EDUCATION

PU confused regarding service rules of staff
By Chitleen K Sethi
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, Dec 22 — Should there be varying service rules for the same kind of service? In case of college and university teachers the answer to this is not just confusing but also against “principles of natural justice”.

If you are teaching in a non-technical government college of the city, you will retire at the age of 58. But if you are taking classes in a private college here, you get two years more. And this discrimination is not limited to non-technical colleges.

Even among technical colleges of Punjab and those in the city, the difference in the age of retirement is two years. If you are lucky to be teaching in a technical college in Punjab, you retire at 60 while those who are serving in the city’s technical colleges retire at 58.

To top it all is the fact that Panjab University teachers now retire at the age of 62. Panjab University has accepted the recommendations of the UGC and increased the age of retirement of its teachers from 60 to 62 years and although the Panjab University accepted the resolution for its affiliated colleges, too, nothing substantial seems to have been done to implement the same.

The Panjab University itself is perpetually confused regarding the service condition rules of its employees. Since its grants from the Punjab Government and the central Government are in the 60:40 ratio, the University is caught between whose recommendations and rules to follow.

In case of non-technical government colleges of Punjab, however, the government college teachers being Punjab Government employees retire at the age of 58 years following the Punjab Civil service rules while the private colleges affiliated to the Panjab University follow the rules laid down by the Panjab University.

These Punjab college teachers clearly feel that their age of retirement should be increased to 60 to be at par with private college teachers since they all join service almost at the same time with almost the same kind of qualifications. But the Punjab government works on the argument that if the age of retirement of this set of Punjab Government employees is increased, the other employees will demand a similar rise.

Also discontented are the teachers of the government colleges of the city. Here the college teachers who are employees of the UT administration, retire at the age of 58 as UT follows the Punjab Government rules. These set of people feel that they are being dealt with unfairly as they are not employees of the Punjab government at all but simply follow those rules when they could as easily follow the Panjab University as far as the service rules are concerned.

The Punjab technical college teachers had a short time ago, got their age of retirement increased to 60 years and the city technical colleges are demanding the same. Keeping in view the fact that the UT administration follows the Punjab pattern in these matters, the demand is justified. But nothing seems to be happening at that end too.

Kiddies having a whale of a time as Xmas spirit engulfs city
From Our Correspondent

CHANDIGARH, Dec 22 — Christmas celebrations were held in different schools of the city. The entrance of Saupin’s School in Sector 32 was decorated with a Christmas tree with a portrayal of the birth of Jesus Christ.

All classes in the school were decorated and the best one won a prize. Head Coordinator Goldie Kapany said Christmas is a spirit of giving, caring and sharing, especially for the less fortunate. Students also expressed their views on Christmas through speeches and mimes. They were given prizes for writing, reading, recitation, drawing and other activities held during the session.

St Mary’s School, Sector 46, also organised various programmes, spreading the message of peace and happiness as part of Christmas celebrations.

There was inter-house Christmas tree decoration competition. Carols were sung by students.

The students collected woollen clothes for missionaries of charity to help the needy. Santa Claus visited all classes and distributed cakes to the students.

Carmel Convent: “Love can heal the world” was the message conveyed by the students of Carmel Convent School, Sector 9, who staged a musical titled “A Ray of Hope” in the school auditorium here yesterday.

The play which was an endeavour of the students to highlight Christmas spirit and the inherent goodness in man, portrayed the value of love which is the only healer and source of solace for the ailing world.

Starting with the sequences portraying the original beauty of the earth, the play moves on to show how man has destroyed this beauty with his greed.

However, the play ends with an optimistic note of “Hope” to replenish the beauty again in all possible ways.

The play was inaugurated by Rt Rev. Dr Gerald John Mathias, Bishop of Simla, Chandigarh diocese.

Blue Bird School: Christmas celebrations are going on in various schools of the city. Blue Bird School, Sector 16, had merry celebrations for the tiny tots here today. The school was decorated with the stars, bells and balls made by the students.

Various fun games were organised and grandparents of the students were the special invitees. Christmas carols were sung by the students. Beautiful crib was put up depicting the birth of Lord Jesus. Santa Claus came and distributed sweets to the children.

The students of Manav Mangal School also celebrated Christmas by organising various games . The students of third and fourth standard went out for a picnic at Nepli Forest. Children enjoyed the magic show and participated in newspaper dance. The best dressed boy and girl were also judged at the function. The function concluded with the message of brotherhood by Santa Claus.

The children of Ankur Nursery School, Sector 14, had different programmes organised as a part of the celebrations of Christmas. Carols were sung by the students and they enjoyed themselves playing different games.

