Chandigarh, August 8
Government College of Art, Sector 10, can now look forward to some illustrious leadership. Chandigarh administration has, for the first time, approved a proposal to appoint principals of the college, on deputation.

After Brahm Prakash, the acting principal retires (next year) no one in the college faculty would be appointed as the acting principal, as no one is eligible under AICTE’s (All India Council for Technical Education) new conditions issued for principals in February 2005.

The administration has written to prestigious colleges including JJ College of Fine Arts, Mumbai, Delhi College of Art, and Viswa Bharti, Santiniketan, inviting applications for the post of principal.

The move is very significant considering the post of principal, Art College, has been lying vacant since January 1989. The process of appointing regular principal through UPSC has not yet been initiated due to non-finalisation of recruitment rules of the said post, now being considered by Government of India.

Consequently, work of principal is being looked after by the senior most faculty member of the college, appointed by the administration as acting principal from time to time.

But administration sources say the arrangement can’t continue in the absence of potential talent for principal’s post within the college.

“We have, therefore, decided to get principals on deputation, on the lines of Chandigarh College for Engineering and Technology,” said a top official.

The approval came on Brahm Prakash’s proposal, submitted to the administration on June 21. In this proposal, he listed the required qualifications for arts college principal, as mentioned by AICTE, and proposed the establishment of a high-level committee to make the final appointment.

Chandigarh, August 8
Tiny-tots from Bhavan Vidyalaya, Sector 27, had a field day today, quite literally. 140 children from the nursery and kindergarten classes visited Nik Baker, Sector 9 today.

These children were taught about “people who help us in our lives” came across the word ‘baker’. Their host was Nik Baker, Sector 9, who invited the school to his factory outlet in the Industrial Area.The little ones stood enthralled, more so because apart from touching and feeling and learning about hard bread-sticks, soft sunflower bread, cakes and pies, these tiny-tots also got to taste some goodies as well.

COMPETITION: The teams of Stepping Stones, Sector 38 and AKSIPS, Sector 41 bagged first and second prizes, respectively, in the Inter-School group song competition held at Sharda Sarvhitkari Senior Secondary School, Sector 40 on Wednesday. The competition was organised to commemorate its founder Shri Shanti Swaroop Sharda. The best team was given a cash prize of Rs 1,100. The 11 participating teams from the tricity displayed a great talent topped with zeal and enthusiasm. Each team comprised of students from 6 th to 12 th and their spirited performance on the theme of devotion. The principal B.S Kanvar lauded the efforts of the teams and encouraged the students to participate in such competitions.

CEREMONY: The Annual Installation Ceremony of Interact Club of the Bhavan Vidyalaya school took place in the school premises, here, today. The outgoing president of the Interact Club, Shruti Mahajan, gave a round up of last year’s activities and highlighted the achievements of the club.

The chief guest of the function was the Rotary Club, president Arvind Mehan, presented the collar to the newly appointed president, Shruti Mahajan.He also said he would like to help the Interact Club with leadership and vocational training in the coming year. He also presented a cheque of Rs 2000 to the president.

PROGRAMME: A two-day National Adolescence Education programme commenced at KV High Grounds, here, on Wednesday. It was inaugurated by group captain R.K.S. Shera , Station Commander Air Force Station and chairman VMC. Around 35 teachers of different Vidyalayas attended the training programme which aims at promoting 'Adolescence Wellness'.

TEEJ: Anchal bagged first place in the mehandi competition organised on the occasion of Teej festival held at school premises, on Wednesday. The second place was jointly shared by Anshul and Ankita while Navneet Kaur got third place. The tiny tots came dressed up in thier traditional dresses and enjoyed the swings.

Chandigarh, August 8
The Delhi High Court has taken the Army to task for irregularities in the selection of officers for the prestigious Higher Defence Management Course (HDMC). An officer, who did not qualify, was included for the course at the cost of an officer who met the requisite criteria and was placed in reserve.

On the directions of the court delivered a few days ago, the aggrieved officer, Col D.R. Singh, has been adjusted in the higher command course conducted by the Navy. He has become the first ordnance officer to attend the naval course.

The court order came after the Army’s representative conceded before the Bench that the respondent officer, Col S.S. Saluja, was deputed for the course even though he did not satisfy the mandatory requirements. The Army had earlier submitted affidavits in support of its actions in deputing Col Saluja for the course.

