Protect sensitive crop from cold: experts
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, January 17
PAU experts are of the opinion that the current cold spell is not beneficial for sensitive crops like tomato, potato, winter maize, sunflower and papaya. Low temperature though usually favourable for wheat, may not be favourable for the growth of plants. If such weather prevails, the intensity of late blight to potato may increase. The farmers have also been advised to spray the crops as per recommendation. Similarly, peas should also be sprayed against powdery mildew.

The experts have also advised the farmers to protect sensitive crops from frost by giving light and frequent irrigation, provision of smoke and use of polythene cover so as to raise the temperature of the plant environment for high-value crops.

They said the current rabi season had experienced temperature slightly above normal, while the rainfall was below normal. However, the cold spell started with the beginning of January and is continuing till date. As a result most places in Punjab experienced a drop in day time temperature, which was much lower than normal.

A perusal of the day time temperature recorded at the university over the past fortnight reveals a continuous cold spell where the temperature has remained below 14 °C, which was less by 5 °C to 9 °C from the normal. During this period most areas have also experienced foggy conditions. At some places frost has also been observed due to low temperature.

On an average the night temperature in Ludhiana remained close to the normal temperature of 5 °C during the first week of January, but the second week experienced an average 1 °C to 2 °C below normal. The lowest night temperature of 2.5 °C was observed on January 10 and 13.

This weather is likely to continue for another 2 to 3 days. The daily maximum and minimum temperatures are expected to range between 10 °C to 15 °C and 2 °C to 6 °C, respectively. Daily loss of water through evaporation is likely to remain below 1 mm for most of the days of this week. The mean relative humidity is likely to remain around 90 per cent during this week.

The farmers have been advised to start sowing sunflower and irrigate tomato crop. Regular irrigation may be given to all crops to minimise losses.

Mango and litchi need special care. Thatches to young plants must be inspected and repaired, if needed. Irrigate the mango orchards. Deciduous fruit plants need pruning and planting during this period.

Animals should also be protected. The sheds should be closed from both sides during the night. Avoid feeding of dew-laden ‘berseen’. Increase oilseed cakes in concentrate if only sugarcane tops are being fed. Be watchful for tick infestation. Avoid feeding of paddy straw, the experts advised.

EDUCATION

Plan to start new courses: Ganguly
Asha Ahuja

Ludhiana, January 17
The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) will introduce new courses at the secondary level. The new courses will be pertaining to latest subjects which are in demand at the international level. This was stated by Mr Ashok Ganguly, Chairman, CBSE, who was in the city last evening to preside over a function of Guru Nanak Public School.

He said: “Only those courses would be included that are relevant to our times like environment studies”. The CBSE was devising courses for overall development of the child. He said the board was going to make primary students’ life easy as they would not have to carry bags as no homework would be given to them. “The students of primary classes will be given more practical knowledge and exposure. So for students of Class I and Class II the importance will be given to learning of numerals and languages, whereas the students of Class III to V the courses will be based on skill education”.

The Chairman said: “For Class VI to X the board will offer new optional courses like consumer education and biotechnology soon. The schools are being asked to implement the new courses within two years, but the board is not forcing any school”.

The students will be taught yoga and meditation to cope up with the stress of modern education. Also to make the education system globally competitive, the education system would see a lot of changes, he added.

He also informed about the proposal of introducing grading system for promoting the students to the next class. He said the board was trying to create a consensus among the state education boards in this regard and since most of the state boards had given their consensus, grading system for declaration of results would be implemented soon. “Many principals feel that the grading system is more progressive way of gauging the capabilities of students”, he said.

“The new courses would equip students to face current problems of life. The board will organise refresher courses for teachers from time to time to equip them to tackle new courses. The board has chalked a plan under which the next two years are going to be celebrated as training years”.

Meanwhile, Guru Nanak Public School was a hub of activity as it celebrated its annual prize distribution function.

The function started with ‘shabad kirtan’ followed by a cultural programme. The highlights of the programme were ‘Fisherman’s dance’ that depicted very vividly the hardships faced by fisher folk and a Punjabi play, ‘Jimmewar Kaun’, brought out the disastrous consequences of drug addiction.

