Teachers resent decision on HRA
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 25
Members of the Homoeopathic Medical College Teachers Association have objected to the decision of the executive committee of the Homoeopathic Medical College Association here regarding pay scales and allowances of the teaching and non-teaching staff.

The teachers had forwarded their grievances to various Panjab University Senate members, who took up the matter during the zero hour of the Senate meeting last evening. The issue was highlighted by Mrs Devi Sirohi and Mr Prabhjit Singh.

The teachers had pointed out in their representation that the house rent allowance granted by the college at the rate of 10 per cent to all the eligible staff was too less. “It would have been most appropriate had the HRA been revised with effect from the date when the HRA subsidy was given and it should be at the rate of 15 per cent,” they had stated.

Also, the teachers said the college had while implementing the pay scales not taken into cognisance the number of years various teachers had put in as service. All teachers, according to the representation, were treated as having joined service together and fresh entrants. The benefits already drawn by the senior teachers had been taken back without any just or valid reason. 

‘Devils, angels’ dance at bash for freshers 
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 25
Bonhomie pervaded the air as budding designers of the International Institute of Fashion Design (INIFD), Chandigarh, Sector 8, celebrated their freshers’ welcome bash in colourful style.

The theme-based party was choreographed to pulsating music. Not surprising, since the theme “Devils versus Angels” had the students design their own exotic outfits to suit the requirement of the day and indeed they looked “heavenly”.

While black capes and clothes dominated “devils”, “angels” came festooned in a variety of colours. From pink to white to mauve to a completely buttercup yellow the colours charmed.

Isha Talwar, BSc, final year in fashion design, was probably one of the non-conformist angels in a sea of pastels. “I am the midnight angel who is black and pink,” she declared sporting an all black outfit with mauve net wings on her back.

Similarly, BSc final year interior design student Nitya Vaidya dressed up in a glorious pink skirt made of soft paper silk complete with a crown to highlight her new avatar. “My friends say I am already an angel which is why I wore pink,” she smiled.

While all boys without exception donned the devil look, most girls preferred to become angels but there were some who ventured into the ‘bad’ domain. Nidhika Singh in her second year in fashion design sported a black dress, a hunter for a belt, a snake and skull tattoo and even a headband with horns to complete the effect of a devil, albeit a pretty one.

However the crowing glory of the afternoon was the catwalk by all participants and the selection of the Mr and Miss Fresher for the year judged on the basis of their style, body language, sensibility and winning attitude.

While the selection shortlisted six devils and angels in the final round, the Miss Fresher Crown was won by 20 year-old Manveen Singh (interior design). A deep pink satin and organza creation in fluffy can-can style and a spirited answer to the question posed by the judges won her the day while the Mr Fresher title was picked up by Kshitiz Raj Bishnoi (fashion design) with his leather elbow straps and scarlet cravat and declaring bungee jumping as the craziest moment of his life as an answer to the judges question on the same.

Hosted at the Taj here in Sector 17, the place reverberated with music and the afternoon was spent in a spirited haze, just the right thing to embark on an arduous educational journey in the years to come. 

NIIFT students hold freshers’ party

Chandigarh, September 25
Senior students and staff of the Northern India Institute of Fashion Technology (NIIFT) welcomed freshers at the institute in style by holding a mega musical show at the Tagore Theatre here today.

Rajasthani, Bhojpuri, Punjabi folk music, which including Mirza and Bolliyan, and Bollywood film music reverberated the hall. Students attired in dazzling costumes presented solo and group songs and dances.

The highlight of the function was the crowning of Mr Ramanjot as Mr Fresher and Ms Geetinder as Miss Fresher. Ramanjot and Harman were declared best singers while the Giddha item by the freshers was rated the best. — OC

Talk on Gandhi at PU today
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 25
The Critique, a student discussion forum, working in Panjab University here, will organise a discussion on Modernity, secularism and resistance: making sense of Gandhi” by Professor Avijit Pathak from the Centre for the Study of Social Systems, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi at Sociology, Seminar Hall, Ground Floor, Arts Block IV, tomorrow at 3 pm.

Professor Avijit Pathak is also Co-ordinator of the UGC ASIHSS Programme at the Centre.

Professor Pathak will also critically examine the recent projection of Gandhi in popular imaginations like films, “Lage Raho Munna Bhai” and how these social questions were creating paradoxes about Gandhian thinking.

Forum plea on display of rate lists
Our Correspondent

Mohali, September 25
The Consumers Protection Forum here has appealed to the Deputy Commissioner to issue directions to shopkeepers to display rate lists of various items in their shops so that consumers were not fleeced by them .

