IEP Chandigarh

Two-day NAAC Awareness Programme was organized by the Department of Higher Education, Chandigarh Administration on 20th-21th December 2022. The 1st day programme was held in Sabras Auditorium of Post Graduate Government College for Girls, Sector-42, Chandigarh. Ms. Purva Garg, Secretary Education, UT Chandigarh Administration was the Chief Guest on the occasion. Shri Rajiv Kumar Gupta IAS, DPI (Colleges) Punjab and Secretary, State Board of Technical Education and Shri Amandeep Singh Bhatti, PCS, Director Higher Education, Chandigarh Administration also graced the occasion.

 The Programme was attended by about 500 dignitaries from Higher Education, Departments Principals NAAC Coordinators of almost 250 colleges from Chandigarh and Punjab and NAAC Coordinators from Punjabi University, Patiala, Punjab University, Chandigarh and Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar. The august gathering was formally welcomed by the Principal Prof. (Dr.) Nisha Aggarwal. Ms. Purva Garg, IAS, Education Secretary, Chandigarh Administration addressed the audience and spoke on the importance of NAAC and encouraged the organizations to make the best of available resources, capabilities, and opportunities for continuous improvement.

 The Programme had three technical sessions. In session one, Dr. Jagannath Patil, Adviser, NAAC, Bengaluru gave an overview of RAF (Revised Accreditation Framework). In session two Dr. Shyam Singh Inda, Assistant Adviser, NAAC, Bengaluru, spoke on Data Validation & Verification (DVV), Student Satisfaction Survey (SSS) and Peer Team Visit (PTV). In session three, Dr. Dalip Kumar, Registrar, Amity University, Punjab explained in detail the Quality Indicator Framework and how it becomes the cornerstone of the assessment and accreditation process of NAAC. The technical sessions were followed by informal interaction wherein the participants clarified their doubts. A formal Vote of Thanks was delivered by Prof. Lakhvir Singh, NAAC Coordinator and Additional State Project Director, RUSA. It was a great initiative on the part of the Chandigarh Administration to encourage more HEIs from Chandigarh and Punjab to evaluate their quality of education, infrastructure, teaching, research and learning and qualify to apply for NAAC accreditation.

The 2nd day programme was organized at State Project Directorate, RUSA, Sector-42, Chandigarh, where officers from Punjab and Chandigarh Higher Education Departments and members of Internal Quality Assurance Cell (IQAC) interacted with the officials of NAAC Bengaluru. Dr. Jagannath Patil and Dr. Shyam Singh Inda the Session was chaired by Sh. Amandeep Singh Bhatti, Director Higher Education, Chandigarh Administration. The Programme started with welcome address from Prof. Anita kaushal, Principal PGGCG-11, Chandigarh, Dr. Ashwini Bhalla, Deputy Director (Colleges) gave presentation on Higher Education Status of Punjab and Presentation on Status of Higher Education of UT. Chandigarh was given by Prof. Lakhvir Singh ASPD, RUSA. The Programme ended with the vote of thanks from Prof. Punam Aggarwal, IQAC member and Principal GCC&BA, Sector-50 Chandigarh.

IEP Chandigarh, December 21

 The Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB), during its ongoing campaign against corruption in the state, on Wednesday registered an embezzlement case against against lady Sarpanch, two MGNREGA officials and a private person for committing embezzlement in MGNREGA funds to the tune of Rs 2,16,510. In this case Amandeep Kaur, Sarpanch, gram panchayat Kot Jaspat, district Tarntaran has been arrested. Teams have been formed to arrest the other accused.

Disclosing this here today a spokesperson of the state VB said this misappropriation case has been registered after investigation of a complaint against Amandeep Kaur Sarpanch, Jodhveer Singh, Gram Employment Assistant MGNERGA, Tarunpreet Singh, technical assistant, MGNERGA of gram panchayat Kot Jaspat, district Tarntaran and Prem Singh, a private person who have colluded to usurp the government funds.

Giving details he further informed that during the probe it has came to light that the above mentioned accused in conniving with each other prepared forged muster rolls of labour under MGNERGA scheme in the village and encashed fake salary bills from bank which were in the names of their known persons shown as labourers. It was proved in the investigation that the above said accused have misused their official positions to misappropriate the government funds for their own purposes.

The spokesperson further added that in this regard a case under section 409, 420, 467, 468, 471, 120-B of IPC and under section 13(1) A, 13(2) of prevention of corruption act has been registered at VB police station Amritsar. Further investigation in this case was under progress.

