Who needs vet varsity?

APROPOS of the news item “Veterinary varsity plan revived” (Aug 13), the proposal was shelved ostensibly as its project report attracted stringent criticism from respectable members of the profession which was taken note of even by C.M., Punjab.

The arguments that the university will produce enough vet graduates and check the spread of epidemics are incorrect and misleading. I have already pointed out in this column (April 14) that the admission to vet course of PAU was increased to 140 seats in 1979. The project report concedes having produced 85, 127 and 115 graduates in the years 1983-84-85-86, respectively. Since then the college has nearly doubled its infrastructure and increased the staff from some 62 to 103 teachers. Thus it can easily admit 140 students a year. Why did not the animal husbandry department ask PAU to enhance the admissions?

Even the admission done in last August was for 80 seats. Next, the check of epidemics by the proposed vet varsity. This recurrence of outbreaks refers to those of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) and Marek’s disease (MD) in the state early this year. Institution of immediate vaccination and other control measures would have checked the outbreaks. Both FMD and MD have been well-researched and their epidemiology, including diagnosis and control, are well-known and fairly effective vaccines are available. Control of epidemics through effective deployment of existing cadres, timely vaccination, etc. are the responsibility of animal husbandry department and not that of a university. It cannot be raison d’etre for setting up an independent varsity.

Further, the department’s cry of 800 vacancies of vet graduates in the state does not ring true. There are reports of “large-scale unemployment of vet graduates in the state” and “concern” of Pb Vet Officers Association over “hundreds of vet graduates who have been without jobs for the past more than four years”.

The proposal to set up single faculty vet varsity is neither desirable nor need-based and surely not in the interest of the profession though it may serve the personal hidden agenda of some professionals. One hopes that the sponsors of the proposed varsity would stop dreaming the dream of creating “the first vet varsity in North India” and spare the cash-strapped state from avoidable expense of Rs 90-100 crore. The state has the requisite knowhow for prompt diagnosis of epidemics and the means of their control.

That does not require the services of out of job dream merchants floating around (IE, 28 August).

KEHAR SINGH
Director of Animal Husbandry, Punjab.

Jalandhar

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Punjab sugar scene bad

The news item entitled “Punjab sugar scene bad” (July 13) is based on hearsay rather than facts. It raised a few points which need to be addressed to in order to be fair to the public as regards sugarcane research in Punjab.

CoJ 64 variety of sugarcane was released for cultivation in Punjab in 1976. It remained the predominant variety until 1990. From 1990 to 1995 new varieties, viz. CoJ 82, CoJ 83, CoJ 84, CoP 211 etc, having high cane weight and high sugar recovery, were released. A study of the statistics would reveal that area under sugarcane during the predominance of CoJ 64 (1976-77 to 1990-91) ranged from 72,000 ha to 116,000 ha which was lower than the pre-and post-CoJ 64 periods. Punjab witnessed highest area of about 230,000 ha during 1996-97, in the history of sugarcane cultivation. More than 90 per cent of this was occupied by the varieties recommended by Punjab Agricultural University; of which 39 per cent was estimated under the new varieties mentioned above. These facts belie the assumption that the area under sugarcane has reduced due to non-availability of superior varieties. However, in 1997-98 sugarcane area in the Punjab fell down to 145,000 ha. Primary reason for this drastic reduction was mismanagement of sugar mills and untimely payments to the farmers in the preceding year.

Popular cane variety CoJ 64 was developed by Dr C.N. Babu at Sugarcane Research Station, Jalandhar. It was popularised by an agronomist who headed the research station from 1976 to 1991. He was probably ignorant of the dangers of vulnerability of a single variety to the epidemics of a disease and directed all efforts to maintain and promote monoculture of CoJ 64. It was during these 15 years that no popular cane variety came up and monoculture of CoJ 64 contributed to the increased incidence of red rot, a disastrous disease, in the traditional sugarcane growing regions of Punjab. Sound crop improvement programme is based on the understanding of basic plant breeding principles which are common to all the crops. The sugarcane research station, Jalandhar, of which I am the Director, is engaged in crop improvement for more than 15 years. Thrust is being given to develop more promising varieties having diverse genetic blend for high yield potential, high sugar recovery and tolerance to diseases and insects of sugarcane prevalent in Punjab.

G. S. SIDHU

Jalandhar

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Pig menace

While Chandigarh is one of the most beautiful cities of India, it is under constant threat from the sporadic ugly spectacles and black spots here and there. I am, a resident of Sector 14, Panjab University. Numerous herds of pigs and piglets enter the university campus through “mori gate” in the morning everyday.

The sprawling lawns of the university are their first casualty and the plants and flowers grown around the houses are the second. When one goes out for a walk in the morning, one sees many pigs grunting and wallowing in mud at a number of places in and around the grassy lawns. Another herd can be seen playing havoc with the kitchen gardens, wasting month-long hard labour of the residents.

But the story does not end here. They stage their repeat performance in the afternoon and sometimes in the evening as well.

It is high time corrective steps were taken.

RICHU SHARMA

Chandigarh

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A suggestion to examiners

My niece failed twice in the B.A. Part II examination of H.P. University in the subject English. She appeared in her golden chance paper last April, but failed the third time again with the score 33 marks against the minimum 35 marks required to pass. She then filled a revaluation form and hopes that the examiners might be considerate to bring her score up by two marks to declare her pass.

Now, English is a foreign language. It was in the year 1962 that this subject was declared a non-essential one at the matriculation level. Thereupon, a student weak in English, failing in the subject in the School Leaving Certificate (Matriculation) examination, could still be declared “pass” on the strength of pass marks scored in the remaining subjects. Under the new scheme, the teachers, as also the students, started ignoring the subject. The situation went on deteriorating day by day and as of present not even 10 per cent of the examinees pass in the test in the English language in their first attempt.

Here, it is no gainsaying that the start of English in government schools from lower classes has been politicised and dispensed with. All the well-to-do people, especially the political bigwigs, have invariably been sending their wards to expensive English medium institutes, which poor masses can ill afford. The non-availability of the English medium in the less expensive government schools in the lower classes deprive the poor students of a valuable opportunity of having exposure to this so-called foreign language (otherwise the global lingua franca) at an early (right) age. Thus, even the bright wards of the poor people become handicapped in the matter of competition and opportunities for employment in the progressive multi-national institutions who invariably give higher preference to those good at written as well as spoken English. The bias against the candidates not fluent in English is no less in the interviews held for appointments in State Government departments either. Further, few parents buy English newspapers or magazines, thereby denying a good chance to their children to get to know the language indirectly.

The irony of the whole matter is that the teachers teaching English in government schools or less expensive private English medium schools themselves don’t know the language thoroughly. The words, “KINNER GARDEN PUBLIC SCHOOL”, boldly painted and prominently displayed on the gate of a private “English-medium school” at Harasaur (on the Barsar-Shah-Deotsidh road in Hamirpur district in Himachal Pradesh), say it all. Under the circumstances, is it fair to blame the students for their poor grasp on this ‘foreign’ language?

It is, therefore, highly desirable that the State School Examination Board(s) and Universities lay down only a practically achievable minimum percentage of marks for the examinees to pass in English. The said authorities should further ensure that only such people take up the assignment of teaching English who themselves know it well. Further, the examiners should also be considerate not to fail the examinees for a shortfall of a mere two or three marks.

K. L. NOATAY

Shimla