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PU constitutes four subcommittees to improve work culture Chandigarh, June 1 The DUI has written a letter to all departments of the university and the various unions of teaching and non-teaching employees to contribute ideas for creating a more conducive work environment and inculcate a superior work culture not only in the staff but among the students as well. Also, the committees have been asked to give their findings in the form of a working paper before the next academic session gets underway in July. Two separate committees will give their recommendations about developing a better work culture in the departments and the administration. One committee will work on students while the other will study the general problems of the Syndicate and the Senate in terms of adopting a healthy attitude to work. Sources said at a recent meeting of the committee constituted, by the PU Syndicate to improve work culture, the members opined that any change would require alteration of the existing laws and developing a system of incentives. The debate for identifying concrete measures would be extended to affiliated colleges as well to generate quality consciousness. The members of the committee said any improvement in the work culture would entail an attitudinal change, time-bound programmes for research and cooperation from staff and students’ unions. The Syndicate had adopted a resolution moved by Prof PP Arya for improving the work culture and enhancing the quality of output from various departments in January this year. Following this, the Syndicate had constituted a committee to work out ways of creating a positive work environment along with generating quality consciousness. |
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UBS declares admission results
of MBA courses Chandigarh, June 1 The first counselling session will be held on June 24 for the general category, on June 25 for the reserved categories and on June 26 for the NRI/NRI-sponsored category. The counselling will start at the UBS, Art Block-III, Panjab University, Chandigarh, at 9 am on the days mentioned. Students whose merit falls in three times of number of seats in each category will be required to appear for counselling. In case the seats remain vacant a second counselling session will be held in the second or third week of July.
Awarded Dr Ranju Bansal, Senior Lecturer, the University Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Panjab University, has been awarded the prestigious Commonwealth Academic Staff Fellowship for 2004. The award is tenable at the University of Strathclyde, UK for six months under the supervision of Prof Alan Harvey, Director, Strathclyde Institute of Drug Research. The research group will be working towards the development of newer and potential chemical moieties for the treatment of asthma.
Results declared Panjab University has declared the results of Prabhakar and Gyani examinations held in April, 2004. The result gazettes will be available at the new enquiry office of the university for consultation and personal enquiry on all working days between 10 am to 4 pm. The results will also be available on the university website www:puchd.ac.in from 10 am onwards from June 2. |
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Abolish deputation quota: teachers Chandigarh, June 1 Demanding abolition of 20 per cent deputation quota for teachers, the union members have said the existing policy being towed by the UT Education Department allowed the deputationists to take promotion in their parent cadre without being repatriated. Citing certain specific instances, the teachers said a lecturer from Haryana was promoted as principal in her parent state. But she joined as principal in a city school without a single day of joining in her parent state. In case of the TGT teachers, the quota of teachers had already exceeded by around 10 per cent. The deputationists were availing promotions in their parent states without being repatriated. This was blocking the vacancies, which would have been created on repatriation of the deputationists, said the general secretary of the Government Teachers Union, Mr Vinod Sharma. Inquiries reveal that after the orders of the Chandigarh Administration to repatriate those who have worked for more than five years in Chandigarh, all heads of the school were asked to prepare the list of teachers on deputation. A majority of the teachers are from Punjab and Haryana. |
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Engg college keeps up
performance Chandigarh, June 1 In the December 2002 examination also students of the college created a record by securing four positions in the merit list. Now with this performance in the December 2003 examination, the college has achieved the distinction of being on the merit list of all examinations conducted by the PTU so far. The Chairman, of the college, Mr Satnam Singh Sandhu, and general secretary, Mr Rashpal Singh Dhaliwal, congratulated the toppers and gave them cash awards of Rs 5,000 each. The Principal, Dr G.D. Bansal, said extra coaching classes were being arranged in the college for weak students.