IEP New Delhi December 23, 2022

 The National Human Rights Commission, NHRC, India has taken suo motu cognizance of a newspaper article highlighting the malpractice of child marriage prevailing in the Marathwada region of Maharashtra due to which a large number of women are forced to lead a miserable life. The article has documented the plight of some child marriage victims in the region. The Commission has observed that the contents of the article about the plight of the victims of child marriages, if true, amount to a violation of human rights relating to their life, liberty, dignity, and equality of the poor people especially, the women in the Marathwada region. Accordingly, it has issued notices to the Chief Secretary, Government of Maharashtra, and the District Collectors of Jalna, Aurangabad, Parbhani, Hingoli, Nanded, Latur, Osmanabad, and Beed in the State, calling for a detailed report in the matter including the steps taken/ proposed to be taken to address the issue raised in the news report. The response from the authorities is expected at the earliest but not later than 6 weeks from the issuance of these orders. The Commission has also asked its Special Rapporteur, Mr. P.N. Dixit to visit the Marathwada region; collect data, make an in-depth study of the problem of child marriage and suggest measures within 3 months for better implementation of the law in force.  It has noted that despite the provisions for punishment with rigorous imprisonment extending upto 2 years, and the fine upto Rs.1 lakh in the case of the marriage of a male of lower than 21 years and a female lower than 18 years, the incidents of child marriage are reportedly happening in many parts of the country.  The Commission has further observed that government agencies have to be more vigilant and active to take effective steps to fight this social evil. The plight of the young girls/women who are falling prey to the lack of infrastructure and apathy of the government agencies as mentioned in the article is indeed a matter of concern.  According to the article, carried on 21st December, 2022, amid social instability, financial constraints, lack of education, rigid religious and caste-based rituals/traditions, lack of natural resources, drought conditions, and reckless attitude of the government agencies, the number of child marriages has been rising in the region. It has also been mentioned that most children go to school only for six months a year and for the remaining period, they keep working in the sugarcane fields for their livelihood.The article claims that as per the data, there has been a sharp rise in the number of cases of child marriages after the Covid pandemic.  It pitches in for an urgent need on the part of the government agencies to take immediate steps to encourage skill-based education like dairy farming, poultry, fashion designing, agro-business, and other mechanical training for the youth so that the social menace like child marriage could be eradicated from the society.

IEP Chandigarh,December, 23, 2022

As a part of Government of India’s celebration of Good Governance Week from 19-25 December, 2022, the UT Chandigarh Administration held a District Level Workshop on 23 December, 2022 under the Chairmanship of Sh. Yashpal Garg, D.C. Chandigarh. Sh. Inderjit Singh Sandhu, ex-ADC, UT Chandigarh, was the Chief Guest during the occasion.

The DC welcomed the chief guest and briefed about the Good Governance Week. He said that the basic objective of good governance is to take government services at the doorstep of every citizen on the lines of ‘Prashaasan Aapke Dewaar’ and ‘Prashaasan Gaon ki aur’. Chandigarh Administration will work in this direction and upload the pictures and videos of activities conducted on the portal created for Good Governance week.

Sh. Yashpal Garg gave example of Estate office that many services have been made online to facilitate the citizens. He said that the State employees, especially those entrusted with public dealing, are the face of the department and should deal with the public politely and responsibly. He also said that the officers should be accessible to the general public.

The chief guest, Sh. Inderjit Singh Sandhu said that today the staff is better trained and better equipped and thus they should perform their duty with full dedication, commitment and sensitivity so as to facilitate and mitigate the problems of public.

The officials from Chandigarh Housing Board, Health department and Social Welfare department gave their respective presentations about how they have implemented various initiatives for the betterment of people of city.

The workshop was attended by Sh. Amit Kumar, ADC, Sh. Nitesh Singh, SDM East, Sh Sanyam Garg, SDM Central, Sh Pradhuman Singh, SDM South, Sh Rajeev Singla, Chief Engineer CHB, Dr. Manjit Singh, District Immunization Officer-cum-State Nodal Officer Oxygen alongwith complete DC staff.

IEP Chandigarh, December 23

The Punjab Vidhan Sabha Speaker, S. Kultar Singh Sandhwan said that the Punjab government is fully committed to solving all the problems of the people.

While listening the problems of the people from different areas across the state at his official residence here today, he said that the state government is giving priority to solve the legitimate problems of the people within time bounds. During this time People from far away put forward their problems before S. Sandhwan, many of which he solved on the spot.