|
|
|
|
|
Thapar University changes terms mid-session, PhD students in a fix
Mystery shrouds ASI’s death
|
|
|
Kapurthala realtor shoots wife, 2 children, turns gun on himself
All
lost: Grieving mother of the realtor being consoled by a relative in Kapurthala on Wednesday. Tribune photo: Malkiat Singh
'Insult'
to Turban at airport
'Humiliated’ Cong MLA writes to CM
Another Congress ex-MLA all set to join Akali Dal
Sukhbir ducks queries on cable mafia
Mining ban by tribunal unlikely to affect state
Power corp official
charge-sheeted
Govt plans financial city in Mohali
PSU alleges bias against Punjabi, holds protest
Start recruitment in aided schools: Teachers to govt
SLIET HoD suspended
DIET teachers protest mass transfers
Jasbir Kaur (in pic) had dared to file a complaint against her in-laws for demanding dowry
No ‘B’ class facilities for acid attack convicts, HC told
Custodial
death
Minor kills brother over trifle in Batala
|
|
Thapar University changes terms mid-session, PhD students in a fix
Patiala, August 7 The university authorities have imposed this condition even on those students who got enrolled in PhD much before the rule was added to the academic regulations of the universities. No other university in the country has set up such tough guidelines for research scholars. The university has till date not included this condition in its prospectus, keeping students keen on applying for PhD in the dark. Around 580 research scholars are enrolled in the university. Notably, as per the guidelines of the University Grants Commission (UGC), a candidate should publish at least one research paper in a refereed/ISSN/reputed journal before the submission of the thesis and shall produce evidence for the same in the form of acceptance letter or the reprint of the paper. According to UGC rules, the guidelines set during the enrolment in a course will be followed throughout the course and cannot be changed midway but the Thapar University authorities have ignored this by changing the rules for all students. Students rued that the university was "frequently changing norms", which was against the UGC guidelines. A research scholar, who got enrolled in 2008, said he had completed his work a long time ago but since the university had now changed the rule for publishing the research work, he was in a fix. "When I got myself enrolled, there was no such condition. How can the university all of a sudden change the guidelines? The journals they are talking about are the most prestigious journals in the world. Most of our faculty members have also not been able to get their papers published in them. This is sheer harassment. Even if they want to apply this condition, they should first include it in their prospectus and then apply it on those who get themselves enrolled in future," he said. Another student said the Thapar University was among the most expensive universities in the country as far as the PhD fee was concerned and their arbitrary style of functioning was weighing heavily on scholars' pockets. She said, "They are not following UGC guidelines and setting tough rules for students to harass them. Getting a paper published in the SSCI or SCI journals is very difficult for a research scholar. This rule is not followed anywhere in India or abroad. We have often met Dean of Research Dr PK Bajpai in this regard but he is adamant about his stand." University director Dr KK Raina said, “The matter has come to my notice and I have directed the Dean Research to review the cases of students who were enrolled before the change in the regulations. Hopefully, we will soon reach at a consensus with students,” he said.
|
|||||
|
Mystery shrouds ASI’s death
Amritsar, August 7 The police official was recently transferred from Ludhiana to Amritsar and he was supposed to join his new posting today. In her complaint, Harjit alleged that Jaswinder, hailing from Patti in Tarn Taran, lived in a rented house near the spot from where the body was recovered. She alleged Jaswinder was dithering on returning the money. Prem Singh reportedly received a call on his cell phone yesterday afternoon, following which he left the house. But when he did not return in the evening, his family started searching for him. Repeated calls on his cell phone went unanswered while post-8 pm, his mobile phone stopped ringing, she said. The search ended with the recovery of the police official’s body from a vacant plot in the morning. Harjit alleged that Jaswinder may have poisoned her husband to death and later dumped the body. Station House Officer Sohan Singh said a case under Section 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code had been registered against Jaswinder. He said the exact reason would only be known after a post-mortem examination, which will be conducted tomorrow. The police said Prem Singh’s mobile phone, which was yet to be recovered, could prove crucial in the solving the mystery.
Looking for clues
|
|||||
|
Kapurthala realtor shoots wife, 2 children, turns gun on himself
Kapurthala, August 7 Thind, also a relative of former Akali minister Bibi Upinderjit Kaur, said when he reached Avtar’s house in about 10 minutes, the gate was locked from outside. “I scaled the wall. A side door of the house was open. I went inside and found all family members lying in a pool of blood. Avtar was lying down with his .12 rifle pointing towards his neck. I had already called up an ambulance, but to no avail,” he said. Surprisingly, Avtar did not call up his brother Manmohan Singh, who lives nearby.
