Stagnant water blocks school entrances
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, February 24
“Every day it is so difficult for us to enter the school building as both the main as well as the side entrances are covered with stagnant water. The sewer is blocked and filthy water has spewed out. The stink is nauseating,” said students of SDP Senior Secondary, Hazoor Road.

The Principal of the school, Mr Kalia, said the problem was perpetual. After rains the situation got worse as more water got stagnant in the area making it difficult for both members of staff and students to enter the school. “We keep sending reminders to the Sewerage Department and it do clean it up but the situation becomes same soon again,” he said.

The shopkeepers in that narrow lane are also fed up with the problem of stagnant water as it means less business for them.

“If we could get out of this hellish place, we would not take a second, but we are doomed to stay here as our bread and butter is here,” lamented Ramesh, owner of Ramesh Tea Stall. The lane where his shop is located is covered by 6-8 inch deep water. Ramesh says that they have placed bricks to approach the shop.

The owner of Jain Threads says, “We are tired of living in such subhuman conditions. Our municipal councillor does not respond to our pleas. We go a number of times to the Sewerage Department and complain. They send us back saying that they are coming in no time. But when will they arrive? When the residents of that area will be in grip of deadly water-borne diseases like jaundice and cholera.”

Convocation through video-conferencing
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, February 24
Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), conducted its 14th convocation through video teleconferencing on February 22. The convocation organised at IGNOU Regional Centre of Khanna was beamed through the Gyan Darshan TV channel of IGNOU to New Delhi. Gyan Darshan gives 24-hour broadcast of education programmes.

Prof K.N. Pathak, Vice-Chancellor of Panjab University, was the guest of honour at Khanna, where he addressed about 225 students of Punjab and Chandigarh who had received their degrees in the convocation. Degrees were conferred on the students from the university headquarters in New Delhi through video teleconferencing. The functions was attended by a large number of guests from various educational institutions.

In his address, Prof Pathak praised IGNOU for its efforts to democratise the higher education through innovative methods. He said distance education would take higher education to all who had, so far, been outside its reach. He hailed the efforts made by IGNOU Regional Centre of Khanna for popularising the academic programme of IGNOU.

Dr U.C. Pandey, Regional Director IGNOU, read out the annual report of the regional centre and talked about the centre’s activities during the academic year. Dr Pandey said the university had recently launched a TV channel, Eklavya.