The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Chandigarh Stories

EDUCATION

New diploma courses in 22 PU colleges
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 16
As many as 22 colleges have been identified by Panjab University to commence new diplomas in professional courses from the forthcoming academic session (2002-2003).

More than 100 affiliated colleges were given the choice of 17 new courses (diplomas and postgraduate diplomas) in the first batch of applicants. Colleges have opted for 12 courses out of the total. The university has received proposal from more colleges that will be considered by the university after a formal clearance by inspection committees.

Some diploma courses being offered by the university include diploma in chemical analysis, postgraduate diploma in management of public enterprises, diploma in forensic science and criminology, diploma in clinical laboratory techniques, postgraduate diploma in health, family welfare and population education, diploma in personnel management, diploma in refrigeration and air conditioning and diploma in maintenance and servicing of electrical and electronic instruments.

These courses existed only on the university campus till now. A high-level committee took up the issue and decided that some of these diploma courses could also be introduced in the affiliated colleges under the existing provisions. Certain others that could not be taken up have been left out.

It is pertinent to mention that certain courses that commenced on the university campus had to be closed down due to poor student response in the past, a senior official said.

Students see the courses with a professional background as potential areas of opportunity for direct employment after college.

It is, however, felt that these courses should be directly linked with the existing courses in colleges. This means that while a student was doing his normal bachelors degree in arts, science or commerce, he should be allowed to take up any diploma to add to his professional qualifications.

This move cannot be extended to the postgraduate diplomas, for which a student would naturally need to have to have cleared his graduation degree first.

Going by the Tenth Plan asking for “added value for education” there was ample scope to introduce these courses simultaneously with the existing courses in the affiliated colleges which will be deliberated upon by the university.

An undergraduate student of arts said he wanted to try his luck in MBA. In case he was allowed by the university to do a professional diploma while doing his graduation, it would enable him to look for an alternative job in the related field even if he did not make it to the MBA.

‘Need to utilise human resources’
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 16
The need for teachers, guidance workers and counsellors to understand their roles in developing a child’s potential for improving his quality of life was discussed at a seminar on “Developing and utilising the full potential for enhancing quality of life” held at the Dev Samaj College of Education, Sector 36, here today.

The two-day national-level seminar sponsored by the UGC also focussed on the need to cash in on the human and material resources which would lead to an awareness of an individual’s potentialities and opportunities.

On the first day of the seminar, the DIG, UT police, Mr Ajay Kashyap, gave an audio-visual presentation on the exploration of the personal, group and societal needs of the people of the 21st century.

He focussed on the practical side of guidance and counselling with reference to the work done by the guidance and counselling team of the Dev Samaj College of Education which had worked in collaboration with the Chandigarh Police for recruitment of constables in February, 2002.

In the second session, Prof S.L. Sharma, Dean, Faculty of Arts, Panjab University, said globalisation had posed many challenges to the educational system and so had the explosion of knowledge through electronic media which was contrary to our culture and traditional values.

Presentation vital in examination: Abhishek
Our Correspondent

Chandigarh, May 16
Abhishek Jain, who has secured the third position in the civil services exams this year, wants to utilise his abilities and skills for the uplift of the poor of the country.

“As part of the machinery that formulates policies and implements these for the betterment of the masses, I will have the opportunity to work for bettering the economic conditions of the country,” said Abhishek while interacting with mediapersons at the IAS Study Group in Sector 24 here today. A gold medallist in economics from Panjab University, Abhishek says that theories of progress fall flat on an empty stomach.

Currently working as a junior research fellow in the Department of Economics here Abhishek feels that it is not the depth of knowledge alone that can sail you through the written and the interview in the civil services examination. Innovations and the way of presentation go a long way. “Those who compete for such competitions have lots of knowledge but it is the way of presentation that makes you stand out.”

From his experience of the examination, Abhishek says that one should try to score the maximum in the Mains itself because nobody can fully rely on performance in the interview.” So many factors can influence the interview like mood of the members, the composition of the panel etc. Anything can go wrong in the interview. Like what had happened to him. While Abhishek was expecting questions on current topics and those related to his field, he was bombarded with situation-based questions that required quick wit and presence of mind.

