Is PU a rudderless ship?

  THE views expressed by Prof S.P.S. Raz in his letter (March 20) on Panjab University are authentic. Of late, the university looks like a rudderless ship on an uncharted course on the high seas without even a compass. It is no longer guided by strong convictions but hurtling around on impulses and various pulls and pressures exercised by a highly pampered bureaucracy. We would like to quote the following instances to illustrate our point:

(i) Panjab University introduced an entrance test for admissions to B.Com. in the colleges under its jurisdiction during 1995. From its very inception it was a highly controversial decision, which was unceremoniously withdrawn in 1997 after taxing heavily the time, money and energy of a large number of otherwise meritorious students during 1995-1997.

(ii) The university introduced a compulsory paper on environmental studies with the syllabi for the first year of a bachelor’s degree. After the students had taken the exam in this paper, the decision was abruptly rescinded and the test paper was scrapped without even any evaluation of the examinees’ performance and without any regard to the hard work and effort put in by them. Instead it was decided that henceforth students for a bachelor’s degree will have compulsorily to attend seven lectures in their institutions on ways and means to save the environment.

(iii) The university, normally holds its annual exams for the bachelor’s degree sometimes after or around mid-April each year. But this year (session 1998-99) when the colleges actually remained closed for a full month on account of the teachers’ strike in August-September, 1998, it advanced the exam commencement date to the April 1, 1999. What a paradox!

It is high time the university put its house in order and avoided turning itself into another theatre of the absurd.

PARKASH MUKKER and
HARMAN ARORA
Chandigarh

Auctioning liquor vends

I have gone through the news item at page 4 of The Tribune dated March 23 — “Punjab reply on auction by March 26”. I feel you will agree if I say that to auction the liquor vend in the form of groups is not revenue-oriented. There is not open competition among the bidders and liquor contractors. If an individual vend is put to auction independently, it could give more revenue to the state exchequer. Not only this, it will also give a chance to a bidder with limited resources and also reduce the unemployment in the state.

I request the state government to auction every vend of liquor (foreign as well as country liquor) separately and independently for (i) increased revenue, (ii) the supply of pure and unadulterated liquor and (iii) providing more avenues of employment to the public at large.

D. P. JAIN
Ludhiana

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The crisis in Bihar

This refers to the editorial “Bihar needs a consensual rule”( March 23). The complex socio-political situation in Bihar calls for a very drastic and surgically cleansing effort. The developments that now threaten the national peace, stability and communal harmony are the creations of the unscrupulous politicians who, for their vested gains, have jeopardised the system and endangered the life of the common man. In the face of a destructive potential of the gangs of killers, the writ of the government makes no ripples as these goons stand beyond the “long arm of the law”.

The major political parties — the Congress and the BJP — by a paradoxical stand to their professed policies, have only worsened the situation. The Congress keeps condemning Rabri Devi rule but refuses to support her government’s removal. The BJP, on its part, finds no constructive remedy to the diseased scenario in Bihar.

More fuel is added to this fire of lawlessness by the bureaucrats who join the nexus of politicians and criminals. The intelligentsia condemns the nexus but has never attempted to expose and get them punished. The media, in its front page coverage, paints the criminals in political guise as heroes. Everyone has a strong alibi to defend one’s respective stand.

We may overcome the paucity of manpower, transport facilities, or even communication links, but where is the political will to tackle this menace? Even after 50 years of Independence our main guiding force is vote-bank politics, which operates more by coercion and muscle power than by a democratic process or a zeal to work for the welfare of the nation.

VED GULIANI
Hisar

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HP needs new varsity

With the expansion of the vast educational network in the state, workload on HP University has considerably increased over the past few years in terms of conduct of examinations and evaluation at various levels. With a hectic schedule, all the branches of the university remain busy throughout the year to do justice with the students.

Established in 1971, it has made a remarkable contribution to spreading education in the state. However, owing to certain reasons such as the increasing number of students and educational institutions of higher learning, the university seems to be facing a crisis in the management of its affairs. Inordinate delays in declaring the results of various classes cause great harassment to the students. Also, where the delayed announcements of results adversely affect the smooth beginning of a new academic session, they almost create panic among the aspirants for competitive examinations, entrance tests and those desiring to seek admission to various courses outside the state.

Himachal, in fact, needs another university so as to relieve the old university of its unwarranted and high workload.

Ever since the creation of HPU in 1971 with 17 colleges of general education affiliated to it, the number of educational institutions has been continuously increasing. At present, there are 57 colleges of general education (36 government-run and 21 private) besides two medical colleges, one Ayurvedic College, two colleges of education, 17 Sanskrit institutions, and two dental colleges functioning under the auspices of HPU.

The number of students enrolled for various courses has also increased manifold over the years. It has increased from a tiny figure of 13, 352 students at the time of establishment of the university in 1971 to 60,426 during the 1995-96 academic session. This figure includes only the registered students pursuing their studies as regular candidates at the graduation level in different affiliated colleges. However, more than one lakh students appear in the examinations in various capacities for different courses, degrees and diplomas.

AJAY KAHOL
Dhaliara

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Depositors & bankmen

Mr Vilas Kumar, in his rejoinder (March 20) to Mr M.R. Pai’s letter (March 15), has accused the latter of constantly spitting venom against bankmen in his letters. The remark in the rejoinder which has particularly attracted my attention is that “if banks are there only then there are depositors... enjoying multifaceted facilities.”

This is true. But, then, what Mr Vilas Kumar seems to have forgotten is that if depositors are there only then there are banks. Where would bankmen be if there were no depositors?

SURENDRA MIGLANI
Kaithal