EDUCATION

SPECIAL FOCUS ON ROHTAK
MDU all set to improve sports profile
A. Gulati

Rohtak, July 3
Besides bidding for the inter-university sports championships and expansion of sports facilities and infrastructure, Maharshi Dayanand University (MDU) plans to invite eminent sportspersons to its campus so as to help physical education teachers update their knowledge of various sports. These issues were highlighted at a press conference organised by the Sports Department, MDU, here yesterday.

Dr Devender Singh Dhull, Director of Sports, MDU, informed mediapersons that the university had offered to host the inter-university championships for kabaddi (Men), volleyball (Women), softball, yoga and squash (Men and Women) during the 2003-2004 session.

He also said that the university had applied to the Sports Authority of India (SAI) and the Sports Department, Haryana, for establishing a special wing to help search talent in the field of boxing and wrestling.

Highlighting the achievements of the university, Dr Dhull disclosed that the Sports Department of the University Grants Commission (UGC) had awarded plus A1 grade to the Sports Department of MDU.

He said that the MDU would organise a workshop for the physical education teachers of affiliated colleges from July 25 to July 27 with a view to updating their knowledge about the latest techniques, rules and regulations relating to the games.

He added that 20 disciplines had been identified for such workshops and the participation of the invited teachers for the workshop had been made mandatory.

Dr Dhull informed that several sportsmen including shooter Jaspal Rana, athlete Ajmer Singh, wrestler Chandgi Ram, boxer T. L. Gupta and sports psychologist Dr K. S. Yadav had been invited to impart tips to the sports teachers.

Talking about the future plans, he said the university planned to set up a multipurpose gymnasium at the cost of Rs 1.87 crore.

The university also planned to spend Rs 4.5 lakh to give an international look to its swimming pool. 

Varsity council election process begins
Our Correspondent

Rohtak, July 3
The process of election of teachers (other than professors) from the university teaching departments to the university court and the executive council of Maharshi Dayanand University commenced on Wednesday.

Dr Ajay K. Rajan, Registrar of the university, who is the returning officer, said that five vacancies in the executive council would be filled in the elections slated for July 23. He said the voters’ lists as well as the nomination forms had been supplied to various departments. The last date for receipt of nomination forms is July 14 while that for withdrawal of nominations is July 17. The final list of contesting candidates would be issued on July 18.

A spokesman for the university administration today said among the five teachers to be elected to the university court, at least two shall be Readers, and among the two teachers of the university teaching departments (other than professors) to be elected to the executive council, at least one shall be Reader.

Counselling on July 10: Counselling for admission to the five-year integrated law course in MDU National Law College, Gurgaon for the session 2003-04 would be held on July 10. A university press release stated that the entrance test for admission to the course was held on June 22.

Meanwhile, counselling for admission to MBA course for the academic session 2003-04 in different varsities in Haryana and its affiliated institutions commenced today.

Sanction to increase seats denied 
Our Correspondent

Rohtak, July 3
Both the PGIMS and the Government Dental College here have failed to get the necessary clearance to increase the number of seats in their institutions. According to information, only 117 seats for MBBS and 20 seats for BDS are being filled up in these institutions.

It is pertinent to mention here that the PGIMS had a sanctioned strength of 150 seats in the MBBS course during the previous session while the Government Dental College enjoyed the sanction for admitting 60 students to its BDS course.

Unfortunately, both the colleges failed to get the clearance from their respective regulatory bodies, Medical Council of India (MCI) and the Dental Council of India (DCI) before the beginning of the counselling process. A senior professor of the medical college disclosed to the NCR Tribune that it was “really disgusting” for these government owned premier institutions to have “failed in the MCI and DCI tests”. Both the colleges suffered from deficiencies in their faculty, he added. In contrast to this, there are private dental colleges, which have obtained sanctions for greater number of seats despite being new entrants in the field.

