Chandigarh, Tuesday, August 3, 1999
Chandigarh, Tuesday, August 3, 1999 |
Inquiry sharpens faculty division By Jangveer Singh THE teaching community of Punjabi University stands divided as never before. Fresh tensions have arisen on new appointments. Those who belonged to the J.S. Puar (former vice-chancellor) camp feel a few members of the teaching community who had agitated against the former vice-chancellor had been rewarded. They say by doing so Vice-Chancellor has failed to keep his promise of acting in a non-partisan manner. 3WI sets
up centre in Chandigarh One-year
MBA in Tourism Taking
up the cause of hill children |
  |
Inquiry sharpens faculty
division THE teaching community of Punjabi University stands divided as never before. Fresh tensions have arisen on new appointments. Those who belonged to the J.S. Puar (former vice-chancellor) camp feel a few members of the teaching community who had agitated against the former vice-chancellor had been rewarded. They say by doing so Vice-Chancellor has failed to keep his promise of acting in a non-partisan manner. PUTA Secretary Dr NS Atri says he has already requested the Vice-Chancellor to maintain a “balance in the faculty.” However, PUTA President and Puar baiter S.S. Khaira says the new Vice-Chancellor needs to build his own team and it has been a tradition with any Vice-Chancellor to choose his own team. Despite this the Vice-Chancellor has kept a “balance” in appointments, he argues. New appointments is not the only issue agitating the minds of the university teachers. The treatment being given to those against whom a vigilance inquiry is in progress and the “inaccessibility” of the Vice-Chancellor is also being debated. Mr Khaira says his group cannot demand action against only the university Registrar and not the teachers indicted in the inquiry. Dr Atri feels the university should take steps to ensure the teachers are not unduly harassed during the course of the inquiry. Dr K.C. Singhal, Head, Department of Business Management, is more forthright. He says a clear-cut division has occurred in the faculty due to the inquiry. He says such inquiries had set a dangerous precedent as these could become a tool for politicians to interfere in university matters. He feels teachers are being harassed for having followed instructions of the former Vice-Chancellor and in future no one would be ready to take on any extra assignment as had been in the case of the Indian Science Congress. As regards inaccessibility of the Vice-Chancellor, there is a perpetual rush in front of his office. The matter has been compounded by the installation of red and green lights in the office. The PUTA Secretary speaking on the issue, says he has talked to the Vice-Chancellor and conveyed the need to meet the faculty members from time to time following which hours in the morning and evening had been set aside for the faculty. However, Dr Singhal claims the Vice-Chancellor is never available during these hours. He says he has been trying to meet the Vice-Chancellor since the past 15 to 20 days o discuss urgent administrative work. “I feel he should be more accessible to teachers and specially to heads of departments,” he says. Faculty members also resent the fact that they have been restrained from giving comments to the press. According to a university circular distributed to all departments, the heads have been told to convey anything newsworthy to the Public Relations Department which will be the sole authority to forward the news further to the press. Among the first acts of Dr Ahluwalia when he took over as Vice-Chancellor was to appoint a superannuated professor engaged in a court battle as Dean, Colleges. The Vice-Chancellor, justifying the appointment of Dr SL Singla, a bitter critic of his predecessor, had said he was giving a chance to those who had been ignored” earlier to become part of the decision-making process. Subsequent appointments give the impression that those who had protested against the earlier regime were being rewarded. Dr D.S. Dhillon was made Dean, Students. Dr Dhillon also headed the group which was opposed to the former Vice-Chancellor. Another sympathiser of the group, Dr Kuldeep Singh Dhir has been appointed Dean, Academics. Besides, the PUTA
President, who had fought the election on the United
Teachers Front platform, an anti-Puar front, has been
made Director of the University’s Audio-Visual
Research Centre. |
3WI sets up centre in Chandigarh Starting August 5, 1999, the World Wide Web Institute will open its unit in Chandigarh. The institute (3W) is a Geneva-based company creating internet professionals, providing the highest order of internet technology training and consulting for individuals and companies around the world. It is involved in the continuous development and upgradation of webskills, keeping in tune with the highly dynamic technology. It formally launched its operations in Hyderabad in January ‘98, bringing the same top of the line, world class certificate and training programmes which have been helping professionals worldwide. It began with certified web master, a certificate programme providing a thorough grounding of the Internet, starting from basics and chartering its course to the very latest on web. It has been touted as the most comprehensive course on Internet under one umbrella. Each web institute is linked to the master franchisee’s web-site. A team of professional web masters through e-mail on hotline provides technical support. The distance learning enables faster transfer of new training technology. Also on the anvil is periodic video conferencing. The web institute in India provides the highly acclaimed and popular Certified Web Master, Certified Web Administrator, Certified Web Developer, and Web essential courses. Also on cards is Certified Web Commerce Master. Participants are certified by the World Wide Web Institute, Geneva, upon