Civil Aviation Institute  set for makeover
Ruchika M. Khanna
Tribune News Service

Panchkula, January 23
The Haryana Institute of Civil Aviation, Pinjore, is all set for a makeover. The Directorate of Civil Aviation, Haryana, plans to buy a Cessna 172 and Hansa aircraft, and a Super Blanic glider to strengthen the civil aviation activity here.

Officials in the Directorate of Civil Aviation, Haryana, said a Cessna 172 aircraft was being bought from a US- based manufacturer for Rs 85 lakh. A Hansa aircraft was being given by the National Aeronautical Laboratory while the Super Blanic glider was being brought here from the Delhi Flying Club.

The institute has four Pushpak aircrafts, a Piper Cherokee, an Ardhara and a Super Blanic glider. Of these, two Pushpak aircraft are grounded and only one can be repaired. The Piper Cherokee and Ardhara glider are also grounded because these are yet to get the certificate of air worthiness. Officials say that the certificate is expected to be given next month.

The case for the purchase of the Cessna aircraft is pending with the Finance Department and once cleared, the money will be deposited with the company. Power flying operations at HICA, Pinjore, had remained grounded for most of the past three years after the Chief Flying Instructor retired in July 2002. Though new CFIs were appointed, they quit within a few months of joining.

The Directorate has set a target of 1,500 flying hours for power flying and 3,000 launches for hand gliding. Officials say that if they are able to meet the targets, the financial health of the institute will be better. “We hope that with 60 launches a day, on an average, and five to six flying hours a day, we will be able to meet the target,” a senior official said.

All three institutes had hit hard times as the cost of aircraft fuel (100 LL) increased several times over and people lost interest in flying. The fee for training was not increased and a situation arose where even the employees were not paid salaries for months. After almost two years, the cost for training in power flying has been revised at Rs 3,500 per hour on Piper Cherokee and Cessna, and Rs 2,800 per hour on Pushpak.

New flying academy: The Civil Aviation Department has also decided to open a new flying training academy at HICA, Pinjore. The Department says that in order to better utilise the available space, applications have been invited from those who want to run private academies from here. The private company or academy will have to submit a detailed project report and will be allowed to use the runway and other buildings available at Pinjore for three to five years.

Rockfeller fellowship
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 23
Dr Rumina Sethi, Reader, Department of English, Panjab University, has been awarded the prestigious Rockefeller Foundation Fellowship. She will be taking up the fellowship in May 2006 at the Rockefeller Centre in Italy.

Rumina Sethi studied at Cambridge where she did her doctorate at Trinity College and was then elected Fellow at Oxford. While in Oxford, she researched on Indian nationalism and her book ‘Myths of the Nation’ was published by Clarendon, Oxford University Press.

Rumina Sethi is Senior Associate member at the faculty of English Oxford University.

CULTURE

Bollywood trivia coming to tickle you
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 23
Did you know that Danny Denzongpa, and not Amjad Khan was the first choice for the role of Gabbar Singh? Surely, Sholay would have been bland without Amjad Khan as the fearful dacoit!

Need to know more such trivia about Bollywood films— one of the staple diets upon which India thrives? Tune on to SaharaOne Television's new weekly show titled ‘NGTake’ (NG meaning no good takes) to be launched on Saturday, January 28, 2006 at 7.30 p.m.

To give you lively company all along the deciphering of the hidden tales of the film will be funnyman Suresh Menon who will chart out the hitherto unheard trivia from Bollywood, week after week with his idiosyncratic style.

The half-an-hour non-fiction show will focus on smart Bollywood trivia right from its scripting, pre-production, original choices which were later cancelled.

Beginning with trivia on the all-time classic movie Sholay, ‘NGTake’ will subsequently feature films like Parineeta, Wah! Life Ho To Aisi, Ek Ajnabee among others.

They will be programmed week after week alternating the classic golden movies with the latest blockbusters.

For Purnendu Bose, COO, SaharaOne Television, this is a creative idea that was not touched by Indian television.

Deepti Bhatnagar, who's produced NGTake is very excited about this project.

“Being an actress myself in the past, I know the little incidents on the sets that become so memorable,” she quips.

Play on mysticism impresses
S.D. Sharma

The Sur Sangh Cultural Society and the Patiala Art Theatre staged a Punjabi musical play “Mera Murshad Moad Liyavo” at the Tagore Theatre today. Sponsored jointly by the North Zone Cultural Centre and the Department of Cultural Affairs, Chandigarh, the historical play, set up in the thirteenth century, depicted the splendour of the Mughul King. Shamasuddin Ilatmush, and also degradation of morals.

