EDUCATION

Abhinav tops engg entrance test
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 29
Panjab University declared the results of entrance tests held for various streams, here today. Abhinav Sood, a student of Government Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 35, has topped in the engineering examination. Rajni Singla, a student of Rampura Phul, and Sidharth Ghosh were second and third, respectively.

In the medical stream, Akshay Sood stood first in the entrance examination while Neelima Aron bagged the second place and Gurkaran Singh was placed at the third spot.

The university also declared the results of the five-year B.A. Ll.B. (Hons) Integrated Course, BAMS and BHMS courses. The examination was conducted on May 25 this year.

Book released

The Vice-Chancellor, Panjab University, Prof K.N. Pathak, released a book titled “Bagi Di Sadd” by an eminent Pakistani poet, Dr Khalid Javed Jaan, at a simple and impressive ceremony at Panjab University, here today. The book has been published in Punjabi script and is a tribute to his old friend Santokh Singh Cheema.

Addressing a Pakistani delegation comprising writers, journalists and teachers accompanied by organisers from the Servants of People Society and organisers of the World Punjabi Congress, Professor Pathak observed that the impact of powerful writing helped in curbing negative aberrations afflicting mankind in addition to creating awareness and inspiring others to fight oppression and exploitation. Professor Pathak hoped that the World Punjabi Congress would serve its purpose of re-uniting the souls of both India and Pakistan which has been the dream of the author.

Earlier, Mr Fakhar Zaman, president, World Punjabi Congress, in his introductory remarks, observed that literature for the sake of literature was nothing but nonsense. A writer has to fight against fundamentalism, obscurantism, oppression and forces of darkness. Dr Khalid Zaved Jaan is a man of commitment, sensitive and a fine human being. He did not compromise in his struggle against oppression.

Mr Fakhar Zaman informed that good Indian literature would be translated and published into Pakistani languages. Mr Nasir Bashir, a teacher and freelance journalist from Pakistan, presented a set of anthology of poems titled ‘Manzar Badal Gaye’ to the Vice-Chancellor. Among others who spoke were Mr Satya Paul, Secretary, Servants of People Society, Prof Satyender Singh Noor and Dr Deepak Manmohan Singh.

More students shine in exam
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 29
In the Class X examination of the CBSE nine students of Ajit Karam Singh International Public School, have scored 90 per cent and above marks. Those with 80 per cent and above marks are 42. Four students of St Joseph’s Senior Secondary School have 90 per cent and above.

Chitrakri, a student of Kendriya Vidyalaya, OCF, Sector 29, has secured 93 per cent marks.

Four students of Sharda Sarvhitkari Model Senior Secondary School have secured 90 per cent and above marks. The topper in the school is Shiksha Kaushal with 94.2 per cent marks.

NTT students get farewell

Chandigarh, May 29
A farewell party was organised for NTT students at DAV School, Sector 15, of the outgoing semester of the 2002-2004 batch.

Students of semester -II presented a cultural programme. Kavita Mailk was chosen Miss NTT, Simarjit was first runner-up and Meera the second runner-up in the modelling show held on the occasion.

Meanwhile, the school has been invited to perform giddha by Yash Chopra’s film ‘Ab Tumhare Havale Vatan Sathio’. TNS

COURTS

PU moves HC on Syndicate poll
Our High Court Correspondent

Chandigarh, May 29
Panjab University has moved an application in the Punjab and Haryana High Court, seeking eight weeks’ time to comply with the directions of the court in the case regarding alleged irregularity in the election of a Syndicate member from the Department of Laws.

The application was moved on behalf of the Chancellor of the university, the Vice-President of India.

In its application, the university has stated that directive to the PU to decide the election petition of Mr Pawan Valecha, who was declared as having lost to Gopal Krishan Chatrath after re-polling. After hearing the university’s counsel the Bench extended the time to decide the election petition by four weeks.

High Court
Contempt plea dismissed
Our High Court Correspondent

Chandigarh, May 29
The High Court today found Maneesh Chhibber, Senior Reporter of The Tribune, not guilty in a contempt of court case.

