EDUCATION

A different experience for students
From Our Correspondent

CHANDIGARH, Sept 29 — Children participating in the Regional Round Square Conference at Vivek High School, who have come from different schools are imbibed in being environment friendly. It is a different experience for the students of various schools altogether to learn new things concerning the nature and environment.

The students have come across new experiences and they feel that these kind of programmes should be introduced so as students from different communities and culture interact with each other and get to learn more and more from each others experiences.

Making useful things out of waste material like figures from paper mashing, paper bags out of newspapers, coasters of dry leaves and glass is what one can only learn through these workshops, says Surekha from the Indian School of Oman.

“I could never think that it would be a wonderful experience working in this workshop and making out decoration pieces out of jute threads and making of figures from glass pieces,” remarks Simarjit from Vivek High School.

“I have learnt weaving, glass painting and, above all, the importance of environment that how from waste we can produce useful and amazing things,” claimed Rahul Vijay from Bishop Cotton School Shimla.

To make envelopes from recycled paper, jute work making of decoration pieces from woolen threads and making the best use of waste material is something which is worth learning, says Lamvsougla from Assam Valley School.

Through these types of workshops children gain more of confidence and get to know of innovative ideas. Such workshops help bring together students from different cultures and environments and they get to learn more through interaction. Self-sufficiency of students and performing their duties themselves is also highlighted through these programmes. Weaving, paper-making and screen painting is taught at large here. Taking students to visit different places serves as a refreshing time for them remarks, Mr Michael Hunnah from Welhams Boys School, Dehra Dun.

Tiller waste is used by the students from their own imagination. Collecting of garbage and to make the best use out of it is creative experience for them. Weaving machines have been set up to give a hand of the students on this experience, paintings and decoration pieces from jute threads, sketches of famous personalities like Mother Teresa, Indira Gandhi and Rabindranath Tagore have been made by the pieces of glass. The students are full of enthusiasm and are taking keen interest in all the activities. It is a wonderful experience working with inquisitive children who want to learn more and more. Different machines to recycle the waste paper have been set up in the school, informed Mr B.D. Attri environmentalist, who is conducting the workshops.

To give the students a break from the routine they were taken to different places like Anandpur Sahib, Cacti Garden, Organic Farm, and Pinjore to make the students familiar with the city.

The Regional Round Square Conference will end on October 2 with an exhibition of the things made by the students during the nine days workshop at Vivek High School from 5.30 p.m. to 8 p.m., informed Ms Daman Duggal, Vice-Principal, Vivek High School.

10-day NSS camp concludes
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Sept 29 — Valedictory function of the 10-day NSS camp was organised by the NSS unit of the College of Nursing at Sarangpur village, here yesterday.

Dr C.L. Narang, Programme Coordinator, NSS, Panjab University, while appreciating the work done by the volunteers urged them to remain active in social welfare. NSS volunteers, during this camp, had conducted a population survey and health education, sanitation and literacy campaigns in the village. They also assessed whether children below the age of six years received proper nutrition or not.

The Principal of the college, Dr Indrajit Walia, commended the role of volunteers in completing the camp. She urged the youth to give more importance to the traditional cultural values. Ms Bhupinder Kaur, sarpanch, Sarangpur village, highlighted the role of women in building of the family, society and the nation.

A colourful cultural programme , including a play highlighting the fallout of illiteracy, was presented by volunteers and members of the Mahila Mandal.

Workshop on teaching
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Sept 29 — Teachers from Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir attended the first day of a three-day workshop on teaching through “hand-on-activities’’ here yesterday. The workshop is being conducted by the Haryana State Council for Science and Technology at the Central Soil Water Research and Training Institute.

The workshop is being organised to expose school science teachers to the various aspects of science and technology for better understanding and building scientific temper. With various objectives of providing simple methods to school teachers the workshop is being conducted by Mr Samar Bagchi, a scientist from Calcutta, and Mr S.K. Mitra, also from Calcutta. The aim of the workshop is to generate resource persons in Haryana for the popularisation of science through simple experiments.

The training course being conducted will be the initiation of this type of activity in the state. Trained teachers from this training course will act as resource persons in their respective district.They will be required to further popularise science teaching through hands on activities in the state by conducting similar type of training courses. 

