The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Chandigarh Stories

EDUCATION

CAMPUS ROUND-UP
Canadian Govt’s gesture to PU
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh
Panjab University is the only university in the sub-continent to be granted the status of ‘Prescribed University’ by the Government of Canada. This entitles donors from Canada to seek tax exemption.

This status has come after persistent efforts of the Panjab University Alumni Association, the Canada chapter of which was established in 1996 at the initiative of Prof K.N. Pathak, the present Vice-Chancellor.

Prof Pathak is at present a visiting Research Scientist in the department of Mathematics and Computer Science, Royal Military College, Kingston.

According to a notification of the Canada Customs and Revenue Agency, “a donation made at any time in 2000 or the subsequent year to the school (Panjab University) by a Canadian donor can be claimed in computing taxable income”. Other world class universities which have been accorded this status are Harvard, Chicago, MIT, Princeton, Duke, Oxford and Cambridge.

The PUAA (Canada Chapter) has sent a donation of $ 3800 for the construction of a deluxe room on the Chandigarh campus as a ’ room donated by PUAA (Canada at Kingston)’. The chapter is steered by a four-member committee.

Membership of PUAA (Canada) is extended to graduates of PU since 1947 and of the University of Panjab, Lahore, (Pakistan) established in 1882 and well wishers of PU and affiliated colleges. The PU Alumni Association (Canada) held a reception in honour of Pathak of Ontario.

Ranjit Singh Chair

A chair, “Maharaja Ranjit Singh Professor of National Security” is being established at the university’s Centre for National Security Studies. The university has sought individual and institutional contributions.

Alumni house

The Vice-Chancellor has announced plans to construct an Alumni House in the near future. Built on a plot of 3.4 acres, at an estimated cost of Rs 2.30 crore, it will have 40 double beds suites, a 500-seat conference hall and seminar rooms. The foundation of the Alumni House was laid by a former Prime Minister, Mr Inder Kumar Gujral.

Construction of an international hostel for foreign students is also under active consideration, the Vice-Chancellor has said. Some of the facilities to be extended to the visiting alumni include accommodation in the Faculty Club and the Alumni House besides allocation of seats for NRI and Alumni wards in selected disciplines.

City chapter of Amity Law School opened
Our Correspondent

Chandigarh, August 11
Justice M.M Punchhi, a former Chief Justice of India, inaugurated the Chandigarh Chapter of Amity Law School, New Delhi, at Mahatma Gandhi State Institute of Public Administration, Sector 26 here today.

Addressing faculty and students of the cyber law course, Justice Punchhi said cyber law should be taught not only to law students but also to judicial officers, bureaucrats, professionals and businessmen.

Dr Manish Arora, Deputy Director Amity Law School, briefed about of the functioning of the school. Other legal luminaries who addressed the students included Prof M.L Upadhyaya from National Law School, Bangalore, Dr Surat Singh, Advocate Supreme Court of India and Mr Rodney D. Ryder, Advocate, Supreme Court of India and member of the core legal group ( MIT) on the implementation of the IT Act.

Dr Upadhaya stressed the need for preparing a cadre of people capable of effectively implementing and enforcing the information technology laws.

Prof Vakul Sharma an e-commerce consultant spoke about the cyber laws and their significance. He said since the information and communication revolution had thrown open unlimited and unforeseen challenge to the different sections of the society, there had been a need to formulate new laws to plug the loopholes in the existing law on cyber crime.

He said there had been an urgent need to promote expertise in cyber laws to deal with the legal issues concerning information and communication sector.

Grades for 25 lecturers
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 11
The Director Public Instructions (Colleges), UT, Mr K.A.P. Sinha, has ordered the release of selection and senior scale grades of 25 college lecturers serving in the city government college.

Though various government college teacher’s organisations of the city have welcomed the DPI’s decision, Dr R.P.S. Josh a Panjab University Senator while thanking Mr Sinha, has demanded that the lecturers who have research degrees should also be given advance increments at the time of being given the selection grade. ‘‘This is in accordance with the UGC’s notification and the Chandigarh Administration has accepted this clause. It is obvious that the selection grade among college lecturers is same as the reader’s grade in the university,” he says.

42 MSc (IT) seats filled
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 11
Forty-two seats in MSc (IT) being offered by colleges affiliated to Panjab University were filled during the second session of counselling at DAV College, Sector 10, here today.

All the seats lying vacant in GGDSD College, Sector 32, SGGS College, Sector 26, and the GGS College for Women, Sector 26, were filled today. Ten of the 13 vacant seats in Government College, Sector 11, were also filled today.

Some students of an institute affiliated to Punjab Technical University were refused admission after they failed to supply enough proof of having cleared the qualifying examination. These students have stated in a statement that the PTU had not supplied them with the original certificates and they had to get their certificates from the institute itself. ‘‘We cannot consider provisional certificates issued by the institute and even the gazette which these students brought to us did not seem authentic,’’says Dr Ramesh Kapoor, coordinator of admissions.

In another case, a student from Punjabi University, Patiala, has claimed that he was refused admission unfairly as his provisional marksheet issued by the university was not considered for admission purposes. ‘‘The marksheet is neither stamped nor complete. We cannot consider it. In fact we asked the student to leave it with us so that we can get it verified and if it is genuine we will consider his case.’’says Mr Kapoor.

