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PU panel to discuss compulsory retirement Chandigarh, March 2 At the first meeting of the committee headed by Justice SK Jain, slated for March 10, the issue of compulsory retirement wherein the university can force retirement on “non-performing” employees who have completed specified years of service, is likely to dominate the discussions. A member of the committee, Prof KS Jaswal of the Department of Laws, says,”There is nothing new in the concept. The provision of compulsory retirement exists in the Punjab Government rules, which are followed by the university. As far as vicitimisation is concerned, there would be a set procedure under which compulsory retirement would be applied. Also, if somebody feels he is being penalised for no fault, he can move court for justice.” He maintains that while the university calendar is used for reference with regard to rules and regulations, the Punjab government rules are applied to cases where the PU calendar is silent. “This implies that there is already a provision for compulsory retirement in the university rules. All this fuss is for absolutely no reason,” he explains. Rejecting this justification, Prof PP Arya, another committee member and a former president of the Panjab University Teachers’ Association, opines,”This is a derogatory punitive step and we will oppose it. When the rule of compulsory retirement already exists in Punjab Government rules, which we follow, there is no need for the university to have its own rules in the matter. It amounts to doing away with the services of an employee without initiating any disciplinary proceedings against him.” He holds that framing the compulsory retirement rule would amount to putting an element of insecurity in an environment where human relations are of utmost importance. Prof VK Bansal, Department of Laws, also expressed resentment over the move of the university. The coordinator of the committee, Justice SK Jain, said the issue of “compulsory retirement” was at a very premature stage and the scheme still had to be worked out.”It will come up for discussion for the first time at the meeting on March 10,” he added. |
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PU proposal to grant 3 reappear chances Chandigarh, March 2 Under the consideration of the Panjab University authorities is a proposal to grant an additional chance — three reappear chances in all — to students, for clearing compartment in any subject, while doing away with the special chances altogether. The idea is to reduce the hardship involved in securing special chances. The proposal, moved at the recent meeting of the Syndicate, specifies that three chances be given to students within two years of the original examination. This would be applicable to undergraduate as well as postgraduate classes. The proposal also mentions that in case the entire syllabus of the reappear subject has been changed, a student should be allowed to take his examination according to the old syllabus. However, in case of partial change of syllabus, a student would be required to appear in accordance with the new syllabus. At present, the university allows a candidate to avail of two consecutive chances — in September, when supplementary exams are held, and in April. However, a student applying for re-evaluation in the subject loses the chance in September and practically gets only one chance to clear the examination. In courses with the semester system, as in the case of Law and the honours school of the sciences, there are unlimited chances given to students for clearing the examination In the case of undergraduate classes, a student gets two additional chances to appear for a compartment examination if he manages to clear all his final year papers. The final authority of giving an opportunity beyond all these chances lies with the Vice-Chancellor, who considers the merits of the case before taking a decision. Prof P.P. Arya, who moved the proposal in the Syndicate, says, “There are too many conditionalities in the calendar for reappear chances given to the students. We want to ease those and give equal chances to every student instead of discriminating. It is aimed at streamlining the system.” While the move found favour with other members as well at the Syndicate meeting, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof KN Pathak, said at the meeting that a committee would study the proposal at length before a decision was made in this regard. |
