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From the Land of Paradise to the Holy City
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Medical camp in Central Jail
Exploring rationalism in society
SR College holds ‘Women Empowerment’ Week
‘City needs proper urban planning’
Govt worried about ‘road
terrorism’ in state
College organises lecture on career opportunities
An art exhibition that transcends borders
Unravelling the ‘Paheli’
Unhygienic conditions responsible for skin
infections?
Quiz contest on Vivekananda
Weekly Round-up
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From the Land of Paradise to the Holy City
Kashmiris, with their penchant for public life, and their dexterity in weaving and embroidery, found Amritsar to be their favourite destination. Varinder Walia and Sanjay Bumbroo take a peep into the life of the Kashmiris settled in the city For the last about two centuries, the Holy City has been the favourite destination of Kashmiris, who would come down to Amritsar from the picturesque valley every winter. However, in the early eighteenth century, Kashmiris found a place of pride in Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s Darbar and became an integral part of the composite culture of Punjab. The fair-complexioned Kashmiris, with light brown hair, blue or grey eyes, chiselled features and a fine physique could be seen in different parts of the Holy City. The Kashmiris on the whole, say observers, are non-aggressive and temperate in nature and very God-fearing. They can be singled out as a extremely warm, friendly, and hospitable community. The people of Kashmir have noble and kind sentiments for peace and harmony. They uphold the values of secularism.
Kashmiri Imambara (Imam Bargah) — a place of worship for Shia Muslims — situated in the Lohgarh area in the walled city is a world in itself. About five to seven families who live here had a Kashmiri background, as their immediate ancestors had migrated from the valley about 100 years back. Lohgarh was once the most populated area in the walled city, besides Hall Bazaar and Sharifpura in the outer periphery of the old city before Partition. The over 100-year-old Imambara was constructed by one Syad Nath Shah, who along with other residents of the area, later shifted to Pakistan after Partition. However, in 1962, Safdar Qazam Mir from Kashmir reclaimed this place. Later, he returned to Kashmir. Kasim Ali, Gulam Hussain and Syad Asadulla were among those who dwelled there. Later, a large section of the land of the Imambara was reportedly given to people who had migrated to India after Partition. There is also a mosque in Kashmiri Imambara, which is maintained by the families residing there. At the time of Muharram, the religious fervour among the Kashmiri Muslims is at its peak. The period of mourning is observed in the first month of the Islamic calendar, and it commemorates the death of Hazrat Imam Hussain in the battle of Karbala. Rana Mohammad Hussain, a resident of the Imambara and the son of Mr Ghulam Hussain, said that most of the Kashmiri families in the city were dependant on embroidery works. He said the majority of the Kashmiris, especially Muslims, migrated for temporary period during the winters when the season of shawls and embroidery was at its peak. According to Dr B.N. Sharga, whose study was published in Kashmir Sentinel, most of the Kashmiri Pandits residing in Amritsar at the end of the 19th century were migrants, who had come to the city from different places. One of the earliest Kashmiri Pandits to settle in Amritsar was Rai Bahadur Pandit Behari Lal Kitchlew, who was posted here by the British in 1869. His ancestor, Pandit Atma Ram Kitchlew, got employed in the army of Mughal emperor Shah Alam II (1759-1806). Pandit Ram Chandra Tikku, Pandit Himmat Ram Karvayun and Pandit Mehtab Ram Matto were all shawl merchants who had their trade links with Amritsar. They came to the Holy City in 19th century from Kashmir to expand their trade. Mr Mehtab Ram Mattoo’s son, Mr Kashmira Mal Mattoo, who had a roaring legal practice, in the beginning of the 20th century floated the idea of building a Kashmiri Shivala in Amritsar. The century-year-old Shivala Kashmiri Panditan, a historic edifice of the Kashmiri Pandits, built by Pandit Kashmira Mal Mattoo, is not only a symbol of their centuries-old cultural heritage, but also a nerve centre of socio-cultural and religious activities of about 70 Kashmiri Pandit families residing in this city. By the end of the 19th century, the population of the