 |
|
|
|
|
||||
PU has no funds for dental institute Chandigarh, February 3 “We are not pursuing the course anymore since we have no money. Though it was slated for the session 2004-05, it will not be possible to begin it on schedule,” says the Vice-Chancellor, Prof K.N. Pathak. He goes on to add that the project requires nearly Rs 2 crore. “We have no infrastructure for a medical institute on our campus, not even a building to allot to the institute. This means that we will have to wait for the money to come in. Till then, the dental institute is a closed chapter,” he informs. The proposal for this course was made at the Syndicate by Prof Pathak himself. The Syndicate and Senate approved the dental institute last year in October. This was done following the recommendations of a committee formed to study its feasibility and viability. To be called the Dental Institute of Panjab University, the project was initiated after the on the lines of the University Institute of Engineering and Technology (UIET), an engineering institute which was successfully launched in 2002. Offering a bachelor’s degree and post-graduation in dentistry, the Senate had approved 100 seats for this self-financing course. Though there was initial problem in connecting with a hospital for providing OPD for students, the matter was resolved later. While the university was contemplating using the dispensary on the campus for as an OPD, the authorities, later, worked out a project with the Government Hospital, Sector 16. “The GH-16 was asking for Rs 10000 per student to begin with as fee for the facility. However, the university approached the UT Administration claiming a government institution was asking for exorbitant charges for the OPD facility. This, too, was resolved in favour of the university,” an official associated with the project informed. Observers feel the beginning of such a course on the campus would have given greater credibility to the degree since other courses of dentistry being run in an around the city are privately managed and have little value. Meanwhile, the university has announced that two new courses, Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical and Electrical) will be started from the 2004-05 academic session at the UIET. These were approved by the Syndicate at its meeting held last month. |
|
Teachers on contract basis to be hired by April Chandigarh, February 3 An amount of Rs 8 crore has been released for implementing the project in the city. The teachers, whose salary will be paid from the account of the Sarv Shiksha Abhiyan Society, will be adjusted in government schools to focus on children from the economically weaker sections. An official of the Education Department said 7,800 children, between six to 14 years of age, were being imparted education at 199 centres across the city. Till 2010, around 30,000 children from the city are to be covered under the scheme. The premises to educate the target group of children, mostly school premises or dharamshalas, have been selected keeping in mind the economic and demographic profile of the city. Sources in the department said to launch the project, around 80 instructors employed under a previous non-formal education scheme had been given the task of implementing the shiksha abhiyan. They were being paid Rs 1,000 per month to teach for four hours. The entire city had been divided into 20 cluster schools, each headed by the Principal of a Senior Secondary School. The payment to the teachers would be made by the in charge of the cluster. Around 20 coordinators , mostly retired principals or headmasters, would assist these in charge of clusters. The final survey to ascertain the exact number of children to be covered under the project would be done in April. The sources said there was little chance that the teachers taken on contract basis would be made regular. Some court cases filed by already employed contract teachers were cited as the reason. |
|
Applicants criticised the UT Education Department for deciding to conduct a test for contract employment of 250 teachers under the Sarv Shiksha Abhiyan as each application form is being sold for Rs 5 and the fee for appearing in the test was Rs 200. The fee had to be charged to meet the expenses of conducting the test, said an official of the Education Department. Sources in the department said last time the contractual teachers were selected on the basis of a merit list and interviews.
