The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Chandigarh Stories

EDUCATION

PU opens doors for single window
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 9
Decks have been cleared for introducing single-window enquiry service in Panjab University within a fortnight. The facility will save students the trouble of running from desk to desk for enquiries at the administrative block. Prof K.N. Pathak, Vice-Chancellor of the PU, had announced this decision at the last meeting of the Senate.

A special committee comprising Prof Paramjit Singh, Registrar of the PU, Dr Sodhi Ram, Controller of Examination, and Mr Ashok Bhandari, Joint Controller of Examination, has worked out all details regarding the working of the scheme. Special cards, that will carry enquiry details, have been prepared. The information filled in the card will include the name, class and session of the student, besides the time when the representation was forwarded to the university and returned with the answer.

If an enquiry is made in the morning, the university plans to present a reply by the evening. Replies for complaints filed in the afternoon will be made by the next morning. Dr Sodhi Ram said the university would soon ensure that the replies were given within two hours of making the enquiry. If the reply does not satisfy any student, he or she will be required to meet the official concerned for a special access, according to Dr Sodhi Ram.

There is a sign at the PU administrative block that says: ‘Nobody is permitted to see an officer below the rank of an Assistant Registrar during office hours’.

The university proposes to have a full team at the enquiry office. There will be personnel carrying the enquiry cards to the departments concerned and return with replies. At present, the university has an enquiry office, but it basically handles result-related enquiries. The PU plans to open up at least two computer counters to facilitate result enquiry.

Those who will benefit the most from the facility will be students from outside the city. Most of them who have to come here all the way from far-off places like Moga, Muktsar and Ferozepore first have to obtain entry slips and, then, hop from table to table to look for the official concerned.

The PU has also decided to open its extension offices at Ludhiana, Hoshiarpur and Moga. A senior fellow of the PU said functioning of various branches would also have to be streamlined for quick replies to enquiries. The examination branch needs to be improved the most because it receives maximum enquiries.

Scholarship scheme
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 9
Bhupindra International Public School (BIPS), Patiala, the first ISO certified school in Punjab, has launched an attractive scholarship programme for children.

Mr Gurmeet Singh, president of the school, told mediapersons here today: “We are committed to serve the most modern educational environment to society. Basically, in the current scenario when many parents are unable to provide quality education to their children because of heavy admission and monthly fees, such help is essential.”

Ms. Roopali Phillp, principal, said that BIPS offered scholarship, which was even up to 100 per cent waiver in the fee of the child if the child clears the aptitude test conducted by the school for LKG up to standard V children, she added.

2 students honoured
Our Correspondent

Chandigarh, April 9
The Food Craft Institute, while celebrating the annual function amidst dignitaries like Home Secretary and Chairman of the institute R.S. Gujral, MD CITCO and Special Secretary S.P. Singh and DPR of Chandigarh Vivek Atray on the campus in Sector 42 here today, honoured Noel and Gurpreet, two of their students for their bravery efforts. Starting the function with a welcome song and Saraswati vandana presented by the students, the evening moved on to witness bhangra.

Earlier, welcoming the guests, the principal of the institute presented the annual report, highlighting various activities and achievements of the last academic session.

Giving away the prizes, Mr Gujral emphasised on the importance of hard work and appreciated the institute authorities for creating a good environment for the students. Mr Gujral also released “Cater Craft” the annual magazine of the institute.

COURTS

HIGH COURT
PGI told not to declare result
Selection of new Dean
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 9
Directing the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research at Chandigarh to continue with the process of selecting the Dean, a Division Bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court today ordered that the result will, however, not be declared.

In a ruling, the Bench, comprising Mr Justice V.K. Bali and Mr Justice N.K. Sud, also preponed the date of hearing of the main case. It will now come up for disposal on April 25.

In her application, Dr Sudha Suri, Professor in the Department of Radiodiagnosis, had earlier stated that the appointment of Dr O.N. Nagi as Dean had been quashed and as such the competent authority was likely to consider the matter of appointment afresh. Since there was a dispute about the seniority of the petitioner and another respondent, the result of the selection should be in a sealed cover during the pendency of the writ petition, she had demanded.

Petition allowed

Allowing a petition filed by Arjuna Awardee Jagroop Singh, Mr Justice Mehtab Singh Gill of the Punjab and Haryana High Court on Tuesday ordered the state of Haryana, the Director General of Police, and 14 other respondents to give all consequential benefits to him “as he is deemed to be promoted to the next higher post of Deputy Superintendent of Police or Superintendent of Police before the date of promotion of his juniors”.

Delivering the verdict, Mr Justice Gill ruled: “The petitioner is no doubt an outstanding sportsman. As per the Punjab Police rules, applicable to Haryana, he was entitled to confirmation on the post of Inspector with effect from July 27, 1976, that is the date before his juniors were confirmed on the post”.

In his petition Jagroop Singh, then posted as Inspector with Haryana Armed Police, had stated that he was promoted to the post of Inspector on July 27, 1974, as he had secured a gold medal in the Commonwealth Games at New Zealand in 1974 and as such became entitled to confirmation. His counsel had added that the petitioner had brought laurels to the country after being awarded the Arjuna Award. He had also represented the country in the Asian, the Commonwealth and the Olympic Games. He was even awarded Universal Commendation Certificates and cash prizes.

