EDUCATION

Sacred Heart speakers win
From Our Correspondent

LUDHIANA, Nov 18 — Students of 19 schools of Ludhiana, Chandigarh, Bathinda and Jalandhar participated in the Reena-Simmi Memorial Declamation Contest that was held in Kundan Vidya Mandir at Civil Lines here today.

Each school was represented by two students. One student from each school spoke in English and the other in Hindi. For those who spoke in English, there were eight topics — Conserve and Flourish, Pollute and Perish, Information Technology — A Power to Reckon, Smooth Seas Do Not Make Skillful Sailors, The Billionth Child — A Cause of Concern or Celebrations, There is a Pillow So Soft as Clear Conscience, Crisis in Culture — Where is it Leading Us, Role of Foreign Capital in Indian Economy and Electoral Reforms — Myth or Reality.

Ravneet Kaur of Sacred Heart Convent School was declared the best speaker in English. Esha Thapa of BSF School, Jalandhar, stood second. The third prize went to Anil Goyal of the host school.

Tehseen Abbas of the city branch of Kundan Vidya Mandir, was declared as the best speaker in Hindi. Nikita Sood of the host school stood second. The third prize went to Annie of Guru Nanak Public School.

The team of Sacred Heart Convent School won the overall trophy. The judges on the occasion were Dr Sudhir, a lecturer of the Arya College for Boys, Ms Poonam Bindra, a free-lance journalist, Ms Indra Bhatia, a lecturer of the Government College for Women, and Ms Prem Gupta.

The chief guest on the occasion was Ms Inderjeet Vashisht, Principal of the Government College for Women. Ms Indira Kumar, Principal of the host school, gave away the prizes to students.

Reconstitution of managements opposed
From Our Correspondent

LUDHIANA, Nov 18 — In a meeting of the Non-Government Colleges Managements of the colleges federation affiliated to the Panjab University was held at the GGN Khalsa College here today. The members unanimously decided to oppose the proposed reconstitution of their managements.

Dr Ishwar Singh, President of the federation, said the existing provisions were sufficient enough to regulate and control the functioning of the non-government colleges. They said that the proposed amendments would hinder the smooth working of the colleges.

Mr Gurbir Singh Sarna, secretary of the federation, informed that the members also expressed resentment over the nominations held for the PU Senate. They said that while the teachers and the Principals were adequately represented, no effort was made to nominate some members of the college managements.

The members were also sore over the non-implementation of the pension and gratuity scheme for the employees of the non-government colleges. 

CAMPUS SCENE
Promotion controversy resolved
From Our Correspondent

LUDHIANA, Nov 18 — The controversy regarding the criteria of eligibility for the promotion of teachers under the New Career Advancement Scheme, which has created ripples among the teaching faculty of Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), has been resolved by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).

In a recent letter addressed to the Registrar of Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar, a copy of which is available with some teachers of Punjab Agricultural University, Mr Sodhi Singh, Under Secretary (P), ICAR, has clarified that “Lecturer (senior scales) and Assistant Professor (senior scale) with five years service, are eligible for promotion to the post of reader/Associate Professor. However, this condition can be relaxed if Lecturer, Assistant Professor (senior scale) has the total 9 years of service as Lecturer/Assistant Professor and Lecturer (senior Scale), Assistant Professor (senior scale). Similarly, Reader/Associate Professor is eligible for promotion to the post of Professor after rendering 8 years of service as Reader/Professor. This condition can be relaxed if the Reader/Associate Professor has not less than 17 years of total service as Lecturer/assistant Professor/Lecturer senior scale/ Assistant Professor (senior scale)/ Reader/Associate Professor”.

It may be recalled that some teachers of the PAU, who had joined the university service after obtaining Ph.D degree, has been insisting that the university should abrogate the clause in which the teachers have been allowed the benefit of total length of service as a teacher for promotion to the ranks of Associate Professor and Professor. With the clarification given by the ICAR which applies to all the state agricultural universities, the eligibility criteria laid down by the PAU in its notification of August 11 has been upheld.

Resentment among employees

The employees of the PAU are still restive over the decision of the Board of Management of the university to abolish over 1300 posts of different cadres. They feel concerned that the decision of the board might jeopardise their promotional avenues.

