EDUCATION

DAV College to go co-educational
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 16
It is time for a change. So thinks the DAV College Academic Council which approved the introduction of co-education system from the forthcoming academic session in one of the oldest boys’ colleges of the city.

Explains the Principal, Mr Subhash Chand Mariya, “This is being allowed in selective courses to augment what the MCM DAV College offers. There are certain courses like BBA, BCA and plus two level classes which are not available to students keen on studying in DAV institutions. This will enable us to serve them as well,’’ he said.

Addressing a press conference on the college premises, he added that girl students would be allowed admission to the medical and non-medical streams in the college from the forthcoming academic session on the basis of merit.

However, for Class XII, girls, would will be admitted to the medical stream only since most of the seats would go to the boys promoted from Class XI. Principal Mariya added that the classes for plus one and plus two students would start from April 4.

With a view to bring students back to the classes, a new comprehensive plan has also been prepared for the new session which entails finishing classwork by 11.30 a.m., intensive evening coaching to prepare students for competitive exams and special merit classes for promising students,” he said.

A sub-committee headed by the Principal would select teachers for conducting these classes. “They will be paid Rs 6,000 a month for teaching for one-and-a-half hour three days a week. The college will generate all the funds required to strengthen classroom teaching and rewarding teachers who deliver the good in the classrooms,” he stated.

Nominal charges would be levied as fee. Registration charges would be Rs 2,500 which would be refunded if the student was unable to secure a seat in the college after the declaration of result. The college would also hold six objective tests during the session in addition to pre-boards and two house tests. Parents of students shirking classwork would be informed about it, he said.

He said the college staff had resolved to continue teaching work right through the summer vacation every session. He added that ‘parents’ meet’ would be made a regular feature so as to promote interaction.

College Principal declares war on tuition menace
Geetanjali Gayatri
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 16
It is a tuition-harassed father’s battle-cry as he readies to wage war against tuition menace with the college faculty staunchly backing him. He is looking for resident’s support to strengthen his movement — looking to parents like him to strengthen his hands.

“We will ensure that students come back to classes and tution houses are forced to wind up their business. For the purpose we will contact other colleges and schools and urge principals to join hands in our fight against tuition menace”, says the DAV College Principal, Mr S.C. Mariya, whose son has suffered on account of tuitions.

In a meet planned just before the session, he organised a parents’ get-together in the college to counsel parents of students seeking admission to Class XII against the tuition menace.

As a consequence of tuitions, toppers and students with over 80 per cent marks were faring miserably in college tests and examinations. Tuitions were preparing them only for competitive tests with multiple- choice questions, he said.

Substantiating his claims of deplorable performance by brilliant students and quoting his own colleges’ example, the Principal said in the medical stream, 20 per cent of the students had failed in physics, 20 per cent in chemistry, 15 per cent in biology and five per cent in physical education.

These students secured more than 80 per cent marks in the Class X examinations.

In the non-medical stream, of the 650 students that appeared in the examination, 72 failed in physics, 117 in chemistry and 387 in maths. The mad rush for tuitions was wholly and solely responsible for the poor results, he said.

To meet the challenge posed by these “money-minting houses”, the college would run its own special classes, he said.

“Our faculty will prepare its own question bank and prepare students for competitive examinations. We will convince parents to send students back to the classrooms and wait for teachers to deliver the good. This is a call to every right-thinking parent, frustrated with doling out money to pay for tuitions” he added.

“Even if we are able to dissuade 40 per cent of the students, we will consider it a big success,” he said.

The college will run evening classes for its students which will be held three days a week for the entire session under a newly devised scheme, he said.

Fee hike issue to be taken up in Senate meeting
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 16
The proposed fee hike of 10 per cent in the university and affiliated colleges from the forthcoming academic session comes up for discussion at the Senate meeting of Panjab University scheduled on March 24, reliable sources said here today.

The most important item on the agenda is the budget for the forthcoming academic session. The Finance Board has recommended an amount of Rs 89.62 crore which is lesser than the final amount spent in the current session. The matter has already been cleared by the Syndicate.