Manmohan said Avtar was upset over the non-payment of Rs 1.5 crore by a client. “He had told me that the client had given him 10 cheques worth the value. But all had bounced. I am not aware about the details of the deal. But I did not know that he was so depressed and would take such a step”. Inderbir Singh, Senior Superintendent of Police, Kapurthala, claimed that it appeared that Avtar was under depression over his son’s ill-health. “A case has been registered against him for the murder of his wife and children. Another case of suicide has been registered at which the first one will be cancelled,” he added.
|
|||||
|
'Insult' to Turban at airport
Giddderbaha, August 7 Talking to the media on the second day of his Sangat Darshan in the Gidderbaha assembly segment, the Chief Minister said it was unfortunate that Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) president Manjit Singh GK had been asked to remove his turban during frisking at the international airport in Rome. “The removal of turban on the pretext of security check is an assault on the Sikh identity,” Badal said. He said he would take up the matter with the Prime Minister and the Foreign Affairs Minister. Badal accused his estranged nephew, PPP president Manpreet Singh Badal, of being a tool in the hands of the Congress. “By joining hands with the Congress, Manpreet has proved that he hardly has any ideological commitment,” Badal said. The Chief Minister honoured 122 Akali workers and their kin who were imprisoned during various Akali agitations. Protest in Delhi New Delhi: Angry with security officials at the Rome airport for asking DSGMC delegation members to remove their turban for a security check, a large number of Sikhs held a demonstration at Teen Murti Chowk here on Wednesday. — TNS What’s special about CM’s chair
|
|||||
|
|||||
|
'Humiliated’ Cong MLA writes to CM
Muktsar, August 7 “I was not invited at the Sangat Darshan in my constituency. When I went there to highlight the problems of area residents, the administration did not give me a chance to speak. The police even banned my entry to the villages where the Chief Minister was holding the programme. I have now asked the CM to give a date as per his convenience to visit my house to listen to the grievances of the public,” said Warring. Meanwhile, Warring accused Badal of changing the venue of today’s Sangat Darshan. He said: “I had announced to go to all villages to attend the CM’s programme, but the administration changed the venue to the Gidderbaha grain market”. He said at Buttar Bakhua village, where the CM was scheduled to come at 11 am, was converted into a police fortress because of the presence of a large number of Congress workers there. The administration said the venue was changed because of rain.
|
|||||
|
Another Congress ex-MLA all set to join Akali Dal
Ferozepur, August 7 Huge hoardings announcing the induction of Babbal, who has also remained a Parliamentary Secretary during the Capt Amarinder Singh-led Congress government, into the SAD have been erected at various locations in the town. With this, Babbal would be joining the long list of disgruntled Congress leaders who have switched over to the SAD in recent times. Babbal had joined the Congress as a youth worker in 1975 and was later elected as the District Youth Congress chief in 1983. He contested as an Independent from the Ferozepur assembly constituency in 1992 and got elected as an MLA, following which he was taken back into the party in 1996. He contested from the same seat on the Congress ticket in 1997, but lost with a narrow margin of 1,730 votes. In the next elections, Babbal wrested the seat from Akali stalwart Janmeja Singh Sekhon and went on to become the Parliamentary Secretary (Home). In 2007, he lost to Sekhon and was subsequently denied the party ticket in 2012.
