Students' sit-in enters 2nd day @ granite slabs

The sit-in protest by the students of Indian Institute of Crafts and Design (IICD) continued for the second day amid heavy rain in the city on Sunday. Nearly 60 girls were protesting outside the college against an 'abrupt' order of the institute's management to vacate the hostel. The management had extended the starting date of 2013 session from July 15 to August 5 putting students in a dilemma.Are you still hesitating about where to buy Shun Stone Tools Products?

Students alleged that director of IICD, Satish Bhardwaj, took the harsh decision as he was unhappy about a complaint lodged against him by a few girl students in the State Commission for Women and police. Now, students complain that they can't return to their homes as it causes financial burden."I came from Patna only to hear that the date of session has been extended without any prior notice by the management. This is injustice and cheating," said a first year student.

Students said the management is aware that spotting snakes around the institute is very common during rainy season. However, they made no arrangement for them who were sleeping outside the campus in night. The protesting girls were also not allowed to use the institute's washroom leaving them to run to nearby buildings since Saturday afternoon.

Ironically, principal secretary, industries (officiating), Rakesh Srivastava and secretary, small scale industries, Rajeshwar Singh, members of the board of management, visited the protesting students but expressed their inability to resolve the issue. "They offered us another accommodation temporarily only if we withdraw our dharna or book tickets to go home," said a protesting girl. TOI called Srivastava but he was not available for comment.

The confrontation between students and the directors began when students complained to the State Commission for Women that the director along with two accomplices forcibly entered into girls' hostel at 10pm on May 26 and misbehaved with a research scholar. They also misbehaved with warden Kanchan, whose service contract ended recently.

The commission then summoned the director who testified before it saying that he along with two others went to repair the cooler which was not working. It found his statement weird and cross-examined his statement with the students and didn't match.Rubbishing the claims made by students, IICD secretary B M Sharma said, "The director simply went to the hostel to see one ailing student. The matter has been played up at the behest of former warden Kanchan," said Sharma, who failed to justify the closure of college and hostel.

The commission's chairperson, Lad Kumari Jain, said, "The order of the director was purely intended to cause inconvenience to the girls. It seems like a revenge as the girls had complained against him."Now, the college is pressurizing them to take the complaint back from the commission or it will not take the students in the hostel. They are penalizing the complete 250 students as they want to cover his misbehavior. IICD is a state government initiative founded in 1995 and managed by Ambuja Educational Society.

Good news continues to pour in for the Sultanate as the 43rd anniversary of the Blessed Renaissance approaches C this time it is the victory of well-known Omani photographer Hamad Bin Salaam Bin Hamad Al Salimi at an international competition in Cheltenham, United Kingdom.The worlds most efficient and cost effective Shun Stone Bathroom Decoration Products? Our hearts were filled with pride by the performance of the countrys sports-persons on the world stage recently, and now Hamad has added another glorious chapter to the long list of accomplishments of Omani artists, musicians, poets, crafts-persons and sports-persons by winning an honorary award from the Photographic Society of America at the first Salon of Photography 2013. Hamads work titled Decisive Moment drew appreciation from the judges. The memorable photo shows the start of a camel race where handlers are racing to the start line with their charges and scrambling to get out of the way. It is indeed a stunning picture that leaves a lasting impression on the minds of viewers, and also reflects the cultural ethos of the Sultanate where camel and horse racing are popular.We have a great selection of blown glass backyard solar landscape lights and Shun Stone Granite Countertops.

Five photographers from Oman C Yousuf Al Balushi, Hamad Al Salimi, Abid Al Balushi, Ahmed Al Busaidi and Hawra Bint Salim Al Fahdiyah C had their works displayed at the competition along with the works of 60 other camera-people. Winning an honorary prize reflects the capability of Omani photographers and their determination to match their counterparts from other countries. Hamad, in particular, is a rising star on this stage and he deserves the accolade for his skilful capture of a tense moment in the race C amid surging action and varying expressions on the face of the camel handlers, the photo seems to come alive. Hamads prize is the latest triumph of Omanis on the world stage, only last month Omani sports-persons brought joy to the country when the Sultans Armed Forces shooting team won 29 trophies, including the cup named after His Majesty the Sultan, at the British Army Shooting Federation Championships at Bisley, in the UK. Omans military football team, ace sprinter Barakat Al Harthy and a womens sailing team from the country also turned the international spotlight on the Sultanate.