BJP not addressing key issues: Bansal
Chandigarh, March 21
The BJP has failed to address the most important and pressing issues concerning the people of the country, said Mr Pawan Kumar Bansal, the local Congress candidate for the parliamentary elections.

Bahuguna calls for environment protection
Panchkula, March 21
Stressing the need for sustainable development of the environment, eminent environmentalist and Chipko leader, Mr Sunder Lal Bahuguna, today termed forests as “a community of living beings”, which were the life blood of the human beings.

Training syllabus for NCC girl cadets revamped
Chandigarh, March 21
Keeping in view changing requirements and an increasing number of girls applying for commission in the armed forces, the training syllabus for girl cadets in the National Cadet Corps has been revamped and made “combat oriented”.

Ex-servicemen warn against political gimmicks
Chandigarh, March 21
With elections round the corner, wooing of the defence community by political parties has attracted the ire of the local ex-servicemen. Pointing out that political parties are luring retired defence personnel to join their respective ex-servicemen’s cells, the All-India Defence Brotherhood, in a statement issued here on Friday said while political leaders were promising the moon, no political party had come forward when the ex-servicemen were struggling to get their demands fulfilled.

Implement Act on undertrials effectively, says NHRC
Chandigarh, March 21
The National Human Rights Commission has asked high courts all over the country to ensure effective implementation of the Probation of Offenders Act for releasing undertrials involved in petty offences.

Long queues at Mansa Devi temple
Panchkula, March 21
With thousands of devotees paying obeisance at the historic Mata Mansa Devi Temple, the Navratra fair started on an enthusiastic note here today. Long queues of devotees, extending up to the Mansa Devi Complex police post, could be seen early in the morning.

Joint aarti being performed to mark the incarnation of Lord Rama at Nehru Park, Sector-22, Chandigarh on Sunday. 
— Tribune photo by Pankaj Sharma

Asiatic lioness dies in zoo
Chhat Bir, March 21
An Asiatic lioness, which had sustained injuries in a fight with other big cats, died in the Mahendra Chaudhary Zoological Park here today.

17 hurt as truck overturns
Panchkula, March 21
At least 17 persons, returning after paying obeisance at Mata Mansa Devi Temple here, were injured when a truck overturned near the Sector 17-18 chowk here this evening.

Hawala operator also indulged in drug smuggling
Mohali, March 21
Balhar Singh, a suspected hawala operator wanted by the UK and US police and arrested by the Mohali police here on March 10, is believed to be a vital link in a chain of gangsters involved in liquor and drug smuggling, besides laundering of money.

40-year-old labourer hangs himself to death
Chandigarh, March 21
A 40-year-old labourer and a 17-year-old girl, both residents of Sector 38, hanged themselves to death last night in separate incidents. Shivram was working as a mason in Sector 16. Last night, Shivam and his family went to sleep out side their room. Later, Shivam went inside his room andhanged himself from a ceiling fan.

Teacher honoured at old boys meet
Mohali, March 21
Students of the 1966-67 Class X batch of students of Khalsa High School, Sohana, met today at the Amb Sahib Gurdwara here to relive their memories of the school and to honour the first teacher of the school.

Techfest-2004 concludes
Chandigarh, March 21
The two-day Techfest-2004 came to an end at Punjab Engineering College here today. Addressing students at the concluding function, the Principal of the college, Dr Baljeet Kapoor, said he was happy with sense of maturity and finesse exhibited by the students of the ISTE chapter of Punjab Engineering College.

Hamara School
DAV, Mohali, ensures change with continuity
IT’S a big no to the usual bookish studies at DAV, Mohali, as the faculty here believes in bringing modern educational skills coupled with rich tradition to students. As suggests our motto, we at no point of time detach ourselves from the pedigree of our heritage in order to create an atmosphere, conducive to the needs of a future citizen here at our institution.

Children dressed up in colourful costumers during a school function

‘We consider students our asset’
IF education is redemption in its final and most important meaning, it also has wordly aspects. The modern vision of education is lop-sided. Either education is thought to be only spiritual in its nature and aims, and all other forms of education are branded information gathering. Or the transcendental aspect of education is totally lost sight of while we happily click our way through a materialistic learning.

Principal, Jaya Bhardwaj

Children’s craft on display
Chandigarh, March 20
“Art and craft bonanza 2004” was held at Aanchal International School, Sector 35, here yesterday. Children in the age group of 3 to 12 years displayed their works on the occasion. 

“Tab Shayad” released
Chandigarh, March 21
“Tab Shayad” is a collection of short stories that captures the emotions and experiences of women in this male-dominated society. The book authored by city-based writer Madhur Kapila was released at a function by Mr Vijay Sehgal, former Editor of Dainik Tribune and a short story writer, here on Sunday.

Madhur Kapila (left), along with Dr Indu Bali and Mr Vijay Sehgal, during a book release function in Chandigarh on Sunday. — A Tribune photograph

LIFESTYLE

Marriage is here to stay
Marriage may not be such an insipid affair, after all. From the hip ‘n liberal 70s and 80s, through the feminism of the 90s and into the happening 21st century, the institution of marriage has managed to survive and evolve. The new-age marriage still has the old-age value system of caring and sharing, and mush has certainly not been thrown out of the window. Being single has never been the fashion; rather, it is an aberration.             Mrs Swaran Kaur and Raghbir Singh

Morning Chatter
What good are ‘baba schools’?
“PERSONALISED attention” is the USP of all so-called new-age schools. They promise “holistic learning”, “ideal student-teacher ratio” and “customised processes catering to individual needs and comprehension levels” of students. Much like it happens in fairy tales, they promise to transform children’s educational and behavioural psyche and bring out their latent talent.

Making tourism a ‘people’s industry’
Rajasthan Tourism accords high priority to domestic tourism and as a strategy to attract more tourists, the state is marketing itself more aggressively within the country by taking part in exhibitions like India Travel Mart and organising road shows.” This was stated by the Additional Director of Rajasthan Tourism, Mr Manoj Sharma, at a press conference, here today.

All by themselves, extras slog it out
NOT used to ogling onlookers, the extras in filmmaker Anil Sharma’s unit felt absolutely out of place in Chandigarh today. There were about 20 of them, huddled together in the vehicle that brought them to Forest Hill Resort where shooting of the film, “Ab Tumhare Hawale Watan Saathiyon” went on for the whole day.

Collectors with a stamp of pride
It was in 1967 that a group of young philatelists of the city joined hands to set up the Philatelic Cub of Chandigarh, the first such in the North. 

A stamp miniature sheet

HEALTH

Blood donation camp held
Chandigarh, March 21
Hundred units of blood were donated at a blood donation camp organised by the Sood Sabha, Chandigarh, in association with the Kerala Shastra Kala Manch at Sood Bhavan here on Sunday. 

Yoga essential in stress-prone world
Chandigarh, March 21
Simple yogic exercises can help improve productivity and positive interactions in an organisation and reduce stress, said Mr Krishan Lal Gupta, president of the Bharatiya Yog Sansthan (Punjab) here today.

PEC staff rout Estate Office XI
Chandigarh, March 21
A fine knock of 68 runs in 49 deliveries by Rajesh Arora enabled Punjab Engineering College employees cricket team to put Estate Office XI to rout with a huge margin of 86 runs in the Xth Inter-Institutional Cricket tournament played here at the PEC cricket grounds. In the second tie, Canara Bank outplayed Harmukh XI by 12 runs.

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