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Inquiry into PU dept society funds
Role of 2 former heads suspect
Chandigarh, May 11
At least six employees of the department of chemical engineering and technology, Panjab University, including two former chairpersons of the department, are facing a probe regarding “misappropriation” of funds worth lakhs from the Chemical Engineering Society.

Special Drive
22 school buses, autos challaned
Chandigarh, May 11
The Chandigarh administration today launched a special drive to ensure compliance of traffic rules, according to the High Court directions, by school buses.

SDM gets away with “advice”
Chandigarh, May 11
Despite severe criticism, SDM Ankur Garg, allegedly involved in the thrashing of 13-year old Bittu of Janata Colony, has been let off with a mere "advice" by the administration.

All 14 accused released on bail
Chandigarh, May 11
Sixtytwo-year-old Surjit Singh was one among 14 persons released from Burail jail this evening on charges of attacking the Chandigarh police and UT officials. Surjit claims to just have been a mere spectator on the spot. Tales of other 'victms' are no different.

• Janata Colony: Kang meets Governor

‘No neta has visited us’
Chandigarh, May 11
None of the political leaders who raised a hue and cry over the thrashing of the 13-year-old Bittu by SDM Ankur Garg and the police have bothered to visit him at his residence after his release from the juvenile home.

Conversions legal: Centre
Chandigarh, May 11
In an important development, the ministry of home affairs has accorded legal validity to conversions in the industrial area and land allotment to the Rajiv Gandhi Chandigarh Technology Park in response to objections raised by the office of the principal accountant general of Punjab and Chandigarh.

COMMUNITY

Army to have 124 Arjun tanks by 2009
Chandigarh, May 11
Close on the heels of the indigenous Arjun battle tank taking part in war games for the first time, the Ministry of Defence has announced that the first batch of 124 tanks ordered by the Army would be in service by 2009.

‘First War of Independence in 1761
Chandigarh, May 11
Joining the ongoing controversy over the year that marked the First War of Independence, Guru Gobind Singh Foundation president Jasbir Singh Ahluwalia today claimed that the first war actually dated back to 1761 and not 1857 or 1845.

Sex ratio in slums improves
Chandigarh, May 11
A survey conducted in Colony No. 5 has found that the sex ratio in Chandigarh slums has shown a major improvement. There are more females than males among infants up to the age of one.

Policy for oustees eyewash: Panel
Chandigarh, May 11
The Pind Bachao Committee has termed the decision of the Chandigarh administration to frame a policy for displaced farmers as a mere eyewash.

Neglect park(ed) all over

Chandigarh, May 11 This once ‘green island’ in the midst of high-rise concrete buildings in Sector 17 is nobody’s baby. This, perhaps, explains the dilapidated condition of the area, adjacent to the General Post Office (GPO) in Sector 17. Wild growth and weeds have taken over this once lush green patch of land near the GPO, Sector 17, Chandigarh.— A Tribune photograph.

CSIO observes tech day
Chandigarh, May 11
The Central Scientific Instruments Organisation (CSIO) today observed National Technology Day by organising an open day for the general public. About 1,200 visitors, including school and college students, went around its laboratories and research facilities and interacted with scientists.

SSC declares result
Chandigarh, May 11
Result of the combined preliminary graduate-level exam-2006, conducted by the Staff Selection Commission (SSC) on February 4, last year, has been declared.

Slum Rehabilitation
Adviser launches SRISHTI software
Chandigarh, May 11
For computerising the entire process of allotment of dwelling units under the Slum Rehabilitation Project (starting from submission of application to handing over of physical possession to the dwellers), Lalit Sharma, adviser to the UT administrator, today launched a unique software, SRISHTI (Slum Rehabilitation for Improvement, Security and Hygiene of the Inhabitants), developed by the Chandigarh Housing Board (CHB).

25 bedsheets donated
Chandigarh, May 11
The North-Western Zonal Council of the Ramakrishna Vivekananda International Foundation today donated 25 bedsheets for inmates of Mother Teresa Home, Sector 23, here as part of celebrations of its foundation day.

