 |
|
|
|
|
||||
Campus round-up The stage is all set for the forthcoming Syndicate polls of Panjab University scheduled for December 15. The battlelines have been drawn between two groups who are having a series of meetings to draw up the final list of their candidates. The Syndicate is the cabinet of the university administration where the Senate is the parliamentary house. There are 15 members of the syndicate. The Syndicate has faculties of Arts (three seats), Languages (two), Science (two), Combined(two), Law(two) and Medical Science(two). One group has many stalwarts of the university Senate scenario, including Prof R.D.Anand, Prof Charanjit Chawla, Dr Deepak Manmohan, Prof P.P.Arya and Prof Satya P. Gautam, to name just a few. This group is rivalled by a group largely identified as the Gopal Krishan Chatrath group. The Chatrath group has not finalised its candidates. Yet, certain names are nearly definite to be on the list, including Mr Chatrath, Principal Subhash Marriya, Mr Satish Sharma, Dr Dinesh Talwar, Mr S.S.Hundal and Prof Rabinder Nath Sharma. The names have however, not been formally confirmed. The rival group has already finalised its candidates. These include Prof M.R.Aggarwal, Principal Jaswant Singh Gill and Mr Dhirender Tayal ( Faculty of Arts), Mr H.S.Gosal and Prof Santosh Sharma (Languages), Prof Bhuvan Chandel, Dr Manoj Kumar and Dr Ganesh Bhardwaj (Sciences), Mr Pawan Valecha and Mr M.G. Gandhi (Law) and Ms Gurbinder Kaur Sidhu and Prof Akhtar Mehmood (Medical Science). This group has maintained its long tradition of not repeating any of the holders of the current Syndicate office. In the Chatrath group Mr Chatrath, Dr Talwar, Mr Hundal and Principal Marriya, all current syndics, are likely to go in for a repeat performance. One interesting development is the change in group by Dr Keshav Malhotra. He is learnt to have shifted to the Chatrath camp because of being denied a chance to contest the election by his own group. A syndic on a note of anonymity said: “Our group was trying to please all and has added the BJP faction to its list. Just to please all in the group certain deserving people had been left out, which includes Dr Malhotra, I belong to the opposite Chatrath camp, however, incase of Dr Malhotra I will support him.” Reliable sources said Prof Chandel is likely to be elected unopposed because of no opposition from the Chatrath camp which could possibly lead to both sides claiming her to be on its side. It is also felt that the camp opposite Chatrath lacks in big names. “Just to please all one should not leave the arena like academic free for all,” a syndic said. He argued that if any person provided quality leadership in the Syndicate there was no reason why he should not be repeated second time.
A lost jewel Dr Satya Prakash Sagar, a former Professor of History, PU, is no more. A great literary jewel of the campus who made a big name in the academic circles has passed away at an age of 86 years. He was a renowned historian, an eminent writer in Hindi and Urdu, as well. He also had a brilliant academic record to his name as a student. He topped the MA (honours school) in History at Lahore and was also the topper in the BA (honours school). He was awarded a gold medal by the Bhartiya Vidya Bhavan for his collection of essays. Dr Sagar is the author of over 20 books in Hindi and three in Urdu. He has been awarded the President’s award and was also honoured by the Uttar Pradesh Government. ‘Lahron ka nimantran,’ ‘Lambi din lambi raaten’, ‘Chand rani’ and ‘Ghar ki aan’ are some of his very famous works. One of his plays has been staged by the coveted National School of Drama. One of his short stories ‘Interview’ was published in the Bulgarian language. He organised several ‘mushairayas’ in Bhopal and also in the city. He finished two projects for the ICHR. His son Prof Pramod Sagar is also a teacher at PU. |
|
