Ludhiana, April 11
Dr Iftikhar Ahmad Khan, Dean, University of Agriculture (UAF) Faislabad, has emphasized the need for scientific collaboration between the UAF and Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) to strengthen Indo-Pak relations. He was speaking at the concluding ceremony of the alumni meet at PAU.

Dr Khan said that both the Punjabs’ could emerge as a world power with agricultural research, as their cultures, traditions, dress codes, festivals and folk lores matched to a great extent.

An exchange of scientists and students between the two universities would augment better permeation of ideas and knowledge in the two states, he added.

Dr Mohammad Asgar Cheema, Dean, faculty of economics, UAF, stressed on bridging of generation-gap by spreading awareness about the Indo-Pak contribution to South-Asian peace among today's youth and added that it could be achieved through regular exchange of programmes.

The concluding function reverberated with melodious folk songs by the alumni as well as bhangra and giddha presentations by the students. A poetry competition was also held.

The ten-member Pak delegation later visited different departments of the PAU and exchanged ideas with Dr B.S.Dhillon, director research and Dr. N.S.Malhi, director of Extension Education.

Ludhiana, April 11
At the formal launch of the procurement of wheat at Asia's biggest grain market in Khanna, Punjab Chief Minister, Parkash Singh Badal, today announced two significant measures; firstly, to make payment within 48 hours to the farmers and secondly, to conduct auction twice a day to ensure quick and transparent procurement.

Addressing a gathering of farmers and commission agents (arhtiyas) at the local grain market after inspecting the auction of a heap of wheat, Badal said the SAD-BJP government was committed to lift every grain of the produce to the advantage of the farming community adding that these two steps would enormously benefit the farmers.

He said that only one auction was conducted in the evening which caused lot of harassment to the farmers but from now, it would be held twice a day at 11 am and 3 pm, so that the farmers could sell their produce in time without inconvenience and return home the same day.

Badal also informed that his government had enhanced the rate of relief for 100 per cent crop damage from Rs 2000 to Rs 5000, per acre of land.

He said the state government was looking in for a proposal regarding the crop insurance scheme which would fully compensate the farmers for the loss caused to life and property due to natural calamities.

Likewise, other norms of existing relief for the damage of houses and crops and loss of human life had also been increased by the state government, keeping in view the pathetic condition of the farmers.

“According to a survey conducted by the PAU, Ludhiana, 82 per cent of the farmers were under the burden of debt as the MSP did not commensurate with the ever increasing prices of agricultural inputs in terms fertilizers, seeds, diesel and pesticides. Therefore, we are pleading the states' case with the GOI for linking the MSP with the wholesale price index,” Badal said.

On the power front, Badal said that it was the core sector which had to be developed and said his government would focus its attention for developing the power sector in a big way and Punjab would be a power surplus state within the next five years.

He solicited people's support and cooperation to bring development and prosperity in the state besides to restore Punjab's No 1 slot and said he recently called on the Union Cabinet Ministers to seek financial aid for Punjab under various Centrally sponsored schemes.

Later addressing media persons, Badal said his government was committed to provide atta and dal at subsidized rates as promised in the election manifesto, but only after the completion of survey which was under way.

About setting up of art-of-the-state mandis and cold-chains by the Punjab Mandi Board, Badal said that such modern mandis would be constructed in the state in a phased manner and one such ultra modern mandi for the preservation of fresh fruits and vegetables would soon be set up at Ludhiana.

Justifying the slow arrival of wheat at mandis, he said that primarily it was due to the inclement weather which delayed the maturity of wheat and its harvesting.

He hoped the arrival of wheat in the state mandis would soon pick up and the government was expected to achieve the target of the procurement, adding that till yesterday 1,54791 metric tonne of wheat had been procured out of which 1,26,230 metric tonne and 28,561 metric tonne had been procured by the government agencies and traders, respectively.

Ludhiana, April 11
The students of GGN Institute of Management and Technology (GGNIMT) brought laurels to the institute by excelling in MCA I examinations held in December 2006, by the Punjab Technical University (PTU).

Kanika secured the first position, Shilpa bagged the third and Anil Kumar and Shubham were placed on the fifth and eighth positions, respectively.

The director of the institute, Kuldeep Singh and Coordinator, Gunwant Singh Dua, congratulated the students on their brilliant performance and complimented the teachers for providing excellent guidance to the students.

Ludhiana, April 11
Some 22 dental and medical graduates, who were debarred from appearing in postgraduate courses (MDS/MD/MS) by the Baba Farid University of Health Sciences (BFUHS) for a period of three years, have questioned the action, terming it arbitrary and discriminatory.

The university authorities, however, justify their decision, which, they maintained, was taken as per clause 23 of the prospectus for postgraduate entrance test for the year 2006.

In the course of PG admissions during the last year in different medical and dental colleges in Punjab, 22 students, who were selected for PG courses, failed to deposit their fee and join courses in the allocated institutions. The reason given for failing to join the course by some of these students was that the subject offered to them for specialisation was not of their choice and they wanted to make a bid this year for a better subject.

