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Ward Number 7
WHO, NACO team visits GNDH
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Land of foodies
Miners’ rescue-op hero hailed by West Bengal government
Intach school clubs take a heritage walk
School Buzz
Women Rights
Govt faces flak over flight issue
St Jude School travels into Jurassic era
Stone of synthetic athletic track laid
Caught in jams
Varsity ties up with HDFC Bank for training, job
Regulators have big role to play: FM
Campus Buzz
DAV College opens Centre for Audio-Visual Communication
Experts To Govt |
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Ward Number 7
Amritsar, November 20 The situation is no different here either, as compared to its seemingly less fortunate counterparts. A ganda nallah welcomes you, the moment you enter the area. The Tung Bala drain has made life hell for the residents. The uncovered nallah has become the reason for the spread of various diseases like viral and malaria, and for the changing of genes of residents living in the area, due to contaminated water which has seeped into the earth and mixed with underground water. It is pertinent to mention here that although half of the about five kilometer stretch of the nallah has been covered, the remaining part is yet to be covered. Ironically, despite the sanction of enormous funds under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNRUM) by the centre, it is short-sightedness and lack of planning on the part of the local Municipal Corporation, which has failed to absorb the funds. An MC official, preferring anonymity, confirmed that the delay in the development project was due to the inability of the state government to pool in its share of funds to execute the deal under JNNURM. It may be recalled that residents of the Medical Enclave and its adjoining areas of the Ganda Nallah, including Guru Gobind Singh Nagar, were up in arms against the failure of the consecutive governments in covering the Ganda Nallah. They had decided to go in for ‘negative’ voting during parliamentary elections, till the nallah is covered. One of the residents, Dr. Ranvir Singh Pannu, alleged that politicians had failed to take note of the foul smell emanating from the area due to the sewage flowing in the nallah, which has affected the lives of about 50,000 inhabitants of Guru Nanak Avenue, Akash Avenue, Avtar Avenue and Medical Enclave. He said during elections, leaders of various political parties promised to cover it but after coming to power they never turned up to solve the problems. Rashmi Nanda, Principal of Panther Public School situated just adjoining to this stinking Nallah, said the conditions are worst during the rains when insects come out of the drain besides the unbearable stench. Moreover, sometimes piles of slush, gathered by corporation employees during the cleaning of the drain are left on its sides for days together. Ravinder Kumar, another resident of the Akash Avenue said besides the drain, the lanes of some areas in the colony are yet to be metaled. Councilor speak
Onkar Kaur, a Councilor of the area (Congress) expressed her inability to redress the problem due to alleged discrimination. She said during the previous government, majority of the work of cementing the lanes, laying of roads and laying of sewerage and water supply system, was carried out. She said during the present SAD-BJP government, the areas with Congress Councilors were being overlooked due to political friction. Speaking about the drain, she said it was due to the failure of the Municipal Corporation and the state government, in pooling their contribution, which had resulted in inordinate delay in covering the drain. However, the Mayor and Commissioner could not be contacted for comments despite repeated attempts. |
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WHO, NACO team visits GNDH
Amritsar, November 20 The team that included James Moor, Dr Maharaja Muthu and Nandini Kapoor from Unicef, Annie from World Bank, State Additional Project Director, Dr N.S. Sharma, Dr Subhash Chander and Dr S.S. Basra from NACO interacted with the patients and staff attending them. They also visited the Microbiology Department and Gynaecology Department of the medical college. Although the team refused to interact with the media, a member of the team said this was the third phase of the campaign launched by the WHO and other allied organisations during which they would be visiting various ART centres in and around the city. Meanwhile, the team interacted with the patients and asked various questions like from where they were getting the medicines, the attitude of doctors towards them, from how much time they were suffering from the disease, their monthly income, their family background and sources of income, etc. It is pertinent to mention here that the WHO and other allied organisations have granted huge amounts for the prevention and treatment of the deadly disease launching a special campaign. The authorities concerned said the organisation selected the border city of Amritsar from all over the country where the AIDS has spread its tentacles assuming alarming proposition. The team arrived to have firsthand information whether the funds released in this regard were being rightly and judicially used. The team would prepare a thorough report of their visit depending on which the WHO would release its grant for the next phase of the project. According to data, out of 28,373 patients checked from 1993 to June, 2009, 5,762 patients were found HIV positive in the holy city, which is much more than as compared to other parts of the state, while Patiala was at second place with 2,163 patients.
