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April 5, 2003, Chandigarh, India
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All set for master’s course in chip designing SAS Nagar, April 4 Projected to be the career of the future, chip designing (also called very large scale integration or VLSI designing) is a branch of microelectronics and is available only in a few centres in India. The SCL, a Government of India enterprise, is one of the three centres across the country offering a chip designing course which includes a fabrication module. ‘‘The SCL has a fabrication unit and that is our biggest advantage. Fabrication is the next stage to designing. A fabrication unit costs over Rs 300 crore and not many centres can afford it,’’ states Lokesh, faculty member, VLSI Education and Training (VEDANT), the chip designing training unit at the SCL. With a fabrication unit in place, the two diploma courses that the SCL offers get an edge over other training centres which can at best offer pre-fabrication courses. ‘‘Since most of our faculty is working at the fabrication unit in some capacity or the other, our students get the best of both the worlds,’’states Ms Neelam, head, VEDANT. The SCL offers two postgraduate courses in chip designing. One lasts four months and the other six months. The minimum qualification for this course varies from BE or B.Tech in electronics, electrical, communication, microelectronics and computers. The CDAC, another enterprise under the Ministry of Information Technology, will be introducing two-year master’s course in chip designing. The CDAC, with its head office in Pune, is known for the invention of Param super computer and was among the first in the country to have introduced chip design courses for engineering students. ‘‘Initially, we will only be able to offer the pre fabrication modules but later we can tie up with the SCL for the fabrication modules. In any case, we are awaiting a go ahead from the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) to start this course from this session,’’stated Mr Ravinder Zandu, faculty member, CDAC. ‘‘Having a bachelor’s degree in microelectronics is certainly an advantage. Panjab University, Chandigarh, and Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, are offering these courses. These can be followed by a master’s course in chip designing at the CDAC or a postgraduate diploma from the SCL,’’ said Mr Zandu. The admission process to M.Tech. chip designing at the CDAC is yet to be decided, but sources in the CDAC stated that they would be following the SCL pattern of holding an all-India entrance examination, following which they select 20 students every six or four months depending on the course. |
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Misuse of attendance norms in colleges Chandigarh, April 4 The issue needs a serious review as there are allegations that some colleges (mainly private) are charging heavy fines from defaulters to hand over roll numbers to them. Mr Ashok Goyal, a fellow in the highest academic body of the university, raised the matter pertaining to the attendance requirement recently. He pointed out that a number of colleges were charging heavy fines for issuing roll numbers to students who did not fulfil the attendance requirement. The issue has gained a new dimension in the current session as the minimum attendance requirement has been increased from 66 per cent to 75 per cent. There is nothing new in lectures being short, but the fines were never as “astronomical” as now. A number of colleges complete the lecture requirement of students after charging hefty fines. A principal, who is also a fellow of the Senate, said there was nothing wrong in charging fines as this ensured that students were not wasting their time outside the classes as had become the fashion of the day. On the campus, the university has taken away the powers of the Senate, the Syndicate and the Vice-Chancellor to condone lecture shortage from the current session. In case of the Law Department earlier this session, the university witnessed “twisting” of the regulation to suit the demands and pressure of students. “Nothing great about any rules on the campus. Ample pressure from right quarters had always done the trick,” a student leader said. It is, however, being felt that colleges have more powers in managing the lecture scene. “It would be unfair to blame all colleges, even private, for resorting to such practices, however, there is nothing denying the fact that the attendance rule is not being followed properly,” a fellow said. “The change in the lecture requirement has spelt more money for colleges. Earlier, students were asked to pay a few rupees as fines, but now the amount runs into thousands in certain cases,” Mr Goyal said. He said he was willing to supply necessary information to the university quarters, in case he was asked to prove the authenticity of the words “which appeared boisterous”. Another fellow said even under the changed regulation that demanded 75 per cent attendance, there were many loopholes to accommodate defaulting students. “Lectures can be condoned in the name of participation in sports, cultural and extra-curricular activities, NSS and NCC camps and certain other pretexts. It has been found that these provisions are often misused,” he said “There should be no such condition at all. A good teacher will always attract more students. There has to be more innovations in classroom teaching and each student should be made to feel its relevance,” a research scholar said. |
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Excellence awards for
teachers Chandigarh, April 4 Addressing a press conference, the Saboo Business Group Chairman and Trustee-Chairman of the Trust Mr R.K. Saboo, said the awards launched last year, were an annual feature for recognising the contribution of the city school teachers. The awards, he said, were named after well-known businessman, and great votary of education Tara Chand Saboo. Four awards will be presented. The winners will be selected, by an independent jury of eminent persons, from the applications received. The judges will scrutinise the nominations, short-list the candidates and finally announce the awards which will be presented in August. School teachers instructing in pre-primary, primary, secondary and higher secondary classes up to XII in private or public schools within the Union Territory of Chandigarh are eligible. The teachers applying for the awards in different categories will have to give details of self-appraisal, educational background, job profile and particulars related to professional growth. In the end, they need to fill up a general questionnaire. The last date for receiving the complete application form is May 13. Each application must be “stamped by the respective school verifying that the stated particulars of the applicant are in accordance with the school records....” The excellence award for school teaching, excellence award for sports teacher and excellence award