HEALTH

Dental conference inaugurated
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, October 26
A four-day All-India Dental Students Conference was inaugurated at the Guru Nanak College for Women, Model Town, Ludhiana by the Higher education Minister, Master Mohan Lal. Dr J.S. Gujral, Vice-Chancellor, Baba Farid University of Health Sciences, Faridkot, was the guest of honour. Dr U.S. Krishna Nayak, President, IDA (Head Office), and Dr V.M. Veerabahu, General Secretary, IDA, were also present on the occasion.

Dr Puneet Girdhar, state secretary, IDA, Punjab, said more than 1,000 dental students from 25 different colleges and 22 states were taking part in the conference. The mega event is a complete show of fun and frolic for students and has sports, games, quiz, and above all, the traditional Punjabi food and hospitality in the offing.

Dr Bhagwant Singh, chairman of the conference, in his address said there was an acute shortage of teaching staff in dental colleges of Punjab. There should be uniform syllabus in all the colleges throughout India, he stressed. He said that the IDA should also be involved in making decisions regarding recognition to dental colleges by the Dental council of India.

Dr J.S. Gujral condemned the mushrooming of dental colleges in India. The chief guest, Master Mohan Lal, said preventive dentistry was not very popular in India and such conferences should be organised for the general public also. He welcomed the delegates on behalf of the Government of Punjab. He said India was a poor country and every dental surgeon should come forward and take a pledge to treat poor patients free of cost, at least once in a month.

A step towards TB-free city
Asha Ahuja

Ludhiana, October 26
The Ludhiana TB Eradication Society was set up by two doctors, namely Satish Nauhuria and Savita Nauhuria, at Focal Point here in 1997.

The main aim of the society is to make city free from tuberculosis by distributing free medicines among poor patients. It calls the patients for routine check-up and educate them about this fatal but curable disease. They want the families to know how contagious the disease is and what precautions they should take to save other members of the family.

Tuberculosis is a curable disease provided the treatment is taken properly. Thousands of men and women visit TB or chest clinics throughout the country everyday. Out of them 95 per cent patients belong to labour class. The treatment period of TB is about 6 to 9 months.

Ludhiana is the biggest industrial city of Punjab with nearly eight lakh migratory labourers coming to this city and living in congested and polluted areas. According to Dr Satish Nauhuria, the government should check labourers at entry points of the city so that those who are suffering from TB should be identified and treated.

SPORTS

Alpine school emerge champion
Our Sports Reporter

Ludhiana, October 26
Alpine International Senior Secondary School, Ludhiana, has won the trophy in the boys u-14 category in the 47th Punjab State Senior Secondary Schools Badminton Championship held at Nawanshahr from October 22 to 25.

According to Mr Ram Dhir, President, Alpine International Senior Secondary School, in the finals, Gurbaksh Singh, a student of class VIII, breezed past Taran Rai of Doaba Arya Senior Secondary School, Nawanshahr, in straight sets 7-0, 7-0 and 7-1.

In the doubles final Gurbaksh Singh and Suraj Vohra, drubbed Mohit Kumar and Taran Rai of Doaba Arya Senior Secondary School, Nawanshahr 7-1, 7-0 and 7-0.

Mr Santokh Singh, District Education Officer, Nawanshahr, gave away prizes to the winners.

Meanwhile, Mr Ram Dhir has offered jobs to Rajesh Dhir and his wife, Ms Anita Dhir. Rajesh Dhir is a former national junior champion in badminton and represented the state a number of times.

List released: A list of players ( men and women ) has been released by the Director, Students Welfare, Punjab Agricultural University, Mr Jaswinder Singh Toor, who will represent the university in the 3rd All-India Inter-Agricultural University Sports Championship, scheduled to be held from November 5 to 9 at Rajasthan University, Bikaner. Punjab Agricultural University had won the overall trophy in the first and the second edition of this championship at Hisar and Hyderabad, respectively.

The players, drawn from different colleges of the university, are currently undergoing training at coaching camps being held on the university campus.

The names of the players are: athletics — (men): Raminder Singh (College of Agriculture), Harnarinder Singh (College of Veterinary Sciences), Jatinder Kumar, Dushyant Preet, Manpreet Singh and Sukhjit Pal Singh (all from College of Agriculture).

Women: Seema, Gungeet, Sumedha Ghai, Sukhjeet Kaur (all from College of Home Sciences), Jaspreet Kaur (College of Veterinary Sciences).

Basketball: Ravneet Singh, Harmanpreet Singh, Alabal Singh and Vikramjit Singh.

Sports meet: The 54th annual Shaheed Kartar Singh Sarabha Memorial Sports Festival will be held at Sarabha village, near here, from November 11 to 15, according to Mr Inderjit Singh Grewal, president, Kartar Singh Sarabha Sports Club.

Competitions in hockey, football, kabaddi, volleyball, athletics, tug of war, dog races, bullock cart races, cart races etc will be conducted during the five-day festival.

Mr Jagdish Singh Garcha, Minister for Technical Education, will inaugurate the festival and the Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, will be the chief guest on the concluding day.

Police officers attend special course
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, October 26
A specialised course on police practical work and police rules for SSPs, Additional SSPs and Commandants was organised at Punjab Police Academy, Phillaur, recently.

According to a press note, 17 officers from various districts and units of Punjab Police attended the course.

The valedictory address was delivered by Mr D.S.Bhatti, Additional Director General of Police (ADGP)-cum-Director, MRS PPA Phillaur. Mr Bhatti stressed that police should change its tactics and behaviour with time to win the hearts of people.

He said there was an immediate need to enhance the police image. The main responsibility of the police was to ensure that no wrong was done to anyone, Mr Bhatti said. He emphasised the necessity to use scientific investigation techniques and adherence to police rules in the police working and also stressed the need to maintain good police-public relations.

Discussion on topics like cyber crime, global terrorism with special reference to biological, chemical and nuclear threats, information technology for law enforcement, reforms at district level, office procedures, procedure of departmental inquiries, writing of ACRs, inspection of police station, office and police lines, self development and medical care was held on the occasion.