Board to make changes in maths syllabi
Tribune News Service

SAS Nagar, January 22
The Punjab School Education Board has decided to bring changes in the mathematics and science syllabus of Classes I, III, VI, and IX. this was decided at a meeting of the Board of Finance held here today. Although what exactly transpired at the meeting will be clear only in the next few days, sources said that new syllabi will be on the NCERT pattern.

A decision on the increase in the number of posts of clerks was deferred till the next meeting, which is due in February. According to sources, 665 clerks work in the board. They demand an increase of 10 per cent in the total strength. A decision on increasing total posts of clerks has been deferred,” said a source.

Although employees here have been demanding a one clerk, one assistant ratio for the board, there are many on higher administrative posts who feel that the organisation has enough clerks.

It was decided to give a new direction to the sewing course being run by the school.

The board took certain decisions regarding senior employees of the organisation. Mr Charanjit Singh Melu, Security officer-cum-Estate officer, was granted the rank of Deputy Secretary while the services of Mr Amar Singh, PA to the Vice-Chairman, who is under suspension, were reinstated pending an inquiry.

NCC authorities write to institutes over cadets’ conduct
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 22
Following the incident in which five NCC cadets were detained by the local police for allegedly smoking cigarettes laced with drugs, the NCC authorities have written to principals of schools and colleges to ensure proper conduct by cadets.

The Deputy Director-General, NCC, Brig D.S. Dhillon, told TNS here today that a letter in this regard was also being sent to the DPIs, schools and colleges, as well as the commanding officers of various NCC units.

Special instructions are also being issued to associate NCC officers (ANOs), who are teachers or lecturers and are commissioned as officers to look after the NCC activities in their respective institutes.

“ANOs have been asked to motivate cadets that they are a disciplined lot and have to be careful of the image they project at all times, or they have no business to be in the NCC,” Brigadier Dhillon said. “The esteem and dignity of the uniform cannot be lowered at any cost,” he added. The cadets were in uniform at the time of the incident.

The NCC directorate here is also formulating a list of “dos” and “don’ts” to be disseminated to cadets so that the NCC cadets should stand out amongst other students, whether in uniform or not.

The NCC officials, meanwhile, are actively following up the case with the local administration and the police. The officials said that the five cadets who had been suspended yesterday would be reinstated if they were found innocent. While the police had let them off after noting their particulars and addresses, the cigarette recovered from one of the cadet’s possession has been sent to the CFSL for examination.

Entrepreneurship development programme begins
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 22
The Regional Centre for Entrepreneurship Development yesterday started a six-week entrepreneurship development programme at Shivalik Public School. Sponsored by the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India, the programme is being organised for the unemployed and under employed youth in order to motivate and train them to take up self-employment as a career instead of looking for jobs.

In a press note, Mr Paramjit Singh, Principal Consultant, claimed that course would equip the participants in managerial and motivational inputs so that they could successfully launch and run their own industrial or service ventures in the small scale sector. After the training course, he said, the institute would monitor the ventures of the participants and would provide individual council wherever required.

He said the course would cover project identification, availability of infrastructure support/finance, opportunities in various fields like computers, food/agro processing, medical plants, leather, chemicals, electronics, glass technology, preparation of techno-economic feasibility reports, finance and marketing of products. It would also cover in the related field.

Mr Paramjit said such training programmes were conducted for other target groups, including women, rural youth, food processing industries, non-conventional energy-based projects on the behalf of different Central ministries and state government departments, he added.

Science society function
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 22
Faculty and students from the Science Society of Government College for Girls, Sector 11, held a poster and model display at the college premises, which was followed by a colourful cultural programme.

The DPI (Colleges), Mr Dalip Kumar, presided over the function and gave away prizes.

The winners in different categories are:

Chart-making: Ritu Sood and Niharika (25th century man); Anjali and Payal (nuclear energy); Supriya, Ruhi and Nighi (Auroras).

Models and projects: Anila, Rajni, Kalpana and Neeraj (cloning); Raj, Neha, Puja, Prem and Tamana (global warming); Gurpreet (vermiculture).

Special prize: Sonia, Shikha, Samita, Amita and Kanta (production of energy).

Rangoli: Priyanka and Samita; Shweta and Rani.

Best speaker: Richa Lamba (AIDS).

CULTURE

Reflections of rural Punjab
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 22
Exhibits at Indus Ind Art Gallery in Sector 8 have more form and less technique to show. The painter is as passionate about art as any serious artist would be. In fact, his name spells art. He calls himself Ajnabee.

The works of art he has created, however, are all an expression of his thoughts, images and feelings, which he has gathered along the road to self-discovery. Most works are on the vivacious woman of the land of five rivers. Ajnabee paints the female form with great deal of sensitivity and sensibility. The result is charming and subtle.

Highly figurative in nature, the collection seems to draw a lot of inspiration from the kind of work Punjab’s legendary artist Sobha Singh did. Although comparisons are nowhere to be struck, the painter admits, “At no level do I compare with the great painter, nor would I ever seek to do that because art has to be a statement of individual perception. But I must state that I have learnt a lot from the works of Sobha Singh, who gave to Punjab a rich lineage which will go down into the history of art as unparalleled.”

As for the current show most images are those from rural Punjab. Detailing has been done with a lot of care to enhance the effect of female form in the background of a village location. So the symbols have been accordingly employed — right from pitchers to drapery of women.

The richness of colours is another striking area. Normally, the artist who indulges in figurative work, faces the challenge of sprucing it up with motifs and symbols that add life to the theme and further without obstructing the basic form on the canvas.

Ajnabee meets up to this challenge well. He uses just the right symbols in the right context and also in the right colours. Hues of fire dominate the artists’s mind, related as they are with the vigour of Punjab.

The show can be viewed between 10 am and 6 pm.

Thanjavur paintings steal the show
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 22
Traditional art works of Tamil Nadu are the main attractions at the Tamil Nadu handicrafts and handloom exhibition which opened at Lala Lajpat Rai Bhavan in Sector 15 here today.

Sponsored by the Ministry of Textiles, as part of the golden jubilee celebrations of the resurgence of handicrafts in India (two exhibitions from West Bengal and Maharashtra are already going on), the exhibition is being handled by artisans who have created the art works themselves. The idea behind the show is to bridge the gap between the artisan and the market so that the reward of labour goes to the craftsperson concerned and is not pocketed by any middle man.

Giant-sized wood-carved products like old doorways which give a royal feeling, heavily decorated bronze items with rare motifs, brass lamps with peacock, parrot swam resting on the top are the highlights of the exhibition. Another important traditional decorative item from Tamil Nadu is the Thanjavur (Tanjore) painting. Made out of precious stones (gold is employed heavily in the decoration of Tanjore paintings), the works of art are typical to Thanjavur.

Artists in Thanjavur have dedicated generations to lend shape to the highly revered form of art. A lot of mythological importance is attached with these paintings, which highlight images from the life of Lord Krishna. Now as the times are changing, other themes have also found home in Thanjavur art. Among handloom products on display are the rich silk sarees of South India. Laced with typical motifs, the sarees have been nominally priced for this exhibition, which is being organised by the Tamil Nadu Handicrafts Development Corporation, an undertaking of the Government of Tamil Nadu.