Rising from the level of a courtier, Balban attains the position of a powerful minister through shrewdness, managing her daughter’s marriage to the crown prince. Balban employs all gimmicks to finally emerge as the Sultan of Delhi.

However, despite the wealth and power, he fails to gain peace of mind and kneels before a faqir, Farid. The play is focuses on the mysticism of Baba Fariduddin, who preached that the highest joys of life can be achieved in the realisation of the divine which can be secured by loving and serving God’s creatures.

Vinod Kaushal (Khawaja Moiuddin) Ravi Bhushan (Sheikh Qutabudin) Sanjiv Rai (Ilatmush), Paramjit Waraich (Sheikh Farid) Mohan Kamboj (Balban) Kavita Sharma (Hazra), Sandip Kumar, Ravinder Ravi and Gursewak formed the main cast.

Yesterday, the North Zone Cultural Centre (NZCC) and the Chandigarh Sangeet Natak Akademi presented a Dogri play “Ghumayee” (the wail) by the Natrang Theatre Group, Jammu, at the Tagore Theatre. Written, designed and directed by thespian Balwant Thakur, the play is a salutation to the sacred human relationship and the sanctity of ‘marriage’ in the Indian context as propounded in the holy scriptures.

The music was distinct. Playback singers were Tanya Gupta and Suraj Singh, winner of the Sa Re Ga Ma competition. Light and sound effects by Jaspal and Suraj Singh were impressive. Vikrant Sharma and Anjali Abrol were in the lead cast. 

70 students donate blood
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 23
Members of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad today organised a blood donation camp at student centre, Panjab University, here. Col B.S. Sandhu (retd.), Chairman, WWICS, inaugurated the camp. More than 500 students from various departments of the university and colleges participated. While talking to the students, Col Sandhu told the students about the importance of blood donation in the human life.

The camp also coincided with a medical camp where a team of doctors from General Hospital, Sector 16, examined the students. Doctors from Sewa Bharti encouraged the students for eye donation.

Mr Gautam Sharma, convener of the camp, said more than 70 students donated blood. According to Yadvinder, state executive member, 125 students vow to donate their eyes.

The national secretary of the ABVP, Ms Mukta Sharma, said students' enthusiasm should be used in constructive manner. Later, a blood group testing, dental and orthopedic check-up was also organised. 

PGI to start clinics for sportspersons

Chandigarh, January 23
The PGI will start special clinics for sportspersons. Addressing a press conference at the PGI today, Dr M.S. Dhillon, who recently joined as Professor in the Department of Orthopaedics and was formerly associated with the sports injury management protocols of the Sri Lanka Cricket team, said the clinics would not only look at injuries, but also provide counselling and professional care.

He said he was in touch with various sports associations and federations so that the facility percolated to the district level and maximum sportspersons could avail of the facility. TNS

PU are basketball champions
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 23
Panjab University, Chandigarh, won the North Zone Inter-University Basketball Championship held at its premises here today. The main scorers for PU were fatehjit (41), Gurpal (10) and Mandeep (8). Punjabi University, Patiala , Delhi University and Kurukshetra University secured the second, third and fourth positions, respectively.

The results: Panjab University, Chandigarh, bt Punjabi University, Patiala (77-48). Delhi University bt Kurukshetra University (67-66).

TENNIS:

Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak, lost to Lucknow University by 4-1 in the North-East Zone Inter University Tennis (Men) Championship at Panjab University campus here.

Other results: AMU Aligarh bt CSJM University, Kanpur 3-0; HNB Garhwal University bt GKU, Hardwar 3-0.

UT inter-school sports meet results
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 23
Oscar Bansal defeated Hardeep by 15-3, 15-4 in the badminton competition (boys) on the second day of the UT inter-school sports meet being organised by the Chandigarh Sports Department at the Sports Complex, Sector 42, here today.

The other results are as follows:

Badminton: (boys) Oscar Bansal b Hardeep 15-3, 15-4, Sunil Malha b Aman Sethi 15-9, 15-10; Semi-final singles: O Bansal b Sunil Malha 15-7, 15-7, Adhiraj Neogi b Tushar 15-7, 15-0.

