EDUCATION

Stalemate over contract continues
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 3
The stalemate over signing of contracts between bus operators and schools of the city continued with both parties sticking to their stand today.

The Bus Operators Union, in an effort to convince schools to sign agreements for a period of five years, met various officials of the UT Administration and urged them to intervene in the matter.

“Our union members are not ready to sign contracts for a term less than five years. The schools have the option of discontinuing with us in case of unsatisfactory service since the contracts would be renewable every year,” the president of the union, Mr Manjit Singh, said.

The union members rued the fact that the schools were not ready to abide by the decision taken in the presence of top officials of the Administration where the schools had agreed to draw up contracts for a five-year term. They said the members of the union would go and meet the school heads once the officials had spoken on their behalf.

Tribune Model School Principal, teacher retire
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 3
Mrs Promila Verma and Mrs Sudesh Sharma, Principal, and teacher, respectively, of Tribune Model School, retired on August 31.

Mrs Verma and Mrs Sharma served the school for eight and 31years, respectively.

A warm sendoff was today given to them by their colleagues and the management.

Mr O.P. Arora, Addl. G.M, among others, lauded the services of Mrs Verma and Mrs Sharma.

ICAI to give free coaching 
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh September 3
The ICAI Institute of Competitions (a registered non-profit educational society established since 1993) would conduct an aptitude test on September 8 to provide free coaching to 50 students for medical and engineering Entrance Examinations.

ICAI has also reserved 10 seats equivalent to 20% of the seats for the financially weaker sections of society and would also award scholarships to meritorious students. The last date for enrolling for aptitude test is September 6.

Mr. H.S. Pasricha, president, ICAI, informed, “The aim of the exercise is to promote a sense of healthy competition among students and also to encourage the students from the financially weaker sections of society. We will welcome school-level participation in this initiative towards promotion of education”, he added.

“ICAI has state-of-the art infrastructure, well-experienced faculty, classroom intensive discussions and multimedia presentations to give its aim of quality education a better shape. Additional preparation is also given to students for their better performance for board exams”, said H.S. Pasricha.

ICAI is a registered non-profit educational society, established in 1993 and has established a state-of-the-art 36,000 sq. ft. campus at Phase VII Mohali. ICAI has been imparting IT education to students and has already successfully trained more than 8000 students.

Students’ threat to intensify agitation
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 3
Students of Shri Dhanwantry Ayurvedic College today threatened to intensify their agitation by closing down the college and hospital in case steps are not taken to end their 28 day long strike within the next two days.

Talking to mediapersons, the striking students said that in case the authorities do not resolve the matter, they will not let the college and the hospital function.” We have also requested the Governor to intervene in the matter, as the police too has not taken any action against college officials, who manhandled and misbehaved with girl students,” they alleged.

The president of the Students Welfare Council, Ravinder Singh, alleged that there was a feeling of insecurity amongst the students, as they had been threatened by some of the college staff, that they would be implicated in false cases if they did not call off their strike. He further alleged that cases had been filed against the students sitting on dharna, at the behest of the college authorities.

The students alleged that it was a handful of people who were misleading the college authorities also. The students urged the Governor and Chief Minister, Punjab, to intervene and resolve the conflict between the students and the college authorities.

They demanded that the four students whose names had been struck off should be taken back immediately so that they can continue with their studies. They added that they would not be responsible for any extreme step taken by the students, as the authorities were compelling them to adopt the path of confrontation.

2 teams disqualified from contest
Our Correspondent

Chandigarh, September 3
The enthusiasm of participants for the inter-school girls folk dance competition at Government Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 10, was marred by chaos that prevailed over the disqualification of two participating teams here today.

About 14 schools, both private and government model and non-model schools, took part in the folk dance competition but two teams, namely the bhangra team from St Stephen’s School and IS Dev Samaj College, Sector 21, were disqualified from the contest after they performed on the stage.

According to information available, St Stephen’s school violated rules by incorporating two male members in the singing team, as the competition was meant for girls only while the other team representing IS Dev Samaj Senior Secondary School, Sector 21, was disqualified on the ground that it had more than four members in the singing group.

Meanwhile, the winner of the folk dance competition was Government Model Girls Senior Secondary School, Sector 18, who performed giddah, followed by Government Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 10.The third position was bagged by Government Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 37.

Yesterday, an inter-school group song competition was organised at the same venue, which was won by St Stephen’s School, Sector 45. Government Model High School, Sector 28, was declared the first runner-up while Government Girls Senior Secondary School, Sector 20 was declared the second runner-up.

