Dental courses at Vidya Peeth varsity
Tribune News Service

SAS Nagar, December 10
Prof D.P. Bhatnagar, Vice-Chancellor of Rajasthan Vidya Peeth Dean University, has stated that the university has started a diploma course in dental technicians and chair side dental assistant, which are based on medical studies that indicate a rise in the eye and dental related diseases.

The Vice-Chancellor, who was in the town to inaugurate a charitable hospital started by the Indian Institute of Medical and Dental Sciences (IIMDS) in Phase 5, said the requirement of dental assistant was likely to rise in the coming years due to a rise in dental related ailments.

He said the university had given affiliation for the courses to the IIMDS after verification under strict affiliation norms to impart quality education. He said the university was evolving a mechanism to check whether affiliated institutes were flouting the norms and becoming “teaching classes”. He said being in Chandigarh, to attend the Vice-Chancellors conference at Punjab University, he had conducted a surprise check at six affiliated centres in the region and had found that two were not meeting the criteria.

On being asked about the clearance required from the UGC to run diploma courses outside the state, he said only the degree programmes came under the purview of the UGC. The certificate and diploma course could be run by the university at its own level, he added. The state universities were governed by an Act that prohibited them from opening centres outside their respective state.

He said the university had written to the governments of Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana about the diploma and certificate courses that started from the academic year 2001-2002. 

Jacob paints with kids
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 10
It was Punjab Governor Lt. Gen. JFR Jacob’s hour out with kids of Strawberry Fields, Sector 24, here today where he sang and painted, leaving the premises humming “He’s a jolly good fellow”, and a smile on his lips.

At the school to launch the school’s website called “strawberryfieldskindergarten.com”, the Governor, true to his style, went on a guided “inspection” tour of the entire school, taking in the minutest details of classrooms and playrooms meant for children.

Having a compliment up his sleeve for all the places he visited in the school, the Governor didn’t hesitate to join in with the kids singing “Old Mac Donald” in the music room or paint a smiling face on the sheet of the young artist at work in one of the school gazebos.

He took time to interact with children in classrooms and on the swings as well as the sand pit. Joy written all over his face, the Governor had a bounce in his walk as he moved around the school, the entire entourage of other officers and security following him around.

Later, with the click of the mouse he launched the school’s website. The Principal of the school, Mr Atul Khanna, said that the website was designed to provide information on the admission process of the school as well as displayed as many as 40 pictures, available at the click of a button.

Senate to decide Sodhi’s reinstatement
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 10
The decision to reinstate Mr Sodhi Ram, Controller of Examinations, Panjab University, currently under suspension will be taken during the December 29 Senate meeting of the Panjab University.

Mr Sodhi Ram was suspended following his alleged involvement in leaking the papers of BSc (Honours) during the PU examinations. 

COURTS

HIGH COURT
EC given 4-week deadline on EVMs
Tribune News Service

He had added that if the use of the voting machines, and the resultant mischief, was permitted in the state, the fundamental rights of the citizens would be affected causing total erosion of democracy.

Missing businessman case goes to CBI

Less than four months after a Karnal businessman disappeared, Mr Justice K.S. Garewal of the High Court has transferred the investigation from the Haryana Police to the Central Bureau of Investigation.

Delivering the verdict, Mr Justice K.S. Garewal of the High Court observed: “Daulat Ram Wadhwa met his counsel in Karnal on August 31 at 5.30 pm and was not seen alive thereafter. On September 3, his wife, Hardevi, received a call at her residence regarding her husband’s car being found abandoned by the police of Mirzapur in Saharanpur district....

“The police investigated the case and arrested four persons. The petitioner asserts that the main accused are still at large. It has also been stated that Daulat Ram had a dispute with the family of Krishan Gupta, who was shot dead by unknown persons. Daulat Ram was charged with murder but was acquitted by Karnal’s Additional Sessions Judge on April 5, 1997. This led to intense rivalry between the two families”.

The Judge concluded: “It appears that the investigations cannot be conducted satisfactorily and fairly by the Haryana Police. Moreover, in his reply filed by the SHO of Civil Lines Police Station at Karnal, it has been stated that there was no objection if the investigation of the case was entrusted to the CBI.... There may be a strong element of mafia type operation or land grabbing or gangsterism. This case seems to be the handiwork of an organised gang. Such tendencies must be curbed with a heavy hand. Investigation is, therefore, transferred from the Haryana Police to the CBI”.

