EDUCATION

NOC ‘must’ for affiliation to education board
From Our Correspondent

SAS NAGAR, April 28 — Institutions applying for the grant of affiliation to the Punjab School Education Board in future will have to obtain a no-objection certificate (NOC) from the Punjab Government.

The Education Department is holding meetings at present to instruct the District Education Officers (DEOs) as to what factors are to be taken into consideration while issuing NOCs.

A meeting in this connection is to be held on Tuesday by the special secretary, Education, in Chandigarh.

The PSEB has fixed August 31 as the last date for accepting applications for affiliation. Only applications accompanied with NOCs from the government along with other documents will be entertained. The final decision on affiliation will be taken by the board.

The board had received directions on NOCs from the government on November 5 last year. Although the directions were binding, they were presented before board members at a meeting held on March 27 this year for approval.

It is learnt that the government had to take a decision on NOCs as schools affiliated to the board did not fall within the jurisdiction of the DEOs and the government found it difficult to get the required statistics.

Secondly, the decision was necessary to check the mushroom growth of affiliated schools. Now onwards an NOC will be provided by the government only if a school is really needed in the area concerned.

Education Department slips student to 3rd division
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, April 28 — Following an incorrect addition of marks an eighth standard student of the Chandigarh Administration (Education Department) has brought the grade of the student down.

Karanveer Gupta, a student of MDAV School, Sector 22, has been shown securing a second division. But his marks obtained total to a first division.

The detailed marks sheet shows him having obtained 364 marks out of 700. However, the counting of marks shows his total to be 425 out of 700, which is a first division.

Corrective action has been sought by the aggrieved in this direction.

COURTS

Chatrath bar body chief
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, April 28 — Elated crowd of advocates broke into a frenzy as a former Punjab Advocate General, Mr Gopal Krishan Chatrath, was elected the President of the Punjab and Haryana High Court Bar Association here after defeating his nearest rival, Mr G.C. Dhuriwala, by 134 votes.

While 650 votes were cast in Mr Chatrath’s favour, Mr Dhuriwala received 516 votes. Eight advocates, meanwhile, voted in Mr D.S. Rajput’s favour.

Thundering applause also filled the air as Mr Ashok Singla was elected the Vice-President. He defeated Mr Nav Kiran Singh by 70 votes. While Mr Singla got 873 votes, 803 advocates voted in favour of Mr Nav Kiran Singh.

The association Secretary for year 2000 is Mr Pankaj Rattan Bhardwaj. He received 953 votes, while his nearest rival, Mr J.S. Mannipur, got 793 votes. For the Joint Secretary’s post, Ms Anjali Kukar proved to be the successful candidate. Over 1,171 advocates voted for her, while the other candidate, Mr Rana Ghuman got 566 votes.

Mr Rajinder Sharma with 800 votes was elected the Treasurer. He defeated Mr L.M. Gulati by 291 votes.

Chambers for lawyers top priority

“CHAMBERS for lawyers is top on my priority list”, said Mr Chatrath, soon after being elected the High Court Bar Association President. “At present, there are just 42 chambers, while over 1,600 lawyers are actively practising in the High Court.”

Talking to the Chandigarh Tribune, Mr Chatrath added, “Other problems being encountered by advocates will also be solved on top priority. The hall for the lawyers will be air-conditioned, besides being equipped with a false ceiling for avoiding noise pollution.”

He added that a guidance cell will also be set up for the professional development of young advocates.. “The library will also be better equipped,” he said.

HC order on power to plot allottees
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, April 28 — The Punjab and Haryana High Court today directed the UT Administration, the Chandigarh Housing Board and the Municipal Corporation of Chandigarh to provide electricity and water to "individual allottees of the plots within a period of six weeks from the date of the submission of certified copy of the order".

Pronouncing the orders in the open court on a petition by the Indian Express Employees Cooperative House Building Society, Mr Justice G.S. Singhvi and Mr Justice R.L. Anand observed: "The secretary of the petitioner society, Mr. S.S. Rawat, has made a grievance that the written statement has not been filed on behalf of the respondents although nine months have passed since the service of notice on the respondents and the respondents have not taken steps to provide basic amenities".

The Judges added that after taking into consideration Mr Rawat's statement, the directions were being issued to the respondents. The petitioner, it may be recalled, had earlier sought directions to the respondents for providing basic services and amenities.

Directions to the respondents for providing "individual water and electricity connections, including the laying down of the pipes", had also been asked for.

Stay in club membership case
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, April 28 — In a suit filed here by Mr Charan Mann, challenging the decision of the Chandigarh Golf Club to keep his membership in abeyance, a city court today granted an ex parte stay. In the suit filed earlier, Mr Charan Mann had sought the court to declare as “illegal”, the February 15 letter issued by the club for reviewing his mid week membership and keeping it in abeyance.

In the suit, Mr Mann submitted that the Chandigarh Golf Club had kept his letter in abeyance against the provisions of natural justice. He had urged that this act was not justified by any rule, regulation or byelaw of the Club. He added that his membership was against duly existing vacancies and that on demand of the club in this regard, he had even deposited the requisite fee of Rs 27,000, besides an advance subscription for four months.

The plaintiff submitted that his membership was held in abeyance through a letter dated February 15 this year and he was not even given a prior notice in this context. He said this was despite the fact that he was voluntarily elected a mid-week member by a duly-constituted managing committee.

Passing the stay order here today, the UT Sub Judge, Ms Paramvir Nijjar, restrained the Club from infringing upon the rights of the plaintiff and directed that his rights and privileges must not be violated. The court also restrained the club from further electing, enrolling or readmitting any mid-week member during the subsistence of abeyance of the mid-week membership of the plaintiff. It was further held that in case a member is elected during this period, it should not, in any way, affect the seniority of the plaintiff.

CULTURE

Akademi nominates Braham
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, April 28 — Mr Braham Prakash, senior faculty member of the local Government College of Art, has been nominated by the Lalit Kala Akademi as the regional commissioner for Punjab, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Chandigarh.

A press note here today said that he would recommend names of artists for participation in Indian section of the Triennale — an international exhibition of contemporary art scheduled for December - January 2001. He is a recipient of the Triennale India International award 1982 and a national award in 1980.