|
|
Sukhbir ducks queries on cable mafia
Mohali/Ropar/Fatehgarh Sahib, Slamming Rahul Gandhi for his recent statement “Poverty is nothing but a state of mind”, Sukhbir said the Congress vice-president was allegedly oblivious of the ground situation. Sukhbir, who administered oath to the newly elected panchayat members in Mohali, Ropar and Fatehgarh Sahib, said it was surprising that leaders who had not even fought panchayat elections (referring to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh) were ruling the country. He said welfare policies were being framed from air-conditioned rooms in Delhi. The Deputy Chief Minister said while former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi gave the slogan of ‘Gareebi Hatao’ (eradicate poverty), her grandson Rahul was allegedly eager to remove the poor from the geographical map of the country. Criticising the Congress-led Union Government for allegedly stopping grants for various welfare schemes in Punjab, he claimed it was the SAD-BJP alliance that could feel the pulse of the people and framed policies accordingly. “India is suffering at every international front due to the weak policies of the UPA Government. As a result, even small countries like the Maldives have been challenging the might of our country. Then the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, the beheading of Indian soldiers and the latest killing of five Armymen by Pakistan are a few other instances,” he said. Sukhbir said he had already finalised a Rs 40,000 crore programme to link all cities in Punjab with four-six lane roads. He said the ‘atta dal’ scheme had been extended from 15 lakh to 30 lakh families. In Mohali, Sukhbir handed over a cheque of Rs 12 crore to Deputy Commissioner Tajinder Pal Singh Sidhu for developmental works in various villages of the district. "More funds would be provided for the purpose," he said. Rural Development and Panchayats Minister Surjit Singh Rakhra was among others present. In Ropar, the Deputy Chief Minister, who was accompanied by Health Minister MM Mittal, announced a grant of Rs 8 crore, Rs 5.5 crore and Rs 1.5 crore for various development programmes in Ropar, Anandpur Sahib and Chamkaur Sahib constituencies. He also announced a grant of Rs 5 crore for the Nangal Civil Hospital. Defends Majithia in mining row Sukhbir Badal came to the defence of his brother-in-law and Cabinet Minister Bikram Singh Majithia whose name is being dragged in a sand mining controversy in Kurukshetra. Sukhbir said it was an alleged attempt by the Congress-led Haryana Government to tarnish the image of the Akali government, which had rolled out major development initiatives.
|
||
|
Mining ban by tribunal unlikely to affect state
Chandigarh, August 7 The government is also looking at creating a sand warehouse and then retailing sand from a central location so as to keep a check on the prices of sand and gravel. This warehouse is likely to be set up in Ludhiana where the demand for sand is the highest at almost 35 per cent of the state's total requirement. The PWD is giving the final touches to a proposal in this regard. It is learnt that while in-stream riverbed mining for minor minerals (sand and aggregate) is already being done at two places- Parchian Biharipur in Ludhiana and Mund Dhilwan in Jalandhar-after the state government obtained environment clearance from the state environment impact assessment committee. The state government, which gave its approval for in-stream mining of riverbeds in June this year, is now looking at allowing in-stream mining at 140 sites across the state. Government sources said the proposal to allow in-stream mining was a desperate measure to bring down the rising prices of sand and gravel. The sites for allowing in-stream mining had been identified. Punjab has a huge canal network. The sites were identified by the Irrigation Department after mapped riverbeds across the state. In-stream mining would be carried out using specialised dredgers that can segregate sand from water. However, this too will be done only after an environmental clearance for the same has been obtained, paving the way for the auction of these sites. Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal claimed that besides creating more availability of sand through in-stream mining, the government proposed to create a warehouse for sand mined by the allotees in Ludhiana. “Rather than retailing the sand at the quarries, this will now be retailed from the warehouse where we can keep tabs on its price.This will be done as a pilot in Ludhiana, and depending on its success, we will implement it at other places,” he said yesterday. Prior attempts by the state government to cap the retail price of sand and gravel were challenged in the Punjab and Haryana High Court.The petitioners had argued that if they bid for the quarries at a high rate in an auction, the government cannot ask it to sell the mined material at a low price.
|
||
|
Power corp official
charge-sheeted
Jalandhar, August 7 Harassed, Nirmal Singh has submitted two affidavits to Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) chief KD Chaudhri. Nirmal Singh, was posted as Executive Engineer (XEN), Enforcement, Amritsar, from May 31 to December 20 last year. On September 11, he inspected the premises of Kanda Guest House owned by Akali leader Satnam Singh Kanda. In his affidavit, Nirmal Singh has said that of the three power meters installed at the guest house, one was found to be unauthorised. "While I was doing my job, I was contacted on the phone by the Deputy Chief Engineer Enforcement, Amritsar. He told me that no action was to be taken against Kanda. But I disregarded the instructions," he has said in the affidavit. Nirmal Singh has demanded an inquiry as to why no follow-up action was taken on the power theft case against Kanda Guest House. In his second affidavit, he has said that a check was conducted at Sohal Hotel in Amritsar between August 30 and 31, 2012, and a case of unauthorised use of electricity/theft was made out against the hotel owner. But at the behest of a former Akali minister, the matter had been brushed under the carpet. He has said that he had been first transferred to Sangrur only because he had dared to take action against a powerful Akali leader and later in July this year issued a charge sheet on "vague and flimsy grounds." Patiala: Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) chairman-cum-managing director KD Chaudhri today said that owing to widespread rain across the state, the demand for power supply had decreased and there was no power cut on any category of consumers. He said all units of thermal plants were functioning to capacity. "Regulatory measures shall only be imposed if an unprecedented rise in the demand is noticed,” Chaudhari said.
