The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Chandigarh Stories

Finally, nursing institute to see light of day
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, march 21
Even though it will be a dream come true after a long wait of 10 years for the National Institute of Nursing Education at the PGI to become a reality as the Union Health Minister, Mrs Sushma Swaraj, inaugurates it on March 28, yet staff shortage inadequate library and poor laboratory facilities still plague it.

The nursing staff is undoubtedly the backbone of any health institution, but not necessarily for the PGI administration, which these days is at its best to spruce only those parts of the Institute, which the Union Minister will be visiting on the day of the inauguration. “Despite our repeated requests to provide additional staff for running the institute smoothly, all that the authorities are interested in is to give a good show before the minister ,” lamented an official of the College of Nursing at the PGI.

Even though basic facilities like chairs for classrooms have not been provided, all that the authorities want is that they put up a good show to please the minister, point out PGI staff. Only some furniture has been bought for the hostel and the office of the Principal has been done up lavishly, as the minister would be visiting it for a few minutes, before she leaves to attend the convocation, for which she has been specially invited.

The College of Nursing at the PGI came into existence in 1968 with the help of the WHO. It was in 1975 that M.Sc (Nursing) was started in three specialities and doctorate in psychiatric nursing. Despite repeated requests for strengthening the staff position, it continues to function with 23 persons as against a requirement of almost 70.

Redtapism and bureaucratic hitches like approval by the governing body, the academic council, the finance committee and hoards of other such bodies has hampered the strengthening of facilities at the College of Nursing and once again the PGI is doing just the same.

NIFD ‘Best of Luck’ bash for World Cup
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 21
Students of National Institute of Fashion Design (NIFD) Chandigarh are organising a Best of Luck Dance Bash on March 23 at Cyanide discotheque in Sector 8 just prior to the World Cup final to wish the Indian cricket team all the best for bringing home the World Cup by defeating Australia. The dance bash will follow the exclusive screening of the World Cup finals on mega screens for the spirited NIFDians.

This is part of NIFD students campaign to support the Indian cricket team with star designer Shaahid Amir in January launching the ‘Bring back the World Cup campaign’ to wish the Indian Team and motivating them to ‘Repeat the feat of 1983’.

All the NIFDians dressed in Blue will gather just a few hours before the World Cup final to express solidarity with the ‘Men in Blue’, where they would be partying and chanting slogans for the Indian team and wishing them “Best of Luck” to beat the Aussies and bring home the World Cup. The venue will be decked up to the mood of the World Cup by students of the Interior Design Department.

The Best of Luck party will be followed by NIFD students watching the final match live on a big screen, specially put up for this occasion, cheering for their country in unison, hoping for their country’s win so that they can party again in celebration after the Bengal Tiger Saurav Ganguly lifts the coveted World Cup.

Ambedkar institute students hold dharna
Our Correspondent

SAS Nagar, March 21
Students of the stenography course of Ambedkar Institute of Careers and Courses went on strike here today in protest against of non-payment of stipend to them. Students, who sat in dharna in front of the gate of the institute, raised slogans against the principal.

They said that they had not received the stipend amount of the last three months. They were getting Rs 750 per month as stipend.

Students Najjar Singh and Manpreet Kaur said that they had met the Director and Joint Director of the Department for Welfare of the Scheduled Castes and Backward Classes, Punjab Government, in Chandigarh in this regard but were told to wait.

Students said they were not being provided hostel facility. As such many of them had to come daily to the institute from far off places while others were living in rented accommodation which was a financial burden on them. Students, who daily commuted, were not being given bus pass facility.

They said the authorities were making efforts to close this institute for stenography course and the same training be provided at the ITI.

Dr Jaspal Singh, Principal, said stipend could not be given to students as the institute had not got the full payment. He said a request for releasing supplementary budget had been sent. The case at present was lying with the Finance Department who has to clear it.

240 students get prizes
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 21
As many as 240 students were given prizes at the annual day function of Government College, Sector 11, organised on the college campus here today. While 35 students were awarded the roll of honour, 26 were presented with the college colour for their meritorious performance in their respective fields.

Mr R.S. Gujral, Home-cum- Education Secretary, Chandigarh, presided over the function and gave away prizes to outstanding students. Earlier, Prof Balwinder Singh, Principal of the college, welcomed the chief guest and read out the annual report of the college. Certificates of distinction were given to 25 students in co-curricular activities. In academics, certificates of distinction were given to 15 students for getting more than 70 per cent marks in their annual university exams. .

The outstanding students in academics include Anant Moudgil, Akhilesh Gupta, Bhupesh Arora, Aman Yadav, Manjit Singh, Babu Ram Sharma, Sumit Aggarwal and Piyush Wig. Among the girls who brought glory to the college in academics are Simrandeep, Deepti Dhir, Radha, Shikha, Vrinda and Veenu. The college president, Harpal Singh Bedi was given the college colour for organising functions in the college and helping students.

Seminar on role of media in society
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 21
The Department of Mass Communication, Panjab University, in collaboration with ICSSR, organised a seminar on “Role of media in society” on the PU campus here today. The seminar focused on the importance of the media and its values in today’s society.

While inaugurating the seminar, Prof K.N. Pathak, Vice-Chancellor of PU, highlighted the pivotal role of newspapers in everyone’s life. He stressed the need of organising more and more interactive and thought-provoking seminars.

