 |
|
| Friday,
October
3, 2003,
Chandigarh, India
|
|
||||
|
PU Senate to consider 5 pc weightage for attendance Agenda items
Chandigarh, October 2 The university has expressed its concern over the marked fall in classroom attendance, particularly in the past few years. To reward regular students, the university will give them a “small” benefit for attendance. There is, however, difference of opinion on the issue, with certain members clearly opposed to the idea of weightage for attendance. It is argued that the condition of 75 per cent attendance just to qualify for appearing in the examinations is sufficient. The university will take up the issue of collecting examination fee along with examination forms. This will first be introduced for the category of private candidates only. One reason behind the intended “reform” is that a large number of students who did not pay their fee and were allowed to appear in the examinations never cleared their dues when they learnt from “private sources” that they had failed. The university will clear the issue of starting a dental college from the forthcoming academic session. The university has earmarked five acres in Sector 25 for the purpose. The original proposal was mooted by Prof K.N.Pathak, Vice-Chancellor. There are plans to introduce benefits of a small family in matters pertaining to service laws of its employees, according to a letter of the Punjab Government. The university will restore the power of condoning shortage of lectures in special areas to the Vice-Chancellor, with regard to students who fall short of
The university has sought a financial share of Rs 3.5 crore from the Fund for Higher Education for construction of the University Institute of Engineering and Technology complex in Sector 25. The university is considering whether to accept equivalence of certain quality published work to a PhD degree for the appointments of principals. The university will confer honoris causa doctorate degrees on Dr K.S. Kasturirangan, a former Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), Prof G.C. Pande, Chairman of the Indian Institute of Advanced Studies, Shimla, and Lt Gen J.F.R.Jacob (retd), a former Punjab Governor. The university will also give status of Professor Emeritus to Prof T.N.Kapoor, a former Vice-Chancellor of Panjab University, Prof Harkishan, University Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Prof S.V. Kessar, Department of Chemistry, and Prof B.N.Goswamy, Department of Fine Arts. The university will also reconsider its recruitment policy for college teachers. It will deliberate on giving a special chance to BSc (honours school) for improving previous results. It is also considering to restore the benefit of LTC for employees. Also on the list is the termination of Dr J.S. Rathore, a lecturer in Economics at Department of Correspondence Studies, for not performing his duties as per service rules. The Senate will consider accepting the resignations of two of its members, Dr Ajaib Singh, a member of the Punjab Public Service Commission, and Mr Hari Jaisingh, a former Editor of The Tribune.
|
|
Where Ramlila ends with item number SAS Nagar, October 2 Women get hold of the children and walk out of the pandal. For them the show is over. Men came near the stage. And before you can make out what is happening, Sona Madam starts dancing to a Bhojpuri number. Catcalls, hoots, whistles follow and so do cheap remarks. Sona, basking in the glory, performs her “best”, looking her gaudiest. Clad in a saree and a see-through blouse, for Sona, her day is made. Within half an hour the Sona madam show too ends No one seems to mind. The organisers are happy that their Ramlila is the biggest crowd puller and Sona is happy for the Rs 300 per dance that she gets. “I come specially to watch the dances. My wife, however, sees the Ramlila and for both of us it is great entertainment after a hard day’s work,” says Ram Bhuvan, a daily wager. For most men it is the same. There are women too who sit through these dances. “Its ok if we are here. There is hardly anything cheap in these dances,” points out one. “Some years ago Ramlila artistes that we got here were not so good. So we decided to hire local artistes to perform dance. After that when we got a good renowned Ramlila group we stopped these dances. But the audience demanded that there be dances after Ramlila and we are catering to that. Personally I don’t see anything wrong in this. These