EDUCATION

Eighty children brainstorm quality of education
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, November 10
Representing the concerns of not just the 35 million primary schoolchildren, but also the 115 million who have never set foot in school, 80 children from across the country gathered to put forth their views on education.

These children gathered from 11 states were here to participate in the two-day Children’s Parliament on the Right to Education. The children made it clear in no uncertain terms that their right to education entails quality education and not just books and teachers.

The wish list prepared by these children also includes good textbooks, better teachers and teaching in a relevant language.

“Our children’s Parliament will be an ideal one to bring changes. At a normal Parliament, a decision just gets filed away and tacked away.

But the decisions that this Children’s Parliament takes will be put into action without delay, because we all agree that we want quality education, now,” said Beauty, a girl from Bihar who was sworn in the Speaker of the House during the inaugural session.

Organised by the Global Campaign for Education (GCE), the Parliament was organised just before the High level meeting on Education for All and attended by the Executive Director of UNICEF, Carol Bellamy and Koichiro Matsuura, Director-General of Unesco.

The outcome of the Parliament will be documented and will encapsulate the diversity of experiences brought together by the Indian children and mirror the challenges faced by out-of-school children globally.

This document will be later officially handed over to the HLG meeting on November 11, which will include the Heads of States, Ministers of Education and members of the UN agencies.

MDU V-C draws flak for suspending lecturer
Our Correspondent

Rohtak, November 10
The Teachers Associations of Punjab University, Chandigarh and J N Vyas University, Jodhpur, have severely criticised the Vice-Chancellor, Maharshi Dayanand University (MDU) for suspending Dr Himat Singh Ratnoo, lecturer in the Economics department and former secretary of Maharshi Dayanand University Teachers Association (MDUTA).

Dr Ratnoo is also member of the Academic Council and Executive Council of the university. His term in the Academic Council, however, will expire on November 17.

The Punjab University Teachers Association, in a statement released here today, said that the suspension of Dr Ratnoo has shocked the teachers all over the country and expressed its unequivocal protest against the ‘arbitrary’ move of the MDU authorities. As a representative of teachers, Dr Ratnoo has every right to debate and argue over the issues that concern teachers and the university as a whole, the association said.

The Punjab University Teachers Association has already sent a letter of protest against the ‘despotic’ attitude of the MDU vice-chancellor to the chancellor of the university and sought his immediate intervention in the issue.

Demanding immediate withdrawal of the suspension orders against Dr Ratnoo, the Punjab University Teachers Association said that the MDU Vice-Chancellor owed an explanation to all concerned to account for his blatantly anti-academic conduct. “A university, we believe, is not a military barrack, it is a site of intellectual ferment,” the association said.

Urging the MDU vice-chancellor to consider the matter and withdraw the suspension order, the Teachers Association, J N Vyas University, Jodhpur said that the action has shocked the academicians at their university.

Dr Ratnoo, member of the National Executive Committee of the All India Federation of University and College Teachers Organisations, it said, has been suspended for not toeing the line of the university administration.

COURTS

870 cases settled on ‘Legal Service Day’
Our Correspondent

Sonepat, November 10
As many as 870 cases of various kinds were settled at a special Lok Adalat held on the ‘Legal Service Day’ on the premises of the judicial courts here yesterday. According to a report, District and Sessions Judge, Mr B. L. Singhal, inaugurated the Lok Adalat in the presence of the Deputy Commissioner, Mr Balwan Singh, judges of various courts, lawyers and litigants.

Compensations to the tune of Rs 17.65 lakh were paid to those affected by various accident cases. A sum of Rs 3,08,720 was also recovered as penalty. The cases settled included 16 claims of accidents, five cases related to the Hindu Marriage Act, 50 civil cases, 56 criminal cases and 254 challans under the Factories Act.

Speaking on the occasion, the District and Sessions Judge, Mr Singhal said that the Lok Adalats had emerged as a new mechanism for the administration of speedy justice to the poor and illiterate. He also said that providing free legal aid to the poor was an important component in the dispensation of justice.

He also explained the concept of Lok Adalat and said that there was a plan to organise such Adalats more frequently to make the people aware of the benefits being provided by the district legal services authority.

Mr Balwan Singh, DC, assured the judicial officers that the district administration would render all assistance to make the Lok Adalats a success. The Lok Adalat was attended by judicial and executive officers and large number of members of the District Bar Association and the public.

38 cases settled under special scheme

The Uttar Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam Limited (UHBVN) settled as many as 38 cases under the “out of court settlement” scheme, launched by the government. According to a report, under this scheme, the UHBVN waived of 50 per cent of the penalty amount and imposed 12 per cent penal interest on the remaining 50 per cent penalty. This scheme closed on October 31. As many as 129 consumers had filed cases against the UHBVN in various courts of the district.

Meanwhile, the UHBVN decided to set up a new 132 KV sub-station in different parts of the Sonepat circle during the current financial year to ensure regular and uninterrupted power supply. These sub-stations would be established at Butana, Khanpur Kalan sugar mill and Akbarpur Barota villages at a cost of Rs 5 crore.

Even though 23 power sub-stations exist in this circle, unscheduled and unorganised power cuts are frequent. The overloading on the transformers and the power sub-stations were the main cause for the power disruption. Consumers alleged that the authorities of the UHBVN failed to provide prior information about the unscheduled and unorganised power cuts, which caused great resentment among the people.

Leaders of the various political parties, including the Haryana Vikas Party, social and voluntary organisations as well as trade unions and industry associations have expressed their grave concern over the unscheduled and unorganised power cuts in this region. They have urged the state government to order a high-level probe into the inefficient and unsatisfactory working of the UHBVN in this district.

Rohtak Bar Association to boycott courts
Our Correspondent

Rohtak, November 10
Members of the District Bar Association, Rohtak, have decided to boycott the courts on November 11 and 12 to protest against the prejudicial attitude of the Sub-Divisional Judicial Magistrate (SDJM), Meham, towards the advocates based there.

An urgent meeting of the District Bar Association was held today at the request of members of Bar Association, Meham, to discuss the matter pertaining to the criminal complaints initiated against some members and the working of the SDJM.

The Association unanimously resolved that a memorandum be submitted to the Chief Justice, Punjab and

Haryana High Court, so as to bring the working of SDJM to his knowledge and request him to take prompt action in the matter.

The Bar further resolved to mark its protest against the attitude of SDJM by boycotting the courts by the Bar members on Tuesday and Wednesday. However, the Bar Association decided to depute two bar members for each court to assist the courts in disposing of urgent works.