Chandigarh, August 1
Alleging victimisation at the hands of the management, the students of Dhanwantri Ayurvedic College, Sector 46, boycotted classes here today. They alleged that they were boycotting classes since Monday to register their protest as the management was forcing them to deposit Rs 31,600 in excess of the fee. They were also demanding that the suspension of faculty member Dr Sudhir be revoked.

However, the management and principal of the college, denying the allegations, said some disgruntled staff members were instigating the students by misguiding them.

The students of 2003-04 batch alleged that they were being asked to deposit Rs 31,600 with the annual fee of Rs 50,000 this year. This amount was charged by the college authorities in 2003-04 as revised fee and later returned to the students by making adjustments in the fee of next year under instructions from the Chandigarh administration, said students standing outside the college.

Even as the matter was pending with the Punjab and Haryana High Court, the management was forcing them to pay the amount again, alleged students.

Interestingly, only the students of third year were asked to deposit this amount while an amount of Rs 50,000 as fee was accepted from junior classes, added Aman.

The students of first year, however, had other reasons to protest.

“Our teacher Dr Sudhir Kumar was suspended by the management on the pretext of indiscipline,” said one of the students. In fact, the management was offended with him as he used to point out the shortcomings of the college, the students alleged.

Dr Naresh Mittal, vice-president of the society running the college said, “We have asked the students that it was at their discretion to deposit the fee now or after the court delivers its decision on the issue, forget about asking for the enhanced amount.” 

Chandigarh, August 1
The DAV college teachers’ union welcomed the bold step taken by prof R.C. Sobti, vice-chancellor, PU, of withdrawing the affiliation granted to colleges to run various add-on courses. The university has directed the colleges to close admissions to 27 elective add-on courses from this year.

The DAV teachers' union has been, for a long time now, trying to bring to the notice of the university authorities, the malpractices that had crept into the running of such colleges.

In a recent complaint, the union had submitted a memorandum to the VC conveying that all students seeking admission to BA/BSc/ BCom first year classes in the college had been compulsorily made to join the add-on courses and each student was made to pay Rs 1800 to Rs 2400 as a part of the annual fees. The students were thus made to opt for add-on courses against their wishes. Moreover, the college neither has the required faculty or the infrastructure to suitably address the needs of such a large number of students, they claimed.

The college is also compulsorily charging Rs 400 per student for a personality course and Rs 1200 for a course in computers on similar lines. Thus each student of the college is made to pay Rs 4000 over and above the college fees. The union had also met with prof S.K. Thorat, chairperson, UGC and apprised him of the violations of the rules and regulations framed by the Panjab University by MCM and DAV Colleges in Chandigarh.

Chandigarh, August 1
Total chaos was witnessed yet again during the second counselling session for admission to Class XI, especially for migration cases, at the Government Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 23 - the designated centre for centralised admissions.

Many students could be seen in a state of confusion in the absence of complete information as many of them were told to come again in the ‘soon to be held’ another counselling session.

The process of migration for the change of medium from Hindi/Punjabi to English (schools) or English to Hindi/Punjabi too, as specified in the advertisement, was not being followed.

It was sheer mismanagement on part of the education department. The advertisement published in the newspapers was vague, leading to a lot of confusion. The ‘date of counselling session’ was absent from the advertisement published in almost all the leading newspapers today. Another omission committed by the department was that there was no mention of the fate of compartment cases’ counselling. With the result, a large chunk of students and parents turned up, making the situation worse.

Later, an announcement was made that the department would hold another counselling session separately between August 15 and 20.

Confirming this, education officials said, “ This concern was overlooked, so we have fixed another counselling session tentatively between August 15 to 20. Moreover, we have specifically mentioned that local migration cases i.e. from one school to another within the city would not be made until they comply with the cut-off percentage criteria and if seats would be available in the respective streams in schools. Still, people are approaching us without following the conditions”.

But this rule was also being flouted openly, as migration between same streams was not being allowed despite the compliance of cut-off percentage and the availability of seats.

Education officials admitted that this situation arose because of the revision of percentage on account of relaxed criteria.

Chandigarh, August 1
The central board of secondary education (CBSE) has instructed all schools seeking affiliation with the board to comply with the ‘grant of affiliation rules’ strictly.

These directions have been given after the CBSE observed that many schools seeking affiliation after obtaining ‘no objection certificate’ from the concerned state or union territory, were running classes IX, X, XI , XII without prior permission of affiliation from the board.

The board, in a circular, has specifically stated that no school would be permitted to start CBSE pattern classes VII/IX/ XI without obtaining formal permission of affiliation of the board.

“As per rules, it is a mandatory condition and this leads to a point where the board is not in a position to assess the academic aspects of the school. Any school that violates the condition would be disqualified for a period of two years.”, informed an official.