New IEET Principal assumes charge Chandigarh, June 1 Welcoming Dr Bahl, Mr Gaurav Jhunjhunwala, secretary, IEET, said “The institute has established itself as a premier institute with regards to world-class facilities and meritorious results. It will benefit from the experience of Dr Bahl”. Approved by the AICTE, the institute is affiliated to H.P. University. It is located on the National Highway 21A and is 45-minute drive from Panchkula. |
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Aiming to help students choose career options To solve students’ dilemma, the Society for Students’ Education and Career Promotion (SECAP) was formed here today. The society aims at answering all career-related queries. It has launched a helpline for students. The president of the society, Mr S.M. Sardana, said students could dial 94173-07292 (from 8 am to 6 pm daily) to know about the career avenues available. “With Indian professionals gaining global acceptance, hundreds of careers like aviation, tourism and hospitality, fashion designing and hotel management now await students in the changed competitive scenario. But still many people have the mindset that the science stream is superior and students under parental and peer pressure start preparing for engineering or medical entrance tests. Many a time this microscopic view of career options lands students in trouble later in life when in spite of having a job they do not derive satisfaction and find themselves unfit in the profession,” Mr Sardana said. The challenge of choosing a career came not only before children after Classes X and XII but also after graduation (BA, BSc), many students didn’t know which way to go. Due to their limited knowledge of professional courses that enjoyed higher rating in the job market, they often chose a course which fails to bring them rewards, he said. The society will also organise seminars and group discussions to highlight problems pertaining to the education system. “My aim is to help students to know about all courses available so that they can choose only after analysing their own capabilities and according to the needs of the job market,” Mr Sardana said. |
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GC-11 alumni in race for Nobel Prize Chandigarh, June 1 His name finds mention in the 1968 edition of the annual college magazine, Vikas. He had then read out a short story titled “ To Rinse a Baby’s Napkin” during a competition held in the college. He returned to Somalia and taught in Mogadishu, capital of Somalia. He was exiled from Somalia in 1976 after his novel “ Sweet and Sour Milk’. He now lives in Nigeria and continues to write about Somalia and its upheavals. The novelist has nine novels to his credit and was awarded 1998 Neustadt International Prize in literature for his book on the Somali Diaspora. |
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Children throng summer camps Mohali, June 1 Two such camps started here today. Both of these, one at the Bal Bhavan in Phase IV and the other at Sarong Lok in Phase XI, have registered a number of children for participation. The camp at the Bal Bhavan has been organised by the Child Welfare Council, Punjab. It started today and will end on June 23. Children in the age group of 3 years to 16 years are participating in the camp. The activities offered in the camp are aerobies and yoga, dance, music and art and craft. The council is also providing refreshments to children taking part in the camp. Ms Harinder, in charge of the camp said as many as 49 children had been registered for the camp out of whom 25 were between the age group of 3 years and 8 years. She said the maximum number of children were interested in learning dance, especially bhangra, adding that a stage performance would be orgnised on June 22. At Sarong Lok, a one- month long summer camp also started today. Children are being offered five different activities for different age groups. They are “Ramgaan di khed te suno kahani”, “Bhanda-Bhandaria theatre”, Chitrakala”, “Nachiye ate gayiye” and “Sahit Sirjana”. Dr Rama Rattan, honorary director of the children’s wing, said a majority of the children who came for the workshop wanted to learn bhangra. She said the workshop would also focus on the personality development of the child. An interaction with the parents of the participants would be organised every Sunday to communicate effectively with the children. |
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Summer workshop for kids begins Chandigarh, June 1 The director of the club, Ms Anu
