EDUCATION

Institute for blind set up
Our Correspondent

Mohali, April 1
The Punjab unit of the National Association for the Blind (NAB) and Shri Guru Harkrishan Sahib Charitable Eye Hospital Trust, Sohana, have joined hands to set up a state-of-the-art education and rehabilitation centre for the blind.

The institute will not only impart education but also run a rehabilitation and employment centre, provide computer education and Braille learning, vocational training, set up a talking book library apart from arranging hostel facility.

Padam Shri Dr Rajendra Vyas, honorary secretary-general of NAB who is himself blind, told at a press conference here today that the institute would be housed in a building provided by the Sohana hospital and NAB would manage and provide the expertise to run the centre.

Dr Vyas was accompanied by Bhai Jasbir Singh Khalsa, founder of the Sohana Eye Hospital, at the conference.

Mr Vinod Chabra, president of the Punjab unit of NAB, said in Punjab there were approximately 2.5 lakh blind persons. There were institutes for the blind at Ludhiana, Amritsar and Ferozepore which provided only basic education to about 10,000 persons. He said that were was not a single institute in Punjab, Chandigarh, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh which provided rehabilitation, employment and vocational courses for the elderly as well as illiterate blind.

Blue Bird students excel
Tribune News Service

Panchkula, April 1
Students of Blue Bird High School in Sector 16 here have shown remarkable progress in the session 2005-06, the results of which were declared recently.

Parents who accompanied their children to the school appreciated the efforts of the school management and the staff members.

Certificates and prizes were awarded to the meritorious students. On the whole 100 per cent result was shown in each class.

Student awarded

Panchkula, April 1
Shruti Jindal, a student of Class X at St Kabir Public School, Chandigarh, has been awarded a gold medal and a certificate for securing the highest marks in Chandigarh in mathematics in the “2005 International Assessment for Indian Schools”, conducted by the University of New South Wales, Australia. TNS

COURTS

1-year RI in corruption case

Chandigarh, April 1
CBI Special Judge, Mr Jagdeep Jain, yesterday sentenced G.S. Baru, Deputy Director, ESI, to one-year rigorous imprisonment and Rs 3000 fine in a case of corruption registered by the CBI in 1996. The accused had demanded money to clear the record of a Mohali-based company from the ESI records.

Acquitted

The Additional District and Session Judge, Mr M.M. Sharma, yesterday acquitted Peer Mal in the murder case of Som Nath. The deceased had died of injuries inflicted with a knife in 2003. Peer Mal was acquitted after the brother of the deceased stated in court that the accused had not committed the act. TNS

CULTURE

Talent show winner’s album released
Our Correspondent

Chandigarh, April 1
The debut album of Roshan Prince, who recently won the “Awaaz Punjab Di” contest, was released at a function at the Chandigarh Press Club here today.

Presiding over the function, Mr Pradeep Gangal, CEO of MH One TV channel and Lara Music Audio Video, claimed the album to be a representation of the pristine folklore of Punjab.

Divulging the selection process, Mr Gangal disclosed that the winners were declared after going through several phases of the contest conducted at various venues under the judgement of the music stalwarts like Wadali Brothers, Hans Raj Hans and Jaspinder Narula.

Roshan Prince is a postgraduate in Music from Delhi University and leant classical music under the tutelage of Ustaad Prof Shamshaad Ali. The music of his debut album is contributed by Sachin Ahuja.