New Delhi, December 4
One of the premiere educational institutes of the country St.Stephen’s College has become a war zone of the church and academicians.

The classic debate of minority educational institutes has reached to a level when the representatives of church in the governing body of the college have decided to organise the crucial meetings related to the college at their residences.

Section of teachers, who have been critical of the growing interference of the Supreme Council of church in the affairs of the St.Stephen’s College has taken a serious note of the last meeting of Governing Body that was organised at the bishop’s residence for the first time in the history of the college.

“The university representative B.P.Sahu and the college principal Valson Thampu have reportedly strongly protested at the change of venue from college to private residence,” said a senior faculty at the college adding that the move was a “symbolic takeover of college by the Supreme Council.”

After the protest of teachers and students at the venue of the last governing body meeting held on November 17, the governing body has issued a resolution to the faculty expressing “anguish” over the alleged slanderous misrepresentation of facts in the letter signed by some faculty members on proceedings of a governing body meeting held on October 28. A copy of this resolution is available with The Tribune.

An e-mail was also received by the college principal Thampu sent by Bishop Sunil Singh asking him to immediately prepare a report on the protest of teachers and students.

“I wish to express my deep anguish at the teachers’ demonstrations as well as students; protests,” the bishop wrote in the e-mail adding, “I never though I would see the day when college would come down to this.”

The bishop has also indicated that the teachers who were protesting against the church’s increasing interference in the college were backing the college principal. “Interestingly most of the teachers protesting were supporting you for reasons best known to you. Surely, this is not a dignified way for them to behave,” he wrote.

The bishop called the interference of the students in the affairs of “the college administration” as being a matter of instigation.

Ending the letter, the bishop has asked the principal to prepare a detailed report on “facts relating to this aspect (protest). It is important that the college maintain discipline at all times”.

Earlier, the Supreme Council had also removed the college bursar in an allegedly unconstitutional way. The administration of Delhi University (DU) had sent a letter to the university representative to the governing body in this regard.

The letter reminded the college administration to strictly abide by the DU guidelines in appointing a bursar to the college and maintenance of financial accounts.

A copy of this letter is available with The Tribune as well. 

New Delhi, December 4
As international climate negotiations go on, school students in the Capital have decided to launch a campaign to educate the parliamentarians on climate change.

Students would go around the political corridors spotting members of parliament in their houses and offices to ask them questions related to carbon emission.

The campaign called Door-to-Door Advocacy would be launched under the umbrella of the Centre for Legislative Research and Advocacy in two days.

Talking to The Tribune about the initiative, one of the organizers, Pragya Nalwa, said since the parliamentarians were in a position to bring about changes, the organisation planned to approach them first.

“The campaign has not been launched with an understanding that parliamentarians do not know about climate change, but to ensure their participation in the movement on minimising climate change,” said Nalwa.

The door-to-door campaign would be flagged off from Supriya Sule’s residence and would involve ministers and climate change experts. “We have approached almost all the parliamentarians and some of them have shown interest,” she said.

Some well-informed and passionate students have been selected from Modern School, Springdales, Sanskriti, Delhi Public School, Indian School and St. Columbus to inform the parliamentarians about the dangers of climate change and how to reduce the carbon footprints.

The students would also ask some basic questions and formulate an assessment on how climate-friendly the representatives were, said Nalwa. “This can empower MPs to follow their initiative and make small changes that could lead to big changes,” she said.

The students selected have already undergone an orientation programme and they have developed an understanding of issues related to climate change, especially the need to lower carbon emissions.

New Delhi, December 4
Premium quality spices, grains, woollens and cane furniture are luring visitors at the ITBP (Indo Tibetan Border Police) exhibition in Dilli Haat.

The four-day exhibition is organised by the Himveer Wives' Welfare Association (HWWA), the welfare arm of the ITBP. The Organisation works for rehabilitation of families and of ITBP personnel who lay down their lives and also assists disabled soldiers.

The exhibition showcases products prepared and manufactured in the ITBP's welfare centres located in different parts of the country. Forty-five units of 12 sectors and training centres have exhibited products like Chanderi saris, Kulu and Pashmina shawls, carpets, sandalwood rosary, Buddha statues from Ladakh, Kinnauri caps, pickles, kurtas and suits, juices and dry fruits from Himachal Pradesh.

