GNDU releases admission schedule for colleges

Amritsar: Guru Nanak Dev University has released its admission schedule of various courses for the academic session of 2012-13 for its affiliated, constitutent colleges and distance education Colleges.
  
Inderjit Singh, Registrar, said the University has already approved the semester system for the academic session 2012-13 in its affliated colleges. 
   
He said the admission schedule would be applicable to Amardeep Singh Shergill Memorial College, Mukandpur, Shaheed Ram Singh Pathania Memorial University College, Niari, Bebe Nanki College University College, Mithra, Guru Nanak Dev University College, Verka, Guru Nanak Dev University College, Chung and Guru Nanak Dev University College, Narot Jaimal Singh in the course of Arts, Science and Social Sciences.
  
He said that normal dates for admission to these courses would be till July 2, 2012 and with the late fees of Rs. 50 (with the approval of Principal) the dates would be July 3 to July 9. 

Corporal punishment, ragging could come under JJ Act purview

New Delhi: The Women and Child Development (WCD) ministry which is reviewing the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, is considering expanding the scope of the legislation to bring ragging and corporal punishment under its purview.
 
"The Right to Education considers corporal punishment wrong. Similarly, children may face trauma or suffer due to ragging. Under these practices, it is often children under 18 years of age who suffer and it is this area with which the Juvenile Justice Act deals," said a senior ministry official. 
 
Officials, however, added the proposed amendments are at the moment at "discussion stage" and it was premature to comment on what shape the law would finally take. 
 
"There are areas of law related to adoption which are also being looked at but right now the issues are only being examined and consultations on the subject are being held", the official added.
 
The Women and Child Development ministry is also planning to make non-registration of Children's Homes a punishable offence under the Juvenile Justice Act. 
 
"It is felt that bringing all the Children's Homes under this Act would subject them to stringent scrutiny and monitoring as prescribed and, thus, quality of care in the institutions would improve," the WCD ministry has in a recent statement said.
 
To achieve the objective, an amendment will soon be made in the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000 to make non-registration of Children's Homes a punishable offence, the ministry had said in the statement. 

Teachers of St Stephen's incensed over 40 Percent reservation for men

New Delhi: An unusual proposal to reserve 40 per cent of the seats for male students was introduced at the staff meeting of the St Stephen's college, but was met with vehement disapproval from the teachers who said they were "taken aback" by the "absurd" idea.
 
College Principal Valson Thampu introduced the proposal before the college staff at a meeting held this morning. 
 
The idea that has earlier been discussed by the Supreme Council of the college proposed a reservation of 40 per cent of the college seats for male students.
 
However, the meeting that was attended by around 50 teachers, saw heated arguments, with the teachers denouncing the move on procedural, constitutional and academic grounds, as well as on the issue of gender equality.
 
The proposal was mooted on the ground that when the college was made co-educational in 1975, it was stated that steps should be taken to ensure that 75 per cent of students are male, said a teacher who attended the meeting.
 
So incensed were the teachers by the idea that one of them walked out of the meeting and some said they would not participate in the admissions if this was implemented. 
 
"The Principal had not expected such a vehement opposition from the teachers. So, he decided to backtrack from the idea, saying that he had kept a window open and that he would go back to the Supreme Council of the college to defer the move for this year," said Prof Nandita Narain of the college.
 
At present, there are 64 per cent women students at the prestigious college, making them a majority over their male counterparts.
 
"Arguments were made that women students are taking up a majority of seats and that there were also a number of women's colleges in Delhi University. If this is the case then you should make the boys do well, not deny seats to meritorious girls," she said. 

US announces changes to troubled visa programme

Jackson (US): The US State Department announced major changes to its premier student-exchange programme following an investigation that found widespread abuses.

The agency issued new rules for the J-1 Summer Work and Travel Programme, which brings more than 100,000 foreign college students to the United States each year.

It was meant to foster cultural understanding, but it has become a multimillion-dollar international business.

The changes are the latest in a series of steps the State Department has taken to fix the programme since an AP investigation in 2010 revealed widespread abuses.

