Chandigarh, April 29
Political interference has been the bane of education in the state. Teachers’ recruitment and transfers are often guided by political will. The government needs to use the authority vested in it to improve standards of education by sticking to merit in the selections of teachers.

Though the present government has introduced the State Teachers eligibility Test (STET) to set a benchmark for itself, recruitment from among successful candidates is still hanging fire though vacancies are aplenty.

The one golden rule for the government would be to adopt merit as the sole yardstick for employing educationists. The poor standards of education are reflective in the fact that no evaluation system is followed by the school or laid down by the education department. The schools have blanket instructions to promote every child, irrespective of whether he or she has performed in the examination or not. With promotion to the next class guaranteed, students see no incentive to study.

The thrust of the authorities seems to make children literate rather than to educate them.

Ealuation cards need to come back. These will, if nothing else, give the parents a peek into the child’s performance in any academic year. Without report cards, parents complain that they only get to know their child’s performance in the board classes of VIII and X since the schools only declare a child as “pas” or “fail” in the non-board classes. There are no details of the marks scored in various subjects.

Also, in the absence of any regular monitoring, the staff, too, takes it easy, skipping classes at whim. Routine inspections and constituting teams at the block, district and state level for both planned and random checks could make the “errant” teachers fall in line.

In rural areas, village elders and Panchayati Raj bodies could be roped in for the exercise since it is the future of their children that is at stake. A carrot and stick policy could bring some accountability into the system. In this age imparting certain skills to meet life’s challenges counts as much as academics.

The department could evolve its own scale of fields to test students before promoting them to the next class. In the end, it all boils down to one thing ---political will that can be catalytic in ushering in the change everybody wants to see in schools.

On promoting students

We will look into this system of promoting children to the next class. We need some kind of evaluation

Poor English standards

We are considering creating a separate cadre for English teachers

Defunct science labs

We want to promote scientific temper and will seek assistance of the science department to help set up labs

Teachers skipping classes

A strong inspection mechanism will be shortly in place

Lack of furniture

Our priority is to provide dual desks for Class X students in girls’ schools. We’ll cover other schools in phases

— Education Minister Geeta Bhukkal

Chandigarh, April 29
Haryana’s attempts to justify the move to acquire Padma Shri awardee Anjolie Ela Menon’s land , saying it was required to lay down a road for the Commonwealth Games did not find favour with the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

As her petition came up, state counsel claimed the proposed road was required to be laid urgently as it would lead to a CRPF camp, the venue of a shooting event.

Virtually admonishing the state, Justice MM Kumar and Justice Jitendra Chauhan asked the counsel to explain what a common man had to do with the Commonwealth Games when shelter was being taken away from him.

Justice Kumar said a common man was putting all his savings into building a house.

But the state wanted to demolish it, merely because the Commonwealth Games were to be held. The state counsel was asked about other alternatives.

The case stands admitted, to be heard on July 12. The Bench questioned the state on the issue of dispensing with the inquiry under Section 5-A of the Land Acquisition Act.

The right to file objection under Section 5-A is considered valuable and the governments are not given a free hand to dispense with it.

Already the Bench, in another land acquisition case, has held: An opinion is required to be formed by the state government that along with the existence of urgency or unforeseen emergency contemplated by Section 17 (1) and Section 17 (2) respectively, there is also a need for dispensing with Section 5-A inquiry”.

Referring to the case in hand, the Bench added the reasons for dispensing with 5-A have to be recorded in detail. “Invoking the urgency provisions does not mean automatic dispensation with the provisions of 5-A”, the Bench observed.

Referring to the case in hand, the Bench said the reasons for dispensing with 5-A had to be recorded in detail.

“Invoking the urgency provisions does not mean automatic dispensation with the provisions of 5-A”, it observed.

Haryana’s claims that 5-A was dispensed with due to urgency apparently did not impress the Bench. The Judges observed there was a gap of about one year between the notifications under Section 6 and 9. “Where is the question of urgency,” the Bench asked, , adding the affected may succeed in convincing them, if given a hearing.