Girls (singles) Purnica b Geetika Mann 11-2, 11-5

Judo — girls finals (-40 kg): 1 Sapna, 2 Indika, 3 Babita, 3 Namita; (52 kg) 1 Manisha B 2 Vandana 3 Swinky Arora 3 Mehak Sehgal; (61 kg) Priyanka Thakur 2 Rimpy Rana 3 Meena 3 Abhilasha (+61 kg) Yogesh Kumari 2 Amrinder Kaur 3 Jaspreet Kaur 3 Nitika.

Boys final 1 Vijay Chauhan 2 Chander Kumar 3 Tarun Pal 3 Inderjeet; (-65 kg) 1 Kuldeep Kang 2 Rajvir Singh 3 Shrayas 3 Bhanu Partap; (71 kg) 1 Gurinder Singh 2 Naresh 3 Ashok Kumar 3 Amardeep; (+71 kg) 1 Harmanpreet 2 Maninder Singh 3 Ramandeep Singh 3 Jaspreet.

Kho-Kho: SGGS School 35 b JNV 25 by 6 pnts. Walkover given to SGGS Club against DAV-8; Govt Model High School-37 b SGGSS-35 by 1 pt.; Govt High School-37 b Govt High School 43 by 1 pt; SGGSS-35 b JNV-25 by 7 pts; JNV Club-8 b JNV School by 3 pt; Coaching Centre-23 b JNV Club-8 by 1 pt; Coaching Centre-23 b JNV-25 by 1 pt.

Athletics 200 m (girls final): 1 Yogita, 2 Veena, 3 Jasbir Kaur; 200m (boys final): 1 Balwinder 2 Nitish 3 Bhavnit; Discus throw (boys final) 1 Prabhjot 2 Himmat 3 Arjun; Discus throw (girls final) 1 Veena 2 Harmanjot 3 Sahiba; long jump (boys final) 1 Parvesh 2 Varun 3 Arjun; long jump (girls final) 1 Jyoti Sharma 2 Veena Rani 3 Harpreet; 800 m (boys final) 1 Chandresh 2 Sunil Kumar 3 Inderjit Singh; 800 m (girls final) 1 Veena Rani 2 Aman Deep Kaur 3 Meenu Verma.

Wrestling: 45 kg: Mukesh bt Ashish, Mahipal bt Anil; 55 kg: Jagminder bt Jitender; 60 kg: Ram Bhaj bt Akshay; 66 kg: Sunil bt Gopal; 74 kg: Baljit bt Parminder; 84 kg: Parveen bt Paryesh.

Kabaddi: GHS, D Majra bt GMS (51-31), DAV SSS-8 bt GSSS-15 (53-33), SD Public School-32 bt GSSS, Dhanas (46-28), SGGS SSS bt GHS, Kajheri (35-10); semifinal: DAVSSS-8 bt SGGS School-35 (45-10), SD Public School-32 bt GHS, D Majra (45- 17) Girls: GHS-40 bt GSSS-37 (41-32), GHS-40 bt GGSSS-23 (21-08).

Basketball: New Public School-18 bt Sacred Heart-26 (49-25), Carmel Convent-9 bt GMSSS-46 (18-15); boys: DAV SSS-8 bt GMSSS-19 (56-40).

Gymnastics (girls): floor: Sarita 1, Depishi 2, Chandu 3; beam: Sarita 1, Depish 2, Meetu 3; uneven bars: Sarita 1, Chandu 2, Depishi 3; table vault: Sarita 1, Depitsh 2, Chandu 3; all-round best gymnast: Sarita 1, Depishi 2, Chandu 3, boys: table vault: Sumit 1, D Bhadur 2, Lalit 3; P. horse: Sumit 1, Dhan Bahadur 2, Govind 3; P Bars: Dhan 1, Sumit 2, Hargun 3.

Volleyball (boys): Manav Mangal-21 got a walkover against GMHS-32 (3-0), DAV-8 bt MM-21( 3-0), girls: GMHS-26 bt MM-21 (3-1), GMSSS-16 bt St Mary’s-46 ( 3-1).

Handball: DAV SSS-8 1, SGGS School-35 2, GMSSS-23 3; Girls: GMSSS-21 1, GSSS-37 2, GMSSS-19 3.

Intra-varsity cricket 
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 23
The University Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences thrashed the Panjab University Botany Department by 8 wickets in Panjab University Inter-Department cricket match at the university grounds here today.

Brief scores:- Botany 111 all out in 17.4 overs (Manish 31, Rajnish 25; Harsimran Virk 4 for 15). UIPS 115 for 2 in 14.2 overs (Harvinder Singh Johal 50 not out, Harsimran Virk 36 ).