EDUCATION

Arts students can now do B.Sc Hons (Home Sc)
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, May 5
In a major decision, Punjab Agricultural University has changed the eligibility criteria for admission to B.Sc. in Home Science (Hons) four-year course of the College of Home Science. The criteria has been changed to include candidates of Class XII (Arts) with home science subject.

Dr M.K. Dhillon, Dean, College of Home Science, said the department was committed to provide eco-based, culturally relevant education to empower women through knowledge and skills, leading to improving the quality of life of families, especially in rural areas. It was felt that the earlier eligibility qualifications at the plus two level debarred a number of girls from entering this field since there was a dearth of schools having science stream at the senior secondary level.

However, with the eligibility of candidates having arts with home science in Class XII, the college could get more candidates for admission. Dr Dhillon said in the B.Sc. in Home Science (Hons) four-year course, emphasis was on vocational training of students in the final year with a view to increase their employment potential. To improve their entrepreneural skills, the students also underwent internship in various enterprises such as hosiery units, interior decorators, furnishers, florists, hospitals and nursery schools. Apart from the B.Sc. Hons course, the college was running one-year diploma courses in interior decoration, fashion designing, management of creche and nursery school, food preservation and baking.

Rally by homoeopathic college staff
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, May 5
The Association of Teaching Staff of Lord Mahavira Homoeopathic Medical College and Hospital, held a rally here today in support of their demands on the college campus. The teachers were protesting against “meagre pay scales’ of the staff.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr Deepinder Singh, president, ATS, said despite stringent directions by the university and the state government , the college was not paying proper scales to the teachers. The protesters said teachers were being paid 16 per cent to 18 per cent of the recommended salary. The association has been struggling for the past one year now for the implementation of the new pay scales. During this period, several meetings with the management were also held but no concrete result came out of these because of the “adamant” attitude of the management. “The management only wanted to exploit teachers financially and students by not providing proper faciltities,” alleged the staff.

The association had also approached the Medical Education Minister and Secretary, Medical Education and Research, Punjab, at Chandigarh. The Punjab Government directed the university to take care of the teachers’ demand and asked to report. The university, through its latest directions, asked the colleges to tell the status of the teachers’ salary within one month. So far no action has been taken by the management in this regard, alleged the teachers.

They further maintained that the management had decided not to comply with the government or university orders.

In a memorandum given to the Principal and management, teachers further stressed that if the directions of the Punjab Government and the BFU were not implemented immediately, they would be forced to intensify their movement and start dharna from May 15.

Kids take part in fancy dress
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, May 5
Tinytots of Cherryfields Nursery School, Atam Nagar, participated in a fancy dress show held here today.

Children came dressed up like a fairy queen, jungle boy, Haryanvi Jat, Daler Mehndi, Panditji, Mr Mango Tango, Kashmir ki kali, Krishna and painter. Among the participants from the pre-nursery section, Gaganpreet who acted like Sonpari was declared first. Nimish Budhiraja shared the topmost position for mimicking a jungle boy. Gagandeep Singh and Raghav Chhabra were declared second and Muskan Arora and Anmol Sehgal shared the third rank.

Presenting herself as Kashmir ki kali, Siyam Mehta clinched the first prize among the nursery section students. Eknoor Bham stood second for acting like an Indian bride. Parnav was declared third for his role as a Haryanvi Jat. Ms Priya Sharma, Principal, gave prizes to all participants.

Lawyers demand chambers
Our Legal Correspondent

Ludhiana, May 5
The Organisation of Young Lawyers (OYL) today urged the president of the District Bar Association, Mr Balwinder Goel, to cancel the allotment of chambers to the non-practising lawyers. They alleged that several non-practising lawyers had been allotted chambers.

The OYL has urged that after the cancellation of the chambers, the same be allotted to practising lawyers, who could not apply for the chambers, as they had not started practice at the time when applications for the allotment of chambers were invited.

Rana Harjasdeep Singh, chairman of the OYL, in a press note issued here today, said they had also met the Deputy Commissioner, Mr Anurag Verma, in this regard. The OYL convener, Mr Sandeep Kapoor, and president, Mr Malwinder Ghumman have also appealed to forfeit the voting rights of non-practising lawyers, who influenced the DBA elections. They were not aware of the problems being faced by practising lawyers.

HEALTH

Cyst removed via laparascopy

Ludhiana, May 5
Doctors at Dayanand Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) removed a large hydrated cyst from liver, using laparascopic surgery. The procedure has been reportedly done for the first time in Punjab to remove such a cyst.

Dr M. L. Gupta, Head of the Surgery Department, said a 22-year-old woman from Bathinda, with a huge fluid cyst in the liver, came to DMCH to get the cyst removed. The woman was reluctant to undergo the conventional surgery which left scars on the stomach. OC