EDUCATION

PSEB directions leave students in limbo
Mahesh Sharma

Ahmedgarh, February 24
Hundreds of meritorious students of Class X of public and private schools may lose crucial marks in view of the directions of the Punjab School Education Board on the evaluation of Physical Education practical examinations this year. These students had opted for the subject with an intention to improving their percentage but the actual experience has done nothing but frustrated them.

The students were told to produce graded certificates at the eleventh hour and since several of them did not furnish these they were denied marks.

According to Rupali, a student of Public High School, students were asked to show some sports certificates of division, district and state levels. These certificates were to fetch them up to 20 marks. Thus, out of 70 marks, students lost 20 marks even before appearing in the examination. Jashan of the same school said she had been preparing to achieve 100 per cent marks in physical education. But now she would be graded for 50 marks only as she did not have the requisite certificates. It was observed that students of most of the schools in the area could not produce any certificate.

Head and managements of schools concerned, when contacted disclosed that they had never received any invitation for participation in any school sports at division, district or state level. It was learnt that students of public affiliated school were not even allowed to participate in these events. They urged the board authorities to waive the condition and evaluate the student on their merit.

Mr Harjinder Singh, DPE, Government High School Saroud, after conducting practical examination at many schools, said students of almost all schools lacked such certificate. He further said the practice of allotting stars on the basis of annual performance had almost vanished from the schools. Students having three stars were entitled to 5 marks. Similarly, 5 marks were earmarked for division, 10 for district and 15 for state level participation. There might be only a few students scoring these 20 marks, he said.

While the authorities are busy conducting these examinations, the students, teachers and parents have urged the higher education authorities to reconsider the policy and award students on the basis of their performance.

Inter-college competitions
Our Correspondent

Doraha, February 24
Contests for shabad singing, vaar gayan, poetical symposium, histrionics, fine arts and home science events were organised by Mata Ganga Khalsa College, Kottan, on the occasion of birth anniversary of Mata Ganga, the mother of Guru Hargobind. Ten colleges participated in the cultural function, which was presided over by Dr Gurmohan Singh Walia, Principal Mata Gujri College, Fatehgarh Sahib.

The results of the cultural festival are:

Shabad singing: Ramgarhia Girls College, Ludhiana 1, Guru Nanak Girls College Ludhiana and Khalsa College, Patiala 2, Guru Nanak Khalsa College for Women 3, Government College for Women Ludhiana and Mata Ganga Khalsa College (special prize).

Vaar gayan: Khalsa College, Patiala 1, Guru Nanak Khalsa College, Ludhiana 2, AS College for Women, Khanna 3, Mata Ganga Khalsa College (consolation prize).

Embroidery: Satinder Kaur of Guru Nanak Girls College, Ludhiana 1, Harpreet Kaur of Guru Nanak Khalsa College, Ludhiana 2, Vandana of Ramgarhia Girls College, Ludhiana 3.

Flower-arrangement (fresh): Manjit Kaur of Ramgarhia Girls College, Ludhiana 1, Reetu Sharma of Mata Ganga Khalsa College for Girls and Dhamjot Kaur of Guru Nanak Girls College, Ludhiana 2, Amanpreet Kaur of Guru Nanak Girls College, Ludhiana 3. (Dry)—Kanwaldeep Kaur of Guru Nanak Khalsa College 1, Seema of Ramgarhia Girls College 2, Ravneet of Government College for Women, Ludhiana 3.

Rangoli: Jaswinder Kaur of Ramgarhia Girls College, Ludhiana 1, Gurpreet Kaur of Ramgarhia Girls College, Ludhiana 2, Kirandeep of Mai Bhago College 3, Hardish Kaur and Mandeep Kaur of Mata Ganga Khalsa College (special prize).

Salad decoration: Anupam of AS College for Women, Khanna 1, Ritu of Guru Nanak Khalsa College for Women 2, Silky of Government College for Women, Ludhiana 3.

Poetic Recitation: Narinder Kaur of Guru Nanak Girls College, Ludhiana 1, Baljinder Singh of SD Government College, Ludhiana, and Harbir Kaur of Guru Nanak Khalsa College, Ludhiana 2, Ganga Ram of Government College Karamsar and Manpreet Kaur of Ramgarhia College 3. Tripta Sethi of AS College, Khanna, Manpreet Kaur of Mata Ganga Khalsa College and Mandeep Kaur of Mai Bhago College (consolation).

Histrionics: Amritpal Singh of Government College Karamsar 1, Sukhjit Kaur of Guru Nanak College, Ludhiana 2, Jaswant Singh of Government College, Ludhiana 3, Jasbir Kaur of GNN College, Doraha (consolation).

