The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

EDUCATION

Haryana varsities, colleges take the lead in getting NAAC gradation
Our Correspondent

Sonepat, June 8
The universities and colleges of Haryana have taken the lead over institutions in other states in getting recognition

In the shape of gradation from the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) during the 2002-2003 academic session. As many as three out of five universities and 90 colleges of the state have been awarded gradation by the NAAC teams visiting the institutions during the last academic year.

The three universities are Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak, Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra, and Guru Jambheshwar University, Hisar. However, Ch Charan Singh Agriculture University, Hisar, and Ch Devi Lal University, Sirsa, have not yet been accorded gradation.

Further, 40 colleges under MDU, Rohtak, and 50 colleges under Kurukshetra University and Guru Jambheshwar University, Hisar, have succeeded in coming in the list of gradation of the NAAC. When compared with gradations of educational institutions in other states, Haryana is reportedly well ahead of institutions in the neighbouring state of Punjab where only three universities and seven colleges have so far got NAAC gradation. In Rajasthan, only four universities could get the NAAC gradation and in Chandigarh only one university, Panjab University, and only one college, Dev Samaj College of Education, are in the gradation list of the NAAC.

Similarly, one university and only one college in Himachal Pradesh, only two universities, Jammu University and Hazratbal Kashmir university, Srinagar, in Jammu and Kashmir and only one university, Jamia Hamdard University, in Delhi have so far been accorded gradation by the NAAC. Interestingly, most of the institutions in Uttaranchal had managed getting gradation during the year whereas in mother state Uttar Pradesh most of the universities and colleges have not yet been accorded gradation by the NAAC.

It is also worth mentioning that till May 2002 only one university, Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra, had the NAAC gradation. The University Grants Commission (UGC) had constituted the NAAC in 1994 with the aim to evaluate the existing educational facilities and other sports and cultural activities of the universities and colleges for according gradation. Last year, when UGC made the gradation compulsory for the higher educational institutions for availing financial grants from it a large number of colleges in the state applied for gradation certificates. A number of NAAC teams visited the state to make an assessment before issuing gradation certificates.

SCHOOL BUZZ
Tennis Express: Taking the game to the kids
Smriti Kak

With emphasis on the overall development of students, schools are increasingly making provisions for students to grasp sports and cultural activities. From drama clubs to eco clubs, horse riding to skating, students are being provided opportunity to grow and learn.

DPS International recently inaugurated the Tennis Express, an initiative taken by the Indian Tennis Association to take tennis to the kids.

Having played in the Davis Cup Shruti Dhawan and Vishal Uppal shared their experience with the students.

The idea behind the Tennis Express is to help children take to the sport and also train those who have a natural inclination for the game.

Talent competition

Step by Step, a preparatory school, Pitampura, organised a talent competition for students enrolled in the hobby class programme. The students put up a cultural programme and a special section titled, ‘Mother’s Special’, where mothers were given tips on nutrition, beauty and healthy living.

Counsellor Meera Kherapal interacted with the parents and answered queries related to child upbringing.

Kids of Step by Step presenting a cultural programme.

Kids of Step by Step presenting a cultural programme

Annual Day at Savera

Savera Special School for physically and mentally challenged students celebrated its seventh annual day. To mark the occasion, the students staged a cultural show and a play titled, ‘anekta mein ekta’ with a message unity is strength.
A new newsletter was also released by the president of the Lions club, Ms Indu Gupta, who was the chief guest on the occasion. Director of Savera, Dr P. S. Narang emphasised that the school had adopted self-reliance, as its motto and has also stated a vocational unit, where children with special needs are involved in making candles, bookstands and other household goods.

Savera Special School students presenting a cultural show.

100 per cent result

Bishan Singh Memorial School, Mansarovar Garden, has secured 100 per cent result in class X and XII. In class XII, 87 per cent students have secured a first division, 40 per cent students have secured a distinction and 60 per cent have secured over 70 per cent. In class X, 50 per cent of the students have secured first division, 25 per cent have secured distinction and an equal number have secured more than 70 per cent.

