Punjab to be developed as hub for TV,Film shooting

The Punjab Government would chalk out a comprehensive plan for the setting up of class infrastructure facilities for entertainment industry to promote Punjab as Television Serial and Film shootings Tourism destination in the entire northern region of the country.

An announcement to this effect was made by Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today while inaugurating the Cinematic Tourism Conference in this district.

Speaking on the occastion, Badal said that as the glorious land of Punjab was blessed with landscape that illustrate prosperity, valour and emotional bounds of love and amity amongst all the people, it was obligatory on their part to explore new avenues in the fields of entertainment and tourism industries because both these industries were interlinked.

Badal called upon the film and TV serial makers/producers of the film Industry to promote rich Punjabi culture through their creations.

He also urged them to come in large number to make their serials and films in the region, which would also help the state in terms of tremendous employment generation. He said that the state government had waved off the entertainment tax on the films in Punjab.

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National level seminar organises in Panjab university

A national level seminar on 'Law and Technology' is being organized by University Institute of Legal Studies (UILS) and University Law students association, Panjab University , in association with Asia Pacific Jurist association and dept. of technology , UT , Chandigarh.

The Chief Guest, Justice Surya Kant, Judge, Punjab and Haryana high Court inaugurated the function at University auditorium. In the Welcome address given by Prof. Grewal, he talked about 'Law and Technology'. He encouraged the students to organize such events in the future. Justice Surya Kant, in his inaugural address, said that when he passed out from law and joined the legal profession there was no such thing as computers and cyber crime. He further said that the day was not far when lawyers would argue using their laptops and judges would deliver judgments there and then with the help of information from their laptops. He added that the there has been a sea change in the natures of  crime like transmitting virus, pirated software, infringement of IPR etc. He presented his views on Intellectual Property rights.

The inaugural address was followed by the Key note address delivered by Prof. Gurjeet Singh, Vice chancellor, Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law, Patiala . In his key note address, the vice chancellor in his humble tone said that, He is in an advantageous position and would become wiser by listening to the distinguished speakers. Speaking on the interface of law and technology he said, cyber crimes are moving at the speed of light and with the growth of cyber space its misuse has also increased. According to him "the impact of technological advancements is such that we cannot imagine the life without them. The modern day technology has shrunk distances around the world and made the inflow and outflow of information across the border much easier than ever before." He also spoke on crimes and forensic science. According to him DNA testing is an excellent example of the marriage between science and law and of the ever increasing role the is being played by science in successful solving of crimes and the prosecution of criminals.

Satya Pal Jain, Dean, Faculty of Laws also graced the occasion by his presence and  said that coming times would be tough and competitive for those who want to join the profession of judiciary. He is amazed by the changing times as all the judgments and the Acts are available in the CDs. And out of his witty and amazing remarks he contended that the day is not far when law would be immensely banking on information technology.. So much so that the judgments would also be dispensed with the help of computers.

On this special occasion M.S. Brar, Director, department of Information Technology, Chandigarh , released the souvenir prepared by UILS. He also presented a Momento to Justice Surya Kant. Prof. R.S. Grewal, Director, UILS  presented Momentos to M.S. Brar and Prof. Gurjeet Singh. Dr. Navneet Arora, Seminar Co-coordinator and faculty member, UILS presented vote of thanks to all the dignitaries.

During the day, Parallel working sessions were held on Law and Biotechnology and Intellectual Property Rights. Various legal luminaries  – Justice Rajiv Bhalla, Judge Panjab and Haryana High Court, Justice K.S. Ahluwalia, Justice Austin George Masih, Justice Ajay Tiwari, Prof Johar, Deptt. Of Laws, PU, Rodney Ryder, Atul Lakhanpal acted as chairpersons of these sessions. The various panels also consisted of Co-chairpersons-  Preetpal Singh, Prof. Sashi Sharma, Meenu Paul, Prof. P. Bansal, Ajay Gulathi, Assistant advocate Gen. Haryana. Over 20 paper discussants and over 60 speakers made this event a success according to Dr. Chanchal Narang, Media Incharge.

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Special card to offer discounts to Chandigarh visitors

Here comes a card that will help visitors have a smooth ride in India's first planned city, be it at tourist destinations or in buses, shops and hotels.

The Chandigarh City Card, to be launched on World Tourism Day Sep 27, will enable visitors to enjoy discounts and other facilities as part of a unique initiative to promote tourism in this city designed by the famous French architect Le Corbusier.

"The city card will cost Rs.100 each and will be valid for one person for three days from the date of purchase. It will entitle the card holder to avail himself of various discounts at the city's tourist destinations and at select hotels, restaurants and shops," Vivek Atray, director of tourism, told IANS.

"The card holder can enjoy free entry into prominent tourist places like the Rock Garden and the Chandigarh Natural History Museum and can enjoy a ride in an open-air bus," Atray said.

"This card will enable tourists to get special discounts at Chandigarh Industrial and Tourism Development Corporation (CITCO) restaurants and hotels," he added.

"Certain private sector hotels and restaurants will also provide special discounts to the visitors. Chandigarh Transport Undertaking (CTU) buses will also provide free rides to the holder of the card, subject to conditions," said a senior official of the tourism department.

He added that city residents and outstation tourists can buy these prepaid tourist cards from any of the tourist information centres or from any major tourist destination in the city.

"These prepaid tourist cards are very common in various European and American nations. I believe the launch of such a card in the city would definitely boost the prospects of tourism here. These cards will also keep a check on unscrupulous people who usually overcharge tourists," said Atray.

The card is part of the tourism action plan 2008-09 aimed at enhancing the tourism potential of this union territory. Nearly one million tourists visited Chandigarh in 2007.

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Free tickets for rural students for India-Australia test match

The Punjab Cricket Association has decided to provide daily free of cost 5,000 tickets as well as food to children from rural areas of the state to facilitate them to watch the second test between India and Australia to be played at the PCA Stadium in Mohali from October 17 to 21.

Disclosing this here today, Punjab Cricket Association president IS Bindra told newsmen that the decision was taken in the first meeting of the Organising Committee held under the chairmaship of Sukhbir Singh Badal.

Mr Bindra said that 5,000 students of 6 to 10th class from all districts of Punjab would daily watch the Test match. There will be a daily new batch of students from the rural areas who will be brought in buses. While the PCA will provide free tickets and food to these rural children, the state government will provide transportation.

