Jalandhar, May 28
After weathering scorching heat for several days, people got relief this evening. Light showers brought smile on the faces of people who were having a tough time. What had added to their woes was a prolong power cut in the city since today morning. However, all changed for the good when a light drizzle started around 6.30 pm.

Sources said fast-blowing winds accompanied with occasional gusts of sand had caused a power failure. A tree uprooted by the wind had snapped the power supply system in a part of the city. The mercury came down sharply following rain. However, earlier in the day the sky remained engulfed with a duststorm. The temperature came down to 38.6° Celsius at Pathankot from 44°C yesterday, making it the hottest in the region.

Halwara recorded a maximum temperature of 36.4°C as compared to 43.1 degrees yesterday. Adampur remained at 36.3°C. However, yesterday the town had recorded a temperature of 42.9°C.

While the change in the temperature brought momentary relief for the people, but the duststorm in the earlier part of the day, coupled with high-velocity winds, created havoc for the daily commuters at many places. The winds forced people to stay indoors as trees, billboards and poles fell down at many places. However, there were no reports of any loss of property or life in the region.

Meteorology Department officials at Adampur Air Force Station said that winds blew at a speed of 90 km per hour making it difficult for vehicle owners to drive.

Meanwhile, power failure since morning coupled with little water supply throughout the day added to the woes of the people.

The Punjab State Power Corporation (PSPC) disconnected power supply at 9 am. Chief Engineer Vinod Sharma said that power supply was snapped as a precautionary measure. “However power disturbance took place in many rural areas and at some urban places as well. The technical staff has been deputed to rectify the problem,” he added.

The met authorities have predicted a partly cloudy to cloudy sky coupled with dust, occasional rain, haze and thunderstorm during the next 24 hours. “A light rain may take place at some places in the region,” the officials added.

Power supply was not restored till the filing of the report due to which drinking water supply was also disrupted. It is learnt that there is no alternative arrangement to supply water in the city in the event of a power failure.

Jalandhar, May 28
The CBSE Class X results declared today in the grade system format for the first time caused confusion as well as anxiety among parents as well as students. Most of them were found struggling to assess the exact scale of success.

Used to the percentage system in comparing the success with other students, students had difficulty to find out whether they had performed better or not.

Unlike previous years, this year the board has declared the overall results in the form of cumulative grade point average (CGPA) out of 10 and rendered students guessing whether they could multiply it with 10 to calculate their exact percentage. Till evening, most of the students and their parents were confronted with one major question as to who was the topper this year.

Later in the day, it came as a surprise to all the top slot-seekers that over 25 students in the city alone got 10 out of 10 CGPA.

The newly introduced system vanished the cutthroat competition which till last year prevailed among all local schools and their students. However, the system also came as respite for those students who were bound to bear the over stress of “wonderful performance” by their parents and teachers.

“This system has weeded out the unwanted competitive environment which resulted in high stress level among students. Now there are lot many toppers and there is a no loser,” said Satwant Gakhal, Principal, MGN Public School, Jalandhar.

The list of students who got 10 CGPA:

Dayanand Model Senior Secondary School: Charu Sachdeva, Ishan, Sanchi Gupta, Ishita Gupta, Rubina Kashyap, Shubham Sharma, Garima, Avlok Bharti, Shivantika Nagar, Priyanka Aneja and Rohini Vashisht.

MGN Public School: Anna Deol, Shehrazdeep Singh, Harshdeep Singh and Hithi Chawla.

APEEJAY School: Apoorva Singh, Pahur Jain, Mehnaaz and Prerita Tomar.

Eklavya Public School: Sagari Handa

Police DAV School: Mohit

Shiv Jyoti Public School: Nidhi Gupta

Guru Amar Dass Public School: Simarpreet Kaur Aneja

Sant Sain Dass Public School: Gurpal Singh and Tanu Bansal

Seth Hukam Chand Public School: Ayush Kaushal, Avantika, Amandeep Singh, Neha Chaudhary, Hemant Negi and Varun Gupta

Ten students of Innocent Heart Public School also scored 10 CGPA. 

Batala, May 28
The police arrested two persons, while their accomplice escaped, and seized 1,800 narcotic injections and 900 gm of psychotropic powder from them on Thursday.

The arrested persons have been identified as Ramesh Kumar and Rakesh Kumar, both residents of Gandhi Camp, Batala. Their accomplice has been identified as Ajay Kumar of Guru Nanak Nagar, Batala.

The police has registered a case under sections 21 and 22, NDPS Act.

The accused were produced before the magistrate today who remanded them in police custody.