The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Chandigarh Stories

EDUCATION

Colleges to recover extra salaries
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Oct 6 — On the basis of a notification issued by the Director Public Instruction (Colleges) to government colleges in Chandigarh, some of these colleges will recover the extra salaries paid to lecturers.

The pay of these lecturers is Rs 3500 per month and Rs 1800 per month is being deducted by college authorities. It seems that the UT Administration has not been following payment norms laid down by the UGC as far as part-time lecturers are concerned.

The DPI (Colleges) issued a notification on July 18, 2000, to government colleges of Chandigarh that the part-time lecturers who take 20 lectures or less a week are to be paid Rs 2200 and those who take more than 20 lectures a week will be paid Rs 3500. The notification further says, "But it has come to the notice of the department that these part-time contract lecturers are being paid as per work load allotted to them and not on the basis of actual teaching work. You are therefore requested to work out overpayment made to them, if any, and recover the amount from them and responsibility of lecturer (head of department) of the college be fixed."

The college lecturers working on part-time and temporary basis, according to the notification of UGC dated December 24,1998, accepted by the Panjab Government and later by the UT Administration, are to be paid in accordance with the number of lectures they take. In case of a lecturer taking less than two periods a day, he or she is entitled to be paid Rs 4000, along with half of the allowances available. In case a lecturer taking more than two classes a day, he is to be paid Rs 8000, the basic pay according to the pay scale of a regular lecturer of Rs 8000-275-13500.

"The part-timers who take four or two lectures a day are rarely being paid accordingly In Punjab, there are more than 1000 lecturers who are not paid according to rules and in Chandigarh, the number of such lecturers is more than 100. These lecturers are given extra workload for which they are not paid extra," says Mr Charanjit Chawla of SGGS College, a Fellow of Panjab University.

The university calendar clearly lays down that every teacher in an arts or science college shall be paid at least the minimum pay scale as laid down by PU. Article 3.2, page 190, further says a teacher appointed temporarily or on probation shall be entitled to summer vacation salary proportionately. What colleges do in reality is to relieve these part-timers when the session is over so that they do not have to pay the vacation salary they are entitled to.

"The college lecturers are already paid less than what they should get. They are being forced to pay back amounts almost 60 per cent of their income per month," says Mr Anil Mankotia of the Government College for Girls, Sector 42.

"We have no choice but to follow the directive of the UT Administration," says Mrs Mohini Sharma, Principal of Government College, Sector 42. "We have no such case of overpayment and so we do not have to recover any salaries," says Ms Vijaylakshmi of Government College, Sector 11.

COURTS

Bail granted in power theft case
From Our Correspondent

CHANDIGARH, Oct 6 — The UT Judicial Magistrate (Ist Class) today granted bail to Lakhbir Singh in a power stealing case. The local Electricity Department had lodged a complaint against Lakhbir Singh, a resident of Burail village for stealing power. The case against the accused had been registered under Section 397 of the Indian Penal Code and 39 of the Indian Electrical Act.

The accused was granted bail on furnishing a bond of Rs 10,000 and a surety of same amount.

Acquitted: Mr K.S Hajuria, a resident of Sector 37, was acquitted today by the UT Judicial Magistrate (Ist Class) in a rash driving case.

It was alleged that the victim Charan Singh had been injured by car of the accused on December 5,1997 and later he succumbed to his injuries. The complainant Kabri had alleged that the accused was driving the car in a negligent manner and was responsible for accident.

DC told to produce vehicles’ sale record
From Our Correspondent

CHANDIGARH, Oct 6 — The Punjab and Haryana High Court today directed the Deputy Commissioner of Ambala, Ram Niwas, to produce the entire record regarding the sale of eight vehicles which were in police custody under Section 26 of the Police Act and had been sold dubiously.

Mr Justice V.M. Jain while handing down this order observed: “All record pertaining to the sale of those eight vehicles sold by the Deputy Commissioner, Additional Deputy Commissioner and City Magistrate have to be produced in court on October 10”.

Mr Justice Jain handed down this order after counsel for the petitioner produced before the court some newspaper cuttings elaborating how the three officials allegedly sold the vehicles procured by the police under Section 26.

The Deputy Commissioner and his steno, Ramesh Chander Verma, figured in the reports for allegedly taking possession of a Mitsubishi car in the name of one Lovkesh Kumar, a resident of Ambala city .

The controversial car, the petitioner said has been in the possession of the DC and he has been using it.

The petitioner had alleged that the said car (DL-1C-G-8523) was lying in Ambala Cantonment police station and was allegedly handed over to Lovekesh Kumar without verifying his antecedents, the petitioner had alleged in the petition.

Show-cause notice to IOA chief

The High Court today issued notice of motion to the Union Government, and President of Indian Olympic Association Suresh Kalmadi to show cause why a circular issued by it to change the venue of the annual general meeting of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) from Yadavindra Gardens, Pinjore, to Pune (Maharashtra) should not be quashed.

A Division Bench, comprising Mr Justice Amarbir Singh Gill and Mr Justice V.S. Aggarwal, today issued dasti notice to the respondents for October 10 on a petition filed by the Haryana Olympic Association’ Hon General Secretary M.S. Malik seeking stay against the operation of circular, dated September 23, and restraining the respondents from changing the venue of the general house meeting.

