Srinagar, May 30

Northern Command Chief Lt Gen D Anbu today visited the Army formations and units in south Kashmir, where he was briefed by the field commanders on the prevailing security situation and the measures instituted to ensure peace and calm.While interacting with troops, the Northern Command Chief complimented them for their alertness, initiative and synergy with other security forces, which has resulted in the successful conduct of operations, including the recent counter-terrorism operation, in which a top terrorist commander was killed, an Army spokesman said. Lt General Anbu exhorted them to continue with the same dedication as the entire nation looked up to them, the spokesman said.The Northern Command Chief along with Chinar Corps Commander Lt Gen JS Sandhu also took stock of the security and administrative arrangements for the Amarnath yatra, scheduled to commerce from June 29, and stressed the need for close coordination with the civil administration to ensure a smooth yatra. — TNS

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, May 30

Defence Minister Arun Jaitley today said no country could indefinitely win wars only on the strength of imported equipment.He was giving away Raksha Mantri’s Awards for excellence in recognition of performance among ordnance factories and defence public sector undertakings.India is the biggest importer of weapons and equipment and around 65 per cent of its needs are fulfilled though imports. The minister emphasised the need for defence preparedness, particularly on the strength of domestic manufacturing.

SP Tyagi

New Delhi, May 30

The Delhi High Court today stayed a trial court order allowing former IAF chief SP Tyagi, a key accused in the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper scam, to travel to Indonesia.Decrying the “special treatment” given to Tyagi, Justice I S Mehta said: “I do not understand, why the accused persons always want to travel abroad… why should he (Tyagi) be given the special treatment.”Staying the trial court order till July 12, it agreed to the CBI contention that the 71-year-old former IAF chief, who is on bail, might tamper with the ongoing probe in the case.The court, which is hearing the CBI’s appeal against the grant of bail to Tyagi and two other accused, said: “You (Tyagi) are facing trial in a case and also getting special treatment. What is this? Till July 12, you will not travel.” — PTI

‘GUARDIANS OF GOVERNANCE’ VOLUNTEERS WANTED BY 10 JUN 2017 :

FWD RESUME BY POST OR EMAIL- pesco34chd@yahoo.com

BURHAN WANI’S SUCCESSOR, SEVEN OTHER MILITANTS KILLED

ARMY: RELENTLESS OPS ON TO FOIL PAK TERROR BIDS

BURHAN’S CLOSE AIDE KILLED IN ENCOUNTER FRESH TENSION IN KASHMIR AS TOP HIZB COMMANDER SABZAR BHAT, ASSOCIATE GUNNED DOWN

JAITLEY HAILS TEST-FIRING OF TORPEDO FROM SCORPENE SUBMARINE

YOGI’S SECURITY STAFF ASK SIKH TO REMOVE TURBAN

UP villagers given shampoos, soaps to ‘smell good’ before CM Yogi

PUNJAB NEWS:::28 MAY 2017

• Rs 26-cr mine: I-T returns belie cook’s hefty bid
• Audit of MCs to start in a fortnight: Sidhu
• Capt orders intensification of drive against illegally plying vehicles
• Punjab DGP Suresh Arora, adviser Chahal, OSD Sekhon to attend KPS Gill’s cremation
• Amarinder speaks to Rajasthan CM over assault on four Sikhs in Ajmer
• Two held for assault on R’sthan Sikhs
• Will never do charity again: Sikh man assaulted by mob
• SAYS HE WILL NEVER TRY TO HELP ANYONE THE REST OF HIS LIFE

• Men of liquor contractors put up ‘nakas’

   

Capt Amarinder Singh. File photo

Chandigarh, May 23

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Tuesday expressed dismay over the “poor” results of Class 10 exams conducted by the Punjab School Education Board (PSEB), in which over 40 per cent of the students failed.Taking a serious note of the poor performance of students, he issued strict instructions to Education Minister Aruna Chaudhary to prepare a blueprint for raising the standard of learning in the state.

