09072025-ATR-01.qxd 7/8/2025 11:37 PM Page 1 c m y b Amritsar tribune FORECAST MAINLY CLOUDY/RAIN MAX 30°C | MIN 26°C YESTERDAY MAX 32°C | MIN 27°C AMRITSAR TO GET INT’L CRICKET STADIUM SHAHID KAPOOR, MIRA MARK A DECADE OF LOVE WITH $15B, SCARLETT IS HIGHEST-GROSSING ACTOR The Centre and state had approved the project of setting up an international cricket stadium in the city. P2 Bollywood couple Shahid Kapoor and Mira Kapoor are celebrating 10 years of marriage. P4 Scarlett has claimed the title of the world’s highest-grossing actor, with her films earning over $15 billion. P4 » » » SUNSET WEDNESDAY 7.38 PM SUNRISE THURSDAY 5.32 AM WEDNESDAY | 9 JULY 2025 | AMRITSAR MP Aujla meets with GNDU VC, discusses seat expansion Need to provide admission opportunities to students: MP GNDU launches e-Sanad portal to verify degrees, certificates online Facility eliminates need for students to visit offices for document verification Tribune News Service MP Gurjeet Singh Aujla (right) during a meeting with GNDU VC Dr Karamjeet Singh in Amritsar on Tuesday. Tribune News Service Amritsar, July 8 MP Gurjeet Aujla on Tuesday met with Guru Nanak Dev University Vice-Chancellor Prof Karamjeet Singh to discuss matters of concern regarding higher education in the border district. Aujla sought expansion of seats and robust infrastructure in terms of academics and non-academic areas as GNDU is the only nearest access to quality higher education for students from remote border rural areas of Ajnala, Tarn Taran and Gurdaspur. AAP makes Rintu halqa in-charge for North Chandigarh, July 8 The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) tonight announced two officebearers for the constituencies of Amritsar North and Majitha. While Karamjit Singh Rintu has been appointed as halqa in-charge of Amritsar North, days after the party suspended its MLA from there, Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh, Talbir Singh Gill has been appointed the halqa in-charge of Majitha. Majitha is the stronghold of Akali leader Bikram Singh Majithia, who was recently arrested by the Vigilance Bureau on charges of having assets disproportionate to his income. His wife, Ganieve Kaur Majithia is the Akali Dal MLA from Majitha. Meanwhile, the party has also appointed 10 zonal media in-charges today, including Abjinder Sangha and Harpal Juneja. — TNS “In the current environment, when more and more students are choosing to stay in India for higher education, it is our duty to ensure they are provided with world-class facilities, quality teaching and sufficient admissions opportunities right here in Punjab. Today, I met with Prof Karamjit Singh to address the growing gap between student demand and educational capacity at GNDU,” he said. Key issues discussed include expansion of admissions across all courses (minimum 20 per cent increase), recruitment of more qualified professors and teaching staff, upgrading of campus infrastructure and classrooms, equal development on a par with Punjabi University, Patiala. “If needed, emergency funding can be supported through MPLAD funds,” said Aujla. He also commended the university’s decision to have a 5 per cent seat increase for students from border and rural areas. “It’s a positive start, but much more needs to be done to ensure GNDU becomes a beacon of academic excellence once again.” Amritsar, July 8 Taking a significant step towards digital reforms, Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU) launched the eSanad portal today to facilitate the verification and attestation of degrees, transcripts and certificates in a fully online, paperless, contactless and cashless manner. Addressing the inaugural event, Vice-chancellor Prof Karamjeet Singh stated, “The launch of the e-Sanad portal reflects Guru Nanak Dev University’s commitment to technology-driven reforms and student-centric services. GNDU is the first government university in North India to launch this portal. It will not only enhance online convenience for students but also prepare them for global competitiveness.” He emphasised that the university is prioritising students’ needs by continuously adopting technological innovations. The portal has been launched in collaboration with the National Informatics Centre (NIC) and the Union Ministry of External Affairs. This eliminates the need for students to visit offices for document verification, resulting in significant saving of time and resources. The event, held at the university’s Senate Hall, was attended by vice-chancellor Prof Karamjeet Singh, Dean of Academic Affairs Prof Palwinder Singh, Registrar Dr KS Chahal, faculty members, students and senior NIC officials. Vivek Verma, Deputy Director General, NIC Punjab; Keerti Mahajan, Director (IT), NIC Punjab, and other officials participated in the event. The vicechancellor said that the portal marks the beginning of a new era of digital services for students and institutions. “Its key features include fully online verification and attestation of degrees, transcripts and certificates, saving significant time. By prioritising paperless and contactless processes, the