|
|
|
UT education outlay up On the other hand, the Chandigarh Administration has been asked to collect more revenue than last year. The Plan outlay, which is meant for development, has been reduced but within the same outlay the allocation for education and transport has
been hiked. This mean there will be more money for new projects in these sectors. The outlay for the power sector has been reduced by Rs 5 lakh. This in real terms will mean nothing. The Chandigarh Administration has claimed in the past that is revenue surplus and generates more revenue that what is spent. This year the major thrust will be on housing and urban development. The sector has been given the highest allocation of Rs 61.36 crore. This money will be used to cover major plans of the Administration — acquisition of land for development of Phase III sectors and acquisition of land for developmental works, establishment of botanical gardens, construction of a fly-over over Transport Chowk and upgradation of infrastructure and civic amenities in the city and rural areas. Since Chandigarh does not have a legislature, its entire expenditure is met directly from the Consolidated Fund of India. All its income goes directly to the Consolidated Fund of India. Therefore, a single demand covering all functions of the Administration is presented in Parliament as part of demands for Grants of the Ministry of Home Affairs. Therefore, Chandigarh , like other states, does not get the benefit of share of income in receipts which accrues to the Central Government from income tax, small saving schemes and other taxes shareable with the state governments on the basis of recommendations of the Finance Commission. Interestingly, the revenue collections during the next financial year will be Rs 38 crore more than the present financial year. The Finance Minister, Mr Jaswant Singh fixed a sum of Rs 890.96 crore as total expenditure for the City Beautiful. The budgeted estimate for 2003-04 is Rs 864.95 crore. This includes both non-plan and Plan expenditure. The total non-Plan expenditure for 2004-05 has been fixed at Rs 725 crore, up from the revised estimates of Rs 689 crore for the previous financial year. Within non-Plan expenditure, energy has received the highest allocation of Rs 271.19 crore, followed by education (Rs 142.35 crore), housing and urban development (Rs 92.61 crore) transport (Rs 74.54 crore), police (69.41 crore), health (Rs 45.39 crore) and labour (Rs 4.22 crore).
|
|
From Colleges
& Schools Chandigarh, February 3 After the bhog of Sri Akhand Path, a ragi jatha of Bhai Kuldeep Singh and a dhadi jatha of students from Guru Asra Trust recited shabad
kirtan. Dr Kharak Singh Mann and Dr Balkar Singh, renowned Sikh scholars, spoke on the meaning of “sehajdhari Sikhs” and the concept of
“hukam”. Dr Mann said a sehajdhari Sikh was one who tread the path shown by the religion. Mr Sangha highlighted the achievements of the college in the academic, cultural and sports fields. He called upon the youth to imbibe the teachings of Guru Gobind Singh. Mr Gurbax Singh
Shergill, former Principal of the college, announced two medals in the memory of his wife and father. These would be given to all-rounder girl and boy students. A book exhibition on Sikh religious literature was also held on the occasion. Mayor honoured:
In his speech, Mrs Kamlesh promised all possible help to the college. Mr Kuldeep Singh, a councillor of the area, was also present on the occasion. The Principal of the college, Mrs Shashi Kanta Sharma, honoured the Mayor with a shawl and a memento. Seminar:
Food science seminar:
Demand for facilities:
Training programme
The areas which will be touched upon are classroom management, discipline, communication channels, encouraging critical thinking, checking note books and answersheets to develop an interactive base. During the training programme, needs of the parents and children from the northern region will be stressed. |
|
Kalpana not forgotten, says PEC body Chandigarh, February 3 Mr G.S.Dhanoa, general secretary, said the association had organised a grand function at Delhi. “A function could not be held at Punjab Engineering College as the Principal of the college refused to give permission to hold akhand path in the community center in memory of Kalpana Chawla”, he claimed. The alumni association said to avoid controversy, the association held a function at the FICCI auditorium, Mandi House, Delhi. |
|
|
Admission dates Chandigarh, February 3 Admissions to the undergraduate engineering courses, including Chemical Engineering and B. Pharmacy, will be made on the basis of the all-India engineering entrance examination (AIEEE) conducted by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE).
