Jalandhar, June 11
Three doctor couples from the city stand as proud parents for their children have successfully started following in their footsteps by attaining top ranks in CBSE-PMT, the result of which was declared recently.

Son of pediatrician Dr T.S. Randhawa and radiologist Dr Rajwant Kaur Randhawa, Manjinder Singh Randhawa has got the 39th rank in India. A student of MGN Public School, he scored 93.2 per cent in the Plus Two (medical) result this year.

The boy is currently away to Mumbai to appear for the National Olympiad test in biology. “He is among the 32 top students of the country to have qualified to appear for the test. If selected among the top four, he will appear at the international level,” his father beamed as he gave the credit to the school, coaching centres and parental support for the same.

Manjinder’s mother said the first preference would be getting a seat in Maulana Azad Institute, Delhi. “Though there are 27 seats, I hope that my son will get a berth since some girls prefer to join Lady Harding’s College. If he does not get it in the first round, he certainly will sail through in the second counselling,” she seemed quite optimistic.

Son of plastic surgeon Dr Jaswant Bath and gynaecologist Dr Sumel Bath, Anandbir Bath has bagged the 76th rank. The boy was the city topper in the CBSE Class XII results among medical stream students with 94 per cent marks. An MGN student, his elder brother has completed his MBBS from Dayanand Medical College, Ludhiana. Anandbir claimed that he did not study beyond six hours a day but was very consistent with his routine. He is optimistic about getting a seat in one of the top Delhi-based medical colleges as counseling begins on June 12.

Daughter of radiologist couple Dr Amarjit Singh and Dr Ravinder Kaur, Jasreen Kaur has grabbed the all India rank of 176. An Apeejay School student, she too will try for a seat in a medical college of Delhi.

Jalandhar, June 11
Monsoons may still be away but you can have a feel of the same that too amidst high-pitch music and dazzling lights.

The newly opened indoor Aqua Dance Hall at Wonderland Theme Park in Jalandhar. Tribune photo: Pawan Sharma

Theme park Wonderland, situated on Nakodar Road, has just come up with a new Indoor Aqua Dance in its Bayside Water Park. The thumping DJ music and powerful showers coming from all directions beckons all those who come to enjoy the water rides here.

There was a rain dance provision earlier as well but that was under a huge cemented umbrella in the open. “Now we have introduced it in a covered hall that has wooden planks for flooring and an attractive lighting effect in the dark. Even those, who stand by the edges and do not feel like dancing, can enjoy the misty effect. There are no separate charges once you have paid for the wet park,” said MD Kulwant Singh Virk, who plans to use the same hall for a dry DJ party in winters.

While the interiors of the hall have been done and are in use for the past few days, the exteriors are still being done. All that one can visualise it as of now is a hexagonal structure with a rocky effect that has faces of water animals atop.

To ensure that no one plays a mischief inside the hall taking advantage of dim lights, the guards on duty lets the girls and families inside during a 20-minute turn and the boys in the next one. Placards for the same are flashed in the water park area so that the users can know about their chance.

A wave pool, a 56-metre waterfall, giant and speed slide into a pool, and separate low kids’ pool with animal structures, sprinklers and water spilling buckets are other attractions in the water park.

There is a new attraction in the dry park as well. New motor-fitted bumper boats have been introduced in the boat club, which families enjoy bouncing into each other. The dry park has a couple of adventurous rides including flying jets, bumper cars, vortex, swing chairs, mermaids, horror show and vortex.

Jalandhar, June 11
Security has been beefed up in and around the Nurmahal assembly constituency in wake of the byelection to be held tomorrow. Apprehending untoward incidents in the constituency, after the Vienna incident, the district police has deployed additional police force in the constituency.

Deputy Superintendent of Police, Phillaur, Sanjiv Sharma claimed that five companies of the paramilitary forces had been deployed in and around the constituency apart from the Punjab police.

The entire constituency had been divided into 13 sectors and 26 patrolling parties, including 13 of paramilitary forces, had been deployed to avoid any untoward incident during the election process.

He claimed that additional security personnel had been deployed in 29 hypersensitive and sensitive polling stations. Apart from this, police parties had been kept in reserve to maintain law and order in the constituency.

Police nakas had been laid at every exit and entry point to the constituency. 

Jalandhar, June 11
The prices of fruits have witnessed a marginal increase from Rs 5 to Rs 10 per kg this week. While the price of litchi has increased from Rs 60 to Rs 65 per kg, mango (dusheri) is selling at Rs 35 per kg and witnesses a decline of Rs 20 per kg as compared to its last week’s price of Rs 60.

The price of muskmelon has come down to Rs 7 to 8 per kg from Rs 14-15 last week. Apricot and plum are selling at Rs 60 per kg since last fortnight. Watermelon is available at Rs 6 to 7 per kg. Pomegranate is selling at Rs 80 per kg, while banana at Rs 30.

Lemon continues to sell at Rs 55 to 60 per kg. However, the prices of other commodities, vegetables and fruits have witnessed a fluctuation of Rs 3 to 5 per kg.

