The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

EDUCATION

Talent hunt contest at Ramgarhia college
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, August 20
Ramgarhia Girls College, Miller Ganj, organised a talent hunt competition and Miss Fresher contest here today. Various other competitions like dance, skits, histrionics, choreography and giddha were also organised. Ms Rajinder Kaur wife of Mr Ranjodh Singh, President Ramgarhia Educational Council, presided over the function.

Ms Harmit Kaur, Principal of the college, delivered the welcome speech after lighting of traditional lamp.

Ms Rajinder Kaur laid stress on the all round development of the students and said such co-curricular activities helped in personality building.

Ms Himani Arora of BCA 1 was declared Ms Fresher. Aarti (BA I) won the first runners up title while Manjot Kaur (BA I) was the second runners up.

NASA to consider lad’s moon plan
Our Correspondent

Mandi Ahmedgarh, August 20
A local lad and a student of Saint John’s Senior Secondary School, Chandigarh, is among those proud budding scientists of the world whose proposals would be considered by the US space agency, NASA, for establishing a settlement of more than 15000 inhabitants on Moon.

Mr Myank Ojha, grandson of municipal council employee, Rambhuwan and son of Mr Anand Ojha, an engineer, is among 12 students of his school who have recently returned from NASA where they had projected their respective fields.

After attending the Asian Regional Space Camp in December, 2003, the team of 12 members received a request for submitting their proposal for the first space settlement on the moon. The contest had been organised by the foundation society of USA.

They were assigned Request for Proposal (RFP) with an assumption that they were future contractors applying for a contract to build a settlement on the moon.

“My job was to provide a structural design for the habitation of 15,000 persons. I prepared three dimensional models for the domes keeping in view the environment and climate that would be present at that time,” elaborated Mr Myank. His team was given a time of three days to complete the proposal.

According to his proposal, lunar concrete would be used for providing the foundations and other components. Lunar glass would be provided to protect the exposed parts from the harmful radiations.

A research lab was also proposed to carry on research on diminished gravity.

“However we are not going to bask under the glory of victory, which we have earned through our arduous work. We know much is to be done yet,” said Mr Myank when asked about future proposal.

Besides their team, four teams from USA and one each from Romania and Australia participated in the camp.

Contests mark anniversary celebrations
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, August 20
The birth anniversary of late Rajiv Gandhi was celebrated as Akshay Urja Diwas today. A district- level declamation, painting and modelling competitions for students were organised on the occasion.

A rally comprising 1500 students from various schools of the district was taken out from Guru Nanak Bhawan.

Mr Prayank Bharti, ADC (D), flagged off the rally and presided over the prize distribution function. He stressed upon the need for the maximum use of solar, wind and other natural sources. While a cash prize of Rs 2,500 was given to those who won the first prize Cash prizes worth, Rs 1500 and Rs 100 were given to winners of second and third prize respectively.

From Schools
Alpine school to hold aero-modelling show
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, August 20
Alpine International Senior Secondary School here will organise an aero-modelling show tomorrow from 9.30 am to 12.30 p.m. It will be presented by Mr Bhupinder Bhardwaj from the UK and Capt S.P. Singh from Patiala, who are running the Global Space Aviation Club at Pinjore. India’s first youngest trainee pilot, Sunny Grewal of Alpine school, has cleared his course, and his name has been entered into the Limca Book of Records.

The school encourages students to join the aviation club and get a GPL (Glider Pilot Licence) before they complete their school education.

Rajiv’s vision

The members of Organisation of Terrorist-Affected celebrated the 61st birthday of the late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi at Deaf and Dumb School, Sarabha Nagar, here today. Mr Krishan Kumar Bawa, Chairman Housefed, Punjab was the chief guest. He said it was Rajiv Gandhi’s vision that had brought IT revolution in the country. He said panchayats should get more powers.

Poetry competition

The local Guru Nanak Public School organised an inter-house ‘Hasyaras Kavita’ competition in Hindi and Punjabi for Classes IX and X. Sixteen students participated in the competition. Dilpreet Kaur of Class X-E stood first in Punjabi while Napriya Kaur of Class IX-D stood first in Hindi. The judges were: Mrs Radha Shukla, Mrs Kulwant Kaur Itten and Mrs Kanwaljit Pandher.

Teachers’ training

Prof Baldev Singh, lecturer in English, District Institute of Education & Training (DIET) Jagraon, visited and monitored the Education for All (EFA) Teacher Training Programmes at government senior secondary schools of Sidhwan Bet and Kundanpuri, Ludhiana. Expressing his satisfaction Prof Baldev Singh said the programmes were being held under the guidelines of the SSA office and the State Council for Education Research and Training, Punjab.

Van Mahotsava

Van Mahotsava was celebrated by the Bharat Jan Gyan Jatha at Government Senior Secondary School, Maloudh, here yesterday. In his keynote address, Dr Jasvinder Singh, member of the jatha, said due to rise in temperatures, levels of oceans had risen simulaneously which could pose a threat to flora and fauna. He said developed countries were the biggest pollutants on the globe. Now they had started polluting space too.

CULTURE

Gandhi’s struggle staged
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, August 20
The Prime Time Theatre of Lillete Dubey presented the life and times of Gandhi in its play titled “Sammy”. The main role of Mohan Dass is played by Joy Sengupta, who is pricked by his conscience. “Sammy” is a continuous struggle going on between his being and his inner self. The Ludhiana Sanskritik Sammagam hosted the show at the Nanak Bhawan here last night.

As the play progresses the Mahatma tends to overtake Mohan Dass. Like it is difficult to make out when a boy becomes a man, it is not easy to make out when the Mahatma takes over Mohan Dass, but what can be fathomed is that the Mahatma certainly does overtake Mohan Dass and we get Mahatma Gandhi. The role of Mahatma, just the personification of the inner self of Mohan Dass is played by Ravi Dubey.

Written by Partap Sharma, “Sammy” has been directed by Lillete Dubey. The name has been adopted from the African corruption of the word “Swamy”. The play predominantly set in South Africa where the whites would derisively call the Indians “Sammy Rammy”.

Vikrant Chaturvedi, who plays Jinnah and Godse; Neha Dubey Kasturba, gave a nice performance.

The play, imbued with oneliners of Gandhi would have shaped better if due attention had been paid to characters like Sarojini Naidu and Nehru.