Bathinda, May 8
The Director of Public Instructions (Secondary Education) today directed all the circle education officers and district education officers in the state to allow the students studying in all government schools up till senior secondary classes to purchase practical notebooks of their own choice from the market as per the prescribed syllabus.

Earlier, the schools had been directed to make sure that the students bought practical notebooks of the 'approved' publishers only.

Three private firms, namely S Dinesh & Co. Educational Publishers and Printers (Jalandhar), JR Printing Press (Sangrur) and Ravindera Paper Mart (Jalandhar) were allowed to supply practical notebooks to the students at the rates approved by the department.

However, confusion had prevailed after it was pointed out that the practical notebooks had various errors. It had also been pointed out by teachers and students that the 'approved' practical notebooks were not easily available in the market.

Following complaints regarding the errors in notebooks, the Education Department had promised to take action after getting replies from the publishers. The department had also mentioned that a special committee would check the errors.

The DPI today issued a circular stating that the approval given to the private firms had been a subject of litigation. It also stated that the Punjab and Haryana High Court had "directed the Principal Secretary (School Education) to decide on the averments made by the petitioner". In compliance with the direction, the Principal Secretary passed a "detailed order".

Taking cognisance of the "serious irregularities in supply of the practical notebooks in the market", the reply furnished by the S Dinesh & Co. Educational Publishers and Printers in response to the show-cause notice was found to be unsatisfactory. The other two firms did not furnish replies to the notice.

The principal secretary pointed out that "the three firms who were authorised to supply the practical notebooks at the approved rates have not been able to comply with the terms and conditions of the tender, and the undertakings given by them with reference to the lapses pointed out by the department from time to time".

"In view of the above, I do not see any rationale to allow the continuance of the supply as per the approval given by the Director of Public Instruction (SE), Punjab. Accordingly, the order issued by the office of DPI (SE), Punjab, is hereby withdrawn with immediate effect. The concerned publishers are not to supply/sell any practical notebook under the order/memo dated 30.8.2012," the order stated.

Bathinda, May 8
The state health department will observe May 10 as the de-worming day wherein the students of government, government aided, model and Adarsh schools will be given Albendazole medicine’s first dose. The day is being observed under the school health programme. The medicine is administered to children twice a year so as to eradicate intestinal worms that hamper their normal growth.

Civil surgeon Dr Ajay Sahni said the health department has already been provided with batches of medicines to be administered to students and the district education officers, both primary and secondary education, have already been informed.

District School Program Health Officer Dr Kundan Pal said the non-school going youngsters would be given the medicine at their nearest Anganwari centres. — TNS

Bathinda, May 8
The court of Sessions Judge Jaspal Singh has awarded 10 years of rigorous imprisonment (RI) to a gurdwara priest for raping a minor girl.

Amrik Singh Dhanna (28), a native of Kot Shamir village and residing at Buggar village near Rampura, was accused of raping a 14-year-old student of class IX.

Following a complaint by the victim's father, Kaur Singh, a case under Sections 363, 366-A and 376 of the IPC was registered against the accused at the Sadar Rampura police station on May 1, 2012, and he was arrested the next day.

The complainant stated that his daughter was studying in the Government High School of Kararwala village. On April 25, 2012, she went to the school but did not return. The family members searched for her but in vain.

Later, they came to know that the village priest had come to the girl's school at around 11 am and took her away by saying that the girl was called by her parents at their residence. However, he took the girl to some secluded place and raped her. Afterwards, he took her to different places.

The police initially registered a case under Sections 363 (kidnapping) and 366-A (inducing a minor girl) of the IPC. Section 376 (rape) of the IPC was added to the FIR after a medical examination of the victim was conducted at a government hospital in Rampura.

The family members of the girl stated that the accused also threatened the minor girl not to reveal anything about the act or else he would kill her and her family members.

