Thursday, January 7, 1999
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REGIONAL BRIEFS | Thursday, January 7, 1999 |
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Premier school enters golden jubilee MODERN Senior Secondary School, Patiala, celebrates its golden jubilee on January 9, no mean achievement for the visionary who thought of starting this pioneer school with new methods of teaching 50 years back. He was Sardar Mohan Singh, the then Managing Director of the State Bank of Patiala. A trust named Saraswati Vidyak established this co-educational school and chose Mrs Jai Chopra as its first principal. The school was then named Modern High School and was located in the heart of the city near Gurdwara Dukhniwaran Sahib. The past 50 years have been the most successful and meaningful for this leading school of Patiala, whose reins (as principal) are at present with Ms Reena Sophat, who took over after the retirement of Mrs Chopra in 1982, and is now a director. All these years have been years of hurdles but with the cooperation of the managements, teachers, students and parents, all these blocks were overcome, says Ms Sophat. Modern School has a history, as it was started with just six students in a dilapidated building with just two rooms. At present it can boast of more than 2,000 students and a sprawling complex of buildings and fully-equipped physics, chemistry, biology, psychology and home science laboratories, along with a host of facilities such as computer section, a music and a dance room, a book shop and last but not least, a well-stocked library. Ms Sophat is of the view it not just bricks and stones that make an institution, but values and ideals. The school does not blindly follow pseudo-westerners who are divorced from the realities of real Indian life. It imbibes in the students the good points of the Western system of education, but side by side students are asked to cultivate the country's rich cultural heritage. This healthy mix of traditional and modern ways of teaching always bring the desired results. The managing committee has distinguished people from all walks of life and today it has Dr Ravi Singh, an authority of international law, as president and members such as Dr Ranjit Puri, Managing Director of the Saraswati Sugar Syndicate; Dr G.P. Singh, former Income Tax Commissioner, Mr Ishtpal Singh an ex-student of the school’s first batch; Mr Sikandar Singh, Mrs Anjali Singh and Mr Gurdial S. Dhillon. In 1955 it got the provisional recognition and the next year the first batch of students appeared for the matriculation examination. Permanent recognition granted in 1959, and senior secondary systems introduced in 1986 where plus two classes in medical, non-medical and humanities were introduced. The hallmarks of the school have been its excellent academic standards and strict discipline. In 1995, Praneet Kaur stood first in the matriculation examination and many students usually figure on the merit list. Though an unaided school its staff is paid full grades and salaries in accordance with the Punjab Government's scales. The alumni of the school occupying high positions include renowned cardiologist Gurpreet Singh, national cricketer Pankaj Dharmani, Mrs Surinder Riar, former SDM of Patiala, Mr Justice Ashok Bhan of the Karnataka High Court , Faridkot Deputy Commissioner G.S. Grewal, and Haryana Legal remembrancer Vineet Singh. Encroachments proliferate Sonepat, a fast growing industrial town, is bursting at the seams. It is literally shrinking, thanks to the man-made congestion. Every inch of open space is being encroached upon by the people of different strata either to eke out a livelihood or to add a few yards more to their existing property. Not-withstanding denials by the authorities, all this is happening under its very nose and perhaps with its connivance. The overzealousness of the people to extend the boundary walls of their homes and the civic authorities turning a blind eye to roadside vendors has added to the congestion, particularly in busy areas like the Bus Stand, Mandi area, Sonepat-Gohana road, Sonepat-Rohtak road, Gita Bhavan, Subhash Chowk and Ashok Nagar. The civic authorities are also reportedly allowing shopkeepers to occupy road pavements to display their wares and construct pucca structures between shops and roads. This has affected the movement of pedestrians. Pavements and footpaths are fast vanishing. The pedestrians now have to walk on the roads. It could be a telling experience to walk on the footpaths in the Mandi area or on other main roads. It is a well-operated nexus comprising the civic and PWD (B&R) authorities. Of course, political pressures play a significant role in thwarting an occasional attempt by the agencies concerned to clear encroachments. Select an open space and strike a deal with the officials concerned and the job is done. What you have to do next is to pay the monthly or weekly "nazrana" to the officials concerned to stay put. Roadside eateries in various areas or vendors squatting in busy areas are prospering because of such deals. In all areas, footpaths and pavements have been encroached upon by vendors and shopkeepers. The encroachment starts with permission to park rehris and wooden stalls. Gradually the area comes within the four walls of the occupiers with the knowledge of the authorities. Admitting laxity on the part of the lower rung staff, senior officials say that it is due to the cumbersome legal procedures that they cannot intervene. As a result of these encroachments, not only do the pedestrians suffer but developmental works, including the widening of the roads and laying of sewers, also gets affected. The field staff gets no backing from either side, the officials said. There have been a number of instances where officials were manhandled or beaten up by when they had made attempts to demolish illegal constructions or remove enchroachments. HP's first girl paratrooper Neelam Malhan has achieved the distinction of being the first paratrooper of the NCC (Air wing) from Himachal Pradesh. She has successfully completed the course at the IAF Paratroopers Training School, Agra. Neelam had also been selected to attend the youth exchange programme in Canada, but due to the changed political situation (after the Pokhran blasts) her trip as "ambassador cadet" was cancelled. She was adjudged the most disciplined and smart cadet in the combined annual training camps (Nos. I and II) held at Sadhupul and Solan this year. She was also selected for D'CAT-I and successfully completed the same. She has led the HP NCC Directorate at the golden jubilee Republic Day camp and at the Prime Minister rally held in New Delhi last year. She was one of those cadets from the country who demonstrated parasailing at the R-Day camp. She was also awarded "parawings" on the successful completion of the mandatory para-jumps by the Punjab NCC Directorate. Sqn Ldr R.L. Tripathi, NCC Commanding Officer for HP, at Kulu said: "No reward is big enough to appreciate her efforts in making the NCC Air wing of Government College, Kulu, a pioneer in air displays". Contributed by
Monika Katyal, Subhash Sharma and R.D. Sapra. |
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