Shimla, February 16
Private universities will not be able to run courses in violation of the norms regarding the basic infrastructure, faculty and admission procedure with the government providing more teeth to the Himachal Pradesh Private Educational Institutions Regulatory Commission.

The state Cabinet has amended the relevant rule to vest the commission with directive powers which will enable it to effectively enforce the rules and regulations. The private institutions will have no option but to comply with its direction as it is already vested with powers to impose huge penalties and it can even order the closure of errant institutions, if required. It can also use the directive powers to bring about systematic improvements in the institutions which are willing to abide by the rules and regulations.

Armed with more powers, the commission has made it clear that the approval for various courses for the coming academic session will be granted keeping in view the available infrastructure and faculty, and the intake will be fixed for each course accordingly. The universities will no longer be able to increase or decrease the number of seats and merge courses at will as these had been doing in the past.

The private universities which had started the PhD programme without approval have finally admitted to having registered candidates. Initially, these were evasive even though there were reports and even complaints from some of the candidates that some private universities were selling PhD degrees. In fact, the name of a Solan-based university figured in a sting operation conducted in Rajasthan by a TV news channel according to which the degree was available for Rs 1.46 lakh and the modus operandi was to register the candidate on a back date as the UGC had made the national entrance test mandatory for admission.

Moreover, it takes about four years to complete the PhD whereas there is no guarantee that the teachers appointed as guides will have such a long tenure in most of the universities where a bulk of the staff is replaced almost every session. In such a situation, allowing PhD without well-established graduate and postgraduate programmes and without the mandatory UGC test will only encourage malpractices and leave scope for fake degrees.

The government should direct the universities to return the registration fees of the candidates and frame a proper policy for allowing the PhD programme selectively from the next academic session and it should be ensured that only those who have qualified the UGC test are given admission.

Mandi, February 16
Over 200 devis and devtas will descend from their hill abodes on this temple town for the week-long International Shivratri Fair set to start here from February 21 with the traditional divine procession of Raj Madhav, believed to be the presiding lord of the fair.

After the traditional puja performed by Shivaratri Mela Committee (SMC) Chairman-cum-DC, Mandi, at the Raj Madhav temple in Damdama palace, built by erstwhile kings of the former Mandi state, devtas will pay their obeisance at the temple and the Bhootnath temple before they take shelter in traditional venues in the town.

On February 21, the devtas will participate in the traditional procession of Raj Madhav in which Chief Minister PK Dhumal will be the chief guest. The procession will start from the Raj Madhav temple to the Paddal Maidan, where the devis and the devtas mingle with one another and bless devotees before they proceed back on a home journey.

The Shivratri festival is unique as it begins when the Shivratri festivities end in the rest of the country. It is a rare fair as it combines three main religious traditions represented by Lord Shiva, Lord Krishna and Lord Vishnu, said cultural pandits here.

Apart from the procession, the SMC has invited six major performers for the cultural nights. The first cultural night on February 21 will feature a Punjabi singer.

The mela committee will also dish out a reality show presented by Swarup Khan of the “Voice of India” fame and Priyani Vani of the “Indian Idol” fame on the second cultural night on February 22.

Punjabi singer Master Salim will perform on February 23. The “qawwali” night by Shabari Brothers and a laugher show will be held on February 24. Himachali folk artistes will perform on February 25 night.

Kunal Ganjavala will present his show on February 26, said HR Chouhan, ADC-cum-in charge of the committee.

Devesh Kumar, DC, Mandi, said they had kept all tastes in mind during the Shivratri festival.

The committee was also holding rural sports and children’s show at the Paddal Maidan, he added.

SP, Mandi, Abhishek Dular said law and order, traffic and parking arrangements have been made and extra police force would be deployed during the festival.

Shimla, February 16
Expressing concern over the declining gender ratio, chairperson of the Central Social Welfare Board Prema Cariappa today warned that if the trend was not reversed, brides would be hard to find in the worst-affected states like Haryana.