Kashmiri Pandits in Amritsar became substantial and a need was felt to have a proper place for religious and social gatherings to strengthen the community bonds. Since localities like Chowk Farid and Kucha-e-Kashmiri Panditan were having the maximum concentration of Kashmiri Pandits, Pandit Mattoo donated a piece of prime land, measuring one kanal in the Chowk Farid area in 1908 to start the construction work of the proposed Shivala. The other community members also liberally donated money for the noble cause. Consequently, the present holy structure came into existence in 1910 in Chowk Farid. The historic building of the Shivala was gutted in the communal frenzy in 1947 and its precious records were lost. During the unrest, a large number of the Kashmiri Pandits left Amritsar for other places. After peace was restorated in the city, an attempt was made by a team of dedicated workers to retrieve whatever was left of the old records from the debris. Dr Sharga said the Kashmiri Pandits had also built a Shivala at Katra Dal Singh, behind Harmandar Sahib, which came into existence in 1914. This Shivala, too, was under the overall management of the Kashmiri Pandit Sabha, Amritsar. He said this Shivala, till recently, had been in a dilapidated condition. Mr Sham Lal, Manager of the Kashmiri Shivala Panditan Trust, said that after Partition of the country, there were around 45 families residing in Kucha-e-Kashmiri Panditan in front of the Shivala. Presently, there are about 70 families of Kashmiri Pandits living in the city, of which 40 members are registered with the trust. The Kashmiris are wedded to their culture, and it has been the endeavour of the Trust to bring almanac (jantri) from Jammu for the members of the Trust, as it provides them information about the dates of the religious and other festivals and they observe them accordingly. Earlier, the Kashmiris used to come in thousands to the city. Now, their number has been reduced to 150 only. The Kashmiri weavers have rented shops mainly at Sirkibanda, Shakti Nagar and Putlighar areas of the city. According to Mohammad Bhutt (60), who has been coming here every winter from the valley since his childhood days, they were not getting adequate remuneration for their work. Nostalgic about the past, he said Kashmiris used to work from one to seven years on a single shawl, which would fetch up to Rs 1 lakh. The most towering among the Amritsar-born Kashmiris was Dr Saifuddin Kitchlew. He was born to Azizuddin Kitchlew and Dan Bibi on January 15th, 1888, in the Holy City. Dr Kitchlew had his schooling from Islamia High School in Amritsar, but obtained a BA from Cambrige University, and a Ph.D from a German university, and began practising law in India. Dr Kitchlew was first exposed to Indian nationalism when the whole country was outraged by the Rowlatt Act. Dr Kitchlew was arrested with Mahatma Gandhi and Dr Satyapal for leading protests in Punjab against the legislation. To protest the arrest of the trio, a public meeting had gathered at the Jallianwala Bagh, when General Reginald Dyer and his troops fired mercilessly upon the unarmed, civilian crowd. Hundreds of people were killed and hundreds more injured. Dr Kitchlew prefered to stay in India when majority of the Muslims in Punjab were swayed by the “movement” for Pakistan. He rejected the two-nation theory and fought against the Muslim League’s “communalism” in the 1940s, though he had earlier opened its branch in Amritsar in the year 1917. He had started an Urdu daily “Tanzim” to uplift the Muslims and was instrumental in establishing “Swaraj Ashram” in January 1921 at Amritsar to train young men for the national work and to promote Hindu-Muslim unity. In an excellent monograph, Dr Amandeep, a scholar from Guru Nanak Dev University, examines the role of Kashmiri Muslims of Amritsar in the anti-Rowlatt Act agitation. The first batch of the Kashmiri Muslims, who came to Amritsar, were pashmina traders. The trips happened during the reign of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. Many of these Kashmiris made a good fortune due to the exclusive control of Pashmina trade by them. Dr Saifuddin Kitchlew belonged to one such family. His father was a flourishing pashmina and saffron merchant. Belonging to a Brahmin family of Baramulla, Dr Kitchlew's ancestor, Prakash Ram Kitchlew, had accepted Islam. It was Dr Kitchlew grandfather, Ahmed Jo, who had migrated from Kashmir in the middle of the 19th century. In the aftermath of the great famine, which struck Kashmir in 1871, many Muslims from