The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

EDUCATION

Hindu Girls College waits for NCC air wing
Our Correspondent

Sonepat, August 3
The demand for an NCC air wing in the local Hindu Girls College, by the students, still remains unfulfilled.

“We want to join the Air Force but we are unable to fulfil our dreams without facility of an air wing in National Cadet Corps (NCC) unit”, several NCC cadets of the college said.

It is learnt that though a few years back, the NCC authorities had granted permission to start an air wing of NCC in the college, but due to administrative lapses, the permission was cancelled.

Of the half-a-dozen girls colleges in the district, an NCC unit is present only in this college with 106 seats in the army wing only and there has been stiff competition among the girls for getting enrolled in NCC unit, said the unit officer, Captain Ms N Puri.

She said that she raised the demand for an air wing during the annual training camp of first Haryana Girls NCC battalion at Ambala a few years back and the demand was accepted by then group commander, Col. Yadav, as the unit officer of the Arya Girls College Ambala demanded withdrawal of air wing from that college.

As many as 25 seats of Arya Girls College were allotted to Hindu Girls College. But after Col Yadav’s retirement, no further action was taken in the direction by the other officers and ultimately, the allotment of the air wing was cancelled, said she.

She remarked that the girls’ inclination towards NCC has been increasing every year and many of them take admission in the Hindu Girls College only because of its NCC unit.

“But still, the students do feel strongly that there should be an air wing as well”.

Capt. Puri claimed that the college was having all facilities required for opening an air wing.

“Keeping in view the demand of students, I have taken up the matter again with the NCC authorities”, she said.

SCHOOL BUZZ
Students put up colourful performance at Utsav 2003
Smriti Kak

Birla Vidya Niketan organised Utsav 2003, its annual inter-school festival.

Students participated in events including ‘Rangalaap’, a painting and clay modeling competition, ‘Nritya Aaradhana’, dance competition, ‘Sangeet Sadhana’, music contest and ‘Cross Currents’ and ‘Manthan’, debates in English and Hindi respectively.

The host school won the first prize in ‘Rangalaap’, followed by Spring Dales and DPS Vasant Kunj. Spring Dales, Dhaula Kuan, bagged the first prize in ‘Nritya Aaradhana’ followed by Mother’s International and BNV. Students based their performance on the theme ‘Ritu’.

The host school again bagged the first prize in the music contest. Vishwa Bharti Public School and Laxman Public School followed at the second and the third place. Pearl Saberwal of the host school won the first prize in Musique Clip, for her performance in the western music contest. Spring Dales came second and the third prize went to DPS, Vasant Kunj.

Battle of wits in the English and Hindi debates provided a stimulus to the audience.

Summer Field won the prize in the English debate, with the second and the third position being claimed by MIS and BVN.

In the Hindi debate, it was again the host school that won the top slot, APJ Sheikh Sarai and Spring Dales came second and third respectively.

Self-care awareness

Students of Children’s Valley School learnt the techniques of self-care at a camp held in the school premises.

The one-day camp included various activities to make the children aware of routine self-care activities.

Children were educated about the need to maintain hygiene through activities like brushing the teeth twice a day, taking bath, clipping the nails and were also taught the basics of first aid.

Annual Day Celebrations

Twinkling Star Montessori School organised its annual day celebrations with over 500 children participating in various events.

The children competed with each other in events like fancy dress, drawing and colouring, active baby contest and dance competition.

Dressed in their fancy best, the students also highlighted messages of social relevance as they entertained their audience. Certificates were given to all the participants.

Interactive Learning for Kids

Zee Interactive Learning Systems Limited has announced their venture into pre-primary education through the setting up of KidZee.

The education centres are aimed at providing all- round sensorial, physical, intellectual, aesthetic and social development of the child.

The curriculum has been designed to encourage children to make use of their skills. Indigenous toys and play equipment is to be provided to facilitate interaction, where children are encouraged to collaborate and help each other.

PRINCIPALSPEAK
Do unto others what you would have them do unto you

Resolve to be tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving and tolerant of the weak and wrong. Because some time in our lives, we would have been all of these ourselves,” said Lloyed Shearen.

We expect people to be good, kind, understanding, polite and loving towards us, but are we the same towards them?

We get what we give. If we fling mud, it will splash back on us, but if we spread flowers, their scent and radiance will bring a glow into our lives. Life is indeed a boomerang. Whether it is our thoughts, actions or behaviour, sooner or later they return to us and with great accuracy. Thus, we must respect people on our way up because we will be meeting them on the way down. Goodness has a way of coming back. This is nature’s principle.

The well-known story of ‘Androcles and the Lion’ remains a beautiful example. Androcles was thrown into a hungry lion’s den by an unjust king.

However, the lion surprisingly lost its fierceness when it approached Androcles and sat down quietly for it remembered that he was the man who had once pulled out a thorn from his hurting paw and relieved him of pain. This incident made the king realise that the ‘good’ in a man brings out the ‘good’ in another, however bestial the other may be.

We see the world not the way it is but the way we are. In fact, most of the time people’s behavior is a reaction to our own. There is a legend about a wise man who was sitting outside his village. A traveller came and asked him, “What kind of people live in this village, because I want to move from my present one?”

The wise man asked, “What kind of people live where you want to move from?” The man replied, “They are mean, cruel, rude.” The wise man replied, “The same kind of people live in this village too.” Another traveller came by and asked the same question and the wise man asked him, “What kind of people live where you want to move from?” And the traveller replied, “The people are very kind, courteous, polite and good.” The wise man said, “You will find the same kind of people here too.”

