TOP STORIES

BLOOD BANK
Endless wait for renewal of licences 

New Delhi, October 1 Thirty-three of the 42 blood banks in the NCT of Delhi are collecting blood in spite of the fact that their licences have not been renewed/cancelled. The licences of some of these 33 blood banks had become due for renewal as far back as 1997.

MDU Prof suspended for diatribe against V-C
Rohtak, October 1
The Executive Council (EC) of Maharshi Dayanand University has suspended Dr Yajanvir Dahiya, professor in Sanskrit Department, on charges of levelling allegations against the Vice-Chancellor, Maj-Gen (retd) Bhim Singh Suhag.

To mark the Voluntary Blood Donation Day, students drawn from colleges and the University of Delhi today formed a human chain and observed a candle-light ceremony. On the occasion, Health Minister A. K. Walia inaugurated the Delhi State AIDS Control Society’s website. According to the Department of Health of the Government of NCT of Delhi, 11 blood donation camps were organised to encourage voluntary donation of blood. The NCT of Delhi, officials told mediapersons, was deficient in the collection of blood as it was able to collect only about 2.5 lakh units of blood per year as against the demand of 3 lakh units. “After the 1998 Supreme Court banned professional donors and remunerative donation of blood, the National Blood Policy set out the objective of promoting voluntary donation of blood,” said an official. An encouraging fallout of that, the official said, was that the NCT of Delhi had collected 2.94 lakh units of blood in the year 2001-2002. TNS

Making it safe for one who gives life
New Delhi, October 1
To say that an appalling number of women in India die due to complications related to pregnancy and childbirth will be an understatement. If one wants to get a feel of the numbers, take a look at this: If two fully occupied Airbus 320s crashed everyday, killing all passengers on board, the total toll in a year would be 1,30,000. The same number of women dies in India every year during or after childbirth. One woman dies every five minutes due to pregnancy-related causes. Of these, almost 50 per cent deaths are because of unsafe abortions in girls of the 15-19 age group. 

Police cane agitating students
Meerut, October 1
Police and RAF personnel today lathi charged hundreds of students of Meerut College who had been agitating against the sudden hike in fees for the last three days. The infuriated students, in turn, forced the authorities to close the college. The college campus had virtually turned into a cantonment since morning. Armed police and RAF personnel were stationed inside the premises and at all entry points. This infuriated the students who tried to enter the campus through the main gate without showing the identity cards and the personnel resorted to a lathi charge.

Yet another arrest in Atma Ram case
New Delhi, October 1
With the arrest of the fourth suspect, Rajinder alias Raju Nai, in the sensational Atma Ram Gupta murder case, the Delhi Police today claimed to have reached the final stage in its investigation. Rajinder, who had been absconding since the incident on August 24, was nabbed by the sleuths of the West District police from Wazirpur JJ Colony late last night, where he had reportedly come to meet some relatives. Raju Nai is believed to have driven the car in which the corporator from Tri Nagar was whisked away to an isolated spot in Ghaziabad, soon after the Congress rally at Ferozeshah Kotla Grounds here and then shot dead allegedly at the behest of another corporator , Sharda Jain.

COMMUNITY

Haryana Cong dissidents come out in the open
Faridabad, October 1
Things seem to have not changed much after the swapping of positions by former HPCC president Bhupinder Singh Hooda and former Leader of the Opposition Bhajan Lal, now the party chief, as far as factionalism in the state Congress and the district unit is concerned.

HPCC spokesman denies groupism
Sonepat, October 1
Mr Krishan Murti Hooda, a former Haryana Minister and the spokesman of the Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee (HPCC), has denied there is any groupism in the party.

Pilot Ritu Malik remembered
Rohtak, October 1
Ms Ritu Malik, the youngest woman pilot of Haryana, who died in a plane crash along with senior Congress leader Madhav Rao Scindia at Mainpuri in Uttar Pradesh on Sept 30 last year, was remembered by members of her family and friends on the occasion of her first death anniversary yesterday.

NDPL announces load shedding for today 
New Delhi, October 1
North Delhi Power Limited (NDPL) today announced load shedding on rotational basis in the following areas on Wednesday, October 2, 2002 between 8 am and 5 pm: Ramesh Nagar, Bali Nagar, Rajouri Garden, ESI Colony, Azadpur, Naniwala Bagh, Adarsh Nagar, Kewal Park, Indira Park, Rampura, Zakheera, Moti Nagar, Gulabi Bagh, Daya Basti, Shastri Nagar, Naag Mandir, Kala Pahar Shaizadawala Bagh, Kanahiya Nagar, Faiz Road, Tibbia College, Patel Nagar, Shadipur, Rewari line, Naraina, Mansarover Garden, Inderpuri, Lakar Mandi, Anand Parbat, Mangolpuri and adjoining areas.

