EDUCATION

Majority of BCA, B.Com seats filled
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 12
While a majority of the seats in BCA and B.Com first year have been filled in the city colleges, confusion and mismanagement was reported on the second day of centralised admission to BBA, BCA and B.Com first year going on at MCM DAV College, Sector 36, here today.

Candidates and their parents have complained that the admissions not just went far beyond the scheduled timings slated for each category but no arrangements at all had been made for even the basic comfort of the candidates.

There was no arrangement for a shaded shelter for the candidates, many of who waited for hours today for their roll numbers to be called out. A candidate also reportedly fainted due to heat and exhaustion. Then there was also no food arrangement as the canteen was not open to the candidates as special arrangement for the staff on duty had been made there.

Moreover, it was not just the candidates who are complaining even staff of SGGS College, Sector 26, who was on duty at the centre, has complained that two of the city’s colleges were allegedly openly canvassing for student during admissions. Though officials of both these colleges have denied such an action, SGGS College staff has also alleged that during the admission de-reservation of seats was not done simultaneously.

The number of seats filled and lying vacant in BCA first year is as under:

40 seats have been filled respectively, each at GGDSD College, Sector 32; DAV College, Sector 10 and Government College Sector 11. There were three seats lying vacant in SGGS College-26 in the UT pool, 11 seats vacant in the UT pool at GGS College, Sector 26, six seats were lying vacant in Dev Samaj College, Sector 45, in the UT pool. The last student admitted to the general pool was ranked at 139.

In B.Com first year, the seats filled were as follows: 140 in GGDSD College, 70 seats in MCM DAV, Sector 36, 70 seats in GCG-11’s, 70 seats in DAV College, Sector 10; and 70 seats in GCG-42.

Government College, Sector 11 has seven seats vacant seats while GC-46 has 11 vacant seats GGS, Sector 26, has 10 vacant seats, SGGS, Sector 26, has 19 vacant seats and Dev Samaj College, Sector 45, has 20 seats vacant.

In a press note released by the Coordinator of the admissions, it had been stated that since there were some seats lying vacant in BCA-I in the UT pool, candidates with ranks between 701 and 812 on the merit list were eligible to appear for counselling session at 9 am at the college tomorrow.

747 get admission on the sixth day
Our Correspondent

Chandigarh, July 12
In total 7,47 students were admitted to different government schools on the sixth day of the ongoing centralised admissions here today.

Three hundred and thirty seven students were admitted in science stream, 216 in the commerce stream, 106 in humanities and 88 students were admitted in vocational courses today.

Only four schools, including GMSSS, Sector 21, GMSSS, Sector 23, GMSSS Sector 20-B and GMSSS, Sector 27, are left where general category seats are available in the science stream.

Today commerce seats for general category in three schools got filled. These school were GMSSS, Sector 16, GMSSS, Sector 35 and GMSSS, Sector 40.

In total 2,696 students have been admitted to different government schools till date. About 1,848 students were admitted in science stream, 521 in commerce stream, 173 in humanities and 154 in vocational courses till date.

Tomorrow students with 55 per cent marks and above will appear for interview to get admission in government schools.

Quota altered to favour UT pool
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 12
The fate of scores of aspirants for BCA, BBA and B.Com courses, from Chandimandir Cantonment hangs in balance following the UT Administration’s directive to reserve 85 per cent seats in these courses in the local colleges for those passing out from the schools in the UT.

Consequently, wards of the Army personnel serving in Chandimandir who have passed out from Army schools located there would be unable to secure admission in the above mentioned courses.

The new policy, which separated the UT pool candidates from the general pool, has significantly reduced the quota for wards of defence personnel who have not passed their qualifying examination from UT schools. Further, other reserve categories, including wards of the ex-servicemen and the martyrs get priority over wards of the serving personnel.

Though present in Haryana, residents of Chandimandir are largely dependent on Chandigarh for educational and other professional courses due to the close proximity between the two and facilites available at Chandigarh.

What has peeved aspirants is that the change in reservation policy was announced after the last date for submitting admission forms was over, leaving them in the lurch. “It was not right on the part of the authorities concerned. Had we known, we would have applied elsewhere,” an officer here remarked.

As per the new policy, the defence quota in the general pool is five per cent of the 15 per cent of the total seats in the UT pool. This has hit wards of the Army personnel who are posted in the station. As per information, 10 students have already got admission through the general pool defence quota, but none of them is a ward of a serving defence officer.

