Aarushi Singla: For this daughter of a PWD engineer and a government school principal, nothing was much bigger than getting admitted to a medical college. The dream has come true for Aarushi, who was an avid tennis player until class X, following which she bid adieu to the sports as a price for today’s success. “Life comes with a choice and for me getting into a medical college was more important than anything else. So it took priority and I put in all my efforts and passion into it,” she said. But Aarushi refused to be termed as a bookworm claiming that she is a big movie buff. “I ensure that I see every new flick in the first week of its release,” she added with a smile.

Akhil Monga: Having grown up seeing three doctors in the house - parents and a sister, Akhil could have never dreamt of anything other than having Dr prefixed to his name. Akhil, who was a national-level skater until class VIII, replaced his skates with imposing reference books to reach his ultimate goal. “My sister who made it to the Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC) was my inspiration. It was during her studies that I got to know how difficult things are and I just pulled my socks and gave my 100 per cent to it,” says Akhil.

Anupam Gupta: Right from his young age, Anupam’s favourite toy was a stethoscope. With two doctors at home, Anupam was a witness to a constant spate of gratitude, which his parents received from their patients. “The hope which a doctor invokes in anybody was the greatest pulling force. I am not a hard worker and love to spend my weekends watching movies. But even so, I never lost track of my goals and have hit it now,” says Anupam, who considers focused approach as his key to success.

Prashant Verma: A resident of Ludhiana and a student of Moga, Prashant insists on being counted in the tricity’s roll of honour because it is Chandigarh that has made him realise the dream. “I have taken all my coaching here and it is because of this that I am successful. I had opted to come here to be a part of bigger competition which would eventually help me,” says Prashant. On being questioned about the force that helped him to manage his “three city” status, Prashant claims to be passionate about his goal and a keen sense of competition.

Bhanu Malhotra: Bhanu sets herself apart from all other toppers by expressing her love for siesta. The girl, who credits her success to a few hours of smart and focused study, claims to be spending her entire day at home. “Many people in our locality will not even recognise me because except for school and coaching I am confined to my home and sleep as many hours as possible. At any given time, my siesta is more important than movies or sports. My parents would often call me the sleeping doctor,” she says.

Vidur Bansal: A passionate cricketer, Vidur Bansal is quite happy at his performance, as he considers it to be a “perfect sweep”. “I can’t explain my feelings. But I can understand how it feels when you see your name on the list of successful candidates,” he exclaims. 

Chandigarh, May 24
About 28 members of the Panjab University teaching faculty have been evaluated as the “worst teachers” in the varsity in a report compiled by the PU Campus Students Council based on a survey it had conducted. The shortlisted teachers have been marked “fail” on all five stipulated parameters by over 51 per cent of students in the relevant class.

More than 8,000 students on the campus participated in this evaluation survey in which teachers were judged on their punctuality, behaviour, ‘concept knowledge’, encouragement to students and communication skills on feedback forms.

In its report the council stated these teachers not only “lacked knowledge about their subject” but also failed to provide any motivation to students.

The teachers in question are primarily from the law, geology, chemical engineering and hotel management departments as well as the University Institute of Engineering & Technology, says the report.

Meanwhile, the departments in which students did not give any negative feedback include Punjabi, history, English and public-administration and the University Business School and University Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences.

Students council president Amit Bhatia said from next year more students would participate in such surveys and evaluation of teachers would now be an annual affair now. The council did not fail to point out that while PU professors are paid Rs 80,000, readers Rs 55,000 to 60,000 and lecturers Rs 35,000 to 40,000, many of them do not teach for even the number of hours stipulated by the University Grants Commission.

“Earlier the complaints were verbal, now a systematic record of all these teachers would be maintained and will be evaluated at regular intervals,” Bhatia added.

The council is gearing up to submit the report to the PU vice chancellor along with a letter urging him to issue warning letters to these teachers. “The VC will be requested to either issue warning letters to these teachers or provide some ‘moral lessons’ so that students don’t suffer again next year,” said Bhatia.

