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| Wednesday, July 19, 2000, Chandigarh, India |
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Controversy over PEC
sport quota seats CHANDIGARH, July 18 — The issue of sports quota seats in the prestigious Punjab Engineering College (PEC) has raised a controversy. Investigations reveal that certain students who had not even completed the formalities by the last date of June 30 had been pushed for the interviews today. All students who get admission in the PEC have to pass the Combined Entrance Test (CET). In the PEC, there are seven sports seats — one each in electronics, computers, civil, mechanical, metallurgy, electrical and production streams of engineering. There is no sports-quota seat in aeronautical engineering. Parents, who do not want to come out in the open due to fear of reprisal, have alleged that two students, who did not have graded sports certificates, are being pushed into the merit list. The last date was June 30 and the gradation certificates of the two students were issued by the UT Sports Department as late as July 7. To be eligible for admission, one has to get gradation done for certificates from the UT Sports Department. This clause was also mentioned in the prospectus sold by the PEC. The prospectus had said that no gradation certificates would be accepted after the receipt of applications and that no application would be accepted in the absence of gradation certificates. Attempts to contact the Principal of the college, Prof Rajnish Prakash, failed for two consecutive days i.e. July 16 and 17. |
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The pen versus the mouse CHANDIGARH, The city teachers opined in a varied manner when they were contacted by The Tribune to speak on the matter. Ms Meenaxi Mohindra, Principal of Bhavan Vidayalaya, held that the latest fad of the schoolchildren to work on computers was certainly affecting their handwriting. “We have been laying a lot of emphasis on the handwriting at the primary level of
education. With the introduction of computers at school level and more and more parents buying PCs for children we do face a problem. We can not discard computers saying that these affect the handwriting, but we will have to concentrate on handwriting at the primary level. Secondly, the computers have affected the speed of children, who fall out of practice as they are dependant on to their PCs,” Ms Mohindra said. Similar views were echoed by Mr Samuel Charles, Principal of Mount Carmel School. He felt that handwriting was marred by computers. “Many schools introduce computers at the pre-nursery stage. This not only affects the handwriting, but the overall personality of the student at such a tender age. Interacting with a person has different influence on children than playing with a machine that responds to our wishes and this certainly makes a difference.’’ Ms Suman Kapila, a language teacher in St Stephen’s school, was of the opinion that computers could really help the children in improving their handwriting. “We can show the formation of alphabets on the monitor itself. Otherwise it’s very difficult to pay individual attention to a class of 40 to 70 students. With the change in the old pattern of teaching the computers will soon become a necessity,” said Ms Kapila. Ms Anju, a senior teacher of Hindi in GMSSS, Sector 23, was of the view that computers were not able to reach government schools. So they were hardly a
threat." Computers have only reached in convent and some private schools. They have not been able to make their presence felt in the government schools as yet. So we cannot forecast anything for now, as the practical and theoretical situations give birth to different problems. Parents whose children are studying in schools where computers have been introduced, are the ones who could talk about the problem,” said Ms Anju. Ms Pritam Kaur, a teacher in GMSSS, Sector 35, agreed with Ms Anju. She
said," According to my knowledge, computers don’t have a substantial role to play in the life of a primary school student of a government school. I lay stress on writing practice and this is what is required for a beautiful handwriting. The old adage -’Practice makes a man perfect’ holds true for handwriting. The more a student
practices the more he improves upon the handwriting.”
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Income-generating vocations soon CHANDIGARH, July 18 — In the second phase of the five-year Continuing Education Programme of the Adult Education Department, income-generating vocational training projects will be initiated in the near future. According to Ms S. Kalra, Deputy Director, Adult Education, vocational training regarding fruit and vegetable preservation and nutrition education will be imparted by the resource persons from the Department of Food and Nutrition.”Till now, our emphasis has been on establishment of nodal centres and providing libraries, sport and recreational material. Our emphasis now will be purely on imparting training in income generating vocations,” she said. Seven non-government organisations have also been identified to be associated with the project. “These will help in establishing the community involvement,” said Ms Kalra. Khadi and village industries commission will impart training for making washing soap and detergent washing powder to the preraks or the learners inducted under this programme. It has also been proposed to give training in beauty and health culture in the centres at Butrela, Palsora and Kajehri. The project will complete its first year in November this year. The objective of this scheme is to impart basic literacy skills among the illiterate, creating scope for functional literacy. Under this scheme of continuing education, 400 centres have been opened in villages, colonies and slums of the UT. Till now, 250 ‘preraks’ have been imparted training under the programmes. A batch of 150 learners is presently undergoing training at the Adult Education Centre. |
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Admissions to Class XI conclude CHANDIGARH, In comparison to last year's admission in various government schools for class XI, numbering about 6500 this time it has risen to 6719. Some seats are available in specific vocational courses. Seats are available in stenography (Hindi), GSSS Karsan, structure and fabrication and fashion designing, GSSS, Mani Majra and textile designing, GGSSS-20-B. Students who had passed from Punjab Education Board also came for admission in CBSE. Parents of students with low percentage also had aspirations to make their wards opt for science. Counsellors were under pressure from students and parents today. No candidate who had pass percentage was refused admission, though the school and stream of their choice were not available. After the results of Joint Entrance Tests for diploma courses, many seats get vacant, mostly for vocational courses. For the four paramedical courses — nursing, medical lab technology, X-ray and ophthalmic techniques — government institutions have tied up with General Hospital Sector 16, and Government Medical College and Hospital, Sector 32, informed officials. Parents as well as students lauded the government and the teachers for the efficient working throughout the admissions. According to official sources, as compared to last year this year there was increase in the admissions. The cut off percentage of various vocational courses was: information technology — 90 per cent; life insurance — 81.3 per cent; accountancy and auditing — 80.4 per cent; medical lab technology — 76 per cent; fashion designing — 73.6 per cent; nursing — 68.1 per cent; stenography — 66.8 per cent; hotel management and catering — 66.6 per cent;
ophthalmic techniques — 66 per cent; X-ray — 64.5 per cent; and textile designing — 55.4 per cent. |
Notice to PGI on doctors’ petition CHANDIGARH,
Describing the orders as “arbitrary and violative of the petitioner’s rights”, counsel representing Dr Dash had earlier contended on her behalf that “refusing the petitioner the permission to join duty amounted to termination of her services without granting her the opportunity of hearing”. Counsel had added that the services of the petitioner, a permanent government employee, could not be terminated without conducting an inquiry and giving her an opportunity. Going into the background, counsel had stated that the respondents had refused to accept her joining report on the ground that “no exceptional circumstances existed for the extension of her ex-India (extraordinary) leave”. Today, pronouncing the orders in the open court, Mr Justice R.S. Mongia and Mr Justice K.C. Gupta observed: “Notice of motion for August 8. Anil Malhotra, advocate, accepts notice on behalf of the respondents. Copy of the writ petition has already been handed over to him. Let reply be filed by August 4.”
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Stories to be
dramatised CHANDIGARH,
July 18 — Sandhi Palran Kala Kender and Citi Entertainment Network are due to present a dramatised version of two short stories in Tagore Theatre tomorrow. The programme, titled Rashbharian II, will feature an enactment of short stories of renowned artists of Urdu, Hindi and Punjabi. The programme was titled Rashbharian II because the first one in this series was held at Tagore Theatre last year. The stories to be dramatised will be directed by Vimmi
Jaggi. The dramatisation will be held tomorrow and day after tomorrow at 6.45 p.m.
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