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Anti-smoking drive turns to ashes
Chandigarh, November 19
The anti-smoking drive of the Chandigarh Police seems to have gone up in smoke. The drive, which was launched with fanfare on July 15 to make Chandigarh the first smoke-free city in the country, is gradually losing steam. Figures available from July 15 to October 31 reveal that the police booked 1,175 persons for violating the provisions of the Cigarette and other Tobacco Products Act, 2003. But only 15 violators have been prosecuted till date.

Post of Director
Six GMCH dept heads
Chandigarh, November 19
Six heads of departments of Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Sector 32, have moved the CAT, Chandigarh, contesting the validity of the manner being adopted by the administration in appointing the director principal of the medical institute. 

Ban on rituals at Sukhna
Chandigarh, November 19
In an attempt to maintain the eco balance of Sukhana lake, the Chandigarh Administration has prohibited the performing of religious ceremonies and rituals at the lake here. District magistrate R.K. Rao issued the prohibition orders under Section 144 CrPC here today.

Brinder ineligible for exam, says PU panel
Yet roll no. sent
Chandigarh, Nov 19
The controversy surrounding the admission of Brinder Dhillon in the department of laws, Panjab University refuses to die. After his alleged admission in first year to the department against PU regulations on November 4, after the classes for first semester were over, the debate has now erupted on whether he should be given a roll number or not. The examination for the first semester begins tomorrow.

		Poor Man’s Winter

COMMUNITY

Gaurav Midha and Narinder (faces covered), accused of impersonation, before they were produced before the duty magistrate, Chandigarh, on Monday. —  Tribune photo BY Pradeep Tewari

Registration of Flats
Residents for joint action against notice
Panchkula, November 19
The office-bearers of the group housing societies today condemned the public notice regarding the registration of their flats with the Haryana Urban Development Authority.

35 students challaned
Driving without licence
Panchkula, November 19
The traffic police today challaned 35 students for driving to their schools in their personal vehicles without proper documents and for driving two-wheelers without wearing helmets.The students were challaned outside Satluj Public School, Sector 4, D.C. Model School, Sector 7, and Bhawan Vidyalaya in Sector 15. “The challaning drive today was only an attempt to make students realise that they ought to follow traffic rules. However, this would be followed up with a session to educate the students about the need to adhere to traffic rules in view of the rising number of accidents,” said ASP Maneesh Chaudhary.

Cycle rally heads for Pune
Chandigarh, November 19
As part of its the golden jubilee celebrations, the Directorate-General Quality Assurance (DGQA) is undertaking a cycle rally from Chandigarh to Pune.

Members of a cycle rally organised by the Directorate-General Quality Assurance to commemorate its golden jubilee celebrations in Chandigarh on Monday. — A Tribune photograph

Media’s role in democracy valuable, says ex-VC
Chandigarh, November 19
In continuation of the special lecture series, the department of correspondence studies, PU, under the chairmanship of Prof Jagmohan Chopra, organised a talk by Radhey Shyam Sharma, fellow, PU, and a former vice-chancellor of University of Journalism in Bhopal, on “Role of Media as Fourth Estate” today.

Winning team of the students of the INIFD, who won the first position at the fashion show during the annual festival of IIT, Kharagpur. — A Tribune photograph

Drive checks parking blues
Chandigarh, November 19
In their continuing effort to check the parking problem of the city, MC officials today, along with officials of the traffic police, undertook a drive once again at the Sector 17 Bank Square.

Residents rue poor upkeep of park
Mohali, November 19
Residents of Phase 3A here have no place to send their children to play. The Freedom Fighter Park, catering to hundreds of residents, has not been maintained for years.

Letters
Safety measures on Diwali

CRIME

Transit remand for CAT accused
Chandigarh, November 19
Two youths Gaurav Midha and Narinder were arrested yesterday by the Kolkata police for taking the CAT as impersonators. They were arrested from the DAV College, Sector 10, here. They were sent on transit remand for three days by the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) Y.S. Rathor today.

Man caught red-handed stealing cell phone
Chandigarh, November 19
A Mohali resident was allegedly caught red-handed while stealing a mobile phone. Rakesh Popli of Sector 16 reported to the police alleging that Harpreet Singh of Phase I, Mohali, was caught red-handed while stealing a mobile phone from Sector 15 market on Sunday night. A case has been registered in this connection.

