EDUCATION

Recommendations for MFC degree holders
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 12
Pending an approval from the Panjab University Vice-Chancellor, a committee constituted by the VC has recommended that students with an MFC (Masters in Finance and Control) degree are eligible to apply for posts of lecturer in commerce after clearing the UGC-NET examination in commerce.

The committee, which met at the University today, decided this in light of the certificates issued by the UGC to MFC candidates who had cleared their UGC-NET examination in the subject for lecturership. The UGC had allowed these students to appear in the UGC-NET examination of commerce.

These candidates were, however, refused to be considered for lecturerships in commerce by some colleges following which they had given a representation to the UT Administrator and the VC. The VC had constituted a committee to look into the matter.

The committee further decided that the decision to take in these students was a decision of the college managements.

Join NSS, but nothing to do
Chitleen K. Sethi
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 12
Government College for Girls, Sector 42, and Government College of Art, Sector 12, are falsely offering applicants for admissions the provision of joining the National Service Scheme (NSS) as both these colleges have had no activity of the NSS for the past five to six years.

While GCG-42 in its prospectus clearly states that the students can join the NSS unit running in the college, the NSS room in the college has not been opened since 1997. The NSS Directorate says out of the 16 colleges in the city which are supposed to run at least a single NSS unit of 100 students, these are the only two colleges whose units are defunct.

GCG-42 has for the past five years not sent its NSS account statement to the NSS Directorate located in the Panjab University. As a result, subsequent grants have not been given to it. “I have personally asked the Principal, Ms Mohini Sharma, to revive the unit, but she seems to be in a queer problem herself. The woman teacher who was the in charge of the NSS left the country after she got married. The room for NSS activities has been locked since as she is the one who had the keys and the accounts statement,” informs Mr C.L. Narang, Director, NSS, PU.

At Government College of Art, sources state that the problem is different. The in charge of the NSS is a person who does not belong to the north and he is unable to interact effectively with the NSS students and conduct meaningful activities.

The other colleges of the city are running rather active NSS units, with Government College, Sector 46, running four such units. The activities of NSS involves a compulsory ten-day camp for its members each year in the adopted village of the college’s NSS unit.

“The aim of NSS activities is not just to serve the village community in the periphery of the city, but to teach the students the value of manual labour,” says Mr Narang. “And the city students have been doing very well. Things will be perfect if these two colleges revive their NSS units,’’ he adds.

Class XI prospectus to be available from June 20
Our Correspondent

Chandigarh, June 12
The prospectus for admission to Class XI in government model senior secondary schools will be made available from June 20 at seven centres in city.

The Education Department, UT, proposes to set up the main centre for selling of prospectus at Government Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 23. Enough counters will be made at the main centre to avoid confusion.

Six sub-centres will be set up. These are government model senior secondary schools in Sector 19, 35 and 40, Karsan, Mani Majra and Dhanas.

The prospectus will be made available in these schools from June 20. The last date for submission of forms is June 30. A candidate will be required to fill up only one form for admission in any school by indicating preference of schools and streams. Admissions will be only on merit.

The interviews for the admission to all streams in government schools will start from July 6 at Government Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 23-C. The candidates getting admission under any reserved category, which include SC, sports, physically handicapped, defence, paramilitary personnel and freedom fighters’ children or grandchildren, will also appear for the interview according to their percentage of marks obtained in Class X, along with the candidates of general category. The classes will commence after the admissions with effect from July 19.

This year, the Central Board of Secondary Education and the Indian Council of Secondary Education Class X results have shown many high achievers. Competition for admissions to top government schools is expected to be tough this year.

Weekly tests will be held throughout the year to prepare the students not only for CBSE examinations, but also for all the competitive examinations. Last year, the cut-off percentage for science and commerce in top seven schools was as follows: science — GMSSS, Sector 35 — 82.6 per cent; GMSSS, Sector 16 — 82 per cent; GMSSS, Sector 37 — 77.6 per cent; GMSSS, Sector 10 — 75.8 per cent; GMSSS, Sector 19 — 72.4 per cent; GMSSS, Sector 40 — 68.4 per cent; GMSSS, Sector 46 — 65.6 per cent; commerce — GMSSS, Sector 35 — 70.8 per cent; GMSSS, Sector 16 — 69.2 per cent; GMSSS, Sector 40 — 64.8 per cent; GMSSS, Sector 18 — 61 per cent; GMSSS, Sector 19 — 60.8 per cent; GMSSS, Sector 23 — 57.8 per cent; GMSSS, Sector 46 — 57.2 per cent, GMSSS, Sector 20 — 56.6 per cent.

PU to set up centre on Vivekananda studies
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 12
Panjab University will open a centre for Swami Vivekananda Studies from the forthcoming session.

The centre, with avenues of academic interaction within different sections of the social science departments on the campus, has received a formal nod of the University Grants Commission. The university has 11 disciplines of social sciences.

The centre aims at “studying the revolutionary and path-breaking ideas of Swami Vivekananda and their impact on nation building, with emphasis on the reconstruction of the Indian society”.

Prof Ashok Sahni, Dean (University Instructions), while talking to The Tribune, confirmed the UGC permission for the new centre. He said: “Swami’s ideas are very important to study in the modern times when there is a serious change in the societal set-up”.

The centre will have a separate library. The paper is intended to be introduced as an optional one as a part of MA courses in the social science departments. There is a possibility of having students as well as teachers from different departments.

The centre will organise a series of seminars and lectures. The plan also intends to make research and seminar contents available in text forms. A three to four week short term course will be organised for student orientation on the subject.

