EDUCATION

No youth festival at PU this year
By Sanjeev Singh Bariana
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Dec 14 — Known for a rich cultural tradition down the years, Panjab University campus students failed to muster strength and enough willingness for a youth festival this year.

The zone did not organise a festival this time, putting to shadows repeated requests and pressure tactics on the department to give campus a separate entity couple of years ago.

The time is almost out for any festival now as preparations are underway for the inter-zonal festival towards the end of January. A zone consisting of more than six colleges of Ferozepore area has also failed to organise a festival this year.

The zone for the campus students was created as a “special” group following furore from the student quarters on the campus seeking a chance. The campus was divided in six units to have inter-group activities for selection to the final team.

The best teams and candidates of the current session have again failed to feature in the national-level contest at the Association of Indian Universities (AIU). This year’s AIU contests featured last year university stars at a festival earlier at Rohtak.

Informed sources said the event figured the best teams of the last year as it was difficult to complete even the preliminaries of this session.

Dr Iqbal Singh Dhillon, director of Youth Welfare Services, said the session would start a little late.

Under the existing conditions, the inter-zonal festivals extended at least to January-February. If AIU competition is organised before that, the university will fail to catch up with the best teams.

Dr Dhillon said contrary to impressions that participation in youth festival had lowered, the shows had an increased participation. On an average, 750 candidates participate in each zone, contesting in as well as organising events. He agreed that classical dances and classical music events saw less participation unlike group songs and dances. Items of theatre were lesser and quiet understandably so, going by quite natural differences in each college’s setting of priorities.

The participating zones this time include two from Chandigarh; three from Ludhiana; three from Ferozepore; two from Hoshiarpur; education colleges; postgraduate classes of colleges affiliated to Punjab University; and an exclusive zone of teaching departments on the campus, divided into six institutions (faculty-wise).

Dr Dhillon also gave details of the leadership camps and holidays. A snow-skiing camp is scheduled at Manali on January 25, where a team of boys and girls will represent the university.

One more interesting aspect of the department are the hiking and trekking camps. The basic camp is preceded by a preliminary training camp. The leadership camps also have the preliminary and the basic training camps.

A senior student said there was barely any communication conveyed to the departments on the campus for a zonal festival. “It seems literally untrue, that not a single student would respond to a circular, if any”, he said.

An office-bearer of the HSA said university sessions did not start on time. This delayed the process of the session. The AIU also needed to sit across the table to have an amicable solution, he added.

BCA students boycott classes
From Our Correspondent

SAS NAGAR, Dec 14 — Students of the Regional Centre for Information Technology and Management, affiliated to Punjabi University, here today boycotted classes demanding the upgradation of the Bachelor of Computer Applications (BCA) course.

The students, who have been protesting since Monday, said the course should be converted, on the Delhi pattern, to the four-year Bachelor of Information Technology (BIT) course or to BCA (Honours).

There are nearly 150 students in the second and final year of the course at the centre.

Harmeet Gill, vice-president of the Computer Students Union (CSU), said by converting the BCA course, the students would complete a total of 16 years of education which would be of help to them while applying for jobs abroad.

Mohan Pal Singh Randhawa, president of the CSU, said the authorities wanted the students to withdraw the protest but were not prepared to give any assurance. He said it appeared there was no plan to concede the students’ demand.

The president claimed that the current computer syllabus was old and needed to be updated. He said theirs was the first batch at the centre and demanded sample test papers to be given to them.

The Director, Research and Development, and professor in the Department of Business Management at Punjabi University, Mr R.K. Sehgal, visited the centre today. He said the students had not informed the university authorities before starting the agitation.

He said all facilities had been provided at the centre on which Rs 30 lakh had been spent. “We will not concede any demand under pressure”, he said.

Professor Sehgal said the students had taken admission to a particular course (BCA) and had now raised an entirely different demand. This was a policy matter which had to be decided by the university for all colleges in Punjab. He said even if some upgradation was to be undertaken, it would have to be done at the university level and not merely at the level of college.

He said there was a proposal to have collaboration with a US-based company for online teaching at the university level.

