Amritsar, August 6
Prof A.S. Brar, Vice-Chancellor, Guru Nanak Dev University, has said the degrees of all examinations conducted by the University during the last five years would be posted on the Internet during the current year.

He said the path breaking move would help in assessing the accuracy of the degrees and curtailing the cases of fake degrees.

Brar, who has been heading the varsity for nearly a little over a year, said two nobel laureates, Dr Kurt Wurthrich from USA and Dr Richard Ernst from Switzerland would be honoured by the university with Honours Causa Degrees in the 37th Annual Convocation to be held in March next year.

He took some revolutionary decisions during his new assignment after resigning from first stint of Vice-Chancellor of Lucknow University. The varsity pioneered in the north region by starting online admissions and counselling, bringing transparency in the examination and evaluation system. Doing away the entrance test for admissions it introduced the Credit-Based Evaluation System similar to prestigious IITs. Having taught at IIT Delhi for a long it was but natural for him to implement the mechanism at this varsity located close to International border with Pakistan.

He said, “India Today ranked the Guru Nanak Dev University at No. 16 among the top 20 universities in India. If we exclude the Central Government funded universities, we stand at ninth place, a rank higher than any other university in the north.

Prof Brar said for the successful completion of online admission procedure, the university has setup 10 help desks in the computer centre to help the applicants. He said still the online admission counselling for State level Law, B.Ed and MBA-MCA, was under progress.

As per the credit based evaluation system, the teachers would be responsible for designing of courses, set question papers and evaluate them. He said that the new system would also ensure continuing in the teaching and assessment. He said the students would be evaluated continuously in the minor and major tests and quizzes.

Guru Nanak Dev University is committed for the upliftment of rural masses, keeping this in view, the Vice-Chancellor submitted a proposal to the Government of Punjab to provide coaching to the matriculation passed students from rural areas for admission to Indian Institutes of Technology. He with a financial support of Rs. 1.4 crore from the State government had setup a Progressive Education Society. This Society has completed the process of admission of fifty students in +1 and the classes have started at Khalsa College Public School. These 50 students have been selected on the basis of an Entrance Test which was conducted at State level. Initially, this project would for five years and it would be extended subsequently keeping in view its success rate.

He said in order to encourage and promote research and teaching, the University has already increased the percentage of the budget allocation by 63.56 percent. To promote the quality education in the rural areas, the University has decided to start University Colleges in the rural areas of Gurdaspur, Tarn Taran and Kapurthala districts. In this regard, the University has already started a College has already been started Bebe Nanaki College at village Mithra in Kapurthala district from this academic session. Remaining two rural colleges would be started very shortly, he added. 

Amritsar, August 6
Finally sparing a thought for senior citizens, the city police today set up a Senior Citizens’ Cell, headed by an inspector rank officer at the Circuit House police post here.

The cell would address the grievances of elderly people in the city, besides other issues concerning their security and safety.

The cell, in collaboration with several NGOs, would guide them on legal aspects if the need arises. It would work under the direct supervision of the Commissioner of Police, Varinder Kumar Sharma.

“I have observed that about 3-4 such aggrieved senior citizens used to approach me daily and in routine I used to mark it further to the respective police station, but it helped little in solving their problems. In fact, it only added to their woes as the process became very time consuming for them, sometimes even involving making rounds of police stations in order to get their grievances addressed,” said the Commissioner.

While detailing, he said the cell would provide counseling, orientation and legal guidance to the elderly in getting their genuine rights.

Usually, the senior citizens, who are thrown out of their houses by their wards, or undergo harassment at their hands, approach the police, admitted the Police Commissioner.

We will make them aware of their various rights under the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, he added.

“The focus would be on providing time-bound justice to them without any hassle,” added Varinder Kumar.

The main objectives behind the setting up of the cell are to coordinate safety and security of senior citizens, monitoring senior citizens by interacting with them on a regular basis, regular advice to area police with respect to the safety of senior citizens residing in their jurisdiction, coordinating police verification of domestic help and helping senior citizens in case of personal problems relating to desertion by children/relatives, legal problems as well as matters relating to property.

Distressed senior citizens can approach the Senior Citizens Cell office at Police Post Circuit House, Amritsar directly or through helpline telephone numbers, 100, 97811-30321 and 98787-00009.

