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June 25, 2002, Chandigarh, India
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Rush for admission in govt schools Chandigarh, June 24 According to sources in the Education Department, maximum number of forms were filled for admission to Sector 35 Government Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 16
GMSSS, Sector 33 GMSSS, Sector 19 GMSSS, Sector 37 GMSSS, Sector 10
GMSSS, besides Sector 23 GMSSS. The Admission process will start from July 3. The reason behind their action, according to sources in the UT Education Department, is easy to understand. The money the enthusiastic students save on school fee goes into paying for “trying their luck in the entrance examinations for professional courses”. Sources say government schools are always preferred by the students and the reason is studying in some of the government schools is considering “prestigious”. Little wonder, wards of IAS, IPS and other top government officers are studying in such schools. Moreover, staff in government schools is “comparatively better”. “In some of the private schools, teachers do not stay for long. They leave their job for greener pastures after serving in a school for as less as three months. This affects the studies adversely,” says a government school Principal on the condition of anonymity. “On the other hand, teachers in the government schools are more competent and experienced. They know what is right and wrong for students and act accordingly. This is the reason why senior students prefer government schools to private ones after passing out”. The rush for admission in government schools is “not only due to preference, but also option”. Another school Principal says, “In private schools, the number of seats are limited. As such it becomes very difficult for students to walk into a private school and get admission. Even though some of the privately managed schools did introduce plus one and plus two a few years back, admission is still not any easy task”. This year, however, the rising cost of tuitions is apparently the prime reason behind the trend. “Almost all students are paying around Rs 10,000 to Rs
30,000 for crash courses and mock tests,” says the Principal. “Others are regularly attending tuition classes by paying more or less the same amount of money. As the income of the service-class parents is the same despite the rising costs of living, money for tuitions is being saved by a large number of families by paying less of school fee”. He says, “Money is also required for taking entrance examinations which are not at all easy on the pocket. In this age of cut-throat competition, even brilliant student are forced to take more than one entrance examination, thereby creating additional burden on the parents. The prospectus and entrance examination forms are not cheap”. The Principal further claims that the fee in government schools, as compared to private schools, is peanuts. (To be concluded) |
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Students protest outside VC’s office Chandigarh, June 24 *One answer-sheet had in the middle of every answer written a prayer referring to Lord Jesus. *Another answer-sheet had the question paper repeated many times over. *Yet another answer-sheet had Urdu poetry written in it stating that the student was simply waiting for the half-time to be over so that he could leave the examination room. *One answer-sheet had a long lecture on the uselessness of the examination system. Most of these students had either failed to clear their MA English (first year) examination or have secured low mark in these examinations. These students are demanding re-evaluation of their
answer-sheets by faculty of a university other than their own since according to them there will be a tendency to award marks similar to the ones they have already been given. These students have also demanded that in case no re-evaluation is done they should be given grace marks by the university. These students also met the Dean University Instructions in this regard. The Department of English on the other hand has clearly stated that the evaluation was carried out in the best possible way and with a sense of responsibility. A letter by Ms Manju Jaidka, the coordinator of the spot evaluation of MA English, addressed to the PU VC states, ‘‘past records will show that in the first year of MA English students generally do not perform well but in the second year they are better prepared....Our department maintains a high standard, far better than the universities in the region.’’ The note also gives the complete list of the 29 examiners, who are involved in the process of evaluation of these answer-sheets, out of which 22 are from the university. The note also states that every evaluator without exception has had earlier experience of evaluating answer-sheets for over 10 years. The evaluation was not done in a haste, as has been alleged but the whole process took as many as six weeks. ‘‘This year, the spot evaluation was in fact an improvement, as head examiner had been appointed by the VC for each paper. So in addition to the first examiner, the awards were examined by two more persons, the head examiner and the coordinator,’’writes Ms
Jaidka.
