The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Chandigarh Stories

EDUCATION

Govt to hike NIPER budget
Tribune News Service

Mohali, September 2
Ms Satwant Reddy, Secretary, Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals, Government of India, today stated that the government would enhance the budget of the National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER) here.

Ms Reddy was talking to mediapersons after inaugurating the new building of pharmaceutical management at NIPER this evening. Ms Reddy added that there were certain pressing needs that had been put forward by NIPER which would require finances. These included technology advancement, reorganisation of the institute and also the setting up of a model manufacturing practices unit at NIPER for training purposes.

She added that in order to encourage research and development in pharmacy, her department had proposed that the income tax exemption given to such units be extended beyond 2007 for another three years.

When asked about the Drug Price Control Order (DPCO), Ms Reddy said the task force created for the purpose would be submitting its report within a week. “The focus is to create balance between the availability of affordable drugs for the masses and to ensure that the pharmaceutical industry is not harmed in any way. A final decision would be taken only next week,” she added.

Earlier, Prof P. Rama Rao, Director, NIPER, in his welcome address outlined the achievements of the institute in the past one decade and asked the students to come up to the expectations of the industry and the institute.

In her inaugural address, Ms Reddy commended the role of NIPER as a nodal institute for imparting pharmaceutical education in the country and its readiness to deal with the future requirements of the industry as well as the nation by starting new courses particularly pharmaceutical management. She was impressed by the facilities available in the new building of the Department of Pharmaceutical Management.

Ms Reddy lauded the role of the Department of Pharmaceutical Management for the efforts made in a short span of three years. She was optimistic that with the new building and state-of the art facilities, the department would be in a position to guide fulfill the need of the pharma industry by producing quality manpower.

Dr K. K. Bhutani, Dean, NIPER proposed the vote of thanks.

NIPER to hold course on biopharmaceuticals
Tribune News Service

Mohali, September 2
The National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER) here will organise a three-week intensive course on “development, scale up and production of biopharmaceuticals” from September 5 to September 23. This course has been sponsored by the Ministry of External Affairs. This is the seventh course being organised, at NIPER, under this scheme.

The quality of pharmaceutical products is paramount for their clinical efficacy and success in the market place. The regulatory system of each country accords the top priority to the quality of pharmaceutical products. Biopharma-ceuticals are fast becoming the therapeutic agents of future. Biopharmaceutical industry makes use of living organisms to develop and provide products for human therapeutics and diagnostics. This is in sharp contrast to the conventional pharmaceutical activities that make use of chemical compounds to develop drugs.

Effective quality audit requires that the production and regulatory staff get updated with the latest information in the area of analytical techniques used for the quality control of drugs and pharmaceuticals. The special nature of biopharmaceuticals requires dedicated efforts for their development, scale up, production and quality control. The primary objective of this course is to provide an update on theoretical and practical aspects of the key issues related to the “quality” of biopharmaceuticals.

The course consists of five modules on basics of biopharmaceuticals, analytical techniques for characterisation of biopharmaceuticals, processing and scale up of biopharmaceuticals, manufacturing of biopharmaceuticals and marketing of biopharmaceuticals.

Resource persons from the pharmaceutical industry, academia and regulatory agencies will be participating in the deliberations. More than 20 participants from countries like Nigeria, Guyana, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Cuba, Costa Rica, Uzbekistan, etc. have confirmed their participation in the workshop. About five delegates from the Indian pharmaceutical industry and academic institutions are also likely to participate.

The workshop is to be inaugurated on September 5, by Dr K K Tripathi, Adviser, Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India.

Art brings South Asian children together
Nirupama Dutt
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 2
A very interesting mobile exhibition is moving through the schools of Panchkula and Chandigarh on the theme of ‘Road Safety and Health’. Its speciality is that it comprises paintings by schoolchildren of seven countries of South Asia.

As many as 7,260 works were received from Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, the Maldives and India. Of these, 100 award-winning works have been mounted for this show. Well-known Gurgaon-based artist Roop Chand has undertaken this unique project, linking schoolchildren of South Asian countries on socially relevant issues.

