The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Chandigarh Stories

EDUCATION

Shortage of paper-setters, evaluators
tops PU agenda
By Sanjeev Singh Bariana
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH June 20 — Shortage of paper-setters and evaluators seems to be top among the agenda of problems for smooth conduct of Panjab University annual examination.

The idea of increasing paper-setters was originally mooted in 1998 on complaints of paper leakage, when there was just one paper-setter. Prof Charanjit Chawla moved the proposal in the November 1998 Syndicate meeting, saying the university should have three different paper-setters for each class.

Currently, the university provides for only one paper setter for each class. At least three examinations have concluded since the present proposal was mooted, but the paper-setter remains one.

The university Syndicate had approved Professor Chawla’s proposal, following which a special committee was set up. The committee featured Prof Harinder Singh, Professor Chawla, Prof B.S. Brar, the Registrar and the Controller of Examination. In the meeting, it was pointed out that the university faced certain problems in arranging for three paper-setters and hence, only two be done with.

Professor Chawla said in a meeting in February 1999, it was decided that only two paper-setters be appointed. Now, the university has scheduled another meeting of the committee in the regard. The time gap between the original proposal, the first meeting and the one proposed now seems too long. The proposal under consideration will have a set of at least four question papers, out which one will be used for the annual examination in April and the other for compartment examination in September. The choice among the set of papers will be done at random by the Controller of Examination. The meeting this time looks like having a more closer look on an already approved decision.

Senior sources in the examination branch pointed out that the biggest difficulty in examination was arranging for the paper-setters and evaluators. In several cases, the department faced whims and fancies of the conductors. A large number of teachers like to avoid the examination duty. It would be difficult to arrange for more teachers.

Sources added that teachers also avoided checking duty. “The most common argument is that they were being paid very less and it is not worth the effort,” they said.

Professor Chawla said the proposal was not a matter studying mere convenience of the examination department or the teachers. The issue pertaining to the examination system was vital to the whole university system and needed a careful look.

A senior student said it was strange to hear that it was difficult to find paper-setters and evaluators among a wide range of faculty in colleges and the university. The Board of Studies should ensure all teachers to take up the responsibility whenever their turn comes.

School principals blow tuition myth
By Sunaina Pandit

CHANDIGARH"I am against private tuitions. After a child spends six to seven hours in school and another two to three hours at tuitions, the burden affects his or her health. In our school, we follow the system of adoption, under which, a teacher monitors the performance of a student not only in school, but also when the child is at home. This way, every child gets a personal attention of a teacher and the need for taking private tuitions is reduced."

Ms Rajani Thereja, Principal, Hansraj Public School, Panchkula

"A small percentage of students take tuitions before joining Class X. In Classes XI and XII, especially in the science stream, almost every student takes private tuitions. Even before the new session begins, the priority of every student is to get himself or herself enrolled in tuition classes. Parents have become over-ambitious and are overburdening their wards. Taking tuitions has become a sort of status symbol,"

Mr Talwar, Principal, DAV Public School, Sector 8, Chandigarh.

"Private tuitions have spread into our education system like cancer. Most of the time, students are caught between classes and tuitions, which leaves them with no time to self-study. Self-study is always needed to make concepts clear. Parents are becoming over-ambitious, but, are not giving enough time and guidance to their wards. Usually, the toppers of our school prefer self-study to private coaching.''

Ms Rakesh Sachdeva, Principal, DAV Model School, Sector 15, Chandigarh

"Good teachers are rendered useless in schools when students prefer to take private coaching. It is a myth that something extra is taught in tuition classes. Sometimes, students join tuition classes under the peer-group pressure. Schools which are not particular about attendance, are in a way, encouraging tuitions. Students whose parents can afford to spend huge amount of money on tautens, are considered privileged ones. This gives a complex to students who cannot afford tuition expenses."

Ms M. Mohindra, Principal, Bhartatiya Vidya Bhavan, Sector 27, Chandigarh

"To attend tautens as well as devote time to self-study, students start missing school. Such students come to school only to get their attendance marked and are a nuisance for rest of the class. Those who do not opt for tautens, face psychological pressure from those who take these. Instead of tautens, there should be a test culture, where outsiders should take tests based on the syllabus covered in the school."

Mr Bharat Gupta, Principal, DC Model Senior Secondary School, Panchkula

College faces admission rush
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH June 20 — DAV College, Sector 10, witnessed a heavy rush for admissions to Class XI (science streams) here today.