Students’ devotion evokes humility Mohali, December 11 Religious fervour marked a show presented before the award ceremony. Teams from winning schools performed their award-winning items on the stage today. The awards were presented by the chief guest, Dr Inderjit Kaur Khalsa of the Sikh Dharma Northern Hemisphere, USA. Speaking on the occasion, she announced that the board would be given a grant of Rs 5 lakh for encouraging such competitions among school students. ‘‘Kirtan and shabad are not limited to the Sikh faith. Inter-faith Sikhism is growing all around the world,’’she said. Mr Ranbir Singh, son of Mr Harbhajan Singh Yogi, Ms Niranjan Kaur, who represents the American Sikh community in the USA, and Prof Balkar Singh and Mr Harbans Singh spoke on the occasion. Prof Balkar Singh said the present and the future belonged to women and any institution or organisation that ignored its women had no future. “Women are not to be stopped from rising but encouraged and recognised,”he added. Appreciating the performance of the students, Ms Niranjan Kaur said the devotion with which the students had performed had humbled her. Mr Ranbir Singh said that Sikhs should make efforts to strengthen the faith that had come into existence after many sacrifices. Other than the performance of shabad gayan, poetry and traditional religious singing on stage by the students of various schools affiliated to the PSEB, students of Miri Piri academy, Amritsar, belonging to the American Sikh community, performed on stage. Among those who won the awards today were Darshan Singh and party, Prabhjot Kaur's team, Mandeep Singh's team, Sarabjot Kaur's team and Sargam's team in shabad gayan; Rajbir Kaur, Deepak, Vishali, Tej Kiran in speech; Atinder Pal Kaur, Navjot Kaur, Sukhbir Kaur, Kiranpreet Kaur in handwriting; Satbir Singh, Amanpreet Kaur, Guntazdeep, Manjot Kaur and Sonu in fine arts; Manjap, Maninder, Pavanpreet, Deepika and Jasbir in fancy dress; Maninder, Jasmeen, Ishwarjot, Ramanpreet, and Jagtar in folk singing. In the elementary section, among those who won the prizes today were Rajni Bala's team, Ashoo's team, Kevalpreet's team, Komalpreet's team, Satnam Singh's team, Poonam's team, Sukhvinder Singh's team, Varinder Kaur's team, Bhagvant Singh's team, Manpreet Singh's team, Jagveer Singh's team, Harkamalpreet Singh's team, Manvinder Deep's team and Baljeet Singh's team. Among those who won the prizes in the secondary section were Anubala, Navneet, Davinder Singh, Jaspreet Kaur, Kulvinder Kaur, Sarvjeet Kaur, Jasvinder Singh, Ranveer Singh, Harjit Kaur, Manpreet Inder Kaur, Harjit, Jasvir Singh, Avtar Singh, Jagdeep Kaur, Manpreet, Mohinder Kaur, Bhupinder Singh, Nishan Singh, Dilbagh Singh and Vishvadeep Kaur.
|
|
Development programme for MBA faculty Mohali, December 11 Inaugurated by Mr Lakshmi Naryana, Regional Officer, All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), the programme is aimed to benefit lecturers of MBA programme who are currently employed in self-financing institutes of Punjab and Haryana which are approved by the AICTE. Senior academician, industrialists, practising managers and top bureaucrats have been invited to deliver lectures at the programme over the next two weeks. |
|
Teachers briefed on
disaster management Chandigarh, December 11 Participants discussed the importance of using children for awareness generation on disaster management. Resource persons from the Central Board of Secondary Education and the UNDP focused on the need of the subject in India, especially since large parts of the country were prone to disasters like earthquakes, floods, droughts and cyclones. Speaking in the context of Punjab, the resource persons informed the teachers that the state was susceptible to natural disasters like earthquakes and floods as well as windy conditions and man-made disasters like accidents and fires. In view of these disasters, the teachers were asked to prepare evacuation plans and organise mock drills and community awareness programmes to deal with any eventuality. The speakers stressed the need for an activity-based approach in teaching the subject to students and involving them in spreading the word on preparing for preventing and tackling disaster. The Principal of DAV Public School, Amritsar, Ms V. Puri, said teachers attending the workshop had been asked to launch a school safety and awareness programme and carry it forward through community