EDUCATION

Proposal to reduce internal assessment marks
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 4
The commerce faculty of Panjab University today decided to reduce the internal assessment marks of M. Com students from 50 to 20 and has recommended that it should be implemented immediately. The decision will be put up at the Syndicate meeting later this month.

Senior faculty in the university are surprised by this decision and also by the fact that a special meeting was called only to discuss this issue. Changing the rules mid-session could lead to resentment among students.

However, the authorities claim that the meeting was called because they had been receiving complaints from students that they were not being marked fairly in internal assessments.

Panjab University VC releases books on management
Tribune News Service

The Panjab University Vice-Chancellor, Prof K.N. Pathak, releases books by Col D.S. Cheema at DAV College, Chandigarh, on Tuesday. — A Tribune photograph

Chandigarh, October 4
Two books titled “Knowledge Management Analysis, Design and Implementation” and “Managing without MBA” authored by Col D.S. Cheema, Director, Department of Professional Studies, DAV College, were released by PU Vice-Chancellor K.N. Pathak, here today.

Prof Pathak complimented the author for his intellectual endeavour and called the books remarkable.

Principal S. Marriya said Col Cheema’s efforts had brought honour to the college and highlighted the relevance of knowledge management.

Mr Vivek Atray, Director IT and Tourism, UT Administration, said it was rare to see two books by the same author being released at the same time.

Col Cheema said India deserved drives like knowledge management.

CULTURE

From carpenter to sculptor
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 4
Avtarjeet Dhanjal is well known for the eloquence of his sculptures. Born in a village where folk tales and songs formed part of the daily routine, Avtarjeet rose to find his language of expression. Based in London today, he commands tremendous respect in the arena of art.

Last seen during a lecture demonstration at Government Arts College, Sector 10, here three years ago, Avtarjeet is coming back home on the invitation of Alliance Francaise. Slated to hold a lecture on October 6 under the aegis of the French Embassy, day after at the institute in Sector 36, Avtarjeet reminds city’s art admirers of an era gone by. At the same time he has a lot of futuristic stuff to offer.

This time the topic of deliberation will be “Artist’s place in the 21st century”. The lecture forms part of the Alliance Francaise’s programmes to promote exchange of cultures through various genres like art and literature.

He was born in 1940 in a small village in Punjab, where he worked as a carpenter, blacksmith and signboard writer before joining Art School in Chandigarh. Though the school introduced him to sculptures, it didn’t linked him to the rich culture of the village where he had grew up. After the school experience in early seventies he travelled to East Africa and taught at a university in Nairobi and later came to London to attend St. Martin’s School of Art.

It was in 1978 that he went back to Punjab and looked back at the folk arts and crafts of villages. He realised the importance of the rural culture and became very concerned about the pace at which it was disappearing. This experience also initiated a process of de-learning the Western idea of sculpture and he began to develop his own.

Following this cathartic process, his new work became part of his sharing what the culturally rich village and the life after had given him. From there on, Avtarjeet put up several exhibitions and installations and participated in many works of the public commission.

That he will have a lot of light to shed on the subject of lecture is clear from his profile that boasts of reputed exhibitions in Vienna, St Petersburg, Helsinki, Finland and Geneva.

He has also participated in “The South of the World” show at Galleria Civica d’arte Contemporanea, Marsala, Sicily, and “The Other Story” at the Hayward Gallery, London. His works are in the collection of Pitshanger Manor and Art Gallery and Cartwright Hall, Bradford.

Animated ‘Hanuman’ to dazzle kids

Animation fans in India can look forward to new experiences this October with the launch of Sahara One Motion Pictures’ most awaited animation epic ‘Hanuman’.

Produced by Percept Picture Company in association with Silvertoons, ‘Hanuman’ is about the extraordinary journey of this mythical superhero — from his days as an adorable, miracle-working baby, to his ultimate triumph in the army of Lord Shri Ram. The film is set to release on October 21.

Shantonu Aditya, CEO, Sahara One, said,”Animation has always been viewed as kid stuff, but Hanuman has a complete package of songs, storyline and excellent animation that will make it engrossing, inspirational entertainment for both, kids and grown-ups alike. Hanuman will provide fans of animation a whole new entertainment experience.”

Hanuman is all set to make waves in the animation industry with its numerous pioneering features. This film has been directed by the animation guru V.G Samant. He has created over 200,000 individual images along with 40 individual characters for the film.

Hanuman has been recorded officially as India’s first indigenous animation film in the Limca Book of Records’ 2004 edition. Hanuman, unlike any other animation film, has an exceptional soundtrack composed by Tapas Relia. Leading playback singers like Shaan, Sonu Nigam, Palash Sen, Kailash Kher, Saapna Mukherjee, Madhushri and Sneha Path have sung for the film. TNS

Urdu vitality flows through mushaira

A language tends, intuitively and spontaneously, to attain significant expressions in poetic or literary forms before it becomes a medium of complex thought. So it was Urdu with all its intrinsic magnificence and vitality which formed the nucleus of deliberations at a seminar and later a bazm-e-mausiqi and mushaira.

The Haryana Deputy Chief Minister, Mr Chander Mohan, lauded the efforts of the Ehsaas Adabi Society for promoting Urdu while inaugurating the seminar at Satluj Public School in Panchkula.

Dr S.S. Bhatti, an educationist, defined Urdu as rich in diction. He traced the origin of Urdu as an Indo-Aryan language that originated in the region between Ganga and Yamuna centuries ago.

Prof G.S. Bhatia ‘Arif’ analysed the relationship between Punjabi and Urdu, drawing references from the writings of Baba Farid and the contemporary period.

Poet Muzzaffar Razmi read out a paper sent by Nazar Fatehpuri on the contribution of Urdu poets to Hindi and that of Hindi poets to Urdu which played a role in national integration.

The elegance and romance of Urdu ghazals was brought alive in the bazm-e-mausiqi held after the seminar. Dr Betty Nangia commenced the concert with Saraswati vandna. Students presented a qawwalli before Yugal Kishore Bhardwaj presented soulful ghazals penned by Irshaad Qamil and Ehsaas president B.D. Kalia Hamdam. His disciple and daughter, Manisha, too sang Punjabi folk songs. The evening, however, belonged to maestro Amritpal Singh who enthralled the audience with his repertoire of ghazals written by Qateel Shaifai, Ved Diwana, Hamdam, Romesh Saail and others.

Dr Parvez Ahmed was the chief guest while Dr Meera Gautam and Dr Gopal Munjhal presided.

The beauty of subtle emotions and thoughts resonated at the mushaira.

Noted poets included Dr S.K. Dubey, B.D. Kalia Hamdam, Nazir Fatehpuri, Mehmood Alaam, Ayaaz Jhansvi, Muzaffar Razmi, Ved Diwana, M.P. Chand, Shabab Lalit, Zeenatullah Zaved, T.N. Raz, Dil Kashmiri, GS Arif, and S.L. Dhavan.

Lt-Gen B.K.N. Chhibber (retd), former Punjab Governor, honoured the poets. OC