EDUCATION

B.Ed entrance test on July 9
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, May 4 —The entrance test for Bachelor of Education courses of Punjab and Chandigarh colleges is scheduled for July 9.

Highly placed sources in the examination branch of Panjab University said that the examination will be conducted as per NCTE norms and will cover colleges affiliated to Panjab, Punjabi and Guru Nanak Dev Universities. Panjab University has been asked by the UT Administration and the Punjab Government to conduct the entrance examination.

The prospectus will be available from May 12 onwards. The cost for general category forms is Rs 500 while rates for the Scheduled Caste and other reserved categories is Rs 250, sources said.

In a significant departure from the existing policy, 85 per cent of seats in colleges will be reserved for local candidates. The existing norms are one of 60 per cent reservation.

The examination will consist of two papers. The first paper will have general awareness, teaching potential and general ability test. The second paper will be Punjabi (for those who studied Punjabi at the matric level) and language proficiency in English or Hindi who have not studied Punjabi at the matriculation level.

Examination are scheduled to be conducted at 17 centres. These include: Abohar, Amritsar, Bhatinda, Chandigarh, Faridkot, Ferozepore, Gurdaspur, Hoshiarpur, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Moga, Muktsar, Nawanshahr, Patiala, Rupnagar, Sangrur and Sidhwan Khurd.

Last year there were some 39,000 candidates for 3900 seats.

Recruitment issue fails to die
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, May 4 — Adding another twist to the recruitment issue in the Education Department of Panjab University, objections have been raised to questioning of unfair recruitment or procedural errors during recruitment of teachers in the department.

The matter came up for heated discussions in the university Syndicate recently, where Dr Ram Prakash pointed out that names of four teachers appeared in the datesheets dated August, 1999, while they were recruited in December. The Education Department maintained that names of teachers were added on the datesheets printed earlier. The only mistake was that the dates were not changed. Dr Ram Prakash questioned the sanctity of the reply of the department. "It was possible that department overlooked date change in one of the datesheets. But the same in nearly a dozen papers casts doubts," he said.

A lecturer, Ms Lalita, has not joined till date. Her name figures in the datesheet. Department sources said she had been selected and no letter had been received about her being replaced by another teacher.

Dr Ram Prakash said the department maintained that white ink had been used to remove earlier names. The data, however, showed sheets which bore deletion by pen marks.

Dr Ram Prakash said, "I can only pray to God to lend some wisdom. I say this in context of usage of words against my questions. I want replies. If nothing is wrong, then everything is alright," he said.

Dr Ram Prakash said a more pertinent issue in this regard was appointment of Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe candidates. There should at least be one seat reserved for reserved categories.

Camp on first-aid
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, May 4 — A camp on First-Aid and Home Nursing was inaugurated at Government Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 10, by Mr Brahmjit Kalia, District Education Officer of the UT.

The camp has been set up by St John Ambulance Brigade to impart training to teachers about first-aid and nursing so that they teach their students about it. The Deputy Training Supervisor, Mr Nazeer, delivered a lecture on first-aid.

COURTS

Shop penalised for packing wrong pair of shoes
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, May 4 — In an interesting case here, a shoe store proprietor has been held guilty of packing a pair of shoes different than the design actually chosen by the customer.

Observing that packing a wrong pair of shoes is a clear deficiency on part of the shoe store proprietor, the State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission set aside the earlier order of District Forum II, which had absolved the proprietor of Mahajan Shoes Store, Sector 26, in this case.

Convinced that the deficiency was evident, the Commission bench consisting of President Mr Justice J.B. Garg and members Dr P.K. Vasudeva and Mrs Devinderjit Dhatt, not only ordered the refund of Rs 750 to the complainant but also imposed an additional cost of Rs 500 on the respondent, further directing him to pay interest to the complainant at the rate of 18 per cent per annum.

Pursuing the case, the complainant Mr Parminder Singh, a Patiala resident, approached the Commission and stated that he purchased a pair of Windsor Liberty shoes of camel colour from Mahajan Shoes Store for a sum of Rs 750 in March 1998. He added, "At the time of purchase, I did not check as to how the salesman had packed the shoes in the box which was handed over to me. I noticed that they had packed a different design than the one I had chosen only when I unpacked them on the occasion of a marriage in the family. "

The complainant also said that he tried to get the shoes replaced but to no avail. "Finally I had to send a legal notice to the store owner who did not still respond," said the complainant.

