The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Chandigarh Stories

EDUCATION

Merit to prevail in 50 pc cases
PU self-financing engineering course
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 15
A high-level committee of Panjab University has decided that at least 50 per cent seats in the planned self-financing Panjab University Engineering and Technology Institute will be allotted to open category students on the basis of merit from the forthcoming academic session.

The matter had come up for discussion at the Senate meeting in December last. Following difference of opinion on certain aspects, a committee was constituted by the Vice-Chancellor. The committee members included Prof Paramjit Singh, Registrar, Prof Charanjit Chawla, Prof Satya Pal Gautam, Prof C.M. Behl, Prof S.C.Vaidya, Prof S.K. Sharma, chairman of the Chemical Engineering and Technology Department and Principal of Punjab Engineering College.

The course is intended as a self-financing course in absence of support from the supporting agencies, including the UT Administration and the Punjab Government. Initially all seats were planned to be kept as paid seats.

Panjab University intends to start engineering courses in software engineering, telecommunication and information technology, micro-electronics engineering, instrumentation engineering, material engineering and biotechnology.

The committee decided that due credit should be given to the students on the merit list in the open category. Instead of 40 seats in each course, as was planned earlier, the committee has recommended to increase the number of seats to 60. As many as 30 seats will be allotted to open category students, 25 will be paid seats, three seats will be given to the industry-sponsored students and two to the NRI category students.

Students in the open category will pay a total of Rs 30,000 annually, students in the paid category will pay Rs 1,00,000 annually and NRI quota students will pay 5,000 dollars annually.

The course is the first self-financing course on the campus. Many affiliated colleges are already offering self-financing courses in BCA, BBA and M.Sc(IT).

Few takers for special seats in PU depts
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 15
There were few takers for the special seats created by Panjab University for the wards of Kargil martyrs and Kashmiri migrants last year.

A general survey of the campus revealed that majority of departments witnessed no admissions. While few departments said that they had received the circular in this regard late, others said that no applications had been received for the special seats.

The English Department has confirmed only one admission. Another has been secured by a student in the History Department.

Prof V.K. Bansal, chairman of the Law Department, said no application had been received for the special seats. The Chairman of the Public Administration department said no one had applied for the seats. Economics and Geography departments also did not receive any applications for the special seats.

A senior research scholar said one reason for the poor response could be that information about the concessions came in late in many cases to be communicated to the actual beneficiaries and also there was little awareness about the new provisions incorporated in the admission schedule. This time there would definitely be more applicants.

The office of the Registrar in a letter to the department heads and principals of affiliated colleges informed about the “concessions to the direct descendants of the Kargil martyrs for admission to various courses in educational institutes”. The concessions included exemption in fee, exemption in hostel fee. In order to accommodate such dependants additional seats would be created for admissions to various courses at the university teaching departments and also in colleges affiliated to the university.

The issue had been cleared by the university Senate at its meeting held on May 27, 2001. The letter informing new concessions was communicated by the Registrar in an official letter dated June 21, 2001.

The university also announced special concessions for wards of persons displaced from Kashmir. One concession reads: “5 per cent weightage be given and the merit be determined accordingly, provided the candidate fulfills the minimum prescribed qualifications (including entrance test), wherever applicable, for all courses including professional and technical.”

The departments and colleges have been asked to increase 5 per cent intake (subject to a maximum of three seats to be treated as additional seats) at entry point in all courses at the undergraduate and postgraduate level in all arts and science stream courses.

The university also decided to create one additional seat over and above the sanctioned in the professional courses, including LLB, B.Lib, M.Lib, M.Pharma, MMC, MCA, UBS, Bachelor of Education, Master of Education and Master of Technology.

Institute for Blind wins group song contest
Our Correspondent

Chandigarh, January 15
The inter-school group song competition organised by the Chandigarh Librarians’ Association as part of the Competition Master’s library-related competitions, was won by the Institute for Blind, Sector 26, in the government schools category and St Stephen’s School, Sector 45, in the private and public school category. The competition was held in the school hall of St Stephen’s School.

The second category had only two competitors, hence the other team which was from Government Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 35, was placed second. In the private and public school category, 10 teams from different schools in and around city took part in the competition. The second was bagged by Sacred Heart Convent School, Sector 26 , followed by Stepping Stone School, Sector 38 and Mount Carmel School, jointly in the third position.

Giving away prizes to the winners, chief guest Dr Sansar Chandra, former Dean, Faculty of Arts, urged students to develop reading habits. Mr I.B. Verma, general secretary of the Chandigarh Librarians’ Association, said these competitions were organised every year with the objective of cultivating reading habits among children and to motivate them to make best use of libraries.

