The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

EDUCATION

SCHOOL BUZZ
Diwali brings little entrepreneurs out of the closet
Smriti Kak

Diwali is not only famous for lights and firecrackers, it is also that time of the year when fairs popularly known as Diwali melas become the must-go-to places. Right from neighbourhood melas organised by the residents of a particular area, to the sponsored events, which are naturally more hyped to attract people.

Diwali time is marked by an unmistakable zeal, and the zest in the air rubs off on our schools as well. With Diwali around the corner, we have small schoolchildren adequately equipped with pens and slip books on a money-gathering spree.

Since it is almost inevitable that schools will hold a Diwali mela, children are saddled with the responsibility to draw in resources for this grand event. And so we have innocent bundles of joy standing outside our door, for us to shell out something for the mela.

“Every Diwali the kids in my building turn up with their sweet smiles and sometimes sorry looks to sell a lucky draw ticket to me. I end up buying almost a dozen tickets, needless to say that lady luck is yet to smile on me,” says Anil, a bank employee.

He adds, “Raffle tickets and school fetes are a memory which we all carry from our school days. School fetes are undoubtedly one of the most cherished occasions of school years. I make it a point to buy at least a couple of tickets each year.”

Energetic and charged up these children have their own ingenious ways of selling the raffle tickets. “I make a sorry face. I tell them that our teacher is strict and if I don’t sell all the tickets then I’ll have to pay from my own pocket,” said 12-year-old Nitin, smiling gleefully.

But all are not as smart, for 11-yearp-old Radhika’s parents have a different tale to tell, “She is a very shy kid, but since she is one of the most disciplined and academically brighter ones in her class, she used to be saddled with this work. I began losing my cool when she wouldn’t go out to sell the tickets and I was forced to buy them, as she has to deposit the money in school,” complained her mother.

Schools see this activity as a harmless exercise to teach the children the skills of an entrepreneur. “We don’t force the children to sell the raffle tickets. They offer to do, because it excites them. It makes them feel involved. School fetes are a team effort, these things should be seen as one,” said a schoolteacher.

The kids themselves are a divided lot. While some of them find the whole exercise exciting, there are some who ‘wouldn’t be caught dead’ doing the work. “It is so embarrassing to sell tickets. I can’t imagine myself ringing door-bells and plead people to buy tickets,” shrugs 14-year-ld Shreya. So the next time you see a young bundle armed with a pink slip book and a pen, you know it’s Diwali.

Book week

To commemorate the year of books, Guru Harkrishan Public School, Karol Bagh organised a weeklong book fair. The school also adopted a slum in Sultanpuri as a part of the campaign “literacy of all”. The school has started a programme, “Palang- a stride”, under the auspices of the principal, Mrs Kawaljit Kaur. President of the DSGMC, Mr Avatar Singh Hit joined the volunteers from the school, and presented a cheque of Rs 25,000 for the development of the area. Books and notebooks were also distributed to the children in the slum area. Apart from this two graduate girls will be provided training by the school. The book week concluded with a valedictory function. Mr G.L. Zhizhin, the Russian Cultural Counselor was the chief guest at the function and spoke of strengthening bonds by arranging exchange programmes for students.

Adventure camp

Learning can be fun, especially if it is done outside the restricting walls of a classroom. Guru Harkrishan Public School, Vasant Vihar organised a three-day camp on the school premises for students. Nearly 130 students and teachers attended the camp from various schools in Delhi.

With a theme like, “Hum be hein josh mein”, the students couldn’t be expected to be otherwise. And full of enthusiasm they were, whether it was rope river crossing, money crawls, jogging, bird watching or even meditation.

The camp was inaugurated by the Dy Director of Education, South West Zone, Mr P.C. Bose. Also present at the occasion was the Secretary of the Punjabi Academy, Dr Rewail Singh. He encouraged the students to be proud of their inheritance and culture.

Students were also encouraged to exchange views and discuss the ways and means to ‘curb world terrorism and India’s role in it’. They were also taught certain basic safety measures like fire fighting. The camp was appreciated for inculcating the children with the values of cooperation and co-ordination at the same instilling the qualities of discipline and confidence.

Olympiad

Scientific temper has always been encouraged, both at the school as well as college level. To give a fillip to science education, national and international level competitions are organised. The Science Olympiad Foundation is conducting the fourth science Olympiad for school students in February 2002. The Olympiad is open to students from class six to twelve.

Schools wishing to participate will have to register with a minimum of 30 students. Individual participants will not be encouraged. The first-level test will be conducted at the respective schools. There will be 75 objective type questions and the time allowed will be one and a half hours.

The top 500 students from each class will be selected for the second-level test scheduled to take place in July 2002, at more than 50 centers across the country. The first three students of each class will be awarded medals, cash awards and scholarships. All the toppers will be issued merit certificates and participation certificates will be issued to those students who score 40 per cent and above. Approximately a sum of Rs 36 lakh has been earmarked for the prizes of the fourth National Science Olympiad. The Science Olympiad Foundation is a consortium of leading academicians, scientists and media personalities. It is devoted to the task of improving the scientific temper of the student community.

