Kalujhinda (Solan), May 25
President Pranab Mukherjee today stressed on revitalising research and development. He said research accounted for less than 0.4 per cent of the higher education student population.

He was here to inaugurate Maharaja Agrasen University near Baddi. He said there should be greater use of technology to fulfil unmet demands of higher education.

He said, "Two-third of India's population is expected to be in the working age group by 2025. Our youth must be qualified and trained to participate in national progress."

He said, "We must make innovative changes and bring about adequate flexibility in academic management. Every university should identify at least one department that can be converted into a centre of excellence."

He lamented that functioning was hampered by lack of teachers. He said, "Filling vacancies should be a priority and we must introduce innovative technological solutions like e-classrooms."

The President said there was a phenomenal increase in higher education institutions with over 650 degree-awarding institutions and over 33,000 colleges.

Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh said the government wanted to bring technical and higher education within the reach of the poor.

He said the state government was spending 17.6 per cent of its budget on education and Rs 3,836 crore had been earmarked this fiscal.

Leader of Opposition PK Dhumal said Himachal Pradesh was the first state to have a regulatory commission for private educational institutes. Technical Education Minister GS Bali said the Centre had approved an information technology institute for Una and a hydro power engineering college was proposed for Bilaspur.

Governor Urmila Singh was the guest of honour. The President was given a sendoff.

Shimla, May 25
Despite his reluctance to contest the election the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) today announced the candidature of former minister Jai Ram Thakur as its nominee for the Mandi Lok Sabha bypoll.

The Central Election Committee of the BJP which met in New Delhi on May 23 finalised the name of Jai Ram, a four-time BJP legislator from Seraj, earlier called Chachiot, in Mandi district.

BJP national general secretary Anant Kumar today formally sent a letter to the state BJP about the decision of the party high command.

“I had conveyed to the high command my reservations about contesting but will abide by the party decision and fight the election,” Jai Ram said.

He said the rank and file of the BJP was geared up for the election. Thakur has won four consecutive elections and was the state party chief from 2007 to 2009. He had also been the state Yuva Morcha president.

The State Election Committee had forwarded a panel of three names to the Central Election Committee. The three names were Jai Ram Thakur, Ram Swaroop Sharma and Ajay Rana.

The State Election Committee had forwarded the panel instead of Thakur's name owing to his reluctance. Most leaders including PK Dhumal and Satpal Singh Satti were of the opinion that Thakur was the most formidable candidate.

With the possibility being high of the Congress fielding Virbhadra Singh’s wife Pratibha Singh almost all leaders felt that Sharma and Rana would be lightweights.

In the absence of former Member of Parliament Maheshwar Singh who left the BJP to form the Himachal Lokhit Party the BJP had little choice. Maheshwar had said his party would oppose the BJP but not support the Congress.

Even the BJP high command felt that fielding anyone other than Jai Ram would prove to be a cakewalk for the Congress. As such it decided to field Jai Ram who was not keen to contest.

The fact that Jai Ram hails from Mandi district which comprises 10 of the 17 Assembly constituencies may prove to be beneficial for him.

With the BJP taking the lead in announcing its candidate it is expected to start campaigning with Dhumal and Satti being star campaigners.

National general secretary JP Nadda and other national leaders are likely to campaign.

Shimla, May 25
The State Election Committee of the Congress today forwarded a panel of two names while leaving to Congress chief Sonia Gandhi the decision on the candidate for the Mandi bypoll.

The All-India Congress Committee is expected to announce the candidate soon. The State Election Committee of the Congress met here today under the chairmanship of state Congress president Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu.

The party had received two applications, one from Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh's wife Pratibha Singh and the other from Rakesh Dharwal of Jogindernagar.

Those who attended the meeting today included Sukhu, Virbhadra Singh, Vidya Stokes, Kaul Singh Thakur, GS Bali, Dhani Ram Shandil, Gangu Ram Musafir, Ram Lal Thakur and Chander Kumar.

Members of the committee who were absent included Union Industries and Commerce Minister Anand Sharma, former Member of Parliament Viplove Thakur, All-India Mahila Congress chief Anita Verma and legislator Asha Kumari.

A majority of members were of the opinion that Pratibha Singh would be the strongest candidate the party could field as she had represented the constituency earlier.