Vala, said the camp was being held in an air-conditioned hall with a built-in splash pool. The camp would conclude on June 16. There would also be a special Junior Pizza Maker workshop for all participants from Domino’s Pizza. A party and a picnic would also be organised. |
High Court Chandigarh, June 1 On May 27, the Vigilance Bureau had sealed the place as it is owned jointly by Hardeep Singh and his son. Singh is the absconding ex-Officer on Special Duty to former Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal. Taking up a petition filed by Superb Hitech Foods Limited, which manages the eating joint, Hot Millions, in the SCO, Mr Justice Surya Kant observed that the manner in which the SCO was attached and sealed was wrong. No notice was given to the proprietors of Hot Millions by the bureau before swooping down on the place and locking it. Yesterday, the court had issued notice on a petition filed by the company, seeking directions that the locks be removed and it be allowed to carry on the business as it was lawful lessee of the place. Today, Mr Justice Surya Kant ordered that the rent should be deposited in a Kharar court. It may be recalled that the VB has been looking for Hardeep for his alleged involvement in the case relating to alleged disproportionate assets of Mr Badal and his family. |
Gursharan Singh’s plays bare social realities Chandigarh, June 1 The show began with the staging of “Anchala” that draws on one of the stories of Gurdyal Dalal. A poignant tale of a woman’s struggle, the story revolves around how Anchala is exploited, both sexually and professionally. Written with sensitivity, the play portrays the loopholes in the so-called equal society of modern times. In the end, it leaves a message of hope, as the teacher harnesses all her energy to chalk out a prosperous and a successful life. She works against the odds and turns them into opportunities. The play was directed by Gaurav Sharma. It had music by Sameer Thakur, light effects by Jagjit Saini and set design and costumes by Bikramjet Singh. The second production staged today was “Panj Kalyani”, based on the short story of Jagroop Singh Roop. The play centres on the protagonist, Nathu, and his wife. Set in a poverty-stricken Punjab village, it bares the infirmities of our social structure, where power is vested with the influential few. Slaves to plutocrats, Karmi and his wife are forever under pressure to pay back their debts. Indebted and poverty-stricken, they are encouraged by the village headmaster to fight for their rights. The play was well presented by Bikramjeet Singh as master, Ikkatar Sahota as Nathu, Amanpreet as Karmi, Arun Bansal as Shah and Vikas as Alla Singh. The final presentation of the evening was “Inqalab Zindabad”, one of the most staged plays of Gursharan Singh, who is known for the relevance of his writings. Related to the life of Sardar Bhagat Singh, this play is a satire on sycophants. Although set in the time of the British, the play has wider relevance. It transcends its historical setting to talk of blemishes that mar the present political system in which only power changes hands. It encourages sycophants as ever. It also has wily rulers, who know how to play their cards to achieve their motives. In such a situation, Gursharan Singh’s play advocates the need to stand up and be heard. It stresses the power of public opinion in a democracy. Directed by Bikramjeet Singh, the play also featured Ikkatar Sidhu, Vikas and Arun Bansal. |
Fitness Trail Dictionary defines skin as a protective covering stretched all over the body. But this layer needs care and protection too. How many of us spare any time for its care beyond the customary three-minute scrub in the bath? Whether young or old, ravages of time, season and elements take their toll on this outermost layer of the body. Dry scorching winds and harsh summer sun with its UVA and UVA rays can steal the healthy glow of the skin. Dr Mallika Sachdev, a Chandigarh-based skin specialist, gives a few tips to protect the skin and keep it fit and supple in this unrelenting season. Sun and heat are the two worst enemies of skin. Exposure to sun can cause tanning, burning of skin, age or sun spots, freckles and above all it can cause wrinkles in the mature skin. Tanning manifests itself in the form of discoloured red patches on the exposed areas. The affected skin starts peeling off. Prolonged exposure of mature or sensitive to sun can harm the collagen in the internal skin layers causing withered skin