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Technical Teachers’ Training Institute renamed Chandigarh, November 20 He said the institute would act as a centre for offering quality training programmes for teachers covering the entire gamut of technical education. Dr O.P. Bajpai, principal of the institute who has now been designated as the director, said the institute earlier catered to the education of teaching at polytechnic at the regional level. Now the area of teaching would also cover engineering courses, vocational and management education at the regional and national levels. The institute would also work to undertake systematic research to provide research inputs for the development of technical education training systems and its management. The institute felt the need for the upgradation of the status from the regional to the national level. The proposal was agreed upon by the Ministry of Human Resource Development.
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Campus Notes A student of Panjab University is allowed to join the postgraduate classes even if he has a compartment in the final year of graduation. However, a similar concession is not extended to students with compartment who wish to join a postgraduate diploma. Dr Mukesh Arora and Principal S.C.Marriya, both fellows of the university senate, have highlighted the matter through a resolution which comes up for detailed discussions at the forthcoming syndicate meeting. The resolution reads “ the students who have done graduation with compartment have been allowed by PU to join Masters in Arts classes. Certain students had joined the postgraduate diploma. However, the rules of the university do not allow compartment cases to join postgraduate diploma whereas they are allowed to join MA. The anomaly needs to be looked into and the university should make the necessary amendments so that students who have already joined diploma should not suffer”. A decision to this regard will help a number of students who had joined the diploma courses but had cleared their compartment of graduation classes in September 2003. The movers of the resolution have sought to the university allow students to continue in the diploma till the university took a final decision on the resolution. The resolution has found favour among the student community.
Prestigious fellowship The Third World Academy of Sciences (TWAS), Trieste (Italy), has conferred a fellowship on Prof B.M.Deb, Department of Chemistry, PU. A decision to this regard was taken at the 14th general body meeting of the academy held recently in Beijing. The university has also received a communication to this regard. Prof Deb has been honoured for “outstanding” contributions to science and its development in the third world countries. He is a recipient of the prestigious Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar award in Chemical Sciences (1981) and Sir C.V.Raman award in Physical Sciences (1988). He is a specialist in theoretical chemistry and chemical physics. He did his doctorate from Oxford and has taught at IIT, Mumbai and BITS, Pilani, in addition to numerous assignments as a visiting professor to a number of prestigious universities in India and abroad. Dr Deb is known to motivate students to appreciate poetry, art and beauty in science, in general and chemistry, in particular. He has authored a large number of quality papers which have found place in reputed research journals.
Pharmacy week On the occasion of the ‘National Pharmacy Week’, a series of functions were organised by the Indian Pharmaceutical Association to mark the theme of the week which was “ Pharmacist for promotion of future free of tobacco”. Students, educators and professionals joined a rally taken out on Panjab University campus earlier this week on Tuesday. A procession of over 80 students moved around the campus with placards relating to the theme. On Wednesday, the function was held at the University Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences. Dr T.R.Bhardwaj, chairman, welcomed the guests. Dr C.P.Bansal, Director of the Health Services, UT, outlined the role of the pharmacist in promoting the theme of the week. Others who spoke on the occasion included Prof Atul Sachdev, Government Hospital, Dr G.P.Saluja, Additional Deputy Director, DGHS, Haryana and Dr V.R.Sinha, secretary of the IPA, Punjab unit. As many as 60 students donated blood at a camp on Thursday.
