Mandi Ahmedgarh, March 28
Accusing a section of the teaching community of promoting organised use of unfair means in examinations conducted by the Punjab School Education Board, Major Singh Sandhu, district education officer, Ludhiana, has said that educational standards must be maintained so as to reflect in the representation of Punjabis in the central administrative services by controlling the menace of cheating. He called upon erring teachers to stop being party to organised cheating.

Showing concern over the deteriorating educational standards in the state, Sandhu alleged that a section of government teachers was actively involved in institutionalising copying in this part of Malwa.

"Investigations have revealed that the menace of copying can not thrive without an active involvement of the staff deputed in examination centers," claimed Sandhu. "It is only the teaching community that can help nip this evil," commented Sandhu.

Sandhu pointed out that revolution in means of communication had frustrated the fight against the menace as sympathisers of copying were better equipped than those who were deputed to check the evil.

"Though we do not suspect the integrity of staff at all centers, majority of them allow the use of unfair means and caution abusers on receiving information from their mobiles," said Sandhu. Flying squads were no surprise for the staff as their location and movement was made known to the controllers and centre superintendents by their informers, he added.

He suggested that the leaders of flying squads should not make their location and program known even to their acquaintances and colleagues. "I succeeded in catching erring officials red-handed as I did not disclose my location to route to staff even at my office," said the DEO referring to an incident of mass copying detected at Government Senior Secondary School Sihar on Monday. 

Ludhiana, March 28
More than 40 students of SCD Government College here detained as non-eligible for appearing in the annual exams by the college authorities for not attending the required number of lectures throughout the academic session have resorted to Gandhigiri, a la Munnabhai, to lobby for their roll numbers.

These detained students took out a peace march and submitted a memorandum to the deputy commissioner today asking him to intervene in the matter in an attempt to save their academic year. The erring students belong to three years of the BA course of the college. Their exams are scheduled to be held from April 2, next.

The college management, however, maintained that the University was the ultimate authority to decide on the issue as nothing could be done at the college level now. According to sources, till last year, the college principal had the right to provide some grace lectures to the detained students after evaluating their performance in the house examinations. But from this year, the VC had asked the college to submit a list of erring students to the university authorities. The college submitted the list of absentee students on February 26, last.

Maldeep Singh Toor, vice-president, SCD Government College Students' Union, said they did not want to flare-up the issue and were only requesting the authorities not to detain the students.

"We have requested the principal, who till last year, had all the powers of granting lectures but now the college authorities have refused to do anything. We have been asked to approach the University. These students may be at fault but this will be a very harsh punishment," he said.

Prof Malkiat Singh, principal of the college, said these detained students did not bother about their careers throughout the year. They were raising hue and cry when they were left with no other option. He said the concerned teachers had warned them to stop bunking their classes. These students had also put-in their signatures on the registers regarding shortage of lectures, he added.

"Not only this, we had put-up their names on the notice board in December asking them to be regular in classes but they cared a damn. The college has sent their names to the University which will decide their fate and not the college," says the principal.

Ludhiana, March 28
Students of Kiddies Paradise celebrated its annual day coupled with a farewell party. The function started with a welcome address given by the principal. The children presented a fancy dress show by posing as different kinds of fruits, vegetables, butterflies, bride-grooms, brides etc. They also danced to the tunes of hit songs. Chief guest gave away prizes to the children.

Director Randhir Singh gave a warm send off to the outgoing students .