Little Angels: Santa Claus and Daler Mehndi seemed to be hot favourites among the tiny tots who dressed up as the saint from the North Pole and the Punjabi pop singer for the fancy dress competition organised by Little Angels Preparatory School, Sector 43, as part of the Christmas celebrations here today.

A cultural programme was organised on his occasion in which about 150 students took part. Mrs Shubha Ramchandran, Principal of the school, said the school believed in developing overall personality of the children. She added that every year the school adopted two mentally challenged children with the aim to provide a healthy environment to such children.

Meanwhile, in an environment of fun and frolic, the students of Ajit Karam Singh International Public School, Sector 41, and St. Patrick’s School, Sector 34, also celebrated Christmas today. Children dressed up in colourful attires danced and sang Christmas carols.

Saupin’s School: Students of different schools celebrated Christmas with great enthusiasm.

Students of pre-primary section of Saupin’s School presented the Nativity scene and UKG students enacted The story of Rudolph while the senior children performed different dances including Pooja dance, Western dance and Maharashtrian folk dance.

Before the conclusion of the celebrations, the sudden appearance of Santa Claus on a cycle-drawn cart to the accompaniment of the ringing notes of Christmas Carols sung by the school choir and to the uninhibited glee and excitement of the children.

Various competitions, Pick and Run, Race, Couple Race, Joker is getting ready for the Show, were organised for the students of Manav Mangal School, Sector 11, to celebrate the Christmas.

The teachers narrated the story of Santa Claus to the students. The story followed by a magic show left the children spell bound. Apart from distribution of sweets among the children by the Santa Claus, the contest winners were also given prizes, informed Mr Sandeep Sardana, Principal of the School.

The students of Blue Bird High School, Sector 16, had a great time by celebrating Christmas with a festive spirit in school premises. Singing Jingle Bell - Jingle Bell, dressed as Christmas Father, the children performed at the school Skating Rink.

A round by Santa Claus in a open jeep, skits on the birth of Jesus Christ and cultural programmes were the main attraction of the function.

Ajit Karam Singh School: Tiny tots of the local branch of Ajit Karam Singh International Public School got into the Christmas spirit here today.

There was a festive mood all around as groups of children watched one of their teachers dressed as an elf and another one as a baker, wheeling in a trolley of Christmas cake and goodies. Another teacher dressed as Santa Claus came with a bag full of candies and gifts for the tiny tots.

Children also enacted the Nativity scene from the Bible and danced around a Christmas tree singing carols. A colourful house had also been set up, with Santa Claus’s reindeer — driven sleigh full of gifts moving towards it.

Mr Jasdeep Kalra, Executive Director of the main school in Chandigarh, said the aim of celebrating different festivals in the school by involving children was to make them aware of the rich heritage of the country.

Silver jubilee celebrations
Tribune News Service

PANCHKULA, Dec 22 — The silver jubilee-cum-annual function celebrations proved to be a colourful affair at the school premises in Sector 4, here on Thursday, with the students presenting a variety of items during the course of the programme.

The function started with the lighting of the lamp followed by saraswati vandana. Next on the list was the autobiography of the school, I am Satluj, which depicted the birth, taking the audience down memory lane, till its present stage, having completed 25 years of establishment.

The item depicting the Kargil war drew tremendous applause from those present. It presented the Indian Army taking on the enemies without a thought to their lives and winning freedom at the end.

With an issue-based theme of deteriorating environment, the students staged an enlightening item on the ill-effects of pollution and the dangers it presented to humans. The school band played melodious music on instruments taught in school. The composition Feel the music was well-staged.

A satirical skit on petro-hike in Jaspal Bhatti style was presented in view of the frequent hike in prices.

The grand finale marked the end of the cultural programme with the guests, staff and students going on-stage together, dancing and waving to the audience as the music rolled.

Earlier, the Director of the school, Mr Pritam Singh Serai, recalled the setting up of the school and its onward journey till the milestone of 25 years of imparting of education.

COURTS

Bar panel condemns chambers’ allotment
By Kiran Deep

CHANDIGARH, Dec 22 — The allotment of chambers by the Estate Office behind Estate Office has created confusion and controversy among lawyers here. Although about 40 lawyers were present at the time of the allotment, the District Bar Association, condemned the allotment and alleged that it was unlawful and was held to create dispute among lawyers. They alleged that most of the allottees do not even practise here.

The UT Subdivisional Magistrate, Mr Prithi Chand, while talking to The Tribune said that “the allotment of the chambers took place peacefully and we got good response from the lawyers. “ Mr Prithi Chand further added that the Estate Office as soon going for the second phase of allotment for other chambers and would send letter to the main allottees of others chambers, with a direction to choose a co-allottee from the remaining members, who had applied for the chambers.