Heavy rush The fee counters at Panjab University have witnessed a very heavy rush over the past week. The arrival of forms for the private candidates were delayed this time so students had very few days left to submit their forms and fees till November 24. The university has responded to the student problem and extended the last date of submission of forms till December 8 without late fees and December 15 on payment of a late fee of Rs 835. Sources in the examination branch said the delay took place of a late university decision. The University Senate in October decided to charge the examination fee from private students along with their admission forms. This followed a resolution by Dr Sodhi Ram, the Controller of Examination, pointing out to numerous cases, each year where the private candidates did not pay the fees due to which the university did not declare their results. The numbers have piled over the years. Sources pointed out that one of the reasons why students did not pay their fees was because they verified from their “inside” sources and in case they failed they did not clear their dues. Following the university decision the university started the process of getting the forms printed. As there were different aspects related to the forms including secret marking for university insignia, the university had to employ outside agencies. |
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PU staff seek viable pension scheme Chandigarh, November 20 The gathering included staff members from the teaching as well as the non-teaching wings. Addressing the gathering, Dr Harjinder Singh Laltu, president of the Panjab University Teachers Association, spoke at length on various developments that had taken during the past one month on the issue. He was referring to the university committee specially constituted for the purpose. Dr Laltu insisted on continuous pressure on the authorities for implementation of the pension scheme. Mr Dharam Pal Sharma, president of the Panjab University (non-teaching) Staff Association, echoed the concerns of the employees on account of security after retirement. Prof P.P. Arya, a former president of PUTA, underlined the importance of time-bound action. Professor Arya said the university directive of “no pay for no work” was uncalled for and an anti-democratic step. Other speakers also made references to the university directive. It was said that such directives could not deter them from demanding their legitimate demands. Mr Jaswant S. Thakur, president of the PU Technical Staff Association spoke on developments on the pension issue and that pressure would have to be sustained for positive results. Dr R.K. Sharma, vice-president, and Dr Akshaya Kumar, secretary of PUTA, also spoke on the occasion. |
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KVM students bag declamation
contest trophy Chandigarh, November 20 The trophy was bagged by Jagriti Sharma and Urvashi Pahwa of Kundan Vidya Mandir (KVM) in Ludhiana. The chief guest, Principal of DAV Model School in Sector 15, Ms Rakesh Sachdeva, referring to “Danav Say Manav” said the youngsters should kill the Ravana inside them. She said children should not find fault with others but improve themselves. They should not fear anybody and always be truthful, she said. The results are as follows the first prize was bagged by Tarun Chawla of DAV Public School in Ludhiana. The second prize went to Jagriti Sharma of KVM Ludhiana, and Nishant of DAV Public School Surajpur. The third prize went to Urvashi Pahwa of (KVM), Ludhiana. The consolation prize went to Meenal Gakhar of Bhawan Vidyalaya in Sector 27, Prashant Sharma of Government Model Senior Secondary School in Sector 22 and Sanjay of Institute for the Blind in Sector 26. The results of Lala Suraj Bhan Memorial English Declamation Contest are as follows, the trophy went to Kshitiz Sharma and Gur Simranjit of St Xaviers High School in Sector 20 Panchkula. The first prize was bagged by Kshitiz Sharma of St Xaviers High School in Sector 20 Panchkula. The second prize went to Gur Simranjit of St Xaviers High School in Sector 20 Panchkula. The third prize went to Ashmita of DAV English Medium Model Senior Secondary School in Sector 8 Panchkula and Malvika Sharma of (KVM), Ludhiana. The consolation prize went to Divya Mehta of Major R.N. Kapoor DAV Public School of Ambala Cantt and Roohani Wadhwa of Stepping Stones of Sector 38. Giyani Jominder Singh Ji Di Pavitar Yaad Vich Punjabi Kavita Paath competition was also held today. |
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Students present scintillating cultural show Mohali, November 20 Mr P.I. Sabu, Regional Officer, CBSE Chandigarh, was the Chief Guest on the occasion and inaugurated the show. The scintillating cultural show began with shabad followed by the release of souvenir. The tiny tots presented a large number of entertaining items including froggie's wedding, qawwali, “azadi ke matwale”. A science exhibition was organised at the school as part of the annual day celebrations. Mr J.S. Bedi, secretary, presented the annual report of the school. Speaking on the occasion, Mr P.I. Sabu appreciated the efforts of the students and staff members for the creative display in the exhibition. Prizes were given to the academic toppers of the session by the chief guest. A vote of thanks was presented by the Principal, Mrs Ranjeet Singh Bedi. |
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Sant Isher team wins ‘vaar gayan’ contest Mohali, November 20 The team comprising Sarabjit Kaur, Avjot Kaur and Kawaljeet Kaur, stood first in the state for the second consecutive year. The school giddha team bagged the third position. Amandeep Kaur stood second in Punjab in poem recitation. The competition was held at Ludhiana yesterday. The Principal of the school, Mrs Hardip Kaur Gill, said the winners would be honoured by the school. |
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300 students attend
