The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

EDUCATION

Stress on building scientific temper
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, October 19
Mrs Prem Kanta Brara, Principal, Government Inservice Training Centre, has asked science teachers to impart maximum knowledge about everyday science to school students, concentrate more on practical work and discuss the latest innovations in science with them to improve the quality of science education. She was addressing government school teachers during a science seminar organised at the centre.

Dr Shashi Trehan, organiser of the seminar, elaborated the need for ‘Modular approach’ while teaching the students. She discussed the principles and techniques of teaching, the skills of micro-teaching, cell structure and cell-division.

Mr Iqbal Singh, retired principal, delivered lecture on population education with latest statistics. Ms Aradhna Nanda and Ms Harpreet Kaur, both science teachers, gave lectures on chemical bonding, carbon and its compounds, and periodic table. Mr Kewal Singh Sidhu and Ms Sarabjit Kaur, senior lecturers, discussed mole concept and glands with the teachers.

Mr Davinder Singh Chhina, lecturer, delivered lectures on ‘Human rights education’, ‘Human Rights and socio-cultural rights’, ‘Women and children rights’, ‘Global culture of the human rights’, ‘Health, education and human rights’. Dr G.S. Cheema from Punjab Agricultural University, delivered lectures on art and science of healthy living and energy distribution. Mr H.K. Mayer, lecturer at Government Multipurpose Senior Secondary School, delivered lecture on gravitational force and Newton’s laws. Prof Kanwaljit Singh, a TV anchor, delivered lectures on websites, e-mails, search charts, and computer technology. Mr Shamsher Singh, lecturer, gave interesting tips on nuclear and radio-chemistry, nuclear-reactions, isobars and isomers.

Later, the participants visited the Science and Technology Entrepreneurs Park (STEP), where Mr R.K. Singla, general manager, spoke about self employment courses and short term computer courses. They also visited dress designing centres, computer laboratories and workshops of STEP. The teachers were taken to the Mechanical Engineers’ Research and Development Organisation (MERADO) to see the functioning of the newly-inaugurated mustard oil expeller.

Ms P.K. Brara appreciated the science models, transparencies, quiz cards and charts prepared by the teachers. The teachers displayed their works on volta cell, biogeochemical cycles, nuclear power plants, human eye, food production, balanced diet, reflex action, human energy requirements, man and his environment, biogas plant, solar geyser and food calorimeter.

Teachers’ union meets Capt Kanwaljit
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, October 19
A delegation of the Punjab and Chandigarh College Teachers’ Union held a meeting with Capt Kanwaljit Singh, Finance Minister, Punjab, to discuss issues related to pension and gratuity scheme for private colleges.

Stating this in a press note, Prof K.B.S. Sodhi, president, said they were assured that gratuity, commutation, family pension and other retirement benefits would be a part of the scheme.

He said in response to his goodwill gesture, a protest rally scheduled for tomorrow at Banur had been cancelled.

Professor Sodhi has appealed to the government to issue letters to deposit the management’s share of CPF for the creation of corpus fund from which pension would be paid. He said the scheme would benefit 7,000 teaching and non-teaching employees of the colleges.

Meanwhile, a meeting of the executive committee of the union has been convened on November 4 to take note of the developments with regard to the scheme and other demands of college teachers, which include house rent allowance to the teachers of rural colleges, parity among DPEs and librarians, UGC grades, and payment of arrears on account of grade revision for the period from year 1996 to 1998.

PAU students visit farms
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, October 19
Students of the Department of Business Management, Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), visited farms of two progressive farmers in the district. The students interacted with Mr Darshan Singh Tabiba and Mr Hardial Singh of Hyattpura and Sudhar villages, respectively, and studied the agri-business practices.

They learnt about the contract farming and importance of management practices in agro-business and later felt that the farmers were fully equipped with the concept of resource utilisation, management functions and and different functional areas.

The students said,” We all were surprised by certain unique practice for better utilisation of agricultural wastage as a farmer was using this in making pressmud, an important ingredient of fish and pig feed, and in addition, he was putting pig waste in the fish pond of 22 acres, besides using the water of the pond for cultivation of other crops.

Dr S.K. Singla, head of the department, and Mr Ramandeep Singh, Assistant Professor, also accompanied the students. Students felt that the tour was highly informative and it would help them relate studies with practical happenings.