Along with quick wit, Abhishek is also endowed with quick fingers when it comes to typing. He won the world championship in type- writing in Belgium in 1991, then in Turkey in 1993 and finally in Holland in 1995. This put his name in the Limca Book of World Records as the fastest (135 words per minute) and youngest typist in the world.

“For my world records, I have been interviewed by the BBC, CNN and also by the Time magazine,” he says. Not only that, in recognition of his talent, Abhiskek was declared a State awardee by the Punjab Government.

Abhishek is doing his research work under Dr H. S. Shergill on monetary policy. He is also a qualified company secretary, who stood third in the all-India company secretary exams. He did his schooling from JSFH Khalsa Senior Secondary School, Jalandhar, and then completed his B. Com from DAV College, Jalandhar, with record marks.

As for advice to the civil service aspirants, Abhishek says, “Do not wait for the results of the Mains to come to prepare for the interview. Though preparing from newspapers, magazines and electronic media helps, mock tests and interviews conducted by coaching centres also play an important role in one’s success.”

School function
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 16
An investiture ceremony to induct Simrat Bhangoo, a student of Class X, as the head girl of Tender Heart School, Sector 33, was held at the school premises here today.

At the colourful ceremony, the office-bearers moved in slow march and received the house flag to the chanting of shlokas from the Gita in the background, upholding the duties of a ‘karma yogi’.

After the formal ‘tilak’ ceremony, Simrat led the office-bearers of the various houses in taking the oath. Addressing the students after the ceremony, she promised to actively participate in the school administration with special emphasis on school discipline, cleanliness and extra-curricular activities.

Painting contest
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 16
As many as 200 children from 22 schools of the city participated in a painting contest organised by the Indian Council for Child Welfare, UT branch, held at Bal Bhavan, Sector 23, here today. The topic for the contest was ‘My Mother and I’.

The paintings of the winners of the contest will be sent to National Bal Bhavan, New Delhi.

The results are: Category I: Panveen Kalsi-GMSSS-37 B (1), Meenu Aggarwal-GHS-28 (2), Onkar Singh-GMSSS-46 D (3); Category II: Amrit Pal Singh-GMHS-28 (1), Sargam Malhotra-GMSSS-16 (2), Rahul Aggarwal-GMHS-28 (3); Category III: Meena-GMSSS-21 (1), Ashish Sharma-GMSSS-16 (2), Rajesh-GMSSS-32 (3).

Seminar on agriculture, forestry
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 16
A seminar on agriculture and forestry courses was organised by INZ Consultants here on Tuesday. Mr Kris Rollerson, a programme leader in agriculture and forestry from the Waikato Institute of Technology, which has opened up a two-year diploma in technology agriculture , informed students about the course.

HIGH COURT
Notice to PGI, others

Issuing notice to the Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare, the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research in Chandigarh, besides other respondents, a Division Bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court on Thursday asked them to show cause why a petition filed by the Institute’s head of the Radiology Department, Dr Sudha Suri, seeking the quashing of Dr Onkar Nath Nagi’s appointment as Dean, should not be admitted.

The Bench, comprising Mr Justice Swatanter Kumar and Mr Justice Mehtab Singh Gill, also asked the PGIMER authorities to produce the entire record, along with the minutes of the meeting of the institute’s Governing Body, on the next date of hearing.

The Judges added that they were “not inclined to grant ex-parte stay” in the matter and issued notice regarding the same for May 29. In her petition, Dr Suri had claimed that the law question involved in the matter was whether it was permissible for the authorities to ignore a senior doctor who was not unsuitable for appointment as the Dean.

Seeking the quashing of the appointment, she had also sought directions to the respondents to appoint the Dean on the basis of seniority and suitability as per the rules and regulations.

‘Withdraw work from tainted judges’
Our Correspondent

Kharar, May 16
“Judicial work should be immediately withdrawn from judges whose names have figured in the PPSC recruitment scam.”

This demand was made by various speakers while addressing a dharna organised here today by the Bar Association, Kharar, expressing support to the struggle against corruption.

Speakers appealed to the public to come forward in the struggle against corruption.

