Kurukshetra, March 20
Research and transfer of technology are the key to economic growth and increasing productivity in all important sectors like agriculture, industry and services is imperative for balanced development of the nation and to ensure that benefits of development percolate to the people at the lowest level. This was stated by Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee here today.

Delivering his address at the seventh convocation of the National Institute of Technology (NIT), Kurukshetra, he exhorted students to develop scientific temperament and acquire latest technology through scientific process to compete in the present era of globalisation.

“The degrees are not permits for work and employment but merely a testimony to take decisions and open the doors for emerging opportunities,” he said, adding that knowledge they gain there would enable them in facing the future challenges with confidence.

He said when India was fast recovering from recession, it was confronted with a problem of low-food productivity, but there was growth in the merchandise sector and as a consequence, the economy was better than it was one year ago.

Stressing that economic growth was a powerful instrument of development, he said the daunting task before the country was to increase the gross domestic production (GDP) and ensuring food security.

Listing character, confidence, competence, determination, devotion and discipline as virtues of a successful person, Mukherjee said discipline was the most essential constituent and urged the students to be truthful, righteous and remain firm on their conviction.

Emphasising that big opportunities come to those who make the best of small ones, Mukherjee said no power could beat a person who was confident enough to fight the hardships.

He said as President Pratiba Patil had said this decade was decade of innovation but innovation came from human experiences of process and products and as such technological activities should be expanded to reach the end-users.

He was also conferred DLitt degree (Honoris Causa) by Director (NIT) MN Bandopadhyay for his competence and excellence in personal and professional fields and commendable achievement and contribution in the national and international arena, especially in the fields of teaching, journalism, diplomacy and administration.

As many as 514 students, including 302 BTech, 135 MTech, 58 MBA and 19 PhD students were conferred degrees at the convocation.

Panipat, March 20
The fear of spread of an epidemic gripped several localities of the city as sewage overflowed following a technical snag in the water treatment plant on the Jatla road here today.

This led to mixing of sewage water into the drinking water pipelines, following which the district administration swung into action and asked the residents not to consume water from pipelines. Instead, elaborate arrangements were made for drinking water by pressing water tankers into action in all affected localities.

The flow of sewage water got restricted in Model Town area, 8-marla locality, Saini Pura, Virat Nagar and some colonies in the Arya Nagar locality. Officials of the Public Health Department initiated measures to put the water treatment plant back into action. Besides, efforts were also being made to spread the word that people should not consume the water being supplied through water pipes. They also made an appeal to the people to boil water before consuming it to avoid spread of any epidemic.

Aseem Khanna, a senior official of the department, said it had come to their notice that several water pipes in the area were passing through drains and this had resulted in contamination of drinking water in some of the areas. He said the department had already taken up the issue and measures to again lay down the pipes through cleaner areas had been initiated.

Officials said certain residents in these areas had been drawing water through illegal connections, which might have led to mixing of sewage water with drinking water. They said residents were also being asked to inform the department in case they spot any leakages in the water pipelines. Old pipelines were being replaced. There were no reports of anyone falling ill till the filing of the report.

Kaithal, March 20
The kin of a rape victim and residents of Balu village in Kalayat Sub Tehsil of this district demanding quick action against the accused, held a protest outside the camp office of the Deputy Commissioner here this evening.

It is learnt that they were demanding the registration of a case against the remaining four accused, who were allegedly also involved in the crime.

They alleged that it was a case of gangrape and in all five persons were involved. The protesters kept the rape victim lying on the gates of the DC office till the arrival of the DC. The DC met the protesters and assured them proper action against the accused. Later, the protesters also called on SSP Sandeep Khirwar.

DC Amneet P Kumar said initially she invited the members of the victim’s family to listen to their grievances but when the protesters insisted that they all wanted to meet her, she met them outside her residence and assured them action against the accused.

SSP Khirwar said one accused had already been arrested. He said after receiving the complaint the police registered an FIR and the accused were booked under Section 376 of the IPC and prevention of atrocities against the SC/ ST Act.

Gurgaon, March 20
The first evening court of Haryana was inaugurated by Mr Justice P Sathashivam of the Supreme Court at a ceremony presided over by Mr Justice Mukul Mudgal, Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, at the district court complex here today.

The evening court, which has been set up with a view to reducing the burden of cases in the regular courts, will function from 5 pm to 7 pm.

Such evening courts have been started in four districts - Gurgaon, Faridabad, Hisar and Karnal - on an experimental basis. If these succeed, such courts will be established in other districts of the state.

Addressing the gathering on the occasion, Mr Justice Sathashivam said piling up of cases in the regular courts was a cause for concern for all and by disposal of petty cases in the evening courts, the burden would be lessened.

He maintained that the cases pertaining to traffic challans, the Factories Act, the Punjab Shops and Establishment Act and the Motor Vehicles Act could be taken up at these evening courts.

In his address, Justice Mudgal observed that with the setting up of evening courts, senior advocates would be able to concentrate on serious cases as they could send their juniors to the evening courts.

Justice AK Goel and Justice SK Mittal of the Punjab and Haryana High Court also addressed the gathering.

District and Sessions Judge Raminder Jain welcomed the guests, while president of the District Bar Association Santokh Singh proposed a vote of thanks.

Santokh Singh demanded the setting up of a High Court bench in Gurgaon, chambers for advocates and early disposal of stamp-vendors’ case in the High Court as Gurgaon had only one stamp-vendor.

Sirsa, March 20
If India is to grow into a developed nation, its agriculture economy must be given a boost and programmes dedicated to agriculture must be increased.Inaugurating the 27th conference of the Haryana Economics Association (HEA) in the seminar hall of Chaudhary Devi Lal University here today, Prof T Haque, Director, Academic Council for Social Development and noted agriculture economist, said 80 per cent of our population still lived in villages and their prime occupation was agriculture and animal husbandry.

“While formulating and implementing policies for the welfare of the farming community, the participation of economists must be ensured,” said Haque, who has earlier been the Chairman of the Commission for Agriculture Costs and Prices for five years.

He said economists should carry out research activities aimed at increasing agriculture productivity in the country.

Prof Rajbir Singh, President of the Haryana Economic Association, said the association had tied up with various universities in the state for furthering research activities in the field of economics.

Dr J Ganeshan, Additional Deputy Commissioner, Jind, explained how the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA), that was launched as a pilot project in Sirsa and Mahendragarh and later extended to the whole state, had helped uplift the economic condition of villagers living below the poverty line.

Gurgaon, March 20
Haryana Governor Jagannath Pahadia today unveiled the LEED Certification Plaque given to the Institute of Rural Research and Development’s (IRRAD) green building in Sector 44, Gurgaon, which has been awarded the Platinum Green Building rating by the US Green Building Council's (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) programme.

The Governor also laid the foundation stone of the second phase of the IRRAD office complex and released the case study compendium of the organisation.

Speaking on the occasion, Pahadia congratulated the Sehgal Foundation and IRRAD for constructing the green building, adding that such buildings were the need of the hour. He also appreciated the rural uplift programmes being run by the foundation in 20 villages of Mewat district.

LEED platinum certification recognises buildings meeting the highest standards of efficiency and sustainability. The IRRAD building, constructed on a 1.1 acre plot, has been operational since 2008.

The USGBC, established in the US in 1993, certifies buildings based on design and construction that significantly reduce or eliminate negative impacts on their occupants and the environment, including parameters such as energy efficiency and renewable energy, quality of indoor environment, conservation of materials and resources, and sustainable site planning.

IRRAD’s founder chairman Suri Sehgal said: “This building clearly indicates that it does not take much to build environmentally sustainable structures.”