The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

EDUCATION

Students on shopping spree as classes begin today
Shivani Bhakoo

Ludhiana, July 11
With the admission process in all the colleges coming to an end and the classes to be commenced in a day or two, students are on a shopping spree these days. The shopkeepers dealing in readymade garments, purses, accessories and footwear are having a field day as the youngsters make a beeline to get new things for the new session.

The new session in a majority of the local colleges including SCD Government College, Guru Nanak Khalsa College for Women, Master Tara Singh College, Khalsa College for Women etc would begin from July 12, 13. Today is the last day of admissions in most of the colleges. Some of the colleges have organised havan and akhand path to mark the beginning of the new session. And the students, specially the new entrants are well preparing themselves for the same. They can be seen shopping with their friends and parents at shopping malls at Mall Road, Ghumar Mandi, Model Town market, Malhar Road etc.

Young girls are after pathani shirts with contrast printed and embroidered collars and cuffs and patiala salwars as the ‘babli’ look (from movie ‘Bunty aur Babli’) is the latest here. The sale of these suits in major dress stores is unbelievable. The range of pathani shirts start from Rs 800 and goes upto Rs 3000.One of the salesman at a store said: “These days we are witnessing a huge rush of young girls. They come in groups and demand something “not common and trendy” outfits. They purchase suits and trendy shirts and kurtas to be worn with jeans”, he said.

The shops dealing in bags, purses and footwear are also witnessing a huge rush of young girls. One of the shopkeepers dealing in footwear said at time, they feel shocked to see the excitement on the faces of the teenage girls. “Yesterday, one of a girls came with her mother holding two-three outfits. She demanded the sandals in same colours. Though she picked up two pairs but the third colour was not available with us. She told her mother that until she gets the third one, she will not go home”, said the shopkeeper in Ghumar Mandi.

One of the parent said that youngsters had become fashion conscious. They were very particular about their looks, dresses and accessories. “I have got two daughters but my younger daughter is very excited as she has taken admission in Khalsa College for Women this year. She wants everything matching. My elder daughter, who is in BA III is very sensible that way. She tells me not to say anything to the younger one as gradually she would become sensible, too”, she said.

Science students look towards Ukraine
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, July 11
Having failed to make it in the Punjab Medical Entrance Test (PMET), hundreds of students from the state are learnt to have applied for admission into Odessa State Medical University (OSMU), Ukraine.

According to Dr. Sudhir Dhakre, Assistant, Rector for International Relations in Asia OSMU, the university admits about 12,000 students the world over for various undergraduate and postgraduate courses in medicine. On an average 500 students are taken from India. Most of them are from Punjab.

OSMU, he claims is one of the oldest medical universities in the world having been established in the year 1900. It completed its 100 years of establishment in the year 2000. Unlike other medical institutions in the erstwhile Soviet states, which are now called the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), Ukraine offers medical courses to outside students in English alone.

The university has a credible and transparent system of granting admissions. For example, for Indian students for undergraduate courses, “as per Part III, Section 4 of the Gazette of India; “An Indian citizen desirous of joining an undergraduate medical course in any foreign medical institution on or after 15th March, 2002, shall have Eligibility Certificate issued by the Medical Council of India, New Delhi, India.

“To get the eligibility certificate a candidate shall have passed 10+2 or equivalent class (biology, physics, chemistry with minimum 50% marks) from a recognised college”.

Similarly for the postgraduate courses, the eligibility is graduation in medical science and a one-year internship from recognised college/university/institution by the government of the country concerned.

About the visa he said as per the law of the Ukrainian Government, the student visa is issued by the visa section of the Embassy of Ukraine only during August 15 to November 15. The official invitation for studies in Ukraine is provided by OSMU on the basis of which the Ukraine Embassy issues visa.

Admission is granted to students of a particular country by drawing merit according to the qualifying board exams. Dr Dhakre claims. “The admission is done in the most transparent manner after applications are received from all the candidates within the time limit set by the university”.

About the fee he says, it comes to less than Rs 1 lakh at the time of admission and on an average, the overall cost of study and stay is Rs 1.5 lakhs every year.

MA (I) Punjabi students feel harassed
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, July 11
Students of MA (I) Punjabi are sore over the dilly-dallying attitude of Panjab University in conducting re-examination of Punjabi Paper II of ‘Sahit Sidhant Ate Punjabi Alochna’ for which two different question papers were distributed on May 10.

A delegation of students of SCD Government College here who had gone to meet the Vice-Chancellor today returned disappointed. No senior official was there to meet them.

“It’s been more than two months and we are not clear whether they are going to take the exam or not. At least they should give us the real picture”, said one of the students.

A retired principal said the university should take up the matter seriously as the career of students was at stake.

“If the demand of students is genuine, the authorities should consider it sympathetically”.

It may be mentioned that two different question papers were distributed to MA (I) Punjabi students of SCD Government College and Khalsa College for Women. The students had sent a representation regarding re-examination in the subject. But nothing has been done so far.

Plea to exempt officers from maths test
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, July 11
Plant Doctors’ Association, Punjab, has demanded that agriculture officers be exempted from compulsory test of accounts and mathematics “since it does not help” them in any way during their service career.

The association maintains that asking agriculture officers to appear for the accounts test is illogical as at no stage in their service career they need knowledge of the same.

A perusal of the data of the past four years reveals that the performance of the agriculture officers in the accounting exams is dismal.

Of the 21 candidates who appeared in the accounting test this year, only two could make it. Last year, all 14 candidates who appeared for the test failed.