Menon’s counsel alleged the entire exercise was being carried out to favour a builder.

The road, he added, was required for facilitating access to areas being developed by him and HUDA was not even developing a sector there. Another counsel Deepinder Singh Patwalia said 14 licences had been granted to the builders and their land exempted from the acquisition process. 

Fatehabad, April 29
Wrestling coach Mohinder Singh Bura of Bhiwani was found dead at the local Panchayat Bhawan here today.

The coach had been putting up in the bhawan since April 24 as he was on duty for the “talent hunt” competitions for children being held in the district.

Volleyball coaches - Dhan Raj and Charan Singh - and hockey coach Ravinder, who had been staying with the victim, have been arrested after registering an FIR under Section 302 of the IPC on the complaint of the victim’s son Raj Kamal.

According to the police, the victim was working as wrestling coach at Ding in Sirsa since 1986 and he along with Dhan Raj were staying in room number 8 on the second floor of the building,. Charan Singh was staying in a separate room on the first floor.

The four consumed liquor together till late in the night, following which Ravinder, who resides in the town, went to his house. The victim’s body was found lying on the ground under an open window of room number 8 indicating that he has either fallen from the window accidentally or has been pushed out.

Dhan Raj told the police that he did not find Bura on the bed when he got up at 3.30 am. He first went towards the washroom to find him and then asked guard Baljit Singh as to whether he has seen anyone going out.

Later, his body was found lying on the ground under the window, he added. Baljit Singh reported the matter to the police, when he found that the victim was already dead. A police party reached the Panchayat Bhawan to inspect the spot and informed the victim’s family about the incident.

SP Jagwant Singh Lamba also reached the spot. The police recovered a large number of empty bottles of liquor from the room, where the victim had been staying.

However, the police did not find any evidence to suggest that any altercation took place between the coaches during the night.

However, the victim’s son alleged that his father had been murdered and named the other three coaches for his alleged killing. “We have registered a case of murder on the complaint of the victim’s son and have sent the body for a postmortem,” SHO Arjun Dev Dhundhara.

Kaithal, April 29
A mob threw stones and tried to set a police post on fire in protest the death of a youth of Kithana village in the district. Two Haryana Roadways’ buses were also damaged by the crowd.

The police had to use tear gas shells and resort to a lathicharge to control the unruly crowd. Over 10 persons, including policemen, received injuries. Police reinforcements were summoned from neighbouring Jind district.

Deputy Commissioner Amneet P Kumar, SSP Sandeep Khirwar and SDM Hawa Singh reached the spot. Later, IG, Ambala Range, KK Sandhu also reached Kithana. The senior officers camped there till late evening.

Two village youths had taken another youth, Kaptan, along with them yesterday. Kaptan did not return last night. He was dropped at his house by the two youths this morning in an almost unconscious state. He was taken to a doctor, who declared him brought dead.

The news of death of Kaptan spread like wild fire in the village and soon large number of villagers blocked the Kaithal-Jind highway passing through Kithana village.

Later, Kaptan’s body was brought to the Civil Hospital in Kaithal for a postmortem. The police has registered a criminal case under Sections 302 and 364 against the two youths who had taken Kaptan with them. The situation was tense but under control till the filing of this report.

Sirsa, April 29
The All-India Democratic Women Association, the Student Federation of India, the Democratic Youth Federation of India and the Haryana Gyan Vigyan Samiti have demanded stern action against the teachers responsible for the alleged sexual exploitation of a student of the Journalism and Mass Communication (JMC) Department of Chaudhary Devi Lal University here.

The organisations have also demanded the registration of an FIR under Sections 376 (rape) and 366-A against the Hindi teacher arrested for raping a minor schoolgirl at Shahpur Begu village in this district.

The organisations also castigated the alleged biased role of the police in the case of rape with a differently abled girl at Rangari village in this district.

