Shimla, May 10
The revival of Himachal Pradesh Private Educational Institutions Regulatory Commission has come as a major relief for students as alleged irregularities and arbitrary actions of private universities and educational institutions would again come under the scanner. Various regulatory measures to set academic parameters and check exploitation of students enforced by the commission would be in place and students will get a platform to lodge their complaint.

The commission was abolished on October 19, 2013 following a judgment passed by the High Court and the private educational institutions were having a free play during the past seven months. The panel would now look into complaints of imposition of exorbitant fines and charging of higher fees, admission of ineligible students and running of courses without approval from competent authorities.

The regulatory commission had taken several steps to rein in the private universities and educational institutions and took action against charging of exorbitant amounts in the name of fines and got a major amount refunded. Some universities were extorting additional amount from students by imposing heavy penalties in the name of late fee charges, absence from classes etc and there was no transparency or uniformity. The penalty ranged from Rs 100 to Rs 5,000.

The regulatory commission had received several complaints against the institutions concerned. Taking a serious note of the arbitrary manner in which private universities had been imposing fines on students for delay in the payment of fee and other charges, the government specified the quantum of penalty for late fee charges.

However, after the regulatory commission was scrapped, the private institutions were back to their old ways and a law college allegedly imposed fines of thousands of rupees on students for not attending the extra classes.

The commission had also imposed a fine of Rs 2 crore on a private university, which led to collective opposition of regulatory commission by private universities. They moved the High Court, which quashed the Act concerned and also the commission.

There is a large number of complaints or admissions to ineligible students and some of the students placed under compartment were given admissions in violation of rules. There are complaints of some private universities enrolling students for Ph D without the approval of the UGC and charging heavy fee from them.

The case of Maharshi Markandeshwar University Medical College, which has been illegally affiliated to the university which is not authorised to affiliate any college would also be looked into.

The commission was examining the case but after it was scrapped, the MMU not only got the college affiliated but also got letter of permission to admit 150 students in the first batch of MBBS.

The commission would have to look into the complaints and also take action against the college as “non-action” on the part of the government would jeopardise the future of 150 students who have paid heavy fees, especially for 50 per cent seats under management quota.

Student leader Rahul Prashar, who has been spearheading a campaign against the irregularities in private universities, said the revival of the commission had kindled hopes that the complaints of the students would be heard and appropriate action would be taken to provide justice and relief to students.

Dharamsala, May 10
The century-old rivalry between followers of Shugden, a Tibetan cult, and the institution of the Dalai Lama has once again come to the fore.

The Shugden followers have welcomed the decision of Norwegian government of not meeting the Dalai Lama and alleged their human rights were being violated by the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA). They have also expressed their opposition to the Dalai Lama.

The CTA based at Dharamsala has strongly condemned such protests organised by followers of Dolgyal (Shugden). The fact that Dolgyal groups welcome the Norwegian government’s decision not to meet the Dalai Lama due to pressure from the Chinese government clearly confirms that the group were doing political bidding at the behest of the Chinese government.

The Dalai Lama is a beacon of hope for millions of Tibetans and peace-loving individuals across the world.

“As the Shugden-related groups campaign to mislead public with false allegations against the Dalai Lama and the Central Tibetan Administration, we hope the public will answer these unfounded allegations,” said Dr Lobsang Sangay, Sikyong (leader of Tibetan people).

In seeking legal status or political asylum in North America and Europe, Dolgyal followers can use the denial of religious freedom as an excuse, but the very documents on which they stay in India and travel abroad is issued by the Government of India and endorsed by the CTA. Therefore, the CTA has neither denied them their religious freedom nor obstructed their rights to live in India and travel abroad, Sangay said.

The CTA has maintained that Dolgyal groups are violent as demonstrated by the murder of the principal of the Institute of Buddhist Dialectics and his two disciples at Dharamsala in 1997. Police authorities confirmed that murderers were linked to the Dolgyal (Shugden) groups, including the New Kadampa Tradition (NKT), Dorjee Shugden Devotees? Charitable and Religious Society and the North American Gelug Buddhist Association.

