Absenteeism rampant among college teachers
Our Correspondent

Sonepat, March 26
The Haryana Government has taken a serious view of increasing absenteeism among college teachers of the state. According to a report, it is contemplating disciplinary action against more than 50 erring teachers, who were found absent from their classes during the surprise inspections by officers in various colleges of the state during the past few months.

In a communication addressed to the principals of more than 50 colleges, the Higher Education Commissioner-cum-Secretary, Haryana, has expressed dissatisfaction with the working of these colleges.

He pointed out that the college administrations are yet to take strict actions against such teachers.

He has also pointed out that in some colleges, the inspection teams of the Education Department found a large number of teachers absent and in some cases, the teaching had been suspended by the teachers without valid reasons.

The communication says the inspection teams had visited all these colleges and found that the norms of education were not maintained and in some cases, the college administration had not taken adequate steps in this regard.

In one case, it was found that the principal, in order to cover up the absence of the teachers from the classes, had “called a meeting” of the lecturers during teaching hours.

In a Sonepat college, the principal, in order to pass the blame onto the teachers, had called for explanation from atleast two dozen teachers, who were found absent from the classes during the visit by the inspection team.

This has, however, caused resentment among the teachers who claimed that they had “gone to the meeting” on the instructions of the principal and it was unfortunate that the principal had not taken the responsibility for this act.

Meanwhile, members of the Haryana College Teachers Union have strongly condemned the action of the principal and demanded action against him.

CAMPUS
Students and teachers say no to war
Smriti Kak

What with opinions voicing concern and protest over the US aggression in Iraq reverberating from across the globe, corridors in the city’s universities have expressed solidarity with those demanding peace.

Students and teachers from both Jawahar Lal Nehru University and the University of Delhi joined protesters demonstrating outside Teen Murti Bhavan in the Capital last week. “ Our teachers and students were a part of the protest against the war on Iraq”, said the President of the JNU Teachers Association, Mr Ajai Patnaik.

He went on to add, “ We are also organising a panel discussion on Iraq next week. The panellists include Prof V. S. Moni, International Law expert, Prof Karim Bahadur, South Asia expert, Dr A. K. Pasha, West Asia expert, among others. We will also start a signature campaign on the campus”.

In Delhi University, the teachers’ association, DUTA, called an emergency meeting to register their concern over the war. DUTA demanded an end to the war and withdrawal of US-led troops from Iraq. The members also decided to write to US President George Bush, British Premier Tony Blair and Australian Prime Minister John Howard to express the condemnation of the entire teaching community to what they call an “unjust and bloody war”.

A decision to hold a protest action within the university and outside the US Embassy along with the students and the karamcharis was also taken.

Meanwhile, the massacre in South Kashmir that left 24 Pandits dead has not gone unnoticed. The Delhi University Forum for Democracy at a meeting expressed concern over the deaths.

In a resolution that was adopted it said, “ It is clear that the sectarian killings are motivated by the desperate intent to foment communal trouble to prevent the return of all displaced Kashmiris to the valley- something towards which the Mufti government has been working with sincerity”.

PAF holds ninth convocation

Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Rajiv Pratap Rudy giving a gift cheque and a medal to a student at the FDDI convocation.

YAMUNA PUSHTA
Universal literacy still a distant dream 
Nalini Ranjan

New Delhi, March 26
The findings of a survey conducted in the congested Yamuna Pustha area by Navjyoti Foundation, a well- known social service organisation, shows the uphill task in front of the policy makers, who have promised universal literacy for children between five and 14 years.

According to this survey, out of more than 50,000 children living in the Yamuna Pushta area, only about 2,000 are lucky enough to be enrolled in any school.

The reason, there are only two primary schools run by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) in this area, which has a collective capacity of just 1,650 children. Several hundred other children go to some “temporary” schools run by different NGOs active in this area. There is no alternate option for the rest forty thousand children living in this area.

This “gloomy situation” is prevalent at a time when there is much hype about the ambitious project of the Centre to make all children literate under the ‘Sarva Siksha Abhiyan’. According to the project director of this survey, Ms. Neetu Sharma, 511 odd houses of this area were randomly surveyed and the final outcome was really disappointing.

More than 77 per cent children of this area were found ‘completely illiterate’. The local MLA of this area, Mr Shoaib Iqbal, said, “everyone from the Councilor to the Chief Minister is aware of this fact, but have chosen to pass the buck.” Even though this slum area is likely to be shifted, nobody can give a precise answer as to when this task will be undertaken.

Existing for more than 15 years, this is one of the biggest slum clusters in the country. Unfortunately, any hope of a permanent settlement for the slum children here remains a “dream,” said Mr Iqbal. According to an estimate, of the nearly 20 lakh people living in the different slum areas of Delhi, 45 per cent of them are children and most of them have never been enrolled in any school.