Workshop on zoology
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Dec 14 — Prof KN Pathak, Panjab University Vice-Chancellor, today inaugurated a workshop on Zoology — its present scenario, organised by the Zoology Department of the university.

Speaking on the occasion, Professor Pathak stressed that modern technology along with the computers should be incorporated into the curriculum so that the results of the research could reach the common man.

Prof LR Verma from the Department of Bio Sciences, HP University, Shimla, while throwing light on the genetic diversity of the native honey bees, brought out nutritive values of the honey and hive products for an undernourished country like ours.

The Dean of Life Sciences of MDU, Rohtak, Dr Ravi Parkash, talked about the genes in development. A total of 25 lecturers from the region are attending the workshop, sponsored by the UGC under the Special Assistance Programme.

Eight convent schools join in celebrations
From Our Correspondent

CHANDIGARH, Dec 14 — Eight convent schools came together here today at Mount Carmel School, Sector 47-B, for Christmas celebrations. Various carols were sung by students.

The theme of the carols sung was peace on earth, goodwill and prosperity to all mankind. A crib and a Christmas tree adorned the stage.

The schools which participated were Mount Carmel School, St Xaviers School, Baptist School, Carmel Convent School, St John’s High School, St Annes School, St Stephens School and Sacred Heart Convent School.

All the above mentioned schools will sing carols in different schools during the week-long Christmas celebrations from December 14 to December 22.

COURTS

Four get bail in rioting case
From Our Correspondent

CHANDIGARH, Dec 14 — A bail application moved by four residents of the colony number 5, was today accepted by the UT Additional District and Sessions Judge, Mr SK Goel, in a rioting and attempt to murder case.

The case against the four accused, Ram Badan, Vasudev Singh, Ram Karan and Razak Mian, had been registered under Sections 147, 148, 149, 307, 332, 353, 427 and 506 of the Indian Penal Code on September 2. It was alleged that there was great resentment among the residents of colony number 5 as there was no electricity in the colony. At about 10.30 pm, about 500 residents of the colony came to the road in a procession and started blocking traffic.

It was further alleged that they started raising slogans against the Administration and threw stones on passersby and vehicles. The mob also stopped CRPF vehicles and injured CRPF men.

The accused were granted bail on furnishing bonds of Rs 20,000 each and surety of the same amount.

Bail granted

A city resident, Monika, was granted bail today by the UT Additional District and Sessions Judge in a kidnapping case.

The accused had been arrested along with her husband Ravinder Kumar by the crime branch of Chandigarh police for kidnapping a minor girl, Chinky, from Sector 41. The case against the accused had been registered under Sections 363 and 384 of the Indian Penal Code on March 28 on the complaint of Mr Narinder Singh, who was running a canteen in St John’s School in Sector 26.

Bail for two

Constable Gurdhir Singh and driver Beant Singh, today surrendered before the court and were granted bail by the UT Chief Judicial Magistrate (Ist Class), Mr Sant Parkash. It was alleged that the two had thrashed a Sector 23 landlord.

The complainant, Mr Ravinder Pal Singh Walia, had alleged that two had thrashed him and his wife after being stopped from taking a girl to the their room on the first floor. The accused were granted bail on furnishing bail of Rs 10,000.

Life term for killing colleague
From Our Correspondent

CHANDIGARH, Dec 14 — Rajinder Singh was sentenced to life imprisonment in a murder case by the UT District and Sessions Judge, Mr H.S. Bhalla, today.

According to the prosecution, on March 24,1997 on Holi an altercation took place between Head Constable Rajinder Singh and Sub Inspector Singh Ram, both were on the security duty of Haryana Chief Minister .

Rajinder Singh fired three rounds from his official carbine on the chest of Sub Inspector Singh Ram, at the CM’s residence. The deceased died.

Constable Rattan Singh, driver Bal Krishan and Man Singh were eyewitnesses to the incident. More than 20 witnesses were produced in this case. The case against the accused had been registered under Sections 307,302 IPC on March 24,1997 in police station, North.

The accused has been sentenced to undergo imprisonment for life and a fine of Rs 25,000 and in default of payment of fine, the accused will have to undergo a six months of rigorous imprisonment.