painting competition Chandigarh, November 20 The former Principal of College of Architecture, Prof Aditya Prakash, commended the students for their talent. The Chairman of the society’s local branch highlighted the importance of Lala Lajpat Rai as a model for the Indian youth. The judges were Prof Aditya Prakash, The Tribune cartoonist, Sandeep Joshi, and Head of Sector 11 Government College for Women’s Fine Arts Department Meera Dham. The results in the order of merit are as follows: Urban category: Harsimran of Bhavan Vidyalaya in Sector 27, Ritu Beri of Government Model Senior Secondary School in Sector 35, and Ketika Sharma of Bhavan Vidyalaya School in Sector 27. The consolation prize went to Simran Kaur of Government Model School in Sector 35. Aarti of Shishu Niketan School in Sector 22 was commended. In the rural category results according to the merit are Ashiana of Government High School in Khuda Lahora, Johny of Government High School in Sector 24 and Azad Kumar of Sector 24. The consolation prize went to Johny Kumar of Government High School in Sector 24. |
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Farewell given to Justice Sodhi Chandigarh, November 20 Addressing a gathering of sitting and retired Judges, besides lawyers, in the Bar room, Mr Justice Sodhi asserted in a voice choked with emotion that parting was always sad and today was no exception. He added that his heart was full of emotions and tongue tied. Describing himself as a “product of this Bar”, the Judge added that he was proud of it. “Whatever I am today is because of the Bar and the High Court. I owe my allegiance to this institution,” he said. “I had the interest of the institution on my mind in whatever decision I took.” |
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PIL filed on stray cattle menace Chandigarh, November 20 In the PIL the Human Rights Organisation also sought directions to the UT Administration and the MC to pay
ex-gratia compensation of Rs 5 lakh to next of kin of those killed or injured by the stray animals. |
Punjabi song
shot at Chandigarh Club Chandigarh, November 20 Raja had edited around 500 songs. He has worked with K2 records company for song “Chand jara chhup leine de”. While working with other directors, Raja realised that he himself could do a good job in directing the songs. Armed with cameras and lights, he directed the shooting of a duet song in video album “Desi Jatt”. The song “Pardi mein shaher Bathinda, takua nit khadkuga” is sung by Taja. |
Spreading the message of peace through theatre AN interface with thespian Madeeha Gauhar from Pakistan serves more purposes than one. To begin with, it confirms the commonness of concerns, as held by artistes on both sides of the Indo-Pak border. To conclude, it underlines the human urge to break free of the trammels of fundamentalism, notwithstanding political settings. Spreading the message of peace through theatre, Madeeha, the recipient of the coveted “Tamgha-e-Imtiyaaz” (Pride of performance) title from the Pakistani government, is now all set to break more barriers by inviting two women’s theatre troupes from Punjab (India) for participation in the Women’s Theatre Festival, to be hosted by Pakistan around March 8 next year. On her arrival in Chandigarh, where she will stage her peace-oriented production, “Bullah” on Friday, Madeeha informed that Pakistan would soon host the South Asian Theatre Festival to encourage interaction among artistes. “If only the artistes are allowed to move freely across nations, geographical boundaries would become so much fluid. I thank the Indian government that has granted us visas to all the eight places in Punjab where we are staging “Bullah”,” said Madeeha, the face of 20-year-old Ajoka Theatre, which is synonymous with the struggle for secular values in Pakistan. Visiting Chandigarh along with her 28-member troupe of ‘Bullah’, which has been staged in Amritsar, Dudike (native village of Lala Lajpat Rai) and Patiala, Madeeha mentioned how a fledgling group, formed in 1983 when Zia-ul-Haq was busy feeding a politically and culturally repressive regime in Pakistan, gained feet by first staging “Jaloos”, the play by Badal Sircar. Most of Ajoka’s productions have promoted the quality of life in Pakistan by blending traditional theatre forms with modern techniques and by providing entertainment with social relevance. Interestingly, Ajoka collaborates extensively with South Asian countries, including India and Bangladesh, reiterating its commitment to ideals of peace and tolerance. In India, Ajoka has produced “Ek thi Naani”, a play on two sisters separated during partition. Zohra Sehgal and Uzra Bhatt play their real life parts in the production. Recently Ajoka’s children’s wing produced Border-Border, a play featuring children from Pakistan and Chandigarh. As a social activist, Madeeha has long been venturing into areas considered controversial. With the support of her script writer-husband Shahid Nadeem, she has produced plays on topics like human trafficking, honour killings in Pakistan, besides community theatre productions that underline the urgency of democratic ideals. No wonder Madeeha has often been intercepted in her tracks. As she says, “All governments have been disinterested in socially meaningful art. Pakistan still has no theatre departments in universities or institutions that teach theatre. It is through groups like ours that awareness is spreading. Women are speaking their minds out. The degree of independence in Pakistan, however, remains lower than that in India. We only wish our pursuits make sense enough to persuade governments to divert attention from defence towards health and education, which continue to remain neglected.” |
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Waste paper can be used
to run school “With a newspaper circulation of over two lakh in Chandigarh, the city produces waste paper worth lakhs of rupees every month. We are aiming at collecting just a part of it as donation from the people to run a school for the slum kids who have been denied formal education by the society,” says Mr Zulfiqar Khan, President, Theatre Age Society, an NGO working in Sector 24 to provide education and training in theatre to poor boys and girls, apart from assisting them to earn their livelihood. A gold medallist from the Department of Indian Theatre, Panjab University, Mr Zulfiqar Khan has worked with world-renowned theatre personalities like Habib Tanvir, Anamika Haksar, Fritze Benetize besides acting in some films like “Yeh Hai Bombay Meri Jaan” and TV serials, including Naya Daur, Mohan Das B.A. L.L.B, Philips Top Ten, before accepting the present challenge.