CULTURE

Discovering the reality behind ‘unreal puppets’
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 16
In the world of puppets, nothing is real. But the element of illusion is created and modified with such fine perfection that the unreal appears to be existing, though only for a while.

Unravelling the fascinating world of puppetry is more of a passion for Dadi Pudumjee, master puppet creator, who has to his credit the national award of the Sangeet Natak Akademi. He is in town to conduct a 20-day puppet workshop.

Pudumjee bared peculiar elements of puppetry before the participants here today. The talk and the demonstration was more about creation than about theory. So as the expert used anything that he came across to explain the relevance of puppet theatre, participants could not help being intrigued further and further.

Interesting to note was Pudumjee’s emphasis on the directness of the puppet. “Unlike a real-life performer, a puppet has no ego. It is as direct as anything can be. You know it is fake, but for the duration of the presentation you still believe in the existence of the puppet. You see it in the realm of reality and your audience sees the same thing along with you,” said Pudumjee while making a reference to the beautiful art form.

Pudumjee’s lays a stress on object animation. At Government Model School, Sector 10, he used two pairs of shoes — to weave a story for puppet production. He said, “Objects speak for themselves. Each object has a certain movement. Once you discover this movement you start relating sound to it. These objects are used as characters and the puppeteer lends life to them.”

The expert, who got training in puppetry at Marionette Theatre Institute, Stockholm, Sweden, de-emphasised the decoration of objects. “It is important to uphold the identity of the object you use as puppet character. It is your work to make people believe that it is real. Half of your work is done when you create the puppet. The other half is done when you manipulate it to put across the meaning of the story,” he said.

Talking further about the art, Pudumjee, now managing Ishara Puppet Theatre, highlighted the significance of eyes and focusing on the puppet character through them. On the first day of the workshop today, Pudumjee introduced the participants to rod and hand puppets. “Use of the hand makes the puppet half real, half unreal. Throughout the presentation, focus is the most important. The moment I lose focus and concentration, the puppet goes haywire. It loses ground. So while you handle a character, you have to create an illusion of reality. This prowess flows from the knowledge of mime exercises. You imagine yourself in place of the unreal character and you lend reality to it.”

Demonstrating puppets which he has created for various programmes for children and other productions, Pudumjee also touched upon the manner of stylising puppets. “The unreal becoming the real attracts the viewer subconsciously . There lies the entire fascination of puppet theatre,” he said.

During the workshop, Pudumjee will teach the participants how to create a rod and hand puppet. Pudumjee has also been the guest director with Puppet Theatre, Berlin. With all his vast experience, he will focus on the creative aspects of puppetry during the workshop.

As the expert said, “The participants will be led through movement, colour, form and awareness exercises to create an idea and a puppet which they will make with the given materials. Making of both large and small figures for improvisations, including masks and creation of themes, will be a part of the 20-day agenda.”

New Release
You can run but can’t hide

Amidst the sound and fury of the glossy 70 mm sagas, several low-budget films will try to make their presence felt. The last year was a profitable year for Bollywood because of talented directors like Madhur Bhandarkar and Farhan Akhtar. Going by the talent in pipeline, one can expect new-age directors to do something different. Govind Menon is the another ‘outsider’ waiting to make a mark with his maiden effort ‘Danger’.

A Hormone Showbiz Pvt Ltd and a Vasant Chheda presentation ‘Danger’ will be released on Friday at KC, Chandigarh. Govind Menon’s black satire ‘Danger’ is about a cuckolded husband, his scheming wife and her lover. It has a baseline: you can run but you can’t hide ..... This film is dark, brooding and menacing. Govind Menon’s ambitious thriller has Ashutosh Rana, Tara Deshpande and Jas Arora. Can’t tell you more because the plot is a closely guarded secret. Finally, there is Ashutosh Rana who scared the audience with his great performance in Tanuja Chandra’s ‘Dushman’, is all set to repeat the same intense performance in ‘Danger’. He is being hailed as one of the talented actors of 2002. Those who have seen the rushes of ‘Danger’ say the film has shaped into quite a experimental film and is different from other thrillers. The characters, plot, treatment and style is all set to prove their worth with ‘Danger’.

DJ Whosane has composed the music, but there is not even a single song in the film.