Mr D. P. Maur, President of the PAU Non-Teaching Employees Union, said that the university should fill up all the vacant promotional posts of the employees without any delay . In this connection, he cited the decision of the board taken in a meeting held on January 31 this year. The board had noted in the aforesaid meeting that the Punjab government has decided that the promotional posts can be filled up by keeping the lowest level posts vacant.

Mr Maur disclosed that executive committee of the union had held a meeting with the Vice-Chancellor on this issue on August 28 and 29 this year. It was again decided in the meeting which was also attended by the Registrar, Comptroller and the a state officer of the university, that the promotional posts would be filled up as per budget and only feeder (lower) posts would be kept pending.

Mr Maur regretted that despite the decision of the managing body of the university and assurances given to the union by the authorities from time to time, the promotional posts were still lying vacant. The union, he added, was being forced to take recourse to agitation. Already, he said, the employees had held a number of rallies and dharnas infront of the office of the Vice-Chancellor during the past two months in support of their demands. Mr Maur has alleged that in case the university authorities turn a deaf ear to their demands, the agitation would be intensified.

Agronomy scientists visit Pakistan

Dr H. S. Uppal and Dr K S Gill, Professors of the Department of Agronomy, visited Peshawar (Pakistan) from October 24 to 27, 2000, in connection with the meeting of scientists of the project” Assessment and Development of salinity, sodicity and water logging tolerant wheat genotypes for India and Pakistan.”

Currently this project is carried out in India, England , Spain and Pakistan and is being funded by the European community. In India, this project is run by the Department of Agronomy, PAU and the coordinator of the project is in England. 

PCTE students win contest
Tribune News Service

LUDHIANA, Nov 18 — Ms Manveen Kaur and Ms Anvita of the Punjab College of Technical Education, Ludhiana, won the first prize of Rs 5,000 in the quiz-cum-debate competition held here yesterday. The contest was organised by the Young Managers Forum of the Ludhiana Management Association.

Five teams participated in this regional contest. The contest was held for the students of the management and information technology institutes in the region.

The winners made a strong presentation on the topic ‘Globalization will ultimately help the third world economy’.

Mr Varun Goyal and Mr Arun Sharma of the GGN Institute of Management and Technology, Ludhiana won the second prize of Rs 3,000. Their topic was also the same, as above.

The third prize worth Rs 2,000 was won by Mr Bikramjeet Singh Rishi and Mr Vineet Sharma of Punjabi University, Patiala. Their topic was: ‘The proper thrust of information technology will open new vistas for Indian economy’. The other participants included Ms Kiran Preet and Mr Munish Mahindhru of Punjab Agriculture University, Ludhiana and Mr Nishant Mahajan and Mr Vineet Sharma of Atma Ram Jain Institute of mangement and Technology, Ambala city.

Mr S.K. Rai, president of the LMA, introduced the participants and the guests to the audience and conducted the contest. Interestingly, an open house quiz for audience and media persons was also held. Dr M.A. Zahir, former president of the LMA distributed the prizes. 

A library for students as well as teachers

Bahadur Chand Munjal School Library is divided into two sections, senior and junior. The library for the middle and the senior students was in a duplex structure. The hall on the lower floor was for reading. There was a shelf that displayed the latest book arrivals. They were nice quotes by famous authors written all round the hall. A notice-board that looked very attractive with colourful paintings, children’s poems and current affairs.

There was a spiral staircase that went up from the reading room to the floor where cupboards storing books were kept. There was a special cupboard with a label ‘Teacher’s Library’. Books for all the subjects were kept in different cupboards. A lot of maps were also stacked in a corner.

One huge cupboard stored all the shields and the trophies the students had won. There was a table and a chair for teachers on a raised platform to mind the classes in the library, as library period was compulsory for every section of every class. A big globe occupied a prominent place in the library.

The school has 10,000 books for more than 2,000 students and 150 teachers. Also 25 magazines and 12 newspapers are subscribed to by the school authorities. The librarian, Ms Preety Raheja said, “We have no fixed budget for buying books. Whenever we receive good books from different publishers, we buy them. Sometimes during book exhibitions held in school, books are purchased according to the needs of the students and teachers.”

