Jalandhar, June 18
The endeavour of the state education authorities to provide quality hi-tech science and mathematics education to the students of government schools has finally started bearing fruit. Students across 51 government schools in the district are being taught through EDUSAT programme which has equipped them with up-to-date knowledge of the subjects.

An initiative to bring students of government schools under the ambit of hi-tech education, the EDUSAT programme is virtually serving the needs of scores of medical and non-medical students. The EDUSAT classes started on June 1 in the district.

A random survey of the government schools in the district revealed that the EDUSAT programme had been a hit with the students. At Government Girls Senior Secondary School, Nehru Garden, students were being taught mathematical derivations through the programme.

Talking to The Tribune, student Manmeet Kaur said, “The EDUSAT classes have specially helped us in understanding the derivations of physics, chemistry and mathematics. The EDUSAT programme is nothing short of extra coaching classes for us and we are making use of this valuable initiative.”

On being asked about pursuing an engineering degree later, she said owing to heavy expenses in an engineering course, she would rather go in for a BSc degree in some city college. “My parents cannot afford to pay a huge amount of money for an engineering course. I would prefer to become a science teacher,” she added.

At present, there are 35 students undergoing EDUSAT classes. Students are being taught physics, chemistry, biology and mathematics for five days a week. Coordinator of the EDUSAT programme in the school Balwinder Singh, who is also a mathematics lecturer, said, “We receive good response from students during the CET classes which were held some time back.

And a majority of our students achieved good positions in the CET through the timely EDUSAT classes. Students were also given written notes regarding the CET syllabus.”

Another student Aarti of the same class said she would prefer to appear for the Punjab CET and pursue an engineering course. “I am hopeful that the free of cost regular EDUSAT classes will enable me to achieve a good rank in the Punjab CET,” she added.

School Principal Amarjeet Kaur Sidhu said, “We have made adequate arrangements to make this initiative a resounding success. Recently we arranged generator facilities for the hassle-free conduct of the EDUSAT classes.

Though certain technical snags do creep in at times, we make sure that the students are able to make the maximum use of this initiative.”

It might be noted that the EDUSAT programme was started during the last academic year under the Sarv Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA). Though at the initial stages the authorities faced difficulties in running the classes, yet finally things improved for the better.

Jalandhar, June 18
Following the detection of swine flu infection among students of a Jalandhar school team which returned from the USA, the authorities of Lovely Professional University have directed its 62 MBA (international) students, who have gone to the University of North Carolina, USA, not to venture out of the campus area there.

The university has not cut short the one-month visit of the students which is part of the international exposure programme, but it has cancelled the industrial and outdoor visits of the students, limiting their experience only to an academic visit.

Assistant Director, Public Relations, LPU, Aman Mittal, said Charlotte, the area where the campus was situated, had not yet reported any incidence of swine flu.

“The chances of contracting the infection in a confined campus area, with a few visitors from outside, are limited. But we have called up our students asking them not to venture out to corporate houses like those of the IBM and Federal Reserve Bank of America as per the earlier schedule and limit their activities to within the campus area as of now.

“As a precautionary measure, we had given packs of masks to the students before they left for the trip this Saturday. We have asked them to avoid visiting any market areas. I believe the students at the MBA level are mature enough to take care of themselves,” he said.

Incidentally, it was on the same day that the incident of school students testing positive was reported and the LPU students were flagged off for their educational trip.

The US visit programme is aimed at imparting know-how and expertise regarding business culture prevailing in technology and management-oriented organisations and helping the students to gain an insight into the functioning of business houses of the largest economy of the world.

This year LPU has plans to offer international exposure programmes in B. Tech, BCA, hotel management and fashion technology courses.

Jalandhar, June 18
The Punjab Water Supply and Sanitation Department, in association with All India Radio, launched road shows at Johal village here on Wednesday, to educate the rural masses on the importance of safe drinking water.

A part of the Punjab water supply and sanitation project, a plan has been prepared for live on-air coverage of shows in 180 villages all over Punjab on all seven days of the week from 6.30 pm to 7.30 pm.

The vehicles which will visit the villages have been named “Nirmal Jal Rath”.

The project, which is community driven, will be implemented in 3,000 uncovered and partially covered villages, including those in the remotest belts of the state. Other activities will include quiz contests and signature wall campaigns, motivating people to adopt the project and generate response from villagers and stake holders.

Under the project, which will benefit five million people, rural local committees will also be formed for the upgradation and management of intra-village facilities.

