Jammu, January 2
The revision of fee announced by the University of Jammu is set to jolt the student community. The University has decided to hike the fee and other charges between 25 to 200 per cent.

The University has notified the revision in fee and other charges to be paid by the candidates or institutions for various "services" rendered by the varsity.

A nearly 25 to 200 per cent revision of fee and other charges has been effected in some cases, thereby putting extra burden on students from weak financial background. If a candidate loses his or her degree certificate, he or she will have to pay Rs 5,000 to get a duplicate certificate, while the revised charges for all other certificates have been increased by nearly 100 to 200 per cent.

The revision in fee and other charges was notified on December 19 and it was not given wide publicity to avoid a public outcry. The secrecy in the implementation of the notification could be gauged from the fact that even some senior officers of the university had no knowledge about the decision.

The issuance of notification followed a decision taken in a meeting of the University Council, the supreme executive body of the University vested with all administrative and academic powers, on October 18 last year.

To begin with, students in both professional and non-professional courses will have to shell out more to appear in the examination. "The revised examination fee for MBBS candidates will be Rs 1,000, as against the previous fee of Rs 630. The examination fee for BA/B.Sc/B.Com for regular candidate has been hiked from Rs 340 to 410, from Rs 630 to Rs 1,000 for Bachelor of Engineering from Rs from Rs 410 to Rs 500 for BBA and BCA candidates and from Rs 470 to Rs 570 for B.Lib Science aspirants," the notification states. The revised examination fee for the post graduate courses would be Rs 440 from Rs 360 per candidate.

Similarly, the admission fee for all master degree programmes had also been increased.

“The admission fee for PG programmes has been revised from Rs 200 to Rs 240, university sports fee from Rs 120 to Rs 210, university development fund from Rs 300 to Rs 360, magazine or university news bulletin fee from Rs 50 to Rs 70, corpus fund from Rs 100 to Rs 120, science fee from Rs 400 to Rs 480, stationery fee from Rs 120 to 140, games fee from Rs 200 to Rs 240, cultural or literary fee from Rs 75 to Rs 90, social activities fund from Rs 65 to Rs 80, library development fund from Rs 200 to Rs 240, identity card charges from Rs 15 to Rs 30, prospectus-cum-brochures/entrance fee from Rs 175 to Rs 280," the notification states.

The re-evaluation or re-checking of answer sheets will also cost more to the students as the revised fee in this regard will be Rs 440 from earlier Rs 360.

To get original or duplicate degree or diploma certificates will also become costly. The attempt certificate in each examination will cost Rs 500 which was earlier just Rs 230. Similarly, the charges for the merit certificate (original) have been revised from Rs 160 to Rs 500. The duplicate qualification certificate originally signed by the Vice-Chancellor, for which previous charges were Rs 1,265, will now be available to the candidates at the cost of Rs 2,000. The simple verification of degree will now cost Rs 1,000.

Correction in the name and parentage will cost Rs 300 from Rs 145 earlier. The issuance of degree prior to the convocation (degree in absentia) will cost Rs 1,000 from earlier Rs 345.

Besides, a considerable hike has been affected in the inspection or application fee to be paid by the colleges or institutions seeking grant of affiliation or recognition to impart instruction in various courses which will have a cascading impact on all other fee structures in all colleges or institutions affiliated with the varsity.

Jammu, January 2
No respite is likely from the cold wave conditions in the region as low temperature and poor visibility is likely to continue for a couple of more days affecting road and air traffic.

Director, Meteorological Department, Sonam Lotus, said weather would remain dry during the next week in Jammu. There is no possibility of rain or snow in the coming few days, he said. He said the night temperature is likely to fall further, whereas, visibility is likely to remain poor for a couple of days. The temperature of Jammu city was recorded at a maximum of 12.8 degree Celsius and a minimum of 6.5 degree Celsius today. Yesterday it was recorded at a minimum 6.5 degree Celsius and a maximum of 13 degree Celsius. The day temperature has decreasing for past few days.

Poor visibility has also affected the rail and air traffic creating. Trains are running late for the last couple of days whereas flights are either running late or getting cancelled following a thick cover of fog over the state. “There is no possibility of rain and the visibility is likely to remain low especially in the morning hours because of which it would be difficult for the people to start the day early. There will be no respite from the chill also. So people have to wait at least another week for the weather to get better,” said Sonam Lotus.