Taking serious view of the matter, the Commission bench agreed to the plea raised by the counsel for the appellant who stated that one shoe was clearly different than the other.

Haryana Roadways’ appeal rejected
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, May 4 — An appeal filed by Haryana through its Transport Secretary and General Manager of the Haryana Roadways against the order of District Forum II, which had directed it to refund Rs 97 to a complainant as its deluxe bus hardly had any facility worth the name "deluxe", was dismissed here by the State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission.

Holding that the allegations were convincing enough, the bench comprising the forum President, Mr Justice J.B. Garg, and members, Dr P.K. Vasudeva and Ms Devinderjit Dhatt, ordered that only the fare of an ordinary bus (Rs 87) be charged from the complainant and the remaining Rs 97 (out of Rs 184 paid by him) be refunded to him. Further Rs 2,000 were also ordered to be paid as compensation for the harassment caused.

The allegations against the defendants were raised by Lieut-Col J.S. Mand who boarded a Chandigarh-bound Haryana Roadways deluxe bus from Delhi and paid Rs 184 for the ticket. The complainant said the fare of a normal bus on the same route was Rs 87 only.

Mr Mand said after boarding the bus, he complained about its shabby state to the conductor. He said, "The seats were tilted and worn out. Mechanically speaking, the bus was hardly roadworthy. There was also a lot of rattling."

Col Mand said throughout the journey, the passengers felt harassed on account of the uncomfortable conditions in the bus. Claiming damages against the inconvenience suffered, Col Mand demanded that Rs 2,000, besides Rs 184 fare amount, be given to him.

The charges were rebutted and the defendants said the bus was in a proper condition. They said all facilities of a deluxe bus were provided to the passengers.

However, the case of the complainant was made strong by the two affidavits filed by his co-passengers. The issue that the department did not even possess a certificate of roadworthiness of the bus was also raised. The complainant said, "The bus was even taken to the depot at King's Way Camp in Delhi at my request, but, the General Manager was not available to listen to the problems of the passengers."

Admn seeks list of advocates sitting behind Estate Office
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, May 4 — The Chandigarh Administration has asked for a list of all advocates and typists sitting behind the Estate Office for streamlining the process of allocating working space to these people.

The list and the subsequent allocation of working space will be based on seniority that is to be decided on the date of enrolment with Bar associations. The date of seniority will be the deciding factor but no upper limit has been fixed on the number of advocates who will be adjusted in the allocation of working space. The Chandigarh Administration does not want to get into the business of finding out who has been sitting since when.‘‘ The safest is to go by the seniority of the Bar association,’’ official sources said.

No decision has been taken as of yet but a meeting will be scheduled only when the list ts had. A decision in this regard will be taken by the Deputy Commissioner. No final date has been set for allocating working space. The typists will be weeded out. Probably those who are sitting independently will be allowed. But those who are attached with the advocates for the exclusive use of the latter will be weeded out. This way the general public is forced to get the attestation done from the same advocate sitting along side the typist.

Meanwhile, the President of the District Bar Association, Mr N.K. Nanda, says , ‘‘We have met the DC, who has assured that all confisticated belongings of the advocates and typists will be returned. He demanded that a proper place should be provided for the advocates as they are meeting the work expectations of the general public.

The Administration has assured that basic amenities will also be provided, he claimed. However, then the advocates and typists, who were evicted a few days ago, are yet to return to work.

CULTURE

Tuta wala khu shooting begins
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, May 4 — The mahurat of teleserial, “Tuta wala khu”, based on the novel of the late Sohan Singh Sital, was performed at Khizrabad village, 25 km from here today.

While launching the shooting, the Punjab Public Relations Minister, Mr Natha Singh Dalam, told reporters that the serial would give exposure to the Punjabi culture at the international level. He complimented the Lashkara channel for making the 104-episode serial.

The channel, he said, had opened new openings for the Punjabi artistes.

The President of the Punjab Sangeet Natak Akademi, Ms Harjinder Kaur, who gave the clap shot, assured all help for the completion of the project, based on Partition.

Directed by Mohan Singh, the star cast, a majority of which has deliberately been taken from Punjab, include Dr Ranjeet, Dr Savinder Mahal, Michal, Kuldip Singh, Jai Sahib, Dr Sahib Singh, Kulwant Khatra, Pinki Saggu, Rajinder Rosy, Sucheta and Babita.

Mohan Singh informed that the entire shooting of the serial will be done in Punjab villages bordering Chandigarh.