Inter-house science quiz at school
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, May 31
Students of Sargodha National Public Senior Secondary School, Field Gang, participated in an inter-house science quiz contests organised here today. Two quiz contests were held for the primary and higher sections. A team of three students comprised Rose, Sunflower, Lotus and Daisy Houses. As many as 10 rounds were held in both quizzes and the last round was a one-minute round in which the students were told to answer five questions in one minute.

The primary section students were asked questions pertaining to various inventions and discoveries, flora and fauna. The students from senior section were asked various questions on the laws of motion, biological process and famous science personalities.

In the primary section Rose House got first position, Lotus House second and Daisy House third.

In the senior section the team of Lotus House stood first, Sunflower House second, while Rose House and Daisy House shared the third position.

Ms Parminder Chauhan, Principal, congratulated the winners. Appreciating the efforts of the students, Mr Parminderjit Singh, president of the Sargodha Khalsa Board, gave prizes to the students.

Booksellers to intensify struggle
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, May 31
The Punjab Bookseller’s Association (PBA) has decided to intensify its struggle and plan strategies for the acceptance of its demands by Panjab University authorities. While its meeting with the PU Vice-Chancellor around three months ago yielded no results, the president of the association, Mr B.L. Dhawan, submitted a representation to Prof Parmjit Singh, Registrar PU, and Mr Sodhi Ram, Controller of Examinations, PU, in Chandigarh on yesterday.

One of the main demands of the association is to increase the commission on the sale of examination forms being sold by booksellers. Whereas the price of the forms has increased 15 times, the commission to booksellers has not been revised for the past 15 years.

They have also been demanding to rationalise the delivery time of gazettes and their prices. According to them, gazettes should be made available before the results appear on the Internet. If not, the money received from booksellers as price of gazettes should be refunded.

Also the books published by the university that remain unsold by booksellers should either be taken back by the PU Publication Bureau or be replaced/exchanged with the new books.

Further the unsold admission forms should be accepted by the bureau and the price be refunded.

Mr Dhawan warned that if their genuine demands were not met, the body would intensify its struggle.

Farewell function
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, May 31
First and second year students of BBA and BCA courses of the Guru Nanak Institute of Management and Technology, Gujarkhan Campus, Model Town, organised “Khwaab”, a farewell function, for their seniors here today.

The juniors had made colourful arrangements interspersed with music and dance items. The seniors were invited to the stage and given gifts. The seniors also took part in a fashion show.

Arvinder Kaur was crowned Ms Outgoing, Savneet Kaur clinched the first runner-up title, Sapna Nagar was adjudged Ms Beautiful Smile, while Ms Popular title went to Neha Kapoor.

Ms Anoop Kaur Bansal, Principal of Guru Nanak Khalsa College for Women, was the chief guest. Dr A.S Bansal, Director of GNIMT, extended his best wishes to the students and expressed hope that they would continue to excel in whatever fields they chose to venture into. The evening ended with seniors expressing their gratitude to the institute and faculty members .

Landlord receives rent from defendant
Legal Correspondent

Ludhiana, May 31
In a case under Section 13 of the Punjab Rent Control Act filed by Harbir Singh Bhanwar, a local journalist, in the court of the Rent Controller, Mr Ashok Kapoor, one of the defendants today tendered a rent amounting to Rs 88,390, including interest and cost, for the period of April 1, 1999 to June 30, 2002 of his house (C-194, Bhai Randhir Singh Nagar, Ludhiana).

Mr Bhanwar, who had filed the case against the Central Bank of India (CBI) HO Mumbai, its Focal Point Ludhiana branch and R.K. Bhatia on June 11 last year, received the amount against the plea that the rent had been paid less and had been paid by the “sub-letee”, Mr Bhatia, and not by the original tenant. The case has been adjourned till June 14.

Mr Bhanwar had pleaded through his counsel that he had retired as senior staff correspondent in an English daily at Amritsar on August 31, 1998 and required the house for his personal use. 

