PTU students lose semester
Deepkamal Kaur

Ludhiana, January 18
Lack of timely communication by Punjab Technical University has resulted in over a hundred students of affiliated colleges losing a semester. While the examinations are over, colleges here yesterday received a notification from the university authorities that the students may be given a mercy chance.

Those students from different courses had been repeatedly pleading with the university authorities to give them permission to appear for the third time after getting compartment in a subject. However, the PTU authorities has consistently turned down the plea. Yesterday’s notification has come as a shock for the students who now blame the university authorities for not informing them about the same at the right time and forcing them to waste an academic year.

Even staff members of colleges are amazed. They had insisted that university be given a special chance like previous years during the Academic Council meeting of the university held at Guru Nanak Dev Engineering College on December 13. However, members of the council had turned down their request. The staff members said it was strange that in the minutes of the same meeting sent to the colleges yesterday, it was mentioned that the plea had been accepted and students granted permission for the same.

It is learnt that a few students pursuing the case regularly managed to appear in the examination. Few others who paid an amount of Rs 5000 as examination fee for the mercy chance also were allowed to appear in the tests.

Prof G.S. Dua, in charge of Gujranwala Guru Nanak Institute of Management and Technology, Civil Lines, here said over 10 students from fifth as well as sixth semesters in his college had been affected. He said had the university authorities sent the notification a fortnight in advance, the students would not have lost their chance.

Similarly, Dr A.S. Bansal, Director of Guru Nanak Institute of Management and Technology Model Town, here said a few students from his college were affected. He said such students were now eager to know whether the university authorities were ready to give them another chance.

Dr K.N.S. Kang, Director, Punjab College of Technical Education, confirmed lack of timely communication on the part of the university. He, too, said he had received the notification yesterday when most of examinations were over.

Anger can stunt student’s growth: expert
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, January 18
“A teacher can inhibit the learning process of a child by showing negative emotions and punishment is not permitted as it creates resentment and if it is constant, the result is frustration. In this state , a child will create problems to draw attention to himself, "said Dr B.P. Mishra, Reader and in charge, clinical psychology section, DMC and Hospital, Ludhiana, who was the resource person at a seminar.

The seminar on ‘How to handle children without corporal punishment ‘ was held in BVM School . Dr Mishra applauded the effort of Bharatiya Vidya Mandir to give importance to such a prominent sphere of personality development of a child in the primitive years. This type of seminar was organised for the first time in Punjab.

Due to media influence, tensions, poor scholastic problems and suicidal attempts, mal adjustment had increased among school going children.

Teachers at the nursery and pre-nursery level can involve parents through parent-teacher interaction to improve behaviour-related problems of children. Dr Mishra told primary teachers about the role of punishment, role of rewards, reward amount and reward interval. He sad the teacher had to use professional skills in distinguishing when to reward a child and how often.

The teacher should interact with students and reward by a smile or a word of praise. Positive strokes resulted in better learning. Anger led to stunted growth and slowed down learning.

Dr Mishra said 90 per cent of problems can be traced to the family and school. The teacher had to find the root of the problems.

Along with staff members, Mr Sat Parkash Dr S.D. Joshi, Mr SK. Maini, Mr O.P. Sabharwal, Mr M.M. Bamba, and Ashok Setia were also present.

The session concluded with a discussion on classroom situations.

Career launcher comes to city
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, January 18
Leading education corporate, Career Launcher, will soon be making its foray into the state when it opens its Ludhiana franchise on January 19. The IIM-alumni-promoted Career Launcher’s centre at Ludhiana will be inaugurated by Prof M.A. Zahir, Professor Emeritus, Department of Business Management, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana.

Renowned for training management aspirants, Career Launcher has since its inception in 1995 helped around 5,000 students make it to the IIMs and other better Business-schools.

The company has recently extended its network in Punjab, as also in the adjoining states of Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir. The launcher also has plans to set up centers in all A and B category towns of Punjab.

The company has also been training plus 2 students for entry to the engineering courses, mainly the IITs, and other professional courses like the BBA, the BCA, the National Law school, NIFT and hotel management.