EDUCATION

Move to end school board’s autonomy draws flak
Our Correspondent

Mohali, April 1
Employees of the Punjab School Education Board (PSEB) here have expressed concern over the reported move of the state government to bring the board under its control.

The PSEB Non-Teaching Employees Association general secretary, Mr Bhagwant Singh Bedi, said today that there was a move to make amendments to the relevant law and rules and end the autonomy of the board. This, he said, would not only harm the interests of students but would also be academically undesirable. Corruption, too, would increase with bureaucrats taking charge of board affairs.

According to reports, the association said, the proposal included government nomination of three MLAs as board members instead of the present practice of the state Assembly Speaker naming them.

Besides, the retirement age of the board Chairman and the Vice-Chairman was proposed to be lowered from 65 years to 62. The Secretary, who was now appointed by the board, would be named by the government under the proposed restructuring of the board. Under the move the government also wanted to take away the work of printing of books from the board which was a source of income.

Mr Bedi said the government was planning to bring a Bill in the Vidhan Sabha shortly to effect the necessary amendments to the law.

The association appealed to the Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh, not to “open the flood gates of corruption” by ending the autonomy of the board.

Kids turn painters for cause of blood donation
Our Correspondent

Chandigarh, April 1
They are too young to donate blood, but the students of The Mango Grove School, Panchkula, showed that they are not going to be left behind in the noble cause of blood donation.

Ms Kanta Saroop Krishen, president of the Blood Bank Society, had inaugurated an exhibition of paintings by the The Mango Grove School students on March 2.

The paintings, made by the children aged between 3 and 6, had been on display for two days at the Citigold Centre, Sector 9, Chandigarh.

They were not only appreciated by a large number of people who visited the exhibition, but 13 paintings were bought by people who wanted to brighten up their homes with these creations.

Today, a cheque of Rs 20,000 was presented to Mrs Kanta Saroop Krishen for the Blood Bank Society, Chandigarh, by Ms Shilpi Chaudhery, Branch Manager, Citi Bank, Chandigarh, in the presence of Lt Col. Karan Thandi (retd) chairman, Mango Grove, Sector 20, Panchkula.

“Citi Bank has always been at the forefront of helping out with social causes. This was particularly dear to us since we were showcasing the talent of the children and at the same time, helping such a worthy cause as blood donation,” said Ms Shilpi Chaudhery.

“We were overwhelmed by the tremendous response that the exhibition got,” said Lt. Col Thandi.

“At the school, we have always stressed on giving a free reign to the creativity of the children and it is really gratifying to see that the public at large appreciated the product of our children’s creative endeavours.”

The exhibition was sponsored by the Citibank and was held at the bank premises in Chandigarh. Some exhibits have been now kept at the school premises in Panchkula.

“We been doing creative workshops, like the one on alternative education by Mr Partho, who has headed Mirambika School at Delhi for several years,” said Lt Col Thandi.

We would be organising a “Wellness Workshop” on April 10 where we would get practitioners of Reki, Yoga, Tai Chi, Bhangra Therapy, etc., on the same platform at the school premises in Panchkula, he added.

College gives Rs 1.25 lakh as tsunami relief
Our Correspondent

Mohali, April 1
The management, staff members and students of SUS College of Engineering and Technology, Tangori, near here, have contributed a total of Rs 1.25 lakh towards the tsunami relief fund.

Each staff member contributed a day's salary for the cause while students came forth with voluntary donations. The management, too, made a contribution.

A demand draft for Rs 1.25 lakh was handed over to Mr Narinderjit Singh, Director, Technical Education and Industrial Training, Punjab, by the secretary of the institute, Mr Gurlabh Singh, and other senior functionaries of the college.

Quest for modernisation the keyword

Shivalik Public School, SAS Nagar (Mohali), established in 1976, needs little introduction. The service the school has rendered to students in academics, sports and socio-cultural sphere is distinctly unique.

The credit for putting the school on this pedestal goes to its Director-Principal, Mr D.S. Bedi, whose experience in education has taken the school from strength to strength with the every passing year.

