EDUCATION

PU firm on environment studies as subject
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 21
Students of science stream will not be exempted from appearing in the environment studies paper in the annual examination of Panjab University.

The decision is important in the context that a university committee in February had recommended closure of environment studies as a compulsory subject in science classes at undergraduate level.

The committee had “felt” that students of the science stream were already exposed to the related aspects of environment education in their classes. The university however could make necessary additions to their existing syllabi.

Confirming the university decision to continue the subject in science classes, Prof K.N.Pathak, Vice-Chancellor, said the university had not accepted the committee recommendation. “Environment studies as a compulsory subject at the undergraduate level did not mean specialisation in the subject. It was only general education about the environmental concerns. In general terms, the paper referred only to the importance of environment and need to safeguard it against the existing pollution sources and other environmental concerns. Environment was as much a concern for science students as it was for other students,” Professor Pathak said.

Professor Pathak said the university was thinking over the issue of finalising the undergraduate class for conducting the paper instead of the existing provision for students to appear in any year.

The committee, while making the recommendation to forego it for science classes, had felt that the PU degree was already very “heavy” going by the number of subjects in each course. Panjab University asks each degree student to choose three subjects. He also has to appear in the compulsory English and compulsory Punjabi or History of Punjab papers. In addition, the university has added the compulsory subject of environment studies.

The university had introduced the subject after an observation of the Supreme Court asking for a paper in environment studies at the undergraduate level. The PU was probably the only university in the country to introduce the paper.

The university has faced problems with the paper right from its outset. First year the paper had to be cancelled due to abysmally poor results. For the following few years the university managed with just the lectures.

The committee members asking for discontinuance of the subject in science had included Prof S.M. Handa, Principal A.S.Dua, Prof Charanjit Chawla and Prof Akhtar Mehmood.

12 PU students held, remanded
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 21
At least 12 students of Panjab University, protesting under the banner of the Students Organisation of Panjab University (SOPU) against the sale of admission forms along with the prospectus for admission to various departments, were arrested by the police for blocking the way to the sales counters in Administration Block on the university campus here today. The students were later remanded in judicial custody till June 25 by the area SDM.

The students were on a hunger strike against the hike in the price of admission forms. A police official said the PU authorities informed the Sector 11 police station in the morning that the students who were earlier sitting outside the block had shifted their dharna inside the block. Twelve students, including SOPU president, Khushbaz Singh Jattana, were booked under Sections 107 and 151 of the CrPC. The other students arrested were Lokinder Singh, Ramandeep Singh, Ranjit Singh, Kanawljeet Singh, Gurpreet Singh, Munish Bansal, Udayvir Singh, Sumeet Inder, Ajay Pal and Jaspal Singh.

Different student organisations have been protesting against the increase in the admission form fee. Students said the forms that were earlier available at Rs 25 were now being sold at Rs 250. Earlier, it was optional for students to buy the handbook but this year it had been made mandatory. They said the university should sell the forms separately from the handbook of information and it should be the prerogative of the students whether to buy it or not.

PU booklet counter open today

Chandigarh, June 21
Panjab University has decided to keep the counter of the campus branch of the State Bank of India open tomorrow (Sunday) for the sale of handbook of information, according to an official press note here today. The university is giving the booklet at Rs 250 each.

The bank counter will remain open between 10 am and 12 noon. TNS

YPS students to visit Canada
Tribune News Service

SAS Nagar, June 21
Students of Yadavindra Public School here, along with students of YPS, Patiala, will participate in a special 15-day summer camp in Canada. The camp begins tomorrow.

The students are being taken to Canada in Association with Overseas Education and Immigration Services, Chandigarh. The mayor of Edmonton, along with the Director, International Services, of EIP Schools, will receive the students at Edmonton airport. The students will be given exposure to Canadian system of education. They will also participate in a vast range of cultural activities. Dr H.S. Dhillon, Principal of the school, extended an invitation to Canadian students to visit India under similar students programme.

Spillover of residents

Residents of Sector 48 C, which falls within the SAS Nagar borders, have complained that residents of the jhuggis razed by the Chandigarh Administration in the sector have started spilling over to their area. According to a press note issued by Mr C.S. Saini, president of the Senior Citizens’ Welfare Association, the ousted residents of these illegal colonies have started occupying vacant areas in the township.

Murder condemned

Members of the Mohali Industries Association has condemned the brutal murder of the chairman of the IET, Bhaddal. According to a press note issued by Mr Gurmeet Singh, president of the association, stern action should be taken against the assailants. He pointed out that Gurcharan Singh’s contribution to the spread of technical education in the area would always be remembered with reverence.

Office-bearers elected

Mr Manohar Singh has been elected as president of the New Residential Welfare Committee, Sector 71, here. Mr Kirpal Singh Waraich will be the vice-president while Mr Gurpal Singh will be the secretary. Mr Jagtar Singh will be the general secretary.

Arya Samaj Mandir

Dr Bidhi Chand Minhas has been elected President of the Arya Samaj Mandir, Phase VI here. Dr Sharuti Kant Arya will be the secretary while Mr Raj Kumar Kandal will be the cashier. The power to select of other office-bearers and executive committee members has been given to the president/secretary.

Mr Surmukh Singh has been elected president of the Punjab Adventure Club, Sector 48-C, here. Mr Naresh Kumar will be the general secretary while Mr Hari Chand will be the finance secretary. Mr Jagtar Singh will be the general secretary. These persons were elected at the general body meeting of the club held on Saturday. The outgoing president also listed the achievements of the club during the last year.

