Two students denied entry to AIIMS exam centre
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 14
A scene was today created outside the gate of the DAV Model School, Sector 15, here this morning.

The incident took place when two students, Inderpreet Kaur Dardi (roll no. 7138159) from Patiala and Parveen Kumar of Hoshiarpur (roll no. 71418910) were reportedly denied entry to the school, where an entrance test for postgraduate courses (MD) of the All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS) were being held.

The candidates alleged that they were denied entry by the authorities concerned despite the fact that they were on time. However, when contacted the authorities asserted that they allowed everyone who was on time. As many as 700 aspirants took the test at the DAV School which was one of the four centres of the city. The deadline for the entry to the gate of the examination centre was 9.55 am, they added.

The students, however, said that they came at 9: 50 am, but were denied entry into the examination hall. With their repeated pleas falling on deaf ears, they called the police seeking their intervention into the matter.

The SHO of the Sector 11 Police station, Inspector Puran Chand said, the matter was investigated, but nothing cognizable was found. The police contacted both the parties and has recorded their versions and registered a daily diary report in this connection.

Sanjivani completes five years
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 14
Sanjivani, a Chandigarh-based NGO committed to the promotion of education in the region, today celebrated its fifth anniversary. All members of the NGO gathered in its Sector 20 office and reiterated their commitment for the promotion of education among the underprivileged.

Mr Manmohan Garg, President of the NGO, said Sanjivani was synonymous with love, care and encouragement. Underprivileged children got love and parenting here and women who became their mentor-mothers also felt fulfilled.

Moreover, children were also made aware of various professional courses and higher education.

He further said the need of the hour was to plan community service projects well in advance so that the resources did not go waste.

Mr Desh Raj, General Secretary, presented the annual report citing various achievements and success stories of the organisation.

Mr Garg also honoured some of the members of the organisation for their contribution.

Youth day celebrated
Tribune News Service

Mohali, January 14
The role of youth in solving problems facing the nation came under the microscope on the occasion of National Youth Day, which was observed at Swami Vivekanand Institute of Engineering and Technology (SVIET), Ramnagar, on the 145th birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda. Mr A.P.N. Pankaj, former GM, State Bank of India, was the Chief Guest and Mr J.B. Goyal, former Secretary, Technical Education, Punjab, was the guest of honour.

Mr Pankaj, in his keynote address, said Swami Vivekananda was a great thinker with a broad outlook. He emphasised on the need to follow the life and teachings of the swami. Mr J.B. Goyal defined the concept of believer and non-believer in God. Students spoke about the life and works of Swami Vivekananda.

Lohri, which was dedicated to the girl child, was celebrated with great enthusiasm at the college. Students presented a cultural show on the occasion. Mr Manmohan Garg, CEO, lit the bonfire as a part of ‘shagun’ followed by other management members and staff.

Mr Garg, showed his concern at the falling number of girls in the state and stressed that their birth should be welcomed. Dr Raman Rani Gupta, Principal, and staff members performed the rituals of Lohri. Mr Jaswinder Singh Dilawari, HOD, MCA, gave thanked the management and the audience.

VC assures help to foreign students
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 14
It was a cultural event to remember when students from over a dozen nations along with those from the country gathered at Panjab University here this evening to celebrate International Students Day. Students from countries like Korea, Iran, Afghanistan, Tibet, Yemen and Iraq participated in the event.

In his address, the university Vice-Chancellor, Prof R.C. Sobti, promised to look into the problems being faced by the foreign students and take prompt measures to ensure immediate solutions.

Prof Shelley Walia, Dean, Foreign Students, drew everybody’s attention towards the need to counter the self-insulation of academic institutions from the larger and more diverse political and cultural realities of the times.

It was highlighted that new proposals for an international hostel, a mess for overseas students as well as a single window system were on the anvil. A remedial course in English as well as classes in research methodology for foreign students would also be started.