In Katra town, the base camp of Mata Vaishno Devi shrine, the maximum temperature was recorded at 16 degree Celsius today and the minimum temperature was recorded at 6 degree Celsius which is two degrees below the normal. The sky was also partly cloudy there.

Jammu, January 2
With cooking gas getting out of the reach of the common man, courtesy the Congress-led UPA regime fixing a cap on the subsidised refills, Minister for Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution (CAPD), Qamar Ali Akhoon, today asked oil companies to expedite the process to update records of LPG consumers in the state.

Akhoon said the issue entails much importance and needs to be addressed on priority. Reviewing the progress on updating records of LPG consumers, at a meeting here, Akhoon was informed that the records of 3.58 lakh consumers have been updated so far while the process of name change and transfer was on.

It may be mentioned here that consumers, who lost their documents for subsidised LPG connections, were left in the lurch because the oil companies in tandem with government had stopped issuing new subsidised connections in Jammu and Kashmir. The process resumed after December 15 and is moving at a snail’s pace.

Akhoon was apprised that at present a total of 7.53 lakh consumers were registered with different oil companies in the state, which had a population of over 1.25 crore. Emphasising on releasing a list of the consumers whose records have been up-dated and the charges for securing new connections, Akhoon asked the representatives of oil companies to use the services of the print and electronic media so that the information can reach the general public, including those living in the rural and far-flung areas of the state.

Akhoon asked the representatives to publish necessary guidelines and rates in the local press to dispel the apprehensions of the consumers. He directed the officers and the representatives to extend the ambit of home delivery system and introduce the facility in districts and towns as well. He said it would curb black-marketing, besides bring efficiency in the service delivery system. He said the LPG distribution system needs to be streamlined in the rural areas of Poonch, Rajouri and others.

Katra, January 2
As many as 19,42,826 pilgrims visited Shiv Khori shrine last year as against 14,32,221 pilgrims during 2011, registering an increase of 35.65 per cent. It makes it the third most visited shrine after Vaishno Devi and Shri Amanath. Deputy Commissioner, Reasi, Nirmal Sharma, who is also the chairman of Shiv Khori Shrine Board, said today.

Sharma said in view of its religious importance, the historic Shiv Khori shrine cave in Ransoo village of Pouni block in the Reasi district was witnessing a huge rush of pilgrims these days. With the efforts of the Shiv Khori Shrine Board, the rush of pilgrims is increasing everyday and the board was making all efforts to provide more and more facilities to the pilgrims, she said.

She said various development projects had also been taken up and, on its completion, more facilities would be made available to the devotees in the near future. The tourism department was also making efforts to develop this area as a good tourist spot. A Tourism Reception Centre already exists at Ransoo village to facilitate the visiting devotees.

Besides Shiv Khori, other places in the circuit such as Sirah waterfalls and Baba Dhansar are also witnessing heavy tourist rush due to the promotional packages being provided by the State Tourism Department. The Tourism Department is making concerted efforts to develop the Shiv Khori tourist circuit which includes Katra, Agar Jitto, Nau Pindias, Baba Dhansar, Dera Baba Banda, Reasi, Siarh waterfalls, Thanpal en-route Katra to Ransoo, the base camp of Shiv Khori.

The department was executing a massive infrastructural development programme to develop the area, besides promoting the circuit by publishing tourist literature.

The department is working in close coordination with tour operators from within and outside the state to promote packages for Vaishno Devi yatra, which include visits to the Shiv Khori shrine to make them extend their stay in the state.

Batote, January 2
If the people in the plains of Jammu province have been facing foggy days, their counterparts in the hilly areas of the state have been basking in the warm sunlight for the past few days.

In the plains, the foggy conditions have affected normal life, schedules of trains, air and road traffic besides increasing the chill while in hilly areas like Batote, Banihal, Kishtwar, Doda, Bhaderwah and Kashmir valley, people have been witnessing bright sunny days except on December 14, 15, 27, 28 and 29.

In these areas, residents are seen sitting in their lawns or on rooftops to warm themselves or dry vegetables etc.

Although this gave them respite from the bone-chilling cold of the snowfall days at least during the day, they have to face the sub-zero temperature and thus extreme cold at nights and early morning because of the clearer nights.

