EDUCATION

Students seek change in exam date
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 18
Candidates appearing in various entrance examinations for admission to different medical colleges have pointed out that the date of the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) exam was clashing with that of the Combined Entrance Test (CET) being conducted by Punjab Technical University (PTU).

Both the competitive exams were scheduled for June 1. Seeking change of date of the CET, the parents and their wards in a representation to the Chief Secretary, Punjab and the Chairman of the board of Governors of PTU, have stated that since the process to conduct the AIIMS entrance test was underway it was difficult to change the date. There were many students in Punjab who were appearing in various competitive exams in addition to the medical entrance examinations as they study additional subjects in medical and non-medical streams in the Class XII of the Central Board of Secondary Education. Such students were eligible to appear in both medical and engineering entrance examinations.

Though PTU has announced the date of the exam for admission to engineering seats, the necessary application form and the brochure would be released by April 25. But PTU has already issued an advertisement mentioning June 1 as the date for examination, said a worried parent.

Magic of camera for children
Our Correspondent

Chandigarh, April 18
As many as 35 children today had an opportunity to play with images under the expert guidance of noted photographer Bhaskar Mukharjee. Titled as ‘magic camera’, this one-day workshop was organised by the British Council Library in collaboration with the Chitkara Educational Trust at the library hall in Sector 9 here today.

Acquainting the participants with different ways of using the camera, shooting of pictures with photograms and techniques of developing black and white films, this self-taught photographer, taught the children how to make a colour panorama.

The workshop was open for children between the age group of 10 to 12 years and was conducted in two sessions to accommodate all candidates. “There was an overwhelming response from the participants and since we wanted to provide our learners quality time, we had to divide the day into two shifts,” said Mr Sushant Banerjee, Manager of the Library.

Mr Banerjee said that ‘magic camera’ was the fourth of the series of workshops. “We are also preparing to celebrate our annual day which falls on May 14,” said Mr Banerjee, adding that the annual day celebrations would include a host of competitions and fun-filled activities for the members and their children which would start from May 2.

Art College awaits four-tier teaching hierarchy
Parbina Rashid

Chandigarh, April 18
Even as the Government College of Art is getting ready to introduce master’s degree in fine arts, it has yet to overcome the first hurdle — introduction of a four-tier faculty system, which is a benchmark for any technical institute.

The college, an offshoot of Mayo College of Art, Lahore, which completed 50 years of existence a few years ago, is functioning with a system that has only two-tier hierarchy — lecturer and Principal. “In any technical institution, it is mandatory to have a system that consists of Lecturer, Assistant Professor, Professor and Principal, but here there are just Lecturers and Principal,” says Mr Brahma Prakash, Principal of the college.

However, the college authorities have already mooted a proposal to the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India, to take up requisite steps to place the college on a par with any other technical institution by introducing a four-tier system in the teaching side.

“We are expecting positive response within two to three months’ time,” says Mr. Vivek Atray, Director, Technical Education, Chandigarh. “Since Master’s course will be introduced in the college soon, it has become all the more urgent that the college has a proper faculty,” he adds.

Faculty members, hopeful of a positive response from the government of India, say if implemented, the four-tier system will help improve work culture in the college. “The system will provide incentive to our younger members to live up to the standard of the UPSC norms to go up to the level of Assistant Professor and Professor and our students will benefit from the experiences of Professors, who will come through the UPSC,” says Principal Brahm Prakash.

“Keeping aside the individual benefits, the new system will help improve work culture, for in Professor and Assistant Professor categories we will have someone to look up to for leadership” says Mr Pramod Kumar Arya, a lecturer. “It will also break the stagnation we have to face in our teaching career,” says Mr Inderjeet Gupta, a senior Lecturer who is about to retire.

HAMARA SCHOOL
This school stands for value, virtue and vision

ST Vivekanand Public School is exclusively an English medium co-educational public school based on modern concept in education and management. It provides ample opportunities to students seeking admission from pre-nursery to Class VII. It has an ambitious plan of upgrading and improving itself with each passing year and subsequently following the CBSE pattern. Latest thoughts and trends in education are being adopted in matters of school curriculum, teaching methodology, teacher-students interaction, training outputs and co-curricular activities.

The broad objective of the school is to imbibe and amalgamate Indian culture and modern scientific temper, which are manifested in its curriculum, in students.

The school’s motto is value, virtue and vision.

The school is set in rural surroundings of Pabhat (Zirakpur) and has the most modern amenities for the comfort of its students.

The school is being run by the Saraswati Educational Society, which aims at spreading the rare qualities and principles enunciated by Swami Vivekanand. The society consists of eminent academics, jurists and administrators.

The school has well-qualified, trained, highly experienced, competent, dedicated, motivated and hard working teachers, who are well suiting to cater to the needs of students. From time to time, all members of the teaching staff go through a specially designed induction course so as to orient themselves to the ideals set by the school.

The school provides a forum for regular parent-teacher interaction where both can exchange information on the progressive development of students. Apart from this, parents are allowed to contact the principal at the office at all times and discuss at length their anxieties, concerns or problems relating to their children. Parents are also encouraged to involve themselves in activities of the school, which creates better understanding between parents and teacher.

To make parents aware of happenings at the school, a school newsletter, featuring various activities of the school and opinions of experts related to various fields of child development and education, is sent to parents at regular intervals.

Infrastructure & facilities

The beautiful setting of the school attracts the inquisitive minds of those living in Pabhat (Zirakpur) and areas in its vicinity. The building of the school faces a lush green lawn full of evergreen plants.

The building has spacious, airy classrooms on the ground floor furnished with most modern furniture. The school has a vast playground in the front where tiny tots can enjoy their leisure time.

The school also takes special care of the health of children. For this, a regular medical check-up of children is done. A medical attendant is available to give first-aid round the clock, while a doctor visits the school for periodic checkups.

The school has its own transport system to carry students from Pabhat (Zirakpur) and its surrounding areas. 

PRINCIPAL SPEAKS
Imbibing academic, moral values in students our aim

SCHOOLING is not just academic, it adds value to life. The young generation has to be taught to respect the elders and to enable them to become better human beings. Academic values are of importance but moral values are equally important, and we try to imbibe these in students.

Face-to-face interaction between students and teachers helps in the better understanding between the two.

Nowadays general awareness amongst students is equally important. We encourage students to participate in extracurricular activities like sports, dance, singing and dramatics. We also prepare them for different competitions in academic as well as other curricular activities. I feel if a students is physically and mentally fit only then can he face the challenges in life.

COURTS

Two remanded in custody
Tribune News Service

Panchkula, April 18
The Duty Magistrate, Mr P.K. Yadav, today remanded two boys, accused of abducting two minor girls of Sector 20, in judicial custody for 14 days. The duo, Sameer and Rahul, were arrested yesterday.

However, sources said the abduction theory was yet to be proved as there had been no ransom demand. The police was ascertaining whether the girls went of on their own accord or not. The minister’s family had reportedly ‘disowned’ Jameel Khan.