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PU faces staff shortage in new science courses Chandigarh, April 29 In a university where each post advertised elicits an overwhelming response, giving the screening committee a tough time sifting through the applications, there is a dearth of applicants for the posts lying vacant in the technical branches of these science departments. The National Centre for Genomic Studies, started a couple of years ago, has only one teacher for 30 students. The only other faculty member at the department recently resigned. Making do with guest faculty and teachers drawn from other departments, the Centre has three posts to its credit, two of which are lying vacant. There are only two applicants for the post of Reader. The Director of the Centre, Dr T.
Mukhopadhyaya, says, “We are unable to get suitable candidates for the posts despite having advertised these time and again. One reason is that lecturers of the subject in other colleges and universities are not willing to move to new places after having set up their labs in one place.” He points out that the other problem is to do with qualifications for lecturers laid down by the university. “They are looking for a candidate who teaches biology and has an engineering degree to his credit. The two are contradictory and it has become very difficult for the university to locate this rare combination,” he adds. In the University institute of Engineering and Technology
(UIET), search is on for a professor in telecommunications and microelectronics. The university has got a poor response from the applicants with a couple of candidates having submitted their applications. The Director of the institute, Dr B.S. Sohi, says, “We don’t want to compromise on the quality of teachers. Since we are not able to identify any candidate for these posts, we have started writing to IITs and directors of engineering institutes to forward applications of people interested in teaching at our university. We are also exploring websites for identifying suitable people. The problem stems from the fact that not many people go in for Ph.Ds and settle for employment in the industry after completing engineering. This explains the shortage of faculty.” The university’s Regional Law Centre in Muktsar is also facing a faculty crunch. To add to the woes, no applicant has applied for the post of professor advertised recently. Sources said when the project was initiated nearly four years ago, the authorities were faced with a similar problem of faculty shortage. “Nobody is willing to go to Muktsar when they know they can teach in the cities,” an official says. An Administrative Officer explains that the university, according to rules laid down in the calendar, can go ahead and hold interviews after advertising a post twice even if there are only two candidates. “It is not legally improper. However, the university is looking for excellence and does not want to run the show with mediocre teachers,” he adds. During the recent meeting of the Academic Council, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof
K.N. Pathak, concerned about the paucity of qualified candidates in technical courses, warned colleges against jumping on to the “new courses” bandwagon. He asked them not to begin new technical courses in their hurry of being one-up on other colleges. “Please ensure that you have trained faculty to run the courses before opting for these,” he had said. |
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B.Ed entrance test on June 6 Chandigarh, April 29 The Principal of the Government College of Education, Ms S. Tangri, said the prospectus for the test was available at the office of the Government College of Education, Sector 20, and the Dev Samaj College of Education, Sector 36. The prospectus was also available at the website “www.chandigarh.nic.in”. The last date for submitting the forms was May 17. At the time of admission, 60 per cent of students would be admitted from the UT Pool whereas 40 per cent would be outside the UT Pool. The students who had graduated from the colleges in Chandigarh and had completed their second and third year of graduation as regular students from the city colleges would be covered in the UT Pool. |
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Campus Beat Chandigarh, April 29 They claimed that in the LLB paper of the CrPC (sixth semester), there were only eight questions in the paper to choose from as against 9 to 10 questions, according to the pattern. They also stated that one-and-a-half questions, carrying 20 marks each, were outside syllabus. They claimed that practically, the students were at a loss of 50 marks out of a paper of 100 marks. In protest against the paper they raised slogans in front of the Vice-Chancellors office. Later, the students led by Panjab University Students’ Union, National Students Union of India, Haryana Students’ Association and Himachal Pradesh Students’ Association, met the chairperson of the Department and the Vice-Chancellor, who assured them that adequate grace marks would be awarded. Power backup, cyber cafes sought The National Students Union of India (NUSI) has demanded power backup and cyber cafes on the campus in a representation to the university authorities, here. The president of NSUI, Mr Nitin Goyal, has demanded that keeping in view the frequent power failures in the university campus, generators should be installed in all hostels of the university since the students had to face inconvenience when power went off at nights. He has demanded that cyber cafes be opened up in all departments and hostels of the university to enable the students to get the latest information about their subjects. This facility should be provided in all hostels at subsidised rates to the hostellers, he demanded. |