“For plains, it is a common weather feature to have foggy conditions during winters because of the cold wave and calm winds. But the increasing pollution due to industries, vehicles and the fires lit by people to keep themselves warm also cause the foggy condition in the plains. In the hilly areas, it was all sunny because after the snowfall days, the sky was totally cloudless, winds blew normally, there was no low pressure and there were no western disturbances,” reasoned Sonam Lotus, Director, Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), Srinagar.

Jammu, January 2
Running into financial losses due to no admissions under the convergence scheme of Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), the university’s partner institutions in the state have pinned their hopes on a crucial hearing tomorrow in the High Court regarding the contempt case filed by them against the IGNOU authorities.

According to sources, the Association of All Partner Institutions (AAPI) had claimed there was no logic behind the sudden stopping of various programmes by the Board of Management of IGNOU without intimating them.

They further said there was no mention in the official Offer Letter of Acceptance (LOA) which was received by partner institutions from IGNOU to run various programmes under the scheme.

Ashok Khajuria, one of the members of AAPI, told The Tribune, “The partner institutions had no option but to file the case, because after clear-cut instructions from the High Court to resume the admission process, the IGNOU authorities did not follow them and rather asked us to submit the list of admissions for various programmes at its office.”

“When the court announced the decision in our favour, we were hoping things would settle down and everything would be on track but that was not the case. We were surprised when the Board of Management of IGNOU asked us to submit the admissions list before them,” another AAPI claimed.

“Though the decision in our case is likely to be announced tomorrow and we are optimistic of a positive outcome such that the academic session of students does not go waste. In fact, the convergence scheme was launched with the sole aim to provide the benefits of pursuing various under-graduate and post-graduate programmes for students living in remote areas in different districts across the country who might not be economically that sound,” he added.

It may be mentioned here that despite the High Court verdict in favour of partner institutions of IGNOU to complete the admissions for all programmes for July 2012 cycle under the convergence scheme, the board of management of IGNOU had directed the partner institutions to submit their list of admissions at its office in New Delhi.

Jammu, January 2
Women advocates of Jammu and Kashmir High Court today took out a rally against the rising crime against women across the country especially in Jammu.

The rally was held under the leadership of senior advocate Suman Mala. The protesting lawyers raised slogans to seek justice for the Delhi gang-rape victim. They demanded extreme penalty for the accused. They also highlighted their resolve to fight for the rights of the victims of crime against women and to ensure creation of an atmosphere of safety and security in the society.

More than 100 women lawyers took part in the rally. Their male colleagues also joined in the rally later.

Jammu, January 2
Minister for Medical and Technical Education RS Chib today paid a surprise visit to the Government Medical College, Jammu, and inspected various sections like OPD, ICU, cardiology ward, teaching area, anatomy lab and administrative block.

The minister directed to purchase 10 additional ventilators for the hospital. He also directed to make arrangements for establishment of central heating system in the hospital and classrooms. Keeping in view the cold conditions and a large number of patients both in the OPD and IPD, he said the doctors should act promptly for the treatment of patients and take utmost care for the early recovery.

Chib also directed the hospital authorities for opening the OPDs 15 minutes ahead of the normal time schedule so that patients visiting the hospital from far-flung areas get timely attention of doctors and the unnecessary delays could be avoided.

The minister directed the project executing agency to ensure timely completion of the ongoing works in the hospital for better services to patients, staff and students. He also took note of the sanitary conditions in the GMC, Jammu, and directed the authorities concerned to maintain upto mark sanitation conditions in the hospital premises. He also directed Principal, GMC, Jammu for ensuring punctuality on the part of doctors and other para-medical staff for better public services.

Jammu, January 2
The Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology (SKUAST), Jammu, today organised a day-long awareness programme on climate change for farmers at Panthal in Reasi district .

The awareness camp was organised under the All-India Coordinated Research Project on Agrometeorology in order to create awareness among the farmers of Panthal about climate change and its impact on agriculture and its allied field.

In the programme, more than 155 farmers from Panthal, Dadura and Bhogtha villages participated. MK Khushu, Chief Scientist and Head, Agrometeorology explained the objectives of the awareness programme regarding climate change and its impact on agriculture.

He stressed upon to adapt various agricultural practices which could help to mitigate the climatic change. Dr Sanjay Koushal welcomed the participants and briefed about the programme.

