PU to start dental institute
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 17
Panjab University, Chandigarh, has decided to commence the University Institute of Dental Science. A formal clearance in this regard was given by the Syndicate at its meeting held here today.

The university is learnt to have had discussions with the Chandigarh Administration on the issue and been assured the use of General Hospital, Sector 16, and Government Medical College and Hospital, Sector 32. The university has earmarked five acres of land in Sector 25 for the institute. However, the university now needs a formal clearance from the Dental Council of India.

The university has decentralised the admissions to the Bachelor of Commerce course from the forthcoming session. It had currently centralised admissions for colleges offering B.Com in Ludhiana and Chandigarh.

The Syndicate has cleared the admission schedule and guidelines for the affiliated colleges and a separate academic calendar for affiliated colleges offering B.Ed and M.Ed courses. It has allowed the proposal of the Vice-Chancellor to allow a special reappear chance to students who have cleared their B.Sc (honours) examination. In this case, students will be allowed to reappear in a subject or more subjects with a view to improve their previous examination results on payment of a special fee.

The university has given five seats in the NRI and NRI-sponsored category for MA (Economics) from the forthcoming session. The fee for these seats will be $ 1,000. In the M.Sc (Environmental Science) the university will have 10 seats in the NRI and NRI-sponsored category on payment of $ 1,500.

The Syndicate turned down the item of removing B.Com course from the Evening Studies Department at least for the time being. It has been assured that instead of the current schedule of five-day week, B.Com classes will be conducted six days a week and the working hours have also been increased.

Cultural show by students
Tribune News Service

Tiny tots of Bal Niketan Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 37-A, Chandigarh, take a splash in a pool on Friday.

Chandigarh, May 23
Students of Bal Niketan Model Senior Secondary School of Sector 37-A presented a cultural show on the campus today, a day before their summer vacations were to begin.

The function began with a welcome song by tiny tots of the KG. Folk dances held the audience spell-bound. A prayer to the Almighty was followed by students of various classes presenting a song about good manners.

Gurvinder of class IX gave an enthralling solo performance on tabla, which was followed by patriotic songs. Gaurav of class X presented a bhangra item.

The Principal of the school, Ms Rita Kapoor, later, addressed the audience and praised her students. She also read out the school report. She said the school would hold summer workshops from May 26 and even outsiders could participate in these.

Mehndi contest
Our Correspondent

Chandigarh, May 23
About 60 young girls wove intricate designs in mehndi while taking part in a mehndi-applying contest organised by the Adult Education wing at The Tribune Model High School in Sector 29 here today.

The contestants came from areas like Ram Darbar, Behlana and Sectors 20 and 30. The event was judged by block coordinator of Adult Education, Mr Dimple Arvind.

The contest was won by Ruchita, followed by Sunita in the second position. Lovely and Santosh shared the third prize.

HC order on NOC cancellation
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 23
Taking up a petition filed by a Naya Gaon resident, a Division Bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court today directed that the order cancelling the no-objection certificate issued to a petitioner would remain ineffective for three months.

Pronouncing the orders on a petition filed by Husan Lal, the Bench, headed by Mr Justice G.S. Singhvi, also further directed that the connection should be released in case the petitioner was entitled, or else take action in accordance with the law.

In his petition, Mr Lal had earlier submitted that he had constructed a house before December 9, 1998 — the cut-off date. Giving details, he had added that as per a policy framed by the Punjab Urban Development and Planning Authority (PUDA) construction before the cut-off date was exempted from the provisions of the Periphery Act. As such he was issued the no objection certificate, but the same was cancelled after four months.

Arguing on behalf of the respondents, it was contended that a similar petition filed in the matter had been disposed off by another Bench with directions to PUDA to frame a policy and to decide the petitioner’s representation.

Mangal’s next film on sahibzadas
A correspondent

Chandigarh, May 23
Continuing his fixation with historical and religious themes, actor Mangal Dhillon is again coming up with another production. After handling the sensitive theme of the Khalsa and even making a successful film out of it, Mangal Dhillon is now working on the project titled ‘Saka Sarhind’.

Once again drawing its rich content from the historical text that underlines the sacrifices made by the Sikh Gurus and their wards, the film is a glorious tribute to the two sahibzadas of the tenth Guru, Guru Gobind Singh. An equal pride of place is given in the film to Mata Gujri. Yet another significant character in the film is that of Toddermal, which Mangal plays himself.

Addressing a press conference at Hotel Shivalikview this morning, Mangal said, ‘’I am not working on this film to further a commercial cause. There is a mission behind the project, which in itself, is significant when seen in the context of the events it reflects. The supreme sacrifice of the sons of the guru is an event which we, as Punjabis, should be proud of. My mission behind the film is to remind the Sikhs of the spirit of sacrifice they were once known for.”

He added that the need to make the film also stems from the lack of religious awareness among the youth of today. “Sikh youth are not aware of the glorious tradition which rests on the foundation of countless sacrifices made by children, men and women alike,” he said.

Mangal is planning to start the shooting of the film from February next year. The film is expected to be ready for release by December. To be telecast both in Punjabi and Hindi, the music will be composed by Arvinder and Surinder.

Kathak faces big challenge
Aditi Tandon
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 23
Kathak has come of age. And as it continues its endless journey from one era into another, there are innumerable questions remaining to be answered about its status, vis-a-vis other dance forms in India. There has often been a roaring debate on bharatanatyam scoring over kathak when it comes to international preferences.

Amidst these apprehensions, a seminar on kathak came handy today. Courtesy Pracheen Kala Kendra, famous exponents of kathak assembled on a common platform to discuss concerns that centre around kathak. In attendance at the kendra were dancers like the Singapore-based doyen of kathak, Pt Charan Girdhar Chand, who inherits his dance genes from the great exponent Pt Narayan Prasad.

Also present were three leading artistes of kathak — Uma Sharma, the highly decorated dancer; Prerna Shrimali, the amiable guru instructing students in kathak Gandharva Mahavidyalaya; and Sushmita Banerjee, the vociferous dancer from Bengal, who does not mind declaring that kathak, as a dance form, is suffering due to rigid codification into gharanas.

Formal introduction of the experts was followed by a brainstorming session on kathak and the challenges it faces. Prerna touched upon the emerging trend of solo dances gaining the shape of group performances and vice versa. She said, “Kathak is essentially a solo dance, so is kathakali. But nowadays you find an inclination towards group performances. Although there is nothing wrong with this trend which serves to further beautify the dance form, the dancers should not sacrifice the centralised characteristic of a tradition.”

Sushmita talked of treating kathak as a whole canvas, instead of codifying it into gharanas. “We should be concerned with propagation and not with codification of kathak. My frequent travels abroad have confirmed that kathak, as a discipline, is not better known than bharatanatyam.”

Bringing in the issue of mudras, Delhi-based dance critic N.K. Mudgal said whereas kathak was inherently delightful, it could be further decorated if the dancers paid more attention to mudras. Ms Jiwan Bala, Head, Dance Department, Government College for Girls, Patiala, said the Jaipur gharana could be distinguished by its complicated dance techniques that stem from the difficult times the people of Rajasthan were facing when kathak was evolving as a discipline.

Pt Vijay Shankar Mishra, an eminent art critic, decried the practice of dividing kathak into gharanas and advocated assimilation of styles, so as to strengthen the dance style. Concluding the first day’s session, Pt Charan Girdhar Chand also underlined the need to set kathak free and not trammel the discipline with the regulation of gharanas.