The investigation found some participants working in strip clubs, and not always willingly, while others were put in living and working conditions they compared to indentured servitude.

In one of the worst cases of abuse, a woman told the AP she was beaten, raped and forced to work as a stripper in Detroit after being promised a job as a waitress in Virginia.

More common than sex trade problems were shabby housing, hefty work hours and paltry pay. In August of 2011, dozens of workers protested conditions at a candy factory that packs Hershey chocolates in Pennsylvania, complaining of hard physical labour and pay deductions for rent that often left them with little money. 

Standard of school eduction improving: Govt

New Delhi: The standard of school eduction in the country is improving as surveys carried out in elementary schools have found progress in the overall learning levels of children, the government said.

The "National Learners' Achievement Surveys" carried out by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) have revealed "improvements in the overall learning levels of children at the elementary level", Minister of State for Human Resource D Purandeswari said in written reply to a query in Rajya Sabha.

Describing these periodic surveys as an important source of information on the trend of learning levels of the children at the elementary level, the Minister said the findings showed that there is enhancement in the level of achievement in most states.

"In language, there has been an improvement in learning achievement in 24 states/UTs, whereas, in mathematics, 14 states shave improved learning levels, and in environmental studies, 24 states/UTs have shown an improvement in learning level.

"Further, the overall differences in achievement between boys and girls as well as urban and rural students has reduced," Purandeswari informed the House.

Regarding the quality of education at secondary level, the Minister said the Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan that was launched in 2009 is aimed at "enhancing education imparted and reduce disparities related to gender, socio-economic status, geographical location and disability". 

IIT-JEE answer sheets go online from May 5

Kanpur: IIT- JEE answer sheets go online from May 5 displaying the optical response sheets (ORS) of all candidates who appeared for the joint entrance exam (JEE)-2012 held on April 8.

 

The ORS are on display from May 5 to May 10 with machine-read responses and marks scored. During these six days, the  candidates will be able to go through the evaluation.

The 5.6 lakh aspirants for Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) from across the country now have a chance to view their own answer  scripts online, and see for themselves how they fared.

In case of any error in evaluation, they can also submit revision requests through online. The facility for submitting the revision requests online will close at 5pm on May 10, 2012.

IIT-Delhi would consider all the complaints and update fresh score of every student, before preparing the final merit list.

The aspirants would be able to see the evaluated answer scripts of JEE. The results of JEE would be declared on May 18.

This year, IIT-Delhi had conducted the JEE. 

Parliamentary committee suggests separate exam for IPS

New Delhi: With several aspirants joining Indian Police Service (IPS) only after they fail to get their first choice in the civil services, especially Indian Administrative Service (IAS) or Indian Foreign Service (IFS).

Keeping this in view, a parliamentary panel comprising of 10 MPs from Rajya Sabha and 31 from Lok Sabha has suggested a separate examination for IPS where candidates attitude and aptitude would be thoroughly tested so that the quality of service is not compromised.

With an intention of providing a solution to such problem, the standing committee on home affairs has asked the government to explore the possibility of conducting a separate examination in consultation with Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy for appropriate modalities.

In pursuit of recruiting IAS, IFS, IPS and other Group-A and Group-B for various services in the country, the UPSC, has, so far, been conducting a single examination. Irrespective of the aspirants choice of interest, they get into different services according to their ranking in the Civil Services Exam.    

In its report put forth in the parliament recently, the panel has questioned current examination system, mentioning that unwilling candidates into the IPS, which may not do justice to their policing jobs.

The panel stated that candidates aspiring for IPS do not know whether they will get into it or not. Similarly, candidates do not know whether they will get IPS or other services... It has been noticed that people who do not like policing get into IPS.

The matter had come up for discussion during the standing committee's meeting last month when home secretary R K Singh heard the members' concerns and promised to look into their suggestions.

The home ministry in its written reply to the committee stated that the suggestion of separate selection process for IPS would be examined.

The issue was discussed in context of huge shortage of IPS officers in many states at a time when the country needs adequate strength to face various internal security threats including terrorism and Naxalism.