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British Council holds workshop for teachers Chandigarh,
April 29 The focus of the workshop will be to introduce English language teachers to Cambridge ESOL testing system and orient them to communicative language teaching methodology. Cambridge ESOL i.e. English for speakers of other languages. In the first phase of the launch in North India, first two levels will be available to the candidates. These are Key English Test and Preliminary English Test. These two examinations are a series of English language assessments for candidates in the age group of 11 to 14 years, who are learning English as a second or foreign language. The tests assess a candidate’s proficiency in English through various communicative, situational and activity-oriented tasks. The British Council on behalf of the University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate (UCLES) is actively working to associate with prominent schools in and around Chandigarh. Various schools, including St John’s High School, DAV Public School, Chitkara International School, Yadavindra Public School, DAV Model School, Shri Guru Harkishan Model School, Saffron City School, Fatehgarh Sahib, Doon Valley Public School, Nalagarh, DC Model International School, Ferozepore, Satluj Public School, Panchkula, Spring Dale Senior School, Amritsar, are participating in the workshop. Chitkara International School is the host of the workshop. |
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Mobile classroom for
business students Chandigarh, April 29 Academic sessions continue for the young global managers even after the bus halts for enabling discussions with local industrialists and entrepreneurs. As a part of the curriculum, the bus reached Chandigarh early this week and will remain stationed in the city till Friday. According to the staff, the aim is not to produce young executives with sound theoretical knowledge but divorced from ground reality. The intention is to create managers who can understand the environment, market needs, demands and buyers. The emphasis is on “self-discovery, experience and exposure. The objective is to enable the students to acquire transnational business knowledge,” they claim. “With the bus the conventional educational barriers of a classroom are transcended.” Giving details, they assert that for the first time in the world’s management arena a bold initiative had been taken to provide nitty-gritty of global management skills to the
youth. Classes are conducted out of box close to nature in places, including temples, jungles and historical places. So far the students have already visited Hyderabad,
Vijaywada, Bhubaneswar, Kolkata, Jamshedpur, Varanasi, Lucknow, Agra, Delhi and Ludhiana. |
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Better facilities sought for PU examiners Chandigarh, April 29 He said since the destiny of two lakh students rests in the hands of 4,000 lecturers, who evaluate their merit through the assessment of answer books, the examiners deserve to be provided with essential amenities for the efficient execution of their duties. these include providing them suitable and adequate tables and chairs, installation of a generator set to ensure that lack of electricity does not hamper work, availability of clean drinking water, clean toilets and retiring rooms. He has also sought
enhancement in the remuneration for paper marking, paper setting and invigilation duties, comparing the charges with the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE). |
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Students
highlight ill-effects of tobacco Mohali, April 29 Students from 15 schools from Chandigarh, Fatehgarh Sahib, Mandi Gobindgarh and Mohali took part in the contest which was inaugurated by Mr B.S. Anand, Director, Patiala unit of the association. The students who took part in the contest were divided into five groups according to their classes. The participants were required to highlight the ill-effects of tobacco. They were given three topics out of which they had to select one. The topics were “Passive smoking”, “Youth and tobacco” and “Life with and without tobacco”. Ms Amteshwar Kaur, president of the local unit of the association, said youth had to be motivated and educated on the ill-effects of tobacco. She said efforts of the association had started bringing results as students from neighbouring districts had also come to take part in the contest. She said the association would be organising an essay-writing competition at DAV Public School, Phase X, here on May 1 and a drama competition at Shivalik Public School on May 6 and 7. She said winners from all competitions would be given prizes on May 31. |
