The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

AGRICULTURE

Grow more pulses, farmers told
Our Correspondent

Samrala, June 7
A “field day on pulse crops” was organised by Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Samrala, at Balion village , 2 km from here. Dr Kuldeep Singh, Deputy Director (Trg), KVK, Samrala, presided over the function.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr Parminder Kaur, Assistant Prof (Agronomy), motivated the farmers to increase area under pulse crops by adopting high-yielding varieties of pulses. Mr Gaurav, Assistant Prof (Plant Protection ), advised the farmers to use recommended doses of pesticides for effective management of insect-pests and diseases in pulses.

Dr R.K. Dhall, Asstt Prof (Horticulture) encouraged the farmers to grow vegetables under protected conditions and free from pesticide residues.

Dr Kuldeep Singh, advised the farmers to reduce the cost of cultivation and increase farm income by adopting subsidiary occupations. He also emphasised on the role of pulse crops in agriculture diversification.

PAU draws up new work model for KVKs
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, June 7
To improve the economic profile of farmers and protect the ecology of the state, besides allaying their fears about the ill effects of transgenic plants on human health, the Directorate of Extension Education, Punjab Agricultural University, here has embarked upon a holistic approach to take care of all these issues. The university has decided to make its chain of 17 Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) as hub of ‘‘adaptive and demonstration’’ trials for the use of ‘‘biological agents’’. This is part of the integrated pest management in addition to establishing organic kitchen gardens to meet the requirements of vegetables and pulses of farmers’ families.

This is intended to lessen their dependence on market buying of these items. Such an approach is more purposeful for small and marginal farmers. In addition to these two projects, KVKs will now also serve as hubs for demonstrating on-farm testing of recommended upcoming technologies for the benefit of farmers. At each KVK, there will be one coordinator, who will encompass the district extension specialists of the university and also those working under the farm advisory service scheme.

This decision was taken at a joint review committee meeting of the district extension specialists and scientists, coinciding with the World Environment Day here on Monday.

The Director of Extension Education, Dr S.S Gill, informed the participants that they should create awareness and educate farmers to adopt ‘‘self help’’ approach in respect of saving water and improving the health of the soil. One way to achieve this is to encourage the farmers to decrease the area under paddy cultivation and to delay its transplantation till June 15. Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) National Professor Bijay Singh gave a presentation on the use of ‘‘leaf colour chart’’ to determine fertiliser needs of plants to avoid overdose and soil toxicity.

Field reports presented at the meeting indicated that except in some pockets of the three border districts, Gurdaspur, Amritsar, Ferozepore and Sangrur, the farmers, statewide, have adhered to the recommended time schedule of transplanting paddy. Consequently, paddy was transplanted in only about 5 per cent of the total area, till June 1.

Dr Gill called upon the district extension specialists to allay the apprehensions of the farmers that BT cotton or transgenic plants had any adverse effect on the human health. In countries like USA, genetically engineered plants are being sown for decades without any signs or symptoms of any ill effects on humans. ‘‘In fact, farmers should told not to succumb to rumours and false propaganda of unscrupulous elements which, to sell their own products, suggest unscientific and un-recommended practices’’.

Dr Gill said PAU’s multi-step approach to educate farmers to ‘‘save water save Punjab’’ and to green the state by planting at least 10 saplings, including five fruit plants, at their tubewells is beginning to pay dividends.

Stationery items given to students
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, June 7
The Lal Bahadur Shashtri Social forum organised a function at a school, established under the Education Guarantee Scheme in Guru Nanak Colony, Bhamian Kalan village (Ludhiana) here on Monday.

Students belonging to poor families, were given books, note books, slates, pencils and geometery boxes etc free of cost. The forum President Mr Sushil Malhotra and secretary-general, Dr Shiv Gupta, in a press statement said that four sewing machines were also given to the Lal Bahadur Shastri Sewing Machine Centre for use by its students.

Mr Sushil Malhotra stated that 150 students were studying in the school and 52 girls were undertaking free training of tailoring at the centre and no fees was charged from any student. Dr Shiv Gupta, while addressing the students, said free computer training would also be given to the students so that they might upgrade their computer knowledge. Free uniforms shall also be distributed within the next fortnight. A free medical camp shall also be organised shortly, wherein a free check-up of the students, parents and other residents would be made and medicines would be distributed.

Mr B. K. Rampal, secretary of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee was the chief guest on this occasion, who addressed the gathering and motivated them to take full benefits of the Education Guarantee Scheme.

From Colleges
B.Com II students excel in PU exam
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, June 7
The students of B.Com part II of Satish Chander Dhawan Government College, Ludhiana, have excelled in Panjab University examinations 2006. The aggregate result of the college is 96 per cent. Rohit Kumar obtained the first position in the college by securing 846 marks (73.56 per cent), while Avneet Singh stood second with 72.17 per cent marks and Akash Kumar got third position with 71.82 per cent marks.

Prof R.K. Miglani, head, Post Graduate department of Commerce said that 105 students got first division this year. Dr Malkiat Singh congratulated the faculty of the Commerce department for putting in hard work. the Principal further encouraged the students to carry the same tempo of hard work with the same zeal for maintaining good results next year also.

