The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Mobiles a nuisance, say principals
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, November 27
Mobile phones are now a part of the college campus scene. Ludhiana Tribune spoke to some college principals for their reactions to the carrying of mobile phones to colleges by students and whether they should be banned. Most of them felt that they were a nuisance but banning them would be infringing on the rights of the students. However, Ms Charanjit Mahal, Principal of Guru Nanak Girls College, said the mobiles had been banned from last month. “Earlier, the girls used to bring them but now we have banned them. They caused a lot of nuisance,” she said.

Mr B.D. Budhiraja of Kamla Lohtia Santan Dharam College said,” a large number of students carry their mobiles. We allow them to carry as they belong to business families and say that they are involved in business too. Their parents also want to maintain contact with them. But we have told them strictly not to bring them to the classroom. The students have been told that they will be punished if the mobiles are carried to the classroom.”

Mr V.P. Gaur, Principal of Government College of Boys, says, “a lot of lecturers also bring mobiles to the college. The students are discouraged and we have issued a notice that the students carrying mobiles would be fined. Whenever I come across a student carrying a mobile, I try to reason out the need for it. A small percentage of students do carry their mobiles but not to their classrooms.”

Dr S.M. Sharma, Principal of Arya College of Boys, says students of commerce and computers bring mobiles. “I feel that the mobiles have a nuisance value but so long as the students do not carry it to the classroom and disturb others, we allow them to carry it to the campus.”

Inter-college Shabad gayan contest held
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, November 27
An inter-college shabad gayan competition was organised by Gujranwala Guru Nanak Khalsa College here. Principal Gurdip Singh interpreted the philosophy of the first Sikh Guru in scientific terms while Prof Sohinderjit Singh advised students to follow the teachings of Guru Nanak Dev and spread the message of peace and non-violence.

The students recited Gurbani and kirtan with zeal. The trophy was won by Master Tara Singh Memorial College for Women, Ludhiana, while Guru Nanak Khalsa College for Women and Guru Nanak Girls College, Model Town, Ludhiana, secured second and third positions, respectively. The consolation prize went to Khalsa College for Women, Ludhiana.

Monica of Master Tara Singh College was first while Gulraz Akhtar of Guru Nanak Khalsa College and Jasleen of Guru Nanak Girls College got second and third positions. The team of G.N. Khalsa College, Ludhiana, was commended for its performance.

The students and guests partook of langar at the end of the function.

Meanwhile, the college won a number of prizes in the recently concluded Zonal Youth Festival (Zone-B) held at A.S. College for Women, Khanna. The college bagged first prizes in six events. The performances of college students were appreciated in the events of bhangra, creative writing, group singing, Indian classical music (vocal), among others.

Principal Gurdip Singh informed that a 44-member team of college students, led by seven teachers, took part in a number of items. The Principal felicitated Dr Gurmohan Singh, coordinator, Prof L.S. Bedi, co-coordinator, Dr Tarlochan Singh, Prof Jatinder Kapoor, Dr Amrit Rrishma, Dr M.S. Komal and Prof Rajeev Jain.

The achievements of students of this college in the youth festival are as under:

Bhangra and vaar singing (group)-first position, creative writing: Harsimrat Kaur — first, group singing (individual): Jagpreet Singh — first, vaar singing (individual): Gurvinder Singh — first, Indian classical music (vocal): Jaspal Singh — first, light vocal music (ghazal): Yogesh Sharma — second and instrumental music (tabla): Jaspal Singh-second.

MCA students given farewell
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, November 27
The final year MCA students of the Guru Nanak Institute of Management and Technology (GNIMT), Gujarkhan Campus, Model Town, here were bade farewell at ‘Rukhsat’, a party hosted by their juniors last evening.

A cultural extravaganza marked the colourful evening as the juniors put together a pot pourri of items for the seniors. Amidst a host of compliments, the seniors sashayed down the ramp in their stunning attires and reminisced. Nidhi Khosla was adjudged Ms Farewell on the basis of her overall personality and performance.

Kuljeet Brar was declared as Ms Personality while Shelly Sehdev was Ms Well-Dressed for the evening. The title of Ms Beautiful Smile was awarded to Divya Singh.

Dr A.S. Bansal, Director of the institute, said the final year students were wished best of luck for their future endeavours. He said it was a befitting farewell for them.

Dr Bansal said these MCA students would be graduating in June 2004 as they would be undergoing six month’s industrial training during the next semester at different places and in industries of their choice. He said their course work would end in December.

Skit on girls deserted by NRIs
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, November 27
Members of the Sur Sangam Club presented a skit based on the life of girls who are engaged to NRIs but are left behind with their parents after marriage. The musical skit was organised by the Sarabha Ladies Club here today. The stage was decorated to give the ambience of a Punjabi village and the artistes were dressed in traditional Punjabi outfits.

A member said, “Sur Sangam is a unique club in the sense that some 25-odd members of the club get-together once a month and sing Punjabi or Hindi songs at the meetings. The one who can’t sing, cannot be a member. There is no tambola”.

Ms Saroj, director of the play, said, “The skit is based on the life of the girls who are abandoned by their in-laws and husbands. These NRIs come to India, get a good wife, take dowry and go away, never to return. The background music was given by the members. The dialogues were written by Ms Savinder Bindra.

Artistes Usha Sharma, Rosy, Neelam, Devinder, Jasbir, Sudershan Sood, Kiran Vaishali, Mithlesh and Jeevan Gupta were appreciated by the audience.