CBSE exams: only 14 UMCs reported
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, May 24 — Students who appeared in the class X and XII examinations of the Central Board of Secondary Education seem to have outsmarted the board authorities in copying, going by the figures available. Of the 91,716 students who took the examinations, there are only 14 UMC cases.

According to the figures available, there are only 10 unfair means cases (UMC) in plus two this year even as 37,524 students took the examination and just four cases in class X examination in which 54,192 students appeared.

The number of boys who were caught cheating is more than that of girls. While in class XII, all 10 cheating cases were of boys, in class X there were three boys and one girl.

Interestingly, the cheating cases in the case of regular candidates are more than those of private candidates. While in class XII, six cases are of regular students, in class X the number of regular and private candidates is two each.

Among them, most candidates are those from whom copying material was seized. One or two cases of impersonation, wherein private candidates had made someone else to appear on their behalf in one or all the papers, have also come to light. One such case is that of a private candidate who sent someone else to appear on his behalf for a tough paper.

However, this year neither mass copying from any centre has been reported nor has any FIR been registered on account of a candidate fleeing with the answersheet or committing any other irregularity.

Sources reveal that in reality the number of those candidates who indulge in unfair means is much more, but most of them do not get reported.

While the impersonation cases do get detected as the flying squad is able to catch the culprits on receiving reports from centre superintendents, the cases in which invigilators help students seldom come to light.

Observers on inspection duty reveal that students, both boys and girls, have devised novel methods of cheating from the copying material. They no longer waste time scribbling on small ''parchis''. They just keep reduced photostat version of certain topics in their shoes, shocks and clothes with the help of rubber bands and retrieve them without getting noticed. Some scribble them on the palm of their hands, arms and legs.

Students on their part maintain that immense pressure from all quarters to score well in examinations, a virtual collapse of the education system and callous attitude of students towards examinations push them to indulge in cheating. Most of them are of the view that pressure and a desire to score more in view of the increasing competitiveness force them to resort to cheating. On the contrary, teachers and invigilators feel that lack of interest in studies and low level of self-confidence among students force them to rely on cheating.

The Joint Secretary of the CBSE, Regional Office, Mr Y.P. Katyal, says that the cheating cases are sent to the head examiners in various subjects along with the copying material to know the extent of cheating. Based on his report and the statements of the student, the invigilator and the centre superintendent, the result committee set up to deal with such cases takes a decision. While the minimum punishment amounts to cancellation of the result, the maximum can be debarring a candidate from appearing in any examinations for the next five years.

‘Art should be society-oriented’
By D.S. Gupt

CHANDIGARH, May 24 — Basically you should be very honest in what you are doing and your intentions should be clear. The challenges are many and great and I have to accept these in the interest of the community at large and the artistes in particular,” was the answer of Mr Gurcharan Singh Chani to the question as to what he planned to do after taking over as Chairman of the Chandigarh Sangeet Natak Akademy. He is of the opinion that one should do his job well rather than run after high-ups who matter in the decision-making process.

Mr Chani, who took over as Chairman of the Akademy only three days ago, looks forward to involve children, women folk and the superannuated or the elderly who remained neglected during the celebrations of the golden jubilee of India’s Independence. He was contacted at his CEVA (Centre for Education and Voluntary Action) office at Karuna Sadan, Sector 11, this morning where he was discussing his future plan of action for holding theatre workshop for children with his wife, Mrs Harleen Kohli, who is in charge of CEVA.

Mr Chani proposes to set up programmes beneficial for the local people. He said we should demystify people about the performing art. He feels that creativity in art does not exist in vacuum, rather it should be society-oriented. Best performing art should aim to uplift the social, spiritual and emotional status of the masses and should not be staged for the pleasure and entertainment of high-ups. He is firm in his belief that there should not be showmanship but every activity should be generated for the understanding of art.

He said that he would like to involve artistes, intellectuals and talented persons as members of the akademy in the theatre movement and for small-screen.

