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10 city students to take National Talent Search Exam
Chandigarh, January 24 Five students from St. John’s High School, Sector 26, alone have made it through the STSE conducted in November last year. Chirag Sethi, Ankit A. Gupta, Salil Aggarwal, and Kritarth Jain are among those who have made it to the NTSE examination to be conducted by the National Council for Research, Education and Training. The other students are Ansuya Mandal of Carmel Convent, Aditi Chatterjee of St. Anne’s Convent School, Sector 32, Nupur Gupta of Bhawan Vidyalaya, Sector 27, P. Shivam of Government Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 16, and Tarun Arya of GMSSS, Sector 33. As many as 829 students appeared for the examination.
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Woman granted bail on compassionate grounds
Chandigarh, January 24 According sources, Rekha had been jailed along with her five-year-old daughter following her arrest on November 30 last year. The Judge granted her bail when her counsel pleaded that even though the woman might be guilty but the child was innocent. The counsel pleaded that the woman be released on compassionate grounds. Manoj Tiwari, the main accused in the kidnapping of a Mauli Jagran girl in 2002, had already been granted bail in the case. Rekha, along with her husband, also an accused in the case, had absconded after their names figured in the FIR.
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Mastering maths with abacus
Mastering maths and manoeuvering through the maze of calculations successfully has been every child’s dream and a parent’s ultimate fantasy for ages.
TV ads showing a little one totalling grocery bills before a computer could do so or remembering a difficult telephone number make many a parent rush to the nearest store to pick up the advertised corn flakes or other dietary supplements as maths is Achilles’ heel for many school going children. But Mohali-based Shikha Sood says that mental arithmetic is a skill that can be mastered by almost every child, even slow learners and those with learning disabilities, and that too with the help of a humble abacus. Abacus, used in China for over 900 years for making calculations, has often been termed father of the modern day computers. Its use improves concentration and ability to learn, retain and recall. Abacus learning of higher arithmetic (Aloha), launched by Loh Mun Sung in Malaysia in 1993 and brought to India in 2002, has centres in about 10 countries with over 26 lakh students. Ms Sood, who is bringing abacus learning to Mohali and the rest of Punjab in February, maintains that it is not only a maths programme but aims at the overall development of brain. ‘‘As most of us are right-handed, we use the left side of our brain more but through this programme we aim to make use of the right side of the brain too. The students learn to use both hands and thus there is overall development of the brain’’, she adds. This balancing of the left and right brain activity makes the child gain logical and creative skills. Giving details about the programme, Ms Sood says it works on the KVA (kinesthetic, visual and auditory) system. In the beginning children are trained to make calculations from one to 99 and addition and subtraction with their fingers and then they move on to bigger numbers by using the abacus. Later, they are trained to do complicated calculations without using fingers or abacus and just by mentally working on the abacus. The programme, designed for students from six to 13 years of age, has eight levels and each level spans three months. It complements and supplements the arithmetic approaches adopted in schools. Classes will be held for two hours every week with proactive teaching methodology, informs Ms Sood.
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“Chandan de Ohley” staged at Dept of Indian Theatre
“It is the mission of comedy to depict contemporary life with moral intent and not tell pleasing tales of fairies…” opined Ben Johnson, long back. Accordingly
students of the Department of Indian Theatre, Panjab University, under the guidance of faculty members, translated his conception to reality during the staging of the Punjabi play “ Chandan de Ohley” at the theatre today. The social play penned by Prof Pali Bhupinder Singh and directed by Harpreet Singh Lovely, dealt with a plethora of social evils ailing our society besides ensuring limitless laughter. Structured in the semi-urban life of Punjab, the play juxtaposes the growing race for worldly pleasures, bounties and charms of the western life. Lured by this quest an affluent villager Sucha Singh attempted in vain to get his son settled abroad but the alluring proposals of matrimony with an NRI girl tempted him to a trap by a trusted agent and match maker. It was more of a business deal involving Rs 10 lakh than a sacred solemnisation of marriage. NRI girl smells the rat and takes a higher stand, even admonishing her father who is part of the conspiracy. But there is no dearth of rotten idea with the agent and he prevails upon Sucha Singh to get his engineer daughter, Manna, married to Preeti’s father, older by 40 years which the middle man pleads, will facilitate the immigration of all family members. Already in love with a boy of lower caste, Preeti is compelled to sacrifice her love and accept old man as her husband. The play enacted by a perfect model of accomplished actors had elements of brilliant wit rich comedy, vivid characterisation, and presented a realistic picture of the ongoing bride selling business, illegal immigration and ‘Kabootarbazi’ by agents especially in Punjab. Besides his directorial assignment, Harpreet Singh Lovely, excelled in the potrayal of the agent, Mohna. So were Tripat Kumar Pannu, Neha, Rajesh Kumar, Sukhdeep Kaur, Vishal Bajaj, Rohit Kumar. The social play, weaved in chaste Punjabi is an eye opener with a didactic message deserves to be complimented and should be repeated. The chairperson, Ms Neelam Maan Singh, and faculty members lauded the efforts of students for their sleek presentation.