the valley came to Amritsar as well. In 1891, the number of the Kashmiri Muslims in Amritsar was 21,261. It was one-third of the total Muslim population and one-sixth of the total population of Amritsar. The reason for which many Kashmiri Muslims left Amritsar in the first decade of the 20th century remains unclear. In 1921, the Kashmiri Muslim population stood at 16,024 i.e. one-fifth of the Muslim population and one-tenth of the total population. The research scholar of Guru Nanak Dev University, Dr Amandeep, says that Dr Kitchlew, along with Dr Satyapal, had worked hard to make the agitations, first on March 30th and then on April 6th, a complete success. The Muslim participation in the Ram Navmi procession on April 9th gave a new colour and significance to the traditional Hindu festival. The Hindu-Muslim fraternity and the disturbances of April 10th panicked the district authorities. They deported both the leaders to Dharamshala. Their deportation led to a procession by the citizens that turned violent following a firing. Later, the city of Amritsar was put under the military administration of General Dyer. On 13th April, General Dyer inflicted the Jallianwala Bagh tragedy on the city.
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Slum-like conditions in Islamabad locality
The Islamabad locality, which was once a flourishing industrial hub from pre-partition times, has virtually turned into a slum, thanks to the apathetic attitude of the Municipal Corporation authorities.
In the name of roads, the locality falling in ward number 33, has potholed, dusty, and uneven roads in narrow congested lanes, where underground gravel has spouted, as the premix has worn-off over the years. This has been causing a number of accidents. Cases of women and children falling-off rickshaws are almost a daily phenomenon, while many accidents take place due to uneven roads. Though the handlooms installed before Partition changed into powerlooms, the phasing out of these has led to the area being abandoned by top industrialists. Still about 10 per cent of the industry of knitting, embroidery, blankets is functioning from here. The reason for closing of other industry was that the area, including Dhobi Khat, Ram Nagar, around Chintpurni Mandir, Guru Nanakpura, Adarsh Nagar and Kot Khalsa, had witnessed no development since the last 18 years, says Master Ajaib Singh, a resident. There was no water supply in the area since many years and the ancient hand pumps were the only source of water (that, too, non-potable), area residents complained. The locals here allege step-motherly treatment to the area, where despite a tubewell located nearby, the water pipelines remain unconnected. Absence of sewerage has compounded the problem. In addition to that, the area stinks, harbouring insects, rodents, pigs and practically emerged as a breeding ground for epidemics. Garbage heaps are seen almost everywhere, while dogs fights are a common scene. Alarmingly, some old pre-Partition structures have become “addas” of drug addicts in these areas. The absence of streetlights have aggravated the problem, and the area plunges into darkness. The “off-the-records” crime in the area was a disturbing trend with thefts and snatchings common in the area. Subhash Chandra, a tea stall owner, said his small shop had been burgled eight times in the past few years, when drug addicts reportedly made off with utensils, including cups, mugs, saucepans and spoons, and even biscuits or some namkeen, besides gas stove and cylinders. Workers of factories fear moving in the area in the night. A fortnight ago, one Sunil and his brother, Ajay, were both looted and injured when they were carrying their salaries. “Almost everyday the police arrives in the locality. But no effort is made to clear the area of drug addicts,” say shop owners here. Mr Rajesh Tony, Mr Prem Talwar, Mr Ashok Kumar, Mr Moti Lal allege that despite a number of area delegation meeting MC authorities, no improvement had been forthcoming. Ironically, a road in the area named “Navi Sarak” has open manholes from which iron garters poke out, making it one of the most dangerous roads in the dark. Mayor, Mr Sunil Datti, said the area had remained neglected for years by the successive governments. However, he assured that work in this connection would start by February 15. |
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Medical camp in Central Jail
A team of local doctors led by Dr Ajay Gupta, a councillor, organised a day-long medical treatment camp in the Central Jail recently.