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Teacher creates toy train from waste material Chandigarh, March 2 The waste material, which is normally auctioned, has been used to create the stationary toy train, said the teacher, Mr Surjeet Singh. While working on his favourite project, he ensured that all type of waste material was put to use. While, the tubelight frames have been used to lay the tracks, a water tank symbolises the steam locomotive. The benches form the seats and shed has been converted into a railway station. Some discarded scooter tyres have been used as wheels of the train. Talking to the Chandigarh Tribune, Mr Surjeet Singh said he was working on the project under the guidance of the school’s principal, Ms S.K. Nijawan. One coach of the train has been used to adjust a swing. The school authorities aim at making the toy train a piece of learning along with the enjoyment for the nursery students. During the recess the students would be given refreshments inside the train. To further arouse the interest of the children, train rhymes would be played in the train, said the fine arts teacher. When the lensman of the Chandigarh Tribune went to the school, the train was being given final touches. After the final coat of paint, cartoon characters and other play way pictures would be drawn all over the train. “By this we would be able to trap the attention of the kids and make the learning process more interesting”, said the teacher. He plans to create a ship out of the rest of the waste material lying in the school. |
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5 city students shine at Kanpur ‘tech fest’ Chandigarh, March 2 A spokesperson of the school said the main theme of the festival was Innovative Ideas. The students of Vivek High School were the youngest among the participants. In the ‘School Bag’ event organised for the school children, the topics were working model competition, a general quiz from history, GK, science and technology. PRIZES DISTRIBUTED: The annual prize distribution function for the inmates of three hostels of Government College, Sector 11, was held here last evening. The Finance Secreary UT, Mr Karan A. Singh, was the chief guest. He gave away prizes to the winners. The Principal of the college, Mr Balwinder Singh, also spoke on the occasion. |
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CAT notice to DPI (Schools) Chandigarh, March 2 The DPI has been asked to be present before CAT on March 12 to explain the circumstances under which the payment had not been released to the SLAs despite an order by the tribunal on December 18, 2003. Earlier, the tribunal acting on a petition filed by 15 SLAs of various government schools for not being played the revised pay scales from January 1996 with arrears, had directed the UT Administration to pay the SLAs their salary in the revised pay scales of Rest 4000-6000 with arrears within four months, When the administration had failed to pay the scale, the SLAs had moved a contempt petition against the UT finance Secretary and the DPI (Schools) before the CAT. They alleged that the administration had unnecessarily harassed them as other employees of the department had been granted the revised pay scale. |
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Personality development programme launched Chandigarh, March 2 According to Ms Archana
Nagrath, Director, Global Voice, “The winds of change blowing in our
country have revolutionised the socio-economic scenario and the
spin-off of this is affecting young minds and many of them find it
extremely difficult to integrate the global value system with the
Indian culture. Never has been the time so crucial to handle
personality aspects as it is today. Students don’t invest time and
energy in developing themselves fully to become successful and to
adapt to the outside world”. She added that our present education
system focuses more on theoretical aspects and hardly any stress is
laid on developing the overall personality of the students. This
initiative aims at plugging this gap. Global Voice’s programmes
equip people with the right kind of skills to be always one up in the
competition. The company’s first experiment at DAV College,
Chandigarh, has been successful and satisfying. “It is probably for
the first time in the region that personality development has been
made an integral part of the curriculum in a college,” she said.
“A 15-hour programme conducted for a large number of students of DAV
College received an overwhelming response from the students as well as
the teachers and the students’ feedback has been excellent. Major
Modules covered in this programme are communication skills, public
speaking, inter-personal skills, positive attitude, manners and
etiquette etc.” Global Voice, she said, also recently conducted a
workshop for the teachers of one of the leading public schools of
Punjab in the areas of communication skills and personality
development. The programme evoked a good response and the teachers
felt that it has given them a new perspective about teaching
methodology. The school has now decided to conduct these programmes on
a regular basis, she added. With the opening up of the economy and
coming in of the MNCs, the business environment has undergone a
dramatic change in the last one decade. The competition has become
very intense and companies are vying with each other to attract and
retain the best talent. Along with the functional skill set, the
companies give equal importance to the personality traits of an
individual like communication skills, positive attitude,
inter-personal skills, confidence etc. Promoted by engineers and MBAs
having good experience at senior positions at both national and
international levels, it offers training programes in the areas of
call centres, customer care, tele-marketing, collections management,
communication skills, personality development. The people trained by
Global Voice have got jobs with the leading multinational companies.