Mr Parampal Rawat will receive the Helen Keller Award-2002. This was announced by Mr Ajit Sailani, General Secretary, National Handicapped Welfare Council, here on Saturday. Mr Rawat is teaching at the Government College in Karnal. The Sleewan Award will be given to Ms Suvarsha Kalra, director of the Deaf and Dumb Children School, Ludhiana. The Pandit Vishnu Digambar Paluskar Award will be given to Ms Namita Sharma, who is teaching music at Government College Ludhiana. These awards will be given on June 27 at the Punjab School Education Board here by the National Handicapped Welfare Council.

Fun, frolic come to an end

SAS Nagar, June 21
Fun and frolic came to an end today for the 50 children who attended the four-week summer camp at Spring Valley Public School, SAS Nagar. It was a package deal for the kids who learnt to dance on western, Hindi and Punjabi songs along with music — both vocal and instrumental. The workshop focused on art and craft activities too where the children learnt to make the best out of waste.

The participants were imparted tips on mannerism and etiquettes. One of the major attraction of the camp was theme parties. The main emphasis of the camp was to make the children active and self-confident. OC

COURTS

Police remand for auto thieves
Our Correspondent

Chandigarh, June 21
Two members of a gang of auto thieves arrested by the police from Malyoa were today remanded in police custody by a local court. The two — Raja, a resident of Palsora colony, and Harwinder Singh, a resident of Ropar district, were produced in the court of Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate, Mr Harbhajan Dass, who after hearing the police plea that the custody of the accused were required for the recovery of other vehicles remanded them in police custody.

CULTURE

Devdas to Kalpana — Abhishek settles for a cause
Aditi Tandon
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 21
For some time now film director Abhishek Verma has been grappling with the dimensions of his latest film project. Rooted in a social and national cause, the idea behind his new film flows from the memory of Kalpana Chawla, Asia’s first woman astronaut, who lives even after her death.

Having assisted Sanjay Leela Bhansali in Devdas, Abhishek could easily have walked away with plum film assignments in directorial roles. But there was something that urged him to shift focus — from purely commercial considerations to social ones which, he feels, the cinema is meant to further. Detaching himself from mainstream cinema, Abhishek floated his own film-making group under the name of Expressions, deciding to launch it with an international film spanning the life and achievements of Kalpana Chawla and the other astronauts on board the ill-fated Columbia space shuttle.

The film will be titled “Kalpana, sitaron se aage... and will feature, in equal proportion, sequences on Kalpans’s colleagues at Columbia, namely Rick Husband, David Brown, Laural Clark, Michael Anderson and William Mc Gool. Right now Abhishek is busy collecting information on Kalpana’s life from her family sources. He has also obtained permission to make a film on her life from Kalpana’s brother Sanjay Chawla.

Because Abhishek is still making a headway into his film career and is not financially very comfortable, he cannot run the 12 crore project all by himself. For financial aid he has approached the Haryana and the Maharashtra governments. If the required aid for the film is forthcoming, the director has pledged to give away 51 per cent profits from the venture to the government under a special fund to be constituted under the name of Expressions Kalpana Fund, which will serve a social cause by extending financial aid of poor, helpless students. The fund will be used to give scholarships to students wishing to study further.

As you struggle to establish a link between Abhishek and Kalpana, Abhishek comes to your rescue,” I hail from Karnal, the city of Kalpana. Ever since the mishap occurred I had been feeling a pressing need to document Kalpana’s life in relation to her achievements and her contribution to India’s glory. After floating my group I asked my technicians to get going and my writers to give me the best script. This will be an international project featuring in great detail everything about Kalpana’s investment in space missions. I am collaborating with foreign firms to get good foreign actors to play the roles. The project may also be funded by some international organization.”

Meanwhile, Abhishek , who has behind him the experience of directing some famous serials for the small screen like “Babul ki duaen leti jaa,” has already produced a demo audio album featuring five songs, drawing from the life of Kalpana. Abhishek has roped in the best technicians in the industry to shoot the film on locations in India, the USA and Israel.

The aim of the project is to generate funds that can further be used to promote a social cause. As informed by Abhishek, “In response to my letter, the Maharashtra government has already called for a copy of the demo audio cassette that features songs on patriotic themes. There is also a proposal to introduce these demo cassettes at the school level, so as to apprise children of the accomplishments of Kalpana and further inspire them to reach for the stars.”

Clarifying that this is not for the first time a film maker is seeking government aid for film production, Abhishek said, “Kamal Hassan has sought financial aid for the film Maridunyagam from the Deputy Prime Minister of Canada.”

Bubbu Tir’s anthology due for release
Prabhjot Singh
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 21
For Bubbu Tir, writing is a passion. “This is what I have inherited from my illustrious father, Dr Gurnam Singh Tir. When he was on his death-bed, he handed over his pen to me and that is what has inspired me to complete my first book of poems,” she says, revealing that her first anthology is all set for release next week.

It is a collection of 72 poems on human relationship. Though with a masters degree in English Literature, she has chosen Punjabi, the language dear to her father, for her maiden venture in the literary world.

Dr Gurnam Singh Tir, was a lawyer by profession and his popular column “Chacha Chandigarhia” was a satire on political happenings of that time.

Married to a surgeon, Bubbu is settled in Chandigarh.

The foreword to the book is written by Mr Jagdev Singh Jassowal, founder-President of Prof Mohan Singh Foundation. “I have dedicated this book to my father, who was always a big source of inspiration to me,” she says.

“My next project is a book in English in which I will try to capture the essence of events that shaped the destiny of Punjab between 1982 and 1992. Closeness to my father, whom all top leaders, irrespective of their political and party affiliations visited, provided me with an insight into the events that were taking place while Punjab was burning.