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From Schools Chandigarh, April 29 ANNUAL DAY: The 30th annual day of Kendriya Vidyalaya, Sector 31, was celebrated in the school premises here today. The function began with invocation to Goddess Saraswati. The Principal of the school, Ms S.P.Shergill, welcomed the guests. Air Cmdr S.P.S.Virk and Ms Manjeet Virk, president of the Air Force Wives Welfare Association, were present on the occasion. The chief guest, Air Cmdr Virk, stressed the need for quality education and harmonious development of every child. TNS |
Expressing intricacies of mind on stone Chandigarh,
April 29 It is amazing how something as lifeless as a piece of stone or metal can speak volumes after being varved. The theme-based sculptures, be it wax or paper mache or wood, the same message comes loud and clear and that too with different expressions saving you from getting trapped into monotony as you wade through their myriad creations. While a majority of students have limited themselves to a particular theme, a few like Prerna, Sapna and Prainy have given their imagination a free rein Others have drawn inspiration from themes like the freedom of spirit, flexibility of body and mind, moods, dreams, nature and growth of human body and soul. If Simrat’s desire to excel in life and attain freedom catches your attention, then Paraminder’s philosophy on flexibility and balance being the keyword for prospering in life is equally arresting. Same is the case with Bhumika who sends a positive signal with her creations saying that wishes and dreams are positive energy. For Bhavya, creation is expressing different moods in different media. Coming out of the traditional mould, Vikas tries his hand at creating meaningful things out of waste material. With tyres, metallic rods, Vikas creates an ambience wherein thrives the basic instinct of a woman and a man, besides their inner feelings, both suppressed and expressed. Vikas’ abstract theme contrasts Aman’s “Law of Nature” in which Aman traces the evolution of a tree in phases. Others taking part in the show are Avneet, Arvinder, Mamta, Japneet and Surmeet. The exhibition will remain open between 11 am and 6 pm till May 3. |
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New Release Shah Rukh Khan’s home production ‘Main Hoon Na’ is one of the most-awaited films of 2004. It is Shah Rukh’s first release of 2004. The promos and perky numbers have been appearing on
satellite channels. From the promos one gets the impression that ‘Main Hoon Na’, unlike ‘Ashoka’ and ‘Chalte Chalte,’ is a typical Bollywood masala movie. The film has romance, action, song, dance, and comedy. It will be released today at Batra, Chandigarh, K.C., Panchkula and Fun Republic, Mani Majra. ‘Main Hoon Na’ has been produced by Red Chillies Entertainment and Venus. For the first time, Shah Rukh has been directed by a woman, Farah Khan. The film marks choreographer Farah Khan’s first outing as director. Her directorial debut promises to be an entertaining musical. It will be interesting to see what the pair of Shah Rukh and Sushmita Sen comes out with.Others in the film are Zayed Khan, Amrita Rao, Bindu and Satish Shah. Naseeruddin Shah and Kiron Kher make a special appearances. Sunil Shetty is in a negative role. According to trade pandits, ‘Main Hoon Na’ is a musical-comic-action-thriller. This makes the film pacy and emotional. The film has a feel of the ’70s. After LoC, Anu Malik and Javed Akhtar have come up with a foot-tapping melodious score.
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Spring summer wear presented Chandigarh, April 29 The show was organised to give retailers and dealers of Live In from the region a preview of the latest in denims, chinos, cargos and shirts. The fashion forecast for the season, as predicted in the show, was low-waist boot-cut ink denims for women and straight-cut jeans showing off sinewy leg muscles for men. Several rounds were presented to showcase designs in semi-formals, stress-free formals and cargos that would be the f(l)avour of the season. The show promised to cater to all age groups and categories. A new line of shirts for men, in cool colours and nude shades, was also showcased. Dealers from the region were honoured. |
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Ghazal singer enthrals audience Chandigarh, April 29 A grandson of famous Hazi Rehmat Qawwal, Salim deviated from his family tradition by opting for ghazal singing rather than qawwali. A trained classical singer from Amanat Ghani gharana, Salim has already carved a niche with two of his albums — “Surroor” and “Regrets”. Opening the programme with his famous number “Besabab baat badhane ki zaroorat kya hai”, Salim rendered a few numbers “Jugnoo ki tarha ana, khusboo ki tarha jana” and “Teri zehmat hai mere liye nazrana” from his albums. These were accepted with a thunderous applause. Salim’s son Safdar Salim also joined him on the stage. |
