EDUCATION

PU scraps BBA, BCA entrance tests
By Sanjeev Singh Bariana
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, April 26 — Panjab University has decided to do away with entrance examination for the Bachelor of Business Administration and Bachelor of Computer Application courses in colleges from the forthcoming session.

The courses, begun with much fanfare in colleges last session, did not generate good response in local colleges. Chandigarh centre and its colleges maintained high standards and colleges in rural areas failed to generate desirable number of students. Another entrance test was conducted. Things went to the extent of allowing all who had applied on the basis of the last class.

The proposal of doing away with entrance examination comes for approval in the forthcoming Syndicate meeting. Sources revealed that 383 seats in BCA course were vacant in the last session and approximately 600 seats were vacant in the BBA course.

Prof Charanjit Chawla, a Fellow, said the biggest problem for the success of the course outside the city was non-confirmation by university authorities about availability of faculty and facilities before giving permission in these colleges. There were reports of non-matching equipment in a number of colleges which applied for the course. This brought a big disparity in number of applicants expected from institutes from the city and outside.

Dr A.C. Vaid, Principal of GGDSD College, said he was not against an entrance examination for the course. The main opposition against the examination came from outside, where less number of students were expected. He said students should be given the option of 50 per cent reservation of seats in the MBA course.

Mr R.C. Jeewan, Principal of DAV College, said availability of teaching faculty was another reason for the success of the course in the city and its failure in rural areas. The college had to depend on visiting and guest lecturers, besides subject experts. These were less in number in rural areas.

Mr Jeewan also participated in a university-level meeting on the courses. He pointed out financial and other difficulties. He claimed that the minutes were not recorded faithfully.

Dr S.N. Singla, Principal of Government College for Men, Sector 11, said he had sent a letter to the university, seeking clarification regarding the admission procedures. The colleges were yet to be informed. The question included a course in Bachelor of Commerce. A large number of colleges outside the city did not have sufficient computers and other related facilities for the course.

Dr Paramjit Singh, Registrar of the university, said the course was new and rural areas seemed ill-prepared for the entrance test. Managements argue that the fee charged in the university (about Rs 12,000 annually) was much less than other universities. Teachers and students complained of over-charging.

Collect marks cards, schools told
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, April 26 — The UT Education Department has asked all schools to collect the detailed marks cards of the students who appeared for the Middle Standard Examination.

The cards can be collected from the Sector 9 DPI office on working days within a week’s time. The candidates who appeared privately can also collect their marks cards within a week from this office, otherwise these will be despatched by post.

COURTS

Telecom Dept told to pay Rs 25,000 for harassing consumer
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, April 26 — The State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission here has dismissed the appeal of the General Manager and Vigilance Officer of the Department of Telecom against an earlier order of the UT District Forum II, which directed the aforesaid to pay consolidated damages of Rs 25,000 to a complainant who was deprived of the use of his telephone for a period of five years.

Apart from that, the District Forum had also ordered the respondents to refund the excess amount paid in this regard by the complainant along with interest at the rate of 12 per cent per annum. This part of the order was upheld by the Commission.

While dismissing the appeal, the Commission bench, consisting of president Mr Justice J.B. Garg and members Dr P.K. Vasudeva and Mrs Devinderjit Dhatt, held that deficiency on part of the defendants is writ large. The point of disconnection of the complainant's phone was seriously debated and the Commission bench held that sufficient warning should have been given to the complainant before disconnection so that he could take corrective measures.

It was further stated that not only the consumer had been harassed on account of disconnection of his telephone a number of times but the department had also been vindictive in dealing with him.

The complainant Balbir Singh Makol, in the present case, had stated that he applied for shifting of the phone from Sector 23 to Mani Majra in May 1991 but was informed that shifting would take place only when the area becomes feasible. Mr Makol added that two people from the department, meanwhile, approached him and tried to bribe him in this context. In January 1992 he was informed that his phone had been disconnected due to non payment of dues.

Mr Makol added that despite payment of dues his phone connection was not restored. Another shocking point revealed was that the complainant received a bill for the period the phone was disconnected. On his representation however, the said bill was held in abeyance and his telephone was finally shifted after five years in 1995.

Mr Makol stated that he did not receive any bills and his phone was again disconnected without prior notice. It was only later that he started receiving regular bills.

Although the complainant asked for a compensation to the tune of Rs 3 lakh, he was granted Rs 25,000 by the Commission.

Accused allowed to go abroad for check-up
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, April 26 — The Punjab and Haryana High Court today permitted contractor Yash Pal Saggi, booked in a corruption case registered by the UT Vigilance Department, to leave the country for six months to get himself medically examined.

Saggi was booked on October 26, 1998, by the Vigilance Department under Sections 13 (1) (a) (b) (c) (d) and 13 (2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act along with Sections 420 and 120-B of the Indian Penal Code. He was also booked by the Chandigarh police on September 21, 1998, under Sections 420, 467, 468, 471 and 120-B of the IPC.

Saggi, it may be recalled, was permitted by Mr Justice T.H.B. Chalapathi of the high court here to leave the country for a medical check-up.

