Rupinder Inderjit Singh’s Short Film ‘Khoon Aali Chithi’ Released: A Tragic Short Film Set in 1990’s

By Tricitynews Reporter

Chandigarh 25^th April:- Royal Stag Barrel Select Large Short Filmsis all set to release their first Punjabi short film by Rupinder Inderjit Singh. Titled ‘Khoon Aali Chithi’, this short movie is a debut production of Richa Chadda, who is synonyms with versatility. Over the last 3 years, the platform has gained immense popularity and has become one of the most credible and celebrated short films platform in India. Royal Stag Barrel Select Large Short Films has released some of the most prodigious and award winning short films which truly reflect originality, imagination and perfection such as ‘Ahalya’, ‘Nayantara’s necklace’, ‘Interior Café’, ‘Ouch’, ‘Chutney’, ‘That Gusty Morning’, ‘Mumbai Varanasi Express’.

Set in 1990s Khoon Aali Chithi which means written in blood, is a Punjabi short film about a letter waiting to see the light of day. It tells the tale of a young teenager Binder, whose demanding girlfriend writes him in blood, but scared of cuts Binder, is unable to reply to her in blood and hence she refuses to take his letters written in ink.

With a hard-hitting narrative, this powerful Punjabi short film traces a not so easy period in Punjab. Binder's struggle to write a letter in blood makes innocent Binder fall prey to the political situation of Punjab. As the story unfolds the question remains, will he be able to write a letter in blood. A powerful short, which will move you in more ways than one.

Themed on the objective of “Make it Perfect”, The Royal Stag Barrel Select Large Short Films is a platform for aspiring directors to feature along with mainstream Bollywood directors while still chasing their creative energy to create a niche for themselves in the industry. The platform gives a credible stage to the storytellers to showcase their artistic creativity and reach out to their target audience through the online world.

Commenting on the release, Raja Banerji, Assistant Vice President, Marketing, Pernod Ricard India, said that Royal Stag Barrel Select Large Short Films is proud to present its first Punjabi short film and Rupinder Inderjit Singh’s directorial debut Khoon Aali Chithi. In line with the brand’s objective of make it perfect, we have always believed in encouraging and motivating young and talented directors to perfect their skills and showcase their work along with known directors. The short film industry in India is rapidly growing and evolving and we are extremely proud and honoured to see that Royal Stag Barrel Select Large Short Films is at the helm of this evolution.”

 The short film is Rupinder Inderjit Singh’s poignant take on a painful era gone by in Punjab, a take that’s perfect, original and mostly tragic. Rupinder is a gold-medallist from Punjab University in anthropology, he had left his job to become a writer/filmmaker and Khoon Aali Chithi is his first attempt where he displays great promise to become a name to reckon with, in the future.

Talking about the film, director, Rupinder Inderjit Singh said that the story of this film is an amalgamation of love, emotions and an agonizing period in the 1990’s. He is extremely delighted to be associated with Royal Stag Barrel Select Large Short Films, it is certainly an incredible platform for aspiring filmmakers which allows them to showcase their work as creatively as possible.

The producer of the film, Richa Chadda said “Khoon Aali Chithi is her debut as a producer and she had a great experience being a part of this film.  The actors as well as the director have showcased brilliant work and she is sure the audience will acknowledge this film.

Vodafone Unveils Truly Unlimited Plans for International Travelers

By Tricitynews Reporter

Chandigarh 25^th April:- International Roaming has never been so convenient! Vodafone India now introduces a first-time-ever truly unlimited international roaming proposition for travelers to USA, UAE and Singapore in its popular international roaming pack, Vodafone i-RoamFREE. Customers who opt for this pack will not be charged a single additional rupee for calls and data while roaming in these 3 countries.

In case you were wondering, this offer comes with zero riders or hidden costs. There is no cap on the number of calls or amount of high speed data that can be used. Also, calls include all incoming calls and outgoing calls anywhere in the world. This means customers traveling in USA can even make calls to Hong Kong at no extra charges.

What’s more, this pack is available at very affordable price points with options at Rs 5,000 for 30-days, Rs. 3,500 for 10-days, Rs 2,500 for 7-days and just Rs. 500 for every 24-hour. Customers in need of International Roaming service can opt for the duration that best meets their travel timeline and benefit from unmatched value, convenience and huge savings.

