Technical education in a mess
From K.G. Dutt
OF the 4000 seats in the newly started engineering colleges in Haryana, more than 152 seats have not been filled in various disciplines. In most colleges the rankings have nosedived drastically.

Course for helping dyslexia-hit
By Vishal Gulati
FOR those interested in understanding the problems of children suffering from dyslexia and extending them a helping hand the Indian National Portage Association (INPA) is starting classes for a course approved by the All-India Council of Technical Education for its second batch of students in January.

Varsity orders probe
From Jupinderjit Singh
PATIALA: Punjabi University here has ordered a high-level probe into allegations levelled by 11 students of B.A. (II) that a highly placed official in the administrative wing had helped his son in securing “good” marks in the B.A. (I) exams.

Campus scene
Committee to name new VC
From S.P. Sharma
SHIMLA: The atmosphere in Himachal Pradesh University here has warmed up with the Chancellor, Mrs V.S. Rama Devi, appointing a committee to recommend a Vice-Chancellor in place of Mr C.L. Kundu.

Youth & career

College victim of politicking
By Ravinder Sood

PALAMPUR: The government degree college set up here by the previous government in 1995 is in a bad shape. Even after three years the government has failed to earmark land for the college. Over 1700 students have taken admission in this institution.

At present the institution is functioning in a century-old building. Besides, another building has been hired by the government which is too small to house this institution. There is an acute shortage of classrooms causing great difficult to students as well as teachers.

The college lacks library and laboratory facilities. Over 1.5 lakh books purchased by the college remain up in the absence of a library building.

The posts of librarian, assistant librarian and attendants have been lying vacant since the college was opened in 1995. Likewise, over 28 posts of teachers in different subject are lying vacant. There is one clerk and one superintendent in the college, resulting in inconvenience to the teachers and students.

The college was opened here with the efforts of the local Congress MLA. So long as the Congress was in power, due attention was paid to the college. The state government where constituted a committee headed by a Joint Director, Education to select a site for the college, proposed Khalet village as an appropriate place for the college.

Soon after, BJP government was installed in the state. However, the Palampur assembly seat was retained by the Congress MLA. With the change of government, the college plunged into a crisis for obvious reasons.

It is also learnt that local BJP leaders are not interested in shifting this institution to the site proposed during the Congress regime. The tug of war between the political parties has put a question mark on the future of the college. Seven other colleges were also opened by the Congress along with this college. The buildings for these colleges are almost complete and adequate budgetary provisions have been made for the current financial year too. But the future of the college is hanging fire.

A BJP leader says Palampur town is already overcrowded and congested. Therefore, there is no justification in opening the college in the town. He says, the government should shift the college to rural Paror, Bhawarna or Dehan. Besides, three colleges are already functioning in and around Palampur.

On the other hand, Mr Brij Butail, local MLA, says the state government is adopting step-motherly attitude towards this institution. He says Khalet village is a most suitable site for the college since over 2 kanals of government land is available there. He says that any move to shift this college outside his constituency will be strongly opposed by his party.

Resentment prevails among the families residing near the college. They say after the opening of the college their life has become miserable. They are facing a lot of problems like cleanliness, noise and pollution. There is none to listen to them. They demand immediate shifting of the college to the new site.

The two senior secondary schools, DAV Public School and St. Paul’s Senior Secondary Schools, are situated near the college. Parents and teachers of the students studying in these schools are worried about the security of their children since college students are allegedly involved in “illegal” activities.

Technical education in a mess
From K.G. Dutt

OF the 4000 seats in the newly started engineering colleges in Haryana, more than 152 seats have not been filled in various disciplines. In most colleges the rankings have nosedived drastically.

According to official sources, in the earlier days, the ranking was restricted up to 2000. But this year,candidates ranked up to even 15,000 were considered for admission. In the past, admission was granted after one-time counselling, but this year, admissions are being granted after the fourth counselling. Experts feel technical education has been devalued in the state.

A survey undertaken by this reporter revealed that even then there were few takers for paid seats and seats under the NRI quota. According to authoritative sources in the newly opened colleges, 50 per cent seats are considered paid seats, five per cent of these are reserved for NRIs. These sources point out that NRI seats are basically considered to be “management seats”.

Out of 100 seats in each college, about 10 are at the discretion of the management. Interestingly in the past, donations up to Rs 5 lakh per seat used to be charged for the “management seats”. But the situation is so deplorable now that in colleges at Kaithal, Jind, Faridabad and Jagadhri there are no takers.