The panel of judges comprised Dr Usha Mahajan, head of the Library Science Department, Government Polytechnic for Women, Sector 10, Mrs Jaspal Kaur, chief librarian, Dev Samaj College, Sector 41, and Ms Sharda Kansal, chief librarian, Regional Institute of Corporative Management , Sector 32. Earlier, Mr J.K. Kataria, president of the association, welcomed the guests and participants.

Seminars on English teaching
Our Correspondent

Chandigarh, January 15
For providing professional training to primary, secondary and higher secondary English teachers across the country, the British Council is organising “Hornby 2002” seminars on English teaching.

Application forms are available at the British Library, Sector 8. For the seminar in Chandigarh, as many as 30 forms have already been accepted.

The seminars are being organised in four cities — Chandigarh, Swargadwar in Puri, Lonavala and Bangalore between January 18 and January 29. Each seminar will have a “distinct topic” and will have an international tutorial team consisting of faculty from the UK and senior ELT resource people from India.

Costing Rs 6,500 per candidate, the seminar will focus on the development of teachers and will be interactive in nature, besides being skill-based and activity-oriented. On completion, the participants will receive a certificate of attendance from the British Council and the Hornby Trust, UK.

The topic for seminar in Chandigarh is — “Successful strategies of IT in the primary classroom”. It will be organised at the Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Public Administration, Sector 26. Not more than 50 participants will be accommodated. A total of 25 seats are open to practising teachers on first come first served basis.

All participants will also be offered free membership of an electronic teacher development network and the English Language Teaching Contacts Scheme of the British Council.

COURTS

HIGH COURT
Don’t penalise student for late revaluation
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 15
The Punjab and Haryana High Court, in a significant judgement, has ruled that a student cannot be penalised if the revaluation result is declared after the last date for admission. The orders were pronounced by a Division Bench on a bunch of petitions filed by a Sangrur student, Neeru Singla and others. They had claimed that admission was declined to them as revaluation’s result was declared after the last date was over.

The verdict is significant as every year scores of students in colleges, and even in universities, are declined admission as the revaluation’s result is at times declared after the last date.

After going through the evidence and hearing counsel for the parties, the Bench, comprising Mr Justice Amar Bir Singh Gill and Mr Justice Swatanter Kumar, meanwhile, ruled: “It is clear that the university concerned has failed in its duty to declare the revaluation result within 15 days after the last date fixed for receiving application forms and as such the petitioners cannot be penalised for non-declaration of the result”.

The Judges further ruled: “The action of the authorities in refusing admission to the petitioners, in these circumstances, is not justified. All three writ petitions are allowed and the respondents are directed to permit admission to the petitioners in the next class forthwith on the basis of their revaluation result”. In her petition, the B.Sc part I student had contended that the last date for admission was August 31 last year, but the result was declared on September 4, 2001.

Suspension order clarified

Legal Correspondent adds: In a significant order the High Court held that in case departmental proceedings are initiated against an employee for imposing a major punishment but he was awarded minor punishment, then his suspension would be unjust and he would be entitled to full pay and allowances for the suspension period. It accordingly directed the state of Punjab to pay all the consequential benefits to the petitioner.

This order was passed by the Bench comprising Mr Justice V.K. Bali and Mr Justice Jasbir Singh on a petition filed by Makhan Singh working as surveyor in the Department of Soil Conservation at Abohar.

It was submitted by counsel for the petitioner that in 1978 the petitioner was placed under suspension on the charge of embezzlement but in 1982 he was reinstated and the major penalty of stoppage of two annual increments with cumulative effect was imposed. However, on an appeal by the petitioner the penalty was converted into stoppage of increments without cumulative effect and period of suspension was treated as leave.

Order reserved in poll plea

Nearly five years after polling was held for electing MLA from Budladha constituency, Mr Justice Amar Dutt of the High Court reserved orders on a petition filed by SAD candidate Harbant Singh challenging the election of Hardev Singh Arshi.

In his petition, Harbant Singh had earlier claimed that he would have won the elections had corrupt practices not been adopted. Giving details, he had claimed that posters with derogatory and false statements against the Akali-BJP alliance were distributed to prejudice the elections. Going into the background, his counsel had added that the elections were held on January 7, 1997, and Mr Arshi was declared elected by a margin of 6629 votes.

