Briefly Region

Annual Athletic meet of GNDU held

Amritsar: Harjit Singh of the Social Sciences Department and Shelly from Botanical and Environmental Sciences were declared Best male and female athletes respectively in the Annual Athletic meet of the Guru Nanak Dev University Campus on Friday. Prof A S Brar,Vice-Chancellor presided over the valedictory function and gave away prizes to the winners. About 500 athletes participated in the two-day meet.

Nanakshahi calendar: DSGMC for old version

Amritsar: Sticking to its stand of following the older and original version of the Nanakshahi Calender,the executive body of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC),has passed a resolution,asking Sikhs,to reject the new amended calendar. The move is significant as the Akal Takht had approved the new amended calendar and DSGMC’s efforts might earn it the wrath of Sikhism’s highest political institution.

Farmer shot dead

Ludhiana: A dairy farmer,Balwant Rai,was shot dead by an unknown person in broad daylight at the Dana Mandi Ferozepur on Friday. The police have registered a case and are investigating. Rai,a resident of Wajidpur village was declared dead on the spot.

Tributes paid to Faiz Ahmad Faij

Chandigarh: Rich tributes were paid to the noted Urdu poet Faiz Ahmed Faij by literary figures from India and Pakistan at a function organised to mark his centenary celebrations at the Haryana Raj Bhawan on Friday. Haryana Governor Jagannath Pahadia said literature and literary personalities transcended national boundaries and were valuable assets for society. The Governor added that Faiz Ahmed Faij was equally famous in India as he was in Pakistan. Pahadia honoured Salima Hashmi Sahiba,daughter of Faiz Ahmed Faiz and others Indian and Pakistani Urdu poets.

Liquor auction fetches 29 pc more revenue

Chandigarh: The tenders for allotting the liquor vends in Gurgaon for the next financial year 2011- 2012 were opened on Friday at John Hall. The tenders for allotting 117 country made and 142 Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) were opened which fetched a revenue of more than Rs 286.83 crore. This is roughly 29 percent more as compared to last year.

Child marriage prevented

Chandigarh: The District Child Marriage Prevention Officer,Sadhna Mittal,prevented three minor girls from being forcibly married at different places in Sirsa district. Mittal and the local police told the girls’ parents and relatives that getting a minor married was illegal and was punishable under the Child Marriage Act. Following this,the relatives gave written assurances that the girls would not be married off till they attained the legally permissible age.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar to visit HP for a week

Shimla: Leading spiritual figure and founder of the ‘Art of Living’,Sri Sri Ravi Shankar will visit Shimla on March 22 as part of his week-long tour of Himachal Pradesh. Kamlesh Barwal,Program Director,‘Art of Living’ said Ravi Shankar,will reach Solan on March 21 and will be received by the state’s Health Minister,Rajeev Bindal. Four key towns of Himachal Pradesh — Solan,Shimla,Sundarnagar and Dharamsala — will host ‘Mahasatsangs’ for devotees. In Shimla,Devnad,a cultural extravaganza in association with the Department of Language,Art and Culture would mark the ‘Mahasatsang’.