Besides, it trains people for IELTs, TOEFL, GRE, GMAT etc. Global
Voice upgrades its content on a continuous basis in line with the
changing industry requirements. |
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Lecturers sore over postponement of refresher course Chandigarh, March 2 In a representation to the Vice-Chancellor, Prof K.N. Pathak, signed by 13 Fellows of the Senate, Dr R.P.S. Josh,, also a Fellow, has sought his intervention in organising the course, to be conducted by the Academic Staff College, as per schedule. The UGC has notified that every lecturer should attend an orientation and refresher course within two years of joining the profession. The lecturers with Ph D have the option of choosing either of the two for the senior scale. For the selection grade, the lecturers are supposed to attend two more refresher courses within four years of their appointment, according to the guidelines of the UGC. |
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351 college students receive degrees Panchkula, March 2 Addressing students of the local Government College at the convocation and annual function, Mr Tayal said true education commenced when the students passed out of the educational institutions and faced the challenges of life. Mr Tayal awarded degrees to 238 arts,16 science and 97 commerce students.While college colour was awarded to 16 students, nine students were given the roll of honour.As many as 180 students were awarded prizes for excelling in studies. |
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DC holds meeting with school
committee Panchkula, March 2 Presiding over the meeting, Ms Ahlawat directed the Civil Surgeon, Dr Satvir Chaudhary, to depute a doctor at the school every week for the check-up of the
students. She also directed the police to patrol the area to instill a sense of security among the students and the teachers. The DC directed the school Principal, Ms Santosh Sharma, to ensure the participation of school children in all functions of the district administration. Ms Sharma read the school report. |
High Court Chandigarh, March 2 Issuing the directions in an open court, Mr Justice Gill ruled: "The security to be provided to the petitioner should not only be to the satisfaction of the state authorities but to her satisfaction also as she is apprehending physical harm to her farther and herself." In her petition, Dr Grewal had asserted that a security cover was essential in view of the threats by and at the instance of Mr Hooda and other respondents. She had added that the Hoodas, emboldened after the grant of anticipatory bail, were pressurising her to withdraw the petition. Plea against political ads dismissed The Punjab and Haryana High Court today dismissed a petition claiming that the Public Relations Department and other government agencies were issuing advertisements for promoting political interests before the Lok Sabha poll. In his petition, a city resident, Capt Mohinder Paul Goswami, had sought directions for framing guidelines so that “politicians are not able to play with the public exchequer”. The petitioner had added that the respondents should also be directed to work out the total expenditure incurred on the issuance of advertisements. The respondents should then be asked to pay for the advertisements through “private funds” instead of the public exchequer, the petitioner had submitted. Giving details, the petitioner had said that some of the political parties had started projecting their leaders through advertisements in newspapers before the general election, giving details of achievements and promises. The advertisements, he contended, were not benefiting the public. Team selection Taking up a petition for quashing the selection of the Chandigarh team for the senior national rowing championship, Mr Justice Swatanter Kumar and Mr Justice Amar Dutt of the Punjab and Haryana High Court today asked the Secretary of the Chandigarh Rowing Association to be present in court on Monday with complete record. Claiming to be “renowned rowers of national repute”, city-based Kirandeep Kaur and Ramanpreet Kaur had said they were not selected despite their good performance in events. |
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INTUC chief in
judicial remand till March 8 Panchkula, March 2 Bawa, who has got a bail from the Punjab and Haryana High Court, was today arrested by the police again in connection with a firing incident on an advocate, Mr M.K. Sisodia. He was brought on a production warrant from Ambala.It may be recalled that the police had to serve a seven day notice on Bawa in the wake of the bail granted to him.
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Arrest warrants against former bank employee Panchkula, March 2 A complaint in this regard was lodged by the bank Manager, Mr Balwinder Singh, on September 4, 2002 sources said.