Dr V.K. Garg, Dean Admissions of the college, said the cut-off percentage for admission to the non-medical-stream course in the college was 75 today. For the medical stream, it was 60 per cent.

The college has 480 seats in the non-medical stream and 240 in the medical stream. More than 420 seats were filled today.

"Some seats are still vacant, but, the picture will become clear tomorrow," Dr Garg said.

The college road got virtually blocked till the market on one side and the main road on the other earlier in the day.

Affection and attention brought success
Tribune News Service

PANCHKULA June 20 — "Our school is a second home for students where we ensure that each one of them gets motherly affection and fatherly attention. Also, teachers are not breathing down their necks over academic issues and each child is allowed to grasp information at his own pace,'' says Mr Sandeep Sardana, Principal of Manav Mangal School, Sector 11, here. He is proud of his students' performance in the Class X CBSE Examinations.

He says, "We have always had good results ever since our first batch passed out in 1997. Our students topped in the district for two years and were placed second in the next two examinations. We missed the first position by one mark this year.''

He says that the good results are the outcome of the coordination between students, teachers and parents. "We do not believe in using the rod and it has not spoilt our children. They need not turn into bookworms, especially since information is available at the click of a mouse. This keeps the child interested in learning and brings him the required marks,'' Mr Sardana opines.

Teachers are also given a fair deal and their motivation can be attributed to the good service conditions in the school. With their job becoming increasingly challenging, the school does not want them to be "compelled" to work. "We do not supervise their working, unlike the managers of other schools. I keep telling them that they are their own supervisors and should work to their satisfaction. Also, we have told them that we want results and it is upto them to deliver the goods by whatever method they employ,'' Mr Sardana says.

Another priority of the school has been the satisfaction of parents. "We have built a relationship with parents of our students on trust and they have cooperated in everything undertaken by the school. Suggestions made by them are incorporated and are not dismissed as interference in school matters,'' he says.

Parents are of a unanimous opinion that the rewards of extra classes in the school, regular tests and the cooperative attitude of teachers can be seen in the performance of the students.

Mr Ajay Garg, father of the topper of the school, says, "My son began studying for the examinations as early as December and the inspiration came from the school. The school provides a conducive environment for students and studies do not seem a taxing exercise.''

The mother of the school topper, Ms Sneh Garg, says, "The school took numerous examinations to make the children grasp the subjects thoroughly. The syllabus was covered in parts — 25 per cent of it under each pre-board examination. Teachers went out of the way to help students who could visit them even at their homes to clear any doubts.''

Mr Rajkumar Singla, another parent whose daughter secured over 90 per cent marks, says that students owe their success to the discipline in the school which had a bearing on their study pattern. "The Principal and teachers are in control of the situation and do not believe in churning out bookworms. My daughter studied only three to four hours every day in the academic session,'' he says.

School board staff hold protest
Tribune News Service

SAS NAGAR June 20 — The Punjab School Education Board (non-teaching) Karamchari Union today blocked the way to the room of the Chairman of the board for more than an hour and raised slogans against the management of the board for not implementing its demands here today.

Though the situation did not turn ugly the police was called by the board authorities. Earlier in the day the union held a rally in support of its demands.

The union alleged that the results of the board examination of class X and of the arts stream of class XII were being delayed on account of certain inefficient officials. Mr J.S. Brar, General Secretary of the union, said though the board management had agreed to its demands, yet the same were not being implemented.

The salary of the persons on contract and daily-wagers had not been paid for the past two months. Deserving cases were not being given promotion against vacant posts. He said an additional secretary in the board was being given undue favour by the management.

COURTS

Bail plea rejected
From Our Correspondent

CHANDIGARH June 20 — The bail application of Moris Iyasere, a Nigerian national, was rejected for the third time by Additional District and Sessions Judge Sneh Prashar. Moris was arrested for possessing fake currency notes on March 24.

The public prosecutor argued that the fake notes were found in the possession of the accused. The defence counsel argued that though the bail of the accused had been dismissed twice before but this time the accused was seeking bail on fresh grounds. He further argued that the accused had not been keeping well as he had stomach ailment.

Hearing the arguments the judge observed that there were proper medical facilities available in the jail hospital for the inmates so there was no need to grant bail to the accused.