|
|
High Court Mr Justice K.C. Gupta of the high court was given a warm send off by Punjab and Haryana High Court Bar Association members after he retired upon attaining the age of superannuation. The function, held in the afternoon, was attended by Chief Justice Mr. Justice B.K. Roy and other sitting and retired Judges. Bar Association President Dr Anmol Rattan Sidhu was also present. With the retirement of Mr Justice Gupta, the number of Judges has gone down to 27 against the sanctioned strength of 40. |
|
Sharmistha, Satinder steal show Chandigarh, February 3 The finalists from the region will get a chance to perform in the presence of doyens of Indian film and music industry in Delhi later. Organisers of the show informed that the finale in Talkatora Stadium will be attended by Hema Malini, Alka Yagnik, Sonu Nigam, Adesh Shrivastava, Shaan, Shreya Ghosal, and Jaspinder Narula, among others. While auditions are being conducted all over the country, six finalists chosen from Chandigarh will participate in the finals. Auditions for Chandigarh and the neighbouring areas were held in Tagore Theatre all through the day. Whereas the sub junior
category (5 to 12 years) drew a meek response, the other two categories — junior (12 to 18 years) and senior (above 18 years) attracted about 25 entries each, making it tough for the judges to sift talent. The auditions progressed almost all day long in the rehearsal hall of Tagore Theatre. Judging the participants, most of whom turned up after the noon, were Mr Suba Singh, working as music teacher with Government Model School in Sector 24, Ms Sucheta Soni, who holds an MA in Music and Dr Gitanjali Bhatia, PhD in Music. As for the contestants, they were given the choice to render a song of their choice. The song could be picked up both from the film and non-film streams. Those who made it to the final round of auditions in the various categories were: Sub- junior category: Vishal Chopra, Alisha Sharma, Shreya Sanyal, Manak, Tejaswini and Sunish. Junior 2category:
Sharmishtha, Akaah, Vinod, Kudrat Singh, Shagun, Saurav. Senior:
Richard, Satinder Rawat, Isha Sharma, shivani, Daljit Singh (highest scorer of the day), Vikrant. Yash Chopra’s younger brother Raj Chopra, who recently co-produced “Bagbaan”, starring Amitabh Bachchan and Hema Malini, could not finally make it to the auditions of Sursangam in Chandigarh today. He reportedly met with an accident in Delhi while on his way to the airport to board the flight. Raj Chopra was supposed to attend the final round of the audition, which was held in the evening today. He was accompanied by Sanjay Panday, national coordinator, Sangam Kala Group. Sanjay Panday, it may be recalled, was the cinematographer for the small screen hit “Circus.” Winners of the contest: Sub-junior — Shreya Sanyal and Tejeswini; junior — Sharmistha and Kudrat Singh; and senior — Satinder Rawat and Vikrant. |
Miracle drugs or bitter pills? Preeti (name changed), a housewife in Sector 9, was obsessed with shedding the extra kilos. A friend, who was visiting a local gym, had tried a particular slimming tea and recommended the same to Preeti for getting "instant results". Results were indeed instant, a week after taking the tea, she was confirmed with high blood pressure. So next time you think of trying out these ‘‘medicines’’ after watching the ‘motivating’ advertising campaigns, consult your doctor first. Local doctors say that cases where these miracle drugs have done more harm than good come to them as frequently as the patients suffering from viral infections. However, regardless of the ill-effects of these drugs that are sold in the name of ayurvedic and herbal preparations, virtually everyone seems to have got on to the bandwagon by trying out these. With body beautiful being one of the prime goals for most people, miracle drugs that exploit the desires for weight loss, good height, fair complexion, vitality and virility are flooding the drug stores in the city. With the State Drug Controller and the Ayurvedic Council having little say in the sale or purchase of these drugs, those aspiring for a youthful and beautiful body are often landing themselves in trouble. It is estimated that each month these miracle drugs worth Rs 1.5 to 2 lakh are sold in the city alone. Mr Amarjit Singh, President of the Chandigarh Chemists Association, says that over the years there has been a tremendous increase in the demand for these drugs. ‘‘Though the demand for the slimming drugs is the maximum, it is followed by the demand for drugs that help in gaining height, fairness and virility". Retailers say that though this popularity has more to do with aggressive advertising, the growing body consciousness has also fuelled the sale of these substances. As these drugs are sold as herbal or ayurvedic products, the manufacturers get immunity against disclosing the exact ingredients or the formulae by terming these as a ‘‘trade secret’’. Also, unlike in other countries, where the Food and Drug Control Department acts as a watchdog and test the claims made by such herbal drug manufacturers, in India, these drugs can be marketed and sold freely over the counter, and without a doctor's advice. Most of these drugs are also very costly, with the daily dosage of any of these miracle drugs costing between Rs 20 to Rs 45. Since these are labeled as herbal products, these are not under the Drug Price Control Order, and the manufacturer can ask any price for the same. Perhaps this is what