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NUMBER PLATE ISSUE Chandigarh, June 24 The administration was yet to receive a certified copy of the Punjab and Haryana High Court judgement dated June 17, which asked the UT Home Secretary, Mr Raminder Singh Gujral, to issue specific orders on challaning and to decide the issue within a specified frame. Now, UT officials say, the deadline of June 30 still remains but all will hinge upon the exact wording of the court order. The Home Secretary will have to issue the ‘‘speaking order’’ as called in the Government parlance. Once the High Court order is received, the Home Secretary will see the rule book and check if it’s within his competency to issue instructions for the Union Territory of Chandigarh or the competency of the Government of India. Following instructions from the Government of India, the colour scheme of registration numbers of all vehicles plying in the city needs to be changed before June 30. The new scheme for displaying registration numbers of private vehicles
involves black numericals over a white background. The same will apply for government vehicles also. For commercial vehicles, the colour scheme will be black numericals over yellow background. The size of the numericals and plates will remain the same as before. In light of this order, numbers plates of vehicles registered in Chandigarh, Panchkula and S.A.S. Nagar have been changed by their owners. Any vehicle coming from outside Chandigarh will also have to meet the requirements, said sources. This means people living in neighbouring Panchkula and SAS Nagar will also have to change the numbers plates of their vehicles, as large number of residents of these two townships commute daily to Chandigarh. Almost all new vehicles purchased in the past two years bear white background with black numericals. UT Home Secretary, Mr Raminder Singh Gujral, said the deadline to change the colour scheme still remains but certain instructions need to be issued in light of the High Court order. No extension for changing the colour scheme of displaying registration plates has so far been granted by the Government of India, Mr Gujral said. It may be recalled that the Chandigarh Administration, while seeking a clarification on high security numbers plates, had asked the Government of India on how to proceed with the matter as there was no manufacturer of the plates. The government had then issued a circular stating that the last date for installing high security number plates had been extended , while the last date for changing the colour scheme of registration number plates was June 30, 2002. |
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HC stays demolition
at Nada village Chandigarh, June 24 Apprehending further demolition, Mr Duraiswamy and 34 other residents have filed a petition before the Punjab and Haryana High Court. Taking up their petition, a Division Bench of the High Court, comprising Justice J.S. Khehar and Justice Jasbir Singh, today issued notice of motion for July 16 and stayed demolition for the time being. In their petition against the State of Haryana, HUDA, Chief Administrator and the Estate Officer, the petitioners had earlier sought directions for restraining the respondents from carrying out further demolition. Claiming to be residents of Nada village for the past 33 years, they stated that the Haryana State Electricity Board had even installed meters at their residences. This was not all. Voters’ identity cards had been issued by the Election Commission of India, besides ration cards by the Food and Supplies department. Arguing before the Court, counsel for the petitioners stated that several representations were addressed to the authorities concerned for the provision of land for construction of permanent dwelling units but to no avail. Terming the action of the respondents as “illegal” and “arbitrary”, the counsel added that it was also against the provisions of the Constitution of India. The case will now come up for further hearing on July 16. |
Ruckus over infant’s death Chandigarh, June 24 The two-and-a-half-year old boy Nimish was admitted to the PGI emergency on Thursday. While the father of the child, Ashwini Popli, alleged that Nimish had died due to gross negligence of the APC doctors and nurses, Prof Sunit Singhi the doctor in charge of the patient has stated that the child had died due to a serious underlying disease which complicated a simple diarrhoea with which the patient had initially come to the institute. The doctor said every protocol in the management of such a problem was adhered to by his team. Relating his story, Mr Popli said
Nimish, his only son, an otherwise healthy child, had fever on Thursday morning when they took him to GMCH-32. ‘‘There was no doctor on emergency duty there at 4 am so we immediately brought Nimish to PGI. Here we waited for half an hour before someone came and even had a look at him. An hour later, a doctor came and saw the child. We were sent back after being told that we should keep giving the child liquids and the electrolyte solution as he had
diarrhoea.’’ ‘‘Just after noon, the child had developed severe diarrhoea and fever and we took him to the PGI again where he was admitted. By the evening his condition suddenly deteriorated and he was shifted to the ICU where he died today evening.’’ said Mr