We look for the right friend, the right employee, the right co-traveller, what we forget is that we have to be the right person too. Thus, manners and courtesy are essential components of our behavior. Showing consideration and good manners brings out a feeling of warmth and acceptance from others. Being polite and helpful has great advantages over rude behavior. Rude and mean people may seem to get work done, but in the process they get themselves extremely disliked. There is bitterness and unhappiness that affects both the people involved. Remember being courteous will breed courtesy in return. It demonstrates a caring attitude and sensitivity to other people’s feelings. Do not be sarcastic or put people down. It leaves scars, you wouldn’t want people to hurt you in the same way.

The wrong we do to others and what we suffer should not be weighed differently. Empathy is a very important characteristic of a positive personality, and would make you ask the question, “How would I feel if someone treated me that way?”

It is difficult to achieve success without friendly cooperation of others. Thus, if we are friendly, flexible and understanding, the others would respond to our amiable nature and in return be co-operative. This is what life is all about.

Mrs. Madhu Chandra, Principal,
Birla Vidya Niketan

Looking at the world from a child’s eye

Guru Harkrishan Public School, Vasant Vihar, organised a seminar, ‘Entering into the World of Art and Craft from the Child’s Eyes and with Child’s Hands.’

The seminar, organised on behalf of the Delhi Sikh Public Schools Conference, was attended by headmistresses, primary and pre-primary teachers.

Ms Lalita Rewal from the NCERT was the key resource person in the first session and Ms. Tejinder Kaur was the guest speaker in the second session.

Speaking on the occasion, Ms. Rewal said teachers need to be more involved with the children and act like true guardians.

Emphasis was placed on colour recognition, memory retention, observation, identification of situations, sensory stimulation and learning development. Ms. Kaur spoke on how to encourage children to use waste materials to make charts, toys and other lively creations.

Competition to bring out creativity in children

Cherish Play School, Pitampura, organised a painting competition for students. The contestants were asked to paint on themes such as ‘Our Earth’, ‘Pollution’ and ‘Environment’.

The paintings exhibited the creativity of the children and their ability to beautifully translate their imagination on to the paper. The winners were awarded prizes by the director of the school, Mr Gautam Tayal.
Children of Cherish Play School, Pitampura, participating in a painting competition

Children of Cherish Play School, Pitampura, participating in a painting competition.

COURTS

POLL VIOLENCE
HC allows withdrawal of cases by Cong, BJP
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 3
The Delhi High Court has allowed the police to withdraw counter cases filed by the Indian National Congress (INC) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders over an alleged scuffle during elections in the Delhi Cantonment area a decade ago.

In 1993, Delhi Assembly Deputy Speaker and INC MLA Kiran Chaudhary and BJP Election Officer Inder Sen Mangal had made counter complaints that their workers were attacked during the elections. Cases were registered against both of them and their workers, and chargesheet was also filed in the trial court.

After considering the matter and, in order to create a congenial and peaceful atmosphere in the area, the Assistant Public Prosecutor had moved an application for withdrawal of the cases before the lower court, but the trial judge dismissed the application.

She held that the application was made with an ulterior motive only to assist the political aspirations of the accused persons.

The State then appealed the High Court which set aside the lower court’s order and allowed the withdrawal of the cases.

Justice J.D. Kapoor said political rivalries could not and should not be permitted to spoil the future relations. “For 10 long years, nothing has happened.

Even trial has not commenced in right earnest. How many more years it will take to conclude is anybody’s guess.”

“In such circumstances, to impute motives to the Government and the Assistant Public Prosecutor that the grant of permission will only subserve the administration of justice and it has been sought covertly with ulterior motive only to assist political aspirations is highly preposterous and irrelevant,” he said.

Such an inference was wholly irrational and without basis, he said and added that in law, there was no place for surmises or conjectures of personal opinion of the court. It was apparent that the effect of the impugned order would be to perpetuate enmity between the two rival groups instead of maintaining peace and restoring cordial relationship in the locality, he added.

Assault on family: Three get 5-yr imprisonment
Our Correspondent

Ghaziabad, August 3
A Court has awarded five years imprisonment to three persons and three years imprisonment to another two in a case of murderous assault on a family in Murad Nagar in November 2000.

In Kachi Serai in Murad Nagar, Yakub was solemnising the marriage of his daughter, Asman Shahnaz, on November 15, 2000. During the function, one Sartaj behaved indecently with some girls. At this, Yakub’s brother Anees slapped Sartaj.

Later, in the evening, after the marriage ceremony, Sartaj, along with his companions, Aas Mohd and Taj Mohamed, barged into Anees’s house and assaulted Anees, Salim and Mehraj. At the same time, Sartaj’s father, Nanu and mother, Rafiqan, also pelted stones at Anees’ house. Taj Mohd attacked Anees with a knife on his head due to which the latter was seriously injured. Yakub filed a report of attempt to murder, naming Sartaj, Aas Mohd, Taj Mohd, Nanu and Rafiqan.

The case was being heard by Judge Rajinder Kumar of Fast Track Court here. The court, in its verdict, sentenced all the five accused to jail and fines. Sartaj, Aas Mohd and Taj Mohd were sentenced to five years jail each with a fine of Rs 2,000. Rafiqan and Nanu were awarded sentence for three years jail with Rs 2,000 fine each.