For frequent business travelers and those with last-minute changing itineraries, a new flexible option is available wherein one can activate this pack once and automatically get the benefits whenever they travel to any of the 47 countries at Rs. 500 for every 24-hour window of usage.

Launching the UNLIMITED international roaming proposition, Sandeep Kataria, Director – Commercial, Vodafone India, said that this is the first time ever UNLIMITED international roaming proposition and we are very excited to introduce it for our top 3 travel destinations – USA, Singapore and UAE. We are making calls and data, both incoming and outgoing, while traveling in these countries completely free. This completely eliminates the need and hassle of changing SIM cards when traveling abroad and customers can now freely use their local number seamlessly without worrying about any bill shocks or expensive charges. They can remain confidently connected on their existing Vodafone number when they travel, and be assured the best of voice and data services.

Vodafone i-RoamFREE is an international roaming pack which offers home-like tariffs while roaming in 47 countries of the globe. While roaming in USA, UAE and Singapore, all calls and data is now free and unlimited, Benefits on international roaming in other countries include all incoming calls free, and data plus outgoing calls being nominally charged at Re. 1/MB and Rs. 1/minute respectively.

Microsoft Announces India Winners of the 15th edition of Imagine Cup

By Tricitynews Reporter

Chandigarh 25^th April:- Microsoft India today announced the India winners of Imagine Cup 2017, after concluding the national finals held in New Delhi. Now in its 15^th edition, Imagine Cup continues to foster innovation among students in the country and enables them to transform their ambitions into reality. With the vision of a one-click AI-based online parenting solution that helps to keep children secure from cyber-bullying, Content Holmes (BITS Pilani) emerged as the winner among 27 finalist teams from across the country. The team will now represent India at the upcoming worldwide finals in July in Seattle, USA, to compete among global teams for a USD 100,000 prizes.

Microsoft Imagine Cup continues to witness strong participation from India, as well as world over. This year, more than 15000 students registered from 1600 schools and colleges across the country. The winning teams showcased their innovative thinking, technical skills and ground-breaking solutions to address everyday challenges.

Congratulating the winners of this year’s national finals, Narendra Bhandari, General Manager, Developer Experience and Evangelism, Microsoft India, said that Imagine Cup is all about innovation, transformation and what comes next. This year, we complete 15 years of Imagine Cup and we continue to cultivate a spirit of social and technological entrepreneurship, empowering students to use their creativity to address real societal problems through technology. He shared further that participants have shown remarkable effort and enthusiasm to develop cutting-edge technology solutions to help resolve some of the world’s issues and challenges. At Microsoft, we are committed to empowering student community and young developers build their skills to realize their true potential and transform their ideas into reality.

Infosys Expands Footprint in Eastern Europe: Opens Delivery Center in Croatia

By Tricitynews Reporter

Chandigarh 25^th April:- Infosys (NYSE: INFY), a global leader in consulting, technology, outsourcing and next-generation services, today announced it is strengthening its engineering footprint in Eastern Europe by opening its first office and delivery center(DC) in Karlovac, Croatia.

In line with the company’s strategy to establish global competency centers, offering the best talent in the market and making it available to customers globally, this DC also marks our expansion into Eastern Europe’s established heavy engineering sector. The new facility will meet near-shoring requirements, support engineering clients worldwide, as well as offer R&D services.

 Speaking at the opening ceremony, the Secretary of State, Mario Antonić, emphasized how Infosys’ strategy to enhance its footprint in the region's established engineering sector is a testament to the local expertise, and by bringing this to organizations across the globe, Infosys DC will also contribute to the growth of research and development activities in Croatia.

Ravi Kumar S., President and Deputy Chief Operating Officer, Infosys said that as part of our strategy to increase geo capabilities, the Karlovac delivery center will deliver value to our global clients, specifically in the Nordics. The focus will be on consolidating consulting, IT and engineering skills in the areas of power generation, design and development of large gas and steam turbines, digital solutions for service and maintenance, and development of advanced engineering software tools. As we continue to invest in developing global competency centers, tapping local talent and scaling those centers, we will be looking to partner with local academic institutions, co-innovate with clients and nurture a partner ecosystem to help develop skilled workforce that will deliver next-generation services.

The Karlovac facility in Croatia is the latest location across 16 regions in Europe which Infosys has opened as part of its ongoing commitment to client servicing and local job creation.