Tiny tots celebrate Dasehra
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, October 19
The tiny tots of Hollyhock Nursery School, Civil Lines, celebrated Dasehra at a function held here today.

Kids dressed up as Rama, Sita, Laxman, Dashratha, Ravana, Hanuman, Sarup Rakha and Shabri enacted and various scenes from the Ramayana. Various scenes included Ram darbar with four sons of Dashratha and Hanuman, Shabri giving ‘ber’ to Rama before he goes on exile, Rama and Ravana fighting with arrows and Laxman cutting the nose of Srupnakha with an axe.

Akash acted as Rama, Sahil as Ravana, Shreya Gupta as Sita and Ayush as Srupnakha. Besides, all other students also played similar roles. Ms Amrita Garewal, Principal, said the function was held to make the students aware of the festival.

COURTS

Unruly scenes in District Courts
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, October 19
Unruly scenes were witnessed in the new district courts here in the afternoon when some policemen posted for security of undertrials allegedly manhandled relatives of an undertrial, who had come to meet him. A complaint in this regard was filed before a district judge in the evening.

According to the police, the relatives were giving some tablets to the undertrial, who was sitting in the bus meant for undertrials. The policemen stopped them and an argument ensued. According to the relatives of the undertrial, they were giving food to the undertrial but the police stopped them. A male relative later claimed that he was slapped, while a woman relative was pushed around.

A police team from the Division No. 5 police was rushed to the place, which brought the situation under control.

CULTURE

Art from Sister states on display
Our Correspondent

Handicrafts of North-East states on display at an exhibition in the Lakshmi Ladies Club, Ludhiana, on Friday.
— Photo Rajesh Bhambi

Ludhiana, October 19
An exhibition-cum-sale, displaying a wide range of traditional handlooms and exquisite handicraft/cane furniture by the artisans and master craftsmen of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura, has been organised at the Lakshmi Ladies Club. A variety of decorative and utility items will be on display and sale till October 26.

The “Handicraft and Handloom Fair” has been organised by the North Eastern Handicrafts and Handlooms Development Corporation (a Government of India undertaking).

Various items on display include cane and bamboo baskets, cane sofa sets, cane chairs, ‘murrhas’ planters, wood and bamboo carvings, famous silk and cotton sarees, ‘odhnis’ bed covers and sheets, dress material, jackets and waistcoats, dining mats and sheets, napkins, jewellery, leather items and glass items.

One of these stalls exhibits paintings on ‘taar’ leaves. The paintings depict the tribal art of Orissa on hand-made paper. The multi coloured paintings of Lord Shiva, Lakshmi and Ganesha deserve a word of appreciation.

Mr Amitabh Malik, one of the attendants on these stalls, said: “The paintings cost between Rs 135 and Rs 150. There are idols of various Gods, which are made of stone powder.

The jute and cane items of Assam, Manipur and Meghalaya are the centre of attraction. There are wall hangings, mugs, table mats, flutes, handbags, trays, pen stands, lamp shades, magazine holders made from cane.

The traditional cotton and silk suits and sarees from Assam are also on display. Ms Anju Malik, a visitor, said: “This kind of traditional stuff is not available in Ludhiana.”

“People are always on the look out for accessories. Every such item is available here under one roof and these are reasonable too as compared with leading showrooms”, said Vinita, another shopper.

Small, beautiful metal temples, bells, ‘aggarbatti’ stands, perfumed candles, floating ‘diyas’ and a wide range of ‘puja-samagri’ is also available. One of the attendants said: “Ludhianvis believe in appreciation but they hardly buy anything. They start haggling over small items also”.

The stalls spring a surprise or two on the buyers who are taken in by the variety of delicate and lovely glass items. The artisans from Moradabad have made glass decorative items, idols, spoons, forks, candle-stands and ‘jhoomer’. The range starts from Rs 35 and goes up to Rs 10,000.

Mr Anand Singal, an artisan from Moradabad said: “Even the smallest item on display here is made after a lot of labour. One needs patience and time to colour these items”.

The organisers will exhibit these items at Jalandhar and Amritsar. “Unfortunately, the response has been lukewarm. We had expected much more from the city residents”, said Amitabh Mallik, one of the organisers.

