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“Exemplary punishment” for erring college
PU orders MCM DAV-36 to discontinue B.Sc course 
Chandigarh, January 21
In what is being considered an "exemplary punishment" for an erring affiliated college, the Panjab University syndicate today decided not to approve the BSc course in Microbial and Food Technology being run by the MCM DAV College, Sector 36 here. The college had admitted 30 students to the first year of the three-year degree course last year without getting the course approved and affiliated by the university.

UT starts trial run of Jan Sampark centres
Chandigarh, January 21
Chandigarh Administration has started trial run of the Project Jan Sampark in the city. Adding on a number of additional facilities which are much more than merely accepting bills, the existing e- sampark centres are evolving a mechanism for an interface of the public with all departments of the administration and certain centre government agencies.

Urban Estate: farmers oppose land acquisition
Zirakpur, January 21
The proposed ultra-modern Zirakpur Urban Estate, to be developed by PUDA to give fillip to the planned development in Chandigarh's periphery, continues to face opposition from different quarters with farmers up in arms against the acquisition of their lands.

Nod to Dhanas residents on area conversion
Chandigarh, January 21
The Chandigarh Administration has allowed residents of Dhanas village to convert the area earmarked for dairy purposes to their residential use. The interested dairy farmers are required to get a permission from the Estate Officer.

Area earmarked for ‘film city’
Chandigarh, January 21
The Chandigarh Administration plans to set up a ‘film city’ in the Union Territory. The administration has earmarked an area, measuring 30 acres, for the project which may increase or decrease depending upon the final scope of the project, an official press statement said here today.

Free blood service introduced for 21 thalassaemic children

Chandigarh, January 21 Minno loved children. Today, on her 78th birth anniversary, Mo Sambhi, her "soul mate", gave her the most extravagant of gifts at the most unlikely of places. At the Rotary and Blood Bank Society Resource Centre, Sector 37, Mo dedicated a free blood service for 21 thalassaemic children in Minno's memory, giving them a new lease of life. Three-month-old Sahibjeet with his parents at a function held to launch the “Minno Sambhi Free Blood Service for Thalassaemic Children” at the Rotary and Blood Bank Society Resource Centre, Sector 37, in Chandigarh on Saturday. —Tribune photo by Pradeep Tewari

Passing Thru

COMMUNITY

Cong has not fulfilled any promise: Jain
Chandigarh, January 21
Mr Satya Pal Jain, former BJP MP and member of the National Executive of the party, demanded the Congress (I)-led UPA Govt. at the Centre to seriously look into the issue of phone tapping and also demanded that the people in the city receiving letters should not be harassed by the police. Instead, in-depth investigation should be conducted and action taken against those “sending the letters” not those “receiving it.”

MiG-29 set for upgradation Chandigarh, January 21 Two decades after they took to the skies, the versatile MiG-29 combat aircraft in the IAF service are in for a substantial upgrade, with a proposal with Russia expected to be “firmed-up” in three months. A file picture of a pair of MiG-29s on a sortie.

Dead couple identified, probe on
Chandigarh, January 21
A young couple in their twenties, who had allegedly committed suicide by jumping into the Sukhna Lake after tying their hands together with a dupatta, has been identified.

Role of historians highlighted
Chandigarh, January 21
“Historians are organisers of memories. When become creators of memories different social groups vie for controlling them. The government is usually the most successful in this regard. Then we call it censorship,” said Dr M. Rajivlochan of the Department of History, Panjab University, here yesterday.          Dr M. Rajivlochan

One time slot for 2 marriage parties!
Chandigarh, January 21
It was confusion and chaos at Khukhrain Bhavan in Sector 35 here tonight with the management allegedly booking two marriage functions for the same time on January 22.

Youth goes missing before marriage
Derabassi, January 21
Anxiety gripped the family and relatives of Jaswinder Pal Singh, a resident of Dera Jagadhari, near here, who went missing yesterday, two days before his marriage.