Dr Gupta said the team of doctors including a physician and a gyneacologist, besides paramedical staff, examined more than 200 inmates and also provided them with free medicines. Mr Kunwar Vijay Partap Singh, SSP (Jail), said he had made an appeal to various NGOs and welfare organisations to come forward to provide all kind of assistance to the jail authorities to make the place worth living. He said a number of organisations had come forward to provide help in various fields, including setting up craft, tailoring and embroidery centres, to train the female inmates. The SSP said he had taken the initiative to organise different indoor and outdoor games. Dr Gupta assured that regular medical check-up camps would be organised to take care of the health of the prisoners. |
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Exploring rationalism in society
A lecturer, bureaucrat, writer and analyst are only some of the aspects of Mr Gian Singh Bal’s personality. His incisive articles bring out the deep-rooted issues prevalent in the society. His first creative expression came in the shape of a booklet “Dr Ambedkar and Humanism” in 1984. It presented Dr Ambedkar’s personality in a new perspective depicting him as a rationalist. He also buttressed his claim by pointing out the embracing of Buddhism by Dr Ambedkar. He described this turn of event in the life of the leader as an acceptance of rationalism. Mr Bal’s Punjabi book “Darshan Parampara” is a rare treatise on philosophy. It focuses on philosophies of epistemology, materialism and humanism. He has delineated those Indian ideologies which are rational and materialistic. “We think that the contribution of India to the world is only in the realm of spiritualism, but the fact is that several other thoughts have flourished in the cradle of Punjab,” he said. Besides this, he has edited a book “Understanding Ambedkar,” which includes seven essays by several writers, including himself. He has also edited a collection of Punjabi poetry “Alam-Kav.” He also has to his credit the translation of historian Romila Thappar’s book “Historical Interpretations and the Secularising of Indian Society” into Punjabi. Beginning his career as an educationist, Mr Gian Singh Bal joined the Punjab Civil Service and is now working as the Regional Deputy Director of a local urban body here. He has served as a lecturer in various colleges, including Sikh National College, Banga, Government College, Ropar, and Government College, Hoshiarpur. This educationist turned bureaucrat is presently writing a book titled “Bhakti and Nirgun Sants.” The philosopher in him feels that the Indian society enjoys to live in the past.
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SR College holds ‘Women Empowerment’ Week
The SR Government College organised a “Women Empowerment Week” recently. A lesson in self-defence and disaster management opened the first phase of empowerment with a demonstration of drill and driving school lessons. The afternoon session saw a lively debate on dowry and related issues of social consequence to women. However, the highlight of the week was a Mushaira that saw the best of poetry recitation in Urdu, Hindi , Punjabi and English. Prominent among the poetesses, whose verses dealt with the issue of female foeticide and dowry included Ms Jasmit Nayyar, the college Principal, Dr Parveen Mallik, Ms Sharan Makkar, Dr Shelly Jaggi, Ms Neelam Prabha, Ms Sujata, Dr Seema Grewal and Ms Harjot Gill. To make the women aware about their rights and privileges, a legal literacy session was also organised. A psychologist was also invited to explain behavioural patterns in marital and other relationships. An interactive deliberation of students with special skills was also organised. The concept of familial ties were reinforced with “Milvarta”— a close interaction with Class IV women employees, who were taught to make some simple, healthy and reasonably-priced food. In addition, they were made aware of the advantages of the small-saving schemes. Simultaneously, a weeklong painting exhibition by amateur artists was held. The theme was “Life of women.” The college principal too exhibited two of her paintings.
