BKU blames teachers
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, August 4
The Bharti Kisan Union has held teachers responsible for the poor education standards in villages in the state by refusing to work on the contract basis. Prof Manjit Singh Kadian, working president of the outfit said the government was neither recruiting teachers nor providing infrastructure in the village schools.

He said everyday teachers’ union was boycotting classes and were not worried about the future of the students. Even unemployed teachers want to work as government servants and not on the contract basis. This despite the fact that the Centre has earmarked funds under the Sarv Sikhiya Abhiyan which were to be spent on recruiting teachers till primary classes on the contract basis only, he added.

Mr Kadian appealed to the government to cut the expenditure on salaries to government servants. The need of the hour was to reduce the number of employees by 25 per cent and civil servants by 20 per cent. All government jobs should be filled on the contract basis so that the salary bill is curtailed and inefficient and corrupt employees could be weeded out at the initial stage.

From Colleges
Mock CAT on August 6
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, August 4
Top Careers and You will conduct a mock CAT for MBA aspirants in the region on August 6 and 7. The institute will conduct the test on the pattern of CAT. It will be a two-hour test consisting of verbal ability, quantitative aptitude, data analysis and reasoning sections.

Lecture: Khalsa College for Women organised a lecture on the importance of breast-feeding as part of the World Breast Feeding Week (August 1 to 7). It was organised by the NSS Department of the college in association with Indian Academy of Paediatrics. The lecture was delivered by Dr R.S. Sibia and Dr Harinder Singh, in which they stressed on the advantages of breast milk over artificial milk. The Principal, Dr Varinder Kaur Thind, appreciated the efforts of doctors in making students aware of the importance of mother’s milk. The lecture was organised by NSS programme officers, Dr Gurdeep Kaur, Ms Honey Walia and Ms Prabhleen Toor.

Faculty development: The Institute of Chartered Financial Analysts of India organised one-day faculty development programme here today for faculty members of educational institutions in the city. Prof Manas Chakravarty and Prof E.Sudershan, faculty, ICFAI, spoke on “Emergence of New India-Opportunities and Challenges” and “Teachers as mentors.”

Mr Chakravarty said the role of a teacher extends far beyond the classroom. He also spoke on how the education sector had to expand quantitatively and qualitatively in this context.

Over 100 academicians from various educational institutions in the city attended the faculty development programme. The daylong session served as a good forum to exchange ideas and network with the other faculty members from various academic institutions.

Mediaperson remanded

Jagraon, August 4
Joginder Singh, a mediaperson, who was arrested by the Chandigarh Police on July 12 for helping Jagtar Singh Hawara, was today produced before the court of Mrs Jitender Walia, Sub-divisional Judicial Magistrate, Jagraon, who remanded him in police custody till August 9. OC

HEALTH

Malnutrition kills 19 pc infants
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, August 4
Inadequate breastfeeding and delayed or early introduction of complementary feed contribute significantly to the high prevalence of malnutrition in India where 47 per cent (roughly 36 million) of children under the age of 3 are undernourished and underweight.

These observations were made by Dr Rajinder Gulati, coordinator, Breastfeeding Promotion Network of India and former president of the local branch of the Indian Academy of Paediatrics, while addressing a symposium on" breastfeeding and family foods : loving and healthy" at ESI Model Hospital here today. The symposium was a part of the ongoing "breastfeeding week" being observed all over the country.

He said breastfeeding was the best way to feed babies for the first six months and thereafter they needed to eat the same food as the rest of the family. This period of transition, from exclusive breastfeeding to family foods, was very crucial for proper physical and mental growth of the children.

Dr Gulati remarked that complimentary feeding was giving foods and drinks to the children to ''complement'' and not to replace breastfeeding.

Intensive studies conducted on child survival had suggested that 19 per cent of the infant deaths in the country could be avoided by achieving 90 per cent coverage of exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months and continued breastfeeding, along with complementary feeding for 6-12 months.