The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Students flay varsity’s failure to conduct exams
Shivani Bhakoo

Ludhiana, September 12
Students of Shaheed Kartar Singh Sarabha Ayurvedic Medical College, Sarabha village, have criticised the Baba Farid University of Health Sciences, Faridkot, for not conducting their examinations in November and December and forcing them to study for another one and a half years in recognised colleges.

The affected students said the university had taken the plea that the admission of their batch was illegal and the Central Council of Indian Medicine (CCIM) had refused to recognise the degrees. “But we have the documents which prove that we had affiliation from Panjab University, Chandigarh, at the time of admission, besides the permission of the CCIM and an NOC from Panjab University. Moreover, every year from 1998-1999, we are getting permission from the CCIM,” said Chander Mohan, president of the students’ union of the college, during a press conference here at Sarabha Nagar today.

The students said the college had received an NOC from the Punjab Government’s Department of Medical Education and Research on July 20, 1998. The college got permission from the CCIM to admit 40 students in the first professional of Ayurvedacharay for 1998-99, subject to affiliation to the university and the permission of the state government, on September 30, 1998.

The college got provisional affiliation from Panjab University on May 13, 1999. The college, with effect from July 1, 1999, got affiliation from Baba Farid University, Faridkot, according to a Punjab Government notification.

The examinations of these students were due but the university did not conduct these. A writ petition was filed by the students in the Punjab and Haryana High Court, in which the students won the case on January 15, 2001. The examinations were held on January 17, 2001. After this, Baba Farid University filed an SLP to take stay against the declaration of the results. However, the students won the case again and the results were declared. By this time, the examinations of second professional were due but the university authorities stated that these would be conducted only if the inspection team of the university gave a satisfactory report and if students had attended more than 75 per cent lectures,” he said.

“We got another shock when the Baba Farid University decided to migrate us — who had passed the first professional — to other affiliated colleges and that we would be allowed to appear in the second prof (BAMS) examinations only after completing a one-and-a-half- year period of training from the date of joining the new college. But this decision of the Baba Farid University Vice-Chancellor was not discussed at the Academic Council’s meeting,” said Chander Mohan.

The students appealed to the authorities that they had already spent lakhs as expenses, including college fee and other charges. They said they had already wasted three years in the second professional only. “The university authorities should give a patient hearing to our genuine demand and save us from harassment,” urged the students.

DMCH wins IAP quiz
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, September 12
Seven teams of undergraduate students from different medical colleges in Punjab participated in the divisional round of the 16th undergraduate paediatric quiz of the Indian Academy of Paediatrics (IAP), organised today by the Department of Paediatrics of Dayanand Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) in the Dumra auditorium.

The event was organised with an aim to update the knowledge of medical students regarding paediatrics. Dr Daljit Singh, Professor and Head, Department of Paediatrics, DMCH, was the divisional coordinator of the quiz and. Dr S.N. Tiwari, Civil Surgeon, Ludhiana, chief guest.

The DMCH team comprising Abhishek and Shaifali Gupta stood first with 130 points. The DMCH team will now participate in the zonal round of the IAP quiz to be held at Delhi. The team of GMC, Chandigarh, with 100 points was the first runners-up. The CMC, Ludhiana, was declared second runners-up with 90 points.

Dr Praveen Sobti, DMCH, delivered the welcome address and Dr Daljit Singh, DMCH, was the quiz master. Government Medical College Amritsar (70 points), Government Medical College Patiala (60 points), GGS Medical College, Faridkot (45 points), and Guru Ram Das Medical College, Amritsar (40 points), also participated in the quiz.

Dr H.S. Bains and Dr Puneet Pooni of the DMCH were score keepers. Certificates were given to the winners and other participants. Dr B.K. Jain of the DMCH delivered the vote of thanks.

A day of functions at girls college
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, September 12
A host of functions were organised simultaneously yesterday on the premises of Guru Nanak Girls College here. The Botany and Zoology departments seminar on ‘Water Conservation’ and ‘Fish Biodiversity’ was conducted under the guidance of Dr (Ms) Bhupinder Kaur (Head, Department of Botany) and Mrs Sunaina Deep (Head, Department of Zoology).

A reading room was inaugurated by president, College Management Committee, Mr Gurbir Singh.

The Department of Fine Arts organised an audio-visual presentation on Art and Craft and Creativity by Dr S.S. Bhatti.

A paper reading contest was organised by the History Department under the guidance of Mrs Amarjit Kaur (Head, Department of History). Twenty-one students participated in this contest. 1st, 2nd and 3rd prizes were bagged by Neena, Rozy and Sandeep respectively.

An extension lecture was organised by the Department of Post-Graduate Diploma in Chemical Analysis of Food. Principal welcomed the guest speaker Dr H.P.S. Nagi, Senior Scientist, Department of Food Science and Technology, PAU, Ludhiana.

