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March 23, 2001, Chandigarh, India |
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Council okays Defence Studies course Chandigarh, March 22 The council further decided to create a new centre for the subject. The course in defence studies started in the university’s Department of Political Science in 1994 was closed down in 1998. The beginning of this course, too, was mired in controversy. Following a proposal to start a Department of Defence Studies at the Panjab University in 1987, the university appointed a committee to look into the matter. This committee, however, recommended against the establishment of such a department. In 1994, however the proposal to start the Defence Studies department was changed into starting of a course in defence studies in the Department of Political Science. Sources in the university state the course was started under pressure from the then Governor of Punjab who wanted to adjust one of his acquaintances in the department as a lecturer. This course somehow continued till 1998, when it was discontinued and went into what is called a “zero semester” after the then Vice-Chancellor, Prof M.M. Puri, made a statement to this effect at the Academic Council meeting on May 20, 1999. “This course was started in the Department of Political Science without any infrastructure and faculty. ...And this course was not going to make any difference to the field of political science. Also just a single lecturer was appointed to teach the course in M.A. The rest of the faculty comprised of guest faculty...In the absence of proper faculty, no worthwhile work or publication has resulted from the course in the past four years.” Having made a statement to this effect the Vice-Chancellor declared that the course be discontinued. Many of the senior professors of the university feel that the university is again indulging in an experiment for which no research expertise exists in the university. The Department is scheduled to start from the next academic session and the Honorary Director of the proposed department, Mr T.R. Sharma, says that the department will be employing a reader and a lecturer. Initially the number of seats would be 15, besides two reserved seats for defence personnel in MA. The number of faculty members and seats could be increased after the first year of the department’s existence. Meanwhile, Prof K.N. Pathak, Vice- Chancellor, announced a new centre for Swami Vivekananda Studies . The house cleared the item unanimously. The annual meeting of the house deferred a decision on introducing NCC as an optional or additional paper. A committee has been constituted to look into the matter. The members of the committee include Maj D.P. Singh, Principal Tarsem Bahia, Mrs Pannu and Dr Duleep Kumar. The VC has been authorised to make more additions to the committee, if needed. The proposal to fix a precondition of a minimum of 50 per cent marks at the degree-level for appearing in B.Ed entrance examination has been deferred. The council agreed to start a postgraduate diploma in women studies in addition to M Phil and doctorate-level courses Dr Jitender Mohan, Ms Sudesh Gakhar and Dr Joshi said women programmes and education should also be incorporated on the programme agenda of the course. Prof Satya P. Gautam said that the Department of Library and Information Science should be made a part of the regular library as it would be of immense help to the students. |
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CAMPUS BEAT Chandigarh, March 22 The ‘lap to land’ programme is giving shape to specially designed ‘chullahs” which are less polluting and energy saving. Addressing a press conference Prof S.K. Sharma, director of the programme, said that he started the programme in 1983. A national report says that a total of 24 per cent of energy saving chullahS being used at the national level centred on his style. If 25 per cent of the ‘chullah’ users employ the technique ,there was a likelihood of saving Rs 650 crore in the 6th Plan. The traditional versions were able to use only 7 per cent of total energy released by wood, whereas these chullahs used more than 25 per cent, he said. “During our visits to villages we discovered the harmful effects of fumes of a common ‘chullah”. A woman working on these chullahs inhaled smoke which is equal to the smoking of more than 200 cigarettes a day “, he said. Professor Sharma said the workshop gave new tools to the potters for working on these chullahs. Higher revenue generation was a guarantee for them, he added.
CIIP workshop
The Centre for Industry Institute Partnership Programme, Panjab University, will organise a seminar and a workshop on ‘Copyright matters and intellectual property rights studies” on March 2. This was stated by Prof S.K. Kulkarni, honorary Director of the CIIP, at a press conference here today. He said the programme had been conceived with a view to create general awareness about IPR matters among the academic community and for developing and encouraging specialised courses in IPRs in the higher education system. He said there would be an effort to design courses about patent laws. The CIIP will endeavour to open up channels of employment for qualified students on the campus itself, said Prof Kulkarni.
