 |
|
| Wednesday,
January 30, 2002, Chandigarh, India
|
|
||||
Academic audit in affiliated colleges Chandigarh, January 29 Reports are being compiled under instructions of the University Grants Commission. Prof Ramesh Kapoor, Dean, College Development Council, told TNS that the reports were expected to be ready by March. The university had despatched the relevant forms for the self-appraisal reports to the colleges. At least 70 colleges had responded till date. The university had sent another batch of forms to the institutions, which had not responded. These institutions were expected to keep the forms ready when the inspection teams visited them shortly. Professor Kapoor said the special teams would visit the colleges for inspection before compiling individual reports. Each team comprised two experts from the university, two fellows of the university Senate, the principal of the college concerned and four teachers from the college. The university had been divided into four zones for the inspection — Chandigarh, Ludhiana, Ferozepore and Hoshiarpur. Prof S.K.Kulkarni was in charge of the Chandigarh zone; Prof Satya P. Gautam of Ferozepore; Prof P.S. Jaswal of Ludhiana; and Prof S.C.Vaidya of the Hoshiarpur zone. Professor Kapoor said “ the proposed academic and administrative audit should not be viewed as a fault-finding and grievance handling exercise. In fact, the main objective of the audit is to provide an opportunity to interact with the faculty, students and the administrative staff of colleges to review academic programmes and administrative functioning so as to identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and challenges.” The audit was “in essence a house-keeping exercise”, Professor Kapoor said. The aim was to assist the principal in better management of college affairs and provide a tool for better identification of goals and objectives. Denying that there would be extra financial burden on the colleges in view of the visiting inspection teams, he said: “No TA or DA besides honorarium is to be paid to the members of the audit committees for visiting the colleges”. The academic audit forms seek information broadly under three heads: details regarding the exact number of days, rooms, equipment and other facilities to be provided; remarks on the utilisation of Ninth Plan grants; and suggestions for the Tenth Plan. The information included working days, working hours, utilisation of classroom and library facilities, computer use, performance appraisal of teachers, admission procedures; and student attendance. The colleges were also expected to give information about the staff structure and the courses offered. The colleges have an opportunity to highlight their achievements as well as point out their limitations. A senior teacher, however, pointed out that the university already carried out the inspection of colleges regularly. So the role and scope of these committees needed to be defined better. |
Net catches teachers’ fancy Chandigarh, January 29 “The website is a joint effort of the participants under the guidance of resource persons Ms Meera Balchandran and Mr Graeme Reid,” said Ms Ruchi Dahiya of St Kabir School, a participant. The website includes modules to teach poetry and prose. “When we came here, we did not even know how to surf the Internet,” said Ms Harpreet of the Sector 45 St Stephen’s, “but now, we are confident of handling the computer and exploring the IT resources for the benefit of our students.” Ms Monika Chopra, Ms Tajwinder and Ms Bharti, teachers in three government schools of the city, say, “Earlier, we did not even know how to use a mouse, but now, we have learnt it.” They say, “The seminar taught us that it did not require a computer to teach students well.” Regarding the relevance of the course in India, a resource person, Mr Graeme Reid, a Barcelona-based media designer who runs an online language school, streamadelica.com, said, the course had been designed considering that most government schools did not have computers in classrooms. Students could use it even without the aid of computer. “The seminar was aimed at teaching teachers the technicalities of the IT,” said Mr Reid. “The first few days were spent in creating hunger for learning computers, after which, participants were given “the food” that they digested in the last few days of the seminar,” he said. Mr Sushant Banerjee, Manager of the British Council Library, who gave away certificates to participants, said the seminar was only the beginning of a big learning process and the British Council would continue to hold such seminars. Mr D.S. Saroya, chief guest at the concluding session, stressed the need for incorporating the IT in teaching modules. About 40 persons from all over the country participated in the seminar. |
|
Petting zoo at Strawberry Chandigarh, January 29 Rather than instruct children to be kind to animals, to treat them with compassion and love, here was a live demonstration in progress. One, which would have a far reaching impact in the growing child’s mind. Children have been known to be fascinated with creatures of the animal kingdom. In fact one of the first lessons they learn is of animals, their homes, the sounds they produce and their young ones. Most schools strengthen this classroom lecture with a visit to the zoo. Here, at Strawberry Fields they have gone a step forward. They have bought PFA Petting Zoo right into their study and play