Popli. Dr Sunit Singhi states that the child was suffering from Addinsons Disease, which causes harmonal imbalance in the body. ‘‘The child was thought to have simple diarrhoea with no dehydration and was thus sent back with the requisite instructions. But when the child came back without any relief, we started suspecting that the child might be suffering from this disease. He was admitted and harmonal replacement was started. His electrolyte count, however remained imbalanced and he went into septic shock. We took him out of the shock once, his condition also stablised once but then he died of cardiac arrhythmia, something which is known to happen to children in such conditions. So the charge of negligence is totally baseless.’’ The relatives also alleged that once during their four-day stay, a nurse was about to administer a double dose of an injection when an attendant pointed it out to her. ‘‘Similarly when his urine sample was taken, they wrote the name of the patient on the adjacent bed on it. When I pointed out to the nurse she immediately realised her mistake and changed it. How can you have such people here? They also kept us in the dark by not telling us that the child was serious.’’says Mr
Popli. While talking to The Tribune, the Deputy Medical Superintendent, Dr Vipin
Kaushal, who also arrived at the scene, stated that the emotional outburst of the family was understandable but from whatever had been told to him it did not seem as if any negligence by the staff was the cause of the death. ‘‘Anyway we are ready to conduct an autopsy but none of the relatives are ready to come forth and talk,’’he said. Immediately after Nimish's death, the grandfather of the child Mr Gopi Chand
Popli, a shop owner in the Sector 15 Patel Market, along with his supporters started raising slogans in anger against the doctors and nurses in a state of uncontrollable grief. He also threatened to go to court and the police. Commenting on this Dr Singhi said, ‘‘I can understand the loss of the parents but this results in demoralisation other patients. Had this child come with the same problem again, the same procedure of treatment would have been followed that we have followed. There is no question of any carelessness at all. I myself saw the patient in the morning. And the parents were told clearly that their child was serious. |
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‘Accounting standards to cut costs’ Chandigarh, June 24 He was addressing a meeting of the local chapter of the Institute of Cost & Works Accountants regarding the new standards of cost accounting. He said these standards would be applicable to more than 50 industries, including chemicals, textiles, electronics and cement. Addressing the gathering of local cost accountants, Mr Balwinder Singh, secretary, local chapter of the ICWAI, said: “The formulation of cost accounting standards would help the industry to cut down costs, check false cases of anti-dumping and to settle the disputes over central excise cases.” He pointed out that the new standards would also assist in determining costs for increasing business or diversification through relevant information about cost-benefit analysis. He claimed that another cost accounting standard on cost of production for captive consumption was under implementation. It had laid down principles of determination of cost of consumption of goods by other units of an organisation. It would provide, he said, better accounting transparency in valuation of excisable goods for captive consumption. Mr Rakesh Bhalla, chairman, local chapter, discussed the concept of cost centre, cost unit measures and basic rules for classification of costs. He further presented classification of cost for management decision making. |
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Panel to review rural
credit distribution Chandigarh, June 24 The committee is also likely to inquire into a recent scam in Punjab and the stoppage of supplies in Haryana by the Food Corporation of India. Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (Punjab circle) may also have to explain the delay in launching its mobile and wireless in local loop (WLL) services providing an advantage to its private sector competitors. The 12-member committee, led by its Chairman, Prof Uma Venkatashwarulu Reddy, would go into the rural credit aspect in the its meeting with top officials of NABARD (Northwest zone) here, sources told Chandigarh Tribune here today. The committee, with sweeping powers to go into expenditure appropriation of any department or board controlled by Parliament, will also inquire into the non-performing assets of Punjab National Bank. The committee members will reach the city on June 27 and leave for Delhi on June 29. The other members of the committee are former Gujarat Chief Minister, Shankersing Vaghela, Faridabad MP Ramchander Baintha, Sheela Gautam, N.N. Krishan Das, Samik Lahiri, Manje Lal, Shyam Bihari Mishra, Rasa Singh Rawat, Maheshwar Singh, Suresh Kodaikanal and D. Venu Gopal. The Parliamentary committee will also have an opportunity to directly know about the progress in the Syed Ali Shah Geelani case from the Investigation Directorate of the Income Tax (Northwest zone). The committee will visit the directorate that had conducted the operation of tracking Mr. Geelani’s financial dealings before his arrest. |