Counsel for the petitioner, Major K. Ramesh (retd), told The Tribune the the court had given the Army a “soft option” where it could adjust the officer in an equivalent course, or if it could not do so, a “hard option” which entailed removing the respondent officer from the course to pave way for the petitioner.

Further, the respondent officer was on a two-year study leave before proceeding for the course and as such could not even be considered for selection, Major Ramesh added.

After the matter was re-examined by the Military Secretary’s branch at the Army Headquarters during the course of the hearings, the Army agreed to send the petitioner to the Naval Higher Command Course, which commences in October.

The petitioner, a sena medal awardee, had been placed at No.1 on the reserve list, but could not join the course as an allegedly unqualified officer was nominated. The 44-week-long course is conducted by the College of Defence Management, Secundrabad, to train selected officers of the rank of colonels and equivalent from other services in the concepts and techniques required for the management of defence resources in war and peace at the directional level in command and staff appointments.

The court also directed the Army in this particular case, the Naval High Command Course would be treated as equivalent to the High Defence Management Course for all intents and purposes and for promotion and post-course employment, the petitioner would be treated as an officer who has undergone the HDMC.

Chandigarh, August 8
The UT administration drew a flak from a Division Bench comprising Mr Justice P.Sathasivam and Mr Justice Mahesh Grover over the delay in registering an FIR against SI Narinder Singh, accused of beating Anil Kumar, a Colony No 4 resident, to death while in police custody.

The Bench asked UT counsel Lisa Gill to ensure that the administration acted fairly and without prejudice in the matter. Gill had sought time to file the reply in the case. The next date of hearing is  August 10.

Phulwati, Anil’s mother, had moved the court seeking a case against SI Narinder Singh and also that the investigation be handed over to the CBI or any other investigating agency.

Sanjeeva Gupta, the petitioner’s counsel, had brought forth serious discrepancies in the police version over Anil’s death. He had higlighted that medical records and the post-mortem examination by the PGI revealed that Anil had received serious injuries on his body, including private parts.

The suicide theory put forth by the police was rubbished by the PGI report which highlighted that there was no head or spinal injury which could have resulted from a fall from the police station building.

Also, the height of the first floor of the police station was barely 10-12 ft.

Chandigarh, August 8
The Punjab and Haryana High Court today directed the UT administration to give admission by tomorrow to a physically challenged boy in any school under its territorial jurisdiction.

The administration was also asked to ensure that the boy Abhimanyu Pratap Singh Sekhon (16) got the admission in the subject-combination that he desired.

Abhimanyu suffered 80 per cent physical body handicap following a road accident in 1996.

Sekhon’s counsel Ajay Tewari had averred before the court that the UT administration be directed to take all steps as envisaged by the Persons with Disabilities (equal protection of rights and full participation) Act, 1995.

The petitioner, restricted to a wheelchair, also suffered from asthma, gall bladder stones and recurrent urinary tract infection due to automatic bladder.

He was granted admission by Government Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 16, in the reserved category in the subject-combination he wanted.

But to Sekhon’s dismay, he found that access to his classroom on the first floor was blocked by the construction of a room across the walkway.

Abhimanyu requested that his class be shifted to the ground floor till the blockade was removed. But the principal informed him that neither could the construction be removed nor the class shifted.

The principal asked the petitioner to go to some other school and opt for some other combination. Even the DPI (schools) expressed his inability to entertain Abhimanyu’s plea.

In his reply to the court, the DPI said physically challenged students normally preferred taking admission in Government Model Senior Secondary Schools where the infrastructure was good. He further stated that if Sekhon’s plea was accepted, it would result in a shortage of classrooms in the Sector-16 school. 

Chandigarh, August 8
Additional district and sessions judge R.K. Sondhi today committed the death sentences awarded to Jagtar Singh Hawara and Balwant Singh, convicted in the Beant Singh assassination case, to the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

The high court would now issue notices and hear the parties involved in the case before deciding upon the confirmation of the sentences, T.S. Sudan, Hawara and Balwant’s lawyer, informed.

He also informed that discussions were on with various apex court lawyers and retired judges so as to represent the convicts’ case before the high court.

But only those lawyers and judges, who were willing to offer free-of-cost services, were being contacted, he added.

Also, so far none of the relatives of Hawara had come to them to appeal against the sentence.

As far as murder reference was concerned, Sudan said a team of defence lawyers was busy drafting it and it would be ready within a month.

Mohali, August 8
Members of the District Bar Association have been asked to deposit money in the office of the deputy commissioner for availing the facility of temporary sheds at the court complex in Phase I.