need for physical paperwork has been minimised.” He added that secure online payment facilities Gangster arrested with pistol Police conduct special checking campaign after exchange of fire with police to maintain peace, law & order situation Tribune News Service Amritsar, July 8 A gangster involved in a firing incident at a grocery store in Jandiala was arrested after a brief exchange of fire, according to officials of Amritsar rural police. The accused, identified as Gurpreet Singh alias Gopi, was held with a .30-bore pistol near the drain area in Jandiala. Acting on the directions of Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Maninder Singh, a team led by Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Ravinder Singh and Station House Officer (SHO), Jandiala, conducted the recovery operation. During the operation, the accused opened fire on the police with a hidden weapon. The police, acting in self-defence, retaliated and managed to over- power the accused after a bullet hit him in the leg. SP (D), Amritsar Rural, Aditya Warrier, said the arrest is linked to a case registered on June 5 at Jandiala police station. On that day, a youth named Kashmir Singh had informed police that three unidentified motorcycle-borne assailants had opened fire at Surinder Karyana Store in Jandiala, where he worked. Two bullets had struck him in the left shoulder, leaving him injured. A case was registered under sections 109 and 3(5) of the BNS and sections 25, 27, 54, 59 of the Arms Act. During investigations, police arrested Ramanpreet Singh, who disclosed that the attack was part of a extortion plan masterminded by gangster Doni. The latter had demanded Rs 50 lakh from the owner of the store, and upon refusal, executed the attack with the help of Gurpreet Singh and Harpreet Singh. Subsequently, police teams from Jandiala and CIA apprehended Gurpreet Singh and Harpreet Singh from Himachal Pradesh. During interrogation, Gurpreet revealed that he had hidden the pistol used in the crime near a drain. When the police took him to the spot for its recovery, he attempted to fire at the police team using the concealed pistol. In the brief encounter, he was shot in the leg and overpowered. He was taken into custody along with the recovered weapon, a .30 bore pistol—and is undergoing treatment for the injury under police supervision. Further investigation is underway. INTACH seeks to revive city’s literary history with lecture on Nanak’s ‘Oneness’ Tribune News Service Amritsar, July 8 The Amritsar chapter of INTACH organised an inspiring lecture titled “Guru Nanak: An Embodiment of Oneness” at Virsa Vihar, delivered by globally acclaimed author and historian Amardeep Singh. The event saw enthusiasts, scholars and school students getting an insight into Amardeep’s impressive body of work on Guru Nanak’s spiritual journey across the sub-continent and universal philosophy of Eka (Oneness). Amardeep Singh is the man behind a 24-episode docuseries titled, “Allegory: A Tapestry of Guru Nanak’s Travels”. The series documents the extensive journeys GNDU VC Karamjeet Singh during the launch of the e-Sanad portal in Amritsar on Tuesday. ensure fast and convenient transactions with attestation services also available for foreign institutions and organisations. Speaking about the tracking facility, Dr Karamjeet Singh noted that the ability to track application status online is a key component of the portal. To ensure security and transparency, digital signatures and verification technologies have been incorporated to guarantee authenticity. Addressing multilingual support, the vice-chancellor stated that the portal includes support for multiple languages, enabling users from diverse linguistic backgrounds to benefit from it. The NIC team presented a live demo of the e-Sanad portal during the event, showcasing its usage, application process and tracking facilities in detail. This facility will be particularly beneficial for students and professionals going abroad, who often face challenges in the attestation process. Author Amardeep Singh addresses a gathering during the INTACH event at Virsa Vihar in Amritsar. of Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism, across nine countries and numerous multifaith sites during the 16th century. The docu-series aims to showcase the universal message of peace and fel- lowship that Guru Nanak spread during his travels. Following it up with pictorial books and verses that chronicle and archive significant Sikh religious and historic places, mapping across sub-continent, Amandeep Singh shared his initiation into his documentation. Amardeep Singh, joined by his wife Vaninder Kaur, was recognised for their 16-year journey producing five impactful documentaries at significant personal expense. “My purpose was to challenge the notion that Sikh traditions and identity should be confined to Punjab, highlighting the presence of Nanak Panth and Sikh Panth followers across India, many of whom may have never visited Punjab,” said Amardeep. He stressed upon the need to unite these communities under Guru Nanak’s universal