for teaching in slum and rural areas will consist of a trophy, a citation and Rs 20,000 in cash. The candidates applying for these awards must have been teaching in a city school for a period of at least two years till date of applications with total teaching experience not less than five years. For the slum and rural area teaching excellence award, the applicant should have a teaching experience in schools falling within areas of the city designated as rural or slum. The excellence award for lifetime achievement will be awarded to a school teacher who has dedicated over 25 years to teaching and has made a significant contribution to the field. Out of this period, at least five years of the last 10 years of teaching should have been in city schools. He should be above 45 years of age and professionally as well as academically qualified. The award will consist of a trophy, a citation and Rs 50,000 cash. Teachers can apply for only one of the four categories. The forms can be obtained from schools, besides Kamla Centre, SCO 88-89, Sector 8-C, here. |
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Application
dismissed Chandigarh, April 4 Pronouncing the orders on the application filed by Professor and Head of the Forensic Medicine department, Dr Krishan Vij, the Tribunal ruled: “The applicant undoubtedly does not fall within the category of `person aggrieved’. He, therefore, has no locus-standi to maintain the present application”. The Tribunal further ruled: “Even if it is assumed for the sake of arguments that the applicant’s assertion was totally correct, in that event also, he has no legal right to challenge the appointment, deputation and continuation of Dr Mann as the Director-Principal of the Medical College. If the applicant claims himself to be a pro-bono-publico, he cannot maintain the present application which is in the nature of public interest litigation. This tribunal does not have the power to adjudicate the matters involving public interest. Both on legal and factual matrix, the application fails....” In its detailed order, the tribunal observed: “It is indubitable fact that the applicant himself is not eligible or qualified for being appointed as the Director-cum-Principal.... He was found to be ineligible for appointment to the post under both the draft recruitment rules as a firm decision had been taken that the post was not to be filled by taking recourse to the method of promotion”. Claiming himself to be the seniormost Professor, Dr Vij, in his application, had earlier sought directions against allowing Dr Mann to continue on the post, besides the termination of his deputation with immediate effect. Directions to the Chandigarh Administration were also sought for filling the Principal’s post strictly in accordance with the recruitment Rules of 2002. The respondents, on the other hand, had taken a preliminary objection that the application was not maintainable “at the instance of the applicant who had no locus-standi to challenge the appointment and continuation of Dr Mann.”
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Fee hike unjustified,
say students Chandigarh, April 4 Earlier the fee for examinations in economics, education, fine arts, geography, music, psychology, public administration and physical education was Rs 670. Now students will have to pay Rs 1500. In the law department the hike had been made from the earlier Rs 415 to Rs 635. In the law department students earlier paid the fee in the department, however, students now have to go to the administrative block. Some administrative flaw has been described as the reason for the hike in fee here. Malwinder Singh Kang, president of the council, said the university was regularly resorting to fee hike from the past few years which was unjustified. Students have threatened a stir incase the university did not withdraw its decision on the fee hike. |
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Teachers attend workshop Chandigarh, April 4 Addressing the participants, the CBSE Regional Officer, Mr Y.R. Sachdeva, said teachers ought to be objective rather than subjective in their approach while evaluating answersheets. As an exercise, an answersheet from last year’s examination was given to the participants for evaluation. This was followed by a discussion on the evaluation and reasons for different teachers giving different marks for the same answer. |
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Hansraj school tops Panchkula, April 4 Abhishek Sohal of Hansraj Public School topped not just from amongst the local schools, but also in Chandigarh, by securing 93.83 per cent marks, followed by Aditya Sood and Pavanshu, also from Hansraj Public School, with 92. 33 and 91. 50 per cent marks, respectively. |
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Rare experience for Dikshant school kids Chandigarh, April 4 Beautiful dolls were made out of cloth strands, besides baskets to hold telephones and keep fruits. Kids enjoyed moulding different figures from clay and pasted them with broken bangles. They also made necklaces out of beads. School Principal Mitul Dikshit said: “We will be organising more of such interactive workshops for teaching new skills to the students.” |
Koser chief of
DBA Chandigarh, April 4 The Returning Officer, Mr H.S. Awasthi, said 1,065 of the 1,800 advocates cast their votes. Mr Koser polled 852 votes while 211 votes were cast in favour of Mr Mahajan; Mr Vijay Sharma polled 555 votes; Mr Vinod Sharma polled 501 votes; Mr Bhardwaj polled 767 votes; and Mr Lamba polled 291 votes. Following candidates have been elected unanimously: treasurer — Mr Harpreet Singh Hundal — joint secretary — Ms Sarabjit Kaur; seven executive members. The polling which began at 9 a.m. continued till 4.30 p.m. Since morning there was a huge crowd outside the polling booth. Supporters were seen distributing pamphlets among voters. |
Tributes paid to K.L.
Saigal Chandigarh, April 4 Besides paying tribute to the singer by singing his old popular songs, the organising committee also chalked out a detailed plan to celebrate his Birth centenary year in 2004. Prof. H.S. Dilgir, Secretary-General of Kala Darpan said that they would approach Government of India to confer Bharat Ratna award upon K.L. Saigal on his centenary year. Environment Society of India president S.K. Sharma urged the UNESCO and Government of India to release a stamp to celebrate the birth centenary year of K.L. Saigal. In his presidential address Dr K.L. Dubey, Station Director, All India Radio, said that efforts will be made in promoting saigal’s music on regular basis by the Chandigarh station. During the function child artistes Dalmeet Kaur from Gem Public School, Mohali and Vikas from Government Model Senior Secondary School, sector 37, were honored for their contribution in promoting Saigal’s music. Mr R.K. Taneja gave away the awards. The function concluded with melodious Saigal numbers as several renowned singers sang old hits. |
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