EDUCATION

Be futuristic, JNU VC tells banks
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 30
In this era of globalisation, banks will have to learn risk-taking and get into venture capital funding. The Indian banking sector has a tremendous potential for globalisation, and though banks are not lacking in competitiveness, they have to learn to be futuristic in taking risks.

These views were expressed by B.B. Bhattacharya, vice-chancellor of Jawaharlal Nehru University, while delivering a lecture during the 24th Management Research and Development Programme for senior executives of banks organised at the Centre for Research in Rural and Industrial Development (CRRID).

He said the banking sector was diversifying its portfolio from simple retail banking and getting into universal banking.

Stating that though banks needed to exercise caution while getting into venture capital funds, the banks could strike a balance by allocating a certain portion of finance and operational services for venture capital, but keeping the major part of finance for other retail services so as to lower losses that might be incurred through venture capital funding.

“You need to be farsighted venture capitalists - assess the expected returns, losses and then go in for funding,” he said. Bhattacharya mentioned that in the post de-regulation era, there was a restraint on rural credit expansion, gradual reduction in lending rate, slackening of credit demand and rise in lending.

He said one of the major changes was the diversification of credit for housing and personal loans, and financing of consumer durables.

Earlier, during the day, A.T.P. Selvam, programme adviser, MRDP, CRRID, held a brainstorming session with the bankers and deliberated on the future of the Indian financial sector.

Kids learn cartoon-making
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 30
As a part of the reading mission programme initiated this month, The British Library, Sector 9, started its second workshop of the series this morning. While the first session comprised of painting and colouring for little ones between four and eight years, the second workshop was on cartoon making and clay modelling techniques for children between nine and 12 years.

These workshops are aimed at developing a “lifetime of curiosity in children through an early exposure to artistic projects,” said deputy manager of the library Christina Singh.

The painting workshop was designed to enable the little ones to enjoy one and a half hours of a directed activity which included working with colours, shapes, letters and numbers in a creative way.

In the second session, the older children were taught how to create their own toon characters rather than imitating the already famous ones on their favourite media channels.

Malayalam lessons for students
Tribune News Service

Mohali, May 30
In a unique effort to make the best of the summer vacations, a special “Malayalam” language learning class for school students was inaugurated here on Monday at the Kerala Bhawan, Sector 65, under the auspices of the Malayalee Samajam, Mohali, a voluntary socio-cultural organisation. A large number of children belonging to the local Malayalee community from the tricity enrolled for the learning session, which was inaugurated by Benny Thomas, advocate, Punjab and Haryana High Court and president of the samajam.

From Colleges

From Schools

YOGA CAMP: Teachers of DAV Senior Secondary School, Phase X, Mohali, attended a yoga camp organised at the school. The camp was part of a week-long celebrations to mark its seventh foundation day. Besides the yoga camp, teachers undertook an expedition to Morni Hills. Teachers planted a few saplings en route so as to help forest conservation.

ACTIVITIES: To channelise the energy of the students, Saint Soldier’s School, here, has organised special activities for them from May 28 to 31. Professionals and faculty members will provide training in basketball, cookery and other such activities. About 55 students of Government School, Phase-VII, were guided about the basics of computers. Three workshops for the faculty members were held. The teachers were made aware of the phonetics and correct pronunciation of commonly mispronounced words. TNS

COURTS

Rape Case
Judicial remand for industrialist
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 30
A local court today remanded Narinder Singh, director of the Ludhiana-based M/s Frontier Cycle Industries and accused of raping a 24-year-old Ropar resident on the pretext of getting her a job, to judicial custody.

Sources in the Sector 34 police station said a CPU and printer belonging to Narinder Singh had been impounded by the investigating officials to verify whether the letter was drafted on this computer.

A police officer said so far they could not find any link of a Ludhiana-based politician to this case. It was alleged that Narinder Singh had written a letter to the politician asking him to help the girl in a getting a job.

The police said Narinder had written only one letter and that to Spice Telecom recommending the candidature of the girl.

The police is verifying the antecedents of the girl. The mobile call details of both accused and the girl are yet to be scrutinised.