Roop Chand, here with this exhibition, says: “ For the past many years I have been working on this project, sponsored by the SNS Foundation. In the nineties we took up the theme of the girlchild and the response from participating countries was enormous. “Our project from 2005-2007 is linking and educating students on road safety.”

The exhibition has been organised here by the foundation in collaboration with Rotary Panchkula. Dr J.K. Kakkar, president, Rotary Panchkula, says: “We have involved the traffic police departments of Chandigarh and Panchkula in the exhibition.”

The exhibition displayed at Satluj Public School in Panchkula now moves to Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan and Hans Raj School in Panchkula. From there it will be taken to Sacred Heart Convent in Chandigarh in the first phase. The exhibition has already moved through the schools of Delhi, Gurgaon and Jaipur. It will also be taken to Mumbai, Bangalore and Chennai.

Besides, the SNS Foundation is conducting quiz competitions in schools to raise awareness on the issue. Roop Chand says: “It is interesting to note that while the theme is the same, yet children of different countries have painted images particular to their respective cultures. Such an effort plays the dual role of raising awareness among the young on particular issues and bringing them closer.”

NIIFT students showcase creations
Our Correspondent

Mohali, September 2
Creations of the passing out students of the Fashion Design and Clothing Technology course were presented at a show held on the premises of the girls hostel of the Northern India Institute of Fashion Technology (NIIFT) here this evening.

The students presented a thematic collection, which was prepared after drawing inspiration from various sources.

While Rashmi and Bhupinder presented a collection named “Virsa” for which costumes were designed using phulkari, Niharika came out with a creation “Peace” using the colours white and blue. Niharika’s costumes could be worn by college-going girls.

The theme chosen by Kirandeep for her creations was “Beauty and Love” and the costumes were embellished with roses. Maninder and Gurpreet worked on the theme “Lilac time” and presented garments in pure chiffon with aari work using motif of flower.

The entire presentation was prepared in house and models who presented the creative garments were Niiftians.

Mr Rana K.P. Singh, Parliamentary Secretary, Industry and Commerce, Punjab distributed certificates to the passing out students.

Nayagaon rape case: Mohinder remanded
Tribune News Service

Mohali, September 2
A local court today remanded one of the accused in the infamous Nayagaon rape case in two-day police custody. The accused, Mohinder Singh, alias Tunda, will now be presented before the court of the Sub-Divisional Magistrate on September 4.

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Punjab police, probing into the rape of a minor girl at Nayagaon three years ago, had arrested Mohinder Singh, one of the four persons still wanted in the case, yesterday. Mohinder Singh is the brother of Ramkesh, alias Kesha alias Panch, one of the five prime accused in the case, who was arrested by the SIT on Wednesday.

Among those who are still wanted in the case include Gurdhian Singh and Labh Singh, both brothers of Kesar Singh, and Gurbachan Singh, brother of Gurbagh Singh.

Japanese students bring alive conflicting attitudes
S.D. Sharma

The city audience was treated to a distinctive theatrical presentation at Tagore Theatre today as the intrusive student artistes of foreign studies from Osaka University and Tokyo University brought alive the conflicting attitudes and acrimonious verbal debates of an Indian family in a Hindi play “Ek Raag Do Swar” and about the catastrophic genocide in Urdu play “Hiroshima Ki Kahani”. The troupe is in the city on the invitation of the Pracheen Kala Kendra, which will repeat the performance at the kendra’s Mohali complex tomorrow.

Deeply fascinated by the felicity and elegance of Urdu and Hindi languages director Tomio Mizokamy structured the play “Ek Raag...” for the Indian audience to enjoy and marvel at the presentation.

The crisp comedy created by noted playwright Rajendra Kumar Sharma brought to focus many diverse issues such as traditional and modern living, parity for women, and bliss of peace and harmony in a family. It was indeed a brave effort by artistes of foreign origin to have delved deep into the Indian cultural ethos. The students of the Osaka University of Foreign Studies (OUFS) with scintillating performance kept the audience in good humour with biting comments on issues arising out of daily life chores between Surendra and his wife Sarla.

