The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

	Redraw merit list: HC tells university Our Legal Correspondent Shimla, April 25 The Himachal High Court today directed the H.P. University to redraw the merit list of the degree courses of MD, MS and Postgraduate Diploma Courses by 4 pm tomorrow. A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice V.K. Gupta and Mr Justice Deepak Gupta observed that nine key answers were wrong which had materially affected the selection process. In its earlier order the court had restrained the Medical Education Department from continuing with the selection process to the above mentioned degree courses. The petition was filed by three candidates wherein they had alleged that the key answers issued by Himachal Pradesh University of entrance test examination were not correct and it had materially affected the result of the petitioners. According to the petitioners 11 answers as mentioned in the key answers published along with the result were wrong. The petitioners added that since there was negative marking in the examination, therefore, they had suffered loss of 14 marks. The petitioner had annexed the documents showing right answers of the question asked in the entrance test. The test for the course was conducted on February 15 and the result thereof was declared on February 22 this year and counselling was to be held on March 22. In these circumstances the high court had directed H.P. University to constitute a committee of experts to find out the reality. After persuing the entire record pertaining to the case and the report submitted by the expert committee the Bench directed Himachal Pradesh University to redraw the merit list for the above mentioned courses.
	Govt to check growth of private schools Tribune News Service Dharamsala, April 25 The Education Department has decided to check growth of private schools in the state. Sources in the department said a notification had been issued making it mandatory for the school managements to secure a no-objection certificate before setting up a school. A similar NOC would also be required for existing private schools. April 30 is the deadline. The decision has caused ripples among managing committees of private schools in the state as hardly five per cent of the existing schools have such NOCs. The sources said the education department had got an education survey done to identify areas where new schools were required and could be given permission to open. It also stipulates the private institutes should have done no encroachment on government land. As per new rules, private schools should be located at least 2-3 km from the existing government schools. Private school managements, however, argue it would be impossible for existing schools to comply with such guidelines. Mr B.R. Rahi, chairman of the HP Board of School Education, said that representatives of the private schools had met him and sought his intervention in the matter. He said he clarified it to them that the NOC was mandatory and relaxation could be given only by the government. The school board has sent instructions to private schools, saying the affiliation rules and regulations had been amended and it had been made compulsory for all schools, whether applying for new affiliation or its renewal, to obtain a no-objection certificate from the Education Department. Sources in the Education Department said that some schools were no more than ‘teaching shops’ operating even in remote areas. Most of these lacked the infrastructure to provide proper education. Even teachers were ill paid and in many cases the teachers lacked the required qualification. The Association of Affiliated Private Schools held a press conference at Palampur yesterday, demanding either withdrawal of the circular or more time to comply with the conditions. The association said the deadline was too short. The association demanded the guidelines be amended to exclude already established schools and deadline extended. Mr Rahi said although the board wanted to encourage good institutes, schools should be allowed to run only in areas where they were required and there was definitely a need to check the mushrooming of schools all over.
	IIAS likely to remain without regular head for more time Rakesh Lohumi Tribune News Service Shimla, April 25 The Indian Institute of Advanced Study (IIAS) here is likely to remain without a regular head for quite sometime due to changes made by the Government of India in the policy and procedure of appointments in autonomous institutions. The post of Director, who is also the Chief Executive of the institute, fell vacant on April 14 last when Dr Bhuvan Chandel completed her three-year term. Dr Bhalchandra, Chairman of the governing body of the institute, has been holding the charge of the post since then. The governing body had constituted a three-member search committee to fill the post. However, even before the committee could hold its first meeting the Centre came out with a new policy and procedure for appointments in autonomous institutions. According to the policy, all appointments in institutions, wholly or substantially funded by the Centre, will come under the purview of the Appointments Committee of Cabinet, including those posts which combined the functions of the Chief Executive and the Chairman. Instructions have been issued by the Centre last week in pursuance of the new policy and procedure for appointments to the institutions concerned. They have been directed to take all necessary steps, including amendments to recruitment rules and regulations, to comply with the instructions. The exercise to amend recruitment rules and article of associations will take much time as the amendments will have to be first approved by the governing body and then by the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development. As such it will take a few months to fill the post of the Director.
