Shimla, November 3
Having remained the venue for several significant meetings during the tumultuous pre-Independence days, including the Shimla Conference of 1945 and Shimla Pact of 1971, the Indian Institute of Advanced Study (IIAS) could become synonymous with "Shimla Retreat" as it proposes to hold an annual conglomeration of scholars from America and Europe to deliberate on vital issues concerning India.

It was only two days back that the Director of the IIAS, Peter Ronald deSouza, held talks with representatives from the School of Advanced Study, the University of London, and Centre for India Studies, the University of Yale, to chalk out the plan for holding "Shimla Retreat". The preliminary seminar for chalking out the final details of the Retreat will be held here in May next year.

"We are working out on holding an annual "Shimla Retreat" at the institute beginning in 2012 with participation from intellectuals giants from America and Europe who are already working on India or hold keen interest on some issues concerning the country," said deSouza. He said each year the Retreat would be held on some aspect of Indian Democracy.

Aiming to make a global foothold, the IIAS is planning to make the "Shimla Retreat" an annual feature with issues like environmental laws, population, caste or any such topic to be discussed at length. To begin with, the preliminary seminar in May, a precursor to the "Shimla Retreat", will deliberate on the "Changing Structure of Caste and Democracy in India".

A brainchild of the Director of the institute, the IIAS intends coming out with a series of publications, based on the deliberations during the retreat every year. University of London will coordinate with 10 major institutes in England to select the participants for the assembly of scholars. Similarly, the University of Yale too will undertake a similar exercise in America to have scholars attend the Retreat at the IIAS.

Interestingly, the Shimla Conference was held at the IIAS in 1945, which at that point of time was the residence of Lord Mountbatten, the then Viceroy of India. A spectrum of Indian leadership, including Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Maulana Azad, C. Rajagopalachari and Mohammed Ali Jinnah, had attended the conference which finally failed to decide upon the formation of an interim government till the new Constitution was being prepared.

The stalwarts of Indian politics once again assembled here at the Viceregal Lodge in 1946 as a tripartite conference between the Congress, the Muslim League and the British took place to work out the modalities for transfer of power with no final agreement on the main issues.

Shimla, November 3
Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal has been invited by the Governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger, for participation in “Governors’ Global Summit on Climate Change” being held later this month.

The invitation was received through the Director-General of the Energy and Resources Institute, PK Pachauri, yesterday. Dhumal thanked Schwarzenegger for the invitation and said it was recognition of the steps initiated by the government towards environment protection and reducing the impact of global warming.

He appreciated the endeavours of the California’s Governor who launched a new initiative called R20 to promote sustainable development not only in the United States but also in other countries. California had also launched a campaign to deal with the challenge posed by climate change and had emerged leader in the United States.

Dhumal said the R20 initiative of the Governor and other global leaders to bring together sub-national governments to implement low-carbon and climate resilient projects was laudable. He said with the help of the public and private resources and cooperation between developed and developing country regions, it would demonstrate that 75 per cent cut in emissions was needed by 2020 to limit the average rise in global temperatures to 2°C.

Dharamsala, November 3
“I have not received any written communication from the state government regarding scaling down land requirement for Central University of Himachal Pradesh,” Vice-Chancellor (VC) Furqan Qamar said this while talking to The Tribune here.

The statement of the VC assumes significance in view of the fact that state officials have been maintaining that the land demand for Central University is excessive. They are of the opinion that the university authorities should scale down their demand for land.

The Central University authorities have demanded about 7,000 kanal, including 5,000 kanal at Dehra and around 2,000 kanal in Dharamsala. As per the master plan worked out by the university authorities, out of total land demanded construction will be carried out only in less than 1,000 kanal or about 48 acre land.

Since most of the land being offered to the university by the state government is forest land, it will require permission from the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) of the Supreme Court for change in land use. The land that is being offered has about 30,000 trees. Some are of view that such a huge chunk of green area might prove a major bottleneck for the university authorities in getting permission from the CEC.

The VC, however, said for time being permission from the CEC was not the primary concern for them. “Initially we want that revenue officials should hand over papers of the proposed land to us. At present, counting of trees on forest land being offered to the university in Dehra is going on and then land papers will be submitted. We will then submit the proposal to the Environment Ministry for change of land use. It is at this point that issue of curtailing land required might crop up,” he added.

