PU campus highlights

Satinder Singh Satti elected PU student council president a day before his birthday

Elections passed of peacefully

The general secretary wins with the highest margin of 853 votes

One woman as vice-president in the panel of four top posts

Absence of senior PUSU leaders from the election campaign led to their defeat

Students of women colleges choose independents

Traffic jams outside PU gates throughout the day due to checking at the gates. 

PUSU wins in colleges as voters pick new faces

Mohali, September 7
Poison and alcohol have been found in the stomach of Anuradha Bali, aka Fiza, during the examination of her viscera. Fiza was found dead under mysterious circumstances at her residence here on August 6.

Sources in the Punjab State Chemical Laboratory at Kharar said the viscera examination indicated the presence of aluminium phosphide, a poison commonly used to kill rats and ethyl alcohol in her stomach.

Aluminium phosphide is a fumigant and a very poisonous chemical which can cause death. It is used as a rodenticide, insecticide and fumigant for stored cereal grains. It is commonly used for killing rats, mice and other similar rodents and is available under various brand names, including Celphos.

The detection of poison in her system has ruled out her death due to natural causes as was being suspected in her case. However, the vital question that still remains unanswered is whether Fiza committed suicide or was administered poison.

The police could not find any suicide note from her house after her death. While poison has been found from her viscera, the experts had earlier found no traces of poison in the samples of liquor, soda, water and eatables which were collected from Fiza's house on August 7.

Three separate packages were received by the State Chief Chemical Examiner for analysis. One of these had Fiza's viscera and the second contained food particles that she had consumed before her death. In the third package the police had sent pieces of glass, a bottle and drops of liquor for examination.

Three separate boards were formed at the Kharar laboratory to examine each package. Each board had three analysts.

The postmortem report had not indicated any external or internal injury and the examination of the heart and other organs had not revealed the reason for Fiza's death.

The badly decomposed body of Fiza was found lying on a bed in her house in Sector 48 C here.

Panchkula, September 7
In a major revelation in the schoolchildren’s rape case, it has come to light that the accused has raped one of the children many times. The medical examination of one of the victims, who is seven year old, has confirmed that she was raped a number of times before. The police is also suspecting that there are many school girls who may have become victims to the accused. It would question the schoolgirls.

Yesterday, the police arrested a CRPF retired official, Nand Kishore, a resident of Sector 19, Abhaypur village, after he tried to rape three schoolgirls of class II and IV of a local government school under the pretext of giving them chocolates.

The accused was produced in a local court today. The court sent him to seven-day police remand. Also, the victims’ statements were recorded before the court.

“The medical examination of one of the children has confirmed rape. It has been revealed that the rape was committed earlier but had been committed a number of times. The child is under trauma. The accused had threatened her that she shouldn’t tell anybody about the incident or he would kill her,” said the station house officer of the sector-20 police station, Inspector Narender Singh.

He further added, “During the remand period we will be talking to the other schoolchildren.”

Nand Kishore has four daughters and all of them are married. His wife had died a long time ago and he was staying alone in a house at Abhaypur. 

Chandigarh, September 7
To end the parking problem in the city, the master plan committee has proposed for underground parking lots beneath some of the big parks in the city. These underground parking lots are expected to solve the parking problem in the city, particularly in residential areas.

The master plan committee, while preparing the city’s master plan, has stated that the parking problem, especially in the residential areas, is increasing day-by-day and can be solved if the UT Administration make parking lots beneath some of the bigger parks in the city.

As per the committee recommendations, almost all the sectors in Chandigarh have huge parks and the space beneath could be utilised for building conventional underground ramp parking spaces.

Sources added the committee also highlighted the fact that the population of the city is increasing day-by-day and these lots would prove more beneficial in densely populated areas of the southern sectors.

A senior official of the UT Administration said that at present city residents are finding it difficult to park their vehicles in the narrow roads in the various sectors of the city. At present, the city has nearly 9 lakh vehicles registered with the UT Registering and Licensing Authority (RLA), the official added. The vehicles include two-wheelers and four-wheelers. Also, the number of four wheelers in the city has increased much more as compared to two-wheelers in the last five years, he said. 

Chandigarh, September 7
The municipal corporation will beautify all the entry points to the city which are under its domain. The decision was taken in the road committee meeting today chaired by Janat Jahan Ul-Haq. Officials were directed to commence the beautification work of the beautification of all entry points of the city and table the final proposals in the next meeting.

Members proposed that to avoid delay, the corporation should follow the rates fixed by the Administration for the raw materia. Pointing out that even after revision of the raw material rates, there is not much response on the tender of the works the committee.

