Chandigarh, October 12
DAV College, Sector 10, organised an inter-college debate competition on the topic, “The increasing population of senior citizens is not a threat to social stability” here, yesterday.

The event was organised in collaboration with the Chandigarh Senior Citizen’s Association. Teams from different colleges participated in the competition and expressed their news.

Principal S. Marriya commended the tremendous talent in the students. Vaishnav, president, CSSA, congratulated the speakers for their participation and praised the students for coming forward.

Gurjot and Roohi Kaushal from Govt College, Sector 11, won the Principal Triloki Nath running trophy.

Avantika from GCG 11 won the first prize, Anuj Malhotra from DAV College, Sector 10, won the second prize and Amanpreet Kaur of SGGS College for Women won the third prize.

Mementos and cash prizes were also given to the winners.

Panchkula, October 12
The annual function “Satluj Pride 2007” of the senior wing of Satluj Public School, Sector 4, was held, here yesterday.

The chief guests on the occasion were Sarban Singh, secretary, sports, Haryana, and Tanya Abrol of “Chak De India” fame.

The cultural extravaganza was a splash of colours with different items presented by the students of various 
classes.

The programme started with the invocation of Goddess Saraswati followed by the welcome address and list of achievements by principal Krit Serai.

The toppers of the last session in various academic, cultural and sports events were awarded certificates and trophies for their excellent performance. Special prizes for last year CBSE toppers, community services, 100 per cent attendance, merit card holders, were also given to the students for their enthusiastic participation in school programmes.

As many as 500 students were given prizes and students from Classes VI to XII participated in the function.

The cultural programme commenced with ‘The Jungle Book’, in which students of Class VI presented nature dance and spread the message of ‘love your environment’ through the play. This was followed by ‘Assamese Rhythms’ by Class VII; ‘French Gypsies’ by Class VIII; ‘As You Like It’ by Class IX. ‘East Meets West’, presented by Class XI, depicted different fashions of our country in the form of ethnic, modern and sporty outfits.

The function concluded with fireworks. However, the main attraction of the show was the light and sound programme with a 32 x 22 feet LCD screen.

Chandigarh
ARMY SCHOOL: Army School, Chandimandir, celebrated its 16th annual day function at Chandimandir here, today. Through a series of cultural items, both, the staff and students of the school, depicted the theme of the function “National Integration and Harmony”. The programme began on a religious note with an invocation depicting an enchanting dance from Kerala, performed by the students of Class VII and VIII, followed by a spectacular “Alien Dance” by students of CIass V and VI. Tiny tots from CIass I and II expressed their gratitude to God through a prayer with the theme "My Friend Lord Ganesha", while students of CIass VI presented a qawalli with immense vigour.

An English skit "Journey from Dusk to Dawn - A New Beginning" depicted a brave soldier's widow who stands boldly to fulfil the needs and aspirations of her children with her hardwork, patience and self-confidence. The fusion dance, depicting India as a strong and united nation with rich diversity of people and traditions, left the audience spellbound, while instrumental music by members of the music club enthralled the audience by their well-synchronised performance.

Lt Gen A.N. Aul, Chief-of-Staff, Western Command, presided over the function. Speaking on the occasion, he appreciated and complimented the students for their scintillating performances. Principal Lt Col N.R. Baberwal (retd) presented the annual school report highlighting the achievements of the school during the session 2006-07.

Chandigarh, October 12
The Punjab and Haryana High Court has ruled that in a case under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, it is for the prosecution to establish that the accused was found in conscious and intelligent possession of the contraband.

Taking up an appeal filed by Nirmal Singh, alias Nimmi, convicted and sentenced to undergo rigorous imprisonment for 10 years and a fine of Rs 1 lakh, Justice Nirmal Yadav of the High Court ruled, “It is true that the possession has not been defined in the Act, but it has been judicially construed to be conscious and intelligent possession; and not merely the physical presence of the accused in the close proximity of the alleged bags.”

In her detailed order, Justice Yadav ruled, “The prosecution has not been able to establish conscious possession of the contraband. Though the accused was sitting on the gunny bags, the police failed to further investigate and probe whether the contraband really belonged to him.”

