EDUCATION

College affiliation issue to be taken up in Oct
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 12
The issue related to affiliation of the Sector 26 Homeopathy Medical College of Chandigarh will be discussed by management board of the Baba Farid University of Health Sciences in Faridkot at a meeting scheduled in the second week of October.

The college is, at present, affiliated to the Council of Homeopathic System of Medicine, Punjab, and as per the Secretary, Homeopathy Medical College Association, Mr C.L. Dhamija, the administration has applied to the BFU for affiliation with a no objection certificate from Panjab University.

According to the college Principal, Dr K.K. Dhamija, the issue regarding affiliation to the college figures on the agenda of the next meeting of the BFU and it is also quite likely that the college will be granted affiliation by the university. The college too is keen to get affiliation from BFU as most of the homeopathy colleges of Punjab are affiliated with it, he said.

Affiliation to the university would be dependent upon various factors. Prominent among them would be permanent recognition by the Central Council of Homeopathy (CCH). Three homeopathy medical colleges in Panjab, which were recently given affiliation by the BFU, have a permanent recognition from the CCH. The one in Chunni Kalan and in Chandigarh have permanent recognition, while the one in Tarn Taran has temporary recognition.

It may be mentioned that students of the Homeopathy College in Sector 26 have been demanding affiliation from the BFU which, they say, would regularise admissions to the college. Besides, they also allege that the council is granting admissions arbitrarily and accepting grafts for passing failed candidates.

In this regard, the students have also urged the UT Administrator, Lt-Gen JFR Jacob (retd), asking for his intervention in speeding up the matter of affiliation of the college to the BFU as has been done in the cases of three homeopathic colleges of Punjab.

Nabha is SOPU’s nominee
Our Correspondent

Chandigarh, September 12
Electioneering in Panjab University started today with the Students Organisation of Panjab University (SOPU) declaring Santokhwinder Singh Nabha as its candidate for post of president of the Panjab University Campus Students Council (PUCSC).

The other three candidates will be declared in a couple of days, a SOPU spokesman announced at a press conference here today.

The elections to the students’ organisation are likely to be held on September 21.

Before being formally declared as candidate for the elections, Nabha, who was till date President of SOPU, stepped down from the post to pave the way for Harveer Singh, a student of the Department of Punjabi, PU.

Bhupinder Baniwal of Department of Persian was also elected chairman of SOPU. Earlier, the post was held by Dayal Pratap Singh Randhawa, was given a farewell today. However, he would be campaigning for the SOPU candidates.

City schools to have counselling centres
Monica Sharma

Chandigarh, September 12
For students feeling low and having no one to turn to for help and assistance, the UT Education Department is planning to set up counselling centres in city schools.

According to sources in the Education Department, the centres would be set up in almost all government schools. At least one or two teachers from each school, besides the experts, would be selected for the assignment after taking into consideration their interest and the capacity to handle sensitive matters, they added.

The teachers would be asked to attend short-term courses being offered by various institutes and universities under their distance education schemes.

The teachers, after acquiring formal training, would be expected to talk to the students after listening to their tales of woe. One or two periods, either before or after the recess would be dedicated for the purpose depending upon the time-table in the respective school.

Senior officials in the Education Department asserted that the need for setting up such centres arose from the fact that the stress level among students was on the rise. Even though formal studies had not been conducted, children studying from Class VIII to Class XII were prone to depression, they added.

Giving details, a senior teacher said tensions had increased for the students not only because of the cut-throat competition, but also at home due to an astronomical increase in the expectations of parents.

“Another factor that is playing a major role is the reduction in the number of joint families in the city,” he added. “In joint families, children can talk to their grandparents if no one else. But in nuclear families with both the parents working, they have no one to turn to for discussing their problems resulting in an increase in tensions”.

The Director Public Instructions (Schools), Mr D.S. Saroya, when contacted, confirmed that the proposal for setting up such centres, particularly in the senior secondary schools, was being actively considered by the department. “Psychologists and other experts were also being consulted”, he claimed.

Mr Saroya added that counselling was already being offered in some of the schools on regular basis by experts.

“We are trying to extend the scheme to the other schools also in an attempt to make life less complicated for the students. Initially, we will be asking the experts to look into the complaints”, he said.

COURTS

HIGH COURT
Pay 3 lakh to kin of encounter victim
Tribune News Service

Taking up his petition, the High Court had directed the Sessions Judge to look into the matter on July 10, 1996. In his report, the Judge had stated that the allegations against the respondents could not be established. The case was subsequently handed over to the CBI. After carrying out a probe, the premier investigating agency had stated that a case of kidnapping was made out against the ASI and “other unknown police officials”. Sanction to prosecute the ASI was issued on October 24 last year.

