Admission to IITs
GND varsity to coach rural students
Amritsar, June 1
Guru Nanak Dev University in collaboration with the Punjab Government has decided to run a centre for preparing rural students for admission in the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) from this academic session.

Ludhiana, June 1
A year after the Department of Social Security and Women and Child Development confessed to the high court that school and college students in the state were hooked to drugs, nothing has been done so far to curb the menace.

Last year the state government had stated to the court that 66 per cent of the school students in the state used tobacco, every third male and every 10th female student had taken drugs and seven out of 10 college students took drugs.

Sleeping pills, tranquilisers, narcotic painkillers, cough syrups, cannabis and its derivatives, including charas, ganja, bhang were being used by youths in the lower strata of society. However, youths from affluent families are hooked to opium and its derivatives, like smack, heroine.

But the de-addiction programmes being run by the state are restricted to de-addiction centres at civil hospitals at district headquarters and those run by the NGOs.

The state does not have enough psychiatrists in civil hospitals and health centres and there is no provision of psychologists in de-addiction centres of the state government, hence no specialised counselling for the addicts.

Psychiatrist and member of the state committee on de-addiction Dr Rajiv Gupta stated that a majority youths that fell for drugs were genetically prone to risk-taking behaviour and enjoyed thrills, adding that every psychiatrist in Punjab gets 50 per cent addicts in his/her OPD.

President of Punjab Rural Medical Service Association Dr Aslam Parvez said, "The medical colleges should have more seats for psychiatrists and psychologists at hospitals. They should get six months training at PGIMER to deal with drug addiction in daily OPDs at every level".

However, a rural medical officer said zamindars, in order to take maximum work from labourers, provide them with free opium, which keeps them high and they work non-stop for long hours.

This is a common practice in Bathinda, Mansa, Muktsar and Malout districts, he said.

Principal Secretary, Health, Satish Chandra, said the state had 30 psychiatrists, but more were needed. He said there were no psychologists at de-addiction centres.

‘‘We have formulated new policy on de-addiction and are fortifying the programme at grassroots level. Also, we will incorporate the recruitment of psychologists," he added.

Chandigarh, June 1
In a major agri initiative to reduce paddy straw burning, the Punjab State Farmers Commission (PSFC) has decided to distribute 200 ‘happy seeders’, machines that sow wheat among standing rice stubbles, among Primary Agriculture Cooperatives Societies (PACS) in the state.

The new ‘happy seeders’ are an improvement on the few machines demonstrated last year with the commission marrying Punjab Agriculture University (PAU), Ludhiana, expertise with inputs from Australian experts and Amritsar-based agriculture machinery fabricator Ram Dass. The resultant machine is lighter and easier to use.

The commission has decided to give 80 machines free of cost and the remaining 120 machines at a 50 per cent subsidy to the PACS. Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has cleared a file regarding this. Each machine costs Rs 1 lakh.

The Farmers Commission Chairman, Dr G S Kalkat, while talking to TNS said the mass-scale introduction of the machines this year would be the first practical step towards reducing burning of paddy straw. He said the machines would halt straw burning in at least 20,000 hectares this year.

According to estimates by the Farmers Commission, as much as Rs 250 crore is lost annually by burning of straw that contains mainly nitrogenous fertiliser. Dr Kalkat said use of ‘happy seeder’ would increase soil fertility besides increasing water retention qualities of the land due to an increase in organic matter in the soil.

A Farmers Commission Member, Dr PS Rangi, said the commission was in the process of requesting the Chief Minister to release more funds for increasing the number of machines so that each PACS could be supplied one machine each. He said efforts were on to ensure two such machines in each village but this was not possible this year due to manufacturing problems.

Meanwhile the commission has also decided to work simultaneously to introduce more straw balers in the state. These balers bind the straw, which can be then supplied to small bio-mass power plants or to sugar mills for generating power.

