The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Chandigarh Stories

EDUCATION

Report reveals hollowness of PU
re-evaluation system
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 24
Dr B.B. Goel’s case of Panjab University of having increased the marks of a student from zero to 42 during re-evaluation may just be the proverbial tip of the iceberg as Justice D.V. Sehgal’s report lays bare the shocking reality and hollowness of the PU re-evaluation system.

Meanwhile, reports of two similar cases will come up for discussion at the May 27 Senate meeting. These include a case of 1991, in which the marks of a BSc student were changed in the final marksheet and the result was declared. In another case of 1995, a BA first-year student who was absent from all his examinations and declared failed, was declared pass after fictitious marks were given to him in the supplementary examinations.

While Dr B.B. Goel strongly denies having done any wrong, the seven-page report which was circulated among Senate members today, states: “We agree with the enquiry officer that Dr B.B. Goel awarded 42 marks where the candidate deserved a zero. It is of little consequence whether it was a result of negligence or an act of conscious favour. We must add that Dr Goel cannot take shelter under any defect in the procedure. Dereliction of duty cannot be accepted as valid defence.”

While a substantial part of the report comments on having found that “the manner in which original evaluation or re-evaluation is done, lacks proper care and leaves scope for mistakes, omission and commission”, Dr Goel says: “I am an honest person and have done no wrong. If I have committed the mistake, the Justice D.V. Sehgal report says I have, then there are many others who have committed the same mistake and should be treated similarly.”

The report says, “On comparison of questions attempted by different candidates and the re-evaluation flaps filled in by Dr Goel we found that in almost a score of them marks had been recorded by him in the re-evaluation flaps against certain questions not attempted by the candidates and no marks were recorded against certain questions attempted by the candidates. On further inspection we found that similar mistakes had been committed by the first and the third evaluators also.”

The report also states that Dr Goel has not compiled the award lists himself and merely signed them. Dr Goel, however, states that all the award lists were written by him and since he has not been heard even once by the committee, its report is false.

The meeting scheduled for May 27 will discuss action, if any, against Dr Goel. Interestingly, it will also deliberate on the promotion of Dr Goel whose name along with many other teachers figures in the promotion list.

Theatre workshop in school
Our Correspondent

Chandigarh, May 24
About 20 children and adults expressed their creativity in a fun filled atmosphere during the inaugural session of a 15-day theatre workshop “Theatre of Joy”, organised by the Centre for Education and Voluntary Action at Guru Harkishan Modern School in Sector 38 here today.

Talking to Chandigarh Tribune, G S Chani and Harleen Kohli, who are conducting the workshop, said theatre is a basic human need and this particular workshop is an attempt to popularise it amongst the youngsters.

The participants who are free to express their talents will be doing everything related to theatre on their own, right from writing their own script to directing their own plays, said Chani.

SUMMER WORKSHOPS-III
‘It helped me make new friends’
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 24
Dancing their way through the three-hour session is what the summer camp at Rose Club in Sector 16 is all about. Or so it seems with the Punjabi pop music rolling for the entire session as children twist and turn to the peppy beats.

While instructors try to bring about a certain discipline, children at the camp seem content skipping and jumping all over the place, something denied to them in schools.

Packaged into one, the sub-juniors are being “treated’’ to singing, dancing, colouring and painting while table-manners and story-telling form a part of the “serious study’’.

Aged between five to nine years, tips on self-study, gift wrapping, general knowledge and art of writing and vocabulary building form an integral part of the enjoyment.

For the senior group, there are classes in voice modulation which has been introduced this year, lessons in first-aid, building self confidence, fitness and fun with music among imparting of dramatic skills and time management.

While the senior students sweat it out in the vacation, learning new skills, the junior group is on a trip of its own, sharing and playing with children they hardly knew till a few days back and their friendships are for keeps, they claim.

Easily the best dancer in her group, Sanjana says,”I join one or the other camp every summer. This has helped me in making new friends in other schools. Also, this keeps my mind off the homework I get in the vacation.’’