completion and receive an internationally recognised certificate. All participants create their own web-site with a unique URL. This is an actual demonstration of the Internet skills developed by each participant and also helps in placements. The Certified Web Master Course, is way above other similar courses available. It is the most comprehensive anything under the sun about Internet course. It is fully structural, all inclusive, in-depth and most extensive Internet course divided into three shells, which begins with the most elementary basics on internet and then takes you through Microsoft/Netscape servers, their installation, configuring and maintenance to advance web programming using languages like Pearl, Java Script and Java, Web development using either Microsoft Tools like Visual J++ and Visual Inter Dev or Borland Tools like J Builder and Java Bean components. Culminating with exciting VRML and Multi Media on web, the course also includes a live project towards the end of the certificate programme involving the creation on own website with a unique URL by students. There has been a
staggering expansion in the number of Internet users
across the world, estimated at some 80 million and
growing at a whopping 200% per annum, resulting in a
rapid increase of the demand for training workshops which
will educate individuals on how to understand and use
this demanding technology in the most productive manner
possible. The World Wide Web Institute is an
International network of authorised training centres with
associated certification of Internet-related skills. |
One-year MBA in Tourism CHANGING technology and the competitive market scenario as a result of liberalisation and globalisation have thrown up opportunities which never existed before. A bachelor’s degree in arts, science and engineering has become a basic qualification. Relevant skills to match the global scenario and technology advanced marketplace are now required in India.Today a person with professional education is handsomely rewarded. Privatisation has increased both competitiveness and complexities of jobs, thereby creating a demand for skilled professionals. The services sector is growing faster as compared to the industrial and agriculture sector. Tourism, hospitality and airlines industries and management studies have been identified among the 20 top careers of next millennium, besides information technology. Tourism which has already emerged as one of the largest businesses finds itself looking for strategies that could transform static organisations into dynamic, versatile and innovative workplaces capable of thriving in the 21st century. It is already being recognised as a crucial resource generating activity and its role in pushing up the pace of economic development cannot be over-emphasised. The tourism sector is expected to generate 100 million jobs in the world. One direct job creates 11 indirect jobs in this sector. The labour-capital ratio per million rupees of investment in the hotel and restaurant sector is 89 jobs as against 44.7 jobs in agriculture and 12.6 jobs in manufacturing industries. With impressive multiplier effect, tourism’s existing and potential role as a creator of wealth and employment is finally being realised. The late Harman Kahn, known futurologist once referred to the coming era as the golden age of tourism. This year, the Central, state governments and the private sector in India are celebrating the Explore India Millennium Year with the objective of creating public awareness about the social and economic benefits of tourism and identifying new destinations. Efforts are being made to attract five million foreign tourists in the next three years and to develop domestic tourism by building more hotel rooms, and creating other infrastructural facilities. Similarly, the airlines industry is poised for a big leap in the next century on account of the fast developing changes taking place in the information technology and other related fields. All this augurs well for the younger generation on the threshold of their career after 10+2 and graduation. However, in prioritising
education investment, tourism ranks far below science and
technology and many other fields. It is here that the
role of the private sector has assumed importance. There
are many institutions in the public and private sectors
in Chandigarh which conduct courses in tourism and
hospitality management. Mention may be made of the Food
Craft Institute, Institute of Hotel Management, the
Northern India Institute of Hotel Management and the
ITFT-Chandigarh. Keeping the global perspective of
business in the consideration ITFT has launched MBA
Tourism (MITM), a one-year degree course in collaboration
wih Southern Cross University, Australia including a
visit to Australia for two months before the award of the
degree the ITFT provides an integrated one and two year
diploma courses in travel, tourism and hospitality
management at the graduate and undergraduate levels. The
other growing area is that of airlines management which
opens avenues for aspiring air hostess, flight attendant
are one of the most challenging and potentially rewarding
paths which one can think of choosing as a profession
today. Professional education in Chandigarh is much
economical as compared to the metros. Chandigarh also
happens to be one of the planned cities in the world
hence it comes as no surprise that the city beautiful
supports a student population of 26,000. |
Taking up the cause of hill
