The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Sainik school eludes the ‘nursery of soldiers’
Nawal Kishore Rastogi

Rewari, November 6
If the proposal to set up a sainik school for girls at Pali-Gothra village near Rewari gets clearance from the Union Finance Ministry, it will be the first of its kind in the country. Besides, it will also do justice to the people of Ahirwal who have suffered immensely on account of petty caste politics as well as persistent apathy of the successive state governments.

The proposal, which was earlier submitted to the Defence Ministry by Dr Sudha Yadav, MP who represents Mahendragarh in the Lok Sabha, has now been lying with the Union finance Ministry for sanction.

Ahirwal, which is a sort of nursery of soldiers in the country, broadly comprises Rewari, Mahendragarh and Gurgaon districts of Haryana as well as the neighbouring areas of Alwar district of Rajasthan. At present, these four districts of Ahirwal have approximately 35,000 ex-servicemen and 24,000 serving men from Rewari; 15,000 ex-servicemen and 22,000 serving men from Gurgaon; and 30,000 ex-servicemen and 22,000 serving men from Alwar, according to Mr Naresh Chauhan, general secretary of the Rezang La Shauriya Samiti.

It is a pity that the government has not done much to fulfil the demands of the Ahirs, which mainly include the opening of a sainik school, the setting up of a recruiting centre and the formation of an Ahir regiment in the Indian Army.

It is noteworthy that at an ex-servicemen’s rally in Narnaul on September 4, 1983, Mr R. Venkataraman, the then Defence Minister, announced in the presence of then Chief Minister Bhajan Lal as well as then Union Agriculture Minister Rao Birender Singh, that a sainik school would be opened in Mahendragarh district. Mr Bhajan Lal, in turn, promised land for the school.

The Chief Secretary in his letter No.64/100/84 dated January 30, 1984, stated that a sainik school would be set up at a cost of Rs 2.20 crore in Pali village near Rewari and it would start functioning from July, 1986. The village panchayat even donated 200 acres of land for the purpose.

Unfortunately, the project got bogged down in petty caste politics, following which then Chief Minister Devi Lal, at an ex-servicemen’s rally in Hisar on February 6, 1989, publicly announced that the sainik school would now be opened at Matanhale village in Rohtak district (now in Jhajjar district).

However, the Sangharsh Samiti of the people of the Rewari region organised protest rallies and also sought Mr Chandra Shekhar’s intervention in the matter. Finally, Mr Devi Lal mellowed down and declared that two sainik schools - one each at Matanhale and Pali - would be opened. However, the project got derailed with the end of the Devi Lal-Chautala regime in May, 1990.

The demand for setting up the school at Pali was again voiced at the Rezangla Shaurya Diwas Samaroh here on November 18, 1992 before then Defence Minister Sharad Pawar, who also announced that his ministry would do the necessary as soon as he got such a proposal from the Haryana Government. But nothing followed. Later, the demand was raised at a rally here on August 24, 1996 before then Defence Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav who also gave an assurance on doing the needful. Even after firm assurances by three Defence Ministers, the project still eludes Pali or more so Ahirwal.

Even as the glaring neglect of Rewari was all too apparent, the prospects of Matanhale again brightened up when Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala recently made a move to get the foundation stone of the sainik school laid there by Defence Minister George Fernandes. However, the foundation stone laying ceremony, which was to take place on November 1, was put off at the last moment for unexplained reasons.

Meanwhile, Dr Sudha Yadav has also intensified her efforts to secure a sainik school for girls at Pali, the proposal for which was awaiting clearance from the Union Finance Ministry.

CAMPUS
Will someone put fizz back into JNU poll?
Sanjog Gupta

The campaigning period for candidates in the JNUSU elections concluded on November 6, with the presidential debate on the Jhelum Hostel lawns. The JNU elections’ character is unique in a number of ways – first and foremost, the management. The entire electoral process is completely managed by 26 students, who form the Election Commission and undertake the responsibility of “acting as the students’ representative” till the time that the new Students’ Union is in place.

Secondly, the tenets of the election code of conduct are sacrosanct while campaigning and are treated as the last word. There doesn’t arise a need for the commission to enforce the rules for the candidates themselves morally abide by them while campaigning. Personal slander is barred, the EC must be informed well in advance of the parties’ schedules for procession (which again cannot pass through residential quarters) and other stringent rules provide the framework, within which the elections are conducted.

