Chandigarh, September 4
Eminent academicians, policy makers and corporate leaders have called for empowerment, innovative thinking and multi-stakeholder partnerships and collaborations as critical enablers to catalyse paradigm shift in the Indian education system.

Participating in Edusummit 2009, organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), a host of academic luminaries suggested the creation of an all-encompassing regulatory mechanism that is overarching, transparent and ensures accountability, which would build up confidence in academic institutions.

Suggesting a road map for the future, the participants said the quality of schools needed to be clearly defined to ensure that schools are not rated on academic results alone. They pointed out that government efforts alone would not help to meet the rising needs at post-school education levels.

“Education is a time-sensitive requirement and a delay in creating education infrastructure will delay Indian wealth creation. Government should allow private capital in building education system with clear responsibility and accountability,” said the participants.

Quoting China’s example, they recommended strategic intervention by the government to promote institutes of excellence and allow private institutions with autonomy to compete for quality.

It was largely felt that instead of subsidising institutions, there was a need to subsidise individuals and also encourage life-long learners. The group suggested the introduction of a four-year undergraduate programme with the final year focused on skill development based on industry internship or specialisation on subject based on research. It added that there should be focus on implementing initiatives at the primary, secondary and vocational education levels, building talent based on both cognitive skills and values.

Regarding foreign education, the group suggested the opening up of the education sector to allow select foreign players to enter India. It was felt that building of education clusters in India of global standards and promoting inter-disciplinary programmes would attract Indian/foreign students. “Make a consortium of all academic institutions and provide electronic access to libraries,” said the participants.

Prof Yash Pal, Chairman, Committee on Renovation and Rejuvenation of Indian Higher Education, Ministry of Human Resource Development, professed the creation of an unfettered environment for the youth to grow, innovate and think differently. “Universities are neither about infrastructure nor they should limit on the subjects. Let these institutions initiate their own courses. Philosophy and Technology must talk to each other,” he said.

“Rather than bringing a Harvard here, let’s create Harvard here”, he added, highlighting higher education as a key driver in an increasingly globalised and knowledge-driven world. “We do not need czars in education”, said Prof Yash Pal.

Prof RC Sobti, Conference Chairman and Vice-Chancellor, Panjab University, recommended the need for collaboration and multi-stakeholder partnerships.

Prominent among those who participated in the deliberations were a former Vice-Chancellor of Panjab University, Prof RP Bambah, Dr Rajneesh Arora, Vice-Chancellor, Punjab Technical University; Dr SC Vaidya, Dean, University Instructions, Panjab University, and Prof Ajaib Singh Brar, Vice-Chancellor, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar.

Chandigarh, September 4
Punjab and the Centre appear to be headed for a fresh confrontation over the issue of inter-state water sharing. Nearly 62 years after the Independence, Punjab has decided to take the Centre head on and demand a royalty on water to the tune of Rs 20,000 crore for the water flowing into Rajasthan.

Seepage from the Rajasthan canal has caused major water-logging in southern Punjab, but more importantly, the recent controversy involving the management of the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) wherein the Centre tried to appoint a member from Rajasthan on the board is unacceptable to Punjab.

General Secretary of the SAD Prem Singh Chandumajra said: “The Centre has tried to exploit Punjab’s largesse and tried to usurp our water. The issue of preserving Punjab’s waters had already been taken up with the Prime Minister by Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, but if the response from the Centre is not quick and positive, we will fight it out at all levels, including taking up the issue with the Central Water Commission and the Supreme Court”.

“During the British rule, Punjab was receiving royalty on water flowing from Punjab to Rajasthan, but it was stopped by the Congress-ruled central government after Independence. If other states can demand royalty on their natural resources, why can’t we seek the restoration of the royalty?” Chandumajra questioned.

Talking on behalf of his party, he said the state had already expressed displeasure with the Centre for appointing a Haryana official as chairman of the BBMB. Demanding restoration of BBMB chairman’s post to Punjab and removal of Rajathan’s member from the board, Chandumajra said: “While Punjab and Haryana were facing drought, water to the tune of 2.6 lakh cusecs was released to Rajasthan by the BBMB without any authorisation, causing a huge loss to Punjab”.