Chandigarh, June 1
The Punjab government has decided to start the plus one and plus two science classes in the government colleges from the current academic session. Stating this, the Education Minister, Dr Upinderjit Kaur, said the science classes would start in 23 government colleges in the state from July 1.

“The semester system will be introduced for plus one and plus two classes and the first semester exam will be held from September 1, whereas the second semester will start from February 15,” she added. The minister further added that the government colleges would have to affiliate with the Punjab School Education Board up to June 10 for this purpose.

The colleges that will start science classes include Government College for Girls, Amritsar, Government College, Bathinda, Government Brajindra College, Faridkot, Government College, Gurdaspur, Government College, Hoshiarpur, Government Science and Research College, Jagraon, Government College, Jandiala, Government College, Kapurthala, Government College, Kotkapura, Government College, Karamsar Rara Sahib, Government College for Girls, Ludhiana, Government College, Malerkotla, Government College, SAS Nagar (Mohali), Government Ripudaman College, Nabha, Government College, Naya Nangal, Government College for Girls, Patiala, Government College, Patti, Government College, Roop Nagar, Government Ranbir College, Sangrur, Government College, Sidhsar, Government Arts and Science College, Talwara, Government College, Tarn Taran, and Government College, Tanda.

Meanwhile, in another significant decision, the government has decided to make the admission to BEd more transparent. It will conduct centralised online counselling for the BEd course for the coming session in all colleges affiliated to Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, Panjab University, Chandigarh, Punjabi University, Patiala, and Lovely University, Phagwara. This is being done for the first time.

Dr Upinderjit Kaur said the online admission process would be entirely transparent, time saving and economical and will adhere strictly to merit. GND University would conduct online counselling through the website.

Elaborating the eligibility conditions, she added that candidates with at least 50 per cent marks either in the bachelor’s degree and / or in the Master’s degree or any other qualification declared equivalent thereto, would be eligible for admission to the programme. Candidates with 49.90 or less marks would not be eligible.

“The reservation for SC/ST/OBC and other categories will be as per the rules of the Central Government/ state government, whichever is applicable. There will be a relaxation of 5 per cent marks in favour of SC/ ST/OBC and other categories of candidates,” she said.

Merit of each candidate will be determined on the basis of marks secured by him or her in the qualifying degree and there will not be any entrance test. 

Amritsar, June 1
Guru Nanak Dev University in collaboration with the Punjab Government has decided to run a centre for preparing rural students for admission in the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) from this academic session.

Vice-Chancellor AS Brar here today claimed that the government had issued a grant of about Rs 1.40 crore for the project. He said he had taken up this initiative on the pattern of Bihar, where an NGO imparted coaching to bright students from economically backward sections. He wanted to replicate the model here so that the students from lower strata of society could crack the IIT Entrance Test.

Under the scheme, students from rural areas of the state, who have scored 60 per cent or more marks in matriculation and income of the parents below Rs 4 lakh per annum, would be eligible to join the program. About 50 students would be selected on the basis of merit from an entrance test. They would be provided all facilities, including boarding and lodging, free of cost. Apart from imparting instructions for class XI and class XII, these students would be given extra coaching to equip them to crack IIT-JEE 2012-13.

The government had constituted a committee with the GND varsity V-C as its chairman and Secretary (Higher Education), Secretary (Finance) and two more secretaries would be its members. Prof MPS Ishar has been nominated as secretary of the committee.

The program would run for five years in the initial stage and given its success rate it could be extended. 

Ludhiana, June 1
This was neither a scene from a Bollywood blockbuster nor were they trying to display any strength. The BA, BSc and MA degree holders today gathered at the SCD Government College for Boys to pass the practical exam for the post of fireman in the Fire Department. So desperate were they to get work, it hardly mattered to them that they were highly qualified for that particular job. Even the authorities conducting the test were surprised to get such educated candidates.

Buta Singh, a BSc (IT) graduate from PTU, Jalandhar, is trying hard to get through the exam as for the past two years, he is running from pillar to post to get a respectable job, but to no avail. "I know that this is a contractual job for just six-eight months and I will be getting not more than Rs 3,300 a month. But unemployment has brought frustration, desperation in me," he said.

