Chandigarh, July 4
The opening day of centralised Class XI admissions to government schools, underway at Government Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 23, was the toughest day for both teachers and admission seekers. It was for the very first time that the admission process went on till late midnight today.

The day was kept for the admission seekers of the reserved category. Right from 9.30 am, the students and their parents thronged the spot to get admission in the school of their choice. This year, around 2,200 students will be admitted to the government schools of the city under various reserved categories as compared to 1,125 students admitted last year.

One of the reasons, as described by education officials, was that the students preferred government schools than the private ones due to low-fee structure.

On the first day, the admissions went on till 9 at night and around 1,000 students were admitted to various city schools. Anxious parents and students had to pass through the torturous time in the scorching heat in the absence of adequate seating arrangement.

The first day of admissions were reserved for students applying in the handicapped, sports, defence, paramilitary, freedom fighter's children and grand children categories. This was followed by admissions in the SC category.

Various cut-off lists had been displayed at the admission centre till 7 pm. The top scorer seeking admissions to the sports category (commerce at GMSSS-16) had 77.2 per cent to his credit while 52.5 per cent was the highest in science at GMSSS-37 under the freedom fighter category.

While in science, the cut-off in the SC category was 76 per cent, in commerce, it was 54 per cent in the same category.

All SC-category seats were filled at GMSSSs-8, 16, 19, 22, 23, 35, 40, 46 while all sports category seats were filled at GMSSSs 16, 18,19, 21, 22, 23, 35, 40 and 46.

Also, all seats in the defence category were filled at GMSSSs 19, 21, 22, 35, 40 and 46 whereas under the freedom-fighter category, there was no seat left at GMSSSs 35, 40 and Mani Majra Complex.

In vocational, around 120 seats were filled under various reserved categories in around 20 schools.

There was an utter “confusion and chaos” among students and parents despite help and assistance from teachers on duty. An education official stated that the department should have kept at least two to three days for the reserved-category admission seekers. “Since tomorrow has been fixed for the general category students, we have been instructed to finish the reserved-category admissions today,” she rued.

Looking at today’s unmanageable rush of students, the decision to hold counselling of the reserved category students a day prior to the general category admissions seemed to be a ‘total flop show’.

Chandigarh, July 4
With most of the BCom, BBA and BCA seats in colleges already filled on the first two days, the focus of students shifted to the arts and science streams on the third day today. Those who failed to make it to BCom, BBA and BCA, today turned to BA with elective subjects like psychology, sociology, English elective, economics and fine arts.

Government College for Girls, Sector 42

As many as 60 seats are vacant in BSc med while 70 are left in non-med. In BA, however, 400 seats are still remaining, the admissions for which will continue till the end of this month.

Government College, Sector 11

In BSc (med), there are 61 seats left while in non-med, the number is 50. In BA, 245 seats are vacant.

Dev Samaj College for Women, Sector 45

Only a few seats are left in the postgraduate diploma in computer applications and postgraduate diploma in fashion designing. Only 150 students have taken admissions in BA.

MCM DAV College, Sector 36

All seats are filled in BSc (food science and quality control) and BSc (microbial and food technology). Only a few seats are left in BSc (med and non-med). In BA, there are still about 500 seats which are available.

Chandigarh, July 4
Admission to various Panjab University courses will begin from July 5. For courses where the admission will be conducted directly in the departments, students can deposit their fee with the office in charge of the concerned department and obtain a provisional receipt. The State Bank of India, Sector 14, will collect the fee from the departments. This will save the students a lot of running around within the university and standing in long queues at the SBI counters to pay the fee.

However, for admissions by the joint admission committee, the State Bank of India will open counters at both places of counselling - Law Auditorium and Gymnasium Hall - to accept the fee.

Following is the schedule of admissions to various courses offered by the university:

Chandigarh, July 4
GGDSD College, Sector 32, has introduced a two-year master’s degree course in entrepreneurship and family business (MEFB) from the academic session 2007-08. The course has been sanctioned by the UGC as an innovative programme under the inter-disciplinary emerging areas. The curriculum has been so designed that a person with entrepreneurial ability will acquire the capability to launch a new venture with little capital.

The last date for submission of application forms is July 14 and the aptitude test will be conducted on college campus on July 15. — TNS

Chandigarh, July 4
After being involved with theatre for more than a decade, the Chandigarh Institute of Performing Arts (CIPA) is now ready to plunge into production for the small screen.

Under the aegis of its director Shyam Juneja, CIPA is launching a socially relevant comedy for television titled ‘Pange Pe Panga’.

What is interesting is that cast for this hour-long film have been drawn from CIPA’s own three-month acting course that began in April and will conclude on July 10.

The film will be launched on July 7 for Juneja is hoping that the quirky date 07/07/07 will prove to be lucky for the venture. The original story, written by A.R. Sawant (a script-writer based in Ahmedabad), will be directed by Juneja and will also feature him as a landlord in the film.

The plan is to shoot the film in a week since the action takes place in a single room to save on production costs. “But this does not mean that we will compromise on the final product,” insists the director.

Juneja had attempted this genre before in 1999, trying to make a comedy titled ‘Honeymoon’, but with the budget going haywire then, he had no option but to shelve the film. However, this time, he has worked out the modalities.

So, youngsters Abhishek Goel (19), a law student from Panjab University, Shweta Kajal (23), a city-based journalist and model, Mintu Kumar (26), Anoopma (20) Bhushan (26) and Tanujj Kumar (20), who has come all the way from Delhi for this acting course, are all set to show case their talent.

Ask them how they feel about doing roles that require comic timing and they all chorus, “If we start with something tough, then everything else we do will be much easier.”

Their confidence is inspiring for they all hope to make it to Bollywood some day and what is their ticket to success we ask? “Patience is what brings success and we are ready to show it,” they smile.

As for Juneja, who has taught them the nuances of acting, this is his bid to find the hidden actor in each of his students. “Acting is creativity. You need to think and imagine. Unless that creativity emerges, there is no point being an actor.”