or wrinkles. Age or sunspots are small brown, flat patches, which are caused on the overexposed parts, while people with light-coloured or sensitive skin are prone to get freckles or blemishes on exposure to sun. A timely prevention can check some of these skin problems, says Dr Sachdev. Of course, the best prevention is staying out of sun, especially between 11 am to 4 pm, she says. Protection from the sun can be physical, including caps, hats or umbrellas. Also loose-fitting cotton clothes are great chillers as cotton is good reflector of light. Chemical protection includes calamine or sunscreen lotions. Calamine lotions reflect the sunlight but these are not cosmetically acceptable. The other option is sunscreen lotions with a minimum of SPF 15 (sun protection factor). Dr Sachdev recommends slathering of sunscreen daily at least twice a day, half-an-hour before braving the sun. She also recommends gel-based sunscreen lotions for oily skins. Most sunscreen lotions are normally effective for at least three hours but if you are outdoors, their effect decreases sooner due to the sweat. So re-apply sunscreen after 90 minutes if you are out in the sun. A sun block is must even on cloudy days as UV rays can harm the skin even then. For oily skins, Dr Sachdev recommends gel-based products and frequent washing as clogged pores can worsen an already existing acne problem. The other enemy — heat — can give rise to boils, which happen due to bacterial infections. Only a visit to doctor can cure the problem. Fungal infections are also quite frequent in summer. They usually happen in skin folds where sweat remains trapped. Prickly heat rashes are another common problem of the season. These rashes happen due to blockage of sweat glands and excessive sweating. Frequent bathing, avoiding hot and humid places and frequent changing of sweat-sodden clothes can check these problems to same extent.
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Once condemned, now in fashion
THE city’s fashionistas are going
Boho. Believe it or not, but all Bohemian stuff you looked down upon a little while ago for the behenjis and bhaiya crowd, is suddenly in vogue. With style icon Preity Zinta sporting the Boho look (her crinkled full length skirts teamed with fitted kurtis and the jhola slung carelessly across the shoulder in
Lakshya), and Kareena Kapoor too displaying her kitschy collection of dangling earrings, cotton hand bags and ghaagra skirts in Yuva, their fan following in the city are not to be left behind. So the fashionistas wardrobe is now full of bright dangling earrings in semi precious stones, shell and metal belts, the bead work and wood case handbags, the chunky chains and pendants, the crinkled cotton ghaagra skirts and shoes with oodles of sequined designs or floral patterns. And it is not only the teeming fashion conscious
collegiates, but also the not-so-young yuppies falling prey to the Boho fashion. Loud colours - red, cobalt blue, peridot green, lime yellow, plastic bangles in octagonal shapes or the spring like bangles with glass beads- the kitschy fashion has arrived. And to complement the overall look, the hairstyle goes wavy and unkempt.
Indo-Western turns Boho in dress Crinkled cotton skirts with a flounce, the dhoti skirt, and of course, the skirts with tie and dye prints are in fashion.
Capris, too, go rustic chic with the bottoms dyed in bright colours or with the hemline in tie- and- dye style. The kurti gets shorter, more like a blouse over the skirt with kitschy embroidery in sequins. The jhola cotton bags slung across the shoulder is the new style statement. Says Ms Sherry of
Kapsons,” The ghaagra skirts are hot favourites for all age groups.” While the Boho kurtis and shirts are available for Rs 1000 onwards, the crinkled cotton skirts and dhoti skirts are availbale for Rs 400 to Rs 800.
Flowers adorn my toes So you thought that the Boho fashion was restricted only to clothes. Well, have a look around and be floored with the sunflower sandals, or the stilletoes in neon green and pink. So shoes with butterflies or sunflower motives are available in all hues of pink, blue, yellow, orange or lilac. Coloured swarovski motives or the neon coloured sequin sandals for her, and burgundy and red shoes for him, with a lilt towards Bohemian, are selling like hot cakes. Metro shoes in Sector 17, have on display a wide range of Bohemian stuff designed by top designers — Manish Malhotra, Azeem Khan and Rohit Bal. These designer shoes are available from Rs 4000 to Rs 10,000 a pair.