12 Rayat students make it to Wipro
Tribune News Service

Mohali, January 14
India's third largest offshore business process outsourcing company Wipro has selected 12 students from the Institute of Engineering Information and Technology, Railmajra here. Out of a total of 72 students of the Rayat institute who appeared for the test, 12 made it the big league. The successful candidates had to undergo a rigorous pre-placement test followed by group discussion and an interview.

Mr Gurvinder Singh Bahra, Vice-Chairman of the Rayat and Bahra Group reiterated group's resolve to provide the best to the world in terms of Human Resources.

NSS camp in slums

Mohali, January 14
NSS volunteers of Gian Jyoti Institute of Management and Technology celebrated Lohri with school dropouts from slum areas, here today.

In the NSS camps organised in slums Madanpura and old Mohali village, the students of GJIMT persuaded the school dropouts and their parents to enrol their children again in schools. TNS

COURTS

Bhushan Industries case: Legal recourse delays trial
Rajmeet Singh
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 14
The trial against the accused, including six officers of the BBMB and the UT Electricity Department, for allegedly facilitating theft of power by Bhushan Industries has hit a roadblock, thanks to the drawn-out legal process.

It has been almost a year since the special CBI judge framed charges against the accused, 13 years after the CBI booked seven persons for allegedly facilitating theft of power.

They were booked under the Prevention of Corruption Act and various Sections of the Indian Electricity Act for causing loss to the government by allowing the company to consume power through a feeder with the meter installed at the BBMB substation, Industrial Area.

The officials were also accused of not noting down meter reading properly, thereby causing loss to the government.

Challenging various aspects like sanctioning authority (in case of government officials), registering FIR on the basis of source information, methodology to calculate the loss of revenue due to power theft and not confiscating the original record at the time of registering the case, the accused have been seeking quashing of the charges relief from higher courts.

After getting temporary relief from the Punjab and Haryana High Court, some of the accused approached the Supreme Court.

Now the apex court has restrained the CBI court from continuing with the trial by 12 weeks.

The case was transferred to the special court after charge sheet was filed February 2001.

On December 14, 1993, the CBI booked the six officers - V.K. Mahendru, XEN, UT Electricity Department; Mangat Pal Gaur, Junior Engineer, BBMB; Tarsem Lal Aggarwal, Junior Engineer, UT Electricity Department; Harjinder Singh Brar, Assistant Executive Engineer, UT Electricity Department, Deepak Chopra, Commercial Engineer, UT Electricity Department; and Jagir Singh, Substation Engineer, BBMB - and Brij Bhushan Singhal, MD, Bhushan Industries.

While framing the charges against the accused, the CBI special judge, Mr Jagdeep Jain, had observed that the accused, during the period from April 1985 to July 1988, connived with Brij Bhushan Singhal to do an illegal act by willfully and fraudulently preventing the meter from registering correct reading and allowing theft of electricity from D3 feeder, BBMB substation, Sector 28, causing loss to the tune of over Rs 3 crore to the Electricity Department and the HSEB.

During the arguments, the counsel for the accused said the CBI had proceeded on assumptions and presumptions.

They said theft of power from the meter installed at the substation was not possible and monthly assessment of all inter-state meters was being taken at the 66 KV BBMB substation.

After beginning of the trial, the statement of only one of the witnesses, Mr P.P. Gogia, the then Deputy Director (Enforcement-I), Haryana State Electricity Board, had been recorded by the court.

Punjabi humour stands out, says Bhagwant
Smriti Sharma
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 14
He has been making people laugh with his rustic humour for over a decade now. So when he was called to perform in the Great Indian Laughter Challenge, it was a platform that gave him instant recognition traversing the language barrier. Known for his ‘tongue in cheek’ style, Bhagwant draws inspiration from rural Punjab, which he claims is an inseparable part of his existence, and believes Punjabi humour stands out undoubtedly.