explains the inscription on some capsules that ensure weight loss: “Use your own imagination and be sensible. Now you can start shedding those extra kilos.” Take the inscription on the packing of some pills for gaining height : “...Due to different internal infrastructure of human bodies, results may vary from person to person.” Mr B.B. Singhal, head of the District Chemists Association, said: ‘‘The sale of these drugs is directly proportional to the volume of advertisement. As long as there is aggressive campaigning, the sale is good, but sales drop after the advertisement campaign stops”. Chemists say that a number of unscrupulous companies enter a new product in the market only to make a quick buck and close shop after making some profit. “Most of these products are in the market only for a year or so. Since the profit margins in retail price are up to 700 per cent, after huge profits, manufacturing of these drugs is stopped and a new product is introduced,” says a chemist in Sector 19. |
|
Fitness Trail
FITNESS matters even to those who do not follow its path. Because the lack of a fitness routine and a healthy diet shows up in an expanding girth, rising blood pressure, high cholesterol, rising triglycerides, coronary diseases, diabetes, depression. So whether you like it or not, you have to fall in fitness line. But once you join the fitness trail, the rewards are obvious. Apart from a trim waist, a good sweat and a nutritious diet can offer immediate physical benefits — e.g. pain relief and other health rewards, including a shrinking doctor’s bill. We tracked down a few persons who, because of excessive weight coupled with medical problems, took up cudgels against their flab and emerged victorious. Young Harkaran (22) from a Punjabi family started putting on weight when he was to appear for his board examinations for Class X. Fond of junk food and eating out at least five times a week, Harkaran was not bothered about his increasing weight even when the scales tipped at 102 because for Punjabis being plump meant being healthy. But a routine medical check-up revealed high triglycerides and cholesterol on the higher side. His doctor recommended a visit to a dietician which his alarmed mother immediately complied with. Harkaran was given a diet chart which he started following diligently from the very next day. Gone were the paranthas, oil, ghee, butter, malai, soft drinks and the junk food that he loved so much. With a will of steel he stuck to his diet though he was allowed to eat normal home-cooked food but in smaller amounts. His mother, Neena Cheema, was his pillar of support without whom Harkaran would not have been able to achieve his miraculous weight loss. She totally altered her cooking style and came up with delicious fat-free curries and even desserts. “The initial one month was difficult,” said Harkaran, “but with my mother’s support I was able to continue with my diet”. It has been over a year of this diet and Harkaran has lost a whopping 30 kg. He is a trim 72 kg now. With normal cholesterol and triglycerides and also an inspiration for his friends and relatives, Harkaran plans to stick to this diet for life. Two pregnancies and a family tendency to put on weight, Harpal Kaur Bhatia was 97 kg by time she was 29. At a tiny frame of 4-11”, this weight became too much to carry for Harpal. She developed a severe back pain some three years ago. She was already suffering from hormonal imbalance due to which her periods had stopped at the age of 28. Even going through normal day-to-day activities was arduous for a portly Harpal. But when due to her back pain it became difficult to move Harpal decided to fight her fat. In August, 2001, a gym, Oceanic, opened near her house in Mohali. Overcoming her initial misgivings, Harpal joined immediately. For one month she sweated on the exercycle and treadmill for 30 minutes. Within a month her weight came down by 5 kg. Encouraged, she also joined aerobics along with the gym. With positive results pouring in she then decided to modify her diet also. Dr Neelu Malhotra of Silver Oaks, Mohali, gave her a diet plan. Also her snacks in between were stopped and the food became fat-free or low fat and boiled. Within one year her weight reduced by 17 kg. Second year into her exercise and diet Harpal lost another 10 kg. By this time her back pain had vanished and her hormone imbalance too had become normal. Harpal has become a fitness-addict and even a few days’ absence at the gym is unbearable now. She says when she is away even for a little while the thing she misses most is her gym visits. Ramesh Sethi at 60 plus is another fitness freak. Ramesh weighed a normal 72 kg till his wife died in 1994. But an year of loneliness and depression saw his weight balloon to 95 kg. Alarmed his daughter prodded him to join a some nearby gym. Ramesh became a member of Planet Fitness, Sector 8, which was quite near to his house. Seeing his age, (he was 51 then) the gym owner advised him against joining aerobics but an adamant Ramesh did not heed this advice. Within one year of aerobics he lost 10 kg, which he then maintained for 3-4 years. But a desire to achieve his old weight saw him making some dietary changes. From a 2400-calorie diet he gradually adopted a 1200-calorie diet. His weight is now 76. He says he feels more energetic now and despite his growing age he can accomplish much more. His message for couch potatoes: If you bathe daily, eat daily then why not exercise daily!
