Campus Watch
HP University of Horticulture & Forestry says no to disable students despite HC orders
SOLAN – A couple of days ago, Himachal was proud on Umesh Lubana, a completely blind HP university student, who created history as he became the first visually disable student who cleared the UGC NET and qualified for the Junior Research Fellowship. However, the reality is that disabled students have still not found place in many educational institutes.
Against the orders of the Himachal Pradesh High Court that has given a deadline to government to ensure equal opportunity for education to disabled students, Dr. YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Solan has declined to provide free education to the disabled students. The deadline has passed two and half months ago. The notification issued by the Registrar in this regard is rather against the interest of the disabled students.
The division bench comprising Justices Rajiv Sharma and Tarlok Singh Chauhan has passed a judgment on 4th June on the PIL filed by Umang Foundation (No. 30 / 2011). The bench had directed the Dr. YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry (UHF) Solan, Himachal Pradesh University, Shimla and CSK Agriculture University, Palampur to provide free education to disabled children within a period of six weeks.
The H.P. University, obeying the orders, issued a notification on 25th July accordingly to provide free education to the disabled. The Agriculture University, Palampur has also proposed a full fee waiver in accordance with the court order but it has not been notified yet.
Taking strong exception, Ajai Srivastava, chairman of Umang Foundation, has termed it as “contempt of court”and gave a weeks’s time to the University to correct the rule or face the music in the court.
Ajai Srivastava said, the glaring example of deliberate defiance of High Court’s orders is of Horticulture University. Its notification dated 26th September says that no tuition fee shall be charged from the disabled students and only those candidates will avail this tuition -fee waiver who are admitted under 3 percent reservation quota.
Shrivastva raised questions over such apathetic and defiant attitude of the university authorities, and further said,
Interestingly, the tuition-fee waver is already available to the disabled students for the last so many years. The new notification, in place of mentioning free education to them, has only reiterated the old rules. It is a clear cut case of deliberate contempt of court. And and it is also deprives those disabled students from tuition fee waiver who will take admission after competing under general quota. Is this a sin to compete with general candidates and get admission?
Ajai Shrivastva has written a letter to the Registrar of Dr. YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, has warned if the university does not provide free education as per court’s order, a contempt petition will be filed.
It’s not the first time that Ajai Shrivastva has taken up the issue of equal opportunity and education for disabled children. He has been fighting this battle with government for a long time. However, the government and university authorities do not consider it their responsibility to attend to the special needs of disabled students.
Surprisingly, in this case, Nauni University did not hesitate to ignore High Court of HP and clearly said no to disabled students.
Solan: Naincy Sagar, an alumna of Dr. YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni has bagged a fellowship for pursuing PhD from France. Nancy has reached France and will be pursuing PhD in Forest Genetics from the University of Orléans under INRAE fellowship. INRAE is France’s National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment.
Naincy has completed her BSc Forestry from College of Horticulture and Forestry (COH&F), Neri in 2018 and MSc Forest Biology and Tree Improvement and Genetic Resources from UAS, Dharwad, under ICAR’s National Talent Scheme. Before leaving for France last week, Naincy was working as a Junior Research Fellow in a research project at COH&F, Neri.
She had applied for a PhD with a scholarship in Forest Genetics which was advertised by INRAE. Naincy was successful in the interview and was awarded a fellowship for three years for pursuing PhD at the University of Orléans. During the course of the PhD, she will receive a total scholarship of around Rs 70 lakh along with medical reimbursement. Naincy will be working on forest tree larch species in the Project titled ‘Vigour at what cost? ‘Trade-off’ of hybrid vigour in Larch-Phenological, morphological and physiological determinants of hybrid superiority in Larix X eurolepis’ with a team of 20 scientists of Joint Integrated Biology Research Unit having expertise in genetics, genomics and physiology for the enhancement of tree and forest diversity
Dr. Parvinder Kaushal, Vice-Chancellor of the university spoke to Naincy via web conferencing and congratulated her. Dr. Kaushal, who has also done his doctorate from France, shared some tips and suggestions. He asked Naincy to explore this opportunity to learn about new cultures along with doing research that could help to enhance and conserve forest wealth in the future.
Naincy expressed gratitude towards her father Satya Prakash Sagar (Retd. SDO BSNL) and mother Monika Sagar, who is working as SDO in BSNL for their continuous support for higher studies. She also thanked Vice-Chancellor Dr. Parvinder Kaushal, Dean Dr. Kamal Sharma and Dr. Dushyant Sharma, Project Investigator and all the university staff for their support and guidance. The university administration, Dean of COH&F Neri congratulated Naincy and wished her success.
Shimla-Dates for admissions to undergraduate courses for the session 2021-22 in colleges affiliated to Himachal Pradesh University has been extended, which has come as a relief to not only those students who were seeking fresh enrollments in the first year but also to the students of the second and third year.
The varsity informed that the decision was taken after considering requests received from various students regarding the same.
Now, willing students can apply for enrollment in both government and private colleges till 5 PM, October 25, 2021.
This extension of date would benefit students who recently passed supplementary exams or those students of the second and third-year who had missed admission due to delay in declaration of their previous results.
Solan– Dr. YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry (UHF), Nauni, has extended the last date for applying to various Undergraduate, Postgraduate and Doctoral programmes in Horticulture, Forestry, Biotechnology, Agribusiness and Business Management. Applicants can submit their complete online application on the university’s admission portal till 18th October.
The normal seats of BSc (Hons) Horticulture, BSc (Hons) Forestry and B Tech Biotechnology will be filled on the basis of scorecard of ICAR-AIEEA (UG) 2021.
Admissions to MSc, MBA (Agribusiness) and PhD (for normal and self-financing seats) will also be conducted on the scorecard of ICAR AIEEA (PG) and AICE-JRF/SRF respectively. Students who have appeared in the ICAR-AIEEA 2021 for UG and PG, or AICE-JRF/SRF examination and are interested in seeking admission, such students must fill the university online application form before 18th October. Undergraduate aspirants who have not appeared in the ICAR test can however apply for the self-financing seats for B Sc and B Tech Biotechnology programmes run by the university by filling the online application on the university website.
The university has also advised the registered candidates to submit complete online application forms along with online payment acknowledgement slip before the due date. The schedule for online counselling will be announced by the University on the website after the declaration of the ICAR examination result. Application forms other than online mode will not be accepted.
A young leader’s activism combined with the concept of ‘Himachaliyat’ and ‘Virbhadra Singh Vikas Model’ may be a gamechanger for the Congress in Himachal
Paradox in Hatti Community’s Demand for Tribal Status
HP Govt Employees to Get Higher Pay Scale on Completion of Two Years of Service: CM Jairam
Most Covid Restrictions to be Lifted From March 31, Mask and Hand Hygiene to Continue
Home Decor Ideas 2020
