NSUI may gherao Assembly
Our Correspondent

Bhiwani, September 3
The state unit of the National Students Union of India (NSUI) may decide to gherao the Haryana Assembly in protest against the government decision to affiliate Bhiwani colleges to the new Ch Devi Lal University, Sirsa.

The NSUI state unit has convened its executives meeting at Rohtak on September 5 to chalk out the strategy to oppose the government move. The state president of the NSUI, Verender Kaushik, said here today that the meeting would decide the further course of action and gheraoing the state Assembly at Chandigarh was likely to be finalised as protest move.

He said that the parents (mostly traders) had shown their solidarity with the students’ agitation on this issue by participating in the bandh observed on the call of the NSUI on September 1 in the town. “The parents are aware that to affiliate Bhiwani district colleges with the Sirsa university is not a practical move. The state government has taken this step only to harass the people of Bhiwani despite the fact that they had elected the Chief Minister’s son, Ajay Singh Chautala to Parliament,” he said.

A public contact programme would soon be launched by the union to make successful its gherao programme, he said. “Since the colleges of Jind, Bhiwani and Hisar have been badly affected by the decision, the students of these areas will play an important role in the gherao,” Mr Kaushik said, adding that the present government had betrayed the people of Bhiwani who voted Mr Ajay Singh Chautala to power. He said that the MP should not keep mum on the issue.

CAMPUS
In NSUI book: Good students make good leaders
Smriti Kak

Do good students make good leaders? NSUI certainly thinks so. The party seems to have taken particular care to pick candidates with a "good academic record". This apart the party has also been to highlight the academic record of these candidates. The party recently addressed the media to disclose the academic as well as extra-curricular record of their candidates. Fighting for the post of secretary, Ragini Nayak has topped the English Honours stream we were told and the Pankaj Kochhar who is hoping to make it to the joint secretary's post has represented Delhi in the under-14 cricket category.

"Good students make good leaders because, they are the ones who will also go to the library and the laboratory.

Consequently, they will realise what is amiss there and know what are the problems that students face," points out NSUI spokesperson, Kuntal Krishna. Point taken!

NSU pledges to provide jobs

It is never too late, a maxim, which the National Students Congress seems to have adopted. Just when the factions were done with releasing manifestos, the party, which is interestingly fighting for just one post, came out with theirs.

The candidate, Pooja Khanna, who is fighting for the post of vice-president is seeking votes on promise of seeking ways to provide employment to graduates.

The party claims it will agitate to increase the number of seats in the UPSC and the State Public Service Commissions and an all India agitation will be organised in support of the increase in employment avenues.

Apart from the usual demand of seeking more seats in colleges and hostels, the party will also seek for the appointment of a day when the university authorities will meet with the students and hear their grievances.

What, however, stands out in the manifesto is the promise of planting one lakh trees on the GT Karnal Road, which were chopped down to make way for broader roads.

PAF’s paper magic

Designer Jatin Kochar giving away prizes to the winners of ‘Paper Magic’, held at the Pearl Academy of Fashion.

The Pearl Academy of Fashion (PAF) organised an on-the-spot garment design competition titled, ‘Paper Magic’, for its new batch of students from the design and non-design courses.

Students were given four sheets of a newspaper to design a garment and drape the mannequins, all in an hour. What was perhaps the toughest part was that students were not allowed the use of pins, glue and even tools like a scissors.

Restrictions as these somehow brought out the creative best in the students and with the aid of toothpicks and matches managed to produce stylish garments.

Designer Jatin Kochar along with wife Gunjan, who incidentally is a Pearl alumnus, were the judges. The designs were judged under three categories, the best creative design, the best wearable design and best creative construction.

Mahesh Wadhwa and Subastu of BA (Hons) in fashion merchandising and product management were adjudged first in best creative design, Harleen Bedi, Ratika Marya and Aditya Dugar of Fashion design and technology won the prize for best wearable design and Divyam Mehta, Abhilasha Singhania won the award for best creative construction.

Meeting of AIMA

Distinguished guests at the 30th National Convention of the AIMA.

The Deputy Prime Minister, Mr L. K. Advani, will inaugurate the 30th National Management Convention of the All India Management Association (AIMA) on September 15 in the Capital.

The convention being organised in association with the Delhi Management Association (DMA) is based on the theme, ‘Winning Amidst Unexpected Unknowns’.

