Class XI admissions begin today
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 3
The battle lines are drawn. Beginning tomorrow children and their parents will sweat it out at Government Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 23, for a seat in Class XI of the most-sought after government schools of the city.

The UT Education Department centralised admissions to Class XI of senior secondary government schools gets underway tomorrow. The department has received over 9600 forms for 8500 seats in the government schools. The last date for submission for the forms was fixed for June 27.

Six committees have been formed to manage the entire admission process. The admission committee, the fee collection committee, the certificate checking committee, the discipline committee and the merit committee will ensure that the admission proceeds without a hitch. Also, arrangement has been made to deposit fee at the admission venue itself.

While admissions will begin from tomorrow, these will conclude on July 20. Two days, July 15 and 20, have been earmarked for candidates who get pass marks or are unable to make it to the venue on their assigned day of counselling. The first day of admissions will, as usual, be reserved for students applying under different categories.

While the cut-off lists were displayed today, the first day of admissions has been reserved for students applying in the handicapped, sports, defence, paramilitary, freedom fighter's children and grand children category. This will be followed by admissions for the SC category students.

According to the lists displayed at the admission centre today, the top scorer seeking admission in the sports category has 89.3 per cent to his credit while 88.6 percent is the highest in the freedom fighter category, 92.6 per cent in defence, 92.4 per cent in the reserved category and 76.8 in the physically challenged category.

In the general category, it is likely to be tough fight for students seeking admission to the science and commerce stream as usual, especially since students have given first preference to the non-medical stream.

Interestingly, the interest in medical seats has declined considerably given the fact that the non-medical stream is the first preference of the students. Information technology among the many vocational courses on offer has elicited a tremendous response, an official of the department stated. This year, the number of seats in the science stream have been increased by five in all schools to compensate the students for the loss of seats on account of closure of Class XI in DAV College.

The cut-off percentage in the top government schools of the city, GMSSS-16, GMSSS-33, GMSSS-35 and GMSSS-37, hovered around 85 per cent and in the 70s respectively. With these schools getting four to eight times the number forms against the seats available, getting admission in these schools is going to be as difficult as the previous years.

Infra Educa 2005 draws streams of students
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 3
Hundreds of students from the region benefitted from the two-day long education and careers fair Infra Educa 2005 which was organised at hotel Shivalik View in Chandigarh.

Of the various academic options and career opportunities which participants in the fair talked about, aviation, multimedia and foreign studies, especially in management and science subjects, were the most sought after.

The Edu France counter of the French Embassy and the Alliance Francaise in Chandigarh pulled several youngsters towards “economic” and globally competitive courses now being offered at several French universities. Incidentally, many French educational institutes have started offering courses in English, for which Indian students can apply.

Some of the most purposeful courses that can be pursued abroad is — Masters in Public Affairs — a course that is practically open to students from all academic backgrounds. Designed to train professionals to handle the complexities of global markets, the course offers a vast array of options. Not only does this programme offer handsome scholarships to study abroad, it also presents glorious options to study in prestigious institutes like the London School of Economics and also SIPA in the USA.

The new course in Humanitarian Action now being offered by the European Commission was another great hit at the fair with students enquiring about the same. Called NOHA, this multidisciplinary postgraduate programme is structured to educate personnel who wish to work in areas of humanitarian action like global aid agencies and NGOs. Another great draw among students was the Masters in hyrdo informatics and water management being offered by French universities.

Along with Edu France, Global Career Makers, a New Delhi based organisation that helps students study abroad, also attracted several youngsters. At another counter, Mr Vivek Chodry of Pittsburgh State University, USA, had a busy time enrolling students for interesting programmes being offered abroad, including those in tourism and hospitality, and management, He said,”There is immense raze for foreign studies. Now with the borders opening up the demand of professionals is also going up. We offer guide students with applications and help them get settled in their courses abroad.”

BE in Marine Engineering, which Coimbatore Marine and Aeronautical College is offering, also attracted queries. Another big draw was Arena Multimedia which has branches in Delhi, Chandigarh and Mumbai. It offers B.Sc and diploma in multimedia.

Enquiries about the courses can be made at Shivalik View, Sector 17, Chandigarh.

