The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Chandigarh Stories

BCA course loses shine
By Sanjeev Singh Bariana
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH May 6 — The Bachelor of Computer Applications course has lost charm among students in colleges affiliated to Panjab University. There is demand to add another academic year, with stress on information technology.Students have made several representations to the university. Principal H.L. Gandhar and Principal R.C. Jeewan, among several college heads, have forwarded the demand. Prof Charanjit Chawla, a Fellow, among several others have repeated the demand of enhancing one academic year for the course on the floor of the house.

A change in academic rules in this context is that Delhi University has approved conversion of three-year Bachelor of Computers Science into four years. Courses of the BCA have been converted into those of Bachelor of Information Technology.

In a representation to the university Vice-Chancellor, students have said: “The BCA course was started in 1997 and 1998 in almost all the universities. It lost its shine the following year because of no further opportunities to professional degree holders. Students of the BCA have to appear for the MCA course on parity with students of other science streams”

Students feel that the university authorities should reconsider a fresh four-year Bachelor of Information Technology course.

The UGC has forwarded recommendations of a National Task Force on Information Technology and Software Development which needs to be introduced at the degree level.

The curriculum for IT includes information concepts and processing: evolution of information processing, data, information language and communication. Elements of a computer processing system: hardware-CPU; storage devices, operating systems and computing feature among the other facets of the course.

Khuda Lahora students trek in hills
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, May 6 — Nearly 100 students of Government High School, Khuda Lahora, took part in a hiking and trekking camp to Jainty Devi Hills.

Mr Manmohan Singh, Sarpanch of Khuda Lahora, inaugurated the camp. A guard of honour was presented to him.

The Principal, Mrs D. Aggarwal, highlighted the achievements of the school.

Mr Ram Kishan, First Aid and Home Nursing Lecturer, who organised the camp briefed the students about trekking.

The Sarpanch flagged off two groups of First Aid and Home Nursing Students.

Chinese film festival from May 8
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, May 6 —The Panjab University Teachers Association will organise a Chinese film festival in association with the Chandigarh Film Society from May 8 to 12, an official press release said here on Friday.

Mr Jiang Weining, a councillor in the Chinese Embassy, will be present on the occasion.

Films to be screened include The Black Eyes, The Winter Eyes, Peking Duck Restaurant and A Mongolian Tale, among others.

Entrance exam
The last date for the receipt of application forms for the entrance examination to be conducted by Panjab University (other than CET) has been extended from April 24 to May 15, an official press release said here yesterday.

These examinations for the graduate and post-graduate level courses are scheduled between June 6 and 11.

The application forms have to be submitted to the Joint Controller of Examination by hand only. No mail forms shall be accepted, the press note added.

Lecture
Sankhya school of Indian Philosophy was the central theme to a lecture on ‘Remedy for sufferings’, organised by the Panjab University Staff Club Organisation, a press note said here on Friday.

Dr Shankerji Jha focussed on three kinds of sufferings — self, natural and created. Spiritual and conventional methods were referred to as paths of solution.

Seminar
‘Lala Lajpat Rai in retrospect’ is the subject of a three-day seminar-cum-workshop scheduled to be held in Panjab University from May 9 to 11, an official press note said here on Friday.

Scholars from various disciplines will discuss themes like religion, politics, colonial and national economy and social and gender structures, among others.

‘EEDP programme a success’
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, May 6 — The early education development programme (EEDP), started about seven years ago, has come to stay in about 500 DAV Public Schools in the country, according to Ms Nisha Pushin, Curriculum Development Officer, of the DAV College Managing Committee.

She was addressing parents of school students at the DAV School, Sector 8, here yesterday. She was of the view that kindergarten curriculum was a list of subjects and a syllabus that is taught in the class room was a myth. She added that the curriculum sufficiently acknowledges young children’s need to play together to communicate with other people to understand their world and to look after themselves, learning academic skills.

Rag pickers shift from bori to basta
From a Correspondent

CHANDIGARH, May 6 — In all, 15 students who are also rag pickers, were given school bags along with the exercise books and other stationery under the project, Bori Se Basta, by Mr D.S. Saroya, DPI (schools) of Chandigarh, in a function today at Government High School, Sector 40-A, here.

Mr Bahadur Singh, Headmaster of the school, welcomed the chief guest and told him about various other projects introduced in the school like Chalo Bete School, Assra and Sunday School. Also, 95 other students of the school who have lost their fathers, were also given stationery. The school has decided to give them maximum financial help under the scheme Help to the Dedicated. Three teachers, Ms Rajinder Kaur, the PTI; Ms Swarn Kaur, the JBT; and Mr Supinder Singh were honoured by the PTA and the students' council. Three state-award-winning teachers of the school were also honoured by these bodies. Those honoured included Ms Ravinder Kaur (state award in 1998), Ms Nirmal Kumari (state award in 1998) and Mr Bahadur Singh.

Count teaching experience got during PG: CAT
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, May 6 — Declaring Dr Jagdish Chander to be eligible for the post of professor of microbiology advertised for appointment in Government Medical College, here, the Central Administrative Tribunal has held that the Union Public Service Commission discriminated against the applicant by ignoring the "teaching experience gained during post-graduation".

Pronouncing the orders, the tribunal also directed that the "respondents may now declare the result of the interview held by them on August 31, 1999, and take such steps for the appointment of the persons found suitable and selected by them preferably within a period of two months from the date of receipt of the order's copy."

In his application, Dr Chander had stated that the UPSC had initially prescribed the eligibility to be 12 years after post-graduation but had later modified it to read "as 12 years standing in profession".

Claiming to have experience of over 12 years, Dr Chander had stated that the interview letter was not received as his standing in profession of teaching during the years he was doing M.D. was ignored "even though he had clearly described his nature of duties as teaching MBBS students with other work related to that."

Giving details, he had stated that in the case of Mr B.S. Chavan, his experience when he was a post-graduation student had been counted as teaching experience for the professor's post, while the same was denied to him.

The tribunal, it may be recalled, on August 24, 1999, had directed the UPSC to issue interview letter to the applicant but not to declare the result of all the candidates.

During the proceedings, an affidavit of UPSC's Under Secretary was placed on record stating that the candidature of Mr R.M. Joshi (Professor and Head of Department of Microbiology in Government Medical College) for the post of the microbiology professor had been cancelled with regard to the advertisement.

The affidavit had stated that Mr Joshi "shall have no claim, whatsoever, on the post as he had failed to submit the required documents within the stipulated time".

After hearing the arguments, the tribunal observed: "Under the residency scheme, a resident is a person who is doing Post Graduation and earlier was described as a M.D. student. Applicant would, thus, fulfil the requisite experience of standing at the profession as required."