Review of research programmes in PAU
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, January 20
The Punjab Agricultural University authorities have decided to undertake a review of research programmes of various departments of the five constituent colleges of the university to refix the priorities in the wake of changing agricultural scenario.

Disclosing this, Dr K.S. Aulakh, Vice-Chancellor, PAU, said today the review would start from January 23 and first the departments of College of Veterinary Science would be taken up. It would take about a month to complete the exercise, he said.

Dr Aulakh said the review of the research programmes was necessary to check duplication of work and economise funds.

He said the university had already undertaken certain steps to check duplication and superfluous expenditure.

According to Dr Aulakh, the review of departments of animal breeding, genetics and live stock production would be taken up on the first day, followed by the departments of gynaecology, animal nutrition and veterinary medicine. He said some of the departments had been clubbed as research work on similar projects was being done in these.

In college of agriculture, the departments of plant breeding, genetics and biotechnology had been clubbed together. Similarly, agronomy and soils departments would have a joint review. Both agronomy and soils departments were undertaking research on nutritional aspects of soil. In College of Basic Sciences and Humanities, the departments of chemistry and biochemistry had been merged. Similarly, the departments of zoology and fisheries and physics and mathematics, had also been merged, he said.

Dr Aulakh said the Directorate of Energy in College of Agricultural Engineering needed to be revamped. Similarly, agricultural processing and agricultural structures should get more emphasis. Dr Aulakh was confident that the review of the research programmes would result in better coordination and more productive research. He said cotton crop should also get more attention in the research programme.

Animal welfare camp by PAU
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, January 20
The Department of Veterinary and Animal Husbandry Extension of the PAU organised an animal welfare camp in collaboration with the Department of Animal Breeding and Genetics at Sadarpur village under the National Agricultural Technology Project (NATP).

A team of experts, including Dr M L Mehra, Dr M P Gupta, Dr H K Verma, Sr S K Kansal and Dr Navdeep Singh, diagnosed and treated 71 cases of buffaloes, cows and dogs, free of cost. Majority of the cases were of medicine, Gynaecology and surgery. The medicine cases related to mastitis, diarrhoea, worm infestation, and fever. Surgical cases included eye injury, abscess and lameness.

Gynaecological cases were of repeat breeding, prolapse, kinked cervix and pregnancy check-up. Cattle with chronic worm infestations and diarrhoea were also treated. The importance of self preparation of feed and concentrate was stressed to the farmers. A typical case of Downers’ syndrome was also treated at the camp.

The farmers were advised to adopt regular deworming, timely vaccination and proper managemental practices in animals. They were also advised to get gynaecological examination of dairy animals done regularly for optimum results.

This village has been adopted by the PAU under the NATP and a constant support is provided by PAU experts in various specialities by organising such camps.

Sex education is must: academicians
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, January 20
Although the issue of imparting sex education to students is still at a debatable stage in our society, most of the city academicians are all for educating children about the same. They strongly feel that providing sex education at right age can help save many lives.

They feel that sex education should be made a compulsory subject for students. The knowledge should, however, be imparted exercising a great caution and with a sense of responsibility, they say.

Ms Harmeet Kaur, Principal of the Ramgarhia College for Education, says sex education is a must at school level. “Media, both print and electronics, through explicit advertisements and serials with sexual undertones is furnishing half-baked knowledge about sex to the young generation with disastrous results. It is the responsibility of a healthy society to give children sex education.

According to her, their college organised a talk on child care yesterday. A doctor talked on various aspects of the subject. Students said they learnt a lot about child-bearing about which they were ignorant earlier. Teachers must be given orientation so that they can talk competently about sex with girls, the Principal says.

Dr Amarjit Singh Dua, Vice-Principal of the Government College for Women and Senator of the Panjab University says,” A lolescents are curious about sex and if they do not get proper guidance about it, at times they may go crazy. If they are told well in advance, it will prove beneficial for them. Sex education can solve many problems of society. Sex education should start at school level when physical changes start taking place in adolescents”.

Ms S. Verma, Principal of SDP College, also feels that knowledge about sex is essential in present-day scenario. It should be a part of moral education wherein students are told about the importance of good character. She says,” In our college, girls can discuss these problems with their teachers in tutorial classes. Moreover, we hold seminars on AIDS, female foeticide which prove beneficial for students.

Ms Satisha Sharma, Principal of Arya College, says, “Earlier it was thought that there was no need of this type of education, but now it is considered essential. Media titillates and arouses the curiosity of adolescents, if they have knowledge about these things they will not get into trouble.”

Chorus contest in school
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, January 20
R.S.Model Senior Secondary School won an inter-school Vedic chorus-singing contest organised by the Arya Samaj in Dal Bazar here today. The second and third positions were bagged by teams from Guru Nanak International Public School and the SAS Jain Model Senior Secondary School, respectively.

Ms Namrata Soni, Prof Reena Sharma and Prof Pritam Singh were the judges.

Among the schools that won appreciation for their performance in the contest were BCM Arya Model School, Baba Isher Singh Public School, Guru Nanak Khalsa Girls High School, BCM School of Chandigarh Road and Sargodha Khalsa Girls Senior Secondary School.

An aid-distribution function was also held on the occasion, in which, 70 needy families were given wheat flour. Among those who attended the function were Mr Ved Bhushan Madan, who inaugurated the function, and Mr Sant Kumar Arya, Mr Dev Pal Arya, Mr Atam Parkash Arya, Mr Jagjivan Pal Sood, Mr Mohinder Vij, Mr Surinder Arya and Prof Vinay Sofat.

New school timings till Jan 31
Our Correspondent

Mandi Gobindgarh, January 20
The District Education Officer, Fatehgarh Sahib, Mr Vikas Pratap, has issued fresh orders regarding the change in school timings. The orders were received by the local schools today.

According to the new orders, the school timings in the private and government elementary schools will be from 10 am to 2 pm and for the high and senior secondary schools it will be from 10 am to 3 pm due to heavy fog and the cold weather conditions. The new timings will remain in force till January 31,2003. 

Jeweller penalised
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, January 20
A city jeweller has been penalised for not returning the gold chain of a consumer within the stipulated period, as promised. The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum has directed M/s Sant Jeweller, Meena Bazar, to pay Rs 3000 as compensation to the aggrieved consumer, Mr Amolak Singh of Pakhowal Road, Ludhiana.

The forum has also directed the jeweller to return the chain and pay Rs 500 as costs, besides compensation. The complainant had pleaded before the forum that he had given a gold chain to the jeweller for recasting. The jeweller promised to return it within a period of 15 days. But despite repeated requests, he did not give it back. A notice was given to the jeweller, but he did not contest the case. An ex-parte decision was taken after considering the relevant facts and pursuing the record and the forum held the jeweller deficient in providing the services.