The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Chandigarh Stories

EDUCATION

Opinion divided over marks inclusion
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 16
“We don’t trust our fraternity” was the observation made by Prof K.N. Pathak, Vice-Chancellor, at the meeting of the Academic Council of Panjab University here today.

This was in reference to the division of opinion in the house over inclusion of 10 per cent marks in the internal assessment to be added to the grand total of the annual examination. The statement was more directed at repeated criticism of the move citing partiality by internal examiners as the main reason.

The council, however, decided to incorporate 10 per cent score of the internal house examination to the grand total of the annual examination. The university, instead of the existing practice of just one examination in December, will also have to ensure an examination in September. The September examination will carry 40 per weightage cent of the aggregate of the internal examination.

Members said a student might pass in the main examination but could fail in the internal because of partiality. Others said a student might get cent per cent in the internal. It was finally decided that total in the internal examination notwithstanding a candidate will have to clear the examination in the annual examination separately to be eligible for promotion.

The academic council today decided that the university should continue to conduct the first year examination of undergraduate classes in colleges. This was in reaction to a proposal of the principals meeting where it was proposed that the first year examination be conducted by the colleges individually.

Prof R.D. Anand pointed out that the move was not in the academic interests. He, Principal Bawa and Mr B.L.Gupta were on a committee constituted in the early 90s which had turned down a similar proposal.

Prof Satya P Gautam, however, pointed out that the university had constituted a high-powered committee earlier to go into details of the examination reforms. The academic council decided to constitute a committee to look into the issue of reforms in the examination system.

The academic council postponed the opening of the course in Czech language in the department of Russian for the time being. The academic council agreed to offer certain diplomas in the colleges which were available only in the university. However, details of the courses are still to be given a final look.

The council approved regulations for the one-year postgraduate Diploma in Mass Communications for admissions in 2002. Principal A.C. Vaid, Principal S.C. Marriya and Principal Jaspal Kaur were elected members of the library committee to manage day-to-day affairs of the university library.

Students to mind their Ps & Qs!
Our Correspondent

Chandigarh, April 16
Along with their arithmetic and geometry lessons, the students of many schools in the city will now be lessons in table manners and etiquette. According to sources in the UT Education Department, several schools in the city were working out the modalities for introduction of short-term courses on etiquette.

These crash courses, sources added, would be of about 15 to 20 days’ duration. Students of Class VIII to Class X would be encouraged to take up the course.

Says teacher Anu Chaudhary, ‘‘It is better that the kids learn table manners from the very beginning and imbibe them in their daily routine’’.

A senior officer in the Education Department, when contacted, said that the modalities were being worked out regarding the start of these courses. He added that some of the schools were already in touch with veteran managers in the hotel industry and other authorities. ‘‘They are being asked to deliver guest lectures to the students’’, he claimed.

Giving details, the officer said, ‘‘The experts will tell the students how to react upon receiving gifts, how to hand over presents to friends and acquaintances, the art of carrying and placing bouquets, besides the correct way of using cutlery,’’.

The need to introduce such a course, he asserted, was being felt as a large number of students, particularly from rural areas of Punjab and Haryana, had ‘‘little exposure to the kind of life style being led by city residents.’’

‘‘In the absence of complete knowledge about table manners and etiquette, the students were finding themselves in embarrassing situations at times,’’ the officer claimed.

He added, ‘‘Sometimes the kids were even subjected to humiliation. This is why some of the schools have decided to start such courses.’’

The success of the course, he claimed, would depend upon the environment being provided at home to a large extend. ‘‘Until or unless the manners being taught at school were reinforced by the parents at home, the entire exercise was futile,’’ he maintained.

Most of the kids today, he claimed, were not even aware of the right manner of holding the knives and forks. They were carrying flowers like batons and criticising gifts on face of people presenting gifts to them.

The right method, he revealed, was to carry a bouquet like a baby and to place it in a flower vase after removing the cellophane cover. It was also impolite to criticise gifts immediately on receiving them. It was not even correct to appreciate it too much lest it was presented to you again.

Seminar on history, literature
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 16
The Institute of Punjab Studies will be organising a seminar on ' History, literature and society: treatment of social problems in Punjabi fiction during the 20th century' at Panjab University from April 19 to April 21, according to an official press note.

One set of contributions would delineate the changing social and cultural context of the past century to which the creative writers of Punjab responded in various ways, reflecting their social awareness, attitudes and values. Another set of contributions would analyse the works of over a dozen major writers of Punjabi fiction in the changing historical context before and after Independence.

