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April 6, 2003, Chandigarh, India
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Databank on scientific researches Chandigarh, April 5 The project is being undertaken by the Punjab State Council for Science and Technology here. Approval for the project has been accorded by the Department of Science and Technology, New Delhi, and a three-member team has been constituted for the execution of the project. The idea behind the exercise is to ensure proper documentation of research projects undertaken and their end results as well as to avoid duplication. Besides a lot of research undertaken by various institutions here has applicability in the industry and this would give the industry a forum to fulfil their needs. Conversely, research and development activities undertaken by the industry could be picked up by other institutions. According to sources, a large number of organisations and institutions in this region are engaged in carrying out research on diverse topics, but there is no systematic record of such activities available. “No one knows what has been done by and by whom. Outside the department concerned, there is no knowledge about the research activities undertaken,” a scientist remarked. Among organisations to be covered in Chandigarh are the PGIMER, Panjab University, Punjab Engineering College, Government Medical College and Hospital, Chandigarh College of Architecture, Central Scientific Instruments Organisation, and Institute of Microbial Technology. Besides, there are several government agencies undertaking studies, research and documentation on subjects relating to geology,
archaeology, ground water resources and soil conservation. A number of non-government organisations are also undertaking research on socio-economic topics. Research and development activities undertaken by three defence-related organisations in the city, Terminal Ballistics Research Laboratory, Snow and Avalanche Studies Establishment and Ordnance Cable Factory, could also be “surveyed” as some of the work undertaken by them also has immense application in the civilian sector. A lot of research being undertaken in the city, specially at institutions such as the CSIO, IMTECH, PGI and Panjab University, has implications not only at the national level, but also in the international arena. Considerable contribution has been made by them in electronics, aviation and space-related programmes. While some projects have been taken up independently, there have also been collaborations with prestigious national and international institutions and organisations to undertake research work. |
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Australian college for city Chandigarh, April 5 ‘‘We are starting our own college here. We will be initially focussing on diplomas and degrees in marketing both for beginners and mid-career professionals. There are plans to develop this college into a full fledged private university. ‘‘We will not compromise on quality. We will provide quality education with emphasis on practical training’’, emphasises Prof Kennett. The BSP group has already signed an agreement with the Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Public Administration to use its ‘‘unoccupied portion of the building to start its classes for the ensuing academic session’’. Prof Kennett also visited some schools and colleges in rural areas. At Samrala in Ludhiana. He visited MAM Public School, run by an NRI couple - Mr Devinder Singh and Kulwinder. ‘‘Though conventional education is essential, but training for market-oriented courses is equally important,’’ he concludes hoping that by September classes would start on the Chandigarh campus of Norwest College. |
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UBS organises
seminar Chandigarh, April 5 Mr Vinod Sawhney, CEO of Airtel(North), said the foremost challenge for a HR manager was to mould human responses which were crucial to the success of any organisation. HR managers were now seen as strategic business partners of any organisation. Mr Rajesh Pandey, Vice-President of the Quark India, said the HR professionals needed to be proficient in working out the strength of an organisation. Dr Manoj Kumar Sharma, organising secretary, said in the changing environs the role of an HR manager had grown. The role was not merely administrative now. Others who spoke on the occasion included Mr K.K. Mishra, of the Philips, Mr Harshwinder S, Airtel, Prof K.K. Mangla, Chairman of the UBS and Prof Meenakshi also from the
UBS. |
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It’s back to school for parents Chandigarh, April 5 For many parents in the city, it is back to school. No, not for higher studies, but to understand the basics, for assisting their little ones, at least, initially. If you are having doubts, go to some of the posh schools in the city. As the instructors tell parents about the right way of saying “cat”, they, like obedient children, sit straight on benches listening attentively. Or else, they wriggle uneasily in their seats as the instructors tell them that “C” followed by “a”, “o” or “u” will have a “K” sound and if followed by “e” or “i”, it will have a sound of “s”. “I didn’t realise how bad my pronunciation was until today,” says a mother whose three-year-old son has taken admission in a kindergarten. “The teacher asked me to utter the word ‘academy’ and I just couldn’t do it properly. This was not all, I couldn’t even pronounce “asylum” correctly,” she says.” The intention behind making parents attend these classes is not very hard to analyse. Explaining the trend, Ms Anu Sharma, teaching in a leading kindergarten school, says: “Children learn the art of speaking through imitation. If parents are bad at pronunciation, children can never be good at it. That’s why we lay so much emphasis on it. “We want the children to have a strong base so that they do not feel embarrassed at a later stage while conversing in English”. Parents, too, do not mind attending these classes for they do not have to walk into classrooms dot on time. Moreover, they are not spanked for conversing with their
