EDUCATION

Aulakh spells out PAU role in rural development
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, September 28
The Vice-Chancellor of PAU, Dr K.S. Aulakh, who is attending the second annual rural development conference at Walter Sisulu University, Mthatha in South Africa, from September 27 to 29 has presented keynote address on the role of PAU in the rural community development.

This conference is a sequel to the first similar conference the university had hosted in November, 2005. The WSU is a developmental university dealing in technological, scientific, innovative and responsive teaching, research and community development programmes. Its primary focus is rural development and urban renewal.

Director of the Centre for Rural Development P.N. Luswazi had asked Dr Aulakh to be the resource person and share his knowledge and experience of linking higher education to rural community development and how PAU over the decades has successfully juxtaposed higher education and states’ rural community development programme through its well-oiled network of extension education. This service takes to the doorstep of the farmers information and knowledge about crop production, home science, farm machinery and allied subjects.

Dr Aulakh screened a 15-minute documentary on the role of the PAU in the uplift of the rural community and how its academic programmes, research and extension-enabled Punjab farmers earn more and plough back income for social and economic uplift of their own community. He also presented the university brochure giving a broad view of the PAU role in agricultural and rural development. The brochure also profiles the four constituent colleges. Besides, he shared the feedback the university receives from farmers to enable scientists reorient their research.

His well documented key note address gave a bird’s eye view of how academic programmes evolved in the country after independence, when the University Education Commission was set up with Dr S. Radhakrishnan, as a chairperson.

He also delineated on the concept of rural Universities and the subsequent endorsement of Dr Radhakrishnan’s hypothesis by the joint Indo-American team in the mid-50s and how state agricultural universities were eventually established. The PAU was the second such university.

In fact, this commission’s recommendations were further followed up by the Kothari Commission, which gave the idea of at least one agricultural university in every state.

Today, as a consequence of the foresight of statesmen like Dr. Radhakrishnan, India has 39 state agricultural universities, one Centre university and four National Institutes of Indian Council of Agricultural Research as deemed universities that impart agricultural education from graduate to the doctoral level.

Dr Aulakh gave a graphic account of the four constituent colleges and their academic programmes and vocational training imparted to students.

He spoke on reorientation programme for the staff, research programmes of the University that are spread out to different climatic zones of the state and how extension education transfers PAU’s technology to rural areas.

This, the Vice-Chancellor said, was done through the Farm Advisory Service Scheme, Farming Knowledge Centres (Krishi Vigyan Kendras) and Communication Centre.

The trained manpower of PAU spreads out into the villages and farms to update the farmers on what they ought to do or not to do. He supported his hypothesis with confirmed statistics and yield data of different crops - foodgrains, horticulture, vegetables and allied activities like bee-keeping, mushroom growing and dairy development and how rural development was strengthened through cooperative ventures, self-help groups and marketing infrastructure.

Incidentally, WSU is deep inside rural South Africa’s poorest province, 30 km from Nelson Mandela’s birthplace.

It is a new comprehensive university born out of a merger of the University of Transkei, Border Technikon and Eastern Cape Technikon.

Workshop on enhancement of tool life
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, September 28
A one-day national-level technical workshop on “Recent technologies for enhancement of tool/die life” was organised at Guru Nanak Dev Engineering College today by the Mechanical and Production Engineering Department.

It was organised in collaboration with the Institute for Auto Parts Technology, Ludhiana, and sponsored by Primero Enserve (India), Chennai, and the ISTE, New Delhi. The workshop was inaugurated by Mr Anil Kumar, CEO, Shreyans Industries.

Prof Chandandeep Singh, organising secretary, welcomed the chief guest and dignitaries. Dr Sehijpal Singh enlightened the delegates about the objective of the workshop.

Mr J.S. Kular, a former director of the SISI, Government of India, gave overview of various technological developments for the enhancement of tool/die life.

The technical sessions were addressed by Dr Sehijpal Singh, Mr B.S. Sanga and Mr Sanjiv Katoch.

The role of final finishing processes in tool and die life, protective surface coatings and treatments and cryogenic processing technologies were discussed. The sessions were coordinated by Dr Rupinder Singh, organising secretary.

In the evening session, Dr S.P. Singh, a former Dean, University Business School, Panjab University, was the chief guest.

He emphasised the expectations of society from the engineers. He congratulated and encouraged the department for organising the workshop and also stressed on industry-institute interaction.