fracas. For children in the 2-6 age group actually see impoverished animals in flesh and blood without being bound in chains, cages and ropes in dirty circus rings or neglected zoos was in itself a rewarding experience. They all had so many questions to ask as they walked around completely taken in by the healthy piglets, playful hens and ducks and friendly puppies that were brought and shown to them from close quarters. Children were encouraged to touch, pet and stroke them gently. All this while the vet talked to them, telling them unusual and distinguishing features about the animals that had come visiting. Those who had a pet at home could immediately grasp and add their own experience while those who were initially scared found their fears vanishing as the volunteers gradually showed them how to reach out and create a bonding with the animal. Having the petting zoo on their terrain, in their school and in an environment, which they were familiar with, helped since the little ones could feel safer and not be overawed by the presence of animals “let loose”. While these children may be too small to be nasty or outright violent with their pets, the petting zoo certainly was a novel experience in showing them a gentler way of bonding with members of the animals community. |
|
Dance party for mentally challenged Chandigarh, January 29 About 65 children had come from the Vatika School for Deaf and Dumb, Karuna Sadan, Sadhana Society and the YTTS. The physically as well as mentally challenged students swayed to the tunes of the latest Hindi and Punjabi numbers mixed by a disc jockey. After an exhaustive dance session, the children were treated to a sumptuous meal. The society, according to its president Alamjit Singh Mann, will be holding such shows and programmes for similar children from other institutions in Chandigarh and its surrounding states. He said: “The main objective behind organising the show was to inculcate confidence in the physically disabled and mentally challenged children. They should never consider themselves less than normal people”. The function was inaugurated by the Chairman of the Chandigarh Housing Board and Secretary Social Welfare, Mr G.K. Marwah. Among those present at the function were Director Social Welfare Madhvi Kataria, Medical Superintendent of GMCH-32, Raj Bahadur, Subdivisional Magistrate (Central and Headquarters), Pirthi Chand, Director Public Instruction D.S. Saroya and Director of YTTS Reetica Khanna. |
|
Shades of terrorism depicted Chandigarh, January 29 It was a street play, the kind which G.S Chani has been propagating for years. But holding the fort today were DAV College students, who depicted various shades of terrorism under their production title “Lohe ka swad”. The play boasted of no elaborate visual arrangements to garner attention. It was constructed as a simple medium of self expression by the seven participants including Gyan Dev, Rochak Kohli, Aayushman Khurana, Puneet Khanna, Girish Rajpal, Ravi Panthi and Amit Bedi. The script, set in a burning Afghanistan scenario, posed challenging questions to the masses and attempted to shake them out of their indifference towards international problems. The peg was: “There is a whole world beyond words. It is not important to just consume information on terrorism. It is equally important to react on it.” The interesting part is that this play was first staged on December 25 during Mood Indigo, IIT Mumbai’s youth festival. Informed Gyan Dev, president of the club, “This was our entry for the street play category and it was highly appreciated.” As the production broaches a relevant topic quite convincingly, it has been staged repeatedly in the city also. The third production of Agaz, “Lohe ka swad” follows in line with the earlier three which have been winning the first prize during the Panjab University’s youth festivals. The earlier productions by ‘Agaz’ which bagged the first slot in youth fests include “Brahm rakshash ka shishya” and “Spartacus”. “Lohe ka swad” will again be staged at Dev Samaj College tomorrow at 11 am. |
|
Slogan writing contest Chandigarh, January 29 Preserve animal world for generations to come’’, “Don’t disturb animal peace otherwise our earth breaks into piece” and “Live and let live” were among the award winning slogans written by the schoolchildren. As many as 10 government and private schools participated in the competition which was inaugurated by Mr Jasbir
Ralhan, president of the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
(SPCA). The purpose of the contest was to create love and sympathy for the “animal friends”. The results of the contests are as follows: poster-making — (Junior):
Nishchal-Shivalik Public School 1, Kirti Garg-Sacred Heart School 2, and Perry
Goswami-Sacred Heart School (3), Samson-GMSSS-37 consolation prize; Senior group — Bondina
Elangham-DAV MOdel-15 1, Raman Dhillon-Shivalik Public School 2. Slogan-writing: Khushdeep-GMSSS-38 1, Santosh Verma-GMSSS-21 2, Dhammametra-GMSSS-21 3,
Bani-Sacred Heart School consolation prize. |
|
Appointment results declared Chandigarh, January 29 The results of the 90 selected candidates are available on the Internet at “http//chandigarh.nic.in/’’ Sources in the department said that while outstation candidates were being informed through speed post, appointment letters to successful candidates of the city were being sent through a special messenger. While the tests for these posts were held from November 29 to December 2 last year, interviews and viva test were conducted from January 9 to 15 this year. Meanwhile, the results of teachers to be appointed against 225 JBT posts are available at the same site, and those of masters and mistresses for the advertisement of September/October, 2001, would be declared within the next 10 days. |
|
