27122024-CT-01.qxd 12/27/2024 12:55 AM Page 1 c m y b Chandigarh tribune YADAVINDRA SCHOOL GIRL SAANVI GETS BAL PURASKAR OVER 1.5K TIE TURBANS AT 'DASTARAN DA LANGAR' CELEBRITIES ROCK THE RED CARPET AT GLOBAL EVENTS Saanvi (10), an avid mountaineer, is among 17 awardees of the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar. P2 Event held to pay homage to younger Sahibzadas Baba Zorawar Singh and Baba Fateh Singh, and Mata Gujri.P2 Alia at the Met Gala, Priyanka at the Red Sea Film Festival and influencer Nancy shine on global stage. P4 » » PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 22°C | MIN 7°C YESTERDAY MAX 24.1°C | MIN 7.3°C SUNSET FRIDAY 5.31 PM SUNRISE SATURDAY 7.18 AM » FRIDAY | 27 DECEMBER 2024 | CHANDIGARH FORECAST /THETRIBUNECHD FACEBOOK/CHANDIGARHTRIBUNE PU mourns death of its alumnus, teacher Dr Manmohan Singh acquired MA Economics degree from university in 1954, began academic journey in 1957 WHAT’S ON CHANDIGARH Hemant Utsav: By Pracheen Kala Kendra, from December 27 to 29, 6 pm, ML Koser Indoor Auditorium, Sector 35-B. Rang Parampara 2024: Seven-day theatre festival, Mini Auditorium, Tagore Theatre, Sector 18, from December 25, 6:30 pm Heritage Week Celebration: Opinder Kaur Sekhon showcases her exquisite collection of antiques, on till December 30, House No. 38, Sector 2, 11 am to 1 pm, and 4:30 pm to 6:30 pm Book Launch: ‘The Time Capsule’ by Lehnaaz Rana and Noor Dhillon, December 29, 3 pm, Bahrisons Book Café, Sector 8-C APNI MANDI Chandigarh: Sectors: 24, 46 Panchkula: Sector 20 Mohali: Kumbhara Please send information about events in tricity at: whatson@tribunemail.com Five arrested for 2 robbery incidents Tribune News Service Chandigarh, December 26 Five persons have been arrested for two incidents of robbery. Lalit Yadav (21), a resident of Mohali district, had reported that Pankaj (20), a resident of Dadu Majra Colony; Avinash (19) of Dhanas village and Santosh Kumar (20) of Mullanpur attacked him and snatched his purse and Rs 5,400 and cash. The police registered a case at the Sarangpur police station and arrested all suspects. Bapu Dham Colony resident was robbed of ~13,000 In the other incident, Mohammad Iqbal Ansari, a resident of Bapu Dham Colony, Phase II, in his complaint lodged with the police, had alleged that two unidentified persons robbed him of Rs 13,000 at Mauli Jagran Complex. The police registered a case and later arrested suspects Pawan Kumar, alias Gutti (27); and Manish, alias Mani (20). ❝ Tribune News Service Chandigarh, December 26 Former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, a towering figure in Indian politics and economics, passed away at the age of 92 today. The news of his death has left the nation in mourning, with tributes pouring in from all corners of the country, including his alma mater, Panjab University (PU), where his journey in academia began. Dr Singh did his matriculation in 1948, intermediate in 1950, BA in Economics (Hons) in 1952 and MA Economics in 1954, all from Panjab University. His academic journey at the university continued as he became a senior lecturer of Economics from 1957 to 1959, a reader in Economics Department from 1959 to 1963 and later, a Professor in the same department from 1963 to 1965. After leaving his university teaching position, he returned to campus thrice — in 1983, 2009 and 2018. On first two visits, he received honorary degrees. On March 12, 1983, he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Literature degree, followed by an honorary Doctor of Laws HIS LEGACY AS AN ACADEMIC, ECONOMIST WILL REMAIN ETCHED IN VARSITY HISTORY Dr Manmohan Singh visits Panjab University to deliver the first Prof SB Ragnekar Lecture organised by Department of Economics in April 2018. FILE PHOTO degree on March 11, 2009. In April 2018, he arrived on the campus to deliver the first Prof SB Ragnekar Lecture organised by his department. He also donated around 3,500 books and memorabilia from his personal collection to the Guru Teg Bahadur Bhawan Library at PU. Dr Singh, who served as India’s 14th Prime Minister from 2004 to 2014, was widely respected for his economic reforms, commitment to growth and dedication to public service. He also represented Assam in the Rajya Sabha for five terms and remained the Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha from 1998 to 2004. PU Vice Chancellor Prof Renu Vig, in a statement, expressed her profound grief at the loss of one of the most distinguished alumni. “We are deeply saddened by the passing of our esteemed alumnus and former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh. His legacy as an academic, economist and leader will forever remain etched in the history of Panjab University and our nation. Dr Singh’s visionary leader- Six injured as Haryana bus veers off highway Tribune News Service Zirakpur, December 26 Six passengers, including the driver, were injured when a Haryana Roadways (Bhiwani Depot) bus ploughed into the underconstruction flyover site on the Chandigarh-Ambala National Highway near Bhankharpur early in the morning today. There were 12 passengers on the bus. The injured were admitted to the Government STRAY ANIMAL CAUSED MISHAP The bus after the accident near Bhankharpur in Zirakpur. Medical College and Hospital, Sector 32. Passengers sustained leg and hand frac- Child rights commission speaks with girl’s parents ELANTE MISHAP Chandigarh, December 26 A day after a four-year-old girl was injured when festive lights came crashing down on her at the Elante mall, the Child Commission for Protection of Child Rights (CCPCR) took cognisance of the inci- dent and spoke with the girl’s parents. The girl’s father, Navneet Thakur, said the commission gathered information about the incident and started an investigation. “I explained the incident to them. I also told them that no assistance Continued on page 2 tures while the driver suffered an injury on the chest. The driver said the acci- The driver said the accident took place when a stray animal abruptly came in the middle of the road around 5 am when visibility was low due to fog. The bus hit the road berm and ploughed into the under-construction flyover site near Bhankharpur. dent took place as a stray animal abruptly came in the middle of the road around 5 am when visibility was low due to fog. Haryana Roadways Inspector Shamsher Singh claimed that no signage or warning board was put up at the under-construction flyover site. As the animal abruptly came in the middle of the road, the driver lost control of the bus. The vehicle hit the road berm and ploughed into the flyover site. The police recorded the statements of the passengers and started an investigation. Youth shot at in Mohali park Mohali, December 26 A resident of Phase IV, Shubham Sharma (26), sustained two bullet injuries when a youth opened fire at him during a scuffle, reportedly over a girl. The incident took place at a park in Phase IV around 11:30 pm last night. Shubham suffered bullet injuries on the shoulder and neck. He was rushed to a Assailant had a tiff with victim over friendship with girl nearby hospital where the doctors referred him to the Government Medical College and Hospital, Sector 32. Sources said the suspect, Karan Sharma, a resident of Sector 39, allegedly had an enmity with Shubham over his friendship with a girl. When Shubham was sitting with the girl in a park last night, he reached there. Both indulged in heated arguments, which soon turned into a scuffle. The girl and the victim, who are employed with a private firm in Mohali, Continued on page 2 ship and unwavering commitment to the nation have left an indelible mark on India’s progress. His contributions to academia and public service remain a source of immense pride for Panjab University. We extend our heartfelt condo- We are deeply saddened by the passing of our esteemed alumnus and former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh. His legacy as an academic, economist and leader will forever remain etched in the history of Panjab University and our nation. Dr Singh’s visionary leadership and unwavering commitment to the nation have left an indelible mark on India’s progress. His contributions to academia and public service remain a source of immense pride for Panjab University. We extend our heartfelt condolences to his family and loved ones. — Prof Renu Vig, VC lences to his family and loved ones,” Prof Vig said in her statement. Dr Singh’s passing marks the end of an era. However, his contributions to Indian politics, economics and education will continue to resonate for years to come. EXCISE POLICY 2025-26 Bring duty, VAT on par with Punjab, say liquor