Such a situation has developed after the government allowed private entrepreneurs to enter technical education. At present there are 21 engineering colleges in Haryana. Over four years back there used to be only one college i.e. Regional Engineering College along with its subsidiary college at Murthal, which was opened about 10 years back.

The All-India Council for Technical Education which provides licence for opening colleges seems to have succumbed under political pressures. As a result, prescribed norms in the colleges have been thrown to the winds.

In the beginning, the idea of allowing private entrepreneurs in technical education was to improve the standards and to provide more avenues for vocational education. This was so as the traditional education system did not suffice to provide bread and butter to the educated youth. Private entrepreneurs for technical education were earlier restricted to the southern and western states like Mumbai and Gujarat. But once this was allowed in Haryana, the colleges mushroomed in the state.

Hefty donations are given for admission to engineering colleges in the south, a majority of Haryana bureaucrats have admitted their sons and wards in the South paying “handsome donations”. This seems to have impelled them to allow private entrepreneurs in technical education.

Two colleges in the private sector, one at Radaur and another at Mulana, were opened four years back. As there was paucity of technical colleges in the state then, the management earned money and got heavy donations. This encouraged many to open technical institutions. Till date proposals for opening over six technical colleges by private entrepreneurs are lying with the government.

In view of the deterioration in standards of teaching in the colleges, the government is thinking of constituting a committee to decide whether more licences should be given. Top technical educationists in the state opine that no more licences should be given. Instead the functioning of the existing colleges should be reviewed.

Because of the deterioration in educational standards, trained technical graduates are finding it difficult to get suitable jobs. Multinationals and big business house, which have more avenues for technical graduates, prefer students from colleges and IITs with high academic standards.

(To be concluded)

Course for helping dyslexia-hit
By Vishal Gulati

FOR those interested in understanding the problems of children suffering from dyslexia and extending them a helping hand the Indian National Portage Association (INPA) is starting classes for a course approved by the All-India Council of Technical Education for its second batch of students in January.

“The six-month correspondence course is designed to facilitate the identification of learning disability and developing skills for handling various kinds of learning disabilities in the learning of languages and mathematics”, says Dr Tehal Kohli, course director.

The course can be beneficial for pre-service and in-service training of primary and secondary school teachers. It helps them in solving the problems faced in regular classrooms.

Dr Kohli says “many persons associate dyslexia with the reversal of letters of words, poor spellings and an inability to read or solve mathematical problems. Though these symptoms are present in some individuals with specific learning disabilities, these are no means the only problems which a child might suffer from”.

“Dyslexia is quite common in pre-primary schools. Nearly 10 per cent of the population is believed to suffer seriously from the disorder. About 20 per cent suffers in a milder form”.

The INPA is a non-profit voluntary educational professional organisation with headquarters at Chandigarh. It is an affiliate of the International Portage Association. The INPA was formalised on January 23, 1994. It has four zonal representatives country-wide to promote the portage movement and offer portage service.

Besides, the INPA acts as a bridge to transfer knowledge and skills from professionals to para-professionals and to non-professionals. It caters to the needs of children facing risk of learning disabilities, mental retardation and development delays.

The INPA-trained home advisers can weekly visit the home or pre-school education centres and study the child’s special needs. Parents or pre-school teachers then can decide what the child can learn in the coming weeks and keep a record of child’s progress on an activity chart describing each teaching activity.

“Volunteers of the INPA try to correct the disability through portage models, individualised training programmes, group counselling, behavioural therapies and play-way techniques”.

Fresh graduates and working professionals are eligible for the course.

Punjabi coaching a casualty
From Praful Chander Nagpal

FAZILKA: The scheme to propagate Punjabi appears to be a non-starter. Senior secondary schools in Ferozepore district are without Punjabi lecturers.

According to official sources, out of 53 senior secondary schools in the district, in 36 schools the posts of Punjabi Lecturer are lying vacant. Intriguingly, 35 of the 36 schools are situated in rural areas. in most cases Punjabi lecturers have not been appointed since upgradation of these schools to the senior secondary level.

A survey reveals that out of nine senior secondary schools in Fazilka subdivision eight schools are without any Punjabi lecturers. Of these eight schools, seven are in rural areas.

In Abohar subdivision, out of 13 senior secondary schools, all 11 schools in rural areas are without Punjabi lecturers. in Jalalabad subdivision and Guru Harsahai block, out of eight schools Punjabi lecturers have not been posted in four ever since these were upgraded.

In Ferozepore subdivision, out of 13 schools the appointment of Punjabi lecturers is awaited in eight. Likewise, five out of nine schools in Zira subdivison are without Punjabi lecturers.