next-seat-neighbour for talking in Hindi, while the English class is in progress. “It’s actually fun,” says Madhu, a resident of Sector 32. “For the first time, I am not scared of teachers. Moreover, there is no tension of doing homework. And the best part is that my mother-in-law is doing all the cooking as I have to be present in the school”. |
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Teen talk show Panchkula, April 5 The event was sponsored by Bull’s Eye, a training institute for management students in Chandigarh, and saw an enthusiastic crowd of children, parents and senior citizens. The Tribune was the media sponsor of the show. The discussion mainly revolved around the issue of dating among children and the acceptability of this phenomenon by society at large. Teenagers blamed the local police on cracking down on them, while they were casually sitting in parks with friends from the opposite sex. The police also came under fire from
panellists — Dr Chavan, a psychiatrist at Government Medical College and Hospital, Chandigarh, and Dr Laltu, from Department of Chemistry, Panjab University. They argued that if affection between Krishna and Radha and the Kamasutra were part of the Indian culture, then dating was perfectly acceptable in society. They lambasted the police for failing to curb the crime rate, and instead getting after youngsters dating in parks. Mr Vijay S. Bhardwaj, spokesman of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Punjab and Mr Yadav, argued that societal policing was necessary. They argued that the police was more like “guardian angel”, when parents failed to keep a check on their wards.
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Class VIII students left in lurch Panchkula, April 5 It is learnt that the exam was cancelled because the paper was reportedly leaked yesterday near Hodal. Though the prior information about the paper being cancelled had reached here last evening and the information of paper leak had also appeared in several papers, many students were unaware of this and learnt about the case only after they reached their examination centres. |
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Pay compensation, firm told Chandigarh, April 5 The complainant stated that he had given the tape-recorder on October 17, 2001, for the repair and he was asked to collect it after one week. He stated that despite the fact that he had approached the firm a number of times but the taperecorder was not be delivered. While filing a reply in the court, the firm claimed that on October 20, 2001, the taperecorder was handed over to the complainant. The court, after hearing the arguments from both side, said: “Though the complainant had mentioned the price of the taperecorder to the tune of Rs 7,000, he has not produced any documents about the cost of the taperecorder. The taperecorder was an old one. So without there being any evidence about the cost of the taperecorder, the firm directed to pay Rs 1,500 as cost of the taperecorder to the complainant”. |
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Terrorist
brought from Yamunanagar Panchkula, April 5 The former terrorist, along with another Punjab terrorist, Avtar Taari, had allegedly shot dead one of their accomplices, Sukhpal, alias Pala, near Toda village almost two months ago and then buried his body in the bed of Tangri river passing near this village. He was produced before a local court and remanded to police custody for four days. The police conducted excavations in the river bed in the evening and exhumed the body of the victim by about 8 pm. The case came to light only when Waryam Singh was arrested by the Yamunanagar police in a case of snatching of a taxi from a taxi driver in Chachrauli near Yamunanagar almost a week ago. It was during his interrogation by the Yamunanagar police that he confessed to the murder of Sukhpal, with Avtar Taari being his accomplice in the crime. It may be noted that Waryam Singh and Avtaar Singh Taari — both terrorists (cats- terrorist sympathisers-turned-informers) — had been earlier arrested by the Punjab Police towards the end days of terrorism and were lodged in the Patiala Central jail, before being released almost four years ago. Both accused are residents of Seoli village in Lalru tehsil of Patiala. It was in the Patiala jail that they came in contact with Sukhpal, who hailed from Mehmoodpur village of Patiala. The three had been friends for long and were involved in several petty crimes in Patiala, Ludhiana and Ropar districts of Punjab. However, Sukhpal had fallen in for Waryam’s sister and it was this reason that led to his murder. The police has registered a case under Sections 302 and 201 of the IPC. It is now on the lookout for Avtar
Taari.