A programme to help students bust stress

The results of class X and XII examinations are out. Like every year, many cases of suicide and attempt to suicide were reported. Most parents dream big for their wards. Unfortunately, very few parents see their dreams realised. Rest of them only get frustration. They would blame their children for that situation and never try to ponder over the real and basic cause of the persistent failures of their children.

Due to this type of thinking, the problem is never sorted out, rather it gets bigger in the course of time. Unable to face the stress, children choose suicide an option. Keeping these things in mind, East of Kailsh-based Physician Weight Management Centre has come up with a unique programme ‘Metamorphoz’ (self-metamorphosis), especially for students.

According to the director of the centre, Mrs Suneeta Sharma, it has been designed for the students to help them in concentrating on their studies, improving communication skills and substantiating learning ability and memory. Apart from this, it mitigates stress and frustration. Despite stress, tension, hyperactivity, aspirations and frustrations, this centre immensely helps students in excelling in their class, school and society. The main objective of this programme is to improve concentration and learning ability, develop personality through working on emotional quotient, increase morale with self-esteem and confidence, provide regular individual counselling for behaviour modification and cognitive therapy, arrange brainstorming sessions and most importantly build up a positive attitude to fight each and every situation of life. The main focus is kept on the psychological health of a child through this programme. The stress mounted by the school and parents is taking its toll on the physical and psychological health of the students. Not only it becomes the cause of poor performance at school, but also ruins the career prospects of a student. Moreover, the generation gap makes things unmanageable and a reason of regular conflict between children and parents.

Nalini Ranjan

PRINCIPAL SPEAK
Why man needs religion the most?

India is a land of spirituality, a land where belief and worship is manifested in varied and resplendent forms; where there are as many gods and goddesses as there are ways of worshipping them. However, the essence and the ultimate truth of all religions is basically the same - the attainment of salvation.

There is a fundamental unity running through all the diversity we see around us. Religions are given to us so as to accelerate the process of realisation of that fundamental truth - the absolute oneness of God, and therefore, also of humanity. In today’s mechanised and materialistic age, we have all become islands, isolated and confined to our self-centred selves. Isn’t it ironical that while we believe the world to be a small place, we, as individuals, are drifting apart, unable to connect, both within and outside ourselves.

In our mad pursuit of worldly things, we have deadened ourselves to the inner voice of our being, as well as to the hapless cries of a suffering humanity. Instead, we have become the ‘Hollow Men’, stuffed with rank egotism, gross selfishness and a violent aggressiveness that belies the innate goodness of man.

It is at such a moment that man needs religion the most. Physical relationships, divorced from the spiritual, are body without soul. We have to break ourselves from the narrow confines of a dogmatic religion and elevate ourselves to a point from where we can perceive a blending harmony and spiritual relationships in the world around us. This can only be brought about through prayer, meditation and service to mankind.

However, it is important that we approach God with humility and contrition for it is better in prayer to have a heart without words than words without a heart. Faith, fervour and selflessness are essential for true service and to love truly is the greatest triumph of life.

Religion acquires meaning only when it is both self-reflexive and all encompassing. Religion should not fail to take account of practical affairs, it should strive to give us a greater vision to show us the way to attain fulfilment, to shed our notions of ‘I’ and ‘Mine’, and cultivate humility and simplicity.

Religion means living in the presence of God and faith in the continuity of life. Mahatma Gandhi once said ‘whenever I see an erring man, I say to myself “I have also erred”, whenever I see a lustful man I say to myself “so was I once”, and in this way I feel kinship with everyone in the world, and feel that I cannot be happy without the humblest of us being happy.” Like a beacon in the darkness, these words will always stands testimony to the fact that here was a man who loved god, not only ‘wisely’, but ‘too well’.

Madhu Chandra
Principal, Birla Vidya Niketan