Only schools, no education
Forced tuitions, eve-teasing, mass copying
Inderdeep Thapar
Ferozepore is a small, dusty town, the outer fringes of which join with the neighbouring half brother, Pakistan. There’s a school in practically every lane, but the educational scene is not getting any better.

CAMPUS SCENE — Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak
Diminishing amid expansion
Raman Mohan
While most teaching departments of Maharshi Dayanand University have expanded over the years, the Department of Fine Arts has virtually been downsized. This department was set up in 1991 to promote Haryanvi art and culture.

Admission Deadline

Only schools, no education
Forced tuitions, eve-teasing, mass copying
Inderdeep Thapar

Ferozepore is a small, dusty town, the outer fringes of which join with the neighbouring half brother, Pakistan. There’s a school in practically every lane, but the educational scene is not getting any better.

Students complain of a parallel system of teaching, of forced tuitions given by teachers from most of the schools in this town. If they agree to take tuitions, they need not attend classes, as that would be taken care of. However, if they resist, they better be prepared for the teacher’s backlash. To quote Parminder Singh, one such victim: "It is better to bunk classes than face the hostile teacher."

Eve-teasing is another irritant in schools. Lack of discipline encourages bunking and, as a result, boys loiter in big groups on the busy roads near girls’ schools. The schools refuse to take responsibility of the security of their girl students once they leave the campus after the school is over. The problem is acute for girls from poor families, who have no vehicle to take them home safely. Mr Sarabjeet Singh, who resigned from the committee of one such school over this issue, says that the problem is major and the schools and the administration need to take some action.

Inside the classroom, children in all schools are told to cram lessons from age-old notes and cheap guidebooks. They are studying from the "examination point of view". The board examinations are not much of a problem, for cheating ensures a healthy pass percentage and excellent results. Ms Amarjeet, a teacher, says: "We have to give them notes because children whose parents are illiterate need this kind of help."

Only one school, St. Joseph’s Convent, is affiliated to the ICSE and the rest are under the Punjab School Educational Board. A new CBSE school has yet to see its students sit for their matriculation examinations. At the plus-two level, only two schools offer courses in all streams (commerce, arts, medical and non-medical), one of them being a government school. The sad thing is that many parents here still consider it below their dignity to put their child in a government school, even though it claims excellent results.

Those who can afford it put their child in the lone Convent in the town or DC Model Higher Secondary School, where the problems are said to be somewhat less serious. The others have to suffer exploitation by underpaid teachers, who have no other course but to force tuitions on their students to supplement their income. Education in this town is an uninspiring experience, with board examinations being the final ordeal. The feeling of being cheated comes to students only when they enter college outside, where students from better schools easily outperform them, and there are many instances of that.

While most teaching departments of Maharshi Dayanand University have expanded over the years, the Department of Fine Arts has virtually been downsized. This department was set up in 1991 to promote Haryanvi art and culture. Initially, six posts—one of Professor, two of Reader and three of Lecturer—were sanctioned for the department. The department never got all these personnel.

Some of these posts were shifted to the other departments. Teachers from other departments have led this department from time to time on ad hoc basis. Since they were not even remotely connected with fine arts, the department continued to suffer.

The Lecturers have not been promoted for the past decade and a half, which has affected their performance. The teachers lack motivation, as the administrative powers are vested in the heads who come from other departments. Unable to understand or work with persons with artistic attributes, they just pass time till the next incumbent takes charge of this department for the time being. Successive Vice-Chancellors, too, have ignored the pleas of its students and teachers to bring the posts back to this department and expand its working. The teachers have once again given a representation to the new VC, Dr R. S. Dhanker, in this regard.

Dental student’s feat

Balwant Rai, a final-year student of the local Dental College affiliated to MDU, has found a formula for determining the sex of a cadaver by determining the size and other characteristics of the teeth. He recently presented a paper in this regard at the annual conference of the Indian Association of Forensic Odontology, where he was awarded a certificate of merit for his research. He was the only undergraduate student to compete; and his paper was adjudged the best. He had earlier presented it at the Indian Dental Association meet in Ludhiana, where it was ranked among the 13 best papers. The paper has also been accepted for publication in the forthcoming issue of Medico-Legal Update—a professional journal published by the World Information Syndicate.

