Seminar on disability management
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 6
Dr R. S. Chauhan, a senior lecturer at the Indian Institute for the visually handicapped, Dehra Dun, today said rehabilitation of blind persons was more difficult than other physically handicapped persons.

Speaking on the concluding day of a three-day seminar on “Reorientation of Medical Officers to Disability Management”, Dr Chauhan said there were many misconceptions and prejudices against visually handicapped persons. He added that as compared to 1947, facilities for the education of visually handicapped persons had increased. However, the increase was very negligible. He said hardly 10 per cent of blind children went to school in our country. “More awareness has to be generated about legal provisions and facilities available for the blind”, he added.

Under the Disabilities Act, 1995, blind children up to the age of 18 are entitled to get free and compulsory education. Parents and organisations should take advantage of this legal provision. He said parents should be upright of educational facilities and concessions which were given by the government. This would help blind children to get their due share in society.

Prof S. B. S. Mann, Director Principal of GMCH-32, presided over the valedictory function and gave away certificates to delegates.

Prof Raj Bahadur, nodal officer of the workshop, thanked the delegates and highlighted the objective of the workshop. It was aimed at sensitising the delegates about the disability prevention and rehabilitation. He said the success of the workshop did not lie in the successful completion of the scientific sessions, but the workshop would only be successful if the delegates start doing the work of disability prevention and rehabilitation in their respective areas of working.

SPORTS

SGFI refuses to recognise carrom meet
Arvind Katyal

Chandigarh, November 7
The UT Education Department that played host to the newly introduced carrom event of the 47th edition of the National School Games, failed to secure the participation of at least seven teams each in both boys and girls sections, a pre-requisite for holding the games, resulting in refusal on signing on the certificates by the senior office-bearers of the controlling body — School Games Federation of India (SGFI) Carrom event made its maiden venture in the national schools calendar.

The UT Education Department had made the bid to conduct the carrom national school games at the annual general meeting of the SGFI held in Delhi around more than five months back. Surprisingly for the past three years, the UT always used to say big no to host the National Games in any discipline. Though two years back, it agreed to hold the National School Games in few disciplines but at the last movement it refused, saying that they do not have the finances. Even the department official said since they did not get the pending grant of 1998 National School Games, so they never intended to organise the games. SGFI officials said the grant were to come from the Union Ministry, and not from the SGFI as charged by UT.

According to sources, told that this year the pressure of VIP’s on UT Education Department, they were made to bid for the games in carrom. The Chandigarh Carrom Association made frantic efforts in popularising the sport and they were remained dependent on the department so that messages could be sent to all over India for hosting of the games in November.

As a result of the poor communication in the past made by the UT, the events saw five teams in boys section and six teams in girls section. Even the neighbouring states, Himachal Pradesh , Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir, stayed away from the championship.

Jawahar Navodya Vidyalya, Sector 25, was given representation in this meet though, as per rules, an allover India selection should have been made to form combined team of the JNV. The local team was very poor in standards.

One of the parents who had come all the way from Maharashtra was seen holding the certificate of merit of his ward. It bore the signatures of Mr D.S. Saroya, DPI (Schools), UT and Mr Brahmjit Kalia, District Education Officer, UT, but the space where it was printed the designation of the Secretary General of the School Games Federation of India, the signatures were missing.

Sources in the SGFI revealed that since number of teams were less, as per policy of the federation, the tournament cannot be recognised. So it might be considered only a friendly meet. Both President and the Secretary General of the SGFI were today in the city, but since the organisers never bothered to send them any formal invitation, so they kept themselves away from this national meet.

Last year Panchkula played host to the National School Games in skating which was organised for second time, saw more than 700 children coming from all over India. But seeing the present four-day meet in carrom, it seemed UT Education Department just wanted to complete the formality of playing host to this discipline.

Himanshi, Yadwinder bag titles
Our Sports Reporter

Chandigarh, November 7
Himanshi Bakshi and Yadwinder Rawat bagged the under-12 title in backstroke event in girls and boys section, respectively, in the 14th Chandigarh Swimming Championship in senior, junior and sub-juniors section here today at Panjab University swimming pool. Mr Raj Bachan Singh, SP, Punjab Police, inaugurated the meet.

Other winners in various section were, boys: (50 m) — Abhay Raj (under-10, freestyle), Rishav Sharma (under-10-breaststroke), Yadwinder Rawat (breaststroke, freestyle, butterfly and backstroke), Vaibhav (50 and 100 m freestyle, under-14), Jasnoor Kang (100 m backstroke, under-17), Munish Sharma (50 m freestyle) and Rahul Kalia (100 m freestyle); girls —

Shruti Sharma (under-12, 50 m freestyle, breaststroke and butterfly), Himanshi Bakshi (50 m backstroke), Kriti Rana (under-18, 50 m and 100 m freestyle) and Aditi Rana (50 m butterfly and breaststroke).

Tennis meet

The Chandigarh Administration made it to the last four of the team event of the All-India Civil Services Tennis Meet played here today at Sector 10 Tennis Stadium. They beat AP Civil Services Team at 2-0. In other matches of the day, RSB, Hyderabad, beat Haryana at 2-0, Central Secretariat, Delhi, beat Gujarat at 2-0 while RSB, Jaipur, beat RSB Indore at 2-0.

Results: Chandigarh Administration b APCS 2-0 (singles: Harish Saini (Chandigarh) b MCA Subbaiah (AP) 6-1, 6-3; M Ramsekhar (Chandigarh) b Srinvas Reddy (AP) 6-0, 6-1.

In the open singles event, the winners were, Jagdish Talwar, Dilip Shivpuri, O.P. Dixit, Ravindra Babu, Nasir, K. Jayaraman, Mohd Yamin, Laxmi Kant, V. Shanker, Ganga Dharan, Vaqar Ahmed, Chander Veer, P. Dixit, Mahindra Singh and Mohd Wahid. The winners in veterans singles were, S.K. Sinha, Mansingh HO, Sl Yadav, Pala Ram, A Hanif, S.K. Khurana, Dr S.P. Nagar, C.R. Gangadharan, Pandu Rangaiah, Dilip Shivpuri, Rajan Kashyap and V Raman.

Hockey tourney

SGGS College, Chandigarh, beat Government College, Ludhiana, at 1-0 while LLR Government College, Dhudike, and GHG Khalsa College, Gurusar Sudhar, played a drawn match in the Panjab University Inter-College Inter-Zonal Hockey Meet for Men played here today on PU grounds.

ADMINISTRATION

UT may invoke no work, no pay
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 7
The Chandigarh Administration may invoke the principle of “no work, no pay” if its employees carry on with their proposed strike on November 9.

Employees’ unions which have called for a strike on November 9 have been informed that their activities may invite action under the principle of “no work, no pay”.

Terming the strike call as illegal, the Administration said all issues and demands had been discussed with employees’ unions from time to time. The issue of bonus had been resolved, while the proposed four-hour strike by employees of the UT Administration on October 30 was withdrawn by the unions.