EDUCATION

Sweet start to student council
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 8
Having recently won the Punjab University Student Council elections the Panjab University Student Union, claims to be the party with the maximum supporters in the university. However, at today’s swearing-in ceremony of the council held at the Mathematics Department in PU, except for four or five supporters nobody was visible.

The ceremony started with Dr Meenakshi Malhotra, Dean Student Welfare. (Woman), administering oath to each of the council members, next in line were the executive members and then the department representatives. Amandeep Singh from the Department of Laws took the oath as the president of the council. Avneet Kaur from the Department of Psychology took the oath for the post of vice-president, Abhishek Puri from the Department of Chemistry took the oath as the general secretary and Guriqbal Singh from the Department of the UIET took the oath for the post of joint-secretary.

When Amandeep Singh, president of the student council, took the stage to address the students, everybody left. He however, continued. He also said that their would be a meeting of the DR’s twice a month.

Soon after the ceremony the Vice-Chancellor went to the student centre to formally seat the council members in their office.

Tiny tots regale grandparents with rhymes

Chandigarh, September 8
Pre-Nursery children of the local Delhi Public School, Sector 40, expressed their gratitude and respect to their grandparents on the occasion of the Grandparents Day.

The young learners invited their grandparents to the school to witness a function. They pledged to uphold the dignity of the relation. Tiny-tots, dressed up in vibrant colours, danced and sang. They expressed their happiness as they interacted with their grandparents. The school echoed with the tune of “Happy Grandparents’ Day to you”, “Grandpa darling, granny darling” and other rhymes which touched the hearts of many.

Grandparents recited interesting songs and narrated meaningful stories to the young ones. — OC

Vidyalaya opened for labourers
Tribune News Service

Panchkula, September 8
Jeevan Mukt Nishulk Vidyalaya today embarked upon a unique project to celebrate Literacy Day, by opening a branch of their free school at Labour Chowk and enrolling labourers as students.

A group of students of Jeevan Mukt Nishulk Vidyalaya, led by Mr Mansa Ram Ahuja and Mr O.P. Seth, went to the Labour Chowk in the morning. They talked to labourers and emphasised on the need for literacy. They said that an open school would be run at Labour Chowk and those willing to gain knowledge could enrol themselves in it.

As many as 35 daily wagers today took basic lessons from students of the Vidyalaya. They promised to join the classes, on the days when they were not hired for work. “Three young children, who accompanied their parents to work as labourers, too, enrolled themselves in the school which would run from 9. 30 am to 11.30 am daily,” informed Mr Ahuja.

He said teachers would be hired for this school by tomorrow, and the lessons would begin from Saturday onwards.

This is the 13th school opened by Jeevan Mukt Nishulk Vidyalaya in the township today. This NGO has been running open schools for children of the lower socio- economic strata. Most of the children being taught in open schools run by this NGO are beggars, or rag pickers.

COURTS

High Court
PIL against school Principal dismissed
Our High Court Correspondent

Chandigarh, September 8
The Punjab and Haryana High Court today dismissed with costs the PIL seeking action against the Principal of Guru Gobind Singh Senior Secondary School, Sector 35, for his alleged involvement in sexual harassment of two schoolteachers.

The PIL was filed by World Human Rights Protection Council through its president Ranjan Lakhanpal.

In the petition, the Council had prayed for directions to the UT Administration, DPI (Schools), Education Secretary, and manager of the school. It said the Principal should be either removed or placed under suspension or sent on a long leave until the pendency of two FIRs against him for allegedly sexual harassing the teachers.

However, the Division Bench of Chief Justice Mr Justice D.K. Jain and Mr Justice Hemant Gupta dismissed the PIL and imposed costs of Rs 10,000 on the petitioner.

Consumer courts to have Lok Adalats, too
Yoginder Gupta
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 8
For those who have been complaining about delays in consumer courts, which are otherwise supposed to dispose of cases speedily, here is good news.

The National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission has directed the District Consumer Courts to hold Lok Adalats to promote the amicable settlement of disputes. The national commission, according to informed sources, has issued these directions in view of the heavy pendency of cases in consumer courts.

The sources say the decision to hold Lok Adalats in the consumer courts was taken at a meeting of the presidents of the state commissions with the national commission held in Delhi on August 17. Now the state commissions have been asked by the national commission to ensure that the mechanism of Lok Adalats is put in place in the consumer courts.

The Chandigarh Consumer Courts will be the first to implement this directive. The two District Forums of the Union Territory of Chandigarh will organise Lok Adalats tomorrow in accordance with the advice of the national commission, which had desired that such adalats should be held on the last working day of each week.

Welcoming the move, the president of the Consumer Courts Bar Association, Mr Pankaj Chandgothia, said the Lok Adalats would help speed up the disposal of cases. He said the disposal of cases through amicable settlement before the Lok Adalat would also avoid the filing of appeals and revision petitions before the higher courts and thus would avoid prolonged litigation, which would bring relief to the consumers.

In addition to the president and members of the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum, a public man will also be associated with the proceedings of the Lok Adalat. Mr H.S. Ahluwalia and Mr H.S. Walia, general secretary and legal Adviser of the Consumers Forum, (an NGO), respectively, will be associated with the proceedings of the Lok Adalat tomorrow. 

Judicial remand for Nayagaon case accused
Tribune News Service

Kharar, September 8
A local court today remanded Gurbachan Singh, an accused in the Nayagaon rape case, in judicial custody till September 13.

Gurbachan Singh, Vice-Chairman of the Kharar Panchayat Samiti, was arrested by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Punjab police investigating the case. He was produced before the court today following the end of his police remand.

Woman commits suicide

A 30-year-old woman travelling from Jalandhar in a bus allegedly committed suicide by consuming poison at Mundi Kharar here this evening.

