The Hindu : New Delhi News : Inside delhi

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Tuesday, Feb 05, 2008
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New Delhi

New Delhi

Inside delhi

“Chhuk Chhuk….”

The old world charm of steam-puffing rail engines was brought alive at the 31st Rail Museum Day celebrations in the Capital over the weekend.

Titled “Chhuk Chhuk”, the two-day event was organised by the National Rail Museum.

Delhiites got a chance to catch a glimpse of a fully-functional miniature steam train dubbed “Indian Glory”. Designed by noted model maker Iqbal Ahmed, who finds mention in the Guinness Book of World Records, the locomotive was the cynosure of all eyes.

The Rail Museum Day celebrations were planned to ensure a fun-filled experience for the entire family. Among the highlights of the event were a train modelling workshop and discovering railways through stamps at a philately workshop.

Some of the visitors discovered the trees inside the museum compound though a tree-walk conducted by Pradip Krishen, the author of “Trees of Delhi: A Field Guide”. Besides discovering the magical world of science by making toys with everyday household products, visitors also got a chance to do some bird-watching, watch children’s films and wolf down mouth-watering delicacies.

Madhur Tankha

A reliable direction

Like the Central Board of Secondary Education, non-government organisation “Snehi” too has opened a helpline, “Disha”, to help students cope with examination-related anxiety and stress. It will be available till March 3.

Students can ring up 65978181directly from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. everyday for free and confidential counselling service.

This year the helpline will be manned by 20 trained volunteer counsellors. They will help students through telephonic and face-to-face counselling under the supervision of senior counsellors.

“Snehi” has been providing this helpline since 1999.

Last year “Disha” attended nearly 1,295 calls related to stress on account of exams. Of these, 1,062 callers were students who were psychologically distressed and emotionally perturbed. More than 365 parents and relatives of these students were helped through telephonic counselling and 13 through face-to-face counselling.

Of the 1,062 students, 788 were students from Classes XII and X.

“The Indian education system hardly provides any flexibility and leverage for exploring a student’s likings or disliking for a particular subject or stream, leaving very little choice for a student and, therefore, adding to the high stress levels. It is not only a testing time for the students but also for their families. Thus the students go through a lot of social pressure to perform well,” says Snehi director Abdul Mabood.

“Most of the students find pre-exam holidays a period of stress because in some way or the other the pressure starts building on them during this time due to which they experience many problems such as lack of concentration, loss of appetite, permanent headache, restlessness, lack of confidence and even have suicidal tendencies. Snehi has been working with people for their psychological well-being and helping them through counselling and other specific community-based programmes,” he adds.

Parul Sharma

Worth a wait

Waiting endlessly for celebrities to make an appearance is an occupational hazard, but journalists at a recent event in a five-star hotel in the Capital were far from complaining when Hollywood star and now the UN Messenger of Peace George Clooney initially expressed his reluctance to meet the Press.

The actor, who was on a tour of the country, was being hosted by the External Affairs Ministry at a special dinner when journalists in the adjoining room sniffed his presence. Unwilling to leave without shaking hands and clicking the customary pictures with the Academy Award nominee, the journalists waited patiently for the moment to arrive.

Though initially hesitant to meet the media, the suave actor was soon shaking hands and smiling for the shutterbugs.

For the onlookers it was a welcome break to watch the otherwise aggressive mediapersons line up to greet Clooney, and instead of hurling questions, throw smiles at the person who is billed as the world’s best looking man!

Staff Reporter

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