EDUCATION

Gurukul students breathe easy
B. S. Malik

Sonepat, August 9
Bowing to the pressure from the residents of four villages and following criticism by former office-bearers and prominent persons of the area, the management of the Kanya Gurukul, Khanpur Kalan, and Gurukul, Bhainswal Kalan, has withdrawn its decision to wind up the senior secondary school at Gurukul, Bhainswal Kalan.

In a fax message to the Principal of the school, the Chairperson of the Mahasabha, Mrs Krishna Malik, has intimated that the school will continue to function during the current academic session.

It is recalled that the Mahasabha had taken a decision earlier to wind up the school from August 10 on the plea that the school had become a financial burden on the Mahasabha as the total strength of the students in the school from class I to class XII in this session was only 97, including 29 in primary classes, 31 in middle classes, 28 in high school classes and 19 in senior secondary classes.

The total income of the school from fees etc during May and June was reportedly 18,326 whereas the monthly payment of salaries to the teachers and staff came to Rs 2,04,720.

Keeping this in view, the Mahasabha at its meeting, decided to close the school from August 10 onwards and merge the school complex with the polytechnic on the same premises.

The decision evoked criticism from different quarters. Even prominent residents of four nearby villages, Anwali, Rewara, Bhainswal Kalan and Bilbilan, had panicked after this decision of the Mahasabha.

Haryana board finalises exam dates
Our Correspondent

Bhiwani, August 9
The Board of School Education Haryana has taken important decisions in its meeting held at Panchkula. Giving details of these decisions, the spokesperson of the board informed mediapersons here that the dates for the Middle, Matric and Senior Secondary (Academic and Vocational) annual and supplementary examinations-2004, had been decided upon.

Giving details, the spokesperson said that the examination dates are as follows: Middle Annual Examinations from February 18 next year; Senior Secondary (Academic and Vocational) Examinations from March 11 and Matric Examinations from March 12. He said all the examinations would be conducted in the evening session.

The details of the other examinations are as follows:

Haryana Open School Supplementary Examinations, 2003 from October 28; Haryana Open School Annual Examinations - 2004 from April 17, 2004.

The spokesperson said that the board had decided to start enrolment of students from Class 8 instead of Class 9, as adopted by the Punjab Education Board.

It was also decided that enrolment numbers would be issued to students with their roll numbers from the annual examinations - 2004.

It has been decided that the enrolment numbers of students of those schools would be cancelled who failed to submit all necessary documents or were unable to remove discrepancies within 15 days before the commencement of the examinations.

The board has also decided to allow candidates to change their subjects one month before the commencement of the examinations and the fee for these has been reduced from Rs 200 to Rs 100.

The board has also enhanced the remuneration for paper setters, evaluation instructors and translators.

The new remuneration is as follows: evaluation instructors - Rs 250 per paper; and translation - Rs 200 per paper. The board has also decided that application forms would not be accepted after September 1. 

COURTS

Life term for murdering wife
Our Correspondent

Bhiwani, August 9
The District and Sessions Judge, Bhiwani, Mr R. C. Bansal, today sentenced one Mahender of Milakpur village to life imprisonment and a fine of Rs 1,000 for murdering his wife Manita.

According to prosecution, Manita was married to Mahender, son of Mam Chand of Milakpur, about 10 years ago. Mahender and his wife lived in a rented room near Ravi Dass temple. The accused used to maltreat and harass the deceased on account of her inability to give birth to a child. They often threatened to kill her so that Mahender could remarry.

On September 9, 2000, her uncle Mange Ram, who had gone to visit her, found her dead. He also found that the three accused were present in the room. Later, they cremated the dead body at village Milakpur. A brother of the deceased had registered the complaint with the police.

Meanwhile, Mahender told the truth to the sarpanch of Milakpur and sought his protection. However, the sarpanch informed the police, which led to the arrest of the three accused.

The court held Mahender guilty for the offence under Section 302 and 201 of the IPC, whereas co-accused, Sat Prakash and Bimla, were acquitted.

In another case, the court of Ms. Vivek Bharti today sentenced one Sunil, son of Sher Singh of Sarupgarh in Bhiwani district, to one year imprisonment and fined of Rs 500 under the Arms Act for possessing illegal arms.

MTNL asked to pay Rs 5,000 
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 9
A Delhi consumer court has ordered the Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd (MTNL) to pay compensation of Rs 5,000 to a consumer for not repairing his telephone despite repeated requests.

The New Delhi District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum said in its order, “the telephone is not meant to be a show piece... If the telephone goes out of order frequently (as in this case) and if is not set right... then naturally MTNL is deficient in service”.

The complainant, Manoj Kumar, alleged that his telephone was not functioning for nine days in August 2001, 13 days in January and December, 2001, for a week in February and April, 2002 besides 10 days in May and June 2002.

Kumar then sought compensation of Rs 30,000 for the mental pain and harassment caused to him by MTNL and Rs 15,000 towards costs. MTNL contended that they had granted rent rebate to the complainant as per department rules whenever the instrument had remained faulty continuously for more than a week.

But the District Forum President, Mr LC Jain and the members, Janak Juneja and R Narayana, rejected this argument saying, “Just giving rebate is no solace to the subscriber for the agony he underwent when his telephone was dead... its working is also essential for the subscriber”.