Saturday, May 10, 2003, Chandigarh, India

 

C H A N D I G A R H   S T O R I E S


 
EDUCATION

PU to strengthen admission rules
Sanjeev Singh Bariana
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 9
Panjab University has taken care to bring down the number of cases of non-declared results in the annual examination by strengthening the admission guidelines in the affiliated colleges from the forthcoming academic session (2003-2004). Dates have been fixed for the submission of the required documents failing which the annual examination results will not be declared.

In an important proposal the university will not admit students in undergraduates classes whose results are declared after August 10. This is an important step at maintaining the class decorum however, students even in this case will be losing over one month of classroom teaching.

The university has no ground on which it can work to hasten the admission process because the students belonging to this category have been identified largely as the ones who come from the Punjab School Education Board. For the past few years, the plus II results of the board are usually late. This upsets the normal admission process. The board has been requested to speed up its result declaration process this year. The students will be allowed admissions for 15 days after the date of the declaration of results.

The admission proposals will be put before a university committee for working out the final details.

Students from the Bihar Intermediate Board have been debarred from seeking admissions in more than 100 affiliated colleges of the university. This is an extension of the existing provision whose reconsideration was once again turned down recently by the university Syndicate. The university in 1999 had banned students from the Bihar Intermediate Board on the ground that when PU sent papers for verification to Bihar board there was no response from the board. Despite visits by the university officials there had been no positive response from the board.

The university is flooded with Candidate Suspended cases in the annual examination results each year. This is mainly due to the students not submitting the migration certificate and other qualifying certificates to the university failing which their result cannot be declared. Students will be required to give an undertaking that in case the university does not declare results for want of required documents, it will be their own responsibility.

Colleges will be asked to fill only the allotted number of seats. In case a college admits candidates over and above the approved numbers, the candidates face difficulties while securing roll numbers during the time of the annual examination.

The university has fixed July 1 to July 14 as the normal dates of admission. Following this, admissions will be allowed on payment of a late fee first by the college Principal and later by the Vice-Chancellor.

The university will fix the whole responsibility of admissions on the colleges. This has been done as there were cases where colleges had allowed impermissible subject combinations to students at the time of admissions. These students faced a lot of difficulties when they were denied roll numbers by the university at the time of examination.

Students who pass plus II from any recognised board, even if they do not have English as a compulsory subject, are eligible for admission. The student should have minimum 33 per cent marks for seeking admission to courses in arts stream; 40 per cent for seeking admission to the science stream; and 50 per cent for admission to the Bachelor of Computer Application and Bachelor of Business Administration courses. In compartment cases, the university will give admission to only those who have at least 20 per cent in the subject concerned.

To save inconvenience to several students during result declaration period, the university has fixed September 30 as the last date for filing their registration forms. Students can submit the forms to the university till November 15 with a late fee of Rs 500; till December 15 with a late fee of Rs 1,000 and till February 28 with a late fee of Rs 1,500. No registration forms will be accepted after February 28.

In the courses where admissions are based on an entrance examination, no student will be admitted without qualifying in the entrance examination.
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School celebrates Mother’s Day
Our Correspondent

Chandigarh, May 9
Delhi Public School, here celebrated Mother’s Day by holding the first special assembly of its inaugural academic session in the campus in Sector 40 here today.

The assembly commenced with a prayer which was conducted by Ms Sunita Tanwar, Principal of the school. This was followed by the school choir singing a soulful hymn “Praise Him”.

The young children of Class III brought out the significance of the day in a talk show while tiny tots displayed their affection for their mothers by singing “My mummy is one in a million’.

The school has been holding various inter house activities right from the first week of the session that include role playing, spin — a yarn, declamation, debate, story telling, recitation and calligraphy.

Addressing the students on this occasion, Ms Tanwar emphasised the importance of the day and conveyed her best wishes for the summer vacations.

At least 90 students were awarded merit certificates by the Principal.
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Students complain against MD
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 9
Students and the staff members at the authorised study centre of Punjab Technical University in Sector 47 were left high and dry as the computers in the laboratory were found missing. Subsequently, classes could not be held and studies of 55 students who had taken admission in the Punjab College of Information Technology, Sector 47 suffered.