In its order, the court of the Sessions Judge pronounced rigorous imprisonment for a period of five years and a fine of Rs 1,500 with regard to Section 363 of the IPC. In case the accused defaults on paying the fine, he would have to further undergo RI for a period of three months. With regard to Section 366-A in the case, the accused has been sentenced to RI for seven years and a fine of Rs 2,000. He would have to further undergo RI for a period of four months in case he defaults on paying the fine. And, the court convicted the accused of rape under Section 376 of the IPC and sentenced him to 10 years of RI along with a fine of Rs 4,000. The accused would have to further undergo RI for eight months in case he defaults on paying of fine.

Fact file Amrik Singh Dhanna (28), a native of Kot Shamir village and residing at Buggar village near Rampura, was accused of raping a 14-year-old student of class IX. He took the girl from her school on the pretext that her parents were calling her back home and raped her at a secluded place. Later, Dhanna took the victim to several places and threatened her that he would kill her family members if she told anyone about it. A case against the accused was registered at the Sadar Rampura police station on May 1, 2012, and he was arrested the next day.

Bathinda, May 8
The process of giving shape to the four state-of-the-art Multi-Skill Development Centres (MSDC) to come up in Bathinda, Hoshiarpur, Amritsar and Ludhiana is likely to begin next month when the department of technical education in the state will float tenders inviting bids for the project.

Aimed at imparting vocational skills and creating industry-ready professionals, the design of the proposed MSDC centres has been prepared by a Germany-based company, the GIZ-IS.

A team comprising GIZ-IS officials and the department of technical education had interacted with industrialists in the city on August 29 looking for the kind of professionals that industries in and around Bathinda require.

Industrialists from the power plant and transformers sectors besides petrochemicals, textiles, fertilizers, ginning and other sectors had participated in the free-wheeling discussions stating their requirement for professionals.

In Bathinda, the MSDC centre is proposed to come up on the 10 acres of land of the Government Industrial Training Institute College on the Mansa road.

Talking to TNS, the Director, Technical Education, Baldeo Purushartha, said the department had finalised a proposal submitted by the GIZ-IS and was in the procedure of floating open market tenders inviting bids for the project.

"All the four MSDCs will be given to the selected agency, which will develop and run it. The PWD department will take care of the physical component of constructing buildings for these centres while the agency selected will conceive and execute it," he said.

The selected bidder will conduct surveys studying the job demand, gap between demand and supply of professionals, courses to be provided, duration of the course, pedagogy and methodology of teaching and training methodology.

"Once the agency is selected, we plan to start courses within the next six months. We can start with handful batches of the most sought-after courses and then upgrade to the newly introduced ones, adding new courses every year," he said.

It is a around Rs 240-crore project and every year around one lakh youngsters would be imparted job-oriented industrial education and skills.

The state government had signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the GIZ-IS on August 1 last year with an aim to make MSDCs centers of international excellence, which would operate as skill training-cum-production centres, creating employment as well as providing requisite skilled manpower to industry according to its requirements.

The MSDCs would work on the Hub and Spoke Model where the hub would be the main centre and 8 to 10 satellite training centers would be attached to it.

Bathinda, May 8
As many as 10 students from schools of Bathinda district were chosen to display their projects and models for the state-level Inspire award (secondary level) exhibition. As many as six students were given special mention awards.

The results were announced at a felicitation ceremony organised at the culmination of a three-day long exhibition at the Teachers’ Home here today. Students of class IX and X from as many as 128 schools from across the district displayed projects and models related to various topics of science, engineering, mathematics and environmental issues during the three-day exhibition.

The felicitation ceremony was held under the guidance of the District Education Officer (Secondary Education) Harkanwaljeet Kaur. Principal of the In-Service Training Centre, Bathinda, Khushbir Singh was present at the chief guest on the occasion.

District Science Supervisor Jarnail Singh Bhondipura, Deputy District Education officer Krishan Kumar Gupta and Assistant Education Officer Pavittar Kaur were also present during the felicitation ceremony.

