Shimla, November 8
Under fire from various quarters for opening floodgates to private universities, the government is considering steps to ensure that these institutions do not end up as teaching shops and come up in a time-bound manner.

Letters of interest (LoIs) have been given for 16 private universities, out of which seven have already come into existence through enactment of specific legislations. However, only two of these figure in the list of the University Grants Commission (UGC).

The universities are being allowed without any prospective plan as a result of which in districts like Solan there will be more universities than degree colleges.

With no effective regulatory body at the national or state level, a “free for all” like situation is arising. The common refrain is that the downturn in real estate is leading to upswing in commercial education; it has not much to do with improving academic standards or expanding infrastructure of higher education.

The interests of the state have not been safeguarded as evident from the fact that there is no maximum limit or norms for allotment of land, which is indeed scarce in hills, and the mandatory clause for providing employment to bonafide Himachalis is also missing. While there could be reservations regarding the teaching faculty in this regard, but for various administrative posts and Class III and Class IV, even 100 per cent reservation for Himachalis is justified.

The manner in which legislations are being enacted to set up universities with nothing on the ground, also goes against the verdict of the Supreme Court according to which a university cannot be set up merely on a paper proposal and it presupposes existence of multi faculties, buildings, well-equipped libraries, play grounds and other infrastructure.

Further, professional instutions like medical, nursing and engineering colleges are allowed in the state only after getting a nod from the respective national regulatory councils. However, in case of universities, no such approval is required from the UGC or any other such body which could lead to recognition of the degrees of pass outs in other states.

An independent regulatory body is required not only for ensuring proper infrastructure, uniform academic calendar, transparency in examination system, common entrance test (CET) for admission, but also for ensuring high academic standards.

A better course will be to affiliate the proposed institutions with existing universities for a period of five to 10 years and they should be granted status of a full-fledged university only after the required infrastructure is put in place. Setting up universities in undue haste could jeopardise the future of students, particularly, when the promoters do not have any experience in the field of education.

The government is now considering to impose a limit on the maximum land to be allotted and increasing the initial amount to be deposited to Rs 3 crore and incorporating a provision that in case of failure to set up the institution on the approved lines, the land will be vested back to the government.

Shimla, November 8
The Tourism Department will come out with a coffee table book, detailing the history, heritage and folklore associated with the erstwhile summer capital of the British Raj as records and visuals from the old schools and other prominent century-old institutes are being collected.

The book will have details about eminent personalities, including various Viceroys like Lord Mountbatten and his wife Edwina, Rabindranath Tagore, Rudyard Kipling, Amrita Shergill and the grandson of Charles Dickens. Exhaustive research work has already been undertaken, including black and white sketches of 110 heritage buildings, with whom some great personalities have remained associated.

“I have personally written to all prominent educational institutes like Bishop Cotton School (BCS) and St Bede’s College so that some rare documents or photographs in their possession could be included in the book, likely to be completed by March next year,” informed Arun Sharma, Director, Tourism. He added that the motive behind coming out with a coffee table book is to give an “all season-all flavour” image to Shimla with reflections of the nostalgic Raj era, a hill station character and folklore like the one associated with Scandal Point.

The department is exploring the possibility of having the work done with help from a sponsor so that the funding part can be taken care of. The coffee table book featuring Shimla with all its aspects is targeted at the foreign tourists, especially the British, many of whom come here looking for houses and places associated with their forefathers while they served here in India during the British Raj.

The officials of the department have been able to lay their hands on some rare documents like the one which shows the ownership of the “Goodwood” building on the Longwood area in the name of the grandson of Charles Dickens. The other charismatic personality, Amrita Shergill, about whom there are several anecdotes would also be featured in the book. The name of Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai who has spent a good part of his youth in Shimla while doing his masters in Himachal Pradesh University would also figure in the book. The Tourism Department has already engaged the services of an artist who will prepare the entire concept of the coffee table book.

It has also collected some rare letters and inputs from the descendants of erstwhile rulers to get first hand information in the form of letters or recorded evidence of the folklore associated with them.

Shimla, November 8
The government can consider enhancing the fine for violations under the Motor Vehicle Act as well as cancel the driving licences of habitual offenders to curb accidents taking place in the state.

With accidents claiming many lives every year in the hill state, the government will get the issue examined legally and recommend the Centre to enhance the penalties for various offences. Similarly, efforts will also be made to cancel the licences of drivers who violate law.

“No fine can be enough for an offence which claims lives of people but all the same enhancing it will certainly act as a deterrent and make people more cautious,” said PC Kapoor, Principal Secretary, Transport. He said the matter would be examined and accordingly steps would be initiated to check the accidents.