PUCSC demands
The Panjab University Campus Students Council in a press conference here today demanded that president and secretary of the council should be made members of the university Senate. Bhupinder Singh Bhuppi said that declaration of the re-evaluation result should be ensured within 45 days of the date of applying for the same by the students. Yashwant Yadav, new chairman of the Haryana Students Association, and Surat Negi from the ABVP were also present on the occasion. They also demanded that the date of declaration of results of Law courses should be declared on dates of declaration of examination. Other demands included computerisation of the Administration block; lift at Kasturba Hall in addition to specific problems of various
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French paper out of syllabus? Chandigarh, March 22 The Assistant Secretary, CBSE, Mr Rajvir Singh, however, denied the allegations and said, “There has been no such complaint from any student or parent. Had the question paper not been from the syllabus, the parents would have contacted the CBSE.” One of the French teachers of a local school said, “The questions were from all chapters including the 47th, whereas the syllabus was only up to 40 chapters.” |
HIGH COURT Chandigarh, March 22 Allowing a writ petition filed by a patwari in Haryana’s Revenue Department, Mr Prabhudayal of Mahendragarh, Mr Justice Amar Bir Singh Gill and Mr Justice V.S. Aggarwal also directed that the petitioner should be paid the arrears of salary. The Judges observed: “Once the person has been acquitted, as a necessary corollary it must follow that it was not voluntary absence from duty”. They added that the petitioner was “earlier suspended and later his services were terminated. He was taken back into service after acquittal. Keeping this in view, it must follow that the petitioner would be entitled to the entire salary for the period in question”. Seeking directions to the state of Haryana for the release of arrears of salary, the petitioner had earlier stated that he was convicted in a case under the Prevention of Corruption Act by Bhiwani Sessions Judge but was later acquitted by the High Court.
Dispossession from
land stayed
On a petition for quashing notifications for acquiring the land of a Delhi-based organisation for setting up an information technology park allegedly within 1000 yards of an ammunition dump in Gurgaon, Mr Justice Jawahar Lal Gupta and Mr Justice N.K. Sud of the High Court have stayed the dispossession of the petitioner. In their petition, Satguru Investment Private Limited had stated that their land, measuring 26 acres, six kanals and eight marlas at Mullahera village, was located within 1000 yards from an ammunition dump of the Indian Air Force. The petitioners had added that permission for constructing a hotel and a residential colony was earlier declined as no permanent structure could be raised on the land due to its proximity to the dump.
Civic body EOs summoned
The Executive Officers working with the Municipal Councils of Karnal, Kurukshetra, Thanesar and Ambala city were today asked to be present in the court, along with Haryana’s Secretary of Bridges and Roads, Mr Prem Parshant, on a petition seeking the enforcement of traffic rules on the GT Road. In his petition taken up by Mr Justice R.S. Mongia and Mr Justice K.C. Gupta, Mr Harish Kumar Puri of Kurukshetra had also asked for the construction of rumble strips along with traffic signals at crossings. He had stated that his 27-year-old son, Ashok Puri had died on May 14, 1996 due to failure of the signal system.
Hold fresh poll to civic ward
Quashing the election result of ward No 14 of the Thanesar Municipal Council, Mr Justice Amar Bir Singh Gill and Mr Justice V.S. Aggarwal of the High Court today directed the authorities to take steps for holding fresh elections in the ward within a month. Seeking the quashing of the results, petitioner Kanta Rani had alleged that Ms Sushma Rani was declared elected as ineligible persons were permitted to vote. Giving details, she had stated that on the basis of an interim order passed by the court on a petition filed at the behest of Ms. Sushma Rani, 56 persons cast their votes even though only five of them were registered voters.