Greener pastures in Financial Sector

Financial studies get a very special place in the job market. Currently, opportunities galore in this burgeoning sector, as there is, a dearth for trained hands and professional talent. Hence, it only becomes profitable to keep oneself updated about the financial sector, courses offered in the subject and job opportunities.

Finance management:

As far as finance management is concerned, there are various courses that can be taken up: Chartered Financial Analysis, Chartered Accountancy, Cost and Management Accountancy, Certified Treasury Manager Course, Certified Public Accountant Course, Certified Investment Banker Course and Certified Risk and Insurance Management Course, to name a few. If you wish to take up one of these courses, you will need to hold a bachelors degree either in Economics or Commerce.

MBA Finance:

This post-graduate course demands a bachelors degree, but the Major subject doesnt really matter. Candidates are selected based on their performance in written examination, group discussion and personal interviews that the institutions conduct. For those with work and industry experience, however, certain institutions offer a programme called Executive MBA.

Chartered Accountancy:

After completing SSLC, you can apply for the Common Proficiency Test (CPT)—that would help you enter a CA course—with attestation. However, you will be allowed to attend the test only after the completion of Plus 2. Even those awaiting the (Plus 2) results could take up the test.

At the same time, Commerce degree holders with a 50% score, Computer Science graduates with a 60% (aggregate) score and other bachelors degree holders with an overall percentage of 55% (aggregate) need not attend the proficiency test. Such candidates need to apply for the Professional Competence Course (IPCC).     

   

Those who have succeeded in the final examination of the Institute of Cost and Work Accountant (ICWAI) or the Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI) could also register themselves for IPCC.

After passing the IPCC, you can register yourself as an Articled Clerk for practical training. Following that, you can take part in the final course of Chartered Accountancy.

Banking:

With a pass in Under Graduation, one becomes eligible to enter the Banking sector. However, those with UG degree in Commerce, Economics and Computer Science get the preference to join for clerical positions.

As for as middle and top level positions are concerned, banking sector prefers Chartered Accountants, Chartered Financial Analysts and MBAs. 

GRE takers get more options

Chennai: Following the successful introduction of the GRE® revised General Test, the GRE Program is now introducing the ScoreSelectSM option as one more enhancement to its more test-taker friendly platform.

With the ScoreSelect option, GRE test takers can decide which test scores to send to the institutions they designate, so they can send the scores they feel reflect their personal best.  

The ScoreSelect option, available starting in July 2012, builds on the momentum that started with the 2011 launch of the test-taker friendly GRE revised General Test, which test takers worldwide responded to with great enthusiasm.

"The ScoreSelect option focuses on helping test takers succeed on the road to an advanced degree because they can approach test day with more confidence," says James Wimbush, Dean of the University Graduate School and Professor of Business Administration, Indiana University, and 20112012 GRE Board Chair.

"Adding enhancements, like the new ScoreSelect option, to our test-taker friendly platform helps people feel good about making a move toward graduate and business school, and that is whats most exciting about this announcement," says David Payne, Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the Higher Education Division at ETS. "Anytime we can make changes that improve test takers testing experience and confidence to succeed, we create more opportunity for all students."

From several option, Test takers can decide the best to send to the institution  they are applying.

On test day, when viewing their scores at the test center, they can select the:

• ScoreSelect Most Recent option — Send their scores from their current test administration (FREE).
• ScoreSelect All option — Send their scores from all administrations in the last 5 years (FREE).

Test takers can decide which option to use for each of their 4 FREE score reports.

After test day, test takers can send Additional Score Reports for a fee and select:

• ScoreSelect Most Recent option — Send their scores from their most recent test administration.
• ScoreSelect All option — Send their scores from all administrations in the last 5 years.
• ScoreSelect Any option — Send their scores from one OR many test administrations in the last 5 years.

Scores for a test administration must be reported in their entirety.

"The ScoreSelect option for the GRE tests is an extension of ETSs long-standing strong commitment to enable ever more individuals to take the next step towards graduate or business school, giving them invaluable additional opportunities for their future," says Michael Sullivan, Executive Director, STEM, Hispanic Research Center, Arizona State University.