The organising commitee has also reduced the price of tickets for students and for the chair blocks. The price of ticket for students for five days has been slashed to Rs 100 from Rs 200. The ticket for chair blocks will now cost Rs 300 instead of Rs 500. However, there will be no change in the price of tickets for Rs 10,000, Rs 5,000 and Rs 1000, Mr Bindra informed the media.

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Chandigarh getting choked and polluted with 6.7 lakh vehicles

Landlocked Chandigarh, unique in respects more than one, is getting motorized by the day. The City Beautiful leads in per capita number of vehicles. According to R.K Swamy BBDO Guide to Urban Markets, Chandigarh accounted for the highest number of car ownership in 2003-04. Most of its inhabitants use own vehicles, including two-wheelers and four-wheelers, to travel within the city.

The otherwise planned and pollution-free Chandigarh is heading towards mayhem on its roads due to the swelling numbers of vehicles on the roads.It virtually faces the threat of losing its title of pollution-free city. Potholed roads, traffic jams, road accidents, woefully inadequate parking slots and rising pollution level are some of the problems posed by the choking number of vehicles in Chandigarh.

Chandigarh came into existence in 1966. The next year, it registered 940 vehicles, but in 2001, the number shot up to 4, 96,086 and in 2007, the registered vehicles aggregated 6,69,715 (see accompanying chart). Whether it is cars, jeeps, scooters, bikes, auto-rickshaws or buses, the number is rising by the day. Interestingly, last year, the number of four-wheelers in Chandigarh increased more than those of two-wheelers. According to officials in the Registering and Licensing Authority (RLA), about 120 to 140 vehicles are registered every day in Chandigarh.

Small wonder that Le Corbusier's well planned green city is no more pollution-free and congestion-less. The City Beautiful which had been designed and planned for a population of five lakh, is now bursting at the seams with 12 lakh inhabitants. And, by 2021, the population is projected to increase to about 19.5 lakh, almost four times it had been originally built for. The popular image of the city is losing out due to the ever-increasing number of vehicles and increased pollution.

The Chandigarh Pollution Control Committee keeps monitoring air quality at key locations. According to it, the air quality levels show that sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxide are below the permissible limits but suspended particulate matter (SPM) and respirable suspended particulate matter (RSPM) exceed the permissible limits at several places in Chandigah. .

The SPM level has increased against the permissible limit of 140µg/m³ at most places. As for RSPM, the levels have increased more than the permissible limit of 120µg/m³ in the industrial area and the permissible limit of 60µg/m³ at other places. The statistics show the rise in the pollution level in the city.

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11 old faces in Senate mark PU poll result

Punjab University Senate saw 11 old faces after the results of 16 ordinary fellows under the principals' constituency and teaching fraternity of PU-affiliated colleges were declared on Tuesday. Prominent fellows like AC Vaid, BC Josan, PS Gill, Dinesh Talwar and others were elected to the Senate, the tenure of which is four years.

PU colleges had gone on polls for the same on Sunday in Chandigarh, Punjab, Haryana, and Himachal Pradesh. While six out of eight members elected to the principals' constituency were old senators, Dr AC Vaid, principal of GGDSD College, got the maximum votes. Other elected members from the principals' constituency include Gurdip K Sharma, principal of GGDSD College, Hoshiarpur, Tejinder Kaur, principal of Guru Nanak College for girls, Mukstar, Hardiljit Singh Gosal, principal of Gobind National College, Ludhiana and Janmit Singh, Taravati Memorial Degree College, Bringali, Mukerian, got eight votes.

Similarly, BC Josan, principal of DAV, Sector 10, Chandigarh, Satish Kumar Sharma, principal of Lajpat Rai DAV College, Jagraon, Ludhiana and RS Jhanji of AS College, Khanna, got 7 votes each.

Interestingly, all the elected Senate members are principals of the private college as no candidate from any government college was elected. Elected fellows in the lecturers constituency include Dinesh Talwar of DAV College, Sector 10, with 243 votes, Mukesh Kumar Arora of SCD Government College, Ludhaina, got 307, Harpreet Singh Dua of GGN Khalsa College, Ludhiana, got 247, Dalip Kumar and RPS Josh of Government College for Girls, Sector 42, got 207 and 240 votes respectively, IS Sandhu of DAV College, Abohar, got 217, Kuldeep Singh of Guru Nanak National College got 212 and PS Gill, Sri Guru Gobind Singh College, Sector 26, got 187 votes.

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'Don't discriminate against girls'

Students and faculty of the department of social work observed Girlchild Day at Students' Centre, Panjab University, Chandigarh. The purpose of this event was to sensitize the student community on girls. Besides a street play titled 'Kalli, the bud', students held placards and posters with slogans which read like 'Don't cut the hands which will rock the cradle and rule the world' and 'A girl's theft is the most fatal of all thefts'.

"India still follows the tradition where people idolize sons and mourn the birth of daughters. At every stage of life, she is neglected and discriminated against for basic nutrition, formal/informal education and living standards. As per UN figures, 7,50,000 girls are aborted every year in India. If the practice continues, a day will come when Mother India will have no mothers, potentially, no life," said an artist.

Through the play, students tried to portray the stigma attached to the girlchild right from the time she is in her mother's womb. How as a teenager she is denied all the privileges which her brother enjoys. While in college, she is forced to marry an elderly man because of his status in society, thus crushing her dream of becoming a police officer. After her marriage, she is ridiculed by her inlaws for giving birth to a girlchild.

"Every citizen must stall the evil practices of killing girls and discriminating against them. A determined drive in this direction can be the spark to light a lamp to show the world that girls are an important part of India," said an artist.

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Unexplored Finnish locales luring Indian film fraternity

Those who thought of Finland as an obscure island located somewhere near the North Pole, its time to rethink. Just six-hours journey and you can actually be a part of stimulating activities, especially during Christmas in Rovaniemi, the capital of Lapland in Finland.

In a major step to attract tourists from Punjab, the Finland tourism board is taking various measures. Also, the Finnish government has set up a film commission to lure film fraternity of this country. Scenic beauty of Finland makes it an apt destination for directors. The rocky shores, pristine environs, colourful seasonal changes are worth watching, says Papori Bharti, marketing manager, Finnish Tourist Board in India, a part of the Finnish delegation, which was in town recently.

