VC stresses on use of biopesticides
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, February 4
The Indian Society of Plant Pathologists organised a two-day national symposium on ‘Plant disease management: developments, challenges and strategies’ at Wheat Auditorium, Punjab Agricultural University, here today.

Inaugurating the symposium, Dr K.S. Aulakh, Vice-Chancellor, highlighted the need for adoption of low volume, high-value crops like medicinal plants and flowers instead of high volume and low-value crops. At the same time, he cautioned that high-value crops were more sensitive to the attack of diseases and therefore required efficient plant disease management through bio-control and integrated pest management measures instead of mere dependence on poisonous agro-chemicals.

Dr Aulakh further added that the plant pathologists had played a great role in increasing the productivity and improving the quality of different crops by checking the losses and avoiding the qualitative damage to farm produce.

Dr G.S. Nanda, Director of Research, in his welcome address highlighted the future challenges of controlling the diseases through genetic improvement by increasing disease resistance among the plants. Dr Gurdip Singh, Head, Department of Plant Pathology, and President, Indian Society of Plant Pathologists, said more than 100 delegates from different agricultural universities of the country and the National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources would deliberate on bio-control and biotechnological applications in plant disease management, seed health and phytosanitary regulations, development in identification and incorporation of host resistance against plant diseases and current strategies in the use of agrochemicals and epidemiological approaches in plant disease management during next two years.

Dr M.S. Tiwana, Dean, College of Agriculture, said introduction of paddy in Punjab had increased the prevalence of plant diseases due to high temperature accompanied by high humidity during summer months.

Fellow Award for  PAU professor
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, February 4
Dr I.K. Garg, Senior Research Engineer and Head, Department of Farm Power and Machinery has been honoured with Fellow Award by the Indian Society of Agricultural Engineers in recognition of his valuable contributions to the agricultural engineering. Dr Garg received the award during 38th annual convention of the Indian Society of Agricultural Engineers held at College of Agricultural Engineering, Dapoli, Maharashtra recently.

Dr Garg did B.Tech from PAU, Ludhiana. Later he did M.Tech and Ph.D while in service. He also received three months’ training in the application and management of energy in agriculture at the University of Georgia, USA, and two weeks’ training in the design and production technologies of farm equipment at International Rice Research Institute, Phillipines.

Dr Garg's notable contribution in the field of design and development of farm machinery are axial flow sunflower thresher, tractor-front mounted vertical conveyer reaper windrower, manually operated and engine-operated paddy transplanter.Self-propelled high clearance sprayer, bullock- drawn and tractor-drawn poster diggers, manually operated wheel hand hoe, oil seed drill and garlic planter, axial flow high capacity paddy thresher, tractor-operated all-crop planter, tractor-operated forage harvester-cum-chopper for tall crops, self-propelled light weight boom sprayer, tractor-operated paddy straw chopper cum spreaders andtractor-operated vegetable transplanter are also attributed to him.

Most of these technologies had been commercialised and adapted by the farmers in Punjab and in other parts of India. Dr Garg has worked as principal investigator in several research schemes funded by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and the National Agricultural Technology Project (NATP). Dr Garg has also worked as Director of the Centre of Advance Studies in farm machinery funded by the ICAR. He has also been instrumental in developing excellent infrastructural facilities ,including CAD-CAM lab, prototype production centre, agricultural machinery display hall, human engineering lab and field laboratory of farm machinery. Dr Garg has authored a book “Farm equipment for Punjab agriculture”. He has authored more than 70 research and technical papers. In recognition of his meritorious innovations, he was given cash award of Rs 20,000 for the development of engine-operated paddy transplanter as well as cash award of Rs 10,000 by Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, for the development and successful introduction of tractor-operated vertical conveyer reaper. 

Inter-college teaching skill contest
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, February 4
Students from 15 colleges of education all over Punjab participated in an inter-college skill in teaching and teaching-aid preparation competition held at the Malwa Central College of Education here yesterday.

Both contests were held for teaching of four subjects including English, Punjabi, Hindi and mathematics. Dr S.C. Gakhar, Head, Department of Education, Panjab University, was the chief guest. The judges for the various categories were subject experts from colleges of education affiliated to universities other than Panjab University. Ms Ravinder Kaur, Principal of the host college, congratulated the winners.

Results of the contest are :

Skill in teaching (Hindi) : Abijeet Wadhwa from DAV College of Education, Abohar (1), Anu Bansal from BCM College of Education, Ludhiana, (2), and Raman Arora from Rayat College of Education, Nawanshahr, (3).

Skill in teaching (Punjabi) : Paramjit Singh from BCM College of Education, Ludhiana, (1), Maninder Kaur from SDS College of Education, Lopon, (2) and Mandeep Kaur from DD Jain College of Education, Ludhiana, (3).

Skill in teaching (mathematics) : Rajdeep Kaur from GHG Khalsa College of Education, Gurusar Sadhar, (1), Sharda Pradhan from DD Jain College of Education, Ludhiana, (2) and Gurpreet Kaur from SDS College of Education, Lopon, (3).

Skill in teaching (English) : Sarabjeet Kaur from Government College of Education, Chandigarh, (1), Pooja Batra from Malwa Central College of Education for Women, Ludhiana, (2) and Renu Sidhu from Dev Samaj College, Ferozepore, (3).

