The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Saturday, September 22, 2001, Chandigarh, India

THE TRIBUNE SPECIALS

50 YEARS OF INDEPENDENCE

TERCENTENARY CELEBRATIONS

M A I L B A G

PGIMS Director’s promotion justified

THIS refers to the news item "Fourth Director in four months" (Sept. 8) and "PGIMS seeks recognition of degree” (Sept. 16). The Tribune had earlier published a news item "Appointment row in PGIMS, new Dean's degree not recognised by MCI" which was not based on facts. Rather than publishing our contradiction (July 31), the paper has again published almost the same details sent by Mr Jitender Sharma.

Your correspondent has conveniently distorted the facts regarding the teaching experience of Dr D.R. Yadav. He has stated that Dr Yadav was promoted Professor after putting in just over one year of lecturership. The fact is that he remained a Demonstrator from 1972 for two years, a lecturer for six years and Associate Professor for one year. Thus he had a total teaching experience of about nine years which was sufficient for the Professor's post in forensic medicine as prescribed by the MCI.

Dr Yadav filed a writ petition in the Punjab and Haryana High Court for his promotion as Professor since he fulfilled the required qualifications and experience. Then a reference was made to the MCI by the Government on the directions of the court. The MCI informed the government of Haryana about his eligibility for the post of Professor in forensic medicine.

Consequently, the government promoted Dr Yadav to the post of Professor. These facts are a matter of record but your correspondent did not bother either to go through the MCI booklets or to confirm the details from either the office of Director, PGIMS, Rohtak, or from Dr Yadav.

As for as the recognition of his MD degree by the MCI is concerned, the council had recognised all such postgraduate qualifications acquired before 1985 as per the regulation framed by the MCI under Section 33 of the Indian Medical Council Act, 1956. Dr Yadav had acquired this degree well before 1985 i.e. in 1980 and hence there is no dispute in this regard. But unfortunately, Mr Jitender Sharma is deliberately linking this issue of non-recognition of the present MD (forensic medicine) of the PGIMS, Rohtak, with that of Dr Yadav.

It is not understandable why your correspondent is out to defame the Institute and Dr Yadav. His motives are not clear but it appears that he is acting at the behest of certain vested and mischievous elements who are not happy with the progress of the Institute and the appointment of Dr Yadav as the officiating Director. Dr Yadav has more than 20 years experience as Professor, which is a rare achievement to his credit. He is the seniormost Professor in this institution and is the only Professor who has already been in the scale of Director for the last eight years.

Academic Officer, PGIMS, Rohtak

Nuclear physics

The Department of Physics, Kurukshetra University, has withdrawn nuclear physics as a specialised paper from its M.Sc. (Physics) course. It seems quite surprising in the present scenario. Once I got an opportunity to listen Prof R.L. Mossbauer (Noble laureate) at the National Physical Laboratory, New Delhi, where he talked about nuclear physics. I remember that when Prof Mossbauer was asked why he had changed his field from solid state physics to nuclear physics, he smiled and said: "I want to win one more Noble Prize.” So it is obvious that nuclear physics is not a saturated field.

Kurukshetra University used to be a frontier institute of nuclear physics in the past. The founder head of the Physics Department, Prof H.S. Hans, was an eminent nuclear physicist. During his tenure only specialisation offered in the department was nuclear physics. Being a nuclear physicist, I request the Vice-Chancellor to reconsider the matter and keep nuclear physics alive in this department.

RAJESH KHARB, Julana (Haryana)

New library rules

I have come across a news item in Chandigarh Tribune (Sept 16) about teachers' uneasiness over the new library rules. The 30 days limit was fixed as per the Panjab University Library rules. As regards the denial of library facilities to the defaulters, the step taken is corrective in nature and not punitive in any way.

If teachers are allowed to continue to avail the library facility by violating the library rules, how can they hope to enforce discipline on the students? If the restriction is not enforced, it means they would continue to accumulate books with them to the disadvantage of other potential users. As such I see no reason behind their uneasiness over this matter. Further, it is not difficult for a teacher to visit the library for the reissue of books to meet his academic needs.

There is no valid ground to find fault with the librarians who have to manage and control the libraries as per their job requirements. The librarians are under the administrative control of the Principal and have to seek the Principal's orders whenever an administrative issue concerning the library is involved. The news item gives a wrong signal to the enforcement of corrective and constructive measures framed by the Chandigarh Education Department.

A. K. AGGARWAL, Chandigarh

SGPC panel decision

This refers to the decision of the Dharam Prachar Committee of the SGPC to stop the printing of Gurbani and pictures of Gurus on calendars, invitation cards etc (Sept. 1). The decision makers should know the fate of their own monthly magazine, Gurmat Prakash, that after reaching the public is thrown as trash at shabby places. Will they like to stop its publication? Taking proper care of any such printed material is a different subject and should not be mixed with its printing.

Col HARJIT SINGH (retd), Khanna

NIIT scholarships

Apropos the Bhavishya Jyoti Scholarships, NIIT is just fooling the students and trying to make them believe that they had attained good positions without disclosing their marks. Depending on the so-called marks, students are offered 25, 50 or 75 per cent concessions. NIIT is not making the marks list public and the transparency of the system seems to be in question.

PRABHJIT KAUR, Jalandhar

JVG investors

Inventers, mostly senior citizens, who put their savings in JVG companies are still a worried lot. The Delhi High Court's official liquidator is requested to issue guidelines for filing claims.

ISHAR SINGH SETHI, Mohali