All work, no play for primary kids
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, April 18
What kinds of activities would you suggest for the students of primary classes? Any thinking person would recommend music, dance, drawing, painting, games and educational toys. But unfortunately for the students of Government Primary School of Cinema Road these activities exist in their imagination only.

Not that the school does not possess musical instruments or play grounds. But the school does not have enough funds for repair of its harmonium and radio, maintenance of playground and appointment of staff for training the kids in dancing, sports, painting and music. After the retirement of the Head Master of the school, the school has been left with just two female staff members who are expected to manage all the five classes. Since one of them is on leave for a few days on account of her marriage, all 55 students are being taught by only one teacher, Ms Jasvir Kaur.

Since four of the five classrooms of the school have been declared unsafe, all students are made to sit in the verandah in two groups. While one group includes students from classes I to III, the other group has students from classes IV and V. The teacher has evolved a simple method if the students are being taught mathematics she gives the students of former group some simple lessons such as writing from 1 to 50 and then asks the latter group to solve sums of addition, subtraction and multiplication.

The students have adapted well to this system and even the teacher seems to have been adjusted nicely as she said, ‘‘Time naal har aukhe kaum da hal mil janda hai (Solution to all difficult situations can be obtained with time)’’.

What disturbs the functioning of the school teachers the most is the non-teaching duties such as extensive field jobs under the Sarb Sikhya Abhiyan, frequent unscheduled meetings with the Block Primary Education Officer (BPEO), disbursement of scholarships, elaborate paper work, polio vaccination camps and polling duties. Yesterday, when the BPEO asked the teacher to come to his office, she, being the only teacher for the students, found it impossible to leave the students to themselves. Finally, she called a teacher from the senior secondary block to look after them so that she could go for the meeting.

The school had recently got Rs 1 lakh from the Education Department for construction and renovation. The entire funds were exhausted in construction of the new verandah and renovation of one classroom. The other four classrooms, office and ground, however, remained untouched. Under the newly started elementary scheme, the school had also received a grant of Rs 1000 for buying educational aids. But the school teachers said that they had been forced to buy charts, globe and chalks which they already had in plenty instead of some educational blocks and toys for teaching concept of different shapes, sizes, colours, numbers, letters and pronunciation.

The school has a big ground but that too has become a cycle stand for the students of senior secondary block. There are neither any swings nor is there any games teacher.

Best students honoured at KVM annual function
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, April 18
The annual prize distribution function of Kundan Vidya Mandir, Civil Lines, was celebrated here today. Taran Khangura of class XII, Anubhav Malhotra of class VIII, Anish Bhatia of class VIII, Jasnoor Basra of class V, Rohan Dhanda of KG section and Sukirat Singh of Nursery were declared all-round best students of senior section, middle section, city branch, primary section, KG section and Nursery, respectively.

Among the senior section students, Preeti Lamba was adjudged best speaker while Sonam Ahuja of class XI was chosen best dancer, Aikaj Jindal of class XII was declared best actor and Isha Sood of class XI was selected best artist. Manish Aggarwal of class XII won the title of quiz wizard of KVM.

Shubha Phultela of class VIII was declared best artist of the middle section, Sahibpreet Kaur of class V and Swati Bhandari of class V were adjudged best speakers of the city branch and primary section. Deepika Mahajan of class IX was chosen as the best singer of the senior section.

A cultural programme was also organised in which Mehak, Manvsi, Isha and Ritika sang a Punjabi song. Ishita of the city branch presented a solo dance. ‘Boom boom shak’, a song dramatisation by the students of the primary section, won much applause. Shreya and Hiya gave a dance performance on ‘Thoda resham lagta hai’. The function was presided over by Dr K.S. Aulakh, Vice-Chancellor of Punjab Agricultural University. Ms Neena Khanna, Principal, read the annual report. Mr Prem Aggarwal, Manager of the school managing committee, Dr Lajpat Rai, Mr V.K. Goyal, Dr K.M. Gupta and Dr Suresh Vatsyayan, all members of the committee were also present on the occasion.

Farm literature worth 49 lakh sold
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, April 18
Dr Kirpal Singh Aulakh, Vice-Chancellor, Punjab Agricultural University, has expressed satisfaction over the increasing popularity of farm literature among Punjab farmers. Dr Aulakh was speaking at a Publication Committee meeting held on the campus here yesterday. It was revealed at the meeting that the Punjab farmers purchased university books and magazines worth about Rs 49 lakh during 2002-03 as against Rs 37 lakh during 2001-02.

Dr Aulakh also announced to give commendation certificates to Mr K.S. Sangha, Deputy Registrar, Cooperative Societies, Ludhiana, Mr T.S. Riar, State Consultant, Agricultural Technology Management Agency (ATMA), and Mr Mohinder Singh Dosanjh, a progressive farmer, for their contribution in enrolling about 600 cooperative societies and farmers groups as life members of the PAU magazine “Changi Kheti” and books on kharif/rabi crops.

Dr Aulakh said the university magazine “Changi Kheti” would also be available in 130 select branch post offices in the state. If this effort was successful, the facility would be extended to about 5,000 branch post offices. Dr Aulakh appreciated the initiative of the Senior Superintendent of Post Offices have in this respect.

It was also decided at the meeting to produce a comprehensive book giving the symptoms and control measures of various nutritional disorders, diseases and insect or pests of fruit crops. The meeting was attended by Dr G.S. Nanda, Director of Research, Dr K.S. Sekhon, Dean, Post-Graduate Studies, Dr M.S. Tiwana, Dean, College of Agriculture, Mr Gopal Dass, Comptroller, Dr S.K. Mann, Dean, College of Home Science, Dr H.S. Sekhon, Dean, College of Agricultural Engineering, Dr S.S. Sokhi, Additional Director of Extension Education, Dr Avtar Singh, Associate Director (Publications), Mr G.S. Atwal, Deputy Director (Radio), Dr Suresh Uppal, Librarian, Dr A.P. Singh, Editor (English), and Mr Gurbhajan Singh Gill, Editor (Punjabi).

SPORTS

GNDE College win overall championship
Our Sports Reporter

Ludhiana, April 18
Boys of the local Guru Nank Dev Engineering College, gave a stupendous performance to retain the overall championship in the annual athletics meet of Punjab Technical University held at BBSB Engineering College at Fatehgarh Sahib recently. By lifting the title, the college made history of sorts as it bagged this coveted trophy for the third consecutive year.

Boys of GNDE College got the first position in athletics, hockey and kabaddi and finished runners-up in two disciplines — football and table tennis. Prabhjot Singh of the college established two meet records, hammer throw and discus throw. The college’s relay team, too, rewrote the record in the 4x400 m while in high jump (boys as well as girls) and triple jump, the previous records were beaten. In the girls’ section, the college team got the second position in basketball and third in table tennis.