Ludhiana, July 3
A week-long national integration camp was inaugurated by Manjit Singh Kang, vice-chancellor of Panjab Agriculture University, and Harish Rai Dhanda, parliamentary secretary, at the Master Tara Singh Memorial College for Women, here yesterday.

As many as 100 NSS volunteers from Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Jammu, Punjab, Rajasthan and Uttarakhand are participating in the camp. Volunteers from different states welcomed the guests with their traditional welcome songs. Volunteers from Punjab welcomed the guests by presenting “Jaago”.

The students were dressed up in colourful dresses according to their tradition and culture. The function started with college shabad - Deh Shiva Var Mohe Ihe.

Dr Madanjit Kaur Sahota, principal of the college, while highlighting the need for national integration, stated that such national integration camps provide opportunities to interact and have knowledge of different cultures and activities. The camp presented unity in diversity. 

Ludhiana, July 3
After successfully establishing 11 schools in the region, ABC Montessori today announced its plans to further expand the network and establish 30 more schools, taking the total to 41 in the region.

ABC Montessori has been set up in collaboration with the Academy for the Brilliant Child, USA, and is part of the Rs 70- million GCS group. The group is a member of the International Montessori Council, USA.

The ABC Montessori project has been designed to give a well- organised and operational brand support to the franchisee with guidance regarding infrastructure, ambience, equipment, curriculum, advertisement, marketing and training of teachers. — TNS

Ludhiana, July 3
Card shops are full of a huge variety of printed greeting cards in different styles, sizes and themes with beautiful words. However, the greeting cards made by Kanti Shah from Gujarat have a novelty. These cards have been made in colourful geometrical designs like those seen in kaleidoscope with colourful threads on plain white paper.

Shah is presently teaching the art of doing embroidery on cards to willing learners at his stall at the Crafts Exhibition organised by Iqbal Singh , president of Akhil Bhartiya Dastkar Samiti at Nehru Sidhant Kendra, these days.

Iqbal Singh and his NGO were able to persuade Kanti Shah to be part of the exhibition and this is how Shah landed up in the heart of Punjab for the first time.

Talking to this correspondent Shah said a few years ago, thread embroidery done on nails fixed on wooden pieces was very popular. He saw it and experimented that art form on paper. After hit and trial he found out that if he made holes on the paper according to the designs he wanted, then different coloured threads and a needle would do the rest.

He says that he was very excited to discover this novel way of making greeting cards and wall hangings as the bright colours enhanced the beauty of cards. He says, "I have taught around 50,000 people this art in the last 10 years. I have taught students of prestigious schools, including Doon School and Welhams in Dehra Dun. I love to teach this art to a maximum number of the people and that is why I decided to participate in this exhibition. I think Keats said rightly that a thing of beauty is joy forever