312 students to fly to Canada, Australia, New Zealand, UK

312 students embark for higher studies abroad with WWES

Chandigarh, December 18
Three hundred and twelve students from Punjab, seeking higher studies abroad, embarked for pursuing their dreams through World Wide Education Services WWES.
In a press statement issued here today Devinder Sandhu, senior director, WWES said that these students would be leaving for Canada, Australia, New Zealand and UK for the January/ February 2010 intake. They interacted with expert of WWES, the overseas education division of WWICS, as part of a pre departure counseling session organized today.
“We at WWES have a success rate of 93 percent and aim at not just helping the student with career counseling but also with visa filing, interview preparation, pre-departure counseling etc,” he added.
WWES even assists in post-grad work permit on course completion as well as help the student in filing application for permanent residency, if he or she wishes to settle there. Sandhu added that till now as many as approx. 12,000 students have sought study visa through WWES to destination countries like Canada, USA, Australia, New Zealand, UK, Cyprus, Ireland and Switzerland in the past few years.
Students opting for streams like mechanical engineering, IT, management studies, tourism and hospitality, bio and health sciences, nursing, fashion designing, law, public relations and mass communication had a rewarding acclimatization exercise during the session.
During the session students openly discussed various points and queries. Sahar, AGM, WWES enlightened the young minds and covered vital information pertaining to destination countries like climate, clothing, accommodation options, transportation, banking services, driving license, health and accident insurance, traveling tips, luggage packing tips, food and emergency medicines, important document which could be carried along, brief on arrival formalities and other do’s and don’ts.
Promising students of WWES will be embarking upon higher studies at some of the most prestigious international institutions like Georgian College-Canada, George Brown College-Canada, Centennial College-Canada,, Seneca College-Canada,, Sheridan College-Canada, Red Rivers College-Canada, Thompson Rivers University-Canada, Natcoll Design Tech.-New Zealand, Universal College of Learning-New Zealand, International College of Auckland-New Zealand, Whitireia Community Polytechnic-New Zealand, Gold Coast Institute of TAFE-Australia, University of Sunshine Coast-Australia, Canterbury Institute of Tech.-Australia, Boxhill Institute of TAFE-Australia, AYR College, Scotland, Swansea Metropolitan University-UK, Guildford college-UK, Birmingham College-UK, Halifax University-London, University of Brighton, etc.
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Bonjour India fest of France on Dec 19

Bonjour India to celebrate Le Corbusier’s city
Alliance Française- The British School to hold Bonjour India fest

Chandigarh, December 17

Cementing the Indo-French ties, l’Alliance Française de Chandigarh in association with The British School are celebrating Bonjour India fest marking the cordial relationship and cooperation between the two countries on December 19.

Addressing media persons today the Mr. Christian Flores, Director, l’Alliance Française, Chandigarh and Ms.Mona Sri Sethi, Principal, The British School, Chandigarh said that BONJOUR INDIA Festival of France is an 18-city mega festival, organized by the Embassy of France in India and Cultures france.

Flores said that Bonjour India seeks to establish an exhilarating platform for showcasing the various facets of Indian and French contemporary creation. Bonjour India will reach out to audiences across Chandigarh, Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Bhopal, Chennai, Delhi, Goa, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Kolkata, Kochi, Mumbai, Mysore, Nashik, Pondicherry, Pune, Trivandrum and Varanasi.

“The city beautiful Chandigarh is Le Corbusier’s city and is very dear to us. Highlighted replica of Eiffel tower would remain attraction piece during fest with parts of Paris and France coming alive,” he added.

Mona Sri Sethi revealed that festival will be a riot of colors with cultural programme. Students of The British School will present vibrant European Polka dance. Alliance students Avtansh will play a casio piece, while another student Jasleen will play soft rock and country songs with guitar in English, French and Hindi.

Band of Hari and & Sukhmani will deliver special performance weaving Indo – Western music together. Celebrations will culminate with half hour DJ dance party.

Former PU don first director of Rayat campus Ropar

Prof. Bedi joins as first ever director Rayat campus

Mohali, December 17

In its effort to grant financial and administrative autonomy to its three campuses, the Rayat-Bahra Group appointed its first ever director Prof. S.C. Bedi, former Panjab University Chandigarh don as the campus director of Rayat Centre of Excellence, Ropar Campus.

Speaking at an impressive function meant to induct new campus director, the Group Vice-Chairman Mr. Gurvinder Singh Bahra said that group’s initiative comes as a part of concept of granting financial and administrative autonomy to three campuses.