Even though the issue of making it compulsory for drivers engaged by private buses to undergo training in the Himachal Roadways Transport Corporation (HRTC) driving schools has been under discussion but it has not been made mandatory. “We now propose to have a panel which will have government representatives from the transport department as well as representatives of private bus operators who will take the driving test of those engaged to drive private buses,” said Kapoor.

With the hills being rugged, the casualties of accidents in Himachal is very high as in the case of the recent bus accident in Kangra.

Each time there is a major accident, there is talk of bringing about reforms but nothing materialises.

After the fatal accident of a private bus at Lambidhar near Kufri here last year on November 4, leaving 56 persons dead not much has changed.

As per data a total of 670 persons have died in 103 accidents involving all kinds of vehicles in Himachal by August this year.

Shimla, November 8
Incidents of road rage, rowdyism and rash driving, which put the safety of pedestrians and other vehicle owners at risk, are on the rise with mostly the youth involved in traffic violations and rash behaviour.

The problem is more aggravated in the sealed and restricted areas where entry of vehicles is strictly regulated. Non-permit holders making their way to such areas results in congestion and frequent brawls.

In one such incident recently, Vikas Dogra, a Reader in the journalism department of Himachal Pradesh University, sustained a head injury as he was assaulted by a youth, Raj Kamal Mehta, in the US Club area. Not only was the youth drunk, a fact confirmed by his medical, but he also attacked Dogra over giving passage to a vehicle on the narrow road.

Though a case has been registered against the youth under Sections 341, 323, 324, 427 and 506 of the IPC, the police is yet to ascertain if he had also violated the Shimla Road Users Act, 2007, by driving into a restricted area without a permit.

In the entire stretch of the Forest Road from St Bede’s College and the US Club area, one can see youths openly consuming drugs and liquor even during day time. These youths drive into the restricted and sealed areas and pick up fights with others over parking or giving way on the narrow roads.

Regular patrolling by the police can act as a deterrent and ensure the safety of pedestrians as well as other vehicle owners. The fact that there is insufficient checking by the police on these roads, especially around the Rama Chandra Chowk, adds to the problem.

Sundernagar, November 8
Annoyed over the slow progress in investigation by the Sundernagar police in to the death of Gagnesh (45), a resident of Dhaneshari village, a deputation from the village, along with the family members of the deceased, met Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal yesterday here and demanded a speedy inquiry into the matter.

The Chief Minister assured a fair inquiry into the matter and directed Mandi SP for speedy investigation into the matter. Gagnesh, who was an employee of the HP State Co-Operative Bank, Nerchowk, was missing since October 20. His wife also ran away with her paramour and abandoned her two sons.

The family members lodged a report at the police station and pleaded for the arrest of the accused.

However, according to family members of the deceased, the police did not take any steps to arrest the wife of the victim and her paramour. On November 3, the body of Gagnesh was recovered from the BBMB reservoir.

Annoyed over the attitude of the police, a deputation from Dhaneshari village met the Chief Minister yesterday and demanded an inquiry into the matter. According to DSP Raj Kumar Chandel, the case was earlier registered regarding the missing victim but now, with the recovery of his body, the section would be altered after receiving the medical opinion.

He further said various teams had been deputed to arrest the accused.

Shimla, November 8
Sounding a note of caution against China, Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat said here today that India should not be misled by fake peace gestures of the inimical country and instead take notice of its deeper designs as apparent from the build-up of nuclear arsenal in Tibet, diversion of the Brahmaptura and incursion into Arunachal Pradesh.

Addressing a combined gathering of swayamsewaks and citizens, he said China had been saying that it was not interested in fighting with India but the ground realities revealed that its was creating infrastructures which would enable it to wage a war at its own convenience anytime in future. India had no option but to be prepared for it and for which action had to be taken on ground and match China, which was trying to encircle it by befriending the neighbouring countries on the global diplomacy front too.

Pakistan was fomenting terrorism and the country had, by its wrong policies, almost lost Nepal. Maoists were being encouraged in Bangladesh, Myanmar was closer to China and there was also a danger of losing Sri Lanka. India had much to ponder over to safeguard its future and play an effective role at the international level to help the world face the socio-cultural and economic fallout of 
globalisation.

The ongoing process of globalisation not only endangered the economy of poor countries but also pose a serious threat to cultural identities. In such a scenario a country like India, which had successfully maintained diversities by following all-embracing philosophy of Hindutva which did not believe in religious conversions.

