EDUCATION

School board employees reinstated
Tribune News Service

SAS NAGAR, May 9 — At least three employees of the Punjab School Education Board, including the General Secretary of the Punjab School Education Board Non-Teaching Karamchari Association, Mr Jarnail Singh Brar, have been reinstated, pending inquiry against them by the board authorities.

Mr Brar, a Senior Assistant, along with Mr Ranjodh Singh, a Junior Assistant, and Mr Inderjit Singh, a clerk, were suspended in August last year for allegedly committing irregularities in 31 cases during the tabulation of results of Classes X and XII examination held in March last year.

Though officials of the board claimed that the reinstatement was a normal procedure followed by the board, sources said as one of the suspended employees was a union leader, there was pressure on the board to reinstate them. The employees’ association had protested against the suspension, alleging that certain board officials wanted to suppress facts about the ‘later set’ of the examination branch - II.

The union had demanded rechecking of class XII result of science and commerce streams held in March, 1998. Though the rechecking was done, the outcome was not made public by the board authorities. Sources said the rechecking had revealed certain mistakes in the result.

New perspective on Lajpat Rai emphasised
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, May 9 — Historians have not skillfully explained the life of Lala Lajpat Rai in the context of colonial Punjab. The outstanding contribution of Lala Lajpat Rai needs to be undertaken in a new perspective. This was stated by Prof Ravinder Kumar, Honorary Editor of the project on collected works of Jawahar Lal Nehru, in his keynote address at the inaugural session of a three-day seminar on Lala Lajpat Rai in retrospective at ICSSR Complex, Panjab University, here today.

Prof Ravinder Kumar, a former Director of the Nehru Memorial Museum, focussed on themes that could be explored in relation to studies on Punjab in an effort to integrate these with the life and times of Lala Lajpat Rai. "The new academic interest will help us understand issues of present relevance not only for India and Pakistan but also wider issues between the two countries," he added.

Mr B.R. Nanda, Chief Editor of the project on collected works of Lala Lajpat Rai, spoke on the outstanding contribution of the Lala, who at a tender age and in absence of any support, made a transition from regional to national politics. He said Lala Lajpat Rai's ideas grew with time and his sophisticated thoughts regarding politics, education and social reforms rose above ideas of his time and environment.

Prof M.M. Puri, the Vice-Chancellor of Panjab University, spoke on the stature and splendour of the Lala's personality. Patriotism was the driving force behind him, the VC said. His idea was to create a free floating research unit, which would serve as a platform for the inter-action and emergence of new ideas, which could be further contested and selected for extensive investigation, he said. This centre would transcend the known boundaries of different disciplines and would see Lala Lajpat Rai, his thought and his work holistically, he added.

Earlier, Prof J.S. Grewal, while welcoming the guests, said the seminar-cum-workshop was an exercise to formulate a programme for future research on Lajpat Rai studies by scholars of different fields to enable a multi-dimensional approach. Later, Prof Indu Banga proposed the vote of thanks.

COURTS

Ranjit Bajaj’s arrest stayed till May 16
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, May 9 — Rupan Deol Bajaj’s son Ranjit Bajaj, wanted by the city police which recovered a .9 mm pistol, seven cartridges, two empty gun holsters and two swords from his car here on May 6, today filed his anticipatory bail application in the court of UT Additional District and Sessions Judge, Mr R.C. Godara. The Judge, while staying arrest of the accused till May 16, has also issued a notice to the state for the same date.

The city police had recovered the above mentioned things from Ranjit’s car which bore a fictitious number — CHI 1. The car was being driven by Ranjit’s friend Gursamip Singh in Sector 18 at 3 am in the morning and was finally stopped under mysterious circumstances. The occupant was questioned as to why was he driving the car at such an odd hour and why had he played such high voltage music.