Style i IF a stringy top has caught the fancy of six-year-old Noor, then blasted denims are the obvious choice for eight-year-old Sharang as these are the latest trends this season. Dressing well and looking good is no longer the prerogative of the grownups or trendy teenagers only, as couture is fast becoming a part of kids’ wardrobes. ‘’You are never too young for fashion’’ seems to be the mantra for these little princes and princesses. Daring minis, spaghetti tops, halter necks, sequined jeans and tops, linen and crotchet shirts and tops, the range in kidswear available in city stores is endless and proof of the fact that children’s clothes have become hi-fashion like never before. ‘’Be it casual or the formal range, the trends in kidswear these days go hand in hand with the adult fashion trends. Kids clothes are best described as grown-up clothes shrunk down or designer clothes for kids’’, says Rajnish Jain of Meena Bazaar. ‘’Most kids these days make their own choices when it comes to their wardrobe and procuring funky designs in the right sizes for young clientele is quite an arduous task’’, says Rajnish. There was a time when Lee,Tommy Hilfiger and DKNY were not a must-have in a child’s wardrobe, but times have changed in the little kingdom. Both Noor and Sharang draw inspiration from TV shows and ads and also from other friends(they inform us with an air of confidence) and their busy social lives always leave scope for some dressy numbers. Manufacturers too are experimenting with the entire range of clothes in the kids segment. The cool Jamaicans in denim and non- denim (priced at Rs 620) and washed effect in denims are a must-have for the summer wardrobe for boys. Linen trousers suitable for the hot season are also selling well. These are high in comfort and are sturdy enough to withstand the pressures of childhood apart from being pocket friendly, says owner of a local kidswear showroom. There is a lot of choice in shirts too as bright-coloured shirts with pintex on tie and dye effect, unique prints and ones with stylised collars and cuffs add variety to the routine checks-and-stripes affair. There is a wide variety available in fabric too like the light weight and airy jute, knitted textures and linen. Sleeveless shirts (Rs 670 onwards) are the current rage, says Rajnish and these look cool when combined with Jamaicans or shorts. Tees with cartoon character prints or motifs like those of the evergreen Spiderman, Batman, or the latest craze Pokemon are priced at Rs 299 onwards. The ethnic chic for weddings and other formal occasions also has plenty to choose from. Designed in fabrics specially for the summer, the kurta sets in bright bandhani prints in cheesecotton complete with stoles and embroidery (Rs 750 onwards) are ideal for special occasions. In the little girls section, it is the glitter and sequins story all the way. With capris, shorts and jeans all having a liberal and stylish touch of colourful sequins and crystals make these fit for special dos. Crotchet tops and trendy skirts are huge hits this season, says Rajnish. Taking a cue from the latest on the ramps, the skirts with asymmetrical hemlines, crotchet tops, midis and shorts and minis — all are there for the budding fashionistas. The summer collection for girls include printed shorts on white base (Rs 285) and dresses complete with hats, bags and back scarves. Colourful Patiala suits, fish-cut lehengas and gararas with backless and stringy cholis are available for Rs 1,200 onwards. With all this stylish fare on offer the way to a child’s heart is surely through a trendy outfit.
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Volvo begins operations A NEW state-of-the-art Volvo bus has started operating from Thursday from Himachal Pradesh on the Delhi-Chandigarh-Shimla route under the aegis of the Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC). The airconditioned luxury bus is operating on a trial basis for a month, giving passengers an opportunity to experience world class travel comfort. Volvo B7R buses are now the preferred means of travel on over 60 key routes across India. Comfort, safety, quicker and safe journeys are some of the reasons why these buses atttract the highest occupancy levels. Excellent transport economy and uninterrupted services are why buses operators have been adding more and more Volvo buses into their fleets. Today, almost every state transport
corporation operates Volvo fleets in South and West of India. This includes Karnataka, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Goa. According to the schedule drawn up by HRTC, the bus will start from Shimla at 8.30 a.m It then departs from Chandigarh for Delhi at 12.40 p.m. The return trip to Shimla will leave Himachal Bhavan in Delhi at 8.30 p.m. and from Chandigarh at 2.35 a.m. The fare is expected to be Rs 350 per passenger from Chandigarh to Delhi, Rs 200 per passenger between Chandigarh and Rs 550 per passenger between Delhi and Shimla. Thus bus takes about 20 per cent lesser time than the current deluxe buses in operation. The bus is equipped with a toilet, fridge, coffee-maker and a powerful music system. But what makes travelling by the bus a great
experience, says Mr Akash Passey, Head of Volvo Buses in India, is the 260hp Volvo engine which provides the right power to take on the steep gradients to
Shimla, thereby providing the driver good control too. The bus driver has at his disposal an excellent driving environment, braking system, shorter turning radius and excellent operating control.