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Perfection comes with years of toil and struggle. Not really, if you ask Ishant Sachdeva and Neha Dabar. These children have perfected their dance steps and can make anyone dance. Beginning young, these children are star attractions at most cultural programmes in Chandigarh. Though their talent is being showcased as fillers in between the cultural items, Ishant and Neha have carved a niche for themselves. A regular to cultural evenings cannot miss these young dancers with the most flexible bodies, as they perform bhangra, or hip-shaking Western numbers. With 100 performances each to their credit, they aim to make it big as dancers. They say they have inherited the love for dance from their mothers. Dancing is a passion for them. Both claim that their recreation is dancing, and not sports. “I used to watch my mother dance from a young age, and picked up the passion from her,” says 11-year-old Ishant. A student of Hansraj Public School, Panchkula, he has participated in over 100 competitions, and has won quite a few, including the Dancer of the Year Award in 2003. From a few steps at home to a professional dancer, Ishant says his passion for dancing and support from his mother have helped him groom. From imitating Mehmood’s steps to breaking into the rhetorical break dance, Ishant can do it with equal ease. “But learning classical dance is important. So now I am training in bharat natyam,” he adds. Dancing is a hobby. If it turns into a profession it will lose charm for me. I aim to join the civil services, he says. Ten-year-old Neha, who has won several dance competitions, including the Boogie Woogie show (in group dance), and was selected Dancer of the Year 2004, says the arclights beckon her. “Though dancing is a hobby, I plan to make a career as an actress. Being a dancer will be an asset,” she says. The girl has more than 150 performances to her credit. She is training to be a kathak dancer, but also performs, bhangra, giddha, and Western dances. She has performed with almost all major Punjabi singers. Says her mother, Darshini Dabar, working on her Ph.D thesis, “Though she does not compromise on her education, we allow her to travel for shows. I have delayed my research in order to accompany her to shows. If she has talent, as parents, it is our duty to cultivate it,” she says.
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Shiamak puts the city into dancing mode Senior instructors from Shiamak Davar’s Institute for the Performing Arts (SDIPA) are back to put the city into the dancing mode. As Shiamak’s summer funk show took off at hotel Park View today, it was time to savour modern dance in its most exciting forms. On the list of instruction for adults are forms as vibrant as jazz, rap, rock “n” roll and afro jazz. In the meantime, children (up to 12 years) will be trained in what Shiamak’s brigade calls fun dance, something that blends choreographed movements and expression, rhythmic coordination and elements of group work besides awareness of music. The idea is to help a group evolve as a dance troupe, the kind that Shiamak shapes back home in Mumbai where he runs his classes at about 12 venues. As always, the two-week long professional and fun dance session has attracted a large number of participants ranging between four and 40 years of age. And they are all ready to put their best foot forward to make a huge success of the June 15 final show, which will feature all the dance sequences taught to the 13 batches that will be trained simultaneously. Out of the four visiting instructors, Meghna and Rohan are holding some of the dance sessions while Kashmira and Gautam are holding the rest. On this first day of the big event, which has the whole lot of dance enthusiasts waiting all the year long, the instructors focused on basic isolation exercises to put the body into controlled motion and also help participants gain flexibility. In fact, a bit of exercise forms an essential part of Shiamak’s daily training schedule. The celebrated choreographer feels exercise is a must for fine tuning muscles. Among the courses being offered are those at the beginners, elementary and intermediate levels that will cover the various dance forms mentioned above. Each case will enable students to pursue higher standards of dance in each style. Many of the dance sessions go a long way in shaping up the participants’ bodies as they involve extensive workouts for flexibility. With many takers for Shiamak’s fare, it is small wonder that regular dance classes under the aegis of the SDIPA are being planned in the city. When Shiamak visited the city in December 2003 to attend the final show of the winter funk show, he had declared that the SDIPA would hold sessions in Chandigarh. Like always, this association would happen in collaboration with the Durga Das Foundation, which organises SDIPA workshops in Chandigarh. The present workshop is also being held in association with the Durga Das Foundation.
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Chandigarh, June 1
