Ease norms for MBBS seats, demand NRIs

Edmonton - After denied admission in the MBBS course in Punjab, many NRI students have approached the Medical Education and Research Department, seeking abolition of new rules under the All-India Pre-Medical Entrance Test (AIPMET) on July 6.
Earlier, all NRI quota seats in medical colleges of Punjab were filled on the basis of marks obtained by the candidates in exams equivalent to Class XII of the PSEB or CBSE. Under the new rules, it is mandatory for every candidate to appear in the AIPMET and get a minimum 50 per cent marks to be eligible for MBBS and BDS courses.
The seven state medical colleges have 72 NRI quota seats, but the Baba Farid University of Health Sciences (BFUHS) could find only two eligible candidates.
A number of other applications were rejected as the candidates had scored less than 50 per cent marks in AIPMET. Several others did not even appear in the AIPMET.
In their representation to Minister, Medical Education and Research Department, Punjab, the NRI students said they had passed their qualifying examination (equivalent to Class XII) from the US, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and other countries. They maintained that they had different curriculum than the one taught in India, so they had no exposure to the Indian examination system.
Dyal Sharma, father of Akanksha Sharma, an NRI student, said: "Since the academic period in India and in several foreign countries is different, it is not practical for NRI students to travel to India and appear in the AIPMET."

NRI Sabha, Canada urged Punjab Govt. that these conditions must be relaxed else all NRI seats will remain vacant in the state, the students said in their representation.

7 IAS, four PCS officers shifted

Chandigarh, August 23
The Punjab Government today transferred seven IAS and four PCS officers.

Ajoy Sharma has been posted Special Principal Secretary to the CM while Vipul Ujwal has been made the Commissioner, MC, Moga.

Shena Aggarwal would be SDM, Raikot; Sangam Aggarwal SDM, Khanna; Vineet Kumar SDM, Dera Baba Nanak; Keshav Hingoma SDM, Phagwara, and Surabhi Malik SDM, Nangal.

Among the PCS officers, Jagwinderjit Singh Grewal has been posted DTO, Gurdaspur, in addition to SDM, Batala. Rahul Chaba has been made ADC (General), Muktsar; Rakesh Kumar Popli, Estate officer, Greater Ludhiana Area Development Authority, Ludhiana and Rajat Oberoi SDM, Mukerian.

Road repair plan

Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today asked Major General MS Pillai (Retd), adviser (Roads) to the state government, to prepare a master-plan for periodic maintenance of the total roads measuring 60,676 km in Punjab. Badal took this decision at a meeting with the Chief Engineers of the Public Works Department, NHAI, Punjab Mandi Board and BRO. 

Supreme Courtrefuses stay on UPSC exam

New Delhi, August 23
The Supreme Court today refused to postpone the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) Civil Services Preliminary Examination scheduled for August 24, saying the objections raised by students on comprehension part have been addressed.

In a special hearing, a Bench of Justices JS Khehar and Arun Mishra, dismissed a plea seeking a stay on the examination saying it couldn’t be given at the last hour when nine lakh students were ready to appear. The Bench did not agree with the petitioner’s contention that the examination procedure favoured students of science background. “You have raised only one point i.e. on comprehension, and it has been removed. Defect has been remedied,” the Bench said.

“We find no merit in this petition,” it said.

2 Jalandhar boys feared drowned in Italy

Jalandhar, August 23
Two Punjabi boys, Ravinder Singh and Gurpreet Singh from village Sanora in Jalandhar, are reported to have died after the boat they were in capsized while on its way from Libya to Italy.

The duo was among the 150 passengers aboard the boat. Though the incident occurred on the night of August 14/15, the victims’ families came to know about it yesterday. The relatives of a fellow passenger informed them.

Karnail Singh, Gurpreet’s father, said, “We received a call from Dalbir Kaur of Moga, who said her husband Cheter Singh too was on the boat along with the boys.”

Though Cheter was rescued by the by the Italian army, the fate of the boys was still not known.

Jagdish Singh, Ravi’s father, said he had received a call from his son a day before the incident that he was leaving for Italy, and that he would not be able to call up home for the next 12 days.

“He was very upset for the last four months as he had not been able to earn money due to tension in Libya. A day before the incident, he informed us that he along with many other Punjabi boys was boarding a ship for Italy. I haven’t heard from him ever since,” said Jagdish.

The families also informed that though their travel agent had promised them a visa for Dubai, he could only send them to strife-torn Libya after charging them Rs 1.5 lakh each. 

UK NRI couple among five killed, 15 injured in bus-car collision near Chandigarh

CHANDIGARH: Five persons including a NRI couple were killed and 15 injured when a Delhi-bound luxury bus from Dharamsala collided with a car here today. Three occupants of the ill-fated car were badly charred as the vehicle caught fire after the collision near a traffic signal in Chandigarh's Sector 45 here, Assistant Superintendent of Police (South) Urvija Goel said.

Three persons, two of whom hailed from Himachal Pradesh and one belonged to Rewari in Haryana, were travelling in the ill-fated car and they got trapped in the burning car after the accident.

The traffic signals were in a blinker mode at that time, Goel said.

Police said that a UK-based NRI couple Kavita and Rupesh, who hail from Himachal Pradesh, were also killed when the bus turned turtle after the collision.

The injured were rushed to a government hospital in Sector 32 here where the condition of a nine-year-old girl was said to be critical.

Goel said that a case under various Sections of the IPC has been registered against the driver of the Himachal Roadways bus, Surinder Singh, who is also got injuries and was admitted in the hospital.

Both the vehicles are believed to be at high speed at the time of the accident, police said.