Microsoft to focus on city
By Roopinder Singh
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Oct 29 — Software giant Microsoft is focusing on cities such as Chandigarh, and the push is going to be through the server segment used for networking, Mr N. B. Sundar, Marketing Manager, Microsoft Corporation (India), said here on Thursday.

Talking to The Tribune, Mr Sundar said his company had products that span the computing spectrum.

The Internet has been responsible for a shift in computing and computer users are familiar with networking. Today what drives networking strategies in business is the Internet.

"People will communicate more over the Internet which will give them business value because it is a cheap means of communications," Mr Sundar said.

The largest number of professionals are certified for Microsoft Windows NT network operating system, he claimed.

As for the old question of whether networked computers will make the heavily application-loaded individual ones redundant, Mr Sundar says, “There will be a mixture and more of the client server model will come into play.”

On the security issues, he said, “ The server will be the gateway for your organisation and the front end will be equally important. That is where Windows 2000 comes in (it is an NT-based operating system that promises greater stability and integration) and network security will be the key."

'Bill on right to information soon'
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Oct 29 — "Imagine a day when civil servants become 'civil' and behave as 'servants' of the public. Imagine a day when government offices become 'paperless' and more public-oriented." This scenario was painted by Mr V.K. Agnihotri, Additional Secretary, Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances, while delivering the keynote address on the concluding day of the seminar-cum-workshop on 'Transparent and Accountable Administration' at the UT Guest House here today.

He said the concept of administrative reforms was as old as administration. The agenda of the conference of Chief Ministers in May, 1997, was to provide accountable and citizen-friendly administration, transparency in government business and honest and motivated civil service. A three-point charter was decided. He said as a follow-up, seminars-cum-workshops were held throughout the country. It was at such a conference that concept of Citizens Charter was initiated.

He said more than 61 charters from ministries and central departments had come. Of these, 27 were by the banking industry. There were more than 100 charters from states and union territories. He said Delhi and Goa were leading with such charters.

A Bill on Right to Information was expected to be introduced in Parliament soon. It aimed at appointing an Information Officer at the ministry-level to respond to public grievances within 30 days. Information technology was also stressed upon. He hoped that this seminar would generate new ideas and new ways of looking at administrative processing.

Mr R.S. Varma, Haryana Chief Secretary, said public grievances redressal system gave unduly high hopes to the people. He referred to the letters he received from Rashtrapati Bhavan, following which applicants reached his office to demand jobs and other things which the system did not provide.

He said nearly one-third of the population of the country was not sure of its second meal. Redressal of public grievances was a huge task. Corruption was eating into development projects, he said. Privatisation was good provided there was regulatory control.

Ms Vineeta Rai, Adviser to Administrator of Chandigarh, said officers from Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh were attending the seminar. She stressed on frequent interaction between the public and the administration.

Four working groups, which were formed yesterday, made their presentations. They recommended that opinion of field functionaries be taken into account while preparing schemes and projects. They pointed out that schemes should be based on sound financial resources and periodic reviews. Surveys of all schemes should be conducted for their improvement. Efforts should be made to popularise schemes among beneficiaries. They recommended that accountability be brought to district level and attitudinal and behavioural changes be brought among officials and staff through regular training and orientation.

From slave to human capital
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Oct 29 — The concept of human beings as a resource is all set to undergo a sea change, said Mr G.Kathuria, former chairman of the Bank of India on the fifth day of the management development and special training programme at the Centre for Research in Rural and Industrial Development here today.

Delivering a lecture on human capital, Mr Kathuria said that human beings as resources started as slaves, then workers, next employees and now they were human capital. Attitudinal change was required towards the human asset. Opportunity for growth, skill development, status in society and monetary returns will be the key factors in attracting and retaining the human capital.

Prof H. Bhattacharya from the Indian Institute of Management , Calcutta, said the banks will be in no position to meet all three needs of safety, liquidity and investment, unless there was an attitudinal change.