Put on the skates

In the 10th roller skating championship organised by the Delhi Roller Skating Association, Guru Harkrishan School, Vasant Vihar gave a splendid performance.

Anupreet, Guntika, Harleen, Dilpreet, Deepa, Sherry, Harbani, Harman, Rashmeet and Rishab won individual gold and silver medals.

In artistic skating, Harman bagged gold while Tanjeet, Dilpreet Govind and Amardeep got silver medals. The junior boys’ roller hockey team was declared runners-up and the sub- junior girls roller hockey team was declared the second runners-up.

Foundation day

The Bharat Scouts and Guides (BS&G) celebrated its foundation day, Flag Day throughout the country on November 7. At the national level, a contingent of the Bharat Scouts and Guides leaders at the National headquarters, headed by their President, Mr Rameshwar Thakur, called upon the President, Mr K.R. Naryanan and the Vice-President, Mr Krishan Kant, and presented them with a BS&G flag.

Both the President and the Vice-President paid a token amount for the flags, which were presented to them. Mr Krishan Kant appreciated the efforts made by the BS&G towards an all- round development of the youth and the services to the community.

Scouts and guides across the country presented flags to the general public and collected money for the scouts and guides.

Discovery fair

A science talent discovery fair (STDF) was held in Delhi Public School, R.K. Puram on November 11. The aim was to infuse the spirit of discovery, innovation, creation and invention in the minds of students. The Intel STDF is known as the ‘Olympics’ of science fairs. It is the largest science and engineering competition of its kind for schoolstudents.

As a part of its education charter in India, Intel India is hosting the city finals of the fourth Intel Science Talent Discovery Fair 2002 in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore and Kolkatta. The winners of the city level fairs will compete at the National Finals in Mumbai and Delhi in January and the winners of the National Finals will represent India at the Intel International science and Engineering Fair 2002 scheduled for May in the United States. In the last three years, Indian students have won prizes at the International level as well. Last year alone, they won prizes worth a total of $13,000.

A cracking ‘no’

It’s hard to imagine Diwali without crackers, but keeping in mind the increasing pollution levels, we will have to so just that. Thanks to this one day, when all of are geared up to burst the maximum number of crackers, we ruin the efforts of the entire year to curb the pollution levels. Mercifully, children have taken on themselves the arduous task of saving the environment. The concern that has been generated by the awareness drives is conspicuous in the campaigns that have been started by the kids.

“We are not bursting any crackers this year. We want it to be a clean and quiet Diwali,” said Rima a class seven student. Like Rima,there are hundreds others who are geared up to say no to crackers. “Our teacher told us that child labour is used to manufacture crackers. Children who should be in school are exploited and made to work hard to fill someone else’s pockets. We are saying no to crackers because we don’t want to be a part of this exploitation,” voiced Tanya, a student of class 10. With such thoughts ruling the minds of the little ones, it is half the battle won.

HEALTH

MCD hospitals running out of basic drugs
Carry medicines while going to hospital
Syed Ali Ahmed
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, November 11
The emergency patients here are asked to buy their own medicines as the hospitals can not afford them. Yes, this is the condition in the government hospitals run by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD). Even the stock of basic medicines is reportedly running out in these so-called cash strapped hospitals.

The patients in MCD-run hospitals like Kasturba Gandhi, Bara Hindu Rao, Girdhari Lal and Swami Dayanand are routinely asked by the staff nurses to arrange their own medicines, as the hospitals do not have the necessary finance.

Not only this, even cleaning and disinfecting material are not made available.

According to hospital sources, there are no B complex tablets in Kasturba Gandhi Hospital and so attendants of the women patients have to be asked to purchase the tablets from the market. Attendants have to travel all the way to Dariya Ganj to buy the medicine leaving their patients unattended.

The hospital’s inability to provide the basic medicines has left the attendants of the patients in a state of despair.

In fact, attendant Mohan Lal whose wife is in a critical condition had to run from one medicine shop to another in search of some important medicines.

But for hospital staff the unavailability of medicines is nothing new. “This is a routine problem”, they say. When the hospital’s medical superintendent Dr C. J. Kaur was informed about this, she paid no attention, a hospital nurse said. However, Dr C. J. Kaur was not available for comments.

The condition is equally bad in the 400-bed Kasturba Gandhi Hospital, as the hospital is generally over crowded. In the 40-bed children ward a single bed is occupied by two even on normal days. Ironically, the already packed ward admitted fifty-five more children on Saturday with only three staff nurses to attend on them.

“According to hospital norms, one nurse should look after a maximum of six patients. But in Kasturba Gandhi Hospital one nurse looks after scores of patients. Shortage of nursing staff plagues other MCD hospitals as well, a senior nurse told the NCR Tribune.

When contacted for comments, Additional Commissioner of MCD (Health) Anand Prakash said, “As far as lack of medicines is concerned, this should be brought to the notice of medical superintendents of the hospitals. The corporation provides sufficient funds to hospitals.”

He, however, denied the problem of shortage of staff nurses saying that recently some nurses were recruited. If any case of bungling of funds is brought to the knowledge of the department, strict action would be taken against the person concerned, Anand Prakash said. He also maintained that stingent action would be taken in the delinquency of duty.