EDUCATION

GMSSS-16 to be first ‘smart school’ in city

Chandigarh, February 8
According to a UT proposal made to the Union Government, Government Model Senior Secondary School (GMSSS), Sector 16, may soon be the first `smart school’ in the city. However, the school has already been made ready to take the next leap forward. The school is precuring 18 computers under the Computer Aided Learning scheme in addition to 12 computers for computer education in the school.

According to the school Principal, Mr Ram Kumar Sharma, `The future classroom’ is well-equipped with a multi-media projector, a multi-media room for power-point presentations and its own website. He added that all the computers are networked and have internet facility. Recently, PTA has also donated 5 more computers to the school. While the school library and office are computerised, the highlight of the entire set up besides information technology, are use of skills and values, said Mr Sharma.

He added that under the Computer-Aided Learning programme, the school has special softwares designed for all subjects for students from class VII to XII and every teacher is required to make a presentation which is then modified and approved by other faculty. ``The students will be able to assess and practice on the software without any assistance. The school has recently been awarded the Computer Literacy Excellence Award for the year 2006, he said.

Under the ‘smart school’ scheme, the use of ICT tools will assist in distance- education, including the use of audio-video media and satellite-based devices and in the final stages of the scheme, students would also be able to take their exams online. TNS

Ancient art forms discussed
A Correspondent

Chandigarh, February 8
A lecture on “Exchange of art trends between Mathura and Gandhara Schools” was organised at the Art Gallery auditorium, Sector 10, today. It was organised by the Government Museum and Art Gallery and the Lalit Kala Academy.

The lecture was delivered by Dr R. C. Sharma, Director, Jhana Pravasa, Varanasi. Dr Sharma briefly discussed the differences and similarities between the two schools of art. “Mathura School is of indigenous origin but Gandhara School has been influenced by Chinese, Greek and Roman art. Both the schools originated between the first and sixth century A.D.”

“They produced fine images of Buddha. However, in terms of postures they are quite different,” he explained. “Gandhara School did not consider Buddha a god. Therefore, it showed him in various postures. Mathura School thought of him as a deity and only showed him in postures befitting a god.”

“Wavy hair, moustache, drapery covering both shoulders and a non-decorated halo were found in Gandhara School but were absorbed by Mathura School,” said Dr Sharma. He demonstrated this exchange with the help of a slide show.

Students apprised of “Approaches to Literature”
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 8
The Post-graduate Department of English, SGGS College, Sector 26, organised a lecture on the “Approaches to Literature” yesterday. The lecture was delivered by Prof Anil Raina, Department of English Panjab University.

Dr Raina has authored Marxism and Literary Value and has to his credit 30 years of teaching experience with specialisation in literary theory and criticism. The thrust of his lecture was on the Formalist Approach to Literature dwelling on the critical monism it propagates. He talked of the tenets of Russian Formalism which share a symbiotic relationship with New Criticism. The need for such a lecture was felt, especially for the M.A. students at the college level, to sensitise them to the finer aspects of this approach and make reading more pleasurable to them. The lucid rendition of the lecture appealed to both the under-graduate and the post-graduate students. This was evident from am overwhelming attendance and an active participation by the students and the teachers of the languages faculty.

Students apprised of facets of personality development
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 8
The third lecture of the workshop on personality development being conducted in SD College, Sector 32, here was presented by Ms Jaspreet Grewal, senior lecturer in the Department of English. Through her presentation, she enlightened the students about the importance of proper resume writing and cover note designing. Various facets, key issues and techniques of writing impressive resumes and forwarding letters were highlighted. Students raised queries regarding the practical hassles faced by them in this regard.

On the second day of the annual workshop on “Personality and Soft Skill Development” yesterday, Ms Ashima Dhir, senior faculty member in the Department of English and convener of the Department of Functional English, gave a comprehensive talk on how to crack group discussions.

As part of placement programme, Converges visited the college campus today. Following a pre-placement talk, 50 students were registered who were then put through a series of preliminary screening tests. Twenty out of there were short listed for final round of personal interview. Letters of intent have been issued to 19 students of the college.

NCC Nagar project will be timebound
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 8
The UT Home Secretary, Mr Krishna Mohan, today said the construction of NCC Nagar in Chandigarh would come up in a time-bound manner. Speaking at a function organised to honour NCC cadets from Chandigarh who attended the Republic Day camp in New Delhi last month, he said funding for the project would not be a problem.

Laying stress on promoting NCC activities in the city, the Home Secretary promised all assistance in setting up a hot air ballooning node. The node is being set up in Chandigarh by the NCC.

Six cadets from Chandigarh had formed part of the contingent which represented Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and the Chandigarh NCC Directorate at the prestigious camp.

