Jalandhar, July 29
Put the blame on unqualified staff or mushrooming of colleges, the engineers in the making from the affiliated colleges of Punjab Technical University (PTU) are perhaps too bad in the core subject of mathematics. As many as 65 per cent students of B.Tech second semester have flunked in the subject this year.

The authorities concerned, it is learnt, planned to award five grace marks to each student, after which it was found that the pass percentage increased barely from 35 to 36 per cent. Computerised details showed that even a 10 per cent grace marks could not increase the pass percentage beyond 45, reflecting very poor score of most of the students where minimum passing marks are just 24 out of 60.

The officials then even called a meeting of the Board of Studies to delve into the issue and seek ramifications. The board members were even shown the question paper, the difficulty level of which they mentioned as below average. The subject experts were then distributed some copies of answer sheets, on which they commented that the marking had been appropriate.

The experts, it is being said, have suggested on holding workshops for subject teachers so that they could themselves grasp the basics well and explain the concepts to the students more clearly.

Unmindful of the norms laid down by the AICTE, many colleges have been recruiting under-qualified staff. The B.Tech pass faculty with a relatively below average result is readily available to work for a monthly salary of Rs 10,000 to Rs 12,000.

While the colleges have been following the practice of minimising their expenses, it is reflecting badly in the form of poor results. Such a practise is more common in newly setup colleges where the student strength is low and so is the viability.

To add to this, the university officials have never bothered to check the faculty qualification. The problem has aggravated ever since the number of colleges has increased. There are 82 engineering and 33 pharmacy colleges already and the number is bound to rise in a week’s time.

Controller of Examination Dr Nachhatar Singh confirmed poor result in mathematics. He said efforts were being made to conduct regular workshops and training sessions for the college teachers. Strict action against colleges for not having recruited qualified staff was also being proposed.

Jalandhar, July 29
Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) has adopted Cantonment Board Girls Secondary School, Jalandhar Cantonment, for teaching information and communication technology course free of cost. It is the first school to be adopted by the HPCL in this part of the country.

In collaboration with the National Institute of Information Technology (NIIT), the HPCL today launched a project, named “Unnati”, in the school after a brief ceremony. It has donated 10 computers to the school. After the completion of the course, the computers would be retained by the school.

Cantonment MLA Jagbir Singh Brar, who had impressed upon the HPCL to adopt the school, said the basic computer training, including Microsoft Word, Excel, Photoshop and Internet application, would be imparted to all school students free of cost for three to four months, the cost of which otherwise was Rs 5,000-6,000 per course package in professional institutes. Brar said the motive behind the selection of this particular school was to provide computer education on priority to girl students.

A.K. Gupta, Senior Regional General Manager, HPCL, said about 15 schools across the country had been adopted under the project.“Under the social corporate responsibility, HPCL donates hearing aids worth lakhs of rupees to deaf and dumb and also install reverse osmosis water purification system in villages. We were ready to invest in these streams also in the state. However, keeping in view the education of girl students, preference had been given to conduct a computer course for them,” said Gupta.

Ashim Tuli, Regional Head, NIIT, said that even the books would be provided free of cost to the students. He added that to overcome the language barrier, all such books would be provided in Hindi medium. He said that certificates would be provided to each student after the completion of the course.

Brar also distributed saplings for plantation in the school. “There is a need for maintaining a balance between the use of machine and environment. The best way is to do so is grow more trees,” said Brar.

Kapurthala, July 29
The residents here have been forced to live in hellish conditions during the rainy season owing to the stink emerging from dead animals and heaps of garbage, due to the indefinite strike by safai karamcharis.

They have been on indefinite strike since Monday, in protest against the failure of the district administration to provide proper land for dumping garbage.

The employees on strike did not lift garbage for the third consecutive day on Thursday.

They even locked the office of the municipal council and did not allow the MC EO and president to sit in their offices. They also held a dharna in front of the MC office and condemned the administration for its failure to select a site for them to dump garbage at.

The DC sent a letter to the MC president and EO in the evening regarding the availability of three acres of land to dump the garbage.

However, when SDM SK Singla, along with MC president Paramjit Singh, EO Gurvinder Kaur and the agitating employees, visited the site, they found that the approach road was full of pot holes and was submerged under rain water.

They decided to abandon the site and visited two other probable sites, at Alaudipur village and Kanjali road.

These two sites were reeled under the same problem - water logging.

Singla also held a meeting with agitating employees this evening and appealed to them to cooperate with the district administration in finding suitable land to dump garbage.

The MC EO even issued advertisements in newspapers for taking land on lease from land owners to solve the problem.

Meanwhile, the employees on strike have threatened to intensify their agitation.

Jalandhar, July 29
The economic slowdown may have been over but land prices are perhaps yet to recover, for the PUDA auction today did not yield a good response. Auction for 10 booths, under Optimum Utilisation of Vacant Government Land (OUVGL) scheme, and 24 residential plots was held but the urban authority could sell just one booth and two plots.

