TOP STORIES

Death on fast track: 3 MBA students killed
Victims were returning home after late-night revelry
New Delhi, March 15
In a tragic incident last night, three business administration students were killed and four others injured when a speeding Maruti Baleno car rammed into an Ambassador car on Prithviraj Road. The incident occurred around 11.30 pm yesterday.

The ill-fated Ambassador and Baleno (in the background) which were involved in an accident on Prithviraj Road.

VOLTE-FACE
Schools accept sops, but shun  poor students
New Delhi, March 15
With the government and the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) still squabbling over who should take public schools to task for flouting norms related to admission of students from the economically weaker sections, schools are exhibiting a reluctance to accept the contentious clause. According to this clause, schools in return for getting land on concessional prices have to admit 25 per cent students from the underprivileged sections of society.

Many happy returns! Union Labour Minister Sahib Singh Verma celebrating his birthday in style. — Photo by Anil Sharma

Sheila calls on Jaswant to discuss VAT
New Delhi, March 15
Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit on Saturday called Union Finance Minister Jaswant Singh to discuss the introduction of Value Added Tax (VAT) in NCT of Delhi. She told the finance minister that NCT of Delhi’s status as the Capital and a centre of trade should be factored in before introducing the new tax regime. The Government of NCT of Delhi, she said, was concerned about the likely impact on the trade and the consumer.

RSS challenges Cong to stop shakhas

PUBLIC PLACES
Waylaid at wayside dhabas by the lords of the highway
Sonepat, March 15
If you are a long-distance passenger in a Haryana Roadways bus, you are likely to spend more than what you thought you would for the journey. It is not the ticket charge that might rankle in your mind, but the exorbitant rates charged by dhaba owners on the way.

Rare articles of 10th Guru on display
Ghaziabad, March 15
Thousands of devotees are thronging Guru Singh Sabha Gurdwara in Ghaziabad where some articles used by Guru Gobind Singh, the 10th Sikh Guru, and his family members are on display since yesterday.

POLITICS

Sonia to address Block Congress Committee presidents
Rohtak, March 15
The AICC chief, Ms Sonia Gandhi would address a national level conference of Block Congress Committee (BCC) presidents, to be held in Delhi from March 28 to 30. Addressing mediapersons here yesterday, the former Home Minister of the state, Mr Subhash Batra, said nearly 10,000 party activists and leaders were likely to attend the “first of its kind conference”.

COMMUNITY

Sugarcane growers of ‘67’ variety bear losses 
Panipat, March 15
Resentment prevails among farmers who grew the ‘67’ variety of sugarcane in their fields along the banks of the Yamuna, as this variety has been rejected by Panipat Sugar Mill. They are now forced to sell their produce in the open market to fodder dealers at the rate less than Rs 40 per quintal as compared to the price fixed by the Haryana Government.

People find no solace from ineffective ‘darbars’
Faridabad, March 15
Even as the authorities are busy holding `darbars’, the continuing deterioration in basic civic amenities in the various parts of the town and district has become a matter of concern here. Reportedly, a large number of people have fallen prey to ‘diseases’, which has only worsened with the ongoing change in the weather condition.

SPECIAL FOCUS ON REWARI
The abode of saints has now become a place of pilgrimage
Rewari , March 15
Rewari has been the abode of many great saints and seers since medieval times. Among them, Baba Mohan Das, Baba Gobind Das, Baba Ram Swaroop Ji Maharaj and several others were virtually endowed with “divine powers”. Even years after they left for their heavenly abode, these great saints continue to have spiritual influence over the lives of millions of devotees living in various parts of India and abroad.

SEARCHWITHIN
Religion should bring light and unite all hearts
If you enter the Bahai House of Worship in Delhi, one of the most visited spots in the national Capital and known as the Lotus Temple, what you will admire more than the fascinating architecture is the teaching of the faith: it’s tenets of the oneness of God, oneness of religions and oneness of mankind.

Kanya Mahavidyalaya gets full marks from NACC
Sonepat, March 15
The two-day visit of a four-member team, headed by Dr S D Tripathi, vice-chancellor-cum-convenor of the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NACC) in the Kanya Mahavidyalaya concluded at Kharkhauda town, 19 km from here last evening.