In a letter to Mr Tejveer Singh, the president of the forum, said the government had stated that rates of various items would come down after the abolition of octroi and consumers would get relief. But this had not happened. The octroi was abolished from September 1 but shopkeepers had not cut down the rates of any item so far. Instead shopkeepers had hiked rates of various items in the name of VAT which was resulting in a financial burden on consumers.

CULTURE

Carrying forward family legacy of kathak
S.D. Sharma

Chandigarh, September 25
“The art of Indian classical dance forms, mainly divine in origin, has survived the ravages of time and neglect, only to emerge stronger with a glorious future ”, observed Deepak Maharaj, son and disciple of Padma Vibhushan Pandit Birju Maharaj, the doyen of kathak, here today.

He was here along with illustrious kathak maestro Sandeep K. Mahavira for a special kathak recital at the Tagore Theatre tomorrow as part of the year-long golden jubilee celebrations of the Pracheen Kala Kendra.

Representing the eighth generation of the Kalka Bindadin Gharana, Deepak Maharaj, with his expressive and dynamic solos at top international venues, had popularised kathak among foreign audiences.

Sharing his views with the Chandigarh Tribune at the kendra, he maintained that characteristics like subtlety of emotional expression creating a ‘rasa’ and body gestures with wealth of meaning of dance rolled into the rich and wondrous receptacle of the human soul.

Perfect rhythm, mime and immaculate footwork, all within the framework of traditional purity, scored an edge over the mechanical virtuosity of Western dance forms.

Intrusive dance lovers attending workshops and performances in the UK, the USA, Russia, Germany, France, Italy, Canada and Dubai had largely endorsed his viewpoint, he claimed.

Exponent of kathak from the Jaipur Gharana, music composer, vocalist and choreographer Sandeep K. Mahavira, son and disciple of music director Dinesh Mahavira, felt that the revitalisation of any art form was necessary for its survival in competition.

He endorsed Deepak Maharaj’s view that allegiance to a particular gharana should not inhibit imbibing the finer nuances of the art from other sources.

Credited with memorable performances at international festivals in the USA, Hong Kong, the UK and Dubai, he had been acting in regional films, and television serials.

Both dancing icons would feature in a special kathak ‘jugalbandi’ concert at the Tagore Theatre tomorrow.

HEALTH

50 donate blood at college camp
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 25
Government College, Naraingarh, organised a blood donation camp on the college premises today. It was the 22nd such camp of the college, which is celebrating its silver jubilee. A team of medical staff from the Red Cross, Ambala, conducted the camp.

As many as 50 students and staff members donated blood. Mr Avtar Rahi, lecturer in chemistry, donated blood for the ninth time.

Mr Ram Kishan, MLA of Naraingarh and Haryana Parliamentary Secretary, was the chief guest on the occasion. He lauded the donors’ role in saving precious lives. He congratulated the College Principal, Dr O.P. Sihag, on the silver jubilee year of the college. He praised the outstanding academic results of the college despite it being situated at a small town.

Dr Sihag exhorted the students and the staff members to continue with the blood donation movement at the college. He congratulated the NCC and NSS units of the college for making the camp a success. The chief guest later gave away mementoes to the donors. The Naraingarh branch of the SBI sponsored the mementoes. 

SPORTS

Bindra all praise for Team Pawar
Akash Ghai
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 25
With the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) elections just a few days away, the President of the Punjab Cricket Association, Mr Inderjit Singh Bindra, has issued a two-page statement claiming that the game has overtaken “politics” normally witnessed on the eve of the annual general meeting of the Board, saying “this time the meeting will deliberate nothing but cricket, cricket and cricket”.

“Team Pawar has been in office for just about 10 months. But, it is time for stock-taking and sincere introspection. During this time we in the Board have come across a lot of positive assessment of our work as well as a bit of motivated and inspired criticism,” said Mr Bindra, maintaining that he “can safely say that they have been able to address a lot of basic issues confronting Indian cricket. Yes, we do agree that we have not been able to achieve everything we had set out for, the most important thing being professionalising the Board. It is not for want of effort or sincerity on our part that we couldn’t take it up, it is because of the inherent defects in the system”.

As for the World Cup bid, he said, Team Pawar had no inkling as to what its predecessors had done and the work on the Champions Trophy had to start afresh, as some of the venues chosen earlier backed out. In less than six months the new venues had to be chosen and spruced up.

“About whether Mr Sharad Pawar has the time for cricket as he also holds a key portfolio at the Centre, I can say that his drive and energy to grapple with diverse activities and find time for them is amazing. The first thing Mr Pawar has done is to decentralise the power structure and that has made the wheels of administration move smoothly and swiftly. Some of the sub-committees have started acting independently, thus bringing in transparency and accountability to their work.