The Principal, Mr R.S. Gill, introduced the chief guest to the audience, who later gave away prizes to students. Mr Jagat Singh, secretary, management committee, thanked the chief guest and the parents. Mr Bhagat Singh, Chairman of the school, and members of the school governing bodies were present, among others.

Teaching skills discussed
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, January 17
For the past one year, over 10,000 students from over 19 cities have been honing their speaking and creativity skills in the KQ School Advantage courses, a programme conceived and designed by Derek O’Brien and Associates.

Now under the stewardship of the KVM Principal, Ms Neena Khanna, the school has taken the lead in conducting the course from January 20. In this connection, a “Teacher Power Workshop” was held at the KVM today. Around 50 teachers from various schools of the city participated in the workshop. The two-hour-long workshop was conducted by Ms Sudipta Dhruva and Mr Dyu D’Cunha from Derek O’Brien and Associates, Kolkata.

Ms Sudipta Dhruva, who has been working for the past 10 years with children and teachers in the field of creative thinking skills, shared with the teachers the various techniques and methods they had been using for the overall development of the students. The workshop dealt with creativity in the classroom and aimed at better classroom communication. Together with the participants, the workshop brought out ideas and concepts to help bring out the potential in every child.

Ms Neena Khanna said the workshop was one step towards excellence and if the teachers carried back the methodology to the classes, classroom teaching would be more effective.

Stress on women empowerment
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, January 17
“If the parents today spend a few thousands on educating their girls and imparting vocational skills, they would then be required to spend a lesser amount on their dowry at the time of marriage. The rural girls ought to be given vocational skills, so that they become economically independent,” said Ms Madanjit Sahota of Master Tara Singh Memorial College.

The college had invited the Sarpanches and Panches of different villages to impress upon them the need to provide vocational education to the girls in rural areas. Besides providing self-employment, this would improve the quality of their life as well as of their children. Ms Sahota said economic independence would also help in gaining political empowerment.

A survey in the far-flung areas revealed that girls’ education had to be stopped after a certain level as there were no avenues open for them. Hence, starting vocational educational centres for girls in these areas with the help of panchayats and NRIs would be mutually beneficial.

The panches and sarpanches from Mansurpuran, Ladowal, Kutbewal, Ayali Kalan, Mullanpur, Phillaur and Abran came for the interaction. Mr Harbhajan Singh of Mansurpuran pointed out that social evils like dowry and poverty can only be eradicated through education.

Forum quashes PSEB demand
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, January 17
The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum, while turning down the charge of power theft against Mr Suraj Parkash, a resident of double storey buildings, near Gill Chowk in the city, has quashed the demand for Rs 18,340 raised by the Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB) on this account.

Disposing of the complaint of the consumer, who was represented by Mr S.S. Sarna, the presiding officer of the forum, Mr Hardial Singh, observed that the mere presence of two holes on the body of power meter was not sufficient to prove that the consumer had committed power theft. Apart from the holes on the body of the meter, the PSEB had failed to provide any conclusive proof that theft of power was being committed by the consumer.

According to the PSEB contention, the meter installed on the premises of the complainant was removed on January 15, 2001 and tested in the ME Lab on October18, 2001 in the presence of the complainant. The report of the lab made a mention of holes on the meter body, which could have been used for tampering with the of units. Treating it as a case of power theft, the PSEB had raised a demand for Rs 18,340 against the consumer.

Challenging the demand raised by the PSEB, the complainant maintained that although he had signed the report of the lab, he had clearly indicated his disagreement with the report and the allegation of theft. Moreover, the meter was removed from his house premises in January, 2001 and taken away in an unsealed condition by the PSEB employees and the testing in ME Lab was conducted almost after nine months.

The forum ruled that the PSEB demand stood quashed and the amount recovered by the PSEB from the consumer be refunded along with 12 per cent interest from the date of deposit to the actual refund. The parties were left to bear their own costs. Further, the PSEB was directed to comply with the orders within two months.