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CBSE despatches new-look
registration cards Chandigarh, January 9 The new cards have been despatched to the students who would be appearing in the Class IX examinations in 2005 — which means that cards have been sent two years in advance. As part of the national programme of the CBSE to computerise records of students, officials at the regional office of the CBSE here said it would help check cases of impersonation. The reformatted registration cards contain information like subject code, medium, sex, category and physical condition of the student. The information, given on a double-shaded card, was not included earlier. The Regional Officer of the CBSE, Mr
P.I. Sabu, said the database of the student’s registration would be helpful in verifying records of students who migrated due to change in workplace of their parents. The database, which includes the medium of examination, will enable CBSE officials to plan the examination and the seating arrangements in advance. The physical condition of each students would enable us to plan the seating arrangements, he said. A spokesman at the regional office of the CBSE said the entire process was being closely monitored by the board’s Chairman, Mr Ashok Ganguly and the Controller of Examinations, Mr Pavnesh Kumar. The regional office of the CBSE has designed the cards on its own. The spokesman said as per the rules, schools had to furnish information for the registration of students had to be given one year in advance. The CBSE has already reformatted the roll number card from last year. The picture and information of a candidate is scanned to make it a fool-proof document. |
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Class VIII board exams from Feb 7 Chandigarh, January 9 The datesheet released by the UT Education Department is as follows: Mathematics — February 7; English (written) — February 10; English (oral) — February 11; Hindi/Punjabi (first language) — February 13; Social Science — February 16; General Science (theory) — February 19; Drawing — February 20; Sanskrit, Domestic Science and Music — February 21; Hindi/Punjabi (second language) — February 23; Science (practicals) — February 24, 25 and 26; Music/Domestic Science (practicals) — February 27 and Domestic Science practicals — February 28. |
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Johal elected to ISC body Chandigarh, January 9 During the congress, ‘Fishery development’, a book written by Dr S.C. Agarwal and Professor Johal, was released. It deals with conservation of native fish species, impact of pollution on fish, effect of dams and barrages on fish biodiversity, aquarium fish and different phases of fishery. Professor Johal is also conducting research on the restoration of trout fish habitat in the upper Himalayan
region. Dr Agarwal is presently working as Joint Director of the Department of Fisheries, in Haryana. |
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Folk dances mark auditorium opening Mohali, January 9 Different items were presented under the direction of Purva Koser Puri, a disciple of Guru Shobha Koser. The function also marked the inauguration of the Lala Mela Ram Indoor Auditorium. The programme began with “Shiv Vandana”. The item, which drew wide applause, was presented by Amrita, Asmita, Chahat, Ishita, Anubhooti, Ashwariya, Hemangi, Vaishali, Namya and Kishkindha. This was followed by “Trivat,” a kathak item Young artiste—Guneet, Vanika, Vibhuti, Meera, Asmita and Chahat—presented ‘paran,’, ‘chakradar paran’, ‘permelu’, ‘gat nikas’ and ‘thumri’, which are regarded as the hallmarks of the Jaipur gharana. The audience were kept spell bound by Sharanjit Parmar who presented a gazhal This was followed by “Chaturang” Purva Koser Puri brought forth the beauty of the item and her footwork and facial expressions won great applause. |
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Kids
display dancing skills Panchkula, January 9 The programme was the culmination of the winter workshop organised
under the guidance of the general secretary of the academy, Ms Sunita
Dhaliwal. Nearly 35 children in the age group of 4 to 12 displayed
their dancing skills.
