The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Chandigarh Stories

EDUCATION

DAV College's novel plan for pre-eng students
By Chitleen K. Sethi
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, July 13 — With an aim to provide top class coaching and to curb the craze for private coaching academies, DAV College Sector 10 has decided to start a unique programme of extra teaching classes for the top non-medical students of the college to prepare them for some of the toughest pre-engineering competitions in the country.

It is scheduled to begin with the 34 students who have secured more than 90 per cent marks and now admitted in class XI of the college. The programme called E- 26, or Engineering- 26, is spread over a period of 26 weeks and has been scientifically planned for students who start their session on July 16 this year.

The syllabus has been divided into five modules, or chunks, each of which will be covered in four weeks during four hour-long classes held on the weekends. These classes are in addition to the routine followed in the college and these students have to pay no extra charge for this specialised coaching.

The creativity of this programme lies in the programme's way of testing the student's understanding of the concepts basic to physics, chemistry and mathematics. There are concept tests and interactive concept quizzes being formulated for the students wherein the students will interact among themselves to decide upon the correct answer.

This would lead to a better understanding of the concepts and is aimed at developing skills to master the screening or preliminary test of JEE for IITs. For the main exams of JEE, special work problem tests have been made which aim at the student's confronting ideas directly, develop working knowledge and practice problem solving skills. The tests would be graded and the scores would be an accurate measure of where the students stand. Special reading of texts will also be suggested to the students and the books made available in the college library.

As soon as the 26 weeks of the first group is over, the students of Class XII will be incorporated in the programme.

A brainchild of the Principal R.C. Jeevan, this programme was formulated after meetings with the parents of the students concerned and the teachers desirous of being involved in the programme. "This programme is aimed to check the uncontrollable mushrooming of academies promising the sky who are duping parents and students, who are crazy after the medical and engineering professions" says the Principal.

He also believes that the importance of college education is going down with the dilution of the system of education and some concrete and positive steps need to be taken to curtail this.

Vocational course students a harassed lot
By Sanjeev Singh Bariana
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, July 13 — Students of Class XII vocational course in computer technology seeking admission in Panjab University will be treated at par with students of other streams.

Parents and students are lamenting that the two years hard journey into the technology world could have been avoided if it did not have any value.

Two-year course in computer application in place of routine plus two classes at plus two level finds students at a no gain position for admissions to further classes in related course (Bachelor of Computer Application) in Panjab University in the coming session.

Students of the vocational course in computer technology stand equivalent to students of other streams. With inclusion of all streams, including Arts (for the first time) by Panjab University, these students loose their position on the merit list as compared to higher scoring subjects particularly the science streams.

A number of parents met The Tribune correspondent today to highlight their grievance.” My child left Class XII to join a specialised course and relating to a field which has gained immense importance during present times. Despite scoring above 65 per cent the child has not made it on merit list of any college,” a parent said.

Parents have met officials of the Education Department on the issue several times. The department has sent letters to the university asking care for the computer education students. A letter was sent by the department in January 1998 regarding proposals to the university for eligibility in the course.

The department sent another letter to the university in September 1998. Yet another reminder was fired in November 1998. However, no change has been made. The university is said to have replied that the matter had been referred to the Academic Council.

Legally it is pointed out that the vocational courses did not have any special position as compared to others. “ We are not asking for any special favours. We just want the authorities to allow the subject concerned students to be judged for admissions separately. A separate list was desired with a special weightage”, a parent said.

The course in the city started on the pattern of Delhi. Government Model Girls Senior Secondary School, Sector 18, and Government School, Sector 23, are the schools in the city offering the courses.

The highest scorer in the vocational stream this time is placed at 81 per cent. The cut-off percentage for admissions in colleges has been very high. One leading college registered 79 per cent of the marks.

Logically thinking, the BCA course was a good follow-up to the vocational course. This time, however, the university has allowed students from all streams. The vocational course in schools offered mathematics, computer system organisation, business software and another related paper as specialised subjects.

The step of holding vocational course students on common grounds with other streams in a way de-linked the course soon after one completed Class XII. To top it all, not all BCA students were eligible for the masters course in the subject.

539 more students admitted
From Our Correspondent

CHANDIGARH, July 13 — Till date 3392 students have been admitted in various government schools in the on going admissions at Government Senior Schools, Sector 23. The trend of students this year is basically towards science till now. Students have opted for science in maximum.

Until now 1977 students in the science, 828 commerce, 369 humanities and 218 vocational courses have been admitted in various schools. Three schools have filled up seats in the science and commerce stream in general category.

Today 739 students reported whereas 539 students were admitted in different streams in various government schools. In split figure of different streams 72 students were admitted in the science, 218 commerce, 164 humanities and 85 vocational courses. As per officials more than 800 students are expected to come over tomorrow for admissions for 50 per cent and above.

The schools with the cut-off percentage where science seats in general category have been filled up

CULTURE

Laado makers want tax lifted
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, July 13 — Some performances stand out, and when they do they win reasons to demand some terms. That is exactly the case with Laado, the first ever Haryanavi movie to be bestowed upon with the honour of Swarna Kamal by the jury of the 47th Film Festival of India. Even after having broken the record by making a movie which is a pioneer in its own right, the makers of Laado are not very satisfied with what they are getting in return from the state government.

The question involved is that of exempting the film of the entertainment tax so that the producer can fetch a wider viewership. After Laado proved its worth in the open category and won the “best first film of a director award”, its makers, including the director Ashwini Chaudhary, were expecting a fair deal from the Haryana Government. But even though the movie was already eligible under the Central Government guidelines to be exempted from entertainment tax, the state government is yet to give a green signal to the idea.

Director Ashwini Chaudhary today said that the file was still pending with the government which is not pushing any decision in the matter. He said that it had been four months since his team was being fed with assurances that the task would be done. Ironical, however, is the fact that such delay is being caused even in case of a movie which has for the first time in Haryana’s history of 37 years won such accolades at the national level.

The Laado team stressed that making the film in Haryana, which as such has no background of theatre or any other cultural movement, was not a cakewalk. Actors Arundhati, Ashutosh Rana had to be hired from Mumbai and a lot of other talent had also to be called over from there. Sanjay Singh, in yet another lead role, however, belongs to the region, informed the makers, “but all the technical prowess that we have managed to secure took a lot of money and time.” Also the film was funded partly by National Film Development Corporation.

The director called upon the state government to lift entertainment tax as early as possible so that a cinema culture could somehow be developed in the region which is generally found to be averse to any idea of social change. Talking about the script of the film (written by Mr Surendra Chaudhary), the director pointed out that Laado was an attack on the feudal set-up. It is a story of how a fairly educated woman who gets married in a rural household strikes back in protection of her rights and liberties.

Though the story had a bold and bland connotation, it has managed to move the crowds and is fetching large viewership. The makers suggested that tax be lifted in the interest of future of Haryanavi cinema.