IGNOU’s induction meeting through Gyandarshan
Asha Ahuja

Ludhiana, January 7
Technological advancement in the field of communication technology is fast making inroads into higher education. Technology is now being used to make higher education accessible to all IGNOU is known for its innovative strategies to reach out to its students spread all over India. For the past few years IGNOU has made a number of collaborative efforts with organisations like All-India Radio, Doordarshan and ISRO make higher education accessible to all. The university’s efforts to make live interaction possible through radio and TV have gained international acclaim.

IGNOU’s Regional Centre, Khanna, will arrange for its freshly-admitted students an induction meeting on January 11 and 12 in which students of Punjab and Chandigarh will participate in a national wide video teleconference through Gyandarshan, an educational TV channel being run by IGNOU. The purpose of the video teleconference is to hold an introductory meeting of the faculty at the headquarters and of three lakh students spread all over India. Down linking sites have been made available at IGNOU’s study centres of Patiala, Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Khanna and Chandigarh.

Dr U.C. Pandey, Regional Director, IGNOU, said about 9,500 students had so far enrolled themselves from Punjab and Chandigarh for the academic session commencing from January, 2003, which the last phase of admission was still on. The induction meeting faculty at the headquarters would suggest ways and means to its students regarding study in IGNOU. The students would interact with the faculty on various aspects viz admissions, evaluation, material distribution, examination, regional services and salient features of various academic programmes.

Dr Pandey said the university had five down linking sites in Punjab and Chandigarh where freshly-admitted students were being told to assemble. Study centres were now busy making efforts to make such a massive event successful. He further said IGNOU was running a TV channel ‘Gyandarshan’ in which a provision for two-way audio and one-way video teleconference was available. IGNOU’s Regional Centre for Punjab and Chandigarh was planning to make the facility of video teleconferencing available in all study centres of the region soon. He called upon all cable operators to give Gyandarshan through their cable networks for the benefit of the people.

‘Grading system unjust’
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, January 7
A lecturer of the D.D. Jain Memorial College for Women has written to the Vice-Chancellor of Panjab University, expressing resentment against having being awarded ‘B’ grade in the 56th General Orientation Course. About 45 lecturers had taken this course, organised in Ramgarhia Girls College from December 5, 2002, to January 1, 2003.

Ms Antar Jyoti Ghai, a political science lecturer, wrote in the letter that, at the end of the GOC, 40 lecturers were awarded the grade ‘A’ and five were awarded the grade ‘B’.

She said: “A number of teachers who did not participate in any discussion, made no review, remained out of every committee and gave dull paper presentations were awarded the grade ‘A’. My paper presentation and overall participation won acclaim from every quarter, but I was given ‘B’ grade. The faulty grading system defeats the purpose of promoting excellence by holding the GOC. The grading system should either be scrapped or made transparent.”

In her representation to the VC, Ms Ghai said she had presented a review of the ice-breaking session, but her name had not been included in the list of contents in the course report. She said details of marks obtained in every activity by every participant should be declared to bring in transparency.

Ms Ghai said all five lecturers who had been awarded the grade ‘B’ had sent their representations in this regard to Dr P.S. Verma, Director Academic Staff College. Ms Ghai urged the VC, Dr K.N. Pathak, to look into the matter. Her academic record has been outstanding throughout and she has been a gold medalist of the university.

Mozambique minister visits PAU today
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, January 7
Dr Leonardo Santos Simao, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mozambique, will be visiting Punjab Agricultural University on tomorrow around 12 noon. He will be accompanied by Mr Carlos Agostinho de Rosaric, High Commissioner of the Republic of Mozambique in India.

The visitors will hold discussions with the Vice-Chancellor, Dr Kirpal Singh Aulakh, and other senior officers at a meeting at Sutton House to explore the possibilities of mutual collaboration in agricultural, research and development.