EDUCATION

IT role stressed in librarianship
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, June 19 — Presiding over the valedictory function of the two-day first annual conference of the Federation of College — University Physical Education and Library Associations of India (FEDCUPELA) here, Prof. R.C. Jeewan, Principal of DAV College, here said the libraries and the physical education were the nerve system of an academic institution. Thus the performance and worth of an educational institution could only be judged by the richness and services of the libraries and participation of students in physical education activities.

Giving a summary of the conference, Mr I.B. Verma, organising secretary of the conference, said more than 250 delegates from all over India took part in the conference. On this occasion a seminar on qualitative improvement of libraries and physical education in India was also organised in which papers on topics like motivational and leadership role of library and physical education personnel of India, need for orientation of students for better use of the libraries, the new information technology and the libraries, organisational perspectives, infrastructure, finance and planning of libraries and physical education. Papers on the role of the UGC in the development of academic libraries and physical education were presented. The technical sessions were presided over by Dr H.R. Chopra, Reader of the Department of Library and Information Science, Panjab University, and Dr Ajmer Singh, Prof. Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Chair, Panjab University.

Earlier, while inaugurating the conference Prof Prithpal Singh Kapoor, a former pro-Vice-Chancellor, GND varsity stressed the role of information technology in librarianship. He told the gathering that library movement in the country needed impetus. He emphasised the role of libraries in providing effective services to the readers. He was of the opinion that librarians and DPEs were teachers in the real sense but somehow discrimination had been done to them.

Play marks end of workshop
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, June 19 — It was a musical play that said it all. We should plant more trees, ban the use of polythenes and save our environment. The students at Kendriya Vidayalaya-2 conveyed their message through a play ‘Naye Duniya’, which was conceived by the students.

They were performing on the concluding day of a workshop on visual and performing arts started by the school on May 29. The students, supporting masks created by them in the workshop, played as trees and animals living in a natural habitat being disturbed by the human beings to satiate their lust for materials, thereby harming the natural resources.

As many as 42 students from all KVs participated in the workshop. The workshop on visual art included mask-making out of paper and cardboard,art of collage-making, pot painting, fabric painting, floral, leaf, vegetables, and thumb impression painting. The students had also learnt moulding clay to make models out of it and the art of making greeting cards.

“It was a real good effort by the school to satisfy the creative instincts of the students. I was amazed after seeing the reaction of the students. They took a lot of interest and their performance was much above their levels as the children were quite young,” said Mr GC Dhiman, the art teacher of the school.

Mr Rajesh Gupta, another art teacher, said he was overwhelmed with the response of the students. “Creativity is a god gift and everyone is bleesed with it. We only brush it up by holding such workshops,” said Mr Gupta.

The chief guest on the occasion was Wing Commander HS Sodhi. He appreciated the efforts of all instructors and students and encouraged them to keep it up in the future.

The officiating Principal, Ms Kiran Bala, informed that no fee was charged from the school for the workshop. She owed all success of the workshop to the students, instructors and the directions of the Principal, Mr Hargopal.

Summer camps: A three-week summer camp was organised at Saupins School which concluded here today. The skills imparted at the school included pot- painting, tie and dye, puppetry, mask-making and flower making. Calligraphy was also taught to the children.

A five-day summer camp was started at Sector 23 Government Model Senior Secondary School by the local Education Department in collaboration with the North Zone Cultural Centre from today. The camp will continue till June 24 and the creations of the students will be on a display on June 26.

The children will be taught various movements of theatrical arts, puppetry, pottery, clay-modelling, mask-making paper-cutting and making ornaments from plastic beads. They will be trained by eight trainers assigned by the Centre for Cultural Resources and Training. A fee of Rs 25 is being charged from the students. All students from Class V onwards from all government and aided schools are eligible for the summer camp.

Admission forms: The prospectus and admission forms for admission to Class XI in government schools will be made available to the students with effect from June 22 . This information was given by Mr Brahmjit Kalia, District Education Officer. The department had earlier announced the date as June 20. The prospectus can be had from all government schools but the forms can only be submitted in Sector 23 GMSS.

