Chandigarh, November 1
For 37 years he has lived with the grim reality of dying with no one to look after his mentally-challenged son. And his fears are not unfounded.

The retired army officer, putting up in city's posh northern sector, knows that he cannot even transfer pension in his son's name directly under the law.

He is not alone. The figures released by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare reveal that about 1 to 2 per cent of the country's population suffers from major mental disorders.

This is not all. Experts attending a convention on "Human Rights and Mental Health" recently organised in Chandigarh by Delhi-based Human Rights Law Network (HRLN) claim that an estimated 25 per cent of the patients visiting primary health care clinics suffer from different types of psychological troubles.

The problem is no less grave in this part of the region. Data is not readily available. But city-based psychologist believe that approximately 1 per cent of the population is suffering from one problem or the other.

The experts add that major scientific discoveries in psychotropic drugs, psychotherapy and behaviour modification techniques during the past 50 years have made treatment effective.

But the same is reaching less than 10 per cent of those suffering from severe mental illness.

Elaborating upon the legal provisions, Delhi-based advocate working with HRLN Priyanka Chirimar says that the parents can form a trust. Being natural guardian, they can manage the trust or can appoint a guardian. The same functions under court's direct supervision and accounts have to be submitted to the Magistrate concerned.

The entire process is cumbersome. For the purpose of setting up a trust, an application has to be submitted before a Magistrate under the Mental Health Act.

In the process, the parents have to hire the services of advocates. A lot of people criticise it.

The court's intervention is not required even if it rules out the possibility of foul play after the natural guardian's death.

An alternate, less complicated system, has to be devised.

The parents can also approach the National Trust for taking care of their child's welfare. But again the procedure is not so simple. Moreover, few people know about it.

Agreeing with her HRLN's Senior Legal Adviser Parul Sharma, in Chandigarh for attending the convention, adds that pension is not only transferrable to mentally challenged children in European countries, the parents also get additional percentage for taking care of their needs. They also receive special grants from the state.

The community, she concludes, must realise that it has a responsibility towards those silenced over the generations.

The government and the public health community must also step forward and perform their fundamental duty to improve mental health services.

Mohali, November 1
A five-day workshop on molecular modelling and pharmainformatics started at the National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER) here today. The workshop aimed to train college teachers and scientists across the country in science and technology was inaugurated by Dr M. Rami Reddy from Metabasis Therapeutics Inc., USA.

Prof P. Rama Rao, Director, NIPER, stated that among many objectives of the institute was the promise to conduct education programmes for teachers, pharmaceutical technologists, pharmacists, and other pharmacy professionals. He said the Department of Science and Technology at a meeting held on October 29, sanctioned Rs 1 crore for three years to strengthen the pharmacoinformatics project.

Dr Reddy delivered a talk on the use of computer-aided drug design approaches for the discovery of potential drug candidates to diabetes and AIDs — success and limitations”.

Eminent professors like V.M. Kulkarni, (Pune), Prof B. Jayaram, (IIT, New Delhi), Prof A. Bhattacharya (JNU), Dr A.K. Saxena, (CDRI, Lucknow) and Dr G.N. Sastry (IICT, Hyderabad) would be delivering talks at the workshop.

Chandigarh, November 1
Panjab University, Chandigarh and Punjabi University, Patiala, continued their winning streak for the second consecutive day in the semifinal league matches of the North Zone Inter University Basketball (men) Tournament being played here at the PU grounds, Chandigarh.

In the first tie, PU, Chandigarh got the better of Delhi University, Delhi, scoring a convincing 80-52 with the half time score reading 50-27.

The scorers for the winners were Fatehjit 18, Amritpal 13, Sweetpal 10, Amrish 9, Mandeep 9, Yadwinder 4, Amritpal 4, Arun 4. losers-Vinesh 12, Abhishek-9, Vikram 8, Neeraj 6, Anand 6.

In another tie played today, Panjabi University, Patiala, downed Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra, 74-60 with half time score pegged at 33-28.

Chandigarh, November 1
An unbroken 135-run opening partnership between Simran Bawa (58 not out) and Navdeep (54 not out) helped Guru Nanak Public School trounce St Joseph’s School ‘A’ by 10 wickets in the Molly Carver Memorial Sports Carnival which was inaugurated by Dronacharya awardee D.P. Azad at St Stephen’s School here today.

Scores: St Joseph’s School ‘A’ — 131 for 5 in 25 overs (Sandeep 44, Simranjeet 3 wickets); Guru Nanak Public School — 135 for no loss in 14.3 overs (Simran Bawa 58 not out, Navdeep 54 not out).

In an earlier match St Kabir School just managed to defeat St Xavier’s School by one wicket.

Scores: St Xavier’s School— 131 for 5 in 25 overs (Sahiil 54, Vaibhav 2 wickets); St Kabir School — 132 for nine in 25 overs (Sandeep 44, Simranjeet 3 wickets).

The carnival will include competitions in cricket, football, basketball and hockey.