PU awaits ‘special fund’ collections
By Sanjeev Singh Bariana
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Sept 29 — More than 20 colleges affiliated with Panjab University are yet to submit collections of a “special fund” for the previous academic session, created for the college development branch. The basic aim was to identify important areas of academic activities for interaction at the university and inter-university levels.

The university is yet to announce the line of action and the areas to be covered by the “special fund”.

Colleges were to charge Rs 10 from each student annually as contribution to the fund. The issue had raked up a controversy at a principals’ meeting. A principal of a local college had protested against the fund. It was clarified that the fund raising was cleared at a senior level of the university.

“In a revised fee schedule of the College Development Council, the fee has also been raised from Rs 10 to Rs 13 per student per annum from the current session,” a letter to the college principals reads.

The Dean, College Development, has sent the official communication to college principals. Dr Deepak Manmohan Singh, Dean, College Development Council, said that a high-level committee was to come up with a detailed charter of the programme.

He said that the basic ideas under deliberation were seminars and workshops related to teacher-taught relations. One interesting fact was that the university would consider mutual exchange programmes. This meant an educational exchange programme with universities all over the country. He said that the fee was also lesser than other several universities.

When questioned about the fund contributions by colleges, he said that most of the colleges had responded well to the programme despite reservations from certain quarters at the outset. The remaining colleges were being sent reminders. They would have to pay the amounts for both the years.

He said a lot of deliberation had gone into the matter and a clear line of action was expected soon after recommendations of the committee concerned.

COURTS

Murder accused acquitted
From Our Correspondent

CHANDIGARH, Sept 29 — Three persons were acquitted today by the UT District and Sessions Judge in murder case. It was alleged that Mohan Lal, Bant Ram and Satpal had murdered Kiran wife of Mohan Lal and tried to strangulate the wife of their deceased brother, Sadhu Singh. The case against the accused had been registered on the complaint of Inderjit Singh on July 1, 1996 under Sections 302/34, 307/34 of the Indian Penal Code.

The defence counsel argued that the three brothers were falsely implicated in this case. He further argued that a public prosecutor had failed to produce the witness.

Anticipatory bail dismissed

The UT Additional District and Sessions Judge, Mr S.K. Goel, today dismissed the anticipatory bail moved by one Prem Chand in a theft case.

It was alleged that the accused had stolen a car and during the investigation on October 7, 1999 he disclosed that he had stolen Esteem car, number HR-05-F8282. Later it was revealed that car had been stolen from Gurgaon and Neeraj Mittal was the owner of the car and had filed an FIR on January 31.

The accused’s counsel argued that since the recovery had already been made and custodial interrogation was not required, so the accused could be granted anticipatory bail.

The judge observed the specific allegation against the accused and that he had been booked for two other cases registered in Sector 11 at CIA police Station. Therefore, the accused could not be granted bail

Bail in intimidation case

The UT Chief Judicial Magistrate, Mr Sant Parkash, today granted bail to Chand Khan in criminal intimidation case.

The complainant Sunil Kumar, resident of industrial area, had alleged that the accused along with Gufran Khan, Rehan Khan and Afran Khan had stolen construction material from his house. Further he alleged that when he tried to stop them, they assaulted him and threatened to kill him.

The case against the accused was registered under Sections 323, 506, 379, 34 of the Indian Penal Code on September 24.

The Judge observed that the accused was not required for further investigation and therefore granted him bail on furnishing a bond of Rs 10,000 and a surety of the same amount.

CULTURE

Painting competition results
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Sept 29 — The local chapter of the Aero Society of India has declared the results of the painting competition held here last month for school students.

The competition was conducted in two groups. The topic for the senior group, from Classes VIII to X were aircraft-related activities or hygiene, while the topics for the junior group from Classes V to VII were aircraft in the skies or pollution.

While mementoes and certificates of participation will be given to each student, the first three prize winners in each category will be awarded Rs 1,000, Rs 750 and Rs 500, respectively. The winners, in the order of merit are:

Senior: Akanksha Mittal (Hansraj Public School); Hemlata (No. 2 Kendriya Vidyalaya, Chandimandir); Rashi Sama (Sacred Heart).

Junior: Ankita Budhiraja (St Xavier’s School); Bharti Jaiswal (Kendriya Vidyalaya, Sector 31); Ravi Kant (No. 2 Kendriya Vidyalaya, 3 BRD).