Punjabi is a compulsory subject in all classes. The study of the subject by thousands of plus 1 and 2 class students, particularly in rural areas is adversely affected in the absence of proper teaching arrangements. This is despite all claims by the Punjab government of championing the propagation of Punjabi.

Mr Raj Kishore Kalra, general secretary, Government Secondary Teachers Union, Ferozepore district unit, has expressed concern over such large number of vacancies of Punjabi lecturers in the district schools. He blames the government for the mess.

Varsity orders probe
From Jupinderjit Singh

PATIALA: Punjabi University here has ordered a high-level probe into allegations levelled by 11 students of B.A. (II) that a highly placed official in the administrative wing had helped his son in securing “good” marks in the B.A. (I) exams.

According to Pro-Vice-Chancellor Ram Murti Goel the university has received a complaint signed by 11 students of Government Mohindra College here expressing doubts on the marks obtained by a fellow classmate in the B.A. (I) examination held in April.

The students have mentioned the name and roll number of this particular student. However, the complaint letter does not give the name of the university official.

Campus scene
Committee to name new VC
From S.P. Sharma

SHIMLA: The atmosphere in Himachal Pradesh University here has warmed up with the Chancellor, Mrs V.S. Rama Devi, appointing a committee to recommend a Vice-Chancellor in place of Mr C.L. Kundu.

The three-year term of Mr Kundu expires in January.

A number of university teachers are learnt to be in the race for the post. A couple of them are from outside. However, it is to be seen whether the committee recommends the name of a renowned educationist for the post or succumb to pressure by the ruling BJP to name its nominee.

The committee consists of the Chief Secretary, Mr O.P. Yadav, Prof V.R. Mehta, Vice-Chancellor of Delhi University as a nominee of the UGC, and Mr N.L. Nadda, former Chairman of the H.P. Education Board and father of Mr J.P. Nadda, Health Minister.

Seven organisations in the campus have demanded that Mr Kundu should be given another term in office. Employee leaders Subhash Puri and Waryam Singh Bains have supported the demand.

Sources said although the Chancellor had initially favoured another term for Mr Kundu, the BJP leadership opposed it. Top BJP leaders had criticised Mr Kundu when the party was not in power.

* * *

However, the work done by Mr Kundu during his tenure is being appreciated by almost all with his connections in the UGC and various other bodies, he did not let the university starve of funds. Several faculties were opened under his initiative.

Shortly before starting the current examinations, the university hosted the All-India Inter-University Kabaddi Meet in which Pune University lifted the trophy.

The inter-college HPU Youth Festival was also hosted.

* * *

A blueprint has been prepared for setting up a regional centre of the university at Dharamsala. The basic aim is to develop a separate campus at Dharamsala where the thrust will be on vocational courses.

The university authorities are moving cautiously keeping in mind the fate of the Tanda Medical College.

The university authorities are annoyed at the move of the state government not to acquire the private land within the campus which has upset constructing plans.

It is alleged that the state government unilaterally took the decision without consulting the university authorities. Funds provided by the UGC for the new buildings will go unutilised, it is feared.

Youth & career

• Consumer Electronics (Punjab) Ltd, B-99, Industrial Area, Phase VII, SAS Nagar Mohali: Consumer electronics repair course (for women). Contact institute on December 9 and 10.
• Small Industries Service Institute, Okhla, New Delhi: Training programme on Marketing Management. Contact institute. Last date December 5.
• Army Institute of Hotel Management and Catering Technology C/o ASC Centre (South), PO Agram, Bangalore: BHM course. Test on April 26. Contact institute. Last date March 15.
• Indian Institute of Forest Management, PB No 357, Nehru Nagar, Bhopal: M.Phil in Natural Resource Management. Contact institute. Last date March 31.
• Centre for Tourism Studies, Pondicherry University, Pondicherry: Master of Tourism Administration course. Test on February 21. Contact centre. Last date January 25.
• CEDTI, PB No 10, A-34, Phase VIII, SAS Nagar Mohali: Advanced course in Graphics and Multimedia/ Certificate course in Graphics and Multimedia. Contact centre. Last date December 11.
• Institute of Mathematical Sciences, CIT Campus, Tharamani, Chennai-600113: Ph.D. in Mathematics/ Physics/ Theoretical Computer Science. Contact institute. Last date January 20.
• National Institute of Homoeopathy, Block-GE, Sector III, Salt Lake, Calcutta: MD (Hom) in Materia Medica/organon of Medicine/Repertory. Contact institute. Last date December 28.
• Centre for Distance Education, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad-500046: Various post-graduate diploma courses. Contact centre. Last date December 31.