Pre-budget analysis by experts
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 25
Swami Vivekanand School of Management (SVSM) Banur, held a pre-budget analysis during a one-day seminar -- Aam Aadmi Ka Budget -- for the forthcoming Budget 2007. Eminent resource persons and professional delegates across the tri-city participated in the discussion.

P.K. Verma Regional Director, Punjab, Haryana, Delhi Chamber of Commerce and Industries (PHDCCI), was the chief guest. Prof. BB Tandon, former Dean Commerce and Head University Business School Punjab University, Chandigarh, and Ajay Garg, Reader UBS, were the Guest of Honors.

The Director of the SVSM, Prof. P.P.Arya, while welcoming the invitee speakers, gave details of the seminar and it's topical importance.

Verma, while delivering the inaugural address, provided insight about rising of funds by government, direct and indirect taxes. He said savings should be increased by providing exemption from tax and provident fund interest should not be kept at high. Benefits of taxation should percolate down to the public and towards development for economic growth and social justice.

While delivering the keynote address Tandon said budget or public finance uses tool of taxation to raise revenue. Garg in his presidential remarks highlighted that poverty and unemployment are the real enemies of human race. For this, Finance Minister has to make balancing act artistically and skillfully.

He said the budget for the state should resolve to impart an impetus for growth through a reforms-based agenda. According to the statistics, showing contribution to the state GDP, there seems a clear shift towards the tertiary (services) sector. It contributes approximately 75 per cent to the state GDP. With the changing economic profile of state, an economic policy should be announced to give a boost to services, like healthcare, tourism and retail, added Garg.

Introducing the theme of the seminar, Ajay Garg stated that the growing level of the debt in the state is a pointer for urgent corrective steps to be taken by the government. RK Gupta, from Punjab University, touched upon direct and indirect taxation.

He stated that the share of direct taxation has moved up from 45 per cent to 70 per cent and so indirect taxation has taken a back seat. He suggested that indirect tax cover net should be stretched to rope in a wider spectrum of accesses ,especially from agriculture and allied sectors.

Budding professional managers, MBA students, Tina, Navita, Sarabjeet, Prashant, Anju, Isha and Jaspreet made impressive presentations on different aspects of taxation.

From Colleges
New PG course at GGDSD College
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 25
University Grants Commission (UGC), New Delhi, has granted second innovative programme in Master in Entrepreneurship and Family Business, a PG course, to local GGDSD College for five years. The specific objectives and goal of this programme is to create 'Job Providers' instead of 'Job Seekers'. The major aim to start the course is to produce such high impact entrepreneurs who can take initiative, bear risk, have dynamism within and have innovative potential and highly motivated. The course provides knowledge, skills and training to the budding entrepreneurs to plan and manage their family business or new ventures. In the coming year the college will produce competent entrepreneurs through training programmes, which will enhance the growth of small scale business houses.

The college will also be getting INFLIBNET in 2007. It will provide access to On Line Data Base, On Line Books and On Line Journals to the departments. Principal AC Vaid said that they have already applied to the Panjab University, Chandigarh, for affiliation to start this course w.e.f. the ensuing academic session 2007-08.

Blood donation camp

Inaugurating the blood donation camp at Dev Samaj College for Women, Sector 45, Vivek Atray, Director Tourism and Director Public Relations, Chandigarh, expressed delight on seeing that all the young girls, despite being first-time donors were cheerful, both before and after donating blood. He attributed it to the good example set by the faculty and college staff and especially the Principal of the college, Dr. Shashi Jain, who donated blood for the 37th time today. The team of doctors from the PGI expressed satisfaction that the cases of anaemia among female donors was almost negligible. The camp was organised by the NSS wing of college, in association with Lions Club Chandigarh Greater and 120 units were collected.

Impressive show by tiny tots
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 25
Harkamal Singh, a six-year-old child, won Kaun Banega Chitkara Champion (KBCC) at the annual day function of Chitkara International School held at 3 BRD, Air Force Station, Sector 31, here, today.

In an interesting format, the tiny tots were asked questions on a variety of topics accompanied by sound and visual effects as in the KBC with the host donning the role of Mr. Amitabh Bachchan. The young contestants had three helplines in their quest towards being the KBCC: 50:50, audience poll and parents help. Prizes included pencil boxes, crayons, chocolates, etc.

Little Harkamal correctly answered the maximum number of questions and emerged the KBCC winner.

Tiny tots in the 2-6 age group participated. The Chief Guest Mr B C Gupta, Principal Secretary, Home Affairs and Justice Government of Punjab lit the ceremonial lamp, which was followed by the Saraswati Vandana.

The tiny tots presented dances of different cultures from around the globe like those of Africa, Spain, Hawaii, China, Saudi Arabia and Japan. The message given was that of a cool culture, which heralds peace and tolerance.

Mrs. Niyati Chitkara, Principal, Chitkara International School, said: "Building the confidence of the child is the most important criteria of the school."

Students stage Ramayana
Our Correspondent

Panchkula, February 25
As many as 450 students of the Dikshant International School in the age group of four to 15 years staged the Ramayana in the musical ballet form, at the Yavanika open air theatre here today.

Celebrated Bollywood script writer and director Anurag Kashyap was the chief guest at the function which marked the fifth founder’s day of the school.

After the 'Ganesh vandana', the students, attired in elegant costumes, depicted events like the birth of Rama with a 'mangal gan', Rama’s childhood with 'Thumak Thumak chalat', the life at the gurukul with acrobatics, the exile of Rama and the victory over Ravana.

The voice over lent by Vijay Vashisht connected the sequences with excellence.

Earlier, the school director Mitul Dikshit read out the annual report.

Later talking to Chandigarh Tribune, Anurag Kashyap said that no literary work has influenced the social and cultural life of the country like the Ramayana.