EDUCATION

Recalling days of threats and backdoor entry
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Dec 28 — Dr Rajnish Prakash, Principal of the local Punjab Engineering College, who retires on December 31, cleared his office today, removing personal files and small belongings.

Talking to mediapersons in his office, Dr Rajnish Prakash narrated his story right from the time when he took over the college charge. " I remember when I got the letter asking me to join. A letter of a panthic committee came as a warning, threatening the Panjab University Vice-Chancellor, the PGIMER Director and him. I did not come for six months. My mother said what wrong had I done to anyone. I came and never looked back”, Dr Prakash said.

“Guru Nanak College for Engineering was affiliated with us during those days. I became a Dean and the next day I got a threatening letter to vacate my office. One day, six persons came on a motorcycle when I was taking a round of the campus. They carried swords and sticks. They came to help a student in examination. When I saw them leaving, I ran after them. I was a long distance runner”, he chuckled.

“One of them was caught. Mr Tara Singh, a security guard, who intervened, was given a bravery award by the Chandigarh Administration. Those were the days of gross indiscipline and the campus hostels flowed with anti-academic elements”, he said.

Dr Prakash said one of the biggest problems during those times was of backdoor entry. “Police and political backings presented a poor sight. Students enrolled in some institution and in the second year sought migration to PEC. This left a number of merit holders out of race. I cancelled the practice. Students went to court. We lost in the district court and the High Court. We then went to the Supreme Court in a SLP,” he continued.

“The court saw the merit of the case and said if students wanted a change on grounds that they were living in a security threat area and wanted PEC for admission, they could well be given a place at a secure place far from the state, like in Calicut. Majority of them refused”, he added.

Dr Prakash goes back to Delhi College of Engineering. It is generally felt that the period saw a significant rise in placement of students. It rose from 30 per cent to 100 per cent. Ragging has become almost extinct.

The period saw completion of new blocks of metallurgy, environment and electronics engineering. Other significant additions were a research scholars’ hostel and a transit hostel, girls’ hostel, new library and computer centre, besides a new administration block. He has 51 PhD students to his credit as a guide.

Dr Prakash did his bachelors degree from Aligarh Muslim University, his masters from IIT, Kharagpur, and PhD from IIT, Delhi. He is a recipient of the Best Technical Administrator Award (1992), Best Technical Institution (1994) and Anita Gold Medal for his research paper. He has also been honoured by Panjab University.

SPORT

City win powerlifting tourney
By Our Sports Reporter

CHANDIGARH, Dec 28 — Chandigarh bagged the 22nd Junior Powerlifting Championship which concluded at Ranchi yesterday by securing 62 points, while Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh got second and third position, respectively. The UT team consisted of 13 players last year won the second position at Patna. This was disclosed by Mr Vinod K. Bhalla, president of the Chandigarh Powerlifting Association. He said the team would arrive here tomorrow evening.

Cricket meet

Government Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 35, and Paragon Senior Secondary School won their respective matches in the Parle-G-PCA Cup Cricket tournament which began here on Thursday at PCA Cricket Stadium, SAS Nagar.

Brief scores: Ist match: DAVSSS — 216 all out in 46 overs (Karanveer 55, Vijay Kumar 48, Sukhjinder 25, Arun Sayal 2 for 45 and, Samandeep 2 for 41)

GMSSS-35: 217 for three in 48 overs (Uday Kaul 99 n.o., Mannt 31). In the second match, Iqbal Singh scored 84 runs and the star of the Paragon school team win.

Boxing championship

The Chandigarh Amateur Boxing Association will hold 24th UT State Boxing Championship on January 1 and 2 and during the course of this meet, the pugilists will be selected for participation in the 47th Senior National Boxing Championship to be held at Pune from January 7 to 12. According to Mr CK Jerath, secretary of the association, the team will be selected in all 12 weight categories.

Title for Manan

Manan Nagpal bagged the junior billiards title in the Saurav Khattar Memorial Haryana State Billiards and Snooker Championship being played here at Billiard hall, YMCA, Sector 11. Manan outplayed Vikas Mohan of Ambala in a fast match. In open billiards match, Lalit Ailawadi from Ambala scraped passed Anil Sharma 262-256 in a pulsating semi-final. In another billiards match, Deepak Goel demolished BK Arora 371-180 to enter the semi-finals.

Cricket tourney

In the Invitation Cup Cricket Tournament being played at Manav Kendra ground, Mansa Devi Complex, Panchkula, Hansraj Coaching Centre, Panchkula, outplayed National Cricket Stadium, New Delhi, by 44 runs in the under-14 section.

Brief scores — HRCA: 155 for 4 in 30 overs (Gaurav Chopra 58 n.o., Vidit Kataria 40); NC Stadium, Delhi: 111 all out (Jaideep 26, Arun Chadha 27, Ankush Malhotra 3 for 12, Vivek 3 for 25, Balwinder 3 for 23).

