Shimla, April 29
The syllabi for undergraduate courses will undergo a comprehensive review and update for the first time as the state gears up to introduce the choice-based credit-based system (CBCBS) from the ensuing academic session.

There is no option as the University Grants Commission has made the CBCBS mandatory for performance-based grants as part of its student-centric educational reforms to provide an academically rich and flexible learning system.

The CBCBS is being implemented under the Rashtriya Uchchttar Shiksha Abhiyan in the semester mode for which the draft course content for various programmes will be prepared by May 20 by working groups for each subject.

The groups will come out with draft syllabi with the volume of content as per the credits required along with notes for paper-setters and details about minor and major tests and continuous comprehensive assessment.

Interactive workshops will be held with college teachers to give a final shape to the syllabi. The approval will granted by the respective boards of studies which will meet subject-wise from May 25 to 30.

Theacademic council and the executive council of Himachal Pradesh University will approve the revised syllabi by the first week of June.

The update of syllabi for undergraduate courses will necessitate the revision of postgraduate degree and diploma courses which will be carried out simultaneously.

While students will have to study regularly, teachers will be held more accountable as they will be required to maintain a course file which will be handed over to designated heads of department along with documents on teaching and comprehensive continuous assessment.

The course file will include a copy of the timetable, learning goals, lecture-wise course plan with learning and instruction objectives, attendance record, tutorial and assignment sheets, question papers of minor tests and end-semester examinations, comprehensive continuous assessment details, teacher and course content evaluation sheets filled in by students and raw comprehensive continuous assessment scores.

Admission to first-year courses in Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science (medical and non-medical) and Bachelor of Commerce will commence from June 10 and classes will start from June 21. Second-year and third-year students will complete the course under the old system.

Shimla, April 29
Himachal Pradesh University Vice-Chancellor (VC) ADN Bajpai has stressed on adopting the choice-based credit-based system for undergraduate and postgraduate programmes.

He was speaking at the inauguration of the one-day seminar on implementing the system at colleges affiliated to the university under the Rashtriya Uchchtar Shiksha Abhiyan.

The VC called upon participating principals to switch to the new system for which the groundwork had to be done in the first step so that the system could be implemented at colleges.

He said every college must look out for the possibility of starting new courses under the self-financing scheme but with the prior approval of the state government.

Professor Bajpai said the courses on finance, soft skills and job orientation should be started at colleges to make students self-reliant.

Director for Higher Education Dinkar Burathoki, Dean for Studies Suresh Kumar and Dean for Planning and Teacher Matters PK Ahluwalia were present.

Mandi/Badu, April 29
Private MG Polytechnic College at Badu, a nondescript village in Sundernagar sub-division, is set to be shut down as Vijay Chandan, Director of Technical Education (DTE), has recommended its de-recognition as the owner has absconded from the college, jeopardising the future of over 353 students enrolled in the college.

The DTE has asked the district administration to lodge an FIR against the owner.

The DTE has also decided to shift these students to nearby recognised polytechnic institutions so that they could take up the final examinations.

Chandan said they would again inspect the college on Monday. The career of students was at stake as the owner had run away and nothing was known about his whereabouts.

The DTE’s action followed after the department inspected the college early this month.

“The owner of the MG group has taken loans and deserted the college as all attempts to contact him have failed,” said official sources in the department.

Students had lodged their protest with Deputy Commissioner, Mandi, Devesh Kumar, who had directed the DTE to take action against the college management.

The preliminary probe done by the DTE has found that the college was being run on an ad hoc basis with the infrastructure in tatters.

When asked whether the students would be able to take the examinations, Chandan said they would take up the matter with the board, which would decide whether or not to allow them to appear in examinations as the last date of fee submission was over.

The examination fee worth Rs 5.67 lakh was deposited by the students for final examinations with the college, but it has not been deposited with the TEB, Dharamsala, so far. The last date for the same was over on April 20, students alleged.

Besides, the college staff has not been paid their salaries for the past two months, they resented.

The owner has absented from the college for the past two months, they alleged.

However, college Principal Vinod Kumar said they would deposit the fee draft worth Rs 6.67 lakh with the board on Monday.

“I am not aware about the action taken by the DTE as they have inspected the college recently,” he added, admitting delay on the part of the management and feigned ignorance about the whereabouts of the owner, MG Sharma.

Kangra, April 29
The quality of higher education should be improved and in the 12th Five-Year Plan and stress has been laid on highly trained faculty, use of ICTs and software, in addition to monetary and infrastructural development because the faculty is a source or kernel for providing higher education.

This was stated by Ashok Thakur, Secretary, Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India, at the Seminar Hall of the Temporary Academic Block of the CUHP at Shahpur today.

Stressing on the need to provide access to content, he said interconnectivity needed to be provided among various universities and institutions. The ICT was a very important tool to facilitate exchange and access of academic content across the institutions in the country.