The committee also asked the officials to draft a plan of installing railings on all V-3 roads of the city and table it in the next house meeting for approval. It has also been decided that on every road where the paver blocks have been installed, provision to plant more trees should be made.

Chandigarh, September 7
While the Student Organisation of Panjab University (SOPU) had a clean sweep at Panjab University (PU) student elections, the party remained completely out of scene at city colleges.

In addition to all women colleges in the city, the Government College of Commerce and Business Administration, Sector 42, opted for unanimous selection of candidates.

The women colleges, including Post Graduate Government College for Girls (PGGCG), Sectors 11 and 42, Guru Gobind Singh College for Women, Sector 26, and Dev Samaj College, Sector 36, elected independent candidates.

Among three popular colleges, while GGDSD College Hotel Union emerged winner, beating both SOPU and PUSU, the presidential candidates at Post Graduate Government College (PGGC), Sector 11, and DAV College, Sector 10, were elected from PUSU.

At Guru Gobind Singh Khalsa College, Sector 26, meanwhile, the college’s own party, Khalsa College Student Union, got the clean sweep over PUSU and SOPU.

Minor altercation

SOPU chief Brinder Dhillon entered into an altercation with chief security officer (CSO) PK Dhawan when the latter stopped a SOPU loyalist enter the student centre building. Agitated Dhillon made all winning candidates climb down the building. The issue was resolved when the supporters were allowed to enter the building.

Thumb sketch of winning panel

President: Satinder Singh (Satti)

Department: Geology

Winning margin: 533

Priorities: Getting teacher evaluation implemented and providing hostel facility to maximum number of students.

Winning mantra: Work done by SOPU in the past helped the party in winning trust of the students, therefore ensuring win.

Vice-president: Seerat Arora

Department: UIET

Winning margin: 45

Priorities: Increasing security of girls on the campus, appointment of regular faculty at the earliest, increase activity of placement cell at UIET and additional infrastructure in all departments.

Winning mantra: Ideologies made me win the elections.

General secretary: Kuldeep Sheron

Department: Law

Winning margin: 853

Priorities: Cutting down fee of self-financed courses and prospectus cost, additional hostel facility for students.

Winning mantra: Personal rapport with students at PU spelled magic and ensured win with maximum number of votes.

Joint secretary: Kanhaiya Lal

Department: UICET

Winning margin: 543

Priorities: Better infrastructure in departments, placements for all students.

Winning mantra: Support from friends and personal campaigning helped in wining.

Manifesto

Reducing fee of self-financed courses at PU.

Smart classrooms in all departments.

Recruitment of regular faculty at all departments in PU.

Upgradation of library and addition of more books.

Books shop at the AC Joshi Library and books to be sold at subsidised rates.

Increase in budget to promote meritorious students.

Revised food menus with professional cooks.

One new hostel each for boys and girls.

Water coolers on all floors of boys and girls’ hostels.

Job fest at PU.

Implementation of finalised performa of teacher evaluation.

Would you be fulfilling last year’s promises made by former president who was also from SOPU?

Fulfilling the promises, which could not be met due to time constraint, would be my priority, followed by new initiatives. Teacher evaluation was one of the promises, which even after finalising of performa was left pending and would be taken up this year.

What are core problem areas at Panjab University?

There is a need of infrastructure in science departments and more hostels, particularly for girls, in PU.

Violence on campus is one of the major problems PU has faced in the past, what efforts would you make to ensure violence-free campus?

I would appeal to all students to restrain themselves from getting violent and stress would be made to maintain harmony with leaders from other student organisations. Moreover, I will try if PU could purchase updated security devices.

Would you like to join mainstream politics after passing-out from the university?

Presently, I don’t have plans to join any political party after completion of my studies. Let me have an experience of leadership and politics, based on which I would plan my next move.

Chandigarh, September 7
Panic gripped the Rose Garden in Sector 16 on the day of student elections this afternoon when unidentified miscreants fired three to four gunshots in air inside the garden.

As per eyewitnesses, the gunshots were fired after some students pelted stones at a group of youths from outside the garden and as a result they fired in response. The police said student rivalry is the reason for the attack and have recovered pamphlets of SOPU from the spot.

The incident occurred at 12.30 pm. The police reached the spot, along with a forensic team, which recovered an empty shell from the spot. Based on statements of the eyewitnesses, a black Safari suspected to be behind the attack was rounded up and its five occupants taken to the Sector 17 police station for questioning.

However, they were soon let off after it came to light that they were not behind the incident. The occupants of the suspected Safari car included three students of engineering, who were returning after casting vote at DAV College.

