EDUCATION

Computers for technology education
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Jan 31 —An order for more than 350 computers has already been placed by the UT Education Department for the government schools starting with the Information Technology (IT) education in the next school session. This was disclosed today by highly places sources in the department.

Called the ‘Power of Computing’, IT education, which would not be a compulsory subject, is being introduced with a fee of Rs 66 per month per child. And though the IT education is following the Punjab pattern, the fee is much less than what it is in Punjab, a monthly sum of Rs 125. In fact, in UT, 10 per cent of this fee would be deposited in the school fund that the school would be able to use for its activities, according to the source.

Meanwhile, this project that was open to tenders has now gone to IEC Software Ltd, which has bagged a four-year contract to install the hardware and the software, which, after the expiry of the contract, would become the property of the school.

The teachers to be appointed for the project, whose pre-requisite qualifications, according to sources, have been laid as a graduate and a computer diploma holder, would also be looked after by the software company.

Earlier, Mr D S Saroya, Director, Public Instructions (Schools), had informed that the curriculum of the ‘Power of Computing’ has been prepared under the guidance of experts from Panjab University and other computer education firms.

The curriculum in part A of Class IX, which would constitute 50 hours, would include basics of computing, interaction at the level of operating system, problem solving with computers and MS Office ‘97. The part B contents for Class X, which would constitute a total of 70 hours, would include MS Office, Excel and Power Point; Windows management system and tools; data concepts and management; and Internet, web designing and MS Front Page.

Noisy scenes in PU Syndicate meeting
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Jan 31 — The Panjab University Syndicate meeting today witnessed noisy scenes and members staged walk-out twice, expressing their resentment against the proceedings.

The first walk-out was staged when the item pertaining to the extension of one-year service to Mr Chander Mohan , in charge, university guest house, was brought forward for ratification. Prof R.D. Anand and Prof Charanjit Chawla walked out. Dr Anand remarked that the house was not being “conducted in a proper way”.

“When it was stipulated last year that no more extensions would be allowed after retirement, how extension of an employee was brought for ratification”, a member asked. The item was however approved.

Another walk-out came over the issue of appointing joint consultative machinery members (JCM). Professor Anand and Professor Chawla once again walked out. Sources said that first it was decided that members would be elected to governing bodies through secret polling.

More than half an hour later, the chair decided that members would be chosen through raise-of-hands polling. This was not accepted following which the walk-out was staged. The body was, however, constituted.

Another important item on the agenda related to recent communication to the university from various official quarters that the university should not allow enhancement of service period above 60 years for non-teaching employees.

Considering various aspects, the Syndicate decided to convene a special Senate meeting. The meeting is scheduled in second week of February.

The item pertaining to granting permanent affiliation to the local Dhanvantry College also figured on the agenda. Members pointed out that the fee collection mode of the college was under question. Besides pay scales , many other aspects of the college remained under question. A panel under Dr O.N.Nagi from the PGI will be constituted.

Members also suggested that family planning scheme for the university employees should be extended to the private colleges.

Members chosen to feature on the list of the JCM include Dr Deepak Manmohan, Dean, College Development, as the chairman. Other members include Mr Satish Sharma, Mr A.S. Dua and Mr V.K.Mahajan. The Revision Committee features Principals M.L.Sekhri, S.Verma and Raj Garg.

The regulation committee includes Mr G.K.Chatrath as the chairman. Other members include Dr V.K.Mahajan, Mr Anmol Rattan and Mr R.K.Kakkar. The unfair means committee (UMC) has two units. One includes Mr B.S.Bajwa, Mr Joginder Singh and Mr S.S.Virdi and the other includes Mr V.P.Arora, Mr D.C.Anand and Mr Mukesh Arora.

Members also pointed out their differences on the item of inspection committees for colleges. As many as 25 colleges have been selected for inspection in the current year. A committee comprising the Dean Development Colleges, a member of the Senate and a senior Principal will feature in the overseeing body.

A large section of the house expressed reservations against lowering the merit list for teaching seats from 55 per cent to 54. As many as six colleges were allowed affiliation in subjects despite being well beyond the last date of submitting applications. This was passed as a one-time exception.

Public Khalsa College for Women, Kandhala Jattan, was given affiliation by the Syndicate. University staff has also been allowed to contest the state level Assembly or parliamentary elections.

Homoeo students flay college management
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Jan 31 — Homoeopathic Medical College students and their parents today criticised the college management for not following the directions given by the inquiry committee which was constituted by the Council of the Homoeopathic Systems of Medicine, Chandigarh. This was stated in a press note issued today by the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarathi Parishad (ABVP), campus unit.