TT tournament: Manav Mangal moves into semi-finals
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 25
Manav Mangal School, Sector 21-C, DAVPS-8 and Bhavan Vidyalaya moved into the semi-finals of UT Inter School Table Tennis Tournament underway at Manav Mangal School, Sector 21, here. The meet is being organised by the UT Education Department.

Manav Mangal beat AIPPS-41, Chandigarh 3-1. In the first encounter, Kajal of MM lost to Kamal 4-11, 7-11, 7-11. Thereafter, all remaining three games were grabbed by the MM squad. Sakshi beat Jaspreet 11-6, 11-5, 11-5. Anviksha did not had a good start and lost the first set by a massive margin 4-11 but bagged the remaining three sets 11-7, 11-7, 11-4. In the last tie, Sakshi gave a one-sided affair defeat to 11-6, 11-8, 11-3.

Other results: DAVPS-8 beat Sri Guru Harkrishan Public School-40 (3-1); Naina beat Jagdeep Kaur (11-4, 11-9, 11-5); Barbie beat Ranjana; Aishwarya lost to Radhika (11-13, 9-11, 6-11); Naina beat Ranjana (13-11, 11-8, 11-7).

St Joseph’s-44 beat Sacred Heart-26 (3-1); Neha beat Ishita (10-12, 7-11, 14-12, 11-6, 11-9); Ravneet beat Gurleen (11-6, 11-4, 10-12, 11-9); Pooja lost to Anjali (10-12, 1-11, 4-11); Ravneet beat Ishita (11-9, 11-4, 11-5).

Bhavan Vidyalaya-27 beat Sri Guru Harkrishan Public School-38 (3-0); Vibhuti beat Harleen (11-3, 11-4, 12-10); Garima beat Sahiba (11-4, 11-1, 11-4); Anmol beat Yamini (11-7, 11-2, 11-3).

New Public School in football final
Tribune News Service

Panchkula, September 25
New Public School, Sector 18, gave a clean sweep to KC Public School, Jammu in another semi final played today. New Public School won the match by a mammoth margin 9-0 in the semi final of the CBSE football tournament (Cluster XIII), which was held at Satluj Public School, Sector 4, here, today.

Gurpal of NPS proved to be too tough for the defender of KC School and scored three goals in fifth minute, 50th minute and 61st minute. Harbir scored two goals in 21st minute and 55th minute while Aitu Ram, Jashanpreet, Gyaneshwar and Sahibinder scored one goal each in 74th , 52nd , 67th and 70th minute.

Earlier, Sanjay Public School, Sector 44, Chandigarh scored three goals without conceding a single one aginst Shishu Niketan School, Sector 22 .

In an otherwise a dull match, Gurwinder opened the account for his team in the 44 th minute only.

Thereafter, Gurwant scored one goal in 51st minute followed by Arjun who scored one more goal in 71st minute.

The final score stood at 3-0. 

TIET win football title
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 25
The Thapar Institute of Engineering and Technology, Patiala, emerged winner in the Inter-Engineering Deemed Universities Football tournament, which concluded an PEC grounds, here today. Punjab Engineering College, Chandigarh, and the NIT, Hamirpur, secured first and second runners-up positions.

The tournament, which was played on knockout basis, was inaugurated by Ravinder Talwar, president, Chandigarh Football Association. Later, Prof Vijay Gupta, Director, PEC, gave away prizes to the winners.

The results: NIT, Jalandhar, b NIT, Kurukshetra, 4-0.

TIET, Patiala, b NIT, Hamirpur, 2-1.

PEC, Chandigarh, b NIT, Jalandhar, 3-0.

NIT, Hamirpur, b NIT, Jalandhar, 1-0.

TIET, Patiala, b PEC, Chandigarh, 2 - 1.

ADMINISTRATION

Nod to cyber research centre blue print
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 25
The Chandigarh Administration has accorded its approval to the blue print prepared by the Department of Information Technology for the establishment of the Regional Cyber Security Research Centre (RCSRC) at the cost of Rs 3 crore in three years, a press note said here today.

The centre was announced during the “e-Revolution 2006” held in July, 2006. The centre will be established in collaboration with NASSCOM and Punjab Engineering College (PEC) and will be initially situated on the PEC campus. Later, the centre will be shifted to the upcoming Entrepreneurs Development Centre in the Rajiv Gandhi Chandigarh Technology Park (RGCTP).

The Department of Information Technology will be the facilitator for the project.