Bureau inaugurated: The local unit of the Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad set up an Admission Guidance Bureau on Panjab University campus. It was inaugurated by Mr VK Bansal, Dean Students welfare. Speaking on the occasion, Mr Bansal lauded the role of the ABVP in various constructive programmes and activities throughout the preceding academic session.

He expressed his belief that the bureau would definitely go on to serve the fresh admission-seekers to the university and would help in solving various problem they might face. The President of local unit of the ABVP also spoke on the occasion. Among those present were Harinder Bir Singh and Davesh Moudgil, Secretary and Joint Secretary of the ABVP and PU Campus Students Council, respectively. 

Private schools show better results
Tribune News Service

PANCHKULA, June 19 — An analysis of the recently declared result of the Haryana School Education Board shows an improvement in the overall pass percentage of the Class X examination in the district which stood at 55.32 this year.

However, this still continues to be much below the pass percentage of 64.83 at the state-level and sources in the district education department attribute it to the many vacancies in the 30 government high schools all over the district. Also, the 15 private schools in the district have performed better in comparison to their government counterparts.

Another reason for the poor showing is that Panchkula was accorded district status some years back. ''Ambala had completely neglected the schools of the city and those in the vicinity. We have built up the schools from the scratch and the results have shown an improvement with each passing year. We are hopeful that things will improve even more in the next session,'' an official said.

The district has secured 24 merit positions implying that these students have scored 70 per cent and above in the examination. From a total of 2,883 students who appeared, 1,429 passed the examination.

While Neha Suriya of New India School stood first, Yogesh, a student of Government Boys Senior Secondary School of Barwala secured the second position and Kusum Lata of JP High School, Pinjore, and Rajni Sharma of New India School were declared bracketed for the third position. 

COURTS

Firm told to vacate premises
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, June 19 — Dismissing an appeal, Mr Justice R.L. Anand of the Punjab and Haryana High Court here has granted Shine Star Leasing and Investment Limited and other appellants six months to vacate a Sector 8 premises. The Judge said, failing this, the petitioner should be entitled to get the possession through court.

Pronouncing the orders in an open court, Mr Justice Anand directed that the appellants "should give an undertaking before the executing court that they would vacate the premises within six months and that they would not let out the premises to anybody else".

The plaintiffs — Harbans Singh Josan and others — had earlier stated that according to a clause in the rent deed, the "tenancy created was terminable at the option of either of the parties by giving a two-month notice to the either party".

The plaintiffs had added that the tenancy of the defendants had been terminated vide a notice, but, instead of handing over the vacant possession of the premises, a cheque had been sent. It was further alleged that the defendants were "guilty of raising illegal and unauthorised construction".

The counsel for the appellants, on the other hand, had said the landlords had not given them a notice under Section 106 of the Transfer of Property Act.

After hearing the arguments, Justice Anand said, "The notice which was issued by the plaintiffs was on behalf of all the landlords and moreover, the owners of the property joined plaintiff number one as plaintiffs".

Mr Justice Anand also said, "After considering all the pros and cons of this appeal, I am of the considered opinion that this appeal deserves to be dismissed at the motion stage itself."

CULTURE

Museum to have textile section
By Harpreet Kaur

CHANDIGARH, June 19 — The local Government Museum and Art Gallery is being given a facelift as the Chandigarh Administration wants to make it one of the main tourist centres of the city. This was disclosed here yesterday by the gallery Director, Mr Vidya Nand Singh.

The foyer is being converted into a textile section where colourful phulkaris and chamba rumals will be exhibited, besides the textile paintings like Nathdwara and Tibetan thankas which are already there.

This gallery will be opened for the public in July.

Mr Singh further informed that the Indian miniature segment will be air-conditioned by the end of this year. This is being done to protect the paintings which are actually paper work. For the same purpose, metal halide lights have been introduced. These lights are diffusing and give a cool and soothing effect.

Work on launching sky and spot lights in the rest of the gallery is also in progress. It is being claimed that the renewal of lighting will be finished in two months.

The visitors will also get to see bronze and sandstone sculptures belonging to the medieval period. These have been selected by the Governor.