and disaster management clubs. Earlier, inaugurating the programme, the Regional Officer of the Central Board of Secondary Education, Mr P.I. Sabu, highlighted the importance of disaster management, which was introduced as part of the frontline CBSE curriculum in Class VIII from the current academic session. He spoke of the need for a contingency plan in the face of natural calamities and man-made disasters. Claiming that preparedness would help in reducing the scale of destruction and suffering, Mr Sabu said the subject was gradually occupying centre-stage around the world as well.”A world conference on disaster management is being organised in Canada next year, where experts from all over the world will share information on various aspects of the problem,” he added. The Principal of the host school, Ms Madhu Bahl, said awareness and education were important tools for tackling disasters. Ms Bahl said the curriculum for disaster management had been developed through exercises and activities in which stories and newspaper articles had been used. As many as 130 teachers from various schools of Punjab, Haryana and the city participated in the workshop
|
|
Murder suspect’s remand extended Chandigarh, December 11 While seeking 10-day custody of the accused, the police revealed to the court that the accused was taken to Amritsar for the recovery of the revolver and to Lucknow for the recovery of the vehicle used in murder.
|
NSS volunteers cheer up elderly Chandigarh, December 11 The volunteers also took the opportunity to educate children from the Home for Juvenile Delinquents. They also distributed books, pencils and crayons among these children. The juveniles presented a parody called “Parivartan” in addition to plays, poems and songs. The Deputy Director, Adult Education, Mr C.L. Narang, said there was a need to organise more such programmes to boost the confidence of the children. The Principal of Dev Samaj College, Ms Satinder Dhillon, said such activities should not be restricted to NSS camps alone but organised throughout the year to benefit society.  |
Fashion Fundas
To be young in today’s fashion-conscious world is the very heaven as youngsters, especially girls, have exposure to the best in the world fashion scene. This sure has changed the way they dress. Gone is the plain and careless dressing up pattern and the look on the campus is chic as latest trends are lapped up with electric speed. So what is haute on the campus? We checked it out for you and for those who are planning to update their winter wardrobe. Leather, denim, corduroy and suede win hands down as the fabrics of the season. Denim, especially distressed dark denim, caramel coloured and black denim is the hot favourite. To dress it up, add a turtleneck in vivid colours ranging from traffic stopping red to yellow or fuschia. Among girls cardigans as well as jackets with a soft, relaxed feel are in as they give that pretty feminine look and are also comfortable, says Gursimran Gill, a budding designer. ‘‘The winter look is not complete without a long coat’’, says Diljot, a NIFD student, and her white coat teamed with lilac-coloured corduroy trousers and stole bears testimony to the fact. ‘The Matrix Revolutions’ look with dark leather coats is also hep. Go ultra chic and pair these with this season’s flared pants and longer skirts. For those with more Indian taste suits in varying hues are in. A lot of experimentation is on as far as salwars and churidaars are concerned, says Seema, a designer from Panchkula. WHAT’S IN Colour couture: Wine, cranberry, nutmeg, caramel, olive, electric blue, cinnamon and basic black. Suede, faux suede and euro-suede (100% polyester), is all over the place. Add a suede-fringed belt to make mercury rise this winter. Go retro and find a pair of pants with tie-ups or fringes. In lowers it is the straight pants, cigarette pants and dangerously low-waisted trousers that are making hearts throb on the geri route. For more bold ones there are embroidered denims with sequins and swarovski crystals. Scarves, stoles, bandanna and caps to go with the outfits add the funky touch too, says Radhika, a collegiate. Fisherman’s