From PU
Seminar on spectroscopy
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 27
The Sophisticated Analytical Instrumentation Facility (SAIF), Panjab University, organised a one-day workshop on NMR Spectroscopy here today. As many as 32 participants from various industries, research and development and academic institutions of the region took part in the workshop.

Addressing the inaugural session, SAIF Director Prof Subhash Bedi highlighted the achievements of the centre, including installation of new instruments and the pipeline projects.

The chief guest, Dr Pawan Kapur, Director, CSIO, lauded the activities of the centre. He gave an overview of the NMR technique and also its history, fundamentals and applications to physical, chemical, biological and pharmaceutical sciences.

He emphasised the potential of the technique and also wished to make a core group to manufacture NMR at the CSIO itself.

Dr Tej Vir Singh from the PU delivered a talk covering topics from basics to the interpretation of data; Dr Ravishankar from the IIT, Delhi, gave a lecture on multi-nuclear techniques; while Dr B.S. Joshi from Bruker India gave some useful tips on the operation and interpretation of data on 400 MHz NMR.

Prizes distributed

The annual prize-cum-certificate distribution function of the Department of German was held today. Students were apprised of the importance of foreign languages in this era of globalisation and liberalisation, according to Dr J.K. Sharma, chairman of the department.

Two special prizes of Rs 25,000 each were given by former student J.C. Dhingra to Hemant Sharma and Ayush Gupta for scoring highest marks in Certificate Course in German and Diploma Course in German, respectively.

Date extended

The Department of Correspondence Studies has extended the last date for submission of assignments by the students of the departments. The new dates are: undergraduate courses (relevant courses): March 20 and postgraduate courses (relevant courses) March 24.

Reading space inaugurated

Vice-Chancellor Prof K.N. Pathak today inaugurated additional reading space in the AC Joshi Library. The space has a seating capacity of 50 and has been created in the outer reading hall that remains open round the clock.

The Vice-Chancellor also gave away awards to class B and C workers of the library for rendering meritorious services. These are: library assistant Neeru Bansal, restorer Shashi Pal and peon Mamta Rani.

The Vice-Chancellor offered to provide finances for increasing reading capacity and seating area of outer reading hall and also for installing closed-circuit TV cameras in the stack areas to overcome problem of theft.

Memorial lecture

The M.R. Sahni Memorial Lecture will be delivered by Mr V.K. Sibbal, Director General, Directorate General of Hydrocarbons, New Delhi, on March 1 at the ICSSR Complex.

The lecture is delivered every year in the honour of Prof M.R. Sahni, the Founder of the Department of Geology, Panjab University, by eminent scientists. 

PU Jhankar begins today
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 27
All is set for the three-day cultural extravaganza Jhankaar that begins at the Panjab University here tomorrow. The festival, a mix of literary, artistic and other cultural competitions, has attracted over 200 students from the region, including students of J&K, Himachal, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.

More than 50 students from Lahore University in Pakistan are also expected to arrive in day or two for the festival. The Lahore university team would be accompanied by the rock band Ragaas from Pakistan who would be performing at the festival. “This would be the first time that Jhankaar would have participants from another country. We are proud to have contributed towards improving relations between the two nations,” said Rahul Sharma, convener of the festival.

Organised by the Panjab University Campus Students Council (PUCSC) the members have made elaborate arrangements for the accommodation of these teams. While the boys from the teams have been housed in the various guest houses in the University, the girls from these teams are sharing rooms with students in girls’ hostels in the campus.

The events in Jhankar-2006 would include folk songs, light vocal/duet, folk dance, western (group) dance, debate, declamation, one-act play, mime, mono-acting skits, painting (landscape), rangoli competition and clay modeling.

The festival would be inaugurated by a minister of Himachal Pradesh tomorrow morning at the Law auditorium. The evening tomorrow would come alive with a cultural show organised by the hosts. “Navjot Singh Sidhu would be the chief guest at the cultural show,” said Rahul.

Dikshant school annual day
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 27
The fourth annual day and prize distribution function of Dikshant International School, near Zirakpur, was held at Yavanika, Sector 5, Panchkula, recently. Capt Kanwaljit Singh, former Finance Minister, Punjab, was the chief guest.

The function started with the lighting of the lamp by the chief guest. It was followed by the National Anthem.

The highlights werea coco dance by students of pre-nursery, depiction of various states by students of KG, English plays and artistic skating based on Vande Mataram.

Case against Bhatti withdrawn

Chandigarh, February 27
The VHP has withdrawn a case against comedian Jaspal Bhatti for hurting the sentiments of Hindus. According to information, the case was withdrawn from a local court following an "out-of-court settlement" between the two parties. Bhatti apologised to the VHP following which the case was withdrawn.

The VHP had slapped a case against Bhatti for allegedly hurting the sentiments of the majority community during a protest demonstration at Sector 17 here last year. TNS