Vivekanand group to initiate four new institutes
Our Correspondent

Chandigarh, July 3
The Swami Vivekanand Group of Institutes is all set to start four new institutes from this academic session. Giving this information at a press conference today, Mr Manmohan Kumar Garg, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the group said they have got a final nod from the All-India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) to start a B. Pharmacy Institute.

The group has opened three new institutes in Sector 20 — the Swami Vivekanand College of Hospitality (SVCH), the Swami Vivekanand College of Mass Communication and Journalism (SVCOMCJ), the Swami Vivekanand College of Paramedical Sciences (SVCPMS). These institutes have got approval from Punjab Technical University, Jalandhar. These institutes will be offering B Sc in airlines and tourism, B Sc in hotel management and catering technology, B Sc in medical lab technology, B Sc in mass communication and journalism and PGD in mass communication and journalism.

Students develop robotic arm
Our Correspondent

Dera Bassi, July 3
Final year students of Mechanical Engineering branch of Sri Sukhmani Institute of Engineering and Technology, Dera Bassi, claim to have developed two projects by using latest technologies.

A press note issued by the Institute Principal Dr I.P. Singh, states that a ‘PC controlled robotic Arm had been developed by students which can be employed in difficult working conditions, perform repetitive tasks and can handle heavy jobs where a human being cannot work. The arm could be of use in industrial units and in the defence applications.

The other projects include profile Generating Machines, Solar Water Heater and Special Digital Fuel Gauge for Automobiles. This special fuel gauge would help the users of vehicles to know that accurate amount of fuel filled in their vehicles with cost.

Prof. Avtar Singh, chairman of the institute, appreciated the students besides announcing them cash incentives. 

Date extended
Our Correspondent

Chandigarh, July 3
The last date for the submission of admission forms for B P Ed, first year has been extended to July 7 for those students who were not able to submit their forms by June 24.

Admission test for them (general and reserved categories for UT and general pool) will be held on July 11 at 7.30 am. This was informed in a press note issued here by the office of the principal of Government College, Sector 11.

PMT toppers
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 3
Ravneet Kaur, resident of Sector 33, has secured third rank in the PMT conducted by Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU), Amritsar. Mehakinder Singh, resident of Chamkaur Sahib and a student of Gyan Jyoti School, Phase II, Mohali, has secured fifth rank.

CULTURE

A poetic feast
S.D. Sharma

“Poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings; it takes its origin from emotions recollected in tranquility”, said Wordsworth long ago but its nuance assumed a profound significance today as Atulvir Arora bared and shared the anguish and frustration of a poet in him with the elite aesthetic fraternity at a special programme organised by the Chandigarh Sangeet Natak Akademi yesterday.

The theatrical eminence of Dr Atulvir Arora, a former director of Abhinet Theatre Group, had been endorsed at the national level. But the inquisitive audience witnessed and admired him in the different avatar of a poet, with an amazing vitality of imagination more than the accomplished actor.

As no accredited title for the ‘solo’ presentation was announced, the intrusive crowd of mostly academy members, litterateurs and connoisseurs could soon realise the direct frame of references were based on his latest poetry books like ‘Samudar chup chaap hai’ and ‘Ve parampra sajaate huye..’.

After a mundane beginning wherein Atulvir attempted to synchronise his sensibilities with the protagonist of his text, which could be veritably titled.

‘Gunahgar hazir hai..’ he progressed to display spells of brilliance. He employed all traits of an actor, playwright and dramatic skills to bring alive the volcano of internal and outer conflicts in the life of an individual, society and the governance. Through his poetic narrations which juxtaposed the unethical and immoral practices legalised in social, political, and government working Atulvir seeks reformation and resurrection of an ideal society.

The forceful racy narratives weaved in web of satirical pattern with adroit emotional display he involved the audience completely who virtually endorsed his viewpoints on the politicising social issues, caste prejudices commercialisation of art, culture, education, religion.

Atulvir enlivened the solo presentation simultaneously covering every issue concerning the common man though at times he struggled a bit to maintain the pace while switching over to the next phase. Atulvir, however, won applause for his crisp references to the idiot box, MMS scandals, Malika Sherawat and what not. Earlier, akademi chairman Kamal Tewari welcomed the audience while vice-chairman Kamal Arora introduced Atulvir Arora.