Speaking on the occasion, Ms Krishna Dalal, state secretary,
Children Welfare Council, who was the chief guest, highlighted the
role of culture in developing the talent of the children. The
president of the academy, Mr R.D. Garg, was the guest of honour. |
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Jaggi’s video CD released Mohali, January 9 The CD focuses on current issues like “kabootarbazi” (immigration racket), the increasing use of mobiles, the kidney scam, influx of migrant labour into Punjab. The presentation consists of 12 items out of which three are in the form of songs. The cassette under the same title was released The lyrics have been given by Jarnail Ghuman, while the music has been provided by Pargat Ghuman. The CD has been marketed by Kreative Waves. This is the second CD of Jaggi, the earlier one was “Fukrian”, after he parted ways with Bhagwant Mann. |
Weaving magic with flute His name may not ring a bell, but Jagdish Kumar is no stranger for anyone who has visited the Sector 17 shopping complex and enjoyed lilting tunes of his flute. Be it the chilly evening wind in winters or the balmy summer breeze, his tunes add a surreal touch to the atmosphere at the busy shopping plaza. Sitting in the corridors of a bustling shopping mart, this homespun artist has seen the world go by for the past 34 years. He remains the only fixed feature in a world where change is the only permanent thing. Around him fashions have changed and so have the shops, show windows and the people who come to shop, but his love for music and tryst with fate remains unchanged. A wooden box stuffed with flutes of different sizes and shapes, and a board displaying his cassette are his companions. But the scene changes as soon as he puts a flute to his lips and makes it come alive with the breath of music. Eyes are directed towards him and feet are automatically drawn in his direction as he plays on number after number with the nonchalance of a seasoned performer. Several top-ranking officers and young as well as old are among his fans. His humble and simple demeanour hides the sparks of artistic pride that are revealed when he talks about his passion for music, especially the flute. “Music is my first love and it has the power to de-stress me and make me forget all the struggles and worries of humdrum existence”, he says. His journey in the realm of music began early when he left school in 1968 to pursue his dream with complete devotion and took training in playing the flute from Jeevan Das and his brother Balbir Singh. Along with the flute, he can also play the harmonium, the tabla and the keyboard. He gives training to new talent and runs a five-member musical group that performs at private parties and functions. “Flute playing requires excellent control on breath. I hone my skill with eight-hour riyaz everyday. I have been doing it for the past 35 years”, he says. His solo cassette Baharo Phool ‘Barsao-golden hits on flute’, became a reality with help from benefactors like Bombay Saree Centre and encouragement from Mr Jagtar. He claims to be the only artist in the country who sells his own cassette on the roadside. He usually plays after 4 pm now and loves to play old light classical Hindi film songs of Manna
Dey, Mohammad Rafi, Mukesh and Lata Mangeshkar. “I want to be away from noise and be alone with my flute and play without stopping and get transported into the world of music, which takes me close to the Creator,” he says. Every house must have at least one person interested in music, he says adding that he has given this training to his sons. Luck did not favour him in Mumbai as the city of dreams had nothing to offer him. It is all about money there, he says, as his eyes reveal the regret that he tries to take in his stride with the words ‘Waqt karta jo
wafa,’ turning his face to hide the sudden surge of emotion. |
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Life is a journey, he enjoys the drive Young at heart … other parts slightly older. That is Mr Navjivan Khosla, former bureaucrat and ace camper and travel enthusiast. When most persons of his age are leading a (re)tired life, 81- year- old Mr Khosla is busy living life to its fullest. It is, perhaps, keeping in mind persons like him that a famous advertisement one liner “…main office se retire hua hoon, zindagi se nahin” has been made. Bustling with energy, he is all set to start his 40- day long journey down south and western India, in his self- designed camper from Saturday. Mr Khosla, along with a friend, Mr Sanjiv Tiwari, will travel through Punjab, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Panaji, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, before returning to Chandigarh by February-end. Aiming to cover 300 km a day, travelling from 8 am to 4 pm each day, Mr Khosla believes that he will be able to return within 40 days. He says besides looking forward to visiting his relatives and friends in Mumbai, he is eager to see the landscapes of Rajasthan, the ship-breaking yard at Alang in Gujarat, taking the coastal road from Mumbai to Panaji, visiting Coorg and getting a feel of bazars, village haats and wildlife on the way. As he makes last-minute preparations — checking the dry rations, greens, bedding and other baggage, and of course, his Nikon camera to capture the scenery and people on reel, he says journeys like these only help him rejuvenate his energies, physical as well as psychological. Mr Khosla has converted a swadeshi mini bus into a camper which has two beds, a small kitchenette and a bathroom with an inbuilt western WC. “ I got the seats ripped off on buying the mini-bus and got the sofa-cum-beds fitted, besides earmarking the space for a kitchenette with an LPG cylinder and stove, water tank for use in kitchen, a separate 120-litre capacity water tank for bathing under the chassis and opposite the diesel tank for weight balance,” he informs. Besides, the camper has an inverter to lift water; a music system; a solar lantern with a solar recharger on the camper’s roof; plush interiors with drapes and a well- fitted bathroom. Additional storage has been created by using the space beneath the sofa-cum-beds, or by erecting steel shelves near the ceiling. This “young” octogenarian says he has always had a penchant for traveling. A former Financial Commissioner in Punjab, Mr Khosla says it was not until his retirement that he could think of having a camper and discovering India in his “house on wheels.” “Though we would often go on holidays in the family car, I always dreamt of having a camper. In fact, it was a dream inherited from my father, who wanted to have a caravan”. This is certainly not his first long journey in his house-on-wheels. Last year, Mr Khosla had travelled to Nepal, besides making numerous trips with his grandchildren to Himachal Pradesh and Uttaranchal. In case, the number of guests in his house-on-wheels is more than two, there is camping equipment with folding beds so that camps can be pitched outside the camper as well.