Both kept up their pragmatic egoism with Surendra displaying male chauvinism and Sarla stalling his moves emphatically.

The artistes put up a brilliant attempt to enthrall the audience with articulated dialogues. The conceptual grasp, acting spells with eloquent stage movements of artistes made the socio-psychological play a memorable event.

Yoshio Inoue (Surendra), Naoko Shibata (Sarla), Nozomi Yoshida (Malti), Kazumi Yura (Mausi), Kana Kodo (Radha), Tomomi Matsui (Pinki-daughter), and Midori Matsuzawa excelled in respective roles.

The second drama of the evening was “Hiroshima Ki Kahani” written by Nakazawa Keiji, a student of the Tokyo University of Foreign Studies (TUFS), was based on a cartoon novel “Hadashi No Gen” (Barefoot Gen). The play unfolds the gravest chapter from the annals of history through the life of protagonist Gen. The play filled ambience with sentimental child Gen having survived the atom bomb attack on Hiroshima. The recount of the holocaust, as brought alive on stage through the play, cast a gloom making many eyes moist. Ishik Yumiko, Masui Akiko, Hashimoto, K. Yumi, Sakai Rinko, Shimakoo, Marua Shino, Masuda, Machida, Seji, Taniwaki, Ichirou, H. Yukiko, formed the cast.

The kendra honoured the directors Prof Tomio Mizokami and Prof Asada Yukta with shawls and mementos. Dr A.R. Kidwai, Governor, Harayna, honoured the visiting luminaries.

Celebrity couples’ dance show on anvil

Shilpa and Apurva Agnihotri participate in the new show to be launched by STAR One in October.

The one thing these 10 couples have in common is that they do not dance for a living unlike their filmy counterparts! But, they plan to, for a new show to be launched by STAR ONE, the entertainment channel from STAR TV.

Making a debut on October 11, ‘Nach Baliye’ promises to be an interesting showcase of 10 celebrity couples, who are television’s biggest and brightest stars. Television star and participant, Mansi Joshi Roy, is clear on what she is doing on the show. “I do not know how to dance but I am willing to make a fool of myself on national television!”

Names like Parmeet Sethi and Archana Puran Singh, Rohit Roy and Mansi Joshi Roy, Shakti Anand and Sai Deodhar Anand, Apurva and Shilpa Agnihotri, Rajiv and Delnaaz Paul, amongst others are being bandied about and the show is all about seeing these actors in ‘real-life’.

In a press conference organised via video-conferencing at Reliance Web Worlds across the country, the actors sitting in Mumbai gave their ‘takes’ on the new show. “You will meet our families, our friends through this show. We are as normal as the couples living next door to you in your town. That is the reality aspect of this show,” said Rohit Roy.

But, will star power provide something sensational for the viewers? The question is swished away by Archana Puran Singh, “It is not the show that will be sensational but the response to it.” And for real life love between the couples, some of whom have got married recently, (the wives came sporting chooras!), Archana Puran Singh says the show has to been seen to determine the love angle!

“Nach Baliye” will be unleashed on the viewers as a mid-week bonanza, airing at 9 p.m. every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday for 10 weeks. The episodes on Tuesdays and Wednesdays will capture the reality aspects of this dance competition while the episode on Thursdays will showcase actual performances by the celebrity couples after which viewers can send their votes which are added to determine the scores for each couple. The couple with the lowest ranking will be eliminated from the competition.

Actor Rajiv Paul hopes to be winner with his wife Delnaaz Paul as do the others! But his mantra for winners and losers makes perfect sense. “We do not know if the winning couple will be chosen because they dance well or because they are liked for their roles in the soaps currently on air. Whatever the reason, it is bound to be fun for the viewer and for us.”

According to the Ajay Vidyasagar, Head of Marketing for STAR, this program is STAR’s most ambitious project after Kaun Banega Crorepati. Will this hit the jackpot too, one does not know, but it sure seems to sets the tone for fun times to roll! — TNS