	Delimitation exercise to be over soon Tribune News Service Shimla, April 25 The exercise to redraw the boundaries of Assembly and Parliamentary constituencies in the state will be completed over the next two months. The delimitation exercise for the entire country will be over by March, 2007. This was stated here today by Mr Justice Kuldeep Singh, Chairman of the Delimitation Commission, after hearing objections and suggestions of the public on the basis of the draft paper published by the commission. He said the commission had already completed the exercise for nine states and the final order would be passed for five more states, including Himachal Pradesh, over the next two months. He said the commission was keen to complete the delimitation by the end of the 2006, but in any case it would not spill over to the next financial year. It was a tedious job which required a lot of ground work. Moreover, some major states like Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Maharashtra were left. He said during public hearings held at Kangra, Mandi and Shimla about 1,000 objections and suggestions were received. The commission would go through all of them and then make up its mind over the final shape of segments. A final meeting of the commission in which associate members would also participate would be held before passing the final order. Most of the suggestions pertained to reservation and dereservation of constituencies. A vast majority wanted Rampur to be shifted to Shimla from Mandi Parliamentary constituency and Jogindernager to remain with Mandi. There were also demands to keep the tehsil unit intact but this was not possible as population was to be balanced out. He asserted that there was no pressure from any quarter and the exercise was being carried out as per the law. He said had their been political pressure the segments of Chief Ministers, Speakers, and Home Ministers in various states would not have been reserved. Replying to a question he said it was for the government to decide the date form which the order of the Delimitation Commission was to be implemented.
	Jagson airways offers to operate in state Tribune News Service Mandi, April 25 Even as the state government awaits the sanction for the Rs 7 crore "lead period funding project" for the proposed helicopter-taxi services from the Civil Aviation and Tourism Ministries, the Jagson airways has offered to operate the 26-seater helicopter-taxi service from New Delhi to different destinations in the state. Sources in the Department of Tourism and Civil Aviation (DTCA) revealed that the state government had got the bid from the Jagson airways, a private airliner, which operated its services to Shimla, Bhuntar and Gagal airports from New Delhi. "We have considered this bid for operation of the helicopter-taxi services in the state". Union Tourism Minister Ambika Soni had announced during the inauguration of the 1,000 years celebration of the historic Chamba town last week that the government would start the helicopter services in the state. The Tourism Department would be doing marketing around the world to rope in the dollar-rich foreign tourists from the USA, Canada and Europe to Himachal Pradesh, offering the helicopters services as and when they needed such services. The department is targeting to rope in the high-thrill and high-end foreign tourists into the hot destinations in the tribal Buddhist circuit like Kaza in Spiti, the land of gompas and monasteries, Sangla-Chitkul valley in Kinnaur, Keylong in Lauhaul, Pangi in Chamba district, Churddhar- Chial and Chansel in Shimla district where the helicopters can land at helipads or the appropriate locations, officials said. The Tourism Commissioner Mr Tarun Shridhar said the government had sought the assistance of Rs 7 crore from the Civil Aviation and Tourism ministries under the "income and viability funding scheme" for the lead period of first three years. "This assistance will assist the operation till the helicopter-taxi service becomes commercially viable. We expect the Centre would give its nod soon", he added. The Jagson airway will operate the 26-seater helicopter from New Delhi or other metros in the country as and when it gets the booking for Himachal Pradesh, officials said. "The helicopter charges as per current rate ranges from Rs 400 per four hours and an air-distance of 80 km. "If passengers availability is less the remaining charges would be met with from government assistance", the officials explained.