Delegate Jari Virtanen, a hotelier from Finland, says, "Finland is turning out to be a hot tourist destination for the ever-increasing tourist from this state". Talking about space availability in hotels during peak season, he says, "We have enough hotels in each state to accommodate the growing rush".

"Its a fresh alternative to Europe. Natural beauty sans air pollution makes it an ideal tourist destination," opines Katja Etelainen, manager of Rovaniemi Tourism board. Elaborating on film commission project, she says, "We expect lots of queries from Bollywood in near future, as the commission will liaison between directors and authorities. Camera support, recce of area, logistics and other prerequisites for shoot will be provided by the commission on a meagre rent."

Reacting to the news, producer-cum-investor for Punjabi movies Jaiveer Cheema says, "Now when Punjabi moviemakers are exploring virgin locales abroad, film commission of Finland is a blessing. We would certainly take advantage of this great move."

"Be it summers or winters, Finland is always at its best. Hilly terrains of Kuusamo, shimmering waters of Lakeland, progressive yet still in touch with its history Helsinki, vast wilderness of Kuopio are adventurers and nature lover's delight. Midsummer in Finland springs forth myriad colours of nature, says Papori. She adds: "One can enjoy a trip here on a minimal budget. Besides, the country's tourism board has also floated different packages."

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Freedom fighters' treatment

A miffed high court on Monday asked the UT administration to "examine the feasibility" of framing a scheme for freedom fighters to enable them to get the benefit of free medical treatment. The division bench, headed by justice Tirath Singh Thakur and justice Surya Kant, expressed surprise over the UT administration's failure to put in place such a scheme even as UT of Pondicherry had already got one. Importantly, the Chandigarh Administration had stated in its reply that "there are no rules or instructions for providing free medical facility to freedom fighters".

The judges directed the administration to examine within two months the feasibility of framing such a scheme for providing free medical treatment in its hospitals to freedom fighters living in Chandigarh, said HC Arora, petitioner. The administration was free to draw from schemes framed in other parts of the country, including Pondicherry.

The orders came during the resumed hearing on the PIL on the subject by HC Arora with the latter bringing it to the court's notice that in Pondicherry, the freedom fighters and their spouses were entitled to free medical treatment, including hospitalization in class-A wards of state and central government's institutions. This is not all. Pondicherry resident freedom fighters were are also given free passes for travelling in buses registered in Pondicherry.

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Chandigarh International Film Festival to begin on Feb 5

Third Chandigarh International Film Festival will begin in the city on February 5 with focus on women's contribution in cinema.

Organised by Chandigarh Tourism Department in collaboration with Society for Tourism and Entertainment Promotion (STEPS), the theme of the film festival, which will go on till February 8, is contribution of women in cinema as directors, actors, writers, musician, choreographers and designers.

In the four-day festival, films will be categorised under section like children movies, main stream cinema and international movies.

Workshops based on the theme ''Cinema through my vision'' will also be conducted.

Prominent among those who are likely to attend the festival are Dev Anand, N Chandra, Meghna Gulzar, Deepa Mehta, Tanuja Chandra, Nandita Das and Gurinder Chadha.

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SSA classrooms to be earthquake resistant

The Sarv Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) was launched to provide a solid academic foundation to the lives of children who would otherwise find getting education difficult. Now, in Panchkula, the administration will also provide solid foundations to the SSA classrooms where these students are taught.

The administration intends to build 103 earthquake-resistant classrooms in the district that falls in the 'active fault zone'.

The project will be completed by February 2009.

Cheques for the construction of 82 such classrooms have already been distributed to the concerned village and education-cum-construction committees and the remaining 21 cheques will be given away soon, said an administration official.

Majority of the sites for these rooms have been identified. Officials are meeting with representatives of villages to identify the remaining sites.

"The rooms will be built using earthquake-resistant techniques. The walls of these rooms will not collapse in the event of an earthquake," said an official.

Deputy district education officer Karan Singh told TOI that these classrooms were being built under the SSA scheme and the state government would also help in this project.

Panchkula deputy commissioner Rajinder Kataria said, "At the time of earthquakes, children suffer the most because they are not able to save themselves. Under this project, the government and local administration are making an effort to protect school students when earthquakes hit."

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Heritage status a distant dream

While Chandigarh may have maintained its image as the most prosperous city in the country, the coveted UNESCO heritage states still seems a distant dream for UT residents.

Due to the lackadaisical attitude of the ministry of home affairs (MHA), Punjab, Haryana and even UT administration, UNESCO's World Heritage Committee will now examine Chandigarh's nomination for inclusion in the world heritage list not earlier than July 2010. And if the MHA's indifference continues for few more months, the wait may get a bit too long to be of any worth.

After asking the UT administration at the eleventh hour to get concurrence for the nomination, the ministry of home affairs is now sitting on the dossier and it has still not been forwarded to UNESCO. This despite UNESCO suggesting to the government of India that it should at least submit the nomination early for the next year.

Minja Yang, director, UNESCO's New Delhi office, told The Times of India that the Chandigarh dossier for world heritage nomination has still not been officially submitted to the UNESCO World Heritage Centre. ''I have heard that all national authorities of the government of India have approved it but my information is that it has not yet been submitted to UNESCO,'' she said.

''The procedure is that new nominations can be submitted on September 30 of each year but not later than February 1 the next year. So since Chandigarh missed the February 1, 2008, deadline when the Le Corbusier nomination was submitted, the next deadline is February 1, 2009. I have suggested to the authorities to submit it officially to UNESCO to meet the early submission date of September 30, 2008,'' she added.

''The Le Corbusier nomination will be examined by the World Heritage Committee in July 2009 but the Chandigarh nomination will be examined only in July 2010 because the deadline of February 1, 2008 was missed,'' she added. Only countries that have signed the World Heritage Convention, pledging to protect their natural and cultural heritage, can submit nomination proposals for properties on their territory to be considered for inclusion in UNESCO's world heritage list.

Once placed on UNESCO's permanent list, Chandigarh would not only join the league of cities like Tel Aviv, Brasilia and Le Havre (France), but would also take a leap as a tourism destination.

The architectural works of Corbusier are spread out across the world including France, Switzerland, Belgium, Argentina, Germany, Japan, Tokyo, USA and Algeria, Chandigarh is unique because it's the only place where a complete plan of urban settlement was implemented as envisioned by him.