Jalandhar, June 18
The Central government has implemented a mission mode project on pension called “pensioners’ portal” under the national e-governance plan.

The objective of the scheme is to redress the pensioners’ grievances, besides providing them detailed information about pension and other retirement-related matters.

The scheme envisages involvement of 18 pensioners’ associations across the country. Each association has been given a grant of Rs 60,000 to meet expenditure in connection with the implementation of the pensioners’ portal. The grant is meant for activities like telephone, internet connectivity, stationery, water and electricity and annual maintenance contract.

Welcoming the Centre’s decision, the secretary-general of one of the beneficiary bodies, All-India Central Government Pensioners Association, Jalandhar, V.S. Jolly, said the pensioners’ portal would be very beneficial for pensioners. 

Jalandhar, June 18
The Ludhiana-based Gautam Salsa Club, in association with Cabana Orchid, organised an eight-day long salsa workshop for youngsters. The exclusive Latin dance workshop received a thunderous response from the youth.

Salsa instructor Gautam Sharma taught gyrating body styles and moves to the youngsters. The students were taught various dance forms like salsa, cha cha, bachata and merengue.

A special salsa competition was also organised on the last day of the workshop. On public demand, the salsa classes would be held once again from July 7 to 16 at the local Gold Gym.

Kapurthala, June 18
The district administration termed the call of Punjab bandh on June 23 by several Balmiki organisations, in support of their demand of arresting all the accused in the case pertaining to the use of some objectionable remarks against Bhagwan Balmiki in a Hindi book, as unjustified.

Talking to The Tribune, DC Raj Kamal Chaudhary said the call of Punjab bandh could not be justified as the district administration was taking all necessary steps to nab the accused. Representatives of some Balmiki organisations had met Kapurthala SDM Anupam Kler in this regard a few days back, he added.

When contacted, Anupam said she had tried her level best to convince the representatives of Balmiki organisations not to give any bandh call as the district administration was doing whatever it could to nab the accused.

They should withdraw the call of the Punjab Bandh in the greater interest of the general public, she added.

Meanwhile, SSP Ram Singh said the district police had already arrested one of the three accused - the principal of the local Sacred Heart School Ashu Khurana - a few days back but she was released later as she was granted bail by the court.

One of the other two accused, chairman of the management committee of Sacred Heart School - Sunil Chopra - had gone abroad before the registration of an FIR in this regard.

Whereas, a special police team had been sent to Noida (four times) to nab Manisha Sharma, the writer of the controversial book ‘Parag’. Reportedly, principal of Delhi Public School was at Noida, but she could not be found at plausible places, he added.

Ram Singh further said a special police team, led by SP (D), had been constituted to nab the two absconding accused.

An FIR was lodged under section 295 of the IPC against Manisha Sharma, Sunil Chopra and Ashu Khurana after protests by the Balmiki community on June 8.

Jalandhar, June 18
The Punjab Health Minister seems to have lost control over the officers in her own department. The fact came to fore when the minister transferred a surgeon from the local Civil Hospital almost a week ago but the orders failed to reach the office of the Medical Superintendent till date.

Following complaints of negligence in performing duties against Dr Kamal Gupta, the minister, Laxmi Kanta Chawala, issued transfer orders of the surgeon in the first week of this month but the same could not reach the person concerned.

While talking to The Tribune, the minister claimed that she issued transfer orders of the doctor shifting him from Jalandhar to Mand. She was shocked when she came to know that the doctor was still in the hospital and had received no transfer letter. 

The minister asked Dr Ashok Nayyar, Medical Superintendent (MS), if he had received Dr Gupta’s transfer letter. The minister was surprised to hear the reply of the MS when he denied to have received any such letter.

The minister, however, claimed that a team of doctors, comprising Civil Surgeons from Kapurthala and Hoshiarpur districts, would prove the allegation levelled against the surgeon.

The incident occurred on June 6 when the surgeon allegedly operated upon a patient Chander Mohan, a resident of Avtar Nagar, unsuccessfully. The patient was referred to the PGI in Chandigarh when his conditions deteriorated. The patient died in Banga while being taken to Chandigarh. Up in arms against the alleged negligence of the surgeon, family members and relatives of the deceased protested in front of the Civil Hospital main gate the whole night.

Jalandhar, June 18
Kanya Maha Vidyalaya is hosting a 10-day annual training camp of two Punjab (G) NCC battalion in the college hostel. The camp began on June 17 and would conclude on June 26.

