The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

EDUCATION

Students pay with their studies for MCD’s ‘lapses’
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 2
The relocation of slum-dwellers from the posh South Delhi area has left nearly 7,000 schoolchildren, armed with transfer certificate, in a state of uncertainty as the Municipal Corporation of Delhi has failed to provide them with alternative educational institutes in the resettlement colonies.

Taking exception to the Municipal Corporation’s ‘failure’ to provide schooling facilities to the slum-dwellers in relocated colonies, the Delhi High Court today sought a reply from the civic body why these children with transfer certificates were being kept waiting for admission.

“Though the authorities talk about enforcing Unicef norms to help poor children, they are not even able to provide the basic necessity of primary education,” a Bench comprising Justice Anil Dev and Justice Mukul Mudgal said while issuing notice to the Commissioner of Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) directing him to file his reply by August 27.

The issue was brought before the court through a public interest litigation (PIL), which alleged that 7,000 children between 5 and 11 years age group at Hastsal and Bakkarwala resettlement colonies for the slum-dwellers uprooted from posh South Delhi areas, were still waiting for admission as the MCD had failed to open schools in the new localities for them.

Most of the children were studying in various standards of primary schools at the places from where their parents were shifted to the new localities, the PIL by Social Jurists, a private organisation said.

Stating that under the Delhi Primary Education Act, 1973 and the UN convention on Rights of a Child, the Government was duty-bound to provide them with educational facilities, the PIL said they could not attend their old school 30 km from their new homes.

The High Court had earlier issued direction to the MCD to provide minimum basic facilities like education, health, water and sanitation in resettlement colonies.

Coaching centres flay hefty registration fee
Our Correspondent

Meerut, August 2
All the coaching institutes here remained closed today in protest against the imposition of a hefty registration fee.

The owners of the coaching institutes and private teachers employed in these centres gathered at the Budhana Gate crossing under the aegis of the Coaching Institute Association and the Unemployed Teachers’ Organisation.

The representatives of the two bodies flayed the Coaching Exchange Ordinance 2002.

The Coaching Association’s secretary addressed the meeting and attacked the state government’s policies towards the unemployed teachers who are mostly engaged in coaching activity.

He further said that the Ordinance would render thousands of youth jobless. The registration fee for the coaching institute was too much to be paid by the unemployed youth, who would bear the brunt of the government policies in this case.

In turn, if the coaching institutes close down, the students of Uttar Pradesh would trail behind students of other states. Private teachers point out that due to their hard work the results had been 70 to 80 per cent in the high school and in intermediate examinations. The owners and private teachers led a procession from the Budhana Gate crossing, shouting slogans against the state government. Later, the protesters staged a dharna at the commissioner’s office before proceeding to the district magistrate’s office. They also shouted slogans in the collectorate.

Finally they submitted a memorandum to the DM Meerut, demanding acceptance of their 70-point charter.

It needs to be noted that Meerut is a major education centre in the western UP region and a large number of students came here specially for coaching in engineering, medical and other competitive exams.

Students from several coaching centres here have secured seats in various engineering and medical colleges.

CULTURE

LIFW set to wow fashion frat
Smriti Kak

Beefcake on show: A model sports outfits at the Lakme India Fashion Week 2002 in the Capital on Friday. Tribune Photo Mukesh Aggarwal

New Delhi, August 2
It may not be the Mecca for the fashion frat, but the Capital playing host to the fashion event of the year, the Lakme India Fashion Week (LIFW), is trying its best not to relive the experience of the first-ever LIFW.

With what is being touted as a more organised and meticulously planned enterprise, the LIFW now in its third year is expected to script a success story this time around.

A new executive director at the helm of affairs promising to take it to “greater heights” and the designers vouching that “this time it will be better”, the ramps and the stalls at the Taj Palace have become the focus of attention.

“There is only one way to go and that is up. We are trying our best to make the show a success. We have had a good start and are hoping that there will be a plenty of good things happening,” said Vinod Kaul, Executive Director of the Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI).

The glitter and the glamour apart, the show organisers are keen on selling the LIFW as the ‘Business of Fashion’. Traders and buyers have been assured of wearable stuff, reason perhaps why even the unconventional designers have had to put the horses of imagination on hold.

Around 200 domestic and international buyers are expected to participate in the LIFW. Representing around 120 domestic and 12 international companies, these buyers will interact with the Indian fashion frat to explore and tap its business potential.

Day one of the glitzy razzmatazz saw designers like Anjana Bhargav, Pridarshini Rao, Nandita Basu, Abhishek Gupta, Rahul Khanna, Rohit Gandhi, Kiran Uttam Ghosh and Rocky S showcase their work. The afternoon saw the visitors at the Sunsilk workshop titled, ‘Brides are beautiful’ and a tribute to Lakme beauty—former model Shyamoli Verma by Lakme.

As for the ambience, there was the usual mix of the rich and the beautiful, the glitterati and the blithe, all trying to make space for themselves. Newly appointed Minister of Culture and Tourism and a former Bollywood star, Vinod Khanna sat through a fashion show inviting both the curious and fawning glances. While most of those present seemed to express happiness at the way the show is being organised, it was hard to ignore sporadic complaining and cribbing about ‘the invites’ and the ‘protocols’.

‘Pyaar ka nagma’ man tugs at heart-strings
Our Correspondent

New Delhi, August 2
Ek Pyaar Ka Nagma Hai Maujo ki Rawani Hai Zindagi Aur Kucch Bhi Nahi Teri Meri Kahani Hai When the composer of this song, national poet Santosh Anand sang it before the students of Asian Academy of Film and Television in Noida and other guests, the entire hall sat entranced, and only at the end of the soulful number, it called for an encore. He obliged the audience later and sang Zindagi ki na toote ladi, pyaar kar le ghadi do ghadi on Thursday.

The Director of the Academy, Mr Sandeep Marwah presented him with the lifetime membership of the Asian Academy of Film and TV. He was also given a certificate by the academy. Mr Santosh Anand was the Chief Guest of the function of the students from the 36th batch. Other guests were presented mementoes of AAFT by him.

While addressing the gathering, Mr Santosh Anand said that the name and fame which this institute has gathered through these years, was the result of hard work by teachers and by Mr Sandeep Marwah, its director.

He added that this institute had produced students who have now made a name for themselves in the media world. The director of the famous teleserials “Kyuki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi” and “Sanjivani”on Star Plus is a product of this institute.

Not only this, on other channels on TV also, one would find the names of students from AAFT. Many students from this college have now entered into the film world. “We all are proud of Mr Sandeep Marwah who has raised India to the top not only in education but has also provided the youth with different avenues in employment,” Mr Anand said.