Addressing mediapersons, she said there was an urgent need for improving the gender ratio and besides taking legal measures, concerted efforts were required to change the mindset of people. There was a deep-ingrained notion among people even in developed states that daughters were a burden. It was the main reason for high incidence of female foeticide in states like Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Bihar. It was a social problem and it could be solved only by changing the mindset of society as a whole.

The unhealthy social tradition of dowry and that sons were necessary to propagate the family were also responsible for the people’s obsession for the male child. However, in recent times the situation had changed and it was being acknowledged that daughters were more loyal and caring for the parents whereas sons were abandoning them during old age.

The board had been organising campaigns to educate people and it was also helping victims of domestic violence by providing vocational training so that they could become financially independent. It was also deputing counsellors to enable famines to deal with domestic violence. Separate cells had been created in police stations for such family problems and specially women were deputed to help the victims.

Referring to Himachal, she said the gender ratio had declined in Sirmaur, Solan, Una, Kinnaur, Hamirpur and Shimla districts, which was a matter of concern. There was an urgent need for taking steps at the local level to improve the situation.

Shimla, February 16
The Shimla Nagrik Sabha staged a demonstration in front of the Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) office and blocked the vehicular traffic in protest against the non-implementation of the new traffic plan finalised in view of the shifting of the main bus stand to Tutikandi.

A large number of people, especially commuters who have been facing hardships, participated in the demonstration. Speakers criticised the HRTC management and the state transport authority for not implementing the new traffic plan for the city notified by the Deputy Commissioner (DC).

The sabha pointed out that order of the DC categorically stated that people were facing issues due to the shifting of the bus stand and the modified traffic plan for plying local buses had been drawn to provide them relief.

According to the modified plan, all buses terminating at Shimla in between 8pm and 7am were to first touch the old bus stand and then proceed to Tutikandi. All buses terminating at Shimla and coming from the upper Shimla area from 8pm to 7am will first go to the old bus stand and then to Tutikandi and those terminating beyond Shimla at Rohru, Rampur and other places will ply via Rivoli and touch the old bus stand.

The sabha alleged that the HRTC management was deliberately not implementing this traffic plan and said some of the officials of the HRTC were hand in glove with the private party, which built the new Tutikandi bus stand in the public-private-partnership mode.

The sabha pointed out that in all 46 buses of the HRTC and 14 buses of other state transport undertakings were supposed to touch or terminate at the old bus stand but not more than five buses of the HRTC were following the traffic plan.

Dharamsala, February 16
The controversy regarding the summons issued by an Una court to the 17th Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorjee, has upset his administration here. Spokesperson for the Karmapa office Karma Chungyalpa told The Tribune that a wrong impression had been created that they had refused to accept the summons.

One of the three members of the Karmapa administration, Ragjey Choshang, was present when a court official came to deliver the summons. He received the summons. Two others accused in the case were not present here. One of the accused was with Karmapa in Bodhgaya, while the other was in Shimla due to which they were not able to receive the court summons.

He said they were fully cooperating with the authorities. Chungyalpa said the Karmapa was not in Dharamsala at present. He was at Bodhgaya in Bihar since late January, presiding over a “large puja of his Buddhist order that takes place every year”.

From the beginning, the Karmapa had said that he had full trust in the Indian legal system and that he would cooperate and follow the due process. “We share his confidence that his innocence will be proved in the end,” he said.

The Karmapa, along with the other accused in the case, have been asked to be present in the court of the CJM, Una, on March 6. He has to be present in person in the court on the said date.

The Karmapa administration has legal options of seeking exemption from personal appearance from the trial court or move the high court seeking quashing of the FIR registered against him by the Una police.

The spokesperson said they had so far not finalised the legal strategy in the case.

Ten months after Rs 1 crore was confiscated from a private Scorpio vehicle at the Mehatpur barrier near the Punjab border last year, which was further linked to a trust headed by the Karmapa, the police presented a challan (chargesheet) against the accused in the case in the court of the CJM at Una on December 7, 2011.

The police also made the Karmapa a party in the case. The Karmapa was named as one of the conspirators in the case under Section 120-B of the IPC.