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A soul-stirring performance by French troupe Chandigarh, March 2 Starting with a composition by Devienne, the group took the audience to different moods. They played Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons”, then moved on to Debussy, who dominated the western classical music scene from the late 19th century to the beginning of the 20th century. What followed next was Bach’s compositions, which were tuned to perfection with three instruments — cello, violin and vibraphone. Wystraete presented a unique composition Abida, a musical piece which was influenced by famous singer Abida Parveen’s music. His second composition “Freda” had a Brazilian touch, which was pleasant to the ear. John Mayer in his composition “Banks of the River” paid a tribute to the Ganges, which he played on Sitar along with seven other instruments. The concert concluded with Dave Douglas’s “Charme of the Sky”, which highlighted Illya Amar’s skill on the Vibrophone. The concert was organised by Alliance Francaise de Chandigarh in collaboration with French Embassy. |
Fitness Trail
Racing pulse, palpitations, anxiety, nausea, sweating, trembling - no! no!........Nobody is having a heart attack. These are just some of the symptoms schoolchildren suffer from before or during exams, especially if they are facing board exams. Some anxiety is normal, says Dr Monica Singh, a city-based clinical psychologist. In fact mild anxiety can enhance the performance of children during the exams as it keeps them on their toes, adds Dr Monica Singh. Also the level of anxiety depends upon how well the child has prepared for the exams. But when this anxiety reaches abnormal levels and starts affecting a child’s physical and mental well being, medical help is definitely needed and sought as well. Pre-exam days, especially a month or two before exams show a spurt in the number of such cases, says Dr Monica Singh. Loss of appetite, headaches, reduced sleeping hours, loose motions etc are some of the physical manifestations of the anxiety among children during exam days, she adds. Highly sensitive children who set high standards for themselves or face the burden of high parental expectations are more prone to the exam-anxiety. She says behaviour therapy and relaxation techniques are used to treat such students. Under behaviour therapy, relaxation combined with a technique systematic desensitisation is used where the child is told to imagine himself in a stressful situation which triggers anxiety. He is told to place himself in the examination hall, facing the exams. This helps in conditioning the mind to anticipate the situation and the child is better prepared to handle the situation when the real event comes. Family, especially parents, can play an important role in reducing the exam-related anxiety. Parents and teachers should continuously reassure the child about his ability and preparation. They should also give him sufficient feedback on his capabilities. It would also help if the parents or the teachers point out any lacunae or gaps, if any, in the preparations, in a gentle and constructive manner and also assure all possible help in filling those lacunae. The child should never be made to feel that he alone will here to face this difficult situation. Parents should also not show anxiety as it gets transferred to children easily. Swati, a plus two student, says if the first exam goes well (CBSE plus two exams began on Monday while the Punjab School Education Board, Class XII exams began on Tuesday) it gives you confidence to do well in other exams. But God help those who do not do well in first paper, says Swati. Because the tension about a badly done exam affects your performance in next exams as well. There is another trend of ordering ready-to-eat meals by involved parents so as to devote more time to the child. But this is a totally wrong concept, asserts Dr Neelu Malhotra, diet consultant, Silver Oaks, Mohali. Heavy, fried or junk food makes the digestive system sluggish. Only a healthy body can house a healthy mind, she adds. A balanced and nutritious diet is must during exam days. She advises to increase the intake of foods which are rich in potassium (oranges, bananas legumes etc), calcium (skimmed milk, yoghurt), protein (soy nuggets, paneer, fish, chicken), iron (kala chana soup, green leafy vegetables), B complex (eggs, dalia, soy bean sprouts) vitamin C (dry amla powder, lime, cabbage) etc. She also advises to increase fluid intake to at least 3 litres, 50 per cent of which should be water while the rest can include fresh juice, soups, lassi etc. Also a lot of fresh vegetables should be taken, especially in salad or raw form so as to have enough beta carotene and anti-oxidants (they help in reducing stress). She also advises students to eat a spoonful of til or sesame seeds which are a natural source of energy, contain a good amount of essential fatty acids and magnesium (it keeps nerves under control). Nutritious snacks, fruit chat, salads etc every 