EDUCATION

None clears PU geology entrance test
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, July 22 — The much-awaited M.Sc I entrance test results were declared yesterday by Panjab University for the various courses in the medical and non-medical streams.

The Geology Department, which had advertised six vacant seats in M.Sc. (honours), received 30 applications, but not a single applicant could clear the entrance test of the university.

Now the question being asked among academic circles is that are these tests are too tough as the applicants claim, or should the university keep up its standard of education and let these seats go vacant.

There are 12 M.Sc. Honours courses offered in the university, 4 of which run parallel classes in pass courses also. The number of seats vacant at the postgraduate level are generally less than 10 each for the courses, for which an entrance exam is conducted.

For example, in the Department of Geology, the pass marks in the entrance examination is 40 per cent. Due to negative marking, it is reduced to 30 per cent and if no one scores even 30 marks out of 100, no one is admitted. The department says most of the applications they receive are from Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana and the style of education is very different in these areas, as a result of which few students come up to the mark here.

Results not declared
Tribune News Service

SAS NAGAR, July 22 — The Punjab School Education Board authorities could not declare the results of private candidates of humanities and vocational streams who had taken the Class XII examination of the board. Earlier, the board had announced that the results would be declared on July 22. No official statement was issued by the board about the date on which the results would be declared. However, sources in the board said the results could be declared tomorrow.

Course in pre-school education
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, July 22 —The Indian National Portage Association (INPA) has started a certificate course in pre-school education and portage classroom management. This was stated by Dr Tehal Kohli, chairperson, Department of Education, Panjab University, and president, INPA, here today.

INPA is a non-profit voluntary organisation dedicated to the children at risk of developmental delays and all donations made to it are exempted from Income Tax under Section 80G.

“The six-month course would be beneficial in overcoming pseudo-development delays in children and is specifically designed for the pre-school and elementary school teachers,” Dr Kohli said.

A fee of Rs 2000 would be charged for the course, excluding the cost of the training kit and video cassettes. Application form can be had from the Department of Education, Panjab University, Chandigarh.

This programme is approved by the All-India Council of Technical Education.

Vacation work on display
Tribune News Service

PANCHKULA, July 22 — From tamashas to running of the locomotive, from information about various professions to the shrinking of the world on account of technology advancement, the exhibition at Bhavan Vidyalaya, Sector 15, here today, had it all.

Over 600 models were prepared by almost 1,200 students working in groups of four each during their summer vacation on the theme, "Science and Technology: Surfing through the 20th Century''. While students of Class IV prepared models on "entertainment'', Class V depicted changing lifestyles and Class VII provided an insight into job avenues.

The models of Class VIII showed the advancement in medical science through the century and Class IX prepared models on the development of agriculture and industry. Students of Classes X to XII had innovative models on "Communication — the booming of information technology'', tracing the history of communication from heiroglyphics to the e-mail facility.

Students also took time off from projects to prepare informative charts on their model-related issues based on the research carried out for the purpose of project preparation.

Terming it as an effort to promote team work and "earning through doing'', the project work, an annual feature, is an endeavour to increase the awareness of students while encouraging them to read and research to satisfy the many questions.

Meanwhile, a free dental camp was held at Blue Bird High School, Sector 16, in association with the Lions Club Nightingale here today. Dr Atul Khosla and his team checked 14 students.

COURTS

Clarification on court order sought
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, July 22 — In an application filed before a division Bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, a Kalka resident has sought clarification on an order against the registration of less than 1,000 sq m of land.

Mr Nitya Nand of Kalka, in the application, has stated that the purpose of the stay order against the registration of small plots was to "stop the colonisers from dividing land into small pieces and constructing houses in a haphazard manner in the Union Territory and its surrounding areas".

The applicant said he did not belong to the category of colonisers, but the draft of the proposed sale deed had been returned by the Kalka Sub-registrar with remarks that the High Court had directed against the registration of plots which were in less than 1,000 sq m area.