When our correspondent reached the spot, the students and their faculty members were standing outside. The door of the computer laboratory on the ground floor was open with computers and all ACs missing.

A faculty member revealed that computers and ACs were taken away on a truck from the computer laboratory on the instructions of the Managing Director Harjinder Singh.

However, the MD clarified that the computers had not been taken away from the institution. They had been placed on the first floor of the building where they had planned to shift the computer laboratory.

In reply to a question, he said the ground floor of the-shop-cum Office. To hand over the possession to the new owner, it was mandatory to shift the laboratory on the first floor, he said.

Mr Harjinder Singh, who was in Patiala today, said that the faculty members were given prior information about the shifting of laboratory. There was no point of confusion over closure or winding up of the institution. “I had asked the faculty members to conduct theory classes until the computers were installed at the first floor”, he said. The MD said practical classes would begin as usual from coming Tuesday.

On the other hand, students are apprehensive that the MD might flee away by closing the institution. “We have already paid at least Rs 15,000 each to the institution for the present semester, the examinations of which are due in August”, said the students.

However, the MD clarified that he had been running this institution since 1995-96 and there was no point of closing down. “I had already deposited Rs 5 lakh as security amount with the PTU and had invested in lakhs to run the institution”, he added.

Meanwhile, few students and their parents went to the police station of Sector 31 to lodge a complaint against the MD. Confirming that the complaint had been received in the police station, the SHO said that FIR would be lodged after preliminary investigations into the matter.
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PU B.Ed exam from May 17
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 9
The B.Ed examinations being conducted by Panjab University for colleges affiliated to it will commence on May 17. There will be 16 centres in Chandigarh and Punjab, respectively, for the examinations.

With just 11 days to go, the date sheet for the examinations was finally announced on Monday. Students had been running from pillar to post for the past few days in order to know the examination schedule.
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Plea admitted on enhanced pension
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 9
A Division Bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court today issued notice to Army, Navy and Air force chiefs, besides the Defence Secretary, on a petition challenging Central government’s order denying the benefit of enhanced pension to personnel retiring between January 1, 1996, and October 10, 1997.

In their petition taken up by the Bench comprising Mr Justice S.S. Nijjar and Mr Justice S.S. Grewal, Mr Tilak Raj Gupta and two others had earlier contended that a committee was appointed by the Ministry of Defence for “replacement of pay scales”. 
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HIGH COURT
Bail denied
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 9
Ms Justice Kiran Anand Lall of the high court dismissed two petitions seeking the grant of anticipatory bail filed by a doctor and a manager of the hospital concerned.

The duo was apprehending arrest in two first information reports registered by the police. Claiming to have been implicated in the case, Dr Bhushan Aggarwal, in his petition, had contended that he was not practising with the hospital as he was an employee of the state government and was just an “observing doctor”.

In his petition, manager Hardial Mehta had asserted that he was not named in the FIR. Moreover, no role had been attributed to him. His counsel added that the petitioner was ready to surrender if his role could be shown.
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Order reserved on Baldev Singh’s plea
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 9
In a petition filed before the Punjab and Haryana High Court, former Chairman of Ropar Co-operative Milk Union today sought directions to Punjab and other respondents for ordering an independent probe into “financial irregularities” allegedly committed by the Managing Director of Punjab State Cooperative Milk Producers Federation Limited.

Mr Baldev Singh and others, in their petition, added that the Bharati Kisan Union after becoming aware of the alleged irregularities, addressed representations to the Punjab Chief Minister, but no action was initiated. Taking up the petition, a Division Bench of the High Court headed by Mr Justice V.K. Bali, reserved the orders.
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Computerised district courts by June end
Tribune News Service

Panchkula, May 9
The computerisation of district courts at Panchkula, Ambala and Patiala, is likely to be completed by the end of June.

The computerisation of courts in three districts is being done as a pilot project by the Punjab and Haryana High Court here.

The project, which will finally be implemented in all districts of Punjab and Haryana, is being funded by the Punjab and Haryana High Court. The software for these e- courts is being developed by the National Informatics Centre.