Subsequently, the interpol issued arrest warrants against two Tibetans who committed the murder. The Indian and US governments have stated that the Dolgyal organisations and their agents pose serious threat to the security of the Dalai Lama.

Dorje Shugden is considered to be a wrathful spirit of the deceased Lama now working as the worldly protector. Shugden is believed to be a spirit of murdered Gelukpa Lama who had opposed the 5th Dalai Lama both in debate and politics. He was found dead under mysterious circumstances.

There are about 1 million Dorje Shugden practitioners worldwide. The trouble with followers of sect with the present Dalai Lama began in 1975 when the yellow book was published. In the book, a message was given to Ge-Luk Lamas that they should not practice teaching of other schools, otherwise they would incur Shukden’s wrath and die prematurely.

After the publication of the book that was perceived as a direct challenge to Dalai Lama’s authority, he banned Shugden practices. As per reports, the Chinese government recently started promoting followers of Dorje Shugden to counter the influence of the Dalai Lama.

Shimla, May 10
The lingering dispute between Punjab and Himachal over sharing the cost of Rs 400-crore Shah Nehar irrigation project in Kangra district of Himachal has been resolved due to the Centre's intervention. The state would soon get Rs 62.42 crore from the partner state.

The project aimed at providing irrigation facilities to Himachal and flood control activities in adjoining plains of Punjab was to be shared in the ratio of 70:30, but Punjab stopped releasing the payments in the midst of execution of the project, which led to increase in cost and time over-runs.

A meeting was held in January this year under the chairmanship of Secretary (Coordination) in which Secretary (Expenditure) and representatives of the Planning Commission were also present. It was agreed upon that Punjab would pay its share of Rs 62.42 crore to Himachal.

To expedite the matter, another meeting of representatives of the Union Water Resources Ministry, Secretary (Expenditure) and the Planning Commission was held in which representatives of Punjab and Himachal were not present. An unprecedented decision was taken that the Planning Commission would pay the share of Punjab from its funds available with the commission and as a consequence, Himachal would get its share soon, a senior government functionary said.

During the annual plan finalisation of Punjab on March 23, 2012, Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission had stated that the matter of Shah Nehar had been resolved and the demand of Himachal to provide a one-time grant of Rs 62.42 crore was being considered favourably.

Punjab had maintained that the project would benefit only Himachal and should be treated as an exclusive project of the state and had stopped contributing its share. The Union Water Resource Ministry was also funding both the states and had released funds under accelerated irrigation programme. Himachal was getting funds in the ratio of 90 per cent grants and 10 per cent loan while the ratio for Punjab was 70:30.

The total expenditure up to 2007-08 was Rs 103.75 crore and against eligible central assistance of Rs 93.38 crore, only Rs 30.96 crore was released. Himachal was yet to receive the balance amount of Rs 62.42 crore.

The agreement for Shah Nehar project was signed on August 4, 1983, but the actual construction of the project started in 1997-98. 

Shimla, May 10
Chief Parliamentary Secretary (CPS) Rajesh Dharmani today submitted his resignation to Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh. He was not happy with the limited powers that his post offers him.

It is not for the first time that Dharmani, who represents the Ghumarwin Assembly segment in Bilaspur district, has resigned. In October last year also, Dharmani had tendered his resignation which was not accepted.

“Since the post of the CPS has little power and offers me no scope to help people, I feel there is no point continuing in office,” he said.

He said last time when he had submitted his resignation, he had been asked to continue till the Lok Sabha elections, which he did. “Since the elections are over, I have submitted my resignation and hope it will be accepted,” he said. Dharmani, a third time MP, is considered more close to Union Minister for Commerce and Industry Anand Sharma.