Inquiry on, says PSPCL chief
|
||
|
Govt plans financial city in Mohali
Chandigarh, August 7 Senior officials in the Housing Department told The Tribune that the idea to set up a financial city would revive the CBD project, which had failed to take off because of slowdown in the real estate sector. Since the services sector in the country was still growing, the government was keen to attract banks and other financial institutions to set up their regional/zonal offices here, which in turn would give wings to the CBD project, they said. The government has 250 acres of land for the project and the financial city project will be set up over 80 acres. “The proposal is to construct a commercial centre here and set up a financial district. We will approach various banks, financial institutions like LIC and private financial institutions to buy land in financial city and set up their zonal offices,” Chief Secretary Rakesh Singh told The Tribune. He said most of the nationalised and private banks in the region had their north zone offices in Chandigarh, and many of them were looking at expanding these offices. “Because of lack of space in Chandigarh, they have had to put on hold their plans. We can offer land to these institutions in Mohali,” he said. Rakesh Singh said the project to set up a financial district in Mohali would also help in strengthening the nascent knowledge economy of Punjab.
|
||
|
PSU alleges bias against Punjabi, holds protest
Patiala, August 7 Addressing the protesters, Punjab Students Union president Beant Singh said Delhi University had refused to include Punjabi as a compulsory subject and had discontinued the three-year honours course in Punjabi in its affiliated colleges. He said now, as per the new guidelines, Punjabi will be taught as a minor subject and that too from the second year of graduation. “This is unjust since there are many students in Delhi University who want to pursue their career in Punjabi or wanted to study Punjabi during their graduation and post graduation. How can the university stop teaching Punjabi, specially when a large number of Punjabis are studying there,” he said. Student activist Aman Deol said it was the moral responsibility of the Punjab Government to take up the matter with Delhi University and ensure that this decision was not implemented. “The state government, which claims to be making all efforts to take Punjabi in every nook and corner of the world, is sitting as a silent spectator to this decision. They should initiate talks with the university authorities and the Delhi and Central governments to resolve the matter,” she said.
|
||
|
Start recruitment in aided schools: Teachers to govt
Fatehgarh Sahib, August 7 They urged the Deputy Chief Minister to direct the Education Minister to start a fresh recruitment process in these schools, even if on the contract basis, and to allow the managing committees of these schools to fill the vacant posts from among the unaided staff working in these schools. They said these schools were set up under Section 25 of the Constitution for the cause of minority communities. They said there were 476 schools with around 4 lakh students and a majority of these schools were without principals, clerical staff, class four employees and specialised teachers. Members of the delegation said all the facilities in government schools to teachers and students should be provided in these schools, too. They said the Sarva Shikhsha Abhiyan should be implemented in aided schools also and the students should be given scholarships, cycles and uniforms.
|
|
Court rescues woman kept
in shackles
Faridkot, August 7 Jasbir Kaur was forcibly taken away from her parental home in Mehta village in Bathinda on August 2 by her husband and his brother and placed under "house arrest." This was done to prevent her from appearing in the court of Judicial Magistrate (Ist Class), Faridkot, on August 12. A resident of Wandar Doad village informed the court about the pitiable plight of the woman. The court appointed advocates Mandeep Chanana and Darshan Asha, volunteers of the District Legal Service Cell, as warrant officers and directed the police to help them rescue the woman. The warrant officers found Jasbir Kaur sitting on a cot with a chain around her ankles that was tied to a pillar. The victim's in-laws put up a strong resistance. More police personnel had to be summoned from the Bajha Khana and Smalsar police stations. The warrant officers produced the woman before the court that recorded her statement. Jasbir Kaur's parents are dead and her only brother is in jail. “Jasbir Kaur was hit by her in-laws in police presence,” said one of the warrant officers. The court directed the police to take necessary legal action against them and sent Jasbir Kaur to her cousin’s house.