The formal announcement of her candidature is being considered a formality. It has been reliably learnt that the district Congress committees of Mandi, Kullu and Shimla (Rural) have sent in resolutions supporting her candidature.

The constituency comprises nine segments of Mandi district, four of Kullu district, Kinnaur and Lahaul-Spiti districts, Rampur Bushahr in Shimla district and Bharmour in Chamba district.

The fact that Maheshwar Singh who had represented Mandi quit the Bharatiya Janata Party and floated his own party could prove to be a disadvantage for the saffron party.

With the Congress having won last year 11 of the 17 Assembly segments in the Mandi constituency the ruling party is in an advantageous position.

The fact that Virbhadra Singh has represented this constituency five times will definitely help him ensure the victory of his wife.

Sai Ropa (Kullu), May 25
Hoteliers and non-government organisations today demanded a ban on rave parties in the Tirthan valley. The full moon festival is being promoted by the Shiva Squad.

Village residents protested against loud music and searchlights. Environment activist Upma Mahajan said noise disturbed wild animals and birds.

Banjar legislator Karan Singh skipped the inauguration today. The Excise and Taxation Department refused to give the organisers a licence.

The HPSEBL snapped power supply to the premises of the owner who had leased land to promoters. They were using electricity illegally, said Subdivisional Officer Naresh Kumar.

Despite police presence, party freaks zeroed in on the venue since yesterday. They turned the venue into a jazzy and colourful tent colony.

Members of the Seraj Tourism Development Association said the music festival was another name for banned rave parties. Writer-cum-crusader Dila Ram Shabab said the music festival would ruin tourism and culture.

Mohan Rathaur, Parkash Thakur and VS Rana said it would cause pollution and nuisance and promote drug abuse and promiscuity. The promoters refuted the charge saying they had pitched tents after getting permission.

Deputy Commissioner Sharab Negi said they imposed the conditions that drugs would not be consumed for the three days, only licensed liquor would be used and all activity would be stopped at 10 pm.

Superintendent of Police BK Dhavan said they were monitoring the activity, would pay for the 20 policemen on duty and would stop the activity if the conditions were not fulfilled.

Shimla, May 24
The Sutlej Jal Vidyut Nigam (SJVN) has launched eight mobile medical units (MMUs) to provide free medical care at the doorsteps of local people in and around its projects.

The MMUs were flagged off by RP Singh, Chairman and Managing Director, RN Misra, Director (Civil), NL Sharma, Director (Personnel), and BNS Negi, Chief Vigilance Officer, yesterday.

Mathew Cherian, CEO, HelpAge India, and Madhu Madan, Country Head, HelpAge India, along with their team, were also present.

NL Sharma said the first mobile health van had been launched at the Nathpa Jhakri hydro power station in 2000. Additional medical vans were launched at Rampur and Luhri hydro electric projects which had benefited more than one lakh people.

The SJVN Foundation has entered into an agreement with HelpAge India to operate five MMUs and organise specialised health check-up camps.

The silver jubilee celebrations culminated with a gala cultural evening at Kandaghat, Solan, yesterday. More than 1,000 employees and their family members participated. The Raising Day celebrations commenced with the unfurling of the company flag by the RP Singh, CMD.

Addressing the employees, RP Singh said the company had made an enviable progress in the hydro power sector with continued records in generation from its 1,500 MW Nathpa Jhakri power station. He said on May 23 the plant had generated more than 39 million units of electricity against the installed capacity of 36 million units.

Hamirpur, May 25
With women protesters sticking to their demand that the liquor vend at Mattan Sidh should be shifted the district administration is trying to find an amicable solution.

Talks between the women and a team deputed by the Hamirpur Deputy Commissioner two days back could not resolve the issue. Women residents of Dugha panchayat had been agitating for quite some time.

They said, “The liquor vend has been opened near a school and a temple.” On the other hand the liquor contractor had sought 10 days to shift the vend.

The women started last week a round-the-clock dharna under Janwadi Mahila Samiti leader Satya Galoda and ended it on an assurance that the vend would be closed.

Galoda said, “We will not allow the opening of the liquor vend at Mattan Sidh.” Former Chief Minister PK Dhumal had visited the site and lent support to the agitation.

Deputy Commissioner Ashish Singhmar said, “We are persuading the women to allow the liquor vend at the site for a short period as its closure is causing loss of revenue to the contractor.”

