Chandigarh, September 1
The teachers working in the non-government colleges of Chandigarh would go on ‘mass casual leave’ on the ‘Teachers Day’ i.e. on September 5 on the call of Punjab and Chandigarh College Teachers Union (PCCTU). The teachers would also participate in the state-level rally to be held in front of the office of DPI (colleges), Punjab Sector 17 on that day.

Teachers from all the seven non-government colleges of city would be registering their protest against the indifferent attitude of the Punjab Government towards Higher Education. The memorandum of demands consisting of 26 demands has already been submitted to the Punjab Government by the PCCTU leadership.

Some of these demands include encashment of earned leave, deduction of provident fund on gross salary, additional increments for completing PhD during service, exemption from refresher courses up to December 2007, enhancement of retirement age up to 62 years, timely and sufficient grants for the regular disbursement of salaries and the arrears.

A joint general body meeting of the Teaching and Non-teaching employees Union’s of the MCM DAV College was held here today, which was presided over by Uma Joshi, president of the MCM DAV College Teacher’s Union, said a source.

Chandigarh, September 1
The Chandigarh Administration today announced the names of seven teachers who have been selected for this year’s State Award and five for commendation certificates for Excellence in the field of Education for the year 2006-07.

The UT administrator General S.F. Rodrigues (retd), would honour the teachers at a ceremony to be held at Tagore Theatre, Sector 18, here, on the Teacher’s Day (September 5).

This time the cash award money has been enhanced from Rs 5,000 to 10,000 each, along with a certificate of merit and a medal. 

The teachers are selected on the recommendation through District Education Office (DEO), Chandigarh. A panel is constituted by the Education Department who analyse the meritorious and deserving teachers working in the schools of Chandigarh. 

J.S. Basota, principal, GMSSS, Sector 47, has been chosen for this prestigious award from the Urban group of schools while Sham Lal, principal of GSSS-45 and Suman Malik, headmistress, GHS, Dadumajra, have been selected under the rural/colony category.

The other four - Parvinder Kaur, Lecturer, GMSSS-35, Madhu Kanwar, music techer, GMSSS-10, KC Rahi, Punjabi lecturer GMSSS-44 and Raksha Sharma, JBT, GPS, Mauli Complex- have been chosen for their indispensable contribution in the field education for this prominent award. 

Besides this, five teachers Kuldevi Yadav, principal, GGMSSS-8, Dr Priti Garg, lecturer, GMSSS-40, Ram Kumar, Science teacher, GMSSS-35, Pushpa Rani, music teacher, GHS-24 and Narender Shastri, who teaches sanskrit, GHS, Mauli, have been preferred for this year’s commendation certificates. 

Though the number of such awards varies each year depending upon the eligibility of such teachers.

According to education officials, the Chandigarh administration has introduced the scheme for the State Award to its teachers on the pattern of Punjab Government.

Chandigarh, September 1
All the speculations were put to an end when the UT administration appointed Dr A L Gauba, as the principal of the Government College, Sector 11 today. Dr Gauba was earlier the dean students at the same college. Though there were many rumours doing the rounds after Dr A.N. Garg relinquished the charge as principal yesterday.

“The UT administration would have appointed the new principal last evening but due to various reasons it could not decide upon,” said a senior officer in the education department.

Chandigarh, September 1
Inauguration of the 75th general orientation programme of the Academic Staff College, Panjab University took place on Saturday. Prof G.K. Chadha, economic advisor to the Prime Minister and former V-C of Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi, emphasised on the importance of education for sustaining high economic growth rate of the country in his inaugural address. 26 lecturers from colleges and universities from Chandigarh, Uttaranchal, Punjab and Haryana joined the four-week long course. 

Chandigarh, September 1
"Jag mein reh jayange pyare tere bol " Surely the bols of the timeless melodic songs of invincible maestro, Mukesh are bound to stay for for centuries enrapturing all inquisitive music aficionados even after thirty years of his demise. Some of his hit songs were presented at a musical tribute " Mukesh Ki Yadein -IX ", organised by the Payal Musical Club and Pancham Musical club at the Tagore theatre here today.

The programme director and lead singer, Harkseh Thakur and other artists attempted to revive the majesty and magnificence of the base voice of Mukesh in different moods. Harkesh attempted to bring alive the pathos immaculately instilled by Mukseh in raga Shivranjani based song' Jaane kahan gye voh din, Maati ke mol as also Vipan Sharma in ‘Ye mera deevanapan hai’.The chief guest of the function was Vivek Atrey.

Chandigarh, September 1 
Coming events cast their shadows before which is veritably true of the Jaipur gharana Kathak prodigy Devanshi Mishra, who is a legend in the making. With a panorama of achievements in the realm of classical dancing besides other cultural and sports activities Devanshi, yet in her teens, has carved a niche for herself.

Winner of the Balshree award - 2002 and national scholarship in KATHAK for 20 years she was given the NRITYA SHREE Award and honoured by the Punjab governor on the last Independence day.

She was also declared the Whiz kid 2006 finalist. After having participated in 200 stage shows Devanshi, a ninth class student of DPS Chandigarh gave her third solo performance at The Law Bhavan auditorium under the aegis of Naveen Kala Kendra here today.

Owing her success to the blessed tutelage of his guru (late) Sanjay Sharma she pays a tribute to his cherished memory on this day through her dance recital. After the chief guest Sudershan Gaud, a veteran thespian and associate of Balraj Sahni lighted the traditional jyoti; Devanshi commenced the dance recital with a bhajan ' Hey sukhdata vishav vidhata' set to raga Kalvati, in laudation of Lord Krishna. She went to delineate the fundamental patterns of pure kathak 'Nritta like the thaat, aamad, tipali paran and chakardhar paran, Tihais, bol jati, Gat nikas and a Ganseh Vandana. 

Chandigarh, September 1
‘Pala’ deals with the diversity of the centuries old storytelling and musical tradition of Punjab of which Pala, the protagonist, is a part. It is a tradition on the decline. But the film which mirrors the changes in society that have affected the livelihood of the traditional folk performer also revels in how narration of folk legends through this dying tradition is alive of out Pala’s sheer passion. In that sense ‘Pala’ is a story of revival. 

Filmmaker, Gurvinder Singh who made the film from a grant he received from the India Foundation for the Arts (IFA) for research and video documentation on Sufi and Bhatki music of Punjab says ‘Pala’ had to be made. 

In the city on a personal visit, he however, is making time to screen this 83-minute film and interact with music and film-lovers along with Pala at the Press Club tomorrow.

A graduate of the film institute at Pune he says he had no roots in Punjab having spent most of his growing years in Delhi.

Interest in folk music led him to hear the Dhadi style of music from Punjab in a series released by Music Today which drew sounds from the various states around the country. He fell in love with the music. “There was an earthy quality typical of the region and it was a totally new experience for me,” he says. 

However, for Gurvinder, the journey did not end with making of the film. He is continuing to research and document the tradition and community is a bid to keep it alive and strengthen it.‘Pala’ interestingly is also the story of what Gurvinder calls ‘folk religion’, music that assimilating strands of Sikhism, Hinduism and Islam which have all left their indelible mark on Punjab. It is interspersed with Pala’s own interpretation of God and the changes overriding his musicians and his lives.