Riding high on his recent success on the show, though he confesses to have faced problems with the language initially, Bhagwant is all set to put his laughing act together once again on the ‘Laughter Champions Mahayudh’. Interestingly, he happens to be the only one among the laughter champions to stage a comeback on the show. Elaborating on his latest project, Bhagwant informs, “For the first time I will be playing a captain for Navjot Singh Sidhu’s team on the show.”

His stint with television doesn’t just end here. Ahead of the Punjab polls, he will be seen on IBN 7, in an election-special programme titled, ‘Chak De Fatte’. And for all his fans who have been sampling humour through his albums, his latest ‘Most Wanted’ and ‘Hass Hass Ke’, are out now.

About the controversy surrounding his better-half in comedy, Rana Ranbir, Bhagwant clarifies his stand saying, “After working together for five long years, it was entirely his decision to work independently and I honour the same”.

Bhagwant will soon be seen sharing the silver screen with veteran actor Dharmendra and his two sons Bobby and Sunny Deol in the upcoming film, ‘Apney’, directed by Anil Sharma, to be released sometime in March this year.

Signing off, Bhagwant feels that at the end of the day, what gives him utter satisfaction is the fact that as a comedian he is able to tickle the funny bone of people and at the same time give them a social message through his satires.

From Bengal with love
Aditi Tandon
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 14
Soumitra Basu has spent a lifetime projecting life through theatre. And yet he insists he should not be called a theatre professional. “I am an academic, a teacher first. Theatre is my passion, not profession,” says the Kolkata-based actor-director, who teaches Bengali literature at the University of Jadavpur, Kolkata.

A study of his profile throws up interesting bits about his life. A student of Bengali literature, Basu went on to do his doctorate in Tagore’s dramas. And then there was no looking back. Associated with academics throughout his career, Basu branched out into theatre only later when he came in contact with the legendary Sambhu and Tripti Mitra.

“I was associated with theatre organisation Bahurupee for several years before finally setting up my own group, “says Basu, who called his group Sandharbha. Formed in 1977, the group has inspired a whole generation of actors and theatre lovers in Bengal. Today, Basu brought to Chandigarh one of the much acclaimed productions of his group. Called “Murkir Handi”, the play emphasises the unity of mankind. Through a simple folk tale of Bengal, it brings to life the old saying - “No man is an island.”

Interestingly, like Basu, all his actors are also engaged in professions other than theatre. They work with him simply for the love of theatre. Together the group members have fashioned several meaningful productions from spiritual and political to folk and social. Many of Sandarbha’s plays have won awards, while Basu himself is a celebrated playwright. In 2001 he won the Smriti Puruskar for his contribution to theatre and he also topped the All-India play writing contest organised by AIR in 1999-2000. Until now, Basu has written 30 full-length and 15 one-act plays - a profile that inspires many. He has also published books on theatre.

With everything going for him, Basu could have used theatre for purely commercial ends. But as he says, his mission is different. “I am in theatre for the joy of communicating with people. That’s what I am here for. Although my production is in Bengali language, people understand it because it touches them somewhere. Theatre has its own language - one which everybody understands,” says Basu, whose “Murkir Handi”, presented in Tagore today, drew applause. The play was staged here on invitation of Theatre Lab, a group run by theatre director Umesh Kant.

Saigal’s magic in new compilation
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 14
Chandigarh Sangeet Natak Akademi chairman Kamal Tewari today released ‘Ghazalein’ sung by K.L. Saigal in a set of two audio CDs at a function to commemorate the 60th death anniversary of Saigal and the 210th birth anniversary of Mirza Ghalib, organised by the K.L. Foundation of the Environment Society of India, at the Museum Auditorium, Sector 10, here.

Society president S.K. Sharma said, “Saigal was one of the first-ever eminent artistes to lend his melodious voice to the rendition of ghazals. As a result, ghazals became popular with lovers of music and poetry.”

Singer Salim Iqbal and troupe from Malerkotla presented Mirza Ghalib’s ghazals.

Later J.S. Grewal and S.S. Bhatti regaled the audience with Mirza Ghalib’s ghazals.