caps, berrets gel with the winter look. Chunky ear rings, well defined eyes and light lippers complete the dressing up ritual of the city gals. Places to look out for jazzing up your collection are the Meena Bazar, Ebony, Leathera, Unisex Casuals, Wills Lifestyle, Weekender and Kapsons among others. With full support from parents (as our young friends claimed) getting the look of the season is no big deal for the charming belles. Levis, Pepe, Wills, Gucci, Prada, etc may make many a young heart skip a beat but there hearts do not beat for the ethnic stuff that rapidly. So Himachal jackets and heavy woollen stuff is a casuality this season. This is more for people above 30 years of age, says petite Renu and her friends nod in affirmation. However, if it is scarves and stoles that we are talking about then the light weight ones in wool, pashmina or Banarsi silk are preferred and so are Kulu and Gujarati caps. So gals get the winter gear aka some of your counterparts and get set to sizzle. |
|
‘Fun2shh’ — a roller coaster of adventures
Movie lovers should be prepared for a science-fiction comedy in the “Fun2shh”, scheduled to be released next week (December 19). This was revealed by the lead star cast of the film at a press conference here this evening. The young cast includes Anuj Sahani, Raima Sen, Netanya Singh and Iqbal Khan. Those who did not come to the city included Kader Khan, Gulshan Grover, Farida Jalal, Ashish Vidyarthi and Paresh Rawal. “Fun2shh... dudes in the tenth century” is a story about three dudes (Anuj, Iqbal and Paresh) who travel back to the tenth century. They are in possession of a historical crown which transports them back in time. They are then on a roller coaster of adventures. The settings of palaces, soldiers and magicians have been beautifully used as the backdrop for a hilarious journey across the centuries. “A complete actor is one who can do justice to all kinds of roles. I am little choosy in picking my subjects. I was a newcomer so I did not want to do any solo film whose loss would have been put on my head alone,” said Anuj. Netanya, a graduate in English (honours) from Indira Gandhi National Open University, said she was clear that after schooling she would go in for acting. “My father (a Brigadier in the Indian Army) was transferred to Mumbai and I was thrilled.” She has already worked in a Kannada film, which completed 150 days in south. Netanya feels that quality speaks for itself and the concept has assumed greater meaning in the current world settings. Meaningless cinema gets lost in the crowd. “I have an identity and would like to set my standards than lead a life inspired by others,” she added. Iqbal said meaningful and well-drafted script will always find audience. “In this film the plot is the hero and I am very definite that it will appeal to the audience’s hearts, he said.” He added that “aap kissi ko zabardasti nahin hansa sakte”. Anuj said people were sick of “ek ladka, ek ladki aur panga” plots. They want something different which should have good meaning and appeal. His first release “Nayee Padosan” was appreciated by the critics. Raima needs no introduction, she being daughter of actress Moon Moon Sen and granddaughter of Suchitra Sen. She completed her studies in Kolkata. “Comparisons were natural for me, having been born into a star family. Many people till date compare my looks to my grandmother.” She adds: “I want to create an identity. After “Choker Bali”, a Bangla film recently released, I knew I had arrived on the scene. Masses and critics, alike, have showered praises on me for the quality of my work.” She added that she was busy in mainstream cinema at the moment but would do art movies as well, if given a chance. Seema Kar, co-producer, said she did not go in for a cast comprising “very big names” because she wanted to complete the film quickly. The film was completed in just 40 days. Iqbal said a good comedy was measured by its dialogues. The entire exercise would look a waste if the director did not manage the timing correctly. This one has the required “push”. The film is written and directed by Imtiaz Punjabi and has music by Pritam.