Herleen, secretary of the SFI, and Pragati from the Haryana Gyan Vigyan Samiti today met the student of the JMC Department who had lodged a complaint of sexual harassment against her two teachers. Activists of the two organisations, along with Balbir Kaur Gandhi, state committee member of the AIDWA, Maya Rani, district president of the AIDWA, and Rustam, secretary of the DYFI, met Deputy Commissioner Yudhbir Singh Khyalia today and sought justice for the victim.

They also demanded the constitution of vigilance committees in all schools and colleges in view of the increasing cases of sexual harassment, molestation and other crime against women.

The organisations and villagers from Shahpur Begu also met the SP and the district education officer demanding stern action against the Hindi teacher responsible for raping a minor schoolgirl at Shahpur Begu.

The organisations also condemned the role of the local police in pressuring the family members of a differently abled girl, who was allegedly raped by three persons.

They alleged that the police has booked the accused for molestiation though the family members of the victim had clearly stated in their complaint that she had been raped. 

Sirsa, April 29
Irate students of Rajendra Polytechnic blocked traffic on the national highway near Sikandarpur village and broke windowpanes of the guardroom of their institute after the management of the institute allegedly sent “goons” to beat them up.

The students said they were sitting on a peaceful dharna outside the institute against the change of several faculty members at the fag end of their semester, when some persons armed with firearms allegedly attacked them. They alleged that the persons sent by the management also fired bullets in the air to intimidate them.

“Students - Satpal and Hanuman - were injured in the incident, while a girl identified as Anshu was beaten up,” alleged Roshan Suchan, state convener of the All-India Students Federation.

“We have lodged a complaint against institute’s chairman Dr Rajinder Sran and others,” he added.

Meanwhile, Dr Sran alleged that some students had ransacked the guardroom and caused damage to the institute’s property after some former teachers of the university misled them.

“A student - Anil Rupana - had an altercation with teacher Ashu Garg some days ago after which the student apologised with intervention of the management. However, Garg was adamant on Rupana’s expulsion from the institute and he along with nine other teachers submitted their mass resignations on the issue. The management was left with no option but to make fresh appointments in their place as the examinations of the students are nearing,” said Dr Sran.

He, however, denied the allegations of the students that some persons sent by the management thrashed them or fired in the air.

Devinder Nain, SHO of the Ding police station, said a case under Sections 285 (negligent conduct with respect to fire or combustible items) and 34 (act done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the IPC on the complaint of student Sat Pal. 

Chandigarh, April 29
Punjab’s former Chief Minister Amarinder Singh is not the only one to be hounded by political rivals out of the assembly and then return to the House on the intervention of the judiciary.

His case is almost a repeat of what had happened in the seventies in Haryana before the Emergency was proclaimed.

Hardwari Lal, considered a maverick politician of Haryana, wrote two books, “A Chief Minister Runs Amuck-Indian Democracy in Danger” and “Emergence of Rough and Corrupt Politics in India-Anatomy of a Chief Minister”. The books were a bitter criticism of the then Haryana strongman Bansi Lal and his style of functioning as Chief Minister.

Two ruling party MLAs, Jagjit Singh Tikka and Girish Chander Joshi, moved a privilege motion against Hardwari Lal in the assembly on November 12, 1973.

They alleged that in his books he had caste a reflection on the Speaker, the House and its members.

The House passed the motion and entrusted it to the Privileges Committee.

The Privilege committee headed by Gulab Singh Jain recommended to the House on January 7, 1975, that Hardwari Lal be expelled and his seat declared vacant.

Hardwari Lal, who would describe himself as the “only fully literate person in Haryana,” moved the Punjab and Haryana High Court against his expulsion. He did not engage any lawyer and contested the case himself.

The case came up before a five-judge Bench headed by the then Chief Justice RS Narula. The other members on the Bench were Justice SS Sandhewalia, Justice PC Jain, Justice Gurnam Singh and Justice Harbans Lal.

The Bench, by a majority judgement, quashed the expulsion of Hardwari Lal on April 28, 1977. Justice Harbans Lal concurred with Justice Narula in upholding the expulsion of the Haryana politician, while Justice Jain and Justice Gurnam Singh agreed with the judgement written by Justice Sandhewalia, quashing the expulsion.