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‘City needs proper urban planning’
The master plan for Amritsar needs to take into account its historical importance as the Holy City in the near future is likely to acquire a metropolitan status as per the 2001 census, Mr D.S. Meshram, President, Indian Institute of Town Planners, New Delhi, said this during a visit to the city recently. The need of the hour, he said, was that planners should take conservation and urban renewal aspects in view of Amritsar’s historical, spiritual, geographical and cultural heritage. “There are acute problems like overcrowding, shortage of housing and urban infrastructure leading to the setting up of slums in this city.” He said the city was important not only because of the Golden Temple but also because of its geopolitical position which made it a major trading hub catering to the states of Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh. “Besides, it is situated on the most important land routes providing connection to Pakistan, Afghanistan, Middle East and Europe.” To cater to the requirements of the tourists, there was a need to provide adequate tourist infrastructure, including budget hotels, he added. Mr Meshram said that about 30 to 40 per cent of the population of India lived in the slums and there was a need to work out an urbanisation strategy for the future planning of cities. He added that the master plan for the 1,500 cities already existed but could not be implemented due to political pressures. “Joint efforts should be there and the people must help the government to nail those who violate building bylaws.”
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Govt worried about ‘road
terrorism’ in state
Besides the flouting of traffic rules and ungoverned traffic, the lack of awareness is the actual reason which causes road accidents and the government is very much worried about it.
Expressing these views, Mr Parkash Jaiswal, the Union Home Minister for State, said “road terrorism” was a matter of great concern. He was speaking at a meeting-cum-interaction on “Road Terrorism and Traffic Awareness” with top officials of police, civic authorities, political persons, lawyers and religious and social organisations here during his visit to Amritsar recently. Advocating for all-round effort to control and govern the traffic, he said a joint venture of various departments could reduce the incidence of accidents. He said that the government always stood by groups involved in managing the ever increasing traffic rush.” Moreover, he added, there was a ministry related to this, which gave insurance after discussing the matter at high level. Mr Jagir Singh Sandhu, national general secretary of a social organisation, said road accidents could be minimised only after the departments concerned and their officials took initiative in this regard.
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College organises lecture on career opportunities
Hindu College’s Career Guidance and Placement Cell (CGPC) organised a lecture on “Career Opportunities for IT students” recently. The students pursuing computer education were apprised of the future prospect of jobs for them in the field by various experts. Addressing the students, Dr Rajnish Arora, Director, Guru Nanak Dev University, Placement Cell, exhorted them to brace themselves up for successfully competing in the cut-throat competition. He said in the fast changing scenario communication skill had become the basic requirement. He advised them to hone their communication skills to make a difference. He informed that the University would start recruitment for students of the colleges from this academic year. He said it would be called Joint Campus. He said this recruitment would be in area of BPO sector and students from all streams of education would come into this purview. Dr Arora said computer graduate could opt for law, journalism and marketing studies to excel in their career. He said there was a great demand of computer expert in the fields of law, marketing and administration departments among others. He opined that collective efforts were required to get jobs to the students. He said the students had to shed their individualistic attitude in order to get jobs “Their efforts should be supported by the university and college administration,” he added.
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An art exhibition that transcends borders
As many as 24 pieces were on display at the Indian Academy of Art here during the week-long exhibition. The pieces included a new form of “mural calligraphy” in wrought iron. The vibrant colours in paintings of Mehmood–ul–Hasan Jafri, a renowned Pakistani artist, and Head of the Department of Design, National College of Art, Lahore, displayed 14 of his works. Sensitively depicting feelings of human relationships in abstract form with subtle usage of fuchsia pink to give his creations a touch of modernity, most of his colours and forms were focussed in the middle while rest of the canvas framed or interspersed with abstract human figures. “Fine brush sprays combined with strong strokes and blending produced an unusual effect that caught the eye,” commented an artist. One painting was innovatively named “Terey Honthoon Key Siva” in which tiny fuchsia lips dominated the entire canvas. Another was named ‘Adam’s rib’ conforming to popular Islamic belief that evolution of woman was through Adam’s rib. Contrastingly, the paintings of Pirzada Nazam-ul-Hasan whose soft, soothing blend of water colours brought into focus the silence and serenity in nature’s beauty. One of his paintings interestingly portrayed “kabootar baazi” alongside a television aerial on kutcha houses of a village in Pakistan. The murals in Persian calligraphy prepared in wrought iron was something unusual in these parts of Indian Punjab. The black painted iron stood out in sharp disparity to the white background of the gallery walls. Mr Tejinder Singh, an artist and former member of the Punjab School Education board (PSEB), commenting on the Pakistani paintings, said the works showed a certain revolution of art in Pakistan which seemed to have liberated the artists from the clutches of imitation and was a step towards creativity of new order.