Principal told to pay student Chandigarh, January 29 The court has also directed the Principal to pay Rs 100 as compensation for harassment suffered by the girl due to the negligence of the Principal. The complainant, Jaschandrika Bharti, had filed the complaint through her father, saying that the Principal had not refunded her Rs 1,000 caution money when she had left the school. The complainant had asked for Rs 10,000 as compensation for harassment suffered by her. |
|
Jhankar from February 5 Chandigarh, January 29 According to a press release of the council, 11 universities have given their consent to participate and many more are expected to follow suit. Mr Santokhwinder Singh Randhawa, president of the council, said that a star night by Hans Raj Hans on February 6 and a fashion show on the next day were also in the itinerary of the festival. |
|
HIGH COURT Chandigarh, January 29 Delivering the verdict, Mr Justice Goel also directed the ADGP take appropriate action in accordance with the law, after examining the facts and circumstances of the case, within six months of receiving a copy of the order. In his petition, Harjit Singh of Harike village in Amritsar district had contended that money was demanded for the release of his brother, Sukhdev Singh, by an employee of the ADGP, Mr G.S. Bhullar. Going into the background of the case, he had claimed that Sukhdev Singh was taken into custody by a head constable and was missing since November 16, 1992. After hearing arguments and going through the record, Mr Justice Goel had observed: “From the material on record, it is not possible to give any finding about the involvement of the respondents in the alleged abduction, but I do feel that the primary concern is to find out the whereabouts of Sukhdev Singh.... I am of the view that the ADGP (Crime) should look into the allegations levelled by the petitioner, after examining the facts.” Acting on a bunch of about 20 petitions filed by teachers working on ad hoc or contract basis in the state of Haryana seeking directions to the respondents against terminating their services, Mr Justice Mehtab Singh Gill of the High Court today ordered the maintenance of the status quo till the next date of hearing. Claiming to have been working on ad hoc basis, Mr Ravinder Kumar, a science master working with a government middle school at Sega in Kaithal, and 138 other teachers had contended that the respondents were carrying on with the process of making fresh selections on the basis of an advertisement issued on November 14, 1999. Their counsel had added that the respondents were going to accommodate all the fresh candidates not only against vacant posts but also against the ones on which the petitioners were working. In the petition, counsel had sought directions to the state and other respondents to frame a policy for regularising the services of all teachers appointed on ad hoc or contract basis working for over seven years. Dera chief told
to meet SSP Taking up a petition filed by the Chairman of Dera Tapu Ban Dhakki Sahib, Sant Baba Darshan Singh, seeking directions for providing him with security by Central forces, Mr Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel on Tuesday granted him the liberty to approach Ludhiana’s Senior Superintendent of Police “if he had any grievance against the force providing security to him”. In a ruling, Mr Justice Goel also directed that the SSP would be free to take any decision in the matter in case he was approached by the petitioner. In his petition, the Sant had expressed apprehensions regarding Punjab Police officials colluding with the opposite party. He had also sought directions to the local police against harassing him and to take action against those trying to grab dera land. No plan to reappoint
Kang as corpn chief In a letter placed before a Division Bench, Punjab’s Additional Secretary in the Department of Forests and Wildlife Preservation today stated that there was no proposal under consideration by the government to appoint Mr Manjinder Singh Kang as the chairman of the Punjab State Forest Development Corporation. The letter was placed on record during the hearing of a petition filed by the corporation employees union seeking a CBI probe into the corporation’s affairs. Taking up the petition, the High Court had earlier restrained the state of Punjab and another respondent from extending the term of Mr Manjinder Singh Kang as the chairman beyond November 25 last year. The letter, produced before the Bench, comprising Mr Justice G.S. Singhvi and Ms Justice Bakhshish Kaur, further stated that Punjab Government’s personnel department had completely put on hold the recruitment process till February 25 following enforcement of the model code of conduct. |
|
Badal gets summons
in property
attachment case Chandigarh, January 29 The plaintiff, Mr Jagdip Singh
Chowhan, said the CM was living in a Sector 2 government accommodation allotted to him, so, he had no other property here, except the furniture in this house. Mr Chowhan said, if Mr Badal and his son removed the property from the house, it would become impossible for him to recover the amount. The list of the CM’s property that he has submitted includes three gas stoves, 10 LPG cylinders, 50 garden chairs, 20 sofa seats, seven single beds, six Godrej cabinets, music system, seven
gysers, two water coolers, three room coolers, four centre tables, 20 chairs, a treadmill, two dining tables, three TV sets, three double beds, four sofa sets, three
