EDUCATION

A library for all tastes

The library of Guru Nanak Public School is well stocked, the books numbering around 22,000. Mrs Tripta has been its librarian for the past 15 years. The library has a reading room outside the main library where the students can do their own studies. Inside the library a notice board displays the jackets of the latest best sellers.

Since each class has a library period, the tables and chairs are arranged for the students to be seated. While the students are going through the magazines, the assistant librarian takes rounds, for the students have the habits of scribbling on the magazines. The students are not supposed to take their pens inside and if discovered with pens, the pens are confiscated. Mrs Tripta has dozens of pens with her.

She says, "Much to my dismay, the reading habits of the students have changed. The students of 6th and 7th classes are the only ones interested in reading. Students of the higher classes are so busy with their course books and tuitions that they do not have the time to read books. The invasion of cable TV has also killed the reading habits of the students. Reading takes an effort and these days the children are not ready to make any effort. TV does not require any effort to watch so they prefer it to reading books."

"What do you do to encourage reading habits?"

"We have a book exhibition on every parent-teacher meet. On that day we have a sale of books. I also keep buying interesting books with illustrations. These go down well with the students."

"Do you want to computerise the library?"

"First I want a bigger room for the library. The number of books is around 4000 and the room is not big enough to hold them. We have an open access system, so that the students can feel the books, touch them. We have staff members coming here too."

The school has a wing for the primary sections and so the primary library is also separate. It contains 6,000 books. The books are graded according to the difficulty level of the students. The students of class VI onwards are allowed to take books home, whereas classes I to IV are allowed to read in the library only."

Harkirat studying in the library was surrounded by a sea of newspapers. "I am preparing for an essay on dengue fever. I find the library useful. Every kind of book is here but I wish more computer books were available," he said.

Ms Sukhjinder and Mrs Satinder Kaur find the library very useful and a calm place to read newspapers as well evaluate the homework copies. Mrs Bansal, a computer teacher, reads computer books and magazines in the library.

The students are supposed to keep the books for a week. After which a fine of Re 1 per day is levied. The reference and text books are issued for a night only.

Mrs Tripta said, "We never issue comics as children pick up slang words. Every students has a library card. We spend about Rs 50,000 on books every year. Both the teachers and students let me know of their requirements and I purchase those books."

On the whole, the library is being used, but its full potential is not being exploited, both by the teachers and the students.

— Asha Ahuja

Declamation contest results
From Our Correspondent

LUDHIANA, Nov 9 — The Department of Extension Education, Punjab Agricultural University, organised a district-level Youth Club declamation contest at Government Senior Secondary School, Aur, in Nawanshahr district today.

Youth from 15 schools of the district participated in this contest. Inaugurating the declamation contest Dr G.S. Saini, Professor of Extension Education and Coordinator Youth Programme, PAU, Ludhiana, advised rural youth to do self analysis to know their weak and good points and to develop a spirit of competitions. They should work on the principle of self help, learning by doing and earn while learning.

The contestant spoke on the topics, (i) creating awareness regarding health care ii) Environmental Pollution - a challenge to humanity iii) Educational Problem of students and iv) role of Youth in controlling Social Evils.

The following were declared as winners of this contest — Pritpal Kaur, Govt. Girls High School, Uraper, 1, Maninder Singh, D.A.V. Rural Public School, Mukandpur, 2, Gurpreet Kaur, Govt. High School, Garcha, 3, and Ranjit Kaur, Govt. Senior Secondary School, Bharta Kalan, consolation.

College teachers threaten stir
From Our Correspondent

LUDHIANA, Nov 9 — The controversy over the extension to the Principal of Master Tara Singh College goes unabated. Following the signature campaign by the principals of the local colleges yesterday, the teachers of the college have started garnering support from the teachers of other local colleges in the form of a signature campaign against the principal.

A specially formed group of 15 teachers of the college will visit a number of colleges in the city and attain signatures of the teachers in their favour. Mrs Kuldeep Kaur, staff secretary, Master Tara Singh Memorial College, is heading the group. The teachers are also seeking support for their demand that their colleague, Mrs Gursharan Kaur, whose retirement is due on November 30, should also be given extension for two years like Principal Kuldip Kaur.

The move of the teachers is being seen as combating the pressure ostensibly being created by the principals in support of Mrs Kuldip Kaur.

