New courses in PU to keep up with changing job market
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 14
The Panjab University would offer a one-year certificate course in Japanese from this session. The course would be run in the Department of Chinese and Tibetan. Minimum eligibility condition is 10+2 from a recognised examining board.

A three year B.Sc. in Fashion Designing has been introduced in some of its affiliated colleges from this session. Eligible candidates should have at least 50 per cent marks in 10+2 examination from CBSE/Punjab School Education Board or any other equivalent examination from a recognised Board.

The two year Master of Business Economics course starting from this session is being offered by city colleges here. Eligible candidate should have a Bachelor's/Master's degree in any discipline from Punjab University or any other University with not less than 50 per cent marks in aggregate or he should be a pass candidate in the final examination conducted by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India or the Institute of Cost and Works Accountants of India or the Institute of Company Secretaries of India.

In the PU campus, students can opt for a two year M.Sc. in Solid Waste Management which would be run by the Centre for Environment and Vocational Studies. Eligible candidates should be graduates from the science/engineering stream from Panjab University or any other recognised university with at least 50 per cent marks .

The university has from this session reintroduced a five year B.A. (Honours School) in Economics which would be run by the university's Department of Economics. This would include a three year B.A. Honours School in Economics followed by a two-Year M.A. Honours School in Economics.

Eligible candidates have to be 10+2 under the 10+2+3 system of education conducted by a recognised board/university with at least 60 per cent (55 per cent in case of SC/ST candidates) marks in the 10+2 examination.

The university has from this session also started Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS), a five year course, which would be run at the Dr H.S. Judge Institute of Dental Sciences and Hospital, Panjab University.

The university has also introduced a four year course of B.Sc. in Medical Laboratory Technology at Government Medical College Sector- 32, Chandigarh. Eligible candidates should have passed with at least 50 per cent marks in 10+2 (Medical) or 10+2 vocational course in Medical Laboratory Technology or Part-I B.Sc. (Medical) course from Panjab University.

Bharat Jyoti Award for PU Prof
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 14
Prof J.B. Singh of Panjab University has been awarded the Bharat Jyoti Award. During the past 25 years, Prof J.B. Singh has been participating in the international collaboration experiment at the High Energy Accelerator Laboratory (KEK), Japan; European Centre for Nuclear Research (CERN), Geneva, Switzerland; and Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, Chicago, USA. At present, he has gone to participate in a research work in the Belle International Collaboration at the High Energy Accelerator Research Organisation in Japan from May 15 to July 31. On the basis of his participation in International Experiments and Discoveries, Prof J.B. Singh has got the award.

Dr Goel nominated member of MDU

Dr B.B. Goel, Professor of public administration, Panjab University, has been nominated as a Member of the Court of Maharishi Dayanand University, Rohtak, for a period of three years by the Governor of Haryana and Chancellor of the university. The court is the highest policy making and decision making body of the university. Earlier, Prof Goel had served as an adviser to the Mauritius Government for two years. He has been a National Assessor on Quality Education on behalf of NAAC and AICTE, UGC Young Scientist Career Awardees, IFCI Nominee on Board of assisted Companies; Member of the Court of Guru Jambeshwar University and the author of 10 research books on Project Management and Cooperative Management.

Insurance firm told to pay compensation

Chandigarh, June 14
Coming to the rescue of a local doctor, the Permanent Lok Adalat (For Public Utility Services), has directed the Tata AIG General Insurance Company Limited to pay over Rs 65,000 to him as the insurance amount for damage to his car.

Acting on the application filed by Dr G.S. Kochhar, Mr R.P. Bajaj and Mr J.S. Kohli, Chairman and Member, respectively, of the adalat asked the insurance firm to pay the amount along with Rs 1,100 as costs to the applicant failing which interest at the rate of 7 per cent would have to be paid. TNS

Pop music a product of commercial culture, says Hasanpuri
SD Sharma

Chandigarh, June 14
"Litterateurs, poets or performers in any realm of art are revered as a privileged class which consequently binds them with an accountability to enrich the ethical, social and cultural standards of the society with their positive contribution. Unfortunately, this perception and responsibility towards cultural preservation and promotion is almost missing from the resolved schedule of the present day flourishing artists," rued Inderjit Hasanpuri, legendary Punjabi poet, film lyricist and film maker.

Undeniably, the most revered lyricist of the region , he has generously translated the soul of Punjab into his 10,000 songs weaved in close proximity of the life in Punjab with all its manifestations. The 74-year-old litterateur shared his literary enterprise encompassing six decades as an established writer at a-face-to-face programme organised by the Art and Cultural Journalists Association and Writers Club in collaboration with the Punjab Sangeet Natak Akademy at the Punjab Kala Bhavan yesterday.

Hasanpuri observed that as the definitive concept of Punjabi folk had lost its dynamism and vitality, it had become more or less fossilized, thus paving the way for popular Punjabi music to emerge and reign supreme.

Defining pop music, he says, it is a product of many subcultures which co exist and interact in any society and as such are duly influenced by various factors like the instant glamour, money and commercialisation. Whatever it may be, it is heartening that the lyricists, singers and producers prefer the erotic and vulgar flavour; deliberately avoiding felicitous poetry and serene melody. They rather embellish it with discordant jarring music not appealing to mind and soul. It is not the bol but the dhol which rules the mehfils, says Hasanpuri.

The epoch making poet was born and brought up in Delhi but having lost his father and the lucrative construction business to close relatives, the 15-year-old Inderjit settled at Hasanpur, a sleepy village near Ludhiana, with his mother and three younger sisters. Poverty stricken Inderjit did many odd jobs to keep the family afloat but after a chance meeting with top Punjabi singer Shadi Ram Bakshi, who recorded his song 'Sadhu hunde rab varge…' and later the evergreen hit 'Garba chandi da..' made him a star overnight.

Hasanpuri has scripted songs for 27 films and serials. But he most cherishes his twelve publications in Punjabi. Rightly decorated with over 100 honours in India and abroad, his songs had been recorded either in films and private albums by 75 top singers, including the invincible Mohd Rafi, Noor Jahan, Shamshad Begum ( Pakistan) Asha Bhonsle, Jagjit Singh, Mohinder Kapur, Sukhvinder and many more. 

Serial goes in for 20-yr leap

Chandigarh, June 14
In the current battle of soaps to retain their high viewerships, Sahara One Television’s “Woh Rehne Wali Mehlon Ki” has by far maintained its freshness and crisp appeal till date and now going in for a 20-year leap in its storyline, keeping the promise of wholesome entertainment for its viewers in mind.

The USP of “Woh Rehne Wali…” has been its simplicity. It is a about living tender moments that give a new meaning to life, about believing in destiny and divine intervention.

At every point, the serial reinforces the principles of the Ramayana, which has always remained the core inspiration for Rajshri productions. TNS