He added, “A place has already been identified where the vend will be shifted and we are working to find an amicable solution to the problem.”

Dharamsala, May 25
Nehar Singh Thakur and Roshan Lal Sharma received national awards for preserving traditional species and plant genome. The awards were presented in New Delhi on Wednesday by Tariq Anwar, Union Minister of State for Agriculture.

SK Sharma, Vice-Chancellor, CSK HP Agriculture University, said Nehar Singh Thakur was 80 years old and lived at Shorrod Khala in Rohru subdivision of Shimla district. He was a graduate in humanities and law and an ex-MLA from the Rohru.

He was working hard to conserve traditional crops, including red rice, that had reached the verge of extinction due to farmers' inclination towards cash crops and high-yielding varieties.

The red rice variety that is grown in upper reaches of Himachal (in Chhohara and Ransar valleys of Rohru subdivision) is considered to be rich in iron, has high anti-oxidant properties and commands a premium price in market. The area under this variety has shrunk considerably in the last few decades and the variety is facing extinction.

Roshan Lal Sharma is 65 years old and living in remote Sathmala Lagdhwan village of Gopalpur block of Sarkaghat tehsil in Mandi district. Presently he is cultivating and conserving more than 50 crop species and 70 varieties of different agri-horticultural crops on 50 bigha. Roshan Lal has also been recognised as one of the innovative farmers by the National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources, Pusa campus, New Delhi, and was honoured at the innovative farmers' meet in New Delhi in 2011.

The Vice-Chancellor congratulated the progressive farmers and exhorted university scientists to spread awareness about these awards.

Ravinder Sood adds from Palampur: Efforts of experts at Himachal Pradesh Agriculture University here to register red rice variety, locally known as ‘chhohartu,’ yielded results when this variety finally got registered under the Protection of Plant Variety and the Farmers Right Act, 2001. ‘Chhohartu’ is the first variety of a crop from the state to get a national recognition.

Dr RP Kaushik, former head of the HP Agricultural University Rice Research Centre, Malan, was the man behind the registration.

Palampur, May 25
The DAH Division of the Army organised a 'veer naari' felicitation ceremony for Kangra and Mandi districts at the Holta Cantonment today. Families of martyrs and deceased ex-servicemen were invited.

Maj-Gen Sukesh Rakshit, General Officer Commanding, DAH Division, and Alpana Rakshit, Chairperson, Family Welfare Organisation of the Army, inaugurated the event.

General Rakshit said special cells had been set up to listen to widows’ grievances pertaining to pension, medical and canteen facilities. Stalls were set up to assist them in lodging their complaints and problems.

'Veer naaris' were felicitated for their sacrifices and contribution to the security and building of the nation. Medical experts provided free medical facilities to them and their dependants.

Bilaspur, May 25
Two jawans of Bilaspur distrct, namely sepoy Ashwini Kumar Baniyal (28) of Jhabola village near Talai, 65 km from here, and Havildar Kamaljit Singh (40) of Dhatoh village under Talwaada gram panchayat, 60 km from here, attained martyrdom while confronting Hizbul Mujahideen terrorists in the Traal-Pulwama area of Jammu and Kashmir state yesterday.

Reports said they were in the security forces which had cordoned off a village in which some terrorists had taken shelter. When the security forces started search operations, terrorists took cover of the villagers gathered there and started firing.

The two jawans were killed in action, but the forces had downed their leader in the battle.

Two more soldiers attained martyrdom in the battle, Ajit Singh from Kangra district and Dalbir Singh of Sonepat, Haryana.

Nurpur, May 25
The local police today registered a dowry harassment case against four members of in-laws of Sheela Devi ,daughter of Harbans Lal, resident of Bassa (Raja Ka Bagh), near here. The police said Sheela Devi was married to Khushdeep Singh of Gurdaspur (Punjab) in November last year and within two months her in-laws had started harassing her demanding more dowry. She was forced to leave her in-laws' house a few months back as she was being tortured by them.

DSP Rajiv Atre said a case under Sections 498 (A) and 34, IPC, had been registered against complainant 's husband Khushdeep, father-in-law Prabhjeet Singh, mother-in-law Gurdeep Kaur and brother-in-law Gagan Deep.