|
|
Khadi goes hep The store will be inaugurated in Sector 17 tomorrow and will be the company’s biggest stores till date. The store promises to change the perception of khadi and hand-woven fabric — from the staid and rigid concept of symbol of freedom to that of a vibrant, youthful and wholesome experience, harnessing the power of free creativity, human capital and cutting-edge technology. The store will have both men and women’s designer
wear-kurtas, shirts, kurtis, kameez, tops, wrap-arounds, trousers, spaghetti tops and tank tops - the line will be Indian, Indo-western and western. Bright colours like
fuschia, crimson, green, electric blue or neutral colours , and from the simple fabric to the woven designs, checks and stripes have been used. The clothes are affordable, priced between Rs 200 to Rs 1200. By the end of the year, home linen will also be available from the outlet. The store will have a unique concept of designing by customers. A design book will be available at the store and the customer can give a particular design he wants. These designs will be sold in the Khadder outlets. The company’s CEO, Mr A Dutta, and the co-founder, Mr Rahul Kumar said that as of now Khadder stores had been set up in Kolkata, Patna and Bangalore. The fourth store is being inaugurated in the city, while the company proposes to open shop in Ludhiana, Surat and another in Bangalore by the end of March. |
|
|
Exams! Get, set, go You have been taking it easy throughout the year. Instead of going through notes and flipping through books you have been watching action movies on AXN and HBO. Now the examination season is here. There is so much to do in so little time. No wonder, you are finding it hard to concentrate. Here are some tips compiled after talking to experts that will help you through. First of all remember it is never too late to make up for time lost and energy wasted. You must not be anxious. Just flip through the books and notes before actually reading the stuff so that you are familiar with the text. “Just go through the notes and chapters once, twice, thrice…. You will be surprised how easy things look once you know what you have to do,” says Principal of Sector 15 DAV School Rakesh Sachdeva. The Principal adds, “If at first the task feels overwhelming, break it down into three or four steps to make the work easy. Spread the job over the day to make it feel less intimidating.” Also simplify things to achieve your full potential. Find alternate ways to approach a task. Whatever is the chore, looks for ways and means to make it fun and interesting. “Connect what you study with things around you. Remember you have to run along the moving bus if you jump from it when you study the definition momentum,” she adds. “You are likely to understand and remember things better.” Streamline your day by planing ahead. Prepare a time table. Jot down the details not just about studies. Plan each and every activity in the morning or in the beginning of the week itself. And stick to the schedule. But first set yourself realistic goals, instead of being disappointed later. “Just in case you think you can read a book of 200 pages in a day you are being unrealistic. So, do not over commit. Be aware of how much you can do realistically,” Ms Sachdeva adds. Do things at the appropriate time instead of delaying it. “If you hate solving theorems, do not wait till night. Be over with the task so that you can relax and work. At night read novels or story books prescribed in your syllabus,” she asserts. Double your drive and reward yourself. “Motivation is of two types — intrinsic and extrinsic. You can compel yourself to do things through intrinsic and extrinsic motivation to ensure success,” says young psychologist Neeru Sharma. “Do not wait for the results. After achieving a task reward yourself with some leisure time or a snack. It is worth it.” |
|