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Land of foodies
This love for food has given birth to the eating out culture attracting one and all. Some even say that this tradition is perhaps as old as the city itself. And with the increase in the spending power, there is a tremendous rise in the number of eating outlets. So much so, the good-old dhabas serving local cuisine from generations are even treading in to world famous territories like the Chinese and continental to outdo their competitors and to cater to the always changing eating habits of the customers. Talking of popularity of these outlets, octogenarian Darshan Lal from Gali Tiwariyan feels the city in whole, unlike any other part of the country, has made eating out a culture. Naashta time
Kesar Da Dhaba
You come to the walled city and you don’t visit Kesar Da Dhaba, it’s not possible. Known for maah ki dal, which has been served since dhaba’s inception, nearly a century old dhaba has big names in the fan list. Former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, former President Giani Zail Singh and celebrities like Yana Gupta, Manpreet Brar, Liza Ray, Yash Chopra, Uttam Singh have come calling to the dhaba to serve their taste-buds. Vijay Kumar, known as Babbi Pehalwan, one of the proprietors of Kesar Da Dhaba, says his grandfather late Lal Kesar Mal established the shop in 1916 after migrating from Shekhupura, now in Pakistan. At that time, only paranthas and mah ki dal were available at the dhaba, he adds. Presently, as many as 23 items feature in its menu list. Some other popular dhabas include Inder Puri Dhaba, known for its shahi paneer, and Kundan Dhaba. Some popular restaurants and hotels include MK, Ista, Country Inn, Eldorado Restaurant, Hotel Kumar International, Grand Hotel, Skylark Hotel and Lawrence Andaz Restaurant. Outer influence
Kuch meetha ho jaye
There are a number of desserts and sweetdish options too that are available in Amritsar. From gur ka halwa and balushahis to pinnis, Amritsar present a wide array of lip-smacking delicacies. Complaint box
With so much good, there are some bads attached to the string. Advocate Manjinder Singh says with competition rising, many old eating outlets serving local cuisine were not able to maintain the taste and quality of food items. Echoing similar views, Surinder Singh Arora feels because of the rising numbers, many dhabas are not able to carry forward the traditional taste of Punjabi delicacies. |
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Miners’ rescue-op hero hailed by West Bengal government
Amritsar, November 20 Born at his ancestral village Jagdev Khurd in Ajnala tehsil of this district, he received education from Khalsa College, where he was declared Khalsa College blue for remaining the overall best student and player. It was on November 16 in 1989 that Gill, who was General Manager with Coal India Limited, listened to the screams of 71 coal miners trapped in a 110-foot deep water-logged coal mine. The inundation of the mine placed the lives of all miners in danger as all the entry and exit ways were closed. He devised a novel way of sending down a six-foot high iron capsule, from a new bore hole. Putting his life in danger, he went inside the highly dangerous mine and rescued 65 miners. Displaying exemplary courage, he himself had gone down in the mine to personally rescue the trapped miners. After rescuing all miners, he had come out of the mine after remaining in the water-logged mine for seven hours. The courageous move had instilled confidence among the onlookers who also joined him later, he said. However, he still rues that he could not save six other miners. Trained in mine rescue operations, he had put all his skills to use with audacity. The then President of the country Ramaswamy Venkataraman had conferred on him the Sarvottam Jeevan Raksha Padak, one of the highest civilian bravery awards. Thus, he had also earned the distinction of being the first and only employee of Coal India Limited to have been awarded by the President. However, the Rotary Club along with numerous NGOs of the city, honoured him recently. Talking to the Amritsar Plus, he said, “Almighty had desired that I perform this duty, which I did to the best of my abilities.” He said the action had definitely raised the image of Sikhs in their eyes.