contractors Tribune News Service Chandigarh, December 26 Liquor contractors have suggested that the UT Excise and Taxation Commissioner should bring excise duty and VAT on a par with Punjab. The Excise and Taxation Department has invited suggestions from the stakeholders with respect to the Excise Policy 2025-26. The Chandigarh Wine Contractor Association (CWCA) has proposed several key changes to boost the liquor trade in Chandigarh, which has been impacted by the Punjab Excise Policy. One of the primary suggestions is to reduce the excise duty and VAT to 1%, making it equivalent to Punjab, to prevent customers from buying cheap- er liquor from there. The Excise Duty and VAT should be equivalent to Punjab, as UT traders have been facing heavy losses. The lending cost of liquor in Punjab is less than that in Chandigarh and this difference makes the liquor of Punjab much cheaper compared to Chandigarh,” said Darshan Singh Kler, president, CWCA. This has resulted in losses to the liquor vends that are situated at Punjab-Chandigarh border, he added. The association demanded that the quota of IMFL, IFL and country liquor be opened and import duty reduced. The ex-distillery price (EDP) and ex-brewery price (EBP) should not be increased under any circumstances, as any increase will Continued on page 2 Student protest against Senate poll delay dominates PU scene Akashdeep Virk Tribune News Service Chandigarh, December 26 The student protest over the delay in elections to Senate, the governing body of Panjab University, was one of the major developments on the campus in 2024. The other significant events were much-awaited recruitment of regular faculty after 2014, first-ever victory of an Independent candidate for the post of Panjab University Campus Student Council (PUCSC) president, maiden win of the BJP-backed student wing Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad’s candidate in the PUCSC poll without an alliance. Besides, there were protests by student organisations under the ban- ner of the Panjab University Bachao Morcha against the delay in Senate poll, which is still on, without the support of a majority of students, the student council and campus parties. After a long time, the campus also saw a gathering of mainstream political leaders, mainly from the Congress, who extended support to the student protest against the delay in holding Senate poll. The protesting students clashed with the police twice this year — first, when they allegedly tried to disrupt the address of Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann in Law Auditorium and many days after when they were blocking the Gate No. 2 of the campus. An FIR was registered against 14 students with regard to the first incident. While the university fared well in the QS University Asia rankings by climbing up from the 301-350 bracket to rank 269 among 984 Asian educational institutions; retained its position in 601-800 bracket with an improved overall score from 37-41.8 in 2024 to 38.2-43.2 this year, the varsity also faced the third consecutive slip of ranking in the Ministry of Education’s National Institutional Ranking Frame- c m y b The police use mild force to stop a group of students from moving towards the venue for Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann function on the PU campus. FILE PHOTO work (NIRF). After attaining 41st overall rank with 51.23 points in 2022, and 44th with 53.31 score last year, the uni- versity slipped to 60th position with a score of 52.99 in the latest list. According to teachers and experts, PU has not been able to improve much on a lot of parameters, especially research, due to one major lacuna, which is the shortage of regular faculty. Guest faculty members cannot supervise scholars. Realising the gravity of the situation, this year, the university finally initiated the process to recruit regular faculty members. It attempted to fill around 50 posts advertised by the authorities in 2022. However, with the prescreening, screening and interview being a longstretched process, all vacancies could not be filled. This year, voters elected a mixed council with Anurag Dalal, an Independent, as president; NSUI’s Archit Garg as vice-president, Vineet Yadav from INSO as secretary. The BJP-backed ABVP got a chance in the body after 13 Continued on page 2