Sikh Missionary College holds gurmat camp
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, July 11
To save the children from the clutches of drugs and to make them learn more about Sikhism, a gurmat camp was organised by Sikh Missionary College here today at Sargodha Khalsa Senior Secondary School. The camp started at 7 am. Dr Tejinder Singh told the students about Sikh history in detail and spoke on its fine principles. The participants were also given career guidance.

Several competitions like kirtan, poetry recitation, declamation and quiz were also held. Mastar Ranjit had organised a quiz based on Sikh religion. Principal Harbhajan Singh taught correct pronunciation of words in Gurbani. Jasveer Singh had arranged different kinds of games for the participants.

In the second session, Prof Kirpal Singh narrated the incidents of Sikh valour from history . Principal Harbhajan Singh also gave tips on personality development.

Mr Amarjit Singh was the camp in charge.

Seminar on World Population Day
Our Correspondent

Mandi Gobindgarh, July 11
A seminar on the occasion of World Population Day today was organised at Desh Bhagat Ayurvedic College (DBAC), Mandi Gobindgarh. Mr Sandeep Hans, SDM, Amloh, was the chief guest. He emphasised on family planning.

He asked the Punjab Government to celebrate this day as ‘save the girlchild day’. The lowest sex ratio was 700 females for every 1000 males in Fatehgarh Sahib district, he said.

Dr Loveleen Kaur Ahuja, principal of the college, said the government should curb the menace of female foeticide with a heavy hand.

A play “Dard Angamian Dhian-De”, directed by Nirbhai Singh was a hit with the audience.

SAHNEWAL: The World Population Day was celebrated as ‘Save Girl-Child Day’ by Government Senior Secondary School for Girls and the Civil Hospital here.

Girl students, in white uniform carrying placards and banners marched through the market and reached the Civil Hospital.

Dr (Mrs) Sumeeta Ghulati, Paediatrics, said if the increasing population was not checked, the declining sex ratio would become more alarming.

Dr S.S. Dhir, SMO, elaborated upon the formative period of a girlchild and the need for economic and social independence.

Mr Gian Singh, Health Inspector, also expressed his views on the declining sex ratio. The students who participated in the rally were awarded appreciation certificates.

COURTS

Elementary teachers on judicial remand
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, July 11
Members of the Unemployed Elementary Teachers Union, who were arrested on Saturday last, were remanded in 14-day judicial custody yesterday. The teachers were arrested for breach of Section 144. Among those arrested were 94 men and 56 women teachers. They have been booked under Section 188 of the IPC.

The union members said they would not give up their chain fast and continue it in the jail.

Meanwhile , some of the union members presented a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner Mr Anurag Verma yesterday alleging that the district administration had been partial. The district administration deliberately imposed Section 188 against the teachers, they added. A spokesman for the union said the Deputy Commissioner promised to look into the matter.

The spokesman said 15 members of the union would sit on chain fast every day in protest against the government’s failure to improve education standards.

The striking teachers were arrested from outside the house of Mr Johar.

CULTURE

Potter mania grips city residents
Shveta Pathak
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, July 11
With merely five days to go for July 16, the day book lovers across the globe await the launch of “Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince”, Ludhiana is not lagging behind in contributing to the Potter mania.

City book stores have already recorded a large number of advance bookings for the VIth in the series of J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter. Adding up to the excitement is a Harry Potter party by a leading bookstore in city to be hosted on the day of launch, which would not only have magic shows, it would have kids dressed up as look-alikes of Rowling’s characters.

Says Mr Dinesh Sharma, assistant at Book Cafe, “Not for any other book have we witnessed such craze. From kids to elders, city residents appear captivated by their love for Harry. We are not only receiving advance bookings, there are umpteen number of queries every day.”

So much are people gripped by Potter fever that even games and Harry Potter CDs are selling like hot cakes. Besides, with each new release of Harry Potter, its back titles too get a major fillip, says another book store owner.

Purely on pre-orders, market observers across the globe have already declared “Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince” a bestseller.

While Rowling’s previous in the series, “Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix”, is reported to have sold at the rate of 21 books per second in several parts of the world on the first day of its launch, the forthcoming book is expected to capture an even larger number of readers.

Potter-centric promotions are being run in the city. Apart from a large number of websites like Amazon.com offering attractive discounts, city bookstores also have come out with various offers on advance booking.

According to Book Cafe, “it is double magic at half price” the store is offering discount along with a free membership card that entitles a buyer to a discount on every purchase.

Not that the Potter mania is entirely driven by city residents’ love for reading, hype created about the book is a big factor.

“I have not read any of the Harry Potter books. But as everywhere we are getting reports on the book being a big hit. I am very curious this time and do want to buy it,” says Sidhhartha Sharma, a student.

The Internet is flooded with bets on which character- any member of the Weasley family, Dumbledore or Minerva McGonagall — would die.

With the countdown having begun, all that Potter fans are wanting is the new Harry Potter book in their hands.

Dance festival organised
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, July 11
The city witnessed an extravaganza of colourful dances at the international dance, fashion and folklore festival held at a city hotel here last night. The stage came alive and there was palpable excitement, glitz and gloss as a number of teams had come to participate .

The function was organised by the Footloose directors Amit Verma and Vinay Kumar. Amit Verma said, “We at Footloose aim at providing children with a healthy mind working in coordination with each other”.

Children of different age groups performed at the function. There were 30-35 events, which included dance on latest numbers, modelling, solo performances, group dances and competition among the tiny tots. Mr Rajinder Singh Basant was the chief guest.