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The Chief Minister also directed the Finance Department to make all necessary funds available to the education department for undertaking urgent measures to improve the quality of education and infrastructure in government schools, an official spokesperson said here.Around 57 per cent students of Class 10 passed the board exam conducted by the PSEB, the results of which were declared on Monday.A total of 3.3 lakh students had appeared in the examination, of which 1.9 lakh students passed the exam, while 45,734 students failed and 94,271 students got reappear.Amarinder said he was very disturbed at the “deteriorating standard of education” in Punjab, as a result of which “our children are falling by the wayside in the race for good jobs and career growth, with most of them even failing to clear the necessary exams for getting into the armed forces”.“The fact that only 24 students from government schools had made it to the merit list is a serious cause for concern,” he said. while pinning the responsibility on the education department.The Congress leader had earlier ordered several sweeping policy changes to raise the bar of education in the state.At a review meeting of the education department earlier this month, he had approved a policy for online transfer of government teachers from the next academic session, on lines of a similar system in several other states, including neighbouring Haryana.The Chief Minister had also asked the Principal Secretary, Finance, to make a special provision in the forthcoming budget to ensure proper infrastructure in terms of electricity, furniture, toilets and playgrounds in all government schools in the state.He had directed the Additional Chief Secretary (School Education) to work out the estimated expenditure for raising the necessary demand with the finance department in this regard.Amarinder reiterated his earlier directives on inclusion of foreign languages in the school curriculum to enable gainful employment of students not just within the country but globally too.He once again stressed the upgrade of English teaching in schools to empower students to meet global communication needs. PTI

Only 57% students pass PSEB Class X exam

Students in jubilant mood in Ludhiana after result was declared . Tribune photo

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 22

No grace marks awarded, every second boy and every third girl appearing for the Class X Punjab School Education Board (PSEB) exam has failed to make it. The result was declared today. As in the case of Class XII  exams, the pass percentage this year has fallen from 72.25 to 57.50. A total of 3,30,437 students had appeared in the exam.  Shruti Vohra of Ropar topped with 98.7 per cent.(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)About 28.53 per cent students have failed in one or more subjects (compartment). Of the 1,83,979 boys and 1 46,458 girls, only 96,315 (52.35 per cent) and 93,686 (63.97 per cent), have passed. It is clear the board had in the past inflated the pass percentage by awarding grace marks, placing 15-20 per cent students in the “pass” category. “Had we given grace marks, most pupils with compartment would have passed,” the board chairman said.

Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh,Lt General TS Shergill (retd), senior adviser to the CM

Jalandhar, May 22

Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh’s project ‘Guardians of Governance’ (GoG) is set to be launched on July 1. Lt General TS Shergill (retd), senior adviser to the CM, said this here today.“The government is planning to rope in volunteers by July 1. It is expected to hire about 13,000 ex-servicemen for the project. The aim is to ensure that every beneficiary of welfare schemes gets benefits,” he said.Volunteers, he said, would be paid an honorarium and trained at the Mahatma Gandhi State Institute of Public Administration, Chandigarh. After training, they will be placed under SDMs and DCs to act as their eyes and ears to scrutinise the public governance system in their jurisdiction.“They will not replace the government, but will ensure a speedy flow of information pertaining to governance in their areas,” Lt Gen Shergill added.

New Delhi, May 19

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) is probing the role of Lashkar-e-Toiba chief Hafiz Muhammad Saeed and hardline separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani in subversive activities in the state.The NIA named the two in its preliminary inquiry, which precedes the filing of a case. It also named Naeem Khan, who was seen on television during a sting operation purportedly confessing to receiving money from Pakistan-based terror groups.The others named in the preliminary inquiry were Farooq Ahmed Dar, alias ‘Bitta Karate’, and Gazi Javed Baba of the Tehreek-e-Hurriyat. The five-member NIA team arrived in Srinagar on Thursday to question those named in the preliminary inquiry and to collect documentary evidence against them. The LeT chief is based in Pakistan.In a preliminary inquiry, the NIA can ask those named in the case to appear before it but cannot force them to do so, or arrest them.The NIA team will be reviewing evidence collected in connection with the burning of schools last year after the Hizbul Mujahideen’s poster boy, Burhan Wani, was killed in an encounter with security forces on July 8. — PTI/TNS