Chandigarh, May 24
Four months after demitting office as Punjab governor-cum-UT administrator, Gen (retd) Sunith Francis Rodrigues today broke his silence on the city’s controversial ‘mega projects’, blaming what he called “vested interests” for derailing them. The projects, he noted, were aimed at generating jobs for the masses as well as funding the administration’s ambitious plans for welfare of the underprivileged.

“Vested interests derailed these projects for their own motives and benefits. Every rule and procedure was followed and decisions arrived at after proper consultations and this is on record. We acted within the powers mandated by the Indian constitition while clearing the projects,” Rodrigues told The Tribune over phone from his home in Goa today.

On the ongoing CBI inquiry into two projects - Multimedia-cum-Film City and Theme-cum-Amusement Park, he termed it as “pressure tactics” and “harassment” of officials connected with the projects.

Rodrigues, whose tenure kicked up a major storm in the backdrop of alleged irregularities in the allotment of land for the mega projects, claimed that even the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) had only expressed “procedural doubts” regarding the clearance of these projects

l Reacting to media coverage on the mega projects spearheaded by The Tribune, the home affairs ministry ordered a probe by the CVC. Following the latter’s recommendations a CBI inquiry into two of the projects--the Theme-cum-Amusement Park and Multimedia-cum-Film City - is currently in progress

l Rodrigues and local MP Pawan K Bansal, who is also union minister for parliamentary affairs & water resources, did not see eye to eye on the projects

l Rodrigues and UT advisor Pradip Mehra were engaged in a bitter slugfest over the projects with the latter pointing an accusing finger at the former’s model of the Medicity. Similarly, he had recommended a probe by a central agency into Film City

l In the wake of controversies surrounding the mega projects, the administration has scrapped the Amusement Park and Film City.

Mohali, May 24
A populist decision by the Punjab School Education Board to give a special chance to students who got compartment in the middle standard exams has boomeranged.

As many as 5,500 students, who were waiting to be promoted to Class X in the new academic session (2010-2011) after passing the Class IX exams have been demoted to middle standard, a year after the Badal government had directed board officials to give special chance to students in the backdrop of the 2009 parliamentary elections.

The board officials are in no mood to give a golden chance to the students whose career is at stake as from next year the board has already announced not to conduct the middle standard exams. Punjab board chairman Dalbir Singh Dhillon said the students had already been given a chance. Golden chances were rare, he said.

Soon after the 2009 elections, a delegation of Bathinda schools had prevailed upon the government to give a special chance to around 52,000 students who had failed in the 2009 middle standard exams.

“Earlier the rule was that students either passed or failed in the middle standard exams, but after declaring the result on May 11, 2009, the board again revised the gazette as students who had failed in two subjects got compartment and were given two chances (September 2009 and March 2010) to clear it,” a senior official in the board said.

Sources said since 52,000 students, who got compartment in the March 2010 middle standard exams, would also be availing the special chance, the 5,500 students could also be given a golden chance. The case for allowing the golden chance with a fee of Rs 1,000 was also forwarded to the board secretary for decision, but the board authorities decided not to give another chance.

The maximum numbers of compartment cases were in English and Maths.

Chandigarh, May 24
‘Once bitten, twice shy’ - that seems to be the attitude of the UT administration bureaucrats regarding new development schemes in the city in the aftermath of the debacle of the ‘mega projects’.

In fact, major projects appear to have become a hot potato for the UT bureaucracy for the past two years. During this period the contentious mega projects came under the scanner of various central government agencies in the wake alleged irregularities in allotment of land, adversely affecting city’s development.

Officials admitted the controversies surrounding the mega projects had taken a toll on Chandigarh’s development as they were now wary of initiating major projects. Since acquisition of land in Chandigarh has raised considerable controversy, particularly in the backdrop of the Punjab government paying handsome compensation in neighbouring Mohali, new land acquisition for major projects has virtually been put on hold, a senior official conceded.