Interacting with the faculties and research scholars on the campus about the ways to improve quality of higher education, he said the Rashtriya Uchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA), as a part of the 12th Five-Year Plan, would tackle the issue of contractual labour in universities in the state and elsewhere.

“Presently the funding of state universities from respective states is either stagnant or coming down, which in turn forces them to stick to practices like contractualemployment and affiliation programmes. However, with RUSA, we are planning to address these issues which are affecting the quality of education in the country so much,” Ashok Thakur said.

On this occasion, Prof Furqan Qamar, Vice-Chancellor, said finding quality candidates for teaching jobs in higher education was very difficult. “For recruitment, we found that most of the candidates who are technically eligible for the posts were extremely poor in communication skills and conceptualisation abilities,” he said.

He also suggested that the Department of Higher Education should conduct mass training programmes for improving the skills of qualified candidates.

On this occasion, Ashok Thakur released the prospectus of the university.

Sarojini Ganju Thakur, Chairman, HP Private Education Regulatory Committee, and Pema Chonjor, Minister for Religion and Culture of Tibetan Government-in-Exile, were present among the dignitaries in the function.

Pro Vice-Chancellor of the university Yoginder Singh Verma, Registrar BR Dhiman, Dean of the School of Social Sciences Arvind K Agrawal and others were also present.

Solan, April 29
The Industries Department will shortly shift the site of the Centrally sponsored mini-tool room from the site earmarked at Thana to Katha in the Baddi industrial area.

The decision to change the site has been taken to ensure sufficient space for the project. While the site at Thana is 10,000 square metres, the site at Katha will have 15,000 square metres.

Industries Minister Mukesh Agnihotri said last evening that the mini-tool room would be set up at the new site while reviewing the progress of various projects at Baddi.

The Union Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) had sanctioned Rs 18.83 crore for the project in 2012 with the Central share being 90 per cent while 10 per cent would be given by the industrial association.

Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, then Union MSME Minister, laid the foundation stone at the old site in 2012. He had then announced that more space would be helpful in expanding the mini-tool room.

Once established, it will be helpful in solving the long-pending demand of industrial associations. It will be a common facility centre for small and medium industries and for training the youth.

Deputy Director for Industries Tilak Raj Sharma said they were working out modalities to finalise a strategic partner with technical now-how of the project who would contribute the remaining industrial share of Rs 4 crore.

Shimla, April 29
Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh today said a helipad would be constructed at Kalabag in Sirmaur district for the convenience of pilgrims visiting the Choordhar temple.

Speaking at the 12th annual convention of the Chooreshwar Seva Samiti, he said the helipad would be constructed this fiscal. He announced a grant of Rs 10 lakh for construction of Shirgul Devta temple and that work would be completed this year.

He said Choordhar was an important religious and tourist destination and efforts would be made to provide facilities to visitors. He told Tourism and Forest departments to submit a feasibility report on a ropeway from Sarahan to Kalabag.

He directed the Irrigation and Public Health Department and the power board to complete construction of the lift water supply scheme for Choordhar from Tarahan Khad.

The District Administration was directed to improve the pedestrian path from Kupwi and Sarahan Bigit Maharaj temple to Choordhar and take steps for constructing a motorable road from Mandah Ghati in Chopal to Khadach.

He released a souvenir and an audio compact disc brought out by the samiti. Folk singer KL Sehgal and his daughter Savita had rendered 10 Hindi and Pahari songs in the album.

Virbhadra Singh also released the books ‘Buddha Buddhatva Buddhichita Vajraiad’ and ‘Virbhadra the Magus Mystic Positiva’ written by Som P Ranchan.

Chamba, April 29
The Himachal Pradesh State Cooperative Bank (HPSCB) is the first state cooperative bank in the country on 100 per cent core banking solutions (CBS). It is now all set to bring about a change for better services to customers by revolutionising its performance in the state under Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh.

In an official communiqué, bank Chairman Harsh Mahajan stated that having linked the bank with the platform of core banking solutions recently, the bank had provided access to more than 1.40 lakh ATMs (automated teller machines) of various banks operating across the country.

The bank had provided an online National Electronic Funds Transfer (NEFT) facility in all its branches in the state, the Chairman revealed.

Mahajan said the bank had been catering to the services of over 14 lakh customers in the length and breadth of six districts of Himachal Pradesh which included Chamba, Mandi, Bilaspur, Sirmour, Kinnaur and Shimla.

“The bank is serving rural masses through a gamut of attractive loans and deposit schemes,” Mahajan asserted.

Mahajan said the HPSCB was a winner of four prizes viz in overall performance, computerisation, best outreach, good governance and management.

Established in 1953, HP State Cooperative Bank is an “A-grade bank” of the state and for the development of the state as well as the wellbeing of its people, Mahajan added.