No transfer of park land
Issuing directions against transferring land earmarked for public parks, Mr Justice G.S. Singhvi and Mr Justice Nirmal Singh have asked Phagwara Municipal Council to file a detailed action-taken report on the removal of encroachments from public roads and parks. The Judges have also asked the courts at Phagwara and Kapurthala to expeditiously dispose of pending cases involving encroachments on public roads and parks. The Judges observed: “We direct that till further orders deeds for alienation of the land forming part of public parks shall not be registered by the authorities concerned”. |
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Bail denied in rape
case Chandigarh, March 22 The case against the accused was registered under Sections 354, 376 of IPC, in Police Station South. It was alleged that an eight-year-old daughter of complainant, was playing outside her house. The accused called her and took her to one side in the darkness and allegedly raped her. The accused fled afterwards and the victim was taken to the hospital. After the medical examination of the prosecutrix and opinion of the doctors the Section 376 IPC was also made out against the accused. The judge also observed that gravity and heinousness of this case outweighs the consideration of the fact that the accused is in judicial custody for the last about one month. Therefore the judge dismissed the bail plea. In another case the UT Additional Sessions Judge, Mr R.C. Godara, today dismissed the bail plea moved by two persons. Shatrugan Singh and Bharat Singh, In a case of assault. The accused had moved the bail application under Section 438 of the Criminal Procedure Code. The case against the accused had been registered under Sections 147, 148, 149, 452 of the IPC, in Police Station Sector 39, on March 13. It was alleged that the accused along with some others had entered the house of the complainant Vinod Kumar and Ravinder Singh and has also assaulted the owners. The judge observed that the seeing the serious nature of the offence committed by the accused along with their accomplices after trespassing they did not deserve the concession of the bail. Bail granted They were granted bail on the furnishing bail bond of Rs 10,000 each with one surety. Meanwhile in
another case three residents of the Colony Number 4, Sanjay, Subhas, Santosh were granted bail by the UT Chief Judicial Magistrate, Mr Sant Parkash, in case of the assault and criminal intimidation. The three were granted bail on the furnishing bond of Rs 10,000 each. |
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NSC issue: forum’s
order upheld Chandigarh, March 22 The forum had directed the Post Master General and others to pay interest at the rate of 12 per cent per annum on the amount that was due on maturity till it was paid on April 29, 1999. The complainant, Mr Amandeep Singh, a minor, had filed a complaint in the forum, through his lawful guardian, Mr Baldev Singh, and Public Civil and Consumer Welfare Front, Banur in Patiala district, through its President, Ms Jasjit Kaur. They had moved the plea under Section 12 of the Consumer Protection Act, 1986. It was stated in the complaint that, Mr Anoop Singh, had purchased National Saving Certificate, in the name of, Mr Amandeep Singh, for his interest and security. The NSCs were bought in 1993, 1994 and 1995 and some of these had been presented for encashment before the Post Master, Amritsar, but the amount was not paid. It was alleged that the Superintendent of Post Office, and Post Master of Amritsar district kept on making false promises to the complainant, Mr Amandeep Singh that the amount of maturity would be paid within a short time. The payment was, however, not made. The Bench comprising Mr Justice K.K Srivastava, Mr P.K Vasudeva, and Mr Devinderjit Dhatt observed that they do not find any error or infirmity in the order under appeal. The rate of interest of 12 per cent perannum cannot be held to be excessive. The appeal lacks merit and was thus dismissed. Meeting on chambers
today Chandigarh, March 22 The UT Deputy Commissioner has sent a notice to the Additional District Judge-I, Mr Lakhbir Singh, the SDM, Mr Prithi Chand, Assistant Estate Office, Tehsildar Mr H.R Nagra, the president of the District Bar Association, Mr N.K Nanda, and the secretary, Mr B.P Verma. It will be informed that the meeting will be held in the room of the Additional District Judge (First Class). Confirming tomorrow’s meeting the SCM (Central), Mr Prithi Chand, said “he had got the letter for the meeting from the Deputy Commissioner. |
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