Coopted

Three outside academicians have been coopted as members of the university’s Academic Council for a two-year term. They are Prof Meenakshi Sharma, Dean and Head, Department of Education, Punjabi University, Patiala; Prof M. K. Jain, Chairman, Department of Management, Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra; and Prof Saranjit Singh of the National Institute of Pharmacy Education and Research, Mohali.

Tsunami relief fund

The MDU community has collected Rs 7.96 lakh for the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund for sending relief to tsunami victims. The teaching and non-teaching employees together contributed their one day’s salary amounting to Rs 7.27 lakh for this. The students collected about Rs 69,000. The VC, Dr R. S. Dhanker, presented the cheque to the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, in New Delhi on behalf of the MDU. The Prime Minister has lauded the gesture of the MDU community. Dr Dhanker also gave the Prime Minister a copy of the resolution passed by the university, expressing grief over the deaths due to tsunami.

Engineering

Vellore Institute of Technology (Deemed Univ), Vellore-632014 (TN).
www.vit.ac.in

VIT Engineering Entrance Exam (VITEEE) - 2005

For Admission to BTech (Bioinformatics, Biotech, Chem Engg, Civil Engg, Comp Sc & Engg, Elect & Electron Engg, Electron & Commn Engg, Electron & Instru Engg, IT, Mech Engg, Telecom)

Eligibility: 10+2 (For Biotech & Bioinfomatics: PCB, For Rest: PCM; 50%).

Exam: 17 April at 23 centres incld Del & Ch’grh).

Appln F: Send Rs 650/- by DD fvg "Vellore Institute of Technology" payable at Vellore to Director (Admissions) at above add /d’load from website.

April 15
National Institute of Industrial Engineering, Vihar Lake, PO NITIE, Mumbai-400087
www.nitie.edu

1) PG Dip in Indl Engg (PGDIE) (2 yr)

2) Fellow (Doctoral) Prog (OB, OR, Mktg, BPR, TQM, TPM, Personnel Mgt, Ergonomics, Reliability Mgt, Eco, IT, Prodn Mgt, Finance & Accounting, Environ Mgt)

Eligibility: For (1): BE/BTech, 85 percentile in GATE. For (2): ME/ MTech/ MSc/ MCom/ Master’s deg (Bus Mgt/ Soc Sc/ Hum, 1st div).

Selection: For (1): GD & Interview. For (2): Acad qual & wk ex, seminar presentation & Interview.

Appln F: Send Rs 1000 by DD fvg "NITIE, Mumbai" payable at Mumbai with 4 self-add stickers to the Deputy Registrar at above add or apply online.

Hotel Management

Oriental School of Hotel Management, 29/924, Almaz Building, Kotooli, Calicut-673016. (Ker)
www.orientalschool.com

1) BHM (4-yr)

(Affl to Calicut University, Kerala)

2) Dip (Hotel Mgt & Catering Tech; 3 yr)

Eligibility: For 1&2: 10+2.

Selection: Written Test & Interview: May 01.

Appln F: Send Rs. 400/- by DD/MO fvg "Malabar Hotel Management & Catering Promotion Trust" payable at Calicut at above add.

www.cmths-hnbgu.org

Joint Entrance Exam - 2005 - Uttaranchal
(For Admission to BHMCT, 4-yr)

Eligibility: 10+2

Entrance Exam: May 08 (at 6 centres incldg Ch’grh).

Appln F: Send Rs 515 by DD fvg "Finance Officer, HNB Garhwal University Srinagar, Garhwal" payable at SBI, Srinagar, Garhwal with self-add stamped (Rs 75) env (30 x 25 cms) to Co-ordinator, BHM&CT Entrance 2005 at the above add by April 11/ d’load from website.

Environment and Forestry

March 31
Indian Institute of Forest Management, PO Box No. 357, Nehru Nagar, Bhopal-462003, (MP)
www.iifm.ac.in/ www.iifm.org

Post Master’s Course in Natural Resource Mgt (1-yr, FT, Residnl)

Eligibility: Master’s deg (50%), Cands wrking in relev areas prefd

Selection: Written Test, Presentation & Interview.

Appln F: Send Rs 250 by DD fvg "Director, IIFM", payable at Bhopal, to Chairpersons-admissions at above add/ d’load from website

Details: Website.