Thirdly, owing to the adherence with the code of conduct, campaigning is extremely orderly. Parties are allocated fixed days to conduct public meetings and for addressing the hostel messes. The academic activity in the university runs largely uninterrupted and candidates have to vie for the students’ time outside the classrooms at ‘dhabas’ and other venues of social parlays. The campus does not end up resembling a billboard with only handmade posters being allowed by the EC and even the locations where various parties are allowed to put these up are allocated by the EC. The EC even goes to the extent of supplying the parties with paint and adhesive.

Another unique feature of the elections is the ‘dependence on issues’. Campaign battles are largely fought on ideological grounds and centre around pivotal issues of local and national relevance. The idea is to make the voter relate with the party’s ideology. Divided into the contemporary Right, Centre and Left ideology, the parties aim hard at ensuring that the voters relate to take on things and eventually vote for the ideology their own thoughts are in consonance with.

The innovative and communicative abilities of the candidates clearly come forth, as they are not relegated to being just inanimate symbols of the parties rallying around in tow with shouting supporters shaking hands. Considerable grey matter goes into the development of the parties’ agenda and the effective communication of the same through pamphlets and handmade posters.

In spite of its unique character, the main players in the poll battle remain the same – ABVP, NSUI, SFI-AISF (Left Unity) and to a lesser extent CLJ and AISA. The main issues of deadlock this year included saffronisation of education, Akshardham and growing militancy, violence at the Gurudakshina ceremony attended by VHP chief Ashok Singhal, security concerns on campus and the perennial issue of globalisation.

But a new trend that has emerged in this year’s elections is the involvement of major political leaders in campaigning for the student parties. Sitaram Yechuri addressed a public meeting in support of the Left Unity while ABVP involved Arun Jaitley in its campaign. NSUI had a series of addresses by senior leaders, which included Salman Khurshid, Oscar Fernandez, Ajay Maken and a host of others.

But the general outlook on the JNU campus remains rather sceptical with most students wanting to distance themselves from “politics”. The university GBM held on November 5, provided a preview of what might be in store on the polling day on November 8. An open forum meant for the students to direct questions at the candidates – apart from the presidential candidates – the whole set up bore a forlorn look in spite of the presence of the party cadre in large numbers. Most questions were ‘plants’ of the candidates and no real fervour could be seen on the campus towards the paraphernalia that went into the organisation of the GBM.

The past five years have witnessed a declining trend in voter turnout at the JNUSU polls and under all likelihood the trend is expected to continue on its declining path. The issue of winning the JNUSU battle has turned secondary for all parties concerned. The focus has shifted to the priority of ensuring that they are able to muster up enough interest among the voters, so as to ensure that voters actually turn up in decent numbers on November 8.

AMITY confers awards

Aditya Birla Group Chairman Kumarmangalam Birla receiving the Amity Award for Excellence in Business.

The AMITY Business School conferred the Amity Leadership Awards 2002 upon Mr Kumar Manglam Birla, Chairman, Aditya Birla Group and Mr K.V. Kamath, MD & CEO, ICICI. Mr Birla received the award for Excellence in Business, while the honour was bestowed upon Mr Kamath for Corporate Excellence by Mr Tom Peters, who presented the award in a pomp ceremony.

Mr N. K. Singh, Member of Planning Commission, chaired the jury for the award, which consisted of eminent personalities such as Mr R. S. Lodha, President, FICCI, Kiran Karnik, President, NASSCOM and Ashok Soota, President, CII among others. The jury conferred the award on the basis of the awardees’ leadership qualities and exceptional achievements in the fields of organisational structure, vision, employee empowerment, societal orientation etc.

Mr Birla while accepting the award said, “An organisation needs people who are stars who can work together to a common goal.” His words echoed the sentiments of Mr Kamath, who also elaborated on the rapid changes taking place in the business environment and the dynamic shift in the paradigm. The Amity Leadership awards are being envisaged to be an annual feature seeking to honour those who redefine standards and create benchmarks in the field of industry. The sole purpose of the awards will be “for leaders of today to inspire the leaders of tomorrow.”

