BACK
ON THE ISC FRONT
The Past quarter of the year 2013 was indeed the most satisfying for us in the International Sikh Confederation. We fully met our targets on the Education Front. The Campaign to combat the Drug Menace was started and it portends to be a very long drawn affair. Our people in villages seem to have lost their will to control or even report drug pedlars to the local police. This is now eating into our vitals and we have decided to do our best in this direction in the coming year.
Education Front
As reported earlier our coaching centre at Mukandpur and Guru Nanak Public Sr. Secondary School at Dosanjh Talwandi, Distt. Moga are forging ahead and improving their performance each year. The attendance too has increased I had published the results of their performance in my last report.
PM’s 15 Point Programme
This year we could submit sufficient number of applications to obtain and distribute Rupees 134 crores by oct – nov 2013. We are now upto date in the distribution of money to all deserving students from class 1 to Post Graduation upto with Ph.D. This was indeed a mighty task involving setting up of about 9 to 10 cells in various zones covering all Punjab. Our Action Committee consisting of the Secretary General, The Secretary and Educational Advisor were all the time on the move checking, motivating and answering queries of teachers and students at chosen centres. Our cells arranged the audiences and I salute these young girls/boys for their vigorous inputs. Next year we are bidding for 196 crores by sending increased number of applications. The authorities in the Govt. Minority Department are fully co-operating. Wherever required we had supplemented their staff with our young workers. Sardar Jang Singh who heads the co-ordinating Minority Cell is a highly motivated officer and we are most grateful to him for his willing co-operation and help.
Retrievement of Rs 32 crores from the undistributed Quota for year 2011-2012and 2012-13
This amount was to be surrendered due to lapses/mistakes made by students in their applications. With the ISC rendering extra help and staff a miraculous retrieval of funds was achieved. Once these applications were corrected and retrieved by employing extra ISC employed staff, the problem of issuing direct cheques to Schools and Colleges was tackled by the ISC along with various allied Organisation such as Kalgidhar Trust, Guru Gobind Singh Study circle, Satnam Trust, our chapters in Ludhiana and Jalandhar, Chief Khalsa Diwan, Baba Makhan Shah Lubhana Foundation, Dedicated Brothers Group Patiala, Farmer’s Food Processor’s Society, Phidde (Moga) and many dedicated individuals . This task is still on and out of 22 Districts only two more remain to be covered. Lakhs of cheques have been handed over, courtesy ISC and its sister organizations to very grateful children, who we hope, will make fewer mistakes in future. We are most grateful to S. Jatinder Singh Uppal ji whose organisation “SIKHS HELPING SIKHS” has given us vital aid for achieving this task.
Tackling the Drug Menace
A meeting was called on this issue by ISC on 29 nov 2013 at our Headquarters in Chandigarh. It was well attended by concerned organizations as well as dedicated workers. After discussion for 4 to 5 hours the following decisions were arrived at:-
a. ISC has noted the work being done by various organizations and their methods of tackling the menace on their own /along with dedicated individuals in their area of operations.
b. Suggestions made by experienced organizations/individuals were thoroughly discussed and noted.
c. Scholars from the University and the Army Hospital in Chandi Mandir attended and offered many suggestions gained from literature and some personal experiences.
The ISC will now debate this within house, visit some target areas and work out an ACTION PLAN. This will be discussed with our convenor Dr. Sardara Singh Johl, Padma Bhushan and the final plan sent all who have volunteered to launch this plan in their areas of influence.
Annual General Meeting Held on 13 Dec 2013
A very well attended AGM was conducted at our location. We are grateful to all Members who attended and made it a resounding success. The response from outstation and Australian Members was excellent and of a very high standard. Unfortunately the representation from local members (CHANDIGARH, MOHALI and PANCHKULA) was not very good. We need to walk out of our residences and take active part in such meetings which are highly educative, informative and most rewarding to self and the Organisers.
The ISC Executive Committee has met regularly and our AGM has been held EVERY YEAR as per our constitution. This itself indicates the business like attitude of the Convenor, Secretary General, Secretaries and his toiling volunteer dedicated staff. Kindly honor their sentiment.
Permanent Accommodation
With all these activities and Coaching Centres to finance, expenses have increased considerably. We will be shifting to our new office shortly. We still owe the Kendri Singh Sabha their dues and also cost of furnishing and equipping the interiors. We appeal to members and devoted Sikhs to send in their generous donations regularly. Some members have been very generous and we very highly appreciate their regular Daswand.
Here is an abbreviated content from ‘The Tribune’ dated 6th Dec 2013 which certainly lifted our morale and rewarded our dedicated work on the Education Front:-
In North, Punjab tops in School Education
Punjab has been ranked among the top 10 Indian states in the just released School Education Statistics, improving its position from 13th in 2012 to sixth in 2013.
The Composite Education Index released on Thursday by NUEPA (National University for Education Planning) and the HRD Ministry, all other northern states have plummeted in the rankings.
The rankings take into account the following four major indicators of school education – access, teachers, infrastructure and outcome. All 35 states are ranked separately for each of the four indicators under Access Index, Teachers Index, Infrastructure and outcome index.
Punjab has primarily gained on the following fronts-improving its ranking in the infrastructure index from ninth last year to sixth this year, and on the outcome index from 35th to ninth. Punjab’s outstanding performance on the outcome index is important considering this index looks at inclusiveness of school education by measuring the percentage enrollment of SC, ST, Muslim children and also examining the ratio of girls enrolled to boys and dropout rates.
Wishing all Renders and their families a very Happy and prosperous New Year.
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