Shimla, April 29
The Forest Department has drawn up a plan for the eradiation of lantana, an obnoxious weed which has infested forests and invaded agriculture fields, affecting productivity and rendering uneconomical small land holdings.

The weed is estimated to have spread over 1,85,000 hectares mainly in the Shivalik hills. The Forest Department has decided to remove the weed and plant fruit trees and other eco-friendly species.

To begin with 5,000 hectares will be treated. The government has decided to launch a massive afforestation drive of medicinal and broad-leaved species which could provide food, fodder and fuel, particularly to Gujjars and Gaddis.

The finances will be provided by the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority of India, the Green India Mission Fund and Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act funds.

The campaign will be carried out to bring under forests 20,000 hectares of non-cultivable land.

Efforts of the department have helped increase the forest cover from 11,780 sq km in 1991 to 14,679 sq km in 2011. As per a survey report an increase of 11 sq km was noticed since 2009.

The government had adopted guidelines of the New State Forest Policy. The objective for the 12th Five-Year Plan (2012-17) is to increase the forest cover through the participation of the local population.

A Working Group Committee has been set up to recommend strategies to increase, conserve and protect forest wealth. About 80,000 hectares will be afforested in the next five years and 45 lakh medicinal plants will be planted this fiscal. 

Palampur, April 29
Health Minister Kaul Singh Thakur cautioned medical officers last evening to perform duties with dedication and follow medical ethics.

Talking to this correspondent, Kaul Singh said the state government had told doctors to avoid over-medication as it could harm patients.

He said the government had proposed a medical audit of indoor and outdoor prescriptions. He said they would use a particular software to curb malpractices in prescribing medicines.

He further said the government would install a photostat machine at every hospital in the state for copies of prescriptions on a random basis.

He claimed that certain medical officers had been prescribing substandard medicines with ulterior motives. He warned such doctors to discontinue the practice.

He added that certain hospitals had been virtually turned into referral hospitals with doctors referring even patients who were not critical to higher institutes without examining them.

He said he had recently transferred a doctor from Ghumarwin in Bilaspur district to Chamba for referring to the Zonal Hospital at Bilaspur a pregnant woman who delivered in an ambulance half an hour later.

He said the Health Department had switched over to the public private partnership mode. He explained that X-ray computed tomography scan machines had been installed at hospitals in the first phase.

He pointed out that the government had signed a memorandum of understanding with a private company to provide 24 services. He said and no patient would be referred for such tests after the services began.

Bilaspur, April 29
The government is fully aware of the difficulties of people due to paucity of doctors and pharmacists in some of the health institutions in the state and it is determined to provide required staff in a phased manner. The government will fill as many as 100 posts of doctor this year.

This assurance was given by Minister for Health, Revenue and Law Minister Kaul Singh Thakur while addressing a one-day seminar of the State Pharmacy Council here today. The minister said doctors and pharmacists were the backbone of society and they were the real protectors of human life.

Kaul Singh said with a view to attract talented doctors to the state, the monthly emoluments of doctors had been sufficiently enhanced. He said now MBBS doctors would get Rs 40,000 as salary, specialist doctors Rs 60,000 and those serving in backward areas, like Pangi, Rs 85,000.

He declared that the government was going to start six trauma centres at various places.

He expressed concern over the selling of prohibited drugs to youth in the state and said the practice must be stopped by chemists.

He said every district was being equipped with a drug-addiction centre to help misguided youth.

Kaul Singh expressed happiness that the state was the first in providing maternity care and child welfare services in the entire country. He said doctors would not be employed through Rogi Kalyan Samitis from now.

Local MLA Bambar Thakur and State Pharmacy Association president Gopal Krishan also addressed the gathering during the seminar. 

Bilaspur, April 29
The BJP unit of the Ghumarwin Mandal, near here, has warned the government that if people’s demand to fill up all posts of doctor at the Ghumarwin Civil Hospital is not accepted at the earliest, the unit will have no alternative but to start a mass agitation.

This unanimous resolution was passed by the unit at its meeting presided over by Block president Narender Thakur and held at Nihari near Ghumarwin, 35 km from here, yesterday. It was addressed by prominent leader Rajender Garga among others.

Garga said the unit had submitted a memorandum to the government detailing people’s difficulties several weeks ago through the local SDM, but till now no action had been taken. Congress leaders in the district and the state were only giving statements to fill up posts, but had not taken any concrete step in this direction till now.

He said the situation was causing great inconvenience to hundreds of patients coming to the hospital. They were going back disappointed due to the non-availability of specialists and other doctors. They had to run to costly private hospitals and clinics or far-off Regional Hospitals at Bilaspur or Hamirpur.

The meeting urged the government and Health Minister Kaul Singh Thakur to post doctors at the hospital at the earliest.

