The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Guard against monsoon pests, farmers told
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, July 24
Experts from Punjab Agricultural University have cautioned farmers against pests like snails and slugs which are damaging crops. These pests could cause extensive damage to vegetable fields and greenhouse ornamental plants, they have said.

According to Dr Harjit Kaur of the Department of Zoology and Fisheries, snails and slugs may transmit diseases or serve as intermediate hosts for parasites for man and animals.

They consume small leaves and make holes in large leaves. During rains, they de-bark plant stem near the ground, resulting in the plant’s death. She said the slug was destroying nurseries and kitchen gardens.

The slug could also damage marigold, dahlia, potulaca, cosmos, balsam, celosia and coscomb, she said. Indoor plants could also get affected. Vegetable plants like brinjal, tomato, sponge gourd, lobia, spinach, cabbage and cauliflower could also be damaged, she said.

She suggested that the pests should be handpicked before dawn or after dusk and killed by putting 10 per cent common salt solution in boiling water, soap water or ammonia solution. A ridge of finely ground lime around seed beds or valuable plants could act as an effective barrier.

The ridge must be renewed since moisture by slaking the lime could make it ineffective, she added.

Entrepreneurial skills to be taught in schools
Our Correspondent

Teachers of vocational studies from government schools attend a workshop on entreneurship development at Government Model Senior Secondary School

Teachers of vocational studies from government schools attend a workshop on entrepreneurship development at Government Model Senior Secondary School, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, on Thursday.

Ludhiana, July 24
A general foundation course (GFC) in ‘entrepreneurship development’ and ‘environmental education and rural development’ will be introduced as a compulsory course in the current session for class XII students in government senior secondary schools of the state offering vocational education.

The course is aimed at bringing in diversification of educational opportunities so as to enhance individual employability, reduction of mismatch between demand and supply of skilled manpower and providing students aimlessly pursuing higher education with an alternative. The course is being introduced under a scheme for the vocationalisation of secondary education.

This information was given by Dr Vipin Kumar Jain, Project Coordinator, PSS Central Institute of Vocational Education, a constituent of National Council for Education, Research and Training (NCERT), on the concluding day of a 10-day state-level workshop. This workshop on ‘Training programme for vocational masters and lecturers of Punjab on entrepreneurship development’ concluded at Government Model Senior Secondary School, Punjab Agricultural University, here today.

Dr Jain said the course would aim not only at training students for acquisition of skills, attitudes, understanding and knowledge related to a specific vocation but also at making them aware of environment’s relation with development. It would also aim at visualising and appreciating entrepreneurship as an alternative career, besides developing the spirit of self-employment, motivation and competencies needed to initiate, launch and sustain it as a career, he said.

The 10-day programme was attended by 27 teachers of vocational education from all over the state. Resource persons delivered talks on ways of developing initiative, pouncing on opportunities, concern for innovative quality efficiency, problem solving, systematic planning, information seeking, persistence, influencing, persuasion, assertion, self-confidence, commitment to work and other traits that they said were must for developing entrepreneurial competencies.

Institutes like the Small Industrial Service Institute (SISI), Science and Technology Entrepreneurs’ Park (STEP), District Industry Centre (DIC), Guru Nanak Engineering College, Punjab Agricultural University and Punjab National Bank were asked to send their representatives for holding discussions with the participants.

Mr Surinder Bir Singh, Professor and Head of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Guru Nanak Engineering College, spoke on marketing management for small businesses. Mr A.K. Bansal, Senior Manager, Punjab National Bank, spoke on the role and function of commercial banks for self-employment of Punjab entrepreneurs. Mr J.S. Kolar from STEP gave a talk on writing project report for business. Mr Parveen Modi from the DIC spoke on the role and importance of a support system. The SISI was also represented by four speakers — Mr Somnath, Mr Bharat, Mr Vinay Mehrotra and Mr S.S. Bedi.