daily wagers are labourers and if some entertainment can be provided to them then what is wrong with it?” questions Mrs Manjit Kaur one of the chief patrons of the Sri Awadh Ramlila Committee. The only ones who have a complaint against the song and dance sequence is the troupe of 25 artistes, all male, who have come all the way from Vrindavan to perform here. “We were shocked. We have never seen a Ramlila manch being used for such things anywhere in India. But then we gave in as we have to go by the organising committee’s wishes,” says Raju Prasad, in charge of the sets and make up. “We don’t even have a woman in the troupe. But here things are different. The same Ramlila manch is used for performing such dances.” adds Jai Pal. For the audience, however, religious feelings have little to do with such entertainment. “Watching Sona dance does not make me any less religious.” quips another resident of the colony. |
|
Mahatma
Gandhi, Shastri remembered Chandigarh, October 2 Mr Pawan Bansal, MP, urged Congress workers, to emulate the spirit of the self sacrifice from the lives of great men. The president of the local unit, Mr B.B. Bhal, said Mahatma Gandhi was shot by followers of communalism. He claimed it was under the rule of the Congress that the slogan ‘‘ Jai Javan Jai Kisan’’ was coined after handing out a crushing defeat to Pakistan in the 1965 war. Mr Bansal and Mr Bahl later distributed fruits to inmates of the Kusht Ashram. Meanwhile, the local unit of the Samajwadi Janata Party (Rashtriya), at a function to celebrate Gandhi Jayanti, demanded that villages which were uprooted in 1966 be
rehabilitated. The president of the International Association of Lions Clubs, Mr K.K. Monga, a social worker, was given a momento by the UT Administrator , Justice O.P. Verma (retd), for his work in the Burail jail. As a part of the ongoing NSS camp of Government College, Sector 46, Dr Sahib Singh, spoke about national integration and communal harmony. Floral tributes were paid by Congress leaders and party workers to the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi, to mark his 134th birth anniversary celebrations at a function held at the Punjab Congress Bhavan today. Tributes were also paid to former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri on his birth anniversary. Among those present included the Excise and Taxation Minister, Mr Sardool Singh, the general secretary of the PPCC, Mr Upender Kumar Sharma, the Chairman of the Improvement Trust, Faridkot, Mr Surinder Gupta, besides office-bearers of the PPCC. Speaking on the occasion, they exhorted the people to follow the path of non-violence shown by Mahatma Gandhi. PATIALA: The North Zone Cultural Centre organised a painting contest at Sheesh Mahal to mark the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. As many as 1200 children from 50 schools participated in the contest. The children were divided into five categories. In group A, Preetinder Singh and Tuskar from Balbehra Government School, and DAV Public School, respectively, shared the first position. Mehakpreet Kaur and Tanu Garg from Budha Dal Public School and Shri Aurbindo School bagged the second position and Mini from Budha Dal Public School stood third. In Group B, Harkirat Singh from Guru Nanak Foundation School, Pallavi from Shri Aurbindo School and Nikita Bansal from DAV Public School bagged first, second and third position, respectively. In Group C, Gulshan Kumar from Pioneer High School, Davneet Kaur from Sunflower Model High School and Gunjan Sharma from Greenwell High School stood first, second and third, respectively. In Group D, Kawarjeet Singh from Senior Secondary Model School, Ritu Rani from Girls Senior Secondary Multipurpose School and Amitaj Singh from St. Peter’s Academy bagged first, second and third position, respectively. In Group E, Amrish Kumar, Arvind Kumar and Parshant Kumar from Navjinini School bagged first, second and third position, respectively. KALKA: On the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti, a cleanliness campaign was started by Kalka SDM Devinder Kaushik by cleaning the local Gandhi Library. Municipal Committee president Sushil Garg, Senior Citizen Association president Sangat Singh Nanda, who is also the Municipal Commissioner, and secretary of the Municipal Committee Devinder Singh also participated in the campaign. Before this, the statue of Mahatma Gandhi, in the front of the library, was garlanded.