The new ScoreSelect option will be available for both the GRE revised General Test and GRE Subject Tests, and can be used by anyone with reportable scores from the last five years.

For more information on this new option and other GRE program offerings, including free test prep, visit www.ets.org/gre.

Former ISRO scientist quits job to start Sunday Science Schools

Bangalore: A former ISRO scientist is all set to start 'Sunday Science School' in Karnataka to help children go beyond textbooks, create models and set up laboratories in homes.

Aimed at children in the 10-15 year age group, it would run up to 27 Sundays from July this year to February 2013.

The brain behind the project is Dr Sujata Virdhe, Director of L Green Ventures, who previously worked with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) for 23 years in the field of satellite power systems, solar energy and indigenisation of electronic components.

To start with, the unique schools would be opened in Bangalore, Mysore, Dharwad, Hubli, Mangalore and Udupi.

"My heart always wanted to go back to basic sciences. I have taken voluntary retirement (from ISRO) to concentrate on my passion," Sujata, an applied physicist and PhD holder from Pune University, told here.

At the Sunday Science Schools, students are taught to make their own projects. At the end of the academic session, each student would have a display of the science models and also a small home laboratory.

A range of activities are included to cover energy, solar car, weather magnetism, biology, chemistry, motors, aero-models and astronomy. "We arrange all the material for these workshops," she said.  

Participating students will complete more than 50 activities in a variety of science subjects and make 22 take-home projects in Level-1 of the activity, while Levels 2 and 3 cover the entire range of science topics.
   
Sujata, who has 20 years experience in designing many science education experimentation and 'do-it-yourself' kits for students, said the idea of Sunday Science Schools has been motivated by the fact that 95 per cent of the knowledge learnt by hands-on learning is retained forever in our memory.

"We have a good network of passionate science communicators. We are always on the look out for engineers and professionals who are free on weekends and the educated home-makers and samaritans for teaching science," she said.  

Today parents attempting to make their children opt for science subjects are faced with more distractions than ever before. Parents often find it difficult to invest their time in doing projects with children.

"Sunday Science School is a meaningful way to sustain children at their creative and logical best selves," Sujata said. "We have been working on hands-on-science for the past 18 years. I have been feeling the need of hands-on science, as I noticed that children are keen to do science activities."

The fees would be Rs 5,800 for each level. 

Wrong IIT-JEE questions again this year: Super-30 founder

Patna: Super-30 founder and mathematician Anand Kumar has claimed that mistakes have been detected  in the question papers of the recently held IIT-JEE examination.

Anand, whose efforts to help underprivileged students get through the tough competitive examination have been recognised world-wide, said the problem had been detected soon after the examination, but it was confirmed after the JEE uploaded the answers to three questions only on May 3.
   
Anand said it was strange that instead of accepting the mistake, the authorities had resorted to 'average marking', just like they had done when errors were detected in question papers last year.

"This move will have an adverse impact on meritorious students," he said.

In respect to one question each in Chemistry (Q No.23) and Mathematics (Q No. 60) of Paper 2, the JEE authorities issued a statement saying all students would get zero mark for it.

"This means that the problems are wrong and even those students who still made an attempt to solve them would get zero mark. Similarly, in question number 6 of Physics, there should be one right choice, but two choices have been given," he explained.

"This trend of setting wrong questions has been going on for the last three years due to callousness on the part of the question-setters," he said.

Last year, he pointed out, questions worth 18 marks had been detected wrong and later average marks were given.

Anand said that two years ago it came to light that Hindi-medium students had been discriminated against and were deliberately given low scores.

"This is injustice to meritorious students. What is more, such things raise a question mark over the IIT's credibility and shakes students' confidence," Anand regetted.

It is high time, he said, the authorities worked out a foolproof mechanism to prevent such mistakes in the future.  

"The teachers should test the answers by solving them before sending them for print," he said.