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Safe haven for spirited lovers IN love and looking for a safe haven to sit and coochie-coo with your beau/ sweetheart? Well, neighbouring Panchkula seems to be a safe haven. This satellite township to Chandigarh is where most dating couples from the city are headed. Perhaps, the solitude that the town offers is drawing young couples to the gardens and eateries in Sector 5, and the by-lanes of Mansa Devi Complex. With the coffee lounges in the city reserved for the bold and yuppies, and the forceful gardeners of Rose Garden in Chandigarh acting spoilsport, the lovers are flocking to the neighbouring township . On any given day, a large number of youngsters can be seen sitting coyly in Vatika, Town Park, City Fountain, or Topiary park, or sitting in their cars parked along the by-lanes of Mansa Devi Complex. The gardens, with their lush landscaping, and the strategically placed benches in the isolated spots, under the thick foliage, provide the perfect getaway. Holding hands and showing other manners of affection, the “bench lovers” and the “lovers in cars”, are left free to share a private moment in public. From 10 am to one in the afternoon, and again from four to six in the evening, these dating youngsters can be spotted, talking and getting intimate. Rues Mr B.K. Beri, a resident of Sector 8, Panchkula,“The couples show varying degrees of affection in the public gardens, and are oblivious to the senior citizens and children visiting the parks in the evenings. We complain to the gardeners and watchmen, but they are unwilling to intervene. We agree that dating is a part of teenagers’ socialisation process, but if they get intimate, it is not acceptable”. The gardeners on their part express their reluctance to stop the youngsters from getting intimate. Says Chottu Ram, a gardener in Vatika, “Most of the youngsters are from well-off families, and they shoo us away and threaten us, if we go and ask them not to get intimate.” Agrees Hardyal, a gardener in Town Park, “Almost 20 odd couples come to the garden with their partners. Most of them sit casually, but a few of them also get physical. We cannot ask them to behave. It is the job of the police, to see that no one acts indecently in public places.” The police, on its part, seems to have washed its hands off the affair, after it drew flak from all quarters, when they had rounded up dating youngsters from these gardens in December 2002. There was a public outcry against the police high handedness in dealing with casual daters, most youngsters’ parents had also supported their childrens’ rendezvous.
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Matrimonials go mobile MATRIMONIALS, those perennially sought-after match-maker columns, have gone mobile, crowning an evolutionary process that began by word-of-mouth style and graduating to palm leaves to print medium and then on to online, coalescing families, clans and customs — and disrupting a few — in its protracted treck. Reliance IndiaMobile phones will now facilitate match-making through R World on its mobile phones in the most convenient way. Reliance Infocomm has tied-up with Shaadi.com and Matricorp.com to launch ‘Matrimonial Classifieds’ available to its over 6 million customers. Those seeking an alliance can now advertise or search for the right match with a simple flick of a mobile key in R World. “In today’s fast paced life, and a wide geographic spread of relations, individuals and parents often struggle hard to find a good partner for themselves or their sons or daughters. Matrimonial services through mobile will eliminate distances and help people in their search for suitable life partners. With the convenience of R World on our phones we expect Matrimonial Classifieds to be a huge success,” says Mr. Mahesh Prasad, President, Application & Solutions Group. The Matrimonial Classifieds application is one of a suite of ‘Classifieds’ services that enables the user to post and search for various types of listings directly from the RIM handset. The user need not register to avail these services. Says Anupam Mittal, president and CEO of People Group (which owns Shaadi.com), “This is a shaadi of two leaders in new media - Reliance Infocomm in wireless and Shaadi.com in internet matchmaking. The alliance leverages strengths of the two trailblazers and brings to customers a matrimonial service which connects Reliance Infocomm’s 6 million users with Shaadi.com’s 1.5 million members.”
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Web portal for youth launched A new web portal for the youth, www.funlogin.biz, was launched on Thursday. The web portal promises fun time for the youth, besides updating them on fashion and lifestyle. The portal has been launched by Mr Sumeet Gupta and Mr Arun Sharma, directors of Ammexx Data Solutions. The web portal provides e-mail services and has spam protection. The user can search his mail from all mail boxes subjectwise or matterwise. The web space given per mail is 20 MB. Funlogin is providing 3-D chat as well as normal chat. The user can see other users present in the web room and can move around in the room, besides having the option of having personalised messages. No user can use abusive language. In case, somebody uses offensive language, other users will not be able to see it, because the server automatically deletes the word, and a warning is sent to the user not to repeat such words or his account will be debarred. If the user persists with the use of abusive words, his account with is debarred. Other services include dating, in which the user can create his image profile, and can view other users’ image profiles, and can request his or her choice for a date. E- cards, jokes, posters of movie stars, models and sports personalities, cartoons, landscapes and horoscopes feature in the portal. Those wanting to access this, will have to buy a user card for Rs 299. The user card will be valid for a year, and can be recharged annually. A dance bash, Virus, will be organised at North Park on Friday as part of the launch.
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