PANCHKULA: Functions were organised to mark the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. Students and staff members of the local Government College also observed the birth anniversary of Lal Bahadur Shastri. While addressing the gathering, the Principal of the college, Dr Usha Malik, said sustaining independence was as tough as getting it. More than 30 students of the college also participated in a poetry recital and patriotic song competition. The municipal council and the Haryana Urban Development Authorities also launched a special cleanliness drive from the Sector-7 market. Ms Seema Chaudhary, president of the civic body, inaugurated the drive which would continue till October 8 Rural areas would also be covered under it. A drive to clean Ramgarh village was launched by the Subdivisional Magistrate (North), Mr Inder Singh. He appealed to residents to keep their surrounding clean. AMBALA:
Tribute were paid to Mahatma Gandhi on his birth anniversary today. A prabhat pheri was organised by the Ambala City District Congress Committee. Ms Kiran Bala Jain led the procession which passed through different wards of Baldev Nagar, singing “Raghu Pati Raghav Raja Ram”. Among others, Mr D.P. Chadha, Mr Mohinder Tanwar, Mr Parvesh Sasan, Mr Tehal Ram, Mr Raj Kumar Gama, Mr Naresh Sehgal, Mr Raj Rani, Mr Kuldeep Singh Gullu and Mr Rajan Guglani were present. A seminar was also organised at Gandhi Memorial National College by the Political Science Association and Vichar Manch on the topic “Relevance of Gandhi today”. Dr Ravindra Nath Pal, pro Vice-Chancellor of Punjabi University, was the chief guest while Dr Jai Dev presided over the function. The deliberations were initiated by Dr Vinay Malhotra. He presented Gandhian ideals in a nutshell and explained their relevance in present times. He said there had been a decline in Gandhian values. Dr Pal delivered the key note address. He narated an incident when in 1945, Lord Wavell asked Gandhiji why he wore only a dhoti Gandhiji retorted saying that he was the picture of naked India which Britishers had plundered. Dr Pal said Mahatma Gandhi’s ideals were still relevant. Dr Jai Dev said the philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi could be summed up in two words, truth and non-violence. Students who spoke on the occasion included Ashish, Nidhi and Asha Singh. |
|
Adding tinge of colours to shades of crime Chandigarh, October 2 Creativity has virtually nothing to do with crime. The people can be charged, jailed and punished, but that does not mean the end of the road. That’s precisely what the convicts facing sentences in murder cases, portrayed in a beautiful production, staged on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti. About 22 inmates had been involved in the workshop organised by
Zulfiqar, who carved out a meaningful script for the participants, allowing them space to improvise, create and even make music for the play. The theme revolved around Hindu and Muslim fundamentalist groups, which spark off violence among communities by playing upon baser instincts of jealousy and hatred. Leaders of the groups instigate the masses and then recede from the scene to watch violence breed violence. Using fine elements of theatre, the participants gave meaning to the script, which established the supremacy of good over evil. Talking to Chandigarh Tribune, Zulfiqar said, “I was called by jail officials a month ago for guiding some of their inmates for structuring a play. In fact the inmates have put together the entire show. I just guided them”. Giving details, he added, “The inmates wrote the script for the play, selected songs and divided the roles. It was my first experience. But I am very hopeful about their future. These inmates are full of life and have proved their point that no one is born a criminal. He is sometimes forced into a hapless situation by life itself. The sentences they are facing are just consequences of the circumstances, which get of control at times. Theatre is known for its healing powers. I am happy I was part of this healing process.” One of the participants in the play, Zaki Hussain, said, “Accidentally I got involved in an assault case and was jailed for nine months. I am the founder member of theatre group “Model Jail Entertainment Group”. I feel theatre is the only medium which can help us express our feelings to the masses”. Describing theatre as powerful tool for reformation, the Superintendent of the jail, Mr D.S. Rana, told Chandigarh Tribune, “Undertrials have a right to express themselves. In the past few months, I have seen a tremendous change in the behaviour of some of the inmates after they get involved in cultural activities.” The Punjab Governor and UT Administrator, Justice
O.P. Verma (retd) who was also present on the occasion called the jail an “ashram”. He guarded everyone against human rights violations, while appreciating the effort of the jail authorities. He advised them to use the open space to build a theatre room for the inmates. |
|
Robbers
attack dera; 2 injured Kharar, October 2 Gurnam Singh (60) and Rakesh (35), both sevadars of the
dera, narrated the story to mediapersons in the hospital today. They said it was about 12.30 last night when about five robbers entered the dera by jumping over the wall. Two of them remained standing outside. The robbers were having rods in their hands and wearing
kachhas. They looted cash from the cash box and almirah after breaking the locks. The police has registered a case under Sections 458 and 380 IPC, and started investigations. Meanwhile, Dr Balwinder Singh, who was on duty in the hospital, said both injured persons had blunt injuries on their head and arms, but were out of danger.
