Agriculture exhibitions to educate school children

Nine agriculture exhibitions aiming at motivating the younger generation towards agriculture, are to be held throughout the country.

This has been undertaken by the Education Ministry in line with the 'Api Vavamu Rata Nagamu' food production programme of the Agriculture Ministry. These agriculture exhibitions will be held in the nine provinces to educate students and elders about modern and traditional trends, technology and also the ways and means of improving income in agriculture.

Under these exhibitions school children will be educated about the value of cultivation and will also be encouraged to take to cultivation. Increasing the enthusiasm for cultivation is the best way to lead students towards cultivation, Education Minister Susil Premajayantha said. "We are capable of cultivating every inch of cultivable land . Therefore, students will be encouraged to take to cultivation through exhibitions, seminars and other agriculture based programmes.

"It is a must since we need to develop the country which has been lagging behind for over three decades owing to LTTE terrorism," Minister Premajayantha stressed.

The aim of agriculture exhibitions is to create a habit of cultivation which would help Sri Lanka to win the food production war, Waga Sangramaya.

A king sent a message to the ruler of a neighbouring country. The message read: "Send me a blue diamond as large as a pigeon's egg or else..."

The king on getting the message wrote back: "We don't have such a diamond and if we had..."

The first king got very angry and declared war on his neighbour. The fighting went on for several months till a third king arranged a meeting between the two warring rulers.

So they met and the first king said to the other: "What did you mean when you said, 'Send me a blue diamond as large as a pigeon's egg or else...'? "Why," he replied, "I meant a blue diamond as large as a pigeon's egg or else... some other diamond. I love diamonds. But what did you mean when you said, 'We don't have such a diamond and if we had-'? "It is easy to guess my meaning," said the other man. "What I wanted to say was, if we had such a diamond we would have gladly sent it to you." The Kings pledged to write more clearly in future communications and embraced and made peace.

******

A sultan who was blind in one eye invited three artists to paint his picture.

"If you do a bad portrait, I will punish you," he warned, " but if you do a good one I will reward you. Now start!"

The first artist produced a picture that showed the sultan as he was: blind in one eye.

The sultan had him executed for showing disrespect to his monarch.

The second artist showed him with both eyes intact.

The sultan had him flogged for trying to flatter him.

The third artist drew him in profile, showing only his good eye.

The sultan, pleased, rewarded him with gold and honours.

******

Compiled by W.A. Rusiru Jayasuriya

July 12

* Birth of Julius Caesar, Roman Emperor (60-44 BC) in 100 BC.

* Wilmot A. Perera, educationalist and diplomat was born in 1905.

* Bill Cosby, American comedian, actor was born in 1937.

* Death of Meemana Premathilake, Sinhala poet and journalist.

* Birth of George Eastman, American photographic pioneer who founded Kodak company.

July 13

* King Henry 11 died in 1024.

July 14

* Death of Domingo Corea (Edirille Rala) in 1594.

* Gerald Ford, former American President was born in 1913.

* Ingmar Bergman, Swedish film director was born in 1918.

July 16

* L.T.P. Manju Sri, a famous artist died in 1982.

July 17

* Birth of Ven. Rerukane Chandawimala Thera in 1897.

* Passing away of Weliwitiye Soratha Thera, first vice chancellor of the Vidyodaya University in 1963.

* Prof F.R. Jayasuriya, a scholar of economics and Sinhala nationalist died in 1984.

* Birth of Earl Stanley Gardner, American detective story writer in 1889.

July 18

* Michael Angelo, famous Italian painter died in 1610.

* Jane Austen, English novelist died in 1817.

* W.G. Grace, famous English cricketer was born in 1848.

* Nelson Mandela, former South African President was born

in 1918.

July 12

* Paper bag manufacturing machine patented by William Goodale Mass in 1859.

July 13

* Sri Lanka Cricket Association was formed in 1922.

* First World Cup Football competition inaugurated in Uruguay in 1930.

* Anagarika Dharmapala entered the bhikkhu order in 1931.

July 14

* National Day of France (storming of Bastille prison) - start of the French Revolution in 1789.

* Sri Lanka State Trading Corporation was established in 1971.

July 15

* Social Insurance came into effect in Britain in 1912.