Present on the occasion were general secretaries Zorawar Singh and Navin Sharma, Dr Shyam Bihari Sharma, District Mahila Morcha president Usha Thakur and vice-president Sheetal Bhardwaj, former presidents Mohar Singh and Capt Ram Singh and prominent leaders Subhash Gauttam, KR Sharma, Karam Chand, Rajesh, Chaman Sharma and Vishwajit. 

Shimla, April 29
Activists of the Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) today burnt the Chinese national flag and staged a demonstration against the intrusion of Chinese troops into Indian territory.

The campus unit of the ABVP of Himachal Pradesh University (HPU) Kushal Koundal said the intrusion by the Chinese was a very serious issue which the UPA regime was taking very lightly. “The Prime Minister cannot dismiss the heightened activity by the Chinese along the border as a localised problem, as some strong action is required,” he said.

Koundal said the UPA regime had proved to be a complete failure when it came to protecting the borders and national security. “The youth of the nation must raise their voice against the threat faced from China as it is essential to boost the morale of the armed forces and valiant soldiers who are guarding our borders,” he said.

He said India must take up the issue of the withdrawal of Chinese forces forcefully so that there is no threat to our national security. He said in case the Congress-led UPA regime did not take any strong measures to send a strong signal to China, the ABVP would be forced to launch a nationwide agitation.

Sundernagar, April 29
Textile scientists are of the opinion that the latest ring-yarn-spinning technology developed by Japan and going through trials in India, can revolutionise spinning and yarn making in the country. The technology can increase yarn production by nearly 10 times from 33-metre per minute to 300-m per minute.

This was stated by Prof SM Ashtiaque, a renowned textile scientist and former head of the Department of Textile Technology, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi, during a national workshop on innovations and emerging trends in textiles here today. The workshop was organised by the Department of Textile Engineering, Jawaharlal Nehru Government Engineering College.

“We now have a state-of-art technology, which is at the testing stage,” said Professor Ashtiaque. “Japan has developed a new ring-spinning technology for yarn making. The Japanese vortex machine can spin 300-m of yarn per minute, which is nearly 10 times more than what Indian manufacturers can do at present,” he added.

India’s share in the export of yarn in the world is 20 per cent. However, the delivery and production remains low as the present technology can only produce 32-m of yarn per minute. “The latest spinning technology at IIT, Delhi, is a state-of-art technology. It is at the testing stage now and will compete globally,” Professor Ashtiaque said.

He further added, “We have collaborated with many manufacturers in Coimbatore and are ready to transfer the latest technology for the benefit of weavers, manufacturers and consumers in the country.”

The new technology will not only make yarn cheaper, but more beautiful and competitive due to the new additions. “Weavers will improvise on different weaving patterns and designs and speed up production that in turn will boost their income,” Dr Ashtiaque said.

This project was funded by the Department of Science and Technology. He said they were getting a good response from manufacturers in the country. 

Shimla, April 29
The Central Bank of India is keen to finance hydro power plants and infrastructure development projects and support horticulture and tourism sectors for which there is a huge scope in the hill state.

Addressing mediapersons here on Tuesday, MV Tanksale, Chairman of the bank, said the bank planned to improve its credit-deposit ratio in the state which was 35 per cent in Himachal. With 48 branches across the state, it had a branch share of 2.94 per cent, but a market share of 3.91 per cent, even though it was not a lead bank in the state.

It had over 4,300 branches and about 2,500 ATMs across the country and emerged as the third largest bank in the country with a turnover of over Rs 4 lakh crore. It proposed to open 525 village branches and 25 ultra-small branches in the near future. Despite the economic slowdown, the NPA (non-performing assets) of the bank was 5 per cent, but in Himachal, the recovery was quite good and the NPA was just 2 per cent, he added.

The bank proposed to open 10 more branches in the state and a majority of them would be opened in rural areas. The focus would be mainly on agriculture and allied activities, housing, education and small and medium enterprises during the current financial year.

Manali, April 29
Six persons were seriously injured when a man attacked them with a sharp-edged weapon while they were sitting close to a bridge at 15 Mile village, 16 km from here, yesterday. All the injured have been admitted to hospital in Manali and the accused has been arrested.

Eyewitness Hira Lal of Batahar village, who also sustained an injury on his head, said when he and other villagers were grazing cattle in a forest near 15 Mile village, a woman rushed to them and asked them to save her from a man who was following her with a sharp-edged weapon. When they resisted him, he started attacking them. They overpowered him and informed the police.

Manali DSP Shamsher Singh, who rushed to the hospital to take stock of the situation, said all the injured had been identified as Nisha (27), Banti (36), Tashi (50), all residents of 15 Mile village, and Kunj Lal (65), Khimi Dass (68) and Hira Lal (61), all residents of Batahar village.