Eight PG courses at four govt colleges in Chandigarh may be discontinued from next academic session

Fresh admissions into eight postgraduate courses at four government colleges in Chandigarh may be discontinued from the 2020-21 academic session.
The recommendation was made by a committee of the UT higher education department earlier this year to rationalise staff and resources at government colleges in the city.
The courses that may be discontinued are Punjabi MA-I, MA history and MA (IT) at Post Graduate Government College for Girls, Sector 42; MA sociology, public administration and MA-I fine arts at Post Graduate Government College for Girls, Sector 11, and MA Hindi at Post Graduate Government College, Sector 11. At Regional Institute of English (RIE), Sector 32, the committee has suggested to take no new students in MA English for the next session.
According to sources, the committee observed that for most of these courses, the enrolment is 40-50% against the sanctioned strength. The principals have been given a proforma and they need to give an undertaking that they will not demand more resources if they want to run these courses for the next academic session.
Out of around 450 sanctioned teaching posts, around 100 are vacant at government colleges in Chandigarh.
The education department has already held discussions with college principals and the process is likely to be finalised in coming weeks. The higher education department is likely to hold a meeting with college principals before making a final decision.
Director of higher education, Chandigarh, Rubinderjeet Singh Brar, said, “We are rationalising resources keeping in mind vacant posts and the situation amid the Covid-19 pandemic. The students will not face any loss and they might be admitted to other colleges in the city.”
-
Ludhiana court blast: IED supplier among four arrested for cross-border smuggling
The supplier of the improvised explosive device (IED) used in the Ludhiana court blast was among four persons arrested for their alleged involvement in cross-border smuggling of drugs, explosives arms and ammunition through drones, police said on Friday. The arrested accused are Sawinder Singh, Harpreet Singh and a minor of Dhanoia Khurd village, and Dilbagh Singh of Chak Allah Bakash village in Amritsar. One Surmukh Singh of Panjukalal village, Amritsar is also in police custody.
-
Punjabi actor, constable turn witnesses; record statements in Sangrur bribery case
Punjabi film actor Hobby Dhaliwal and a senior police constable have turned witnesses in a bribery case against Sangrur superintendent of police Karanveer Singh and recorded their statements in the case in the district session court here, a senior police official said on Friday. The duo stated in their statement that they had accompanied Hasandeep Singh and Kirpal to SP (D) Palwinder Singh Cheema's office to record their statement before the SIT.
-
Test soil before opting for direct seeding of rice: Agri experts
Moga plant protection officer Dr Jaswinder Singh Brar said, “Rice seeds should never be cultivated in light-textured soil as it is deficient in iron. Soil should be of the right texture to improve irrigation, water management and to ensure germination of rice seeds,” he said. The agriculture department has set a target of bringing 1,202 hectares of land under DSR in Punjab. Agricultural experts say the seeds should be planted before the onset of monsoon.
-
Car robbed in Khanna by men posing as police officers
At least 10 miscreants, posing as police officers, robbed a car from two men which belonged to their employer on the National Highway near Khanna's Libra village late on Thursday night. In Ravi's complaint, Jagraon-based trader Vijay Kumar stated that his employees, Ravi and Ajay Kumar, were returning from Delhi in a Maruti Suzuki Brezza car when some people who introduced themselves as cops signalled them to stop.
-
Adopt zero tolerance towards polluters of rivers : Sukhbir Badal to AAP government
Expressing shock at the contamination of river waters in Punjab due to unchecked flow of industrial waste into them, Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Friday asked the Aam Aadmi Party government to come out with a policy to clean the state's water bodies and adopt zero tolerance towards polluters.