EDUCATION

155 participate in painting contest
Our Correspondent

Dera Bassi, July 27
About 155 students from various government and private schools participated in a tehsil-level painting competition organised by the District Child Welfare Council at the local Government High School, here today.

Divided in three groups, Green (five to eight years) white (nine to 12 years) and blue (13 to 16 years), the students of over 25 schools who took part in the competition were given three topics for painting competition.

Physically and mentally challenged students also participated in the contest.

Mr Jaswinder Nayer, in charge of the event, and Mrs Ravinder Kaur Bir, president of the council, inaugurated the competition and stressed the need to organise more such competitions to encourage young artists.

Apart from teachers and parents of the participants, Mr P.S. Johal, SDM, and other prominent persons of the subdivision, were also present on the occasion.

The winners of the competition will participate in a district-level painting competition to be held at Patiala on September 14.

The results are:

Green group : Neeraj Kaushal and Avneet of Deep Mala Public School bagged the first and the second position, respectively, while Sahil Raghawa of Saravhitkari Vidya Mandir School, Mubarikpur, stood third.

White group : Gurjeet Singh of Government High School, Dera Bassi, 1; Manjeet Saini of DAV School, Dera Bassi, 2; and Shalin Raghawa of Saravhitkari Vidya Mandir School, Mubarikpur, 3.

Blue group : Ajay Kumar of Samta Public School, 1; Gurjant Singh of Government High School, Tasimbli, 2; and Sandeep Kaur of Government High School, Amlala; 3.

Yellow group (Physically and mentally challenged children): Ranjeet Kaur of AC National Public School, Zirakpur, 1; Surmukh Singh of DAV High School, Dera Bassi, 2; and Vikram Chawla of Government Senior Secondary School, Mubarikpur, 3.

Compucom offers computer education
in private schools
Our Correspondent

Chandigarh, July 27
Compucom Software Limited has offered to import computer and IT education to the students of government-aided and privately-managed recognised schools of the city.

The company has offered computer education at these schools on the same terms and conditions on which it had entered into an agreement with the UT Education Department on July 9.

The company would be conducting school-level computer courses at the rate of Rs 72 per student per month in government high schools and senior secondary schools of the city .

It may be recalled that Compucom Software Limited is all set to launch the project for imparting computer education to the students of government schools by the end of August.

About 13,000 students have already opted for the computer education courses in government schools. The response was tremendous from students and parents when options were obtained by school authorities.

There are seven government- aided privately managed schools functioning in the city . Besides this there are approximately 80 privately-managed recognised schools in the city . Some of the recognised schools are already imparting computer education to students.

The general manager, Compucom Software Limited, has requested the Director Public Instructions (Schools) to apprise principals of privately-managed recognised schools and government-aided schools of this offer for the benefit of the students of their school.

When contacted the general manager , Compucom, Mr G.K. Garg, said this programme would bring about an IT revolution in the education field. “We are all set to impart computer education in government schools and expect the same response from private schools,” he said.

MCA counselling on August 1
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 27
Counselling for candidates of MCA (first semester) of the Panjab University Regional Centre, Muktsar, will be held in the department of Biotechnology on the campus here on August 1, an official press note said here today.

Interviews will be held only for the NRI and NRI-sponsored category in the afternoon session. Candidates are required to bring along original certificates , NRI certificates and an affidavit from a Class I Magistrate ( if required).

The students are required to submit a demand draft for $ 4000 in favour of the Registrar, PU, along with other regular fees which are paid in cash on the spot, the press note added.

PU extends date
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 27
The Panjab University has extended the last date for the deposit of examination forms for the forthcoming supplementary examinations, September-October 2001 by a day from July 27 to July 28. The forms will be received till 2pm.

NOC for engineering institute
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 27
The Haryana State Technical Education Board has recently issued “no objection certificate” to Swami Devi Dyal Institute of Engineering and Technology, Barwala.

A press note issued by the academy claimed that the college had been allowed 60 seats each for B.Tech in computer science, information technology, electronics and communication and electrical engineering for 2001-2002 by the All-India Council of Technical Education. The college is affiliated to Kurukshetra University.

COURTS

HIGH COURT
Hold fresh admission tests, BFU told
Tribune News Service

MDU plea against lab man dismissed

The High Court has held that it cannot reappreciate evidence given before the Labour Court in the same manner as done by the Court of Appeals.

Pronouncing the orders Mr Justice S.S. Nijjar held: “The court would be justified in interfering with the findings of the facts recorded by the Labour Court only if the award suffered from an error apparent on the face of the record”.

Giving details, Mr Justice Nijjar further held: “The award would suffer from an error apparent on the face of the record only if the findings were either based on no evidence or were perverse”.

Dismissing the petition filed by Maharshi Dayanand University against a lab assistant, Mr Justice Nijjar observed: “The Labour Court has found that the inquiry conducted by the management was not fair and proper. The management has been given full opportunity to justify its action. The writ petition is devoid of merit and the same is dismissed”.

Experts to decide schools’ acceptance

The High Court ruled that the process of granting, or declining, accreditation to schools was the function of expert bodies and the “court would certainly accept the findings as correct unless the case was of exceptional circumstances”.

Giving a ruling, Mr Justice Swatanter Kumar observed: “If a case of a strong mala fides, bias and orders being palpably erroneous or based on no facts was pleaded and established on the record by specific averments and documents, the court may examine such a case”.

