Chandigarh:

In a refreshing blend of science and art, the Department of General Surgery at PGIMER, Chandigarh organized a unique Scientific Illustration Workshop today, drawing enthusiastic participation from surgical residents and new joiners.

The workshop was led by Ms. Shivali Angurala, Guest Lecturer in Medical Animation & Audio-Visual Creation, along with Mr. Brij Lal, In-Charge of the Photography Department, PGIMER Chandigarh, who joined as Guest Faculty. Together, they offered participants a comprehensive introduction to the growing field of scientific illustration, combining artistic principles with medical precision.

The session covered diverse topics such as storytelling through surgical illustrations, fundamentals of drawing, digital illustration techniques, color theory, and the science of visual communication.

A key highlight of the workshop was the live hands-on drawing session, where participants actively engaged in translating complex surgical scenarios into effective visual representations. Mr. Brij Lal shared valuable insights on the technical aspects of medical photography and its integration into surgical documentation and illustration.

Dr. Utkarsh conducted an interactive demonstration on video editing techniques, showcasing how modern tools can be utilized to create high-quality educational content for surgical teaching.

Adding a competitive edge, Dr. Arun organized a quick healthy competition, allowing participants to showcase their creativity under time constraints. The session concluded with a special segment by Dr. Swapnesh Kumar Sahu, introducing the audience to the application of ChatGPT in thesis writing and academic research, opening doors for innovative AI integration in surgical education.

The workshop, held at the Seminar Room of the General Surgery Office, not only fostered technical skill development but also encouraged creative exploration among young surgeons. Participants lauded the session as an eye-opener, combining academic rigor with creative freedom — a perfect learning blend for today’s multidisciplinary medical landscape.

With such interactive initiatives, PGIMER continues to demonstrate its commitment to fostering holistic development of its surgical trainees, preparing them not only as skilled clinicians but also as effective communicators and educators.

Chandigarh, June 26 – Haryana’s young sailing players have made the state proud with their excellent performance at the recently held National Junior Multi Classic Championship-2025. The event was organised by the Royal Mysore Sailing Club in Mysore from June 20 to 25. Ajay Kumar and Ayu Kumar brought home silver medals with their impressive sailing skills. Sakshi Choukkar also performed well.

Behind this success is the hard work and dedication of their coach, Lokesh Yadav. He provided the players with regular training, mental preparation, and technical guidance, which helped them give their best during the championship.

Coach Lokesh Yadav expressed pride in the achievements of Ayu Kumar and Sakshi. The Haryana Yachting Association also extended congratulations to all the players, their coach and all the associates.

Chandigarh, June 26 – The Haryana Government has directed every department to appoint a nodal officer of Group ‘A’ or Group ‘B’ category as per the policy with the aim of implementing the Model Online Transfer Policy. These nodal officers have been directed to participate in the training session tomorrow i.e. on June 27 at 10.00 am at New Haryana Civil Secretariat, Sector-17, Chandigarh so that the new system can be run smoothly.

Chief Secretary Sh. Anurag Rastogi has issued instructions to 22 Administrative Secretaries of 47 departments in this regard.

The nodal officer will be of Joint Director level or above, who will assist the concerned Administrative Secretary in the implementation of the Model Online Transfer Policy. Also, the government has directed to publish the list of cadres to be included or excluded from the online transfer policy.

The appointment of nodal officer and publication of cadre list will be done through ‘HRMS Portal’. For this, the admin user of the department will login to http://hrmshry.nic. in. The nodal master will choose MOTP option from the online transfer policy menu, download the list of eligible officers, select the appropriate officer from it and upload the approved noting and complete the appointment process through OTP verification. The selected officer should not retire before December 2026. Nodal officer can also be edited in the portal.

The appointed nodal officer will work on HRMS in three phases. First of all, he will add the name of the cadre. After that it will be decided which cadre is included in the policy or not, and finally, he will finalize the list by uploading the order approved by the competent authority.

Chandigarh, June 26, 2025: Haryana Governor Shri Bandaru Dattatraya on the occasion of International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, on Thursday reaffirmed the state’s unwavering commitment to combat drug abuse and safeguard the future of its youth.

In a statement, Governor Shri Dattatraya emphasized the need for a coordinated and holistic approach involving the government, civil society, educational institutions, and families to uproot the menace of drugs from Haryana.

Shri Dattatraya said that the International Day against Drug Abuse serves as a global reminder to strengthen action and cooperation in achieving a drug-free society. “Drug abuse is not only a health crisis but a threat to our national progress and social harmony. We must act collectively to protect our children and communities,” he said.

The Governor lauded the efforts of the Haryana Government under the leadership of Chief Minister Shri Nayab Singh Saini in intensifying crackdowns on drug trafficking networks. Over the past year, several high-impact operations have led to significant seizures of narcotics and the arrest of key operatives.

He also commended the State’s efforts under the “Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan” (Drug-Free India Campaign), which is being implemented across the state of Haryana. The campaign has reached thousands of youth through awareness drives, school and college programs, street plays, and rehabilitation support initiatives.

Shri Dattatraya stressed the importance of rehabilitation and de-addiction services, calling for increased support for those battling addiction. He also urged community leaders, NGOs, and educational institutions to partner with government agencies in spreading awareness and promoting healthy lifestyles among youth.