Welcoming September with notes of joy
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 3
Weather changes have universally made an impact on the moods of poets, playwrights, dramatists, singers and music composers. “Come September”, an aptly titled event was the musical presentation by the pre-schoolers of Strawberry Fields Kindergarten in Sector 24 on Tuesday morning.

An informal and intimate music day, it is an annual feature where students sing for their parents to the accompanying notes of the piano. The carefully selected numbers were a reflection of the thoughts, ideas and concepts, which the growing children have been gently introduced to. Music is an integral part of the school curriculum and features in the timetable on a daily basis. The songs are linked to the lessons and general awareness themes, which they undertake as part of class activity.

Set against the backdrop of a beach, the colourful collage had symbolic representation of objects culled out from the rhymes, which the children had chosen to sing. Students of Nursery, LKG and UKG took their turns in presenting a collection of songs on animals like the octopus and caterpillar; the thrill of seeing the pitter patter of raindrops, the clowning acts of jokers in a circus, the excitement of undertaking travel by plane and the fascinating things different parts of the body can be put to. According to the Director, Mr Atul Khanna, “regular music lessons incorporated into the lives of children can bring greater harmony in their thought process. And in a more tangible way improve their pronunciation, diction, elocution and expression skills.”

Ms P. Cheema, Principal of St John’s School, was a special invitee on the occasion. In her address to the parents she highlighted the importance of kindergarten education in the life of a pre-schooler and greatly appreciated the way in which the school is bringing music in the lives of little children. 

Teachers “not given” pay panel scales
Tribune New Service

Chandigarh, September 3
The Education Department Central Scale Welfare Association (school cadre) claimed that teachers of government schools were not being given pay scales recommended by the Fifth Pay Commission despite an order from CAT.

They alleged that the Education Department had misled the Government of India and passed orders to release the pay scales of Rs 5000-8000 instead of Rs 5500-9000.

The members alleged that the Eduction Department had not given any senior scale and the selection scale.

GCG Principal plants sapling
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 3
Prakriti, an Environment Society of the Government College for Girls, Sector 11, celebrated vanamahotsava on the campus under the campaign ‘Each One, Plant One’. Ms Usha Khetarpal Waie, Principal, planted a sapling and inaugurated the campaign.

The programme was organised by the Environment Education and Tree Plantation Unit of the college. The campaign elicited an enthusiastic response from the students.

Meanwhile, in another function while inaugurating the new academic session at the Government College of Education, Sector 20, here on Tuesday, the Principal, Ms Surinder Kaur Tangri, said a lot of patience, perseverance and hard work goes into the making of a good teacher. On the orientation day, the faculty was introduced by the staff secretary, Dr Beantjit Kaur. It was followed by introduction to college, scheme of studies and the work schedule.

COURTS

HIGH COURT
SHO can cross-check information
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 3
The Punjab and Haryana High Court, in a significant judgement, today ruled that the officer in charge of a police station was not debarred from holding a brief inquiry if the information received by him was uncertain, indistinct or patently absurd.

Delivering the verdict, Mr Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel of the High Court ruled: “Information received by an officer in charge of a police station relating to the commission of a cognizable offence was required to be entered in a book kept at a police station. At the same time it cannot be ignored that malicious or baseless information may do incalculable harm to the person against whom such information is furnished.... While abuse of power by the police in adopting such a course cannot be ruled out, forcing the police to register an FIR on motivated, frivolous, absurd, vague and malicious version will be equally undesirable”.

In his detailed order, Mr Justice Goel observed: “The officer in charge can first cross-check the information in a summary manner and tell the informant about his decision accordingly. Such a decision of the officer has to be prompt and bona fide and is subject to scrutiny by higher authorities as well as the courts. If there is inaction or the decision is erroneous, the same can be corrected by the Superintendent of Police or Magistrate. If action of the officer or the SP is not only erroneous but also mala fide, they may be individually liable for their action or inaction in appropriate proceedings”.

The orders were pronounced on a petition filed by Mitlesh Kumari, who had sought directions to the state of Punjab and other respondents to register a cheating and forgery case in a land related matter. As per the petitioner, the police had failed to take action following which a complaint was filed before a magistrate. He, in turn, had asked the Station House Officer concerned to look into the matter. In his report, the SHO had submitted that the allegations were not credible. Subsequently, another application was submitted before the magistrate for registration of an FIR. The same was, however, dismissed, but the court called upon the complainant to produce preliminary evidence.

After hearing arguments, Mr Justice Goel dismissed the petition and concluded: “Impugned orders, calling upon the complainant to bring preliminary evidence, does not call for any interference.”