Tribune employee dead
Chandigarh, May 11 
Mr Surjit Singh Rana (38), Senior Proof Messenger, The Tribune, died at his native village, Bhadwar (district Kangra) today after a brief illness. His cremation was largely attended. He served the institute for 14 years.

CRIME

Man killed in accident
Dera Bassi, May 11
Vijay Kumar, an employee of a factory here, was killed in a road accident today.

Advocate held on rape charge
Chandigarh, May 11
A city-based advocate allegedly exploited a girl sexually and when she pressured him for marriage, he tried to kill her by poisoning.

EDUCATION

CloudSat Mission
NASA to contact ‘little cloud-watchers’
Chandigarh, May 11
Schoolchildren, who are working on CloudSat Education Network for the past one year, will be directly contacted by NASA scientists. The scientists will be studying the interesting data, collected by the students, for a long time to come. They will be providing feedback to the students and other scientists as they progress, says Debra K. Krumm, director of education and public outreach, NASA CloudSat Mission, Colorado State University, USA, while answering some specific questions about the CloudSat programme.

Australian scholarships announced
Chandigarh, May 11
The acting Australian High Commissioner to India, David Holly, today announced the 2007 Australian Government scholarships for India.

Making the public tech-savvy
Mohali, May 11
With the aim of keeping up with technology, the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) here celebrated Technology Day today. The centre was opened to educate the public about the latest technologies in the field of IT.

From Schools
Mohali
ACTIVITY DAY: Activity Day was organised at Shivalik Public School, here, on Friday, to celebrate Mother’s Day. Students of classes Nursery to II participated in various activities like clay modelling and card-making. They made cards by pasting photographs of their mothers and then decorated them, which they will present to their mothers at a parent-teacher meeting on Saturday.

Admissions
NCC cadets to get weightage
Chandigarh, May 11
NCC cadets are now in for a special treat. Starting from this session, the Chandigarh administration has given its nod to the proposal send by the director, technical education, to give due recognition to the NCC cadets by granting them incentives for admission to various undergraduate and postgraduate courses in city colleges, including professional colleges, and also in Panjab University.

Mohit, Meenal best photographers

Chandigarh, May 11 Mohit Singla (Class VIII-A) of Bhavan Vidyalaya-27, Chandigarh, grabbed the first place in the junior category while Meenal (Class XII-C1), also from Bhavan Vidyalaya-27, emerged the winner in the senior category in the Tara Chand Saboo Inter-School Photography Competition and got a cash prize of Rs 5,000 each.

Prize winners of the Tara Chand Saboo Memorial Inter-School Photography Competition along with the dignitaries — (From left) wife of Yog Joy, R.K. Saboo, H.K. Dua and Meenakshi Mohindra — at Bhavan Vidyalaya, Sector 27, in Chandigarh on Friday. —Tribune photograph by Manoj Mahajan

Technology should benefit all, says prof
Chandigarh, May 11
R. P. Vajpayee, professor at the National Institute of Pharmacy Institute of Education and Research, Mohali, and former director, NISTADS, New Delhi, cautioned against the overuse of technology and called for remedial measures while speaking on “Technology, society and globalisation” at Panjab University, here, on Friday. The lecture was organised under the popular lecture series instituted by the university.

PU Notes
Interview: A walk-in interview will be held on May 18 for the appointment of one physical trainer and coaches of various games recognised by the AIU.

COURTS

CULTURE

Kathak dancer casts spell Chandigarh, May 11 Unlike the south Indian dances, which are purely steeped into religious traditions, kathak is a hybrid offspring of vastly different cultures characterised by lyrical romanticism, delicacy and grace. Young danseuse Monisa Nayak brought alive these salient features of this dance form in her romance-filled recital here at the Pracheen Kala Kendra today.  Kathak dancer Monisa Nayak performs during the 118th baithak programme at Pracheen Kala Kendra in Chandigarh on Friday.—Tribune photo by Pradeep Tewari

HEALTH

EYE-Q plans 30 hospitals
Chandigarh, May 11
With an aim to tap the growing organised healthcare sector in India, Dr Ajay Sharma, an ophthalmologist entrepreneur, along with Rajat Goel, a management graduate from the IIM-A, has planned to set up 30 eye hospitals and 70 affiliated centres throughout the country over the next five years.