Principal Secy summoned

Directing Punjab’s Principal Secretary in the Health and Family Welfare Department to appear in court on December 20, a Division Bench of the High Court on Monday directed him to explain why pensionary benefits had not been granted to a doctor earlier working as an Assistant Professor at the Guru Gobind Singh Medical College in Faridkot.

Ruling on a petition filed by Dr Pawan Kumar of Mansa district, the Bench, comprising Mr Justice Amar Bir Singh Gill and Mr Justice Swatanter Kumar, observed: “State counsel submits that he has no brief of this case and is unable to make any statement. More so, he has nothing to say about the direction issued on the last date of hearing by this court that the respondents were required to decide the pensionary benefits of the petitioner”.

The Bench concluded: “In these circumstances, let the Principal Secretary, Health and Family Welfare Department, appear in person and make a statement why pensionary benefits to the petitioner have been withheld”.

CONSUMER COURTS
Carrier Aircon Ltd penalised
Our Correspondent

Chandigarh, December 10
The UT Consumer Court has directed Carrier Aircon Limited, 40 Shapur Jatt, New Delhi and Avenue Marketing Private Limited, Sector-32 to pay compensation to former Professor and Chairman, Department of Law, Panjab University, Dr R.K Bangia, for causing harassment to him and for deficiency in its services.

The complainant, Dr Bangia, stated in the complaint that he had booked one 1.5 tonne window air conditioner with remote control and paid Rs 28, 500 through three cheques of Rs 24, 000, Rs 3,000 and Rs 1,500 each respectively on April 4, 2000 to Carrier Aircon Limited. The complainant was assured that the delivery would be made within seven to ten days to Mr Sandeep Bangia, son of the complainant living in Noida (U.P). But the delivery was not so made and he was not informed that the air conditioner could not be delivered at Noida. After that, the complainant cancelled the booking and requested for the refund of the amount deposited by him on May 15, 2000.

His request was not honoured. The serving of legal notice also had no desired effect. The complaint, therefore, prayed that the Opposite party be directed to refund the amount with interest at the rate of 18 per cent per annum and compensate him to the tune of Rs 10, 000 towards harassment costs of the case.

The opposite party on the other hand, stated that the draft was sent to the complainant. But the complainant refuted the opposite party’s claim and further said that he had not received any draft.

The Consumer Forum therefore allowed the complaint, with costs of Rs 1,500, including compensation for harassment. A direction was also issued to the Carrier Aircon Limited, New Delhi and Avenues Marketing Private Limited, Sector-32-D to refund the amount of Rs 27, 000 to the complainant with interest at the rate 12 per cent per annum from the date of payment till the date of refund.

Soothing melodies reign supreme
Our Correspondent

Chandigarh, December 10
Chandni Arts, in collaboration with Punjab Arts Council and Punjab Sangeet Natak Academi, presented ‘Geeton Bhari Shaam’ at Punjab Kala Bhavan in Sector 16 here today.

Starting the musical programme with a shabad ‘Mittar pyare nu’, N. S. Vardhan, a local singer, entertained the audience with Mukesh’s famous numbers like ‘Mein to ek khwab hoon’ and ‘Koi jo tumhara hriday tod de’.

Juglal, a flutist from Ganganagar, played Raaga Behag and Raaga Bhopali. The song ‘Aadha hai chandrama’ based on Raaga Malkosh, which he played on the flute accompanied by Rajinder Kumar on the tabla, was a major attraction.

The show stealer was Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s hit numbers ‘Ab dekh ke ji ghabrata hai’ and ‘Dil ne hamare’, which was sung by a young talented singer, Preet Kumar.

A student of Shishu Niketan, Sector 22, Preet has been taking lessons in Patiala Gharana of classical music under Rajinder Goswami. Preet was accompanied by his brother Rajinder Kumar on the tabla.

Sangeeta, another budding artiste from the city, presented a Hindi song ‘Jao re jogi’, a number from yesteryear’s hit Hindi film ‘Amrapali’.