BIG Magic Enters Devotional Segment With Its New Offering ‘Bhakti Sagar'

By Tricitynews Reporter

Chandigarh 25^th April:- BIG Magic, a variety general entertainment channel, following its distinctive line up of shows is tapping yet another genre with its newest offering ‘Bhakti Sagar.’ The show intricately weaves around stories and facts underpinned by devotional music, that enlighten the viewers on the significance of Indian rituals and festive occasions tracing back to their traditional form. The devotional show also decodes Indian culture and shares the importance of day to day religious activities, thereby enriching the spiritual quotient of the viewers. Bhakti Sagar airs every Monday to Thursday between 8am - 9am on BIG Magic.

The channel aims to provide an altogether renewed experience to its viewers during the morning time band with ‘Bhakti Sagar’ as the show forms a perfect amalgamation of enriching mythological stories backed by devotional songs. Acclaimed Indian folk singer, Malini Awasthi and well known television anchor & actor Sachin Shroff, commence the show by sharing auspicious updates of the day from the Panchang (Ekadashi, Chaturthi, Chaitra Navratri) followed by mythological stories, facts and beliefs about the special occasion. The unmitigated spiritual content blended with devotional songs covers the essence of the auspicious occasions and form the key element of the show. Known for its unique and innovative shows, BIG MAGIC with its new offering will take it to a notch higher by telecasting aartis from shrines like Shaktipeeths and Jyotirlings to further engage its audience in the religious spirit.

Commenting on the launch of the new show, the talented singer Malini Awasthi said that she is really happy to be associated with BIG Magic which aims to bring innovative concepts to educate and entertain the viewers. She hails from Ganga Jamuna Sarayu which is the motherland of Lord Krishna and Rama. Since birth, she has been doing a brief study on elements that bind our religious and cultural roots. She has always tried to talk about these aspects through my songs as well. Bhakti Sagar is a show which gives her an opportunity to share this with our audience. She has been associated with the channel earlier as well and it feels great to be working with them again.

 Padma Shri recipient Malini Awasthi is known to mesmerize audiences with her enthralling musical performances. The renowned artist is seen leveraging her expertise of hosting various devotional shows and events, and thereby make for an apt host to connect the viewers with Bhakti Sagar’s devotional element. Well-known television anchor, actor and dancer Sachin Shroff plays the perfect co-host with Malini Awasthi, owing to his crowd-pleasing aura.

FICCI to Host Round Table Summit on Skilling India

By Tricitynews Reporter

Chandigarh 25^th April:- National Institute of Technical Teachers Training and Research (NITTTR) and Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) are jointly hosting a skill summit round table on consolidation and networking with Sector Skill Councils (SSC’s) for skilling India at NITTTR Sector 26 here on April 28. 

Giving the information, G.B. Singh, Regional Head, FICCI said that the summit would be a unique platform in itself with an active participation of 25 SSCs, more than 40 VTPs (Vocational Training Providers) and 10 CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) companies. The roundtable has been kept with an aim to deliberate on the role of different agencies and SSC’s in Skill Development and to take stock of national occupation standards and qualification packs evolved by different SSC’s. 

He said that the focus of the roundtable would be to work out a mechanism to develop linkages for networking between training providers and the Sector Skill Councils and to understand the mechanism of carrying out assessment of prior learning at the level of training institutions. Another important goal of the summit would be formulation of strategies for sustainable and integrated skill development involving different agencies and stakeholders. 

He added further that this event would have an active participation of all the stakeholders across the nation and the ideas exchanged during the summit and a intended road map would be laid in the roundtable, which would be helpful in gaining an insight into the future course of action and realizing the goals of skilled manpower which can contribute directly to nation building.

PGI Celebrates World Book Day

By Tricitynews Reporter

Chandigarh 25^th April:- To mark the occasion World Book Day, children of the Teachers Flat association of PGI Chandigarh   read  the chapter  from   “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” by Mark Twain  followed  by  enacting out scenes of  “Whitewashing the Fence ”. Reading to children begins their journey of reading and unlocks the child’s world of imagination. Reading is known to improve children’s skills of paying attention, focusing, and acquisition of vocabulary.

This year we chose the theme “Whitewashing a fence” as most people remember the fence scenario it because it's so clever. Tom tricks a bunch of boy into thinking that work – the thing that he doesn't want to do – is fun, so that he can spend the afternoon goofing off. He even get the boys to pay him for the "privilege" of painting. He turns punishment into pleasure, and pleases Aunt Polly in the process. 

