Cartoonist,actress among seven honoured at architecture college

The awards were instituted in 2006 to honour the professionals who have contributed significantly to the aesthetic enhancement of the built environment through outstanding work in their own unique ways.

The awardees included Gurbax Singh Shergill,former principal of Khalsa College,Amritsar,who received the award for his work in conserving Punjab’s heritage ,which included establishment of Baba Banda Singh Bahadur Memorial at Chappar Chiri near Mohali,while Kanwar Surjit Singh was honoured for founding the Institute for Spatial Planning and Environment Research (ISPER) at Panchkula.

A few artists were also awarded on the occasion,which included cartoonist Sandeep Joshi,who has commented on various political and socio-cultural issues through his art,costume designer and film actress Dolly Ahluwalia Tiwari and the renowned poet Professor Prem Kumar Nazar.

While Ahluwalia was conferred the Padma Bhushan Jaspal Bhatti Memorial Award for her contribution to theatre,films,TV and costume designing,Professor Nazar became the first individual to be awarded the Master Poet Rishi Patialvi Memorial Award,for the enrichment of modern Urdu ghazal by introducing new metaphors,psycho-social concepts and vibrant imagery.

Other individuals awarded on the occasion included M M Khanna for bringing together architectural creativity and technological advancements for the creation of self-sustaining built environment,Engineer Surinder Singh Virdi for his vital contribution to engineering,education and innovative ideas and methods worthy of emulation for social upliftment.

A symposium on the subject ‘Engineering-The World Transforming Discipline’ was also organised on the occasion,where Dr B S Sohi,pro-vice-chancellor,Chandigarh University,Gharuan near Mohali,highlighted the role of engineers in the country’s economy.