Anand had a few days ago submitted a detailed proposal to Human Resource Development minister Kapil Sibal regarding IIT-JEE reforms. 

Unemployment has been a big problem in Assam: CM

Guwahati: Unemployment has been one of the biggest problems facing Assam and that imparting modern skill to youths can eradicate it to a large extent, Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said.
 
"Lack of expertise among our youths means that we have to bring even semi-skilled workers from other states for working in major projects like Gas Cracker in Lepetkata. We need to change the pattern of education and put more emphasis on skill development," he said at a programme here.
 
"The state government is planning to upgrade ITIs and all such centres within the 12th Plan period and our target is to get over the problem of skill shortage within the next five years," he said.
 
He said that with the change in habit and rise in income levels, demand for professionals in service like plumbing, fashion, furniture making, agri-industry and vehicle repair and maintenance.
 
Assam government is planning to set up multi-disciplinary skill training centres in all the 219 blocks across  the state within the current 12th Five Year Plan period (2012-17), State Industry and Commerce Minister Pradyut Bordoloi said in the programme.
 
The first five such centres will be operational within months and 23 will be operatinal by end of the current financial year, he said.
 
"Training will be provided by private sector groups  with expertise in the relevant trades. We have identified 50 trades, which are not taught in ITIs, which will be taken up at multi-disciplinary centres," Bordoloi said. 
 
The first five centres will come up at Guwahati, Margherita, Bilasipara, Bajiagaon and Badarpur Ghat. Trades like oil rig and well management, agriculture implements manufacturing, bamboo crafts, drilling, digital videography, masonry, refrigerator and AC repairing, travel and tourism guide and toy making will be part of the curriculum.
 
"In 2012-13, we are looking to train 1,600 youths and some among them would be sent for higher training to National Academy of Construction, Hyderabad, and National centre for Design and Product Development, New Delhi," Bordoloi said. 

IIT students to organise educational yatra

Patna: "IITians for youth (IFY)", an organisation of students from IIT Kharagpur, will organise an educational yatra for the students of Bihar which aims to provide quality learning and creating awareness among rural and underprivileged students.
    
The organisation in association with Bihar Police will be organising this Yatra from May 5 to May 25.     

During the campaign the students will be given guidance, motivation and will be shown proper approach towards studies.
    
The team will visit Gaya, Aurangabad, Rohtas, and Kaimur and some Maoist-affected areas.
     
Ankit Agarwal, Senior IFY member said the students from the rural areas lack awareness about various opportunities available to them and they will be told about all of them like various career options, importance of computer and English education.
     
Saifkhan who was also here said apart from students parents will also be motivated not to let their children drop out of schools.
    
Others those who will be undertaking yatra include SAT Ahmad, Ankit Agarwal, Nitin Sharma and Bailal Shakir.
      
Altogether 12 members of the IFY are from Bihar. 

NASA visit kindles dreams in school children

Salem:  It was literally a journey through space and time for 31 boys and 19 girls of a school at Tiruchengode, who visited National Aeronautics and Space Administration in U.S.A as part of a 53 member team.
    
The students of Vidyaa Vikas Educational Institutional Trust, speaking at a felicitation function at their school, said they had stayed for three days at the NASA Space research after arriving there on April 11 on a 14 day trip. They learnt Rocket technology, rocket launching techniques, Satellite technology and its function in orbit.
    
They said they also interacted with astronauts and were later given certificates by NASA, something which is  considered quite prestigious.
    
The students said their visit had kindled a desire in them to pursue research to discover something new and make the country proud. Some also harboured a desire of going to the moon.
   
The Managing Trustees said the mission of this expedition was to develop a scientific bent of mind, develop an analytical attitude and encouraging one's potential to invent new things.

AIIMS Bhopal to start functioning by July-August this year

Bhopal: The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) here is expected to start functioning in the next three months providing state-of-the-art medical facilities to the people of Madhya Pradesh.
    
"Established under the ambitious Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojna, the premier medical institute modelled like AIIMS New Delhi will start functioning from July-August this year if everything goes as per the plan," AIIMS Bhopal, Director, Professor Sandeep Kumar told.
    