In 2002, the High Court had initiated suo motu criminal contempt proceedings against Chhibber, then with the Hindustan Times, for having gone to the house of Justice R.L. Anand, then a sitting Judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, to verify information about a raid by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) that was said to be going on in the residence of the Judge.

However, he came back, without going inside the house, after being told by a security guard posted outside that no such raid was being held there. No report concerning the raid-that-never-was was published in the newspaper.

However, on a letter in this regard by Justice Anand, the then Chief Justice, Justice AB Saharya, had ordered initiation of criminal contempt proceedings in the matter.

After carrying on for almost two years, the Bench discharged the reporter and dismissed the contempt petition.

CULTURE

Rupa on the verge of stardom
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 29
Rupa Bajwa is the brand new ambassadress of modern Indian literature.

With her intellect and imagination she has created a masterpiece of fiction that comfortably sits close to reality of daily lives.

On the verge of stardom where her debut novel, "The Sari Shop" has managed to be listed for the Orange Prize for Fiction 2004, the Amritsar girl bares her mind with disarming honesty, taking care not to romanticise her struggle as a budding, young writer.

Rupa while interacting with readers at "The Browser" in Sector 8 this evening, said, "I did not become a writer consciously. For me, writing is a way to comprehend life. I write to live. Much of the inspiration came from reading. In fact, I began writing at the age of 21, and I began because I felt the urge too. There was so much chaos all around me."

Set in Amritsar, "The Sari Shop" is a candid account of protagonist Ramchand's life which is loaded with pain, anguish and hope. Because the novel never travels out of Amritsar, Rupa uses historic events to piece her thoughts together. Answering one of the readers, who cornered her on the issue of having detailed gory scenes of Operation Blue Star graphically, Rupa reasoned, "fiction and literature are not there for entertainment. Literature must mirror society. As such, I was writing about human lives. I understand that the scars of Operation Bluestar are many. But they are there anyways. My bringing them on record does not make their pain any less or any more."

Fed on a huge corpus of classic literature, like the one written by Manik Bandopadhyay, Sadat Hassan Manto and Ismat Chugtai, Rupa does not treat herself as part of any cult. "I admire work of every nature. I read a lot of writers. More than favourite writers, I have favourite books like English August, God of Small Things, The Romantics, and many more."

Never trained in English literature, Rupa, who spent the first 18 years of her life in Amritsar regards craft as the most essential element of fiction. "Craft is important, so is an element of truth. A well crafted novel would not interest me unless there is honesty in its core. It is equally important to have a grip on characters. Once you have that, characters live their own lives, guiding you through the plot. This happened with me during the course of writing”.

Film Review
Delightful ‘Hum Tum’ fare
Rama Sharma

There is a whiff of freshness in this delightful “Hum Tum” fare. Director and writer Kunal Kohli has chosen to explore some nuances of love here. Love is a step by step exploration of the other and self. And it takes time to get mature. Kunal Kohli deserves appreciation for this reasonably well-paced movie which holds the attention till the end. It is a respite to watch a clean film minus bone-crunching violent scenes.

Cartoonist Karan (Saif Ali Khan) is the one who tries to flirt every beautiful girl he meets. He asks for their addresses wherever he meets them — at airports, in trains and in streets. Infusing enough spark in his role he ensures a steady flow of fun-filled moments. He has blossomed into a confident director here.

Ria (Rani Mukherjee) finds him irritating and ill-mannered. She is looking for a husband who is not towel-type (Those who shout from bathroom for towel). And they bump into each other at every impossible place in — New York, in Italy and in New Delhi. So we have scenes of farewells and reunions in excess. The director turns a bit playful. He fails to handle the theme in depth. There are no touching scenes either.

On the sideline is the Rishi Kapoor-Rati Agnihotri pair. They are separated but still gauging the magnitude of what they are missing. Abhishey Bachchan appears for a while to deliver some good lines. Kiran Khen’s Punjabi is relishing. The cinematography is excellent and the soundtrack fairly good. The title song “Hum Tum” leaves an impression. The movie does succeed in lifting your spirits as one of its song — “Chak de saare gam” goes. — TNS