Chandigarh, April 20
The increasing drug resistance to tuberculosis(TB) is emerging as the biggest bottleneck in the disease management in the country. Delivering the Dr S K Malik memorial oration at the PGI here today, the Director-General of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), New Delhi Prof N K Ganguly said that a virulent kind of bacteria caused TB among the urban populations, especially the north Indians, which, if not managed, could pose a big problem.

Citing some studies in Kanpur, Professor Ganguly said that it was observed that those who were administered with the leprosy vaccine did not develop resistance to TB.

He said that the results could lead to finding a solution to reducing resistance to existing drugs for TB.

“Though less than 2 per cent of the affected people have developed drug resistance in TB but this proportion can go up if the we do not monitor the disease well in the country and do not make effective policies,’’ said Professor Ganguly.

Stressing on the need for more vaccine trials for TB, Professor Ganguly said that at present Phase II trials on animals were going on to reduce the time taken for treatment of TB to three months. Another trial was going on to reduce the amount of drug requirements for the treatment, he added.

“Studies have also shown that those who smoke have a one-third chance of getting TB more than others. Those exposed to indoor pollution, too, are more prone,’’ he said.

Presenting a grave scenario for the disease in the country, Professor Ganguly said that India had a global burden of housing one third of the TB cases in the world. The persons in the productive age group of 25-35 years are most affected. “Also TB kills more women each year though more males are affected by the disease,’’ he added.

Commenting on the stem cell research, Professor Ganguly said that things were not so simple as they appeared and stem cell would take a lot of time and research to become a reality. 

Chandigarh, April 20
Reliance Energy squad stunned Gujarat State Electricity Board (3-0) in a well contested match played on the opening day of the 31st All-India Electricity Sports Control Board Table Tennis Tournament at Table Tennis Hall, Sector 23, here today.

The four-day tournament is being organised by the Bhakra Beas Management Board. It was inaugurated by Er. Balbir Singh. Fifteen electricity board teams from different parts of the country are participating in it.

Mr Jagbans Singh, president of BBMB Central Sports Committee, gave the welcome address.

Results:

(a) Reliance Energy bt Gujarat State Electricity Board 3-0;

Rajesh Sharma bt C.G. Kantharia 10-12, 11-8, 11-7, 11-7;

Nilesh bt A.M. Rathod 11-6, 11-7, 11-1;

Er Saurvad bt JS Bhatt 11-9, 12-14, 11-9, 14-12.

(b) Karnataka Power Corporation Ltd bt UP Power Sector 3-0;

Ganesh bt A Surinder 11-2, 11-9, 11-9;

Balanchandra bt J. Rajinder 11-4, 11-6, 11-4;

Alam bt M Vijay Kumar 11-8, 11-5, 11-7.

(c) UP Power Sector bt Chhattisgarh State Electricity Board 3-0;

Rahul Dutt bt Rajnish Oberoi 11-7, 12-10, 11-8;

Sanjeev Kapoor bt Gajendra 11-3, 11-5, 11-9;

Sujit bt P.V. Raman 11-4, 11-1, 11-6.

(d) Haryana Power Sports Group bt Kerala State Electricity Board 3-0;

Vivek Lakhanpal bt Venkatesh M.S. 11-4,11-7, 11-2;

Sunil Ahuja bt Walter 11-7, 12-10, 11-6;

Nalin Somani bt Lingeshan 11-3, 11-5, 11-4.

(e) BBMB lost to MP State Electricity Board 1-3;

Sushil Garg bt Hitesh Parmal 6-11, 8-11, 11-9, 11-7;

Sandeep lost to Pankaj 10-12, 12-10, 6-11, 2-11;

Naresh lost to Shriram 12-14, 11-5, 7-11, 8-11;

Sushil Garg lost to Pankaj 4-11, 7-11, 5-11.

(f) Maharashtra State Electricity Board bt AP Genco 3-0;

N. Vasudev bt S.K. Sonder 11-2, 0-11, 2-11;

AS Abhyankar bt S. Ramesh 11-7, 12-10, 7-11, 11-6;

Ravi Shirole bt Jagdish 13-11, 11-6, 11-4.

Chandigarh, April 20
In the doubles final match under-14 Fathey and Arjun hammered Ashwani and Akshit in straight sets 6-4, 6-3 in the third leg of AITA Talent Series Tennis Tournament being held at CLTA tennis stadium, Sector 10, here today.

In the girls’ singles under-14 category Mehak outplayed Navjot 6-3, 0-6, 6-2. The tournament is being organised by Yadvindra Public School, Mohali.

Mohali, April 20
The local Municipal Council has invited applications for the recruitment of clerks on daily wages for carrying out a house-to-house survey in connection with delimitation of wards.

The Department of Local Government, Punjab, has directed the council to recruit 28 clerks on daily wages or contractual basis at DC rates for a period of one month to carry out a survey of the population. Elections to the council are due during the current year. The term of the present team of councillors expires in the last week of November.

However, no meeting of the delimitation board, which had been constituted by the Punjab Governor in February for the purpose of delimitation of municipal wards, had been held so far. The Governor had constituted a 12-member board which included five councillors, apart from the council president. The SDM had been made the Chairman of the delimitation board.

The Chairman had called a meeting in his office on March 4 which was immediately cancelled as the SDM was asked by the Ropar Deputy Commissioner to attend meetings in connection with the Indo-Pak test match that was held in the town on March 8.

Chandigarh, April 20
A person may clear an academic examination by just securing less than half the marks but for a driving licence you may have to raise your level of knowledge about road safety to earn the “privilege” of hitting the road.

The situation has emerged after the Chandigarh traffic police introduced a written and oral examination about road safety for issuing a driving licence. Today was the first day of the written and oral test but the authorities had to lower the bar as none of the participants could clear the test by securing 20 out of 25 marks. Considering the situation, the authorities, by the evening had to reduce the pass percentage from 80 to 60 per cent.

This is also the first such exercise in the country where examination is taken by showing the traffic signs on a big screen. This is also as per the Motor Vehicle Act and may provide inspiration to other traffic authorities to emulate in the country, the SP, Traffic, Mr Amitabh Singh Dhillon, said here today.

Mr Dhillon told Chandigarh Tribune that the illiterate persons would not face any problem as they would be provided writers to answer the questions posed to them. The questions are not written ones. An examinee is shown road signs on a big screen at Children Traffic Park and asked questions. The written answer expected is either yes or no, he said. “A person who gives 15 correct answers out of 25 is eligible to get a licence. The philosophy behind the exercise is that if one knows 60 per cent and understands that this knowledge ensures safety, he will automatically go up to a higher level of information about road safety,” he said.

The introduction of written or oral examination follows the Chandigarh police already having introduced an online preparation kit on the Chandigarh traffic police website. Mr Dhillon said the website is so that a person picks up 30 questions and answers them. The website immediately provides him the result. He said a driving test examinee can prepare himself with the help of the website as the questions asked in the test will almost be the same.

The preparation can also be done by a booklet brought out by the Chandigarh police about traffic rules and road signs. There is also a facility of training at the traffic park where a person can prepare himself for the test with a touch screen computer.