The seminar will be inaugurated by Surjit Patar, an eminent poet. Prof Jasbir Jain of University of Rajasthan will deliver the keynote address and the inaugural session will be presided over by Prof K.N.Pathak, Vice-Chancellor, Panjab University.

COURTS

DISTRICT COURTS
Discrepancy leads to acquittal of four
Our Correspondent

Chandigarh, April 16
The police could never have imagined that a discrepancy of sorts on its account would lead to acquittal of four persons who were earlier convicted by a lower court in a case of diesel theft.

In an interesting appeal case which came up for arguments before UT Additional and Sessions Judge, the prosecution story, charging four persons with diesel theft from Punjab Road Transport Corporation, crumbled on a single argument: “where the police FIR reports the time of theft as 10 pm, the Police Control Room record shows that the bus in question was already in police custody at 9.30 pm!”

Accepting the appeal the UT Additional and Sessions Judge acquitted four persons Shamsher Singh, Kaur Singh, and two others allegedly involved in a case of stealing diesel from a Punjab Roadways Transport Corporation bus in 1994 as the prosecution failed to prove the charges levelled against them.

As per the prosecution story the accused, Shamsher Singh and Kaur Singh, were caught by the police while they were stealing diesel from PRTC bus which was parked near transport chowk in Sector-26.

The prosecution alleged that the accused had stolen diesel and stored it in a plastic container in order to sell it to a driver who had parked his truck near the bus. The police had registered a case against the four accused under Sections 353, 337 of the IPC on June 26, 1994.

The defence counsel argued that as per the entry register of UT police control room the bus was in possession of the police at 9.30 p.m and was parked in police lines. Whereas the police had mentioned in the FIR that the accused were stealing petrol from the PRTC bus at 10 p.m.

Case adjourned

A local court today adjourned a civil suit filed against the former Punjab Chief Minister of Punjab, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, by the former Additional Director of Information and Public Relations, Punjab, for June 3.

The plaintiff, Mr Jagdip Singh Chowhan, had stated in civil suit that in 1998 he was working as Deputy Director of the Information and Public Relation Department, Punjab at Chandigarh, and alleged that former Chief Minister of Punjab had directed him to work in the election campaign of his son, Mr Sukhbir Singh Badal, during the period of 1998-1999.

He further stated that as his promotion for the post of Joint Director and Additional Director Information and Public Relations, Punjab, was overdue thus he was under constraint to undertake the publicity campaign in the election campaign of Sukhbir Singh Badal, who was contesting Parliament election from Faridkot constituency held in February 1998.

Mr Chowhan alleged that he had spent Rs 1, 50, 458 from his own pocket for media coverage with the hope that Mr Badal would return it. Mr Chawhan had prayed that a decree for recovery of Rs 82, 032 kindly be passed in his favour and against the Chief Minister of Punjab with costs and with interest at the rate of 18 per cent per annum.

2-yr RI for JTO, mechanic
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 16
A junior telecom officer (JTO) and a mechanic posted in the office of the General Manager Telecom at Chandigarh have been convicted by a special CBI court for allegedly demanding and accepting illegal gratification.

The accused, Sukhdev Singh, a JTO, and Om Parkash have been sentenced to two years rigorous imprisonment along with a fine of Rs 1,500 each.

A resident of Sector 26, Kaushal Singh had lodged a complaint with the CBI that the accused had demanded Rs 2500 from him for shifting a PCO telephone from Sector 26, which was later reduced to Rs 2000. The complainant paid Rs 1000 before the telephone was to be shifted, with the balance to be paid later.

A trap was laid by CBI sleuths and the accused was caught red-handed while accepting the money. The currency notes used for the trap had been signed and coated with special powder were also recovered from the accused’s possession.

The duo had been booked under Section 120-B of the Indian Penal Code for criminal conspiracy along with various provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

CULTURE

Dhami for more meaningful songs
Parbina Rashid

Chandigarh, April 16
Life has come a full circle for Palvinder Dhami. After being associated with Punjabi pop for two decades, this lead vocalist of London-based group “Heera”, one of the pioneer pop bands in Punjabi music, is taking a break from the usual dance-oriented songs to devote himself to more meaningful music.

Singer, lyricist and composer of about 22 pop albums, Palvinder while talking to Chandigarh Tribune at the Press club, muses about the degradation of lyrics in Punjabi music. “Music is for all age groups, he says, “so when we create music we should cater to the needs of people from teenagers who are out there to have a good time at the dance floor to the above-thirty generation who looks for some meaning into a song,” he adds.

