NEW DELHI: University adopts three villages
Residents of three villages in Gaya district are enthused to see students of Central University of South Bihar (CUSB) visiting them and offering knowledge on education and agriculture. As part of its community development programme, CUSB adopted Nepa, Tepa and Mahmadpur villages that are close to the varsity’s upcoming 300-acre campus at Panchanpur. A CUSB team that visited these villages recently distributed paddy seeds developed by ICAR among the villagers. “These seeds are of the hybrid variety that yields higher production. This new variety also requires less water,” said CUSB PR officer Mohammed Mudassir Alam.
Modern artwork to adorn walls of buildings
Public and private buildings in Patna’s main thoroughfares are set to have a livelier look by the year-end. The district administration plans to cover the walls with a wide range of modern paintings, including 3D murals. The move, a part of the Smart City project, has already got support of the city’s intelligentsia. Divisional commissioner-cum-chairperson of Patna Smart City Limited Anand Kishor said consent would be taken from owners of the private buildings. The project may cover at least 50 buildings, of which 21 are identified for 3D wall painting. Hotel Maurya, the GPO building, Sone Bhavan, Mona Cinema and Ashok Cinema are among the selected buildings.
Six lakh LED bulbs to illuminate roads
By March next year, roads in Patna and several other towns in Bihar are set to get six lakh LED street lights under a national scheme. The LED lights will both save energy and improve visibility. As many as 73,000 street lights will be installed in Patna and the rest in 143 urban local bodies, including nagar panchayats and nagar parishads. Patna, Muzaffarpur, Ara, Bhagalpur, Biharsharif and Hajipur has already started work. Real-time details about the functioning of the lights would be provided by a command control and monitoring system. An MoU was signed between EESL and Bihar’s urban local bodies earlier this month.
Foreign languages find many takers
Youngsters in Patna appear increasingly interested in learning foreign languages. A few private tutorials offering courses in German, French, Spanish and Russian are encouraged by the rising enrolment numbers. Certificate courses in German, French and Spanish are also offered at Patna Women’s College and Magadh Mahila College. “The demand for foreign language courses is constantly rising in Patna. Youngsters studying in colleges and those already in jobs are interested alike,” said Archana Rani, who runs a German language centre. The trend has filled Bihar’s industrialists with hope about the state’s partnership with other countries. “It is going to help the state in future. People proficient with Indian languages and foreign languages will be in great demand,” said Bihar Industries Association president KPS Keshri.