Among the debarred dental and medical graduates, two were selected for MDS course in Sri Guru Ram Das Institute of Dental Sciences and Research, Amritsar, eight in Government Medical College, Patiala, four in Government Medical College, Amritsar, four in Dayanand Medical College, Ludhiana, two in Sri Guru Ram Das Institute of Medical Science and Research, Amritsar, and two in Guru Gobind Singh Medical College, Faridkot.

“To my horror, like others who had not deposited the fee, I was shocked to find my name on the university website among those who had been debarred from appearing in PG course for a period of three years,” lamented one of the affected students requesting not to be identified.

The father of another medical graduate, requesting anonymity, said a representation was being forwarded to the Chief Minister and minister for research and medical education for seeking their intervention for scrapping the relevant clause of the prospectus since the discriminatory rule of the BFUHS, which he claimed was not in existence in any other university, would ruin the career of many brilliant students.

Vice-chancellor of the BFUHS Dr Ravinder Singh, however, rubbished the charges of debarred students while maintaining that the clause was included in the prospectus to safeguard the sanctity of the entire admission process to PG courses in different institutions of the state.

Talking to The Tribune on telephone, the vice-chancellor pointed out that those selected for PG courses were aware of the subject being offered to them. Rather than expressing their unwillingness to take admission on the spot, some of them had second thoughts later on and failed to join the course which often led to denial of the chance of admission to the next candidate on merit list because in the subsequent counselling some less meritorious students had to be admitted.

Ludhiana, April 11
Panjab University, Chandigarh, seems to be a “confused lot” in taking many decisions. To check the mushrooming of hundreds of B.Ed colleges affiliated with it, the university authorities had constituted surprise check committees to see whether these colleges fulfil the basic conditions.

Though the committee members submitted their reports in December-January, no action has been taken so far against the defaulters. And now, the university authorities are sending the affiliation committees for the same exercise. These members have been asked to submit their reports by the  mid-April.

Several members of both committees have raised objections on the issue saying the decision will lead to confusion and conflicts. They feel since members of both the committees are different, there are chances of overlapping and difference of opinion. One committee may provide clean chit to a college, whereas the other committee can raise objections on the working conditions of the same college.

One of the members of the surprise committee, which was constituted in September-October last, asked if this exercise was to be repeated, then what was the need to constitute previous committees?

The committee members conducted surprise raids on B.Ed colleges so that there was no compromise with the basic infrastructure or guidelines. Some of the managements were even told that they would not get the affiliation unless they maintained all record, he said.

“There were no chances to manipulate the record as we visited the colleges without informing them. But the affiliation committees visit colleges on routine basis, after informing the managements. The defaulters could convince the committee members or could manipulate the record,”  he said.

Another member of the committee said in the absence of coordination, even the university authorities would find it difficult to believe which committee’s report?.

“The university system has to be regulated. This was sheer wastage of time of educationists, senate and syndicate members, who were appointed as the committee members,”  he said.

Ludhiana, April 11
Zoya Verma, student of Class II of Sacred Heart Senior Secondary School, B.R.S Nagar, has brought laurels to the school by acting in a bollywood movie.

Her impressive debut has been without a screen test. She would be sharing the silver screen with Kareena Kapoor, Shahid Kapoor and Dara Singh. The movie would be directed by Imtiaz Khan.

Principal, Sr. Sobel, feels that since Zoya had always been an all-rounder with an inborn talent for dancing, she would go a long way and wished her a bright future in tinsel town.

Ludhiana, April 11
GNI Public School organised an orientation programme for the parents of the Pre-Primary section.

Principal B. Gulati requested the parents to support the school in its endeavours to develop the overall personality of the child.

The school counsellor and co-ordinator of the Pre-Primary wing, Abhineet Sarna and Headmistress C. Paul made the parents aware of the important role they played in the upbringing of their child, as maximum development of the brain takes place at this stage.

It was a healthy interaction between the parents and the panel.

Doraha, April 11
Students of Sri Guru Harkrishan Public School, Doraha, brought laurels to the school by winning the contest ‘Awaaz Ludhiana Di’.

The show was organised by Vishal Sonu and Askhi Sharma, MD, Tamanna Arts. Students from all over the district competed for the title.

The contest had four rounds- choice round, judges’ choice, audience round and folk song round.

The judges were K. Deep, Sudesh Lehri, Surinder Shinde, Ashok Chandha, Joginder Joshila, Ranjit Mani, M.S. Sethi and Ajay Kapoor.

Harish Rai, MLA, Dhanda, was the chief guest on the occasion.

Ravleen Kaur of Class VI bagged the first position and Arshjot Kaur of Class VI bagged the second position in the Punjabi folk round. Manpreet Kaur of Class IX reached the semi-finals of the contest.

K. Deep, famous Punjabi singer, artiste and comedian, gave away the prizes.

Director of the school Umal Sukhpal Singh congratulated the winners and lauded the efforts of their music teacher Harjinder Kaur.

Tamanna Arts will soon release a cassette of songs sung by the winners.