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Wanted criminal caught from house
SAS Nagar, May 11
The police has caught Kashmira Singh, who is said to be a close accomplice of Virsa Singh, one of the most wanted criminals of Punjab. According to the police, Kashmira Singh was caught from his house in Phase X here, based on a tip-off.

MC to replace lights at market parking lots
Chandigarh, May 11
In its ongoing initiative to give a facelift to the markets of the city, the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation will soon replace lights at parking places in various city markets.

Engineering entrance paper distributed late
400 students suffer
Chandigarh, May 11
Students who took the All-India Engineering Entrance Examination at Government Model Senior Secondary School in Sector 22-A today alleged that the mathematics question-paper had been distributed late by 10 minutes in the second half of the test.

Placement cell constituted at PU
Chandigarh, May 11
Panjab University has constituted a placement cell, exclusively for passouts of affiliated colleges, for a direct interface with the industry. The Information Technology Centre for College Education on the campus will be organising placement services from the ongoing summer vacations.

Police remand for four financiers
Panchkula, May 11
The four private financiers who were arrested from different parts of the city late last night have been remanded in police custody for one day. The police crackdown on these private financiers has exposed how they were demanding pounds of flesh from their harried borrowers.

Tehsildar’s car taken away at gunpoint
Panchkula, May 11
Four youths took away an Esteem car and Rs 15,000 cash at gunpoint from Tehsildar (Revenue) of the UT Administration, Mr H.R. Nagra, from near the Mauli police post early today when Mr Nagra was on his way to Nahan.

Child labour to end by 2007, assures Sahib
Chandigarh, May 11
The Union Government is committed to eradicate child labour from the country by the end of 2007. Apart from this, the Union Ministry of Labour will soon bring out a new legislation to ensure social security for at least 37 crore labourers working in the unorganised sector.

CHANDIGARH CALLING WITH an increase in temperature everywhere, we face an acute scarcity of water. Wasteful or extravagant use of water worsens the crisis. Under the National Green Corps programme, the Environment Society of India has launched a campaign on water conservation in schools at Chandigarh, Mohali, Panchkula and Parwanoo (HP). Elusive Mongia Traffic lights Songs without soul Stop . . . Mad about “V” Disciplined gathering

COMMUNITY

IMPOSITION OF PROPERTY TAX
‘Landlord-tenant war will deepen further’
Chandigarh, May 11
“The imposition of property tax in the city is likely to substantially check the soaring prices of property in the city attracting investments from outside the Union Territory. However, the disinterest of the people from outside may come as a boon to the local buyers who had been finding it difficult to compete with outsiders during the auctions of commercial properties in the city,” feel experts of the real estate market.

Handicapped children participate in a seminar “The persons with disability” at Kisan Bhavan in Sector 35, Chandigarh, on Sunday. — A Tribune photograph

Mass marriages solemnised
Panchkula, May 11
Ten couples tied the knot at a mass marriage ceremony organised by the Rotary Club, Panchkula, in association with Sewa Bharti at the Rotary Bhavan today. The couples were selected from various parts of the district and nearby areas of Punjab.

IN FOCUS
City lifestyle having ‘impact’ on psyche of Kharar youth
Kharar, May 11
With no facilities for co-curricular or recreational activities available, youngsters of this township are making a beeline for neighbouring Chandigarh or SAS Nagar, which has resulted in them being “suspended” between urban and rural cultures.

Rumours that kept cops on their toes
Panchkula, May 11
Rumours that liquor had been poured on the statue of former Deputy Prime Minister Devi Lal kept the district police on its toes today. The police, however, said no such attempt had been made.

‘Proposed service charges unreasonable’
Chandigarh, May 11
The Welfare Association of the MIG (I) Houses of Sector 40-C has said that the rates proposed by the MCC as monthly service charges to be taken by private contractors for the collection of garbage are not reasonable. The body said this in a press note issued here today.

Save Sukhna
Lay silt along peripheral foothills
The present attempt to raise the water level in the Sukhna by two feet by widening and strengthening the existing embankment by pushing in excavated earth is against the PWD specifications.

CRIME

8-year-old girl crushed to death
Chandigarh, May 11
An eight-year-old girl, Aarti was crushed to death by a Maruti car on the road dividing Sectors 20 and 21 here this morning. Aarti was rushed to Government Medical College Hospital, Sector 32, where she was declared brought dead.

Man commits suicide
Panchkula, May 11
A 36- year-old man, Satwinder Singh ended his life by hanging himself from the hook of a ceiling fan in Nadda village this morning. His body was discovered by his father, when he went to the victim’s room after taking a bath.

EDUCATION

Technology Day observed
Chandigarh, May 11
With India being on the threshold of aerospace industry boom after the development of light combat aircraft, transport aircraft and helicopters, missile systems and satellite launchers, the government has been advised to take a quick decision to place orders with indigenous production units like Hindustan Aeronautics Limited to spur the growth of the industry.

