Pitthoragarh, October 21
The Adventure Tourism Department of the Uttarakhand government started a five-day paragliding training camp for youth today. According to the organisers, 23 youth from Almora district have been selected in the first batch.

“During training, we give the youths tips in ground handling, take off, controlling, landing and soaring,” said KC Arya, District Adventure Officer, Almora.

Paragliding training is being provided at the Army Golf Club near the town and after this camp, youth from Pitthoragarh and Bageshwar districts will be trained.

“The climate is ideal in the Sour valley which is the chosen destination for paragliding training in the Kumaon region,” said the organiser.

Haridwar, October 21
After India having been overwhelmingly elected a non-permanent member in the United Nations Security Council, Canada has supported India’s claim to the permanent berth in the veto-powered council, terming India a very liable contender for a permanent seat in the council. Canada has also extended support to India in its war against terror, saying that global combined efforts are needed to fight this menace which is claiming millions of lives worldwide.

Impressed by the religious-spiritual atmosphere of the pilgrim city, the Canadian official evinced interest in having a educational collaboration with the Indian universities, particularly with Gurukul Kangri University, to develop a joint curriculum so that students from both sides could benefit from each others’ expertise.

This was stated by acting High Commissioner of Canada Jim Nickel while speaking to The Tribune during his one-day visit to Haridwar today. Reacting to Pakistan-sponsored terrorism against India, Nickel though treaded a non-aligned line, indirectly hinted that terrorism in any form was not acceptable as it’s a blow to humanity and needed serious global efforts to be eradicated.

Reaffirming Canada’s steps in this regard, the High Commissioner pointed out that Canada’s army troupes were stationed in Afghanistan to fight the Talibani extremism and help build a democratically elected government in the terror-hit country.

Regarding the Kanishka bombing in 1985, Nickel stated Canada had always been against terror and cooperated in every way it could in condemning the bombing, terming it as one of most barbaric acts of terrorism, in which 329 people on board the flight were killed.

On India’s claim, along with Brazil, South Africa and Japan, to the UN Security Council permanent seat, Nickel said India from all points, be it economic, defence, international standing or other factors, was a strong contender for the permanent berth.

“The Canadian government very well believes that the expansion of the UNSC is imminent in the current global situation wherein power shift has taken place with economic stability overpowering pro-defence-focused approach,” he added.

Despite Canada slapping sanctions against India post-1971 and 1998 Pokhran nuclear tests, understanding energy fuel requirements of India now it is providing nuclear fuel as well helping in establishment of nuclear reactors in India.

As per a civil-nuclear deal signed between Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Canadian counterpart Stephen Harper this July in Toronto during Dr Singh’s maiden visit to the country, Nickel said the nuclear energy generation was as per the agreement and Canada acknowledged the huge energy requirements of India with sharp change in stance of all nuclear fuel possessing countries.

Specifying the mutual collaboration taking place between governments of India and Canada, the High Commissioner said on par with Free Trade Agreement (FTA), various MoUs had been signed between both states, particularly focusing on educational and environmental aspects.

Notably, not only Canadian companies are investing heavily in India but also Indian companies are getting feasible business environment in Canada which can be gauged by the fact that over $ 9 million worth of investment has been made by Indian firms there only in the past financial year.

Several projects relating to science and technology, commerce, cultural, educational and nuclear energy are in the pipeline. Emphasis is on educational-cultural exchange to bring people of both countries more closer and in this regard next year in Canada will be celebrated as “Year of India in Canda”. Add to this the coveted Indian film fraternity awards International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) will be given in Toronto during the world famous Toronto International Film Festival, also scheduled next year.

Dehradun, October 21
Almost on the brink of extinction, the Ramman dance of Uttarakhand is slowly making its mark on the national stage and bringing about its revival.

Though they were unable to perform at the Commonwealth Games opening ceremony in New Delhi, Ramman dancers of Uttarakhand will be participating in the Akhyaan Festival that is on in New Delhi.

After the UNESCO accorded recognition to the traditional dance form last year, their association with the Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts (IGNCA) is also proving fruitful for the artistes.

Besides getting a larger platform at Akhyaan, they will also stage annual performances at the Bhomiyal temple complex in Saloor Dungra. All these performances are expected to help in the revival of the ancient dance form.

“There are one or two copies of narrative text of the ancient dance form. It has to be preserved for posterity. If these are lost, the dance too will disappear,” said Dr DR Purohit, conservationist and Professor at Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna Garhwal University.

