Latest news with #Tricity
Indian Express
6 days ago
- General
- Indian Express
Winners take it all: Tricity students shine in JEE Advanced 2025 results
The results of the prestigious JEE Advanced 2025, one of the toughest engineering entrance examinations, were announced by IIT Kanpur Monday, with many students from the Tricity securing high ranks. JEE Advanced is conducted annually for students who have qualified JEE Mains organised by one of the IITs yearly. While JEE Main is for admission to several National Institute of Technologies (NITs) and other Centre-aided engineering colleges in India, JEE Advanced is considered the sole prerequisite for admission to the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT). However, students must appear for JEE Mains to sit for JEE Advanced. In the top 100 of the JEE Advanced are Piusa Das (AIR 29), Arnav Jindal (AIR 38) and Cheryl Singla (AIR 76). Two of the three students from the Tricity who had secured spots in the top 100 in the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Mains have got top ranks in the JEE Advanced Results. Arnav Jindal, a student of DAV Senior Secondary School, Sector 8 and resident of Kharar, secured AIR rank 38 in the JEE Advanced, while his rank in JEE Mains was 36. Piusa Das, originally from Kolkata enrolled in Naryana E- Techno School, Mohali, for her JEE preparations and has obtained a rank of 29 in the JEE Advanced and is second in the country among girls. Piusa had an AIR of 80 in JEE Mains. Narayana Educational Institutions announced the outstanding achievements of its students in JEE Advanced 2025, with Cheryl Singla, a student of the prestigious Narayana X Programme, emerging as one of the toppers, securing an All-India Rank (AIR) of 76. A resident of Sector 8, Panchkula, Cheryl did her schooling from DC Montessori Smart School, Sector 13, Chandigarh. Cheryl's success mantra is simple, believe in yourself, be honest with your work, and study strategy is consistent hard work with regular practice of mock tests. 'I had a schedule of studying 11 to 12 hours a day and one hour of physical activity. My aim is to do BTech in computer science from IIT Mumbai and I aspire to have my own startup,' said Cheryl, who loves painting, playing chess and reading and scored 97.8 per cent in her Class XII CBSE board exams. Cheryl's remarkable performance is a testament to her consistent dedication. She had achieved an impressive AIR 285 in JEE Mains 2025. Speaking about his daughter's achievement, Colonel Chetan Singla said, 'Cheryl's discipline, consistency, and clarity of purpose have been her greatest strengths. Watching her put in sincere effort day after day and now seeing it bear fruit fills our hearts with pride and gratitude.' Her mother, Mandeep Singla, stood as a constant pillar of support throughout Cheryl's preparation journey. Cheryl comes from a family of achievers. Her elder sister, who ranked AIR 943 in JEE Advanced 2022, is currently pursuing BTech in Mathematics and Computing from IIT Delhi. Cheryl's grandfather, Ram Kumar Gupta, added, 'This is a proud moment not just for our family but for the entire city. Cheryl has carried forward a legacy of hard work and academic excellence. I'm confident she'll continue to shine in whatever she chooses.' Allen Chandigarh students have proved their mettle in JEE Advanced 2025. One Allen student has achieved an All India Rank (AIR) within the prestigious top 50, and four students have secured ranks within the top 200 nationally. Allen Chandigarh classroom student Ramit Goyal from Karnal became the flag bearer for the institute by securing AIR 45 in JEE Advanced 2025. Ramit's parents, Arvind Kumar and Sandhya Rani, have been his strong support system. He also secured AIR 168 in JEE Mains 2025. Apart from his stellar performance in JEE, Ramit, who scored 298 out of 360, has an exceptional track record in Olympiads at global, international, national, and regional levels. 'The faculty at Allen, along with their test series and structured guidance, played a major role in shaping my preparation. It is because of their support that I was able to reach this milestone.' Students of Sri Chaitanya, Chandigarh and Panchkula made their mark in the prestigious JEE Advanced 2025 examination, with nine students securing ranks within the All India top 500. Among the top performers, Akshita, a former Class XII CBSE Board Tricity topper from Panchkula, has secured AIR 204. 'My success mantra is consistency, focus, and dedication, and it's a dream come true. The journey to JEE Advanced was full of challenges, but I always had the support of my teachers at Sri Chaitanya. The structured preparation, regular assessments, and timely guidance made all the difference. I'm grateful to my mentors who always believed in me, and to my parents who stood by me through thick and thin.' Aakash Educational Services Limited (AESL) announced that 33 of its students from Chandigarh have qualified for the prestigious JEE Advanced 2025. Leading the achievers is Keshav Bansal, who secured AIR 382, making him one of the top rankers. 'Discipline and focused study with 10 to 12 hours of effort, from which 5 hours were devoted to problem solving,' said Arshdeep, who loved gaming and sketching. Bansal belongs to Yamunagar but joined AESL in Chandigarh and aims to pursue an AI degree from IIT Madras or Roorkee and aspires to be an AI gaming expert.