	Engg student killed in mishap Hamirpur, April 25 An engineering college student was killed and another injured after their motor cycle crashed into a bus near Bhumpal village in Hamirpur district of Himachal Pradesh today, the police said. Amit Kumar (20), a student of National Information Technology (NIT) College was killed on the spot after the motor cycle he was riding crashed into a bus just in front. The police said the injured, identified as Surbhi, was referred to the Indira Gandhi Medical College and Hospital (IGMC) at Shimla after being administered first-aid at a government hospital here. A case has been registered and investigations were on, the police added. In another incident, at least 28 persons were injured, five of them seriously, when a private bus overturned near Ambehri in Hamirpur district, the police said. The bus was carrying pilgrims from Delhi to shrines of Baba Balak Nath and other religious shrines when it overturned near Ambehri village. All the injured have been admitted to a government hospital at Barsar where the doctors described the condition of five as serious. Barsar SDM Vinod Kumar visited the injured in the hospital and provided immediate relief, besides making arrangements for their return journey to Delhi. The police said the accident occurred as the driver failed to negotiate a sharp curve, adding that a case had been registered against the driver and investigations were on. — UNI
	Cops in a dilemma over murder Tribune News Service Dharamsala, April 25 The police is in a dilemma over which Section of the IPC should Amrish Rana, lodged at the district jail here who had beaten another inmate Anup Kumar to death on April 21, be booked. The fight took place inside the jail premises and the victim had suffered serious internal injuries. Although Rana was initially booked under Section 307 for attempt to murder, this was changed to Section 303 of IPC, which deals with murder by a convict while in custody. But the police department has now come across a court ruling which has repealed this section, giving directions that all accused be booked under Section 302 of IPC only.
	12 hurt as ABVP, SFI activists clash Tribune News Service Shimla, April 25 Tension mounted on the Himachal Pradesh University campus today when activists of the SFI and the ABVP clashed following differences over the location of the Students' Guidance Bureau last night.. More than 12 students were injured when violence erupted at around midnight in the Parmar and CD boys hostel. It followed a verbal duel between the SFI and ABVP activists who were returning after practice for a cultural programme. It was the heated arguments between the two outfits which manifested in a big clash at night. The police said the agitated students burnt the belongings of students in about 20 rooms in the Parmar hostel and broke window panes. The clashing students prevented the police from intervening as they pelted stones from the rooms. It was mush later, well past midnight that the police was able to detain about 12 students and bring the situation under control. There were fresh clashes today on the campus as the police used force to disperse the ABVP students who were sitting on a dharna, protesting the arrests of their activists, in the night. The police had to cane charge the students, two of whom had been injured as they tried to force their way to the Vice Chancellor’s office, when he did not give them time to see him. On sensing trouble the police got the campus vacated. No classes could be held as the police did not allow students to assemble. Meanwhile the police also undertook search of the hostel rooms to ensure that the students were not hiding weapons. The police also ensured no outsiders were staying in the hostel. More police force is being summoned from the India Reserve Battalion from Jungle Berry in Hamirpur to keep the situation under control. Cases have been registered against 20 students under Section 435 and 436 of the IPC and Section 3 of the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act.
	Photography contest begins Our Correspondent Kulu, April 25 The Sahara-Sunshine Adventures in association with the Himachal Pradesh Tourism Department and The Bio Diversity Conservation Society – Great Himalayan National Park (GHNP) held Himachal’s first-ever nature photography competition here today. Mr Payson R. Stevens , a former photographer with NASA, now looking after “Friends of GHNP”, an NGO involved in bringing about awareness among local people about the fragile fauna and endangered species in the Himalayan region, said yesterday that such a competition would have a cascading effect in spreading the message of conservation and bringing in quality tourists to this area. He lamented that we might never recover from the serious ecological imbalances created by mankind. These natural treasures once lost would be lost forever. He was appointed one of the judges for the competition. Mr Kamal Chand, District Tourism Officer, here said that The Great Himalayan National Park was selected as one of the first national parks in India to demonstrate the linking of biodiversity conservation with local social and economic development, broadly known as ‘eco-development’. He said in the competition, both professionals and amateurs could participate. Mr Ankit Sood, head of the Tourism Department at Government Postgraduate College here and a local photographer said that as many as 10 renowned photographers from West Bengal, Punjab, New Delhi and Himachal Pradesh had reached here. The Director of the GHNP would provide guidelines for trekking and also accommodation to the participants during their stay in the park beginning today till April 29.