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July 21, 2003, Chandigarh, India
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CAMPUS NOTES Tribune News Service The freshers this time are more at home in settling down amicably and rather quickly in the new environs, courtesy, a university circular strictly banning ragging on the campus. This was a rule which existed even earlier in the rule books, however, groups of freshers engaged in comic interludes was a common scene in the canteens. This year the circular has had a stronger impact. Ragging in majority of the cases on the campus witnessed sessions of brief introduction followed by an attempt at a cultural item. This included a song or a joke. Even these 'lighter moments of introduction' sometimes assumed serious proportions when certain juniors became adamant and the seniors used "hard measures" to show their 'supremacy'. Ragging assumed vulgar colours in the closed environs of the hostels, both, incase of girls as well as boys. This time the hostel wardens are extremely vigilant on this account. The student organisations have already started making efforts to make their presence felt among the fresh crowd with their eyes set on the student body elections sometime in September-October. All of them had set up their counselling centres outside the Administrative Block to assist freshers with their results and filling admission forms. The ongoing tussle in the Panjab University Students Union came to the fore with one group making the other to run away from the site of counselling. This was followed by visits to the police station and a series of press conferences with each side claiming to be the legitimate office bearers of the organisation. The situation arose because PUSU has no written constitution. The Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad has had a stronger presence felt, at least in the media. They organised a number of 'dharnas' against the proposed fee hike and non uniform fees in hotels, to name a few. Residents in the university hostels are also a settling down after the opening of the mess and canteen services following summer vacations of more than a month. Hostels are not completely vacant even during the vacation as a number of students continue their stay on the pretext of appearing in the competitive examination, research projects or ongoing post doctoral research. These students arrange for their meals from the 'rehris' or restaurants during this period. Attempts are also being made to get more rooms vacated in hostels for the benefit of the students. Earlier, in each of the hostels certain rooms are blocked by wasteful furniture, unclaimed luggage and other sundry items. The university atmosphere will be more lively with cultural and academic events which will commence shortly. The welcome function for freshers is an eagerly awaited event which will be followed and hectic activity for the student body elections. The heavy rush is evident from the number of applicants in each course on the campus. To cite a few examples: Botany department which has 25 seats received more than 100 applications, Philosophy with 35 received more than 100, Political Science with 60 seats received about 300 applications, Physics received about 150 applications for 40 seats and Economics received about 375 applications for 110 seats. Exams postponed:
The examination have been postponed till July 30. The Panjab University Student Union and the Students Organisation of Panjab University had approached the university authorities. The university is also learnt to have accepted the demand of adding one per cent grace marks in the total incase a student was failing in the class. The university is also learnt to have agreed to grant seven grace marks in the paper of Calculus. Course concession:
Dr Dinesh Talwar, a fellow, had highlighted the issue to the Vice Chancellor. Certain courses have not been conducted by the university since long. To cite an example, teachers in Sociology were facing problems because no course in the subject had been conducted since 1996. Teachers will now have the option of attending courses in Environment Studies or Gender Studies. Selection process:
A suggestion to this regard has been made by a committee which was constituted following a resolution of Mr Satya Pal Dang, a fellow. Mr Dang had sought the university to set a procedure to ensure more transparency in the selection process. It worthwhile to mention that Punjab Government had also circulated its decision about changes in the selection process. |
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Students