It was stated in a letter dated Jaunary 31 from the Registrar of the council addessed to Mr C.L. Dhamija, Secretary, Homoeopathic Medical College, that a sub-committee had decided that Dr K.K. Dhiman, Principal of the college, would be sent on leave till the pending decision of the inquiry.

Mr Alok Garg, President , ABVP (campus unit) said the management had not sent the Principal on leave till date though the students had complied with the orders of the inquiry committee to end their agitation.

The students today appeared before the inquiry committee and submitted six affidavits in support of their allegations against the Principal. The inquiry committee had decided that it will sit again on February 2 at 12 noon.

Meanwhile, Mr Dhiman toay sent letters to the parents of the students saying that the college requested them to prevail upon their ward “to dissociate herself/himself from these politically motivated elements in the interest of his/her career as also of the institution. We want to make it emphatically clear that the college management will not succumb to the pressures and tactics of a political outfit which has the intention to act as string-pullers and grab the institution to serve their vested interests”.

Allegations refuted
Tribune News Service

SAS NAGAR, Jan 31 — The Principal of the Institute of Post Graduate Homoeopathic Medical Education and Research, Dr Alok Agnihotri, has refuted the allegations of the agitating students of the college that the examination were scheduled in March this year and not earlier as stated by the students.

He said all efforts were being made to register the college with the Baba Farid University of Health Sciences.

COURTS

Arrest warrant for retired cop
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Jan 31 — Issuing warrants of arrest against a retired Punjab police Assistant Sub Inspector, Chahan Singh, in the Kulwinder Singh Kid murder case, the UT Chief Judicial Magistrate, Mr Sant Parkash, today said the accused, it appeared, had “tried to mislead the court by getting a false report of his death”.

Pronouncing the orders in the open court, the CJM said, “Death report of accused Chahan Singh received back unserved with the report that he was alive and had gone to the market to purchase some medicine. It appears to the court that the accused has tried to mislead the court...”

The CJM, on the past date of hearing, had ordered the verification of accused Chanan Singh’s death report by the Station House Officer concerned.

Today, taking up the case, the CJM also said, “Let all the remaining accused, namely, Nika Ram, Birbal Dass, Gurcharan Singh, Daya Singh and Chahan Singh, be summoned through the warrants of arrest for March 1, 2000.”

In his detailed order, the CJM said, “Warrants of arrest of Gurcharan Singh, Daya Singh, Birbal Singh and Nika Ram received back unserved with report that none of these accused were available.”

In a petition before the High Court, Kid’s father, Tarlochan Singh, had alleged that his son was forcibly taken away from his SAS Nagar residence by a police party in plain clothes in July 1989.

Taking up the petition, the High Court had directed the then UT Sessions Judge, Mr M.S. Lobana, to submit a report after investigating the matter. In his report, submitted in September 1995, the Sessions Judge had said that on July 22, 1989, a police party in plain clothes, headed by Surjit Singh Grewal of CIA Staff at Patiala, had raided a house in SAS Nagar and had taken away Kulwinder Singh alias Kid.

On the basis of an inquiry report, the High Court, on July 5, 1996, ordered the registration of a case against the accused police officials and handed over the case to the premier investigating agency. In its report, the agency said the officials entered into a conspiracy to kill Kid in a fake encounter and to show him as an absconder.

HUDA told to refund cost of plot
From our Correspondent

CHANDIGARH, Jan 31 — The UT District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum-II has directed the Chief Administrator of the Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA), Chandigarh, and the Estate Officer, HUDA, Jind, to refund Rs 20,721 to a resident of Sector 22 for deficiency in service on its part.

Pronouncing the order, the President of the forum, Mr R.P. Bajaj, observed: "We allow this complaint with costs of Rs 550 and direct the opposite party to pay the unrefunded amount to the complainant along with interest at the rate of 12 per cent per annum from the date of the complaint till payment."

Mr Rajnish Chander Trikha had filed a complaint that he was allotted a 14-marla plot in Sector 11 (Extension), Jind, following a draw of lots in July, 1991. He deposited Rs 20,721 as 10 per cent of the cost of the plot in March, 1991. Subsequently, he paid Rs 31,081 as 15 per cent of the cost.

Mr Trikha had alleged that he was not given possession of the plot and it was stipulated in the letter that possession would be given on the completion of development work in the area. He, therefore, could not construct a house and surrendered the plot in June, 1992. An amount of Rs 31,081 was refunded to him in March, 1996, after several reminders, but the initial deposit of 10 per cent was forfeited.

Quoting two similar cases for references, the complainant prayed that the amount should be refunded to him with interest and he should also be compensated for harassment.