Regarding allegations made by some applicants for posts of assistant professor in the MBA Department of the university, the VC said as per the UGC guidelines, besides MBA degree holders, candidates having degrees of related subjects could also apply. We have recruited people having degrees in commerce as they suit the curriculum we have designed for our MBA courses, the VC added.

He further said though at present most of the recruitments have been made on contractual basis, we would be carrying out a drive for permanent post soon. The UGC had sanctioned 48 positions for the institution, advertisement for which would be released soon. 

Shimla, November 3
The Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (HPTDC) will soon be introducing a new circuit “Painter’s Delight” covering the historical aspect of Kangra and Chamba miniature art form for art aficionados.

This was stated by Manisha Nanda, Principal Secretary, Tourism, Art and Culture, while presiding over the meeting of the HPTDC Management and Field officers here yesterday. She said there was immense scope for promoting this circuit which could be of great interest to art lovers. She said the corporation would provide one photograph of the tourist, free of cost, visiting these complexes.

She said the pictorial art of these regions was one of the finest gifts of Himachal to the art world and introducing “Painter’s Delight” circuit would attract artists and litterateurs not only from India but also abroad.

Nanda further suggested the corporation to explore the possibility of running deluxe buses from Kalka Railway Station to Shimla for guests travelling by Shatabdi. She appreciated the initiative of the HPTDC to start taxi services for tourists, besides Volvo and deluxe buses.

She said the HPTDC was the visible face of tourism in Himachal and its efficiency in providing services to the guests would not only justify the new slogan “unforgettable Himachal” but also augment the occupancy and business of hotels.

She emphasised the need of cleanliness in the hotel complexes of the HPTDC so that guests were offered the most professional and efficient services. 

Kangra, November 3
Shri Gurunanak Collegiate Public (SGCP) School, Sector-26, Chandigarh, in girls section and Army School, Akhnoor, in boys section today bagged the finals of the CBSE cluster 13, inter-school Volleyball Championship, which concluded here today in GAV Public School.

SGCP School girls today defeated the host GAV School in the finals in a one-sided match. Kirti, Manjoo, Seema, Sudesh and Komal of the Chandigarh team played a well-coordinated game pushing the hosts to a dock.

The versatile smashes played by the Chandigarh team left Kangra team helpless. Chandigarh defeated Kangra by 25:12 and 25:13. However, both SGCP School and GAV School were selected for the National Volleyball Championship of the CBSE tournaments.

In boys section Army Public School bagged the final of the Volleyball Championship by defeating Green Way School Ropar by 25:17, 23:25, 25:19, 21:25 and 25:14. The winners were presented trophies by Deputy Commissioner Kangra RS Gupta, who lauded the role of principal of GAV School Sukhvinder Singh for hosting well-organised championship. 

Tragedy strikes player
KANGRA: Even her mother’s death could not dampen the sports spirit of a young girl as she went ahead and participated in the CBSE cluster 13, inter-school Volleyball Championship. Prachi, a student of class XI, GAV School, participated in the finals of the tournament despite the fact that her mother Kusum Choudary (50) passed away in the wee hours at her home in Bala village at Zamanabad on the outskirts of town.

Prachi said she was shocked following the death of her mother but her sports spirit inspired her to play for the team.

Her father Madan Choudary, SDO, HPSEB, supported and asked her to go and play and her mother was cremated only after she returned, principal Sukhvinder Singh said. 

Shimla, November 3
Attendants of a patient who died in the high dependency unit (HDU) of the Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC) here last night almost came to blows with doctors and nurses on duty who faced the ire of the bereaved family members.

However, timely action by the hospital security staff prevented the situation from turning ugly.

With a similar ugly incident taking place in the IGMC on Monday night following the death of a girl, the hospital administration today beefed up security on the hospital premises.

The nurses on duty in the HDU today made a written complaint to the principal of the IGMC, Dr Surender Kashyap, seeking security.

As a precautionary measure, the hospital administration also introduced pass system for entry of attendants of patients, which led to resentment among 
the public.