“We rounded up some suspects of a Safari, but they were let off, as were not found to be behind the incident. The firing seems to be a mischief played by some students and we are investigating,” said Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Central Ashish Kapoor.

The police recorded the statements of Hira Lal, a gardener at the Rose Garden, and on his complaint a case of act endangering life of others under Section 336 of the IPC and Sections 25, 27, 54 and 59 of the Arms Act was registered at the Sector 17 police station. —TNS

Chandigarh, September 7
Presence of senior leaders of the Student Organisation of Panjab University (SOPU) while campaigning at Panjab University (PU) provided the party an edge over Panjab University Student Union (PUSU) in the elections held today. Senior PUSU leaders, including Simranjit Singh Dhillon and Udey Wirring, who had an experience of PU politics were missing from the campaigning this year, which turned against the party’s chances of winning the elections.

Sources said both senior leaders of PUSU, who had a major vote bank in the party, could have helped PUSU cover a margin of 533 votes from which the presidential candidate lost.

Meanwhile, presence of SOPU chief Brinder Dhillon, who is known for his winning strategies in the student elections, played a crucial role to ensure the party’s win.

Dhillon, who is in student politics from the last nine years and have been actively involved in PU politics from six years now, has a deep knowledge of campus politics.

The alliances made by SOPU a few days before the elections with Hindustan Students’ Association (HSA), Student Organisation of India (SOI) and Student Federation of India (SFI) was another timely decision, which gave SOPU an edge over their rival parties.

Meanwhile, PUSU had alliance with NSUI only, which is still far way behind when it comes to the vote bank and this factor also reduced the chances of PUSU’s win.

SOPU’s decision to field a candidate from the science department for the post of president also played a crucial role, as the party succeeded in gathering a majority of votes from these departments. The science departments have a large number of voters who always support a candidate from their stream and ensure their win, said a former PU leader.

Chandigarh, September 7
The stretched weekend with three-day holidays falling after the elections played a major role in low voter turnout with only 60.8 per cent students casting their votes. Friday, the poll day, being a holiday, followed by three more holidays, made hostel inmates pack their bags and leave for their home.

Out of total 13,723 votes in 56 departments, only 8,346 students exercised their right to vote. Though as compared to last year, the poll percentage saw an increase by 4 per cent. The poll percentage during the student elections held in 2011 was 56 per cent. —TNS

Chandigarh, September 7
Long weekend and fear of clashes deterred a majority of college students to cast their votes today. The turnout went slightly above last year’s, yet it remained way below 50 per cent.

The voter turnout recorded this year was 35 per cent, 10 per cent moew than last year.

While most of the students residing in hostels packed their bags and headed home on Thursday evening, the local students preferred not to turn up in fear of violent fights in and around college campuses, as reported in the past couple of months.

The election convener at the PGGC in Sector 11, said, “The voting percentage has been below 75 per cent since last many years. But it went below the expected level last year and this year as well. ”

The election convener at DAV College, Sector 10, said, “The voter turnout was quite low this time since the authorities chose Friday as the polling day, which is followed by the weekend.”

The turnout was remarkably low at three prominent colleges, which includes GGDSD, Sector 32, DAV College, Sector 10, and Post Graduate Government College, Sector 11.

Chandigarh, September 7
Unlike the trend in co-educational colleges, women's colleges in the city preferred to select independent candidates during the student council elections held today.

Principals of women colleges, however, presented mixed opinions over the practice. Only two principals said that independent candidates perform better. Others said students should be encouraged to form parties to understand the democratic system.

Mani Bedi, principal of Post Graduate Government College for Girls, Sector 42, said, “What I have observed in the past two to three years is that the elections held by dissociating with the prominent political parties are better organised and the selected candidate remains more sincere throughout the year.”

Puneet Bedi, principal of MCM DAV College, Sector 36, said, “The present system of choosing candidates in our college has contributed towards the learning and growth of the students equally. We have never discouraged the students to setup political parties. Rather, they have been resorting to the independent system voluntarily.”

Meera Modi, principal of Dev Samaj College, said, "The system of setting up a political party certainly makes the student understand their responsibilities as a representative of people. There are a number of merits in the system."

The practice of selecting independent candidates has been there among the women colleges over the past couple of years.

Chandigarh, September 7
Huge traffic jams were seen outside the city colleges this afternoon, after the winning candidates of students’ council elections and their supporters blocked roads by taking out rallies.

The police personnel deployed at DAV College, Sector 10, and Guru Gobind Singh Khalsa College, Sector 26, were on their toes. The policemen were seen managing the crowd in order to ensure free flow of traffic.