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| EDUCATION TRIBUNE |
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Attending
colleges, not classes
Workshop on information skills |
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Attending
colleges, not classes With
class attendance registering a steep downfall in various colleges across Himachal Pradesh, the education system appears to have lost its stronghold over the youth. The fact that there is a little adherence to the mandatory 75 per cent lecture condition in the government as well as private colleges in the state, a system of condoning the lecture shortage has become the norm. In contrast to the receding class attendance, the student unrest on the campus has witnessed a sharp increase, especially in the beginning of an academic session before the elections to students central associations are held. Though various student organisations, including the NSUI, ABVP and SFI, put in extra efforts to bring out lengthy manifestos, never has any organisation dwelt on the need to address this vital issue. On an average, about three weeks are lost over agitations in colleges every year. A random survey of various colleges in the region showed that the students cared two hoots to attend classroom lectures. The proportion of such
willful absentees is on the rise, which is evident from a proportionate rise in the fine collected at the end of a session from such candidates. This is despite the fact that a student who does not fulfil the minimum lecture condition can’t sit for the university examination. The norm, however, means little to the erring students. A cross section of college lecturers while agreeing to the adverse trend said there were a number of factors responsible for this undesirable tradition. Increasing interference of various student organisations owing allegiance to various political parties is a major hurdle in curbing this menace, maintained a university lecturer. The lack of implementation on part of the university authorities to enforce the minimum lecture condition was cited as another reason by the Principal of a local college. He said the indifferent attitude of students was also due to less job opportunities in the state. Dr Satish Kanwar blamed the parents equally for encouraging such trend among the students. Teachers said there was little cooperation from them because very few parents attend parent-teacher meetings. It was, however, interesting to note that despite a number of provisions to check this adverse trend the college authorities could do little in the presence of stiff opposition from student organisations. So high was the lack of interest that students even skipped the house examinations. According to Mr Krishan Gopal, an English lecturer, out of 60 per cent students who appeared in the house examinations, only 25 per cent of them managed to pass. The problem is multidimensional. A section of teachers opined that there should be limited seats in each college and the date of admissions should not be extended time and again. The colleges have been unable to check this trend despite having enough provisions for it. The admission form bears an undertaking that the student would attend at least 75 lectures and procure minimum 20 per cent marks in the house examinations. These forms are duly certified by the parents while the examination form attested by the respective colleges certifies that he/she has fulfilled the mandatory conditions. The college authorities themselves give these relaxations to students by signing their forms. Teachers argue that a student’s name is struck off the rolls if he or she misses 10 lectures at a stretch and no student can take re-admission more than three times in a session. This norm too has remained only a distant reality as the college authorities hardly resort to such stringent measures to discipline the erring students. Though the university has devised a full–fledged system to check student unruliness, little adherence has left the education system in poor light. The organising secretary of the ABVP, Bihari Lal Sharma, while regretting this prevailing trend says, “Our organisation has always stressed the need for more than 75 per cent attendance but this issue has not been addressed properly due to lack of coordination between university authorities and student organisations.” He said the university norms remained only on paper, adding that student organisations could create a congenial academic atmosphere if they were taken into confidence by the authorities concerned.
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Workshop on information skills Punjabi
University, Patiala, and Unesco jointly organised a five-day workshop on ‘Information Skills for Learning’ at the Department of Library and Information Science, Punjabi University, from October 3 to 7. The first workshop of this kind was held in Colombo, Sri Lanka, last year. The workshop raised the visibility of information literacy. A wide range of issues ranging from information literacy policies to collaboration between teachers and librarians was discussed. As India has set up a knowledge commission at the national level, the recommendations and resolutions of the workshop have considerable As many as 11 resolutions were passed at the workshop, which was inaugurated by Lt-Gen S. F. Rodrigues , Governor, Punjab, and Chancellor, Punjabi University. Mr Russell Bowden represented the IFLA and Mrs Suzanne Ornager represented Unesco. Fifty delegates from India and abroad attended the workshop.