NDMC chief commissions sub-station
New Delhi, October 1
Mr Subhash Sharma, Chairperson, New Delhi Municipal Council, commissioned a temporary 66 kv sub-station at Dr Bishamber Das Marg this morning. The sub-station will meet power requirements of the newly constructed Parliament library building and other government buildings coming up in the DIZ area, including the MPs’ Hostel near RML Hospital. The temporary 66 kv sub-station has capacity of 20 MVA power transformers. 

NCR BRIEFS
Students of Springdales injured in bus collision
New Delhi, October 1
Eight students of Springdales School were injured in an accident in Dhaula Kuan this morning when their school bus was involved in a collision with passenger buses and one RTV. The students sustained minor injuries and were discharged after first aid treatment from a hospital.

HC upholds Nafe Singh’s election Minor gangraped

Public gathering disallowed

CRIME

Steel merchant robbed of Rs 5 lakh in Ghaziabad
Ghaziabad, October 1
Three armed criminals robbed about Rs 5 lakh from a steel merchant who was returning after collecting the money from Muradabad. In the same area, criminals had looted a house of an advertising agency owner after murdering his young son, Yatharnath, on September 29. Similar crimes for the second day have left residents of Patel Nagar, a posh locality of Ghaziabad, in great panic.

Stolen goods worth Rs 1 crore seized
Ghaziabad, October 1
Four criminals have been arrested and goods worth Rs 1 crore looted from two Lucknow factories seized from the Indirapuram police station area. The Lucknow special task force assisted by the local police conducted a raid and seized the goods, including medicine worth Rs 70 lakh and video cassette players worth Rs 3 lakh.

Youths assault Delhi cop
Sonepat, October 1
Narinder, an employee of the Delhi Police, sustained injuries when he was attacked with knife by four youths on the premises of the judicial courts in the mini secretariat here on Monday. According to a report, the injured person was rushed to the civil hospital for treatment where he is stated to be out of danger. 

Attempt to rob petrol pump employees foiled
Panipat, October 1
An attempt to rob the employees of a petrol pump by three criminals was foiled. The gang members were overpowered and handed over to the police. According to information, Rakesh Kumar, the manager along with the cashier of Bajaj Filling Station in Sector-25, were on their way to the Oriental Bank of Commerce to deposit cash, when their car was stopped by criminals on a motorcycle.

EDUCATION

Council mulls over workload norms
New Delhi, October 1
The Academic Council members gathered today at 2 pm in the Committee Room of the V-C office to decide upon the issues included in the Workload Committee report. Meanwhile, the Delhi University Teachers’ Association, in a bid to morally appeal to its academic fraternity, continued with its indefinite relay hunger strike.

COURTS

DM assures action against guilty  policemen 
Ghaziabad, October 1
The city journalists had a meeting with the District Magistrate, Mr Sanjeev Mittal, and complained about the uncivilised behaviour of the police. They alleged that the police had targeted mediapersons without any provocation and damaged their cameras.

CULTURE

GLITZ & GLAMOUR
Designers showcase bridal attire

With the wedding season just round the corner, the designers are showcasing the best they have created for the special occasion. Pitambari, a storehouse of designer saris, unveiled their collection for the weddings in the Capital. An exclusive range of lehngas and cholis included heavy-hand and machine-embroidered pieces in Tissue, Brocades and Benarasi silk. The designers have been liberal with the use of semi-precious stones in the clothes.

Thai wedding Madhuri’s secrets

Film on Kashmir Tempting trinkets

SPORTS

Club Golf from Oct 5

New Delhi, October 1 The McDowell’s Signature Championship for Golf Clubs will be held from October 5 to 12 at 12 of India’s premier golf club courses for the “Champion Golf Club of India” crown. Over 1796 golfers will participate in the championship. The championship will offer an opportunity to both the golf clubs and golfers of the participating clubs to compete and showcase their talent through a three-tiered format. The club-level format will constitute the team selection, followed by inter-club regional finals. The third tier will be the inter-regional finals for determining the national club champion of India.  Woman golfer Nonita Lal unveiling the McDowell's Club Golf Championship trophy. Tribune Photo

Rajeev emerges karting champ 
New Delhi, October 1
Rajeev Patel of Baroda emerged the champion in the National Karting Championship, the second leg of the MRF-MAI Formule Mondiale, at the Pole Position Karting track in Coimbatore.

Facile victory for Shastri Club
New Delhi, October 1
Deadly bowling by Kamaldeep (3 for 21) and Maninder Singh (3 for 13) helped Lal Bahadur Shastri Club beat S P Cricket Academy by 74 runs in a Group D League match of the second Shahdeed Smriti Under-19 Cricket Tournament for the Rameshwar Trophy, organised by the North Delhi Cricketers’ Association, at the Bharat Nagar Sports Complex. 

• Indian squash squad for Busan