SOPU demands re-exam for Ph.D aspirants
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 3
Up in arms against the Panjab University authorities for failing to conduct the entrance test for Ph.D aspirants for Hindi, candidates and activists of the Students Organisation of Panjab University (SOPU) began a chain-fast.

In a memorandum submitted to the Vice-Chancellor, Prof K.N. Pathak, the students seeking enrolment for doctorate degree, demanded that a re-exam be conducted at the earliest, failing which, they would be forced to resort to agitation.

The students have also appealed to the authorities to cancel the re-exam conducted by the university on December 29 when 19 of the 32 candidates staged a walkout or admit the students on meritbasis.

Those, who sat on the chain-fast today, included Sunil Sharma, Rajbir Kaur, Neetu Singh, R.P. Sharma, Rajinder Kumar, Mamta Kamboj. They said the agitation would be intensified in case the university continued to be indifferent to their demands.

The candidates said the university had conducted the entrance twice but had failed to stick to the specified pattern. “We are being put through unnecessary harassment because the paper-setter has not followed the instructions to the letter,” an aggrieved students said.

However, while the university admitted that the entrance test paper did not conform to the pattern the first time on November 28, the walkout by the candidates, when the test was conducted the second time on December 29, was uncalled for since it was very much in consonance with the pattern.

The teaching and non-teaching employees, under the banner of Joint Action Committee, organised a New Year function in front of the Administrative Block, here today.

Prof K.N. Pathak, Vice-Chancellor, the Mayor, Ms Anu Chatrath, the Deputy Mayor, Mr Sohan Lal Vaid, addressed the gathering. Dr Ronki Ram, Convener, Joint Action Committee, welcomed the guests on the occasion.

The general house observed two minutes silence to pay homage to those who had lost their lives in the quake-triggered tidal waves in the southern coastal areas of India. The members were urged to donate generously to the Prime Minister’s Relief Fund for the relief and rehabilitation of tsunami victims in addition to contributing their one day’s salary.

Mr Gopal Krishan Chatrath, Dr R.K. Sharma, Prof Manjit Singh, Prof P.P. Arya, Prof Anirudh Joshi, Dr Charanjiv Singh, Mr Parmod Sharma, the Manager, State Bank of India, Sector 14 branch, also greeted the members.

Thin attendance in city schools
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 3
Majority of the schools in the city opened, following the end of the ten-day winter vacations, today. While all government schools opened today, thin attendance was registered in these schools. Students in their winter uniforms were seen braving the cold and morning fog to reach school in time.

The students have been demanding a further delay in the winter school timings from 8 am to 9 am due to the fog and the cold. Besides, wishing students a happy and successful new year ahead, school principals expressed anguish over the death of lakhs of persons in wake of the tsunami disaster. Many school observed two minutes silence following their assembly prayers for those who had perished in the disaster.

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Lobbying picks up for Bar Association poll
Pradeep Sharma
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 3
Though the elections to the executive body of the District Bar Association (DBA) has been put off from January 21 to 28, the poll scene has hotted up with lobbying for various posts picking up momentum.

With the District Courts reopening after the winter break, certain prospective candidates have already started campaigning through personal contact. The personal contact was visible at a New Year party organised on the court premises today.

In fact, various names are already doing the rounds on the premises. For the post of the president, the names of Mr H.S. Hundal, a former DBA president, and Mr Ashok Chauhan, a former vice-president, are being floated.

And for another important post of secretary, four names are in circulation. The claimants include Mr Arvind Thakur, Mr K.S. Lamba, Mr Jaskaran Singh and Mr Rakesh Mohan Jain. The names of Mr BS Bali and Mr Manjit are being mentioned for the post of vice-president.

Sources said three candidates — Mr P.P. Singh, Mr Ajay Passi and Mr Ashutosh Bajpai — were likely to enter the fray for the post of the treasurer. However, for the post of the joint secretary, which is reserved for a female candidate, no candidate has come forward as yet.

The sources said the postponement of the elections had been necessitated since the earlier election date of January 21 was likely to be declared a court holiday. The new schedule of the elections would be known by tomorrow.

Earlier the date for filing nominations was from January 4 to 6. Scrutiny was to be held on January 7 and 8 was fixed as the date for withdrawal.

The setting up of a dispensary on the court premises, proper and spacious canteen and the expansion of the library and provision of other civic amenities are some of the important issues on the agenda of the candidates. The DBA is one of the largest Bars in the region with over 1,200 advocates eligible to vote.

Impressive performance but meagre collection
S.D. Sharma

Indians have a glorious tradition of fighting any forced or natural calamity by rising to the occasion irrespective of political or religious affiliations. “Be it the Latur earthquake, Kargil war or the tsunami disaster, the spirited participation of our people in sharing the woes and agony of the victims besides providing financial help has always lessened their grief to an appreciable extent,” said Ms Anu Chatrath, newly elected Mayor of the city beautiful.

She appealed to the people to make generous contributions , in kind and cash, for the tsunami victims. She also lauded the benevolent effort of ‘Theatre Arts’ group that staged its first show of a play ‘Mitti ka Aadmi’ at Sector 17 Plaza where she was the chief guest.

Fourteen more shows will be staged concurrently at various places to raise relief fund for the tsunami victims.

The play ‘Mitti ka Aadmi’ has been transliterated by Suvinder Pal and is based on Vijay Tendulkar’s original classic ‘Ek tha Gadha’ with minor aberrations to suit the nukkad natak form. Sculpted in mythological backdrop the play is a powerful satire on evils operating in all spheres of society as well as the governance.

The play attempted to portray the eventual shift in working patterns of king Indra’s celestial domain when brought to the Earth which generated genial laughter among the audience present in large numbers. However, the logic of its ethical essence that “any service to humanity is indeed a service to God which is bound to be a boon and bliss in your life,” is invariably an appeal for the public to help the victims of tsunami waves disaster”.

The play, directed by Rajiv Mehta, who played the King, featured a team of accomplished actors, including Yogesh Arora, Suvinder Pal, Ms Bhavna, Gurjeet Kang, Yogesh Tungal and Ashwani Suman. The actors portrayed various characters with instantaneous shift and delivering the crisp dialogues with required eloquence.

Former mayor Subhash Chawla and Deputy Mayor Balraj Singh besides Deputy Mayor Sohan Lal Vaid sat through the performance.

However, the audience contributed Rs 1,784 only at the show which is too meagre for a minimum target of Rs 1 lakh that the group aims to send to the Prime Minister’s Relief Fund from 15, performances, said Rajiv Mehta.