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Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar 100 per cent placement: All six students of B.Tech (Sugar Technology) of the 2006 batch of Guru Nanak Dev University have been selected through campus placements by Diftech Technologies, New Delhi. The company conducted campus interviews and selected five students as Technical Officer (Trainee). The selected students are Gurmeen Pal Singh, Khushnaseeb Singh, Jaspreet Singh, Jaspal Singh and Varun Kumar Gupta. The sixth student, Surinder Kumar Saini, has been placed in Picadely Sugar Mills. Dr Harkamal Jit Singh, Head Department of Applied Chemical Sciences and Technology, claimed that due to cent percent placements the university was able to attract good students from all over the country. Himachal Pradseh University, Shimla
Centre approves Rs 10 crore for development: As per the announcement made by the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, during his recent visit to the state, a sum of Rs 10 crore has been approved by the Centre for infrastructure development at Himachal Pradseh University (HPU). Dr Manmohan Singh had announced that a sum of Rs 20 crores would be given for infrastructure development for the three universities at Shimla, Palampur and Nauni (Solan). The authorities plan to undertake a lot of expansion plans with this amount. The detailed proposal has already been sent to the Centre, which will release the money. As per this proposal, a sum of Rs 2 crore each would be spent on the development of the Regional Centre, Dharamsala, construction of a multi-faculty building, examination wing and indoor gymnasium on the campus here. A sum of Rs 1 crore each has been earmarked for the construction of the Vice-Chancellor’s Office and developing parking facility. by Sanjay Bumbroo and Pratibha Chauhan.
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Armed Force Indian Army, Addl Directorate General Remount Veterinary, QMG’s Branch, Army Headquarters, West Block-3, RK Puram, New Delhi 110066 Remount Veterinary Corps (SSC) Eligibility: Males, BVSc / BVSc & AH or equiv degree. NCC ‘C’ certificate with ‘A’ or ‘B’ grading desirable. Age: 21-32 years. Selection: SSB Interview Application Form: Send in prescribed format with required documents to above address by 10 October 2005. Superscribe in red ink "Application for Short Service Commission in RVC" on envelope. Details: Employment News (1-7 October). Application Deadline: 25 October 2005 Art
& Design
National Institute of Design, (NID), Paldi, Ahmedabad
380007 A) Graduate Diploma Programme in Design (4-year) B) PG Diploma in Design (2-2½-year) Selection: Admission Test: 8
January 2006 (For GDPD) / 7 January 2006 (For PGDPD) Application
Form: Available at select branches of Bank of India on payment
of Rs 850/- (+ Rs 30/- bank charges) from 10 October to 21 November
2005. Eligibility & Details: Website Application
Deadline: 30 November 2005 Biological
Sciences
Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Vidya Vihar,
Raebareli Road, Lucknow 226025 (UP) MSc Biotechnology (2-year, FT) Eligibility:
BSc Degree (50%). Selection: Entrance Test:
30 October. Application Form: Send Rs 300/- by
crossed DD favouring "Finance Officer, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar
University," payable at Lucknow with stamped (Rs. 62/-)
self-addressed envelope (10 x 2 inch) to the Admission Cell at above
address. Details: Website Application Deadline: 25
October 2005 Engineering
IIT – Kanpur, Kanpur 208016 (UP) MTech: Materials &
Metallurgical Engineering, Nuclear Engineering & Technology Application Form: Send request for
application to the Assistant Registrar (Academic) with stamped (Rs.
25/-) self-addressed cloth-lined envelope (23 cm x 17 cm) to above
address by November 5. Mention name of programme on the envelope. Or
download from the website or apply online. Details: Website. Application
Deadline: 10 November 2005 Indian Institute of Science (IISc),
Bangalore 560012 (Kar) Research (Mid-year MSc Engineering &
PhD) Details: Website. Application Deadline: 28
October 2005 IT
Symbiosis Centre for Information Technology (SCIT),
Plot 15, Rajiv Gandhi Infotech Park, Hinjawadi, Pune 411057 (Mah) Master’s Programme in
Information Technology (2-year, FT) Eligibility:
Bachelor’s Degree (50%). Selection: SNAP Test 2005
scores (Register online) Application Form: Send Rs
1000/- by crossed DD favouring "Symbiosis Centre for Information
Technology" payable at Pune with 2 self-addressed stickers
mentioning address, telephone number & e-mail id. Details:
Website. DOEACC Society, Electronics Niketan, 6, CGO Complex,
New Delhi 110003 DOEACC ‘O’/ ‘A’/ ‘B’/ ‘C’
Level Theory Exams (January 2006) 6th Practical Exams (February
2006) Application Form: Send Rs. 25/- per form by DD
favouring "DOEACC" payable at New Delhi to DOEACC Society
with written request mentioning Level and address by 20 October.