|
|
|
No ‘B’ class facilities for acid attack convicts, HC told
Chandigarh, August 7 The communication says that the Punjab Government has decided that prisoners involved in “murder/culpable homicide/causing death by negligence or rash act” shall not be entitled to "B" class facilities. The High Court was told that the Government through an amendment in its earlier circulars has denied "B" class facilities to prisoners involved in “any kind of acid attack on the body of a person”. Besides, those involved in offences “under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985” have also been disentitled. The High Court was told that the Haryana Additional Chief Secretary, Jails Department, had issued instructions to the Director-General of Prisons on August 1. He had been told that prisoners involved in murder would not be entitled to “B” class facilities. These facilities would also not be available to prisoners involved in cases of trespass, house-break where death or grievous hurt had been caused, offences against the state punishable under Sections 121 to 124-A of the IPC, immoral trafficking in minors and certain offences under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychiatric Substances Act, 1985. In an affidavit, Additional Inspector-General of Prisons Jagjit Singh stated that the instructions had been complied with and “B” class facilities provided to those convicted for murder had been withdrawn. The affidavits came less than a month after Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice Augustine George Masih directed the Haryana Government to issue an amended circular and ensure compliance thereto by seeking reports from all Jail Superintendents. Similar directions were issued to the State of Punjab and the Chandigarh Administration. After the UT counsel today stated that the matter was being considered by the Home Department, the Bench granted two weeks' time. The PIL by advocate HC Arora will now be listed for compliance on August 30.
|
|
|
Custodial
death
Chandigarh, August 7 The commission has also decreed that the compensation be recovered from the erring officials. Nawanbado Sijoke Basel, 50, died because of poisoning on May 29, 2011, while lodged in the Amritsar Central Jail. The commission's Full Bench headed by Justice Jagdish Bhalla, ruled that his death could squarely be blamed on negligence or connivance of the jail authorities. The report of the chemical examiner had stated that traces of aluminum phosphide had been detected in the deceased's stomach, liver, spleen, kidneys and blood. The jail authorities had contended that had the deceased consumed contaminated food prepared in the jail kitchen, other inmates would also have been affected. They maintained that the deceased had received contaminated food from outside.
|
|
Minor kills brother over trifle in Batala
Batala, August 7 A police officer claimed following a verbal duel, the elder sibling fired at the accused with an air gun. A volley of pellets hit on the latter’s foot. Minutes later, the accused brought a double barrel gun and fired at his brother, who escaped unhurt as the bullet whizzed past him and hit the bark of a nearby tree. Full of vengeance, he again fired and the bullet this time proved fatal. He was hit on his chest and died on the spot. SSP Tulsi Ram said raids were being conducted to nab the accused.
|
|
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Letters | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | Delhi | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | E-mail | |
A
middle-aged property dealer allegedly gunned down his wife and two children
while they were asleep in the early hours today before shooting himself to
death. Avtar Singh (44) called up his cousin Karamjit Singh Thind at 5:45 am and
told him that he had shot his wife Rupinder Kaur (39), his physically and
mentally challenged son Gaurav Parteek (14) and daughter Amanat Kaur (8).
Giddderbaha,
August 7
Ferozepur, August 7
Mohali/Ropar/Fatehgarh Sahib, August 7
Sukhbir Badal got a feel of the poor health facilities in Punjab when he slipped down while getting down from his helicopter at the Police Lines in
Ropar. He suffered a sprain in his foot. The doctors on the spot looked for a crepe bandage in an ambulance stationed there, but to no avail. It was only after the doctors from the Police Lines dispensary rushed with a bandage, following which Sukhbir headed towards the oath-taking ceremony venue.
Muktsar:
Strange but true, but whenever Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal holds a Sangat Darshan programme in his home district of Muktsar, he uses two chairs that belong to the Lambi police station. The specially designed chairs have been modified as per the wishes of the ageing Chief Minister. "The chairs were specially made for him almost five years ago. To make these more comfortable, the arm-rests have been cushioned and the upholstery changed," said a police officer. He said these chairs, kept under lock and key at the Lambi police station, were broader than the usual ones.
— TNS
When contacted, power corporation chief KD Chaudhri said a probe into the matter had been ordered and action would be taken on the basis of the inquiry report even as Akali leader Satnam Singh Kanda rubbished the accusations levelled against him."The truth is that Nirmal Singh was trying to implicate me in a case of power theft. I have the relevant records available with me to support my stand," he claimed.
— TNS