Khadi adds zing to Republic Day
When it comes to flaunting patriotism, Patnaites are no less eloquent and colourful than others. This Republic Day saw many of them dressed up in khadi garments and Nehru caps. Shops in the city selling readymade clothes witnessed a remarkable boost in sales of khadi products in the fortnight leading up to Republic Day. At Gandhi Maidan, where a large crowd gathered to see the colourful tableaux and the parade, people of all ages were seen wearing khadi garments. Most college students seemed to have ditched their jeans trousers and T-shirts in favour of khadi shirts, kurtas and pyjamas for a day. With Patna University’s students’ union elections set to be held next month, sartorial tastes of the students have evidently been imbued with a patriotic fervour.
Relief in sight at city airport
The constant crisis of congestion that Jay Prakash Narayan International Airport in Patna has been suffering from may soon be a thing of the past. A host of agencies associated with the functioning of the airport recently agreed on a number of measures to expand the security hold area. One of the decisions taken at a recent meeting of senior officials is to open up the VIP lounge inside the terminal building for all passengers. A new VIP lounge will soon be built outside the terminal building. Besides, to make sure that aircraft are parked and manoeuvred easily, Airports Authority of India officials are set to get bowser vehicles in three months. These vehicles will help park aircraft with their noses towards the terminal building and end the present practice of parking in a crisscross fashion.
Health facilities set for major uplift
Nalanda Medical College and Hospital (NMCH) in Patna will shortly get a “centre of excellence,” which will offer all kinds of diagnostic services and pathological tests in one building. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar will inaugurate the centre on February 3, but it may take about four months before it becomes fully functional. Display boards showing the facilities on offer for patients are currently being installed in the building. Sitting arrangements for patients are also being put in place. The centre’s earthquake-resistant building, designed by NIT Patna, and the facilities provided in it have cost the government Rs 41 crore. All medical records of the centre will be available online. There is also a plan to raise the number of beds at NMCH from 750 to 2,500, said RK Mahajan, principal secretary of the health department.
Master’s degrees for budding artists
The long-standing demand of the students of Patna’s College of Arts and Crafts for starting master’s programmes at the 79-year-old institute will be fulfilled soon. Students will no longer have to move to institutions outside Bihar after completing their undergraduate courses. A Faculty of Fine Arts coming up at Patna University (PU) will have all the five undergraduate courses offered at the college, each course functioning as a separate department and offering a master in fine arts (MFA) programme. The announcement by PU vice-chancellor Rash Bihari Prasad Singh on Thursday spread cheers among students of the college and the artists’ community in the Bihar capital. They all hope the announcement translates into reality soon, unlike previous unkept promises.