NCR BRIEFS
Diagnostic centre for ESI dispensary
Sonepat, March 15
The Employees State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) has approved the proposal for the setting up a diagnostic centre at ESI dispensary, Sonepat. According to official sources, medical equipment worth Rs 10 lakh would be provided by the ESIC for the diagnostic centre.

GPF hanky-panky

Fake crockery unit

DELHI DIGEST Sadar Bazar markets open on March 17 New Delhi, March 15 All the markets of Sadar Bazar including Azad Market, Bahadurgadh Road, Pahari Dhiraj, Ahata Kedara, Gali Lallu Mishra, Gandgi Market, Qutub Road and Teliwara will be remain open on March 17, Sadar Bazar Traders Welfare Association president Brij Mohan Wig said here today.

Rs 20 lakh recovered in special tax drive
Rohtak, March 15
Mr A.K.Jain, Executive Officer, Municipal Council here has claimed that an amount of nearly Rs 20 lakh has been recovered in the form of house tax and fire tax from different government departments during a special tax recovery drive launched five days ago.

Four examinees caught using unfair means
Sonepat, March 15
The menace of copying by the examinees in the 10 plus 2 annual examinations being conducted by the Board of School Education Haryana continues in the city and elsewhere in the district despite the promulgation of Section 144 Cr P C and the surprise checking by the members of the flying squads.

PNB awarded for employment programme
New Delhi, March 15
Punjab National Bank (PNB) has been awarded first prize for the best performance under Rural Employment Generation Programme by the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC).

BUSINESS

Vice-President opens software park in Noida
Noida, March 15
Inaugurating the Logix Park, a private software technology park in Sector 16 here today, the Vice-President Bairon Singh Shekhawat said India has very talented and professionally competent IT and software technologists who are second to none in the world.

Phone service consumers getting kingly treatment
Faridabad, March 15
The basic phone service providers of the government and private sector seem to be running neck and neck in offering incentives to the customer. The government-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) had recently announced to give second (additional) phone to its consumers for only Rs 50 and a free STD/ISD card worth Rs 525 with each new connection.

EDUCATION

Mass copying gives a new lease of life to guidebooks
Sonepat, March 15
The mass copying in the ongoing ten plus two examination of the Haryana Board has proved to be a blessing for the stockists and sellers of course guides, help books and other examination related materials. The sudden demand for these guidebooks has forced retailers to approach the main stockists and publishers for new supplies.

HEALTH

BODY & MIND
Spare a thought for your skin this Holi

Dermatologists and health experts have advised use of natural and herbal colours on Holi. Dr Neycelle Fernandes, Consultant Dermatologist, Max Healthcare, says that individuals with a history of eczema or Atopic Dermatitis are at a high risk of developing allergic contact dermatitis to Holi colours and dyes. This will manifest in itching, a red rash and irritation on the area of contact. A cosmetologist attending to a customer.

Meet on sexuality  and infertility Have vegetables to keep Cancer away: ICS

Walk for a noble cause An ayurvedic option for cough

SPORTS

India to restructure football set-up
New Delhi, March 15
The three-day Indian Football Conference, which concluded in New Delhi on Saturday, helped identify the grey areas and the All-India Football Federation (AIFF) has pledged to eliminate the roadblocks to take the game forward.

Ashish Nehra’s father feted

New Delhi, March 15 Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) president Arun Jaitley and senior vice-president C. K. Khanna, who is also the vice-chairman of the National Cricket Academy, felicitated Mr D S Nehra, father of Ashish Nehra, for his son’s excellent bowling performances for the country in the on-going World Cup Cricket Championship in South Africa. DDCA president Arun Jaitley and senior vice-president C. K. Khanna felicitating D. S. Nehra, father of Ashish Nehra.

Soni bowls South Campus to victory
New Delhi, March 15
A deadly spell of 6 for 15 by Sharwan Kumar Soni and an all-round display by Neeraj Jain (27 n o and 3 for 13) helped South Delhi Campus beat Daulat Ram College by 53 runs in a league match of the Delhi University Inter-Staff Cricket Tournament at the Delhi University ground.