The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Chandigarh Stories

EDUCATION

STATE OF THE HOSTELS
Contented girls of crafts institute
Chitleen K. Sethi
Tribune News service

Chandigarh
Tucked in one corner of Sector 11 is the Central Crafts Institute for Women. But in spite of its inconspicuous presence, the place is full of activity. Students who are here to get their diplomas in various crafts are always busy.

Of the 550 students of the Institute who get training in tailoring, fashion designing, leather work, shorthand and type writing, embroidery etc, only about 60 stay in the institute’s hostel.

“Being small in number, we are like a family. Everyone knows everyone else. We are together in our classes and even go out together,” says a resident.

And the environment not only sounds ideal, it also looks ideal. “The main reason why the inmates are so happy with the situation is that they are all hard working, no nonsense girls who are interested more in finishing their courses, rather than whiling away their time,” says the warden, Ms Sarojini.

There is a TV set in the common room and a badminton court on the hostel premises for the girls. But they hardly watch any TV programme. “We simply don’t have the time. Many of us take our stitching and embroidery to the TV room and give finishing touches to our work there. It is fun working together in the hostel,” says a resident.

But are there no problems at all?

“Oh there used to be loads of problems only a few years ago. The food problem was the most chronic. We used to get horrible food, and there were no other facilities too. No cleanliness, but now things are different, thanks to the efforts of the principal and the warden,” say the students.

How did this change come about?

“There was no warden till a few months ago. Since her coming things have been changing for the better. She stays in the hostel and is available whenever we need her,” says a resident.

What about outings?

“We have outings on weekends. Sunday is mostly a day for the girls to make telephone calls to their families. On Saturdays we are allowed to stay out for three hours.”

But is that enough?

“We are happy and the outings are basically to go out in the markets and see what is new in textiles and fashion.”

“In case of a medical emergency, a doctor can be called and we go out with the warden in groups to make calls if necessary. It is fun to be here. The hostel is comfortable and whenever we hold an exhibition of our work, it is a three-day festival in the hostel. The girls are all a festive mood and every one is trying to give last-minute touches to her creations. There is a competition to show a better product than the other and you ought to see the prices. They are dirt cheap.”

So things are happy and comfortable at the hostel of the Central Crafts Institute for Women and there is nothing more to ask.

CET exam on June 9, admit cards dispatched
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 6
Panjab University has dispatched admit cards for applicants appearing for the CET examinations scheduled from June 9 to June 14, an official press release said here today.

Candidates, who do not receive the admit cards by June 7, should contact the office of the Joint Controller of Examination, Mr Ashok Raj Bhandari, on June 8, during the working hours.

For a duplicate admit card, a candidate needs to make a written request along with an attested passport size photograph in addition to Rs 25 as fee.

Summer camp
Our Correspondent

SAS Nagar, June 6
A two-week long summer camp for children concluded at the local branch of Ajit Karam Singh International Public School today. Today the children came dressed in colourful outfits with shining paper caps and masks. They danced to music and had henna and tatoo designs on their hands, arms and cheeks.

The Director-Principal, Ms Jasmine Kalra, said the camp had various groups of 10 pupils each (in the age group of two and a half years to six years) with one teacher for each group. The camp had begun by teacher helping children make folders with waste material to keep their drawing sheets and art work. Special workshops on English conversation and dance were held along with an educational tour around the city.

The second half of the camp had children playing water games, besides “story and dramatisation day” where teachers dressed as puppets presented various characters in the story. Each day of the camp started and ended with five minutes of meditation to develop self-control in children.

Summer workshops
Our Correspondent

Chandigarh, June 6
Colourful balloons, festoons, flags and banners marked the beginning of summer workshops for children at Kailash Bahl DAV Centenary Public School, Sector 7, here today.

‘Kalakriti 2001 — Art and Design Workshop’ is for the children below six years. ‘Boogie-Woogie 2001 — theatre and dance workshop includes theatre, dance, camera facing session, aerobics, interface with theatre, film and media personalities. There will also be a section dealing with personality development.

Kidz 2001 — Computer Workshop, is a courseware in Windows and MS-Office. ‘Jhankar 2001 — Music and Dance Workshop’ is about learning music instruments like guitar, tabla, banjo etc. The workshop will also include folk dances.

Scribes flay board’s attitude
Tribune News Service

SAS Nagar, June 6
The Mohali Working Journalists Association at its meeting held here today expressed serious concern over the lack of coordination among different officials of the Punjab School Education Board, thereby depriving the public of information through the media.

Taking serious note of the declaration of results of class XII (commerce and science streams), the association said it was intentionally leaked to certain selective mediapersons. The members of the association said that the public relations wing of the school board had categorically stated that the results would be released to the media by June 7.

The association maintained that despite the board PRO having the contact numbers of all the newspapers, the information was intentionally withheld. At a press conference of the Education Minister in April last, the association had brought to the notice of the minister the indifferent attitude of the officials of the Controller of Examination. The minister had assured the Chairman of the association, Mr Ajit Salani, flow of public information in the future.