Donning masks, Ramman artistes enact the Ramayana. Through myths, tales and legends, the dance form traces the history of Rama in the region.

Similar dances, dedicated to different local deities, are enacted during March and April in dozens of villages in the state.

The practice of using masks while performing the ballet is popular in Chamoli and Rudraprayag districts. The tradition of Ramman has been recognised by the UNESCO to be typical to Saloor, Dungra and Selang villages of Uttarakhand.

In fact, the HNB University has also come forward to help in its revival. “Only three artistes now remain in Uttarakhand who remember the script. We have held workshops with Than Singh, Gabbar Singh and Kamal Singh. They are quite old and are perhaps the last survivors. We have been able to put on paper some of their oral tradition,” stressed Dr Purohit.

The university has already trained Sanjay Pandey, who has become an accomplished dancer and has performed on many occasions both inside and outside Uttarakhand.

Along with reviving the dance form, the IGNCA is also supporting artistes and drummers who are increasingly finding it difficult to carry forward the art.

“The traditional masks too have either been lost and stolen. We are trying to salvage lost ground,” said Kushal Bhandari, an art conservationist.

Dehradun, October 21
Despite the Central government’s high priority to implement its programmes for the minorities, the lackadaisical attitude of the state government has left the Multi-Sectoral Development Programmes (MSDPs), 2009, gasping for breath in two districts.

In the four districts of Haridwar, Udham Singh Nagar, Nainital and Dehradun, where the minority population is concentrated, the districts of Haridwar and Udham Singh Nagar have been selected for the MSDP under the Union Ministry of Minority Affairs.

The state department has to submit utilisation certificates for, at least, 60 per cent of the funds before the Centre releases the next installment for the project. “The overall utilisation is 30 per cent in the two districts and we are working as per the guidelines of the Central government,” said Vinita Kumar, Principal Secretary, Social Welfare.

Against the allocation of Rs 3,480 lakh for Haridwar, the Central government released Rs 150 lakh as first installment and against the allocation of Rs 2,470 lakh for Udham Singh Nagar, by the Centre, the state received Rs 186 lakh in 2009.

The project focuses on the construction of primary schools, colleges, ITIs, Indira Awas (Centre’s rural housing scheme), drinking water facilities, sanitation facilities and health centres in the chosen villages.

Similar is the state of affairs with the Prime Minister’s 15-point programme, the target areas are extending urban amenities in the rural areas, enhancing rural infrastructure in minorities-dominated districts and setting up of aaganwadi centres, houses under Indira Awas Yojana, subsidiary health centres and appointment of the ANMS, but the Social Welfare Department has failed to come up with the imaginative schemes.

Besides, the state government also receives funds by the National Minority Corporation that uses it for loan disbursement for three schemes for minorities in areas of self-employment programme, education loan and other training programmes.

“These programmes are on in all districts of the state and a total of 57 persons have received loans for setting up small businesses and 17 students belonging to the minorities have been disbursed scholarship for undertaking professional courses,” said the Principal Secretary.

Haridwar, October 21
The two-day Uttarakhand Ayush pre-medical counselling was carried out for successful candidates of the Uttarakhand pre-medical examination.

The pre-medical counselling was organised at the Malviya Bhawan of the Rishikul Medical College for students pursuing ayurvedic or homeopathic medical courses. Candidates appeared for 87 general seats and 76 reserved seats. Government-run colleges like Rishikul Ayurvedic Medical College and Gurukul Ayurvedic Medical College filled in first followed by private colleges like Patanjali Ayurvedic Medical College, Uttaranchal Medical College and Himalayan Institute Medical College. Admissions were also done for the states only Rudrapur Homeopathic Medical College.

Informing about the counselling, Principal, Rishikul Ayruvedic College, Dr Pradeep Bharadwaj said, “The merit list for the counselling has been prepared from the list of candidates, who cleared the written examination successfully with the aim to provide best medical studies in the state. Every private medical college has 16 seats, but today counselling has been done for the students of the scheduled caste and scheduled tribes quota”.

Expressing satisfaction over the counselling process, Director of Ayurvedic-Unani, Dr Pooja Bharadwaj said, “The counselling is fair as every aspect regarding the admission procedure has been taken care of”.

Students, both from Garhwal and Kumaon divisions, participated in the counselling.

Dehradun October 21
The Uttarakhand School Education Board has started checking the examinations forms sent by students taking the classes X and XII board examinations. There is an increase in the number of applicants from the states like Udham Singh Nagar, Pauri, Chamoli, Dehradun, Bageshwar and others. More than three lakh students are likely to appear in the board examinations scheduled in 2010-11. The number of students taking the board exams from Champawat district has decreased as only 5,294 applications have been received so far.