CULTURE

ARTSCAPE
Art workshop: What better tribute to 
Odissi exponent?
Nalini Ranjan

In the memory of renowned exponent of Odissi guru Shrinath Raut, a Noida based cultural organisation, Vaishali Kala Kendra, in association with Indian Council for Cultural Relation (ICCR) and Asian Academy of Film and Television (AAFT) recently organised a three-day workshop.

Training in creative dance, folk dance, singing, theatre and painting was given to the underprivileged children during the workshop.

According to the Director of this Center Ms Jyoti Shrivastava, the late guru was a man of great principles. He was above barriers of class, caste, and creed and believed that dance was the greatest leveler. The workshop was designed keeping in mind the liking. of Guru Shrinath Raut.

The workshop was inaugurated by Irrigation Minister, Uttar Pradesh, Mr Nawab Singh Nagar. On the inaugural day, the children were introduced to various styles of dancing, theatre and painting skills. While Ms Tapti Mukherjee introduced the kids to folk singing, Shaily Ghosal and Mr Waderah from Delhi Doordarshan demonstrated creative style of dancing.

The children were also acquainted with theatre skills by Ms Archana Mukherjee and Mr Banerjee, folk dancing by Ms Sapna and painting by Ms Dogra. AAFT Director, Mr Sandeep Marwah, and popular television personality Mr Rajesh Singha were among others present on the occasion.

The second day workshop provided a basic framework for the final day presentations. The children were introduced to the fascinating world of art. They were explained the basic techniques of theatre, drama and dialogue delivery. Expert artists taught them folk and creative dancing. They were also encouraged to paint and were told the basic techniques of colour, light effect, etc.

The concluding day of the workshop began with yoga, meditation and chanting of mantras. This was followed by an Odissi dance presentation.

Following that, there were presentations on folk music, folk dance and painting. The best performers were awarded by the director of ICCR, Ms Tripathi.

She assured that the Council would extend its full support to such workshops in future. Ms Leela Venketraman, social activist, gave an inspiring speech in which she appreciated the efforts to give a chance to the under privileged children to learn different forms of art. She also highlighted the importance of such workshops. 

Womanly Voices: From sexuality to spirituality

Suchitra Pillai, Shernaz Patel and Neha Dubey in ‘Womanly Voices’.

Keeping with its commitment of providing the best, the Johnnie Walker Club brought an English play, ‘Womanly Voices’, to the Capital. Directed by renowned actress Lillette Dubey, the play was staged at the India Habitat Centre.

The play was a dramatisation of three short stories- ‘Utaran’ by Wajeda Tabassum, ‘Shishu’ by Mahashweta Devi and The Master’s Story by Gita Mehta.

The three stories deal with issues ranging from sexuality to spirituality. The cast included some of the best names in the contemporary theatre scene like Shernaz Patel, Joy Sengupta, Suchitra Pillai, Zafar Karachiwala, Neha Dubey and Lillette’s debutante daughter, Ira. TNS

Nature in all its abstract hues

An exhibition of paintings by Shyamasree Basu is on at the Rabindra Gallery of the Lalit Kala Academy here. Inaugurated by Mr Somnath Chatterjee, Member of Parliament, the exhibition has, on display, some of the finest paintings by artist depicting nature in all its glory.

According to art critics, Basu, a graduate from Government College of Arts and Crafts, Kolkata, has now established herself as a nature based abstract painter. Over the years, it has been the physical and natural environment which have remained the central pool from which the artist has drawn her inspiration.

Her works reflect over four decades of her experience in the world of art. Recipient of a large number of awards, she has had a large number of exhibitions both within the country and abroad.

The present exhibition of 26 canvasses in oil, acrylic and mixed media, brought together under the title theme ‘Vasundhara’, takes one to the artist’s intense and introspective world of nature-based abstractions, where the awe and wonder of primeval creations contend with the equally compelling spectres of doom and disaster, says art historian, Dr Tapati Guha Thakurata. TNS