Procurement of wheat begins in district
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, April 6
Procurement of wheat by government agencies started in the district today. This was stated by Mr Anurag Aggarwal, Deputy Commissioner, who said that a team comprising Mr Parveen Vij, DFSC, Ludhiana, and district managers of procurement agencies visited Khanna Mandi on his directions. They took a round of all the farhs of the Mandi. After inspecting the heaps of wheat, 350 quintals of wheat was purchase d by government agencies which came within the specifications laid down by the government. The Food and Supplies Department purchased 100 quintals, PUNSUP 150 quintals and Punjab Agro 100 quintals. Last year the procurement by government agencies had started on April 9. Till date a total for 200 mt of wheat has been sold in the mandis of the district, out which 35 mt has been purchased by GA. Last year only 49 mt of heat was sold in the mandis till date.

The DC further stated that government procurement agencies are ready to start procurement. He advised the farmers to bring fully ripe and dried wheat to the mandis. He informed that Agriculture Department had been pressed into service to educate the farmers.

Orders have been issued under Sec. 144 of IPC to ban the night harvesting of wheat combine harvesters. Capt Parveen Vij informed that last year a total of 8,85,000 mt wheat arrived in the mandis of Ludhiana district, out of which Food and Supplies Department purchased 77,000 mt, Markfed 1,60,000 mt, Punsup 1,83,000 mt, PSWC 93,000 mt, Punjab Agro 1,01,000 Nt, FCI 2,70,000 mt and traders 1000 mt.

This year the government purchase agencies have made arrangements to procure 9,70,000 mt of wheat.

Mixed response to PAU decision
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, April 6
The decision of the Punjab Agricultural University’s academic council to hold entrance test for the postgraduate classes has evoked mixed response among students aspiring to get admission in the university. While the majority of students welcomed the move, there is some scepticism among those who feel that these tests will add one more hurdle in their academic progress.

Ms Navneet, an undergraduate student of the PAU, thinks that the admissions should not be given on merit basis. Rather entrance test should be conducted for admissions. When admissions are made on the basis of marks obtained in previous courses, some talented average students and those who could not perform up to the mark due to some reasons, have to suffer. She is of the view that this newly introduced system by the university would definitely give a chance to such students.

A postgraduate student of S.D Government College, Maninder, feels that admissions should be made on the basis of the performance in the entrance exam. In this way only the basic knowledge of the student is judged. In graduation, a person gets the marks just by cramming the books. The pattern of the entrance exam is different. For that, a student must have a thorough knowledge about the subject. This way only, all students get a level playing field.

Sudha, a Ph.D scholar of the university, opines that the university has taken a very good step by introducing entrance test for the postgraduate courses. In this way the selection is done at par and no discrimination is done with the students of outside universities. On the contrary, the entrance exams are double burden for the students as the students have to go through their entire syllabus once again.

Madhu Shelly, a BVSc final year student of the university, expressed her resentment on the decision taken by the university as she was very much sure of her admission to the postgraduate course on the basis of her merit. She stated that for the last four years, she was studying very hard so that she could get admission in the university on the basis of merit and now the university has changed its rules for admission. She says that she does not know why the university is again trying to grade students, and who knows the entrance tests will be without any flaws.

Baljeet Kaur, a college student, says that admissions should be given on the basis of the marks of graduation. This makes the process more transparent and there remains little scope for any foul play. The merit list should be prepared as was being done earlier. With the entrance exam, no one knows who had done better in the exams. Through the entrance exams the university is trying to again grade the students.