Chief Minister PK Dhumal and most of his Cabinet colleagues such as JP Nadda and Rajiv Bindal, were present in the “Gan Vesh”, the dress of swayamsewaks. Earlier, the swayamsewaks staged an impressive march past through the main streets 
of the city.

Palampur, November 8
In the absence of coordination between state vigilance agencies and the Income Tax Department, the IT authorities could not initiate any action against the officials arrested by the Vigilance Bureau in the past two years on the charges of corruption and amassing wealth disproportionate to their income.

Though in a number of cases, the vigilance agencies have already completed the investigations and have also filed charge sheets in the court against the officials for acquiring assets disproportionate their income, no such information has been passed to the I-T Department, which could initiate action against such officials and sue them under the Income Tax Act, 1961.

As per information collected by The Tribune, the Vigilance Bureau had been investigating over two dozen cases in which the officials had been charged with amassing movable and immovable wealth disproportionate to their income. The bureau had already seized their bank accounts, records pertaining to purchase of plots and immovable wealth. But no such information is there with the I-T Department.

As per rules, both agencies should exchange such information and the bureau should be in touch with other revenue agencies also and pass on such information from time to time.

Official sources said until the documentary evidence was passed to the I-T Department, no proceeding could be initiated against the officials facing vigilance cases.

It was seen in the newspapers daily that vigilance agencies had been arresting officials, seizing cash and other bank accounts but such information was never passed to the Commissioner, Income tax, or to the investigating wing of the department.

If such information is passed after three four years, the matter becomes “barred by limitation” and the department cannot take any action.

Shimla, November 8
The voter turnout in the Rohru Assembly constituency has been 69.36 per cent and in the Jawali segment 66.99 per cent, as per the final figures of polling released by the Election Department.

Chief Electoral Officer Anil Kumar Khachi said here today that the voter turnout was comparable to the last Vidhan Sabha elections in Rohru constituency, while it witnessed 5 per cent drop in Jawali.

He said 209 polling parties were deployed in the two constituencies out of which 202 polling parties had reported back yesterday, while seven polling parties from Dodra-Kawar reached the Returning Officer’s Headquarters today. All EVMs had been sealed in the strong rooms with tight security.

In Jawali voting exceeded 80 per cent in three booths whereas another 33 polling stations registered more than 70 per cent and 46 stations in excess of 60 per cent. The maximum voter turn out of 83.67 per cent was recorded in Charudi polling station. The women voter turnout was 71.74 per cent.

In the case of Rohru the highest voter turnout of 93.09 per cent was recorded in Andreothi polling station. Polling exceeded 80 per cent in 13 booths, 70 per cent in 64 booths and 60 per cent in 25 booths. The female voter turnout stood at 66.15 per cent, the maximum female voter turnout of 90.91 per cent was registered in Pandar booth.

Kullu, November 8
The HPSEB Junior Engineers and Additional Assistant Engineers’ Association has taken a unanimous decision to launch a state-wide non-cooperation movement if the state electricity board did not negotiate its long-pending demands within 15 days.

Addressing a media conference here last evening, association’s president Daleep Singh Dhatwalia lashed out on senior officials and members of the electricity board for avoiding talking to the aggrieved engineers despite the directions by Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal.

He said the board had fabricated irrational promotion quota and the junior engineers were working at the same post for the past 30 years and many of them were at the verge of retirement. He ridiculed the clause of the promotion quota kept for a category that did not even exist.

More than 150 posts of JEs and AEs were lying vacant for the past many years. The non-filling of these posts had not only hampered the working of the board but also affected the public.

The association had decided to agitate against the trifurcation of the board and had submitted a plan to the Chief Minister for making it a limited company. Dhatawalia alleged that the bureaucrats were favouring the division of the board so that they could enjoy the top posts of CMDs and MDs. He further said they were hellbent on throwing the power generation into the hands of private companies; hence, putting an additional burden on the consumers in future.

He further blamed the past and present state governments for playing into the hands of private sector.

Dhatwalia said the state government had also failed in getting the MoU with the NHPC implemented, as the 30 per cent engineers and non-technical staff was to be from the state but that mark has not crossed even 3 per cent.

Dalhousie, November 8
Five persons, including driver Duni Chand, were seriously injured when the tractor (HP73-0654) on which they were travelling met with an accident near Kulala village under the Kihar police station of the district last evening.

According to police sources, the injured were admitted to a nearby Civil Hospital. A case of rash and negligent driving had been registered against the driver.

In another incident, which took place on the Maluda road, near Dalhousie, Anil Kumar was found dead on the road as an unidentified vehicle hit him last evening.