Ludhiana, January 24
Inaugurating a blood donation camp at the Punjab Agricultural University today, Mr Rajan Kashyap, Chief Information Commissioner, Punjab, said donating blood is a very noble act that helps in saving precious lives. He urged university scientists to launch a rigorous campaign in making people aware of blood donation.

The special blood donation camp was organised by PAU's Directorate of Students' Welfare with the collaboration of Chandigarh's Rotary Club and Blood Bank Society Resource Centre.

Mr Kashyap, who is also the chairman of the Blood Donor Society, said that in Punjab, every day 34,000 units of blood were required. Due to a shortage of blood, many professional blood donors were very active. They not only create hindrances for the volunteer blood donors but are also carriers of many diseases.

PAU Vice Chancellor Dr K.S. Aulakh said that PAU students have been actively participating in blood donation camps. He said the university would soon make a blood group information bank in which details of blood group of every student, employee and faculty of the university and their kins will be recorded. That will be of great help in an emergency.

Dean, College of Basic Sciences and Humanities and Director, Students Welfare, Dr Tejwant Singh, who was chief organiser of the camp, said a blood donor was a special person, who gets satisfaction by saving someone's life.

NSS coordinator Dr K.S. Verma said that in today's blood donation camp, more than 150 students and staff members of the university donated blood.

Mr Rajan Kashyap felicitated Mr H.S. Kang, a student of M.Sc Agronomy, by presenting him with a certificate for his record of donating blood 47 times.

Ludhiana, January 24
The Nature Cure Education Trust and the United India Insurance Company organised a training programme on nature cure and yoga for healthy living at Sarabha village yesterday.

The day-long training programme was for students of the Shaheed Kartar Singh Sarabha Ayurvedic College, in which at least 200 ayurveda students and 100 nursing students participated.

Dr Luxmi Dutt Kandpal and his team conducted the programme. The participants were served wheat grass juice and coconut water and their benefits of were explained. Beneficial herbs were demonstrated and their curative effects were highlighted.

Mr Beni Parshad explained the benefits of onion. Dr R. Vatsayan focused on lifestyle as per ayurveda. Dr Lajpat Rai shared his experiences of dealing with eye problems.

It was followed by a health check-up camp at the Kapoor Dharamshala in the Civil Lines locality, in which at least 100 patients were examined and treated. They were apprised of benefits of nature cure and yoga. Diet charts were prepared for each patient.

Ludhiana, January 24
A paper reading competition on the topic 'conservation of electricity how and why' was organised here today by the Department of Punjab State Electricity Board, at Baba Isher Singh (N) Senior Secondary Public School, BRS Nagar, Ludhiana.

The schools that participated in the contest were Tagore Public School, Bhartiya Vidya Mandir School, Ludhiana, RS Model Senior Secondary School, GNI Public School, Gujarkhan Campus, Model Town, Ludhiana, DAV Public School, BRS Nagar, Ludhiana and BIS (N) Senior Secondary School, Ludhiana.