The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Chandigarh Stories

EDUCATION

Science seats filled in 3 govt schools
Tribune News Service

School	Cut-off percentage in Science
GMSSS-21	62.4
GMSSS-22	60
GMSSS-46	62.2

Chandigarh, July 8
Proximity to home coupled with reputation of schools seems to be the guiding factor in the choice of schools in the ongoing centralised admissions, which continued for the Class XI of government schools, at GMSSS-23 here today.

The day began with counselling for students securing above 65 per cent marks, with the crowd not thinning down even after six days of the beginning of admissions to the 30-odd government schools.

With admissions to the top three schools, namely GMSSS-16, 33 and 35, closed in the science stream, parents said that the race for securing seats in these schools was over, which made proximity to residences a priority as far as the choice of school was concerned.

The committees carried on with the counselling right through the day, allowing admission to students on the basis of percentage and seats available in schools. Once admission was permitted, the fee counters for various schools saw students queue up and await their turn.

Three more schools exhausted their seats in the science stream. These included GMSSS-21, 22 and 46. In GMSSS-22, the cut-off percentage was 60, 62.4 in GMSSS-21 and 62.2 in the Science stream in GMSSS-46. Seats in all ordinary schools are still available.

While 2,415 seats were filled in the science stream, 686 seats were filled in commerce, 445 students were admitted to Arts and 168 in seats in vocational courses. GMSSS-19 and 47 could not open account in the vocational stream. The total number of admissions so far in government schools is 3,546.

Today three more schools exhausted their seats for the science stream. This takes the total number of schools with no vacant seats for Science to 10.

Playing cop with great elan
Geetanjali Gayatri
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 8
They are cops in the making. Conspicuously in their orange jackets, they are streamlining traffic and managing public single-handedly at the admission venue for plus one classes of government schools in GMSSS-23.

On duty since last week, ever since the admission process began, these students have been hand-picked for the job from various government schools. The hot, sultry weather conditions are no deterrent for these boys fired with a desire to perform and the power is giving them a perpetual high.

Stricter than the cops in khakis, they are giving lessons to the public in discipline sans concessions to anybody. As they stand from morning till the last vehicle leaves the venue, their devotion is undaunting and they, themselves, are indefatigable.

“Our school told us to reach the venue this morning. Since then we have been here, enjoying every bit of the work. Only sometimes a little excitement comes our way by way of an obstinate parent who doesn’t comply with directions. The best part of the episode is convincing him to abide by rules and have the last word,’’ a volunteer says.

The hands-on experience has given the students a peek into a cop’s life which is most certainly not a bed of roses. “People argue, they are nasty and they disobey. Some get away with this kind of nuisance but by and large we have had no major hassles. A cop’s life is tougher but this is a good training ground,’’ adds another volunteer.

Though these students are performing their duty with utmost devotion unmindful of the sun’s prickly rays, they are doing so without any incentive. “We don’t even know if we are getting any attendance for the days we are spending here. However, this experience is worth everything and is a reward in its own right,’’ a volunteer explains,

Meanwhile, the DEO, Mr Brahmajit Kalia, appreciative of the boys’ efforts, said they had received training by working with the cops last year. “The NSS boys were especially trained to manage traffic and streamline parking. Last year’s training is standing them in good stead and have relieved the parents of parking blues,’’ he stated.

He added that a number of boys had been trained for the purpose and were being employed in shifts.``We want to give each one a chance while ensuring that they do not miss out much on the studies front.

For the purpose, they have been assigned duties in groups on rotation basis,” he explained. At the end of the duty, the boys will be given one day camp’s certificate as reward for their hard work while attendance is automatically given at the school level.

Engineering college opened
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 8
To give impetus to technical education in the backward Malwa region and to enable students of the area to get hi-tech education in the field of engineering and technology, Bhai Gurdas Group of Technical Institutions has set up the Institute of Engineering and Technology at Sangrur affiliated with Punjab Technical University, Jalandhar.

Disclosing this here yesterday, Mr Hakam Singh Jawandha, Chairman, Bhai Gurdas Group of Technical Institutions, said there had been a sort of revolution in technical education during the past seven years.

Students of this belt aspiring to pursue a career in management, computer and engineering courses had to go to South India after paying hefty amounts but the satisfaction still eluded them.

He said admissions to BE/B Tech degree courses in computer science engineering, electronic and communication, electrical and information technology were commencing by mid-July. The first counselling would be held on July 15.

School for disabled kids
Tribune News Service

Panchkula, July 8
A unique model school under the project of the Integrated Education for Disabled was set up as a pilot project in Government Primary School, Mansa Devi complex, Sector 4, here today.

The project, started under the Sarv Shiksha Abhiyaan, will impart education to normal and disabled children jointly under one roof, said Mr Balkar Singh, Deputy Director, Integrated Education for Disabled. Ms Sureena Rajan, Director, Secondary Education, is the project director of the project.

It is learnt that children with five different kinds of disabilities — learning disability, visual disability, hearing and speaking disability, locomotive disability and mental retardation — will be admitted in the school from all over the district. As many as 60 disabled children, who will be admitted here, were examined by a team of medical specialists.

