Student suffers for none of her faults
Vimal Sumbly
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, July 11
A brilliant record is no guarantee for a smooth career. Pooja Rani, who secured a first division in her matriculation and plus two examinations has learnt it the hard way as her plus two result has now been withheld by the Punjab School Education Board (PSEB) under the unfair means category.

Pooja Rani was shown having secured 66 per cent marks in her Plus two examinations in the board gazette. But when it came to the issuing of the marks sheet she was denied it and told that she had been placed under the "unfair means" category.

Pooja Rani's uncle, Mr Baijnath told the Tribune here today that when he approached the board officials, he was told that the board had noticed another certificate of the matriculation bearing same name, same parentage, same roll number, same registration number, the same marks and the same year of passing. It belonged to another girl from Moga. Consequently her result was placed under disputed category.

The board has not been taking any decision on the issue as yet, thus threatening the career of the girl. Although she could have managed admission in a good college but with her result having been held back by the board now, she fears losing one year.

Pooja's uncle said, they were told by the board officials that the error was detected during the computerised processing of the marks sheets when the previous documents were scrutinised. He said, they tried to argue with the board officials as why should Pooja be made to suffer for the lapse committed by the board, they were told that the board will first hold an inquiry and investigate the issue and only then the mark sheet of Pooja will be issued to her.

Pooja is apprehensive that the board officials will not be able to complete the inquiry by the time the new session starts. Ultimately she may have to suffer the loss of one year. She asked, "why should I be made to suffer when my academic record is so clean and good". Her uncle observed that the board could issue a provisional marks sheet and go ahead with the inquiry and in case anything wrong was found in the inquiry it could always cancel the provisional marks sheet. This way Pooja can save her precious year.

Baijnath said, they had no option but to move the court and seek the directions for the board officials to issue Pooja's marks sheet. Otherwise, he pointed out, Pooja will lose one year for nofault of hers. He said, they were being forced to take the legal course of action since nobody was ready to listen to their problems in the PSEB.

Non-govt colleges' body to meet Amarinder
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, July 11
A meeting of the executive committee of the Non-Government Colleges Management Federation of Punjab and Chandigarh was held at the local Guru Nanak Khalsa College for Women, Gujarkhan Campus, Model Town, which was presided over by its president Mr Satish Chander Sanwalka.

Mr Sanwalka nominated Prof Gurbir Singh Sarna (Guru Nanak Khalsa College for Women, Gujarkhan Campus, Model Town) general secretary, Mr Ranjodh Singh (Ramgarhia College for Women, Miller Ganj, Ludhiana) and Mr Sudarshan Kumar Modin (Modi College, Patiala) vice presidents.

It was resolved to see the Chief Minister, the Education Minister, the Secretary (Education) and the DPI(Colleges), Punjab, in connection with the release of pending 95 per cent grant-in-aid to tide over the financial crisis which had engulfed non-government colleges.

IGNOU entrance test date
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, July 11
Entrance tests for admissions to B.Ed, Management, ADIT and BIT programmes of IGNOU will be conducted on August 1 at Guru Nanak Girls College, Ludhiana, Doaba College, Jalandhar, Baring Union Christian College, Batala, DAV College for Women, Amritsar, Deptt. of Correspondence Courses, Patiala, and Lajpat Rai Bhavan, Chandigarh.

For the B.Ed programme in Punjab and Chandigarh, around 1,300 candidates will be competing for 100 seats. Giving this information, Dr U.C. Pandey, Regional Director of IGNOU for Punjab and Chandigarh, said IGNOU would set up a study centre for B.Ed at Government College of Education, Jalandhar. All those 100 students who would be selected through the test would be attached with that centre.

He said reservations for the seats, as per Government of India norms, was given for students from SC, ST, PH and Kashmiri migrants categories. The B.Ed programme was for in-service teachers for which 2 years teaching experience after graduation was an eligibility.

Dr Pandey said intimation slips to all candidates who had been found eligible were being sent individually. The students who did not receive the intimation slips by July 20 should contact the regional centre, he added.

Second counselling for engineering students sought
Our Correspondent

Mandi Ahmedgarh, July 11
The parents of the aspirants who want to get admissions to engineering colleges through Panjab Technical University have urged the Minister of Higher Education and Technical Education to impress upon the university authorities to hold second counselling so that managements of private colleges might not exploit the students while allotting seats surrendered by other students.

Mr Rajesh Singla, a local industrialist and father an aspirant, said his son could not get admission of his choice. He said, “The students passing 10+2 with non-medical stream can enter an engineering college either through CET or AIEEE. As most of the students securing first positions in CET also rank high in AIEEE, the seats received by them in colleges of the state are later surrendered. These seats used to be filled through second and third counselling earlier, but this year the university has decided to hold one counselling only, which would allow the managements of private colleges exploit the students.”

Pankaj and Gagan, other local students who wish to improve their trade, were asked to get seats in the management quota.