children TATTERED clothes, bare feet, pathways strewn with hostile boulders dotted by seasonal rivulets make a trek to school a litmus test for students in the hill region of Uttar Pradesh. Victims of abject poverty, most boys and girls remain uneducated as their parents cannot afford to send them to schools. Parents do not even have resources to pay the meagre fee what to talk of buying books and uniforms. The authorities concerned have opened schools in hilly areas but no arrangements have been made to finance education of those belonging to poor sections. In a village called Kaulagarh near Dehradun, children on their way to school would work as labourers in mines to earn a rupee or two until their cause was taken up by the Mahila Kalyan Samiti based in Dehradun. The organisation formed by public-spirited women decided to devote itself to improving the lot of these boys and girls. The entire Dehradun hill belt is dotted with limestone mines. Owners of mines would give them 20 or 30 paise for a basket of stones collected by them. The Mahila Kalayan Samiti has changed the fate of a large number of such boys and girls. Most members of the samiti are wives of senior government functionaries. Mrs Giri Bala Juyal, Secretary of the samiti, wife of a senior scientist and doing a doctorate in philosophy, says that the samiti has enrolled permanent members who can afford to spare Rs 20-Rs 30 per month for helping the needy children. Such members regularly contribute for the cause of students. The amount collected, thus, is spent on buying books for students and paying their fees. Apart from this samiti members move door to door and make contact with well-to-do families for clothes for rural students. The samiti has started work at a very small level a few years ago. Now it has built an impressive network. The samiti has adopted certain primary schools in rural areas. Mrs Geeta Srivastava is another member of the samiti, totally devoted to the cause of the poor students. Even books are
collected. There are several parents who donate books of
their wards when they are promoted to the next class. |
Campus scene HISAR: Students of CCSHAU have offered their services to fight at the Kargil frontier. The students, accompanied by university employees and scientists held a procession and presented a copy of a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner, Hisar. The copies of the memorandum have been sent to the Chief Minister, Prime Minister, Defence Minister and Chief of the Army staff. * * * * The campus community remembered the former Prime Minister, Chaudhary Charan Singh, on his 12th death anniversary. The Vice-Chancellor, Prof J.B. Chowdhury, garlanded the statue of the late Prime Minister in the campus premises, while the faculty and students paid floral tributes. Describing Chaudhary Charan Singh as a legendary leader of the peasantry and the toiling masses, the Vice-Chancellor called upon the university community to rededicated themselves to the service of farmers. It may be mentioned that to perpetuate the memory of Chaudhary Charan Singh, the university had instituted a memorial lecture series, besides installing his statue on his 96th birth anniversary last year. * * * * In accordance with norms of the Veterinary Council of India (VCI), the university has created new departments by reshuffling and changing the nomenclature of a few existing one in its College of Veterinary Sciences. The departments which have come into existence are Animal Breeding, Genetics and Bio-Statistics, Animal Nutrition, Livestock Production Technology, Lovestock Production and Management, Bio-Chemistry, Epidmiology and Preventive Medicine, and Animal Husbandry Extension Education. Although the decision regarding creation of those new departments has yet to have the approval of the Academic Council and Board of Management, the university administration has issued a notification for immediate compliance. * * * * It was a proud moment for Kehar Singh, a waiter at the campus Faculty Club, when he was given an “honesty award” of Rs 500 by the Vice-Chancellor. Kehar Singh found Rs 3500 in cash from Room no 9 of the club after the occupants from Mumbai had checked out. He immediately deposited the seven currency notes of Rs 500 denomination each with the Superintendent, Hospitality, Mr M.M. Joshi. Prof. J.B. Chowdhury, Vice-Chancellor, has been conferred fellowship by the prestigious National Academy of Agriculture Science. Dr R.S. Paroda, President of the Academy, and Director-General, Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), bestowed this honour on him at a general body meeting of the academy concluded in the premises of PHDCCI, New Delhi, a fortnight ago. Dr Manmohan Singh, former Union Finance Minister, and Dr Ismail Serageldin, Vice-President, World Bank, were also made Honorary Fellows on the occasion. * * * * The university is all set to make its employees including teachers and scientists, computer literate by March next year. To achieve this goal, on-campus computer training has been started under the aegis of the Academy of Agricultural Research and Education Management (AAREM). * * * * Dr B.L. Jalali, Director
of Research, has been elected, President of the Indian
Phytopathological Society. Dr Jalali, who has made
notable contribution spanning over two decades in
harnessing the potential of integrated disease management
for better crop health, has also been awarded fellowship
by the National Academy of Agricultural Sciences. |
Career