“According to the information in the admission brochures, the defence quota was considered under the UT pool, where the total reservation for all categories in it amounted to 26 per cent,” an affected parent said. This year, however, it is five percent of the 15 per cent seats reserved for the general pool, he added.

An aggrieved parent pleaded that wards of the armed personnel must be treated as the local applicants.

Write legibly or you may draw a blank
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 12
Candidates appearing in various PU examinations at the undergraduate and postgraduate level will be awarded zero marks in case their handwriting is found illegible.

This was recommended by the committee constituted by the Vice-Chancellor of Panjab University to look into the case of alleged misappropriation by Prof B.B. Goel of the University Business School in re-examining answersheets of a student.

The committee is now meeting to recommend changes in the current examination system being followed by the university so that chances of such misappropriation are reduced.

The committee met today under the chairmanship of Justice D.V. Sehgal and approved the redesigning of the title page of the 36 and 40 page answerbooks for BA and MA examinations, respectively. Now the title page will have provision for evaluation by the first or original examiner and re-evaluation, by the second and third examiners on the same title page. This will avoid the repetition of putting separate evaluation sheets for reevaluation as was being done earlier.

It has also been decided that the answersheets that are given to the candidates be stapled four times, twice from inside and twice from outside. The title page should be pasted with gum as well as stapled to avoid the possibility of any tampering with the answer sheets.

The committee has decided to meet again to make further recommendations regarding improving the evaluation and re-evaluation system of the university’s examination system.

Dr B.B. Goel, lecturer, Panjab University Business School, had been found guilty of having increased marks of a commerce student who had written only ‘Radhaswami’ on the answersheet from zero to 42 during re-evaluation.

Dr Goel had been found guilty after this committee supported the findings of a previous committee headed by former Chief Secretary, Punjab, Mr. P.S. Vaishnav.

Principal Budhiraja, Principal Tarsem Bahia, Principal P. S. Sangha, Mr V.K. Bansal and Dr Satya Pal Gautam are the other members of the committee.

St Kabir bags best school trophy
Our Correspondent

Chandigarh, July 12
Inter-school debate and mock press conference were the main highlights of the valedictory function of the two-day inter-schools competitions, ‘Jamboore-2001’, held at Government Museum, Sector 10, here today.

The competitions were organised by students zone, a group of five engineering students. The chief guest of the function was Mr R. Ramsekhar, Deputy Commissioner, Chandigarh. He said, ‘’The younger ones should follow the path laid down by these five students. Students should take such initiatives and utilise free time in doing something progressive.”

The topic for the debate was ‘Women Reservation Bill’. The judges for the debate were Mr R.M. Sharma, English lecturer, DAV College, Sector 10, Ms Dolly Ahluwalia, costume designer, and Dr Neelam Ratan, lecturer, Government College for Girls.

The judges for mock press conference were Mr Amar Chandel, Deputy Editor, The Tribune, Mr Sanjeev Tewari, Director Public Relations, Panjab University, and Mr Harbaksh Nanda, Correspondent, South Asia. Many other events were held including crossword, caption, slogan, matrix, creative writing and calligraphy contest.

The over all best school trophy went to St Kabir School, with Sacred Heart Convent and St Stephens School bagging the second and third prizes, respectively.

Results of the debate contest are:

Gyanda (Sacred Heart Convent School) Ist; Ishita (Sacred Heart Convent School) 2nd; Manu Oberoi (St Xaviers School, Panchkula) 3rd; Abhinav Seth (St Annes School), and Gursimran Jeet (St Xaviers School, Panchkula) 4th; and Priya (St Annes School) 5th.

Results of mock press conference are:

Tarundeep (Vivek High School, Sector 38) 1st acted as Elvis Presley; Rahul Arora (S.D. Public School) 2nd acted as Mr Laloo Parsad Yadav; Ravneet (Sacred Heart Convent School) 3rd acted as Cindy Crawford; Seerat (Sacred Heart Convent School) 4th acted as Madonna; and Harshit (St Kabir School) 5th acted as Ms Rabri Devi.

Mentally deranged man scares student
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 12
In a strange incident outside the Department of Economics at Panjab University today, an unidentified person, who was later reported to be mentally unstable, scared the living daylights out of a female student of the department.