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A rebel with a difference Chandigarh, June 24 Born in Patiala, educated in Punjabi University, she is Ms Amarjit Kaur Dhillon. After quitting a bank job, she became a full-time social activist. She has taken upon herself the mantle of performing the last rites of unclaimed bodies. Every month, she consigns six to eight such bodies to the flames herself. In orthodox Indian society, women are not allowed to light the pyre. But she does. Last month, Kiran Kapoor (name changed), a drug addict, died in the PGI. He was an adopted son. But his foster parents died before him. No one came forward to cremate his body. It remained lying in the hospital for six days. Mrs Amarjit Kaur did the job. Mr Paul Singh, a social worker, succumbed to his injuries in the PGI a few months back. No one came to take his body. She cremated his body. Only a few days back, she performed the last rites of Birquazi Parzapatti, who had come to the PGI for treatment of a kidney ailment from Nepal. He died. His family had no money to take the body back home. His body was handed over to her for performing the last rites. Many more examples can be cited. How did she began? To this query she says: “I used to visit PGI's cardiology ward to look after heart patients quite often. A few months back, Shiv Kumar, from Bhagalpur was admitted there. He died. As I was helping his wife to look after her husband, nurses rang me shortly before midnight that Shiv Kumar was no more and that his wife had also fallen unconscious. I rushed to the PGI. The next day as his wife had no money, I cremated his body myself. That was the beginning and since then, there has been no looking back”. “I do the cremation job after the completion of all legal formalities, including police report, death certificate etc to avoid any legal complications", she says. She also helps to marry poor girls. She recently married off Siara Bano, after getting her treated for tuberculosis. She also sponsors blood donation camps. Her next target is to provide creches for the children of poor working women and start a campaign against female foeticide, gender violence and for empowerment of women and to organise de-addiction camps. At a state-level Red Cross function, she was honoured with a medal and commendation certificate by the Punjab Governor for her social activities. |
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GOVT-SPONSORED PROGRAMMES Chandigarh, June 24 According to information available, the State Level Bankers Committee, in association with the state government, had planned to provide Rs 60 crore credit to the rural youth under the Swaran Jayanti Gram Swa-rozgar Yoina ( SGSY) during the financial year 2001-02. However, the banks disbursed just Rs 39.85 crore to 12,002 beneficiaries due to state and centre government’s failure to provide the necessary subsidy. Even during the previous year, the banks had disbursed Rs 55.61 crore to 24,156 beneficiaries. Interestingly, no amount was disbursed in Yamunanagar district. In Bhiwani, Gurgaon, Jhajjar and Karnal districts, the banks did not find any women candidate to be eligible for loans under the scheme. The banks have also failed miserably in implementing the Prime Minister Rozgar Yojna, a major employment generating scheme for youth, in the state. The bankers said since under the RBI guidelines, the youths have to be provided loans up to Rs 25,000 without any collateral security, so they are usually reluctant to provide loans to the high-risk category of new entrepreneurs. During 2001-02, the banks disbursed an amount of Rs 28.62 crore to 5,088 youths against a target of 8,800 cases. Incidentally, the Centre has decreased the target for the year 2002-03 to 4,600 cases in the state. The industry department, say bankers, has also failed to provide the necessary training to the entrepreneurs under the scheme. Under the national empowerment movement of women, NABARD and Centre government had asked the state government to promote Self Help Groups (SHGs). However, out of 5,215 SHGs, which are maintaining saving accounts with the banks, an amount of Rs 6.70 crore was disbursed to 1,189 groups in 2001-02. A report submitted to the State Level Bankers’ Committee (SLBC), Haryana recently, reveals that the scheme has not picked up in Ambala, Panchkula, Jind, Karnal, Sonepat, Panipat, Hisar, Faridabad and Gurgaon districts. Sources in PNB allege that in the SLBC meeting, though the agenda includes the review of credit targets to the government-sponsored schemes, but it is never taken up seriously. |
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vehicles challaned for overspeeding SAS Nagar, June 24 Stating this, Mr V.K. Vaid, Inspector (Traffic), said speed radars were used at the YPS, Kumbra and PCL chowks to detect overspeeding. In 30 cases, challans were issued for driving a two-wheeler without a helmet, jumping the red light and wrong overtaking. four scooters and a van were impounded under the drive. |
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Fire victims’
condition stable Chandigarh, June 24 Proprietor of a gas agency, Num Deepmala, today clarified that the ill-fated godown had no connection with his agency. ‘‘Our godown is in Sarangpur village and the IOC people today checked our stock and found it correct’’, claimed the proprietor. Six persons were injured, five of them seriously, when an LPG cylinder godown caught fire on Saturday. |
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Gurpartap elected