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Young Achiever When the entrepreneurship bug bit Arvind Dixit in 2000, he chucked his job of three years to start Advance Technologies in Chandigarh. The fact that he had less than Rs 2000 to invest in the business did not deter the young man from Agra with a BE from IET, Lucknow. He derived inspiration and strength from the fact that Infosys, Wipro and other big names in the IT field today also had humble beginnings. Armed with the will to make it, Arvind hired some space in the Industrial Area and jumped into the highly competitive sector of cutting-edge technology. Today, the company has a turnover of Rs 80 lakh. But Arvind, in his early thirties, has many miles to go before he sleeps. His vision goes beyond the boundaries. The aim is to make a visible global impact. This confidence comes from the scores that Advance Technologies has hit till now. Whether it be regarding projects executed for DRDO labs or the Railways. Their use of latest state-of-the-art technology in designing the electronic products have earned them goodwill in the IT market. Specially in areas of biomedical equipments and security systems. “A focussed look on current trends with an eye on the future possibilities propels one into the new era,” says Mr Dixit. And of course, nothing is achieved without hard work and dedication, adds the young entrepreneur. Giving credit to his wife Richa who has been helping him in business administration and the young team of colleagues, he says they have hardly taken any holiday in the past three years. But he laments lack of trained manpower that is equipped to handle projects. The institutes are churning out engineers, but not those with practical knowledge. To meet this gap, his company has started an instrument training division that educates fresh BE graduates in VLSI, digital signal processing, embedded system and indegenous automation. Their staff strength has risen from the initial three to 20 and they have branch offices in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh. Arvind believes in keeping his staff happy and motivated by giving them a share of the profit pie. Not content with the progress so far, he wants to take his company forward in the international march specially when the cash-rich big companies in the USA and Europe are outsourcing jobs to India as Indians provide the best service at cheap rates. In this expansion plan, his priority would be the newest electronics hardware and software development. |
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Trendy jute items on display IT is fashionable and eco- friendly. We are talking of jute — which is making a style statement in personal accessories like hand bags, footwear and jewellery, or home accessories like furniture, framed, paintings, lamps or door and window moulds. All these and a lot more variety of jute diversified products are on display at the Jute Fair, organised by the Jute Manufacturers Development Council (JMDC), which began at Hotel Aroma on Friday. The exhibition, which opened to a good response, showcases the talents of 38 jute manufacturers from Warangal, Kolkata, Panaji and Noida. From greeting cards and body scrubs priced at Rs 10 a piece, to jute furniture and handicrafts, the exhibition showcases the talent of exhibitors and their diversification of jute as it turns trendy. The prototypes of furniture items and jute door and window moulds on display have been attracting a number of people. Being marketed by AB Composites of Kolkata, the furniture and moulds are termite and moisture proof. Other than the handicrafts, jute jewellery, footwear, and framed paintings were also a big draw. Exquisitely patterned jute floorings and mats, jute shawls and brightly-coloured jute flowers also attracted buyers. Mr P.T. Srinath, Market Promotion Officer, JMDC, Northern region, said the diversified jute products had helped in the market growth of jute and exports had increased manifold over the past few years. He said the export of jute diversified products had increased from about Rs 90 crore in 2001-02, to Rs 163 crore in 2002-03. The exhibition is on from 11 am to 8 pm till January 13. TNS |
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