Publishing workshop

The Institute of Book Publishing is conducting its 15th condensed course for publishing professionals from November 18 to 27. The intensive ten-day programme will entail lectures/discussions, hands-on practical exercises, field visits and professional guidance by veterans in the field of publishing.

The main focus for the course this year is on the full range of implications of new technologies on the future of traditional book publishing in the region.

The faculty for the course consists industry veterans such as Arvind Kumar, MD, Scholastic, Asoke K.Ghosh, MD, Prentice-Hall, Mohan Primlani, MD, Oxford and IBH Publishing and S. K. Ghai, CMD, Sterling Publishers. The course will entail sessions on Book Design and production, legal aspects of book writing, book design and production and the business of book publishing among others.

The institute was founded in 1986 with the aegis of Late Shri O.P.Ghai in response to the growing industrial need for professionally trained and well-honed personnel.

Proposed varsity in Noida

Noida is the proposed site for the establishment of a top-of-the-line business university in UP. Industrialist Suresh Nanda announced that the latest offering in the proposed education plan of the state would offer specialised postgraduate courses in Business Administration and Engineering with a focus on IT. The university boasting global standards will require an investment of Rs 40 crore and will have visiting faculty from abroad and state-of-the-art technological features.

The UP government has shown keen interest in the proposed project and plans to make available all assistance required by Mr Nanda. Mr Nanda has also envisaged making available the services of the university to the economically weak sections, through a wide array of scholarships. He said, “education is the only tool towards the development and modernisation of any country. The state of UP will benefit immensely through the establishment of centres of higher education of global standards.”

Dhamaka 2002

The students of Chhotu Ram Rural Institute of Technology, Kanjhawala (Ghevra), organised a cultural programme titled “Dhamaka 2002” on November 2. Inaugurated by Agriculture Scientist, Mr S. S. Solanki, the function served as a platform for Principal of the Polytechnic, K. L. Sharma, to praise the students’ endeavour and bestow accolades upon them and their parents. The function entailed competitions involving singing, dancing, mimicry and theatre. The function also included the declaration of academic awards for meritorious students.

National Convention

The Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI) is organising its 30th National Convention with the theme “Repositioning the profession in the changing international business environment” from November 13-15, at Tagore Hall, Paldi, Ahmedabad.

The underlying objective of the convention is to chart out the future shape of legislative reforms in business related laws and to deliberate as to how to reposition the profession of company secretaries. The agenda for the convention is divided into four technical sessions – Harmonisation of Company Law (Unfinished agenda), Reforming Securities Laws for Sustainable Development of Capital Market, Changing Business Environment (Trade related issues) and Regulatory Response and Repositioning the Profession as a Competitive differentiator.

The institute is invited delegates from diverse fields and promises for the agenda to offer value to each delegate, irrespective of the background.

The registration fees for the convention ranges from Rs 1, 500 to Rs 3, 000 exclusive of accommodation, depending on the background of the delegate. The last date for nominations of delegates was November 5. But the institute is accepting nominations with a nominal fine even though the date has elapsed.

Seminar on e-learning

JIMS Director A.K. Sengupta inaugurates a seminar on e-learning.

Jagannath International Management School (JIMS) recently organised a seminar on ‘E-learning Emerging India market’ in collaboration with GGS Indraparstha University. The seminar was inaugurated by Dr Jagdish Kapur, Professor, Indian Institute of Public Administration and Mr Pradeep Gupta, CEO, Cyber Media. The seminar provided a podium for eminent academicians and practitioners to exchange views and air concerns related to the theme.

Dr Kapur emphasised the need for e-learning by saying, “E-learning provides students the opportunity to learn at one’s own time at one’s own pace.” Mr A. K. Sengupta, Director, JIMS added, “Traditional ways of learning have too many pitfalls, which leave learning gaps for the learners.” Other eminent speakers included Dr M. M. Pant, former V-C, IGNOU, Mr Alok Narain, Bharati Cellular and Mr P. K. De, Adviser, CMC LLT. The focus of the programme was to provide an insight into the ways and means of e-learning to the attendees, consisting academicians, students and professionals. The programme was able to highlight the growing need for technological assimilation required for successful implementation of the process of e-learning at the same time bring forth the impact on the institution, corporate, system developers and other service providers operating in the space.