Woman commits suicide
Zirakpur, November 19
A 24-year-old married woman allegedly committed suicide here by hanging herself from the hook of a ceiling fan at her residence this morning. The victim, Pinky, was reportedly depressed as she was keeping ill health.

BUSINESS

Progress of small savings reviewed
Chandigarh, November 19
Anil Bhattacharya, director and head of the National Savings Institute, today held a meeting with Manjula Prashar, chief postmaster general, Punjab and Chandigarh, and Megh Raj, director, small savings, Punjab.

EDUCATION

Students can take MBBS main exams
Chandigarh, November 19
After holding that students cannot be debarred from appearing in the main examinations once they have passed the supplementary examinations and have completed the requisite period of study after being allowed to join the ‘main batch’, the Punjab and Haryana High Court today allowed a petition filed by 44 students seeking permission to take MBBS second professional examination scheduled to be held on Tuesday.

Children and residents of sector 38 West, Chandigarh, light candles at the Ashish roundabout on Monday.  Tribune photo: Pradeep Tewari

Theatre personalities honoured at fest
Chandigarh, November 19
Over 300 student artistes from over 20 schools and colleges showcased their aesthetic potential in the 17th annual “Natyotsav-2007”. The one-act play theatre festival, organised by the Sambhang theatre group in association with the State Bank of India and Department of Public Relations is dedicated to the memory of Prabhat Gupt.Paying rich tributes to the theatrical genius of Gupt , chief guest Pawan Kumar Bansal union minister of state for finance, said Gupt, in the prime of youth, made the supreme sacrifice to save an innocent child.

From Schools & Colleges
Bhavan organises ‘clean Sukhna’ project
Panchkula, November 19
Bhavan Vidyalaya, Sector 15, organised a Sukhna lake clean-up project at the lake here today. As many as 120 students, accompanied by 20 teachers, conducted this project under the guidance of an international NGO named The Friends Society which is at present working on coastal clean-up projects.

The children in a joyous mood during St Stephen’s silver jubilee celebrations on the school premises on Monday. — Tribune photo BY Manoj Mahajan

School kitchen on fire
400 students escape unhurt
Panchkula, November 19
Nearly 400-odd students studying at Government Middle School in Nada village today had a narrow escape when a fire broke out in the kitchen where the mid-day meal was being cooked.

A view of the kitchen which caught fire following leakage in an LPG cylinder at Government Middle School in Nada village on Monday. — A Tribune photograph

Award for Ashmah
Mohali, November 19
Roopinder Ghuman, principal, Ashmah International School, Mohali, has been conferred with the International Education Excellence Award 2007 for the outstanding performance of the school in exhibiting innovative teaching skills and facilitating friendly atmosphere for school students. The award, instituted and given by International Business Productivity Forum, New Delhi, was presented to Ghuman by Sunil Shastri, former minister.

COURTS

HC condoles Justice Sandhawalia’s death
Chandigarh, November 19
A two-minute silence was observed during a full-court reference at the Punjab and Haryana High Court for paying homage to former Chief Justice-cum-ex-governor of both the states Justice S. S. Sandhawalia. Bhog and antim ardas is scheduled to be held at Sector 8 Gurdwara Sahib on Wednesday.

6 GMCH dept heads file plea with CAT
Gombar, anaesthesia, Dr A.K. Janmeja, pulmonary medicine, Dr Arjun Dass, ENT, Dr Sunandan Sood, ophthalmology, Dr Suman Kochhar, radiodiagnosis, and Dr B.S. Chavan, psychiatry department, also filed a joint petition.

Promotion to the district attorney post
CAT gives last chance to UT
Chandigarh, November 19
The Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) today granted the last opportunity to the administration to file compliance report within three weeks.

CULTURE

Stars find TV serials encouraging experience
Chandigarh, November 19
"Though acting in feature films is a blissful experience for its gloss, glamour and gold but working in a television serial, closely related to the realities of life, is nevertheless encouraging," feel Kanchi Kaul and Vishal Singh, lead actors of Star Plus’ popular serial “Bhaabhi”. The actors were in town for the promotion of the serial.

