The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Chandigarh Stories

EDUCATION

Parents, staff worried over KV closure
By Peeyush Agnihotri
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, March 14 — Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS) is pulling out of the HMT premises, Pinjore, and the Kendriya Vidyalaya (KV), located on the sprawling campus is all set for closure on March 31. The school building has now been leased out to the Punj Educational Society, New Delhi, as per the decision of the HMT management. This is the seventh project school of the KVS to have met such a fate.

The KV, which was to celebrate its silver jubilee next year, has a total strength of 717 students and 45 teachers. As per the fresh agreement, the new educational society would pay Rs 1 lakh per month to the HMT. The parents and the employees’ union reacted by agitating in front of the school premises today, anticipating a hefty fee hike.

The HMT, already reeling under severe financial crisis, piled up the dues and at present has to pay nearly Rs 1 crore to the KVS. “We could not afford to pay Rs 90 lakh to the KVS every year,” says Mr A.K. Babbar, chief of the HMT, Pinjore. “Further, the school facility was being utilised by a very small percentage of the employees. That way per child subsidy comes out to be Rs 1,200 per month, ” he adds.

“The whole concept of closure of the school under the garb of financial loss is a pretence. The factory made a profit of Rs 35 crore last year, “alleges Mr Gurnam Sandhu, general secretary, HMT Karmik Sangh.” With the KV holding the reins, there was uniformity in the syllabus and the fee structure suited our pockets. The tuition fee was Rs 65 per month but with the new society taking over, we will have to pay Rs 300 as tuition fee, Rs 40 as computer charges, Rs 900 as annual charges, besides Rs 700 as admission and examination fees. This would naturally pinch our pockets,” he adds.

The society, which is taking over, distributed performas for the recruitment of teachers today at a cost of Rs 30 each. It is already running CBSE-affiliated schools in New Delhi. The school on the factory’s campus would be got affiliated once the session starts.

“Everything is documented and legal. Affiliation is no problem,” says Flying Officer Piyush Punj, secretary of the society, and adds that employees’ union and parents are unnecessarily creating brouhaha over the whole issue. “Though our fee structure would be higher than the KVS, yet would be lesser than what’s being charged by most of the private schools in the region. Everyone would be charged uniformly irrespective of whether he is a ward of a factory employee or not,” he adds.

The worst sufferers are the teachers of the KVS, who have been caught between the horns of a dilemma. The staff would be declared surplus and adjusted where vacancies exist. “Everyone is unsure and till today we do not know what future holds for us,” says Mr J.N. Singh, Principal of the school.

“The orders regarding the closure of the school have already been despatched from our headquarters in New Delhi and are expected here anyday. We’ll be receiving the guidelines regarding the adjustment of the surplus staff along with it,” says Mrs M. Saxena, Assistant Commissioner, KVS, Chandigarh region, and adds that so many vacancies do not exist in this region.

Parents, wards, KV teachers and the managers of the new educational society — uncertainty is writ large on all faces and everyone has his own reason to feel anxious.

Matric paper cancelled
Tribune News Service

SAS NAGAR, March 14 — The English paper of the matriculation level examination of the Punjab School Education Board held on March 13 at a centre in Government Senior Secondary School, Dera Baba Nanak (Gurdaspur) has been cancelled following complaints of mass copying. The copying was detected by a flying squad.

The date of re-examination of the subject would be notified later. According to the information available, the paper of at least 328 candidates at the centre (Dera Baba Nanak-2, Government Senior Secondary School, Block-II) was cancelled. This was the first time when the incident of mass copying was detected on the day the examination began.

At least 18 individual cases of cheating were yesterday detected by the District Education Officer, Ropar, at Government Senior Secondary School, Phase 3B 1, SAS Nagar (4), Government Senior Secondary School, Sohana

(11) and at Christian School, Kharar (3). All candidates were private candidates. The board authorities were, however, yet to confirm the cases of cheating.

Meanwhile, there was a marked decrease in the number of cases of cheating detected during the middle class examination of the board which ended on March 11, incidents of mass copying at a centre each at Hoshiarpur and Gurdaspur notwithstanding. Re-examination at both centres had been ordered immediately.

While in 1999 at least 68 cases of cheating were detected, this year around 30 cases have been detected. In 1998 around 65 cases of cheating were detected. Officials of the board claim that a system to have five alternative set of question papers had resulted in a decrease in the number of cheating cases.

Over 4.16 lakh candidates appeared in the middle class examination, compared to 3.82 lakh candidates last year. Officials said the cause of the detection of few cheating cases was that the district education authorities had been made responsible for controlling cheating in their respective areas.

Sources, however, said that making the district education authorities in charge of the arrangements at the examination centres could encourage more copying which was hard to detect — but it could help the government in claiming that the cases of copying had decreased.

Instead of the earlier practice of having Centre Controllers at each examination centre, the Superintendent had been made in charge of the question papers.

In connection with the incidents of mass copying, officials said action would be taken against the supervisory staff at the examination centres.

COURTS

Teacher's cheque dishonoured
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, March 14 — Convicting a schoolteacher in a cheque dishonour case, the UT Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate, Mr H.S. Madaan, has sentenced him to rigorous imprisonment for six months, besides imposing a fine of Rs 2,000.

The ACJM also directed teacher Naresh Kumar to further undergo rigorous imprisonment for another three months in default of payment. Earlier, in a complaint before the court, school lecturer Urmil Dogra had alleged that a cheque for Rs 1,20,000 issued by the accused was received back uncashed.

