The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Chandigarh Stories

EDUCATION

Govt schools to spruce up act
Tribune News Service

Panchkula, June 11
Aiming to bring government schools in the township on a par with private school, in terms of the education standard and extra-curricular activities, the district administration has asked the Education Department to frame a new policy.

The Deputy Commissioner, Ms Neelam P.Kasni, has asked the district Education Officer, Ms Phool Khatri, and the District Primary Education Officer, Ms Rita Sharma, to come up with a plan to bring the government-run schools in the town on a par with the private schools. “The officers have been asked to conduct reorientation courses for teachers posted in these schools so that they take more initiative in teaching and extracurricular activities,” says Ms Kasni.

There are three government senior secondary schools, two government high schools, four government middle schools and one government model School in Panchkula. The results of examinations conducted by the Haryana School Education Board show that the pass percentage of senior secondary schools in the urban areas was 60.54 per cent, of high schools 70. 99 per cent, and of middle schools 67.08 per cent. Comparatively, the results of the private schools, affiliated to the state education board as well as the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) or the Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE) are better.

The Deputy Commissioner says that though the performance of the schools in the urban areas is better than those located in the rural areas, the government schools have fared badly as compared to the private schools. “This in spite of the fact that the government schools in the township have the best infrastructure and are overstaffed.” Ms Kasni has asked the education officers to study the extracurricular facilities available in the private schools and introduce these in the government schools.

PU closes hostel doors for double MA students
Neelam Sharma
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 11
Driven by the compulsion of accommodating the burgeoning rush of students in the hostel, the Panjab University authorities have decided to extend hostel facilities to students, Who have enrolled themselves in MA and restricted the stay of non-funded research scholars in the 11 of its hostels to three years. The authorities have also refused to give hostels to students planning to do double MA.

The Dean Students Welfare, Prof Nirmal Singh says, “while we are not allowing the double MA students to have hostels, however, going by the understanding between the university authorities and the students, we will allow the non-funded research scholars to stay in the hostel for a period of three years. If they are unable to get an funding within that period, the subsequent period of stay would have to be on the additional daily charges.”

The decision of not allowing the students who enrolled themselves in MA again after having passed it, to compete in the race of getting any hostel seat, had generated heated arguments last year but the university decided against bowing down to students’ demands.

The move, too, is aimed at promoting academic excellence and opening the hostel doors for a separate set of students.

Though the university has always maintained that the decision is aimed at promoting excellence, the students say the move to create space in the hostels which are already cramped.

Each of the 11 hostels in the university can accommodate not more 300 students, with the seniors having the leverage of the occupying separate cubicles, the things have not fallen in place especially in the girls hostels. Added to the woes are the plethora of the new courses that would be introduced this year including the five year, integrated law course with 100 seats and added admissions in the University Institute of Engineering and Technology (UIET). Meanwhile, it was due to the fear of finding space in the hostels that was reluctant in introducing the integrated course in social sciences, which was eventually approved by the Academic Council.

PEC students oppose being transferred
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 11
About 120 students, studying in the computer science, engineering and electronics and electrical communication streams in Punjab Engineering College, in a representation to officials of the Chandigarh Administration have demanded that they should not be sent to the Chandigarh College of Engineering and Technology (CCET).

They said at the time of their admission the CCET had not been recognised by the All-India Council of Technical Education (AICTE) for the academic session 2002-2003. They added that a few students of the college were bent upon damaging their career.

The Registrar of Panjab University, in a letter to the Principal of the PEC dated June, 2002, had intimated that provisional approval, subject to Syndicate approval, had been granted for additional intake of 120 seats.

Till second year the students of the PEC did not protest. In the meantime, the AICTE in a letter to the Chandigarh Administration intimated that as a special case the excess admission of 60 students in the two streams had been regularised for the academic year 2002-2003 against the earlier approval of 30 seats and 60 seats, respectively.

The AICTE accorded the approval with a condition that the excess admission would be adjusted within the forthcoming academic session 2004-2005 and 2005-2006. The students said their scoring higher marks had led to the problem.

