Competitions mark World Food Day
Our Correspondent

Chandigarh, October 14
The Dev Samaj College of Education celebrated World Food Day in collaboration with Yuvsatta on the college premises in Sector 36 here today. The programme was marked by an inter-school painting competition on “Food for All” and an inter-college debate on. “How Youth can work together to fight hunger”. Around 200 students from local schools and colleges participated.

Inaugurating the programme, Dr Satinder Dhillon, said students and teachers should come forward to promote and propagate the fight against hunger. She said, “If we are able to remove hunger from India we will be removing one third of the world’s poverty.”

The chief guest of the day, Dr Daniel Gustafson, representative of Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) in India, stressed that we have to make efforts for “Zero Hunger Programme” to eliminate inequality and hunger from society. He also highlighted FAO’s role in spreading and strengthening International Alliance against Hunger, which is the theme this year.

The prize winners of inter-school painting contest in the junior category were Avneet Kaur, Jasmine and Vaibhav (all of Guru Nanak Public School) while in the senior category Gagandeep Kaur of Guru Nanak Public school won the contest followed by Aditi Gupta of St. Stephen’s School and Zorawar of Guru Nanak Public School in the second and third positions, respectively.

Tina of Dev Samaj College of Education, Sector 36, won the inter-college debate while Sunny Goel of Government College for Men, Sector 11, and Mridula Dhindsa of MCM DAV College, Chandigarh, bagged the second and third positions, respectively.

Improvement chances for B.Sc (Honours) students

Chandigarh, October 14
Panjab University has decided to give two chances for improving their previous results to students who clear their normal graduation in Bachelor of Science (Honours) degree.

The permission has been granted by the university senate. The university said any student who qualified for award of an honours degree would be allowed to appear as a private candidate in subjects in which he appeared earlier during his degree course with a view to improve. Students can appear in any subject of the examination taken during his three-year degree course.

Students will be given a maximum of two chances within three years from his passing the graduation examination. The university has said that students who got their degrees between 1997 and 2002 will also be given two chances for improving their performance. These chances will have to be availed within three years of the decision. TNS

Accused in Beant assassination case identified
Our Correspondent

Chandigarh, October 14
The Inspector with the CBI, Mr Rajesh Kumar, today identified one of the accused Shamsher Singh, allegedly involved in the assassination of former Chief Minister of Punjab, Beant Singh, in the court of the UT Additional District and Sessions Judge, Mr Balbir Singh. The accused Shamsher along with others were present behind the barrack in the special court room in jail.

While deposing before the Judge in the special court room in model Burail Jail, the CBI Inspector said he had assisted the chief investigative officer in the case and had arrested the accused Shamsher Singh from the court of the Special Judicial Magistrate, Patiala, on December 11, 1995. Thereafter on the request of the CBI, the accused was remanded in the CBI custody. Later Shamsher Singh was taken to the CBI headquarters, New Delhi.

Mr Rajesh Kumar said on January 3, 1996, he went to Nagpur in connection with the investigation of the case. On January 4, 1996, he had seized a register of Hotel President, Nagpur, and also prepared seizure memo in the presence of witnesses. He also seized some bills of telephone calls and computerised statement of calls and call register.

During investigation the photograph of another accused in the case, Balwant Singh, was identified by one of the watchman, Radhey Farkunde. On January 5, he had seized the record from Hotel Anand Mahal, Nagpur. Same day, the CBI inspector also went to the branch of Punjab National Bank at Nagpur and collected a copy of opening form, statement of account and withdrawal slip from the assistant manager of Punjab National Bank.

Bank officer’s plea dismissed: A local court today dismissed the application moved by former senior bank official, Suresh Kumar, for closing the prosecution evidence in a case registered against him for allegedly outraging the modesty of a foreign national woman.

Appearing on behalf of the state Special Public Prosecutor, Mr Terminder Singh, opposed the plea of the accused stating that it was an exceptional case where the foreign national woman was allegedly molested by a senior bank officer misusing official power.

CULTURE

Capturing shades of matrimony
Parbina Rashid

Chandigarh, October 14
Love may move the world but when it comes to catching an artist’s fancy, it is not just the love between a man and a woman as much as the final act of union of two souls in the bond of matrimony which has the power to light up a canvas. So working on the theme of marriage, as many as 70 amateur artists from the region have captured these emotional moments and their work is being displayed at the VIIth Annual Art Exhibition 2003. The exhibition was inaugurated at Government Museum and Art Gallery in Sector 10, here today.

As the traditional aspect of a marriage ceremony never fails to evoke a feeling of nostalgia, so what one gets to see in the exhibition is a wide range of such traditions captured in detail. Be it Satya Prakash Sharma’s “Vivah Sapno Ka Sansaar” in the traditional mould of an oil painting or Ram Kumar Sharma’s “Sacred Knot” in abstract format, traditions and rituals dominate each canvas.

Though one would have expected to get a feeling of monotony as all 71 works are based on the same theme “Vivah”, but as the artists have explored different mediums — both conventional and unconventional, it provides a feeling a freshness as one goes around probing each creation, finding something new in each work of art.

The 71 art works being displayed in the exhibition come after the screening of 200 entries by an expert jury. The exhibition will conclude on October 21 with a prize distribution function .

Sufi singers enthral audience
Our Correspondent

Chandigarh, October 14
The magic of Sufi singing mesmerised the audience at GGDSD College, Sector 32, as own Fantasy, Own World, a cultural society, celebrated the golden jubilee of City Beautiful here today. Singers Nanak Shah and Manak Ali rendered soul-searching Sufiana kalam in their mellifluous voice for over an hour.

Addressing the gathering Mr R.S. Gujral, Home Secretary-cum-Adviser, UT Administration, stressed the need of individual effort in maintaining the beauty of Chandigarh. “All of us must ensure that we fulfil our share of responsibilities in maintaining the beauty of the city,” he said.

On the occasion Mr Gujral also released a book “Pick and Choose the Golden Rules” compiled and edited by Asha Arpit, president of Own Fantasy, Own Art.

‘Sheesh Guran De' released
Our Correspondent

Zirakpur, October 14
A Punjabi cassette, ‘‘Sheesh Guran De’’, containing religious songs by Jaswant Jassi was released at a cultural function organised in Chhat village, about 5 km from here today.

Mr Deepinder Singh Dhillon, Additional Advocate-General of Punjab and a member of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee, who was the chief guest of the function released the cassette.

Addressing the gathering, Mr Dhillon said the budding Punjabi artiste should be appreciated for keeping alive the tradition of the Punjabi culture.

Punjabi folk singers who enthralled the audience on the occasion included Kesar Ghuman, Dharam Pal Dhami, Jaipal Palli, Hari Kandley Wala and some other artiste.

Those who were present on the function included Mr Gurcharan Singh, district unit Congress Secretary (Rural), Mr Budh Ram Dhiman, a local leader, and Mr Jai Singh, Sarpanch of Satabgarh village.