Ludhiana
GIRLS SHINE: A district-level competition was held under the aegis of the Punjab School Education Board in which students of Ramgarhia Girls Senior Secondary School won many prizes. Manmeet Kaur won the first prize in the declamation contest while Poonam emerged winner of the poetry recitation contest. In the junior wing, Daljit Kaur and party claimed the first position in shabad gayan. Also, Balvinder Kaur and party were adjudged third in vaar gayan. In the one-act play competition, “Bukkal Di Agg”, enacted by Gagandeep and party from Government Senior Secondary School, Chakohi, was adjudged the best. The chief guest for the competition, Mr Usman Malik, from Pakistan, appreciated the girls for their winning performances.

SEMINAR: A seminar on “management of crop residue” was organised by Bharat Jan Gyan Vigyan Jatha at Jawaddi Kalan village on Sunday. Dr Arun Mitra, general secretary of the jatha, advised farmers against burning of paddy stubble, which was detrimental to both our health and fertility of soil. Dr Rajinder Pal Singh Aulukh, state president of the Agriculture Technocrats Association, and Dr Gurpreet Singh Rattan, from Department of Animal Husbandry, addressed the seminar.

DIVALI MILAN: The Bharat Vikas Parishad (Shivaji) organised a Divali milan programme at Gyan Palace here on Sunday. The programme commenced with the National Song, followed by lighting of the lamp by Mr Om Parkash Vij. 

SCIENCE CONTEST: A district-level science competition was organised by the State Council of Science and Technology, Punjab, at R. S. Model Senior Secondary School, here on Sunday. The topic was “biodiversity”. The research work of Shikha Sood, Hasrat Jasmine, Gagandeep Singh, Ramanjot Kaur and Sangya Yadav of Sacred Heart Senior Secondary School — “investigations and creating awareness about medicinal plants” — won the first position.

Ludhiana Idol auditions: Tammana Arts is organising Ludhiana Idol 2006 to give talented singers of the city a chance to showcase their talent. At a meeting held on Saturday, Mr Vishal Sonu and Mr Gian Garg, directors of Tammana Arts, said they would hold a couple of auditions to shortlist the candidates for the finals to be held later. The group had earlier organised Awaaz ke Sitare, Mehak Punjab Di, Sitaron ki Mehfil, and Comedy Star Nite. The judges for the programme would be play back singer Mahinder Kapoor , K. Deep, Manjit Singh and Vishal Sonu.