Three entrepreneurs were invited to hold discussions with the teachers. These were Mr Gursahib Singh, owner of an electroplating unit, Ms Mukta Walia, a commercial artist, and Ms Sunita Walia, a garment manufacturer. Field visits were also organised to Duke Industries, a stud farm in Gill village and the SISI office. Activities like simulations, defining action plans and interactive classroom teaching was also held. Mr R.S. Bains, District Vocational Coordinator, was the programme director.

Finding favour through gifts
Deepkamal Kaur

Ludhiana, July 24
The socio-economic background of a student seems an important factor in the teachers’ attitude towards the former. While wards of rich parents often turn out to be favourite students of teachers and are let go with a mild reprimand, those from economically lower and middle class families are rebuked for trifles.

Parents of children studying in some reputed schools of the city say such an attitude on the part of the teachers and administrators in causing inferiority complex in their kids. Even though their children brought good results year after year, they seemed to lack motivation. With no encouragement from school, they were shunning hard work.

The parents of a child studying in a school in Sarabha Nagar said parents send gifts for the teachers. These gifts include flowers, perfumes, make-up kits, imported purses and even mobile sets. Such gifts are offered to teachers at the beginning of the annual session, festivals, Teachers Day, New Year and parent-teacher meetings.

After luring the teachers with gifts, the parents then start making frequent phone calls to them. The conversation often ends with an invitation for the teacher and her family at a club or a hotel. Slowly, the teacher turns into family friend, giving special attention to the child at school.

A parent residing in Civil Lines said even though such practices were on for the past few years, the school principal was doing little to keep a check on teachers. Another parent working as a lecturer in a women’s college in the city, said a week after the school had reopened after the summer holidays, her daughter studying in Class VI, came back sobbing bitterly.

She said her mathematics teacher had slapped her. “I was caught talking with my friend. I was punished, but not my friend. Since she gets gifts for teachers. If I take gifts, I too will not be humiliated.”

Eco club students plant saplings
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, July 24
Over 100 students who are members of 14 eco clubs set up in various schools of the district participated in a workshop held under the aegis of Bharat Jan Gyan Vigyan Jatha at Government Girls’ Senior Secondary School at Bharat Nagar here today.

The participants who came along with their teachers, discussed ways on promoting a healthy environment. Saplings of various ornamental, aromatic and medicinal herbs were planted by the students. A demonstration on vermiculture was given to the students.

Addressing the students, Dr Arun Mitra, general secretary of the jatha, said as many as 5,000 saplings would be planted as part of the drive. He spoke on different methods of biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste. While the former could be managed by vermicompositing, the latter had be managed by incinerators.

He said the segregation should begin at home so that the Municipal Corporation did not have much problems.

Mr Prem Chand, Joint Commissioner, Municipal Corporation, who was the chief guest, said underground water was receding fast and all residents must cooperate in allowing minimal wastage of water. He emphasised that even in agriculture, such techniques should be adopted in which less water was consumed.

Major Sher Singh Aulakh, president of the jatha, spoke on various environmental problems, especially global warming and ozone layer depletion. Mr Guramanpreet Singh Bains, District Range Officer, Department of Forests, was the guest of honour.

Schools that participated in the meeting were Ramgarhia Co-Educational High School, Kirpa Nidhan Public School, Ramgarhia Senior Secondary School, Government Model Senior Secondary Schools, Dholewal and PAU, Sargodha Khalsa Co-Educational High School, Government Girls Senior Secondary Schools at Bharat Nagar and Jawahar Nagar, Sargodha National Public Senior Secondary School, Government Model School, Abdullapur Basti, Government High Schools, Salem Tabri and Ramgarh, and Guru Nanak Khalsa Girls’ High School, Gujjarkhan.

New admission schedule
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, July 24
In view of the withdrawal of fee hike by the Punjab Government, the Secretary , Higher Education, has sent a new fee schedule to colleges. The admission programme for the colleges affiliated to Punjab University is rescheduled as under:

Normal admission: 1.7.2003 to 31.7. 2003

Late admission to be allowed by the principal of the college with late fee:1.8.2003 to 8.8.2003

Late admission in colleges to be allowed by the Vice- Chancellor with late fee: 9.8.2003 to 30.8.2003This information was received from the Registrar DR (Colleges) this afternoon.