hotline I will be completing my BE (Mechanical) this year. I want to set up my own manufacturing unit but I am not sure whether I am cut-out to be an entrepreneur. As the youngest son in a family of professionals, I have led a somewhat protected life so far. With no business in my veins, will I succeed? Mr Suresh, Defence Colony To answer your last question first, you don’t necessarily need a business family background to strike out on your own. However, parental behaviour towards children does play a significant role in making or marring entrepreneurial skills. Sometimes an over-protected environment can make children highly dependent, cautious and risk-averse. Undoubtedly entrepreneurship is the bedrock of industrialisation. More so in a country like India where unemployment is so rampant, and on such a staggering scale. But, you are absolutely right. Not everyone is cut-out to be an entrepreneur. The essential qualities required are the willingness to take risk, proactiveness, a high degree of perseverance — even in the face of repeated hurdles, a sense of perspective and an over-arching vision. I have also found successful entrepreneurs to be highly creative, and innovative and ready to roll-up their sleeves and pitch in wholeheartedly into the task at hand, without bothering about protocol. Even if you think you possess most of the qualities mentioned above, it would be wise to gain some practical work experience in a related industry before you decide to establish your own unit. Sound business sense, planning and marketing savvy and people skills are as important as technical know-how and financial back-up. I am doing BUMS (Bachelor of Unani Medicine and Surgery). Besides private practice, what are the other avenues after completing BUMS. Also, can I take up postgraduate courses in cardiology and neurology? Sameer, Aligarh, U.P. Besides private practice, the other avenues after BUMS lie in research and teaching. However, to qualify for jobs in these areas, you will have to acquire the necessary postgraduate qualifications. A BUMS degree does not qualify you for postgraduate courses in cardiology and neurology in the allopathic system of medicine. I am a graduate and belong to the reserved category. I am keen on pursuing higher studies abroad. Are there any government scholarships for SC/ST students? Sanjay, Punjab The Government of India has taken a series of initiatives for the educational empowerment of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribe students. These include reviving their earlier scheme for studying overseas. The National Overseas Scholarship for Scheduled Castes, tribes and ‘nomadic’ and ‘semi-nomadic’ communities has been revived after a gap of nearly three years. The scheme will benefit 30 such students who wish to pursue higher studies abroad in science and technology. As the pattern of the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) for admission to the IITs has changed and the fee structure revised, could you please provide me the details. Subodh, Rajasthan The Council of the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITS) has decided to conduct the JEE in two stages from the year 2000 and also raise the fees for both Indian and foreign students. The JEE is conducted for admission to six IITs, Institute of Technology (Banaras Hindu University) and Indian School of Mines, Dhanbad. In view of the large number of students sitting for this examination, the council feels that it would be convenient to go in for a two-stage process of selection. The first stage comprising a Screening Test of 3-hour duration will be held on January 2, 2000. The Main Examination will be conducted on May 7 of that year for those who qualify the screening test. The screening paper is objective-type with questions pertaining to mathematics, physics and chemistry. The main examination will comprise three papers of physics, chemistry and mathematics, each of 2-hour duration. As per this plan, a merit list will be prepared after the first examination to select about 15,000 candidates who will take the second exam. The syllabus and eligibility will remain the same. Only one application form will be required for both the exams. As regards the new fee structure, the fees for the Indian students has been raised to Rs 12,500/- per semester for the year 1999-2000 and Rs 15,000/- per semester in the subsequent year. For foreign students, the revised fee is US $ 7,000 p.a. for 1999-2000 and US $ 8,000 p.a. for 2000-2001. Could you tell me where I could do a course in Hydraulics? Miss Geetha, Banglore Although no special courses in hydraulics are offered in the country, the subject is dealt with in Fluid Mechanics in the third and fourth semesters of the undergraduate engineering courses (BE/BTech). Also, temporary training courses are offered by two Bombay-based companies — Vickers Systems International and Bombay Rexroth India Limited. However, for the first time in the country, a school aimed at imparting hydraulics technology to engineering graduates and technicians is being planned at Hyderabad. The curriculum designed for the Hydraulics School will include a certificate-level course in hydraulics equivalent to ITI, a diploma-level course for which general technicians will be eligible and a PG diploma course for which a degree in engineering will be the minimum requirement. I am an engineering graduate keen on doing a course in water management. Could you tell me about the courses in this field. Ranjeet Chaddha, New Delhi A 1-year diploma course in water management, the first of its kind in Asia, is offered by Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Technological University (BATU) in association with Ion Exchange India (IEI), a company dealing in total water management. Each batch of the advance diploma course will consist of 20 students, of which ten will be sponsored by IEI and the rest will be directly recruited by the university. Students with a science or engineering background are admitted on the basis of their academic performance and an interview. Admissions for the next batch will start around August, 1999. The course is designed to impart knowledge of basic sciences and engineering practices in water treatment as well as practical hands-on experience. This would enable future employers such as water treatment companies to recruit fully-trained personnel in this specialised field for their water treatment/utility departments. As a large number of industries such as textiles, dyes, paints, etc. cannot function without efficient water management, job opportunities in this area are considerable. For further information
about this course, you may contact: |
 |
 |