SPECIAL FOCUS ON ROHTAK
Dr Ranjit Singh is Dean, Faculty of Engg & Tech
Our Correspondent

Rohtak, May 8
The Vice-Chancellor, Maharshi Dayanand University, Maj-Gen Bhim Singh Suhag (retd) has appointed Dr Ranjit Singh, Director-Principal, CR State College of Engineering, Murthal, as Dean, Faculty of Engineering and Technology till December 1, 2005. He will also be a member of the Executive Council of the university up to July 21, 2003, ie for the residual term on the Executive Council as Dean, Faculty of Engineering and Technology.

The University has issued the admission notice for BEd (distance education) course, 2003-2005.The entrance test for admission to this course will be held on July 27. This course is exclusively for the in-service regular school teachers working within the jurisdiction of Maharshi Dayanand University, ie the districts of Rohtak, Bhiwani, Faridabad, Gurgaon, Jhajjar, Mohindergarh, Rewari, and Sonepat.

The prospectus of this course will be available from May 12 from the university’s publication cell. The last date for submission of application forms for the course is June 25.

MDU notifies vacation schedule, terms
Our Correspondent

Rohtak, May 8
Maharshi Dayanand University has notified the schedule of terms and vacation for its teaching departments, PG Regional Centre, Rewari, undergraduate and postgraduate colleges affiliated to and maintained by the university for the academic session 2003-04.

While the summer vacations 2003 are from May 1 to June 30, the terms and vacations from undergraduate classes will have first term from July 11 to September 30, the second term from October 8 to December 24 and the third term from January 2, 2004 to March 27, 2004.The house examinations will be from December 10 to 20, 2003.

The autumn break will be observed from October 1 to 7, winter break from December 25 to January 1, 2004, and summer vacation, 2004, from May 1 to June 30.

The postgraduate classes will have first term from July 14 to September 30, the second term from October 8 to December 24 and the third term from January 2, 2004 to March 27, 2004.

Colleges to function six days a week
Tribune News service

New Delhi, May 8
The new academic session that begins on July 16 will have colleges working six days a week to fulfil the 180 teaching days’ norm approved by the academic and executive councils.

In a meeting held here last week, the EC resolved that the system of tutorials and perceptorials will be implemented at the postgraduate level as well. It also resolved to accept in principle the recommendations related to implementation of 25 per cent internal assessment on a continuos basis.

The council also resolved that the teachers will have to evaluate between 250 and 300 answer scripts for pass courses and between 150 and 200 for honours courses. Examination and evaluation work has been made mandatory for all colleges and university teachers.

It also lists that committees of courses and studies may involve more teachers by recommending additional names of examiners than required.

It has also agreed to hold consultation periods, which will be held outside the teaching periods and will facilitate interaction between a teacher and a student.

Each college and department will be required to notify and display a schedule of consultation hours for each teacher, which shall not be fewer than three hours per week.

The academic session will be held from July 16 2003 to March 23 3004.

There is a move to incorporate a moveable autumn break in September-October to minimise the loss of working days.

Non-teaching staff shall be deployed in rotation together with a scheme of compensatory off days to provide for sufficient support staff on Saturdays, the resolution adds. 

COURTS

Set up panels to supervise Juvenile Homes: HC
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, May 8
The Delhi High Court today asked the Government of NCT of Delhi to constitute Inspection Committees required under the Juvenile Justice Act by July 24 to oversee the working of Juvenile Homes in the Capital. While issuing the direction, a Division Bench comprising Chief Justice BC Patel and Justice AK Sikri expressed displeasure over the Government of NCT of Delhi’s failure to set up the Inspection Committees required under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act passed three years ago.

According to Section 35 of the Act, the government has to set up Inspection Committees comprising its representatives, voluntary organisations, social workers and medical practitioners to monitor the functioning of Juvenile Homes.

During the hearing, Additional Solicitor General KK Sud submitted that the matter should be kept under the supervision of the court and the judiciary should play a proactive role in public interest.

The court had taken a suo motu action in the matter in 1999 and thereafter a committee was set up under the chairmanship of Sud to visit the Juvenile Homes in NCT of Delhi and report back to the court about their condition. The committee, which also included advocates Ashok Kashyap and Rekha Anand as members, submitted yet another report to the court today after visiting several Village Cottage Homes/Children’s Homes, including Prayas.

While appreciating the functioning of Village Cottage Home, Maharani Bagh, the committee observed that the day-to-day maintenance of Prayas was not proper and general cleanliness of the home was also ‘very bad’. 

