stench.

He had contended that a letter was written by an Executive Engineer to the Municipal Council President in December last year clarifying that the problem was being created as the area was 25 feet lower than other parts of the township. As a result, water from Palsora village and other parts of Chandigarh was gushing in. For draining the same, a separate system was required to be set up by PUDA.

However, PUDA’s Chief Administrator asked the Municipal Council to take up the project, the counsel had further contended.

The counsel had claimed that every official working in the state of Punjab was absolving himself from the responsibility. In the process, the residents were suffering. Regarding a solution to the problem, he had suggested: “The only remedy was the completion of the proposed project whereby a rivulet was to be constructed from the JCT chowk in Phase VIII of Industrial Area to the Cremation Ground in Sector 72. The estimated expenditure would be between Rs 3 to 4 crore.”

The case will now come up on September 3 for further hearing.

CULTURE

Countdown to French Nightingale contest begins
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 9
The countdown to the annual musical bonanza of the Embassy of France and the Alliance Francaise le Corbusier de Chandigarh has already begun. A much-awaited contest in the French circles, the French Nightingale singing competition is all set to break routine this year.

The most striking part of this year’s contest, as informed by Director, Alliance Francaise, Chandigarh, Daniel Riou, would be “judgement by students of the French institution. Daniel informed the Tribune, “We have always had complaints about the credibility of judgements. So this year, instead of calling an elite jury, we have sufficed to put our own students on the board. We are going to select 20 students from our own circles. They will witness the contest and will give their ranking and marks.”

Apart from this, a special music workshop is going on at Alliance Francaise in order to train those interested in participating in the contest, scheduled to be held in September this year. Although the pre-selection date is September 12, the preparation for the big event which promises free travel to France as the first prize, is already going on in full swing.

The contest is open to anyone who has an inclination towards music and French. The communication from the Embassy of France has already been sent to the four universities of Punjab, as also to the colleges like GCG, Sector 11, which have always shown interest in French music.

Meanwhile, further entries have also been invited by the Alliance Francaise. Anyone with a slightest interest in music can gather the experience by entering the contest. For registration contact 668627.

‘Daughters’ to please rain god on Teej
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 9
“Daughters of Punjab” will celebrate teej at the famed Rock Garden here in a different manner tomorrow. “It is not the time to sing and dance but to pray to the rain god to come to the rescue of farmers who have been passing through a crisis due to drought in various parts of the country”, said Mrs Jaswant Kaur, president of the Malwa Women Social Welfare and Cultural Society that is organising the programme.

Mrs Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, who will be the chief guest, said she had suggested the society members to hold a prayer tomorrow seeking rain from the almighty. “We would burn a traditional doll of tattered clothes made by girls tomorrow”, Mrs Bhattal said. In earlier times when there used to be a prolonged dry spell or drought, girls in villages used to burn such dolls as a “custom” to seek rain from the god, she added.

I have also told the society members to cook traditional “sweet rice” for distribution among the participants as a “shagun” on this occasion. Mrs Bhattal said when our brothers and fathers were fighting a battle to save their crops in the countryside, the teej would be the most appropriate occasion to stand by them and pray.

She said she would also donate blood in the morning as a symbolic gesture. Drought had sucked a lot of blood of farmers and let us donate it for those who need it, she added.