Indian Express
27-04-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
From school buses to a scooter: the stories behind Mohali's food trucks
At half past one, the lunch rush begins in the industrial area of Mohali Sector 8-B. Crowds of hungry office-goers gather for food, not in cafeterias or established dhabas, but around food trucks—a relatively new phenomenon in the city. Promising prompt service and meals straight from the home kitchen, these food trucks serve more than just food; they offer stories of survival and the ambition to thrive. Take Inderbeer Singh, the man behind Punjabi Dhaba. Located on a stretch of road near the Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) office, his food truck has built a loyal following among office workers within just a year. 'I used to run AC school buses. But the expenses were high, and the number of students was low. So I started to look for another job to supplement my income,' he says. Noticing the mobility of roadside rehdis (pushcarts) and recalling the importance of food as a symbol of bonding, love and relationships in the Tricity culture, he decided to operate a food truck. From his truck, Singh serves comfort meals like makki di roti with sarson da saag, kadhi chawal and rajma chawal, with lassi made fresh at home. 'Everything I serve here is prepared the way I eat at home. It's simple, delicious and has no frills,' he says. While he operates from noon to 3 am, Singh's customers—largely from the STPI office—often wait patiently if he is delayed. 'I have fewer customers, but they come every day. It's a special bond. They not only give me company but also keep me afloat by giving me some profit,' he says. Just a few steps away, Heavenly Food, a bright green double-decker food truck, catches the eye. It is owned by Kulwant Kaur along with her daughter Khushpreet and son Shivam, who earlier ran a hotel in Ambala with the same name. Heavenly Food, a bright green double-decker food truck, owned by Kulwant Kaur along with her daughter Khushpreet and son Shivam. (Express Photo) 'We were bullied by bigger hotels to shut down,' says Kaur. 'But food is something that always has a market,' adds Shivam. Launched just two months ago, they operate during the midday to early morning hours, with peak business between 12 am and 4–5 am. They sell a special vegetarian thali and aloo-pyaaz parathas to the midnight office crowd. They have been awaiting a food vendor licence for two months. 'It can be a real pain to get the licence. And since we still don't have it, the authorities end up harassing us. Sometimes, they take our tables and chairs. But what can we do, we have no other source of income,' says Khushpreet. 'Our business is suffering. It is so difficult to get clients during the day and we don't know what to do,' sighs Kulwant. A five-minute walk down the road leads to a cheerful white box truck run by Ranjit Singh, owner of Sardar Ji Ka Dhaba. Stirring a steel drum of kadhi, Singh recalls how it all began with two steel drums perched across an Activa scooter. 'I used to work in a milk factory for months without pay. I had to take things into my own hands,' he says. They have been awaiting a food vendor licence for two months. (Express Photo) What started as a humble effort has now grown into a reliable food truck known for its fresh, homemade meals. 'Clean, unadulterated and delicious,' he smiles, offering a glass of salted lassi flavoured with dhaniya powder, kala namak and jeera powder—a perfect beat-the-heat drink. His rajma and kadhi rice, kala and chitte chole have built him a loyal customer base. His truck opens at 11 am and usually stays open till 4–5 pm, or whenever the food finishes, with 1–2 pm being the prime business hour. 'I don't use masala bases or gravies made from yesterday, unlike a lot of food trucks and rehdis here. It's all fresh, every day,' he says proudly. Singh advises newcomers to start small, with fewer portions, to avoid wastage. 'Business will be slow in the first six months, which can be discouraging, but you have to keep putting in effort and trying. I remember selling only 10 plates in the beginning, but with love and determination, the number slowly climbed up,' he says. Ranjit Singh, owner of Sardar Ji Ka Dhaba. (Express Photo) He cautions against investing all one's money into the venture, citing the food business's unpredictability. 'Parmatma di kripa (by God's grace), I managed to open a business I enjoy and that keeps me afloat,' he says, adding that selling over 80 plates a day ensures a good profit. Half an hour away, tucked into a quieter stretch, lies Jai Shankar Vaishno Dhaba, where the owner's car trunk doubles as storage for cooking supplies. Manned by Surinder Kumar, a driver and dhaba owner by profession and a sevak at heart, the dhaba is a labour of love. Surinder moved from Himachal Pradesh to Chandigarh for diabetes treatment but continued to pursue his passion for feeding people. Jai Shankar Vaishno Dhaba, where the owner's car trunk doubles as storage for cooking supplies. (Express Photo) 'I see these young people working in these big offices and how hungry they look during the lunch hour. I just want to feed them and see them energised,' he says. For just Rs 60, customers can enjoy a full meal with rice, roti and two sabzis. Interestingly, Surinder finds weather to be his biggest challenge, rather than legal hurdles. 'Too much heat drives customers away. A sudden rain has the same effect,' he says. He advises aspiring food truck owners to maintain discipline and work hard. 'It is a gamble, really. While it soothes my soul, the profit comes on some days and deserts you on others,' he adds.