DAGs’ help in gel case sought

Taking cognisance of the “fact” that a Gurgaon-based industry was manufacturing gel for toothpaste and cosmetics out of bone ash, a Division Bench of the High Court has asked the Deputy Advocates-General of the two states, along with Standing Counsel for Chandigarh, to assist the court.

Issuing directions, the Bench, comprising Mr Justice G.S. Singhvi and Ms Justice Bakhshish Kaur, ruled: “This case has been placed before us as a petition in public interest in pursuance of an order passed by the Chief Justice on December 7 last year. A perusal of the record shows that the court, while dismissing a petition, had taken cognisance of the fact that a respondent was engaged in manufacturing gel out of bone ash which might have been used for preparing cosmetic items without disclosing the content of the product”.

DISTRICT COURTS
Anticipatory bail granted in kundi connection case
Our Correspondent

Chandigarh, January 15
A local court today granted anticipatory bail to city residents in a kundi connection case. The applicant, Amarjit, and others were granted bail on furnishing a bail bond of Rs 10,000 each, and with one surety. As per the prosecution, the power supply of the applicant, Amarjit Kaur, and others was disconnected for non-payment of the bill. It was alleged that the applicant continued to consume power with a kundi connection.

The prosecution had opposed the bail on the ground that the applicant had consumed power worth Rs 1590 by kundi connection. The accountant of the Electricity Department appeared before the court and gave report that at present there was no due against the account of the applicant.

Adjourned

A local court on Tuesday adjourned a civil suit filed to challenge the denial of party nomination to Mr Nirmal Singh Mahant, a former MLA of Ludhiana, and applicant against the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) for January 16.

The plaintiff had filed a civil suit that he had a preferential right to contest the assembly constituency election on a Congress ticket in the general election from the Raikot assembly constituency on Congress ticket in the forthcoming election to be held in February. The plaintiff had also prayed for the issuance of temporary injunction, restraining the Punjab Pardesh Congress Committee through its president, Punjab Congress Bhavan, Sector 15 and the All-India Congress Committee through its president, 24, Akbar Road, New Delhi, from allotting the Congress tickets to defendant, Mr Harmohinder Singh, an MLA.

Acquitted

A local court on Tuesday acquitted a city resident in a case of rash and negligent driving. The police had registered a case under Sections 279 and 304-A of the IPC against the accused on a complaint registered by Naryan Pundit.

The accused, Rautesh, has been acquitted as the complainant in the case turned hostile. The complainant had alleged that the accused who was on motor cycle had injured Raju, who was driving a scooter in Mani Majra on May 5, 2000. Later Raju died in hospital.

Beant Singh case

The statement of one of witnesses, Mr Sudarshan Singh, who is working in a tractor factory in Hoshiarpur, was recorded on Tuesday in the Beant Singh assassination case before the UT District and Sessions Judge, Mr H.S Bhalla, in a special court in the Model Burail jail. The witness said that he had identified the body of the constable Ajeb Singh. The case was adjourned till Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the bail plea moved by one of the accused, Navjot Singh, in the case was also adjourned. Earlier the accused, Navjot Singh, filed application before the court that he was falsely implicated in the case. The judge had directed the SSP (City) to investigate the matter.

CULTURE

Capturing myriad moods
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 15
An artist’s perception is never too definite. It runs wildly, yearning to break all bars and achieving some solace in colours of the canvas. Ajaib Chitrakar’s works that opened for public today at the art gallery of Punjab Kala Bhavan, Sector 16, also do not voice a singular thought. More often than not, his works of art suggest myriad emotions within a set framework.

While the works are largely figurative, an element of abstract peeps from the walled canvases. The figures often take an abstract form to suggest meanings other than those most obviously implied. The female figures is dominant throughout the collection. The artist has attempted to portray various moods of a woman. So he paints her in agony and anguish on the one hand and in passion and benevolence on the other. The strokes progress rather vaguely but do make some point in the end.

There are, however, some works where the colours speak distinctly. These works are definitely figurative and mostly capture landscapes and also glimpses of the rural Punjab. In the latter category there are some landscapes, typical to the land of five rivers, some farmlands and some routine village congregations. Environmental concerns have also been voiced through some works which show commercial activity in plenty. Then there are canvases which seem confused with the web of strokes the artist paints. The attempt is to portray entanglement of thoughts and of feelings.

The collection features various forms of art — from paintings of landscapes to portraits. Two portraits greet the viewer right at the entrance to the gallery. The exhibition was inaugurated this morning by Shiv Singh and is being organised by the Punjab Lalit Kala Akademi.