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Chandigarh authorities gear up for poly ban

With just 15 days left for the enforcement of ban on polythene bags in the city, the authorities are gearing up to make it a success. The question, however, remains whether the ban will go up in smoke, as alternatives to poly bagsare still not available in the market.

The administration plans to kick start its campaign and spread the message that poly bags will be banned after October 2 and in case anybody is found with polythene, (s)he will not only invite a heavy fine, but also a trial under the Environment Protection Act in city's district courts. Also, the administration has constituted teams, which will have medical officers, food inspectors and SDMs, to check the violations made by residents. Meanwhile, Chandigarh Pollution Control Committee will check the violations made by industries engaged in polythene bags manufacturing.

"We are about to start the awareness campaign to inform residents about the complete blanket ban of polythene bags. Apart from advertisements, announcements will be made through loudspeakers by our department officials," said Ishwar Singh, director, environment department, Chandigarh. He added, "We will ask residents to use bags made of jute or cloth."

The UT administration through a notification had made it clear that from October 2 no person, including shopkeeper, vendor, wholesaler, retailer, trader, hawker or rehriwala , would be allowed to use plastic carrybags for supply of goods. Not just on supply of polybags, there is also a complete ban on its manufacture, store, import, sale or transport in the city.

When asked if visitors coming from other states will be dealt with as per the law, Singh said, "We hope that city residents being well aware about the ban will avoid polythene bags' use, whereas, on the entry points of city, commuters will be informed about it."

City's various trader associations had made it clear that the cost of jute and paper bags would be borne by the end-users. However, in the absence of units manufacturing jute and paper bags, their cost will leave a hole in the pockets of buyers. The 45 manufacturing units, which were making polythene bags, plan to shift their base to nearby areas.

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AEP to be launched in Chandigarh schools

"In an era that is flooded with attractive communications on fashion, lifestyle, diverse facets of relationships and brand awareness, it is important to reinforce positive behaviour among adolescents along with values through necessary skill information," said SK Setia, DPI (schools). He introduced comprehensive AEP (Adolescent Education Programme) which will be soon launched in all senior secondary and secondary schools of the city. The programme will be implemented through red ribbonclubs in schools, in collaboration with State AIDS Control Society, UT.

Setia said AEP would be implemented from October onwards to build capacities of adolescents and prepare them to face new challenges of modern day life. The programme was designed for senior students of class IX onwards with an objective to enhance essential values and life skills for coping and managing concerns of adolescence through co-curricular activities (CCA). The life skills usually addressed were creative and critical thinking, self-awareness and self-esteem, decision making and problem solving, inter-personal relationships and effective communication, coping stress and emotions. Providing accurate knowledge to students, developing healthy attitudes, responsible behaviour about process of growing up, HIV/AIDS and substance abuse, promoting respect for the opposite sex and dealing with gender stereotypes are a part of the programme.

For imparting training, two nodal teachers of red ribbon clubs here, six masters trainers from the city were trained recently in a NACO sponsored workshop in New Delhi.

Sharing her concerns, Dr Vanita Gupta, project director, State AIDS Control Society, UT, said more than 22% of India's population was between 10 to 19 years of age, representing a vibrant human resource and adolescence was a period of formative dynamic transitions. "With ever-increasing threats of growing drug/substance abuse, gender discrimination, child abuse, HIV/AIDS infections and suicides amongst young people, it is high time that we realize the importance of this initiative and take corrective measures," she added.

Dr Dazy Zarabi, programme coordinator, Regional Resource Centre, Panjab University, and an important part of the initiative, held that ignorance was the root cause of all evils and only through proper dissemination of knowledge could the life of students be secured.

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Chandigarh's per capita income highest in India

Chandigarh has done it again! Leaving behind states with desirable metros and cities that seem to offer flashy lifestyles, it has walked away with the crown to be the country's jewel with the highest per capita income (PCI).

With its growth pegged at 11.49% monetarily and 6.39% in real terms, the coveted position comes to the UT for the fifth time in a row.

As per the latest figures released on Monday by the Directorate of Economics and Statistics, the per capita income of Chandigarh for 2006-07 is Rs 99,262 at current prices and Rs 70,361 at constant prices.

Goa follows it with Rs 82,903 and Rs 54,850 for the same. Closest neighbour Punjab fares poorly with Rs 40,566 PCI at current prices and Rs 30,158 at constant prices.

Fortunately for Haryana, its scores are better at Rs 49,039 and Rs 35,779. The all-India figure for 2006-07 is Rs 29,642 at current prices and Rs 22,553 at constant prices. Delhi is rated third in the list, with figures of Rs 66,728 and Rs 50,565.

Tracing Chandigarh's trajectory RS Bawa, professor of economics, Guru Nanak Dev University), Amritsar, said, "The trend can be attributed to the overall character of the city which not only attracts well-paid executives but also retired top brass from the Army and other government departments." Calling it one of the most preferred places to settle down, he added, "It has an enviable infrastructure."

Even as the city can't boast of industrial growth, the Rajiv Gandhi Chandigarh Technology Park has added to its attraction, drawing a lot of BPO units. "The city is likely to maintain its lead with improved air connectivity and more industries," said Bawa, ex-president of Indian Economics Association.

Throwing light on Punjab which has definitely lost its industrial edge, he added, "The government has taken some initiatives but these will take time to pay off. A large section of the industry has lately moved out of Punjab."

He also pointed out that the low paid strata of Chandigarh were concentrated on peripheral areas falling under Punjab or Haryana, much to the discredit of the two states. Interestingly, the detailed break-up of statistics proves that Chandigarh has moved away from the primary sector of occupation.

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15th All India JP Atray Cricket begins on September 17

Cricketers like Virender Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh and Harbhajan Singh might be seen in action during the 15th All India JP Atray tournament, to be played here and Mohali from September 17.

The tournament, being organised under the aegis of Punjab Cricket Association (PCA), would be played on league-cum-knock out basis and the teams have been divided into 4 pools. Top side from each pool will enter into the semi-final stage.

"All the matches of the tournament, which would last till September 30, will be of 50 overs each innings and will be played under the ICC Rules of One-day cricket," Sushil Kapoor, Organising Secretary of the tournament, said.

The participating teams are Punjab Cricket Club, BPCL, Mumbai, St Bank of Hyderabad, HPCA Academy, ONGC Delhi, Assam CA, St Bank of Mysore-Bangalore, Indian Oil Corp-Mumbai, MRF-Chennai, Moody ICL, MPCA XI, CM XI-Haryana, LIC Cricket Club, PCA Colts, RCA XI and India Cements Ltd-Chennai.