chairman Chandigarh, June 24 This was the sixth consecutive election of Mr Riar. Karam Singh has been elected senior vice-chairman, Jaspal Singh, Major Singh and Jarnail Singh vice-chairmen, Shamsher Singh secretary-general, Karminder Singh Gill and Janak Singh secretaries, Harbans Singh as finance secretary along with others. Executive members are Pal Singh, Kulwant Singh, Janak Singh, Gurdial Singh Bawa, Mukhtiar Singh and Darshan Singh. |
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MC panel holds
meeting Chandigarh, June 24 |
Woman commits suicide Chandigarh, June 24 Meanwhile, unidentified man whose body was lying in PGI mortuary since June 11 (photo of the deceased was carried by Chandigarh Tribune in its June 24 edition) has been identified as Jagdish Chand, a resident of Sector 28. Relatives of the
deceased took the body for cremation today, police sources said. Case registered Liquor seized Booked Case registered Arrested Liquor bottles recovered PANCHKULA Nigerian held Held for gambling Booked |
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2 stolen cars recovered Chandigarh, June 24 Rajesh, alias Raja, was arrested from near Golf Course with a Maruti Car (CH 01 F 9058), which he had allegedly stolen from Sector 15 on Saturday evening. Another Maruti car (CH 01 A 7759) reportedly stolen from Sector 37 sometime ago was recovered from his possession. Rajesh told the police that a car stolen by him was at Kalka and another at Panipat. Earlier , he had stolen four other cars but had abandoned these after taking out their accessories. A team led by an Inspector Jagbir arrested Rajesh after receiving a secret information. Sources said Rajesh, a class VII drop-out, used to sell tyres, stereos and other accessories of the cars before abandoning these. A case under Sections 379 and 411 of the IPC has been registered and more cases are likely to be registered against him, say police sources. Rajesh will be produced at a local court tomorrow. Rajesh was earlier arrested about six months ago in a similar case and a stolen motorcycle was recovered from his possession. |
MARKET PULSE Chandigarh, June 24 But you don’t have to live with it. To look fresh and beautiful, gear up to face the menacing downpour. It is all the more important to take adequate care to look your best during these days. VLCC is organising a personalised one-to-one workshop in which beauty experts will guide and give tips to keep skin and hair healthy and also prevent all the pitfalls discussed above. Registrations are open. With each registration, get anti-hair fall or blue berry monsoon facial worth Rs. 1500/- free. Welcome monsoons with “Fendo” Umbrellas AVON Umbrella Pvt. Ltd., the leaders in umbrella components, have recently introduced very high quality umbrella ranges under the brand name “Fendo”. The Fendo brand umbrella was today launched in the markets of Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and the Union
Territory of Chandigarh. The company has utilised its rich experience of over 33 years in the components business to make this high quality product, which is comparable to the best in the international markets. The “Fendo” range of umbrellas, though, offering the best in terms of quality, are still priced very attractively. It is a range for the common man. The gents umbrella is priced between Rs. 125/- to Rs. 320/- The company has introduced Sonata (Jumbo Auto 2-fold), Globus (3-fold hand open) & “Spykar” (3-fold auto) in beautiful Taiwanese cire fabrics which has black ultimate smooth shining surface outside and mat finish at inner side. The ladies umbrellas are priced between Rs. 125/- to Rs. 300/- Kusum”(3-Fold Hand-open) is of print-pongee fabric with attractive matching fabric cover. 2-Fold Jumbo auto varieties of “Kajol, Malaika, Goldie and Suzanne” umbrellas are very pleasant. “Khushi” (3-Fold Hand-open) is of “mono-pongee fabric” with matching cloth cover in latest 24 pastel colors. In Unisex umbrellas, the company has introduced “Sogo & Canon” wide range of checks fabrics in pongee cloth in 2-Fold and 3-Fold styles and “Pyramid” (3-Fold Hand-open) is of Mono-Silver gents smart colors for person who dislike monotonous black colors. “For people who prefer something different”. In children’s range “Barbie” (19” straight Auto) is with cartoon character handles with Fendo”ferrule on top and the cloth of these umbrellas are with the attractive concept of “child-print” are very much lovely to kids. “Pinakin” (19” straight Auto) is very fancy. The “Fendo” range will soon be available all over the country. The company is also catering to International markets like Sri Lanka, Bangladesh etc.
Shopping for basics at Ebony For a period of one-month ending June 30, Ebony, India’s premier chain of department stores has been sporting a
display of Royal Enfield Bullets as part of a joint promotion for Basics, Royal Enfield
and Ebony. The promotion is taking place simultaneously at all six Ebony stores in Chandigarh, Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Delhi and Noida. Basics is a Chennai-based leading garment retailer which recently made its presence felt in the north at the Ebony outlets. Following the tremendous
response to the Basics menswear shirts, Ebony has announced an exciting
contest ending June 30. For every purchase of a Basics garment, customers are entitled to a lucky draw coupon. On June 30, a lucky draw will be conducted — one lucky winner in each of the four cities will win a bike from Royal Enfield. |
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