The workshop was attended by nearly 70 delegates from industry and technical/management institutes of the region.

Dr Surinderbir Singh honoured the chief guest.

Ceremony: Kamla Lohtia S.D. College organised a thanksgiving ceremony for Mr Rakesh Pandey, Minister for Science and Technology, for sanctioning Rs 3 lakh to the college.

Mr Navin Mittal and Dr Vijay Asdhir presented a bouquet to the chief guest.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Pandey appreciated the efforts of the college in providing state-of-the-art teaching, sports and co-curricular activities to the students. He also highlighted the importance of sapling plantation.

Mr Pandey started a sapling plantation drive in the college by planting a sapling. As many as 300 saplings would be planted in the coming days.

Contest: The Ved Prachar Mandal organised a declamation contest at the Malwa Central College of Education for Women here on Thursday.

The Principal, Dr Ravinder Kaur, presided over the function. Ms Superna Khanna was the judge of the contest.

The first prize was bagged by Jasdeep Kaur, second by Mandeep Kaur and third by Namita.

Scientist gets Commonwealth fellowship
Tribune News Service

From Schools
Children celebrate Dasehra with enthusiasm 
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, September 28
Students of Kiddies Paradise celebrated Dasehra with great enthusiasm here today. The little ones came dressed up as different characters from Ramayana like Sita, Hanuman, Ram and Lakshaman etc.The campus resounded with the chants of Jai Siya Ram. School director Randhir Singh told the students that goodness always triumphs over evil.

Principal Radhika Mahajan narrated the story of Ramayana briefly and asked the children to follow the path shown by Lord Ram. The children chanted some couplets from Ramayana.

Multipurpose School: To commemorate the 100th birth anniversary of Shaheed Bhagat Singh, students, staff and children of Govt Senior Multipurpose School celebrated Vanmahotsava here today. Mr Myer, principal of the school, said tree plantation can save the degrading environment, and to pay homage to the far-sighted Bhagat Singh, tree plantation was the right tribute to him.

Saplings Nursery School: Students of Saplings Nursery School, Rajguru Nagar, participated in Dasehra festivities on the school premises here today. There were Rams and Ravanas, as kids donned dresses of characters from Ramayana. Teachers burst crackers to the delight of the students.

Kidzee Rainbow and Nursery School: Navratras were celebrated in Kidzee Rainbow and Nursery School here today. Students were told the significance of the nine navratras and that these precede Dasehra. Many people fast during these days and eat special kind of food during fasting. 

HEALTH

Over 650 examined in camp
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, September 28
Over 650 patients were examined and medicines distributed among them at a free medical check up camp for eye, ENT and orthopaedic diseases, organised by Solanky Charitable Hospital in the Giaspura locality here today.

The camp was inaugurated by the area councillor, Mr Hakam Singh Giaspura.

Mr Giaspura remarked that the area, having a sizeable migrant population, was prone to frequent outbreak of different diseases. He said while holding free medical camps was a big service to the poor masses, the medical institutions and NGOs in the area should also strive to create awareness among the people so that they could take basic preventive measures and became conscious about personal hygiene.

The medical check-up of the patients was conducted by Dr Pankaj Singla, eye specialist, Dr N. Sood, ENT surgeon, and Dr A. Khurana, orthopaedic surgeon, informed Dr S.S. Solanky.

Homoeopathy clinic inaugurated

Ludhiana, September 28
The Advanced Research Clinic of Homoeopathy on Dugri Road was inaugurated by well-known poet and writer Sardar Kartar Singh Kalra here today. Speaking on the occasion, Dr Muktinder Singh, an eminent homoeopath of national and international fame, having expertise in curing chronic diseases apart from general ailments by following the Hehnemann principle, said the unique point of this clinic would be that it would be regularly updated with the advancement in homoeopathy and a panel of specialist homoeopathic doctors from all over India would be regularly consulted in special cases. TNS

SPORTS

Athletics meet from Sept 30
Our Sports Reporter

Ludhiana, September 28
The Ludhiana District Athletics Association with the help of District Sports Department will organise athletics meet here at Guru Nanak Stadium on September 30 and October 1, according to Mr Devinder Singh Walia, president, District Athletics Association. Competition in the u-16, 18 and 20 years categories in the boys as well as girl's section will be conducted during this two-day meet. Interested athletes contact Mr Harinder Singh over phone no 98144-41412 or Mr Surinder Singh on 98147-83219.