The centre proposes to study vedantic philosophy in light of Swami Vivekananda’s conception of religion of love and its role in intra-religion and inter-religion understanding.

A unique aspect of the new centre is an inter-disciplinary approach of different social science departments for a common subject. “Underlying philosophy of Swami Vivekananda’s message can be translated in common man’s language for easier understanding in different forms with different approaches by different social science departments. The same message can have many manifestations”, a senior professor said

Order to blacklist firm revoked
Our Correspondent

Chandigarh, June 12
The local Education Department has revoked its order to blacklist Zee Interactive Learning Systems — a company which is into computer education. The company will now be free to participate in the re-tendering of the computer education project to be run in 65-odd city schools, sources from Zee interactive learning said.

Taking a lenient view of the matter, especially the significant relaxations and changes made in the fresh tender document and the fact that no prior notice was given to the company, the blacklisting has been revoked.

Although on considering the representation of the Zee systems, the Administration found that the points raised by the company in its defence are legally untenable. No company could legally ask for changes or alterations and relaxations in the basic terms and conditions of the tender after getting the award on the basis of lowest rate quoted by it.

Earlier, the Zee systems was issued a letter of intent on March 21 for conducting schools-level courses from Class VI to Class XII at the rate of Rs 85 per student per month. Zee had the lowest tender among the eligible bidders for the contract. Later on, the company backed out expressing its inability to work on the project. The Chandigarh Administration opined that the Zee systems had deliberately delayed the start of the project for conducting courses and blacklisted the company. The earnest money of Rs 1 lakh was also forfeited by the department.

The delay had adversely affected thousands of students of Chandigarh. A representation giving reasons for unable to come for signing the agreement was presented by the Zee systems against the decision of the Administration. They further requested the Administration to revoke the blacklisting The department was looking forward to start the courses from the current academic year. At last deadline for signing the agreement was fixed as May 4. The company, however, sought extension in the deadline for signing the agreement from May 4 to May 11 which too was granted by the Administration. Sources in the Education Department added that the Zee systems backed out and made legally impermissible excuses.

COURTS

DISTRICT COURTS
Case adjourned
Our Correspondent

Chandigarh, June 12
The UT Judicial Magistrate (First Class) today adjourned the case against the president of the Punjab Amateur Athletic Association, Umrao Singh, till June 15. The Magistrate had directed the president to file reply before the court on next hearing.

The complainant, Mr Gurdev Singh, had filed suit challenging the election of the association. The complainant alleged that the members of the association was holding posts without holding any election.

Judicial remand

The UT Judicial Magistrate (First Class) today sent a doctor to 14 days’ judicial remand. The doctor was held on the charge of stabbing two youths on June 10. The case against the accused was registered under Section 307 of the Indian Penal Code.

It was alleged that the accused had stabbed the youths while they were on their way to Nayagaon from Khuda Ali Sher on a bicycle.

Rape case

The UT Judicial Magistrate (First Class) today sentenced 14 days’ judicial remand to Bhagwan Dass in a case of rape. It was alleged that the accused had raped a minor girl of Sector 38. The case against the accused was registered in the Sector 39 police station yesterday.

CULTURE

Adviser surprises children
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 12
Children attending the ongoing workshop at Art Folio in Sector 9 here were taken by a pleasant surprise when the Adviser to UT Administrator, Ms Neeru Nanda, visited them and shared some lovely moments with them at the art gallery.

The kids are attending the workshop in mask making, drawing, painting and sculpture. They are also learning to make caps and bags from paper. To impress the visiting VIP, the children got together to sing a song titled Samjhauta Express with all acts. It may be mentioned here that some of the participating kids are the members of the Ajoka Theatre Group of Pakistan, who are in Chandigarh to attend the ongoing joint Indo-Pak theatre workshop at Art Folio. The Pakistani children also staged a play which Ms Nanda liked a lot.

After the show was over, Ms Nanda took time off to share her childhood day memories with the kids. She also lent a very patient hearing to the little ones who were obviously quite enthused over her visit. Meanwhile, the children participating in the workshop are getting ready to be a part of the educational trip to Shimla, to be organised by the Art Folio authorities.

Giving a break to aspiring actors
Our Correspondent

Chandigarh, June 12
After Sa-re-ga-ma, the music programme for budding singers, Zee Alpha is preparing to give a break to aspiring actors of this region. Zee’s new venture is called Screen Test, a 13- episode TV serial, shooting for which concluded at Tagore Theatre in Sector 18 here today.

The programme aims at providing a platform for the artistes of the region who want to try out their luck on the silver screen, says Manmeet Bal, who is looking after the production unit of the serial. “This programme will be beneficial for the youngsters, who otherwise have to go to Mumbai and get exploited in many a cases,” he adds.

Each episode features two boys and two girls, making them go through three rounds — acting, dance and judge’s choice round. “Though the concept is new, the response for the programme has been overwhelming,” says Jagmeet Bal, who is directing the serial. “A total number of 52 young boys and girls in the age group of 18 to 30 years have been selected for screen test after a number of auditions in various places, including Amritsar and Bathinda,”he adds.

The serial, which is relatively a small- budget one involving a rough amount of Rs 10 to 12 lakh, was shot within a short span of three days . “The teams chosen from Mumbai and Delhi are extremely competent and work like a family,” says Jagmeet. “The fact that we are working in a shoestring budget and extending the shooting for one more day will cost us an extra amount of Rs 2 lakh is enough motivation for us to wrap up the episode within the stipulated time,” says Manmeet.

Sarabjit Cheema a noted singer, Balbinder Dhani and Dr Alamjit were in the panel of judges. Jagmeet Samundari, an actor and mimicry artiste, anchored the show.