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Rich, lush locales and breathtakingly beautiful costumes, complete with gorgeous lehangas and flowing dupattas of vibrant shades, gave “Paheli” a winning edge. Minna Zutshi chats with Shalini Sarna, the costume designer for “Paheli” Your take on “Paheli”. It’s wonderful. Star Gold premiere of “Paheli” is being shown on January 29. The movie has so many layers to it that it makes an irresistible viewing. What was the first thing that came to your mind when you designed costumes for “Paheli”? Rich tradition and culture of Rajasthan. It’s costume that helps an actor/ actress get into the skin of the character they portray. Your comment. I feel it’s the costume that transforms an actor into the “character”. Was it a real challenge to design earthy, vibrant dresses worn by Rani Mukherjee in “Paheli”? Yes, it was a challenge. I had to study the historical costumes of Rajasthanis, their culture and lifestyle, so that I could incorporate this information and design costumes that jelled with the reality of the time. While designing for “Paheli”, what was your priority? To give each and every character an identity imagined by Amol Palekarji. The outfits were designed keeping the in mind the particular scenes. I had to play with colours, fabrics and cuts accordingly. Do you think that your Indian sensibility helped you to create that typical rustic effect in “Paheli” costumes? I would say it’s more about the knowledge and experience of designing and developing and researching the rich textiles of India that helped me create that typical rustic effect in “Paheli” costumes. Who is your favourite designer? Ritu Kumar from India and Issey Miyake from Japan. Which is more interesting — designing period costumes, Western outfits or traditional, Indian outfits? To me, exploring and experimenting with different kinds of fabrics, falls and cuts is more interesting. For which Hollywood and Bollywood stars would you like to do costume designing? It would be wonderful to design for Catherine Zeta-Jones, Adrien Brody and, of course, Shahrukh Khan and Rani Mukherjee. How did you get interested in costume designing? I have done apparel designing course from the National Institute of Design, NID, Ahmedabad. After finishing my studies at the NID, I worked for the film “Anahat” directed by Amol Palekar. And that was how I developed interest in costume designing. Do you think Indian designers are an underrated lot abroad? No, I think they are doing quite well. And it all shows in the response they get abroad.
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Unhygienic conditions responsible for skin
infections?
Following the breakout of skin infection in Takiya Channan Shah locality outside Lohgarh Gate, a controversy has erupted over the reasons behind the disease.