Chandumajra pointed out that a study by the Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), Ludhiana, had revealed that Punjab farmers had to pay an additional sum of Rs 604 crore on diesel, Rs 1,400 crore on electricity and Rs 800 crore on deepening of tube wells to sustain the paddy crop amid drought-like conditions. 90 per cent of the crop will go out of Punjab, he said.

He pointed out that Rajasthan had been extended a 90 per cent subsidy on the re-lining of the Rajasthan Canal while Punjab had been asked to pay 75 per cent towards the re-lining of the Sirhind Canal. He said the SAD would decide on the future course of action with regard to “state waters” over the next few days.

Ludhiana, September 4
While Haryana Agriculture University (HAU) receives an annual grant of Rs 178 crore, the older and parent university out of which HAU was carved out continues to receive a grant of Rs 100 crore, rued Dr Manjit Singh Kang, Punjab Agriculture University (PAU)Vice-Chancellor while talking to The Tribune today. What is more, he pointed out, PAU requires the entire grant to pay salary and pension to employees, leaving it with no funds for either research or extension.

The state government has been informed by PAU that efforts to lease out part of the university’s land to banks and corporate bodies have not been successful. With PAU having exhausted its pension funds, the university is no longer in a position to pay its 2,700 pensioners, admitted the VC.

The Chief Minister had promised to implement the Johl Committee report which had recommended cess of 50 paise per Rs 100 on arrivals of crop produce for passing on to the PAU. This cess could have fetched Rs 150 crore annually and the university could easily have met its commitments. But the state government has neither rejected the report nor implemented it so far.

While the state government has issued the notification for paying enhanced UGC scales as per the Sixth Pay Commission to university and college teachers with effect from January, 2006, the relevant notification for PAU and Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University ( GADVASU) is yet to be issued, prompting agitations on the campus.

The state government did raise the annual grant from Rs 80 crore to Rs 100 crore last year, acknowledge university officials. But the raise was not adequate, they complain. The university has already encashed and spent the amount of Rs 10 crore it had in a fixed deposit and diverted some of the grants for payment of salary and pension, informs AC Rana, PAU Comptroller. But it has now run out of options.

The university will need Rs 13 crore to implement revised UGC scales for teachers as 80 per cent of the money to be paid to the teaching faculty is to be met by the ICAR. But in the case of non-teaching staff, the entire amount is to be met by the Punjab government as the non teaching employees are governed by the state government’s rules of employment.

Chandigarh, September 4
The Punjab State Electricity Regulatory Commission (PSERC) is set to announce new tariff order for 2009-10 on September 7 with the state government submitting a written commitment that it would cover the entire subsidy payable to the Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB) on account of free power being given to the farming sector.

The commission has received a commitment from the Chief Secretary that the state will pay Rs 3,100 crore to the PSEB as subsidy for providing power for tubewell operations. Commission secretary Namita Sekhon confirmed this.

Earlier, the government had kept a budgetary provision of Rs 2,600 crore for paying the subsidy but had recently been asked by the commission whether it would pay the enhanced subsidy to the agricultural sector.

According to sources, the commission has been left with no choice but to hike the tariff for both domestic and commercial power consumers with the PSEB projecting an unprecedented revenue gap of Rs 4,436 crore. This revenue gap is more than double the earlier gaps of Rs 1,802 crore (2007-08) and Rs 1,366 crore (2008-09).

The annual revenue requirement (ARR) application of the PSEB is silent on the issue of tariff revision. However, a perusal of the application leaves one in no doubt that the electricity board is in the midst of a debt trap. The board has projected an annual revenue requirement of Rs 16,783 crore out of which Rs 7,265 crore has been earmarked for purchasing power. Besides, it has listed that it is paying as much as Rs 1,506 crore as interest on loans taken by it. Since the board has to not only make good the requirement of this year but also cover earlier losses, a tariff hike may be the only solution though sources said efforts might also be made by the commission to cut down on expenses.

Consumers may be adversely affected because the commission will be imposing the new tariff order with retrospective effect from April 1 this year. Consumers will have to pay for the hike in instalments besides paying more from next months onwards. As far as domestic power is concerned, consumers are already paying Rs 4.10 per unit for consumption between 100 and 300 units and Rs 4.32 per unit for consumption beyond 300 units.