Projects and models made by Gurjot Singh (GSSS, Sivian), Rajinder Singh (GSSS, Bhokhra), Gurmukh Singh (GHS, Bandi), Shabnam Rani (GSSS, Rama Mandi), Harpreet Singh (GHS, Chak Ram Singh Wala), Anjanpreet Kaur (GSSS, Chak Ruldu Singh Wala), Harmanjeet Singh (GSSS, Deon), Pawandeep Kaur (GSSS, Goniana Mandi), Sukhpreet Kaur (GHS, Har Raipur) and Amandeep Kaur (GHS, Bhagu) were chosen to be displayed at the state-level secondary level Inspire awards exhibition.

Bathinda, May 8
A function was held to mark the golden jubilee of the Civil Defence service in the country here today.

Surinder Mohan Jindal, Chief Civil Defence Warden and other officials took part in the function. The occasion was also used to discuss the challenges before the service and the events held by them.

The warden congratulated all the members on completing 50 years and also appreciated the services of all Nishkam Sewaks. He also informed that the event would be celebrated at a glittering function to be held at the Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi on May 9.

He thanked Deputy Commissioner KK Yadav, who is also the Controller, Civil Defence Warden Service, for his guidance and co-operation in making the earthquake mock drill at the Secretariat a success last year. The activities and trainings with the 7th Battalion of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) were also appreciated by him.

Jindal also thanked the Punjab Home Guards and the people of the city for their cooperation from time to time. He assured all help to the district administration at the time of any disaster.

He briefed those present on the activities concerning traffic awareness, civil defence training programme, HIV/AIDS awareness etc.

The services of Kamal Dutt Sharma, president, Civil Defence Warden Club, and Moti Ram Sharma, who had served the organization more than 20 years as the Chief Warden, were also put on record.

Bathinda, May 8
The district police today took out a traffic awareness rally with the help of school- children. The rally was flagged off by Inspector General of Police, Bathinda Zone, Nirmal Singh Dhillon. Senior Superintendent (SSP) Ravcharan Brar, ASP Alka Meena and traffic in-charge Bharpur Singh were also present on the occasion.

IG Dhillon said the aim behind taking out the rally was to sensitise the people about their safety on the road. “A small mistake on the road can take the lives of the people and also endanger the lives of others moving on the road. Driving should done with complete attention on the road,” the IG said. He pointed out that a large number of road deaths have been reported in the past due to the mistake of the commuters.

The winners of the painting competitions organised by the traffic police were also honoured by the police. SSP Ravcharan Brar also expressed similar views on traffic awareness. He urged the truck drivers, autorickshaw drivers and especially the school van drivers to always drive carefully. He also asked the people not to drive after consuming liquor.

The police officials impressed upon the people the need to driver with caution and check recklesness on the roads. Most road accidents take place mainl;y due to over-speeding and rash overtaking and the people were asked by the traffic cops to drive within speed limits and abide by traffic rules. 

Bathinda, May 8
The members of the Revenue Patwar Union held a dharna condemning the attitude of the director, land records, Punjab and the finance commissioner, revenue, towards their long-pending demands.

The agitating patwaris demanded that their pending medical bills should be immediately paid and a policy be formulated for passing the medical bills within a period of 45 days.

Demanding fresh recruitments, the union members said no new patwari has been recruited for the past 20 years and more than 1400 posts of the patwaris are lying vacant. This had led to the patwaris becoming overburdened and created a dearth of opportunities for the youngsters. They added that even the kanungos were overburdened and that one kanungo should be deputed for five patwar circles.

On February 2, 2011, Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal had promised to increase the different allowances by four times, which has still not been implemented, the union alleged.

They demanded that the posts of kanungos should be filled by promoting patwaris and that the kanungos should be promoted as naib tehsildars. The union also demanded that the patwaris, who have completed computer education courses, should be given laptops.

They also demanded pay parity for the patwaris whose date of joining the service is the same and demanded salaries as per the new grade pay scale.

