The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Chandigarh Stories

EDUCATION

Accenture selects 214 at placement camp
Tribune News Service

Mohali, August 19
The efforts made by Chandigarh Engineering College (CEC) for the placements of students have started showing up with Accenture, an over $ 16 billion MNC, recruiting 214 students during the joint placement camp organised by the college. These students would take care of the company’s operations in various parts of the country.

Students from 53 colleges across Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Haryana participated in the drive conducted by the college. The selected 214 students have managed to bag packages of Rs 3.1 lakh per annum and they would join the company after passing the degree course in 2008.

“Within six years of inception, CEC has started delivering on its promise of offering placements to students before the completion of their degree course. Breaking the convention, we have started inviting the students from other colleges across three northern states to participate in the on-the-campus placement drives,” said Satnam Singh Sandhu, chairman, Chandigarh Group of Colleges managing CEC.

The college, so far, had provided an opportunity to over 30,000 students to appear for the written tests and interviews convened by various MNCs and Indian companies holding placement drives on the CEC campus.

President, Chandigarh Group of Colleges, Rashpal Singh Dhaliwal said the IT software and services industry had marked a rapid growth over the last decade and it would require 2 million persons over the next five years to manage IT and IT-enabled services (ITES).

From Schools
Teachers get tips in phonetics
Tribune News Service

Mohali, August 19
Ayesha Bhatia, an expert in phonetics from St. Xavier’s School, New Delhi, held a workshop in Shivalik Public School here for nearly 50 teachers from both Chandigarh and Mohali branches and lecturers of the Shivalik Institute of Education and Research under the guidance of director D.S. Bedi. The occasion was also used as a ceremonial inauguration of the language laboratory. During the workshop, Bhatia highlighted the importance of correct pronunciation and usage by language teachers, especially English.

Exhibition

An exhibition was held at Shemrock Senior Secondary School. Models on various topics were displayed. All students participated in the exhibition, which was a combined effort of students, teachers and parents. The purpose of the exhibition was to take education beyond the narrow realms of books and classrooms.

Refresher course

Principal Choudhary conducted a refresher course on English at Shastri Model School for teachers of the school. Teachers learned new things regarding how to make English easier to learn and how to speak among students.

CULTURE

Lawyer captures everyday life in ‘Opri Hawa’
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 19
Ripudaman Singh Roop takes on the perpetrators of social evils in his latest collection of short stories titled ‘Opri Hawa’. Released today by former advocate general, Punjab, R.S. Cheema, the book features 12 short stories, each based on a situation that seems to have gone wrong.

The title of the book comes from the story ‘Opri Hawa’ that is based on the life of a man who though rises to become an editor, falls to the trappings of fame. On an ego trip, he dismisses his friends, only to realise that fame is transient, while friendship is permanent. Finally, he admits being under the influence of an unseen force, a kind of an ‘opri hawa’, which alienated him from all his past affections. The story, like most others in the book, ends on a positive note.

Cheema said the strength of the book lies in the newness of its thematic content. “The subjects are very different and interesting. Every story has a potential to contribute to society as it offers solutions instead of leaving the reader confused. Literature that has practical value is always more interactive,” he said.

The keynote speech on the book’s literary content was delivered by Punjabi academician Dr Labh Singh Khewa, who said the book was in a league of its own as it drew both from modern and traditional themes to build cases in favour of humaneness. The stories talk about mundane issues like enmities, jealousies, but eventually, celebrate the goodness in man.

They reaffirm faith in the future of mankind, despite the social evils prevalent in the society, Khewa said.

Roop, for his part, maintained a humble stance, saying the book was inspired by his experience as a lawyer at the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

“As a lawyer, I come across all sorts of complicated situations, which I have tried to capture in my book. While some stories are purely inspired by events around us, others are rooted in folk tales, which are as relevant today as ever,” he said.

Roop’s earlier works include a book titled ‘Rani Rut’, two collections of short stories titled ‘Dil Di Aag’ and ‘Bahane Bahane’ and a small story collection titled ‘Badmaash’.