Sources said only the old process of land acquisition was being carried forward for “routine” development works. “In the backdrop of the controversies surrounding the mega projects, initiating major projects is not without its hazards,” the officials stated.

In the last couple of years the modern terminal market is the only major project launched by the administration. In fact, that too is being opposed by union minister for parliamentary affairs & water resources Pawan K Bansal on the plea that the city should have four airconditioned markets instead of a single integrated modern terminal market.

Of the other major projects, the metro rail is still in the initial stages and there is as yet no proposal to acquire land for this project. In any case acquisition of land and funding the project, estimated to cost about Rs 15,000 crore, is going to be an uphill task for the administration.

Chandigarh, May 24
The maximum temperature soared to 43 degrees Celsius - the season's highest and the hottest day in May so far in the city today. However, the minimum temperature dipped to 27.2 degrees Celsius, almost five degrees less compared to 32 degrees recorded yesterday.

In May 1988, the city ad recorded the highest temperature of 46.5 degrees, the official said. Met officials said that most parts of Haryana and Punjab were experiencing above normal temperatures. While the highest temperature in Hisar was 47.4 degrees, Ludhiana in Punjab sizzled at 45.2 degrees. “The situation is not likely to change in the next couple of days as the sky would remain clear," said a Met official.

"Even though the day was slightly cloudy, it was impossible to spend more than a few minutes out in the open. The sun was extremely harsh and I had to cancel all my afternoon appointments," said Pradeep Verma, a resident of Sector 32.

With the mercury rising and the city residents preferring to stay indoors, the city also recorded a high demand for power during the day.

The Met office has forecast dust storm or thunderstorms with light rain in Haryana and Punjab during the next 24 hours.

Chandigarh, May 24
The tussle between the Chandigarh administration and the Municipal Corporation is likely to upset the household budget of a majority of city residents as the former has asked the latter not to hold apni mandi on the administration land.

As per the MC records, out of the nine apni mandis, eight are being held on the administration land. In a communication from the estate office recently, the MC has been asked not to use the administration land in various sectors on specific days for holding apni mandi. As the land in Sector 15 belongs to the MC, it will be able to hold apni mandi on it without any hitch, said sources.

When contacted, MC Additional Commissioner PK Sharma confirmed that they have received a letter from the administration for not holding apni mandi on its land. He said they had submitted a reply that the administration should allow holding of apni mandis in public interest. Even in today’s meeting of the apni mandi and day market committee, officials informed the committee members that they had not received any reply on the letter. Members asked the officials to send a reminder to the administration and impress upon it to revoke the decision. Commenting on the issue, some residents of Sector 22 said the decision to ban apni mandis would make a hole in their pockets one can get fresh vegetables and fruits from these mandis at reasonable rates as compared to the grain market of Sector 26.

Panchkula, May 24
High drama was witnessed at the Sector 6 General Hospital after a woman from Kurukshetra, who accused police of inaction in a rape case filed by her, allegedly consumed some poisonous substance outside the DGP’s office here today.

The police, however, took her to hospital. Her condition is stable now.

Earlier, a resident of Rohtak had tried to end her life by consuming some poisonous substance in front of the DGP’s office a few months ago.

The woman reached the Haryana Police headquarters in the morning and reportedly consumed some poisonous substance.

The emergency ward of the hospital where Darshana was kept was turned into a fortress as the police did not allow the media to enter the room to meet her till the filing of the report.

Haryana police spokesperson SAH Zaidi said the Kurukshetra police had registered a case of rape against Dilpukar of Panipat on March 5. The victim in her complaint had alleged that the accused had raped her on the intervening night of March 2-3. Later, the police handed over the investigation to the state crime branch on her request.

Zaidi said investigation was under progress and it was likely to be concluded soon. He denied that she had consumed poisonous substance and said she had fainted due to intense heat.

Police sources said during investigation by the crime branch it came to light that earlier she had filed a rape case against Iqbal and Saleem, brothers of Dilpukar, alleging that they raped her daughter, but later she and her daughter changed their statement and the court acquitted the accused.