The student was sitting outside the department with her friends when an unidentified shabbily clad middle aged man of medium built, suddenly came and gripped her head. When the girl shouted for help, the man simply went away. Some boys standing there also tried to shoo him away.

Later, the girl’s brother went to look for the man at the university. Having found him still loitering near the department, he reported the complete matter to the university’s security, staff.

Meanwhile, Mr R.K. Singh, Chief Security Officer of the university, has said that although the man revealed his name, he seemed to be mentally deranged. It was confirmed that he was not from the university. The person was handed over along with the written complaint to the SHO at the Sector 11 police station.

B.Ed entrance result declared
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 12
The result of the B.Ed entrance test held by Panjab University on June 26, 2001, was declared today. The result gazette can be seen at the Panjab University enquiry counter or enquired from telephone numbers: 784869/534818 on all working days from 9 a.m. to 1.30 p.m. and from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. The result is also available at the website cet2001. puchd. sc. in

M.Sc (PC) interviews
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 12
Interviews for admission to M.Sc (PC), first year, in mathematics of those who submitted their application forms after July 3, 2001, will be held on July 18, 2001, at 10 a.m. in room number 29 in the Department of Mathematics, Panjab University.

Decision on reappear cases
Tribune News Service

SAS Nagar, July 12
As per the schedule for receipt of admission forms and fee for the supplementary examination to be held by the Punjab School Education Board in September, the candidates who had been placed in the reappear or compartment category matriculation and 10+2 examination results declared recently would be eligible to take the supplementary examinations. A spokesman of the board said July 22 would be the last date for acceptance of the admission forms without late fee. A late fee of Rs 100 would be charged for receipt of admission forms by July 30. A late fee of Rs 300 would be charged for the receipt of forms by August 6. Thereafter, a late fee of Rs 500 would be charged to accept the forms by August 13.

Physical efficiency test on July 17
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 12
The physical efficiency test of the candidates seeking admission to the Department of Physical Education who applied during the extended period of admission — upto yesterday — will be held on July 17 at 9 a.m. in Punjab University main grounds.

COURTS

HC orders release of Major’s disability pension
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 12
Allowing a writ petition “in part”, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has directed the Union of India and other respondents to release “the benefit of disability pension” to a Major residing in SAS Nagar “after taking his disability as 40 per cent”.

Pronouncing the orders in the open court on the petition filed by Major Harbans Singh of Phase X, Mr Justice R.L. Anand of the High Court also directed that the “benefit shall be granted for 38 months prior to the date of filing the writ petition”.

Mr Justice Anand further directed the respondents to grant the benefit within three months of receiving the order’s copy “failing which the petitioner shall be entitled to interest at the rate of 12 per cent per annum”. The Judge also asked the petitioner to appear before the “Re-survey Medical Board as and when called upon by the respondents.”

In his detailed order, the Judge observed: “The Chief Controller of Defence Accounts (Pension) did not examine the petitioner. He mainly relied upon the opinion of the Medical Advisor (Pensions). This authority also did not examine the petitioner. Therefore, the unilateral reduction of disability on the part of the Chief Controller of Defence Accounts (Pension) from 40 per cent to 20 per cent cannot be sustained in the eyes of the law”.

In his petition, Major Harbans Singh had earlier sought quashing of the orders to the “extent it rejected his claim for disability pension for 100 per cent entitlement”. His counsel, Mr B.S. Sehgal, had added that the petitioner was given the benefit “of Army Group Insurance Scheme to the extent of 100 per cent and as such he was entitled to the benefit of disability pension at the rate of100 per cent”.

CULTURE

Chinese film festival begins today
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 12
The Chinese film festival, which was to begin July 10, would now begin tomorrow at the CSIO auditorium with the screening of “A Cradle in Taxi”, a film about a taxi driver adopting a girl and rearing her. The second film in line will be “Red River Valley”.

Directed by Feng Xiaoning who has cast Ning Jing and Shao Bind in the leading roles., the film is set in the early part of this century when a British expedition went to Tibet. The British Army invaded Tibet afterwards and met with strong resistance from the Tibetan people. During the battles against the British aggressors, the feudal lord’s daughter and livestock breeders were involved in an imbroglio with a Hang girl who went into exile there.