Meanwhile, the draw for allotment of 12 slots in four chambers in the District Courts Complex was held here at 4 p.m. behind the Estate Office. Mr Prithi Chand declared the names of the four main allottees and eight co-allottees in the presence of the about 40 lawyers. The names of main allottees are Mr Narinder Singh Bawa, Rajiv Verma, Narinder Singh, Gurminder Singh Arshi, and eight co-allottees are Jatinder Singh, Jaspal Singh, Daljit Singh, Ramesh Chopra, Raminderjit Singh, Ms Maninder Kaur, Aman Kashyap and Ravikant.

But the president of the District Bar Association, Mr N. K. Nanda, when contacted, condemned the allotment and said that a person (even though a trespasser) who was found to be in established possession of any property cannot be dispossessed forcibly and the true owner said recover possession only by due process of law. Under our jurisprudence even an unauthorised tenant can be evicted only in the manner authorised by law. Mr Nanda said that this allotment was unlawful and Estate Office had not taken the Bar Association into confidence.

Mr Nanda further said that chambers which were allotted , were not vacant. How could the Estate Office reallot chambers, which were already occupied by the advocates and allotment could be possible only if the Estate Office first found out that they were unauthorised chambers and take them into their possession, then reallot the same. In another development regarding chambers’ allotment problem today, a group of advocates of District Courts sent a letter to the UT Home Secretary and also had given a letter regarding the allotment problem to Mr Prithi Chand, after the allotment of the chambers. It was stated in the letter that in 1997, a writ petition in public interest was filed by him, seeking a direction to the administration for reallocating the existing lawyers chambers numbering 108 among the deserving lawyers wherever there is a vacancy, It was decided that one chamber would be allocated to three lawyers. In 1998, the High Court gave directions to the administration to complete the reallocation process within six months. The administration failed to comply with the said directions, consequently, a contempt petition was filed by him.

In the contempt proceedings mentioned above, the Deputy Commissioner had stated that there were 174 vacant seats in the 108 chambers and those would be filled within a short period. In July, 2000. The present DC, Mr M. Ramashekhar had filed an affidavit undertaking to complete the reallotment process of existing lawyers chambers before January 25, 2001, and it was alleged that the decision of the allotment of the four chambers was done to exempt himself from the contempt proceeding.

CBI directed to release IA Airbus
By Our Legal Correspondent

CHANDIGARH, Dec 22 — Mr Justice K.S. Grewal of the Punjab and Haryana High Court today allowed the plea of Indian Airlines, the owner of the B-300 Airbus, which was hijacked by terrorists on December 24, 1999, and flown to Kandahar (Afghanistan), to release the aircraft which was grounded after it was flown back to India. It has been in the custody of the CBI, which is investigating the case.

An FIR was registered under various provisions of IPC, Section 5 of the Explosive Substances Act and Anti-Hijacking Act, 1982, at Special SPE/CBI, police station in New Delhi on January 11 on an application under Section 451, Cr.P.C.

Indian Airlines filed a petition under Section 451 Cr.P.C. before the designated Sessions Judge, Patiala, for allowing the airlines to sell aircraft, because the same was more than 20 years old and required extensive overhaul and was required to be grounded for considerable period.

It was submitted that just four days before the hijacking on December 20, the Board of Directors of Indian Airlines had taken a decision to sell the aircraft and had also flouted global tenders for it (One party had offered Rs 11 crore for the aircraft. The CBI, on the other hand, had opposed sale of the aircraft on the ground that it was case property (hijacking) and could not be released.

Plea allowed for bar licence

A Division Bench of the High Court comprising Mr Justice G.S. Singhvi and Mr Justice Nirmal Singh allowed a writ petition filed by Lido Restaurant, Hisar, and set aside the orders passed by the Financial Commissioner, and Excise & Taxation Commissioner, whereby the application of the petitioner for grant of bar licence was rejected.

The restaurant had filed a writ petition pleading that it was approved by the Central government for three years from March 19, 1999, and was having a licence for running a bar in forms L-4 and L-5 for more than 20 years except the period, when there was prohibition in the state. Its application for renewal of the bar licence was rejected by the authorities on the ground that its premises violated the provisions of Rule 37 (9) of the Haryana Liquor Licence Rules, 1970, and one of the gates of the busstand was less than 150 metres from the premises of the restaurant. It pleaded that the orders passed were mala fide and politically motivated.

The court held that the main gate of the main busstand “can be only that gate, which is used by commuters and by no stretch of imagination can the gate be used for entry and exit of buses be treated as the main gate”. The court further held that “the orders declining the petitioner’s application for licence, are legally unsustainable and the same are liable to be quashed.