Chugh invited to deliver lecture
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Oct 29 — An city based nephrologist has been invited to the USA to deliver a lecture on ''glomerular diseases in tropical countries''. Dr K.S. Chugh, Professor Emeritus of the PGI and Syndic of Panjab University, has been invited to deliver the lecture by the American Society of Nephrology.

He would deliver the lecture at the 32nd annual congress of the society being held in Miami from November 4 to 8.

Dr Chugh's work is based on research done on renal involvement in malaria, schistosmiasis, filariasis, tuberculosis and leprosy in India and Nigeria.

Surgery of temporal bone demonstrated
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Oct 29 — The third annual Temporal Bone Dissection Workshop-cum-Neurotology Update was inaugurated by Prof S.B.S. Mann, Head, Department of ENT at the PGI, here, today.

The workshop is being attended by 25 participants from Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and the Union territory of Chandigarh.

According to Dr Vikas Nehru of the department, the basic intent of this endeavour is to enroll young ENT surgeons of the region for hands-on training of surgical procedures of the temporal bone on the human cadaveric temporal bone (the bone that houses the hearing mechanism). The surgical equipment, however, is the same as that used for real patients.

Dr Ashok K. Gupta stressed the need to achieve higher standards in offering surgical solutions to common ear diseases by having better trained surgeons in this region.

The other component of the workshop, Neuro-Otology Update, is aimed at updating knowhow about the disorders responsible for causing vertigo and hearing loss. Dr Suresh C. Sharma and Dr Naresh K. Panda stated that specialised tests of hearing like the brain stem evoked Response audiometry, electronystagmography and electrocochleography are important for diagnosis and subsequent need for specialised and costly tests like MRI and CT scan.

Professor Mann stressed that the techniques in biomedical technology have favourably influenced the methods of evaluating patients with hearing loss and vertigo. Live demonstration of these techniques, lectures, free discussions, video demonstrations are being used even to impart the understanding of the state of art technique in evaluating patients. This will go a long way in categorising those patients who would be candidates for more expensive investigations and appropriate therapy.

Need of awareness on environment felt
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Oct 29—A seminar-cum-interaction on 'Environment management and life cycle assessment' was organised by the Regional Directorate of the National Productivity Council, Chandigarh Pollution Control Committee and Punjab State Council of Science and Technology here today.

Increased environmental consciousness, focus on environment related issues in the manufacturing and service sector and environment-friendly market practices were discussed during the meeting.

Inaugurating the seminar, Mr Rajan Kashyap, Principal Secretary, Science and Technology, Punjab, emphasised the need for strengthening the regulatory mechanism and encouraging the industry through implementation of ISO-14000 series of standards.

Mr Rakesh Singh, Finance Secretary of the UT, who presided over the function, said there was need to create mass awareness so that environmental impacts and loads could be analysed from a multi-disciplinary approach. He said everybody should make his contribution towards making the city more beautiful through green productivity. He said the problem of environmental degradation has increased due to a sharp rise in population.

Mr Rajnish Parkash, President of the Life Cycle Assessment Society of India, referred to plans which included organising seminars and workshops for development of expertise in the life cycle assessment through international organisations for standardisation. He said development was needed for quality of life, which should be sustainable.

Mr Yasunari Matsuno of the National Institute for Resources of Environment (NIRE) emphasised on building a life cycle assessment data base and inventories for various products. Mr Kyoma of the same institute said in Japan, a five-year programme on life cycle assessment was being implemented to decrease the impact of environmental degradation.

Mr Murata of Konica Corporation emphasised the need for life cycle costing and building a life cycle assessment model.

Mr Amrik Mohan Singh of the National Productivity Council said the development of this new environmental tool could be used for echo balancing, echo levelling and building strategies for sustainable development.

Mr A.S. Balhotra, Regional Director of the NPC, said the NPC was taking initiatives in environment management systems and it has already started providing services in this area.