This move follows the decision of executive body of IT for e- courts, which selected these districts for the launch of this project in the two states. While Patiala district courts have been selected in Punjab, Ambala and Panchkula have been selected in Haryana.

It is learnt that the Public Works Department in both the states is involved in laying cables for the setting up of computers.

The e-courts will be functional once the laying of cables and networking has been completed. NIC officials will be providing technical expertise about installation and would also be training the court staff to use the machines.

Officials in Panchkula say that the laying of cables is expected to be complete within a week, and networking of computers will be completed by end of this month. The District Information Officer, Mr Ganesh Dutt, informed that the provision for installing five to six computers in each court room here, has been made.

“Nodes have also been provided in the rooms for court nazir, clerks and other offices in the courts complex,” he informed.

Besides maintaining records of fresh filing of cases and the latest position, the e- courts once functional, would also help litigants know the latest position of their cases.
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DISTRICT COURTS
3 HUDA men get anticipatory bail

Panchkula, May 9
The Additional District and Sessions Judge, Dr H.S. Bhangoo, today granted anticipatory bail to three HUDA officials accused of conniving with the land mafia to sell HUDA land at Railla village. The court granted anticipatory bail to Naib Tehsildar (Panchkula) Bachchan Singh, Naib Tehsildar (Faridabad) Sher Singh and Patwari (Panchkula) Gurnam Singh and issued notice to Haryana Urban Development Authority for May 12.

These three officers had been placed under suspension for issuing No Objection Certificates for selling off 850 square yards of HUDA land located at Railla here.

The three officers had been deputed in Panchkula in 1999, when the land was sold off for setting up commercial and residential complexes. While Bachchan Singh was posted as Naib Tehsildar, Sher Singh was posted as Kanungo and Gurnam Singh as Patwari when the NOCs were issued. TNS
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CULTURE

City choreographer takes bhangra to Greece
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 9
After spilling the magic of Punjabi folk dances in the Czech Republic in 2000, city-based dancer and choreographer Avtar Singh Chana managed a bigger deal this year. Back after conducting a month-long workshop in bhangra for aspiring dancers in Greece, Chana is now looking forward to better prospects in the field.

From April 24 to May 4, Chana was in Crete (Greece) on the special invitation from the world famous Omma Studio. Impressed with the vitality of bhangra, the members of the group wanted to learn the dance form and perfect it with every passing year. It was with this purpose that Chana had been invited for about a month. The workshop followed close on the heels of Chana’s gaining the membership of the International Dance Council in Paris.

This year in Crete, Chana trained over 30 Greek aspirants in the nuances of bhangra and has already managed to have a following. So much so that Omma has now signed him up to conduct regular bhangra classes every year in September and January Meanwhile, Chana is going to the USA where he has been invited to judge entries to the America’s biggest bhangra contest to be organised by the University of California, Los Angeles.

In the city after a hectic schedule at Crete, Chana talked about the impressions foreigners carry about Indian folk dances. “We, at home, may not regard these dances good enough, but foreigners are quite smitten with them. Not only did they learn bhangra and its techniques, they also tried to imbibe the spirit behind the dance form, which is a physical reflection of happiness. Interestingly, they were so taken in by the brightness of my turban that they insisted on putting the same on during the workshop. So they learnt two arts — the art of dancing bhangra and the art of sporting turbans,” he said.

The workshop was based on the music derived from a special CD of bhangra music. The CD became such a rage in Crete that its copies were made on special orders and sold. The workshop in Crete was Chana’s third prestigious assignment in a row.

In 2000 he had conducted a similar workshop in Jablonec Nad Nison in the Czech Republic. Later in 2001 he went to visit the prestigious Laban Centre of Dance in London to learn the latest techniques in choreography, contemporary dance, contact improvisation and fitness of dancers. After that a bhangra dance workshop, conducted by him, was conducted at the British Asian Dance Academy in London.
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Kala Shilpa — more academic than artistic
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 9
Presentation is a vital technique that can either enhance or mar the prospects of a show. Students of final year (sculpture) at the local Government College of Art, Sector 10, may have had a lot of content and quality to reflect, but in the absence of proper structuring of the annual sculpture exhibition, Kala Shilpa, a lot of talent remained hidden.