The Judge also observed, “The Investigating Officer did not comply with the provisions of Section 55 also, as the case property, accused and the samples were not produced before the concerned magistrate for necessary orders. It is true that the non-compliance of provisions of Section 55 of the Act is not mandatory. However, it has been consistently held that if it causes prejudice to the accused, an adverse inference has been drawn against the prosecution.”

After going through detailed arguments and other contentions raised by both the parties, Justice Yadav ruled, “From the discussion, it is clear that the prosecution has miserably failed to establish that adequate precaution had been taken by the investigating agency to eliminate the possibility of tampering with the samples, and also to comply with the other mandatory provisions of the Act.”

“Accordingly, the benefit of doubt has to be given to the accused. The appellant is acquitted of the charge framed against him,” she stated in her judgement.

Chandigarh, October 12
Yash Pal Mahajan and Kehar Singh Koundel, president and spokesman of the local unit of the BJP, today appeared before a local court in connection with the defamation suit filed by union minister for finance Pawan Bansal.

After hearing arguments for both parties, chief judicial magistrate Y.S. Rathore adjourned the case to November 26.

Bansal had filed the case against the BJP leaders and journalists of a local English daily on the basis of a statement of the BJP demanding a high-level probe into allegations that Bansal's family concern, run by his son from Baddi, was evading the payment of certain taxes by ignoring the directive issued by the PMO on excise duty.

It was also alleged that the firm was selling medicines at exorbitant rates by printing exaggerated rates on the medicines.

Meanwhile, talking to reporters outside the district courts, Satya Pal Jain, former MP, and Mahajan alleged that the filing of the defamation suit by Bansal showed that he was "intolerant" to criticism. The case would give an opportunity to the BJP to expose the real face of Bansal, they added.

Chandigarh, October 12
A scintillating santoor recital by Ujjain-based santoorist Dr Varsha Agrawal, held at Pracheen Kala Kendra here, yesterday, was indeed a listeners’ delight as they watched the only woman santoorist of north India and foremost disciple of legendary Pandit Bhajan Sopori, lost in her creative musical trance.

The programme commenced with recitation of two shalokas by Guru Lalit Mahant and Varsha Agrawal, followed by an invocatory composition.

Dr Agrawal displayed the harmonious range of santoor while baring the melody of raag “bageshree” in it varied forms of alaap, jod and jhala.

Emphasising on melodic flow in different diction and designs, Dr Agrawal produced some swift sequences with arrested resonance of the strings. She played three rhythmic compositions in slow, medium and fast tempo, producing a soft, ethereal music with skill and sensitivity.

The duo of Varsha and tabla maestro Mahant weaved magic in the concluding ‘sawaal-jawaab’ which made the evening memorable. Kendra director M.L. Koser honoured the artists.

Chandigarh, October 12
Music for the Ujjain-based Sufina Gharana santoor maestro Dr Varsha Agrawal is an unending quest. Three long decades of systematic riyaz and learning from her Gurus Padmashri Pandit Bhajan Sopori and Pandit Lalit Mahant, though, has established her as a leading woman santoor maestro of international standing, it has not ended her quest to learn.

In city for a music concert at Pracheen Kala Kendra, Varsha shared her enterprising ambitions and rare acquisition of mastering the complex musical instrument santoor, duly improvised with 140 strings.

“Any performance of musical arts, vocal or instrumental, must be capable of expressing the entire spectrum of human emotions with consummate psychological release. The virtuosity of the performer lies in establishing a direct rapport and creating a feeling of ‘rasa’ in the mind of the intrusive listener,” opines the academician musicologist and performing maestro.

“My individualised emotive expression on santoor had come from my grounding in the folklore and cadenced vocal classical music,” claims Varsha, holding three masters’ degrees in vocal and instrumental music, tabla and a doctorate in folklore 
ballads.

Averse to musical experimentation of remixes and fusion, she maintains that the rich Indian classical music, reigning supreme since ages, is an enviable precious treasure trove of Indian culture and its pristine purity should not be tempered with.

She feels that performers of classical music must adorn their concerts with a living touch, inducing improvisations within the ambient of its traditional conservatism so as to keep the interest of the audience alive as every performance is a test for the artist.

Rightfully honoured at leading music festivals in India and abroad, Varsha advocates the compulsory teaching of classical and devotional music right from primary classes. She also called for a check on the concept and format of reality TV shows which are “encouraging the budding artists to fall prey to the filmy glamour and debasing power of money.”