EDUCATION

PU to host World Punjabi Conference
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 6
“Guru Nanak was a beacon, who inspired people to fight against social injustice. He gave the concept of congregational religion,” said Dr Upinderjit Kaur, minister of education, civil aviation, vigilance and justice, during a national seminar on ‘Guru Nanak Bani: Ideological and Cultural Perspective’ organised by the department of Guru Nanak Sikh Studies, Panjab University (PU), in collaboration with the Haryana Punjabi Sahit Akademi and ICSSR, at the university today. She highlighted the relevance of Guru Nanak’s ideology in today’s context. She also announced a grant of Rs 2 lakh to the university.

Earlier, Prof Jaspal Kaur Kang, chairperson, Guru Nanak Sikh Studies, welcomed the guests. Dr A.C. Maudgil, director, Haryana Punjabi Sahit Akademi, remarked that Guru Nanak’s Bani had shown the path of truth to the world. Prof Darshan Singh explained the ideological and cultural perspective of Nanak’s Bani and said Guru Nanak stood for a borderless society.

Prof R.C. Sobti, vice chancellor of Panjab University, observed that Guru Nanak’s Bani gave the message of equality, fraternity, tolerance, love and unity. Prof Satinder Singh, former pro vice-chancellor GND University, presented the keynote address.

The minister and vice chancellor released the book ‘Guru Tegh Bahadur; Ed Adhyan’ authored by Dr R.P.S. Josh. The inaugural session of the seminar was presided over by Prof Deepak Manmohan Singh, dean, faculty languages, Panjab University.

The vice chancellor announced to establish the Guru Granth Sahib Sikh Study Chair.

He also said soon Panjab University would set up a centre for Punjabi culture and traditions.

He also thanked the Punjab Government for sanctioning Rs 5 crore to set up a paramedical and vocational training at Kauni in Muktsar and Rs 50 lakh as recurring amount every year.

The VC said the university proposed to have a Punjabi Bhawan at the university and would also host the World Punjabi Conference.

From Schools & Colleges
6 city students to participate in science congress
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 6
Sanya Chopra of Carmel Convent School, Sector 9, and Sarthak Pahwa of St Kabir High School, Sector 26, from the senior group and Saurabh Shukla of Shivalik Public School, Sector 41, and Sarthak Gupta of St Kabir High School, Sector 26, from the junior group will participate in the National Children Science Congress to be held at Baramati near Pune (Maharashtra) from December 27 to 31. Meanwhile, Surbhi of Government Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 46-D, and Parul Yadav of Carmel Convent School, Sector 9, will participate in the Indian Science Congress to be held at Andhra University, Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh) from January 3 to 7.

Panchkula
CONTEST: The local unit of the Sri Gita Prachar Samiti celebrated Gita Jayanti by holding a Gita recitation contest at Doon Public School, Sector 21, here, on Thursday. Students of Bhavan Vidyalaya, Sector 27, Chandigarh, also took part. The students were given mementos and the running trophy. Sweets and Srimad Bhagvadgita literature were also distributed among them. It was announced that any Class-IX or X student, who would recite one chapter of Bhagvadgita, would be win the whole year’s tuition fee as prize.

Mohali
PACT SIGNED: The Canadian Institute of International Studies(CIIS), Punjab, has signed a memorandum of understanding with Thompson Rivers University, British Columbia, Canada, for offering a bachelor’s of tourism management programme which will facilitate Indian students to acquire the varsity’s graduate degree while studying in India. The MoU was inked between the two institutions in the presence of British Columbia’s Premier Gordon Campbell who is on an Indian tour to promote strategic international partnerships and student exchange programmes.

3 law students get scholarship
Tribune News Service

Mohali, December 6
Three students of the Army Institute of Law - Siddharth Suresh, Surabhi Rajpal and Jagriti Singh - have been awarded the Microsoft Research Scholarship under the Microsoft Scholars Programme being conducted by Microsoft India in association with law firm Amarchand Mangaldas.

The students would be awarded research scholarship of Rs 80,000 and would undertake research and present author papers on topics related to intellectual property rights.

COURTS

‘Bully’ bank agents get bail
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 6
The district and sessions judge K.K. Garg today granted bail to the four recovery agents of the ICICI Bank. The agents furnished bail bonds of Rs 20,000 each.

They were arrested on the charges of forcibly taking away an SUV of a Panchkula resident on November 21. According to the police, the incident took place at around noon near Tribune Chowk. Dhiraj Sharma of Sector 28, Panchkula, was coming in his Scorpio when an unidentified man signalled him for a lift.

He stopped his vehicle and when they reached the Sectors 45, 46, 49 and 50 lights point, the man dialled a number on his mobile phone and asked Dhiraj to stop the vehicle, which he did.

The police said another Scorpio stopped near the vehicle and three of its occupants dragged him out of the vehicle. The man then sped away with his vehicle. The others snatched his mobile phone and took out the battery.

Courts’ walls defaced with poll posters
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 6
In the light of the Punjab and Haryana Bar Council elections, the District Courts premises has been defaced by lawyers by pasting election posters.

The walls of the court building have posters with name and picture of the candidate contesting the elections. Some advocates had written to the district and sessions judge K.K. Garg regarding the defacement of the District Courts, who asked the advocates not to paste posters on the walls. Instead of posters they were requested to put banners that can be taken of later. A.S. Chahal, president District Bar Association, said, “The secretary-cum-returning officer of Punjab and Haryana Bar Council had requested us to avoid defacing the courts complex.”

The lawyers are all set to cast their votes on Friday. There are two polling booths that have been erected within the premises of the District Courts. One polling booth is in the library and the other in the Bar room. The voting will start from 9 am to 5 pm. The Bar Council has already asked for security. Four people will be deployed to ensure free and fare elections. Polling agents of the candidates who are contesting elections will also be present.

Fund Fraud
Accused get a day more in police remand
Tribune News Service

Mohali, December 6
A local court today extended by a day the police remand of the four accused who were arrested by the Punjab Vigilance Bureau for embezzlement of funds worth Rs 1.42 crore provided under Punjab Nirman Yojna.

The team, led by Des Raj, DSP, economic offences wing of the bureau and inspector Swaran Gandhi, had arrested a block development and panchayat officer (BDPO,) a junior engineer and two gram sewaks from Ludhiana on December 4.

Accused Jaspreet Singh, Sarwan Singh, Nirmal Singh and Harpreet Singh were presented before the SDJM this afternoon following the end of the police remand. The bureau demanded another seven days of police remand for the accused but the SDJM extended the remand only by a day. The accused will be produced in court tomorrow.

The bureau alleged that the accused printed forged bills, cash books, work registers and muster roll registers to show the work done under Punjab Nirman Yojna in 12 villages of block Pakhowal. Under this yojna, the state government had released an amount of Rs 2,29,55,000 for development works to the villages but the accused, conniving with each other, embezzled Rs 1,40,36,331, causing a loss to the state exchequer.

During an inquiry, the Vigilance Bureau assessed the development works in the villages and after finding them guilty of embezzlement, a case was registered under Sections 467,468,471,409,120B of the IPC and 13(1) D under the Prevention of Corruption Act here.

The accused were produced before the sub-divisional judicial magistrate here and were remanded to two days in police custody.