Film City Case
Hearing adjourned to July 19
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 30
The Punjab and Haryana High Court yesterday adjourned the hearing on a petition related to the film city project to July 19.

The petition, titled KRVL Ltd vs UT administration, had been filed to challenge the award of the film city contract to Parsvnath Developers. The UT administration had filed a reply in the matter following which a replication was filed by KRVL Ltd.

The UT administration’s counsel, Anupam Gupta, had today sought to file a rejoinder to the replication at which Chief Justice Vijender Jain said there was no need to do so. The Chief Justice directed Gupta to bring the entire record of the case on the next hearing.

The counsel for KRVL Ltd had pleaded for a stay on the project. At this, the UT administration’s counsel submitted that the project was still in the conceptual stage and was being examined by the administration.

Earlier, it had been decided on the first hearing only that the allotment of the contract was subject to the decision on the writ petition.

The court then observed that nothing material was going to happen in the matter and adjourned the hearing to July 19.

Notice to Pinjore MC

A division bench of the high court, comprising Chief Justice Vijender Jain and Justice Mahesh Grover, yesterday issued a notice of motion to Haryana, president and vice-president of the Pinjore Municipal Council, and others for August 20 on a letters patent appeal.

The appeal, filed by Suman and six other members of the council, has challenged the validity of the election of Kuldeep Singh as president and Krishna Lakra as vice-president of the council at a meeting held in August 2005 as well as the validity of the order passed by the single judge of the court on April 3, 2007, by which the writ petition filed by the appellants was dismissed.

The appellants submitted that at the meeting held in August 2005 for the election of president and vice-president, only eight of the 17 members of the council were present. Thus, the quorum required for the meeting was missing.

HC to pay bar body’s power bills
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 30
Registrar-General of the Punjab and Haryana High Court Ram Chand Gupta today submitted an affidavit before the court, stating that the High Court Bar Association was an integral part of the High Court.

The affidavit came in the backdrop of a case in which the bar body had requested that it should be given free power and water supply. The UT administration and the Union of India had already refused to entertain the request, saying it was illegal and unconstitutional.

The court in the affidavit by the Registrar-General stated that the court building included the Bar Complex and could not be considered a separate part of the High Court.

The water and electricity expenses of the Bar association had all along been borne by the High Court and would be borne by the court in future.

However, it was mentioned that in case the bar body leased out any part of the premises for commercial purposes, the onus would then be on the body to bear the power and water charges for such premises.

On the matter of increased load on transformer, the UT administration’s counsel said the matter should be assessed by the administration and an application be filed for the purpose.

Counsel for the bar association H.C. Arora submitted that the said application would be filed soon.

CULTURE

Flute, shehnai spell magic at Tagore
Our Correspondent

Chandigarh, May 30
A two-day festival of Indian classical music got off to a majestic start with the mesmerising spells of flute and shehnai recital by globe-trotting flute maestro Rajendra Parsanna at Tagore theatre, here, today.

The musical soiree was organised by the Chandigarh Sangeet Natak Akademi in association with the department of public and cultural relations, Haryana.

Rajendra Prasanna of the Benaras gharana opened up the recital with an exposition of popular raga 'yaman'. He delved deep to bring alive the serene characteristics of the raga through an elaborate alaap and jod alaap before delineating its melodic structure with a 'madhya laya' gat set to roopak taal which gradually melted into fast tempo (drutlya) of the teen taal rhythmic pattern.

Parsanna, duly supported by his disciple son Rajesh, was at his best as he embellished a bhajan 'Hari gun gaa' with his vocal as well as flute recital.

The gayaki and tanatarkari ang were brought alive with an amazing perfection. The maestro then surprised the receptive audience with a shehnai recital weaving the melodious raga 'maru behag' in the soulful strains of shehnai. Amidst a deafening applause, he concluded the recital with a romance-filled 'kajri' on shehnai.

Young Athar Khan on tabla articulated the melody meter with brilliance while his son Rajesh performed a matching 'jugalbandi' making the soiree a memorable experience. Vijay Lakshmi, former principal, GCG, honoured the artistes while Vijay Vashisht of the A.I.R compeered the program.

Akademi chairperson Kamal Tewari disclosed that Meeta Pandit will give vocal recital tomorrow.