Vishal Singh and Kanchi Kaul, who play the lead roles in the popular serial “Bhaabhi”. — Tribune photo BY Vinay Malik

17 from city top fashion show
Chandigarh, November 19
Seventeen students of the International Institute of Fashion Design (INIFD), Sector 8, here, have done the city proud by winning the first prize in the fashion show, “Ritambhara”, held at All-India Inter-Collegiate Cultural Festival, “Antaragini 07” during the annual festival of IIT Kharagpur.

HEALTH

PGI student wins first prize for research
Chandigarh, November 19
Research work presented by Pratibha Khosla, PhD, a student in the Department of Pharmacology, PGI, has won the first prize in the plenary session of the Annual Conference of the Indian Society of Gastroenterology at Bangalore.

Award for Prof S.K. Sharma
handigarh, November 19
Professor S. K. Sharma, former director and head, Department of Urology, PGIMER, Chandigarh, was honoured with ‘Life Time Achievement Award’ in recognition of his contributions in the field of urology in India, during the 17th Annual Conference of the North Zone Chapter of Urological Society of India held at SGPGI, Lucknow. The conference was held in the first week of the month.

Ambala woman tested HIV positive
Husband raises finger at GMCH-32
Chandigarh, November 19
An Ambala-based woman who tested HIV positive at Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Sector 32, has kicked up a major controversy. Her husband alleged that infected blood was transfused to his wife after she admitted to the hospital.

Workshop on diagnosis of dengue today
Chandigarh, November 19
A two-day hands on training-cum-workshop on the laboratory diagnosis of dengue, japanese encephalitis and chikungunya viral infections will be organised by the department of virology, PGI, here tomorrow.

SPORTS

ICL plans to hold Test matches, ODIs

Chandigarh, November 19 The ICL has elaborate plans to hold Test matches along with 50-50 overs tourney after its first edition of Twenty-20 at Panchkula starting this month.“Eventually we are going to have our international team and other cricket-playing nations would also be roped in for the purpose”, said Ashish Kaul, executive vice- president of Essel Group at Hotel Mountview here today. Ashish Kaul

SGGS are volleyball champs
Chandigarh, November 19
SGGS College for Women-26, Chandigarh, won the Punjab University Inter-College Volleyball (Women) championship for 2007-08. The championship was held at PU grounds here today.

New Zealand all-rounder Chris Cairns (extreme right) relaxes after a practice session with his ICL peers in the Hotel Mountview swimming pool in Chandigarh on Monday. Tribune photo: Vinay Malik

Punjabi University gymnasts shine
Patiala, November 19
Punjabi university gymnasts showed a lot of agility and won the overall team championship in the women's rhythmics category at the All-India Inter-University Gymnastics Championship being held at Punjabi University here today.

National School Games: Trials today
Chandigarh, November 19
Trials to select Chandigarh School Boys’ and Girls’ Badminton and Tennis teams under the age group of 14, 17 and 19 will be held on November 20 from 9 am onwards at Badminton Hall, Sector 42, for badminton and Lake Sports Complex for tennis. All the interested players are directed to report to their conveners at the respective venues, along with their identity cards duly signed by the concerned school principal. The selected players will represent Chandigarh schools in the forthcoming 53rd National School Games 2007.

Sikhya School lift boxing trophy
Chandigarh, November 19
The team of Sikhya School, Sector 46, lifted the trophy, accumulating 42 points in the girls’ category of the 32nd Sub-junior Chandigarh State Boxing Championship at Boxing Hall, Sports Complex, Sector 42, here today.

Satinder hockey umpire for Beijing Olympics
Chandigarh, November 19
Chandigarh-based Satinder Sharma, an international grade-1 hockey umpire, has been given another prestigious assignment by the world hockey body.

ADMINISTRATION

DGQA to procure land for testing labs
Chandigarh, November 19
The defence ministry’s Directorate General Quality Assurance (DGQA) is in the process of procuring land in Chandigarh for accommodating its local establishment here, which will help consolidating and streamlining its functioning.

Shifting of dairies from villages
War of words between Cong, BJP
Chandigarh, November 19
The decision of the Municipal Corporation of Chandigarh (MCC) to shift dairies from certain UT villages has sparked off a war of words between the Congress and the BJP.