In fact, there were no takers for any of the eight booths near bus stand. There were two booths for auction in front of the Government Senior Secondary School, Ladowali Road, of which one got sold. While the reserve price was kept at Rs 38,200 per sq yard, it went for 65,000 per sq yard.

The reserve price for residential plots in the Bulandpur Enclave on Pathankot Road was kept at Rs 6,160 per sq yard but these went for 9,100 per sq yard. Parveen Kumar, Chief Administrator, JDA, attributed the low response to the market slump. Asked if the location was not suitable or the reserve price was too high, he replied, “I don’t think that should be the case.” — TNS

Jalandhar, July 29
A woman requires financial help of Rs 34 lakh for the treatment of a rare ailment. Hailing from Bhogpur village in Jalandhar, Aruna Sharma (39) is suffering from rare colorectal cancer.

Talking to The Tribune at Jalandhar during a recent visit, Rajesh said she required Rs 34 lakh to survive advanced colorectal cancer.

Ever since it was detected in March 2007, she has undergone four surgeries - first, intestinal obstruction, second for delivery of baby, followed by removal of fibroids (along with uterus) and the last one for moving out stoma from the body. Her husband Rajesh was in Moscow but has now left his job to attend to his wife and kids.

Dr. Kaushik J Joshi, cancer surgeon, specialist in colorectal (Cardinal Gracious Memorial Hospital, Vasai) based in Mumbai, referred Aruna to Dr Jan Schmidt (M.D., PhD, MME) from Heidelberg, Germany, who can successfully remove her tumour.

She has been recommended immediate surgery failing which she might pass away anytime.

Already having spent Rs 15-20 lakh on her treatment so far, the family is currently hard-pressed financially. The cost of the complete operation will be around 58,000 Euros (approx. Rs 34 lakh).

Rajesh Sharma can be contacted at his address - 111/53, Malbar Hill Road, Mulund Colony. Mumbai 400082. Rajesh may also be contacted at his mobile number (0) 9323125373 or his e-mail id rajeshangelika@yahoo.com.

Jalandhar, July 29
In a gruesome incident, three minor boys have been booked for sexually assaulting a mentally challenged minor girl. Though the crime took place four days ago, the FIR was registered only on Thursday as the parents of the victim had not made up their mind to lodge the complaint with the police, in this regard, earlier.

The police sources said the complainant, of the Basti Bawa Khel locality, stated in his complaint that his 14-year-old daughter disappeared under mysterious circumstances on Monday afternoon.

When the girl was recovered after several hours, he was stunned to know that she had been gang-raped by three minors, he added.

Initially, he decided not to report the matter to the police but eventually he lodged a complaint with the police. The police registered an FIR under sections 376 and 34 of IPC and nabbed two of the three accused, whereas the third is still at large.

Surprisingly, all the three accused are also minors, the police sources said, adding that the medical examination of the victim and the two nabbed accused was done at the local civil hospital.

Both the accused have been sent to the Borstal jail in Hoshiapur.

Jalandhar, July 29
Former MD of Central Cooperative Bank, Jalandhar, Baba Rajinder Singh Johal has demanded elaborate security for conducting free and fair elections for its seven directors scheduled to be held on August 6.

Alleging that several politicians belonging to the ruling SAD will try to rig the polls, Johal said it was the duty of the state government and district administration to ensure free and fair polls by deploying adequate police force.

Also president of Jalandhar DCC rural, Johal further alleged that some Akali workers snatched 31 forms for proxy votes from his friend Pal Singh AdeKali from the bank premises when they had gone to deposit them.

Johal said he along with a former Congress minister Gurwinder Singh Atwal and other Congressmen had also met Deputy Registrar Cooperative, who assured them to lodge an FIR in this regard. However the FIR could not be registered at the behest of Akali leaders, he added.

A former sarpanch Pal Singh AdeKali is contesting elections from nine number zone. Johal said July 28 was the last date for filing nominations and for submitting forms for proxy votes.

Johal demanded that some more time should be provided to submit these forms keeping in view that 31 such forms had been snatched from the bank premises.

Jalandhar, July 29
The prices of vegetables rose considerably this week. Except for onion and tomato, prices of other vegetables saw a significant increase in their prices even this week.

The prices of peas and lemon witnessed an increase of Rs 20 per kg this week. Peas and lemon are being sold at Rs 80 and Rs 60 per kg this week against Rs 60 and Rs 40 per kg, respectively, last week.

Cauliflower also witnessed an increase of Rs 10 per kg this week and being sold at Rs 40 per kg.

On the other side, the prices of onion and tomato remained nearly same as that of the last week. Onion and tomato remained at Rs 14 and Rs 45 per kg, respectively, this week.

The prices of tinda, garlic, bitter gourd, lady’s-finger and capsicum remained same as that of the last week.

Jalandhar, July 29
The students of Innocent Hearts School participated in 13 National Wuko and Karate Championship and swept the field. Virsa Vihar Randhir College was the venue where as many as 450 students participated from five states. The instructor Harpreet Singh Randhawa gave his able guidance and 15 out of 26 have been awarded medals.