The Hindu : New Delhi News : Readers' Mail

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Sep 27, 2004

New Delhi

New Delhi

Readers' Mail

Heart-warming

Sir, -- "Disability no barrier" (`Inside Delhi' by K. Kannan, September 14) was heart-warming, and it is good news indeed -- very rare nowadays -- to read of the Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities under the Union Ministry for Social Justice and Empowerment, Uma Tuli, conducting a function attended by the Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment, Meira Kumar, and the Minister of State, Subbulakshmi Jagdeesan, where, in the presence of senior Government officials, a workshop was held in New Delhi so as to recognise, nurture and promote the talents of persons with disabilities.

Your report, which warms the cockles of the reader's heart (at least it did for this reader), zeroes in on the several courageous men and women who shared their experiences of facing challenges and working with determination to reach great heights, with their stories serving as role models to bring about attitudinal changes, especially among those employers who underestimate the potential of the disabled, with children with or without disabilities from Balwant Rai Mehta School, the Blind Relief Association, Akshay Pratishthan and Amar Jyoti staging a stirring performance to show that disability is no barrier.

In your report you have singled out, by name, the woman textile designer Shilpa who suggested several textile-related job avenues; Shivani Gupta, who shared her academic successes; Sanjeev, who exhibited his skill in creating a barrier-free environment; George Abraham, who spoke about cricket for the blind and marketing skills; Professor Vinod Sena, who talked about his website; Komal Kamra, who narrated what makes her tick; and Dipender Minocha, who showed the new software and how the blind can access it.

To Uma Tuli's hope that such efforts would continue to give an impetus to the implementation of the Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities) Act, 1995, we can all say: "Amen!"

Vinod Chowdhury,

Head of the Department of Economics,

St. Stephen's College,

Delhi - 110 007.

No, Vice-Chancellor

Sir, -- I too have been following the spate of letters in these columns about the Delhi University Vice-Chancellor's irritation at the fact that teaching had not begun promptly on July 16, the first day of the new academic year. J.M. Manchanda's letter (August 16) seems to blame the "arrogant subjects" of the Vice-Chancellor (that is, the teachers) for classes not starting until late in July. Even as late as the 16th of August teaching had not begun in right earnest in many colleges.

Students often do not come for second and third year classes until the results have been declared, as they are not officially registered in the higher class until that is done.

Unusually this year it is not only the B.A. Pass examination results that were unduly delayed but even the first year Honours results in several subjects. This is a much more serious matter than the missing of the first day of teaching, which so concerned the Vice-Chancellor. It is also not the fault of the teachers.

I suspect that the delay in the first year results was because of the difficulties caused by the new internal assessment scheme. This scheme was introduced by the present Vice-Chancellor, despite serious doubts about its viability that many teachers have, and despite the fact that similar schemes were tried in the past and abandoned as unworkable. Under the internal assessment scheme, 25 per cent of the marks in each paper are awarded by the college teachers. There is no way of ensuring that the marking done in one college is of a standard comparable with that done in another college. The rules say that a student scoring below 40 per cent marks (say 29 out of 75) in the University examination will be marked as failing even if his or her college has awarded 20 out of 25 internal assessment marks. His lucky friend may score 40 per cent marks in the main paper (30 out of 75) and the same 20 out of 25 in the internal assessment. He ends up with 50 per cent and the first student fails, though originally only one mark separated them! If anomalies like this arise, or colleges give inflated internal assessment marks (in the expectation that if they don't, their students will suffer compared with others), it is the duty of the moderators to sort it out.

But how are they to do so? Can they possibly check the internal exam papers kept in more than 70 colleges -- in the middle of June -- and get the results out on time? And if they do alter the original marks awarded by the colleges, there may be noisy protests, either by the students or by the teachers.

The entire scheme is fraught with very serious problems and if the poor moderators are grappling with difficulties like this it is no surprise that results are held up and classes not started.

H.M. Raghunathan,

A3, St. Stephen's College,

Delhi -- 110 007.

Please teach....

Sir, -- I am a student of Sri Aurobindo College (M) in New Delhi studying in B.A.(Hons.) Political Science III year.

I wish to request our Political Science teachers through these columns to please pay attention to us. We have come to Delhi from across the country for better education but we find the situation here is the same as anywhere else.

The new academic year of Delhi University began on July 16 but in our college classes have not really started.

We are children from middle class families. Our parents have sent us here for better education spending their hard-earned money on us. The least our teachers can do for us is teach us with sincerity, please.

A student,

B.A. (Political Science) III year,

Sri Aurobindo College,

New Delhi.

Pray for peace

Sir, -- The Pakistan Foreign Minister, Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri, prayed for peace at the Ajmer Dargah on Tuesday, September 7.

I recall the much talked about Agra Summit in July 2001 when the Pakistan President, Pervez Musharraf, abruptly cut short his scheduled visit to this holy shrine.

Consequently, the peace process between the two countries got stuck for three painful years.

Let the people of India and Pakistan also join in Mr. Kasuri's prayer for peace. Therein lies the overall welfare of the subcontinent. As a senior citizen of 76 who was born in what is now Pakistan, I add my own voice to the prayer.

Man Mohan Sethi,

A-777, Avantika,

Sector 2, Rohini,

Delhi -- 110 085.

Electric Shock

Sir, -- We the residents of HIG, MIG and LIG flats of Motia Khan in Delhi held an emergency meeting on September 15 to discuss the serious matter of new electricity meters which have been forced upon us. The citizens of Delhi tolerated the privatisation of electricity distribution, but these private companies are now imposing fast-running meters on the consumers and literally looting the people even as the Government looks on. What is holding back the Government from taking corrective action?

Earlier an average family used to pay Rs. 500 to 600 a month for electricity consumption but now the same electricity is billed for Rs. 3,000 with frequent power cuts and load-shedding. On top of it all there is a levy of "minimum charge" too. Delivery of bills is deliberately delayed to collect punitive charges. In the name of increasing the load, they are looting the people.

The Delhi Government should take corrective measures immediately; otherwise the citizens of Delhi will be forced to rebel.

Chaman Lal Marwah and Ravinder Nath Bohra,

Motia Khan DDA (HIG, MIG and LIG) Apartments Owners' Association,

52-B, DDA SFS Flat,

Motia Khan,

New Delhi - 110 055.

Can't bank

on 'em

Sir, -- There are a lot of advertisements put out by the Punjab National Bank in newspapers and magazines day in and day out trumpeting its customer services. But the reality is quite different.

My complaint pertaining to a PNB loan (PMRY Application No. 235041; Bank Ref: 688/PMRY/Loan dated 18-11-1998) has been pending since January 4, 1999. Subsequent reminders to higher authorities and follow-up correspondence over the years since have ended up in the dustbin. All I have got in return is one letter of acknowledgment dated September 1, 2003, from the Complaint Section of PNB at Rajendra Place in New Delhi. Nothing from even them thereafter.

I look forward to some positive action from the bank now.

M.S. Kannan,

768, Pocket 6, Sector-2,

Rohini, Delhi - 110 085.

MTNL acts

Sir, -- This refers to the complaint published in these columns on September 6 ("Hello, MTNL") about the behaviour of the staff at MTNL Sanchar Haat in Badli. Please note that action has been ordered against the official concerned and preliminary investigation is already under way.

S.C. Goel,

AGM (CS&A), MTNL,

Office of the General Manager (Marketing),

First Floor, Eastern Court,

Janpath,

New Delhi - 110 001.

* * *

(Letters for this column may be sent by e-mail to wsins@thehindu.co.in. They must carry the full postal address of the writer and should be marked "Readers' Mail".)

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