PUDA to pay interest for delayed payment
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, February 24
The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum has directed the Punjab Urban Planning and Development Authority (PUDA) to pay interest at the rate of 15 per cent on Rs 3,000 from August 14, 2000 to September 12, 2001, on account of delayed refund to Ms Aruna Goyal a resident of Civil Lines. The forum has also directed PUDA to pay Rs 500 as cost of litigation to the consumer.

According to a complaint, the consumer had deposited Rs 3,000 on February 16, 1989 for registration of a high income group (HIG) house at Ludhiana. The representative of the complainant, Mr S.S. Sarna, stated that the consumer had been allotted registration number (381/89), but after that no information was given to her.

Mr Sarna disclosed that in March, 2000, when the consumer went to the property dealer for the purchase of the plot and inquired about the scheme, she was told that PUDA had refunded the earnest money of Rs 3,000 to all applicants. He further disclosed that PUDA had not done the survey. When the consumer did not receive her earnest money and as such she wrote letters on April 14 and August 14, 2000 to the Chief Administrator, PUDA, for refund of the earnest money along with interest at the rate of 18 per cent per annum, but to no avail, he added.

The consumer alleged that PUDA had caused her mental torture and agony. She demanded from the forum that the PUDA should be directed to refund Rs 3,000 along with interest at the rate of 18 per cent per annum from the date of deposit till actual payment. Moreover the compensation of Rs 5,000 had also been demanded.

The PUDA pleaded that the consumer had deposited Rs 3,000 for the demand survey of proposed HIG houses at Ludhiana against the registration no. 381/189, and the said amount was not received as earnest money. The respondent disclosed that all applicants had been intimated through an advertisement published in ‘The Tribune’ on May 11, 1990, to send their written consent for ‘partial self finance scheme’ of HIG houses at Ludhiana within the stipulated time mentioned in it. It further disclosed that it had been also mentioned in the advertisement, the applicants had to complete minimum earnest money of Rs 10,000, but the complainant failed to do so.

The PUDA clarified that neither the complainant had deposited the earnest money nor she gave consent for the said purpose. Moreover, she did not even make any request for refund of the demand survey amount. It stated that it had sent a lump sum amount of Rs 10,00,000 to the Chief Manager, Punjab and Sindh Bank, Saban Bazaar, Ludhiana, in 1995 along with the list of applicants, authorising the bank to refund the earnest money. But due to a fire in the bank, the most of its records were burnt and as such the records could not be tallied with the actual refund figures, It added.

The respondent stated that on the written request of the complainant for the refund of the said amount, she had been paid vide a cheque issued on September 6, 2001, which was sent through registered post. The respondent explained, “Question of payment of interest does not arise as it was made clear in the advertisement published on October 2, 1989 that no interest on the registration fee shall be payable”. It was demanded that since the registration fee had already been refunded, the complaint was liable to be dismissed.

The forum observed that it was an admitted fact that the consumer had deposited Rs 3,000 as registration fee while the respondent had refunded the same on September 12, 2001. The forum further observed that as per the terms and conditions, the PUDA had to pay the interest on the amount refunded to the consumer.

The forum stated that the consumer had applied for the refund on August 14, 2000, but she got the said amount after about 13 months. The forum held that the respondent should have made the payment within one month, as such it was liable to pay interest.

SPORTS

Athletics meet concludes
Our Correspondent

Doraha, February 24
The 28th Annual Athletics Meet for girls of Guru Nanak National College, Doraha, concluded here yesterday.

It was inaugurated by Mr Anoop Bansal, Principal Guru Nanak Khalsa College. Seema Rani of BA part I was declared best athlete. The results of athletics events are: 100m: Harpreet Kaur 1, Seema Rani 2, Mandeep Kaur 3; 200m: Seema Rani 1, Maninder Kaur 2, Sandeep Kaur 3; 400m: Seema Rani 1, Mandeep Kaur 2, Gurpreet Kaur 3; 1500m cycle race: Seema Rani 1, Amardeep Kaur 2, Mandeep Kaur 3; high jump: Sandeep Kaur 1, Mandeep Kaur 2, Gurpreet Kaur 3; Shot Put: Simardeep Kaur 1, Pritam Kaur 2, Daljit Kaur 3; Discus Throw: Simardeep Kaur 1, Seema Rani 2, Daljit Kaur 3; Sack Race: Maninder Kaur 1, Neetu 2, Sandeep Kaur 3; Three-legged race: Navjit Kaur and Daljit Laur 1, Maninder Kaur and Pritpal Kaur 2, Balpreet Kaur and Manpreet Kaur 3; Chatti Race : Birpal Kaur 1, Pritpal Kaur 2, Amardeep Kaur 3.