With its 10-acre campus, the school, an English-medium and co-educational and residential-cum-day is affiliated to the CBSE, New Delhi, under the 10+2 pattern. It has a provision for about 500 students in its residential school with all modern facilities.

A recently constructed state-of-the-art auditorium with a seating capacity of 1,100 is another unique feature of the school. The campus bestows on the school a boon of possessing its own extensive sports complex. It includes football and hockey playfields, two basketball courts, a volleyball court, a gymnasium hall with indoor Deco-turf tennis court, a badminton court and a table tennis court. Soon the school will have a swimming pool. The school also boast of two well-equipped computer labs with Internet facility to keep students abreast with latest knowledge.

Hundred per cent result in secondary school examinations speaks itself of the academic standards of the school. In the last academic session, out of 159 students, 114 obtained Ist division, 33 were on the merit list securing above 80 per cent and 7 above 90 per cent. Priobrata and Harpreet Kaur stood first by securing 92.4 per cent marks. All students appeared in the introductory information technology as an additional examination and achieved 100 per cent success.

Our students participated with zeal and enthusiasm in various competitions at state/regional/national levels and won accolades for their performance in the face of stiff competition. Some of their achievements are enumerated below.

Manpreet Singh and Rachit Singla of class X cleared the state-level Talent Search Examination organised by the State Institute of Education, Chandigarh, and will sit for the national-level test in May, 2005. In fact, they are the only ones to have achieved the distinction in the district of Ropar.

Navjeet Inder Singh of Class IX and Sumit Badla of Class VIII were the first runners-up in the semifinals of All-India Bournvita Quiz Contest, hosted by Derek O’Brien at Kolkata. The contest was telecast in February, 2005, on Sony Entertainment Television.

In the 12th All-India Essay Competition for school students on “Road Safety” organised by the United Schools Organisation of India in collaboration with the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, our students Arshdeep Kaur and Supreet Kaur won 1st and 2nd prizes in Punjabi language.

Ms Ridhima Walia won the 3rd prize in Hindi language. The winners were awarded cash prizes and certificates. Similarly, in the 7th All-India Essay Competition on “Vehicular Pollution” held in 16 languages, Roopkiran won 1st prize and Jaspreet Kaur 2nd prize in Punjabi language.

Our students also stagged a play each in Hindi, Punjabi and English languages on “Ill effects of tobacco” as a part of inter-school competition organised by the Generation Saviour Association, Mohali. All three plays, were selected for screening by organisers at the World Health Organisation Forum. Our English Play “Catastrophe” was adjudged the second best. Jasmeet Kaur of Class X was declared the best actress for her role in Hindi play “Meetha Zehar”.

In the contest organised by the Shatabadi Purab Committee, Mohali, in connection with the Sikh Centenaries falling during 2004, Jaspreet Kaur stood 2nd in declamation contest.

In the “Ma Boli Day” calligraphy competition from Japuji Sahib held on the birth anniversary of Guru Angad Dev Ji, Avneet Kaur, Harpreet Singh and Mandeep Kaur secured 1st, 2nd and 3rd positions from among 100 participants of nine different schools of Mohali, Fatehgarh Sahib and Chandigarh zone.

In the contests organised by the Chandigarh Librarian’s Association at St. John’s High School, our school had a clean sweep with 25 students winning prizes in various events. Among them Arshdeep Singh, Gurjeet Kaur, Sarbjit Kaur, Prabhjot, Pankaj Carwal, Abhijit Singh and Gagan won 1st prize each while Sukhpreet Singh, Jaskaran Kaur, Shivani, Manpreet Pannu and Lobzang Galak won 2nd prize each.

In a competition named “Bloosoms, held at D.A.V. Model School, Chandigarh, our students Harnoor and Jeevanjot won first prize in face painting. Kamal Sharma and Neha won 3rd prize each in poetry and gazal singing. Ruchika claimed a consolation prize in debate.

Participating in Techno Fest, held at Vivek High School, Chandigarh, in November 2004, Pankaj Singhal and Rachit Singla won second prize in science model making.

Our NCC junior division boys participating in drill at the ATC held at Ropar in February 2004 secured 2nd position.