Q: How did you begin your work among slum kids? A: It was just a coincidence that during the early nineties, I got a UGC scholarship to run a theatre lab with slum kids under the guidance of Prof Mohan Maharishi. Once I started, I was thrilled by the innocence and hidden talent of these unfortunate kids who work as child labourers and may become criminal one day because of bad company. I decided to contribute in my own humble way to ‘ease their pain’ and to offer them a platform to realise their potential. The murals and paintings made by them now adorn the walls of Lake Club and other government buildings of the city. Q:
A: Currently, we are running a community kitchen and a part time school for about 30 children at Govt Senior Secondary School , Sector 24. They work as housemaid, ragpickers and cobblers before noon and come here in the afternoon to study, play and learn some theatre. Some of them have already cleared Class V examination and are now aspiring to pass at least matriculation examination to get some decent jobs. One of them has even joined the BSF.
Q: What sort of help do you expect from the residents for these kids? A:
We have, no doubt, got appreciation and some financial help from the city residents and administration, but we are still working under financial constraints. Though we are spending about Rs 5,000 per month on the children through people’s contribution, we immediately require at least Rs 10,000 per month to arrange teachers and study material. People can help us by cash or even by donating their newspaper ‘raddi’ or scrap like bottles, plastics, utensils. They can just inform us at phone No 3132900, and we will collect the material from their
house. We need money to arrange professional teachers and study material to prepare these kids for formal education. If it becomes possible, and I am sure it will, Chandigarh will be the first city in the country to support a school for the underprivileged children through waste newspapers. |
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Fashion PERFUME, a transparent veil that lends an aura of mystery to its wearer, also makes a subtle fashion statement. This final touch to the dressing up ritual is the first thing that is noticed about a person. To quote Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel ‘‘perfume is the unseen but unforgettable and ultimate fashion accessory. It heralds a woman’s arrival and prolongs her departure’’. Whether you want to woo your girlfriend, floor your boyfriend or please your wife, a nice Eau De Parfum (EDP) or Eau De Toilette (EDT) has been an excellent choice since ages. Everything in life has a scent and for many memories pleasant as well as painful are buried in the recesses of mind, enveloped in related fragrances. It is a language through which one can say things that cannot be expressed otherwise. Fragrance continues to evolve like fashion, that is why new launches are lapped up by the buyers. The trend of designer labels and personalisation has grown and as a result products like Calvin Klein’s Truth, J. LO’s Glow, Zeenat etc have hit the market. Perfume is no longer seen merely as a means of seduction and there are several who cannot start their day without it. Men and women today are more open about their sexuality. So are the perfumes they wear. Women, especially working women, have more power and a mind of their own. So they expect their perfumes to complement their inner strength and energy. The choice of perfumes is influenced by seasons, winter/summer, as well as by the buyers’ moods. Light floral scents are preferred in summer and warm heavy fragrances are best suited for the chilly winters. The preference for fragrance also varies according to the zodiac signs. People having air zodiac signs prefer floral scents, while those belonging to water signs prefer oceanic and floral scents. While people having fire zodiac signs prefer spicy flavour, earth sign people like the strong and earthy woody fragrances, that remind them of nature. Though the youngsters are more adventurous in choosing a cologne or perfume and experiment with the latest stuff, with age the preferences seem to become rigid, says Chetna Patra of Ebony store in Sector 9, a fact corroborated by Mr Atamjit for whom Opium has been the only choice for years. And how much are they ready to shell out for their favourite brand? “Most of the customers are ready to spend Rs 2,000 to Rs 3,000 for a branded perfume at our store.” Gucci’s perfume at Rs 3650 is the most expensive available in the store. About the favourite fragrances she says French , Swiss and English perfumes are liked more. “Women mostly prefer floral and fruity scents though some abstract fragrances also find