|
|
Tracing
nostalgic connection Chandigarh, October 2 “Chandigarh spells magic. It’s a beautifully structured city, laden with greenery and incense. The spaces are awesome and they remind you of Corbusier’s mastermind which has given face to many a grand building in Europe. The only difference I find in the constructions back home and here is the size of residential units. They are generously constructed here, he said. Having officiated as Director, Alliance Francaise, Madagascar, Bruno has also been Director of the French School in Zambia and Technical Assistant for a joint project with the Gamibian government. With a rich teaching experience in various countries at hand, it is little wonder that he wants to improve the academic standards of Alliance Francaise in Chandigarh. “I see myself as a teacher first and a director later. After passing my masters in science of education 1988, I have been engaged in teaching assignments at various levels. This is my second posting as Director of the Alliance Francaise,” informed Bruno, who is all set to organize “Anokha”, which will be the first cultural presentation of the Alliance Francaise under him. The show, sponsored by the French Embassy, will be staged at Tagore Theatre tomorrow. Interested in revamping the library facilities currently available at Alliance, Bruno said, “The library has to be enlivened. For that I will invite discussions from students, who will be allowed room to use the space of library as a forum for brainstorming. Often there are vital issues waiting to be discussed.” Apart from that, improvement in the quality of teaching is also on the priority list of Bruno. Fairly satisfied with the prevailing education standards at Francaise, Bruno said, “I have been at work only for three days. But I have learnt that we have over 2000 students enrolled with us currently. My focus will not be to push enrolment numbers because numbers are not the real indicators of standards.” Bruno would be paying equal attention to cultural exchange with India through the Alliance Francaise. “We are bringing some major film festivals to the city. Besides this, we have a series of scientific lectures coming up. We will have experts in the field of water and tele-medicine holding special sessions in Chandigarh from the next week,” informed Bruno
Plasse. |
|
BJP launches ‘Gaon-gaon chalo...’ Chandigarh, October 2 Led by Mr Yash Pal Mahajan, president of the local unit, the campaign was inaugurated by Dr Ram Kripal Sinha, a senior BJP leader from Delhi. As a part of the campaign, BJP workers visited every house in the village to highlight achievements of the BJP-led NDA government and listened to problems of residents. “BJP workers will act as postmen between citizens and the Vajpayee government at the Centre”, said a former BJP Member of Parliament from the city, Mr Satya Pal Jain, while talking to Chandigarh Tribune after the launch of the campaign. Mr Jain said the local unit of the BJP would take up the matter of regularisation of houses situated outside the “lal dora” (and also its extension) in UT villages with the UT Administration. “Those living outside the “lal dora” are paying more for power and should be brought on a par with those living in the villages”, demanded Mr Jain. Speaking on the occasion, Mr Sinha claimed that achievements of the Central Government had been satisfactory and the country had made progress in various fields. He talked about various schemes launched by the Prime Minister and revolution sectors like communication, medicine and sciences. Earlier, addressing a rally at the village, Mr Davesh Moudgil, president, BJYM, thanked the Vajpayee government for setting up a Youth Commission. He appealed to youth to vote in the favour of the BJP. Speakers criticised successive Congress governments at Center and highlighted the achievements of the Vajpayee-led NDA government. The Municipal Corporation Chandigarh also came under
