Chandigarh, January 6
The Students Organisation of Panjab University (SOPU) has given a call to students of the Department of Hindi to boycott classes tomorrow. The appeal comes in the wake of the “indifferent” attitude of the Panjab University authorities towards the students’ demand to hold exam again for candidates wanting to enrol themselves for a Ph. D degree in the department.

The students seeking re-exam for Hindi today met the Dean, University Instruction (DUI), who said that a decision on the issue would now be taken on January 10.

It maybe recalled that the students had organised a day-long fast after the university re-opened on January 3 and demanded a re-exam, submitting a memorandum to this effect with the DUI. The DUI, in turn, assured them that he would hold a second meeting with them on January 6 and convey the university’s decision to them.

Earlier, while the university had admitted that the entrance test paper did not conform to the pattern the first time on November 28, the walkout by the candidates when the test was conducted the second time on December 29 was uncalled for since it was very much in consonance with the pattern.

Contributed: Activists of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) collected Rs 11,860 from the campus students for the tsunami victims by urging them to contribute one day’s pocket money towards the fund.

A team of the ABVP comprising Yajwinder Yadav, Kusum, Neha Monga, Anoop Gupta and Vikramjit Singh presented the draft of the donation to the Vice-Chancellor, Prof K.N. Pathak, at his office, here today. A cover note and a chart full of prayers and messages of the vice-chancellor and the students has also been sent.

Lectures: Prof Devinder Singh, Chairperson, Department of Correspondence Studies and Dean of Language Faculty, Panjab University, decided to organise a series of lectures in the department by eminent speakers. The first speaker in the series today was Prof Jitendra Mohan, National Fellow, ICSSR. 

Chandigarh, January 6
The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has decided not to stop the admit cards of students on account of extension of affiliation of respective school. The decision would be applicable during the board examination beginning in March this year.

Mr P.I. Sabu, Regional Officer of the board, in a statement issued here today said the decision would save the students from undue harassment.

He said the information in this regard had been sent to the heads of schools. In guidelines related to speedy disposal of examination related matters, the schools had also been advised not to directly interact with senior officers of the board at Delhi, while seeking approval of admission in Classes X and XII. All communication had to be through the Regional Officer.

The information regarding the examination centers, number of students appearing and the number of schools had been dispatched to the schools concerned. The answer-book of main examination and practical examination would reach the respective school before the end of this month.

From this year, the board had decided to send the admit cards, attendance sheets and centre materials to the schools before the end of January. The registration cards for the examination in 2006 would be sent by next month. The schools have been clearly told that no new registration form would be entertained if admission were made in Class X without approval of the board.

Chandigarh, January 6
A Class XII student, paranoid by his chemistry exam left the preparation for the last day and remained glued to the books the entire day without sparing a thought for the food or taking necessary sleep. But his hard work prior to the exam proved in vain at the last minute as the student had nausea on the D-Day and his physical condition did not allow him to write even a single line in the exam. The only recourse left then was to take a counselling session from the PGI to come out of the problem of extreme anxiety, which was largely self created.

Call it examination blues or the unbearable pressure. City children, unable to decipher how to meet the rising expectations drive students in for extreme anxiety. And academics bother children so much that healthy diet during the examination days takes up back seat for most of them.

“A number of children completely neglect their diet and many do not take anything during the day while preparing for the examinations. In many cases we recommend meditation and yoga to cope up with the pressure. There is, however, a small portion of students who require repeated sessions of counselling to handle the pressure,’’ says Dr Adarsh Kohli, Associate Professor at the Department of Psychiatry at the PGI.

Proper diet and sleep are important for students, even as a large chunk of them consider it the least important during exam times, he adds.

The study conducted at Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Sector 32, on the city schoolchildren has already revealed that 80 per cent of the children studying in different schools in the city completely forgo their breakfast and have their first meal in the afternoon only. One-fourth of these children were found to be suffering from anaemia as well.

“During the counselling session at various schools, we have always advised the children to take proper diet and the adequate rest so that the mental pressure does not take the better of them on the day of the examination. What students do not understand is that if the proper diet is neglected it would adversely affect their preparation and performance,” adds Dr Kohli.

Chandigarh, January 6
Punjab’s very own Jesse Randhwa was in town today to sip some coffee at the newly-launched Golfer’s Café and Kitchen in Sector 35. Quite vocal about her food preferences, the model made herself comfortable at the café after ordering some Irish Iceberg coffee, which she sipped for a long time as questions kept pouring in from several quarters.

“Acting is not my cup of tea,” said the quintessential model who seemed quite peeved at the current Bollywood trends which have made stars of “nude” models. “Success comes to those models who are ready to expose. I can never be one. So I have been refusing many offers. I just have two films to my credit - “Gulaal” and “Chot”,” said Jesse, who has been into modelling for over a decade now.

Short-lived though, modelling as a career can be quite gratifying, at least Jesse believes so. “People have been accepting me for 10 years now. Also work is much more fun now because the shows are more professional than before, so are the costume trends. Personally, I love the designs and flamboyance of Sabyasachee and Saheb Dorjee,” she said.

Refraining from the glare of the big screen has not been as tough for Jesse as refusing small screen roles have been. “There have been hosts of offers from television serials, but not the kind that would inspire the actress in me. I am most comfortable modelling.” Entering the fashion realm with a bang after being declared the Miss India finalist in the year that saw Sushmita Sen being crowned the queen, Jesse Randhawa has been taking her profession rather seriously. And no, love for food has not quite interrupted her flight to success because she eats healthy, and never starve herself.