True to his word, Palvinder has been producing music that is youthful, “Tu Sohni Lagdi”, “Kya Baat Hain”, to devotional kind like “Dastaar Khalsa Di” and a few more like “Mainu Saad Le Jogiya”. Not only that Palvinder, a crusader of Punjabi culture, is introducing more and more Punjabi folk instruments in his compositions.

Though his group “Heera” came into being in 1980 in London, his fame reached India only in 1995 when he first performed at Ambedkar Auditorium along with Jagjit Singh in front of a huge crowd. “Daler Mehndi was introduced as a singer for the first time during that concert,” he recalls. Eversince his group has been performing all over the globe.

After establishing himself as a singer, Palvinder is now able to sit back and watch others taking ideas from his songs. “A lot of Bollywood productions have copied my music that includes hit numbers like “Amma Dekh” and “Tamma Tamma”, says the singer. “One can see a clear Heera touch even in Daler’s first album “Bolo tara-ra-ra” he says.

Today, there is more competition in the music world which has made it more challenging, says Palvinder. “Today’s artistes enjoy the advantage of electronic media which was not there when we had started,” he says.

Their first album “Jagwala Mela” hit the market in 1984 after which came “Diamonds” from Heera and “Cool and Deadly.” Only after establishing himself in the international market, Palvinder along with co- vocalist Jaswinder Kumar cut a few albums like “Tu Sohni Lagdi”, “Kya Baat Hain” and “Daastar Khalsa Di” with India-based music companies.

Different endings of ‘Aankhen’ in cinema hall, CDs!
Nishkant Dwivedi

Chandigarh, April 16
The climax of ‘Aankhen’ showing at Piccadily Cinema: Rajput (Amitabh Bachchan) gets trapped in his own plan and the two blind robbers (Akshay Kumar and Arjun Rampal ) walk away with the loot. The film ends and viewers start walking out ofthe hall with their respective responses to the plot.

The climax of the same film as shown on compact discs: Rajput takes his revenge from Bhandari (Ajit Vacchani), the bank employee, instrumental in his removal from the bank. Rajput implicates Bhandari in the bank robbery case with the help of a police officer (Aditya Pancholi). He offers 20 per cent of the loot (lying with the blind men) in 24 hours. The film ends with Rajput standing on a railway platform (the two blind men are seen inside a train with their pistols drawn out) saying “a dangerous game is about to begin” followed by a long laugh.

The situation is a bit complicated. As CD providers revel in the game of piracy and make a quick buck, those who have had the chance to view both the ends to one film surely have a big question to answer: what is more important? The ends or the means? With the answer remaining elusive, the recent blockbuster Aankhen starring Amitabh Bachchan, Akshay Kumar, Arjun Rampal, Paresh Rawal and Sushmita Sen continues to have two alternative ends. Choose whichever you may, please!

Pirated CDs of the film are easily available in the city and its surrounding townships of Panchkula and SAS Nagar. In cinema halls it has been shown that Rajput plans and executes a brilliant bank robbery and is caught. Of course, he is is outmastered by his own pawns Akshay Kumar and Arjun Rampal in the film.

However, pirated CDs (one such CD was obtained by The Tribune) end the film where the lead character does not give up. He bribes the police official (Aditya Pancholi) and goes after the two blind men to claim the stolen treasure.

A large number of viewers who have seen both the versions of the film are of the view that the CD version entirely changes the meaning of the film. The CD version of the film gives a hint that a sequel of the film (may be ‘Aankhen 2’) would be made. A large number of sequels of English films have been made. The experiment has been made in the Indian film industry also.

A majority of the diehard fans of the super star Amitabh Bachchan were disappointed at the end of the film shown in the cinema halls. “The end shown in the CD is the one which suits the personality of Amitabh”, opinions Mr Mahinder Kumar, who claims to have seen all Amitabh-starring films several times.

A Panjab University student, Ninu Malhotra, who claims to have seen both the ends of the movie finds the end shown in cinema halls justifying. “I like the end as shown in the cinema hall. The bad man should be punished”.

Mr Ashwani, manager of Pidcadily cinema, when contacted said that the hall was showing the film in toto, as supplied by the distributor of the film. “The pirated CDs reaches here from foreign countries and there are chances the CD contains the unedited version of the movie”, said Mr Ashwani. The distributor of the film could not be contacted.