"We are striving hard to meet the deadline of July- August to start the prestigious institute in Bhopal with an intake of 50 students," he said.
    
Appointment of 40 faculty members is in its last stage and now the Government of India's concerned department will have to issue their appointment orders.
    
Construction of staff quarters for the newly appointed members of the AIIMS Bhopal are already completed while construction of medical college building too is almost 70 per cent completed.
    
AIIMS Bhopal is being established on a 154 acre land situated in the Saket Nagar area.    

"We are working overnight to achieve the targets," he said adding "most of the time I am in New Delhi to push things for faster implementation."
    
Initially five departments Anatomy, Physiology, Biochemistry, Community and Family Medicine and Emergency Medicine and Trauma will be started at the medical college.     

The full-fledged hospital with nearly 1000 beds will start functioning in next three years construction for which work is going on full swing while the Medical College will be completed by next year.
    
He also informed that facilities like boys and girls hostel, nurse hostel, library and College of Nursing among others is in its final stages.
    
Admission test for the first year MBBS course will be held along with AIIMS Delhi and six other institutes on June one.
    
Besides Bhopal, AIIMS-like institutes are also being set up at Bhubaneshwar (Orissa), Jodhpur (Rajasthan), Patna (Bihar), Raipur (Chhattisgarh) and Rishikesh (Uttarakhand) with the aim of correcting regional imbalances in quality tertiary level healthcare in the country, and attaining self sufficiency in graduate and postgraduate medical education.

Parliament panel for 'peer system' to improve school education

New Delhi: Taking note of various studies and surveys showing poor learning capacity of students especially at the elementary level, a Parliamentary panel has suggested introduction of "peer education system" as an option to address the issue.
 
"Under this concept, a higher grade student can adopt a low grade student and start teaching him. This would help the teaching student make his base strong. As an incentive, a provision of stipend could also be made available for him," the panel said.
 
In its report tabled in Parliament, the panel said the concept would go a long way in enhancing learning capacity of children and asked the HRD Ministry "to take note of this". 
 
Various reports, including the recently released Annual Status of Education Report, has said proportion of children in Class V who are able to read standard II level text books has dropped from 53.07 per cent in 2010 to 48.2 per cent in 2011.
 
The HRD Ministry blames this to text books designed with unrealistic expectations from students. It has asked the states to revise the course curriculum. 
 
The Panel, which examined the progress of Right to Education, asked the Ministry to take up the issue of inadequacy of infrastructure facilities in schools with the states "on an urgent basis".
 
It underlined this while taking note of the fact that one year remains for the states to comply with RTE norms. "The committee is not hopeful of the parameter being complied with," it said. 
 
The Panel on HRD Ministry also recommended "immediate steps" to be taken for filling up of all sanctioned teaching posts.
 
Taking note of the issue of wide gap between the demand of the Ministry and allocation of funds, the panel apprehended that "insufficiency" of funds would compel the department to cut down or withdraw schemes, besides leading to hindrance in implementation of SSA-RTE programme which entail specific time frame.
 
It also took note of the grim picture of the high dropout rate of students hailing from Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and asked the Ministry to identify specific problems that contribute to such high dropout rate.
 
The Committee observed that there are several challenges that lay ahead before the Ministry in the 12th Plan, the "major one being fund constraint".
 
It said while coordinating with states and creating awareness about various schemes, the Ministry would require a "monitoring mechanism" especially while creating awareness about RTE. 

Thapar University restores 50 pc quota for Punjab students

Chandigarh: After intervention of the Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, the deemed Thapar University, Patiala, decided to restore the 50 per cent territorial quota for the students of the state.
     
Badal had asked the university authorities to reconsider their decision.
     
J S Neerav, vice chairman of the varsity's Governing Board and Abhijit Mukherjee, Director of the Thapar University, conveyed their decision by handing over their letter to S S Channy, Principal Secretary Technical  Education and Industrial Training, Punjab.
     