According to the police, the victim, Bubly, resident of Jandiala village in Jalandhar, had got off the bus at Mundi Kharar and started shouting for help. She told onlookers that she had consumed poison and would die if she was not rushed to hospital. An ambulance was called and she was taken to the Kharar Civil Hospital where she was declared brought dead.

The DSP Kharar, Mr Raj Bachan Singh Sandhu, said the woman had boarded the bus village Jandiala and got off here. “A diary was found from her purse which had the number of a doctor in Jandiala. We contacted the doctor who told us about the victim. He said she was undergoing some treatment there. The doctor also said that she was living with a driver by the name of Chhinda there,”he said.

The police has shifted her body to the Kharar Civil Hospital and is trying to find out more about her reasons for committing suicide.

Illegal colony

The Kharar police today arrested one person on the charge of developing an illegal colony in Kharar. The accused, Pritpal Singh, was booked following a recommendation by the Additional Chief Administrator, Punjab Urban Planning and Development Authority (PUDA). He has been booked under various sections of the Punjab Apartment and Property Regulations Act (PAPRA). The accused allegedly developed a colony without the requisite permission from PUDA.

CULTURE

Annual theatre festival begins today
S.D. Sharma

AN exclusive theatrical treat awaits art lovers as the week-long fifth Rashtriya Natya Parv-2005 opens at the Tagore Theatre from September 9. The annual mega dramatic bonanza is jointly brought to the city beautiful by the North Central Cultural Centre, Allahabad, and the Department of Public Relations and Cultural Affairs Haryana.

The festival commences with a historical play ‘Annveshak’ structured in the 5th century rule of Gupta dynasty directed by the Satish Anand, a highly decorated thespian credited with over 60, theatre productions in Hindi, Gujrati and Bhojpuri, besides prominent roles in films ‘Hip Hip Hurrey’ and ‘Bihari Babu’. The play brings alive the censure and stiff opposition the noted scientist Arabia had to face from the orthodox sycophant ministers as based on his discovery he declared that earth is moving around sun’.

The Lucknow-based group ‘Darpan’ will stage a satirical play ‘Ek Sansdiya Samiti ki Uthak Baithak’ on September 10.Directed by Ranjit Kapur the play offers a critical analysis of the working of a democratic functioning in Parliament through a debate on a bill proposing to deploy ‘Peace forces’ in a country. The presentation promises a rib-tickling humour.

The presentation of Hindi play ‘Gaban’ by ‘Toli’ theatre group of Bhopal on 11th September will be tribute to the legendary writer Munshi Prem Chand on his 125th birth anniversary. Ms Vibha Mishra directs the social play woven around the aspirations, joys and sorrows of all segments of the pastoral society.

On 12th September the emotions and lifestyles of the young generation will be portrayed in a pulsating presentation of ‘Chhamak Chhalo’. Romesh Manchanda directs the play for Akaar Kala Manch Delhi. Based on Neil Simons’s play ‘Star Sprangled Girl’, the play is a situational comedy developed on the ideologies of idealism and realism.

Allahabad-based repertoire ‘ Samaananatr’ to reveal the complex emotional psyche of a woman through a sensitive portrayal in the play ‘Susheela’ on September 13. Directed by Anil Ranjan Bhaumik the presentation is a synthesis of strengths and weaknesses of ‘womanhood’.

‘Salim Sherwani ki Shaadi’ will be theatrically solemnised on September 14 under the aegis of Yayavar Mandal group and directorial elegance of Jitender Mittal. The play depicts the plight of those aged depressed persons marrying the younger woman in haste and repenting in leisure.

The concluding but prestigious presentation of ‘Kuamara Swami’ by the Nishtha Saanskritik Manch, Gurgaon, on September 15, bares the pragmatic egoism and unethical acts of the rival custodians of respective religious establishments for gaining supremacy. Sanjay Bhasin directs the play excavates explosive facts about heinous crimes committed under the cover of religion.

The entry will be strictly through invitations and plays will commence at 7 pm on all days.

Workshop on speech and voice modulation

Riding on the success of some of its memorable theatre and musical performances, the Chandigarh Sangeet Academy with an aim to propagate the aesthetic potential of the talented artists have formulated certain constructive plans.

The academy is organising a week-long workshop on ‘speech and voice modulation’ from September 12 to September 17. The workshop is aimed at imparting basic knowledge of vocal culture and practical demonstrations in voice modulation to refine the communicative skills for anchoring on radio television and compering the stage shows.

The academy had roped in Vijay Vashishth, an expert who had worked with announcers of Radio Ceylon Ameen Sayani and Sunil Dutt, ghazal singer Jagjit Singh, actors Amitabh Bachchan and Shashi Kapoor, Vashishtha is now a household name associated with the popular radio programme like “Chhaya Geet,” “Hello Chandigarh” and “Tribune –Aaj ka Akhbaar” sponsored by the Tribune group of newspapers.

Academy Secretary Parvesh Sethi aid only 30 candidates would be selected on the first come first serve basis. The registration of the participants will be done on September, 10 and no fee will be charged. The workshop will be conducted between 10 am to 12 pm daily at the indoor auditorium of Akademy State Library, first floor, Sector 34, Chandigarh. OC

Jagmeet stars in comedy show
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 8
Jagmeet Samundari, a former student of the Department of Mass Communications, Panjab University, is making it big on the small screen.

An upcoming artiste, Jagmeet is currently featuring in a comedy show on the SAB TV titled “Banda ye bindass hai” every Thursday at 9 p.m. Jagmeet is one of the youngest actors from the region to bag the prestigious role on the prime time on any national channel.

The show is shot with the hidden cameras where Jagmeet, along with other actors, plays pranks on people, who do not know that they are being shot with the hidden cameras.

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