“This pivotal appointment aims at improving the efficiency in view of exponential expansion of adding additional campuses and universities to its existing educational empire,” Bahra said.

He highlighted the group policies, new MOUs signed and also elaborated concept of campus director with roles and responsibilities.

Bahra added that recent advertisement for this position has attracted as many 300 applications including those of top level bureaucrats and academicians, which made the choice very difficult.

During the ceremony new director Prof. Bedi was inducted. Prof Bedi has served in the Department of Physics, PU Chandigarh for nearly four decades in various research and teaching positions. He had held the post of Director of University Centre of Instrumentation and Microelectronics for term of three years.

He has to his credit a large number of publications in international journals and has held assignments as visiting scientist and visiting professor in Universities in Sweden, and Germany in several spells.

During his tenure he organized prestigious events like All India Vice-Chancellors’ Conference, Congregation of the Indian Academy of Sciences and above all the Indian Science Congress. He hosted Indian Science Congress with Prof. R.C. Sobti, the present Vice-Chancellor of Panjab University.

He resigned from the last assignment as professor of physics in July 2008 to join the Rayat-Bahra Group as Director (academics) in the corporate office. He headed concurrently various institutes of the group as Director-Principal before being appointed as the Director of RIEIT, Railmajra.
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Schedule Caste leader oppose dilution of reservation

Mishra commission report re-ignites reservation debate

CHANDIGARH: December 16, 2009
Speakers at a discussion organized by the Anusuchit Jati Arakshan Bachao Manch have opposed the dilution of the Scheduled Caste and Tribe reservation share by the inclusion of those members who converted to Islam or Christianity.
According to the speakers, the report of the National Commission on Religious and Linguistic Minorities headed by Justice Ranganath Mishra submitted to the government in May 2007, has recommended an additional 15 per cent reservation for religious minorities. Speakers were drawn from a varied political bureaucratic spectrum.
Opening the discussion held at ICSSR Seminar Hall at Panjab University here today, Mr Ram Nath Kovind, Ex MP (Rajya Sabha), said that the government has not tabled the report in Parliament as it is yet undecided about its far reaching consequences. Secondly, the report is not unanimous. One of its members, Ms Asha Das, wrote in here dissenting note that converted people should not be given reservation only because they originally belonged to the Scheduled Castes and Tribes. He said that the basic criteria for inclusion in the Scheduled Caste were untouchability. After creation of the list in 1935, the demand for inclusion of religious minorities was rejected by the government and National Commission on Scheduled Castes.
Mr. K. S. Raju, retired IAS Officer, found no problem with the recommendation as long as the current proportion was maintained. Any additional reservation can be given to anyone outside this limit.
Mr S C Tulsi, Ex Secretary, said that implementing Mishra Commission recommendations is a complex and exhaustive process and would take years for implementation that too only after it is passed by parliament, so, need not worry it will have no bearing on the current reservation scene. He said that the quota could not be taken out of the existing SC/ST reservation.
Mr T R Sarangal, senior IAS Officer, however, welcomed any proposal to include “our brethren” from other religions. “We have no religion, we are all converts,” he said.
Retracing the history of reservation, retired IPS officer of Haryana cadre, Mr H R swan, said that untouchability was only a tradition of Hindus and Muslims, Christians could not come under the Scheduled Castes under any criteria. He said that in the past the leaders of both the Muslims and the Christians have said that they did not want any special treatment. He, in fact, called for legislation for reservation in the private sector.
Opposing the move, Mr Som Prakash, retired IAS officer, said that it has only become a political issue and the Muslims and Christians have in the past have opposed their inclusion in the reservation list on the ground that they have no untouchability.
IAS officer R K S Pawar supported reservation for converts but called for increasing the quota based on proportional representation in the population. He also called for legislation for reservation in the private sector.
Manch convener Vijay Sampla argued that the members of the Scheduled Castes who converted to Christianity or Islam did so for getting more facilities, especially better education for their children. “How can our children, who go to ordinary schools, compete with the Christian children who received better education merely by the virtue of belonging to a religious group?” he asked.
Winding up the discussion, Mr Niranjan Singh, IAS, suggested that there was a need to intitutionalise the forum and meet more regularly. Looking at the views expressed at the meeting, he suggested the formation of a sub-committee to discuss in detail the effects of the Mishra Commission report. He said the three main principles that emerged from the discussion are that present reservation should not be diluted; there should be no reservation within reservation: and that reservation should be based on proportion.
He also called for making reservation in private sector mandatory by law.