I have observed that about 3-4 such aggrieved senior citizens used to approach me daily and in routine I used to mark it further to the respective police station, but it helped little in solving their problems. In fact, it only added to their woes as the process became very time consuming for them, sometimes even involving making rounds of police stations in order to get their grievances addressed — Police Commissioner

Amritsar, August 6
The four-day programmes held to remember the founder of the All India Pingalwara Charitable Society Bhagat Puran Singh, concluded with the bhog of Akhand Path.

Jatha of Hazoori Raagi of Golden Temple Bhai Ranjit Singh performed Gurbani kirtan on the 18th death anniversary of Bhagatji, as he was fondly called.

The series of programmes concluded with a symposium and deliberation on the personality of Bhagat Puran Singh.

Former Akal Takht Jathedar, Giani Joginder Singh Vedanti, social worker Bhagwant Singh Dilawari, head Akhand Kirtani Jatha International, Bhai Baldev Singh, delved on the personality who strived for amelioration of the sufferings of deserted poor patients, mentally challenged and the poor.

A souvenir was also released. During the four-day-long programme, a photo exhibition of natural farming and victims of the Bhopal Gas Tragedy were held. A blood donation camp drew youth and middle aged persons from different walks of life.

Dr Gopal Kabra, an expert, delivered a guest lecture on the Harmful impact of pesticides on the reproductive system and a cultural programme by the students of the Pingalwara Society was performed. 

Amritsar, August 6
Almost a century-old pipal tree at busy intersection of Chatiwind Chowk, just a few metres away from the historic shrine of Shaheed Baba Deep Singh, has been axed.

The incident has shocked the environmentalists, who are working hard to make the city green. What is more deplorable is that no authority is taking the responsibility for the incident.

The civic authorities have passed the buck to an NGO, who was handed over the project of maintenance and beautification of the chowk. However, the NGO denied any role in chopping of the tree.

The environmentalists stressed on the formulation of a concrete policy for saving of ancient and age-old trees from being axed as in the absence of such a policy, the authorities have miserably failed to protect green belts.

Earlier, about 40 trees at Canal Colony, belonging to the Irrigation Department, were chopped by the Punjab Urban Development Authority for the construction of residential flats for officials of the Irrigation Department.

“What is the administration doing? Is it sleeping? On one hand, the Municipal Corporation, district administration and other government agencies are encouraging to plant more and more trees, while on the other it is a complete failure for saving age-old trees that have become a heritage in themselves,” Deepak Babbar, convener, Mission Aagaaz, an NGO, said.

“Its really shocking that a tree like pipal, which provides oxygen 24 hours a day and helps in making environment pollution-free, has been chopped. It is very serious problem and government should address this problem immediately,” said Jagmohan Singh of the Lok Kalyan Samiti.

S.S. Sharma, social worker, who took up the issue, pointed out that, “I have already expressed my apprehension to the MC, district administration, Mayor, Punjab Pollution Control Board and Principal Secretary in this regard about a year ago. But the civic and administrative authorities did not give a little thought over the issue and now the result is there for everyone to see.”

He alleged that he had personally given the information about cutting of trees to the authorities, but nobody turned up at the place or took any initiative to save the tree. He demanded a high-level probe into the episode to bring the culprits, responsible for cutting the tree, to book. He apprehended a conspiracy into the whole incident.

Tarn Taran, August 6
Jagjit Singh, a constable posted at the Sadar police station, went missing with wireless sets and documents of the police station under mysterious circumstances.

A case under section 409, IPC, has been registered against the constable at the city police station.

The normal functioning of the police station remained affected for more than a day due to the non-availability of wireless sets.

ASI Shingara Singh, who was to relieve Jagjit Singh after he completed his duty, in his statement to the authorities said Jagjit took away the log book, wireless sets, batteries, etc.

Amritsar, August 6
The Bharti Kissan Union (Ekta) alleged that the Special Investigation Team of the police constituted to find the culprits behind the murder of farmer leader Sadhu Singh Takhtupura was actually working to shield the real culprits.

Joginder Singh Ugrahan and Sukhdev Singh Kokri Kalan, President and General Secretary of the Union, respectively, claimed that statements of farmer leaders like Sukhwinder Singh Sukha and others who had sustained injuries during the attack on Takhtupura were not taken in authenticity. They alleged that the statements were taken from the persons of the opposite group in order to consolidate their case.

Meanwhile, another farmer organisation, Kisan Sangharsh Committee, initiated the agitation against a private blanket mill located on Harike-Amritsar highway for reportedly discharging untreated water in adjoining land of the Forest Department. — TNS