Lt-Col’s cremation today
Panchkula, January 21
Lieutenant-Colonel Rajeev Bakshi’s mortal remains were brought to his hometown here late this evening. The body had been airlifted to Delhi from Manipur, from where it was brought by road.

• Kalagram to be upgraded
• Servant verification today

CRIME

Case registered
Chandigarh, January 21
Even as a delegation of the North India Overseas Association, Chandigarh, is in Kuwait to check the authenticity of the news reports about the working conditions of Indian workers there, the Chandigarh Police has registered a case of cheating against the general secretary of the association, S.S. Sandhu, for duping a Ludhiana resident on the pretext of sending him to Kuwait.

BUSINESS

Indica Xeta petrol car launched
Chandigarh, January 21
Tata Motors, the largest automobile company in India, today launched Indica Xeta, a new petrol car, here today. Launching the car, Mr S. Krishnan, Head Car Group of the Tata Motors, said Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh were important markets for Tata Motors.

EDUCATION

No pick and choose please, says PU syndicate
Defers decision on awarding non-teaching staff
Chandigarh, January 21
The Panjab University Syndicate today decided to defer the decision regarding giving commendation certificates to six of its non-teaching employees on the Republic Day. These cases had come up for discussion during the syndicate meeting.

11 SAS institute students on merit list
Mohali, January 21
As many as 11 students of SAS Institute of IT and Research here have secured top positions on the PTUs merit list in recently conducted semester exams in July, 2005. Pavit Kaur, Parveen Thakur and Jeet Narula of the BCA 4th semester have secured 2nd, 8th and 9th positions while Ramanpreet Kaur and Amrinder Singh, both of BCA 2nd semester, have been placed at the 5th and 6th positions.

Declamation contest on road safety organised
Chandigarh, January 21
Government College Sector 11 organised a declamation contest on Road Safety in collaboration with the National Road Safety Council (NRSC) here today. The contest is the first of the series being initiated by the local chapter of the NRSC in the city colleges.

Tech learning week: winners honoured

Chandigarh, January 21 Vivek Atray, Director, Information Technology, UT, honoured the winners of the technology aided learning week, which concluded at St. Anne’s Convent School, Sector 32-D, here today. Winners of a competition held at St Anne’s Convent School in Sector 32, Chandigarh, on Saturday. — A Tribune photograph

ASHRA launches enrolment drive

Chandigarh, January 21 The Association of Students for Human Rights Awareness (ASHRA) held its recruitment campaign at GGDSD College, Sector 32, here to enrol new members. The association is an independent, non-political, non-government organisation comprising students and recent graduates and has been formed with a vision to generating a strong sense of involvement and commitment among the students for human rights awareness and their protection.

Students of GGDSD College, Sector 32, Chandigarh, sign up with the Association of Students for Human Rights Awareness on the college campus on Thursday.

YPS alumnus pens book on love Mohali, January 21 “Lovers in Heaven” is the first work by a young and upcoming writer, Anantdeep Handa, who just passed his Class XII from the Yadvindra Public School. He has been an outstanding student winning many acclaims in the field of drama, sports, poetry and academics. The book was released by the YPS Principal, Dr Harish Dhillon, who himself is a well-known author at the school yesterday. Anantdeep Handa (right) with his labour of love.

Teachers’ body hails CM’s statement
Chandigarh, January 21
Mr R.S. Brar and Dr Jagwant Singh, president and general secretary, respectively, of the Punjab and Chandigarh College Teachers’ Union (PCCTU), welcomed the statement made by the Punjab Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh, on Thursday to mediapersons at Thikriwala that the poll promises to the college teachers regarding salary grant, pension and gratuity scheme would be fulfilled before 31st March, 2006.

PU Prof throws light on gender bias
Chandigarh, January 21
A talk on “Gender Bias: Historical and Modern Perspectives” was delivered by Prof Belu Jain Maheshwari from the Department of History, Panjab University, at the Government College, Sector 11.