From hand modelling to TV star
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, October 19
Raymon Singh’s pretty hands caught the fancy of a film-maker and she was asked to do hand modelling. Surprised! Girls with pretty hands are asked to finish the shoot that involves movements of hands, left incomplete by busy actresses, in this case Manisha Koirala. Raymon did the hand gestures and later the film-makers mixed clippings.

Raymon was in the city selling linen at an exhibition for brides and bridegrooms. Being creative, she is into making out of the world Venetian lace bedcovers and visits Indore, her home town, every month to design exquisite Irish linen and many other things. Since it is a family business, Raymon makes it a point to help her family.

Presently Raymon is playing a negative role in serial Kusum. The hate mail she gets for role is proof enough that she is doing her job successfully. In another serial called Gharana she is playing the role of a docile wife who has been forsaken by her husband. But later with the support of her friend, she fights back.

After she left Indore for Mumbai for higher education winning the title of Ms Madhya Pradesh, opportunity came knocking at her door. While modeling for a college event, she was summoned for audition and selected for advertisement of Pepsi, and later for Reynold, Dana Bhai Jewellers Limca.

“My debut film as the leading actress in a film titled Dance Party flopped. But I was very happy when I was to do second lead in the film Army starring Sri Devi and Shahrukh Khan. Since Sri Devi is my favourite actress, I enjoyed working with her.

Soon I got a chance to act in a Punjabi film titled Khalsa Mero Roop Hai Khas. This movie was specially made on the occasion of the tercentenary of the Khalsa.”

Asked if the “conniving characters that are ruling serials will have a negative effect on people, she said, “Rather, it will have a positive effect, for they see that the person who is wicked, invariably suffers in the end. Moreover, the serials are teaching us so many traditions which we had almost forgotten. I would prefer to work in serials as it gives me time for myself and my business.

The shooting of the movies takes a lot of time. I have also acted in a Kannada film with famous Kannada actor Raj Kumar’s son Shivraj Kumar. I am happy with my career.”

SPORTS

Thrilling win for Ropar
Our Sports Reporter

Ludhiana, October 19
Ropar beat Amritsar by three runs in the Punjab State Inter-District Schools Cricket Tournament (u-16) which concluded here at the SDP College for Women ground today.

Amritsar won the toss and asked Ropar to bat first. Ropar were all out for 135 runs in 24.5 overs. Deepak top scored with 31 runs which came off from just 24 deliveries with the help of two sixes and one boundary. Rohit and Nikhil contributed 14 and 15 runs, respectively. For Amritsar, Rohan was pick of the bowlers claiming 4 wickets in five overs conceding 28 runs.

Needing 136 runs for a win, Amritsar began their reply on a sedate note. Mayank and Ankit played useful innings of 30 and 29 runs respectively. Charanjit (17) and Rubel (15) too played well but other batsmen failed to click and they could muster 132 for 9 in the allotted 25 overs thus falling just short of the target and losing the battle of nerves by three runs.

Ms Usha Sidhu, District Education Officer (Secondary), gave away prizes to the winners and Mr Balraj Bhasin, President, SDP Sabha, presided over the prize distribution function.

Brief scores: Ropar 135 all out in 24.5 overs (Deepak 31, Rohit 14, Rohan 4 for 28 and Rana Gill 1 for 18); Amritsar 132 for 9 in 25 overs (Mayank 30, Ankit 29, Varinder 3for 27 and Amit 3 for 15).

Athletics meet

The two-day Ludhiana District Athletics Meet for men and women, girl and boys as well as sub junior boys and girls , junior boys and girls will be held here at the Guru Nanak Stadium on October 25 and 26, according to Mr Davinder Singh Walia, President, Ludhiana District Amateur Athletic Association.

Entries close on October 23 with Mr J S Pannu, DSO, Athletics, at Guru Nanak Stadium. The Ludhiana athletics teams will be selected for the forthcoming Punjab State Athletics Championship on the basis of their performance during this meet.

AHMEDGARH

Sports meet

The Block Education Office organised an Inter-School Sports Meet at Jandiali Khurd yesterday. Mr Amrik Singh, sarpanch of the village, inaugurated the meet in which more than 1,000 students from 49 schools of Ahmedgarh block took part. Ms Inder Paul Kaur, BPEO, gave away prizes to 144 students who won prizes in various events. The Government Primary School, Manakheri, defeated Government School, Abdulapura, in boys’ kabaddi and girls of Akbarpura school defeated those of Sanduar school.