The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

EDUCATION

Follow internal assessment rules, DEOs told
Our Correspondent

Mandi Ahmedgarh, December 17
The Director, Academic, Punjab School Education Board, has directed all DEOs and heads of schools affiliated with the board to follow the guidelines regarding internal assessment prescribed vide National Education Policy, 1986. While most of the teachers and heads of schools concerned have welcomed the implementation of the policy, some parents have apprehended exploitation of students at the hands of teachers and heads.

Sources reveal that Ms Jagbir Kaur, Director Academic of the PSEB, has directed all DEOs and heads of government and private schools affiliated with the board to follow guidelines regarding allround internal assessment with respect to students of classes VIII and IX.

To make the process transparent schools have been asked to maintain records in prescribed registers. While 10 marks have been earmarked for academic results, 25 marks would be allocated for extra-curricular activities, including science fairs and cultural programmes, Social service activities carry 15 marks, personality development activities 10 marks and attendance would carry 10 marks for students of class VIII. For class IX 170 marks have been kept as internal assessment.

Mrs Priyanka Sharma, Principal, Sanatan Vidya Mandir Senior Secondary School, here said schools would now work more for the overall development of students.”

Ms Pardeep Sharda, Principal, MGMN Senior Secondary School, here said the policy would improve discipline among school students, besides improving their education level. “It would also help restore the status of teachers in society as students would depend more on their class teachers for internal assessment,” he said.

Mr Bachan Lal Jindal, a clerk at a private school, said the process had been made complicated and teachers would to accommodate their favourite students.

Mr Dharam Paul Sharma, a retired teacher apprehended exploitation of students at the hands of some teachers. He said,” Though most of the teachers will try to follow guidelines of the board, others may use the same for exploiting students which would promote tuition culture.”

PAU ex-employee donates Rs 4.22 lakh
Deepkamal Kaur

Ludhiana, December 17
Encouraging various achievements made by wards of the non-teaching staff of Punjab Agricultural University, Mr Rup Singh Roopa, founder president of the PAU Employees’ Union, donated Rs 4, 22,000 at the inaugural function of the newly-elected union held at Pal Auditorium here today.

Mr Roopa retired from the university as Assistant Accounts Officer in July 1992 and served as the president of the union for almost 18 years. Thereafter, he had immigrated to the USA where his three sons were already settled. Currently, he is the owner of two petrol stations there.

Well-settled abroad, Mr Roopa decided to visit the PAU campus. While on the campus, he recalled how one his three sons was denied credit of his achievement while he was doing BTech in the College of Agricultural Engineering, PAU. Instead, his Professor had taken away the credit of the invention of a new machinery that he developed in the Department of Farm, Power and Machinery, he alleged. Frustrated over the kind of discouragement, he decided to leave for the USA. Recalling the incident, he thought of introducing a reward scheme by way of which he wanted to encourage talent and skill in the wards of PAU employees.

After holding discussions with Dr Kirpal Singh Aulakh, Vice Chancellor, and Mr D.P. Maur, president, PAU Employees Union, it was decided that six awards would be constituted under his name. A cash prize for Rs 5000 each was declared for two wards of PAU employees who would attain topmost position on the basis of admission to undergraduate degree programmes in the constituent colleges of the university. Two prizes worth Rs 3000 each were declared for second position holders in the same entrance tests. Two prizes worth Rs 3000 each would also be conferred upon two more wards of the employees, who need not be PAU students, but should have a major achievement in sports or other activities.

Mr Roopa said that Rs 4 lakh would be deposited in one of the accounts of the university as fixed amount. The interest of Rs 22,000 per annum that the university would incur will be used as prize money every year. Of the remaining Rs 22,000 that he donated today, he presented it as awards to Bunny Bajaj and Karan Dua of the College of Agricultural Engineering, and Harsimran Kaur and Amanpreet Singh of College of Agriculture. Besides, Mr Amarnath, messenger boy, Department of Horticulture, was also honoured for his act of bravery which made the robbery of cash a failure. Similarly, Anil Kumar Yadav, son of Mr Lal Bahadur Yadav, a sports attendant, received prize for his national level achievement in handball.

Mr Roopa said that since he would be leaving for the USA soon, he wanted that the funds be utilised judiciously. For this, he said that he had formed a committee with Registrar, Comptroller and president of the union as members for selection of the students to be rewarded each year. He said the fourth member would be nominated by him soon.

400 college teachers participate in rally
Our correspondent

Ludhiana, December 17
In response to a call given by the Punjab and Chandigarh College Teachers Union (PCCTU), a district-level rally was held in the front of Rose Garden. As many as 4000 teachers from private-aided colleges attended the rally.

Teachers from Ludhiana, Dakha, Sadhar, Jagraon, Raikot Narangwal, Doraha, Samrala and Khanna assembled and marched towards the residence of Mr Rakesh Pandey, Minister of Printing and Stationery. Prof Kamaljit Singh, area secretary, Panjab University, told mediapersons that the teachers raised slogans against “anti-teachers’, anti-education, anti-people and anti-student policies of the Punjab Government.