CULTURE

Sa Re Ga Ma director scouts for talent
By Pradeep Sharma
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH June 20 — When you are the music director of the highest-rated programme on the satellite TV for the past over five years, it is a matter of honour for you. Such a rare honour has come to Annujj Kappu, the music director of Zee TV's Sa Re Ga Ma, who is on a tour of the region in search of talent for the prestigious programme.

Annujj, who is in the city in connection with the two-day audition for the programme at the Government Art Gallery and Museum, Sector 10, which started today, told The Tribune that the main purpose of the programme was to provide a platform to budding artistes and exploit their musical talent with a view to giving them a break in the film industry.

Son of the veteran character actor Satyan Kappu, Annujj informed that he has an interest in music and the movie, Guide, had a tremendous influence on him. Formal classical training under Ustad Momin Ali Khan of the Lukhnow gharana at the age 15 years honed his musical skills and they were further improved by rigorous training under Dhurva Ghosh.

Training under Baba Ram Parshad and Bismarck Rodrigues in western music polished the talent of the young musician and by this time he was regular in providing music to several Doordarshan programmes like Sham-e-ghazal and Mehfil. Besides, several serials such as Rishtey, Woh Jamana Lad Gaya and Hast Rekha had music by him.

But it was perhaps Sa Re Ga Ma in 1995 which put him in league with the mainstream music directors. In fact, it is the audition of the immensely-popular programme, which was till-recently anchored by Sonu Nigam, which had brought the Mumbai-based music director to the region. On June 17, he along with noted classical singer, Sunanda Sharma, held audition in New Delhi where about 30 singers were selected out of a total of over 250.

While the audition in the city will continue tomorrow, on June 23 the team will move to Ludhiana. Similarly, the singers of Karnal and neighbouring areas will have the opportunity to show their talent as the team will hold audition there on June 24.

Talking about the future projects, Annujj said two of his serials--Samay, a family drama, and Jhun Jhun, a dance serial will soon be on the air. The music director, who has already worked with top singers like Suresh Wadkar and Kavita Krishnamurty in their albums, is coming out with the album of Mohammad Vakil, the winner of the mega-finals of the Sa Re Ga Ma soon.

Oh boy! What a beauty
By Avneet Sidhu

CHANDIGARH June 20 — Massage, bleach, steaming, threading. They get everything done. And why shouldn't they? The times have changed and more and more boys are becoming conscious of how they look. Earlier, girls alone were acquainted with these words but now even the boys are. They are seen getting beauty treatments,worrying about their skin, hair and everything. So, if you want to change your looks, just enter a beauty salon and let them know what you want.

"Boys have in fact become more beauty conscious these days than the girls", says Rashid Khan, a hair dresser. "Though the number is not as huge as that of the girls, but three to four boys do drop in every day," he informs. And what do they ask for ? "Generally, a facial. Everyone wants a clear skin and so they get their faces massaged and steamed and get black heads removed,"he adds.

"Most of the boys ask for a facial," says Tarsem Chand, a beautician.

The sun seems to be the greatest enemy one can have in summer. To save themselves from getting a tan, apart from wearing full-sleeved shirts and caps, they get their faces bleached quite often, since it gives a fair look. "Bleaching is very common with boys in summer. A number of them come for threading too. Obviously,they do not ask for different shapes but get their eye-brows a little thinner,"Rashid added.

Hair style is the most important factor which adds to one's looks. The fad of getting a zero-cut is on the increase. "Short hair are in vogue. Many go for a square cut with flat top, a few like short hair with long fore locks," hair-dressers feel.

A wide range of hair colours is available in the market and the guys are crazy for a blue-black tinge. Some prefer reddish-brown streaks while others go for a complete hair colour. Guys are seen getting manicure and pedicure also but it is common only when the person has to get married.

The beauticians are generally consulted for curing pimples and dark circles around the eyes and many boys opt for home remedies like applying cucumber water and turmeric paste. Not only this, they also use a variety of cosmetics like sunscreen lotions, cleansing milk, astringents and face packs.

Puneet, who recently got his face bleached, says, "I was just curious to know what it feels like after a visit to a beauty parlour." Many others find the massage so soothing that they wish to get it done time and again.

Boys say that it is a great thing to carry yourself well and look good. Since many people are getting inclined towards modelling and making it their profession, it has become very important to keep oneself in good shape.