The matches will be played at PCA Cricket Stadium at Mohali, Sector-16 Stadium in Chandigarh, DAV School (Chandigarh) and St John's School Cricket Stadium at Barwala.

Players like left-arm Irfan Pathan, Suresh Raina, Md Kaif, Wasim Jafar, Gautam Gambhir and Munaf Patel are expected to figure in their respective squads.

"All efforts are being made for smooth conduct of 32 matches during the prestigious tournament at different venues," Chander Shekhar, ADGP of Punjab Police, who is also chairman of the organising committee, said.

The tourney is offering Rs 1.50 lakhs to winners and Rs 60,000 to the runners-up, while the third and fourth position holder would receive Rs 30,000 and Rs 15,000 respectively.

"The tournament committee has decided to give a financial aid of Rs 15,000 to the family of Late D C Worel, an veteran Ranji Trophy player who died recently," Vivek Atray, convener of the tournament, said.

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Sanjay Dutt to box for IBF

Munna Bhai is donning new gloves. And he'll now fight for the Indian Boxing Federation (IBF) as its brand ambassador.

In what will come as welcome news for both boxers and its burgeoning band of fans, especially after India's eye-popping show at the Beijing Olympics, actor Sanjay Dutt has formally decided to work for the upliftment of boxing in the country. On Friday he was offered the job of IBF ambassador and he accepted it with a smile, the title songfrom Munnabhai MBBS playing in the background during a function here.

"Abhay bhai (Abhay Singh Chautala) has offered me the brand ambassador's job and I am accepting it," said Dutt, himself looking like a boxer with his macho physique. Here on the invitation of Abhay and Ajay Singh Chautala, Rajya Sabha member, to witness the JCD International Cricket League, Dutt told The Times of India that he was happy to do something for the cause of sports in the country.

"Once I get associated with boxing, India will no longer be content with bronze medals in Olympics. Our youngsters will bring many gold medals next time," he said.

Dutt said his father Sunil Dutt had a dream to take India ahead in sports when he was the Union minister for sports.

"If I am able to contribute a little to the realization of my father's dream, it will be the most satisfying work for me," he added. He was quite disappointed over the fact that sports, other than cricket, was being neglected in India.

IBF president Abhay, meanwhile, informed TOI that Dutt would not charge a penny from IBF for his new role as IBF ring master. "Rather he would help raise funds for the benefit of the sport."

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Mohali to have yet another township soon

Adding to the existing real estate development in Mohali, JTPL City, an integrated township, is coming up on 85 acres in the town. JTPL Townships Private Ltd, the developer, has already obtained the approved licence from the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA) for 70 acres.

JTPL City Mohali, a new generation township is a self-contained residential, commercial, entertainment and recreational hub for people from different walks of life. A mall and a hotel are also in the pipeline, to be developed within the township.

Located on the Kharar-Landran road next to Sector 104, the JTPL City offers numerous location and accessibility advantages like access to the railway station and upcoming international airport. It has been strategically planned and is an impeccable township with vaastu and numerological compliance. Most significantly, it will offer a contemporary and elite environment along with modern conveniences exuding an international experience.

JTPL Townships is a part of JMD Conglomerate. The group is known for its range of edible oils and packaged drinking water. The company has ventured into real estate industry with a mission to set up a network of completely self-contained townships across the country.

Dr V P Gupta, chairman, said: "Mohali has become one of the most preferred cities in the world. We are proud to come up with an integrated township in such a strategically located place. This township is our sincere endeavour to provide people with world-class infrastructural facilities".

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Chandigarh Nightclubs, multiplexes minting money in students union poll

Local nightclubs, multiplexes and transport agencies are making hay as the campaign for the Panjab University Campus Students' Union (PUCSU) polls enters its final phase.

Political parties are arranging free movie shows, dance parties and trips to nearby tourist destinations like Kasauli and Dharampur in Himachal Pradesh and Morni Hills in Haryana to woo potential voters.

Panjab University (PU) elections are slated Friday and university authorities have made it clear to all candidates that the elections will be carried out strictly following the Supreme Court's guidelines and the Lyngdoh committee's recommendations on students' union polls.

This year the four major groups contesting PUCSU elections are Panjab University Students Union (PUSU), Student Organisation of Panjab University (SOPU), Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and Indian National Student Organisation (INSO).

'There was a bulk booking of tickets Tuesday by a political party of Panjab University. More than 100 tickets were booked for two movies each including a Punjabi flick,' a senior official of PVR cinema in Chandigarh told IANS.

Political parties have arranged special air-conditioned buses to transport students to the multiplexes or for the outstation trips.

'Our club is booked for the last five-six days for both day and night parties and we are expecting the same rush for the next two days. All these parties have been booked by the students of PU,' said Raghu Sharma, manager of a nightclub in Chandigarh's Sector 9.

All these activities are in violation of the Lyngdoh committee recommendations and of the university's code of conduct that says all corrupt activities aimed at intimidation or bribing voters are prohibited.

The Lyngdoh committee also recommended restricting the campaign budget to Rs.5,000 per candidate. Students here say the budget has been crossed many many times over by now.

They say liquor is also being supplied to students in hostel rooms and parties are being arranged at local restaurants to woo the voters.

'Elections here in PU could not be possible in Rs.5,000. We have to spend huge sums on petrol and on various other things. We know that this is illegal but we cannot help as every other party in the campus is doing it,' a senior leader of PUSU told IANS on condition of anonymity.

'We have special tie-ups with local travel agents, restaurants and nightclubs in Chandigarh as we avail their services every year during students' polls,' he added.

'For many years the PU elections have become the platform for the students to showcase their money and muscle power. Money is spent like anything and there is no check on it. All the claims of PU authorities remained only on paper and nobody bothers to implement them,' said Amit Sharma, former student leader of PU.

Around 9,000 students study at the PU campus in Chandigarh that is spread over 550 acres in Sector 14 and Sector 25 in Chandigarh. The university has around 60 teaching and research departments and over 170 colleges are affiliated to it.

Panjab University is one of the oldest universities in India, being established in 1882 at Lahore. It was relocated to Chandigarh in 1956.

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Indian School of Business to open campus in Mohali

The Indian School of Business, ranked as one of the top 20 Global Business Schools by the Financial Times Annual MBA 2008, plans to open a campus in Mohali, Punjab, ISB Dean M Rammohan Rao said.