Mr Chani did his diploma from the Indian Theatre Department, Panjab University and got his Master of Arts Degree from the National School of Drama, New Delhi.

After getting training in television productions and direction at Film & TV Institute of India, Pune, he worked as producer and director of TV programmes at Jalandhar television centre. He got Fulbright Fellowship for advanced training in Television and Communications at College of Communications, Boston University, Boston, USA.

Mr Chani was an Assistant Professor in Television, Film & TV Institute of India, Pune, for eight years. He is known for his street plays in this area and beyond.

Having 24 TV films/programmes productions to his credit, he would like the ackademy to finance voluntary non government organisations dedicated to the cause of development of performing arts. The budgetary provision is not to his satisfaction. He hopes the Administration will help in financial matters for the spread of theatre and allied projects in times to come.

Grooming future Sachins, Kapils
By Donald Banerjee
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, May 24 — Most of them come on cycles and some on scooters. But then there are quite a few who are dropped by doting parents. Yes, armed with water bottles and carrying their full cricketing kit, they descend on the cricket coaching centres hoping to be groomed into future Sachins and Kapils.

The attendance at the coaching centres is to be seen to be believed. In other words it is the World Cup fever that has caught the young and the old alike. They touch the feet of their guru (the cricket coach) before moving into the stadium or school ground for the warm-up or the net practice.

It is 6.30 a.m. on Wednesday when we first visit the Sector 16 Cricket Stadium, the venue that has produced such cricketing greats like Kapil Dev, Yograj Singh, Chetan Sharma and Ashok Malhotra. The trainees are just trickling in. We are told the net practice is held in the afternoons. But the young trainees are doing their rounds of the stadium. Harish Sharma, a Himachal Ranji Trophy cricketer, is the coach at this centre.

Among the trainees arriving is Sumit. He has come with his dad, Mr O.P.Dhiman. A student of Shivalik School, his idol is Kapil. Ten-year-old Akshay, a Class IV student of St John's School, has also come with his father, Mr Vinod Gakhar. He wants to become a batsman. Shivankid (11) of Bhavan Vidyalaya is a fan of Anil Kumble. Rohit (16) of Sanjay Public School wants to become a pace bowler. He is a fan of Srinath.

The coach arrives at 7.30 a.m. and soon a session of catch practice begins. He tells The Tribune that the main coaching session is in the afternoon. "Once the schools close we will have it in the mornings," he adds.

We keep our date with the coaching centres on Saturday again. The Sector 19 Government High School has been functioning as a coaching centre for the past 12 years. Mr Surinder Singh, affectionately called "Bhaijee", has been the sole motivating force behind this non-government coaching centre which has been sponsored by Kelvinator. Net practice is on when we reach the spot at 6.15 a.m. The 10-to-14-year-olds are the first to wield the willow at the nets (it is a matting wicket). Each of them faces six overs under the watchful eyes of Surinder "Bhaijee".

As the youngsters get time out we talk to them. Rahul Singh, a Class VI student of St Stephen's School, has come from Sector 38. Twelve-year-old Sandeep of the Sector 47 Kendriya Vidyalaya, is watched by his father, who brings him to the centre every day. He wants to become a batsman like Rahul Dravid. Hemant of the Sector 26 Model School cycles down to the venue and so does Saravpreet of Bhavan Vidyalaya. Saravpreet's favourite is obviously Sachin.

The centre has produced Ranji Trophy players like Sandeep Arora, Vikram Minhas, Ritesh Manchanda and Vineet Jain to name a few. The outfield at this centre needs to be cleaned.

We drive down again to the Sector 16 Cricket Stadium. Today there is quite a rush. Coach Harish Sharma is there among the young trainees doing catch practice. We stay there for some time as Manoj Mahajan clicks pictures. The setting at this centre is just right. The visit brings back memories of the seventies, when Desh Prem Azad was working on his pace duo of Kapil and Yograj.