ACs. Mr Chawhan said, in 1998, he had been a deputy director of the Punjab Department of Information and Public Relations at Chandigarh. He said, then, Mr Badal had asked him to work for the election campaign of his son, Mr Sukhbir Badal. He also said, as his promotion to the post of the Joint Director and Additional Director Information and Public Relations had been overdue, he had joined the campaign under pressure. In February 1998, Mr Sukhbir Badal was a Lok Sabha candidate from Faridkot. Mr Chowhan said, then, he had spent Rs 1,50,458 from his own pocket for the media coverage of the campaign, hoping that Mr Badal would repay the amount later. He said a decree for the recovery of Rs 82,032 be issued against the CM with costs and interest at a rate of 18 per cent per annum. |
|
Judicial remand in dowry case Chandigarh, January 29 Earlier Priyanka had lodged an FIR against Vikram, his father, Nand Lal Bansal, and mother, Angoori Devi Bansal, alleging that she was being harassed by the Bansals for bringing insufficient dowry. In her complaint Priyanka said she was married to Vikram in January, 2001, and handed over her “stridhan” to the accused as trustees who run a departmental store in Sector 23 here. However, the accused compelled her to bring more money from her parents. She brought Kisan Vikas Patras worth Rs 1 lakh to satisfy her husband. However, later he started demanding Rs 3 lakh more, besides a share in the property her father. Priyanka alleged that when she failed to meet his demands, he physically tortured her. She also alleged that Vikram filed a divorce petition in the Lok Adalat by forging her signatures in May last. Priyanka said in July last, she was sent to the house of her parents by Vikram. A case under various provisions has been registered against the accused. |
|
Consumer’s appeal allowed Chandigarh, January 29 The District Forum-I had earlier directed the ATCO to refund Rs 592 to the complainant within two months. The complainant felt aggrieved against the order and filed the appeal before the commission. The complainant stated that he had purchased one inkjet printer of Modi-Xerox and one black cartridge on October 16, 1997, for Rs 7972. The complainant alleged that the bill issued by the Modi-Xerox company was delivered to him wherein the price of the printer was mentioned as Rs 6,528. The complainant further alleged that the ATCO had charged Rs 592 in excess of the actual price listed by the company. The commission directed the ATCO to pay Rs 592 with 10 per cent interest to the complainant from the date the excess amount was charged till its payment. The complainant shall also get costs incurred in filing the complaint case as well as the costs of this appeal. The commission also directed the ATCO to pay Rs 1,000 to the complainant. |
|
Stalwarts of Punjabi theatre honoured Chandigarh, January 29 Giving concrete shape to the action at Tagore Theatre today, the akademi conferred these awards upon Sardar Ajmer Singh Aulakh, Devinder Daman, Vijay Tandon, G.S. Chani, and Sudershan Maini. The awards were presented by Mr Ramesh Inder Singh, Principal Secretary to the Punjab CM. The selection was generally praised because it spans different categories of theatre art. So while Ajmer Singh Aulakh was honoured for his perfect understanding of the idiom of rural Punjabi theatre, Chani was honoured for revolutionising theatre with his fresh and vibrant community theatre. Devinder Daman’s historical perspective in Saheed-e-Azam Sardar Bhagat Singh and Vijay Tandon’s successful brush with Punjabi films were also considered worthy of the special awards. Sudershan Maini was awarded for his theatre skills. The akademi also chose the occasion to release its maiden publication, “Rang Karmiyaan Di Mulaqataan”. This 224-page book, written and edited by Dr Satish Verma, traces the history of Punjabi theatre through interfaces with the greatest theatre artistes of the region. There are 10 interviews in the book with Dr Harcharan Singh, Sheela Bhatia, Joginder Barla, Jagdish Fariyadi, Harpal Tiwana, Bhag Singh, Gursharan Singh, Ajmer Singh Aulakh and Neelam Mansingh.” As the formal function ended, it was time for the girls of DAV College, Amritsar, to lend voice to an age-old concern — that of prostitution. The deft handling of Marathi playwright Anil Barwa’s script of Hamida Bai Ki Kothi, the students made a strong social statement. They dissected the social set up through the life of Hamida Bai and her daughter, Shabbo, who refuse to betray their bodies for the sake of money. They practised prostitution only in letter, while keeping their own spirit every purged of evil. The characters fitted well in the scheme of things and the set used was powerful enough to create the type of ambience common to kothas. The story ends on a somber note, with Hamida Bai dying of illness and Shabbo consuming her own life to keep her dignity as a woman. Directed jointly by Ms Sulbha Arya and Dr Jagdish Sachdeva, the play left a strong impact.The second play of the evening came from the master of rural Punjabi theatre — Ajmer Singh Aulakh. Titled Haneri Kothdi, the play was a poignant depiction of the plight of Punjabi farmers who worship their land-like god. The story is about how a farmer family pays the price of being part of a rotten socio-political set-up. The evening conclude with Gursharan Singh’s play, Izzatdar Mangtey. |
 |
| Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir | Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs | Nation | Editorial | | Business | Sport | World | Mailbag | In Spotlight | Chandigarh Tribune | Ludhiana Tribune 50 years of Independence | Tercentenary Celebrations | | 121 Years of Trust | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