‘VC should quit’
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 6
Mr K.D.S. Sodhi, President of the Punjab and Chandigarh College Teachers Union, today asked the Vice-Chancellor of Punjabi University, Patiala to quit “for having caused ample damage to the academic life not only of the university but also of the state”.

In a press note, Mr Sodhi said although the controversies between the Punjab’s Minister for Higher Education and the Vice-Chancellor of the university on the one hand and PUTA leaders and the Vice-Chancellor on the other are heading towards a truce with the intervention of Mr Parkash Singh Badal, Chief Minister, yet ugly episodes needed to be probed and analysed objectively and impartially to avoid their recurrence in future.

PTA's gesture
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 6
The Parent-Teacher Association of Government Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 20, has congratulated the teaching and non-teaching staff of the school for showing excellent results in the class VIII, X and XII examinations.

Association General Secretary K.L. Saroya said that in Class VIII, the pass percentage was 96.25. Two students, Shruti Chauhan and Raman Sharma, were placed in the merit list. Fiftyseven out of 80 students secured first division. Seven students were in the merit list of Sanskrit in Class VIII. In Class X, the net pass percentage was 95 and Ishant Aggarwal was the topper with 96.2 per cent marks.

COURTS

Court orders elections to bank board of directors
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 6
Disposing of a writ petition, Mr Justice Mehtab Singh Gill of the Punjab and Haryana High Court here has directed the Chandigarh Administration and other respondents to hold elections to the Board of Directors of Chandigarh State Cooperative Bank Limited by April 30, 2002.

Seeking directions for holding of elections, Mr Jagtar Singh and other petitioners had earlier alleged that the same were not being held “for the sole reason that the respondents wanted to keep control of the bank and were against elected representatives carrying out the affairs”.

Counsel for the respondents, on the other hand, had stated that they had no “hesitation in holding the elections”. In an affidavit submitted before the court, the Registrar of Cooperative Societies, Ms Varsha Joshi, had stated that zones, according to Punjab pattern, had to be made before holding elections and the process would take some time. She had added that making of zones and the process of normalising the functioning of the bank would be completed by mid-2002.

Going into the background, she had claimed that the previous board was removed because of “its persistent defaults and utter negligence in the performance of duties”. She had alleged that the board had “placed the bank in such a poor situation that its recovery was taking some time under her supervision and control”.

Giving details, she had stated that “surcharge proceedings were pending against the Directors as they had given crores of rupees of the bank in shape of short-term loans to totally unviable public companies without obtaining any security and without obtaining any prior permission of the competent authority. The loan had not been recovered till date”.

She had added that “large-scale appointments, in excess of the sanctioned strength of the bank, were made also without the approval of the competent authority and without following the due process of selection.”

After hearing the arguments, Mr Justice Gill observed: “Counsel for the petitioners and the respondents have stated that a time frame to be given so that the respondents are bound down to hold the elections within the stipulated time. Taking all the circumstances into consideration, I direct the respondents to hold the elections on or before April 30.”

HIGH COURT
Recovery proceedings quashed
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 6
Issuing notice on an application filed by Mr A.R. Dahiya — Chairman of Polo Hotels Limited, having its registered office at North Park in Chowki village in Panchkula district, Mr Justice Jawahar Lal Gupta and Mr Justice J.S. Narang of the Punjab and Haryana High Court have stayed the recovery proceedings against the petitioner.

In his petition against the Haryana State Industrial Development Corporation (HSIDC) and Assistant Collector, Mr Dahiya had earlier sought the quashing of the orders asking him to deposit Rs 48.21 lakh allegedly due towards HSIDC.

The petitioner had added that the amount, as per the order issued by the Assistant Registrar, would be recovered from him through warrants of arrest or through warrants of attachment in case he failed to deposit the money by the due date.

Terming the orders as illegal and arbitrary, counsel for the petitioner had stated that the same was issued without jurisdiction. Giving details, he had added that under the provisions of the Punjab Land Revenue Act, ‘‘sum payable in respect of land could only be recovered as arrears of land revenue’’.

Referring to the current case, counsel had stated that the amount sought to be recovered by the respondents was towards the price of equity share holding of the corporation.

In another application filed along with the main petition, counsel had asked for directions to the respondents to stay the recovery proceedings against the petitioner till final decision of the case. After hearing the arguments, the Judges issued notice to the respondents for July 4 and directed stay on recovery proceedings against the petitioner till then.

Forum accepts complaint
Our Correspondent

Chandigarh, June 6
The UT Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum-II has allowed the complaint moved by the Punjab Civil and Consumer Welfare Front, Patiala district and others through its President, Ms Jasjit Kaur, against the SAS Nagar Housing Complex, Cooperative House Building Society, Ropar district, through its Secretary and Punjab State Federation of Co-op, House Building Society Limited, Chandigarh.

The complainant, PCCWF and others stated in the complaint that as per the terms and conditions, the complainant was required to pay Rs 210 per month rendered by the SAS Nagar Housing Complex, Cooperative House Building Society Limited.