Heritage status for Amritsar: Sampla, Joshi backs Sidhu

Bhagwan Valmiki closely related to Amritsar, Sampla, Joshi
Sampla,Joshi reiterates Sidhu’s demand pf heritage status for Amritsar

Chandigarh, December 15
Supporting the demand of M.P. Navjot Sidhu for giving heritage status to Amritsar, senior BJP leader and chairman Punjab Khadi Board, Vijay Sampla and National Media Incharge of BJP Youth wing Vineet Joshi stated that center government should yield to Sidhu’s demand without giving a second thought to it.
In a joint press statement issued here today Sampla and Joshi stated that every religion and caste’s devotion is associated with the holy city of Amritsar. Besides being an epicenter of divinity for the Sikh brethren, Bhagwan Valmiki had his ashram in Amritsar and Goddess Sita gave birth to Luv and Kush too in Amritsar.
Sampla and Joshi added that granting heritage status would run a spirit of happiness in the crores of devotees of Bhagwan Valmiki. Centre government’s denial in imparting heritage status to this historic and religious city would mean turning Nelson’s eye to people’s devotion in the place and would be a great injustice.
They both reiterated that center government should immediately accept the demand and make an announcement in this context. The duo called upon all the political parties to rise above their political differences and unite to demand special status for the holy city that has been birth place of Khalsa.
Besides being a centre of divinity, Amritsar holds great historical importance. The city has given several freedom fighters to the country in its zest for independence. Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar has a very significant place in our freedom struggle.

Mokeynastix comes to The British School

Education movement Monkeynastix starts first centre in north India

Chandigarh, December 14
South Africa’s unique movement education programme, Monkeynastix has introduced its first-ever centre in north India at The British School, Chandigarh.
Addressing media persons today, Mona Sethi Principal, The British School, Chandigarh said that meant for children between 2.5 to 8 years age group, Monkeynastix is a movement of education for healthy living, aimed at improving physical, motor, cognitive and intellectual development of children, through use of senses and bodies. The British School, Chandigarh is hosting evening classes at the school for children from other institutes as well.
Qualified Monkeynastix trainers, Mr & Mrs. Dr. Hemesh Lakhani, in collaboration with The British School Chandigarh are holding these classes. The programme lays foundation of healthy minds, bodies and habits in chidlren.
A group of tiny tots, already taking classs under Monkeynastix, presented their spectacular performance. Mona Sethi said that the performing group has shown neater handwriting, ability to sit on a chair and focus on desk work, improved concentration and ability to follow demonstrations and auditory instructions.
Lakhani said that the programme as been designed by specialists, endorsed by therapists and teachers. “It works on the principle that when a child is moving, co-ordination between eyes, feet and hands is needed. Today children are living in smaller environments with limited access to gardens and play areas with too much time in front of TV screens, instead of moving,” he said.
Monkeynastix is a holistic combination of creativity, music, storytelling with training in flexibility, balance, strength, agility, co-ordination and body awareness.
Every class is for 30 minutes comprising of warm up session, stretch and tone and the main activity of day. Specialized designed equipment for children has been imported from South Africa.
Each child receives a Monkeynastix Sticker at the end of each class as a reward to build self esteem and confidence. A certificate is given at the end of each term and a medal at the end of the year.

Over 1000 students appear for AIEEE mock test at Rayat-Bahra

1000 students undertake AIEEE mock test

Ropar, December 13
Over 1000 students appeared for the AIEEE 2009 mock test at Rayat-Bahra campus in Rail Majra Ropar.
Those scoring meritorious positions at the mock test were honored at the occasion with prizes. Aspirants in engineering courses, only those with +2 non-medicals / medical with mathematics, appeared for the exam.
The vice-chairman Rayat-Bahra group S. Gurvinder Singh Bahra said that after the success of January 2009 mock test, the institute decided to hold a mock test to give aspirants and opportunity for self evaluation and introspection.
“Mock test was also meant to educate the students about AIEEE so that maximum number of students appears for main exam without nay kind of fear. Those students who have not opted for any kind of coaching till date could gear themselves with some crash courses,” Bahra said.
The mock test proved boon for financially unsound students, who could not take coaching from private coaching centers. It was a golden opportunity for them to study the pattern of the actual exam. No registration fees were charged from the students and they were provided with transport facility at key points.
The meritorious students have been offered scholarships. Besides this the top scorers were honored with prizes like laptops, LCD televisions, DVD players, mobile phones, colored printer/scanner/copier etc).
Similar mock test would be conducted on December 20 at Rayat-Bahra Hoshiarpur campus and on January 10, 2010 at Mohali campus.