Guru Nanak Khalsa College: The students of B. Com-II of Guru Nanak Khalsa college for women brought laurels to the institution. As many as 71 students got first division. Preeti Gupta got 78.26 per cent marks, Ramandeep Kaur got 75.56 per cent marks and Ishneet Kaur scored 73/91 per cent marks. Prof Gurbir Singh Sarna, general secretary of the college, and Dr (Ms) Manju Chawla, Principal, congratulated the staff and students for the excellent performance.

MTS College: Students of B.Com IInd of Master Tara Singh Memorial College for Women have brought laurels to the institution by showing excellent result. Pratibha stood first in college with 77 per cent marks, Jaswinder Kaur and Ritu Rani got second and third positions respectively in the college with 74.2 per cent and 72.3 per cent marks.

Principal Dr Madanjit Kaur Sahota congratulated staff and encouraged them to keep striving seriously to maintain the glorious tradition of showing excellent result both quantitatively and qualitatively in the times to come.

Kamla Lohtia College: Students of Kamla Lohtia College have also excelled in B.Com II year examinations. The overall percentage of the college is 96 per cent. Vikas Jain has obtained first position in the college by securing 72.43 per cent marks, while Kanwalpreet Singh stood second with 71.21 per cent marks. Sunil Singla was third with 71.04 per cent marks. The Principal of the college congratulated the students and staff for this achievement.

DD Jain College: Ms Kanika Pruthi of Devki Devi Jain College stood first in the college in B.Com II examinations with 79.7 per cent marks. Ms Ruchika got second position with 75.5 per cent marks and Ms Jyoti Sood was third with 75.2 per cent marks.

Gobindgarh Public College: Students of Gobindgarh Public College, Alour, brought laurels to the college by excelling in B.Com II year examination. Ms Sahil Singla stood first in the college with 73.82 per cent marks whereas Ms Harpreet Kaur secured second position with 72.86 per cent marks and Yogesh Gera came third with 72.69 per cent marks.The overall percentage of the college is 95 per cent with 14 students passed in first division.

Guru Nanak Girls College: The students of Guru Nanak Girls College also performed well in same examination. Baljeet Kaur stood first with 72.7 per cent marks. The second and third positions were bagged by Neha Gupta and Kirandeep Kaur who secured 71.74 per cent and 71.57 per cent, respectively.

Aurobindo College: Aurobindo College students also excelled in the B.Com II year examinations. One hundred per cent students passed the examination and 67 per cent of them secured first divisions. Simrat Sethi scored highest marks with 79.7 per cent.

Other distinction holders are Sameer Mittal, Richa Batra, Nidhi Bhuchar and Deepti Jain scoring 77.4 per cent, 76.7 per cent, 76.4 per cent and 75.7 per cent marks respectively. Mr S.P. Oswal, chairman of Vardhman Group visited the campus and personally congratulated the students and teachers for excellent performance.

HEALTH

Doc saves diabetic foot from amputation
Our correspondent

Ludhiana, June 7
It is nothing less than a miracle for 60- year- old Pushpawati Sharma, a resident of Guru Nanakpura in Jalandhar. Just a month ago, she could barely walk due to a diabetic foot. She would cry with pain at nights and was unable to sleep because of constant pain in her foot. Not only this, her general health was declining rapidly from the constant pain and lack of sleep. She was virtually bed-ridden and depressed. Many of the doctors, whom she consulted, advised amputation as the only cure for her diabetic foot.

As a last resort, she contacted Dr Chiranjiv Singh Gill, Associate Professor in the Department of Surgery at Dayanand Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) here, who assured the patient that treatment of the foot was possible without amputation.

Giving details of the mode of treatment, Dr Gill said the patient was put on repeated debridements (surgical removal of dead, damaged, or infected tissue from a wound), focussed use of antibiotics and rigorous dressing. Her antibiotics were changed every week so that bacteria did not get resistant, and whenever required, a debridement was performed. The foot started showing signs of healing due to such stricter management of the wound and within two months, the patient was walking briskly.

‘‘Generally, there is very little chance of success, because the patient, in such cases, has been on antibiotics for a long time and bacteria in the infected wound grows resistant to these antibiotics. In this case also, the patient was taking antibiotics which were ineffective on the bacterias present in the wound.’’

According to Dr Gill, amputation of the diabetic foot was considered as a rare step because sometimes, having amputated one foot often affected the other foot, in which case, chances of infection, gangrene and later on, amputation were high. And soon the patients succumbed to the horrible suffering. He remarked that antibiotics alone were not as effective as surgery plus antibiotics, both for healing wounds and saving limbs.

He cautioned that a small sore on a toe might not seem like a major medical threat. But for the millions of people who had diabetes and other conditions, it could be the first step on a road that led to the amputation of a foot - or even a leg.

‘‘Because diabetes interferes with the body's ability to heal, even the smallest foot wounds can become infected, spread to the bone, and lead to an amputation. Poor circulation and numb feet, also common in people with diabetes, make the situation worse.’’