Chandigarh, August 12
Uncertainty continues with regard to the fate of the four-year integrated BPEd program and the students enrolled, that has not been granted recognition by the NCTE yet. The Panjab University Syndicate today constituted yet another committee under Director Higher Education Chandigarh Administration Raji P Shrivastava to look again at the whole issue.

A committee had been constituted under senator Tarsem Bahia to look into it and its recommendations were discussed in the meeting today. However, it was decided that another committee would look into the matter and take up the issue again with the NCTE. Students who are already enrolled in the program have been protesting against the division of the program into two parts.

The report on financial irregularities in the Department of chemical engineering and technology submitted by Professor R.K. Kohli a few days ago was also tabled at the meeting. The findings of the report were accepted by the Syndicate and it has been decided to set up a committee to examine whether all department societies should come under a centralised system.

With regard to selection interviews of various colleges taking place outside college premises or in restaurants and hotels, it was decided that a centralised place would be decided for these interviews. Earlier this month, selection interviews to be held by DAV College, Sector 10 in Delhi had been postponed when the VC had prevailed upon the college not do conduct interviews outside.

The fee for add-courses at DAV College, Sector 10 was also discussed. These are collected apart from the fee structure constituted by the college and it was decided that the vice-chancellor himself would look into the matter. Students have been asking for these courses to be made a part of the curriculum.

A proposal that 12 per cent provident fund be cut from the salaries of teachers at DAV College was also discussed by the Syndicate. Teaching and non-teaching staff of the college have been protesting about these dues, which they say have been denied to them.

It was also decided that a committee be formed to look into senator Dharinder Tayal’s resolution for greater decentralisation and flexibility to be introduced in the process for amendment in the syllabus.

Provisional extension of affiliation was granted to the Brahmrishi Yoga Training College, Sector 19 for BEd (Yoga) for the session 2007-08.

The introduction of entrance test for enrolment in MPhil/PhD in the faculties of law, pharmaceutical sciences and business management & commerce with effect from the year 2007 was also approved.

The syndicate also approved the appointment of Dr Pradeep Kumar Sharma, Reader, Department of evening studies, as coordinator, Centre for Industry Institute Partnership Programme and also approved the award of degree of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) to 18 candidates.

Chandigarh, August 12
"Soft skills will be the key to success for building a career in large companies and students would do well in focusing on developing communication and analytical skills, problem solving abilities and an all-abiding team spirit." This was the consensus of industry experts at a seminar, 'Industry scenario in 2011', organised by the Chitkara Institute of Engineering Technology (CIET) at Tagore Theatre, today, exclusively for its fresh batch of engineering students, who would be graduating in 2011.

Addressing the students and parents, Viswanathan Venkat, manager campus relations, Wipro Technologies stated, "The emphasis will be more on global sophistication skills apart from the basic technical skills. This is because India is increasingly becoming an international hub and large companies in India do a huge chunk of their business with companies in countries like USA, UK etc. Hence it would be important for students to sensitise themselves to cultural differences and niceties and adapt themselves accordingly. This will give them an added advantage when applying for jobs in the leading companies not only in India, but across the world."

"For us, the attitude of a potential employee is as important as his marks in his degree course," stated Ashutosh Bhatt, Program Manager University Recruitment IBM. “It is estimated that the IT industry will need 5, 00,000 professionals by the year 2010," said Ramakrishna Maguluri, HR Manager, CA International. "This means that every student should be able to get a job easily, but this is not true. It has also been estimated that only 25 per cent of students who pass out of engineering colleges have the necessary skills to be employed by the industry.”

"Keeping yourself informed about the latest industry developments is a must," said Ramesh Kumar, Human Relations Site Director Dell International. "Students should continuously log on to industry websites and understand the latest industry initiatives. This will broaden their horizons and keep them prepared for an important position in industry in the years to come."

"Large software companies are today happy to recruit people who are from different streams like Mechanical etc, provided they have good communication skills and the other soft skills," said Manoj Manuja, Manager Education & Research, Infosys Technologies. 

Chandigarh, August 12
The two-day annual exhibition of the creative attempts of students ‘IMAGES 07’ concluded at Manav Mangal High School, Sector 21-C, here, today. The exhibition reflected the hard work put in by the students and their teachers.

The exhibition was different in the sense that it was not confined to art & craft or science. It had various exhibits from different departments including maths, social science, art and craft, science, English, environmental studies etc.

Sanjay Sardana, the principal of the school said, “Undoubtedly it is a platform for the students to display their creative talent. Learning by doing is the motto behind such like events as these kinds of exhibitions help the students to learn beyond classrooms in a play way method”.

The posters made by the students conveyed messages on the importance of Peace, Save Environment, Importance of Immunisation, Happiness, Female Foeticide, traffic rules, Eye-Donation, Blood Donation etc. The collages on the political aspects, corruption, National Integration, Obesity etc. compelled the people to think.

Smart minds of the school came forward with Digital Den. Children made pencil sketches of the visitors by clicking photographs on the spot. They also tested people for their intelligence through colourful quiz on mythology, entertainment, television and sports on the style and pattern of ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati’.

