26032026-JTR-01.qxd 3/25/2026 10:40 PM Page 1 c m y b Jalandhar tribune PENDU MAZDOOR UNION BLOCKS HIGHWAY OVER LPG SHORTAGE HEALTH STAFF PLAN STIR, CITE GOVT INACTION ON SALARY PROMISE SAVOUR INDIAN COMFORT FOODS AT CHHOTA BANARAS 50 cylinders were delivered to Kartarpur after union members staged the block the Jalandhar highway. P2 Workers have expressed disappointment over the govt’s failure to implement the promised 20 per cent salary hike. P3 Chhota Banarasin Sector 8, Chandigarh, offers channa bhatura, aloo puriand kachoriwith aloo sabzi and lassi. P4 » » FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 29°C | MIN 17°C YESTERDAY MAX 28°C | MIN 16°C SUNSET THURSDAY 6.42 PM SUNRISE FRIDAY 6:23 AM » THURSDAY | 26 MARCH 2026 | JALANDHAR Teachers flag glitches in PSEB’s online marking of Class X paper Urge board to roll back new system Rishika Kriti Tribune News Service Jalandhar, March 25 Raising serious concerns over the ongoing evaluation process of the Class X board examinations, educators in Jalandhar have urged the Punjab School Education Board (PSEB) to roll back the onscreen marking system introduced for checking social science answer sheets. In a letter to the PSEB Chairman dated March 24, teachers demanded an immediate return to manual marking. They further termed the move “impractical and exclusionary,” particularly for rural schools, where frequent power outages and unreliable internet connectivity are severely hampering smooth evaluation, leading to delays and added stress. “After evaluating the answer sheets, we are facing repeated technical glitches while uploading the evaluation on the server. It has become a cumbersome process and we Shots fired at garment shop in Mahilpur Our Correspondent Hoshiarpur, March 25 Panic gripped Mahilpur town on Wednesday afternoon when assailants opened fire at a garment shop on Shaheedan Road. The incident occurred around 3:30 pm when three youths riding a motorcycle allegedly fired at “Re Load” clothing store. The shop owner had a narrow escape, while the attackers fled the scene immediately after the incident. The firing shattered the glass of the shop, leaving visible bullet marks. Senior police officials, including SP (D) Manpreet Singh, DSP Palwinder Kumar (Chabbewal) and SHO Madan Singh, along with a police team, rushed to the spot and initiated an investigation. According to preliminary information, shop owner Jassi, resident of Gajjar, stated that he was present at the shop when the attackers arrived on a motorcycle, fired shots and escaped. The Mahilpur police have registered the case and started a probe to identify and apprehend the culprits. CLOSE SHAVE FOR SHOPKEEPER The shop owner had a narrow escape, while the attackers fled the scene immediately after the incident. The firing shattered the glass of the shop, leaving visible bullet marks. HEALTH & WELLNESS The Tribune is starting a Q and A column to address your health-related queries. Please mail your questions (not exceeding 40 words) at healthandwellness@tribunemail.com. The Tribune’s panel of doctors will answer all your healthrelated concerns. Students discuss the question paper outside an exam centre in Jalandhar. FILE are helpless to sit in front of screens for hours, often without successful submission. The system needs uninterrupted power supply and high speed internet which is far from the reality in many government schools,” said a teacher. Karnail Singh Phillaur, district president of the Government Teachers Union said, “The onscreen system has been introduced for evaluating Class X social science papers as a step towards eventually shifting from manual to digital marking. However, this transition is facing several issues at the ground level. Teachers are already burdened with multiple administrative responsibilities and in such a situation, this sudden shift is only adding to their workload and creating unnecessary stress during the evaluation process.” As per board directions issued on March 10, the PSEB has mandated that evaluation of social science answer sheets be conducted strictly on school premises using computer labs or personal laptops between 9 am and 4 pm. Schools have been directed to ensure all arrangements, including functional computer labs, for the smooth conduct of the process. Additionally, school heads have been made accountable to ensure compliance with instructions against carrying out marking outside the campus. The guidelines also include secure login protocols and restrictions on screenshots or videography. However, teachers claim that many schools lack functional computer labs and adequate systems to support the process. Highlighting these gaps, educators urged the board to prioritise ground realities and revisit its decision, shifting to manual evaluation. A senior PSEB official said, “Nearly 40,000 out of around 2 lakh answer sheets had been evaluated digitally within two days, indicating that the system is being effectively adopted by teachers across the state.” The official added that schools have been entrusted with the responsibility of ensuring infrastructure for the smooth conduct of the process. “We are not dependent on the digital mode for