criticism. Among those present on the occasion included Mr Bal Krishan Kapoor and Mr Parshotam Mahajan, both general secretaries, Ms Kamla Sharma, a former Mayor and leader of opposition in MCC, Mr Rajesh Gupta, councillor, Mr Darshan Singh Behlana, chairman, Chandigarh Zila Parishad, Mr Gurdeep Singh, general secretary, BJP Kisan Morcha, Mr Sanjeev Kumar, district president, and Mr Baljeet Sethi, mandal president. |
|
Jan Jagran Abhiyaan from Oct 5 Panchkula, October 2 This was announced by Mr Kataria during a press conference today. He said the yatra would pass through various villages of Panchkula and Ambala districts, and culminate into a rally at Panipat. Yatras from four other Lok Sabha constituencies in the state would also culminate there into a rally. The rally would be
addressed by the Deputy Prime Minister, Mr L.K. Advani, BJP chief, Mr Venkaiah Naidu, the Union Agriculture Minister, Mr Rajnath Singh, and other Central party leaders. |
|
PANCHKULA
DIARY Panchkula, October 2 A four-year-old tree in the front lawn of his wooden doors unit here is now bearing fruits. In the past three weeks, over 20 mangoes have ripened, much to the delight of Mr Mehar Singh. So while everyone has already said goodbye to the king of fruits, Mr Mehar Singh's family is still enjoying them. Mr Mehar Singh said the sapling of the tree was gifted to him by a business associate in Chennai four years ago. “In the first year, the fruition occurred only once, but in the subsequent years, the tree has been biannual in its produce, once in March and then in October,” he said. Mr Mehar Singh said other than his unit, the only other place in the region where this variety of mangoes is found is Rara Sahib in Ludhiana. He said his mango tree has created a lot of interest among local horticulturists, who have often demanded a branch for grafting. “But I refused as the tree gets weak if cut for grafting,” he added. Elected:
The meeting to elect the new president was held after the sudden demise of former president and freedom fighter Sadhu Ram Saini on September 12. The name of Mr Sharma, who was the general secretary of the manch, was proposed by Mr Swaroop Chand. Safai abhiyan:
|
|
|
Tableaux
on Shakti darshan Chandigarh, October 2 She added, “Goddess Durga, holding weapons, is our main attraction”. The exhibition, being held at house number 1164, Sector 21, will continue till October 3 from 5 pm to 9 pm. The in charge, Ms B.K. Kusum, said, “We have set up the tableaux to explain the meaning of the Navratras. It is essential for youngsters to know real values so that they can be inculcated in day-to-day life.” |
|
|
Cop succumbs to bullet injury Chandigarh, October 2 A bullet had hit Surinder Kumar just below the heart while he was servicing his official pistol in his official vehicle on the Dakshin Marg near the Sector 33 petrol station. It is being said that the bullet had went off “accidentally”. He was declared dead at 5.15 pm this evening, sources in the police department said. Surinder Kumar was the in charge of the vehicle as well as its driver. He is survived by two teenaged sons and wife. As per sources in the PGI, the condition of Mr Bishan Singh was under observation. It is learnt that he has fractures on his back bone and chest, besides head injuries, and developed blood clots around the kidney. |
|
|
Mayor announces 3 lakh aid for senior citizens Chandigarh, October 2 At another function, Bharat Vikas Parishad organised a free ECG camp at Indira Holiday Home in Sector 24. Meanwhile, addressing a gathering at the Sector 47 Community Centre, the area councillor, Mr Jatinder Bhatia, also announced Rs 20,000 for the activities of the forum. Earlier during the programme, the function began with a welcome song by the children of Sector 47 Government Model Senior Secondary School. |
|
Jeweller duped of 450-gm gold Chandigarh, October 2 Meanwhile, Mr Jora Singh, a resident of Sector 24 and a pharmacist at General Hospital, Sector 16, reported that Rs 25,000 had been stolen from his office cabin in the hospital yesterday. A case has been registered. An Indica car (CH 02 1017) of Mr Sarwan Singh (H.No. 375/2, Sector 45) was reported stolen from the taxi stand near Furniture Market, Sector 34, on the night of September 29. A case has been registered.