Fertiliser scam

A Division Bench of the High Court on Tuesday fixed April 11 as the next date of hearing in the fertiliser scam to enable counsel for the state of Punjab to secure the record from the Vigilance Department.

The Bench, comprising Mr Justice G.S. Singhvi and Mr Justice M.M. Kumar, also asked Punjab’s Advocate General to assist the court in the matter. The Judges, had earlier, asked the Financial Commissioner (Development) and secretary in the Department of Agriculture to appear and assist the court by explaining why reply had not been filed in the fertiliser scam and also why the present incumbent was “being allowed to continue in the office of the Director despite the fact that a regular departmental inquiry had already been instituted by the government against him”.

Undertrial collapses in court, hospitalised
Our Correspondent

Chandigarh, April 9
An 18-year-old undertrial, Kuldeep Singh, involved in a case of theft, collapsed here today while he was being produced before a magistrate in the District Courts complex. He collapsed at about 1 p.m at the make-shift jail in the District Courts. Later he was taken to hospital by the police.

Talking to Chandigarh Tribune at the General Hospital-16, Kuldeep said, “I was seriously ill today as doctors had not given me injection in the Jail. I had taken drugs for the past several years without knowing their consequences. Therefore, I was taking injection everyday in the jail as treatment”.

“I was studying in Class VIII when I had drugs. Now It’s very difficult for me to live without drugs in jail, said Kuldeep, while crying in the hospital.

“I had to collect Rs 500 per day to get drugs. It’s not possible for me to get such huge money from my family. Therefore, I was later involved in a theft case”, he said.

“I am ready to get rid of this habit but I need proper guidance and treatment” he added. After treatment at General Hospital he was produced before the magistrate and remanded to judicial custody.

Superintendent of Burail Jail Mr D.S. Rana, when contacted, said the undertrial was involved in several cases of the theft and was a drug-addict. He said painkiller injections were given to the accused only twice and for several days he had been taking medicines from dispensary on the jail premises. He said there were two pharmacists who were always in the jail. Mr Rana said Kuldeep was lodged in the special ward and was given treatment from dispensary. He added that the undertrial can also be taken to hospital if needed.

As per the jail manual, in jails where there are two or more medical officers, their duties shall, without delay, be so arranged by the Medical Officer that the work is fairly distributed and that one or other of them shall be always present.

DISTRICT COURTS
Production warrant against Ravi Sidhu
Our Correspondent

Chandigarh, April 9
A local court issued a production warrant against Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC) Chairman, Ravinder Pal Singh Sidhu for April 11 on a request made by the Chandigarh police to seek his arrest in a case registered against him under the Excise and Arms Act in Sector-39 police station.

It was alleged that 14 bottles of foreign liquor, 250 rounds of .12 bore gun and 225 rounds of Springfield rifle were recovered from Sidhu's house in Sector 39. The accused was arrested by the Vigilance Department, Punjab, on March 26 allegedly while accepting a bribe of Rs 5 lakh.

Ball plea dismissed

A local court today dismissed a bail plea moved by Amresh Jain, Deputy Commissioner, Customs and Central Excise, Ludhiana, in a case registered against him by the CBI for allegedly possessing of assets disproportionate to his known sources of income. The accused has already been remanded in judicial custody.

Amresh Jain was posted at the customs freight station, Ludhiana, and arrested by the CBI on February 23. The CBI claimed that the agency had recovered assets valued at about Rs 2 crore from the possession of the accused.

CULTURE

Paintings with message of peace
Our Correspondent

Chandigarh, April 9
If you are expecting to see those typical Shanti Niketan style of paintings from this Kolkata-based artist Sanjib Roy, who is exhibiting his creations at Art Folio in Sector 9, then you are in for a disappointment. Because this young man is all for experimenting and the result is a series of about 25 abstract and contemporary style of works which he is using to give out the message of peace.

Art has no boundaries, according to the artist. So Sanjib has given a free reign to his imagination by using different materials like papermash, sculptures, letters and, of course, colours and lines on canvas to give a definite shape to his paintings. "Art for me is pure imagination within the boundary of definite size, lines and shade of colours," says Sanjib.

Art is also looking at the same thing from different colours and angles too. So one can see the same figure, be it a human form or a skeleton of a fish, he has captured the images in different colours and with different backgrounds and as the artist is extremely fond of sculptures, he has put one in most of his creations.

Sanjib has used a generous amount of red and white colour to his paintings for an abstract effect. "I like red colour and this is the only reason that I have used it," he says with simplicity. Though a few of the paintings convey the message of peace the rest signifies just the stroke of creativity of the artist. "I do not want to give any message through my paintings, it is up to the onlookers to make their own comprehension," he says.

A graduate from the Government College of Art and Craft , Kolkata, Sanjib has exhibited his works all over the country. Recipient of the certificate of merit from Government College of Art, Kolkata, and also the Ganesh Haloi award from Kolkata, the artist's works have found homes with many private collectors in India and abroad.