Rao said, "We hope to sign an agreement with the Punjab government shortly and the campus will come up in 2011-12."

The Hyderabad-based ISB also plans to increase its total number of seats from 440 this year to 560 next year, he said at a function organised here to celebrate the business school's achievement of becoming the first Indian business school to be listed in ranked as one of the top 20 global business schools.

India's High Commissioner to the UK Shiv Shankar Mukherjee said though India produced 2.5 million graduates every year, "all of them are not of high quality. Already the alarm is being raised within the country and Tatas (a leading Indian business Group)have outsourced their software work to Mexico."

The Knowledge Commission has identified that the country would need another 1,500 Universities to cope with the demand.

"We not only need more graduates, but we need quality graduates," the High Commissioner emphasised. Arun Sarin, who recently stepped down as the Chief Executive of the Vodafone, Britain's largest mobile phone company, said India needed better infrastructure to grow at 7- 8 per cent over the next 20 years. He said "Whether roads, educational institutions or other infrastructure, you need capital. India needs all these in large quantity."

ISB Chairman Rajat Gupta said the school has the potential to climb up in the rank from the current 20. He also emphasised the need to upgrade the quality of education and said: "we need to have inclusive system of education," .

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Chandigarh Administration prohibits religious ceremonies at Sukhna Lake

To maintain the eco balance of Sukhna Lake, Chandigarh Administration has prohibited the performing of religious ceremonies and rituals at Sukhna Lake. Sukhna Lake was declared as Silence Zone by the Administration on January 19, 2005. District Magistrate, R K Rao issued the prohibition orders under section 144 CrPC, here Thursday.

This prohibition would include floating of lighted earthen lamp using mustarded oil, and bursting of firecrackers. Performing of various rituals was causing noise pollution and water pollution and was also disturbing the eco balance in the Silence Zone of the Lake. The order would come into force from zero hours of September 12 and would be effective up to November 10.

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Punjab, Chandigarh medicos welcome doctors' protection bill

The Chandigarh and Punjab chapters of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) have welcomed a bill passed by Punjab to protect doctors from any assault by patients or their relatives on Monday.

"Punjab is the third state to implement this ordinance after Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. There are many cases in this region where both government and private hospitals were ransacked and doctors assaulted by the attendants of the patients in case of the patient's death," Zora Singh, president of IMA (Chandigarh), told mediapersons Saturday.

"Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal passed a bill Friday in the state assembly for the prevention of violence and damage to property in the hospitals in the favour of doctors. We all welcome this gesture and expect the Chandigarh administration to implement a similar provision," said Singh.

"The violator of this act will be awarded one year rigorous imprisonment or a fine of Rs.50,000 or both, depending on the case," he added.

IMA (Punjab) secretary Navjot Singh Dahiya said: "There are instances when local political leaders try to take undue advantage in case of death or some other complication in a hospital. Now this bill will refrain such people from aggravating the situation.

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Slum kids get international schooling in Chandigarh

A building to match any corporate establishment, ultra-modern classrooms with audio-visual aids for teaching and computers - this is not an upscale city school, but a unique private institution exclusively for Chandigarh's slum children.

As 'Sikhya: the school of learning' goes into its second academic session after being launched in March last year, its popularity among underprivileged children is growing. Starting with just 150 students last year, the school in Sector 46 now boasts of 821 enrolments.

Be it studies, sports, nurturing hobbies, providing meals or giving vocational training, the school can give stiff competition to any upscale school in the region. This unique institution is run under the aegis of The Guru Nanak Vidya Bhandar Trust.

Said its chief patron Gurpreet Singh, a leading industrialist: "I am now in my 70s and have tried my hand in many vocations. But nothing has given me as much satisfaction as putting this school together. If we can touch the lives of a few unfortunate kids or bring a smile on their faces, it would have been a life well lived."

Not only are studies completely free, the students are also provided school uniforms.

While 90 percent of the teaching is done through audio-visual aids, every student above the age of five uses computer here. Interactive programmes, lectures by psychologists and personality-development sessions to make the kids emotionally strong are part of the curriculum.

Apart from these, there are vocational courses in hospitality, retail management, health, accounts and fashion designing for students of Class 6 and above. The school has also introduced special games accredited by the Australian Sports Commission.

"In a short span of just one year our students have won laurels in boxing, kabaddi, volleyball and martial arts at national and state level. To educate young women, we also have a crèche within the school premises where they can leave their siblings while they attend school," Sonia Channi, principal of Sikhya School, said.

Said Rita, a student of Sikhya School who comes from Colony No. 5: "Since my parents are very poor, they cannot afford my school fees. But thanks to Sikhya, me and my brother could continue our education."

Channi added: "Our endeavour is to create a feeling of belongingness. We make these students feel that they are an essential part of the school and we can't run without them.

"The response has been quite good and absenteeism is very rare. In my opinion, 80 percent of our job is done when children come here willingly."

A recent survey conducted by the Government Home Science College here revealed that the students of Sikhya exhibit higher levels of resilience, civic engagement and belongingness compared to slum children attending other schools.

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PM to kickstart work on national institutes in Punjab

Punjab is all set to overcome the dearth of qualified and competent faculty, deterioration in education standards and unemployment in technical manpower with Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh kickstarting work on national institutes in Punjab later this month, sources in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said.

The modalities are being worked out for him to visit Mohali and Ropar in the middle of September to lay foundation stones of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Ropar, Indian Institute of Nano Science and Technology (IINST) and National Agro Biotechnology Institute (NABI) in Mohali.

This will be his second visit to Mohali after September 2006 when he had laid the foundation stone of the Knowledge City in Sector 81.

Punjab Chief Secretary Ramesh Inder Singh, who has called a special meeting to chalk out special arrangements ahead of the PM's visit, told Newsline that though the Union ministries concerned have intimated them but official confirmation from the PMO was still awaited.

Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA) Chief Administrator Vivek Partap Singh said the parcels of land earmarked for these national institutes in the Knowledge City have already been handed over to the respective Union government departments.

"We have also offered them to start work on these institutes," Singh told Newsline.

These national institutes will be the first of its kind in the state. The NABI will be part of country's first agro-food cluster, which will house an agro-food biotech park and processing unit. The IIT will come up at Birla Seed Farm, spread over 500 acres of vacant government land in Ropar.

