Jalandhar, April 8
The recent decision of the Punjab School Education Board (PSEB) to include Hindi as a compulsory subject at the matriculation level has received a warm response from the academicians as they feel that the move was need of the hour. However the students were not much aware of the decision.

From this academic session the students will study nine subjects as compared to eight subjects, which was based on the lines of Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), Delhi.

The students in Class X would now study English, Hindi, Punjabi, mathematics, science, computer science, physical education, drawing and social studies.

It might be noted that this decision was taken by PSEB chairman Dr Dalbir Singh Dhillon recently on the directions of Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal.

Hailing this initiative, Santosh Kumari, a Hindi teacher from the local Government High School, Rainak Bazaar, said the move was aimed at making the students competitive enough to face the rising market demands. “Hindi is our national language. If other states like Delhi and Haryana can opt for Punjabi as a language then why not Hindi in Punjab? This initiative would go a long way in equipping students with maximum options of working in other states,” she stated.

Further on being asked about additional burden on the students, she said there would be no such performance pressure on students as Hindi is fairly a scoring subject. The students apparently expressed ignorance about this issue. “We are not aware of any such change but no doubt Hindi is an interesting subject”, said a student.

“Hindi is our mother tongue so why this fuss over it being a compulsory subject at the matriculation level? If students can prefer to learn languages like French and Russian, then why not Hindi? It is our foremost duty to promote Hindi as the national language”, said Kulwinder Kaur, another Hindi teacher from a government school.

However, the district authorities are yet to receive any formal direction in this regard. District Education Officer (Secondary) Joginder Dass said they had not received any official instruction in this regard. “The board has taken the decision considering the importance of Hindi in the era of rapid globalisation. The move will enable our students to explore vast career opportunities across the country”, he added.

Jalandhar, April 8
Punjab Technical University is planning to improve the examination system of the Distance Education Programme (DEP).

Dr N.P. Singh, Dean, DEP, said there were plans to set up technology centres in all examination centres so that the question papers could be delivered through web without any human intervention. He said there were also plans to provide different question papers to students sitting in one examination hall.

The PTU authorities are perhaps mulling the idea as there have been reports of leakage of question papers at the centres. The university has had to re-conduct examinations several times.

The university, it is learnt, is in the process of preparing for accreditation of the DEP programmes. Efforts are being made to enhance the quality of learning materials.

In another step, a joint committee of the UGC-AICTE-DEC has accorded approval for all programmes offered through distance education mode for three years. The MHRD had formed the committee some time back, making it mandatory for all the universities to submit fresh applications for approval of open and distance learning programmes.

Meanwhile, in a press note released by PTU Registrar H.S. Bains yesterday it has been stated that any applicant for any purpose, including admission and jobs, on the campus or its affiliated colleges will not be asked to submit an affidavit with any form. He said the orders had come from the Personnel Department of the state government on the recommendation of the Punjab State Governance Improvement Commission.

Jalandhar, April 8
Laxity on the part of the state government and Municipal Corporation officials has deprived the poor of a housing scheme under a Centre-sponsored scheme.

It has been more than three years since the scheme was launched and a grant to the tune of Rs 42.2 crore approved by the Centre for the construction of pucca houses for 2,300 slum dwellers under an Integrated Housing Slum Development Scheme, but the grant remains not utilised even still.

While most other states, including Andhra Pardesh and Haryana, have already utilised the grant, the local MC has yet not even been able to finalise the modalities for the same. Despite the fact that the project was launched by Local Bodies Minister Manoranjan Kalia in February last year and tenders called several times, there has been one obstacle or the other in the implementation of the project.

The contract was even finalised at one stage, but the District Congress Committee cried foul claiming that the bidder was favoured. Later, there were no bidders and the cost of construction escalated. Finally, it was decided that the beneficiaries would themselves get the work done in parts, get pictures clicked as a proof and avail themselves of the grant in four instalments.

The project has now got stuck up on another issue. The beneficiaries have been asked to submit papers along with the copies of registries of the land they have been occupying. Most councillors argue that there are very few slum dwellers who have got their land registered. Congress councillor Surinder Kaur rued, “I do not think anyone in my area will be able to reap the benefit. The government needs to rethink on the matter.”

SAD councillor Narinder Kaur, too, said, “The residents of Navi Abadi Jallowal in my ward were declared beneficiaries under the scheme. Now they have started asking for registries, but there are very few who have it. We have been pressing the officials to look for a way out.”

The SE (B&R), Kulwinder Singh, agreed that there were just 500 beneficiaries left who have complete documents. “We are urging the state government to allow us to accept water supply bills or power bills or any other proof which could suggest that the beneficiaries have been occupying the land for the past at least 25 years,” he said.

The 11 of the 22 slums that are to be covered in the first phase include those in Kot Sadiq, Gurbachan Nagar, Khurla Kingra, Arjun Nagar, Navi Abadi Santokhpura, Qazi Mandi, Basti Peer Dad, Abadi Jallowali, Neevan Avtar Nagar, Sabowal and Santoshi Nagar. The scheme envisages construction of pucca houses with kitchens, toilets, sewerage, roads and streetlight system.

Though it also has provision for community infrastructure such as provision of child and primary healthcare centres, immunisation centres and community centres for pre-school education, non-formal education, adult education and recreational activities, but no such elaborate planning has ever been done.

Jalandhar, April 8
The local chain of DIPS institutions have launched a novel scheme, nick-named ‘Udaan’, to provide free education to the children of underprivileged sections of society under the Right to Education Act which has been recently enshrined in Constitution through a legislation passed by Parliament by Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh.

A seminar to this end was held in the DIPS Public School, Urban Estate Phase-1, on April 6. The seminar was attended by G.B. Singh, Chairman of the “Chain of DIPS Institutions”, Monica Mandotra, CEO, Director T.K. Raina and Controller Academics Gulshan Gakhar.

Kapurthala, April 8
The Mahatma Gandhi State Institute of Public Administration, District Training Centre, held a workshop on one rank, one pension here yesterday.

Major-Gen Satbir Singh (retd) was the key speaker on this occasion. He highlighted the anomalies and rectifications of the one rank, one pension and explained how the Sixth Pay Commission had reduced the difference between the pensions of the previous officers, JCOs and jawans and those of the present times.

However, the one rank, one pension scheme was yet to be implemented in letter and spirit, he said. “Discussions are on with the state government to implement it at the earliest,” he added.

Deputy Commissioner Raj Kamal Chaudhary inaugurated the workshop. Earlier an open interaction session was also held in which queries of ex-servicemen were answered.

Jalandhar, April 8
The ongoing fast unto death by the members of Schedule Caste Employees Joint Action Committee, Punjab, against the “flawed” seniority list of principals in the state today entered the third day.

A group of four Schedule Caste lecturers are sitting on fast unto death since April 5 at the District Administrative Complex.

Gyan Sultanpuri of the committee said the SC teachers are bearing the brunt of the objectionable seniority list of principals released by the state education authorities.

“The authorities concerned are also planning to conduct another DPC on April 15. In case this DPC takes place, it would lead to a major loss to the SC lecturers who have a minimum work experience of 25 years,” he added. He said it was due to the wrong seniority list that junior lecturers with a work experience of hardly 10 to 12 years have been promoted as principals in the government schools while we were left in the lurch.

The committee has decided to intensify their stir in case the government authorities did not take any remedial measures to address the demands of the protesting lecturers in the state.

“We would launch a statewide protest and boycott all functioning in case the authorities failed to address our genuine grievances”, he maintained.