16022026-CT-01.qxd 16-02-2026 01:06 Page 1 c m y b Chandigarh tribune ELDERLY MAN LOSES ~7.75L TO CYBER FRAUDSTER DIPENDER HITS DOUBLE TON AS CITY GAIN 78-RUN LEAD ACTOR RAHUL BHAT ON WHY KENNEDY STILL HAUNTS HIM A 68-year-old resident of Sector 40-A has alleged that he was duped of ~7.75 lakh by cyber fraudsters. P3 Chandigarh score 609 to gain 78-run lead against Uttarakhand in Col CK Nayudu Trophy match. P3 As the film is ready to stream on Zee 5, the memory of playing Kennedy is still fresh on the gifted actor's mind. P4 » » /THETRIBUNECHD Sukhna wetland set to get global status Dushyant Singh Pundir WHAT’S ON CHANDIGARH LECTURES: By Prof Sharad Kumar Sonkar from Ambedkar University, Lucknow, on “AI applications in library education & research & publication & research ethics”; Lecture Hall, PU; 10 am; and by Prof Anshu Malhotra from Kundan Kaur Kapany Chair in Sikh and Punjab Studies, University of California Santa Barbara (USA); Seminar Room, Department of History, PU; 11:30 am WORKSHOP: On “Evolved stars & compact objects: Tracing stellar evolution”; Prof BM Anand auditorium, PU; 10 am PUPPET FEST: “Variations” from Italy to perform on inaugural day of five-day International Puppet Festival; Tagore Theatre, Sector 18; 6:30 pm APNI MANDI Chandigarh: Sectors 43 & 45 Mohali: Sectors 70, 78 & Phase 5 Panchkula: MDC, Sector 5 Please send information about events in tricity at: whatson@tribunemail.com Tribune News Service Forensic experts collect evidence from the accident spot in Chandigarh on Sunday. 3 lives snuffed out as vehicles collide Tribune News Service Chandigarh, February 15 Three persons lost their lives in a road accident near the Sector 5-8 road here on Sunday evening. According to police sources, the accident occurred around 4 pm and involved a car (Maruti SX4), an e-rickshaw and a cyclist. The accident was so severe that the car and e-rickshaw also collided with two vehicles coming from the opposite side post collision. Sushila (35), sitting pillion on the cycle, e-rikshaw pas- senger Mamta (50) and its driver Raju (40) sustained serious injuries in the accident. After the police control room was informed about the accident, a team from the Sector 3 police station reached the spot and shifted the injured to hospitals. Mamta was taken to the PGI and the other two to the Government Multi-Speciality Hospital, Sector 16. Mamta was declared brought dead by the doctors, while the other two victims succumbed to injuries during treatment. An eyewitness alleged that the Maruti SX4 was being driven at a high speed. Meanwhile, the car driver has been identified as Rahul (28). He was allegedly driving under the influence of marijuana (bhang). However, the investigation to find whether the driver was under the influence of any intoxicant was underway at the time of filing of this report. The driver has been arrested and an FIR registered at the Sector 3 police station. Further investigation is underway to ascertain the exact cause of the accident. c m y b Chandigarh, February 15 The Central Government has approved the proposal of the State Wetland Authority of Chandigarh to designate Sukhna wetland as a Ramsar site. It is now close to getting the international status. A Ramsar site is a wetland site of international importance under the Ramsar Convention, an Intergovernmental Treaty adopted in 1971 in Ramsar, Iran. The convention came into force in India on February 1, 1982. According to officials, the proposal has already received clearance from the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change and now been endorsed by the Ministry of External Affairs. The officials stated that procedural formalities were almost complete and a formal application would be sent to the Ramsar Secretariat next week. The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change will further take it up with the Ramsar Secretariat for granting the final recognition to the Sukhna wetland as per its guidelines. The State Wetland Authority of Chandigarh had approved the proposal regarding designating Continued on page 2 PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 23°C | MIN 12°C YESTERDAY MAX 26.4°C | MIN 10.4°C SUNSET MONDAY 6.11 PM SUNRISE TUESDAY 7.01 AM » MONDAY | 16 FEBRUARY 2026 | CHANDIGARH FORECAST FACEBOOK/CHANDIGARHTRIBUNE City’s first Sainik School step away from becoming reality Rajnath assures Kataria of approval to proposal Nitin Jain Tribune News Service Chandigarh, February 15 Chandigarh’s first Sainik School is a step away from becoming reality with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh assuring Punjab Governor and UT Administrator Gulab Chand Kataria of approval to the project. Kataria today called on the Defence Minister in New Delhi and strongly pitched for the proposal. He told Rajnath Singh that establishing a Sainik School in Chandigarh would significantly strengthen discipline, leadership qualities and the spirit of national service among the youth. The Tribune was the first to report on July 13 last year that Chandigarh would get its maiden Sainik School. It will come up on the 16-acre campus of the Government Model Senior Secondary School (GMSSS) in Sector 23. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) is currently evaluating applications received from across the country for new Sainik Schools under a partnership model. Approval letters will be issued to selected proposals after scrutiny. In Chandigarh’s case, an Evaluation Committee visit- Punjab Governor and UT Administrator Gulab Chand Kataria meets Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in New Delhi on Sunday. TIMELINE ■ JUNE 15, 2025: Feasibility committee constituted ■ JUNE 19, 2025: First meeting under Director, School Education ■ JULY 11-12, 2025: Online application and formal submission ■ NOV 21, 2025: Evaluation Committee visits GMSSS-23A ed the GMSSS-23A on November 21, 2025. The panel comprised the Deputy Commissioner (Chairman), the Principal of Sainik School in Kunjpura and the Principal of Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya. The team assessed infrastructure, academic readiness, mess and kitchen facilities, and administrative preparedness. All requisite documents were submitted and the proposal was found complete and suitable. The matter now awaits the final approval from the Sainik Schools Society under the ministry, UT Education Secretary Prerna Puri told The Tribune. The proposal traces its origin to June 2025, when a Continued on page 2