The IIT, however, has already started functioning from this academic year with 120 students admitted to its first batch from its transit campus at IIT, Delhi. The premier institute will be shifted to the Government Polytechnic Institute campus in Ropar from the next session and will continue functioning from there till its permanent campus comes up at Birla Seed Farm.

To accommodate the IIT campus, the new admissions to Ropar Polytechnic have been suspended from this year and the remaining batch of 150 students will be given the option to shift to any other polytechnic of their choice in the state from the next session, Principal Secretary of the Technical Education and Industrial Training, Punjab, Tejinder Kaur told Newsline.

The IIT, which will be among six new ones coming up in the country, will have 27 per cent reservation under OBC quota, offering the sought-after branches like electronics, computer science and mechanical engineering.

Similarly, IINST is all set to start functioning from the coming academic session. In the absence of its permanent campus, the prestigious institute will start its classes from its transit campus either at the Mahatma Gandhi State Institute of Public Administration (MGSIPA) in Sector 26, Chandigarh, or Habitat Centre in Sector 64, Mohali.

Till its permanent campus comes up in Knowledge City, the state government has formally accorded its consent to provide the available space in MGSIPA and entire habitat centre for setting up its transit campus.

NABI will be set up through public-private enterprise and house agro and food start-up companies with common facilities. Two memoranda of understanding (MoUs) in this regard were signed in New Delhi recently by the Department of Biotechnology with the Department of Agriculture and Agro-Food of Canada and the National Research Council (NRC).

The Union Cabinet, while formally approving the setting up of the NABI, in the Knowledge City, had last month approved a budget of Rs 380 crore to be spent on the NABI for the next five years.

To be set up with Canadian help, the cluster will be built within two years from now, said a senior official in the Department of Biotechnology, Union Ministry of Science and Technology.

Canadian experts from the NRC and other institutions will provide technical support and consultancy towards the designing of the cluster and will be on its advisory board as well.

The cluster, besides including NABI, will also have a Bio-processing Unit (BPU). Both NABI and BPU, to be locatsed in the Park, will be autonomous institutions under the Union Department of Biotechnology. NABI will work on innovative food processes and products keeping in view the present and future markets both within and outside the country.

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Chandigarh on way to become world's greenest city

It has the greenest cover in Asia and is aiming to become the greenest city in the world. The 'Greening Chandigarh Action Plan-2008' has set a target of planting one million saplings this year.

According to official records, 970,000 saplings have already been planted by various agencies by Aug 31.

It was launched by Gen. (retd.) S.F. Rodrigues, Chandigarh administrator, on World Forestry Day March 21, 2008.

Chandigarh, the joint capital of Punjab and Haryana, has a forest and tree cover of 35.7 percent of its total 114 sq km area, according to the forest survey of India's latest report. This is highest not only in India but also in the whole Asia.

The city, the first planned one in post-independent India, came into being in the early 1950s through the design of renowned French architect Le Corbusier.

"This action plan of Chandigarh administration visualises the planting of one million trees including a free distribution of over 25,000 saplings by Chandigarh's forest department," said an official of the forest department.

"All the pre-plantation work was completed before the onset of monsoon," the official said.

City-based environmentalists are excited at this move of the Chandigarh administration.

"Planting of saplings will help in preventing the soil erosion and in stopping encroachments on the open spaces. More trees will make the city's environment more clean and hygienic," Ramanjit Singh Deol, a Chandigarh-based environmentalist told.

"Very soon Chandigarh will become the greenest city of the world," said Deol.

The forest department of Chandigarh planted 906,200 sapling by Aug 31. It has also distributed 26,500 saplings of trees including medicinal plants to various educational institutions, non government organisations and other organisations free of cost.

The horticulture wing of the municipal corporation planted 26,300 saplings against a target of 24,103 for 2008 while the engineering department planted 11,500 trees by Aug 31.

Chandigarh, originally planned for 500,000 residents by Le Corbusier, is now home to over one million people, including over 300,000 slum dwellers.

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Panjab University: Stage set for students’ polls

With elections to the Panjab University Campus Students' Council slated on September 12, the stage is set and the students are being wooed to cast their votes. The first on the list is the Congress, which recently held a meeting of the National Students' Union of India (NSUI) representatives, along with the Congress councillors to guide students about campaigning.

The councillors said they will encourage students in their wards to vote for the NSUI. They said they would do this by making the youths aware of the ideology of the Congress.

B B Bahl, president of the Chandigarh Territorial Congress Committee, said: "We will extend all possible support to the NSUI. The students will be given tips on campaigning. The councillors will help them in every way."

A visit by Sukhbir Badal, president of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), meanwhile, gave a shot in the arm to Students' Organisation of India (SOI). The student wing of the SAD, however, does not have much following on the campus, which is dominated by the Students' Organisation of Panjab University (SOPU) and the Panjab University Students Union (PUSU). They had held a rally earlier in a show of strength.

Pardeep Singh, president, SOI said: "It is important that political parties extend support to the various student organisations. It also paves way for the student politicians to gradually enter mainstream politics."

Former BJP MP Satya Pal Jain, however, said: "The BJP does not interfere in the student body elections. Our youth wing does not support the organisation on the campus."

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Chandigarh launches new scheme to promote tourism

Under its new policy to promote tourism in the union territory of Chandigarh, a bed and breakfast scheme was launched by the tourism authorities here Thursday.

The first tourist under the scheme was Ornoy and his family from Israel. They were accommodated by the Arora family of Sector 22 here. The scheme is the first of its kind in the northern states of Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh.

Tourism officials said the scheme was aimed at providing clean and homely stay in the city at affordable rates for tourists.

After the Chandigarh administration floated the scheme earlier this year, 16 house owners have registered themselves under the scheme.

Nearly one million tourists visited the city in 2007.

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PGI doctor gets ‘best paper’ award from American Urological Association

The research paper of Dr S K Singh, Professor of Urology, PGIMER, has received the 'best paper' award from the American Urological Association (AUA) in Orlando, Florida, USA. The paper, titled "Spermatozoal Immobilisation Factor from Staphylococcus Aureus: Receptor-specific Interaction", highlights upon the role of bacteria in causing infertility in couples. The research was a collaborative effort of the Department of Microbiology, Panjab University and the Department of Urology, PGIMER.