The Senate will also take up the item pertaining to the enhancement of fee for new colleges. The appointment of Prof R.J. Hans Gill as the Dean University Instructions will be confirmed.

The senate will also take up recommendations regarding improvement in the working of the Youth Welfare Committee. The inquiry report against Mr M.G. Sharma, the suspended Finance and Development Officer, will also be taken up.

Workshop on atomic and molecular physics begins
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 16
Fabrication of a low-cost, high-resolution laser spectrometer with indigenous components and its possible use in studying atmospheric conditions was discussed at length by Prof P.N. Ghosh, Dean of the Science Faculty at Calcutta University, in his keynote address at a three-day workshop on 'Atomic and molecular physics' being organised at Panjab University here today.

He spoke about the passion of laser physicists for carrying out precise measurements of fundamental constants, like Lamb Shift and Rydberg Constant, which provide a check to test the accuracy of theoretical calculations.

While inaugurating the workshop, Prof K.N. Pathak, Vice-Chancellor, traced the history of research activity in vacuum ultraviolet spectroscopy in the department and pointed out its main achievements.

Prof C.G. Mahajan, convener of the workshop, spelled out the objectives of the workshop. He said a step motherly treatment was being meted out to 'VUV spectroscopy' in the country. He pointed out that the host department had initiated research work on VUV spectroscopy.

Nearly 50 delegates are participating in the workshop. Dr Sarvpreet Kaur proposed a vote of thanks. This was followed by academic sessions where Dr T.K. Balasubramanian and Dr J. Shetty from BARC, Mumbai, and Dr R.J. Kshirsagar and Dr M.D. Saxena were among the prominent speakers.

PU professor dead
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 16
Prof Pradeep Kumar, Chairman of the Department of Political Science in Punjab University, died here early in the morning due to a heart attack.

He was 46. He is survived by his wife who is teaching in Kurukshetra University and a daughter.

Professor Kumar joined teaching in 1975 after his doctorate in political science from PU. Prior to his Ph.D., he studied in Allahabad and Saharanpur.

He has four books to his credit. Two of these are on ‘Federalism’ and ‘Uttarkhand movement’. He was invited to deliver lecturers in Nigeria this year as part of South-exchange programme of the Delhi-based Centre for the Study of Developing Societies. In 2001, he delivered lecturers on Indian democracy in Finland.

Known for his integrity, he was admired by his students. He was committed towards writing in Indian languages and was a regular writer for Hindi newspapers. He also knew Tamil and Russian languages.

COURTS

HIGH COURT
Punjab told to file status report
Disposal of solid waste
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 16
The Punjab and Haryana High Court has directed the state of Punjab and its functionaries to file a status report giving details of the actual plan to deal with the problem pertaining to the disposal of solid wastes in various parts of the state.

Delivering the verdict, Acting Chief Justice Mr Justice G.S. Singhvi and Mr Justice V.K. Bali observed: “Punjab’s Deputy Advocate General has produced a copy of orders dated January 10 and January 23 passed by the Governor constituting committees in the state for dealing with the problem of disposal of solid waste in various parts. She has also produced copies of the minutes of the meeting of the state-level standing committee held on February 5. These are taken on record”.

The Judges concluded: “After perusing the documents produced by the Deputy Advocate General, we adjourn the case with direction that at least three days before the next date of hearing, the state of Punjab and its functionaries should produce a status report...”. The case will now come up for further hearing on April 22.

Felling of trees

Mr Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel of the Punjab and Haryana High Court has directed that a case pertaining to the illegal felling of “government trees” should be expeditiously concluded “as far as possible within six months of receiving the order’s copy”.

Pronouncing the orders on a petition filed by a retired Divisional Forest Officer earlier posted at Mansa seeking the quashing of a first information report, Mr Justice Goel directed that the “trial in the FIR registered under the Prevention of Corruption Act by the Vigilance Bureau (Ferozepore Range) pending before Mansa’s Special Judge should be expeditiously concluded....”

According to the prosecution, the FIR was registered on the allegations that certain officials had connived with each other to embezzle money by illegally cutting the trees.