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Intach school clubs take a heritage walk
Amritsar, November 20 Students, led by Dr Sukhdev Singh and coordinator of clubs Amrit Lal Mannan, visited Jallianwala Bagh, Quila Ahluwalia, Gurdwara Saragarhi, Town Hall, Gurdwara Santokh Sar, Guru Bazar, Guru ke Mehal, Darshni Deorhi, Chitta Akhara, Akhara Sangalwala and other places during the walk. Teachers and students were impressed by the architect of old buildings and the beautiful wood and artwork on their facades. Many beautiful works of art need to be preserved. The teachers were disappointed to see the poor sanitary condition of the narrow lanes, heaps of garbage and stray dogs, which put poor impression on the visitors of the city. Speaking on the occasion, Dr Sukhdev Singh told the students about the competition launched by Fox History TV channel named “My City My History”, wherein students from Class VI to IX could participate. “They have to write an untold story in not more than 750 words about a monument, religious place, festival, fair, costumes and culture or some personality. The students have to submit their writings by December 31 to the convener. The student whose story is selected will be telecast,” said Dr Sukhdev Singh. He said certificates would be given to all participants. Among others who were present on the occasion included P.S. Mahura from Guru Nanak Dev University, Teachers Sandeep Singh, Madhu Sharma and Vanita from Spring Dale Senior Secondary School and Rajesh Kumar, Sudeep Singh, Swinder Singh and Baldev Singh from Town Hall School.
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School Buzz
Amritsar, November 20 “TB can be cured if one takes the DOTS treatment, which is available free of cost in various government health centers, regularly and in time,” he said. Dr. Harvinder Kumar, Organiser, Government of India, said there was a dire need to spread awareness about the disease, particularly in the rural areas. National techno cultural symposium
Jugraj from B.Tech IInd year won the top honours in solo singing at the annual convention-cum-national level techno cultural symposium held at the Ryat Institute of Engineering and Technology, Ropar. The college drama team won top honours in the street play while Vishal Sareen of B.Tech IIIrd semester won the overall best student award. IIIrd prizes were won in the events of creative writing, arm wrestling and Malwai Gidha. College placements
More than 14 students of the final year of Bachelor of Hotel Management and Catering technology of SSCMT College have been placed in the leading hotel industry groups including ITC Sheraton and Kentucky Fried Chicken a multinational food group. Primary Health Camp
Amritsar Engineering College
organised a health seminar-cum-workshop where Dr Pankaj Sain along with Dr. Amandeep Kaur of a private hospital were the speakers. —
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Women Rights
Amritsar, November 20 She said it is for the first time that women from all over the country would participate and hold such a huge rally for their genuine demands. She said a memorandum would also be submitted to Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh in this regard during the rally. Talking to the media, Amarjit, who is also the National Secretary, All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), pointed out that about 95 per cent of women, still work in the unorganised sector. However, they were not being paid much less as compared to their male counterparts. She said workingwomen were still deprived of social security schemes. Other genuine demands, which would be taken up during the rally, include bringing Anganwari workers and assistants under government employees schemes, social security and minimum wages (as per government schemes) for women working under Asha and mid-day meal schemes, to bring the domestic women workers under social welfare schemes besides framing stringent possible laws against sexual exploitation of women at their work places. Meanwhile, the Communist Party of India today held a protest rally in the Chheharta area against price rise. Amarjit Singh Asal, District Secretary, CPI, whiled criticising the government, said the government failed to take stern action against hoarders who were the main cause behind price rise. He said the government failed to contain the price rise issue concerning the common man, besides it gave chances to defaulting hoarders who were later granted stay by the court.