favour with them.” However, the difference between women’s fragrance and men’s fragrance has narrowed considerably over the years. Several women prefer male fragrances. In fact, some companies have been very successful with unisex fragrances. Buyers in the city prefer branded perfumes more as they are fashion conscious and keep a track of the latest trends, says Mr Subhash Gulati of Empire Store in Sector 17. “Fragrance is an integral part of a person’s persona so I take great care in choosing one and price is not a deterrent if I get good stuff,” says Rachna, a business person. But for students like Ashima, Deepti and Preeti deodorants and sprays in the range of Rs 200 to 400 are the best suited as these give them the freedom to experiment. So Xm, En liven, Yardley, Nivea etc are favoured. However, for Gurjit, a second year BE student, and his friends the inspiration comes from ads like the ones for MTV Plugged and Axe. “It is important to smell nice and it boosts my confidence when someone comments that I am smelling nice,” he says. With city stores going all out for the phoren stuff, it is not so that our Bharat has nothing much to offer on the fragrance front. For those with love for swadeshi Indian attars are a good choice. Those who do not like the presence of alcohol in perfumes use these as personal perfumes. The attars are manufactured by a traditional hydro-distillation process. Copper stills called ‘degs’ are used for distilling floral and herbal materials. The unique scent of attars is obtained by condensing the vapours into the base materials, mainly sandalwood oil. Floral attars are made from flowers like Rose, Kewra, Motia, Chameli etc. Enticing names like Python (Trussardi), Crave (Klein), Eternity, Contradiction, Obsession, Duende, Fluid (Iceberg) etc and exciting packages lure you to go ahead and have your pick... warm, sensual, spicy or floral.
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It’s my life! I was only two and half years old, when my parents who were residing in Moga decided to send me to Chandigarh to stay with my nanaji. My first school was St Anne’s Convent School, Sector 32. When I was about six years, my parents also moved to Chandigarh and I shifted to Sacred
Heart, Sector 26, where I studied till Class X. When I was in Class VI, my father, a national shooter, tried to develop my interest in shooting by gifting a rifle on my birthday. Gradually I began taking interest in this sport. I passed my Class XII examinations from Bhavan Vidyalaya School, Sector 27, and during these two years, I proved my worth in the 10-metre air rifle event at the national level. Now for the past three years I am a student of MCM DAV College for Women, Sector 36, and have represented my country several times in various international shooting competitions. I also won a gold medal in the all-India inter-varsity meet. I love Chandigarh since one finds energetic people here who want to do something new. But there is one regret, the city is not as big as it should have been. If Panchkula, Mohali and Chandigarh could be one, then life here could be more glamorous. The best part is that the city now houses showrooms of almost every major brand and there are several food and entertainment points. But I suggest, the city should now have flyovers to ease the growing traffic. I want to marry as per the wishes of my parents since they are the best judge. As told to Our Correspondent |
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New Release
East meets West... and life gets out of control. This is the theme of Vashu Bhagnani’s ‘Out of Control’. Life becomes hell when on one side there is an Indian boy and on the other an American girl. Former Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilas Rao Deshmukh’s son Ritesh Deshmukh, who is not one film old, plays lead role opposite Hrishitta Bhatt. Bhagnani has presented 29-year-old California-based ‘Baywatch’ girl Brande Roderiques in a daring role. Bhagnani admits that it is not a great film for the rural audience, but maintains that it will do better at the urban and semi-urban levels. The film opens today at Batra (Chandigarh) and KC (Panchkula). The cast includes Amrish Puri, Satish Kaushik, Satish Shah, Himani Shivpuri and Navin Nischal. The film has been made under the banner The other credits are: lyrics by Dev Kohli, choreography by Umesh Jadhav and story by Rakesh Bakshi. Anand Raaj Anand has come up with a melodious score. This time, Vashu teams up with first-time directors Ramanjit Juneja and Apoorva Asrani. Beautiful locations, speedy shots and ‘Baywatch’ girl playing a bold role are the main attractions of the film. — D.P. |
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