IGP XI triumph

IGP XI outscored Press Club XI by 71 runs in a friendly match organised at Police Lines, Sector 26. IGP XI won the toss and decided to bat first. It was Ramandeep, who with his 67 runs, made mincemeat of Press Club XI and ultimately IGP XI was able to pile up 219 runs for the loss of two wickets. In reply, Press Club XI could score only 128 runs for the loss of eight wickets. Ms Vineeta Rai, Adviser to the UT Administrator, was the chief guest.

Brief scores — IGP XI: 219 for 2 Vishal 30, Ramandeep 67 retired hurt, Siddharth Bassi 19 retired hurt, Sher Singh 39, HS Dhilliwal 17 (retired hurt.) Press Club XI: 128 for 8 Akash Ghai 19, Daniel Banerjee 13, Charanpreet 35, Sarjan 12, Devinder Kohli 12, Surinder Singh 11, Sidharth Bassi 3 for 47)

St John’s win

Hansraj Public School, Panchkula, and St John’s High School won their respective matches in the under-14 section, while St John’s School also won its match in under-16 section of the St John’s Challenger Trophy Cricket Tournament.

Little sportsies stuffed into bogies
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Dec 28 — It was an experience which all sportspersons may have faced. It was no different when the badminton and table tennis contingents of Chandigarh schools departed from the railway station this morning to participate in the National School Games at Barauch in Gujarat.

Almost 60 children, including girls, who are scheduled to participate in the under-14, under-16 and under -19 tournaments , were shoved into in an unreserved bogie of the Paschim Express, departing from here this afternoon. Already, the bogie was full and little children were having a harrowing time, said an agitated parent as he talked to The Tribune.

The Education Department had come to know about the dates of the National School Games about 25 days ago, but no reservations were made.

COURTS

Pay compensation, industry told
From Our Correspondent

CHANDIGARH, Dec 28 — In an interesting decision, the UT District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum has directed Sangam Industries, Industrial Area, to pay Rs 550 as compensation, to a city resident, Mr Kailash Garg, which includes the costs of the case and compensation for harassment.

The complainant, Mr Kailash Garg, had filed a complaint before the court that he had booked a “Flexi-fan” with Sangam Industries on August 4, 1996, by paying a sum of Rs 50, during an exhibition in Hotel Shivalik View, Sector 17. The complainant had alleged that despite repeated phone calls to them, they had not delivered the fan as promised. The complainant also alleged that Sangam Industries had caused mental harassment to him and his wife. That led the complainant to file complaint before the Consumer Court to direct Sangam Industries refund the booking amount Rs 50 along with interest, compensation for harassment to the tune of Rs 5,000 and cost of litigation. 

Eventful year at district courts
By Kiran Deep

CHANDIGARH, Dec 28 — The year 2000 turned out to be eventful for the lawyers and judicial officers at the UT District Courts. A number of senior officials and famous personalities were produced before the courts here and several cases against politicians were filed.

The winter of 2000 also brought cheer to the lawyers and litigants. The number of judges increased from 15 to 18. The demand of the lawyers for the allotment of chambers was also met. The allotment, however, led to a dispute among the lawyers.

Special Lok Adalats were held several times in the year. The response from the litigants and lawyers was positive. Thanks to the participation of the Punjab and Haryana High Court Judges and the judicial officers at the district courts, compensation worth more than Rs 1 crore was granted to the litigants.

Many senior officers including, a former Home Secretary, Mr N.K Jain, booked in a case of corruption appeared in the district courts.

Panjab University’s former Controller of Examination, Dr Sodhi Ram, also appeared at these courts, along with four students, for their alleged involvement in a paper leakage case.

Reporters covering the courts had a tough time when a former Test cricketer and Punjabi film actor, Yog Raj, surrendered before a court on October 31 in a petrol adulteration case.

A son of a senior IAS couple, Ranjit Bajaj was also produced at the district courts for his alleged involvement in a kidnapping case. A case against the famous television personality, Mr Rajat Sharma, filed by a former Chief Minister, of Haryana also figured in the district courts.

Summons were issued to several Punjab politicians in cheque bouncing and defamation cases.

Two persons, accused in the Sector 24 liquor vend murder case were also produced. The duo — Jhia Lal and Sobh Nath — were remanded in judicial custoday after their custodial interrogation.

Several persons, including minor girls, were produced in these courts after being booked under the Prevention of Immoral Traffic Act. One of the interesting cases was that of an 85-years-old man who was sentenced to seven years’ rigorous imprisonment, in a rape case.

The cases dealt with at the lok adalats to accident claims, matrimonial disputes, rent, labour and other disputes. To expedite the process, 16 benches were constituted by the State Legal Services Authority.