PALA SINGH MURDER CASE
Suspects deny disclosure statement
Our Correspondent

Chandigarh, July 8
The case of the murder of Pala Singh, a former Sarpanch of Khuda Ali Sher, took a new turn today when the three accused — Kartar Singh, Mohinder Singh and Kesar Singh — denied in a local court having said what had been mentioned by the Chandigarh Police. The three suspects had been arrested by the police on July 4 last. The suspects also maintained that the recovery of the weapons by the police was not the outcome of their statement. The three also said they had not mentioned about any other persons’ involvement in the case during interrogation.

Sources reveal that the police has stated in the case filed that acting on the disclosure statement made by the three accused, a team of police personnel had recovered a .12 bore double barrel gun and three swords used by the suspects to commit the murder of Pala Singh near Kansal village. The suspects also admitted their involvement in the case. The police has also found involvement of three more persons in the case and the police parties were conducting raids to arrest the suspects.

The three accused — Kartar Singh, Mohinder Singh and Kesar Singh — were today produced in the court in the afternoon about 2.10 p.m. The police has sought the judicial remand of the accused and the magistrate remanded them in judicial custody till July 21. Thereafter, the three moved a plea before the court stating that they had not given any disclosure statement under Section 27 of the Evidence Act to the police during interrogation and no weapon had been recovered by the police on their statement. Meanwhile, the case files were also signed in the court.

Meanwhile the two other persons alleged to be involved in the case claim that they have been falsely implicated in the case. An anticipatory bail plea moved by the two — Satpal Singh and Gurdhian Singh — will come for hearing on July 9 before a local court. The two have claimed that wife of the deceased had mentioned their names in the FIR because of political rivalry.

The petitioners, Satpal and Gurdhian, stated in the plea that both of them had left their respective villages on June 30, 2002 at about 9 a.m. so as to go to Hemkunt Sahib. They further claimed that they along with 13 others went on a long tour from Chandigarh and they first went to Hardwar from where they reached Rishikesh and thereafter at Srinagar, where they had stayed for the night.

Claiming that they had been falsely implicated in the case, the duo stated that they were not connected with the crime in any way. As at the time of the occurrence of the crime they were not in their village or even in places around their villages from June 6, 2002, till the evening of July 7.

DISTRICT COURTS
Sidhu’s remand extended
Our Correspondent

Chandigarh, July 8
The suspended Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC) Chairman, Ravinder Pal Singh Sidhu, was further remanded in judicial custody by a local court under the Excise Act today. Sidhu was produced in the court of the UT Judicial Magistrate (First Class), Mr Sanjay Sandhir, who remanded him in judicial custody till July 20.

The UT police had registered the case against the accused under the Excise and the Arms Act on a complaint lodged by the DSP Vigilance, Mr Jora Singh. The police had recovered 14 bottles of foreign liquor, 250 rounds of .12 bore gun and 225 rounds of Springfield rifle from accused’s house in Sector 39.

RI in theft case

An accused, Ramesh, arrested by the UT police in a case of theft was sentenced to one year’s rigorous imprisonment by a local court on Monday. The UT police had booked the accused under Sections 379, and 411 of the IPC for stealing a cycle.

Bail granted

Nine accused arrested by the UT police in a power theft case were granted bail by a local court on Monday. The accused, Babu Lal, and eight others were granted bail on furnishing a bond of Rs 10, 000 each. All accused were arrested by the UT police on July 5.

Learning tricks of modelling fast
Parbina Rashid

Chandigarh, July 8
Taking part in the Nomarks Face of the Year was just a whim for Anmol Gill, but bagging a prestigious assignment from a world class Paris-based photographer to promote Indian heritage in Paris was just sheer luck. Anmol Gill, the winner of Nomarks face of the Year-2002, is simply ecstatic, and is thanking her Lady Luck for giving her this opportunity to start her career at an international level.

“I was at the right place at the right time and I met this Paris-based photographer Mitcha, who was looking for an Indian face to promote a range of sarees in Paris,” says Anmol, who had recently visited Mauritius and met her destiny in one of the art exhibitions she visited there. Anmol not only bagged the ads or saree collections, but also ended up signing a contract with Mitcha’s Fisheye company to model for art photos.

“Mitcha organises an exhibition of photographs every three years on various subjects. I will be modelling for his next exhibition which is going to take place in Paris sometime next year,” says Anmol. Mitcha has clicked her for his next art exhibition in the backdrop of Mauritius scenery. the next phase of shooting is to take place in Paris.

Anmol, who is quite new in the modelling scenario, entered the glamour world through the Nomarks Face of the Year contest, a regional-level beauty contest, where she beat 20 contestants to win the title. But she is already learning the ropes of this profession.

“I was offered a number of tele-serials and modelling assignments but have been refusing as I wanted to complete my studies first,” says this bright girl who has recently finished her degree in Computer Engineering. “I know this is a shortlived period so I do not want to abandon my studies for something so transitory,” says Anmol, who is preparing for her MBA entrance examinations.

About her experience in modelling at an international level, she says “Photographers outside prefer their models to wear less or no make up at all while Indian photographers give importance on make up and artificial lights.” Anmol, who posed for a series of unconventional photographs for Mitcha, says she was asked to act her normal self and the entire series was done without taking help of any artificial aids like flash lights.

However, she owes her success to Delhi-based photographer Pradeepta who taught her how to face the camera, control of the facial contours and selection of the right angle for the best possible effect.