The University Board in its 100th meeting held on February 24 this year to consider the admissions to first year of under graduate programme made the seats available to all the citizens of India maintaining that the admissions would be opened equally to all citizens of the country and 50 per cent territorial quota for the students of Punjab would not be available any longer.
     
Badal had also taken up the matter with Union HRD Minister Kapil Sibal while highlighting the claim of the State of Punjab and its students saying that the university has come up in the present shape and stature solely on account of the state help which was there by way of giving them 250 acre of land and also grant-in-aid till the year 2001.
     
The university in its letter maintained that "in deference to the wishes of the state government and without going into the legality of the same, the varsity agrees not to implement its decision taken over two months back."
     
The issue will once again be taken up in the next meeting of the Board after mutual discussions in accordance with the rules of the university, the letter mentioned, according to a spokesperson of the Chief Minister's Office here.
     
Both the Centre and the varsity management were conveyed the rights of the state for this deemed University and "advised as well as directed them not to deny the rights of the Punjab students to have the opportunity for the furtherance of their education in one of the State promoted deemed University of excellence", the spokesperson said.
     
The deemed Thapar University, Patiala started functioning way back in 1956.
     
The spokesperson said 250 acres of land was given to the university and financial assistance of Rs 30 lakhs was also given by the then state government. 

SC slams panel for destroying answer sheets, orders fresh test

New Delhi: Upholding a woman scheduled caste candidate's plea that answer sheets were deliberately destroyed by the authorities to favour certain candidates, the Supreme Court has directed the Haryana Public Service Commission to conduct fresh written test and interview to recruit Hindi lecturers.
 
A bench of justices G S Singhvi and S J Mukhopadhaya agreed with the complaint of the candidate Poonam Rani that the commission had malafidely destroyed the answer sheets of the examination held in October 2008 to avoid judicial scrutiny of the selection process.
 
Noting that the destruction of the answer sheets was contrary to the apex court's earlier judgement and a resolution passed by the commission, the bench rejected the authorities' plea that the scripts were destroyed due to certain confusion and inadvertence.
 
"The explanation given by the Secretary for not preserving the answer sheets for three months is frivolous and wholly unacceptable because it is neither the pleaded case of the commission nor the counsel appearing on its behalf argued that the concerned officers were not aware of resolution dated 1.10.1994.
 
"Therefore, the action of the officers of the commission to destroy the record cannot but be termed as wholly arbitrary and unjustified.
 
"The sole object of this exercise appears to be to ensure that in the event of challenge to the result of the selection, the court may not be able to scrutinize the record for the purpose of finding out whether the selection was fair and objective or the candidates had been subjected to invidious discrimination," Justice Singhvi writing the judgement said.
 
The commission had earlier declined to select Poonam for the post of Hindi lecturer in the SC category on the ground that she had secured 117 marks out of 225 as against 119 marks secured by the last selected candidate of Scheduled Caste female category.
 
Her plea through the RTI for furnishing the answer sheets failed to get favourable response, upon which she moved the Punjab and Haryana High Court which too declined to interfere with the commission's order following which she appealed in the apex court.
 
In Pritpal Singh v. State of Haryana (1994), the apex court had considered a similar issue and held that "the answer papers having been destroyed, it becomes impossible to ascertain what marks each candidate had secured."
 
At that time, it had directed the Haryana Subordinate Services Selection Board to preserve the answer papers of the candidates and the tabulation of marks made by the examiners for at least three months after the declaration of the result of the selection.
 
In the present case, the bench said the affidavit filed by the Secretary of the commission clearly shows that within a few days of declaration of the result of the selection, answer sheets of the written examination held in June, 2008 were destroyed.
 
This was done in blatant violation of Resolution (Commission) dated 1.10.1994, in terms of which the answer sheets could be destroyed after three months from the date of declaration of the result of the selection."
 
The apex court also found fault in the manner in which the single judge and later a division bench of the high court refused to interfere with the plea of the candidate.

Centre assures Arunachal of quality training institute

Itanagar: Centre has assured Arunachal Pradesh of setting up of District Institute of Education and Training (DIET) in remaining districts besides establishment of more Block Level Teacher Education Institutions (BLTEI) in the state to make qualified teachers.
 