The other nine accused in the case are KP Bharadwaj, a Dharamsala-based businessman from whose vehicle Rs 1 crore was confiscated, Sanjog Dutt, driver of Baradwaj who was driving the vehicle, Ashutosh, who was accompanying the driver in the vehicle, Davinder Kumar, manager of Corporation Bank, members of the Karma Garchen Trust Ragjey Choshang, Gompo Tsering and Tenzin Namgyal and two Delhi-based Tibetan money changers Rigzin Vagmo and her husband Karma Kukaekhampa.

Solan, February 16
The newly floated Himachal Lokhit Party (HLP) today said the two-member BJP team comprising national general secretary JP Nadda and secretary Shyam Jaju had overstepped its brief by giving a clean chit to the state government.

Addressing mediapersons here today, party spokesman MN Sofat said the team was only directed to give its feedback to national party president Nitin Gadkari after hearing their grievances and was not authorised to give a clean chit.

He alleged that Nadda had instead struck a deal with the Chief Minister to get a berth in the Rajya Sabha. Taking exception to the remarks of Shyam Jaju who had termed the leaders of the HLP as selfish, he said Jaju’s credibility was itself questionable as Rs 3 crore had gone missing from the party’s office while he was the in charge and no FIR had been lodged in this case.

Sofat said they had submitted a list of 16 allegations in their 110-page complaint containing details of various acts of corruption against the state government, including three key ministers, the Chief Minister and his family members, to the national party president on January 19 but no action was initiated against them. This had forced them to float a separate outfit as both the Congress and the BJP were befooling the people by playing a friendly match among themselves.

He said the 17 signatories who had signed the 110-page complaint comprised two ministers, an MP, a former MP, four MLAs and various office-bearers of the state BJP. The allegations, he said, pertained to biased decisions and corrupt practices. He, however, agreed that a majority of them were yet to join the HLP.

He said the “growing acceptance” of the party was clear from the fact that various elected representatives of both the BJP and the Congress were contacting them for joining their party.

Sofat demanded a ban on cash transactions in the real estate sector stating that it was a means to utilise black money for investment. He said the inquiry into the purchase of substandard foodgrains under the PDS was being hushed up as a close relative of a key minister was involved in the scam.

Mandi, February 16
State Congress president Kaul Singh Thakur today claimed that the party’s allegations against the ruling BJP had been vindicated by the Himachal Lokhit Party (HLP), which had termed the BJP government as the “most corrupt”.

The Congress, if voted to power, would review all land deals and corruption cases, he said.

Addressing newspersons here after concluding a five-day tour of his Drang constituency, Kaul Singh alleged that the land, mining and forest mafia were active in the state and the BJP government was neck-deep in corruption.

He said the pulses scam, the land deals in violation of Section 118 and the medicine scam would be reviewed if the Congress was voted to power.

Kaul Singh said the allegations levelled by the Congress at various public fora now stood vindicated as the HLP had also levelled similar allegations.

He alleged that the government had given 98 bighas of land to Acharya Balkrishan for a song near Sadhupul. Besides, of the 10 private universities, only two were recognised by the UGC, he claimed.

On the coming Assembly elections, Kaul Singh said the party would conduct a survey in all 68 segments to ascertain the “winnability factor” before allotting the party ticket.

He parried a question regarding inclusion of VS Mankotia in the party, saying that the party high command was supreme in such matters.

Solan, February 16
The manner in which premises of the ESIC model hospital was reduced to a party arena with blaring music playing into the ears of patients last evening at Katha in Baddi industrial area, a question mark has been put over the role of the medical fraternity.

The party was organised for an officer who was leaving for an overseas assignment. Not only was blaring music put up within the premises, but also the staff danced to the tune of loud music, caring little for the 30 patients in the hospital.

It was only after the locals complained to the Baddi police that the music was stopped around 10 pm last night, confirmed SP, Baddi, Gurdev Chand Sharma.

ESIC Insurance Commissioner BK Sahu has ordered an inquiry after receiving a complaint in this regard.