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Govt faces flak over flight issue
Amritsar, November 20 The AVM patrons, Prof Mohan Singh and Dr Charanjit Singh Gumtala, in a joint statement lamented over Air India’s curtailment of Amritsar-London-Toronto existing daily flights to only four a week in spite of heavy bookings and absence of any protest from the Punjab Government. They alleged that the SAD-BJP seemed to be reluctant in the development of Amritsar international airport at Rajasansi. They said the demand for flights from Amritsar-Vancouver, Singapore, Melbourne, Milan and Birmingham was raised by them in the committee meeting headed by Dr M.S. Gill, chairman of parliamentary panel on the development of the airport. — TNS
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St Jude School travels into Jurassic era
Amritsar, November 20 Life size models of dinosaurs were made out of bamboo, paint and waste paper. The focus of the whole program was how to be environment friendly in the 21st century utilising the resources provided by nature. The model of “An intelligent house” showed how to exploit the fullest potential of solar energy and other natural resources to reduce our dependence on electricity. Another exhibit “Corridors of power” showed how electricity is produced and transmitted from the power station to consumers. Yet another exhibit showed different types of bridges, including beam bridge, arch bridge and cantilever bridge, with very fluent explanation by rural students in English. The visitors, most of them parents and principals of other schools, enjoyed and actually sat on the weight-bearing furniture like stools, tables made out of waste newsprint. Dr A.S. Mahal, the chief guest, while complementing the students, enlightened them with facts and figures about the nutritional and therapeutic values of common herbs and advised them to go for knowledge, collect it from all sources and share it with the masses. The tiny tots enjoyed being amidst dinosaurs of the Jurassic age and getting their pictures taken among them.
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Stone of synthetic athletic track laid
Tarn Taran, November 20 The minister, while addressing the gathering, said the track, with a cost of Rs 493.35 lakh, would be completed within nine months. Besides players of Tarn Taran, the players of Amritsar and Gurdaspur would also take full use of the track. The track is a joint venture of the Sports Authority of India (SAI) and the Punjab Sports Department and they have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with each other. The construction work of the track has been entrusted to the CPWD. In addition to running track, the facility of pole vault, long jump, shot put, javelin throw, etc, will also be provided as per the international standards here. —
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Caught in jams
Amritsar, November 20 Katra Jai Mal Singh, Chowk Farid, Bazaar Tahli Sahib, Cash Dhara Bazaar, Telephone Exchange Chowk, Shastri Market, Guru Bazaar and adjoining areas are famous old shopping areas of the city and a large chunk of NRIs visiting the city to pay obeisance at Golden Temple form their valuable customers base. However, unauthorised parking of vehicles, including two-wheelers and four wheelers and rehris selling eatables capture half of the road in several markets, which ultimately lead to frequent traffic blockades and commuters have little to do but honking their horns. Rickshaw pullers, rehri wallahs ply in the same lane. Moreover, they refuse to budge howsoever the long jam may be. In absence of any strategy to manage the flow inside the old city, hardly any traffic policeman is seen inside the city. Meanwhile, the Municipal Corporation has held meetings with the police to chalk out a joint strategy to address the traffic menace but nothing has come out so far. A shopkeeper at Katra Jai Mal Singh, Sunder Kumar Seth said till the time people do not mind walking a few-minute distance from the parking lot to their destination, there cannot be planned parking on the roads. He said a multi storey parking lot at Town Hall chowk, close to this commercial market, has been thrown open for the public. However, locals are not ready to utilise it apparently for being reluctant to pay. Political interference in the functioning of the police and administration over removal of encroachments has made matter worse. Construction material and debris add to woes
The problem of commuter is compounded as the construction material and ‘malba’ (debris) of old houses are placed on the road without giving any thought to the security of the people. The situation turns grave during the rains as it turns into mud and slush. Otherwise, flying sand and dust make people blind for seconds which result in accidents. Bad impact on tourists
Although the foreign tourists visiting the holy city feel overwhelmed by its beauty and heritage, they often return with bad memories of traffic jams, pollution, harassment, encroachments and a feeling of “irresponsibility” on part of the government, the administration and the public. According to a tourist guide Gurinder Singh Johal, well maintained, regulated and cleaned walled city could be a cynosure for tourists coming here from all over the globe. He said it would also prolong their stay in the holy town. Menace of speeding bikes