Superscribe "Request for Examination Form" on envelope. Details:
Website Application Deadline: 31 October
2005 Languages
Central Institute of English & Foreign
Languages (CIEFL), Hyderabad 500007 (AP) PG Certificate in Teaching of English (December
05-November 06) Eligibility: MA in English Application
Form: Send Rs 300/- by crossed DD favouring "Registrar,
CIEFL, Hyderabad-500007" payable at Hyderabad to Chairperson,
Centre for English Studies, School of Distance Education at above
address by December 15 or download from website. Application
Deadline: 31 December 2005 Centre for French &
Francophone Studies, Central Institute of English & Foreign
Languages, Hyderabad 500007 (AP) French e-Master (MA + MPhil) Online (Distance)
Programme (3-year) Eligibility: Bachelor’s
Degree with French as elective / second language/ proficiency in
French equivalent to a 2-year diploma level course (min 300 hours) Selection:
Written Test at Hyderabad and Lucknow Campus & Viva Voce
Test Application Form: Send Rs 300/- by DD
favouring "Registrar, CIEFL, Hyderabad" payable at Hyderabad
to Dean, School of Foreign Languages at above address or download from
website. Superscribe "French e-Master Programme-Request for
Application" on envelope. Application Deadline: 21
October 2005 Management
National Institute of Industrial
Engineering (NITIE), Vihar Lake, PO NITIE, Mumbai 400087 1) PG Diploma in Industrial Management Eligibility:
BE / BTech (any Branch, 1st Div) with valid CAT score Selection:
CAT 2005 Scores, GD & Interview: 7-10 March 2005 Application
Form: Send Rs 1000/- by DD favouring "NITIE, Mumbai"
payable at SBI, Vihar Lake, Mumbai-400087 with 4 self-addressed
stickers (7.5 cm x 3.5 cm) to the Deputy Registrar (Academic) at above
address or download from website. Details: Employment
News (1-7 October)/ Website. Application Deadline: 18
November 2005 Faculty of Management Studies, University of
Delhi, Delhi 110007 1) MBA (Management of Services) (2-year, FT) Elig: Bachelor’s
Degree in Arts / Commerce / Social Science (50%); Sciences (55%);
Maths / Stats (60%); Medicine / Engineering / Technology (60%) CGPA
6.00 on scale of 10.00 OR Master’s Degree/ 2nd Degree (60%). Age:
20 years (on 1 Oct ‘06). Selection: Admission Test:
14 January 2006 (For 1) / 15 January 2006 (For 2) Application
Form: Send Rs 575/- by DD favouring "Registrar,
University of Delhi" payable at State Bank of India, Service
Branch (Code No 7687) to the Administrative Officer at the above
address or download from website. Application Deadline: 28
November 2005 IIT, Bombay, Shailesh J. Mehta School of
Management, Powai, Mumbai 400076 (Mah) 1) Master of Management Programme (2-year,
FT) 2) PhD (Mgmt) Eligibility: For 1: BE
(1st Div)/ PG Degree in Science (1st Div). Selection: For
1: JMET 2006 (11 December ‘05), GD/ PI (February 2006). Application
Form: Download from the website from 20 December 2005 Application
Deadline: 23 January 2006 Symbiosis Institute of
Business Management (SIBM), Senapati Bapat Rd, Pune 411004 (Mah) MBA (Marketing / Finance / HR / Operations
Management) 2-year, FT Selection: SNAP
2005 Application Form: Send Rs 1300/- by DD favouring
"Director, Symbiosis Institute of Business Management"
payable at Pune to the above address. Details:
Website. Application Deadline: 6 January 2006.
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