Management

Apeejay Institute of Management & Information Technology, Sec-8, Dwarka Institutional Area, New Delhi-110075
www.apeejay.edu

March 16 1) Pharmaceutical Mgt

March 1 2) Customer Relationship Mgt

February 28 3) Insurance Mgt

March 4 MBE (Affltd to GNDU, Amritsar)

5) Modular Prog on BPO (9-mnth)

Eligibility: Bachelor’s deg For 1: Pharma-related areas. For 4: Bachelor’s deg (50%), MAT/CAT/GMAT scores.

Selection: GD & Interview: For 1: 23 Mar; For 2: 01 Mar, For 3: 28 February, For 4: 07 March

Appln F: Send Rs 550/- by DD fvg "Apeejay Institute of Management & Information Technology", payable at New Delhi to above add.

Eligibility: Bachelor’s degree.

Selection: MAT Scores, GD & Interview.

Appln F: Send Rs 750 by DD fvg "Apeejay School of Marketing" payable at New Delhi to above add.

International Institute of Information Technology, P-14, Pune Infotech Park, Hinjawadi, Pune-411057
www.isquareit.ac.in

MBA Prog in Adv IT with integrated SAP & SAS (20-mth; FT; Resid)

Details: Website.

Mass Communication

School of Convergence, International Management Institute, B-10 Qutab Institutional Area, Tara Cresent, New Delhi-110016
www.schoolofconvergence.com

PG Diploma in Content Creation & Mgt (2-yr)

Eligibility: Bachelor’s degree.

Selection: Entrance Exam: 12 March

Appln F: Send Rs 500 by DD fvg "School of Convergence" payable at New Delhi to above add.

Medicine

CPMT-2005-06 (Uttaranchal)
For Admission to:

1. MBBS

2. BDS

3. BHMS

4. BAMS
(In pvt medical, dental, Ayurvedic & Homeopathic Colleges in Uttaranchal)

Eligibility: For 1 & 2: 10+2 (50% in PCB & Eng), For 3 & 4: 10+2 (PCB);

DoB: Before 31 December ‘88

Test: May 29 (at 10 centers incldg Del, Ch’garh)

Appln F: Send Rs 1,150 by DD fvg "Uttaranchal Council Of Entrance Examination", payable at D’dun by March 31 to the Deputy Secretary at the above add or to:

1) The Principal, Seema Dental College and Hospital, Rishikesh, Virbhadra Road, Rishikesh-249203.

2) The Principal, Himalayan Institute of Medical Sciences, Swami Ram Nagar PO, Doiwala, Dehradun-248140.

3) The Director, Uttaranchal Ayurvedic College, 17, Old Mussoorie Road, Rajpur, Dehradun.

4) The Principal, Chandola Homeopathic Medical College & Hospital, Kicha Road, Rudrapur.

Entrance Exam for MD/ MS/ PG Dip/ MDS courses:

Exam: 26 February.

Appln F: Send Rs. 800/- by DD fvg "Director, Pt. BD Sharma PGIMS, Rohtak", payable at SBI with letter indicating the name of course for which prospectus is required.

Eligibility: MBBS/ BDS, Harayana domicile

Details: Prospectus.

Scholarships

Narotam Sekhsaria Foundation, 122 Maker Chambers III, Nariman Point, Mumbai-400 021
www.nsscholarship.net

(For Students wanting to pursue postgraduate courses in Pure Sc/ Appld Sc/ Engg/ IT/ Bus Admin in India & Abroad)

Eligibility: Bachelor’s Degree. (I Div); Age Limit: 30 yrs:

Appln F: Send Rs 200 by DD to the above add.

Details: Website

Greek Govt. Scholarships (For PG or Research)

(i) Maths
(ii) Pol Philo/ Pol Thought

Eligibility: For PG: Bachelor’s deg in rel subj (60%; fluent in Greek)

For Research: Master’s deg in rel subj (60%, fluent in Greek/ Eng/ Fr)

Age Limit: 40 yrs

Appln F: Employment News (12-18 February).

Sciences

Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi-110067
www.jnu.ac.in

Combined Biotech Entrance Exam (CEEB) 2005-06:

1. MSc (Biotech; offered at 29 univs)

Exam: 18 May.

Eligibility: For 1: Bachelor’s deg (Phys/ Biol/ Agri/ Vet & Fishery Sc, Pharma/ Engg/ Tech)/ BSc (Physician Asst Course)/ MBBS/ BDS (55%)

Details: Employment News (5-11 February)/ Website.

— Pervin Malhotra