— TNS |
|
Lending their house an artistic touch
There is nothing ornate about the sprawling Mehan house in Sector 9, Chandigarh. Yet the simple architecture and stylish furniture is what makes this a designer home. With sprawling greens all around this house, the fresh flowers and the splendid flower beds are the quintessential feature of this house, which also makes this house look warm and welcoming. But the essence of the house lies in the furniture — wrought iron, marble and wooden furniture — designed by the owner, Mr Arvind Mehan. The front aspect of the two-storey house is almost hidden behind the huge palm trees, and it is the smell of fresh flowers, more so in this season, which first catches your attention. So fond are the Mehans of flowers that these have been placed in beautiful crystal vases all over the house. A number of ornamental plants have been placed in the house. Most of the wall panels bear paintings of flowers. “We never liked the ‘designer’ look in the home. Each room had to be such that we could relax and there had to be no formality in any room,” says Ms Sadhana Mehan, lady of the house. In fact, the artistic quality of the owner reflects in each of the rooms. The electricity meter is hidden under a wooden carved panel and small pieces of marble have been used to make the base and stand of the centre table and side tables in the living room. Even the inverter, which had to be kept in the living room, has been covered with a huge table, which displays the family photographs besides small decoration items of silver. Mr Mehan, who has been a globetrotter and has an eye for stylish things, has used his skills to have a workable home. “I saw two chairs at a store in London recently. Since these could not be carried all the way here, I had a good look at the chairs and got them made at my own factory, where wrought iron is one of the raw materials available. Similarly, I liked a console but it was unbelievably expensive, so using wrought iron and wood, I designed a similar console — which holds a place of pride in my living room,” says Mr Mehan. The bedrooms, dining area and the den have also been done up taking into consideration the elements of light and space. The flooring is simple mosaic in white cement and the walls and drapes are in neutral shades of cream and beige. Colour is added to the rooms by using brightly coloured tapestry on the sofas and chairs or colorful bed spreads. The living room exhibits the creativity of Mr Arvind Mehan, who has designed the wrought iron chairs, consoles and the lamp.
— TNS |
|
“Only love can silence the guns” is the sub-text of lyricist, writer, producer and director Sawan Kumar Tak’s new film, “Dil Pardesi ho Gaya”. From ‘Naunihal’ to ‘Mother-98’, Sawan Kumar has produced 18 films in Bollywood. The latest is a cross-border love story that stresses the point that love knows no boundary and can end all hostilities. The film will be released at Neelam, Chandigarh, on Friday. With an Indo-Pak setting “Dil Pardesi ho Gaya” has two newcomers, Kapil Jhaveri and Saloni Aswani. Tak, famous for discovering new talent, says, “Both debutants have given a fine performance. Saloni plays a middle-class Pakistani Muslim girl while Kapil plays the lead role. Others in the film are Amrish Puri, Ashutosh Rana, Mukesh Rishi, Prem Chopra, Raza Murad, Navin Parihar, Dinesh Thakur and Mustaq Khan. Photography is by Harmeet Singh, screenplay and dialogue by Shyam Gupta and action by Abhas Gani. After a break of six years, the only woman music director of Bollywood, Usha Khanna, has teamed up with lyricist and director Sawan Kumar Tak. The film has nine hummable songs and each with a different flavour. ‘Kya Khuda se milkar aaye ho...” is sure to click with those in love. “Dil Pardesi ho Gaya” is not a Pak-bashing flick, but a romantic love story that tries to condemn hatred between India and Pakistan.
— D.P. |
|
It’s my life After I came to the city following my schooling at Sacred Heart Convent, School Malout, I never thought I would get involved in student activities. Having joined Panjab University after my plus two in B.Sc (honours) in biochemistry I joined student activism. My friends initially criticised me. It was clear that I was not looking for any political career, but for the time I stayed on the campus I always tried to help them. I always wanted to be a scientist. This was the reason why I took up doctoral research as my subject. I like socialising and staying in company of friends. I am very fond of long discussions on current topics, whether local or national. Each evening long hours are spent on debates and I always like to maintain records. I am also sure that I never keep my feelings guarded in a discussion. Without mincing any words I speak out with belief and conviction on all subjects. I always keep scope for improvement in my convictions. I sometimes take a little longer for making any commitments. I am proud of my commitment to any cause that I take up and do not easily change my stance even if I am a loser in the end. As told to Sanjeev S. Bariana |
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Mailbag | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | National Capital | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
They are beautiful, they are bold and they know their minds well. This is the face of the young brigade in Y2K3. If they know how to chill out in summer then they also know how to sizzle in winter. 