in narrow lanes
Youngsters love to ride bikes at their will without giving a thought that the streets are not wide enough. Besides, density of population is much higher in the walled city in comparison to other parts. It leads to accidents and altercation. |
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Varsity ties up with HDFC Bank for training, job
Amritsar, November 20 Under the programme, experts of the bank will train students, who later on will be evaluated and absorbed in the bank, said Dr Sukhdev Singh, Director, Placement Department of the university. He said the initiative was taken to create talent pool to cater to the requirements of banking and financial institutions. The successful students would also receive an AMFI certification after the successful completion of the course, he added. The Director, Placement, said the programme would be useful to the students of MBA and help them to build career in financial and banking sector. He said many more such activities for different courses were in the pipeline in near future. Guru Nanak Dev University was the first university in the state who had signed an MoU with the prestigious bank, claimed Dr Sukhdev Singh. The MoU was signed by Ishlesh Bhaskar, Assistant Vice-President (Human Resources), HDFC Bank, and Dr Inderjeet Singh, Registrar, Guru Nanak Dev University. While other who were present on the occasion included Dr A.S. Brar, Vice-Chancellor of the varsity, Dr Raghbir Singh, Dean (Academic Affairs), Dr A.K. Thukral, Dean (Student Welfare), and Dr Lakhwinder Singh, Head of the Department of Commerce and Business Management.
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Regulators have big role to play: FM
He expressed his thanks to the Forum of Regulators (FOR) and Forum of Inidan Regulators (FOIR) for choosing Amritsar as venue for the meeting of the regulators. While highlighting the achievements of Punjab on the reforms front in power sector, the minister also accepted that there were a number of issues that still remained to be resolved in realising the vision of the government in improving the quality of supply of electricity to consumers and efficiency improvements in the performance of the utilities. He expressed hope that the deliberations in the meeting of the regulators would definitely yield solutions to all such issues facing not only punjab but also other states in the country also. Giving emphasis on reforms in the distribution sector, K.D. Chowdhury, member distribution, PSEB, said it is important for streamlining the functioning of the power boards including generation, transmission and distribution. He made a power presentation on reforms in the power sector. It discussed the power reforms initiated by the central government. The electricity regulators deliberated on issues specific to protection of consumer’s interest with focus on standardising performance standards for the utilities in terms of ensuring quality of supply to consumers. The regulators agreed on model performance standards which recognise guaranteed standards of performance and over all standards of performance. Guaranteed performance standards are the minimum levels of performance on various parameters like attending to consumers complaints, restoration of Districbution Transform failure (DT failure) within the stipulated time period. The distribution companies are required to comply with these guaranteed performance standards failing which they will be liable to pay compensation to the affected consumers. This will make the distribution companies more responsible. Overall performance standards are the desirable standards, which the distribution company is expected to follow over a period. Regulators also debated on the need for further strengthening the institution of Consumer Grievance Redressal Forum (CGRF) and Ombudsman for redressal grievances of the consumers. As per the electricity law, a consumer will approach a CGRF to be constituted by the distribution company for redressal of his grievances. If the consumer is not satisfied with the decision of the CGR, he would have the option of approaching the ombudsman to be designated by the State Electricity Regulatory Commission (SERC). The regulators reviewed the status of the institutionalisation of CGRF and ombudsman and agreed on measures to make these institutions more effective. Promotion of green energy was another focus area for the discussion in the meeting of regulators. The regulators underscored that the promotion of renewable sources of energy was of critical importance in view of the need for energy security of the country. Of the various renewable energy technology, the potential of solar energy has been exploited the least. A national solar mission is being formulated at the central level to give fillip to the solar energy. The regulators invited the leading investors in the solar technology to present their views on enabling regulatory framework for the solar energy.