Jalandhar, June 18
The tall claims of the state Education Department to provide higher quality education to the students seem to be hollow as only 27 senior secondary government schools in the district have science stream in their curriculum. At present, there are 119 senior secondary schools in the district.

Though the teachers attribute this trend to low pass percentage of students in class X and lack of interest in science, the fact is that a majority of the schools are managing the show with makeshift arrangements. Even the commerce stream too has a few takers. And this, in turn, confines the chances of students from appearing in various competitive examinations ahead.

At Government Senior Secondary School, Nihaluwal, near Shahkot, the situation is no better. It has been more than eight years since the school had no regular chemistry teacher. Though the school has a well equipped laboratory, in the absence of any chemistry teacher, the subject is being taught in makeshift arrangements.

A majority of the schools on the outskirts of the district are even short of adequate apparatus for science practicals. At Government School, Goraya, students have been facing problems in conducting science practicals as no necessary apparatus is available in the laboratory.

Even at Government Senior School, Raipur Pharaula, the science students are forced to manage the show with makeshift conditions. “Almost every senior secondary school has been facing a shortage of the necessary science equipment in the laboratories. Though we have been highlighting this problem, the situation remains the same.

The state government should consider this issue on priority and help improve the education standard,” said Sanjiwan Singh Dhadwal, general secretary of the Science Teachers Association.

Government Senior Secondary School, Chak Kalan, has been running the science stream with the help of one chemistry teacher. It has been two years since the school has no physics and biology teachers. “While the physics teacher went abroad and took voluntary retirement, the biology teacher went on transfer,” he added.

District Education Officer (Secondary) Joginder Dass said the recruitment of teachers in various disciplines would be conducted. “We hope to overcome this problem soon,” he added.

Jalandhar, June 18
The Rayat-Bahra Group of Institutes will organise Amalgamata - Mega Job Mania - 2009 on June 20-21.

Having witnessed a massive footfall last year, Rayat-Bahra group is all set to repeat the history in bigger way with more than 30,000 candidates expected to make a beeline for this mammoth job event at its Sahauran (Kharar) campus.

Interested candidates should logon to www.rayatbahra.com and register themselves for varied opportunities waiting for them by clicking on Amalgamata 2009. Every candidate registering shall be provided with complete company details, which will make his/her decision easy.

The candidate shall get a unique ID, user name and password on www.rayatbahraplacements.com website (exclusively designed for Mega Job Fest), which will enable them to process their CV, company choiceand checking the results online by June 25.

“Amalgamata is so named since the fest will be an amalgamation of companies that will be selecting candidates,” said Prof C.M. Behal, Managing Director of the group. It would help diploma holders, undergraduates, graduates, postgraduates, both fresher’s and experienced to come and interface with industry experts for assessment.

The USP of the fest was that it was open to all applicants seeking new employment opportunities, whether they were freshers or experienced, he added.

Sandeep Kaura, Assistant Managing Director, said the event aimed at bringing out job-seeking youth from all levels and factions of society to a common platform where they would get in direct contact with employers across various domains and test their employability with organisations under one roof.

Top brands participating in the job fest would be Aditya Birla Group, Cadila Health Care, Panasonic, HCL, CMC Limited, CMS Software Ltd, DELL, J K Tech, Open Access Technologies (OATI) (HR persons from USA to swoop in), SPANCO Tele, Reliance Communication, Reliance Money, Gem Batteries, Venturi Wireless, Kotak Mahindra, Max Insurance, NVISH Solutions, HCL Technologies, Hash Biotech Labs, Club Mahindra, Diplast, India Mart, Pel Software Labs et al.

Jalandhar, June 18
Trendsetter, innovator, he is among the few youngsters around who love theatre at the grassroots level. Stalwarts like Gursharan Singh have demanded a standing ovation from the crowd after seeing his productions (Spartacus) staged at Desh Bhagat Yaadgaar Hall. We talk of writer, director, actor, singer, composer Kranti Pal.

Think youth festival theatre and you think of fortunes being spent on melodramatic scripts (mostly stolen word for word) backed by weak characters, crackling microphones and 11th hour light malfunctions.

But his name, figures in the names of the handful of originality-infusing beacons in the youth festival circuit who have brought about a “Kranti”, instilling professionalism, imagination and a hunger for perfection in their works.