OPD registration timings
Chandigarh, May 11
The timings for OPD registration during summers at GMCH, Sector 32, Chandigarh, shall be between 7 and 10 in the morning. However, the OPD services would remain in function till 2 pm after starting at 8 in the morning. The new timings would remain in effect till July 15, 2007. — TNS

Programme on rheumatic fever control
Chandigarh, May 11
A two-day training programme on rheumatic fever and heart disease control for satellite registries of Jammu, Shimla and Jodhpur started at the School of Public Health, PGIMER, here today.

SPORTS

51 pugilists get Punjab sports wing seats
Chandigarh, May 11
Twelve girls are among 51 boxers selected by an expert panel constituted by the Punjab sports department to promote the sport at the grass roots in the state.

Snooker
Wins for Anandit, Sandeep

Chandigarh, May 11 Anandit Joshi grabbed the first two frames to beat Sandeep Kochhar in the best-of-three frame snooker match during the sixth Saurabh Khattar Memorial Billiards and Snooker Championship, at Chandigarh Club, here, today. While Anandit had to fight hard in the first frame to grab it 57-40, the second frame saw some easy pickings for him, winning the frame 62-16.In another tie, Sandeep Chadha got the better of Vishal Gupta 2-1 in a thrilling encounter.   Anandit Joshi aims a shot during the sixth Saurabh Khattar Memorial Billiards and Snooker Championship at Chandigarh Club.—Tribune photo by Pradeep Tewari

Hot weather cricket meet from May 23
Chandigarh, May 11
The Chandigarh sports department will organise a month-long hot weather open cricket tournament at the cricket stadium, Sector 16, from May 23.

Golf
Rahul retains Chief Commissioner’s Cup

Chandigarh, May 11 Sixteen-year-old Rahul Bakshi clinched the Chief Commissioner’s Cup when he edged out IGU selector and former course captain Sandeep Sandhu in the final, finishing two-up in an open match play, which went up to the 17th hole, at the Chandigarh Golf Club here today. Rahul Bakshi tees off as Sandeep Sandhu looks on in the final of the Chief Commissioner’s Cup at the Chandigarh Golf Club on Friday.—Tribune photo by Pradeep Tewari

Quite a handful siblings, these

Chandigarh, May 11 Giving competition to one another is what has kept these two sisters going and motivated them enough to earn a name for themselves at the national level in handball. Siblings Neelam and Jyoti are making their presence felt in the handball arena.—Tribune photo by Malkiat Singh

Physical activity time to stay in city schools, colleges
Chandigarh , May 11
Physical activities in schools and colleges will be encouraged in the city and keeping in with this, physical activity time will not be replaced by any other activity in these educational  institutions.

ADMINISTRATION

Support to govt’s mega projects
Industry rallies behind admn
Bansal-admn stand-off
Chandigarh, May 11
Even as the tug-of-war between the Chandigarh administration and minister of state for finance Pawan Bansal over mega projects continues unabated, the trade and industry of the city has rallied behind the administration, terming the projects as the “need of the hour and in public interest”.

Admn revives transfer policy for teachers
Chandigarh, May 11
The Chandigarh administration, after working on certain modalities, has revived the old transfer policy for school principals, headmasters, lecturers, masters, JBT teachers and nursery teachers for the academic session 2007-08.

Encroachers challaned
Chandigarh, May 11
The Municipal Corporation of Chandigarh today carried out an anti-encroachment drive in the Industrial Area, Phase I. It issued 50 challans during the drive to encroachers.