In the CBSE cluster XI volleyball tournament, the school has been a champion for the past six years. In basketball cluster meet, the school again won first position. Jaspreet Singh won Inter-School National Wrestling Championship held at Chandigarh. In the Seventh Colour Belt Taekwondo Championship held at Mohali in February, 2004 our students won four golds, two silvers and four bronze medals.

Festivals like Gurpurbs, Christmas, Janmashtami and Makar Sakranti are celebrated with gaity. The teaching staff and students participate in these celebrations. Similarly the importance of days like Flag Day, NCC Day, Mother’s Day, World Health Day and Labour Day is well appreciated and activities associated with these days are carried out to commemorate the occasions.

With its superlative record in academics, co-curricular and sports activities, our school truly lives up to its motto “Victory with Determination”. It, however, never rests on its laurels. We believe that it is demanded of man that he shall continue to strive after better things, after great perfection, after higher and still higher achievements; for he, who is anxious to learn, eager to know, and who puts forth efforts to accomplish, finds the joy in doing first in little things. Our quest for modernisation and pursuit of excellence ramains the key wood in our thinking and functioning. 

From the Director’s Desk

IT paper difficult, say B.Com III students
Our Correspondent

Chandigarh, April 1
Students of BCom final year today were shocked to see the question paper of their first exam of income tax and business law. Most of the questions were not from syllabus, they added.

Sapna Chitkara, a student of Government College, Sector 46, said, “It was our first exam and it was very difficult to solve most of the questions. I am not sure if I will pass the exam. Now I fear about the next exam also”.

Rohit Malhotra of S D College, Sector 32 said, “I was shocked to see the paper and most of the students were looking at each other’s face in the examination hall. Even the topper of our class found it difficult”.

Principal of SD College, A.C. Vaid said, “The question paper was very tough and it was very different as compared to the past 10 year’s papers. I have told the students to present their case to the Vice-Chancellor”. 

Seminar for teachers on spirituality
Our Correspondent

Mohali, April 1
A seminar for teachers on value-based education was held here. Brahma Kumari Rama, co-in charge of the Rajyoga centres in the Mohali circle, said spirituality helped one become an ideal teacher with values.

A Rajyoga teacher, B.K. Suman, focussed on the role of a teacher who enabled students to adopt moral, human and spiritual values.

B.K. Mamta appealed to teachers to guide students by setting an example.

COURTS

Life term for 2 in kidnap and murder case upheld
Our High Court Correspondent

Chandigarh, April 1
A Division Bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court comprising Mr Justice Mehtab Singh Gill and Mr Justice Surya Kant has upheld life imprisonment awarded to two persons who were found guilty of having kidnapped and later killed a nine-year-old Ludhiana schoolboy in 1999.

The case had made headlines in 1999, with concerned residents of Ludhiana demanding strong punishment for the guilty.

The two — Jatinder Kumar, alias Bawa and Nirmal Singh, alias Nimma — had been convicted for having kidnapped Harman Singh, a Class III student, for ransom and strangulating him to death. Their third accomplice, who was a minor at the time of crime, was tried by the Juvenile and Justice Court.

In his order, dated May 8, 2003, the Sessions Judge, Ludhiana, had convicted Jatinder and Nirmal and awarded them life imprisonment for having committed the offence. They were also fined Rs 5,000 each.

As per the prosecution Harman’s father, Mr Avtar Singh, who owns a factory in Ludhiana, reported to the police on March 26, 1999, that his minor son, who had gone to play in a nearby park, had gone missing. Mr Avtar Singh had also received a phone call from an unidentified person, telling him that his son had been kidnapped and demanding a ransom of Rs 10 lakh.

During the course of trial, the prosecution also presented a number of witnesses to buttress its case against the accused. One such witness, Mr Gurbachan Singh, the then Principal of Senior Secondary School, Ludhiana, had also told the trial court that he had heard the three accused conspiring to kidnap a minor for ransom. However, he did not act on the same as he thought that the youths were not serious.

Another witness had said that the three accused had kidnapped Harman and had tied him up. Later, fearing recognition by the boy, the kidnappers allegedly strangulated him to death.