3 hours should given to the child to maintain energy, she adds. City-based yoga expert, Meenakshi Sud, give a few tips to check exam-related anxiety. She recommends deep breathing, which, she says, inspires parasympathetic nervous system which brings the body back to normal after being in a stressful state. She also advises stretching exercises or “asanas” as students keep on sitting in one posture for long hours. This can cause stasis of blood in lower extremities that is blood circulation in the lower part of body gets slowed down, leading to cramps. Surinder Verma, a yoga teacher, Bharati Yog Sansthan, recommends a few asanas like sarvang asana, vipritkarni asana to stretch the body and keep the blood moving normally. Both experts recommend pranayam and dhayan ( meditation) to channelise energy, boost energy levels and improve concentration. Verma also suggests Padma asana and vajra asana to improve concentration. Parents and children should exercise together. It not only increases bonding but exercising also releases chemicals called endorphins which reduce anxiety, says Sud. |
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A trip down South full of cherishing tales INDIAN countryside is a collage of myriad forms of cultural and agricultural diversities reflecting a unified picture of beauty in diverse lands and different people. This sentiment is shared by members of the team of Mr Navjeewan Khosla, an 82-year octogenarian former IAS officer, who led the trip on a specially-designed van from Chandigarh to the southern heartland in the interiors of Karnataka in the South. He was accompanied by Mr Sanjiv Tewari, Director Public Relations of Panjab University. The team also took along Mr Dhanpal as helper and co-driver. The 37-day tour in a modified tempo-trailer is full of cherishing tales about lesser-heard places and customs of lesser heard people in the country. There is unanimity among team members about “immaculate courtesy shown by the people ” in the interiors of the country all over. The entire journey is full of tales of locals showing due respect and extending due care to the visitors from the North. The grandeur of the historic sites in Rajasthan, the fast life in the metropolitan cities of Delhi and Mumbai and the enchanting Goan beaches on one side, the travel is a bag which is full of tales of truckloads of love and respect received from inhabitants of the interiors of India. Mr Khosla said he has travelled earlier on similar journeys in the adjoining states of Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. This was his first trip South. “ I was delighted to see the growth of vegetables and fruits all over the country. This shed a wrong image I had. I thought vegetables and fruits were available freely only in the North”. Mr Tewari said except for a stretch of road in Madhya Pradesh, the National Highways all over the trip showed decent road conditions. The trip covered road stretches in Punjab, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka and back on a different route to Delhi via Uttar Pradesh. From Bathinda in Punjab the car entered Hanumangarh in rajasthan and travelled the desert lands of Bikaner and Jodhpur. The pictures displaying the majesty of the princely remnants of the Rajput kingdom are breathtaking. Najaur, located a little ahead, is a reminder of the origin of the Panchayati Raj Movement under Jawahar Lal Nehru. The route took the road to Ahmedabad in Gujarat followed by Alang, Bhavnagar, Dhulera before entering Maharashtra from where the van travelled to Bombay, Pune. The names of places visited is a very long list. The beauty of the trip was the tempo specially designed to cater to different requirements for daily use. Out of the total, the team slept for at least 28 days in the van. Except for a rare chance the food was also cooked in a special kitchen on the van. There was ample space to rest. Mr Tewari said the best memorys that lingered on was about lesser known places. “ One place was ‘Pataal Kuan’ at Dhulera in Gujarat. During irrigation more than 150 years back, it was discovered that the underground water here was hot. The place is now a religious site where hundreds flock every day. The panchayat office at this place is fit with facilities for a high-tech computer centre. More interesting is the way the facility is used for public utility”. Another interesting place is Saputara, a 2,900 feet high hill station in Gujarat. Apart from the scenic beauty, it is the professional layout of the public toilets which make the work mentionable it was pointed out. These public toilets have been put on pavements and the utility is visible through cleanliness in the city environs. Mr Tewari said another out of the routine experience was a visit to Alang, a port in Gujarat. This is one of the world’s biggest ship-breaking yards. A ship which has outlived its utility is anchored at the port and the entire set-up is dismantled. Everything from a needle to a piano is sold here. The sheer size of so many ships together and opened is “breathtaking.” One interesting place was a farmhouse near HT Kota in Karnatka. The owner here was a couple, both of whom did their postgraduation from Delhi University. Mr Vivek carriapa did his MA in Economics and Julie in Sociology. They have two grown up sons, both of whom study at home because they want to “save them from the process of unlearning in routine Indian schools”. The couple is supporting 40 families on the farmland and marketing 30 products. Another fond memory of the team is the Kabini Jungle Lodge in Karnataka which is run in collaboration with the state government. The man in charge is Col John Wakefield, “ a young man of 88 years”. His father is a former Deputy Commissioner of Ludhiana. The place has rich wildlife with a population of more than 70 Lions and tigers. Mr Khosla is of the opinion that beauty about such trips was discovering “our own land”. Mr Tewari said “the entire perspective about the country’s population and lifestyle changes after a visit to their homes”. The trip started on January 10 and ended on February 17. |
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Roadside ear-cleaners claim efficiency Despite ENT specialists strongly advising against the ears being cleaned by ear-cleaners, one can spot ear-cleaners in busy areas. The ear-cleaners can be distinguished from others because of a typical red-coloured headgear worn by them. The ear-cleaners are better known as ‘kaan mailiae’. There are more than 10 ear-cleaners in Ambala Cantt and Ambala City. They ply their trade in areas bustling with activity. The low charges are an added attraction for the people. However, there have been several instances in which the customers have been taken for a ride. Some ear-cleaners strike a deal with the customer in which they charge for each piece of dirt. They, then, take out a large number of dirt pieces from the ear and the customers have to shell out money, accordingly. The tools used by the ear-cleaners are basic and rudimentary. The task is executed professionally, with stress being laid on the customer being asked to sit still. Any sudden movement can hurt the ear. An ear-cleaner at Sadar Bazar said they had a ‘seenkh’ which helped to loosen the dirt in the ear and a tweezer for taking out the dirt. “We also use ‘tumba’. Cotton is wrapped on this and it is used to gently massage the ear,” he said. He said the oil used by them had been specially treated. “We use ‘sarson’ oil in which we add ‘lahsoon’ and ‘ratan jot’. The last ingredient gives it the distinct red colour. This oil is useful for preventing itching in the ear,” he said. The ear-cleaner said to remove stubborn dirt from the ear, they used hydrogen. “This loosens the dirt and the customer does not feel any discomfort,” he said. He claimed that the process of ear-cleaning was safe and there was no risk to the ear-drum. “I have taken out pulses from the ears of children. Once I was asked to take out a pearl which had got stuck in the ear of a little girl,” he claimed. The ear-cleaners of Ambala state that they had regular customers. “Many people periodically visit us. We are also called to clean the ears of entire families,” he said. However, an ENT specialist alleged that the ear-cleaners were quacks. “Unqualified and untrained people can cause irreparable damage to the ear. I strongly advise the people against getting their ear cleaned by such people,” he said. He said there had been instances in which these ear-cleaners had tried to forcibly dislodge dirt resulting in injury to the ear. |
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Forget bouquets of affection. Gift a pot instead. This is what Shiela Mamick and Ami Bedi have to say. The duo are holding an exhibition of plants at their house in Sector 4, Chandigarh. In fact, they invite you to a “pre-Holi blast of dish gardens, indoor and outdoor fountains, bird feeders and baths, besides urlis and much more....” Amazing terracota pots with plants and pebbles complete with birds, squirrels and frogs molded out of earth can be found. Then there are garden lights. Plant holders of wrought iron and sand stone are worth picking. This is not all. Waterfalls, too, have been carved out in the shape of animals. You will face no problem in dressing up your garden in a perfect way. The visitors can also pick up bags and handicrafts from “Seva Centre, Chinmaya Mission, in Himachal Pradesh”. The cost of the products ranges from Rs 150 to Rs 2000. The thought of doing something different and creative encouraged us to go ahead. Giving details, Ms Mamick says that their “Garden Centre” had earlier launched “Green Chandigarh” campaign. “We encourage the residents to stop cutting trees and plucking flowers. They are advised against the use of non-biodegradable items”. The exhibition, which will start from Wednesday, will continue for three days from 10 am to 7 pm at House No 34 in Sector 4.
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Ear cleaning by roadside ear-cleaners may not be medically advisable but it is definitely popular.