Inter-school competition held
Mohali, January 21
An inter-school competition was held at Shemrock Senior Secondary School here yesterday. As many as 105 students from 6 schools participated in the competition. The participants were divided into 4 categories according to their age groups. Different themes such as Republic Day, Water can save mankind and I love colours were given to the students. The children gave their best performance.

Shailee wins painting contest
Chandigarh, January 21
The Build India Group (BIG), engaged in social uplift, organised an inter-school painting competition at Blue Bird High School, Sector 16, Panchkula, today. As many as 149 students from various schools of Panchkula, including Moti Ram Arya School, DAV, Sector 8, DC Model School, Bhavan Vidyalaya and Hans Raj Public School participated in it.

‘JOB FEST’ gets rousing response

Chandigarh, January 21 In a bid to provide campus placements to its students and girls of other colleges, the placement cell of the MCM DAV College organised a ‘JOB FEST’ here today to provide a common platform to job seekers and job providers. Students of MCM DAV College, Sector 36, Chandigarh, in a jubilant mood after getting jobs during the ‘JOB FEST’ at the college on Saturday. — Tribune photo by Pradeep Tewari

British Council awards certificates
Chandigarh, January 21
The felicitation ceremony to award the certificates of the Cambridge University’s young learners examination, conducted by the British Council, was held at Sri Guru Harkrishan Model School, Sector 38-D.

COURTS

Car trouble: HC comes to UK national’s rescue
Chandigarh, January 21
Over two-and-a-half years after his dream journey through over 60 countries, including India, hit a bureaucratic roadblock in Punjab, British national Nasafor Ali Sheikh can now hope to re-start his journey. Now thanks to judiciary, he will be able to drive away to Bangladesh, the country of his origin, in his prized Toyota Celica car. The car had become a major source of legal troubles for him.

Appeal against order allowed
Chandigarh, January 21
The Additional District and Sessions Judge, Mr R.S. Baswana, has allowed an appeal by Mr P.C. Sanghi and others against the orders passed by the Civil Judge (Junior Division), Mr A.S. Shergill, wherein injunction against Col D.R. Nijhawan (retd) and others had been declined.

HC tells SHO to step up probe
Chandigarh, January 21
Mr Justice K.S. Garewal of the Punjab and Haryana High Court has directed the SHO, Police Station, Sector 5, Panchkula, to expeditiously conclude investigation in an FIR registered on February 20, 2005.

CAT pulls up PF officials
Chandigarh, January 21
The Central Provident Fund Commissioner adopts two sets of rules while acting against its two employees who participated in a rally outside the regional office of the Provident Fund Commissioner.

CULTURE

Malkit enthrals audience
Chandigarh, January 21
The plaza carnival was organised in collaboration with the Tribune today at Sector 17. Punjabi folk singer Meet Malkit enthralled the audience with songs like 'Botlan sharab dian akhan terian', 'Ik rab na mare', etc.

Nirmal’s album released

SPORTS

PU cagers thrash Devi Lal varsity
Chandigarh, January 21
Panjab University, Chandigarh, today thrashed Ch. Devi Lal University, Sirsa, 89-48 in a knock out match and ensured its place in the league matches on the third day of the North Zone Inter-University Basketball (men) championship under way on PU campus here.

Inter-varsity tennis
Chandigarh, January 21
Thapar Institute of Engineering and Technology, Patiala, lost to CSJM, Kanpur by 0-3 on the opening day of North East Zone Inter University Tennis (Men) Championship at Panjab University campus here today.

Softball players do city proud

Chandigarh, January 21 Men and women softball teams of the city have got second and third position, respectively, in the 27th Senior National Softball Championship for Men and Women held at Puri (Orissa) from January 10 to 15. Twentysix states participated in meet. The Chandigarh softball men’s team along with their officials in Chandigarh on Saturday.

ADMINISTRATION

Administrator hears grievances
Mohali, January 21
Residents of Phase III B 1 aired their grievances at a meeting held with the Administrator, Mr Darshan Singh Sandhu, here today. A former municipal councillor said that problem related to parking was faced by residents near the rehri market in the area.