Chandigarh, March 14
The first of its kind regional cyber security resource centre is coming up in the city. The centre is being set up by the UT administration with the assistance of the National Association of Software and Service Companies (Nasscom) and Punjab Engineering College (PEC) in the department of computer sciences and electronics on PEC campus.

To be inaugurated on March 19, the centre will be a research point on cyber security not just in dealing with cyber crimes but also for the futuristic needs of data security and white hacking. Though Nasscom had already helped set up a cyber crime cell in Pune, the centre here would go beyond cyber crime.

Talking to the TNS, here, today, director, IT, Chandigarh, M.S. Brar said while the administration would provide government support and infrastructure, Nasscom would give technical assistance and industry linkages besides providing a feedback to the centre on the research needs of the IT industry. “Dr Sanjeev Sofat of PEC’s department of computer science and electronics has been made the centre head,” he said.

The centre, which has been set up at an initial estimated cost of Rs 50 lakh, is the first of its kind in the country. This innovative idea was mooted during the IT conclave of the UT administration held last year when president Nasscom Kiran Karnik had asked the administration to set up such a centre keeping in mind the IT growth in the city. Meanwhile, the UT administrator has already constituted a 13-member board of mentors to provide a vision and to carry forward this initiative in a holistic manner.

The centre will have adviser to the administrator, Chandigarh, as its chairman and other IT honchos like Kiran Karnik, N.K. Sarvade, director, cyber security research, Nasscom, Prem Chand, executive director, Tech Mahindra, Dr Sundeep Oberoi, principal consultant, TCS, Major General D.V. Kalra, chief signal officer, headquarter, Western Command, Akhilesh Tuleja, director, KPMG, and Arun Seth, chairman, British Telecom, India, as members. 

Mohali, March 14
After the success of the English play “The Caucasian Chalk Circle” in 2006, the students of Yadavindra Public School here are ready to enthrall the audiences once again.

This year Senior School students of YPS, SAS Nagar, are staging the Punjabi play “Rishtian Daa Kee Rakhiye Naa”, written by Dr Atamjit Singh. The play is an adaptation of the classic “Toba Tek Singh” by Saadat Hassan Manto.

It has been directed by Zubin Mehta and will be staged at the Rock Garden, Phase I, Open Air Theatre, Chandigarh, on March 16, 17 and 18 at 7 pm.

Chandigarh, March 14
The final day of Sinm 2007 saw students participating in theatre events like one-act plays, mono acting, skit, mime and mimicry. Unfortunately, in mime and mimicry competitions, all teams were disqualified owing to the wrong choice of the theme that was against the rules.

Later during the day, a valedictory function was held and the chief guest, S.K. Kulkarni, dean, university instructions, honoured the winners of the competitions, event managers, organisers and presidents of different colleges.

Mukandlal National College, Yamunanagar, bagged the first prize in one-act plays. Gaurav Sharma was adjudged the best actor.

Mohali, March 14
Pre-final year students of Desh Bhagat Engineering College got coveted jobs during a placement drive conducted by giants like Tech-Mahindra, Infosys and HCL. Twelve students in the streams of computer science and engineering and electronics and communication were selected. Ankit Gautam and Cheena Jain of electronics and communication engineering were selected by Tech-Mahindra; Sukhwinder Singh Mann and Ankit by the Infosys and Naveen, Vikas, Anjana, Ankit Vij, Shilpa Joshi, Vaibhav Sharma, Rekha Mittal and Gopal Mandal were placed with HCL.

A placement drive extending over a week was held at Guru Gobind Singh College of Modern Technology, Kharar. Companies like HCL, GE Money, NIIT, Emersson, Birlasun, Shah Infosys, Global Electronics, DELL and WIPRO conducted pre-placement talk, an aptitude test, a technical test, a group discussion and interviews for recruiting students from BTech, MBA and the polytechnic.

At least 250 final year students took part in this drive. Companies for the final round of interviews initially screened 80 students. Fifty of them were placed directly while the remaining 30 students were short-listed for a final interview.

Dr Gurdip Singh, principal of the college, signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with HCL, both for training and placement. 

Chandigarh, March 14
Living up to his true celebrated Punjabi spirit, renowned singer Malkit Singh returned right back to the city on an invitation by the Punjab university campus students’ council to perform on the finale of the ongoing three-day youth festival, Sinm 2007.

The star night, that was earlier scheduled for today, was postponed to tomorrow due to bad weather conditions. Nevertheless, a day’s delay proved no deterrent for either the organising students or the singer himself who was in high spirits during a tête-à-tête with the press today. Even with a whopping 21 albums and live performances in 35 countries to his credit, the singer still has no starry hang ups.

True to his name, Malkit, which translates to ‘One who rules the world’, has taken his music from the Punjabi vernacular to cross-cultural experiments ranging from rap to Hindi films and now to English films as well. Traditional folk music has gone from relative obscurity to the heady heights of world renown. As Malkit’s brand of music spreads across the globe, it only adds to an already burgeoning audience encompassing all ages.

“One’s place of living definitely affects art. After beginning with only folk songs, I included rap and house as well in my music as most youngsters born in the UK do. They want Punjabi music to be at par with what they were listening to”, avers the singer who has been settled in the UK for the last 23 years.

With increasing competition in Punjabi music, the singer feels he himself is his biggest challenger. “After so many singles, you become your own competitor with an aim to better the last song”.

In 1981, his win in the third Punjab collegiate competition was marked by a ‘golden star’ pendant. Malkit adopted the name for his band, and the ‘Golden Star’ band is synonymous to Malkit Singh. Perhaps one of the few who didn’t succumb to pressures and presents clean videos and lyrics, the talented singer says, ‘As a singer I represent my culture and it becomes my duty to preserve it’s sanctity in every way.” “Moreover, if I can sit with my family and watch the videos of my own songs, my job is done,” articulates Malkit who writes the lyrics of all his songs.

The singer will be coming out with a new album somewhere in July this year. Not spilling beans on this one, he says, “The album will have songs on siblings and one on female foeticide.”

Malkit, who will be singing live tomorrow at the university campus, signs off saying he is feeling like a student again. “It seems as if I am travelling back in time.”