Mayur Jamwal from No 2 Chandigarh NCC Battalion won the bronze medal in the best cadet competition at the camp. Others who were felicitated today, besides Mayur Jamwal were Balwinder Singh, Pankaj Blda, Sarvjeet Singh, Varinder Singh and Mohinder Singh.

The Deputy Director-General, Brig D.C. Katoch, Group Commander, Col Manjit Singh, as well as other officers and associate NCC officers were present on the occasion.

DAV holds seminar on leveraging IT potential

Chandigarh, February 8
DAV College, Sector 10, here organised a UGC-sponsored seminar on ‘Leveraging the Potential of IT and IT-enabled services (ITES) and creating knowledge base for accelerating and sustaining the economic growth of the northern region today.

Mr O.P. Kalra in his inaugural address recognised IT sector as a frontier area of knowledge and a critical tool for assimilating and processing other spheres of knowledge.

Mr Uday Kiran of Dell International emphasised on career progression in business process outsourcing (BPO) as BPO includes techno-support, sales related product, numerical progression and knowledge related product.

Col D.S. Cheema discussed the importance of knowledge sharing for enhancing employability as technical know-how, product design, market and customer understanding and captivity are the factors which help organisations to have a cutting edge over their competitors. — TNS

Performance by Pandit Yash Paul
Our Correspondent

Chandigarh, February 8
Noted maestro of Agra Gharana Pandit Yash Paul captivated the audience at a special classical vocal recital programme held at the Government College for Girls here yesterday. During the three hours of absorbing musical spell, he performed the ragas, explaining their conceptual form, salient features and the sublime melodic content. The musicologist gave a detailed account of the fundamental syllables like musical shruti, swaras, corresponding laya and taal for evolving a composition based on particular raga notes. The maestro delved deep into the practical aspects on the formation of different ragas having similar set of musical notes. He won applause while delineating ragas Jaunpuri, Darbari and Adana.

CULTURE

An extraordinary recital for a cause
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 8
It is all about lending a hand where it matters. In a unique endeavour to raise funds for children who need heart surgeries and cannot afford them, the Spice Heartline Concert brought together Pakistani band Jal and Indi-pop rock band Aryans for an extraordinary recital of compositions and euphoria.

‘No child should die for want of money’, with this underlining emotion, the concert whose media sponsors The Tribune group of publications and Spice Telecom, have teemed up with the Chandigarh Rotary Club and their youth wing the Rotaract Club, for this, heartline project.

With beautiful music flowing, Jal lived up to their name. “Just as water makes its own way, we too want to flow like a stream through music and make our mark,” smiles lead vocalist Farhan Butt accompanied by manager Jamshed Khan, looking every inch the rock star!

Albeit without the other two members of the band (Goher Mumtaz, guitarist, composer, lyricist and Shazi, bass guitarist and drummer, Salman Albert, not a part of the band but certainly a part of this tour), Farhan regaled everyone with delightful anecdotes of how the band “officially” came together in February, 2004, after lead singer Atif Aslam left.

‘Aadat’, their first album, smashed the music scene in Pakistan and the unplugged version of the song became a runaway hit on the Net. “The song had a cult following, it became an anthem of sorts,” smiles Farhan. However, fame across the border, here, came when Mahesh Bhatt remixed their ‘Woh Lamhey’ for his film ‘Zeher’. Jal was gushing now in India too. This, despite the fact that Mahesh Bhatt tried to convince them that they became popular courtesy him!

“Initially we did it for the glamour until the music become all important to us,” says Farhan. Not hard to believe since the boys are still in college (and Farhan needs to get back by March 1, for he is short on attendance!). Training under Pakistani music director Master Abdullah’s family, he is deeply into semi-classical and raags because “they form the foundation of a singer”; this, unlike Goher, who is a self-taught guitarist. He sold his motorbike after being in an accident which had him bed-ridden for a while and bought a guitar with the money.

Music is what charges and changes the youth in Pakistan. “Earlier holding a guitar at a concert was akin to making noise. But rock band Junoon, all of 14 years old in Pakistan, paved the way for us to come in with our brand of sound,” explains Farhan. Junoon is big on Jal’s listening agenda; after all they are credited with changing the face of music in their home country.

Their opening act for the evening, Aryans comprising of lead vocalists DJ Narain and Sadu (Sadashiv), Atul, Yakub, Yunus and their youngest member, 14 year-old “crazy drummer” Sunny are into their “own brand of unplugged, sounds that relate to the common man and the underdogs”.

Despite five albums, more than eight years on the music scene and 80 to 90 concerts a year they still sound fresh. “This is because we are from Delhi,” smiles DJ. “Why do musicians from Delhi sound different is because they are far removed from the influences of Bollywood in Mumbai. Live in that city for a few years and see how your music changes.”

Well for the city, life is certainly on a roll - for music is percolating all over, with opportunities to listen to some top class alternative sounds.