plant saplings Chandigarh, July 20 A pit of 175 cubic feet was especially constructed with different layers of material like small brick and stone pieces and sand as per technical requirements for a rainwater harvesting pond. It was built with technical and financial assistance from the Environment Society of India (ESI). Over a hundred saplings of different varieties were also planted by the students, teachers and volunteers. The camp was inaugurated by the president of ESI, Dr S.K. Sharma. He highlighted the need for immediate steps to effectively channelise rain water, considering the depleting water-table of the region and explained in detail the effects of such measures which, he said, were a true complement to environmental conservation on a long term basis. |
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HAMARA SCHOOL
Pandit Mohan Lal S D Public School is a prime example of a well maintained disciplined school. Situated amidst one of the most busy area in sector 32, the school stands silent and dignified, imparting quality education to its students. The school is being run by the GGDSD Society. Established in 1989, the school has had an interesting beginning. It started with Plus one and Plus two in Arts, Science and Commerce stream, slowly moving down to class VI. Only five years back PML SD School added the primary section. Though the school started operating from the premises of GGDSD College in the same sector in the initial stage. PMLSD School is a separate entity now, having a separate campus and a building equipped with all infrastructure required for imparting quality education. The three story building has big airy rooms, colourful nurseries and vast space laced with greenery which gives not just breathing space to the students but ample opportunity for games and sports. The main focus of the school is value based education. Though known specially for its commerce stream, the well educated and dedicated staff has left stone unturned to achieve 100 percent success in the board examinations. The school do not opt for the cream of the students but has a mixed bag in terms of merit or social ranks, so the biggest achievement of the school is that it has been producing well
behaved, complete human beings. "Our biggest achievement is that we improve that
atleast by ten percent when it comes to academic ranking," says the Principal. The school has a well stocked library which is caters to both the staff and students population. It has modern labs and a hi- tech computer section for the children's use. Sports is another prior area for the school. It provides facilities for basketball, volley ball, foot ball, kho kho and a host of indoor games. Equal emphasis is given on developing overall personality through extra curricular activities. The school regularly organise cultural functions, debates and quizzes both at intra school and inter school level to help students over come their stage fear and become and develop an outgoing nature. There is a close bond between the teachers and students and teachers take an active interest in each children's progress. Counselling is done on one an one basis when necessary. But the best part is the teaching faculty keeps in close contact with the parents and regular informal meeting are held to apprise them of their wards. The management committee of the school has also set up a fund to
help out the poor and needy students by providing them free books and scholarships. |
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“Each individual deserves respect”
On importance of co curricular activities - In today's world one needs to expose a child all sorts of situations for developing an all round personality, says Ms. Bhardwaj. Unless and until a child a complete person, his formal education has no value in the job market. On the present education system - I am not happy with the present education system for we are preparing our children just for the job market and straying away from our age old traditional values. Even then we are mostly producing educated unemployed youths. The only solution seems to be introduction of more and more vocational courses. In the other hand, parents too have to change their mindset and let their wards pursue a career according to their aptitude rather than following a set trend. On tuition menace - Tuition is the trend now. Parents start sending their children to private tutorials even before they start school. Tuition may be necessary for some, week in one subject or other, but one needs to give the child a fair chance to prove himself through a sincere try from is part. On imposing discipline - Imposed type of discipline does not work for a long time, so we try to imbibe the elements of self discipline among our students.