Teaching aids (Hindi) : Rajni from BCM College of Education, Ludhiana, (1), Amit Sohal from GHG Khalsa College, Gurusar Sadhar, (2), and Anshu Saini from GHG Harprakash College, Sidhwan Khurd, (3).

Teaching aids (Punjabi) : Jasveer Kaur from BCM College of Education, Ludhiana, (1), Harjit Kaur from SDS College of Education, Lopon, (2), Mamta Rani from DD Jain College of Education, (3).

Teaching aids (mathematics) : Rajeev Kataria from Lala Lajpat Rai College of Education, Dhudike, (1), Vanita Rani from GHG Harprakash College of Education, Sidhwan Khurd, (2), and Pragati from Dev Samaj College of Education, Ferozepore, (3).

Teaching aids (English) : Sundeep Kaur from GHG Harprakash College of Education, Sidhwan Khurd, (1) Archana Kukkar from DAV College, Abohar, (2) and Nidhi Aggarwal from Pratap College, Ludhiana, (3). 

Inter-disciplinary extension lecture
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, February 4
The Departments of Hindi and Punjabi and the NSS organised extension lectures and a medical check-up camp at the SDP College for Women on the inspiration of Mr Balraj Bhasin, president, college managing committee, here today

Resource persons, Dr D.P. Maini, Sahitya Shiromani, and Ms Harminder Kaur Grewal, principal, Arya College for Women, Sahnewal, were received and welcomed by Ms S. Verma and teachers of the respective departments.

Speaking on ''Punjabi sabhyachar — aaj, kal te aaj'', Ms Grewal said, ''Our culture had its roots in the past and it was well recorded in the pages of history but under the impact of western culture, our youth was going away from it.''

Quoting examples from her own personal experiences, the Punjabi literature, history and day-to-day life, she emphasised the need to develop virtues like love, sympathy, patience, tolerance, respect and hard work to make life worth living.

Highlighting the concept of inner beauty, she advised the students to learn from every possible source, never to miss the opportunities that came their way and respect their parents and teachers. She concluded her lecture by exhorting the students to spread rich age-old culture everywhere.

Dr D.P. Maini, an eminent writer and teacher, delivered a lecture on ''Sant kavya aur jeevan mool''. Differentiating the Indian culture from the western culture and civilisation, Dr Maini said that the western culture was responsible for deterioration in the moral and spiritual value system in India. He said that self-realisation and self-control could help human beings follow the path of truth and righteousness.

Highlighting the importance of quality education, he said that value-oriented education could only be imbibed if both the teachers and parents developed a set of value-based system in their lives.

He also said that teachers could build and shape the personality and character of the students. They alone could instill values in their minds.

A general medical check-up camp was held on the college premises. A team of doctors from the Bhagwan Ram Charitable Hospital examined more than 200 students. The doctors included Dr K.P.S. Grewal, Dr Harpreet Grewal, Dr Manju Gupta, Dr Justine Das and Dr Sonia.

Knitting contest held
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, February 4
Students from Tagore Public School and Baba Isher Singh Public School participated in an aao bune contest held here yesterday. The contest was divided into five categories with students from classes VI to class XI. The students were given a free hand to knit any pattern of their choice on the spot.

The winners in each category will participate at a zonal-level competition.

Jasjot Kaur, Fatima, Satish (VI), Prabhdeep Kaur, Gursharan Singh, Sukhdeeep Kaur (VII), Ramandeep Kaur, Mandeep Kaur, Kamalpreet Kaur (VIII), Gurjeet Kaur, Surider Kaur, Jyoti (IX), Jasbir Kaur, Amritpal Kaur, Harpal Kaur, Ravneet Kaur (X and XI) of Baba Isher Singh Public School and Nitika, Prachi Goel, Akshay Kumar (VI), Tanvir Kaur, Geetika Maini, Sakshi Aggarwal (VII), Vidita Arora, Tripti, Gagandeep Kaur (VIII), Ramandeep Kaur, Karanjot Kaur, Poonampreet Kaur (IX), Mehak Khullar, Harkama and Dipti Mani (XI) of Tagore Public School were the winners. 

DMCH alma mater to meet on April 10
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, February 4
At a meeting of the executive committee of the DMC Old Students Association (DMCOSA), it has been decided to have the annual meeting of the DMCOSA on April 10 this year and then have a regular annual day for old students on December 10 which also happens to be the college day.

The event has been planned with an aim to involve the old students in the day-to-day activities of the college, “There is lot of enthusiasm amongst the old students settled abroad.” This was revealed by Mr Sunil Kant Munjal, vice-president, Managing Society, DMCH. He said many students showed keen interest in the progress of alma mater and desired to visit the institute on suitable occasions.

Four murder accused acquitted
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, Feburary 4
The Additional Sessions Judge, Mr S.M.S. Mahal, has acquitted four murder accused. Parminder Singh, his wife, Bhupinder Kaur and Gurpreet Singh, all residents of Raikot, and Balour Singh of Halwara were facing the charge of murdering Surjit Singh in July, 2003, by inflicting injuries with the kirpan.

An FIR was registered against them under Sections 302, 452, 323, 148 and 149 of the IPC at Raikot police station on July 21, 2003, following the statement of Charanjit Kaur, niece of the deceased. But the prosecution failed to prove the allegations levelled against the accused and they were acquitted.