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Youth sentenced for robbery Chandigarh, April 5 As per the prosecution, the complainant, Mr Balwant Chand, said that on May 18, 2000, the accused offered him a cold drink laced with some intoxicants, while he was travelling in a bus. After consuming it he fell unconscious. When he woke up he came to know that Rs 10,000 and a gold ring was stolen by the accused. One of the accused in the case was declared juvenile. His case was sent to a juvenile court |
WESTERN FILM REVIEW CHANDIGARH: Fun, frolic, thrills-combining these three ingredients of entertainment, “Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams” (Kiran), is director Robert Rodriguez’s funny tale about the robust spirit of exploration of two ordinary kids with extraordinary spying skills. Precocious and courageous, the two rookie sleuths, Carmen Cortez (Alexa Vega) and his sister, Juni Cortez (Daryl Sabara), who have recently been made members of the junior division of a secret government organisation embark on an exciting journey that will take them to a strange island inhabited by a crazy scientist, Romero (Steve Buscemi), and his bizzare menagerie of creatures. Queering the pitch, their parents, Gregorio Cortez (Antonio Banderas) and Ingrid Cortez (Carla Gugino), who themselves are ace spies, along with the two children’s grandparents also jump into the fray. As if this is not enough, another pair of kids, Gary Giggles (Matt O’ Leary) and Gerti Giggles (Emily Osment), butt in to demonstrate their snooping abilities. All hell breaks loose as the odyssey of excitement takes new twists and turns. Garnished with a liberal sprinkling of spy paraphernalia ranging from satellite-linked watches to rocket-powered hovershoes, “Spy kids 2...” may prove to be a recipe for laughter. |
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FILM REVIEW ‘Yeh Dil’ (Batra) tries out new permutations and combinations in relations to reach the expected result of a happy ending, as in a majority of Indian screen love stories. The presentation lacks in a convincing action package, although the supporting cast to the Tusshar- Nataasha(nee Amrita) pair has sustained the pace of the script. The cast is fresh but the story idea is stale. Tough times at the box-office are predictable, going by the rough sailing conditions the entire Bollywood is experiencing for the past couple of years. The ongoing annual examinations in universities and colleges adds to the question mark on the fate of the film. Akhilendra Mishra as a possessive and a social status-biased father is convincing. Seema Biswas has a powerful role but she is too loud in the role of an oppressive paternal aunt. Tusshar is the son of a rich father who is over indulgent in business activities and extra-marital relations. Tusshar falls for Nataasha, a daughter of a milk-vendor who heads a powerful lobby. The family does not accept the affair and resorts to deceit and threats to do them apart. The duo, however, would not relent and overcomes all hurdles to set up a dream-land similar to the Aamir Khan-Juhi Chawla paradise in ‘Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak’. They buy a cow and start selling milk. The farm grows into a big dairy farm. Teejaa is the director of the film produced by Kiran. Son of ‘Jumping Jack’ Jeetendra, Tusshar still has to learn many more tricks of the trade. The catch-line says “ for someone special”, However, God knows how special the crowd will find this one. Lyrics by Sameer are surely worth a mention and the Nadeem-Shravan pair has lent a commendable grace to music. The songs have been sung by Nadeem Saifi, Sonu Nigam, Kavita Subrahmanyam, Tauseef Akhtar and Nirja Pandit. The initial response to the music has been good. |
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Designer
with free spirit Chandigarh, April 5 Nina in her collection has managed to conjure up an image which is chic yet romantic. An exclusive range of Ritu Kumar print suits with her own touch here and there is fit for a formal outing while her Indo — Western collection may be just what the youngsters are looking for — trendy with short kurta and slim ankle length pants and comes with a dramatic effect. “This exhibition is the result of a series of experiments in which exotic fashion ingredients from far-flung countries like Cambodia, Africa, Malaysia have been blended together,” says Nina. Nina has completed her fashion designing course from Palin Art School of Fashion Designing, Singapore. A multifacet talent, Nina is also a self taught artist who has few exhibitions to her credit.
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