Shimla, July 12
The Himachal Pradesh High Court has directed Himachal Pradesh University to rework the answer sheets of the Combined Pre-Medical Test for admission to the MBBS and BDS courses in the state for the academic year 2011-12 on the basis of a new answer key and publish the same at the earliest.

Passing this order, a Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Kurian Joseph and Justice VK Sharma showed displeasure over the working of the university with regard to the conduct of examinations. However, it refrained from passing any observation against it as it was brought to its notice that the “all-India examination pattern” was expected to be implemented from next year.

The court passed the order on writ petitions filed by candidates who took the CPMT.

The CPMT prospectus had provided for the publication of “key answers” and also an opportunity to the candidates to submit their objections, which were scrutinised by an appropriate body in the university. Some candidates had objected that certain questions were out of syllabus, multiple answers were possible for certain questions and certain questions were wrong.

The petitioners approached the High Court in view of the alleged wrong stand taken by the university on some of the issues. All disputes were referred to a special moderation committee comprising experts. On the basis of the report of the committee, the court decided that question Nos. 148, 157, 160, 176, 188 and 194 are covered by the syllabus as prescribed by the HP Board of School Education, Dharamsala. Also, those candidates who answered either ‘B’ or ‘C’ option for question No. 35 and ‘A’ or ‘D’ for question No. 62 and ‘A’ or ‘B’ for question No. 124 shall be given credit as both answers were possible. There is no change for question Nos. 117, 176 and 196. The candidates who answered question No. 139 and question No. 144 with option ‘D’ shall also be given credit as it is the only answer for the questions. Also Question No. 147 has been deleted as all options for the question were wrong.

Shimla, July 12
Although Himachal has remained unaffected by the Cabinet reshuffle at the Centre, the retention of Virbhadra Singh in the ministry has left his detractors disappointed.There were many who believed that the veteran leader might not survive the second reshuffle.

The aggressive postures adopted by the veteran leader and the manner in which he has been moving around in the state, taking on not only the Dhumal government but even the state Congress leadership, only strengthened this impression. All his actions in recent months sent a clear message that he was keen on returning to the state politics and gearing up for it. He has been giving sleepless nights to some state leaders.

However, the Congress high command has acted on expected lines and left the state untouched keeping in view the fact that the Assembly poll is drawing closer. Dropping a leader of Virbhadra Singh’s stature would have sent wrong signals and widened the factional divide. Moreover, Pradesh Congress Committee chief Kaul Singh and Leader of the Opposition Vidya Stokes were also in favour of retaining Virbhadra Singh in the ministry and they have conveyed their views to those who matter in the high command.

The additional charge of the Textile Ministry to Commerce and Industries Minister Anand Sharma has further raised his stature. It is also indicative of his performance as a minister and his growing clout in both the party and the government. His supporters are upbeat and senior leaders right from Kaul Singh down to lower-rung party functionaries have hailed the additional responsibilities assigned to him by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

With Virbhadra Singh to stay put at Delhi, rival leaders in the state can breathe easy. The five-time Chief Minister has been a fighter to the core and a great survivor. It remains to be seen if he continues in the same aggressive vein and makes frequent visits to the state or takes things easy, at least for now.

Ganesh Dut

The low yield and lack of initiative among local tea farmers was primararily responsible for the low production of Kangra tea, according to experts. Presently the average yield of tea in Kangra is 230 kg per hectare. However, at the country level, the average yield of tea is 1,800 kg per hectare.

Hamirpur, July 12
The selection process of about 250 trained graduate teachers (TGTs), being conducted by the Himachal Pradesh State Service Selection Board (HPSSSB), Hamirpur, which had been hanging fire for almost a decade, is finally set to be completed as all hurdles have been cleared for holding their interviews next month.

Though the candidates had qualified the written test for posts of TGT in 2002, their final selection was delayed for almost a decade.

The process to recruit about 550 TGTs in arts and non-medical subjects was started during the last tenure of the BJP government in 2001.

While written tests and interviews of the candidates in the non-medical stream were conducted, in the case of arts candidates, only written tests were conducted.