“An hour spent in the library always brings its rewards,” but sadly enough, the teachers at BCM were missing the rewards, for most of them seldom visited the library. The principal agreed, “I have issued a circular today to all teachers to improve their reading habits. From now onwards, I am personally going to check the register and see whether the teachers are reading books or not. Even while supervising their class in the library, they have to write down the name of the magazine or the book they were reading during that time. If the teachers do not read books, how can they inculcate interest for reading in the students.”

The librarian informed that their latest addition to the collection of the books was Growlier Encyclopedia. They had purchased four sets. She further said, “We have lots of reference books the students appearing for CET, IIT and PMT examinations. We lend reference books to only those students who are appearing for some interstate competitive examination.

Ram Gopal of Class XII (non-medical) said, “It is a good library. I come here to read newspapers and magazines that will help me in my IIT and CET examination.”

Satwinder, a student of Class XI (non-medical ) was seen studying very seriously. She was revising, for the quiet of the library helped her to concentrate. She said, “I do not read magazines. I do not get books issued, for I have my own.”

Madhur and Yash, students of Class XI (non-medical) said, “Whenever we make a request to the principal for buying a book related to our course, she always obliges. We come here to read magazine and newspapers.”

Harpreet and Ashima of Class X confessed that they visited the library 4-5 times in a year.

The junior library was located in the primary section. There were nice posters depicting nursery rhymes on the walls. A huge notice board displayed stamps of different nations. Names of some books were displayed on the notice board but surprisingly they had nothing to do with the level of students. There were about 1,500 books in the library. Ms Gagandeep, the librarian informed, “We have illustrated books for children. We have no magazines for the children but we do have comics. We do not issue books to the primary children. During the library period, the students go through the books.”

Like other schools’ libraries, this school also had system of class libraries. Students can read books from the class library during their free periods. It was a pleasant surprise to meet Savita Kuashal, a teacher of commerce. She said, “I come daily to the library to get books issued as I am teaching Class XII and need a lot of reference books.”

Varun, Amit and many other students of their class were visiting the library during recess to read newspapers, and sports magazines.
— AA

COURTS

67 cases decided at Lok Adalat
Tribune News Service

LUDHIANA, Nov 18 — The last Lok Adalat of this year held at the District Courts here today evoked poor response from litigants as only 152 cases came up for hearing. Out of these only 67 were decided. Sixteen special courts were set up for dealing with the cases. According to sources, the number of cases decided was less as in a large number of cases the parties concerned did not arrive for hearing.

The majority of cases taken up in the Lok Adalat dealt with accident claims. However, of the 42 such cases coming for settlement, only 13 were decided. According to an official spokesman, in all the 67 cases decided claims of more than 25 lakh were settled. A lawyer, who was doing duty in one of the special courts set up for the occasion, said that only three cases came up for hearing, whereas in the last Lok Adalat more than 30 cases had come up in each court for hearing.

CULTURE

Articulating plight of downtrodden
Tribune News Service

LUDHIANA, Nov 18 — Somewhere to go, the latest novel of M.L. Sood was released at a simple but impressive function here, organised by the Punjab Mata Nagar, Writers Club, Ludhiana.

The novel revolves round Ratia, a teenaged housemaid with attractive looks. Forsaken by her parents and brought up by her grand-mother, she flits from place to place in search of love and identity. Simple and innocent, as she is, she takes false notes for genuine one, every house for a home, even a passing acquaintance for a lasting bond. But she only meets deceit and disappointment everywhere. Trudging her wary, forlorn path she at last sees light at the end of the tunnel.

Sood appears to have dealt with his subject with tenderness and sensitivity.

Speaking on the occasion of the release of the book, Prof J.B.S. Nanda, Head of the Punjabi Department in Government College here, remarked that the author had portrayed the heart rending tale of a teenaged working girl in a gripping style with empathy and thorough understanding.

Lauding the novel, Dr Gurcharan Mohai said the language was simple and the style attractive. Well-known poet Ajit Singh Sikka described it as a "tragic tale ending on a happy note". Noted Punjabi playwright Ram Sharan congratulated Sood for bringing to the fore the plight of a downtrodden girl.

Sood is a former faculty member of the Postgraduate Department of Mathematics, Government College, Ludhiana. He has earlier written two other novels, Fire in the Cupboard and The Forbidden Smile, besides a number of short stories.