Other scientists, including Dr Ranbir Singh Sodi, junior scientist, Division of Plant Pathology, and Dr Charu Sharma, SRF delivered their lectures on the subject.

Jammu, January 2
The Committee on Privileges (PC) of Legislative Assembly today called upon the government to ensure due consultation with the local representatives at various levels of plan formulation of a particular area.

The committee, which met under the chairmanship of MLA Harsh Dev Singh here today, discussed various instances of breach of privileges received by the Assembly Secretariat, besides the legislators’ protocol. Legislators namely Aijaz Ahmed Jan, Ashok Kumar, Feroz Ahmed Khan, Durga Dass and Krishan Chander Bhagat gave their suggestions on various instances of the breach of privileges. In response to the breach of privilege against Khaild Hussain Malik, the then District Social Welfare Officer, he tendered apology before the committee members. Discussion was held threadbare on accommodation and other facilities being provided to the legislators. The panel stressed for provision of accommodation within and outside the state according to the warrant of precedence.

The members recommended for water usage and electricity charges to the legislators on the analogy of the Members of Parliament.

The committee stressed the need for due consultation of local representatives at the time of plan formulation of a particular area. Senior officers of the Assembly Secretariat attended the meeting.

Rajouri, January 2
A preparatory meeting on the pulse polio immunisation campaign to be conducted in January and February was held at Dak Banglow here today.

District Development Commissioner (DDC), Rajouri, Saugat Biswas, chaired a high- level meeting of the Taskforce for Pulse polio immunization (PPI) drives which will be organised on January 20 in the first phase and February 24 in the second phase covering the entire border district of Rajouri.

Sources said over 615 polio booths will be set up to immunize children while 2,400 government employees from the education department and social welfare department, including volunteers, rotary club and social organisations would also be deployed. Besides, 126 supervisors, eight monitors would also be put on the job to administer anti-polio drops.

Senior officials of the various departments, including the Army and the Border Security Forces (BSF) were present in the meeting.

Biswas directed the officials to focus on urban slums, nomadic population and workers in brick kilns who often go unnoticed and without proper care of medical facilities and chances of polio are on the higher side, health department sources said.

Biswas said, “No polio cases have been reported from the district, but we are trying to protect children by spreading awareness among nomadic population, slums and brick kiln workers from the disease through wall paintings, banners with the symptoms wriiten on them.”

Jammu, January 2
The Department of Youth Services and Sports (DYSS) is likely to be deprived of the Union Sports Ministry new schemes slated to be announced shortly due to its poor implementation of the Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS), Panchayat Yuva Khel Aur Krida Abhiyan (PYKKA), in the state.

Sources in the Sports Department claimed that the sports officials had recently approached the Union Sports Ministry to get information about the upcoming sports schemes to be introduced across the country, including J&K.

Sources added that the authorities had expressed concern over poor utilisation of the PYKKA scheme by the DYSS and made it clear that no new schemes would be allotted to the state unless the previously set targets under the PYKKA scheme were achieved.

Sources said the department was asked to submit a detailed report of activities being conducted under the PYKKA scheme but later it came to light that the grant, being disbursed to the department to organise competitions at the district and state-level, was not utilised in a purposeful manner.

Sources said before the introduction of new schemes, the authorities wanted to know about the actual status whether the targets set under the PYKKA scheme to strengthen the sports at grass root level were achieved or not.

“It is better for the department not to take any new scheme because we are not able to run the PYKKA scheme well and the Union Sports Ministry is rightly thinking to shelve its plan, thereby, not putting additional burden on the department,” a senior DYSS official said.

“There are so many new disciplines being introduced recently, especially in the martial arts and the students are more inclined towards it rather than taking part in rural competitions like kabaddi, kho-kho and volleyball. The department sometimes face hardships in conducting so many activities because the grant at our disposal is limited,” the official claimed.

“As far as the implementation of new sports schemes in other states is concerned, they have better sports infrastructure than us, besides having ample funds to conduct activities in a smooth manner. Our topmost priority is to achieve the targets of the PYKKA scheme and unplug the loopholes that were responsible for our failure in the proper implementation of the scheme. I am sure that in 2014, we will be in a better position to absorb the new sports schemes of the Union Sports Ministry,” the DYSS official maintained.