BE, BArch seats filled
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 11
All seats to BE and BArch courses at Punjab Engineering College, Chandigarh College of Architecture and department of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Panjab University were filled on the last date of joint admissions here today. The remaining four seats lying vacant yesterday in BE in Metallurgy at PEC were filled today with the last rank admitted at 1413.

While the joint admission committee has decided that the second counselling will be held as originally scheduled on August 29, 30 and 31, some candidates have given a representation to the committee requesting that the second counselling be held after September 5.

In the representation these candidates have stated that the first counselling for Haryana engineering colleges will be held on September 5 and there is a likelihood of many students who have taken admission in PEC courses will be moving to Haryana colleges. This will give a chance to the remaining candidates who are hoping to get admission during the second counselling.

Parents of such candidates have decided to meet at PU’s Gate No three at 6 pm.

COURTS

PGI doctor entitled to course: HC
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 11
On a petition filed by a Senior Resident against the Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research and other respondents, Mr Justice R.L. Anand of the Punjab and Haryana High Court has held that the MS degree in General Surgery from Panjab University, possessed by the petitioner, “is good enough to make him entitled to undertake the entrance test for M.Ch course of the PGI or any other institute in India”.

Issuing the directions on the petition filed by Dr Sukhwinder Singh Gill of Paediatric Surgery, Mr Justice Anand observed that the degree is good enough “if the institute lays down the qualification or similar qualifications as shown in the prospectus of January 2001”.

In his detailed order, Mr Justice Anand added: "We are dealing here with a very concise point of great importance for the future about the effect of a degree issued by a university which has been recognised and which figures in the first schedule of the Medical Council Act and the answer of this court is that such a degree is valid for the said course, making a candidate eligible to undertake the test”.

Legal awareness seminar held
Our Correspondent

Chandigarh, August 11
The third legal awareness seminar was held at Khuda Lahora and Khuda Jassu villages with a view to generate awareness among the weaker sections of society, today.

The UT Adult Education Department, educated women about their rights. Mr R.L. Sabharwal, Mr K.K. Monga, Mr S.S. Goindi, all Members of the Lok Adalat, addressed the gathering.

The Member Secretary of the State Legal Service Authority, Mr B.C. Gupta, said during in July the authority received 198 complaints out of which 81 cases were sent to the Lok Adalat functioning daily in the District Courts.

CULTURE

Dancing duo spells magic
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 11
It was nothing less than an addictive recital. As the dancing duo, comprising Hemant Panwar and Vaishali Sharma, took control of the rather insignificant stage of Pracheen Kala Kendra’s Bhaskar Rao Auditorium today, all mundane elements vanished into thin air. It no more counted if there was enough room around or not, or if the hall was fully-equipped to handle the humid air.

The only feeling left was that of bliss, and divine bliss at that. Sharing the credit for this magical spell were Hemant and Vaishali, who danced with soul resting on nimble toes. The ambience, in turn, seemed to be reacting to the vigour exhibited by the duo, which showcased delightful variations of the dance form for the audience today. An imposing stage presence, a perfect synchronization and an absolute command over rhythm and poise were just some of the hallmarks of the recital which came alive for the city viewers.

Trained in Kathak under the able guidance of the maestro Guru Rajendra Gangani of Jaipur gharana, both the disciples embodied the grandeur of their guru. Hemant was especially impressive not just for the amazing grace which he exhibited, but also for a particular sequence in which he presented a jugalbandi with Amjad Choudhary on the tabla.

The evening was set rolling by the duo invoking blessings of Lord Shiva. They danced on special verses taken from Rudrashtkam, a section of Shivpuran. This was followed by the pure technical form of Kathak in which its various elements came to the fore — including thaat, uthaan, aamad, pranamad, tode, tukde, ladi in teen taal. After this, Vaishali held the fort and performed on a delightful thumri “Chaila roke dagaria”. Her facial expressions were very powerful, so was her body rhythm.

After Vaishali, Hemant took his turn to first present the jugalbandi on the tabla. His footwork was perfect. The evening concluded with the two presenting a sargam, based on raag Himshri, a unique composition of their guru. The accompanying artistes were none other than the three sons of Ustad Alauddin Khan: Amjad on tabla, vocalist Arshad and Keshif on sarangi.

Solo exhibition from Aug 21
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 11
Quality work seems to be the hallmark of a noted city-based painter Ajay Sohi. The painter, who has been wielding the brush since 1981, is all set to showcase his works at his first solo exhibition here from August 21.

An alumnus of the local Government College of Art, Sohi is a painter par excellence when it comes to painting natural themes. His eye for minute details is clearly reflected from the realistic works created by him. It takes him several months to complete a single painting.

In a brief chat with TNS, Sohi informed that the natural themes such as greenery, running water, flowers, trees, leaves and stones formed themes of majority of his paintings. On why natural themes, he explained that by painting natural themes he could corelate with the common man and his roots.

A drawing teacher with Kendriya Vidyalaya, Zirakpur, near here, Sohi gives all credit to his father, Brij Lal Sohi, for nurturing his talent saying it was “fruit of his labour.” My wife, Sudha Suri, was also a solid support behind me, he said, adding that all his paintings were based on the “Vaastu” principles.

The 10-day exhibition will be inaugurated by the UT Inspector-General of Police, Mr Bhim Sen Bassi, at the IndusInd Art Gallery, Sector 8, on August 21. As many as16 paintings will be on display at the exhibition.