Adieu to World War II veteran

Fazilka: Recipient of 23 medals and commendation certificates, Honorary Captain Mahi Sukh Ram Beniwal (retired) passed away at the age of 97. His son LC Beniwal, Deputy Commandant, BSF, said after joining the Army in 1941, his father had participated in the World War II in Italy, Germany, Iran and Burma. Besides, he also participated in the 1962 war with China and the 1965 and 1971 wars with Pakistan and retired in 1973 as honorary captain after 32 years of service. Captain Beniwal was conferred with the Sena Sewa Medal by the then President VV Giri for his exemplary services. He was cremated at his native village in Hanumangarh district.

Rising to the occasion

Fatehgarh Sahib: With Covid cases on the rise in the state and the Health Department facing shortage of equipment, the Jogindra Group, an NGO of Mandi Gobindgarh, and Rotary Club, Sirhind, have donated a ventilator and other medical supplies to the Civil Hospital. MLA Kuljit Singh Nagra and Deputy Commissioner Amrit Kaur Gill were present. Besides the ventilator, the NGOs donated 135 PPE kits and 2,500 masks. Ashwani Garg and Ashwani Singhi of Jogindra Group and Rotary Club, respectively, said they would try to contribute more such essential items in the fight against the pandemic.

Taking Punjabi far and wide

Chandigarh: A PhD scholar at Punjabi University, Nitin Bansal, has developed an automatic translation system that can help translate Punjabi text to Urdu. Bansal is currently working as a programmer at Punjab Mandi Board. Bansal has developed this system under the guidance of Dr Ajit Kumar of Multani Mal Modi College, Patiala. The idea, he says, came simply because he wanted to popularise Punjabi literature among the Urdu speaking/reading audience in South West Asia and beyond. “These are both widely spoken languages. It is the need of the hour to spread it far and wide,” he says.