Exams over, coaching centres on
Deepkamal Kaur

Ludhiana, March 16
With senior secondary examinations soon to be over, the students preparing for admission to various medical and engineering colleges have started getting themselves registered for crash courses and test series being conducted by scores of coaching centres in the city.

Assuring sure shot success by way of rigorous testing, teaching by experienced faculty, use of short cut methods, latest books, computerised study material and CD roms, the owners of coaching centres have started luring students for various batches that will begin from tomorrow onwards. Several centres are coming up with added facilities such as regular meetings with IIT passouts and faculty, counselling with psychologists, parent-teacher meetings, individual queries solving sessions, hostel facility and air conditioned classrooms.

After today’s examination, the students of plus two are left with physical education or biotechnology tests. But the crash courses will begin from tomorrow imparting five to six hours of daily coaching for seven days a week. Students will undergo daily testing and get lots of home assignments.

Ms Usha Tyagi, Director of a coaching centre near Bhai Bala Chowk, said crash courses of 60-day duration for non-medical students and 75-day duration for medical students would begin from tomorrow.

She said this time she would make use of audio-visual aids, LCD projectors and microphones during routine classes.

Besides, faculty from Lucknow would be visiting the centre and solving students’ queries, Ms Tyagi said. She said she had also come up with a booklet carrying 2,000 probable questions. She said she had announced prizes of Hero Hondas or Kinetic Hondas to the top five medical and non-medical students of her centre.

Mr Siddhartha, owner of an academy in Sarabha Nagar, said he would conduct two-month crash course for non-medical and three-month crash course for medical students. He said there would be 90-minute class on each of the three subjects daily, followed by a half-an-hour test in the end.

Mr Ardaman Sidhu, owner of another centre in Sarabha Nagar, said besides, a 50-day course for non-medical students and 60-day course for medical students, he would also be holding a 25-day batch for students simply coming to take tests. Students coming for crash courses would be taking tests on alternate days, he said. Brilliant students coming to his centre would get an added advantage as they could undergo computerised testing using softwares on various subjects developed by the centre.

Whatever may be the strategy of a coaching centre, they are all likely to earn lakhs of rupees during this period, conducting four to five batches a day, charging an amount of Rs 7,500 to Rs 12,000 per student with more than 25 students per batch and continuing such batches in a series for three months.

Student caught cheating  in examination
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, March 16
One case of cheating was reported from the district in the Class X Punjabi examination conducted by the Punjab School Education Board here today. A student of SAN Jain Senior Secondary School, near Daresi, was caught copying from a slip that he had brought with him in the examination centre. The student was caught red-handed by the District Education Officer, Mr Avinash Chander Sethi, during inspection this morning. Mr Sethi said no student was found carrying mobile phone inside the examination hall today.

In his round yesterday, he caught four students using slips for the Class X mathematics examination. Three students were caught by Mr Major Singh Sandhu, Deputy DEO (Elementary), from Gidderwindi village. Three more cases were reported from Government Senior Secondary Schools at Raikot and Dhaipai. 

Practical exams begin
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, March 16
The final practical examination for various BA and BSc classes began at all affiliated colleges of Panjab University here today. First-year BA students appeared for practical examination of computer science, home science, music (instrumental) and psychology. For BSc first-year students, practical examination for zoology, botany and computer science were held.

Second-year BA students took practical examination of music (vocal). No practical examination for BSc second-year students was scheduled for today. Students of BA final-year appeared for fine arts and computer education. Students of BSc final year took physics and chemistry practical examinations.

Session concludes: The 2003-04 academic session concluded here on Tuesday. Bhog of sehaj path of Guru Granth Sahib was organised. Hymns from Gurbani were recited by the college shabad gayan team, followed by kirtan by Ms Madanjit Kaur Sahota, Principal, and members of the faculty. A discourse was given by Prof Balwinder Singh. A sports prize distribution was also held.

Farewell function: The BCA Department of Guru Nanak Girls College, Model Town, hosted a farewell function on the campus on Tuesday. The function comprised of several dances, skits and songs. The function was presided over by the Principal of the college, Dr Charanjit Mahal.

The major highlight of the show was modelling by BCA final-year students. The winners of Miss Farewell contest were selected after two rounds. Jasleen was Miss Farewell, Harkiran first runners-up, and Ruby second runners-up. A game show was organised by BCA second- year students final year students. The winners were Daman and Binderpal Kaur. The outgoing students also gave compliments to their teachers. Ms Parminder, Ms Shagun and Ms Prabhjot, were the judges. The Principal addressed the students and congratulated the winners.