He said the teachers were asking for long pending demands including the restoration of 95 per cent grant-in-aid, pension and gratuity, HRA and RAA to rural colleges and unclassified cities, regularisation of salaries and lecturer status to all DPEs.

He said the government was escaping from its responsibility. The situation in rural colleges was alarming as colleges had not been able to pay salaries to lecturers for more than six months, he added.

A token strike would be observed on January 19 and 20, and the teachers would proceed on mass casual leave on January 21.

The teachers would walk towards the Matka chowk in Chandigarh and seven office-bearers of the PCCTU would court arrest.

Others who spoke at the meeting were Prof Parminder Singh, district president, Prof Kuldip Singh, Prof Jagmohan Singh, Prof V.K. Bhardwaj and Prof Jaipal Singh.

Sample survey workshop begins
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, December 17
A four-day workshop cum regional training conference being organised by the National Sample Survey Organisation under the Union Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation started here yesterday. The NSSO and the state Directorates of Economics and Statics would carry out the sixtieth round programme jointly for a period of six months starting from January 2004.

Dr Joginder Singh, Head, Department of Economics, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana inaugurated the workshop. Among others attending the workshop include Mr Siddharath Kunde, Deputy Director, Kokota, Mr GS Bains, Director Punjab, and several others.

The department officials said, at the instance of Planning Commission, a separate equity on employment scenario in the country will also be conducted. The survey will cover the whole in the country except the Leh and Kargil districts of Jammu and Kashmir, the interior villages of Nagaland situation beyond 5 km of bus routes and the villages in Andaman and Nicobar Island which remain inaccessible through out the year.

COURTS

Judicial officers felicitated
Legal Correspondent

Ludhiana, December 17
As many as four local lawyers, who have been elevated as Judicial Officers were felicitated in the new judicial complex here today by the Young Lawyers Welfare Association. They all are members of the District Bar Association and practising here since long. Lawyers greeted them and presented them with mementos.

Six local lawyers were selected Judicial Officers but two of them could not attend the function. Out of the six, two were selected by the Punjab and Haryana High Court as the presiding officer of the Fast Track Courts on ad hoc basis for one year. They are Mr Jaspal Singh Chugh and Mr A.K. Shori.

Another four lawyers were selected as Judicial Officers in the examination of Punjab Civil Services (Judicial). They are: Mr Kewal Krishan Amritsari, Mr Sumeet Ghai, Mr Parminder Rai and Mr Madan Atoria.

The Chairman of Young Lawyers Welfare Association, Mr Harish Narang, President, Mr Gurkirpal Singh, Mr Kamaljit Sharma, Mr Sanjeev Sachdeva extended warm welcome to the newly-selected Judicial Officers. The District Bar Association President, Mr Harish Rai Dhanda, Vice-President, Mr B.P. Singh Gill, were also honoured for their efforts for the construction of lawyers’ chambers.

Speaking on this occasion, the Judicial Officers said it was a matter of great proud for them that their fellow brothers had honoured them with whom they all had worked for a long time. They assured that they would ensure transparency in their work and justice for all the litigants, whose case will be decided by them.

CULTURE

Gursewak honoured at Varinder Yaadgari Mela
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, December 17
Hundreds of people thronged the Varinder Yaadgari Mela, which concluded amidst fanfare at Mullanpur Dakha on Monday. Popular folk singer Gursewak Mann was honoured with this year’s Varinder Yaadgari Award by the wife of the late actor, Pammi Varinder, who had especially flown in from Mumbai to grace the event.

In its 12th year, the event is organised by the Varinder Yaadgari Sabyacharak Welfare Society and is an effort to wean people away from the denigration that has crept into Punjabi folk singing and music videos. The speakers exhorted people to shun such songs that did not reflect Punjabi culture.

Prominent among those who attended the event were Mr G.S. Galib, MP; Punjab Sewerage and Water Supply Board Chairperson Jasvir Singh Dimpa; Charanjit Singh Bath (USA); Chairman of the Jalandhar Improvement Trust, Tejinder Singh Bittu and others

Addressing the gathering, Mr Dimpa said the need of the hour was to stem the rot that had crept in folk singing. “Youngsters are being mislead about our glorious culture and what was being dished out in the name of folk singing was anything but that. That was why such events should be organised since eminent cine personalities like the late Varinder always stood for clean entertainment,” he pointed out.

People from all walks of life started thronging the venue since morning and the mela was declared open by the society chairman, Mr Surinder Singh Cheema, and its chief, Mr Jagdev Johal. The singers who regaled the audience were Jaswinder Yatatsu, Surjit Aliwal, Partap Rana, Rajinder Deep, Rimpi Grewal and Seema Anjan.

The high point of the event was the hour-long performance by Gursewak Mann in which he sang some of his popular numbers.