Kapurthala, June 11
The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum directed the National Insurance Company to pay Rs 3.10 lakh along with interest to Neelam Goel whose husband Vinod Goel succumbed to injuries he had sustained in a road accident. In the five-page decision, forum President Paramjit Singh and member Gulshan Prashar observed that this amount had been spent on Vinod Goel’s treatment which was proved by the receipts presented before the forum.

The forum directed the insurance company to pay the amount of Rs 3.10 lakh with interest at 9 per cent per annum from November 4, 2007, the date on which Vinod died.

Further, the forum told the company to pay Neelam Goel Rs 20,000 as damages for mental tension and harassment suffered by her due to deficiency in service and unfair methods adopted by the company.

In its decision pronounced on May 21 on the complaint filed by Neelam Goel, the forum also directed the insurance company to pay Rs 5,000 as cost of litigation to the complainant within one month from the receipt of the copy of this order.

In her complaint, Neelam stated that her husband had taken a private mediclaim policy for Rs 5 lakh from January 25, 2007, to January 24, 2008, from the National Insurance Company, Sultanpur Lodhi Road, Kapurthala. Vinod Goel met with an accident near Nangal Shama Chowk in Jalandhar with a Maruti Alto car with his Santro car on September 16, 2007. A DDR was registered in this regard with Nangal Shama police post, falling under Sadar police station. Vinod suffered multiple injuries and was taken to Johal Hospital at Rama Mandi, Jalandhar, where a number of surgeries were performed on him.

He was shifted to Oxford Hospital on September 26, 2007, where he died on October 4. Following this, Neelam applied for the insurance claim. She provided all the documents required and brought the matter to the notice of the higher authorities of the insurance company but she was not given the claim. She filed her complaint on January 1, 2009.

Jalandhar, June 11
“The house has been rendered pure,” these were the words of Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dixit after she congratulated them for the recital they delivered at her house in January.

They have been part of gurmat sangeet recitals where the rest of the performers have been biggies like Bhai Nirmal Singh, Bhai Gurnam Singh and Bhai Balbir Singh.

Among those who understand and respect Sikhism, the Gurbani and the language of music, real sisters and vocalists who specialise in gurmat sangeet, Ashupreet Kaur, Poojapreet Kaur and Anupreet Kaur, have earned for themselves a reputation which is unparalleled.

The youngest female performers of gurmat sangeet, the fact that they were born into a Hindu family leaves the listeners all the more perplexed and awed, given their soulful rendition of gurmat sangeet and the impeccable pronunciation through which their immense faith in the gurbani shows through.

Born and brought up in Jalandhar, the sisters were exposed to a musical environment right from their childhood.

“Most of our family members are musicians,” says Anupreet, the eldest.

Besides their constant support and inspiration, father Tilak Raj, an eminent tabla player, they also closely listened to elder uncle, tabla maestro Shri Kale Ram, cousins Vanita and Jaidev, eminent musicians with expertise in the sitar and tabla, respectively.

Practising classical vocal music in their early period, they learnt music from Ustad Om Prakash Thapar.

They gradually started performing in music festivals. With Anupreet once getting the second position at the Shree Baba Harballabh Sangeet Sammelan and Ashupreet still holds the distinction of being the youngest (6) artiste to perform at the Harballabh Sangeet Sammelan.

Their father was interested in gurbani and Sikh history for a long time. With their grandmother also a keen listener of shabad kirtan, their inclination slowly started taking a shift towards gurmat sangeet.

Occasionally delivering recitals at gurdwaras, three small, humble girls rendering shabads with the dignity and ease of a seasoned and mature musician, they commanded respect from the “sangat” wherever they performed.

Approached by a company which asked them to sing folk songs, their father took the stand and decided his daughters would stick to gurbani. Why?

“I felt it was a test. But faith is stronger than all else,” quips Tilak Raj.

In 1998, the trio released its first cassette “Sada Sach Samaal Jeo”.

That very year an article on them in a newspaper caught the attention of late katha vachak Giani Sant Singh Maskeen. The highly impressed Giani finally sent an invitation for them to perform at Alwar.

They hit the right chord and the release of their cassette “Prem Lago Har Teer” (2003) with Plasma records gave them a kind of popularity which made them a household name. A series of others cassettes “Tin Jan Dekha Naini” (2004) and “Tera Kiya Meetha Lage” (2005) were also huge hits.

Who composes your shabads?

Mostly it’s us. Pooja specialises in compositions of mishrit rags.

Did you ever face problems?

There were times we were kept waiting for so long that we ended up crying. But the love we have got has triumphed over the odds.

Best compliment

People sometimes are teary-eyed after our performance. Elderly people touch our feet. A moved sangat which feels the word of god through us is the best compliment.

Upcoming prejects

A record titled “Mere Sahiba”.

Jalandhar, June 11
The two teams of Police DAV Public School, Police DAV Project, Coloumbiat and Bellivistat, have bagged the second and third positions, respectively, in the space settlement design competition organised by NASA.

The two teams comprising six students each participated in a conference organised by the National Space Society in collaboration with NASA at Orlando, USA. Initially, 312 teams participated in the contest and the winners were invited to attend the conference.

Both the winning teams gave their presentations, displayed their projects and were honoured by the organisers. The students availed an opportunity to meet Winston Elliot Scott, a NASA astronaut, who had accompanied Kalpana Chawla in her mission to space. He shared his space walk experience with the students.