Chandigarh, February 2
The Chandigarh Administration has again missed the deadline to apply for the prestigious UNESCO heritage status for the city.

Due to the lacklustre approach of the officials, the Chandigarh Administration has not sent a fresh dossier which was to be forwarded to the Archaeological Survey of India, the nodal agency for sending nominations to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) for heritage status. The deadline was January 31.

The dossier, comprising relevant documents, must have reached UNESCO by January 31.

The Le Corbusier Foundation in Paris had also volunteered to assist the Administration in preparing a dossier. In 2011 and 2012, too, the administration failed to forward the dossier.

Recently, a team from the ASI had met the officials of the UT Administration and had also visited various architectural masterpieces in Capitol Complex, designed by French architect Le Corbusier, said sources.

The ASI officials informed the Administration that it would be difficult for them to send Chandigarh's claim for the UNESCO's heritage status for 2013.

A senior official of the UT Administration said they were now focusing on preserving the heritage items of the city.

The Ministry of Home Affairs had already approved the heritage report of the Administration.

A classroom of Government Smart School in Sector 50, Chandigarh

Chandigarh, February 2
Over 800 students have been waiting for the past three months to study at the city’s second hi-tech Government Smart School in Sector 50.

The school was built at a cost of Rs 60 lakh in December last year. The education department had finalised the list of 854 students for the smart school who were to be relocated from the GMSSS, Sector 45, and other nearby government schools. Even the UT Adviser, KK Sharma, in his Republic day speech proudly mentioned about the completion of the school. But the education department has shown no urgency to utilise the hi-tech infrastructure for the betterment of the city students.

Though the engineering department handed over the school building to the education department 
in May 2012, the latter wasted several months in furnishing it.

“What’s the use of spending crores if the school cannot be started on time,” said Swarn Kamboj, president of the UT Cadre Teachers’ welfare Association.

A senior officials of the department said the department had lost the opportunity to start the school during this academic year. “The department’s plan to shift students from other schools has been put off. It is not advisable to disturb the students at this point of time,” said an official.

The relocation was possible in December. The department did not push for its timely inauguration, said an official.

DPI (S) Upkar Singh could not be contacted despite repeated attempts. An official of the education department said the school could not be inaugurated at the end of the academic session. Now, it would start from the next session starting April 2013.

The teachers appointed for the school are undergoing technical training and the classrooms have Internet connectivity.

Inauguration of first school was also delayed

It took the education department more than four months to inaugurate the first government smart school last year. Its inauguration was postponed four times as the department took a lot of time to complete the formalities.

The victim Jagdish Chander

Panchkula, February 2
A 55-year-old man died after the gun of a security guard of a property dealer went off accidentally during a wedding function at Pinjore last night.

The bullet pierced through the left hand of the security guard, Vikram, before hitting Jagdish Chander, who died on the spot. Vikram’s condition is stated to be stable.

The incident came to light when Jagdish Chander’s nephew Praveen saw him sitting motionless on a chair. He was rushed to the Kalka Civil Hospital where the doctors declared him brought dead. The gunshot was not heard due to the loud music at the venue, said the police.

“Vikram was heading towards his car when he accidentally pressed the trigger of his gun which pierced through his left hand. The bullet also hit Jagdish, who was sitting on a chair at the venue,” said Krishan Kumar Hooda, Assistant Commissioner of Police.

Initially, no one came to know that Jagdish had died. It was after his nephew asked him to get up that they realised he had received a bullet injury in his chest.

Vikram, who hails from Jind, surrendered to the police. Jagdish Chander, a resident of Ghatiwala village, was a painter. The deceased is survived by his wife and five daughters.

The 40 per cent weightage to the board examination in the Joint Entrance Examination (Main) has added additional burden on us, because both the examinations require different approaches.

Arshmeet Singh

Panchkula, February 2
Panchkula is gearing up for the first municipal corporation elections. With the forms of claim and objections ready, the voters list will be finalised by March 15.

Presently, voter information centres have been set up in all the 20 wards to entertain claims and objections of the people for facilitating them to obtain information regarding the electoral rolls.

State Election Commissioner Dharam Vir had said that it would not be possible to hold the elections before March 15 yet the elections will be held soon.

An agenda would be moved during the budget session regarding the amendment in the Act stating that the three-year term for holding the elections might be extended to three and a half years, as the present term would lapse on March 16, 2013. As many as 20 wards have been finalised in the city.

“People can get their claims and objections from their respective voter information centres by February 14. A receipt will be issued accordingly,” said a senior official of the municipal corporation (MC).

“The municipal corporation elections are taking place for the first time. There is confusion because the issue of ward delimitation is also pending in the Punjab and Haryana High Court and even the case of corporation and council is pending in the Supreme Court,” said BB Singhal, former vice-president of the municipal corporation. Ravinder Rawal, former president of the council said, “We can just say that we are ready for elections.”

Recently, the administration approved the setting of 20 wards in the city. The Panchkula Municipal Corporation will comprise 11 wards of the township and those of Pinjore and Kalka.