evaluation. If some teachers face difficulties in uploading their work due to technical issues, there is no risk of data loss as the answer sheets can be downloaded and assessed manually as well,” the official added. HP Governor Kavinder Gupta flanked by AAP Punjab in-charge Manish Sisodia and Jalandhar Congress MP Charanjit Channi during the Ram Navmi shobha yatra in Jalandhar. PHOTO: SARABJIT SINGH Channi, Sisodia, HP Guv attend Ram Navmi shobha yatra Tribune News Service Jalandhar, March 25 Leaders of all political parties attended a shobha yatra taken out to mark Ram Navmi in the city on Wednesday. The main stage was set up on the premises of Shri Devi Talab Mandir from where the procession was taken out. Leaders, including Jalandhar MP Charanjit Singh Channi, Leader of the Opposition Partap Bajwa, Punjab Aam Aadmi Party in-charge Manish Sisodia and Himachal Pradesh Governor Kavinder Gupta attended the programme. Major traffic diversions had to be made as the event started around 12 noon and culminated at the same temple by the evening. The yatra passed through Adda Hoshiarpur Chowk, Milap Chowk, Jyoti Chowk, Basti Adda Chowk and Patel Chowk. Tableaux and bhajan groups were also part of the yatra. Devotees had made arrangements for langar all along the route. On the sidelines of the religious event, Opposition leaders slammed the state government over the issue of the recent suicide of Punjab Warehousing Corporation District Manager Gagandeep Randhawa. BJP Punjab working president Ashwani Sharma said the government cannot deliver justice to the DM’s family and that a fair investigation could only be conducted by the CBI. Channi too said a CBI inquiry should be conducted under the supervision of a High Court judge. “We have written to the country’s Home Minister that a fair investigation should take place in the DM case, and the Home Minister has assured a fair probe”, he said. Major police reshuffle in K’thala ~80 for FIR download draws lawyers’ ire Our Correspondent Phagwara, March 25 SSP Gaurav Toora has ordered the transfer of several SHOs and officials across the district, with key changes affecting Phagwara. Inspector Sonamdeep Kaur has been transferred from Sadar Phagwara to Sadar Talwandi Chaudhrian, while Inspector Anil Kumar has been posted from Talwandi Chaudhrian to Sadar Phagwara. In another important move concerning Phagwara, Inspector Amanpreet Kaur has been appointed as SHO, City Phagwara, after being shifted from Satnampura police station. Inspector Usha Rani, who was serving as SHO, City Phagwara, has been transferred to the Police Lines, Kapurthala. Inspector Prab- hjot Kaur has also been moved from Sadar police station to the Police Lines. Among other changes, Inspector Bikramjit Singh has been posted as SHO Bholath from Subhanpur. SubInspector Gurnam Singh has been appointed SHO Satnampura from Police Lines, while Sub-Inspector Ranjit Singh has been transferred from Bholath to Sadar Kapurthala. Sub-Inspector Harjinder Singh has been posted as SHO Subhanpur from Begowal and Sub-Inspector Kirpal Singh has been assigned as SHO Begowal from Police Lines. Additionally, Sub-Inspector Jasbir Singh has been given the charge of in-charge, EO Wing, Kapurthala along with additional responsibility of the RTI Branch. The SSP also ordered transfers at the outpost level. ASI Amarjit Singh has been appointed in-charge of Kala Sanghian outpost, while ASI Pal Singh has been shifted from Kala Sanghian to Hussainpur. ASI Davinderpal has been transferred from Hussainpur to Police Lines, and ASI Puran Chand from Mothanwal outpost to Police Lines. ASI Sandeep Singh has been posted as in-charge Science City outpost from City police station, whereas ASI Lakhbir Singh has been moved from Science City to Police Lines. ASI Jaswinderpal Singh has been appointed in-charge of Pashta outpost and ASI Gurdeep Singh has been shifted from Pashta to Police Lines. All transfers have been ordered with immediate effect. Tribune News Service Jalandhar, March 25 Members of the District Bar Association have decided to oppose the imposition of Rs 80 for downloading of an FIR and Rs 100 for a DDR copy from the Saanjh portal of the Punjab Police. Sharing a copy of the resolution passed by the Joint Action Committee of the District Bar Association, acting president of the District Bar Association of Jalandhar Rohit Gambhir said, “It was resolved that the state government should immediately withdraw this decision and ensure that copies of FIRs are made available free of cost, failing which, all Bar Associations will give a state-level call for protest.” Gambhir also discussed other decisions taken by the the Bar Associations. “A committee, constituted by the Chief Justice of India to revisit the policy of Legal Aid Defence Counsels (LADCs), has neither shown the urgency in its proceedings, nor provided any updates regarding the procedure being followed. Moreover, representatives of the Bar Associations have not been invited to participate in deliberations on the issue”, the resolution copy states. Gambhir said, “It has been unanimously resolved that a fresh representation be submitted through the Joint Action Committee, urging expeditious