Chandigarh, August 1
Most of the students vying for seats in diploma courses in 58 polytechnic colleges spread across Punjab, including three in Chandigarh, prefer computer science, electronics and communication, IT and mechanical engineering diploma. This was evident during the ongoing counselling at the State Board of Technical Education, Sector 36 here.

Statistical data reveals that despite the presence of numerous engineering colleges that have proliferated in and around the city, the inclination towards diploma courses among students has not died down as yet. While in 2006, maximum seats were filled in mechanical (about 1433 seats) followed by 1395 seats in electronics and communication, and 1192 in computer science.

On the third day of counselling for the general category today, the figures explain a slight change in the trend that followed last year. Till now, about 866 seats have been filled in electronics and communication, 812 in mechanical and about 801 in computers.

Till a few years ago, polytechnic courses being technical in nature, were confined only to the male students but the past few years have seen many girls breaking the male bastion and taking up the courses. This year, out of 1910 female applicants, 659 students have already been admitted to different polytechnic courses. While the choices for girl students vary between computer science, electronics and communication, IT, architecture, fashion designing and medical lab technology, there are many who even go in for electrical and civil engineering diploma as well. This time about 250 girls have been admitted to computers, 201 to ECE, 48 to architecture, 82 to IT and 39 to MLT till now.

Irrespective of which course a student opts for, the most preferred institutes remain Thapar Polytechnic, Patiala; GND Polytechnic, Ludhiana; Government Polytechnic, Bhatinda; Mehar Chand Polytechnic, Jalandhar; and Baba Banda Singh Bahadur College, Fatehgarh Sahib.

While all seats in IT, ECE, architecture, civil, computer, electrical and mechanical were filled on the very first day of counselling, the situation was no different at the other mentioned colleges where most of the seats were also filled in on day one.

“There are ample job opportunities for diploma students. Though mechanical and electrical remain evergreen, with the boom in real estate sector, a lot of students are going in for civil as well as it has abundant opportunities waiting for students”, said Yashvir Mahajan, secretary, State Board of Technical Education.

To keep abreast with the market trends, the technical board also keeps revising the curriculum every year for various branches. The board has recently revised the syllabi of civil, electrical, mechanical, computer and IT, garment technology and MLT, he informed.

Chandigarh, August 1
MA (police administration) is being introduced from the session 2007-08. Of the total 25 seats, 10 are reserved for police officials to be nominated by police organisations. However, following approval by the Board of Studies in Police Administration and subsequent approval by the governing bodies, the earlier laid down qualifications and conditions of admission to the course have been changed.

A nominated candidate should be a regular employee of the police department/ paramilitary forces and possess a bachelor’s degree with 45 per cent marks in any of the social science disciplines or an MA in any of the social science disciplines or a bachelor’s degree in any discipline or faculty with at least 50 per cent marks.

Fresh applications are being sought till August 13. The last date to pay fee without late fee is August 15. The last date to receive nomination from various police organisations is also August 15. Therefore, the seats meant for NRI and police sponsored candidates will be converted to open and the admission to all such seats will be allowed till August 16.

Mohali, August 1
As the protest of lawyers for the provision of basic facilities continues, the administration has drawn up a plan of making land available for 60 temporary structures to accommodate them on the premises of the judicial court complex housed in a community centre in Phase III B 1.

According to sources, meetings were held here today by additional deputy commissioner Jaspal Mittal and SDM Raghbir Kaur Khaira, which were attended by officials from the PWD (B & R ), Department of Public Health, and the town planning wing of the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority ( GMADA) to draw up a plan for providing basic facilities at the court complex.

Sources said space for 60 temporary structures had been identified along the boundary wall. While 32 structures would be allowed on the eastern side of the complex, 28 would be permitted on the southern side. The permissible measurement for each structure would be 8ft by 6ft. But will the provision of land for 60 structures solve the problems of lawyers is yet to be seen . It is reported that more than 100 lawyers have functioned from the court complex.

It is learnt that Justice Mehtab Singh Gill had held a meeting last week and asked GMADA officials to make proper sitting arrangements for the lawyers in the court complex. Gill, who is a chairman of the building committee, was to hold another meeting today which was to be attended among others by officials from the deputy commissioner’s office, the GMADA and lawyers. The meeting, however, could not take place.

The lawyers had started indefinite protest on July 23 against the failure of the district administration to provide sitting arrangements and other facilities during the past one year.

Judicial courts for SAS Nagar district were inaugurated on July 23 last year by acting chief justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court H.S.Bedi. He had, however, asked the lawyers to desist from setting up their shacks in or around the court complex.

But it appears that the residents would remain deprived of the community centre for some more years to come as land for the setting up of a judicial complex in the town had so far not been earmarked.

According to sources, the authorities were demanding 12 acres for the judicial complex and GMADA did not have such a large chunk of land in any of the upcoming sectors. The GMADA might give the land only in Sectors 76 to 80 but development in these sectors had come to a halt because of stay orders issued by the Punjab and Haryana High Court.