principle of Eka. His docuseries, said Amardeep, continued on page 2 c m y b Tribune News Service Amritsar, July 8 To maintain peace, law and order in the city, the Amritsar Commissionerate Police conducted a special police post and search operation across key locations, including the bus stand, the railway station and the entry and exit points of the city. The drive was carried out on the directions of Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar and was closely monitored by ADCPs, ACPs and station house officers. Police teams, including antisabotage squads and sniffer dogs, carried out intensive checking at the bus stand and the railway station. Suspicious individuals were questioned and their identity verified. Marketplaces inside the walled city also saw the presence of a heavy police force to maintain public confidence and deter any unlawful activities. Cops during a special search drive at the Amritsar railway station. Vehicles with black-tinted windows, pressure horns, sirens or unauthorised wide tyres were stopped and inspected. Challans were issued on the spot for traffic violations and violators were warned of stricter penalties, including vehicle impounding for future offences. Similarly, two-wheeler riders using modified silencers or driving with- out helmets were also fined. To ease traffic congestion, wrongly parked vehicles obstructing roadways or parked outside designated lines were towed away. The police urged the public to cooperate by parking only at the authorised spots and supporting the traffic police in maintaining the smooth movement of vehicles. At the BJP leaders split over granting holy city status to Amritsar Charanjit Singh Teja Tribune News Service Amritsar, July 8 A sharp divide has emerged within local leaders over the proposal to declare Amritsar a ‘holy city’. General secretary of the BJP’s Punjab unit Jagmohan Singh Raju’s demand to ban liquor, meat and tobacco in Amritsar as part of the proposal has sparked a pointed response from former BJP leader and former Health Minister Laxmi Kanta Chawla. Speaking publicly, Chawla questioned the premise of Raju’s campaign by asking, “Is only Amritsar holy? Isn’t the entire country sacred? Will merely banning alcohol make a city holy?” She further raised issues such as the presence of slaughterhouses, shops openly selling halal and jhatka meat, political leaders distributing liquor to secure votes, vulgar musical events, immoral activities behind the facade of spa centres and widespread corruption including tax evasion. “Will these realities not violate the sanctity of a ‘holy city’? Will banning liquor alone suffice,” she asked. In a strong rebuttal, Jagmohan Singh Raju defended his stand by drawing parallels with cities like Ayodhya, Varanasi, Haridwar and Ujjain where state governments have already imposed restrictions on liquor and meat to preserve religious sanctity. “Is the prayer room in a house the only holy place or is the whole house sacred,” Raju questioned. “Why do we treat only some rivers as sacred when all water is from the same source? The idea of a holy city must encompass the entire space, not just the religious structures within it,” he said. Raju cited cultural priority from states like Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Madhya Pradesh, where the governments, respecting public sentiments, declared certain cities as sacred zones and restricted the sale of intoxicants and meat. “Like those places, Amritsar too holds deep spiritual significance, not only for Sikhs, but for all humanity,” he said. He also alleged that Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann rejected the demand to ban liquor and tobacco in Amritsar due to what he called was an “anti-Sikh mindset”. city bus stand, ACP (East) Dr Sheetal Singh, Inspector Baljinder Singh Aulakh, SHO A-Division and ASI Gurjinder Singh led a detailed checking operation with the local police and ARP teams. Passengers’ belongings were inspected and individuals loitering around without purpose were questioned after checking their IDs. Vehicles parked in the stand were also checked via the Vahan app to verify ownership. Likewise, at the Amritsar railway station, Inspector Gurpreet Singh, SHO, Civil Lines, along with police teams and anti-sabotage squads conducted a thorough security checking with the help of sniffer dogs. The commissionerate police reaffirmed its commitment to safeguard public peace and security by ensuring rigorous enforcement of laws and constant vigilance. Man duped of ~13 lakh; wife, father-in-law booked Our Correspondent Tarn Taran, July 8 A resident of Chutala village here has lodged a police complaint against his wife and father-in-law for defrauding him of Rs 13 lakh on the pretext of taking him to Australia. The accused have been identified as Navneet Kaur and her father Gurvel Singh, a resident of Bhattian Dhahan (Dakha, Ludhiana). The victim, Harpal Singh of Chutala, alleged that about five years ago, the accused took the amount by luring to take him with them to Australia, but the accused failed to fulfil their promise. continued on page 2