He was initially peeved over not being made a minister and had not come to terms for just being given the post of CPS. Within the district also, he had been sore for not being given the importance which he deserved.

Dharmani had taken back his resignation on being asked to do so in October last year but he never used the official vehicle provided to him. He had been travelling in his vehicle and hardly attended office in the secretariat.

He is the lone CPS who has not moved into a government bungalow.

Sources said Dharmani was also learnt to be sore for not being given the importance that he deserved in his own district.

Other MLAs junior to him have been calling the shots for their proximity to the Chief Minister. Otherwise Dharmani is considered a capable and honest politician who has a good hold in his constituency.

The results of the Lok Sabha poll are still awaited but Dharmani’s resignation will spark off speculation about possible dissidence within the ruling Congress.

Shimla, May 10
As many as 65,856 postal ballots can play a significant role in deciding the fate of candidates, especially in the Kangra and Hamirpur constituencies from where a sizeable number of people are serving in armed forces.

The postal ballots to these voters serving in the Army or other paramilitary forces were sent before May 7. These postal ballots have already started arriving and will be accepted till the counting starts on May 16.

With the contest in the Lok Sabha poll between the Congress and the BJP being a very close game, candidates are pinning their hopes on these postal ballots.

Infact, political parties even try to get in touch with the voters to win their support. During the 2012 Assembly poll, the Congress had accused then Chief Minister PK Dhumal of writing letters to the service voters, seeking their support for their government.

Even though the percentage of the votes polled is not very high, their number can influence the outcome of the poll. Some of the associations of ex-servicemen had even appealed to the Election Commission to make the procedure for casting the postal ballot less cumbersome. Their plea was that the complicated procedure and formalities involved in casting of the vote results in disinterest among the voters who are posted in various parts of the country.

The ECI is hopeful that considering the high-pitched campaign launched by it to motivate people to cast their vote, the number of postal ballots will also go up in the Lok Sabha poll. The postal ballots can reach the ECI till the day of counting but before the counting begins. If these reach late, these will not be taken into account after the declaration of results. 

Postal ballot holders in HP

Constituency Postal ballots

Kangra 24,737

Hamirpur 22,865

Mandi 9,919

Shimla 8,335

Solan, May 10
A two-and-a-half-year-old girl was charred to death when about 200 jhuggis, including the one she was sleeping in, were burnt in a massive fire at Kishenpura village in the Baddi industrial area today.

The fire tenders had a tough time trying to contain the fire for over two hours.

Initial probe by the police has found that the jhuggis had been erected on private land and the land owner was charging rent from the dwellers.

It is also known that two fire incidents which took place in tandem led to the massive fire. The first incident occurred around 12 am this afternoon at Kishenpura village, where a jhuggi accidentally caught fire and it engulfed 60 jhuggis nearby.

According to the dwellers, cash and valuables worth Rs 6 lakh were lost in the fire.

Another incident occurred near a pharmaceutical unit where about 150 units caught fire in the same village around 3.45 pm today. The two-and-a-half-year-old Puja was sleeping in one of these jhuggis. Her father, a labourer, was then reportedly away for work while her mother, it is said, was then outside to fetch water. The fast-spreading fire engulfed the girl in flames and charred her to death. Her parents hail from Bihar.

With four incidents of fire taking place in the Baddi-Nalagarh industrial area in the last two days including a fire incident in 20 jhuggis at Katha village and that at an industrial unit at Nalagarh taking place yesterday, an alarming lack of safety of the dwellers has surfaced.

SDM Lalit Jain visited the site. Rs 500 each were given to the jhuggi dwellers and Rs 5,000 to the family of the deceased.

Superintendent of Police S Arul Kumar said they were inquiring into the matter after registering a case under sections 285 and 304-A of IPC against the land owner.

He said a meeting was being convened on Monday by the SDM wherein all officials concerned would deliberate on the precautions which could be taken in future to avert such incidents.