7-year RI in rape case
Legal Correspondent

Ludhiana, May 31
The Additional Sessions Judge, Mr H.S.Madan, has sentenced Balkar Singh of Khwaja Kothi Chowk him to seven years of rigorous imprisonment on the charges of abducting and raping a girl of Chanderlok Colony in October, 2002.

Mr Madan declined the his plea of leniency. The accused was booked on the statement of the prosecutrix under various sections of the IPC on October 10, 2002, at the Basti Jodhewal police station.

According to the prosecution, the accused was working with a brother of the complainant, Rana, as assistant cook. On the fateful day at about 12 noon he went to the house of the complainant and told her that her brother,who had taken a room on rent at Bhai Randhir Singh Nagar had called her there. But the accused took her to his room and raped her. He threatened her with dire consequences if she disclosed the incident to anyone.

However, the victim narrated the entire incident to his family.

During the trial the accused pleaded not guilty and claimed false implication. 

Living different lives in one lifetime
Asha Ahuja

Ludhiana, May 31
“As we grow , it is not just the passions that keep us going but there are other things,” said Simmi Dhanda Saluja. She is in the city to meet her parents. She lives in Mumbai and is a professional weight trainer. She started her career as a reporter, moved on to become a TV anchor, graduated to a TV actress and finally became a freelance writer along with being a professional weight trainer. Born and bred in Ludhiana, she studied mass communication in Chandigarh.

She started her career in an English daily . Her parents supported her because as a Time researcher and reporter she had to go to many isolated places. Simmi says,“ I learnt a lot during my one-and-a-half year stint with Time magazine. I learnt to be professional in my work. I had to go to distant locations sometimes even during night. Being on my own I developed a lot of confidence.”

She then moved to Mumbai after getting married. But there too Simmi picked up French as she was an export director in her father’s firm. Since the goods were being exported to France, she learnt the language. After nine years in the firm, during which she also raised two girls, she came to Delhi

She was then selected by Tara channel ( now off the air) to anchor two of their shows. She was in fact called “the face of the channel”. She was considered a true representative of modern Punjabi youth. She anchored Pind Connection and Nilaam Ghar. She also hosted a live show, VJ Hunt, in Chandigarh for the channel’s programme Tara de Sitare.

She says,“ I enjoyed anchoring. I was not fluent in Punjabi but the channel made me. But soon I lost passion for being an anchor. I had joined to find out what it takes to be an anchor and when I felt I have lost passion for it , I moved on.I got a chance to act as a journalist in the serial, Ji Pardhan Mantri Ji. We had enormous fun during the serial as we bullied Farooque Shiekh."

“Then I did an advertisement. But I found that whatever passions I have I like to give it to things of my choice , and when my passion is exhausted, I move on,” says Simmi.

But writing remained my main stay..So I started writing as a free lancer. My cover story in Femina on lesbians won me quite a lot of kudos.Now I seriously plan to write a book and I am meeting a publisher.

She said she was always a fitness freak. So she decided to get training under Kaizak Kapadia in Mumbai. Now she is a professional weight trainer.

She says, “Life means to be at a place where you understand who you are and what your passions in life are and what you really want to pursue.”

Musical nite organised
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, May 31
A musical nite, ‘Ek Sham Mastani’, was organised by Ek Koshish at Punjabi Bhavan here yesterday. Punjabi folk songs, ghazals and songs were presented by a number of artistes.

The programme started with the rendition of ‘Ae mere pyare watan’ by Amarjit Singh Arora. This was followed by ‘Yeh sham mastani’ by Mahinder Singh. A soulful ghazal was sung by Ajay Khanna. Urdu couplets were presented by D.K. Sachdeva, Sushma Sandhu and Rajnish Verma.

Bhangra teams also performed on the occasion. The programme ended with the rendition of the National Anthem. Mr Amrit Lal Aggarwal, chairman of Tagore Public School, was the chief guest.