EDUCATION

CAMPUS SCENE
Examination fever grips PAU
By Surbhi Bhalla

WITH the onset of the examination season, fever has gripped the campus, with most of the students concentrating now more on studies than anything else. Examinations in various colleges started from December 6. Most of the extra-curricular activities have come to a halt and the campus presents a desolate look as students prefer to stay in to prepare for the examinations. Many students can be seen in and around the library, busy discussing subject-related problems.

While in most of the departments the examinations will start on schedule, in some colleges the examinations were delayed by about a week due to strike by the students there.

Land for PAU at Ladowal

The Punjab government has allotted about 1200 acres of land to Punjab Agricultural University at Ladowal. This was decided at a Cabinet meeting of chaired by the Chief Minister recently. The land had earlier been given to the Central Government on lease for a period of 20 years. Although the Centre did not want to return the land and wanted the lease deed extended, it had to relieve it after the matter was decided by the Punjab and Haryana High Court in favour of the state.

The land has been given to PAU in compensation for the sugarcane farm near Jalandhar, which the university had given to the state government. The land is likely to be used for developing sugarcane farm at Ladowal.

Invited to China

Dr Harcharan Singh Dhaliwal, former Director of Biotechnology in Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), has been invited to visit some institutes of agricultural research in China. He is scheduled to give his expert advice and participate in discussions. He will also deliver lectures on the control and eradication of some crop diseases prevalent in that country.

In a letter addressed to the Vice- Chancellor, Dr G. S. Kalkat, Prof Yang Jingtian, has requested that Dr Dhaliwal be deputed to visit the research station of the institute for 10 days during April-May 2001.The letter also informs that the entire expenditure will be borne by the CICETE.

Prof Yang Jingtian has sought the advice of Dr Dhaliwal on diseases of wheat crop (and to inspect TIM and TCK) on which the latter has done research during last few years.

Mr Jingtian has also besought the Vice-Chancellor that a delegation of five scientists from different institutes of China would like to visit the PAU to study the works done by Dr Dhaliwal in the field of biotechnology in Feb 2001.

According to Dr Dhaliwal, the visit to China and a reciprocal visit of the Chinese team of experts from different institutes to the PAU will help to develop contacts for continuous exchange of expertise, materials and scientists for transfer of technology between two countries.

Fellow selected

Dr M.S. Aullakh, senior soil scientist of Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, has been selected as fellow of the Indian Society of Oil Science. The Indian society of Soil Science is the largest body of agricultural scientists in India with more than 2200 members. This prestigious recognition will be conferred on him at the upcoming annual convention of the Indian Society of Soil Science at Nagpur from December 27-30. Dr Aulakh is the third scientist from PAU who has been chosen for this honour.

Dr Aulakh’s contributions in the development of economically viable environmental-friendly plant nutrient management technologies for sustainable crop productivity are globally acclaimed. He is the pioneer researcher to illustrate the potential danger of environmental pollution by accelerated emissions of greenhouse gases from soils causing global warming and nitrate contamination of groundwater. His research has won him several state, national and international awards and recognitions. Some of the coveted awards include: Fellow of the Indian Academy of Agricultural Sciences, FAI Silver jubilee award for excellence in Fertilizer use Research,12th International Congress Commemoration Award by Indian Society of Soil Science and Hari Om Ashram Trust Award for Agricultural Sciences by Indian Council of Agricultural Research.

PAU scientists back

A delegation of 10 scientists of Punjab Agricultural University, who visited Pakistan in November on an invitation from the Soil Science Society of Pakistan, are back in PAU.

They participated in the 8th International Congress of Soil Science held at the National Agricultural Research Centre, Islamabad. The delegation included 7 soil scientists from PAU campus, including Dr M.S. Aulakh, R.L. Bansal, D.S. Benipal, D.S. Chahal, S. Gill, S.S. Kukal, and U.S. Sadana, and other three scientists belonged to Regional Research Station, Bathinda. These three scientists include Dr J.S. Brar, G.S. Bhuttar and Sukhpal Singh.

According to a press note issued here, the Congress was inaugurated by Federal Minister Omar Asgar Khan and chaired by Dr K.A. Malik, Chairman of Pakistan Agricultural Research Council. Dr Aulakh presented a lead paper on ‘Integrated nitrogen management in subtropical irrigated upland and flooded cropping system’ in the inaugural session of the Congress. Dr Bansal’s paper on ‘Field evaluation of different sources of manganese for wheat grown on carse textured soils’ was adjudged as the best poster presentation. Second best paper ward was bagged by Dr Butter and Sukhpal Singh for their poster presentation on ‘water management in Indian Punjab: Socio economic and policy issues’.

Prior to their deliberations in the Congress, PAU delegation visited the university of Agriculture, Faisalabad (previously known as Lyalpur), Ayub Agricultural Research Institute, Faisalabad, and National Sugar Mills (a plant of Sitara Chemicals Industries Ltd) near Sheikhpura during November 9-12, 2000, and had interaction with scientists, policy makers and farmers.

School gets enrolled in Interact Club
From Our Correspondent

LUDHIANA, Dec 8 — Nearly 20 students from Classes IX to XII of New Senior Secondary School, Sarabha Nagar, got enrolled in Interact Club, a wing of the Rotary Club, here today.

Presiding over a meeting held on the school campus, Mr Arun Jain, District Governor, Rotary Club, apprised the students of various activities of the club. He told them to hold tree plantation drives, road safety weeks and hepatitis-B vaccination drives at regular intervals. He said the aim of the club is to cultivate moral values, bring out the latent talents among students and arouse the spirit of serving humanity.

Mr H.C. Gupta, principal of the school, said that even though the club was formed in July this year and students had been actively carrying its activities, it was formally enrolled today. Ambika of Class X and Gaurav of Class XII were appointed as president and secretary of the club.

On the occasion, an art and craft exhibition was also organised in which pots, posters and paintings were put up. Portraits and landscapes made by pencil sketching were the main attraction of the exhibition. Paintings made on canvas, thermocol and glass were also displayed. Pots were painted using various schemes and adorned with glitters, pulses, ribbons and mirrors.

Rachna and Dupinder, both members of the club, gave a glass painting to Mr Jain as a token of love. Mr Jain informed that a meeting of the Rotaract Youth Leading Award (RYLA) would be held from December 26 to December 28 at GGN Khalsa College, Civil Lines, during which several college students would meet and organise several activities. 

Exam today, students teachers tense
From Our Correspondent

LUDHIANA, Dec 8 — Owing to the disturbed academic atmosphere at Master Tara Singh Memorial College for Women, students and teachers of Master Tara Singh Memorial College for Women still have their fingers crossed over the first examination scheduled to be held tomorrow.

The clerical staff informed that they received several telephone calls from the students who wanted to confirm about the examination to be held tomorrow. The teachers who are siding with the Principal said that they have planned alternative duties in case the 15 agitating teachers do not cooperate for the smooth conduct of examination. The students did not come to the college as a preparatory leave had been announced by the Principal yesterday.

Meanwhile, following the decision of the management, the Principal has gone on leave for four days and Ms Rajinder Kaur Gill, senior most lecturer of the college, officiated as the Principal.

It may be recalled that the management had told the Principal to get written approval from the Vice Chancellor of Panjab University by December 11. They had said that in case she fails to get the approval in four days, she would not be allowed to continue her services. (EOM)