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Iqbal Khan in city
Iqbal Khan, an actor, who recently entered the Bollywood’s glamour world, is in the city to promote his forthcoming movie “Bullet”. He says the movie is an action-packed spy thriller. The film has been shot in Bulgaria with the help of foreign technicians.
This guy from Kashmir, whose debut film was ‘Fun2shh’ has miles to go to prove himself. Though the movie flopped at the box office but he succeeded in making his presence felt.
However, he didn’t like the way he was projected in the film. But know he has reasons to smile. Iqbal has tried his hand in production also and is aware of many technical points.
Besides, he has also done modelling and series of music videos.
OC
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Solving problems through emotional
counselling
For an Army officer-turned-palmist Col Gursewak Singh (retd), palmistry is not about predicting future. It is a science which, if utilised properly can reveal true characteristics of an individual. Besides, he seeks solution to the problem through emotional counselling.
He says, “My interest in this field started during Kargil war when I was posted in Kashmir. My superiors came to know about my interest in this field and advised me to hold therapy session for my colleagues, who were going to the battlefield. Thus started his psychological counselling or PEG therapy. It is a combination of palmistry, emotional counselling and gemology (PEG). One set of officers, who regularly participated in PEG therapy sessions had tremendous positive affects on their morale, courage and confidence. It helped in managing their stress and concentration levels, resulting in low casualty rates and increased performance. The news soon spread to other military stations. Since then he had been conducting seminars on PEG therapy for military personnel.” Colonel Gursewak Singh, who has now settled in the city, says, “I discovered that the vibes of human aura if synchronised with that of specially selected gemstones along with meditation help in fulfilling one’s dream.” Cosmic meditation, he says, involves calming the mind through conscious breathing, correction of imbalanced “charkas” through “kundalani” awakening and finally inducement of positive thoughts/energy into one’s subconscious mind. For this, one must follow five-step meditation for about 10 minutes a day.
TNS
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‘Dance Like a Man’ staged
The Literary Society of the Department of English Panjab University, staged a play “Dance Like a Man” at English auditorium today.
One of the widely-acclaimed creation of playwright Mahesh Dattani, the play, after being staged worldwide and transformed into a film, has high expectations. The skilled dramatic craftsmanship employed Rana Nayyar in his directorial assignment was given an immaculate treatment by the accomplished
set of actors. But for the much needed infrastructure the director could not have used the technical virtuosity which could enhance the level of the production. After a mundane start as the blossoming love affair between Lata and Viswas bubbled through their spicy dialogues the play gathered momentum . A current of realism shined through in the subsequent situation when young Jairaj and Ratna, parents of Lata, seized with a dilemma, hurriedly arrive home and encounter the waiting Viswas. The play is build around the life of a bharatnatyam exponent Jairaj Parekh and his wife Ratna. The horizons of fame achieved during their prime reflects as they dream of their daughter Lata achieving excellence in the realm of dancing. However, the ideology of his father Amrit Lal Parekh, hypocrite patriot and freedom fighter, is at a diametric variance. He manages to sabotage the impending obsession of Jairaj. The ideological conflicts between the generations and the bearing of unhealthy husband-wife relationship are convincingly brought alive by enthusiastic actors with a perfect blend of comedy and intrigue as well as
the latent stream of pathos tragedy and frustration. Leading starcast Vikram Singh Thakur (Jairaj) and Ravinder Singh Thakur (Amrit Lal) have excelled while Gundeepika Pahwa (Ratna), Nikita Sharma (Lata), Karamjit Khosa (Vishwas) too contributed to the success of the play which will be again staged on
January 25 and 26 at venue. OC
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Cops at Sukhna help persons with suicidal tendencies
Despaired, dejected and downcast if you are and thinking of visiting the Sukhna Lake to ‘overcome’ problems, you may have an uninvited counsel in Khaki whose eyes will be scanning you every inch, an unwelcome but helpful intruder into your loneliness in the form of a policeman.