CULTURE

MUSIC ZONE
This exponent of Khayal is cast in his guru’s mould
Nalini Ranjan

It was during the late 70s. At that time he was studying in class VII at his native village, Dewaria, in Uttar Pradesh. The school had organised a talent hunt contest in singing for the students. He sung a famous poem of Hindi poet Sri Jayshankar Prasad. And he was adjudged the best participant. The music loving principal of that school was so impressed with the outstanding performance of this student that he immediately summoned his father, Mr Lal Kamal Tiwari, to the school and advised him to let his son pursue his career in the field of singing. For the teenager, Harish Tiwari, it was what he had dreamt of since early childhood. Since then, he has never looked back. Now he is deemed as one of the most promising exponents of Khayal singing in the tradition of living legend Pt Bhimsen Joshi. After completing his 10+2, he did senior diploma and bachelor of music from Banaras Hindu University. After that, he procured the Sangeet Alankar degree from ABGMM, Mumbai. Thereafter, he did masters and MPhil in music from Delhi University. Right now he is also enrolled for his PhD at the same university. Besides these academic accomplishments, he learned many finer points of this art under the guidance of veterans like Pt Thakur Choubey, Pt Ajeet Bhattacharya, Pt Acharya Nandjee and Dr Vijay Laxmi. He mastered the art of Khayal style of singing under the tutelege of Pt Bhimsen Joshi. He practised singing for more than four years under the guidance of this legendary Khayal singer of Kirana Gharana. He says the main parts of Khayal style of singing are Meru Khand and Sumer Khand. Rohtak-based Pt. Kundan Lal Sharma had introduced this style of Khayal singing.

“He would always say that it would be easy to master other styles of singing if at first you master one style of singing. I religiously followed his advice. Like other artistes of Khayal singing, I never tried to experiment in Dhrupad and Dhamal style of singing,” Harish Tiwari says. The gifted singer used to practise up to 16 hours a day in the initial phase of his career. Now his period of ‘riyaz’ has reduced to seven to eight hours daily because of his busy schedule.

He has participated in many important live musical programmes like the 9th Yuva Mahotasava organised by Sahitaya Kala Parishad in 1994, the 124th Harballabh Sangeet Sammelan organised at Jalandhar in 1999, Hazarat Amir Khusro Smriti music concert organised by Sangeet Kala Manch at Jalandhar in 1999, The Divine Life Society musical concert at Tehri Garhwal in 2000, Basantotsava Sangeet Samoroh at Varanasi in 2001 with tabla maestro Pt Chote Lal Mishra. He is a grade-A artiste for radio and television. He used to give regular programmes on both the mediums. Recently, he was awarded the prestigious Surmani award by the Sur Sagar Sansad Society, Mumbai. He is also a recipient of the Uttar Pradesh Sangeet Natak Academy Award (1986), and Sahitya Kala Parishad, Delhi, Award (1994). He was given the first prize for outstanding cultural activities by the Faculty of Fine Art and Music, University of Delhi in 1998, the first prize in the annual music competition at the 123th Baba Harballabh Sangeet Mahasabha at Jalandhar in 1998, and the first prize in a music competition, ‘Suron Ke Silsile,’organised by Metro channel of Doordarshan.

ARTSCAPE
Nascent nationalism on Bengal’s canvas

Head of Rabindranath Tagore, 1938

Currently on at the Delhi Art Gallery is an exhibition of pre-Independence Indian art. The exhibition, according to the critics, is one of the rarest ever held in the history of Indian art. The exhibition showcases the works of old masters and renowned artists of the pre-Independence period.

The exhibition, which reflects the inextricable romance tied up with art in the early 20th century, has been drawing huge crowds. Among the front-ranking provinces of a colonised nation, Bengal became the epicentre of the tensions and dichotomies of a nascent nationalism. On the most obvious level, the province demonstrated the need to counter the imperial British presence. This it sought with an assertion of an Indian identity in the form of Swadeshi as much in the need to modernise and locate India among the comity of nations.

This forward- backward pull in the political arena made for a slew of contradictions and for a critical transition period. Inevitably, the art of the period in different centres reflects these conflicts and tensions. But even in the face of political provocation art cannot stray far from the buoyant sense of discovery and celebration or the artist’s response to narrative intuition.

Indian art of the early 20th century has many ingredients of romantic engagement, with the idea of India and the idea of being Indian. The works in this exhibition follow the leading strains within and outside Bengal as the slow march towards Independence played out its own course.

DANCE BEAT
Somya’s arangetaram

Somya Sethuraman, who will have her Bharatanatyam arangetaram on Sunday at the India International Centre auditorium, has been learning the intricacies of the dance from Mrs Marie and Mr. G. Elangovan. A student of Class XII at Apeejay School, Noida, she has regularly performed at the school and temple functions.

She was awarded the first prize in the inter-school cultural competition on national integration and environment held by the Apex Council of Cultural Organisations for Regional Development (ACCORD). She also received a merit certificate for taking part in the Jagriti inter-school competition organised by a large newspaper group recently.

With a keen interest in Carnatic music, Somya also won the second prize at a patriotic song competition held by Trishikham, an institute of Indian culture, to commemorate the golden jubilee of Independence.

PLAY TIME
Jis Lahore Nahin Dekhya…

Samagam brings to the national Capital this emotional story from the days of Partition as well as a strong comment on the then prevalent socio-political scenario. The show will be staged on May 11 at Kamani Auditorium.