action by the committee. While we repose faith in the assurances of the Chief Justice of India, the continued delay, FromcomatogoldSushantscriptstaekwondocomeback Originally from Jammu, he’s first-year BPEd student of DAV University, Jalandhar Aakanksha N Bhardwaj Tribune News Service Jalandhar, March 25 Sushant Singh’s journey from a life-threatening accident to standing atop the podium is nothing short of a miracle. The 23-year-old, originally from Jammu and currently a first-year BPEd student at DAV University, Jalandhar, has turned adversity into achievement by winning a gold medal in the Poomsae event at the AllIndia Inter-University Taekwondo Championship. In 2017, Sushant’s life took a devastating turn when he met with a serious accident that left him in a coma for 13 days due to a major head injury. The road to recovery was long and uncertain. Although he eventually regained his health, doctors advised him to avoid physical strain to min- imise further risk. But for Sushant, giving up was never an option. “Doctors asked me to avoid playing, but sports just kept me going,” he recalls. Determined yet cautious, he returned to training while taking precautions to prevent further injury. His resilience paid off quickly. In 2018, just a year after the accident, he competed in his first open national championship and clinched a bronze medal — an early sign of the remarkable comeback that was unfolding. Today, as he celebrates his gold medal at the university level, Sushant often reflects on how far he has come. “Whenever I win any medal, I cannot believe the days when I was suffering, unconscious for days and dealing with multiple fractures. I cannot believe I have reached here,” he said. Beyond his sporting achievements, Sushant is also an NCC ‘C’ certificate holder, showcasing his discipline and dedication both on and off the field. Looking ahead, he is focused not only on his athletic career, but also on building a stable future. Sushant shared that he is preparing for a job alongside his training, aiming to secure a position that supports his aspirations. At the same time, his passion for taekwondo remains unwavering. “I will also be taking part in the upcoming championships,” he said confidently. With his determination and balanced approach, Sushant continues to inspire many, proving that resilience and hard work can overcome even the toughest setbacks. c m y b slow response and lack of transparency have tested the patience of the Bar.” It was further resolved that if no prompt action is taken, the Bar Associations will be left with no alternative but to initiate a state-level protest, including an indefinite strike. The lawyers have also said, “No response has been received from the Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court regarding the representation submitted for rationalisation and improvement of the Action Plan System in subordinate courts.” The House expressed hope for an early meeting on the issue. However, it was resolved that in case of continued inaction, this issue will also be included in the proposed statewide indefinite strike. Yet another matter taken up at the meeting pertained to the participation of women in the executive committees of the associations. “A communication has been received from the District and Sessions Judge regarding compliance with directions issued pursuant to the orders of the Supreme Court for ensuring 30 per cent participation of women advocates in the Executive Committees of Bar Associations. While the Bar Associations support and encourage adequate representation of women advocates, the House strongly opposed the direction empowering District and Sessions Judges to appoint members to the Executive Committees without consultation with the concerned Bar Associations”, said the lawyers. Mobile phones seized from jail inmates Ugandan woman among 3 booked Our Correspondent Sushant Singh wins gold in the All-India Inter-University Taekwondo Championship. Kapurthala, March 25 In a major security breach during a surprise inspection, the authorities at Central Jail, Kapurthala, recovered multiple prohibited items, including mobile phones and SIM cards, from jail inmates. The operation was carried out under the supervision of Deputy Superintendent Sukhpal Singh, who reported that a thorough search of barracks and inmates was conducted as part of routine security measures. During the checking, three inmates — Varinder Singh, alias Gora, a resident of village Busowal in Kapurthala district, Neeraj Kumar, a resident of Abadpura in Jalandhar, and a female inmate Hadija Nante, originally from Uganda and residing in Mehtabpur — were found in possession of illegal communication devices. Officials disclosed that the recovered items included three mobile phones, three SIM cards and a battery. These items are prohibited on the jail premises as they pose serious security concerns. Following the recovery, the jail authorities immediately informed the police station, after which a case was registered. An investigation has been initiated to determine how the inmates managed to access these restricted items and whether any external or internal assistance was involved.