The police alleged that she wanted Iqbal back and was trying to put pressure on his brother, Dilpukar, by filing a rape case against him. Investigation has revealed that Dilpukar, apprehending registration of a criminal case against him, had lodged a complaint on February 18 at the SP’s office in Panipat. Two weeks later, she filed a case against him in Kurukeshtra, the police added.

Mohali, May 24
With 40 per cent of the tube wells supplying water to residents having become non-functional due to falling water table and the Phase V and VI of the Kajauli waterworks still a distant dream, residents blame authorities concerned for failing to realize the urgency of augmenting water supply system in Mohali.

Out of the 71 tubewells, only 28 are working. Not a single tubewell is functioning in Phases II, III A, III B 2 and IV, as a result of which residents are facing water shortage. Officials of the Water Supply and Sanitation Wing said the demand of water in summer was 23 mgd (million gallons a day) against the availability of only 13.2 mgd. Mohali was getting only 10 mgd of water from Kajauli waterworks and the rest of it was acquired from tube wells.

In a bid to augment the water supply position in the town, the Water Supply and Sanitation Wing had requested the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA) to sink 10 tubewells in various parts of the town. Five were to be sunk by the Municipal Council. But the tube wells are expected to become operational by September 2010.

Funds to the tune of Rs 47 lakh to provide a hotline power connection to an under ground storage reservoir in Phase X - which faced problems due to power cuts or power failures as water could not be supplied at the required pressure to Phases IX to XI - are lying unused as the Punjab State Electricity Board has not provided the hotline.

A scheme to provide 20 mgd (million gallons a day) of canal water to Mohali through an independent line from Kajauli waterworks under Phase V to meet the requirement of the growing town was prepared by PUDA (now GMADA) but the project failed to make any headway. Meetings were held to discuss the matter over the years but the project was never placed on the priority list by the authorities concerned.

(Concluded)

Mohali, May 24
After filing police cases against the violators who have damaged eco-fragile Shivalik hills in Majri block, the Forest Department is targeting those who have raised illegal structures, including farmhouses in and around Naygaon, Nada and Tanda villages.

The Forest Department has identified around five violators, including a retired 
judge. The department will be filing cases against them in the Mohali court under the Punjab Land Preservation Act, the Indian Forest Act and the Forest 
Conservation Act.

Mohali, May 24
In a major boost to medical facilities in the region, the first renal transplant at Fortis Hospital, Mohali was successfully conducted on 33 -year -old Parveen Padam by a team led by Dr Arjinder Singh Bains, senior consultant, renal transplant and Dr Harinder Jit Singh Gill, senior consultant, nephrology.

Talking about the complications which the patient was already suffering from and which made the transplant even more difficult, Bains said, “Padam was admitted to Fortis with low hemoglobin and was then on multiple blood transfusion. Fortis had also diagnosed her with TB in January, 2010, and she had been undergoing treatment since then. ”

“It is important to understand that despite the legal aspects of undergoing a kidney transplant, there is no comparison between the advantage of a transplant as compared to a dialysis,” Gill added.

Chandigarh, May 24
The Ministry of Home Affairs has approved a proposal for the reservation for wards, dependents and spouses of all awardees of the President’s Police Medal for gallantry and police medals for gallantry for admission in various professional colleges functioning under the Chandigarh administration.

The reservation is under existing 5 per cent quota of the reservation to sons, daughters and spouses of military and paramilitary personnel.

The gallantry awardees of the Punjab cadre had urged the Chandigarh administration for making a provision of reservation of seats in admission to professional colleges in Chandigarh for their wards on the Punjab pattern.

The central government was urged that the representation of Gallantry awardees of the Punjab Police might be considered favourably and additional priority category-VIII might be added at the end of various categories already under ‘defence quota’ for admission to various professional colleges in Chandigarh. 

Panchkula, May 24
Government schools once again outperformed private schools in class XII exams the results of which were declared by the Haryana School Education board today.