This situation has developed as the Sukhna Lake, a symbol of beauty and tranquility, has also come to be known as a suicide spot. Messages of a woman or a man or a boy or a girl of distinct features and clothes are common at the lake police post. A ring to the police post sets policemen behind somebody who may have left home and not returned within reasonable
time.
Sources said every week the police post staff persuaded a person not to take the extreme step. Every fortnight, they get a call looking for a person who has been missing from home. The police staff has become alert in reading feelings of people. They are sometimes rebuffed by young persons for staring in their eyes. They observe suspicious persons closely to anticipate if a person could be a potential suicide victim. This month alone, the policemen deployed at the Sukhna police post have caught three persons who were downcast and were at some risk. A member of the patroling staff saw a young woman sitting alone next to the police post, near the lake. The policeman approached her but she yelled at him. The policeman kept his cool and engaged her in conversation softly. As soon as she started talking, she started crying. The policeman asked her why she was feeling so dejected. The woman revealed that she was from Ludhiana and her divorce case was at a decisive stage. Separation from her husband was hurting her. The policeman takes the woman’s phone number and address and calls up members of her family asking them to reach the lake. She is not left alone and entrusted to the care of her family members. The policeman said they did not leave such persons alone to prevent them from taking the extreme step. The sources said a millionaire middle-aged woman of the city had left home, agitated and dejected. Her son immediately informed the police. The vehicle number was given. The lake police staff went to the parking lot and traced the vehicle and the woman also. A policeman approached her to engage her in a conversation apparently to buy time and dissuade her from any self-destructive action. But the policeman was rebuffed for “sneaking into the personal life of a person”. He kept his cool thinking that if only he could buy some time, he would be able to save a life as, according to experts, the decision to commit suicide is momentary only. The policemen say they generally avoid disturbing young couples, but if one of them is either crying or looks down, they have to intervene. Last year alone, the staff saved five lives by jumping into the lake after persons wanting to commit suicide but around six persons still committed suicide. An average of three or four persons commit suicide in the lake every year. The police staff say that their job becomes tough after results of students are declared as they have to guard the place round the clock. Most of the suicides take place between 1 pm and 3 pm. Those who know swimming are put on duty during this period.
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Cold wave forces people indoors
As the mercury dipped to 5.6 degrees celsius in the city today, even the heavy discount sales in city markets were not attractive enough for city residents to brave the cold and shop. And it was not just the market places that wore a deserted look.
Attendance in offices was poor and those who reached the offices had little work to do as many people put off their works for a sunnier day. Office staff spent the day ordering endless cups of steaming tea and warming themselves in front of heaters and blowers. “There is nothing to do. No public to deal with today. So we have been discussing politics in the cosy canteen,” said an employee of the Punjab Secretariat. Schoolchildren had little option but to brave the cold sitting on their wooden benches and attending classes through the morning. Even the PT and morning assembly was spent shivering in inadequately warm school uniforms. “Schoolchildren are the worst affected. With only a thin sweater as part of the uniform, my son has come back home with his hands and feet totally cold,” said Kanwalpreet, a resident of Sector 18. For the university students, however, the colder it is, the better it is. Most of the hostellers have been avoiding taking baths, “Drycleaning is the ritual of the day. The trick is to shower lots of powder and douse loads of perfume for a fragrant bluff,” explained Ruhita, who is staying in Mata Gujri Hall hostel on the Panjab University campus. But then there is nothing that the Student Centre in the university cannot take care of. “There is enough action there to warm up your heart,”said another student. Those commuting on two-wheelers, however, had a miserable day. “Gloves and wind breakers have failed, the cold bites through these. I have been driving with one hand behind my back. It’s not just cold, it is dangerous too,” said Romi, a resident of Sector 64 who drives to his office in Sector 29 every day. But for the poor in the city there was no respite from the cold. Rickshaw pullers, slum dwellers, labourers waiting for jobs at the roundabouts shivered through the day in their meagre woolens. For the women and children living in slum these colonies the day was spent in collecting dry leaves and wood from the roadsides and parks to be used for lighting a fire in the night when the temperature is likely to drop further. According to the figures made available by the metrological department, the maximum temperature during the day was 14.6 and the minimum was 5.4 degrees celsius, marginally higher than yesterday, when the maximum temperature recorded was 13.8 degrees and the minimum was 4.6 degrees celsius.
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