Jamboree holds presentation for students
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 11
Jamboree, a coaching institute for GRE, GMAT, TOFEL, IELTS, in association with British Library organised a presentation on ‘ Education in the UK’ here today. The presentation was segmented into three sections of one hour each.

Mr Ajay Thiara, Director of Jamboree, said , “by conducting a presentation for aspiring students, the institute was able to provide unique platform for education abroad “.

The participants were also briefed by British Library councillors on International English Language Testing System (IELTS), a programme designed to assess the language ability of candidates.

Engineering seats

Chandigarh, June 11
Dr C.S. Rao Director-cum-Principal, Swami Vivekanand Institute of Engineering and Technology, Banur, and Mr Manmohan K. Garg, CEO, Sri Ragunath Rai Memorial Educational and Charitable Trust, in a press conference said the AICTE had approved 60 seats each in computer science and engineering, electronics and communication engineering, information technology and mechanical engineering. — TNS

Summer camp organised
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 11
A summer camp was organised at Anees School, Sector 69, Mohali, for bhangra, clay modelling and lingo games. The participants enjoyed fortnight of fun and frolic as they got opportunity to wade in splash pool, watch movies and read books.

Meanwhile, summer courses in yoga, art and craft, English speaking, basketball, cricket, and table tennis was held at Bhavan Vidyalaya in Sector 27 here.

Production techniques: A two-week short term course on script writing and video film production techniques began at National Institute of Technical Teachers’ Training and Research, Sector 26 here today. As many as 33 faculty members and representatives from various universities and educational institutions were awarded certificates by the Director of the National Institute of Technical Teachers Training and Research, Dr O.P.Bajpai.

COURTS

Warrants against immigration consultant
Tribune News Service

Panchkula, June 11.
The Chief Judicial Magist-rate, Mr Gulab Singh, today issued non- bailable warrants against Rohit Sikka of Global Infolinks Immigration Consultants, following his failure to appear before the court.

The accused was to appear before the court on June 1 after he was released on bail last month. His counsel had then pleaded that he was unwell and could not appear in person for the hearing though no medical certificate was submitted before the court. However, today neither the accused nor his counsel appeared before the court. It may be mentioned that the accused was arrested by the police in April this year on the basis of a complaint filed by Narendra Behal. The latter had alleged that he had paid Rs 1.44 lakh to Rohit Sikka for helping him settle in New Zealand. But he was neither sent abroad nor was his money return-ed. He had further alleged that he had confirmed with the New Zealand Embassy and was told that they had not received his application for immigration.

CULTURE

Engaging performance by Manisha
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 11
The Pracheen Kala Kendra organised a special function to pay tributes to the legendary Guru Pankaj Charan Das on his first death anniversary today. Guru Pankaj Charan Das, with his extraordinary sense of form and technique, enriched the body of Odissi dance. He was also the guru of Guru Kelucharan Mahapatra.

Remembering the father figure in Odissi dance, Mr M.L. Koser, Registrar of the kendra, said, “The memory of Guru Pankaj Charan Das will remain with us forever. He was an institution unto himself. His legacy will continue to benefit the world of Indian classical dance.”

The tributes were followed by the much-awaited kathak performance by 22-year-old Manisha Mishra, who is trained in the nuances of Lucknow and Banaras gharana. Manisha began her recital with an invocatory piece “Durga stuti”. This was followed by a traditional piece set to 16 beats (teen taal) in which Manisha exhibited the strong rhythmic patterns including Upaj, Thaat, Tode, Tukde, Paran, Tihais, Gat and Tukdas of 51 rounds, She also entered into a jugalbandi with the tabla. The finesse with which she presented the finer aspects of dance drew applause from one and all.

In her concluding item, Manisha presented a dadra of the famous vocalist Pt Samrat Prasad Mishra of the Banaras gharana. In this piece she presented the playful indulgence between Lord Krishna and his beloved Radha.

Manisha was accompanied by her father Pt Ravi Nath Mishra on the tabla and Pt Vinod Kumar Mishra on the sarangi.