The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

EDUCATION

PTU CET badly conducted: students
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, May 24
The Common Entrance Test (CET) held on May 23 was attempted by students from all over Punjab, but some teachers and students are not satisfied with the way it was conducted. Mr R.S. Uppal, lecturer of Baba Banda Singh Bahadur Engineering College at Fatehgarh Sahib, and many students have urged the government to redress their grievance or people will lose faith in competitive tests.

The students say that CET exam was not conducted in the right manner and it is the second failure of examination system after the CBSE PMT scandal in less than two months. “The CET-2003 conducted by Punjab Technical University on May 23 has mocked engineering aspirants of Punjab,” they say.

Punjab Technical University inserted an advertisement one day before the test in the newspaper saying that any student can appear in the test at any centre, which caused a great deal of confusion. The Punjab Government authorised the PTU to conduct the CET through its notification, but it failed to the come up to the expectations of the students.

There are many failures in the conduct of the examination. Firstly the PTU failed to issue roll-number slips to the candidates for this entrance examination. When their parents approached the PTU for the roll numbers of their wards, the PTU authorities told them that they could download roll-number slips from the Internet and affix attested photographs of candidates over it.

This downloading, again, proved to be problem for the candidates, as the parameter for the search is ‘form number’ rather than name, roll number or address, and most students did not remember their form number Instead of revising their syllabus, they had to spend hours surfing to get their slips.

On May 21, the PTU gave an advertisement in the newspaper that students can appear in the test at any centre without a roll-number slip. Students got so confused that they started running from one centre to another in search of their examination centre.

How can a student concentrate on his studies, when he is not certain if he would be allowed to sit for the paper next day.

On May 23, when they, finally, appeared in the CET after facing such hardships, they faced another problem of wrong printing of question papers.

These printing problems were hard to rectify as question papers were divided into four sets. As a result, students solving a particular set with printing errors cannot compete with students whose sets do not have any error. “Will anybody take into consideration these factors before doing the evaluation of papers,” say the students.

The students say that the only solution to their problem is to set up a high-level committee to find out all the problems and mistakes in the conduct of the test. Based on it, the committee should devise a formula of moderation for the affected students before declaring the final results. This would be a better solution than reconducting the CET or facing legal action.

‘Early schooling bad for kids’
Shivani Bhakoo

Ludhiana, May 24
Beware parents! Sending kids less than three years of age to school can severely hamper their development. The anxiety arising out of separation from their parents, home and surroundings creates a fear in the minds of these tinytots and they tend to become introvert and, occasionally, face adjustment problems.

Ms Manmeet Grewal, a city-based psychologist says that parents expect their two-year-old to start learning all things. Some of the parents approach teachers at Playway schools and ask about the prescribed syllabus.

“This is shocking. Two-year-old child is not mentally prepared for school. The children so young, should be taught to adjust to the new environment because they are not ready to leave their parents. They are at a learning stage and should be tactfully handled”. Children feel scared and depressed while going to school.

At times, these children cannot be managed and they keep crying till the time they come home. A child at this tender age will not learn from nature; whatever he learns is from what is taught to him. His creativity and imagination is hampered, as he is forced to behave in a particular manner.

The professor of human development in Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), Dr Inderjit Singh Jaswal, said children could face a high level of stress and anxiety, if they did not adjust to the new environment, teachers and friends. “Child psychologists recommend that upto five years of age, children should be kept under primary care given by their parents and grandparents.

The child should be encouraged to play for two-three hours, that too, under proper supervision and in an affectionate manner. Children feel stressed out and prefer to remain aloof, if not given proper care and attention”.

Ms Vandita Rajiv Rai, Principal, Sparkles School, Sarabha Nagar, also shared the views. She said, “I dislike taking children who are less than two-year-and-four-month old to my school.

But then what can we do? The admission criteria is so difficult that we have to take them. I think the number of children should be restricted and fees should be more. These innocent kids needs a lot of love and care. They deserve the best attention. There is a need to bring emotional stability among them because they might become school-phobic”.

She added that such cranky kids threw tantrums, if not given affectionate environment. They became emotionally weak.

A parent, Ms Suman Bhatia, who has got her two-and-a-half-year old son admitted at a local playway said: “He feels insecure while going to school.

At times, he vomits out everything in the morning. But we can’t make him sit at home. He should be well prepared before getting admission in some good school”.

Meanwhile, some of the teachers at these playways complained that they called the parents to come early to take the child back home. “We tell the parents to let their children get adjusted in the new environment and take their wards early from school, but they do not listen and kids get upset emotionally and psychologically”, said one of the teachers.