 

The work was done by Navchetan Kaur, a research fellow, under the supervision of Dr Vijay Prabha, Reader, Panjab University and Dr S K Singh, PGIMER.

 

The research reads: "A sizeable number of infertile couples have no detectable cause for their infertility and some of them, who can afford it, proceed for costly assisted reproductive techniques (ART).

 

The staphylococcus aureus bacteria is a dominant flora in male and female genital tract and can inhabit there without causing infection and without producing any symptoms. These bacteria can produce a substance, sperm immobilisation factor (SIF), which can decrease sperm motility."

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Government decision to withdraw PU’s central status irks teachers

The withdrawal of consent on the grant of a central university status to the Panjab University has come as a surprise for the faculty and students.

 

The move has caused a lot of resentment among the faculty, who believe that the Punjab Government, by withdrawing its consent, has made a mockery of itself and in the meanwhile, has lost its credibility.

 

G K Chatrath, former advocate general of Punjab, and a PU fellow said: "The government has lost its credibility after announcing for it twice publicly. The government appointed all the former vice-chancellors and withdrawing the consent on their protest, indicates that the government has succumbed to pressure from its staff."

 

Professor Manjit Singh, former Panjab University Teachers Association (PUTA) general secretary said: "It is my earnest request to all the teaching, non-teaching staff and students to join the protest against the double standards being maintained by the Punjab Government. We all should now shed our inhibitions and come together for a common cause."

 

Sources, meanwhile, maintained that the sudden move by the Punjab Government is due to the immense political pressure.

 

Though all the officials of the government are tight-lipped on the issue, the PUTA has decided to start with the agitation once again.

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Chandigarh administration to honor sixteen teachers

The Chandigarh Administration will honor Eight teachers with the State Award and eight teachers with Commendation certificates in a State Level function on the occasion of Teacher's Day.

 

The awardees include 4 Rural and 4 Urban teachers one each from Senior Secondary, High School category, Middle School and Primary School category. One award will be given only to the teachers working in the State Institute of Education.

 

Education Secretary, Mr. Sanjay Kumar revealed that the State award consists of a citation, silver medal and a cash award of Rs. 10,000 while the commendation certificate consists of a citation and cash award of Rs. 1,000. This will encourage the teaching fraternity for rendering excellent and quality education in the schools, added Mr. Kumar.

 

The Awards have been instituted for each category of teachers including Principals, headmasters of both Rural and Urban Schools. The active NGOs in the field of education and welfare of children would also be honored. All the national and State Awardees of earlier years including the retired teachers would also be honored.

 

This year, a separate State Award has been formulated for the teachers of State Institute of Education, as it imparts crucial in-service training to the teachers.

 

It is also proposed that the Institute being origin of teachers and imparts crucial in-service training, two year stint of all senior national and State awardees shall be compulsory in the State Institute of Education, so that the teachers are benefited from these best teachers.

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Chandigarh to get country’s first park for visually impaired

The UT Administration has given its nod for a park to be built for the visually impaired by the Municipal Corporation (MC) near the Institute for Blind, Sector 26. It would be the first-of-its-kind park in the country where the visually impaired would be able to experience the beauty of nature through touch and smell.

 

The blind park will be a sort of an amusement park designed and decorated with various equipment for playing besides a fantasy land, dream garden and an adventure land.

 

The park will be developed on the pattern of the blind park in Bangkok. Names of the plants would also be inscribed in braille.

 

The idea had been mooted by the councillors, led by Dr A P Sanwaria who had gone on a ten-day trip to Singapore and Bangkok. In the report of the trip, the councillors had recommended that a blind park be set up on the lines of what they had seen. The MC House had passed the proposal earlier and the final approval was awaited from the Administration.

 

Dr Sanwaria, while welcoming the decision stated that the park would be a unique facility which would prove to be beneficial for the visually impaired population of the city.

 

Mayor Pardeep Chhabra said that the site for the blind park had been approved by the Finance Secretary-cum-Secretary, Urban Planning, UT Administration and has been released to the Municipal Corporation for further necessary action.

 

The construction of the park is likely to start soon.

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Mansa Devi entrance gate to be ready by December

The construction of the Mansa Devi entrance gate which has led to several road diversions and caused huge inconvenience to the residents is all set to be in place by December this year.

 

"Work is on in full swing and we have completed nearly 60 per cent of the construction.

 

Until then to ease traffic flow, diversions have been created on both sides of the road for thousands of residents of the area", said Viney Kalra, XEN, Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA), Incharge of the project for HUDA.

 

Another official of the HUDA added on condition of anonymity that it was the death of a labourer during a roof collapse that prompted the need to close both sides of the main road for traffic and create diversions.

 

The 60-feet high gate is being constructed at the entrance point of the Mansa Devi road, to make the Mata Mansa Devi Shrine as illustrious and beautified as the ones at Vaishno Devi and Akshardham.

 

The project cost that runs in crores is being funded by the Mata Mansa Devi Shrine Board.

 

"The entrance has been designed by the Architectural department of Haryana and will have domes with shapes similar to that of the main Mansa Devi temple. The colour will be similar to that of the temple but we are still to decide on the exact colours," said an official of the Mata Mansa Devi Shrine Board on the condition of anonymity.

 

While speaking to Newsline, Suman Malik, a resident of the area, said, "Its good that the entrance gate is coming up but the authorities should provide a smooth diversion road for the thousands of residents passing through the area everyday."

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Punjab takes a u-turn on central varsity status for Panjab University

The Punjab government has backtracked on its decision to grant a central university status to Panjab University, Chandigarh, keeping in view the "misgivings in the minds of the intelligentsia". Letters from Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal in this regard were sent to the Centre on Monday.

 

Badal, who was in Patiala on Monday, said the government sent the letters after reviewing its earlier decision of supporting PU's cause. "I have written to the Prime Minister and Union Human Resource Development Minister Arjun Singh not to grant central university status to PU."

 

On August 26, the Punjab government had sent a communiqué to the Centre with regard to its go-ahead to the matter.

 

PU gets majority of funds from the Punjab government and it was felt that once it got the central status, the state would lose its control over the prestigious university.

 

Vice-Chancellor R C Sobti had sought the government's help in getting a central status for the university. PU staff had earlier been sitting on a hunger strike in support of the demand.

 

Badal said Punjab had sought to set up a central university at Bathinda and a world-class university at Amritsar. He was in Patiala to lay the foundation stone of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee's Guru Granth Sahib World University.

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