Born at Baba Bakala in Amritsar, he belongs to a family where theatre was always considered sacrosanct. Son of playwright Hansa Singh, his childhood memories abound with incidents where valuables were sold to arrange for money to be used in theatrical ventures.

Although Kranti’s mother tried to keep him away from theatre as a kid, the theatre bug bit him early and hard. Inspired by legendary playwright Gursharan Singh and his father early on, his perspective about theatre was massively expanded when he first saw Kewal Dhaliwaal’s “Itihaas De Safe Te” in 1995.

Just in class IX, Kranti was bowled over by the elaborate sets and sophisticated use of tools and techniques. His Leftist leanings were joined by a penchant for “grand” theatre as he set out with his first directorial debut “Eh Lahu Kisda Hai”, a religious play while he was in class X, shocking his teachers who had until then known him only through his deft bhangra moves and smooth, flowing voice.

Pursuing the medical stream during higher secondary years, his next directorial venture was “Rang Mahal” for which he got the first prize at the national level youth festivals.

Starting his graduation at DAV College, Amritsar, in 2000, his bonding with directors like Kewal Dhaliwaal grew as he worked with him during the time.

Then in 2003, when faced with the absence of a director for the college play, Kranti came up with the idea of converting the novel “Choti Munda Aur Uska Teer” by Mahashveta Devi into a play. His first venture into scripting won many honours at festivals. “Choti Munda Te Usda Teer” is till date aped, interpreted and staged by theatre lovers.

In 2006 he came to Jalandhar and continued directing plays for the youth festivals but sticking to his roots, he also kept up with street plays side by side. He does plays in villages under the banner of Navchintan Kala Manch, Beas, an organisation founded by his father.

He has been part (as either actor, director or composer) of numerous other plays like “Kangla”, “Udham Singh”, “Mitti Ke Taare”, “Sahiba”, “Agnibarkha”, DD play “Store” and radio plays “Chiriyan” (national award), “Nikke Nikke Hath” 
and “Sirjana”.

Kranti’s recent play “Spartacus” (2008-09) created waves among the audience and critics and he set a new trend in mimes at the recent youth festivals, experimenting with fresh rhythms and sounds doing away with the clichéd sound pattern.

Kranti is also playing the villain’s aide in the upcoming movie “Heer-Ranjha”.

Which form of theatre satisfies you most?

Street theatre. Working for the rural masses is food for soul.

Doesn’t youth festival theatre end up getting you taken for granted?

Yes, it does sometimes.

Are students receptive to theatre?

Some people come for popularity, some guys come only because there are girls in the play team but there are at least 5 per cent students who are dedicated to the cause of theatre.

Upcoming projects.

A theatre workshop in July. (Plans a telefilm for kids and a music album too.) 

Jalandhar, June 18
While the prices of seasonal fruits have witnessed a decrease in its prices as compared to its previous rates, the prices of seasonal vegetables have increased a bit in the past one week. At present, the fruits are available at a price between Rs 30 and 35.

King of fruits, mango (dusehri), which was available at Rs 35 per kg last week, is now available at Rs 30. Banana, which is being brought from Gujarat and Maharashtra, is available at Rs 30 per dozen. Even the price of litchi, which is coming from Dehradun, has decreased from Rs 65 to Rs 50.

Retailers were of the view that the decline in the prices of fruits was due to a bumper crop this year. “The prices of the seasonal fruits usually witness a decrease during this time of the year,” said a vendor.

Meanwhile, the price of plum has almost reduced to half and is available at Rs 30 per kg as compared to its previous price of Rs 60 per kg. The price of muskmelon has come down from its previous price of Rs 8 to Rs 6.

Among the vegetables, potato and onion are available at Rs 12 per kg. Lady’s finger is available at Rs 24 per kg as compared to its previous price of Rs 30. The price of tomato hs increased from Rs 10 to Rs 15.

It would be better to name the Jalandhar-Amritsar bypass stretch between PAP Chowk and Bidhipur as the “killer road”. The accident rate has gone up after its opening as four-lane stretch. On an average two persons are killed or injured in accidents on this stretch every week. Several people living alongside, including college students, have lost their lives in the recent past.

It has been observed that over-speeding, improper passage to residential areas on both sides of the road and non-functioning of street lights at some places could be the major reasons for the higher road causalities here.

The administration should take some remedial steps like provision of zebra crossings at sensitive points, 24-hour ambulance service and deployment of traffic police or highway police round the clock at this stretch.