Cricket in the city is not complete without a visit to DAV Higher Secondary School, the alma mater of Kapil Dev. The boys have just finished their coaching stint. The coach, S.S.Bawa, a Ranji Trophy player, is talking to those boys who have stayed back for last-minute lessons.

We apologise for being late. But tall Bawa still has the warm-up exercises which are a must everyday. As he gets down to some stretching exercises, our cameraman clicks.

The boys are all praise for the facilities available at this centre. Sixteen-year-old Rahul Kohli is a Class XII student. He is from Pune. He is an opening bat and Sachin is his idol. Samrat Dogra (16) wants to become a batsman, and his favourite is Kapil Dev. Deepak Saini (11) and Vishnu Arora (12) want to become batsmen like Sachin.

As we talk to the trainees, Principal Ravinder Talwar walks on to the ground. The school has a turf wicket for the nets. But that cannot be used as a roller is urgently needed to remove the air bubbles.

The Principal says the school will also have a full turf wicket very soon.

Theatre workshop for kids is back
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, May 24 — “Working with children is like working within no parameters. They are more fidgety, more honest and more fun to be with. And obviously since they explore more, there’s got to be a tremendous amount of energy to keep up their concentration levels, which is very challenging”, said Lushin Dubey and Bubbles Sabharwal of the ‘Kids World’, who arrived in the city today to kick off a theatre workshop with kids between the age group of six to 14 at the Durga Das Foundation, Sector 24.

Coming to city for the second time in a row for a three-week workshop in summers, the duo would culminate it with its production titled ‘Jungle Book Se Age’, in “Hinglish”, that would tell the story of Rudyard Kipling’s Mowgli after he leaves the jungle to be with human beings. The musical production that invloves 77 children of various schools, would be put up for audience on May 12 and 13 and would narrate Mowgli’s tale starting right from the point when he alights from the Shatabdi and encounters a beat constable to the time he meets various “typical Chandigarhian” characters while moving around the city.

Commenting on Chandigarh, both Lushin and Bubbles said not only do they have good memories about their last year’s production but they also have an audience following in the city.

Lushin Dubey, sister of well-known theatre personality Lillete Dubey, is a Masters of Science in Childhood and Special Education from the United States, from where began her association with children. And before launching the ‘Kids World’ in 1986 with her cousin Bubbles Sabharwal, who has done everything from being an air stewardess with the British Airways to a bank employee in a French bank, Lushin worked at the American Embassy School. Both Lushin and Bubbles were also involved with Barry John.

“When something does well, a whole lot of people jump on to the bandwagon. But we started working with the kids almost a decade back”, said Bubbles, while pointing towards the fact that a plethora of theatre workshops with the kids could be seen all around. Added Lushin, “In fact both children and parents seem to have undergone a sea change in their attitudes. Today a lot of mothers are working so they want their kids to be involved in something creative. Also parents have become more ambitious for their children. Media consciousness seems to have changed perceptions today”.

But does that mean that people have genuinely become interested in theatre? “lets face it, even in our workshops a lot of children come because they have been pushed by their parents and not because they want to. But then the whole purpose of such workshops is to make them more receptive and positive, which I think most of them do become by the end of it. There is this sense of hitting the top”, said Lushin. Bubbles said “For most kids, theatre is seen as a stepping stone towards television, which in turn, is seen as a step towards 35 mm screen”.

“We never come with a mind-set as to which child would play which character. It is during the workshop that characterisations are evolved, since it becomes transparent even to the kids as to who has acquired the persona of which character”, said the duo. “And it is exciting to watch that when we divide kids into two groups, which are amalgamated later, without the bars of age or sex or any other criteria how a team spirit is evolved. At the end of each production, we always witness tears”.

For both Bubbles and Lushin, who believe that theatre for kids needs to be laced with fun, since theatre is a bit like life, it is not difficult to believe that this workshop has many kids coming again to work with them who had participated in their workshop last year.