Dr Bhavneet Bharti , a pediatrician at PGI  said  that we need to comprehend that Work consists of whatever a body is obliged to do, and that Play consists of whatever a body is not obliged to do.

Can you imagine these little kids finished painting the 20 feet long fence painting within a span of two hours!  Parents need to encourage active recreation, Believe me children love nature walks , activities like this and it is only their compulsion to watch the TV in absence of such creative activities.

Health Department Celebrates World Malaria Day

By Tricitynews Reporter

Chandigarh 25^th April:- World Malaria Day was celebrated today by Health Department, Chandigarh Administration in the presence of Anurag Agarwal, Home Secretary cum Secretary Health, Dr. Rakesh Kashyap, Director Health Services, Dr. Vandana Gupta, Medical Superintendent, area counselors and other senior officials of Chandigarh Administration.

Anurag Agarwal, Home Secretary cum Secretary Health, during his address said “We have to work hard to ensure that we reach our target of having no malaria cases by 2018. We have to work with complete dedication to end the disease, and bring the figure to zero. Along with the malaria figures the figures of chikungunya and dengue must also be brought down, thereby reducing the agony midst the residents." He requested the authorities and residents to leave no area unattended in order to ensure that there are no new cases. He further ensured the department that the Administration will provide full support so as to ensure that Chandigarh does not get prone to the disease this year and thereafter each year.  

Dr. Rakesh Kashyap, Director Health Services, speaking on the occasion said that we together have to fight to make sure that Malaria is uprooted completely, by providing proper guidance and education to all the residents. Health education is most important; all the supervisors must make sure that breeding in water bodies, protection from mosquito bites and other important things are clearly explained to all residents.

Jan Kalyan Manch Demands Stray Dogs to Be Released at Concerned Officers Home

By Tricitynews Reporter

Chandigarh 25^th April:- The former Union Minister and President of “Jan Kalyan Manch” Dr. Harmohan dhawan strongly condemned the officers of the Chandigarh Corporation for their failure to check the menace of stray dogs in the city. 

In 2012 the population of stray dog in the city was 8500, it is claimed by the officers that sterilization of 8600 dogs was done during this period. In spite of all these efforts the stray dog population has gone up to about 16000. About 70 dog bites are being reported daily in sec-19 & 38 dispensaries. A private NGO is carrying out the sterilization programme of the corporation. People have started doubting the claim and allege that the NGO & the officers are in connivance & the sterilization of dogs is more on paper only otherwise the stray dogs would not have doubled.

The officers are unconcerned and insensitive to the agony & pain besides the financial loses of the dog bite victims.  No one is responsible and there is no accountability. Most of the officers come from the remote cities of Punjab and Haryana on deputation. Chandigarh is a heaven for them and they consider it as a pastime to enjoy life. They have no commitment and involvement in the welfare of the people. They know under worst circumstances, the maximum punishment could be the repatriation to their parent state.

For the last many years there had been hue & cry on the issue of stray dog bites in the city. It is most unfortunate that many a times even the High Court had to intervene and issued directions and also reprimanded the officials for not checking the dog bite menace. The corporation officers are unconcerned and move the files up and down and no action is taken. In the year 2001 the corporation had promised to construct 2 dog pounds in the city which turned out to be another false promise and the people are suffering.

After extensive research on stray dogs he has reached the conclusion that depending upon the breed the lifespan of dog is 8 to 13 years. Street dog life span is 3 to 5 years. They thrive on the open garbage. Stray dogs are scavengers and garbage is the main source of food for them and in cities where open garbage is controlled; the population growth of street dogs is automatically checked because they cannot survive in the absence of open garbage.

He further said that “Jan Kalyan Manch” demands to check the stray dog. Since it is the failure of the corporation, free medical treatment should be provided to dog bite victims. The patients must be compensated financially. At Least 2 dog pounds should be constructed. Open garbage collection centre in various sectors should be removed immediately. Responsibility of the officers should be fixed and they should be made accountable. Public audit of the entire sterilization process. At least 50 dogs should be sterilized daily.

In an emergent meeting of JKM today it was decided that if the effective steps are not taken to check the stray dog menace, the JKM will catch the stray dogs and release them in the residences of the concerned officers. The people can’t be made to suffer because of their complacency, negligence and carelessness of the officers and hence this direct action to wake them up.