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Campus Buzz
Amritsar, November 20 Dr Inderjit Singh, Registrar of the University said that the celebrations would start in the morning at 8.30 am with the Bhog Sri Akhand
Path followed by Shabad Kirtan and Ardas at the Gurdwara Sahib (University Campus). He said that the Folklore Exhibition would be held at 10 am in the Sangat Hall (Guru Nanak Bhawan Auditorium). The Rare Books and Manuscripts Exhibition would be organised at 10.45 am in the Bhai Gurdas Library, while the Painting Exhibition would be displayed at 10.45 am Outside the Guru Nanak Bhawan and Bhai Gurdas Library. He said the academic lectures would commence at 11 am in the Guru Nanak Bhawan Auditorium of the University in which Prof. J.S. Bajaj, Vice-Chairman of Punjab State Planning Board, Prof. G.K. Chadha, Chief Executive Officer, South Asian University, New Delhi & former Vice-Chancellor of Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi and Padamshree Prof. Gurdial Singh, a renowned writer and Jnanpeeth Awardee would deliver these lectures. The Registrar said Guru Ka Langar would be served at the Senate Hall Lawns after the academic lectures at 1.00 pm. He said that a hockey match would be played between the hockey teams of the Punjabi University, Patiala and Guru Nanak Dev University in the University Hockey Ground at 4 pm while at 6.30 pm, the Kirtan Darbar would be held at Sangat Hall of the Guru Nanak Bhawan Auditorium. Meanwhile, the Registrar said that the Non-Teaching Departments and the branches of Administrative Block will remain open as usual on November 24 and in lieu of this, the University will observe holiday on some other day. Seminar on Guru Nanak The Guru Nanak Studies Department of GNDU would organise the 24th annual seminar on Guru Nanak and Origin of Gurdwara Institution in the university premises on November
22 and 23. According to Dr Gursharanjeet Singh, Head of the Department, Prof Ajaib Singh Brar, Vice-Chancellor of the University, would inaugurate the seminar on November 22, while a renowned scholar, Prof Rattan Singh Jaggi, Patiala, would deliver the key-note address on this occasion. Prof Satinder Singh, a noted critic and former Pro-Vice-Chancellor of the university would preside over, he added. Prof Sashi Bala, Dean, Faculty of Humanities and Religious Studies, said distinguished scholars Prof. Balkar Singh and Prof. Jodh Singh from Patiala would preside over the technical sessions on the inaugural day. She said that on the concluding day (November 23), the morning session would be presided over by former Head of the Guru Nanak Studies Department of the University, Prof Madanjit Kaur, Chandigarh while
the valedictory session would be chaired by Prof. Devinder Singh, Jammu University, Jammu. She said 45 scholars from various universities and colleges would present their research papers during these two days. North zone youth fest trophy Guru Nanak Dev University has won the Inter-University North Zone Youth Festival Overall Championship Trophy. This 25th North Zone Inter-Varsity Youth Festival was concluded at Kurkshetra University, Kurkshetra, today. Dr Jagjit Kaur, Director Youth Welfare of the University said the University has also won the theatre, music and fine arts trophies of the fest. Meanwhile, Vice-Chancellor, Prof Ajaib Singh Brar and Registrar Dr Inderjit Singh have expressed their happiness and congratulate the student-artists. BSc results The results of B.Sc. (IT) Part-I and B.Sc. (Biotechnology) Part-I held by the Guru Nanak Dev University in September last has been declared by the university and are available
on the university website www.gndu.ac.in. Punjabi Week The School of Punjabi Studies of the Guru Nanak Dev University arranged a special lecture of Dr Surinder Kumar Daveshwar, Professor of Panjab University, Chandigarh, on the topic of Contemporary Punjabi Novel as part of ‘Punjabi Week’ programmes. Dr Dharam Singh, Head of the School, welcomed the key-speaker and audience and hoped the lecture of Dr Daveshwar would enhance the knowledge of the teachers and the students as the former is a noted critic of Punjabi literature. Dr Daveshwar said good novels can only be written on the basis of research and study of modern era. He said in the era of globalisation and information technology, there are certain subjects like terrorism, environment, female foeticide and dalit problems are yet to be taken up by the Punjabi novelists. Dr Harbhajan Singh Bhatia, Dr. Sukhdev Singh Khehra, Dr. Gurmeet Singh, Dr. Raminder Kaur took part in the discussion. Among others, Dr. Manjitpal Kaur, Dr. Kawaljit Grover, Dr. Kawaljit Jassal, Dr. Harjit Kaur, Dr. Darya, research scholars and students were present on this occasion.
