From Schools & Colleges
Students, parents take part in function
Tribune Reporters

Ludhiana, December 24
Students of Eurokids participated along with their parents in various items, including fashion show, puppet show, and magic show last evening.

The parents had an interactive counselling session with child psychologist Gauri Sunda. The students were given gifts in connection with Christmas.

Marketing workshop: Synetic Business School, Kitchlu Nagar, organised a marketing workshop here yesterday. Three groups of students launched their companies. The workshop was presided over by Dr M.A. Zahir, chairperson of the school.

Students had been taught management, accounting and marketing over the past three months.

NSS camps: Two NSS camps, for boys and girls started at GHG Khalsa College today. More than 200 volunteers participated. Prof Gurdev Singh, Programme Officer NSS, highlighted the role of the NSS and urged the volunteers to learn from the camps and pass on the knowledge to society.

New Year celebrations: USPC Jain Public School students rolled out the red carpet for 2005 yesterday. The performed various dances and took part in a dress competition. The programme concluded with a prize distribution.

X’mas function: Christmas was celebrated at Everest Play Way and Nursery School, Maharaja Ranjit Singh Park. Mr Hakam Singh Giaspura, president, Parent-Teacher Association, was the chief guest while Mrs Poonam Sharma, Principal, presided.

A colourful programme of songs and dances was presented by tiny tots. Santa Clause distributed presents and sweets among the students.

Fancy dress contest: Shemrock Kindergarten, Model Town Extension, celebrated Christmas yesterday. Santa Claus visited the school and gave away gifts to students. A fancy dress competition was held for the play group. Gautam Kakar stood first, Vanch Manchanda second, Khushi Walia third.

Tushaarita stood first, Harleen second and Pratham came third in the Montessori section. Christmas card making competition was also held for Mon-II and Mont-III. Aamol stood 1st, Vanchika second and Sahajpreet third.

Christmas celebrations: A Christmas function was organised at Child Heart Day Boarding School which was decorated with colourful models, charts and X’mas trees. Most of the students were dressed as fairies, angels, Mother Mary and Father Joseph.

A tree-shaped cake was cut and sweets were distributed among the students by the Santa Claus.

Book fair: A book fair was organised at Ryan International School in collaboration with Scholastic School Book. There was a wide variety of books on display.

Heritage function: To mark the ter centennial celebrations of Sikh heritage, a function was organised at Ramgarhia Educational complex. Inter school competition of turban-tying, shabad gyan, poetry recitation and declamation contest were organised. Giani Joginder Singh Vedanti, Jathedar of Akal Takht, was the chief guest.

On the occasion, the Music Department of the college enthralled the audience with shabad, vaar gyan and kavishri. The winers were given prizes by the Jathedar.

X’mas spirit Christmas was celebrated at Shanti Niketan School, Golden Time school and Green Land Senior Secondary School. Christmas carols were sung and gifts distributed.

Nativity scene: A beautiful Nativity scene was depicted at Kundan Visya Mandir. Students dressed as Mother Mary and shepherds fascinated visitors.

A unique activity in which students dressed up a community helpers was held at KVM School. Children dressed up as fruitsellers and doctors.

Four students of the school won praise for their presentation on television on the programme “Khel Khel Mein Badlo Duniya” on DD I which won the first prize. Ankit Mahajan, Pallavi Syal, Sushant Mehan and Manik Bajaj also got skit recorded on water conservation. They were given gift hampers worth Rs 2,5000 each.

Seminar: A seminar was held at Guru Nanak Girls College, Mullanpur (Ludhiana). Students delivered their speeches and recited poems, highlighting the martyrdom of Sahibzadas, Mata Gujri and 40 Singhs at Chamkaur Sahib and Sirhind in 1,700 AD.

The director of the college, Ms Karamjit Kaur, and the president of Guru Nanak Trust for Education and Rural Welfare and former chairman of the Punjab Mandi Board, Jathedar Mall Singh Ghuman, were also present on the occasion. The Principal of the college, Ms Amrit Kaur, also addressed the students.

NSS camps: A one-day NSS camp was organised at the SDP College for Women, Ludhiana, on Friday. The aim was to create awareness among women about their rights.

Mr Balraj K. Bhasin, president of the college, appreciated the good work of the NSS volunteers.

A 10-day NSS camp began at the Guru Nanak Khalsa College for Women, Gujarkhan Campus, Model Town, on Thursday. It was inaugurated by Mr Gurbir Singh Sarna. The Principal, Dr Anup Kaur Bansal, addressed the students on the occasion. Eighty volunteers are attending the camp. The motto of the camp is “Health for Youth”.

MANDI GOBINDGARH
Cultural function: Sacred Heart Senior Secondary School, Mandi Gobindgarh celebrated Christmas. Students of the school organised a cultural function. Senior students presented a show showing life story of Jesus Christ. Dances on religious numbers were performed by children of the school. Chief guest of the function was father Zachrias. Fathers and sisters from various churches blessed the children. They sang Christmas carols. Function ended with cake cutting ceremony and distribution of sweets and gifts among children and staff by Santa Claus.

HEALTH

Drive against TB to be intensified
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, December 24
The Health Department will intensify the awareness campaign regarding the revised national TB control programme with a major thrust to educate the masses that the disease was curable. Medicines are being provided free of cost.

Presiding over a meeting of the District TB Control Society here today, Mr Anurag Verma, Deputy Commissioner, directed the health administration to use cinema slides for the purpose. Publicity should be given through cable TV and other media also.

The Civil Surgeon, Dr Rajinder Kaur, was asked to hold a meeting of school principals so that they could educate the children about the prevention and treatment of the disease.