|
Sugar-free sweets for the calorie-conscious Chandigarh, October 2 “Gone are the days when you had to squeeze the sugar out of the sponge rasgullas before gulping it,” says the manager of a Sector 8 sweet shop. “Now you can buy products which promise to give you full satisfaction on Dasehra and Divali without adding those loathsome calories to your diet chart”. And it is just not burfi you will be able to munch without gaining weight. “You can also buy kalakand without the fear of consuming unwanted sugar,” the manager asserts. “This is not all. You can also pick up anjeer and khajoor burfi without sugar in it”. For those of you who simply love
rasmalai, but have been avoiding it for obvious reasons, here is real good news for you. “You can savour sugar-free
rasmalai, too”. The sweets are, however, not so inexpensive. “Contrary to the common belief, you have to shell out extra rupees for sugar-free sweets. You will have to pay more than Rs 300 for
burfi, costing Rs 100 per kg otherwise”. If you wish to savour anjeer and khajoor
burfi, you will have to pay Rs 360 per kg. In case you are not very fussy about consuming sugar along with the sweets, the shops have other products to offer. “New”, they claim. “Pista, kesar and kaju
burfi, besides kalakand, mohan bhog and pakiza, are all-time favourites, but there is nothing unique about these”, says Mr Yash Pal Singh Kohli of a Sector 22 hotel with a confectionary-cum-sweet shop in it. “So you can go in for something new in the festive season of 2003”. Giving details, Mr Kohli says, “You can pick up gulkand
burfi, along with apple and til burfi. Fruit burfi is also in great demand these days. You can buy chaina pai also. It is simply delicious and people just love it”. In case you wish to present sweets to your boss or some other business contact, besides relatives and acquaintances, in a special thali, you will have to a pay little more for it. “We have steel thalis with gota adoring the edges,” Sanjay Singla of a Sector 35 sweet shop adds. "If you wish to buy it, you will have to pay Rs 100 extra. You can also buy special baskets decorated with colourful velvet having little birds on the edges. You have to pay something like Rs 200 for it”.
|
|
CII fair gets going with vintage car rally Chandigarh, October 2 Mr Pawan Kumar Bansal, MP, flagged off the rally. Some of them had come dressed in colourful costumes at the CII headquarters today. The vehicles, of which the oldest was a 1927 Ford, traversed 59 km across the length and breadth of the city in three stages to check in at the Forest Hill Golf and Country Club three hours later. While each car was its gleaming best, the pick of the lot was a Ford in red and black, which sportingly came all the way from Dehra Dun to join the rally. In a nostalgic array of
Austins, Hillmans, Oldsmobiles and Fords, some of the other eye-catchers were a 1942 Ford Jeep, a stately 1960 Cheverolet and a majestic 1964 Mercedes model. The cars were given an average speed to maintain for each of the three legs of the rally — 24
kmph, 26.85kmph and 24.70 kmph, respectively. Mr Krishan Goyal, Chairman, CII Chandigarh Council, Mr D.P.
Vael, GM, Punjab State Office, Indian Oil Corporation Limited, principal sponsor of the rally, and Mr Mandeep Sehgal, Sales Officer, JK Industries Limited, also joined Mr Bansal. The cars will be on display at the CII Chandigarh Fair at the Circus Grounds till October 5, stated a press note from the CII. Later, Mr
A.N. Mathur, Chief Secretary, Haryana inaugurated the four-day fair at the circus grounds. Since today was a holiday on account of Ganndhi Jayanti, people attended the fair in large numbers. Among others, the State Bank of India, Punjab National Bank, ICICI Bank, IDBI Bank, HDFC Life Insurance and BSNL are participating in the fair. |
|
Coin-dispensing machine to be installed at
bus terminus Chandigarh, October 2 He said the customers would not have to suffer due to shortage of coins. These two machines will not only help CTU conductors and bus passengers but also the public at large These will the first machines to be installed in the city whose capacity will be 22000 coins each, he added. |
 |
| Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir | Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs | Nation | Editorial | | Business | Sport | World | Mailbag | Chandigarh Tribune | Ludhiana Tribune 50 years of Independence | Tercentenary Celebrations | | 123 Years of Trust | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