Another busy bee at the club, Arjun, has joined the camp to constructively spend his vacation. “Rather than surfing television channels all day and sitting at the computer, activities which take up most of my vacation and time, I opted for the camp this time and it is keeping me very occupied and happy,’’ he says.

The month-long camp which began on May 21 has most children wanting to linger on at the venue, hoping their stay would be extended and the good times will not end.

COURTS

HIGH COURT
Filing of charge sheet stayed

Issuing notice to Haryana Advocate-General on a petition filed by MLA Karan Singh Dalal and three other residents of Palwal in Faridabad district seeking the quashing of a first information report, Mr Justice K.S. Kumaran of the Punjab and Haryana High Court on Thursday stayed the filing of the charge sheet till August 16.

The FIR was registered under Sections 420, 468 and 471 of the Indian Penal Code at Palwal police station on the complaint of Executive Officer-cum-Secretary of the Market Committee, Mr Chand Shekhar.

In his complaint before the police, Mr Shekhar had alleged that a plot owned by the market committee was in the illegal possession of Dalal and three others and they had constructed shops on the land. The complainant had added that Dalal and others, with the view to defrauding in the market committee, had also forged the registry.

Seeking the quashing of the FIR, the petitioners had added that they were being implicated in the case. Counsel for the petitioners had contended that Dalal and others were being involved in the case due to political reasons.

Notification stayed

Mr Justice Swatanter Kumar of the High Court on Thursday stayed the notification issued by the Punjab Government stating that the “conversion of area earmarked for parking into habitable use shall call for penalty at the rate of Rs 5000 per square feet” to the extent it affected the provision of parking space in the multi-storey buildings. Mr Justice Kumar observed: “It is a matter of regret that the government is issuing notification contrary to its own policy and in flagrant violation of the statutory provision that every multi-storey building should have a parking for the convenience of the occupants and the general public.”

Anticipatory bail plea

Mr Justice K.S. Kumaran of the High Court on Wednesday referred a petition for anticipatory bail in a case registered under the Schedule Caste and Schedule Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities Act) to the larger Bench for considering certain questions of law, including the possibility of granting anticipatory bail to the petitioners in spite the bar against it under the Act.

Delivering the verdict, Mr Justice Kumaran also directed the High Court Registry to place the case file before the Chief Justice for referring the matter to the larger Bench for decision.

The Judge observed: “Where the accused alleges that the complaint is the result of mala fide and has been made with ulterior motive simply to harass the accused and that the process of law has been misused, the question arises whether the court can still go into these allegations and then either grant or reject the bail in anticipation of arrest after considering the matter.”In his detailed order, Mr Justice Kumaran also directed that the petitioners — advocate Om Parkash, his son and daughter-in-law — would be released on bail in the event of their arrest. Seeking the grant of bail, the petitioners had earlier stated that a false complaint was lodged against them due to some dispute with employers of the complainant — a servant. The complainant, on the other hand, had contended that the petition was not maintainable due to the bar under Section 18 of the Act.

Army HQ rejects Bhatnagar’s complaint
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 24
A statutory complaint filed by Maj Maneesh Bhatnagar against his superior officers, alleging that he was being made a scapegoat as he tried to expose their misdeeds, has been rejected by Army Headquarters.

The decision was conveyed to Major Bhatnagar today after his counsel informed the Army authorities that he had moved the Punjab and Haryana High Court to initiate contempt of court proceedings against the Union Defence Secretary for alleged non-compliance with the court’s orders. The petition, which was filed yesterday and re-filed today, is likely to come up for hearing tomorrow.

Major Bhatnagar of 5 Para, who is being tried by a general court martial here for alleged disobedience of lawful command during the Kargil conflict, had moved the high court in March, seeking his release on bail and an independent inquiry into the case, besides the issuance of a writ directing the respondents (Union of India) to take a decision on the statutory complaint dated July 31, 2000.

A Division Bench comprising Mr Justice R.S. Mongia and Mr Justice K.C. Gupta had, on March 16, directed the Central Government to take a decision on the statutory complaint in accordance with the law “expeditiously, but not later than two months from today”. The counsel for the petitioner, Capt Rajneesh Bansal, said that several reminders sent to the authorities concerned earlier had not yielded any response.