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Poems by students Schools
I am the batsman Rest are fielders Teachers are the bowlers Behaving like Hitlers Examination hall is the stadium Roll number is the batting order here comes the bowler Having face rubbed with powder Exams are the deliveries Nice and bad I have to hit a six Huge or flat Checker is the first umpire Examiner is the second If he agrees to fix the match I hit it(six) in a second If caught while cheating Then I am runout without any hitting After the exams, parents will have their query- Did I get a duck or did I hit a century Marklist is the report card for me it is the score card as schools are so like cricket And cricket is so like schools What a lot of fun If I could just run To the cricket ground Away from the school sound Rohit Kapoor, Class XI, Commerce Take Time Take time to laugh, It is the music of soul. Take time to think, It is the source of power. Take time to play, It is the source of perpetual youth. Take time to pray, It is the greatest power on earth. Take time to love and beloved, It is a God given privilege. Take time to be friendly, It is the road to happiness. Take time to give, It is the road to happiness. Take time to give, It is too short a day to be selfish. Take time to work, It is the price of success. —Ashish Bansal, class XI, Commerce
Good Days One day I was very sad, Life seemed so hateful and bad What use in living such a life? Difficulties and problems away in the drive My eyes fell upon a rose of flower Full of shine and power Among the thorns it stood Yet smiling in its red hood A good lesson to me it taught Which I never in my life forgot Always smile in sorrow and despair As good days will soon be there. — Neha Jain, class XI, Commerce |
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SCHOOL WORLD If I ask you what is the paramount thing that the learning, not teaching of mathematics suffer from most of you will tell me the inexplicable fear of the subject. Now the question is what is this fear and why does it rise? The answer in hidden in one word, "attitude"; not only that of student but also teacher in their teaching and parent in their understanding. A great majority of students do not practice or apply mathematics in life but they learn mathematics by heart. It is this attitude that they have developed in themselves that they will never understand Maths. This is not a satisfactory state of affairs. This type of learning not only imposes an unnecessary strain on the student; it yields no output. It neither leads to the understanding of the subject nor its application in real life. So the foremost question that we need to answer is, "Why does a child have to learn Mathematics at all?" We as parents and teachers need to show him/her that we use maths everyday, everywhere. Maths is all around us not just in 'maths books'. Numbers and shapes, measuring and solving problems are all part of our everyday lives. Talking about the maths that you are using as you go about your daily routines can help your child understand what maths is used for. We can also find a convincing answer to this question by tracing the nativity of the subject telling them how Maths first arose from the practical need to measure time and to count. The earliest evidence of primitive forms of counting occurs in notched bones and scored pieces of wood and stone. Early uses of geometry are revealed in patterns found on ancient cave walls and pottery. As civilizations arose in Asia and the Near East, sophisticated number systems and basic knowledge of arithmetic, geometry, and algebra began to develop. It is important to approach the teaching of mathematics in such a way that meanings and concepts are conveyed to the learner and at the same time the learner is not frightened and put off as soon as he encounters obstacles. Socrates the greatest teacher of all times proved 2400 years ago that a mathematically ignorant person can solve a geometrical problem through a controlled guidance procedure rather than being told directly. It is the same principal that we need to employ while dealing with students. It is simple guidance and direction that a child needs in the study of a subject. The only difference being that in the teaching of Mathematics one needs to make it more interesting by making it playful and activity oriented. Games actively involve the children, so they don't just have to sit listening to the teacher, they learn without realizing they are doing so. And as they are actively working so they just don't have to work through a textbook. Children just won't realize that the games have an educational purpose. They will see them as just games. So hopefully be more interested in it. So even if learning is only the recovery of the pre-existent knowledge in the human soul, as Socrates argued it can be passed on from teacher to learner by simply guiding the learner to find out for himself, which is best possible in play. Dr (Mrs) Madhu Chitkara, ex-senior lecturer, Dev Samaj College of Education, Sector 36-B & Best Teacher State awardee, 1987
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DAILY NEWS
QUIZ Answers to the following questions are hidden in the last one weeks’ Tribune. Happy Hunting!!!! 1. Name the Pakistani girl child who has come to India for a heart surgery? 2. Where in Himachal Pradesh did a cloud burst kill 150 persons? 3. Which athletics icon retired this week? 4. Name the US marine wanted by the Interpol for eloping with a 12 year old British school girl. The first ten correct entries received will be published in this space next week along with the names of their schools. Your entries should reach us by email at contest@tribuneindia.com by July 20, 2003 Answers to last week quiz:1. Laleh and Laden Bijani 2.Shimla 3. Ferozepur 4. Sania Mirza Correct entries sent by: Danush, Paul, Nirmal Kaur, Divya Aggarwal,Vikram, Risham Harman, Deepak , Pooja, Kartar Singh, Gundeep Arora, Varun Sharma, Jaspreet, Sophia, Kashish.