Most of the distaste stemmed from the sheets of paper which the students had used to drape the background. Instead of highlighting some of the wonderfully-moulded works in fibre glass, marble, clay, stone and metal, these sheets of paper dampened their vibrancy. Also much of the show had not even been mounted by 3 pm, although the formal inauguration was to be held at 4 pm.

While the students tried their level best to display the works in a manner that the whole show came across as cohesive and delightful, loopholes were visible. Proper supervision and planning would have further added to the beauty of the works, which were based on many a phenomenon and feeling. Due to lack of coordination, the show came across more as an academic than artistic pursuit.

Put together by Dharamjit, Mukesh, Deepika, Shallu, Shriya, Vinima, Parneet, Gaurav, Avneet and Ravinder, the show was all about the use of mediums, right from the basic medium of stone and marble to a little-hard-to handle ones like metal casting and fibre glass. Paper, as a medium, had also been extensively used.

Each student had displayed about eight works, out of which one was essentially a life study. A major part of the sculpting talent got reflected in the way the students created life studies, which formed a part of their classroom exercise. This process helped at sensitising them with the anatomy as well as the physiology of the live model. Most life-study models displayed in the college gallery today were fair in appeal, but not so refined.

Apart from this, the students were also supposed to create a whole ensemble on a main topic, which differed from person to person. Where one student experimented with the elements of a fairyland, the other chose to go social through art. One particular work on “The consequences of drug addiction” appealed to the viewer at both the social as well as the artistic level. Art, after all, is an extension of reality.

Two collections displayed outside in the college lawns came out stronger than the rest. Apart from being strong thematically, these works managed to stand out from the others because of being displayed in the open, natural space, which enhanced their beauty.

The show will remain open till March 14 and can be viewed between 11 am and 6 pm.
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Bengali community pays tributes to Tagore
Our Correspondent

Chandigarh, May 9
The day brought some nostalgic moments for around 300 Bengali families living here in the city who celebrated the 142nd birth anniversary of ‘Kavi guru’ Rabindra Nath Tagore at Banga Bhavan in sector 35 here today.

Paying tributes to the Nobel laureate, who put India on the world map with his book “Geetanjali”, the Bengali community under the umbrella of the Bangiya Sanskritik Sammelan brought back the romanticism of the yesteryear through songs and dramas, all composed by the great poet.

The show started with “kavi pranam” as Supriya Sanyaal, a member of the sammelan, recited a few verses from “Geetanjali”. It was followed by Rabindra sangeet — rendered by some members of the society. Dr Sujata Ghosh, a guest member, also presented a solo song.

A dance drama based on Tagore’s famous creation “Ritu Ranga” in which each season was given an individualistic touch akin to a living being was also presented. The seasons were welcomed by a troupe of dancers directed by Moushumi Chakravarty. The script was written by Supriya Sanyaal, while music was given by Devanjan Haldar.

Another attraction of the evening was “Nrityar tale tale”, a dance drama performed by children. Others presented solo dance and songs based on rabindra sangeet.

The Bangiya Sanskritik Sammelan, a cultural outfit formed by Bengali families living in the city, organise different cultural activities and festivals like Durga puja, kali puja from time to time. The Sammelan is also known for organising sports tournaments like football and carrom.
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Harbhajan Mann enthrals audience
Tribune News Service

Panchkula, May 9
Residents of the township were treated to a cultural extravaganza by Alpha Punjabi at Sector 5 Parade Ground this evening. Eminent Punjabi singer Harbhajan Mann was the star attraction.

The three-hour musical extravaganza began at about 6.30 pm and attracted crowds not just from the township, but also from nearby SAS Nagar and Chandigarh. Mrs Seema Chaudhary, President, municipal council, was the chief guest on the occasion.

Other than Harbhajan Mann, who was specially flown in from London for this show, Sarabjeet Cheema of “Rang ra ra riri” fame, and new artistes Harshdeep, Deepak Dhillon also enthralled the audience. Singer Pammi Bai, with his deep voice also rendered a commendable performance and had the crowds dancing to his tunes. 
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