* Jerusalam captured by the Crusaders in 1099.

July 16

* Ceylon Nurses Society was formed in 1915.

* Jawaharlal Nehru visited Ceylon in 1939.

* First artificial kidney machine invented in Ceylon by Dr A.T.S. Paul; used in a surgery in 1970.

July 17

* National Day of Iraq.

* Sir Oliver Goonethilake appointed as the 1st Ceylonese Governor General in 1954.

* Building Materials Corporation was established in 1971.

July 18

* The first volume of Adolf Hitler's Personal Manifesto (Mein Kampf) was published in 1925.

* Victoria Park renamed as Viharamahadevi Park in 1958.

* Famous July strike occurred in 1980.

More than 600 children benefited from tsunami fund

A sum of Rs. 37 million has already been spent for 689 affected children from the special fund established to meet the expenses of children who lost their parents or guardians due to the tsunami disaster in 2004.

This was revealed by the Chief Government Whip Urban Development and Sacred Area Development Minister Dinesh Gunawardana in parliament recently. This fund was established under the Mahinda Chinthana policy statement, which stated that a special fund of Rs. 500 million will be set up to meet the expenses of children throughout the country who lost their parents or guardians due to the tsunami catastrophe, he said.

Under this fund, a special savings scheme named "Senehasa Iturum Ginum" has been introduced with effect from February 2006 to assist these children. It is being implemented under the Child Development and Women Empowerment Ministry, he added.

"Senehasa Iturum Ginum" has already brought relief to 689 children who lost their parents or guardians due to the tsunami. Rs. 1500 per month is being deposited via the People's Bank on behalf of each child and this will be continued until they are 18 years of age.

The expenditure borne upto now on this account is Rs. 37 million. In addition to this programme the National Child Development Fund was established by the Child Development and Women Empowerment Ministry in August 2007, to provide financial assistance to children whose education has been disrupted due to economic hardships. At present 515 children receive financial aid under this scheme including the children who have lost their parents due to the tsunami disaster.

If you are talented at innovations and have been looking for a platform to display your talents, don't miss out on the Junior Inventor of the Year (JIY) Competition which will be held this year.

The preliminary competitions which envisage to promote creativity and innovation among the school-going fraternity islandwide, will be held at provincial level, similar to last year.

These preliminary competitions will be held this month and in August, at Pollonnaruwa, Kandy, Kurunegala, Badulla, Kalutara, Galle and Colombo. The final will be held in Colombo, in September.

The esteemed ' Junior Inventor of the Year' title will be conferred on the winner of the competition in addition to a gold medal, a cash prize and a certificate.

Some of the other competitors who win the slots in their order of merit would also be lauded with medals, prizes or certificates. Five selected winners will be awarded IESL scholarships to cover their university careers.These prizes will be awarded at the Inauguration of the Institution's Annual Sessions scheduled to be held in October 2009. The `Top Five' prizes will be distributed by the chief guest at the inaugural sessions at the BMICH. Parents, teachers and the students of the competitors' schools which win the first five places, will also be invited for the occasion.

A trophy and a cash prize from the Post Graduate Institute of Management (PIM) of the Sri Lanka Jayawardhanapura University, will be awarded to the winner's alma mater.

The principal will be invited to receive that Prize and the Trophy from the chief guest who will grace this event. The Best Teacher who has provided guidance in the competition too, would be rewarded by a special certificate and a monetary prize.

The prospective inventors who will exhibit the very best inventions at this competition, will also qualify and get the opportunity to participate in the `INTEL' International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF), the world's largest pre-college science competition that would be held in the United States, in May 2010.

For further information and clarifications contact the Chairman of the JIY Steering Committee Eng. Jayavilal Meegoda on Tel 0714150720, e-mail: ceco/[email protected]/[email protected] or the Secretary Eng. Prasad Siriwardena Tel 0714163423, E-mail: [email protected]

Being environment friendly

Keeping the environment clean is very important these days, especially since we have seen the adverse impacts of it with the dengue epidemic.Students of the Japanese school, Colombo who were on a visit to Sigiriya and Vihara Mahadevi Park initiated a 'cleaning campaign' to get rid of the litter left by visitors. They are seen here cleaning the vicinity of the historic rock fortress Sigiriya and the public park.