EDUCATION

Varsity teachers hold deliberations
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, January 6
A meeting of North Zone Council of All-India Federation of University Teachers Association (AIFUTA) and the Punjab Federation of University Teachers Association (PFUTA) was held on January 5 on Punjab Agricultural University Campus, Ludhiana. Various office-bearers of university teachers associations from HP, Punjab and Chandigarh participated in the deliberations regarding the challenges being faced by universities in the region. The leaders of university teachers associations, Dr A.S. Joshi, president, PFTUA, and Dr P.P. Arya, president, AIFUTA, expressed their resentment over the deepening crises for the university system due to the apathy and negative approach of the state and Union Governments towards higher education.

The meeting showed concern at the increasing emphasis on contractual appointment of teachers in the sphere of higher education and anti-research work schedule wherein university teachers were forced to reduce their time for their research work.

The meeting also expressed its concern over the lack of uniform pension scheme for university teachers in the country. The government’s attitude not to take responsibility for payment of pension and non-implementation of pension scheme in Punjab University was strongly criticised. The meeting also showed strong concern for non-implementation of the super selection grade for professors, uniform implementation of enhancement in age from 60 to 62 years, incentive for post doctoral research work two increments to Ph.D. holders who joined service before 1.1.1996 and other pay anomalies.

All these were already notified by the UGC and but not implemented by state governments and respective universities. They expressed their concern for not giving representations to university teachers in higher education council of the state.

The council resolved that all the university teachers of north zone will observe February 13 as a protest day against anti-university attitude of the state and the Union Government.

Dr A.S. Joshi, was unanimously elected to be convener of PFUTA and, Dr Narpinder Singh, president, GNDUTA, as co-convener. The next meeting of PFUTA will be held at the GNDU, Amritsar, on February 9.

Rural women and economic growth
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana January 6
“The Sikh rural women had for years, not only nurtured the progeny, managed the household, but also worked in the fields, looked after the domestic animals. By doing these activities, they contributed to economic growth of Punjab. It is another thing that their contribution has neither been placed on record nor any one has made any studies on it”, said Ms Kanta Kaur, while addressing the postgraduate students of Guru Nanak College, Gujjar Khan Complex.

Ms Kanta is doing Ph.D from Oxford University on the subject ‘Role of women in developing the economy of Punjab’. She teaches social history at Oxford University. For this, she has been visiting Punjab for last few years. After interviewing hundreds of women all over Punjab, she found that the women kept on doing household chores. They never realised that they had made a very useful contribution to the economic growth of the state.

She said only one man, Mr M.S. Randhawa, documented the enormous work done by rural woman of Punjab and their different jobs have been displayed in the Rural Museum of Punjab Agricultural University. The general picture of rural women has emerged out to be that of a semi- literate, producing children, and doing household chores.

Guru Gobind Singh’s b’day celebrated
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, January 6
Children of Kiddies Paradise celebrated ‘avtar divas’ of Guru Gobind Singh with religious fervour and devotion. The whole atmosphere echoed with ‘Deh Shiva var mohe’ and ‘Bole so nihal’.

Salil, Anket, Jugesh, Jaspreet and others chanted shabads. The director of the school, highlighted the importance of ‘avtar divas’. He asked the children to be pious and good.

Schools to open at 10 am today
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, January 6
In view of the cold wave in the region, the Deputy Commissioner today changed the timings of all private and public schools in the district from tomorrow. According to a spokesperson of the district administration, the schools would begin at 10 am from tomorrow. The closing time would be decided by the school authorities. The DC said the visibility was poor during the mornings due to fog and it was difficult for schoolchildren to go to schools in early mornings.

The orders would remain enforced from January 7 to February 15. Some schools had already changed the time to 9.00 a.m. Now the timings will extend by one hour in these schools.