An inter-class quiz contest was organised by the Department of Hindi under the guidance of Mrs Manpreet Kaur. Three teams participated and each comprised three students.

Briton learns with kids
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, September 12
Miss Jessica Cooper, a student of Brighton University, UK in arts, has taken a break from her studies. She is visiting Ludhiana to study arts and family set-up in Punjab. She visited a child development centre, a pre-nursery and nursery school here.

She has been interacting with the students for a week on her last day here today. She spent time with tiny tots of the centre. Ms Sonia, the principal said, Ms Cooper had the kids eating out of her hands as she taught them a host of new games. She enthralled the children by dramatising of stories. She recited poems along with the children.

She would be living in Punjab for two months. Later, she would travel to other states.

Teachers hold rally
Our Correspondent

Amloh, September 12
Members of the Punjab Pardesh Teachers Union held a rally on the premises of Government Secondary School, Fatehpur, near here on Thursday. As many as 400 teachers participated.

Mr Davinder Kumar state chief of the union, said the union has launched a drive to organise meetings at tehsil and district levels to make the teachers aware of their rights and duties.

The demands of teachers pertaining to the cut in pensionary benefits, appointments on regular basis would be settled through negotiation, Mr Davinder Kumar added.

COURTS

Former CIA in charge gets bail in graft case
Legal Correspondent

Ludhiana, September 12
Inspector Naginder Rana, a former in charge of the CIA wing of the Ludhiana police, was granted bail in a case of accumulating assets disproportionate to his known sources of income, registered against him by the Vigilance Bureau under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

The Special Judge, Mr Inderjit Kaushik, ordered to release the accused after furnishing a bail bond of Rs 30,000 and a surety. Later, the bail bond was furnished in the court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Mr Arunvir Vashisht. Following the directions of the Chief Judicial Magistrate, the jail authorities released him. He remained in custody for about 22 days.

Earlier, the accused had applied for bail in the court of the Special Judge, Mr S.K.Goel, in Ropar, but could not get bail. Thereafter, he applied for bail here. When he was arrested by a team of the Vigilance Bureau from SAS Nagar on August 20, he was posted in the city as the in charge of the CIA.

According to the prosecution, the accused amassed properties in different cities of Punjab by indulging into corruption. After an inquiry into a complaint, the Vigilance Bureau registered the case against him.

Life term for killing wife
Legal Correspondent

Ludhiana, September 12
Mr Baldev Singh, Sessions Judge, Ludhiana, has sentenced Kaka Singh (42) of Kartar Nagar, Amloh Road, Khanna, to rigorous imprisonment for killing his wife Jinder Kaur by setting her ablaze in 2001. A fine of Rs 10,000 was also imposed upon him.

The Judge declined the plea of leniency raised by the accused on the pretext that he was poor and would have to raise three children.

The accused was booked under Section 307 of the IPC at the Sadar police station, Khanna, on the statement of his wife recorded at Rajindra Hospital on December 1, 2000. But it was changed to Section 302 of the IPC after the death of victim.

On November 24, 2000, Jinder Kaur was preparing food when the accused asked her to bring Rs 500 from her employer where she was working as a domestic servant. But his wife replied that she would bring the money next month. Kaka poured kerosene on her and set her ablaze.

TV boring, theatre satisfying: Rajit
Asha Ahuja

Ludhiana, September 12
“Theatre is a medium that allows artistes to improvise. It is a very satisfying medium, too, as artistes are able to gauge the response immediately,” said Rajit Kapur, noted TV, film and theatre personality. Rajit, along with theatre artiste Shernaz Patel, was addressing mediapersons here today at Majestic Park Plaza prior to a performance of “Love Letters”.

Shernaz said the play, written by American writer A.R. Guerney, was being staged for the past 11 years.

She said the play stressed the need for expressing one’s feelings. “In our busy life, we forget to convey our feelings to others and before we know it, it is too late,” she said.

Rajit said people were getting bored of repetitive, long-drawn- out family serials and turning to theatre.

“Each play influences people in a certain way. We have even seen men wiping their tears while seeing ‘Love Letters’. Our next play, ‘Class of 84’, is different in thematic content. If Ludhianvis like ‘Love Letters’, we will bring ‘Class of 84’ to the city, too,” he said.

Talking about the characterisation of women in TV serials, he said they were portrayed in a very lop-sided manner. Rajit said he was bored of acting in TV serials as they had nothing new to offer. He is acting in a Shyam Benegal film based on the life of Subhas Chandra Bose.

Shernaz said the Hindi version of “Love Letters”, “Tumhari Amrita”, had Shabana Azmi and Farooq Sheikh playing the lead roles.

“In that play, they just read out the letters which were written by them from the age of eight to 60 whereas.

In our play, we have dramatised the content of the letters, expressing love, pathos, sadness, laughter and separation. The play tells that love does not get stale with age,” she said.