EDUCATION

Fearing Peeping Toms, girls quit hostel
Smriti Sharma
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 25
Two months after a Peeping Tom was found in one of the washrooms of the BSc hostel, Government Home Science College, Sector 10, nothing has been done by the authorities to ensure the privacy of inmates is not breached again.

Bathroom windows with no grills and a corridor window with grills but no glass is an open invitation to the Peeping Toms. Apprehensive of their security, the inmates prefer washrooms in others blocks.

A visit to the hostel revealed there was no security guard outside. Neither was any attendant present. What’s more shocking is the fact that unlike other hostels where carpenters and the electricians enter the premises only after signing the entry register, here they have the privilege to come and go at will. Separate rooms are allotted to them on the ground floor amidst the girls rooms.

The students residing in the B.Sc hostel are mostly from other colleges and the students allege a step-motherly treatment to them.

“The corridors are grimy and the washrooms cleaned only twice a week. There is garbage littered all over and repeated requests to sweepers have been of no use,” said one of the residents.

“Moreover, the insanitary conditions in the hostel have forced many residents to leave mid-term and stay as paying guest outside,” said another aggrieved inmate.

When contacted, principal, Sukhvarsha Narula said: “ I am getting the glass painted temporarily and grills will be fixed in both washrooms as early as possible. The garbage has also been removed.”

The director of higher education, Raji P. Shrivastava, said: “ I have advised all principals and wardens to put things right within 48 hours after a meeting with the inmates ”.

Prof gets lifetime-achievement award
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 25
It has many firsts to its name and now, the University Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences (UIPS) at Panjab University has added another feather to its academic cap by hosting the 12th annual convention of the Association of Pharmaceutical Teachers of India (APTI). The conference was inaugurated at Panjab University, here, today.

A number of senior teachers were honoured during the convention for their valuable contributions to pharmacy. APTI also bestowed the Shri Bhojraj Panjamool Lifetime Achievement Award 2007 upon professor Harkishan Singh, prof emeritus, UIPS, for his unparallelled contribution to the field of pharmacy. Others who received awards include professor Sham Sunder Aggarwal, Dr Ramesh K. Goel, professor S. Ganpathy, and Dr P. Yogeshwari.

Delivering the keynote address, Dr M Venkateswarlu, drug controller-general of India (DCGI), spoke about the future needs of pharmacy. He emphasised on the importance of pharmacists and pointed out that, keeping in view the limitations of the education system, there should be a policy where people could add credentials to their name outside the academia.

Vice-Chancellor, R.C. Sobti spoke of the involvement of pharmacy in all branches of sciences and emphasised on the need to encourage inter-departmental collaborations. Professor O.P. Katare, the department chairman, spoke of UIPS’s glorious moments - its inception in 1944 to its designation as a Centre for Advanced Studies by the UGC. UIPS is the first and only pharmaceutical institution in the country to be elevated to this stature.

Celebrations galore at YPS
Our Correspondent

Mohali, October 25
The annual cultural extravaganza of the junior wing of Yadavindra Public School was held here today.

The event was marked by a potpourri of music, dance, theatre, handicrafts and pottery besides the achievements of the school eco club.

Musical notes of solo pianist Arijit of Class V, who played ‘For Elise’ (Beethovan), greeted the parents while the students’ orchestra played ‘When The Saints Go Marching In’ by Harry Bella Fonte.

Western tunes blended beautifully with Indian music. The students sang a group song ‘Gun Guna Rahe Hain’ in ‘raag chandrakauns’ followed by a shabad ‘Beesar Gaye Sab’ in ‘teen taal’.

Students mesmerised with their performance on the guitar, keyboard, handbells, harmonium, plate tarang, sur mandal, taanpura and banjo.

The enthusiastic theatre group had the little actors emoting a variety of expressions while the dancers gave spell-binding performances.

With as many as six performances, they made the audience sway to a motley of numbers, including a Holi dance, ball dance, ribbon dance besides arousing religious fervour with the customary Saraswati vandana. Salsa and bhangra were other highlights of the show.

Later, the parents were treated to a spectacle of a different kind. The interiors of the school were splashed with myriad colours and the corridors were transformed into a virtual art gallery with aesthetically displayed hand-made articles.

The school eco club displayed scrapbooks with interesting animal figures made out of dry leaves, pulses and sticks.

The students also presented a green patch of land that they had cultivated.

The handicraft group showcased their talent in tie and dye, marble paintings and paper craft pieces. The pottery group, as part of the preparations for the festive season ahead, had put up piggy banks, murals, mobiles and diyas on display.

PU Notes
Language congress from Nov 2
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 25
As part of the ongoing diamond jubilee celebrations, the faculty of languages will organise the first-ever ‘Chandigarh Language and Literature Congress’ in the English Auditorium of the campus on November 2 and 3.

The conference will see the participation of teachers and research scholars from various departments of languages, department of correspondence studies, department of evening studies, University Institute of Legal Studies and colleges of the tricity.

According to Dr Madhukar Arya, chairperson, department of Urdu, the organising committee has requested the DPI Colleges to grant two days’ study leave to teachers and reimburse the delegate fee of the participating teachers.

Those who will be speaking at the congress include professor Abhaya Maurya, vice-chancellor, TEELU, Hyderabad; prof Rajendra Mishra, former VC, Sanskrit University, Varanasi; Dr Ahmad Momeni, first secretary, counsellor and director, Iranian Embassy; M. Shafiee Sahakib, cultural counsellor, Iran Culture House, New Delhi; Ebserhardvieller, language director, Max Mueller Bhawan, New Delhi; professors Pandey and A. Karkoon from JNU, New Delhi, and professors B.L. Chakoo from GNDU, Amritsar.

Conference

The university on October 29 and 30 will host the North Zone Vice-chancellors’ Conference. On the occasion, the staff and students of the department of Indian theatre will stage ‘Dreams’, which is directed by chairperson of the department professor Mohinder Kumar. The 45-minute play will be staged on October 29 at the University Auditorium at 6.30 pm. The entry is open for all.

Sammelan

Maharishi Dayanand Chair for Vedic Studies and Haryana Sanskrit Academy, Panchkula, are jointly organising a Veda Sammelan in the English Auditorium on October 30 from 10 am to 2 pm. Dr Ram Gopal, former PU professor will inaugurate the event. Professor Brij Bihari Chaubey, former director, VVBIS & IS, Hoshiarpur, will preside over the function.

Results

Results of the following examinations have been declared: BSc-I, II, III; Ophthalmic Techniques Examinations, September 2007; BBA-I (add-on-courses), April 2007, and BA/BSc-I, II, III (environment), September 2007.