HWWA president Soni Shrivastav said, "At Dilli Haat, the metropolitan lot gets acquainted with what ITBP is all about and how hard it is for the families to survive."

"All the performances and cultural programmes are being showcased by the jawans and their family members, including children. Items at the stalls are mostly hand made by HWWA women and are available at affordable prices. Pure kesar and spices, quality silk, cane furniture and hand-knitted woollens are the main highlights at the exhibition drawing crowds," she added.

The proceeds of the mela will be utilized for HWWA welfare activities like computer training, food processing, training children in spoken English and creating awareness about the prevention of HIV/AIDS. 

New Delhi, December 4
Even as the Punjab National Bank (PNB) installed its first disabled-friendly automated teller machine (ATM) in the city yesterday, visually-challenged Renuka Bhagat, 30, is yet to get an ATM card for which she has been doing rounds of the bank for the past three years. On top of this, in order to access her savings account in the Hauz Khas branch of the bank, she has go accompanied with a witness.

“It has been more than three years. I have been requesting the officials of the Hauz Khas branch of the bank to issue me an ATM card. It becomes inconvenient for me to go to the bank for every transaction. Moreover, the officials insist that I visit the bank only with a witness as I am partially blind,” she told The Tribune.

Whenever Renuka needs money, she has to come to the bank from her hostel in Laxmi Bai Nagar or from her work place, which is also not very close to the bank.

On November 7, she met the chief manager of the branch, A.P. Goyal, with her request. After initial denial, Goyal gave a written justification for usage of ATM card, which she submitted in the bank the next day.

The Reserve Bank of India, in this context, in July 2008, has issued a master circular to all banks on customer service. According to clause 10, visually impaired persons should not be discriminated. Earlier, a circular (No. CE/RB-1/vip/1766, dated November 18, 2008) of the Indian Banks Association also stated that all blinds are entitled to all facilities of a bank without any extra formality.

Interestingly, when Renuka reminded Goyal about the circular, he posed to be ignorant about the existence of any such notice. She then approached PNB’s general manager, customer care service, Malathi Mohan. Following this, on November 17, she was asked to sign a ‘letter of undertaking’ for the issue of the ATM card.

Goyal stated, “As per the executive guidelines of the PNB, an undertaking has to be approved by our corporate office in such cases so that the bank is not liable for any loss due to the loss of the card.”

However, Renuka, feeling discriminated and objecting to the formality, rued, “I would not give any undertaking. I too have the right to access the modern facilities like others. Why should I be treated as a secondary citizen just because I am differently-able. The repeated visits that I had to make for something as simple as an ATM card were sheer harassment for me.” 

New Delhi, December 4
The showpiece pitch at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium, a renovated venue for next year’s Commonwealth Games hockey competition, will be ready on December 15.

The organising committee for Commomwealth Games 2010 chairman Suresh Kalmadi, who visited the National Stadium on Friday said he was pleased with the way the stadium was turning out. “I must echo what the International Hockey Federation president Liando Nagray said. This will be the best hockey stadium in the world,” he said.

Kalmadi highlighted the fact that the 20,000-seater stadium would also have floodlights that will generate 2500 lux to cater to the needs of the high-definition broadcast during the Commonwealth Games.

“Not only will the spectators in the stadium will have better facilities but also those watching the telecast will enjoy the experience,” he said.

“I am also delighted by the fact that the facade of the National Stadium, centerpiece of the 1951 Asian Games and the hockey venue for the 1982 Asian Games, has been retained,” he said.

“The second pitch will be ready well in time for the World Cup to be staged here from February 28 to March 13,” added Kalmadi.

The National Stadium is owned by the Sports Authority of India and the redesign work has been carried out by CPWD as per the venue brief provided by the OC. The total cost of project is Rs 201.11 crore.

He pointed out that besides the two competition pitches and a warm-up pitch at the National Stadium, Delhi would have two more pitches at the Shivaji Stadium and at the Yamuna Sports Complex.

“There is no doubt in my mind that the Commonwealth Games 2010 Delhi will leave a lasting legacy not only for hockey but for Olympic,” he said.