Another graduate from SCD College, who is pursuing a Master’s degree from the same college, Ganesh Kumar, said he wanted to support the family financially and he had already given trials for the Punjab police, Army/Railways, etc but luck didn’t favour him till date. "I cannot keep on waiting to get a job of my choice. I have seen unemployed youth getting hooked to drugs due to frustration. I certainly do not see myself that way," he said.

Additional Commissioner, MC, Kamalpreet Kaur Brar, under whose supervision the tests are being held, told The Tribune that about 340 applicants had applied for 40 posts of fireman, out of which 325 applications were found valid. A majority of them were well qualified. "The practical exam includes rope climbing of about eight-10 feet, holding a heavy iron ladder vertically from the third and sixth step and running about 100 yards carrying a bag weighing 60 kg," said Brar. 

Jalandhar, June 1
While about 1,42,600 students are waiting for the release of funds by the Centre for scholarships for minority students, Chief Secretary SC Aggarwal has convened a meeting of the officials concerned tomorrow to deal with the issue.

The Centre had released the money to the state government for fiscal year 2009-10 well in time. However, it had not been further released for the students. The scholarship scheme is a part of the Prime Minister’s new 15-point programme for the welfare of minorities. Its objective is to provide scholarship to meritorious students belonging to economically weaker sections of minority community so as to provide them better opportunities for higher education and enhance their employability.

Under the merit-cum-means segment, students enrolled in engineering, medical and other colleges are covered. For those enrolled in engineering colleges notified by the Centre, there is a provision for reimbursement of full fee and other charges under the scheme.

Sources said in post-matric category 17,736 students were selected for scholarship and in pre-matric category 1,23,907 were selected. Under merit-cum-means 1,815 students were chosen. Names of the students selected for scholarship have been put on the website.

Sources said at tomorrow’s meeting, the Chief Secretary is expected to direct the Finance Department to release the money. 

Jalandhar, June 1
While the police had investigated the death of an aged woman in January this year and submitted a challan to a Kapurthala court, husband of the deceased feels that his daughter-in-law and grandson have been falsely implicated in the case.

Currently residing in an old age home, Shashi Bhushan Randev (84) wants his statement to be recorded by a judicial magistrate “in the interest of justice”. According to Randev, he along with his wife Kanta Randev and granddaughter Avantika were the only inmates in his house on the night of January 21 when the incident took place.

He said after they had their dinner, he went to bed while Kanta went to the roof for an after-dinner walk. Avantika heard a noise and found that the old lady had fallen to the ground, he claims. She was taken to hospital, but was declared brought dead.

The police, however, instituted a case of murder and arrested the deceased’s widowed daughter-in-law and grandson. Randev claims that his other son had instigated the complaint and prompted the police with the motive to grab their property.

The old man states that the elder son, who lives in Chandigarh, had reached Kapurthala several hours after his mother’s death and was in no position to know what had happened. The daughter-in-law and the grandson, he added, were not present in the house as they had gone to the police station in connection with complications arising out of the elopement of his other granddaughter.

Kapurthala SSP Ram Singh said it was for the trial court to decide the case and added that if a representation was made to him by the husband and granddaughter of the deceased, the police would act as per the law.

Randev’s elder son has denied allegations and claimed that a day before her death, Kanta Randev had expressed in writing her apprehension that she and her husband could be eliminated by their grandson. His father, he claimed, is making the allegations in order to protect the grandson, who would otherwise languish in prison.

Fatehgarh Sahib, June 1
The Agriculture Department has introduced a machine under the Central government-sponsored ATMA (Agriculture Technology Management Agency) scheme that makes organic manure in just 45 days, whereas conventionally it takes nearly eight months for the same.

Chief Agriculture Officer, Fatehgarh Sahib, Sarabjit Kandhari said the machine costed nearly Rs 7 lakh and it was put on display under the public private partnership scheme of the ATMA for seven villages. He said farmers, who were keen on the machine, could hire it at Rs 500-700, as per availability.