Courses on disaster preparedness
Asha Ahuja

Ludhiana, May 24
Indira Gandhi National Open University(IGNOU) has introduced two special courses — Certificate in Disaster Management and Certificate in Human Rights — at its various study centres in Punjab. This was stated by Dr U.C. Pandey, Director of Regional Centre, IGNOU, Khanna (Punjab), while addressing a seminar at Guru Nanak Girls College, Model Town, here.

He explained that these courses had been specifically designed for the police, military, para-military forces and various NGO functionaries aimed at imparting scientific know-how to learners on disaster preparedness — fires, earth-quakes, floods, accidents, riots and epidemics — and rehabilitation.

The course for Certificate in Human Rights was designed for those who interacted with the masses on a daily basis. Special target groups for the programme were law enforcement personnel (police, Army etc), the judiciary and administrative officers, schoolteachers and NGO functionaries.

The Coordinator of the study centre, Prof Dharam Singh, explained that these programmes of six months’ duration each were open to all with 10+2 or equivalent qualification. The last date for admission for the July Session was May 31, 2003.

He said these courses were being taught at the study centre by highly qualified teachers every Saturday/Sunday. The enrolled learners would be provided with video-conferencing and radio-lecture facilities.

Noted economist and Academic Counsellor, IGNOU, Dr Jaswant Singh Chamak, highlighted the importance of these programmes. He said during his recent visit to Australia he was told that enforcement personnel there were equipped with the know-how to combat disaster events.

Dr Harpreet Singh, Prof Chopra, and Prof Manjit Singh (all Academic Counsellors) were also present at the meeting.

Study circle to hold training camp
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, May 24
Guru Gobind Singh Study Circle Of Ludhiana zone is organising a ‘Youth Leadership Training Camp’ in collaboration with the Nankana Sahib Education Trust from June 1 to 3 at Nankana Sahib Public School of Gill Park in Ludhiana.

Mr Harjit Singh, zonal president of the body said students of classes VIII to XII would participate in the camp. Different sessions on Gurbani, Sikh history, charni lagna and turban dressing etc will be organised for students by the study circle.

A slide show and sport. Declamation, poetry and gurmat quiz competitions will also be organised on this occasion, according to a press note issued here today.

350 get prizes at GNIMT annual day
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, May 24
The Guru Nanak Institute of Management and Technology (GNIMT) on Gujarkhan Campus at Model Town in Ludhiana celebrated the annual day of the Indian Society for Technical Education and held a prize-distribution function here today.

Prof H.P. Sinha, Programme Director and Executive Secretary of the Indian Society for Technical Education (ISTE), New Delhi, was the chief guest on the occasion. The GNIMT is also an institutional member of the ISTE and has already established the ISTE chapter here. Several national and state-level activities were organised by the institute during the year under the aegis of the ISTE.

At the opening ceremony, Dr Sinha delivered a keynote address on the theme 'Management of Technical Education and Global Competitiveness'.

The chief guest also gave away more than 350 prizes to students with significant achievements in academics, cultural, literary and sports activities.

Some of the toppers of the institute who were given prizes were Ritika Bisht (MCA-III), Amanpreet Kaur (MCA-I), Sonia Syal (MBA-i), Ritika Gupta (BCA-V), Nighi Singla (BBA-V), Amritpal Kaur (BCA-III), Preeti Sachdeva (BBA-III), Charanpreet Kaur (BCA-I) and Vaishali (BBA-I). In cultural and literary activities, Inderjot Kaur was adjudged the best singer of the institute, while Divya was declared the best dancer.

Harshpreet Kaur was awarded the prize for best speaker and Nighi Singla for the most well-behaved student. Sanjali was adjudged the best in creativity display.

More than 100 prizes were given to students who had participated in various events organised during the cultural festival of the GNIMT — 'Expressions-2003.'

In sport, Ravinderjeet was declared the best athlete of the PTU as well as of the GNIMT. Navneet Khurana was declared the second best athlete of the PTU and Harpreet Brar was declared the second best athlete of the GNIMT. The GNIMT athletes who had shattered seven records during the PTU Annual Athletics Meet were also honoured during the function.

They are Ravinderjeet Kaur, Navneet Khurana, Baldeep Kaur, Manpreet Sandhu, Harpreet Kaur, Koma Alag and Simrat Kaur. Prizes were also given to singers for summer and winter sports festivals and annual athletics meet held at the GNIMT during the year.

From the annual report of the institute, Dr A.S. Bansal, Director GNIMT, read out the achievements of the students during the year in various university/institute-level competitions.

He said the institute had participated in more than 80 activities during the year. Prof G.S. Sarna, general secretary Guru Nanak Education Trust (Gujarkhan), congratulated the prize winners and presented a vote of thanks.