New Delhi, December 4
A Delhi court today sentenced a man to life imprisonment for killing his 12-year-old daughter after raping her as he suspected her to be the illicit child of a relationship between his wife and brother-in-law.

Additional Sessions Judge Rakesh Kumar held Mangal Singh guilty of rape and murder and imposed a fine of Rs 8,000 on him.

“The case in hand is pertaining to gruesome murder of a 12-year-old innocent girl in the most horrendous and monstrous manner, which is based on last seen and circumstantial evidence,” the court said.

The court, however, did not find the case falling into the rarest of rare category after taking into consideration the conduct of the convict, who had himself taken the victim to the hospital after the incident on October 9, 2005.

But, the magistrate voiced that offences against women must be taken with utmost sincerity by the courts as “crime against women particularly sexual violence is serious blow to her supreme honour and offended her self-esteem and dignity.”

The prosecution produced as many as 21 witnesses in the case, including Rakesh, a co-tenant of the convict in Chandni Chowk here, who had seen him with the body of his daughter on his shoulder immediately after the incident.

He deposed that the convict confided to him that he had killed the child after raping her as he suspected her to be the daughter of his brother-in-law. The post-mortem records confirmed the rape.

New Delhi, December 4
A case has been registered against the Preet Vihar branch of ICICI Bank, after one of its clients alleged that jewellery items weighing 1.25 kg (worth Rs22 lakh approx.) were missing from his bank lockers. According to the police, a case was registered yesterday under section 409 (criminal breach of trust by public servant or by banker, merchant or agent) after preliminary investigations revealed that the bank had in fact broken the locker and taken its possession in August 2008.

While the bank maintains that the locker was opened in the presence of the witnesses and that all the contents had been returned to the client, the complainant in his complaint to the police maintained that jewellery worth 1.25 kg was missing.

“We have registered a case against the bank and investigations are on. Both the parties have been asked to furnish the details and documents in this regard,” said investigating officer ASI Umesh from Preet Vihar police station.

According to information, Mukesh Sharma, a resident of Preet Vihar, engaged in dairy business, had come to the bank on November 30 and wanted to open his locker. However, the bank officials told him that since he did not pay the locker charges for past three years and did not respond to the bank’s reminders in this regard, his locker had been emptied and taken possession by the bank.

“We had followed the proper procedure as per banks guidelines in this regard and the locker was opened in presence of several witnesses and all the contents were kept safely. When Sharma approached us, we gave him all the items that his locker contained and he went away. However, one day later we got to know that he had gone to the police to complain that most of his jewellery items were missing,” said an ICICI Bank official.

He further informed that the paper which was signed by the witnesses and listed the articles found in the locker had been misplaced by the bank and Sharma was taking advantage of this. “We are looking for it and will find it sooner or later,” said the official.

According to the police team investigating the matter, the charges against the bank are serious, but at the same time we need to know the source of 1.25 kg gold that Mukesh claims to have lost from the locker. “We have asked him to furnish the receipts and other documents related to the gold bought by him. After all 1.25 kg of gold is worth some value and one has to have that source of income to possess it,” said a senior police official from the district. 

New Delhi, December 4
A south Delhi-based garments export businessman was cheated of Rs 2,65,000 by a person who withdrew the amount from his HSBC bank account by stealing his cheque and forging his signature.

The victim, Sumit Mehra, has got an FIR registered in this regard at the Hauz Khas police station in south Delhi. According to Sumit’s brother Vibhu, one Sunil Kumar is behind the incident and that the cheque was stolen from his brother’s suitcase.

In his complaint to the police, Sumit has alleged that he came to know about the fraud on November 27 when he was going through is bank transactions. “Mehra found that a cheque bearing number 064575 was deposited in the account of one Sunil Kumar’s Punjab National Bank (PNB) account,” said the police officer.

Sumit contacted the Nijamuddin branch of PNB for the address of Sunil Kumar, but found that the address was wrong. He also learnt from the bank that the said account was opened by reference of one Mohinder Kumar Kohli. “We are trying to trace Sunil and Mohinder Kumar Kohli and questioning PNB,” said the police officer.

Sumit lives in Hauzkahs Enclave and runs a factory in Noida.