R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

PUNJAB

Bathinda Teej festival celebrated: The Guru Nanak College for Girls, Muktsar, organised a Teej festival on Wednesday in the College premises. Gurmeet Bawa, a famous Punjabi folk singer was the chief guest on the occasion. Gurdial Kaur Mallan, chairperson, advisory board, inaugurated the programme. Gurmeet Bawa and his daughter Lachi Bawa sang some of their popular songs including "Babul Chittiya Chiitya Kunja" and "Kothariya, Jugani Mirza". The students also presented cultural programmes. Principal, Tejinder Kaur thanked the guests.

The students of Guru Nanak College for Girls celebrating Teej on Wednesday. A Tribune photograph

LUDHIANA
Teej celebrated: Dr Ranjit International School, Jassian Road, celebrated Teej with fervour on Wednesday. Students came dressed in colourful Punjabi attire. Miss Teej contest was also held. Head master of the school Kuldeep Singh and manager Satbir Singh told the students about the importance of the festival. Chief guest on the occasion was Ekta Sahni, president of Akhil Bharatiya Manav Adhikar Committee. She exhorted the students to actively participate in such events and do well in studies. She also talked about the social evil of female foeticide and urgent the need to address the issue. Chairperson of Akhil Bharatiya Manav Adhikar Committee Pushpa Sahni also spoke on the same issues and acquainted the students with the Punjabi culture. She distributed Rs 1,100 among the poor students and gave them notebooks. President of Lions' Club, Royal, Ludhiana, Dr AS Jassi also assured financial assistance to the needy students.

Friendship Day: SDP College for Women celebrated the Friendship Day on Tuesday at the seminar hall of the college with a quiz contest. Four teams comprising 16 students from different streams- arts, commerce and computer science participated. Bharti Saggar and Lakhwinder Kaur acted as the quiz masters.

CHANDIGARH

Counselling dates: The chairperson of the economics department, Panjab University, has notified that all candidates on the waiting list for admission to BA (hons school) economics (semester-I) and MA economics (semester-I) are allowed to appear for the second counselling. In the case of BA (hons school), the counselling will be on August 6 at 11.30 am, while for MA (economics) on August 10 at 11.30 am and the third counselling on August 23 at 11.30 am.

Seminar on AIDS awareness: The department of sociology of MCM DAV College for Women, Sector 36, organised a workshop-cum-seminar on HIV AIDS in collaboration with AISEC international. The event was organised to sensitise students about the global menace of HIV AIDS and the urgent need of fighting against this fatal disease by spreading awareness in society. The students were educated about the disease and its spread and were encouraged to associate with groups and organisations working to curb this virus. A play was presented by foreign delegates from AISEC. It was also designed to develop empathy in the students towards patients suffering from this disease. With delegates from countries like Russia, China, Canada and Hong Kong apprising the students about the disease and its related social facets, the event offered the students a peek into the global threat caused by the disease. In another event, the science association of the college organised “experimental demonstrations in physics” to excite curiosity in the students about innovations in science. MS Marwaha, founder-member of Anvashika, working in association with IAPT, addressed the students and educated them in innovative experiments on diffraction, polarisation, elastic collision, etc. Marwaha simplified the laws of physics for the students and encouraged them to employ science in innovative experiments. Prof Marwaha also solved queries of the students of the college.

Water week: To celebrate the season of monsoon, the pre-primary wing of Delhi Public School, Chandigarh, celebrated the water week with great enthusiasm. Several activities such as rain walk, paper-boat making and recitation competition were organised for the children of class nursery. Dressed in thematic attire, the children sang songs and rhymes stressing the need to conserve water. Principal Reema Dewan said such activities helped in instilling confidence in the children, which was important, especially during their formative years.

Medical camp: The office of the accountant general (A and E) with the help of doctors and technicians of Government Medical College and Hospital, Sector 32, on Wednesday organised eyes, ENT, skin and gynae, besides other ailments check up camp. Approximately 350 officials and staff members were medically examined at the camp.

HARYANA

Chandigarh
Photo electoral rolls: The Election Department has started a toll-free No. 1800-180-2407 at its state headquarters to prepare error-free photo electoral rolls. The toll free number had been introduced to facilitate the electors to lodge their grievances, say official sources.

Sirsa
Youth held for duping bank: The police has arrested a youth for duping the local main branch of the State Bank of India of Rs 11 lakh. The accused, Chandan Singh, a resident of 24 Pargana, Kolkata, was arrested by the police from the West Bengal capital and brought here on Monday. The accused allegedly deposited 22 fake cheques of SBI Mutual Funds, valued Rs 50,000 each, in his HDFC account in Sirsa and later withdrew the amount through his ATM card from Patna and Kolkata on different occasions. A cheating case was registered against him in 2008 on a complaint filed by the SBI.