CULTURE

Works that bring cold lines to life
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Oct 6 — That S.K. Sahni has been the keeper at the National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi, is reason enough to suggest that he will be inclined towards art. Eighteen of his works will be on show at the IndusInd Bank Art Gallery till October 14.

His works have a peculiar design. All the frames revel in straight lines brought to life by sensitive handling. Sahni manages to reflect beauty, which he says, lies in plainness. The works are without titles. Although not depicting any theme, the creations are mature. Each work has a strong composition, depth and specific form.

Cold lines used in frames seem to speak the language of the artist's heart. Admits Sahni, "I want to break the notion that lines cannot be beautiful. You can play with lines as much as you want to. Before you come to know, the lines have assumed a majestic form. There lies the whole beauty."

The works offer an insight into the diverse world of forms and shapes. There is one work wherein white space has been filled with cuttings from magazines, giving it the shape of a collage. In other works, lines dominate to create forms marked by depth. Colour has also been used in some frames to add flavour to the dullness of white and black.

There is another work in which two mediums have been used. Celluloid has been used on the painted base for special effects. Claims Sahni, "I never start with a preconceived form in mind. I start my work as another artistic pursuit. There is no restriction on form. I relate my works to a seed. How well the plant grows depends on how well it is nourished. My creative skill acts like raw material for my artistic pursuits."

The series is part of the straight lines series which Sahni has been creating for the past about 10 years. He has exhibited these works in the major cities of the country. He has also painted in other mediums.

Reflection of times in varied moulds
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Oct 6 — When vibrant minds are at work, ideas seem to flow even out of nothingness. And when handled by an artist’s deft hands, these ideas write history. A similar sensitivity of ideas will be on display at the Art Gallery of the Government College of Arts, Sector 10, from yesterday, as 13 artists with diverse backgrounds assemble to give a collective reflection to their innate desires — their past pangs, their artistic dissection of the present and their hopes from the future.

The artists hail from Santiniketan, Garhi and Baroda, all of which house reputed institutes of art. And to know the level of their dexterity at art, one did not need to talk to them today when their works titled “Different Eyes” were inaugurated by Joint Secretary, Home, Mr Ashok Sangwan. The easiness of expression flowed from each frame, and the entire collection came forth as amazingly sensitive.

Mediums vary as much as the thoughts, but there is more of print being experimented by the young lot which has come together under the title of Ensemble. The exhibition stocks paintings, prints and sculptures which have been used very skillfully by the artists to create marvels in contemporary art.

The striking feature of the works is the urge to underline individual identity. The works begin with prints by Akshaye Anand, a graduate from Chandigarh Arts College, who seeks to probe various human moods in his graphic prints titled Down to Earth, For A Change, Solitude, Fantasy and Life Series.

The works by Namita Kohli, also a graduate of the same college, are minute in form but massive in expression. She uses motifs to give the meaning to the thoughts and keeps experimenting with their arrangement in different frames. Reduction of the print to a miniature adds to the beauty of her artistic expression.

An interesting collection has been crafted by Vibha who has used paper pulp in the first set of her works. She uses a little boat (Seemingly in bronze) on the white base of the paper pulp to denote struggle and striving, which can be as much human. In other works she first dries the print and then installs birds and sometimes insects to put across the idea.

S.M. Upama Shirin who hails from Dhaka but is presently studying her MFA at Santiniketan, revels in intaglio and lithographic techniques to portray the various complications which shroud human relationships. Human figures dominate the works which are inspired from strains in various relationships. Prasanta Kalita from the Faculty of Fine Arts, University of Baroda, weaves the magic on massive canvas with oil. The technique he uses is plain, but the thought he plays with is deep. On display is the man, his struggle for existence and many more complications which envelope his very being.

Sheetal Sehgal, a graduate from Santiniketan, is another promising artist who bares her experimentative nature in all her works. Apart from the attractive frames she uses, the technique also draws attention. Sheetal employs grains with cement white to add life to the texture. The dominant figure in the works is the pyramid which the artist uses as the embodiment of life.

Inspiration from the sea is drawn by Jitendra Jain who dips his brush into the ocean beds and seems to bring alive the marvel therein. An equally delightful work has been put together by Malkeet Singh and Anupam Singh who use the etching technique to give words to ideas.

In the section of sculpture, the works of Ashish Ghosh deserve a special mention. Ashish, also from Santiniketan, uses industrial ceramics and concentrates on the outdoor sculptures. He, however, keeps changing the form to give novelty to expression. Another artist in this category is Sonu who coats wood with emulsion to give a meaningful depiction to the man woman relationship. She uses fish to depict the male form.

Galaxy of stars to visit city
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Oct 6 — For the first time in city, a galaxy of stars from different fields of performing arts will get together at a show due to be organised at the local Press Club by Indian Arts, an association of journalists and connoisseurs of art and music.

Among the stars to be seen at the show to be organised on October 23, will be Jawahar Wattal, the star-maker who will be awarded with the Sangeet Samrat. On the same occasion theatre-artist M.K. Raina will also be presented with the best all-round personality award. Among singers who will be honoured are Hans Raj Hans (Shahanshahe Sufi), Usha Uthup (best Indi-pop singer), Bhupi Chawla (best Punjabi pop singer) and Hema Sardesai (best playback singer). Among others who will be honoured as upcoming stars will be Shankar Sahni, Maninder Mahi, Karan Jasbir and Rishi Prasad.