Today, pronouncing the orders in the open court, Mr Justice R.L. Anand observed, "Keeping in view the fact that permission has already been granted to the petitioner in FIR number 83 dated September 21, 1998 of Police Station North to go abroad in order to have medical check-up, therefore, permission is also granted to the petitioner in the present FIR number 3 dated October 26, 1998 to leave the country for a period of six months for medical check-up".

In his detailed order, Mr. Justice Anand added, "The petitioner shall execute a personal bond before the court of the Additional Sessions Judge that while staying abroad he shall utilise the period of six months only for medical check-up and he shall not indulge in any illegal activity and that after the completion of the medical check-up, he shall return to India in order to face the prosecution."

CULTURE

Frames that speak
By Priti Verma

Photography is fast prospering as an art. Thanks to the people who shoot not only for personal pleasure but also to compete and participate in exhibitions, this art form has become acclaimed. Had it not been for competitions and exhibitions photography would have still been struggling for recognition.

All India Fine Arts Craft Society is making endeavours in the same direction. It must be said, it has been immensely successful in its effort. Continuing its strife AIFACS is holding the fifth All India Photo Exhibition at its Regional Centre, Swastik Vihar, Panchkula.

In this show there are 56 participants, each has put up three prints. Thus making the total numbers of frames to be 168 that are on display. It will not be incorrect to say that these are the best pieces of photography from all over India. Besides they also give an idea of the inclination of the clickers towards the choice of subjects.

Every aspect of photography has been covered in this exhibition nature, still life, architecture, portraits. Though there are a number of pictures for public viewing but there are a few which leave an impact on one’s mind.

Adit Agarwal’s from Chandigarh titled “Hope” show an old lady sitting holding her stick with a young boy cradling his head on her knees. Both of them are sitting on the threshold, it seems as if both are waiting for the same person to return. She for her son, and the boy for his father. This is one of the award winning pictures.

Manmeet Devgun’s ‘Sculptured’ has interesting close-ups of human hands in different positions. The close-ups are real close in the sense that the onlookers can see the grooves below the nails and the lines of the hands turning and curving very vividly.

“Dadi Ma” by Malkait Singh are beautiful lively snaps. He has caught his grandmother in such a natural manner that anyone can feel it is his own grandma doing household chores with a smile on her lips.

‘Aastha’ by Pravin Rawat is another cute one. He has captured just a foot of the huge statue of Bahubali with a little girl bowing to it. The magnitude of the size of the foot and the tinyness of the child presents a good contrast.

Sukendra Nath Gupta in one of his presentations has shown the feet of rural women sitting in a row wearing lovely thick ‘lachchas’ on their ankles. This picture seems good on seeing, describing it would not do justification.

There is one noteworthy fact, the black-and-white and coloured entries are almost equal in number. Is this heralding the comeback of black & white photography?

The exhibition will be open till May 7.

Artistes trained about rural schemes
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, April 26 — A two-day workshop on rural development, organised by the Song and Drama Division, began here today. The aim of the workshop is to train performing artistes to bring awareness about various rural development schemes through entertainment programmes.

Inaugurating the workshop, Mr Jaswant Singh, Joint Commissioner, Rural Development, Punjab, said artistes can play an important role in changing the attitude of the people towards different schemes. He appealed to them to use the local dialect while performing before rural audiences.

Mr Kawal Kishore, DPIO, PIB, and Chairman of the Inter-Media Publicity Coordination Committee, said the role of the live media is no way less even in this era of electronic media, especially in the villages where 70 per cent of the population resides.

Others who addressed the participants included Mr D. P. Malik, Station Director, AIR and Mr Chaman Lal, Information Officer, PIB.

Healing wounds through melody and rhythm
By Aditi Tandon
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, April 26 — The music of silence is amazing. And that of the chords struck by the great maestro Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma is all the more amazing. It transports the listener to a world which is beyond the limits of time and space. It creates an ambience marked by exotic ecstasy. We happened to go through this wonderful journey this morning when Panditji talked to us about his struggles and his passion and later performed on the santoor for a few minutes.

Born at Jammu, Panditji learnt music under the guidance of his father who researched on santoor and encouraged Pandit Sharma to perform on it. “The interesting part is that Guruji himself never performed on the santoor. I was the one to introduce it,” he told us. From his first performance on Radio Jammu to various others on the national and international level, Guruji has come a long way, so much so that the boy who began from the Haridas Sangeet Sammelan in 1955 today heals people through his music, as has been proved by treatments being administered by various doctors.

“Music has a healing power and santoor is specially suitable in this context,” says Panditji, who has won his battle against the rigid orthodoxy which held santoor as unsuitable to the needs of Indian classical music. Over all these years Pandit Sharma has been modifying the instrument and today he has disciples from all over the world learning music at his Mumbai academy where “performers are created.” Panditji is now even focusing on music videos to suit the needs of young listeners.

On how important is the coherence of tabla and santoor in a performance, Panditji said: “If one is body, the other is soul.” He talked very high of his long time companion on the tabla, Ustan Shafaat Ali Khan, who belongs to the Dilli gharana. Ustad Shafaat also had to struggle his way through to reach a point where he has performed with maestros like Pandit Ravi Shankar, Pandit Hari Prasad Chaurasia and Birju Maharaj. Ustad Shafaat has also performed fusion music of high levels with violinist Niegell Keneddy and also with Hari Prasad Chaurasia and Louis Bank.