Indian Furniture Products Limited, a division of Zuari Industries, has introduced the Optima range of bedroom furniture. The products offered in the range are a collection of world class, ready-to-assemble bedroom furniture. The range includes single cot, double cots with storage drawer, dressing table with a storage drawer and glass top, dressing stool, two-door cupboards with hangers, ample storage space and side tables with storage drawer and glass top. The product range is made from raw materials imported from France, Belgium, Germany and the UK. Soap launched: Dettol has launched an all-new Dettol skincare soap, which has been specially formulated to take acre of all skincare needs of woman. It is different from the earlier variant of Dettol soap in terms of looks and the essential oil and moisturisers used. The 75 gm cake of this milky white soap costs 15. Cooktops launched: Sunflame, one of India’s oldest and most reliable home and kitchen appliances brand, has introduced Euro and Astra range of cooktops. The new cooktops have spring-loaded tempered glass top for extra safety and auto-ignition on an extra powerful battery. These are priced between Rs 2100 and Rs 5200. TNS
|
|
|
Wear your attitude, not dress “It is attitude rather then just dress. How well one carry one self in a particular dress or in a particular hairstyle makes him stand apart,” says Vivek Bhardwaj, a student of S.D. College, while describing his style icon. “Amitabh Bachchan has that attitude. That is why he has stood the test of time and established many trends over a long period of time.” In the race for establishing styles, we have the badshah of Indian cinema, Shah Rukh Khan as a hot favorite. After having two blockbusters last year, King Khan has managed to stick to the top position as a style guru for the youth here. Madhu Sharma, a housewife says, “Shah Rukh Khan has changed a lot since his ‘Fauji’ days. In each of his movies, he manages to set a new trends.” The effervescent Preity Zinta, too, has a burgeoning fan following in the city. From her permed looks in “Dil Chahta Hai” to her blunt cut in “Koi Mil Gaya” , or her latest straight hair-do In Kal Ho Na Ho”, complete with the spects and calf- length overcoat - her on-screen fashion statement has always found f(l)avour with the city youth. This winter the spectacles and calf-length overcoats were donned by almost everyone in the city. “Her cute looks and her bubbly smile make her look more beautiful and stylish,” says Pallavi Sandhu, a resident of Sector 23. In the race for style icons, we have cricket star Sachin Tendulkar, who rules the roost. Sachin is the most sort-after face in the advertising world. “Sachin’s popularity as an icon of style can be judged by the fact that he is brand ambassador from Pepsi to Addidas to Britannia. He is stylish not only on field but off-field too,” says Rajesh, a student from the Department of Mathematics, Panjab University. Kareena’s redention of ‘Poo’ in Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gaam” and her saree with the puffed sleeve blouse in “Chameli”, - if failed to catapult her character to new heights, has definitely made her the new heart throb. “Kareena’s attitude and her ability to handle her dress has made her a popular star and style baron,” said Babita Goel, a fashion design student of Dev Samaj College.
|
| 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 | |
Chandigarh, February 3
Ravi (name changed), a 29-year-old chartered accountant was losing hair fast. His sleep also receded along with his receding hairline, until one day he came across an advertisement of a herbal hair oil that could stop baldness. He used the ‘magic’ hair oil for a week, only to realize that hairfall had increased. 
Out to tempt you with khadi- the national fabric of India — Kolkata-based Tropical Clothing Company, today announced the launch of
Khadder- a store retailing in khadi. 
The style icons for the city’s young are as savvy as they are themselves. You can find many Bips look alikes sporting chunky accessories and many a Munnabhai with their Mamu talks. 
Another diehard fan of Shah Rukh-style is Poonam Thakur of Government Girls Senior Secondary School, Sector 20 “ I like his neat looks. He can carry off in a suit as well as in jeans and tees.”