This assurance was given by secretary, HRD ministry Anshu Vaish when states Education Minister Bosiram Siram called on her and Additional Secretary (MHRD) Amita Kaul in New Delhi, official sources said here.
 
Siram acknowledged the ministrys support to Arunachal Pradesh for development of education sector. He also appreciated chief minister Nabam Tuki for clearance of state matching share in a phase wise manner to avoid delay in quality delivery of services as well as release of central share against national flagship programmes of the department.
 
During the meeting, the departmental initiative for working out modality to meet up state matching share was also discussed, sources informed.
 
On the issue of granting recognition to four different private colleges offering BEd courses, Siram sought interference of the ministry to enable those colleges to start courses from the next session for which the ministry assured to initiate action at the earliest, the sources said. 

Staying in a job is bad for you: Study

London: Staying in a job that you hate for the sake of loyalty or for lack of alternatives is bad both for you and your employer, a new study has claimed.
 
Researchers from the Concordia University's John Molson School of Business in Canada found that those who stay on out of misguided loyalty experience exhaustion, then burn out and often leave the company without warning.
 
"Employees often stay with their organisation because they feel that they have no other option," said study co-author Alexandra Panaccio.
 
"Then they are more likely to experience emotional exhaustion. This feeling, in turn, may lead them to leave the organisation," Panaccio was quoted by the Daily Mail.
 
Instead, the researchers suggested, companies should focus on training and moving staff within an organisation so that fewer of their staff are staying on simply because they "feel they should".
 
"Our study examined whether some forms of commitment to a company could have detrimental effects, such as emotional exhaustion and, eventually, turnover," Panaccio said.
  
"The implication is that employers should try to minimise this 'lack of alternatives' type of commitment among employees by developing their competencies, thus increasing their feeling of mobility and, paradoxically, contributing to them wanting to stay with the organisation."
 
Panaccio and her colleagues surveyed 260 workers from various industries, including information technology, health services, engineering and architecture. Participants were, on average, 34 years old; 33 per cent held managerial positions, while 50 per cent worked in the public sector.
 
The researchers, who reported their study in the journal Human Relations, measured various types of organisational commitments like whether employees identified with a company's goals and values and whether they felt an obligation to stay.
 
"It may be that, in the absence of an emotional bond with the organisation, commitment based on obligation is experienced as a kind of indebtedness a loss of autonomy that is emotionally draining over time," Panaccio added. 

Madras HC sets aside fee committee's order

Chennai: Setting aside orders of a Tamil Nadu Government appointed School Fee Determination Committee(SFDC), Madras High Court today permitted minority and non-minority schools to collect 15 per cent over and above the fees fixed earlier by the committee for the academic year 2012-13.
    
Remitting the matter back to the Justice K Raviraja Pandian committee for fresh consideration, the Court made it clear that the interim arrangement would be applicable only to about 300 petitioners, including Laxmi Matriculation School, Madurai, which had moved the court and not to other schools.
    
The court said the enhanced fee would be subject to the final orders to be passed by the SFDC.
    
Some of the petitioners, self financing schools, were recognised under Tamil Nadu Private Schools Regulation Act, while a few others under the Code of Regulations for Matriculation Schools or the Code of Regulations for Anglo-Indian schools.
   
By the impugned order, the committee determined the fees to be collected for three academic years from 2010-11 to 2012-13. The order was challenged on the ground of 'arbitrariness' and that it was not in conformity with the Tamil Nadu Schools (Regulation of Collection of Fee Act.)
   
The grievance of the petitioners was that they were not given sufficient opportunity to put up their cases at the time of personal hearing.
   
The court said told the committee to furnish fee structure approval forms to the writ petitioner schools, which sought details and documents. All these schools should propose the fee structure afresh with fresh or  additional material/audit statements.
   
Directing the committee to give personal hearing to each of the schools that had moved the court and afford reasonable opportunities to them, the Court directed them to pass final orders as expeditiously as possible, preferable by the end of December.