Ms Lakshmi Kanta Chawla, Vice-President, state BJP, shot-off a release blaming the Municipal Corporation for supplying contaminated potable water which she said led to the disease. She added that the locality, being inhabited by the economically-weaker section, was neglected by the authorities concerned. Hundreds of people, especially children, were found suffering from skin infections in this locality where over 500 families reside. Ms Harbans Kaur, a resident of the area, said they were receiving polluted drinking water, which was the major cause behind the spread of the disease. She added that a factory that used acid for purifying silver was located in the same street. The BJP leader brought the matter to the notice of Civil Surgeon, Dr Sukhwinder Pal Singh Sohal, who then deployed a medical team comprising two doctors, a sanitary inspector and three helpers in the area on January 18. One of the doctors, Dr J.S Gill, said that nearly 120 patients were checked for the disease and given medicines. The team stayed in the area for some days. Samples of water were also taken and sent for examination. About the reasons behind the infections, Dr Gill said that it was due to the unhygienic living conditions and ignorance of the people about cleanliness and sanitation in the area. He added that there was an urgent need to educate the people how to lead a clean and disease-free life. For this purpose, pamphlets containing information on creating hygienic conditions were also distributed, he said. A resident of the locality said that though they had been residing there for several decades, the sewerage and the roads were laid just four years ago. |
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Quiz contest on Vivekananda
The Rama Krishna Vivekananda Centre (RKVC) conducted a quiz contest on the life and teachings of Swami Vivekananda in various schools and colleges of the city. A large number of students participated in the contest. The winners of the competition were given prizes at a function organised at DAV College here on January 19. —OCs |
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Mr Amarinder Singh from Tarn Taran has been elected the Senior Vice-President of the District Youth Congress (Rural). Earlier, Mr Amarinder Singh was Secretary and Vice-President of the party here. New block
Dr S. P. Singh, Vice-Chancellor, Guru Nanak Dev University, performed the clod-breaking Contests
The Amritsar Study Circle under its “Bharat Mata Pujan” programme organised a series of quiz contests on the lives of three personalities, Guru Gobind Singh, Swami Vivekananda and Subhash Chandra Bose. In the final contest, Prem Ashram School emerged as the winner. Mr Tarun Chugh, chairman of the Circle, said the motive behind organising this quiz was to create awareness among youth about real heroes of the country. He said young minds under the impression of TV channels were mindlessly imitating actors and actresses. He said there was a need of the hour to acquaint them with the real heroes of the country. He said they had distributed books on the life sketches of these great men to the students of three schools DAV Secondary, Hindu Sabha and Prem Ashram. Following a selection procedure, nine students were selected from each school. Subsequently, they were made to compete with one other during contests held on January 11, 18 and 21. Eventually, three students were selectedfrom each school for the final. Apart from this, experts were called to deliver lecture on the sacrifices of these great personalities. (Compiled by Pawan Kumar & Neeraj
Bagga) ceremony of the university’s architecture block,. The building would be constructed at an approximate cost of Rs 1.68 crore. The university spokesman said the UGC had granted Rs 75 lakh for the building, which would be completed in 18 months. He added that in addition to the 24 rooms allotted to the faculty, the block would have five studios, a computer lab, an audio-video lab, a survey lab, a library, a material museum, an art and graphic room and a workshop. Test
Meditech, an institute for medical and engineering coaching, organised a pre-scholarship test for students of classes 9th to 12th here recently. More than 200 students participated in the test. A similar test would be held again on January 29. Competition
Alpine Public School bagged the winner’s trophy in an inter-school dance competition held at Sacred Heart School here. Teams from various schools participated in the competition. Teams from Model Study School and Harkrishan School secured the second and the third positions, respectively. Affiliation
Shri Ram Ashram Public School at Majitha Road received affiliation from the CBSE to start senior secondary classes. Ms Preeti Sharad, Principal of the school, in a press release, said that classes for Plus One in all the four streams, medical, non-medical, commerce and humanities, would commence from April 2006. She said the school’s first Class X batch had recorded cent per cent result in 2005. Seminar
The Shehzada Nand College for Girls organised a UGC-sponsored national-level seminar on stress management. The seminar was inaugurated by Swami Grijeshanand, secretary, Rama Krishna Mission, Jammu, while Mr Jugal Kishor Sharma, Chairman, Amritsar Improvement Trust, was the chief guest. Swami Grijeshanand highlighted the causes and remedies of stress. He stressed on physical and mental strength to fight against stress. Meeting
Meeting of the Second Regional Advisory Committee (RAC) of CIPET was held here recently. Dr Sushil Kumar Verma, Director General, CIPET briefed the members and urged for the need to set up an interface between industries and CIPET. He said that in the last three years, nearly Rs 4 crore had been invested in latest equipments and software at the institute to meet the needs of the industries. He added that Rs 2-3 crore more would be spent for CIPET, Amritsar. |
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After a gap of nearly 58 years since Partition, the paintings and artwork of Pakistani artists were displayed in the Holy City.