The Bench comprising Mr Justice R.S. Mongia and Mr Justice K.C. Gupta issued notice to the counsel for the respondents for August 31.

Meanwhile, the applicant also said the Sub-registrar's action was not justified because the court had earlier ordered the registration of the sale deed in his favour.

The counsel for the applicant said Justice Amarjeet Chaudhary and Mr Justice V.S. Aggarwal, on November 3, 1997, had directed that, "Till further orders, there shall be no registration of any small piece of land less than 1,000 sq m."

The counsel added that the Bench had also issued suo motu notices to the Advocate Generals of Punjab and Haryana, besides the standing counsel for Chandigarh, to show cause as to why action was not being taken against unauthorised structures around the city.

Ranjit's remand extended
From Our Correspondent

CHANDIGARH, July 22 — Judicial Magistrate (First Class), Mr Baljinder Singh, today extended the judicial remand of Ranjit Bajaj till August 4 in a case of kidnapping and criminal intimidation. He did this after visiting the accused in the Sector 32 Government Medical College and Hospital. In the same case, the Chandigarh police also submitted a challan against the accused before the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Mr Sant Parkash.

Ranjit was booked by the Chandigarh police on May 17 under Sections 392, 364, 323 and 506 of the IPC, besides the Arms Act.

Remand for two in rape case
From Our Correspondent

CHANDIGARH, July 22 — Judicial Magistrate (First Class), Mr Mahender Singh, today sent two Dadu Majra residents, accused of raping their 10-year-old neice, to judicial remand till August 3. Rahul and Banti, the accused, were arrested by the Chandigarh police after being booked under Sections 376, 511 and 354 of the IPC.

Also, Gurvinder Singh, Dilbagh Singh and Pal Singh have been sent to judicial remand till August 5 by the Judicial Magistrate (First Class), Mr Jatinder Walia. They were arrested for allegedly murdering Mohinder, a tea shop owner of Khuda Ali Sher.

CULTURE

The portrayal of the inner self
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, July 22 — In the depths of the heart rest all elations and depressions. And sometimes what seems to be, is not. Reality and illusion keep conflicting all the time, because conflict is basic to the nature of man.

It is this very conflict mounted on the walls for the ones who are inclined towards deliberations. Neenu Vij vastly deals with themes that concern us as human beings. And she has done so quite successfully. There are all kinds of tones in her works — from low to dazzling and the colours she uses definitely express what her mind is conceiving at a particular point of time.

The range is exquisite the expression strong. All the 23 works on the display reflect the outer struggles vis-a-vis the inner turmoil. Although the artist titles all her works, she leaves ample scope for the imagination of the viewer. So we have works called — The Mother, Shiva, The devil, Romance, but none among them is rigidly structured, so one can be at peace with one’s own interpretations.

Emotions are portrayed poignantly as a child is painted in deep blues. The idea is projection of fear which is based in those layers of the heart where all emotions find a source. In each work it is the sensitivity of the artist on the display.

As Neenu Vij herself says, “There are calamities which reflect on the world as a whole, but at the same time there is this inner world which belongs to each one of us in an undisturbed specificity. Here we accost fears, happiness, fantasies, dreams.”

This world has its own colour, as the same is shown in the works wherein the most outstanding feature is “a portrayal of the inner self.” By using acrylic colours and paper apart from wood, stone and marble for texture, the artist brings out her musings powerfully. The need for introspection is also underlined in each work — from the one where a woman submits to a man — to the one where an image is shown holding bright flowers which reflect the bliss in life.

This exhibition is not the first one for Neenu, although it is the first to be held at Chandigarh. She has post graduated from Guru Nanak Dev University and has held solo exhibitions at Amritsar in 1983, group exhibitions in 1984 in Amritsar and 1986 at Ludhiana. Not just that she has also participated in All India Annual Exhibitions in 1990, 1991 and 1992.

The present exhibition is being held at IndusInd Art Gallery and will be on till July 30.