The third film, “The Bewitching Braid”, has screenplay by Cal Yuanyuan and cinematography by Qian Tao. The star cast includes Ning Jing and Ricardo Carisso. The plot is about Adozinho, a young Purtugese man, who is attracted by the braid of a Chinese girl Al Ling. In spite of the racial differences, their love grows deeper and they are finally accepted by others.

“My Fair Daughter” is a film by Ma Chongjie, co-starring Qin Yue, Wang Kuirong and Tang Ye. The story is about a small family with two members — father and daughter. Zheng and his daughter, Xiaowen, live a happy life together. Zheng is a freelance writer and his daughter is a student in a middle school. All is well until a telephone call disrupts peace in their lives.

The festival is being organised by the Chandigarh Film Society in association with the CSIO Cultural Club. The screenings will be held from July 13 to July 16 everyday at 6.30 pm in the CSIO auditorium in Sector 36.

Powerful portrayals by Gursharan
Our Correspondent

Chandigarh, July 12
What is the alternative for the youths who are running from pillar to post in search of a job carrying the heavy burden of their certificates? This question hung heavily on the audience which watched Gursharan Singh’s short plays “Vikalp” and “Nikkar Nikkar Nikkar” staged at the open air theatre of Punjab Kala Bhawan in Sector 16 here today.

The anguish of an unemployed youth and his ultimate resolution to adopt the path of violence to assert his rights was the main theme of the first play “Vikalp”. Based on Jasbir Singh Rana’s original story “ Vikalp”, the one-act play beautifully portrayed the transformation of a youth from an optimistic dreamer to a fighter against the socio-political system to seek justice.

Bashir Ali in the role of Yashpal, the unemployed youth, did full justice to his role. His powerful acting towards the end, when Yashpal was left with three options — either be an escapist like his maternal uncle, who turns an blind eye to the realities of life and becomes a saint, or commit suicide like his father, or take up the sword, which was only memento his grandfather left for his family in his legacy, hit the audience with full force. The plot was complemented with background voices.

The second play “Nikkar Nikkar Nikkar”, a blow to seligious fanaticism, reflected sarcasm, a trademark of Gursharan Singh’s plays. With three characters, Swamiji (played by Suleman Bhatt), a press reporter (played by Jaspal Deol) and the tutiwala (played by Bashir Ali), the play highlighted a string of issues like Valentine’s Day fiasco to filming of Deepa Mehta’s controversial film “Water” and the Mandir-masjid issue.

Swamiji believing that he had been entrusted with the responsibility of undoing the wrongdoings of his fellow countrymen by sheer force, raised the question of the growing poverty and unemployment justifying as God’s will. Suleman’s powerful acting and Bashir Ali’s funny interpretations of everything that Swamiji said cast a spell.

Talking about the relevance about the second play, Gursharan Singh, the playwright and director of both plays, said the staging of the play was an answer to a few political groups of Amritsar which did not allow the staging of “Krishna”, a play based on childhood mischieves of Lord Krishna simply because it did not fall within the boundary of their ideology. “No political group has the right to curtail the freedom of an artiste to express himself,” he said. 

NEW RELEASES

A mix of big names and new comers is the line-up for the July 13 movies that hope to do good business at the box-office.

Amitabh Bachchan and Manoj Bajpai, the two actors who profess admiration for each other's talent, come together for the first time in Rakesh Mehra's Aks.... The reflection..... which will be released tomorrow at Neelam, Chandigarh. The film Aks is BPL ads and Eer Bir Fateh video fame Rakesh Mehra's directorial debut and promises to be an edge-of-the-seat thriller with Amitabh Bachchan playing a police officer. Manoj Bajpai playing a negative role. The film also stars Raveena Tandon and Nandita Das. With this movie Nandita has entered the commercial cinema.

Jhamu Sugandh and A.B. Corporation presentation, Aks has an interesting title and its promos are more eye-catching. A thriller reportedly based on Hollywood hit Face Off.

The beautiful locales of Budapest, a talented star cast Anu Malik's score, Ranjit Barot's background music are plus points of the film. Aks is a film worth waiting for.

* * *

The film promises to be a very honestly made clean musical love story. Being produced by Bhushan Kumar and Krishan Kumar, it has photography by Vijay Arora, story-dialogues by Anubhav Sinha, choreography by Remo and music by Nikhil-Vinay, Ravi Pawar. Shot extensively in Canada, Tum Bin is also a movie to watch. — DP