Involve civic staff in pollution curbs

Taking up a public interest litigation, a Division Bench of the High Court today asked Punjab’s Advocate-General Hardev Singh Mattewal to take into consideration the provisions of Constitution, imposing certain mandatory duties on the municipalities in public related matters, before taking any decision on the abolition of octroi.

In a statement before the Bench, comprising Mr Justice G.S. Singhvi and Mr Justice M.M. Kumar, the AG had earlier stated that the issue regarding the abolition of octroi was being actively considered by the government. He had added that an alternate system for compensating the loss to the municipalities as a result of the same would, however, be evolved.

After hearing arguments, the Judges also directed him to consider the feasibility of ensuring the presence of the representatives of the municipalities so as to actively involve them in implementing anti-pollution measures. This would take care of the problems being faced by residents in all towns in the state of Punjab and elsewhere so far as garbage collection and disposal was concerned. In their petition, Amritsar Vikas Manch had sought directions to the state of Punjab, the pollution control board and another respondent to check air and water pollution being caused by the industries, three-wheelers and due to the non-installation of a treatment plant in the city.

Stay on Ranga’s bail

Mr Justice M.L. Singhal of the High Court today stayed till September 17 the operation of orders directing that suspended Haryana IAS officer R.K. Ranga shall be “admitted to bail” on September 16 in a corruption case registered by the CBI.

Mr Justice Singhal had, on the last date of hearing, directed that “the prosecution shall examine all those witnesses whose statements had been recorded under Section 164 of the CrPC, along with those witnesses, who as per the prosecution’s feeling, are likely to be won over, before September 15”. Mr Justice Singhal had further directed: “On September 16, the petitioner shall be admitted to bail irrespective of the fact whether the prosecution had or had not examined the witnesses.”

In his detailed order, the Judge had observed: “The Ambala Sessions Judge, trying these cases, may advance the hearing of this case so that the witnesses are examined before September 15 and the prosecutions’ apprehension is set to rest.... The bail application is allowed. The order shall become operational on September 16”.

Ranga was booked by the premier investigating agency on January 1, 1998, under the Prevention of Corruption Act. According to the prosecution, Ranga, when posted Senior Regional Manager of the Food Corporation of India from July 1996 to November 1996, had violated the government policy for the sale of wheat.

Bail application rejected
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 12
The Punjab and Haryana High Court today rejected the anticipatory bail application filed by Vikas Tibrewal booked by the police after a huge quantity of liquor was found in an Industrial Area shed.

Pronouncing the orders, Mr Justice K.C. Gupta of the High Court observed: “The statement of some of the witnesses have been recorded which point out that the petitioner is also involved in the racket of trade in illicit liquor. There is no justification to grant anticipatory bail. Dismissed”.

Vikas was booked by the Chandigarh police under the Excise Act and Sections 467, 468, 471 and 120-B of the Indian Penal Code. According to the prosecution, an Assistant Sub-Inspector of police had found illicit liquor after he reached a shed in the Industrial Area upon receiving information that an oil tanker had caught fire.

CULTURE

Photography exhibition opens
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 12
A five-day All India Exhibition of Photography, displaying works of prominent photo artists of the country, was inaugurated at Punjab Kala Bhavan, here today.

Photographers from all over the country had been invited to participate in the exhibition in which 2,550 entries were received. Speaking at the function, Mr Adit Aggarwal said that the exhibition had been organised by a group of photo enthusiasts known as “Friends of Photography” to promote photography in the region.

The vice-president of the society, Mr V.S. Kundu, said that 354 entrants in the contest had been judged by Mr Benu Sen, secretary-general of the Federation of Indian Photography, Mr S.R. Patel, president, India International Photographic Council and Mr Aggarwal.

The exhibition was inaugurated by Principal Secretary to Haryana Chief Minister S.Y. Quraishi. He stressed the need for organising more art events to relieve tensions and relax the mind and soul. Later he gave away prizes to winners of the contest.

The results are as follows: Best Local Entrant: Mr Vikas Kaushal; Best Entrant: Mr H. Satish; Best Club Award: YPS, Bangalore. Monochrome prints: K.G. Maheshwari (1), Sagar Vishwakama (2), S.R. Mandal (3); Certificates of merit: Samir Sarkar, Gotum Chaterje, BW Jatkar. Colour prints: Vikas Kaushal (1), CR Sathyanarayan (2), Mohd Arfan Asif (3). Best digital picture: Apurba Biswas; Certificates of merit: Deepak Thombre, Sanjay Kaushal, Bhupesh C Little; Best story-telling picture: G Sudhakar.

Nature Prints: L. Krishnamurthy (1), Hemchandra Jain (2), Hemshankar Pathak (30; Cetificate of merit: G. Harinarayan, P.G. Shanbhag, H. Satish; Best Insect Award: Hira Punjabi.