While talking to The Tribune, Damodar Pant, secretary of the State School Education Board, said the board had witnessed an increased number of students taking the exam this year as compared to last year.

“The verification of the details by the board is done on the basis of number of examination forms received by the schools. As many as 2,99,196 students appeared in the board examinations last year while 3,07,653 applications have been received to the board so far. The authorities have started with the process of verifying the student’s name, date of birth, parents’ name and other details,” Pant added.

Pitthoragarh, October 21
Uttarakhand has four lakh illiterates, most of them are in the districts of Champawat, Bageshwar, Udham Singh Nagar, Haridwar, Tehri Garhwal and Uttarkashi. To make them literate, the national literacy mission is going to open literacy centres named as Lok Shiksha Kendra in 2,700 gram panchayats in these districts from next year. This was stated by Director, National Literacy Mission JS Raju.

Raju said the mission had approved Rs 71 crore to run these literacy centres in the villages of the state. “A sum of Rs 10 crore has been released as a first instalment for the purpose,” said Raju.

He said the Lok Shiksha Kendras to be opened in villages would be equipped with not only the library and sports material but also the culture equipment. “In the first stage three districts each from Kumaon and Garhwal are being taken under the programme,” he added.

Dehradun, October 21
The festive season is here to stay for some more time. People have just bid a farewell to Durga Puja and Dasehra, and now it’s the time for Lakshmi Puja which is normally celebrated by the Hindus during Diwali (on no-moon day), but it is celebrated 15 days prior to it i.e. poornima (on full-moon day) by Bengalis.

The Bengali community in the state capital is all geared up to celebrate the auspicious Lakshmi Puja tomorrow.

Out of various forms that are worshipped, this one is called the Kojagari Lakshmi. Residents of the city are all excited about the puja, which falls exactly five days after the Vijaydashami Day and is known as the Lakshmi Poornima.

“Lakshmi Puja is celebrated in West Bengal with much fanfare just like Durga Puja,” said Tapas Chakraborty, secretary of the Puja Committee, Raipur, Dehradun.

Priest Mrinal Bhattacharjee will be performing the community puja on the Vanga Bharati Club premises at Raipur.

During the day, the floors of the homes are decorated with alpana or rangoli and symbols denoting the feet of the goddess and coins, which signify the goddess has visited the home with prosperity. The devotees also observe fast on the day.

“Towards the evening, the prathistha or bodhan of the images of the goddess is held and the puja kalash is set up. After that, the puja of the goddess, along with Lord Satyanarain or Vishnu, is held. Then the goddess is offered bhog of five fruits, five sweets and khichhdi,” said the priest.

“We celebrate the puja with great enthusiasm. It is a belief that if a devotee is awake on the night of Kojagari Lakshmi Puja, he is showered with wealth,” said SS Baishya, president of the Puja Samiti, Hathibarkala.

Dehradun, October 21
A departmental meeting was held by Mayor Vinod Chamoli which was attended by Up Nagar Adhikari, senior health officer, Sahayak Nagar Adhikari, Executive Engineer and Superintendent (Tax) to discuss the progress report on various projects undertaken by the Dehradun Municipal Corporation (DMC).

It was decided to carry out fogging in the entire city. For this tenders for five more fogging machines had been invited. The DMC already has five fogging machines and with more five machines, it will start the fogging drive.

As many as 20 garbage bins, which were bought recently, will be well placed at different locations in the city.

The directions were given for the proper garbage disposal. The officials were not satisfied with the cleaning process in the streets. So it was directed to keep a close watch on the attendance of sweepers and their output. All vehicles regarding garbage disposal were also directed to be registered.

The Executive Engineer informed that tender applications to erect boundary wall and access road around trenching ground had been accepted. Similarly, tenders for electricity poles from the Tehsil Chowk to the Saranpur Chowk too had been taken and applications for motor workshop and the Town Hall had also been processed.

It was decided that a weekly report of registration of dogs would be prepared whereby each supervisor would register 25 dogs. The supervisors were authorised to challan those who had not registered their dogs.

Food samplings before festivals were also ordered to be started soon under a drive which would begin on October 26.

To solve the problem of picking up stray animals, a decision was taken to buy TATA 407 and Bolero for the purpose. The Executive Engineer informed that a tender for animal shelter home had been invited. The Animal Husbandry Department would be handed over the task of management of the animal shelter home, informed Chamoli.