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DAV College opens Centre for Audio-Visual Communication
Amritsar, November 20 The studio will facilitate the students with latest trends in audio-visual production.
Speaking on the occasion, college principal Satish Kumar Sharma said, “The college completed the project in a short span and the studio is first of its kind in the region.” While giving a detailed account about the future plans for the department, he said, “The college is looking forward to launch a community radio so as to reach
more and more people in this region.” Prof Sandeep Kumar, Coordinator, MCVP, said, “The studio would have facilities of news reading, panel discussion, editing facilities, voice-over recording and many more.” On this occasion, vice-principal Prof Suresh Sharma, college registrar Prof Baldev Sachdeva, Prof Rajnish Popi, Prof Arif Nazir, Prof Amardeep Gupta were also present.
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Experts To Govt
Amritsar, Jalandhar 20 Quoting some data, Dr. Karunesh Gupta, one of the experts of the team, said as per recent surveys, out of the total population of the country, about 20 lakh persons in the country suffer from permanent hearing impairment while the number is pegged at 20,000 in Punjab and 1,500 in Amritsar. He said need is being felt for spreading awareness regarding the availability of surgery so that more and more people could be benefited from this and various NGOs and government agencies should also come forward. Dr. Anil Monga, eminent ENT surgeon from Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, New Delhi, who was also part of the team which had operated upon the child, was accompanying Dr. Gupta. As many as over 3,250 persons, between six months to 77 years, were benefited from Nuclear Cochlear Implants in the country while more than 1.2 lakh persons were operated for implant all over the globe. Dr. Gupta said the implant was best suited for people who were born with this impairment or acquired it due to infections, accidents or trauma later in life. He said the best age for implants are the first seven years of a child’s life, the time when speech ability develops in a child. What is a cochlear implant? A cochlear implant is a small, complex electronic device which helps to provide a sense of sound to profoundly deaf persons. It also contains an external device that is fitted behind the ear and a second portion that is surgically placed under the skin. It consists of a microphone that picks up sound from the environment, a speech processor, which selects and arranges sounds picked up by the microphone. A transmitter and receiver/stimulator, which receive signals from the speech processor and convert them into electric impulses. An electrode array, which collects impulses from the stimulator and sends them to different regions of the auditory nerve. How does a cochlear implant work? A cochlear implant is not a substitute to hearing aids, said Dr. Gupta. Hearing aids amplify sounds so they may be detected by damaged ears. Cochlear implants directly stimulates the auditory nerve, bypassing the damaged portions of the ear. Signals generated by the implant are sent by way of the auditory nerve to the brain, which recognises the signals as sounds. However, it also requires speech rehabilitation by expert audiologists for a person to lead a normal life. Cochlear implant is best for children between 0-7 years, during which speech develops, said Dr. Gupta.
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After visiting ward number 5 and 6, the Amritsar Plus today paid a visit to ward number 7, under which fall some of the swishest localities of the city.
Amritsar, November 20
Amritsar, November 20
Amritsar, November 20
In breakfast, there is crunchy tandoori kulcha, better known as Amritsari kulcha, stuffed with potatoes, onion, cheese, a dash of garlic and ginger, is served with a big glass of lassi. Puri chhole, bhature chhole and kachodi are other delicacies savoured in breakfast. And in case of youngsters, they prefer to take kulcha with cold drinks. Catching up with this trend, almost every hotel in the Civil Line area has thrown open plush eating outlets with luxurious interiors. 
Some of the famous cuisines of the Punjab have been derived from the Mughals. Murg Makhni is an apt example which is also considered as a substitute of the tandoori chicken. 
Amritsar, November 20