Meanwhile, the state government is still to clarify whether it will pay cash-strapped PSEB subsidy in advance quarterly instalments as directed earlier by the commission. Former PSEB chief engineer Padamjit Singh, who has demanded this in a petition filed with the commission, has claimed that all Electricity Regulatory Commissions were bound by the national electricity policy. He said para 2.0 of the policy calls for working for a financial turnaround and commercial viability of the power sector and that PSERC should keep this in mind while issuing its tariff order.

Mandi Ahmedgarh, September 4
In the absence of public support to militancy and a strict vigilance of the Punjab police, there is not even a remote chance of the revival of terrorism in the state, observed Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal while addressing a political rally at Chhapar Mela in Mandi Ahmedgarh today.

When asked about the overseas funding of militant outfits in Punjab, the Chief Minister said it was the problem faced by the nation at large. He, however, said there was no threat to the integrity of Punjab from any terrorist organisation.

Speaking on the issue of appointments of police commissioners in the metropolitan cities of Punjab, the Chief Minister said deliberations are on and the decision would be taken soon.

Clarifying government’s stand on human rights violations by the Punjab police, Badal said: “The Punjab police is a friend of the people and the government will ensure the same so that people do not fear police personnel but come forward with their grievances”. He evaded the issue of power cuts in the state, calling it a “gift from the Congress”.

However, Sukhbir, while speaking in favour of the Chief Minister, said the launch of power projects was the first formal announcement made by Badal after coming to power. He said the Centre was cheating the farmers of Punjab on the MSP of paddy and the matter would be taken up on a priority.

Speaking in the capacity of the SAD president, Sukhbir said: “I am there at the party office in Chandigarh after 3 pm to listen to your grievances as we have to work in unison for the state of Punjab”.

Amritsar, September 4
Following search and seizure operations carried out by the Income Tax Department, a prominent doctor here has caused a flutter by disclosing undeclared income of Rs 4.5 crore.

IT officials carried out the search in four private hospitals, several business houses and pharmaceutical dealers. The two big catches surfaced in the shape of the doctor and a pharmaceutical stockist, the latter admitting to undisclosed income of Rs 1.4 crore. The amounts could get higher, say IT sources, because as many as seven bank lockers of the duo are yet to be opened and searched.

Director Investigation Wing, Income Tax, RK Goyal confirmed that an assesse deposited Rs 4.5 crore while another forwarded Rs 1.4 crore as unaccounted amount. On being asked to name the assesses, he declined. Search and seizure operations were carried out in Chandigarh, Mansa and Sardulgarh on Thursday as well, he informed, and at this stage of the investigation, the department would not like to disclose anything. He, however, denied allegations of harassment levelled by doctors and businessmen.

As many as 250 IT officials took part in one of the biggest such operations in recent times.

Private hospitals have mushroomed in Amritsar and most of them have flourished. Many of them appear to have flourished in connivance with policemen, who are quick to escort accident victims to these hospitals rather than to government hospitals.

IT practitioner RC Khanna said as per the law penalty ranging from 100 per cent to 300 per cent on the tax sought to be evaded could be levied. But in most cases, he added, assessees filed appeals and retracted from their admission. They also made use of legal loopholes to evade paying penalty.

Sangrur, September 4
The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has kept all its options open on the issue of contesting the Haryana Assembly elections to be held on October 13.

After holding discussions on these options at the Shimla meeting to be held from September 10 to 12, a final decision will be taken by the party high command on this matter.

Talking to The Tribune today, secretary general, SAD, Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa said the SAD had three options with it, with regard to contesting the Haryana Assembly elections.

First, whether it should contest the elections on its own, second, whether it should contest the elections in alliance with the BJP as the SAD and the BJP were alliance partners in the NDA, and third, whether it should contest the elections in alliance with the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD), he added.

Dhindsa said in case the SAD decided to contest the Haryana Assembly elections, it would contest the elections on various issues, including a major issue that there should not be a separate SGPC for Haryana. Besides this, it would also include its major demand, formation of the All-India Gurdwara Act, in its election agenda.

Chandigarh, September 4
Former Punjab minister and senior Congress leader Jagmohan Singh Kang while welcoming the decision of the SAD-BJP government to do away with the proposal of making new Lalru-Baddi, Mohali-Phagwara express highway, termed it as victory of the Congress and farmer organisations.

Kang said the Congress and farmer organisations had been constantly stating that instead of a new expressway, existing highways should be broadened and strengthened. He claimed that the SAD-BJP government has been forced to withdraw the project because it did not have financial resources to complete it.