The combined judgement ran into more than 400 pages. 

New Delhi, April 29
The Supreme Court will hear a fresh suit filed by Haryana seeking a directive to Punjab for handing over the control of Madhopur Head Works, Thein Dam/Ranjit Sagar project and the Shahpur Kandi Dam to the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) tomorrow.

The original suit has been listed for a Bench headed by Chief Justice KG Balakrishnan and comprising Justices Deepak Verma and BS Chauhan for preliminary hearing. Besides Punjab, Haryana has named the Centre (Ministries of Water Resources and Power), the BBMB, Rajasthan, and Jammu and Kashmir as respondents.

Haryana has pleaded in the suit that these three projects which were under construction or proposed should be handed over, upon completion, to the BBMB for administration, maintenance and operation for all purposes such as regulation of releases protecting the interests of all partner states, including Himachal Pradesh, J&K, Rajasthan and Haryana.

The state has also sought a decree declaring that Haryana is entitled to share power from the Anandpur Sahib Hydel Project, Kukerian Hydel Project, Thein Dam, UBDC Stage-II and Shahpur Kandi hydel scheme in proportion to its share in the waters.

Karnal, April 29
The two-member team constituted by the Wildlife Department to probe the killing of a leopard in Suraj Nagar Colony near Sugar Mill here on April 19 has given a clean chit to the police.

The committee comprising conservator Suraj Bhan and wildlife officer Navdeep Hooda was constituted by chief wildlife warden after the issue was highlighted and the police was blamed for “reckless killing” of the animal that strayed into the colony.

The police had been maintaining that there was no option but to shoot the leopard as it had already injured six persons and the policemen fired at him when he was attacking chowkidar Lakhi Ram.

The probe committee recorded the statements of over 50 persons, which included the injured, local people and the police personnel and the version of the police was endorsed by villagers and the injured.

Wildlife activists had demanded an inquiry by the Forest Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB). A complaint was also lodged by the Haryana People for Animal Protection seeking action against the erring policemen.

The postmortem report had also established that the leopard had sustained three bullet injuries and six lathi blows that proved fatal. 

Sonepat, April 29
Thirty-six families of Gali No. 1 in the local Ashok Vihar colony heaved a sigh of relief when the demolition of their houses was put off today for 10 days by the district administration on their plea.

These families had purchased land from Rajinder Prasad and Tirath Ram about 30 years ago and constructed houses on it. However, the ownership of the land was disputed by Yogesh Chander in court.

The Punjab and Haryana High Court, while deciding the ownership of the land, gave its decision in favour of Yogesh Chander and directed the administration to give possession of the land to Yogesh Chander.

In compliance with the directions of the court, a demolition squad of the administration, led by Tehsildar Brahm Prakash Ahlawat and SHO Chhotu Ram, reached Gali No. 1 today to raze the houses.

After receiving notices that the administration would demolish the houses on April 29, these families had staged a dharna in which state media in charge of the BJP Rajiv Jain, CPM district secretary Shradha Nand Solanki and prominent citizens of various khaps took part for a peaceful settlement of the matter.

They pleaded with the demolition squad that the affected families had purchased the land at market rates and constructed houses after getting it registered in the revenue records. They pleaded that they should be given some time to settle the matter through a compromise with the owner of the land.

After discussions with the demolition squad, a 12-member committee was formed to bring about a compromise between Yogesh Chander and the affected families within 10 days. 

Sirsa, April 29
The police today arrested three more persons in connection with the criminal case registered against INLD activists on the complaint of Gobind Kanda, younger brother of Haryana Minister Gopal Kanda.

A spokesperson for the district police said Ram Singh Saini from Bhim Colony, Sirsa, Nirmal from the Begu road, Sirsa, and Mukesh Rohilla from Rania Gate area of the town were arrested in connection with the FIR lodged on April 3.

They were produced before a local court from where they have been sent in judicial custody.