With a change in the regime in the state in 2003, the selection process came under the scanner of the Vigilance Department as the then Chairman of the HPSSSB, SM Katwal, was booked on charges of irregularities in the selection of teachers. A case was also filed in court.

Since all files pertaining to selection of the TGTs were also attached with this case, the selection process of the TGTs came to a halt.

Later, the affected candidates approached the high court, which directed the HPSSSB to complete the selection process and asked the government to appoint them in the Education Department last year.

After these directions, the HPSSSB had released a selection list of about 300 candidates in the non- medical stream as their interviews had already been conducted.

However, in case of arts TGTs, the selection was delayed as their interviews had not been conducted then.

The Chairman of the HPSSSB, Dr JK Chauhan, said, “The record pertaining to the written test of 250 TGTs in the arts stream has been released by the high court and their interviews will be conducted next month.”

Nurpur, July 12
Following a complaint of Raat Rani of Jassur, the local police arrested Pradeep Kumar and his son Sumit for allegedly thrashing and outraging her modesty on Monday evening. According to DSP Rajinder Jaswal, the complainant has alleged that the accused was an old tenant of her shop and had not paid rent for the past three months.

On Monday when she was on her evening walk, the duo suddenly came and thrashed her and dragged her to a corner where they allegedly outraged her modesty. After the victim’s medical examination, a case has been registered against the accused. — OC

Dharamsala, July 12
The BJP has flayed the statement of Congress spokesperson Kuldeep Rathore seeking details of Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal’s properties.BJP spokesperson and vice-president of HIMUDA Ganesh Dutt, while addressing a press conference here today, said the statement of the Congress was illogical.

He said every person who contested the election had to file return regarding his assets just before contesting. The Chief Minister had also filed the affidavit regarding his assets before contesting elections. The affidavit is also available on the Election Commission website.

If the Congress has any doubts regarding the assets of the Chief Minister, it can go the website of the Election Commission and check the affidavit. Congress leaders were just trying to divert the attention of Himachal residents from the injustice done by the Congress-led UPA government at the Centre by levelling such baseless allegations, he said. — TNS

Mandi, July 12
Teachers and students have resented the “rationalisation of subjects” in senior secondary schools and have described it as a violation of the Right to Education Act. They allege that students have been denied the right to choose the subjects of their choice as the Education Department is shifting 583 teachers mid-session and asking the students to choose subjects for which teachers were available in schools.

According to the teachers, the “rationalisation of subjects and teachers” in the 1,250 senior secondary schools in the state is denying the students a choice of subjects. They say the exercise is ill-timed as the current academic session is midway.

The president of the Lecturers Association, Dr Ashwani Sharma, and the state spokesperson, Dr Sachin Thakur, said the Education Department’s rationalisation move midway during the academic session would create chaos in the state.

They said the department was imposing is its will on the students as it was offering only four subjects, including Hindi, political science and history, in schools which had a strength of 50 students or less. The optional subject was IT while English was compulsory.

The department was offering science subjects, including maths, in schools which had a strength of 75 students. It was offering full subjects in schools which had a strength of 250 students, the teachers added.

“We oppose this move and if need be, we will resort to a statewide strike in schools”, he threatened.

Students are also up in arms and say they have been denied the right to choose the subjects of their choice.

Principal Secretary, Education, Srikant Baldi, however, claimed that they had kept the students’ interests in mind and were offering more choice of subjects in schools which had a higher strength.

Nurpur, July 12
Activists of the local unit of the Akhil Bhartiya Vidhyarthi Parishad (ABVP) sat on a 24-hour token hunger strike on the premises of Arya Government College here today in support of its demands. The agitating activists, led by unit president Rajiv Kumar, took out a rally and raised slogans to protest against commercialisation and privatisation of education in the state.

Later they sat on the hunger strike in the college campus with certain demands and problems on the college.

Their demands include setting up of an NCC wing, checking of entry of outsiders on the college campus, a water cooler in the science block, an HRTC counter on the college premises for preparing bus passes and starting of a computer laboratory forthwith. The ABVP had earlier launched a signature campaign and submitted a memorandum to the college principal on June 28. Six members of the ABVP sat on a token hunger strike.