HUDA questioned the jurisdiction of the forum, holding that possession was offered to the complainant in June, 1994. But by the time, he had surrendered the plot. Since the policy regarding refund was framed in December, 1995, it was not applicable to the complainant.

The forum observed: "We are unable to accept this contention for two reasons. First, the policy framed subsequent to the surrender of plot by the complainant cannot be made applicable to him. Secondly, HUDA being itself at fault by failing to develop the site, cannot take advantage of its wrong. The complainant was put to loss because after having paid 25 per cent of the cost, he was nowhere in sight of getting possession of the plot for raising the construction of the house.''

The undue long time taken by HUDA to develop the land had resulted in escalation of the cost of construction, thereby causing loss to the complainant. In the given circumstances, the complainant had surrendered the plot. "Keeping in view the situation in which the complainant was placed, the non-refund of the entire price paid by him amounts to deficiency in service on the part of HUDA," the forum concluded.

Judge dismisses application
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Jan 31 — The UT Civil Judge (Junior Division), Mr Pushvinder Singh, has dismissed an application filed by the Sector 52 petrol station allottee for restraining the defendants from "interferring in the peaceful functioning of the pump".

Accusing the defendants, Ashwani Bansal and others, of injuring managers, Anil Mittal and Vijay Mittal, the plaintiff, Hem Raj, had alleged that he and his workers were being threatened regularly. He further alleged that the defendants had even threatened the workers to close down the petrol station.

Pronouncing the orders on the application, the Civil Judge observed: "I find no prima facie case in favour of the plaintiff and balance of convenience is also not in his favour. As such, he is not entitled to the ad-interim injunction and the application is hereby dismissed".

In his 13-page order, the Civil Judge further observed: "In the circumstances, I have come to the conclusion that the partnership deed executed between the plaintiff and defendant No 1 can not be treated as null, void or invalid and against the public policy and the defendant No 1 has the right to enforce and the same against the plaintiff."

Sentenced for receiving stolen property
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Jan 31 — Convicting a Kurukshetra resident, accused of dishonestly receiving stolen property, UT Judicial Magistrate (First Class) Baljinder Singh has sentenced him to imprisonment for one year, besides imposing a fine of Rs. 1000.

Narinder Singh was further directed by the Judicial Magistrate to undergo imprisonment for another two months in default of payment. He, along with another accused, were earlier booked by the Chandigarh Police for “dishonestly receiving stolen property knowing it to be stolen” and “theft” under Section 379 and 411 of the Indian Penal Code after a stolen car was taken into possession by the CIA staff at Kurukshetra.

According to the prosecution, the two, in their disclosure statement, had said that the car had been sold by affixing a fictitious number plate. The car, the prosecution had added, was picked up from outside a restaurant on October 8, 1990.

The accused, when confronted with the incriminating evidence against him, had, however, denied the allegations. Claiming to have been innocent, he had asked for a trial. The other accused, meanwhile, had died during the trial.

Pronouncing the orders in the open court, the Judicial Magistrate observed: “The prosecution has been able to prove its case by adducing circumstantial evidence that stolen car remained in the possession of the accused at the time when they took the same to prosecution witness Charanjit Singh for its sale....”

In his detailed order, the Judicial Magistrate also observed: “It is not necessary that the stolen goods should have been physically produced from the possession of the accused. It is sufficient to show that the accused, after the articles were stolen, came into the possession of the stolen goods and that he did so dishonestly or having reason to believe that it was stolen”.

The Magistrate added: “The prosecution has been able to prove its case against the accused beyond the shadow of doubt and finding the accused, Narinder Singh, guilty for an offence under Section 411 of the IPC I convict him accordingly”.

CULTURE

A rare treat by Punjabi poets
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Jan 31 — The annual kavi darbar organised by the Panjab University Campus Students Council here today was a rare treat featuring leading poets of Punjabi.

Surjit Pattar, Amrik Pooni, Ravinder, Pal Kaur, Gurjit, Ravinder Masroor and Sukhminder presented original compositions.

Reflecting on the darker side of life, Gurtez Singh said, Je kar agg na lagdi tan, mein chanan to ki laina si.

Ravinder Masroor, while talking about a dead body floating on a river said, vichaara mar gaya, par aakhan ki tar reha hai.

Sukhwinder Amrit stood apart with her reactionary expression: Nahin mein baraf di tukdi ki pal vich pighal jaana si. The optimist poetess said, Tu meri fiqar na kar, ja tu ja, mein kuch der dagmagavangi, phir sambhal jaavangi.

Captain Amrinder Singh, President of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee, presided over the function.

Mr Balbir Brar, a former student of PU, was honoured on the occasion.