Youths clash with security forces

A knife-wielding protester in Srinagar on Friday. Tribune Photo: Yawar Kabli

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, May 19

Protest demonstrations leading to clashes between youths and security forces took place in downtown Srinagar after Friday prayers while clashes were also reported from some other parts of the Valley during the day.Soon after the Friday prayers, youths took to the streets in the Nowhatta area where the main mosque, Jamia Masjid, is located. The masked youths indulged in stone-throwing on the police and CRPF, triggering clashes. The protesters were chased away by the forces while shops were closed in the area.All Parties Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, who delivers Friday sermon at the Jamia Masjid, was kept under house arrest at his Nigeen residence since early morning preventing him from offering Friday prayers, a spokesman said.Protests were also held in the Lal Chowk area of Anantnag in south Kashmir in which some miscreants tried to enforce a shutdown in the area. The police reached the spot and chased away the miscreants with the help of traders, the spokesman said. He added that normalcy was restored and the markets opened.Demonstrations, called jointly by separatist leaders against the detention of Asiya Andrabi, who heads the Dukhtaran-e-Millat, were also held in some other areas, including Sopore and Hajin towns of north Kashmir and Pulwama in south Kashmir.Restrictions in Srinagar todaySrinagar: The authorities have decided to impose restrictions in areas falling under the police stations of Nowhatta, MR Gunj and Safakadal in Srinagar on Saturday. “The decision was taken as a precautionary measure to avoid any untoward incident,” an official spokesman quoting District Magistrate, Srinagar, Farooq Ahmad Lone said on Saturday. The restrictions are being imposed ahead of the 27th death anniversary of Moulvi Mohammad Farooq, father of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq. The separatists have announced to organise a rally to commemorate Moulvi Farooq and former APHC leader Abdul Ghani Lone on May 21. TNS

Rifat Mohidin

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, May 17

Educational Institutions set up by the Army are gaining popularity among the people here as nearly 15,000 students are studying in these schools which continue to function smoothly despite uncertain atmosphere in the Valley.Established in 1983, the most prestigious school is Army Public School (APS), Srinagar. It is a part of a chain of 134 schools across the country that are run by the Army Welfare Education Society.  The school has about 1,000 students, mostly locals, on its rolls.“The APS is primarily meant to provide education to the children of Army men hence 90 per cent seats are reserved for them. Rest of the seats are for children of civilians. However, APS, Srinagar, is the only Army institute in the country where 60 per cent students are locals,” said school principal Sandeep Marattha.“Earlier, we had the Academic Performance Index (API) of 32 per cent but now ours is the only school which has crossed the 300-mark and hit 322.86 per cent API. I have got the best principal award continuously for two years,” he said.During the 2016 unrest, when all educational institutions in the Valley remained closed for more than five months, the APS, Srinagar, located in the high-security zone of Army Headquarters in Sonwar, was the only institution which functioned normally.“Parents want to send their children here but we have our limitations and we accommodate accordingly. We do not compromise on education of the children. Our students have become doctors, engineers and study in IITs. Many of our students from Kashmir have also joined the Army,” said another officer, who looks after the school.There are 20 Army Goodwill Schools in all districts having on rolls at least 15,000 students. These are run by the Ministry of Defence. The schools have produced talents such as kickboxing champion Tajamul Islam, officials said.The first Goodwill school was set up by the Army in Uri in 1999 and since then more schools have came up across the Valley. This week, the Army set up another school in volatile Kulgam district which has been named after Lt Ummer Fayaz, the young Army officer who was killed by militants recently.

APS set up in 1983

• Established in 1983, Army Public School (APS), Srinagar, is part of a chain of 134 schools across the country that are run by the Army Welfare Education Society
• The school has about 1,000 students, mostly locals, on its rolls
• There are 20 Army Goodwill Schools in all districts catering to at least 15,000 students