Six wards have been reserved for women, three wards for scheduled castes and two wards for backward classes.

Chandigarh, February 2
Two-day dog show began at Leisure Valley today. It began with the fourth labrador speciality show where more than 50 dogs participated from various parts of the country.

Several competitions were held to test the exuberance and speed of the breed. Dog lovers gathered in good numbers to witness the competition. The winners were awarded later in the day. The main event is slated for tomorrow when all -breed championship will be held. Several rare breeds are expected to participate.

Chandigarh, February 2
Another swine flu case was reported at the PGI, Chandigarh, today. The victim(36), hails from Rajpura. With this, swine flu patients at the PGI, GMCH 32 and GMSH 16 go up to 51.

Already seven persons have died of swine flu, including two from the city. — TNS

Chandigarh, February 2
Candidates who have already applied for various teaching posts at Panjab University, that are to be re-advertised, do not have to re-apply for them.

The applicants will be allowed to upgrade their resumes for the posts, said PU registrar AK Bhandari.

The PU Syndicate, in its last meeting, had decided the posts for which the recruitment process could not be completed within a year will be re-advertised.

The Syndicate turned down the university’s demand of extending the time for filling the advertised posts.

PU had advertised for 221 vacancies on various posts including that of professors, associate professors and assistant professors on January 14 last year. Interviews, however, were conducted for very few posts till the end of the stipulated time on January 30.

Chandigarh, February 2
The Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan Teachers’ Welfare Association, Chandigarh, has sought regularisation of the posts of SSA teachers. A delegation of the association met the Finance-cum-Education Secretary, VK Singh, yesterday and submitted a petition signed by over 300 teachers.

The association requested the Education Secretary to give instructions to the SSA Society and the Education Department to finalise the regularisation policy of the SSA teachers before March 2013.

Arvind Rana, president of the association, said, “We have requested the secretary to send the proposal for the sanction of posts of SSA teachers to the project approval board of the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development, which will be meeting this month in New Delhi.”

He said they also asked VK Singh to look into the matter of fixation of an enhanced salary for the SSA teachers from April 2012.

Chandigarh, February 2
"Problems occurring during delivery, including lack of oxygen or blood supply to a baby, have been found to be the main reason behind cerebral palsy, a neuro developmental disorder in children," said experts at the PGIMER's paediatrics department.

The study conducted over 1,212 children from across the northern region also found that nearly 22 per cent of the children suffered cerebral palsy due to acquired causes like brain infection, said Dr Partibha Singhi from the department of paediatrics, PGI.

While addressing a gathering of mediapersons yesterday, Dr Singhi said 2 per 1,000 children develop cerebral palsy. The prevalence is significantly higher in low-birth weight babies, being nearly 60 per 1,000 with those with weights between 1,000 and 1,500 grams.

"Cerebral palsy can affect children from all social backgrounds and ethnic groups. It affects muscles and a person's ability to control them," said Dr Singhi.

Many children can have associated epilepsy, hearing loss, vision loss, feeding problems, she added.

"Parents must get their children examined at the earliest if a child is non-responsive, behaves in a manner different from other children his age," experts said.

Girls perform during a science fest at GGDSD College, Sector 32, in Chandigarh on Saturday. Tribune photo: Manoj Mahajan

Students from various institutes and colleges in and around the city, including departments of Panjab University, participated in the festival.

IIT-Ropar shines in technical events

Mohali: Noted Punjabi singer and actor Gippy Grewal made an appearance on the concluding day of the Chandigarh University festival to promote his movie Singh vs Kaur.

He joined another popular Punjabi actor and singer Harbhajan Mann in captivating the audience with their foot-tapping numbers.

Over 50 educational institutions of the region took part in the fest.

Guest of honour Dr Baldev Singh Dhillon, Vice-Chancellor of Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), Ludhiana, awarded winners of various technical, non-technical and cultural events.

IIT, Ropar, won the first prize in code hunter, quiz-o-mania and coder-decoder events, while the PAU team won the business-plan event.

700 students attend science fair

Patiala: Over 700 students from 45 schools in the region participated in “Science Villa”, a science fair, at the Rayat-Bahra’s Patiala campus.

Students exhibit a science model during a technology festival at the Universal Group of Institutions in Lalru. A Tribune photograph

The working Model exhibition saw 97 entries. The activity provided students with a platform to spread awareness about importance of science and technology.

In the senior category, the first prize was bagged by the Government Senior Secondary School for Boys, Nabha, while in the junior categoty Teja Singh Kandhari Public School, Patiala, outshined other participants.

The exhibition showcased models of power generation through speed breakers and sewage water, protection of the ozone layer, water sanitisation, artificial intelligence, parabolic flight with help of math, etc.

Poster-making competition and junk-art competition were also a part of the fair. In poster-making competition, Government Senior Secondary School, Channo, claimed the first prize in the senior category, and DAV Public School, Patiala, topped in the junior category.

Government Senior Secondary School, Patran, won the junk-art competition in the senior category, and Government Senior Secondary School, Vajidpur, bagged the first prize in the junior category.

The institute gave away prizes worth over Rs 1 lakh.