The Revenue Patwar Union will chart out its next course of action during its state level meeting to be held on May 11.

Bathinda, May 8
Bathinda-based physician and assistant professor at the Adesh Medical College, Dr Vitull K Gupta, has been invited to be a member of the core committee for a specialist course on gestational diabetes mellitus (diabetes in pregnancy).

Dr V Seshiah, chairman , Diabetes in Pregnancy Study Group India (DIPSI), and Dr Hema Divakar, president, the Federation of Obstetric and Gynecological Societies of India (FOGSI), have extended the invitation for the course. FOGSI is a professional organization representing the practitioners of obstetrics and gynaecology in India.

FOGSI and DIPSI will intensify a fast track initiative to train the health community on safe delivery and misuse of drugs and reduce post partum hemorrhage in an effort to curtail pregnancy-related deaths in India and maternal mortality.

Diabetes in pregnancy, which was two per cent in 1982, had reached an alarming 16 per cent by 2005. "Awareness on the issue is extremely low in India, in both urban and rural centres. Indians, by ethnicity, are prone to diabetes. The FOGSI - DIPSI initiative will start a fast track course for the lady doctors in the country, to build their capacity to handle such cases.

Bathinda, May 8
The department of textile engineering at the Giani Zail Singh Punjab Technical University Campus, in association with the Silk Mark Organization of India, organised a two-day 'Silk Mark' awareness programme.

The assistant director (I) and executive, Chandigarh chapter of Central Silk Board, Vivek Kumar, played a key role in conducting the event. The objective behind holding the programme was to spread awareness among the stakeholders about the products made of silk and the silk mark initiatives taken by the Central Silk Board.

The Central Silk Board under the Ministry of Textiles, Government of India, is engaged in providing support to the industries based on silk manufacturing and processing. The 'Silk Mark' scheme has been initiated and is being promoted on the lines of 'Wool Mark' already existing in the sector of wool processing.

The students and faculty members of the department were exposed to silk manufacturing technologies and the marketing strategies for silk products and silk labelling.

On the first day of the programme, students were given information about silk processing and 'Silk Mark' initiatives of the Ministry of Textiles. The next day, extensive brainstorming sessions were conducted. — TNS

Bathinda, May 8
The District Red Cross Society today observed the World Red Cross Day wherein the non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that help people in need and distress were honoured.

In the function held at Red Cross Bhawan, Bathinda Deputy Commissioner Kamal Kishore Yadav was the chief guest.

Speaking on the occasion, the DC said that May 8 is the birthday of Jean Henri Dunant whose memoirs of a battle founded the International Committee for the Red Cross.

This year, the Red Cross has completed 150 years of its coming into existence, which was also the annual theme of the event.

He appreciated the efforts of various NGOs in helping people in distress. Elaborating upon the efforts of the District Red Cross Society, he said the Mahant Gurbanta Dass School for Deaf and Mute Children was being successfully run under the Red Cross and currently, it has 180 physically challenged students studying in it. The school also has a panghura (cradle) project where 15 unclaimed babies have been left so far. These babies were subsequently handed over to a Patiala-based organization for care.

Besides, the Red Cross runs three evening schools in the slum areas with the help of Guru Gobind Singh Refinery while another three crèche centres are being run for the younger children where their need for nutrition is taken care of. The Red Cross society also runs a de-addiction centre and medical stores at the government hospitals in Bathinda and Rampura.

Bathinda, May 8
The Deputy Commissioner of Bathinda, Kamal Kishore Yadav, today visited the Rozgaar Bhawan to review the self-employment camp being held there. He reviewed the various teaching techniques being used at the centre and asked the students questions related to their courses.

Seeking details about the courses being run at the centre, he assured the director of the centre DD Sharma of extending all possible help to ensure the smooth conduct of the courses.

The centre director informed the DC that several women from a rural background were training under the Rural Self-employment Scheme. He also briefed the gathering about various self-employment schemes being run by the Punjab government.