GMSSS annual fete concludes
Our Correspondent

Chandigarh, October 15
The artistic and creative talent of the youngsters of Govt Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 19, Chandigarh was in full display as Tagore Theatre, where they presented a musical extravaganza to celebrate their three-day annual function which concluded today.

The cultural bonanza opened with a lot of fun, frolic and excitement. The Principal, Mrs Saroj Gupta, warmly welcomed the Chief Guest, Mr Arun Kumar, DC, Chandigarh, who inaugurated the function.

The function started with Saraswati Vandana. Next came the foot-tapping Goan number with tiny tots creating the ambience of Goa, depicting the jubilations of fishermen and fisherwomen.

This was followed by a patriotic dance number” Mujhe ish hai sar zameen se”. The students then enacted a satirical play,” File chaldi rahi”, depicting the evils of red tape. In ‘Dhola’, zestful Punjabi folk dancers enthralled the audience.

The annual report was read by Principal Mrs Saroj Gupta.

NCC plans motor cycle rally to Pak
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 15
In the backdrop of Indo-Pakistan bilateral relations showing an upward swing and its own agenda to increase the scope of interaction with foreign countries, the National Cadet Corps is planning to undertake a motor cycle rally to Pakistan on a goodwill mission.

“We are preparing a detailed plan for the rally and it would be sent to the NCC headquarters for approval,” Deputy Director General, Brig D.S. Dhillon, said.

“The purpose would be to carry a message of friendship across the border,” he added.

The Jalandhar NCC Group has been tasked for working out the technical and administrative modalities.

Brigadier Dhillon said that the rally could kick-off from Chandigarh or Delhi and cross into Pakistan from Wagah, where it could pass through Lahore, Islamabad and a couple of other places nearby.

Besides the Defence Ministry, the trip would also require the approval of the Ministry of External Affairs.

The team would consist of about 20 members riding on 10 motor cycles.

This would include an officer as well as an Associate NCC Officer (ANO) and two NCC civilian employees.

Cadets participating in the rally would be from this region.

As of now, there is no youth organisation similar to the NCC existing in Pakistan, though it is reportedly keen on establishing such an organisation. 

C-DAC students lauded
Our Correspondent

Mohali, October 15
A convocation for students who completed a six-month diploma course in the embedded systems design was organised at the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) here today.

The students were given certificates by, Mr Jaswinder Singh, from 3 d systems, USA. He praised the efforts of the local C-DAC in generating skilled manpower.

Mr Deepak Kumar Syal, additional director and head R & D/PDT division, said the programme was started last year in September. He said in order to produce the best design manpower in the embedded systems in the region, lots of efforts were being made by his division and faculty. The working hours had also been increased.

Mr Syal said there were 26 students in the first batch out of which 21 were placed in multinationals.

The programme designed by C-DAC, Hyderabad, is a post graduate, skill-oriented professional programme comprehensively covering the embedded programming concepts, real time operating systems, 8-16-32 bit micro-controllers, digital signal processing and embedded communications. 

State Science Exhibition results
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 15
The State Institute of Education, Sector 32, today declared results of the State Science Exhibition in which the students were quizzed by a team of judges.

The students had prepared models under five sub-themes i.e. agriculture; energy and its conservation; industrial development and environment; educational technology and mathematical modelling; and technology for health.

The students equipped with scientific knowledge and the principles behind their models answered the queries of judges.

The evaluation of the models was based on creative ability, scientific thought, technical skill, educational value, cost and presentation.

The following schools were adjudged best in various categories: Senior secondary model category: GMSSS-16; Senior secondary urban category: GGSSS-8; Secondary model category: GMHS-29; Secondary urban category: GHS-45; Rural category: GHS- Kajheri; and Overall best school in population education exhibition: MSSS-35.

Kiron Kher gets ready for another act

Kiron Kher is evolving gracefully. From one act to another, she has managed to capture the imagination of audiences at home and abroad. That explains why she proudly rests on the wish list of celebrated filmmakers both in the stream of alternative and commercial cinema. Her favourite however is the former.

Having played a perfect mother to Paaro in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s magnum opus “Devdas”, the lady is now going places with other meaty roles, including one in Yash Chopra’s “Veer-Zaara.”

In Chandigarh to inaugurate a jewellery arcade, Kiron Kher parted with no information about her new project but she literally raved about “Khamosh Paani”, the Indo-Pakistani project she has written.

“Pakistan seemed like home when I had gone there for shooting. People there were incredibly warm towards me. The project has also drawn out the best in me as I had always craved to be a writer,” she said.

Also contemplating a book on her own life, Kiron could not help deviating from the track to bring in a mention of the Censor Board controversy involving her husband Anupam Kher. Supporting Anupam’s stance she said, “Harkishen Singh Surjeet’s remarks have certainly irked us. As such, ever since the Congress has come to power, one has been unable to figure out which government is ruling the nation. There is no coordination at any level. The policymakers are going left and right and are never really reaching anywhere. I am with Anupam in his battle against injustice. Surjeet must apologise for having said that Anupam is a member of the RSS.”

As the conversation came back on the track, Kiron discussed her future projects like “The Rising” with Ketan Mehta; “Saalgirah”, her theatre production with husband Anupam Kher; “Pratima”, the woman-centric serial on Sahara in which she plays a negative role; and her lingering romance with alternative cinema of the kind of Rituparno Ghosh creates.

It was Ghosh’ “Bariwali” which won the first national award for Kiron. Naturally, she rates Ghosh as a Satyajit Ray in the making. “He is prolific and exciting. He appeals at an international level. Working with him, or for that matter with any other director who’s passionate about his job, is a great experience. And I will keep enriching myself by accepting roles that are unconventional and enigmatic,” she said.

Having proved herself in various genres, Kiron is now taking her work easy for a while. “I have to go slow because it is time to launch Sikander, our son, who wants to be an actor. But he does not want us to launch him. So we will have to wait and watch how he makes his debut,” she said. In fact, she began the conversation with a word of praise for the Victorian necklace, worn by Pooja Jain, wife of the arcade owner Mr Akhil Jain. “I love uncut and Victorian diamonds. In fact, I have never followed trends, I have always set some. As for jewellery, since it is something that will stay forever, the more classic it is, the more timeless it will seem,” she said. TNS