Mr Justice Kumar also dismissed the petition filed by Prerna Public School at Sirsa. In their petition against National Open School at Delhi, the school had earlier stated that the provisional accreditation granted to them was not extended.

Pension scheme for lecturers

In a submission before the High Court, counsel for the state of Punjab today stated that a scheme for the grant of pension and other retirement benefits to the lecturers in affiliated colleges would be finalised within three months.

After recording his statement, a Division Bench, comprising Mr Justice S.S. Nijjar and Mr Justice J.S. Khehar, fixed November 1 as the next date of hearing in the case.

Taking up the case, the Bench observed: “It is not disputed that the Punjab Government had given its consent to the amended Act (Punjab Affiliated Colleges Seniority of Service of Employees Act) on April 19, 1999. The Act has been published in government gazette on April 26, 1999. Even then, the scheme has not been finalised till date”.

The Bench further added: “A large number of employees are unnecessarily suffering due to the inaction on the part of the respondents. After examination of the matter, we are of the considered opinion that a direction ought to be issued to the government to implement the scheme within a fixed period”.

In their petition, Jagdish Chander of Hoshiarpur and eight other lecturers had earlier asked for directions to the state of Punjab and others to release pension and other benefits in accordance with the scheme.

AG told to resolve PPSC feud

The High Court has desired that the Punjab Advocate-General Mr H.S. Mattewal, should call the members and the Chairman of the Punjab Public Service Commission and ensure that internal dispute in the commission is settled before the next hearing in the case on July 30.

Members of the commission had filed a writ petition in the High Court against the Chairman. The writ came up for hearing on July 18.

As a sequel to this direction, the Advocate-General has requested the Chairman, Mr Ravinder Pal Singh Sidhu, and members — Mrs Harjit Kaur Randhawa, Mr R.C. Gupta and Mr Amarjit Singh Chawla — to attend a meeting on July 30 at 9.30 a.m. before the Court hearing.

Beant case: HC direction to UT Administration
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 27
The Punjab and Haryana High Court today asked the Chandigarh Administration and the Central Bureau of Investigation to move the court for the appointment of a Special Judge for the expeditious disposal of Punjab’s former Chief Minister Beant Singh’s assassination case.

Pronouncing the directions in the open court, Mr Justice G.S. Singhvi and Mr Justice Mehtab Singh Gill of the high court also fixed November 13 as the next date of hearing on the petition filed by Sector 7 painter Surinder Sharma. His statement had reportedly led to the arrest of the accused in the case.

Earlier during the proceedings, Special Counsel for the premier investigating agency, Mr R.K. Handa, informed the court that out of 426 prosecution witnesses in the assassination case, 129 had been examined. A day-to-day progress report in the case was also submitted by the Special Counsel. He added that there was no delay on the part of the investigating agency.

The Inspector-General of the Chandigarh Police, Mr B.S. Bassi, personally present on high court directions, told the Judges that the CBI was investigating and prosecuting the case.

According to the prosecution, Sharma had painted a grey Ambassador car, allegedly purchased from New Delhi by an accused in the case, for the commission of the offence.

The car, as per the prosecution story, was recovered from the spot soon after the explosion in which the former CM was killed. The vehicle had later led to the identification of the accused and their subsequent arrest. Sharma, in his petition, had alleged that the award, promised to the person providing information in the case, had not been handed over to him.

The former CM, it may be recalled, was killed in an explosion on August 31, 1995. While the believed-to-be human bomb died in the blast, the other accused in the case are facing trial. According to sources, more than 130 prosecution witnesses have been examined by the CBI.

Hijacking case

Mr Justice K.S. Garewal of the high court on Friday issued notice for July 31 on a petition filed by three accused in the Kandahar hijacking case seeking stay on proceedings before the trial court.

In their petition, Abdul Latif and two others had earlier stated that the trial court had declined their prayer for direction to the prosecution for the supply of legible copies of the documents.

Giving details, they had added that the pilot — Captain Devi Sharma — and flight engineer, Anil Kumar, were to be cross-examined and as such legible record was required.

They had added that permission was granted to defence counsel for inspecting the aeroplane before August 1 but they were not permitted the “service of a photographer”. Their counsel had further added that the trial would not be fair if the proceedings were not stayed during the pendency of their revision petition.

Demolition stayed

Issuing notice of motion for December 13 to the Chandigarh Administration and other respondents on a petition filed by the Chandigarh Golf Club, a Division Bench of the high court on Friday stayed the demolition of a squash court.

In their petition taken up by the Bench, comprising Mr Justice N.K. Sodhi and Mr Justice Jasbir Singh, the club had earlier challenged the notice issued by the Assistant Estate Officer ordering the demolition of the court on the allegations of illegal construction.

Jerath case

Disposing of a petition filed by Chandigarh’s former Chief Engineer, Kanwal Kishore Jerath, seeking the setting aside of orders passed by the UT Chief Judicial Magistrate granting pardon to accused-turned-approver Jagdish Mitter in the engineering department kickback case, Mr Justice K.S. Garewal of the high court on Friday directed him to approach the Special Judge.

In his petition, Jerath had earlier stated that Mitter was “lured by the then Chief Vigilance Officer-cum-Secretary personal of the Chandigarh Administration who was instrumental in reinstating him on the post of Superintending Engineer with full powers after he turned approver”.

He further stated that “there were 42 entries against his name in the diary of the liaison agents for having received kickbacks to the tune of Rs 3,20,000”.