Meanwhile, Prof K.B.S. Sodhi, president, Punjab and Chandigarh College Teachers’ Union, said that even though a written request had been sent to Mr Arjan Singh, president of the college management, no measures were being taken to defuse the tension. He informed that a meeting of the district council of the union had been convened on November 13. He also said that the issue will be taken up in the Panjab University Syndicate meeting scheduled for November 26 in Chandigarh.

Professor Sodhi also alleged that the extension given to Mrs Kuldip Kaur was a case of favouritism and that political connections were used for getting the approval as in similar cases approval was denied to Principal Amrik Arora of RSD College, Ferozepore, and Principal I. B. Khanna of SD College of Hariana village of Hoshiarpur

COURTS

Essar told to refund money
Tribune News Service

LUDHIANA, Nov 9 — The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum has directed the Essar Cell Phones, Chandigarh and its local dealer Ever Growth Telecom Limited and Singal Sons Business Machines Private Ltd. to refund Rs 4260 to an industrialist of the city for not providing the promised services to him.

The complainant Vishnu Arora, a partner of Shabnam Industries, here had pleaded for compensation before the forum that he was approached by the dealers of the Essar Phones in December 1996 for getting a cell phone from the company which would start operations in the end of the same month.

The complainant said he deposited the requisite amount but the parties failed to launch the scheme during 1996-97. The complainant later also bought a Nokia mobile set from the company under its new scheme but the company still failed to provide him a mobile connection till February 1998. He then demanded his money back with 24 per cent interest from December 1996 in addition to compensation.

However, the forum, after hearing the two parties found that the company could not provide the connection as the Department of Telecommunications had withdrawn the connectivity service to it and thus it was in no position to provide the connection. It decided that as the complainant had purchased the mobile set he was not entitled to seek refund of the amount paid as cost of the set.

However, as the connection was not given, the complainant is entitles for the refund of Rs 4260 which he had paid for buying a Sim Card from the company. The complainant was also directed to return the Sim card. The company has to pay Rs 500 to the complainant as costs of the legal process to the complainant.

Speedy dispensation of justice stressed
From Our Correspondent

LUDHIANA, Nov 9 — Expressing concern over cases pertaining to labour disputes piling up in the six labour courts in Punjab, Justice Iqbal Singh, chairman, Industrial Tribunal, Punjab, today stressed need for speedy dispensation of justice to industrial workers. Addressing a meeting of presiding officers of the labour courts and senior officers of labour department at Circuit House here, he said labour cases kept dragging on for years.

He suggested that for expeditious settlement, pending cases could be settled in lok adalats with mutual consent. At the same time, representatives of labour unions and employers could be involved in the process.

Talking to mediapersons later, he informed that 16,984 cases were pending in labour courts in Punjab. Ludhiana was on top of the list with 6086 cases, followed by Patiala (including Fatehgarh Sahib and Sangrur) with 4593, Gurdaspur 2047, Jalandhar 1859, Bathinda (including Mansa, Moga, Muktsar, Faridkot and Ferozepore) 1402 and Amritsar 1001 cases, he added.

Justice Iqbal Singh disclosed that Ludhiana would soon have another labour court so that the pending cases could be taken up and disposed of speedily. In reply to a question, he said the six labour courts in Punjab had serving presiding officers.

Dr. B.C. Gupta, Principal Secretary, Labour and Employment, claimed that Punjab had taken a lead in implementation of amended labour laws, which were aimed at welfare of industrial workers. In a major policy decision, the department had now decided to conduct a single inspection of factories to ensure scrupulous implementation of all the 27 labour laws, which would cut down undue harassment to employers.

He further said under an integrated child development scheme, sponsored by the union government, schools-cum-rehabilitation centres for bonded child labour were to be established at Ludhiana, Jalandhar and Amritsar.

The government had released a grant of Rs 1.25 crore for the Jalandhar centre and 21 schools had been set up out of a total proposed number of 27. In Jalandhar, 1350 freed bonded child workers would be provided with education and vocational training for non-hazardous industries for three years.

During this period, the trainees would be given a stipend of Rs 100 per month and Rs 2.50 per day worth of refreshment. Site surveys were being conducted for such centres at Ludhiana and Amritsar, Dr Gupta added. The department would involve non-government organisations and industrial organisations in successful implementation of this scheme.