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TRICKY CROSSWORD-22
Across 1 Grammatically speaking it is the objective case of 'we', also the name of the latest imperialist (2) 3 In olden days this meant humble (7) 10 Shake one's head to and from (3) 12 Pertaining to primitive (6) 13 Part of the pelvis (4) 15 Of Oman (5) 16 A nocturnal ungulate related to the horse but with a longer nose (5)18 Oh, God what a surprise (4) 19 A male person (3) 21
This or another would count (3) 22 The doing of a thing (3) 24 Wet soil, great for caking (3) 26 A bundle of light (4) 28 Be together along the ends (3-2) 31 Woody, the American actor (5) 33 First class, excellent (1,3) 34 To hold fast, as with a fist (6) 36 An important fashion accessory without which men may not be allowed into snooty clubs (3) 37 characterised by a certainty (7) 38 Used to distinguish between this and that (2) Down 1 A singular measure of anything, from water to the part of an army (4) - 2 Cells used to convert sunlight into electricity (5,5) - 4 The upward direction (2) - 5 Informal form of brother (3) - 6 To act out real life in a ridiculous manner (4) - 7 An inscet in its final, adult winged state (5) - 8 A city from Southern Texas on an eponymous river (3,7) - 9 To move smoothly along a surface (5) - 11 To plunge or immerse momentarily (3) - 14 Be sick (3) - 17 Male sheep (3) - 20 Owed as a debt (3) - 22 A strong fiber obtained from the leafstalk of a banana, also called Manila hemp (5) - 23 Stories (5) - 25 The double helix (3) - 27 A document read before ordering a meal in a restaurant (4) - 29 This is part of the name of one of the matrix printers (3) - 30 Never (4) - 32 National Capital Region (3) - 35 Male pronoun (2). Solution to last week’s crossword: Across:
1 Ethnology, 8 Pyre, 9 Pine, 10 Neem, 11 Inert, 13 Ma, 14 Agama, 15 Usenet, 18 Nam, 19 Men, 20 Verona, 22 Andre, 24 It, 25 Stool, 26 Dhal, 28 Ruby, 29 Gene, 30 Dysentery. Down: 1 Eye, 2 Tremendous, 3 He-man, 4 Opiate, 5 Ling, 6 One another, 7 German, 8 Pneumas, 12 Tamable, 16 Sentry, 17 Evelyn, 21 Ridge, 23 Robe, 27 Any.
© Dr. M . Rajivlochan
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City girl's poetic waves in Hong Kong Chandigarh July 20 "I am all set for the release of my first major anthology and I have chosen Chandigarh, the city where I used to spend all my school holidays and did my graduation from Government College for Girls, for its release," she told The Tribune during her recent visit to the city. Though living abroad since 1985, mostly in London and Hong Kong, she visits Chandigarh every year. In 1985 she spread her wings and relocated to Hong Kong. Giving in to her urge to travel and see new places while earning at the same time. Kavita moved to London in 1990 and joined Sadler's Wells Theatre, a major venue for international contemporary dance where she found her work enjoyable and inspiring. In her quest to encourage the reading and writing of poetry, Kavita has co-founded Stanza, a poetry appreciation society. Her poetic voice is incisive, yet self-mocking, and this allows her to get away with tackling serious subjects while appearing to be light-hearted. Kavita writes on different issues, but mostly social commentary. In March this year, she participated in the Hong Kong International Literary Festival. Her big moment came when Yann Martel, the Booker Prize Winner for the novel Life of Pi, told her that he enjoyed hearing her poem "Wrap it Up". |
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Ms Manju Bhardwaj might have had tumbled upon teaching profession by accident, but once embraced, she put her best to it. Associated with Pandit Mohan Lal S D Public School, ever since it's infancy, Ms. Bhardwaj has nurtured it love and care. Started as a PGT teacher, she soon became the vice president and in 2000 was appointed as the Principal. "Each individual deserves respect," is her principle and working along this line she has made the school environment open and friendly for all.