Mr Radhe Shyam Sharma, a former editor of Dainik Tribune, lamented that the media had become a tool in the hands of marketing forces. Unni Rajan Shankar, Assistant Executive Editor of Indian Express, added that, “the common reader still knows that there is a niche for honest, brave and truthful reporting”.

Discussing the issue of ‘Editorial ethos vis-à-vis marketing ethos,’ Sunandan Chaudhuery, Vice-President of McCann Erickson, stressed the need to maintain the values and quality of editorial content of the newspapers. “Editorials reflect a balanced view on current issues and, therefore, the marketing policy should not influence its contents”, he said.

Kanwar Sandhu, Resident Editor of Hindustan Times, said “in real sense of word, there were no editorial or marketing ethos. The responsibility or role of media adds to the value systems”. Clearly underlying the pressure of marketing people on the editorial content, he said,” the media was undergoing a change with short-term gains”.

In the concluding session, talking on the issue of “The end beneficiary-media or the society”, Vipin Pubby, Resident Editor, Indian Express, said” selling space in the guise of news was the worst sin”. He said interest of the reader should be the major consideration as far as the contents of a newspaper were concerned.

Dinesh Kumar, Resident Editor of Times of India, emphasised the need for journalism schools with serious academic concerns. He advised the journalism students to be self-motivated, cultivate right attitude and guard against conformity.

600 students get degrees
Our Correspondent

Chandigarh, March 21
As many as 600 graduates were awarded degrees at the annual convocation of Sanatan Dharam College, Sector 32, here today. Addressing a gathering, the Panjab University Vice-Chancellor, Prof. K.N. Pathak, spoke on information technology, human genome and values and relationships. He said students must understand that graduation was just the beginning of a life-long learning process.

COURTS

DISTRICT COURTS
Police remand for car thief
Our Correspondent

Chandigarh, March 21
A suspect, Rajesh Kumar, arrested by the UT police in a case of car theft was today remanded in police custody by the UT Chief Judicial Magistrate, Mr C.L Mohal. The police had sought the remand on the ground that the custodial interrogation of the accused was required to know his involvement in other cases. The suspect was yesterday caught by the complainant, Rajesh Kaul, and his friend while he was trying to flee with the complainant’s car from district court complex.

Plea dismissed: An anticipatory bail plea moved by the Director of Naren Finance Limited Investment, Ravin Gupta, in a case of cheating and forgery was on Friday dismissed by a local court. He had moved a plea in a case registered against him in Sector -17 police Station under Sections 420, 457, 468 and 471.The complainant, Mr Prithipal Singh, had alleged that he had taken a loan of Rs 15, 000 from Ravin Gupta in 1987 and given 18 signed cheques to him as security. The complainant claimed that he had repaid Rs 40, 000 to the accused but the accused forged the documents and further claimed that he had yet to pay Rs 40, 000 to him.

Prima facie case: A local court has passed an order to made out a prima facie case under Section 420 or in the alternative under Section 406 against the accused Jawant Singh Mann, who has claimed himself to be Managing Director of various companies, acting on a complaint filed by Hazara Singh and others. The court further said let he be chargesheeted accordingly. Hazara Singh had invested Rs 41, 500 and Gurmohinder Singh Rs 33, 500 with the company of the accused .The complainant alleged that later it was found that no such firm as claimed by the accused was in existence at the given address.

CULTURE

Uma Sharma casts a spell
Aditi Tandon
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 21
If grace had a face, it would look like her. Adorned with finery so basic to kathak, Uma Sharma, the foremost exponent of the dance form again proved today that there is nothing as a life span for a performing artiste. The one who is born to dance will always dance, transcending barriers of age, time and space.

Throughout her hour-long presentation of the finest nuances of kathak, a dance form that gracefully blends technique with abhinaya, Uma Sharma, the Padma Bhushan danseuse held her age to ransom. She picked up the sequence of dance from the delightful piece of poetry by Brahmananda in which the poet describes the limitless beauty of Lord Krishna. Supported on vocals by the world famous music director Jalaprasad ji, Uma Sharma began depicting the vibrancy of kathak in a subtle yet strong manner. She reflected the grace of Krishna in every gesture that she made and weaving one act into another, she formed a complete tapestry of the dance form, known all over the world for its vigour and vivacity.

The dancer, however, mentioned, “Every dance form has its rigidities. Kathak has them too. There was a time when kathak dancers could present nothing beyond Krishna,” she said. But gifted as she was with a spirit and a will to create which she imbibed from her guru Shambhu Maharaj ji, Uma began her process of creation with the permitted realm of discipline. Way back in the 1970s she won the Padma Shri for bringing poetry of Ghalib into kathak.

Even today Uma Sharma presented that part of her creation for the audience to relish. She used the depth of Ghalib and the easiness of kathak to tell a human tale that had relation to everyone sitting in the hall.

Her piece from Ramayana, in which she depicted the episodes at Panchvati, was equally reflective of her mastery over kathak. Exhibiting talent and tenacity, Uma Sharma danced through the evening with grace and joy. She was joined in her affair of rhythm by Mubarak Khan on tabla and Khalid Mustafa on sitar.

Earlier today, the concert was thrown open by Suhas Vyas, who was equally enchanting with his vocal recital.