She had added that the cheque was returned uncashed after it was submitted to the bank for the second time on assurance by the accused. Her counsel had added that the "accused did not have sufficient amount in the account and he committed mischief by issuing directions to the bank to close the account".

When confronted with the incriminating evidence against him, the accused had, however, denied the allegations. Claiming to be innocent, the accused had added that he was being implicated in the case.

After hearing the arguments, the ACJM observed : "Keeping in view the totality of circumstances, the complainant has been able to prove successfully beyond a shadow of reasonable doubt that the accused has committed an offence under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act. As such, he is convicted".

PGI professor's selection stayed
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, March 14 — Issuing notice of motion for March 28, a Division Bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court today stayed the appointment to the post of professor of paediatrics (allergy and immunology) in the PGI by a method other than the one suggested by the governing body.

Pronouncing the orders in the open court, the Bench comprising Mr Justice R.S. Mongia and Mr Justice J.S. Narang observed: "The appointment to the post of professor of paediatrics (allergy and immunology) in the PGI, Chandigarh, other than the method as suggested by the Governing Body in its meeting held on December 8, 1999, is stayed".

The Governing Body, meeting in New Delhi tomorrow, is likely to review the matter pertaining to Dr Singhi's appointment, it is reliably learnt.

Earlier, in his writ petition, Dr Surjit Singh had stated that the Governing Body's decision to re-advertise the post of Professor of paediatrics had been "rendered redundant" after the selection committee during a meeting "reconsidered the case of respondent number three (Dr Sunit Singhi) as well as recommended him for the post".

He added that selection committee's recommendations in favour of Dr Singhi had not been approved by the Governing Body as "he did not fulfil the laid down criterion and the post was ordered to be readvertised".

He added that despite the Governing Body's directions, Dr Singhi "managed to prevail" upon the Minster of State for Health "to get his name reconsidered by the Governing Body in its meeting on December 8, 1999".

Claiming to be fulfilling the "laid down criterion, Dr. Surjit Singh added that he would be the "most eminently suited" candidate if the posts were to be readvertised as "only he had the requisite experience ...."

Truck driver sentenced to RI for killing cyclist
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, March 14 — A truck driver, accused of fatally injuring a cyclist, was today sentenced to rigorous imprisonment for one year, besides being fined Rs 500, by UT Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate H.S. Madaan.

The convict — Basu Dev — was earlier booked by the Chandigarh Police for endangering human life by driving rashly and negligently and causing death by rash and negligent act under Section 279 and 304-A of the Indian Penal Code after cyclist Jagdev Mehto succumbed to his injuries at the PGI here.

According to complainant Suresh Kumar, riding behind the victim on another cycle, a truck, being driven rashly and negligently, had rammed against the cyclist from behind on July 25, 1994. He had added that the truck had dragged the cyclist along with it for some distance.

The prosecution had added that Basu Dev had taken the injured to the hospital in another vehicle after leaving the truck at the accident spot. The injured, the prosecution had further added, had died the next day.

The accused, when confronted with the incriminating evidence against him, had, however, denied the allegations. Claiming to be innocent, he had asked for a trial. Arguing before Court, defence counsel had added that the accused was being implicated in the case.

Today, pronouncing the orders in the open court, the ACJM observed: ‘‘The prosecution has been successful in bringing home the guilt to the accused and to prove that on July 25, 1994 at about 8.10 p.m. within the area of Industrial Area Phase I, he drove the truck on a public way in a manner so rashly and negligently so as to endanger human life and personal safety of others and as such his driving was direct and proximate cause of the accident....’’.

The ACJM further observed: ‘‘Keeping in view the facts explained by him and that he had accompanied the injured to the hospital soon after the accident, I take a somewhat lenient view ....’’

CULTURE

Tremendous response to Cyanide Y2K festival
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, March 14 — The festival of Chemical Engineering (Cyanide Y2K) in Panjab University which began here today witnessed a great response from technical institutions all over the country this year. The department received as many as 87 technical papers from all around. However, only 27 papers were chosen after scrutiny.

The participants are from Andhra Pradesh, Mumbai, Bhopal and Tamil Nadu among other several other places.The first session of the technical presentation concluded in the morning session. The winning team from the host department of Chemical Engineering and Technology included Praveen Gandhi and Sandeep Chatterjee. The team of Gaurav and Ramesh from HBTI, Kanpur, were the runners-up.

The second session was held in the afternoon session. The winners included Samriti Sharma and G. Ghorai. A number of informal contests were scheduled for the day. The formal inauguration was scheduled in evening at the Law Auditorium by Mr Prakash Singh Badal, Chief Minister of Punjab. He, however, failed to turn up at the venue. Mr Naseem Ahmed, a secretary in the Horticulture and Agriculture department of Haryana, presided over the function.

The registrar, Dr Paramjit Singh, and the event convener, Paramvir Sidhu, were also present at the function.The musical evening witnessed a sizeable gathering at the university auditorium which featured Salim Iqbal, a leading ghazal singer. He had earlier been honoured with the Shiv Kumar Batalvi award in 1994 and by Dr Farooq Abdullah, CM of Jammu and Kashmir.

Iqbal is also a Padamshree.He began with ‘voh koi gushtak, pagal, manchala tha, main na tha’. ‘Sub tujh par gire, zakhm aye mujhe’ was appreciated by the audience. This was followed by Iqbal and his son rendering Punjabi compositions of Baba Farid and Bulle Shah.The festival also witnesses at least 35 stalls at the fete venue where companies and fun-games feature.

A fashion show as to be held tomorrow and a ticketed Harbhajan Mann nite on March 16.The festival was revived in 1997 after it had to be discontinued during the 80s.