“Need to review foreign institutes’ working”
Chandigarh, May 11
The Union Government needs to seriously review the functioning of foreign institutes offering degrees to Indian students in the country. A number of such institutes operate from small offices, offer lessons on the internet and “conduct” papers. This was not education in the true sense.

126 students get degrees SAS Nagar, May 11 As many as 126 students of Government College here received degrees at the annual convocation held today. The chief guest, Mr Bir Devinder Singh, Deputy Speaker, Vidhan Sabha, delivered the convocation address on the occasion. A student yawns at the annual convocation of Government College, Phase VI, SAS Nagar, on Sunday. — Photo Pankaj Sharma

Books distributed among needy kids
Chandigarh, May 11
The local unit of the Bharat Vikas Parishad under its annual project “Sahyog” distributed books, school uniforms, stationery and bags among 750 students from different government schools at a function held at M.C.M. DAV College, Sector 36 here today.

HAMARA SCHOOL CHAKWAL NATIONAL SR. SEC. SCHOOL KURALI (ROPAR) Focus on inculcation of civic values
This premier and prestigious Government aided co-educational institution is situated on the National Highway-21 on Chandigarh-Ropar road at Kurali with natural surroundings spreaded in ten acres of land was shifted from Chakwal (now in Pakistan) in 1948 under the D.A.V.College Managing Committee, New Delhi. A view of Chakwal National Sr. Sec. School, Kurali, Ropar. — Tribune photo Pravesh Chauhan

“Focus on practical teaching’’ To meet the changing demands of ever-changing scenario, reforms in education are required. Instead of theoretical knowledge, more emphasis should be laid on the practicability to enable the students to compete and adjust themselves in every walk of life. Besides, the present education system should be redesigned so that it inculcates the civic virtues among the students. Poems by students

SCHOOL WORLD
My child's education
With the commencement of the new academic year in the schools, a child's education has become one of the most common topics of discussion at City Beautiful's social circuit. Be it a kitty party or a birthday bash or a wedding reception, "which school is your child going to?" is the best way to break the ice even with complete strangers.

• Daily News Quiz

• Tricky CROSSWORD-12

CULTURE

Folk dance contests at Kala Gram

Chandigarh, May 11 The first day of the dance contests that began at Kala Gram this evening saw a fairly encouraging response from various schools in Chandigarh and Panchkula. The contests that will last till May 13 are being organised by the North Zone Cultural Centre, with the purpose of providing exposure to youngsters. Students of DAV Senior Secondary School, Sector 8, Panchkula, perform at a dance competition at Kala Gram in Mani Majra on Sunday. — Photo Parvesh Chauhan

Classical vocalist who researched film music Chandigarh, May 11 Inspite of being a quintessential classical vocalist, Uma Garg did not think twice before selecting film music as her research project. As a classical singer trained in the celebrated gharanas of music like Rampur-Seswan, Kirana and others, she felt the need to determine the levels of popularity of classical vis-a-vis film music. It was this sense of responsibility that drove Uma towards the little-explored area of film music which has sustained itself for decades.   Vocalist Uma Garg performs at the 76th monthly baithak of Pracheen Kala Kendra, Sector-35, Chandigarh, on Sunday. — A Tribune photograph

Sculpture exhibition shows 20 yogasanas Chandigarh, May 11 A sculpture exhibition by P.S. Sawhney displaying 20 statues depicting various techniques of yoga was inaugurated this morning at the Indus-Ind gallery. The exhibition makes a statement of quality and beauty, both at the same time. The sculptures displayed at the IndusInd gallery, Sector 8, Chandigarh, by P.S. Sawhney reflect three primary yogic kriyas (from left to right): Dakshina nauli, Madhyama nauli and Vama nauli, that strengthen abdominal muscles.

X-ray succeeded where MRI failed
Chandigarh, May 11
Doctors may recommend MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) in complicated cases, considering it to be the ultimate test, but, in a rare case, a simple X-ray proved to be more reliable than the sophisticated and expensive MRI test.

State govts ‘responsible’ for low nurse-patient ratio
Chandigarh, May 11
The hospital authorities blame the state government for the miserably low nurse-patients ratio in government hospitals which is affecting quality patient care. Though the nursing staff norms laid down by the Union Government put the nurse-patient ratio for special wards at 1:4 and 1:6 for general ward, but the actual strength in most of the hospitals would exceed 50 patients being attended to by one nurse.

Sanitation services to be privatised in General Hospital
Panchkula, May 11
Haryana will privatise sanitation and cleanliness services in General Hospital here. Sources in the Health Department said a communique to this effect was received from the Finance Department.

SPORTS

Chandigarh emerge winners
Chandigarh, May 11
Chandigarh were declared winners on the basis of their first innings lead in the three-day Punjab Inter-district Under-17 Cricket Tournament which came to a close this evening at PCA Stadium, SAS Nagar.