Key topics to be discussed at the convention are ‘Setting the course amidst turbulence’, ‘changing mindsets’, ‘defining new business models’, ‘managing alliances’ and ‘ accelerating organisational learning’.

Over 1,000 professionals from the corporate world and academia are expected to participate in the three-day convention, which will have Naina La Kidwai, CEO, HSBC, R Gopalakrishnan, Executive Director, Tata Sons among the speakers.

Convention of Company Secretaries

The Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI) will organise their 31st National Convention of Company Secretaries form September 11 to 13 in Agra. The convention, ‘Corporate Excellence and Professional Accountability’ seeks to make in-depth analysis of the theme by deliberating it in four technical sessions.

These sessions include one on Corporate Laws-Imperatives for future, securities laws and capital markets – changing scenario, globalisation of professional services and business ethics and professionalism.

Deputy chairperson of the Rajya Sabha, Dr Najma Heptulla, will inaugurate the convention and Chairman SEBI, Mr G. N. Bajpai, will deliver the special address. The keynote address will be delivered by Mr J. P. Gaur, Chairman of the Jaiprakash Industries.

Promoting IT education

Aptech and the Computer Society of India (CSI), an association of IT professionals, have forged an alliance to promote IT education through the year 2003-04.

Speaking about the alliance, Mr Pramod Khera, CEO and MD of Aptech, said: “Under the aegis of this alliance, Aptech will sponsor and promote various CSI programmes, such as mass literacy drives throughout the country, student activities, man power surveys on the IT industry and publish journals and reports and conduct student seminars throughout the country.”

Overseas honours

Thirteen underclassmen from India received academic honours for the Spring 2003 semester at Franklin & Marshall College, Lancaster.

Among those named in the Honours List from New Delhi were: Shubhomoy Biswas, a rising junior economics and business administration double major and mathematics applied (minor), a 2001 graduate of Berlin-Postdam International School, Saiba Verma, a rising junior government and anthropology joint major, a 2001 graduate of Kodaikanal International School.

Two other names, originally from Calcutta and Pune, respectively, figured in the honours list — Rajeshwari Dasgupta and Malika Mansukhani.

In the Dean’s List were: Malvika Mahesh Balsekar, Yeshwant Randall Holkar, Mihir Raj Kapoor, Nikita Sunil Malik, Jasreen Kaur Mayal and Kajri Abhijit Sheth – all originally hailing from Mumbai.

Calcutta boys also figured in the Dean’s list, namely, Abhimanyu Das, Jagannath Marothia and Shikhar Sahel Shah.

Founded in 1787, Franklin and Marshall is a coeducational, liberal arts institution. Approximately 1,850 students are enrolled in the college’s 36 academic disciplines. The college’s 125-acre campus is situated on the outskirts of Lancaster, a historic city located in the heart of central Pennysylvaia.

COURTS

Eight get life term in murder cases
Our Correspondent

Ghaziabad, September 3
Eight persons have been sentenced to life imprisonment in two separate murder cases by Ghaziabad courts. The Fast Track Court-II has awarded life imprisonment to three persons, father and his two sons, in a murder case. These convicts will also have to deposit a fine of Rs 5,000 each.

Mahabir of Khairpur village under the Pilkhua police station was shot dead on June 26, 1994 by Sabachand alias Sibba and his two sons, Aman and Pintu.

A report had been lodged in the police station against the three for the murder. The matter was under trial in the Fast Track Court-II of Judge A. K. Garg who pronounced the three guilty and sentenced them to life imprisonment with the fine.

In another murder case, Special Judge Ramesh Chander Singh’s court convicted five persons who were awarded life imprisonment.

Lekh Raj of Kanwarpur village in Eta was brought to Morti village on March 12, 1993 by a woman, Jai Devi, of the same village. When Lekh Raj failed to reach home, his son Anokhey Lal came looking for him.

Jai Devi told him that Lekh Raj had been done to death and if “you also become too inquisitive you will also be murdered”. A report to this effect was lodged in the Eta police station, which was later sent to the Sihani Gate police station.

Judge Ramesh Chander Singh of the Special Court has now convicted Jai Devi, her husband Chhida Lal, Raj Bire, Pappu and Raj Kumar and sentenced to life imprisonment. Jai Devi and Chhida Lal had since been murdered.