He has directed the medical commissioner to conduct an inquiry into this irresponsible act of doctors and said appropriate action would be taken against the guilty.

Medical superintendent, ESIC, Ajay Raj Kamra, in whose honour the party had been organised, however, said the party was being held in the colony adjoining to the hospital where 50 families lived and that even patients enjoyed the music.

It was, however, learnt that there were only a few staff quarters located within the premises of the hospital.

Shimla, February 16
The Congress has accused the Dhumal government of handing out a raw deal to the Shimla district and discriminating against the region in the matter of development on political considerations.

The Congress pointed out that the present government not only failed to secure any new projects, but also did not implement those sanctioned during the previous Congress regime.

It referred to the Rs 1,105-crore Sawara Kuddu Hydroelectric Project, Rs 228 crore for the upgrade of the Theog-Hatkoti road under the World Bank project, Rs 51-crore irrigation project and Rs 6.50-crore for strengthening of the power distribution network.

All these projects were being implemented at a snail’s pace due to the indifferent attitude of the state government.

It said the funds provided by the Centre under the National Rural Health Mission were diverted to urban areas. A large number of posts in health and educational institutions were vacant in the region and transport services and power supply remained disrupted for weeks together during rains and snowfall. The decision to open schools in February had added to the woes of students.

The BJP was on its way out and the people would punish it for the neglect the region suffered over the past four years in the Assembly elections due this year.

Bilaspur, February 16
Two police officials who were under training in boxing at the local Police Lines here for the past two years and who had distinguished themselves by their achievements on the basis of their hard work in this sport at the national and international levels, have been honoured by the government by giving them out-of-turn promotions.

Superintendent of Police (SP) Santosh Patial said here today that Head Constable Sanjiv Kumar, who had achieved the first position in the All-India Police Games and Sports Meet last year and had bagged a gold medal in boxing and also a silver medal in the International Police and Fire Brigade Sports Meet in New York, USA, this year by remaining in the second position in this meet, had been promoted as Assistant Sub Inspector with immediate effect.

The SP said Sub Inspector (under probation) Munish Chaudhary, who had got the second position in the National Police Sports Meet in Jammu last year, had also been promoted to the rank of Inspector with immediate effect.

A number of sports lovers and sportspersons here have appreciated this encouraging gesture of the government and the DGP as such promotions and encouragement not only boost sports activities in such disciplined forces, but also inspire others to take sports seriously and get suitable rewards in return from the government.

Bilaspur, February 16
The Himachal Government is spending Rs 3,165 crore on education in the state this year and the government will start providing two uniforms every year to students from Class I to X plus II.

This was stated by HP Panchayati Raj and Rural Development Minister Jai Ram Thakur while presiding over the annual prize distribution function of Grameen Adarsha Saraswati Vidya Mandir High School, Hatwaad, 55 km from here, yesterday.

He said the state government had introduced yoga in all its schools so that students developed their all-round personality and were physically and mentally alert and healthy. He urged both teachers and parents to encourage students in their studies and the field in which they had maximum interest and aptitude.

Jai Ram said HP’s progress and development could be judged by anybody as it had succeeded in winning as many as 56 national awards in many fields in four years.

Earlier, Headmaster Ram Paul read the school progress report. The minister also gave away prizes to students who had excelled in studies and other various activities of the school.

Shimla, February 16
The state Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau has nabbed Sudha Gupta, Principal of Kendriya Vidyalaya, Sarhan, while she was accepting a bribe of Rs 8,820.

A trap was laid by the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau on the complaint of a woman teacher engaged on contract basis who had earned the amount by taking extra classes. The Principal had denuded the bribe for the extension of her contract.

A criminal case had been registered against the Principal under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

Hamirpur, February 16
All-India Radio station, Hamirpur, organised a cultural programme at Bhachat Bhawan here today to celebrate its foundation day. Radio artistes from the state presented cultural items at this function.

Office head of the station Raj Kumar Sharma said the FM radio station was founded on this day in 1984 and during this period the station had tried to reach lakhs of listeners by presenting colourful and knowledgeable programmes.