Engg institute ties up with UK varsity
Our Correspondent

Dera Bassi, June 12
Sri Sukhmani Institute of Engineering and Technology (SSIET) here in collaboration with the University of Plymouth, UK, has decided to start a diploma in marine engineering from this academic session.

Mr Avtar Singh, chairman of the institute, and Dr John Chudley, Head of Department of Mechanical and Marine Engineering, University of Plymouth, signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU), at the institute here today.

Located on the Chandigarh-Ambala highway, about 20 km from Chandigarh, the institute was the first Indian engineering college to start diploma course in marine engineering in collaboration with the university. Prior to this a Mumbai-based engineering college was having the arrangement to start a diploma course in computers with the same university.

Mr Avtar Singh said the SSIET diploma in marine engineering would allow students to get their credits transferred to the honours degree course in marine technology at the University of Plymouth.

During the first two years of the diploma, the students admitted to the mechanical and marine engineering courses would have common subjects, while the next two years the students would be sent to the university of Plymouth for specialisation coaching, added Mr Avtar Singh.

While talking to the Tribune, Dr Chudley said the BE (Hons) marine technology course was one of the university’s many undergraduate ‘sandwich’ courses. It had an option of professional vocational training in the form of a one-year placement for students with a commercial or industrial company. During the placement period, the students would be paid a salary between 10,000 pounds and 18,000 pounds per year. He claimed that at present over 2,000 students from 100 countries were studying there.

Besides Mr Andrew Rossiter, International Officer of the University of Plymouth, faculty members of SSIET were also present on the occasion.

Sale of prospectus begins
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 12
Sale of prospectus for admission to Class XI in UT government schools began at five centres in the city, here today. Available at Government Model Senior Secondary Schools in Sectors 19, 23, 33 and 40 and at GMSSS-Mani Majra Complex, the UT Education Department sold 780 forms on the first day.

The last date for submission of forms is June 25. All forms would have to be submitted at GMSSS-23 where the centralised admissions would take place. The forms of applicants would be sorted out according to options and percentages in one week’s time and admissions would begin on July 2 and continue till July 17.

The department has got 10,000 forms printed for the nearly 8,000 seats available in the science, arts and commerce streams in government schools.

ABVP memorandum on fee hike
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 12
A delegation of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad today met the Governor of Punjab and submitted a memorandum to him against the recent fee hike announced by the Punjab Government, a press note said here.

The delegation comprising Mr Sushash Sharma, secretary of the Punjab unit, and Mr Saurabh Joshi, secretary of the local unit, met Justice O.P.Verma, who is also the UT Administrator, and sought his intervention in preventing any hike in fee by the local institutions also.

It was pointed out that the hike would make education out of bounds for middle and lower class students. The deputation urged the Governor to constitute a state-level committee to monitor the fee structure.

HC orders appointment of warrant officer
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 12
Taking up a habeas corpus petition accusing the Station House Officer of Phase VIII police station of illegally detaining a 10-year-old boy, Mr Justice S.S. Grewal of the Punjab and Haryana High Court today directed the appointment of a warrant officer to locate the alleged detainee.

Pronouncing the orders in the open court on the petition filed against the state of Punjab and other respondents by the alleged victim’s mother, Choni Devi of Patna, Mr Justice Grewal also issued notice of motion. The case will now come up for further hearing on June 13.

In her petition, Choni Devi had earlier submitted that her son Mukesh Kumar was picked up by the Station House Officer and other police officials from Phase VII sabzi mandi where he was selling vegetables. She was later informed by her relatives that Mukesh Kumar was in illegal custody at Phase VIII police station.

Her counsel had added that “there was a strong apprehension in the petitioner’s mind that her innocent son would be eliminated or involved in some false case”. He had added on the petitioner’s behalf that a warrant officer may be appointed for the release of the detainee from the illegal custody of the respondent. 

DISTRICT COURTS
R.M. Gupta’s remand extended
Our Correspondent

Chandigarh, June 12
The suspended Jalandhar District and Sessions Judge, R.M Gupta, was today further remanded in judicial custody in a corruption case registered against him by a local court. Gupta was produced in the court of the UT CBI Special Judge, Mr Balbir Singh, who remanded him in judicial custody till June 25.

According to the CBI a trap was laid by it and the suspended Judicial Magistrate (First Class), S.S Bhardwaj, was caught while taking a bribe of Rs 7 lakh for himself and R.M Gupta from Gurvinder Singh, complainant, for favouring in the latter in the consideration of an anticipatory bail pending before him. S.S Bhardwaj was yesterday remanded in CBI custody by a local court.

Meanwhile, Pakistani national Abid Mehmood, arrested by the UT police on spying charges, was today further remanded in judicial custody by a local court. Meanwhile, the court has also directed the UT police to file a reply on the application moved by Abid for supplying a translated copy of the challan in English to him.

The UT police had filed the challan against three persons — Abid Mehmood, Abdul Wahid and Mohammad Arif — under the Official Secret Acts and the Foreign Act, and on cheating and forgery charges.

The police had claimed that it had recovered several incriminating secret documents, including maps of the Survey of India, details of defence information, pictures, deployment of army units of the Western and the Eastern Commands and a fake school-leaving certificate from the possession of three accused.