The beautification project of the Gandhi Park would be given on the PPP mode. A hospital on 14 bigha land in Kedarpur and a hotel above shops on the Kachhari Road and petrol pump too would be built on the PPP mode.

The directions were also given to revamp the main DMC premises and its Rajpur branch office. The patchwork of roads, which comes under the domain of the DMC, would also begin soon.

While giving update about anti-hoarding drive, the Superintendent (Tax) said illegal flex had been removed by most of the advertising agencies themselves. Till date, the DMC had removed 35 hoardings from the rooftops. The directions were given to scrutinise the illegal hoardings once again by Wednesday and complete the task within 15 days by hiring extra labour.

Dehradun, October 21
St Thomas’ College Annual Sports Meet, a much-awaited event of the year, was held her today with a lot of enthusiasm and a true sportsman spirit. It is an event known for its meticulous planning and discipline under the keen eye of Principal RV Gardner.

Chief guest on the occasion was IFS Meenakshi Joshi, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), Dehradun. Meenakshi also happens to be an ex-Thomasian.

The meet started at 9 am with the opening march past. The students marched smartly in their respective houses i.e. Burn, Cole, DeGruyther and Fraser House.

There was a very large gathering of parents and guests who came from far and near to watch their children’s performance. With anxiety writ large on their faces, they watched their children’s performance with fingers crossed.

The junior and middle schoolchildren put up an excellent PT display, which included the namaskaram PT, synchronised PT, free-hand drill, aerobics PT and disc drill.

The relay races were run to an ear-splitting cheering by the four houses egging on their teams. It needs to be mentioned that there are points awarded for each race and event, including pre-decided events, which add up towards the much-coveted championship trophy.

The school gymnastics team performed exhibiting their finesse in performing difficult exercises with consummate ease. The finale to the gymnastic performance was the pyramid which the gathering watched with a lot of applause and admiration.

Meenakshi gave away the prizes to the winners amidst a lot of cheering by the children and the parents alike.

In the beginning of her address, the chief guest recalled her days in the school and remembered the moment when she carried the Burn House banner as the house captain in the 1987-88. She praised the school for organising such a large event so successfully. She appreciated the keen sportsman spirit shown by all participants and wished them well. She also appreciated the manner in which the entire show was conducted.

The Principal thanked Meenakshi for having spared her time to witness the sports meet. While praising the children for the excellent performance, he also thanked the parents for their keen interest in the school activities.

Dehradun, October 21
Jolly Grant became the champions of the District Senior Volleyball Competition being held on the Parade Ground here today.

Dehradun, October 21
Rahul enabled Football Hostel to beat New Gypsy Club 1-0 to enter final of the DFA Challenger Cup being played on the Pavilion Ground here today.

The closely contested match saw both sides putting their best foot forward. However, the first half of the encounter went goalless. Rahul’s lone goal effort (43rd minute) in the second half showed Football Hostel side the way.

No goal could be scored later on even as Gypsy Club made some good attempts. Football Hostel’s solid defense also helped it in ensuring the win. The winning side will play final on October 24.

The second semifinal of the competition will be played between Doon Star and Sarvodaya here tomorrow. The match is expected to be highly competitive. The winning team will go in for the final on October 24.

Dehradun, October 21
The final of the 11th Uttarakhand State Sub-Junior Boys and Senior Girls Boxing Championship were played here today.

Aditya Saxena of Udham Singh Nagar beat Pawan Singh of Army School in the 55kg event final. Akash Rana, also of Udham Singh Nagar defeated Ajay Negi of Nainital in the 82kg. Santosh Chand from Champawat defeated Jagdish Karki of Sports College in the 53 kg while Shubham Negi of Army School beat Vinay Kumar of Sports College.

The judges for the boxing competition were Santosh Gurung, Durga Thapa, SK Pauri, DC Bhatt, JJS Mehta, KS Mehar, HS Sandhu, CK Joshi, DS Jeena, RS Jethi, Puran Singh Bora, D Sonal, Waichand, JS Bora, UK Maurya and Anil Kandwal.

Dehradun, October 21
The 11th Uttarakhand Open Junior Tennis Tournament will be held from October 29 to 31.

The tournament will be played at the Shanti Tennis Academy, Dalanwala, and ONGC Synthetic Tennis Courts at the Kaulagarh Campus here.

According to organisers, four events between 10 and 18 age group for boys will be held.

Girls will compete in the categories of below 14 years and above 14 years of age. The last date of filing the entries is October 27.