This machine prepares organic manure in just 45 days. All farmers have to do is to gather the compost and form a 5-ft wide and 3-ft high platform. There are no limitations for the length. Before using the machine, biofertiliser culture - living organisms, including actinomycetes, should be sprayed over the compost by mixing 1 l jaggery in 10 l water. The machine should be used on the ‘platform’ thrice a day every fortnight, and within just 45 days, organic manure is ready for use in agriculture fields.

The machine sprays water during its use, which increase moisture level and the temperature rises to 70° C and, hence, all harmful insects get killed.

Patiala, June 1
The Punjab Chapter of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) has rejected the Clinical Establishments (Registration & Regulation) Bill-2010 recently passed by the Lok Sabha. The Bill aims for minimum standards of facilities and services to be provided by clinical establishments to the public.

In a recently held state council meeting under the leadership of RS Parmar, president of IMA, Punjab, it was observed that the Bill, which was passed unanimously by the Lok Sabha, was neither people-friendly nor acceptable to the IMA in its present form.

According to the Bill, no doctor will be able to examine a patient at a place except the one that is registered under his name. The cost of improving clinical establishments will ultimately fall upon the patients and cost of treatment may shoot up.

According to OPS Kande, chairman of legal cell of IMA, Punjab, who has sent proposed amendments to the IMA headquarters, the IMA had a cadre of over two lakh members and manages more than 70 per cent health care by allopathic doctors but had only one representative in the National Council for Clinical Establishments.

According to DS Bhullar, co-chairman of Public Relations Committee, IMA, Punjab, since health was a state subject, the state should not adopt the Bill, rather it must strengthen the already existing Punjab Medical Council by giving district-wise representation to allopathic doctors.

The IMA planned to start a national-level move to oppose the Bill before it is passed to the Rajya Sabha, he added.

Chandigarh, June 1
A petition has been filed before the Punjab State Electricity Regulatory Commission (PSERC) demanding the state government to compensate Powercom in case it overdraws power from the central grid.

The petition, filed by engineer Gurnek Singh Brar, demands that the PSERC should give advance payments for such overdrawls.

Brar has also claimed that Powercom has been flouting the tariff order of the commission. He said in working out the energy purchase requirement of the state for 2010-11, the commission had determined the gross power purchase requirement as 15,070 million units.

However, the actual availability as determined by the commission was 15,619 mu with nil power purchase in short term through traders and nil energy through grid overdrawl. The commission assessed that there was a surplus of 549 mu that was valued at Rs 137.25 crore and the power purchase requirement allowed to the PSEB was accordingly reduced from Rs 3,911 crore to Rs 3,774 crore.

Chandigarh, June 1
Nearly six months after Punjab cadre IAS officer Vijay Kumar Janjua was booked in an alleged corruption case, the state of Punjab today claimed that it was competent to grant prosecution sanction.

In an affidavit placed before Justice Ajay Tewari of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, Under Secretary in the Department of Personnel Yog Raj Sharma said the Vigilance Bureau and the Department of Vigilance solicited the competent authority’s approval for prosecuting the officer on the basis of material collected by them during the investigation.

“The proposal was examined by the competent authority from all aspects, including the record produced by the Vigilance Bureau through the Vigilance Department…. After taking into account the material on record, the competent authority found it to be a fit case for the grant of prosecution sanction. Accordingly, under Rule 19 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, prosecution sanction was accorded on April 27,” Sharma said. He added the state government was competent to grant prosecution sanction under Rule 19 (b).

Janjua had earlier sought directions for quashing the state government order granting sanction for his prosecution in the matter. In his petition, Janjua stated he was booked in a case under the provisions of Prevention of Corruption Act on November 9, 2009, when he was posted as Director, Industries. On April 27, the Punjab government granted sanction to prosecute him, it was not authorised to do so. The sanction can be granted only by the Union of India.