MLA impleaded

Impleading MLA Chander Bhatia as a respondent on a petition filed by two relatives of a Municipal Councillor transferred allegedly due to political considerations, Mr Justice H.S. Bedi and Mr Justice Viney Mittal of the High Court today issued notice of motion for October 1.

In their petition, the two teachers had contended that the MLA was very close to the Chief Minister and was trying his best to put pressure on the Municipal Councillors, including their relative, so that he changed sides and aligned with the ruling party.

Advocate gets day’s sentence, fine

Mr Justice R.L. Anand and Mr Justice Hemant Gupta of the High Court on Tuesday sentenced a Hisar advocate to simple imprisonment till the rising of the court and also imposed a fine of Rs 500. The Judges, however, suspended his sentence for two months.

Convicting the advocate, the Judges had earlier observed: “In view of the fact that the respondent had uttered disparaging remarks in the court which interfered with the due course of judicial proceedings and lowered the dignity of courts, amounting to criminal contempt, we, therefore, hold the respondent guilty of criminal contempt”.

Pronouncing the orders on the quantum of sentence, the Judges observed: “He should have shown maturity of mind towards law. He totally forgot that he owes some responsibility in maintaining the magnanimity of law. His conduct was non-excusable. So much so, even before the High Court, he did not show any remorse. He wanted to justify his contemptuous role, still keeping in view the fact that he is an old man of 81 years and he has a standing of 46 years at the Bar, we sentence him to simple imprisonment till the rising of court and pay a fine of Rs 500”.

Notice on PPSC ex-Secy’s plea

Taking up a petition filed by Punjab Public Service Commission’s former Secretary Pritpal Singh, seeking grant of bail in a cheating case, a Division Bench of the High Court today issued notice of motion to the state of Punjab and other respondents for September 7.

Pritpal Singh, currently confined in Patiala’s Central Jail, was booked in a case registered in April under Sections 420, 467, 468, 471-A and 120-B of the Indian Penal Code. He was accused of bringing answer sheets from the Commission’s office at Patiala to PPSC’s suspended chairman Ravinder Pal Singh Sidhu’s Sector 10 residence. According to the prosecution, he was also Sidhu’s close friend.

Seeking grant of bail, Pritpal Singh, in his petition taken up by the Bench, comprising Mr Justice G.S. Singhvi and Ms Justice Kiran Anand Lall, had contended that the accused was being implicated in the case and compilation of the results was a part of his official duty.

Jain’s bail plea transferred
Our Correspondent

Chandigarh, September 3
An anticipatory bail plea moved by Mr M.K Jain, suspect in the Shimla girl rape case, was today transferred to another court by a local court. The bail plea moved by the suspect is likely to come for hearing before the UT Additional and Sessions Judge tomorrow. An anticipatory bail plea moved by another suspect, Ram Lal, in the case will also came up for hearing tomorrow.

CULTURE

Institute to start acting course
Our Correspondent

SAS Nagar, September 3
Entertainment Campus is planning to start a seven-month-long course in acting and later get into TV serials, music albums and film production.

The Managing Director of the institute told mediapersons here today that the course in acting would be very exhaustive and cover almost every aspect.

He said a short-duration course in voice modulation would also be started. The purpose of starting such a course was to groom talented youngsters for exposure in TV and the radio industry. During the three-week course students would be trained to handle voice related jobs.

Mr Kamra said E Campus had planned some short-duration courses in modelling, dancing and personality development. He said the institute would not only train students but would also take care of their placements. For achieving this aim, the institute would set up its own production facilities. They were looking for 40 business associates who could invest up to Rs 10 lakh each.

The target was to spend between Rs 4 crore and Rs 5 crore on production. Col V.K. Malik (retd), General Manager, said the institute was opened in April. It was inaugurated by a prominent film personality, Madhumati Deepak.

It was affiliated to Madhumati Academy of Acting, Dancing and Allied Arts, Mumbai.

Programme on astrology
Our Correspondent

SAS Nagar, September 3
“Sitarre Ki Kehnde Ne”, a programme on astrology, was shot at Dara Studio here today.

The first episode will be telecast on September 8 on Alfa Punjabi. The programme has been conceived and designed by Mr P. Khurrana, an astrologer.

Mr Khurrana told mediapersons that he aimed to bring awareness among people about practical applicability of astrology in daily life with a special focus on Vaastu, tarrot card, numerology, phrenology and spiritualism.

Mr Khurrana said astrology was a divine science and had a multi-dimensional scope for all categories of people and therefore the show would attract a large number of viewers irrespective of their belief in astrology. He claimed that the show would help in removing doubts about astrology.

He said an astro-analysis of some prominent personalities would be done with special light on their important events of life in view of the position of planets.