The Civil Surgeon would hold a meeting with private practitioners to ensure their involvement. The assistance of the Indian Medical Association may also be obtained.

Dr Rajinder Kaur said under the programme, the diagnosis was based on sputum microscopy rather than X-ray as was done earlier. Treatment was given under the supervision of a health worker and the programme was called directly observed treatment short course.

DMCH on way to normalcy
Kuldip Bhatia

Ludhiana, December 24
The Dayanand Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) here was slowly moving towards restoration of normal functioning as all employees rejoined their duties today and each department in the hospital became fully functional.

After the termination of the services of five employees, including DMC Employees Union president Chander Mohan Kalia, by the management last evening, the atmosphere in and around the institution was charged and tense with the police, in large numbers, making its presence felt.

The hospital management had taken a decision to sack Mr Kalia and four others, Mr Irfan Ahmed, Mr Ram Singh, Mr Darshan Masih and Mr Anuj Kumar Pathak, last evening on charges of being instrumental in causing disruption of patient care and other essential hospital services repeatedly and without any reason.

In fact, the Kalia faction had an inkling that some drastic action was being planned by the management against them and they had also learnt that the management would swing into action to ‘discipline’ the trouble-makers once the university examinations of MBBS students were over. In a futile bid to preempt the action by management, the union, led by Mr Kalia, held a meeting on December 22 and a circular was purportedly issued to all employees on December 23 to resume duty and work to restore normalcy in the hospital.

However, the management, with a lot of moral support from the district administration, members of the faculty and a majority of employees, had already made up its mind to throw out those holding the ‘institution to ransom’. It was towards assessing the situation in the event of dismissal of Mr Kalia and to create a sense of security among other employees that the SP (City-I), Mr R.K. Jaiswal, held a meeting with the staff late last evening.

He assured the employees that the police would be present in the hospital, but its role would be restricted to check any attempt to disrupt the working of the DMCH and to ensure safety of the employees.

A spokesperson of the DMCH claimed that the situation was peaceful and new admissions to the hospital, which were suspended till yesterday, were resumed.

On learning that all departments had become functional and employees resumed their duty, a large number of patients visited the OPDs today.

Meanwhile, the Moulder and Steel Workers Union and the Ekta Committee have, in separate statements, strongly reacted to the dismissal of five employees by the DMCH management and the deployment of the police in the institution.

They demanded that the sacked employees be reinstated and other issues be resolved through negotiations.

SPORTS

Ushma, Princedeep are best athletes
Our Sports Reporter

Ludhiana, December 24
Ushma and Princedeep were declared the best athletes among girls and boys (primary section), while Gaurav and Shivani were named the best athletes among the boy and girl participants (middle section), respectively, in the two-day 4th annual sports day meet of Bharatiya Vidya Mandir School, Kitchlu Nagar, that concluded today. In the higher section, Rupika and Prince were adjudged the best athletes among girls and boys, respectively.

Mr O.P. Sabharwal, a member of the BVM Trust, gave away prizes to the winners.

Second day’s results: boys (Classes VI to VIII) — 100 m: Gaurav Sharma 1, Nitin Kumar 2 and Vishal Bector 3; 200 m: Gaurav Sharma 1, Nitin Kumar 2 and Vishal Kalia 3; 400 m: Akshat 1, Vishal Bector 2 and Nikanj Mongia 3; long jump: Gourav 1, Sahil 2 and Nitin 3; shot put: Ankush 1, Hitesh 2 and Akshin 3; back race: Karan Saggar 1, Sahil Singla 2 and Kamal Goel 3; sack race: Mohit Sharma 1, Prince Arora 2 and Karan Saggar 3; discus throw: Hitesh 1, Vipul 2 and Anuj 3.

Classes IX to XI — 100 m: Aamer 1, Himanshu Goel 2 and Pankaj 3; 200 m: Sahil Diwedi 1, Lalit Sharma 2 and Aamer 3; 800 m: Hitesh Girotra 1, Narinder 2 and Mohit Sharma 3; long jump: Mohit 1, Simran 2 and Nariner Kumar 3; shot put: Prince 1, Arun 2 and Pushkar 3; back race: Hitesh Girotra 1, Himanshu 2 and Pankaj Sharma 3; sack race: Anil Soni 1, Anuj Sharma 2 and Harsh Chadha 3; discus throw: Prince 1, Harkamal 2 and Anil Dogra 3; javelin throw: Pankaj 1, Prince 2 and Harkamal 3.

Girls (Classes VI to VIII) — 100 m: Shivani Sharda 1, Yukti Girotra 2 and Harneet Kaur 3; 200 m: Yukti Girotra 1, Shivani Sharda 2 and Avnee Mehra 3; 400 m: Yukti Girotra 1, Parul Sharma 2 and Harneet Kaur 3; long jump: Shivani 1, Parul Sharma 2 and Priya 3; shot put: Priya 1, Sona 2 and Avneet 3; back race: Nidhi Minocha 1, Shenu Puri 2 and Parul Sharma 3; chatti race: Sona Arora 1, Reena Gupta 2 and Sucheta 3.

Classes IX to XI — 100 m: Rupika 1, Nitika 2 and Ankita 3; 200 m: Rupika Sharma 1, Raveena Chawla 2 and Rajeeta Jain 3; 800 m: Nitika Seth 1, Vagisha Jain 2 and Deepika 3; long jump: Rupika 1, Monika 2 and Rajeeta 3; shot put: Saloni 1, Ritika 2 and Jaspreet 3; chatti race: Isha Sharma 1, Saloni 2; three-legged race: Ruchi and Monika 1, Vaani and Priyanka 2 and Deepti and Ritika 3.