The primary class wing of the school came up with the project, “AIDS- prevention is the only cure”. The children provided information to the parents about the causes and cure of Aids about which people are hesitant to talk. They even informed visitors about the various agencies which help in AIDS prevention, their addresses and contact numbers.

The secondary class students came forward to make people tickle their brains with their mathematical game, ‘Mathemagical Wonders’. They also made people know abut great Mathematicians like Aryabhatta, Euclid, Pythagoras and their works. Token gifts were given to the winners of various quizzes and puzzles.

Placement drive: The current academic session at Shaheed Udham Singh College of Engineering and Technology took off with a promising start here today with the beginning of a placement drive by a Tata Group Company, TCE, at the college campus itself. The preliminary phase of current drive by TCE began with a pre placement talk conducted by human resource officials of TCE for SUSCET students. The latest drive comes barely 9 days after the session started at SUSCET. Malika Vyas, general manager human resources for TCE informed that the company will be hiring students from the region with impressive pay packages upto Rs 3, 25,000 per annum.

Education loan mela: A seminar and educational loan Mela was organised at Indo Global Engineering College in association with Panjab National Bank. 350 students and many staff members participated in this seminar cum Loan Mela. Students were addressed by Sunil Kumar Bahal, chief manager among others. Later Sukhdev Kumar Singla of the college said the aim of these seminars/loan mela is to make students aware about banking and educational loan.

Chandigarh, August 12
Diverse socio-cultural issues came up for lively discussion as the literary elite of the city graced the grand function to mark the release ceremony of a Hindi novel ‘Kashamkash’ at the Chandigarh Press club here today. 'Kashamkash' is the fourth literary creation of Manoj Singh, deputy general manger BSNL, which brings to focus the contradictory attributes of the modern Indian woman, still struggling for righteous position despite holding parity in society.

The chief guest Dr Namwar Singh, chancellor of Mahatma Gandhi International Hindi university delving deep to elaborate on the potent theme of the novel opined that the socio-cultural level of a nation can be judged from the freedom and reverence enjoyed by their womenfolk. He lamented that though since 60 years, women in India had achieved individual and economical independence but still facing the sordid realities of character assassination, subjugation, rape and torture. Manoj Singh had articulated these issues, consequential tensions and internal conflicts due to transition of thought process in the three generations of women of a family as depicted in 'Kashamkash'.

The Gyanpeeth awardee novelist Dr Gurdial Singh complimented Manoj Singh for his conceptual grasp of the burning issues and sculpting a piece of good literature which is a need of the hour. He reiterated that such classics will ensure the awakening for a social change as the governments can not enforce. The governance and society has failed to check the population menace and as many as 68 per cent of us are still below the poverty line. He exhorted the visionary writers to contribute for the social cause.

Earlier Professor Virbharat Talwar from JNU offered a critical appreciation of the novel which he said was close to the pulse of reality. Eminent journalist Pandit Suresh Neerav conducted the proceedings with admirable competence. Naresh Kaushal, Editor, Dainik Tribune and Manoj Singh honoured Dr Namwar Singh, Dr Gurdial Singh and Virbharat Talwar.

Chandigarh, August 12
It was easy to duck one's pain in the deep symphonies the 48-member Delhi Orchestra Society struck at PGI's Bhargava auditorium tonight. The group, the only surviving orchestra in India, was performing in the city exactly after 30 years.

And yet, the feel of its melody, said old timers, remained much the same. New ones on the opera circuit also concurred. And both seemed well accustomed to the discipline of the opera, as was evident from the applause that came at the right time. On the last occasion, though, the organizers had to install red and green lights to help listeners time their claps.

But today, everything was in perfect harmony. It was, as if, the concert had come wrapped in The Tricolour, just as it was meant to be. The presentation was designed for the 150th year of the first war of Independence.

No wonder it took off from "Vande Mataram". The piece was based on Rabindra Nath Tagore's original version adopted for symphonic rendition by S.N. Gulati, Delhi Symphony Society's veteran. As musicians played, the nostalgic era of freedom struggle, came alive.

Soon, it moved to another level, with the orchestra performing Finnish composer Jean Sibelius's Finlandia, a piece that celebrates Finnish people's struggle for liberation. Finlandia was followed by Mozart's fortieth symphony that the Allied forces had used as a code to instruct their troop against Germany.

Capt S.S. Anchees, director of music, Indian Navy, conducted the aforesaid musical pieces, before handing over the space to Kaushik Paul, who handled the part with Beethoven's fifth symphony. More flamboyant than Anchees, Paul later drew applause from UT Administrator Gen S.F. Rodrigues (retd), who said that the last time he experienced something as fine as Kaushik's act was when he heard Zubin Mehta.

For their part, the musicians remained humble, despite their celebrated professional backgrounds. Among the performers was Swapna Mukhopadhyay, a famous economist and the only woman on board. Also present were P Suresh and Debashish Katwar from Chennai and Kolkata, respectively, both former members of musician AR Rahman's music troupe.

The concert even led the administrator to express a desire to institutionalize an arrangement with the Delhi Symphony Society. As for the listeners, they kept themselves busy complimenting the musicians even after the show. Their day had, certainly, been made.