Chandigarh:

Prof. Baljinder Singh from the Department of Nuclear Medicine, PGIMER, Chandigarh has been honored with the prestigious Dynamic Molecule Award 2025 at the Annual Meeting of the Society of Nuclear Medicine & Molecular Imaging (SNMMI), held in New Orleans, USA, from 21–24 June 2025. The award was conferred by the Indo-American Society of Nuclear Medicine (IASNM) for his pioneering research paper titled “Potential of 68Ga-Pentixafor PET/CT in the Evaluation of Minimal Residual Disease in Multiple Myeloma Patients Following Post-Induction Therapy – First Results.”

In addition, Prof. Baljinder was conferred the Special Honor Award by IASNM for his remarkable contributions to the advancement of Nuclear Medicine at both national and international levels.

Expressing happiness, Prof Vivek Lal, Director PGIMER stated, “This international recognition is a proud moment for PGIMER and a testament to the high-impact, translational research being undertaken at the institute. Prof. Baljinder’s work exemplifies how cutting-edge science can directly enhance patient care and diagnostic accuracy in complex diseases like multiple myeloma.”

This research represents a collaborative effort involving the Department of Nuclear Medicine, Hematology, and Clinical Oncology & Hematology, and is part of the PhD work conducted by Harneet Kaur.  The study provides valuable insights by illustrating the advantages of 68Ga-Pentixafor PET/CT over 18F-FDG PET/CT in several areas, including enhanced lesion detection, increased tracer uptake and image contrast, improved disease detection, more effective response assessment, and evaluation of minimal residual disease (MRD).

Furthermore, this research establishes a foundation for future work, and Professor Pankaj Malhotra is strongly supportive of incorporating 68Ga-Pentixafor PET/CT imaging along with the proposed response criteria into the existing diagnostic and response assessment standards outlined in the IMWG guidelines for disease evaluation.

Additionally, Harneet Kaur was previously recognized with the esteemed Alavi-Takalkar-Kumar award during the annual meeting of the Society of Nuclear Medicine-India, as well as the young investigator travel award from the International Society of Multiple Myeloma at their meeting held in Brazil last year.

Chandigarh, June 25:

Cracking the whip on underperforming officials, Punjab Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister S. Gurmeet Singh Khudian has directed departmental action against districts lagging behind in the quality control drive, with weekly reviews to be conducted to ensure accountability and improvement.

S. Khudian, along with Administrative Secretary of Agriculture department Dr. Basant Garg, reviewed the ongoing projects, schemes and Kharif season operations.

While reviewing the quality control drive outcomes, the Agriculture Minister took strict note of the underperforming districts lagging behind the targets. He ordered the Director Agriculture to initiate departmental action against defaulting officials and ensure a weekly review of the sampling of agricultural inputs.

S. Gurmeet Singh Khudian categorically said that the Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann led Punjab Government will not tolerate any compromise on quality control and officials found guilty of malpractice will face strict action. He emphasised that the State Government is committed to protecting farmers’ interests.

To uphold quality control, Dr. Basant Garg instructed the Director Agriculture to ensure regular sampling of agri-inputs in accordance with district targets, while emphasising the need for consistent monitoring to maintain quality standards by timely interventions and corrective actions.

Director Agriculture Mr. Jaswant Singh apprised the Agriculture Minister that out of 826 pesticide samples, 16 were found misbranded. Among 737 fertiliser samples, 11 were substandard, leading to 2 FIRs. Additionally, 2,113 seed samples were tested, with 49 failing quality standards. He informed that these samples have been taken from April 1, 2025 to till date and the appropriate action has already been initiated against the dealers and firms.

The Director further informed that the Agriculture department has formed five Flying Squad teams to safeguarding farmers’ interests by ensuring high-quality agricultural inputs to them. The meeting also reviewed the ongoing Kharif crop sowing operations in the state.

Chandigarh, June 25:

In a major boost to dairy farming sector in the state, the Punjab Dairy Development department has achieved a significant milestone by insuring 30,598 milch cattle across the state in just one year to provide crucial financial security to dairy farmers and safeguarding their livelihoods, informed S. Gurmeet Singh Khudian, Minister of Animal Husbandry, Dairy Development and Fisheries, Punjab.

While reviewing the ongoing projects of the department here at his office, on Wednesday, S. Khudian further shared that the National Livestock Mission’s Risk Management and Livestock Insurance Scheme offers premium rates of Rs 1,120 for general farmers and Rs 672 for SC/ST farmers annually, with a maximum claim limit of Rs 70,000 per cattle. To date, Rs 7.39 crore has been disbursed to 1,056 farmers for providing crucial financial support to affected dairy farmers.

Reiterating the Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann led Punjab Government’s commitment to dairy farmers’ welfare, S. Gurmeet Singh Khudian directed the officials to proactively educate youth about dairy farming and inform them about departmental schemes to ensuring maximum benefits reach the grassroots level.

Principal Secretary Animal Husbandry Mr. Rahul Bhandari apprised the cabinet minister that Rs. 3 crore has been disbursed to 204 dairy farmers in FY 2024-25 for establishing dairy units with 2-20 animals. Additionally, 9,150 unemployed youth have been imparted with dairy training to make them self-employed. He further shared that 47 state and district-level seminars and camps were conducted to educate livestock farmers on insurance scheme’s benefits, claim procedures and livestock health management, thereby boosting participation and trust.

Director Dairy Development Kuldeep Singh and other senior officials of the department were also present in the meeting.