N.S.Minhas, president of the association, said that it was decided at a meeting held by chairman of the building committee Justice M.S.Gill, Justice M.M.Kumar and Justice Rajiv Bhalla that 78 temporary sheds would be constructed at the court complex for the lawyers. As many as 32 sheds already existed there. Members of the association were asked to deposit Rs 5,000 as tentative price for the construction of sheds.

The meeting was attended, among others, by the deputy commissioner and chief administrator, GMADA. 

Chandigarh, August 8
European classical music may have transcended its boundaries but, at heart, it remains Gregorian. Much of the form’s popularity comes from its deep spiritual connect that, in turn, comes from humble, plainsong chants of the church.

So when Gautam Kaul, the man behind Delhi Symphony Orchestra’s splendid innings in recent years, says that it was ordinary prayer that transformed into harmonic music, it comes as no surprise.

What comes as a surprise is that the Delhi Symphony Society, the keeper of this precious tradition in India, has barely travelled the country with its music despite its inclusion in the world’s 121 permanent symphony orchestras, and its fine origin. The society was founded in 1964 by Gen J.N. Chaudhuri, who wrote the grand staff notation for India’s national anthem.

The orchestra will present its first concert north of Delhi, on August 12, in Chandigarh, on invitation of the Chandigarh Administration. For Kaul, secretary of the orchestra since 1997, the occasion is special as it comes in the 150th year of India’s First War for Independence.

“The concert is also special. It has been structured as a tribute to nationalism, irrespective of locations where wars for liberation were fought. We will begin with the original Tagore version of “Vande Mataram”, without which no homage to nationalism can be complete,” Kaul said.

Following India’s national song will be Finlandia, the piece composed by Sibelius, and later banned by the Czar of Russia to dowse pro-nationalist flames. Eventually, Sibelius’s companions formed an orchestra and went off to Europe to perform the piece, which became a reflection of Finland’s freedom struggle.

The use of symbols to construct nationalism for stage seems unique to the 48-member orchestra, comprising a Japanese two of AR Rahman’s best musicians. “Orchestration is a role model for an enlightened society,” said Kaul, arguing that symphony music was more global than Indian classical.

“In the Indian classical stream, only the musician seems to have a connection with the God. But in orchestra music, people of all nationalities come together to create a memorable experience for the listeners,” said Kaul, mentioning also of Mozart’s 40th symphony and Beethoven’s fifth symphony which will feature in the Sunday concert on August 12.

Riding on nationalism, Beethoven’s fifth symphony is expected to set the tone for the evening. This symphony had, in its times of creation, flourished to become the code which the allied forces used for communication with troops during World War II. Such is the power of music that a German composer’s piece was conveniently used to inspire men into rising against Germany.

The symphony’s magic will be recreated at the PGI’s Bhargava auditorium under conductor S.A. Anchees, director of music, Indian Navy. Interestingly, Delhi Symphony Orchestra always remained under the care of defence forces, with Kaul admitting: “Had it not been for their disciplined support, we would not have managed to survive as a symphony. We are always short of funds.”

But despite all odds, the orchestra basked some days in the sunshine. In 1990 it aided diplomatic relations between India and Sri Lanka by lending support to a major musical concert at Colombo. It will again visit Sri Lanka on February 20, next year when the country celebrates its 60th anniversary.

Chandigarh, August 8
Renowned makeup artist Cory Walia is looking to tie-up with academies and open his beauty training institute in the city.

In the city to impart makeup mantras to the students of Flying Cats Academy in Sector 8, Walia says he has been holding talks with “people in Chandigarh” for the purpose. “The academy will cater to the beauty needs of the people in this part of the region. The entire project is in its initial stages and could take some time,” he asserts.

Walia says setting up an academy is a necessity as the cosmetic industry was growing like never before and trained staff was lacking. To make matters worse, instructors were themselves untrained and were imparting training on the basis of their whims and fancies.

Meanwhile, in his first ever make-up workshop at the academy, Walia taught the students the art of makeup and shared with them the secret behind the magic he created in Rang de Basanti and other Bollywood hits.

He also shared his tough moments while doing makeovers at the IIFA awards, Filmfare Awards and fashion weeks in India and abroad.

The artiste also briefed the students on corporate makeup, formal evening makeup, day makeup and new techniques on looking professional.

The students have already been trained by diction expert Sabeera Merchant, Bollywood actors Tanushreee Dutta, Neha Dhupia and Aditi Govitrikar and renowned designer Ashley Rebello.