The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Chandigarh Stories

EDUCATION

Career guidance key to success
By Binny Sharma

CHANDIGARH, Jan 9 — Students of the city are well aware of all the career opportunities, or so it seems if we look at data available in the Sector 32 State Institute of Education here. In 2000, about 6,000 students sought career counselling and 1,100 underwent psychological testing here before choosing various careers.

“Today, when specialisation is the key to success, students choose their careers carefully. The awareness in this regard has increased in the past five years,” says Mr H.C. Sharma, Director of the Guidance and Resource Centre of the institute. The centre is the only one in north India where free career counselling is available to students.

Saying that such counselling has been the reason for the success of many students is not an exaggeration. Parents of Divya Gupta wanted her to become an engineer. Today, she is a successful doctor and gives the credit of her success to the career counselling that she received here.

Arun Verma had joined the non-medical stream of study after his matriculation examinations, but after struggling in Class XI and wasting another year, he decided not take the Class XII examinations. Then he sought career counselling. On the basis of tests of aptitude and body language, counsellors advised him to study fine arts. Today, he is planning to go abroad and specialise in fine arts.

Ms Malvika Roy, who runs a coaching centre, says that she sends all her students for counselling here. “I came here when I was in Class X and after the test, I decided to study commerce and I am satisfied with my performance today,” says Anila Goyal, a second-year student of commerce in the Sector 36 MCM DAV College for Women.

“Every person has a special ability and realising it at the right time is essential for leading a contended and successful life,” says Mr Krishan Kumar, one of the counsellors of the institute.

Mr Kumar said counsellors here advise students as well as their parents, besides conducting various tests to know a student’s mind. Group tests are also conducted to judge the talent of the student.

It is the parents who benefit the most from the counselling. “Parents’ expectations from their child often fail to match the abilities of the child. Sooner the parents realise it, the better it is for them,” said Mr Kumar.

‘72 pc literacy in Punjab by Dec’
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Jan 9 — “At the current rate of growth of literacy, 72.66 per cent of the people of Punjab will be literate by the end of 2001,” said Mr R.S. Sandhu, Education Secretary of Punjab. “ About 18.5 million Indians have been made literate from 1991 to 1997,” said Ms Achala Moulik, Union Secretary for Elementary Education and Literacy, on the first day of the two-day National-Level Regional Workshop on Adult Education that was inaugurated here today.

More than 35 officials and volunteers connected with the national literacy mission (NLM), State Resource Centres (SRC) and Jan Shikshan Sansthans of Punjab, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttaranchal, UP, Chandigarh and Delhi are participating in the workshop. They are here to give presentations on the success of the first two stages of the Total Literacy Campaign (TLC) and the Post Literacy Campaign (PLC) in their states.

The Delhi team was the first to present its report. The workshop is being conducted by the National Director, NLM, and Joint Secretary, Adult Education, Government of India, Mr Jagan Mathews. This was followed by Uttranchal and Punjab presentations.

After a critical analysis of the status of the literacy mission in Delhi, Ms Moulik informed that the mission had graduated from the TLC and PLC stages to Continuing Education (CE) and the focus, too, had shifted from the intellectual need of education to a skill-based education. He added that the role of the Jan Shiksha Sansthans was vital in this regard which were involved in providing vocational skills to those who were being educated so as to facilitate them in earning money. Mr R. S. Sandhu, Education Secretary, Punjab, welcomed the chief guest and presented the status report on Punjab. He stated that the NLM with its three stages aimed education of the masses.

The problem areas were also discussed during the day’s presentations along with possible solutions. It was found that at places there was a lack of coordination among various agencies involved in the mission, while at times there were implementation problems at various stages of the programme.

Mr R. S. Sandhu in his presentation on Punjab, compared the population growth of Punjab with other states and the corresponding literacy rates. according to the report, the drop-out rate in Punjab had reduced by 3.44 per cent in the past four years while the literacy rate in the state has gone up to 67 per cent during the year 1997. The report also stated that the TLC and PLCs had helped in changing the mindset of the people which was indicated by the fact that the enrollment in primary schools had shown an upward trend.

COURTS

Insurance firm directed to pay compensation
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Jan 9 — The UT District Consumer Redressal Forum has directed Oriental Insurance Company to pay Rs 2,07,462 as compensation to a Pawan Plastic, Industrial Area. The local unit of the company, through Pawan Kumar had filed a complaint against Oriental Insurance Company to obtain a fire policy in respect of its premises situated at 307, Industrial Area Chandigarh, for period of one year for Rs 4 lakh on payment of Rs 454 as premium.

It was stated in the complaint that on May 30, 1995 fire broke out in the local unit and caused loss to the tune of Rs 3 lakh. The report was lodged with the police and claim was made to the insurance company. A surveyor was appointed, besides an investigator.

By the time the complaint was filed, the claim was not settled in spite of repeated visits and reminders by the complainant. The complainant filed a complaint before the forum for compensation of Rs 3 lakh, besides Rs 9000 on account of harassment and costs of the case.

The forum granted the complainant costs of Rs 1500. It also directed the insurance company to pay Rs 2,07,462 to the complainant with interest at the rate of 12 per cent per annum.

Court quashes FIR against alleged terrorist
From Our Correspondent

CHANDIGARH, Jan 9 — Mr Justice Amar Dutt of the Punjab and Haryana High Court today quashed an FIR lodged under Sections 124-A,153-A, Arms Act and TADA Act of 1987 against alleged terrorist Bhagwan Singh Mokal, a resident of Dhing village in Sirsa district of Haryana.

The prosecution had alleged that Mokal had indulged in extremist activities in Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh and supplied arms and ammunition to terrorists operating in the region.

On March 12,1992, the prosecution alleged that he was holding a meeting in the Rose Garden here and was planning killings in Chandigarh. He was apprehended and stated before the police that he had no faith in the Constitution of India and raised Khalistan slogans, further alleged the prosecution.

However, the defence counsel, Mr P.S. Hundal, contended that nothing incriminating evidence was recovered from the petitioner and sought quashing of the FIR.

The Judge while quashing the FIR observed,” Petitioner has not attributed anything other than slogan raising and no overt act has been committed by him nor was there any other evidence which would have reacted to his slogans. From the material collected by the investigating agency till date no substantive offence can be said to have been made out. In view of this the FIR will have to be quashed."

Bail in breach of trust case
From Our Correspondent

CHANDIGARH, Jan 9—The UT District and Sessions Judge, today granted bail to a city resident, Chander Parkash, in a criminal breach of trust case. The complainants, Mr Jag Mohan and Madan Lal, had alleged that the accused had taken Rs 4.75 lakh from them to buy computer parts, but the accused had not returned the money back. The accused was granted bail on furnishing a bail bond of Rs 10,000.

Bail granted
The UT Additional District and Session Judge granted bail to a resident of Kurukshetra, Ravi Kirpal, in a forgery case. The case against the accused had been registered under Sections 462 and 467 of the Indian Penal Code on December 7 on the complaint of area manager of Amway, Mr Vikas Sethi. The accused was granted bail on furnishing a bond of Rs 15,000.