According to sources, the government school pass aggregate is 92.96 per cent. As many as 1,857 students have passed out of the total of 2003 students who appeared in class XII exams in the district, whereas the private school pass aggregate was 92.37 per cent. The result of these schools last year was around 83 per cent.

The students of government schools have got top 10 positions in all the three streams, including commerce, arts and science. The government schools have also registered a significant improvement in the pass percentage with an overall aggregate of 92.71 per cent.

Girls have once again outshone boys, as they are on top in all streams not only in urban sector, but also in rural areas.

Students of Sarthak Government School, Sector 12, came out with flying colours, as they bagged first three positions in commerce and science stream.

Neha Sharma and Renu stood first in commerce and science streams with 88.2 and 90.4 per cent, respectively.

In arts stream, Deepika Dron of Government Senior Secondary School, Pinjore, topped the district with 85.6 per cent.

Karan Singh, deputy district education officer, Panchkula, said: “We were particular that teachers of governments followed the specific lesson plans which not only helped them to teach and revise syllabus systematically, but also helped the students to understand the subject properly.”

Out of seven government schools that registered 100 per cent results, five are from rural areas- Government Senior Secondary School, Badgodam, GSSS- Chiken, GSSS- Malla, GSSS- Saketri and GSSS- Bhareli. Sarthak GSSS, Sector 12-A and GSSS- Sector 7 are from the urban areas, which have shown 100 per cent results.

Chandigarh, May 24
While the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) may have time and again issued its “anti coaching” directives to the schools, city toppers and academicians consider the current syllabus pattern and teaching style “insufficient” for any competitive exam, including the boards own medical and all-India entrance.

Every year before the commencement of class XI session, the CBSE claims that its competitive exams will be based on the NCERT books and advices the students to stick to regular school classes rather than coaching centres. The schools are directed to ensure a certain minimum level of attendance for each student and even discourage any coaching being taken by them. The efforts though seem irrelevant given to the fact that private coaching has become an indispensable part of preparation for competitive exams.

“Though the papers are based on the topics of NCERT, the pattern of questions, etc., is way different. The school teachers in most of the cases teach us to ensure good boards’ score, which may boil down to mere mugging. The competitive exams, including CBSE PMT and AIEEE, have questions, which are meant to test your attitude,” says Aarushi Singla, who secured rank 6 in AIPMT.

“Questions in any exam are tricky and involve some basic technique to get the right answer. The way schools teach, one can only mug and vomit it in the school or board exams. For competition, you need to grill your mind and chisel your aptitude and coaching centres do that,” adds Bhanu Malhotra, who secured 48th rank in AIPMT.

The experts see fault in the teaching process as an official of the State Institute of Education says, “Instead of rolling out the directives, the CBSE should train the teachers. Most of them are teaching same old lessons for 15 years now and know nothing about the competitive exam pattern. Things stand worse in the government schools where completing the course is bliss. To discourage coaching, the CBSE needs to gear up its teachers to replace the coaching institute.” 

Chandigarh, May 24
Continuing its legacy of scoring the top positions in various competitive exams, Bal Niketan School, Sector 37, has another topper duo in the CBSE All-India Pre-Medical Test to its credit.

Aarushi Singla secured the sixth rank and Akhil Monga bagged 14th rank in the test. The school considers its academic strategy as the key reason for their success.

“We cannot overlook the importance of coaching and self study in competitive exams. To ensure that students get ample time to do so, we carve our timetable in a specific way.

We have our first five periods set for theoretic study, while the remaining hour and a half is devoted to practicals,” says Rajesh Kapoor, Director Bal Niketan.

The students conduct practicals in a group of about 14, thereby ensuring the remaining class to get free early.

Both Aarushi and Akhil consider this policy as one of the main reasons behind their success.

“Unlike many other schools which insist on mandatory attendance, our school allowed us to have offs and get free early.

The school’s key criteria was academic percentage and if we scored well in class they aided us by helping us to adjust our school time with coaching,” says Aarushi.