IMA jeep falls into gorge, 5 soldiers hurt
Mussoorie, March 24
A jeep belonging to the Indian Military Academy (IMA), Dehradun, fell into a deep gorge near Cloud End resort near Mussoorie, resulting in injuries to five soldiers who were on their way for military training today. The injured were rushed to the Army Hospital.

BJP house-to-house sensitisation programme from April 6
Dehradun, March 24
Uttarakhand BJP will start a house-to-house sensitisation programme from April 6, which will culminate in the form of a rally proposed to take place at Dehradun on May 26 to highlight the 'misdeeds' of Congress governments both at Centre and the state.

Dehradun, March 24
BJP councillors and Mayor are now worried about the possible tampering with the process of reservation of seats regarding local bodies' elections by Congress government. The reservation policy has already been sent to the state government for approval. However, no one is in a position to say anything about the reservations made in the policy. Rumours and speculations are rife about the change in the entire pattern of seats.

Mayor Vinod Chamoli said:" The Congress first tried to postpone the election, which ultimately could not happen. Now it is trying to unsettle the entire arithmetic of seats by using its right of altering the regulations with regard to reservation of seats for local bodies' elections.''

He said the Congress could possibly select the winnable seats of BJP councillors and declare them reserved for SC/ST categories. This change in the scheme of things might prove disastrous for BJP. The party, which has a strong councillor at a particular, seat may not have an equally strong candidate for these categories. Chamoli said this one stroke of Congress could turn the entire game upside down and create enough upheavals in political circles.

Councillors are busy discussing whether their wards could come under reservation or not. Surender Singh Kukreja, councillor, Govindgarh, said his ward had scant population of SCs/STs. So his ward could not be reserved. He seemed relieved of all this stress and felt the work he did for the residents of his ward would not go waste.

It is not only BJP, Congressmen, too, are sharing the same sentiments. Leader of Opposition, Dehradun Municipal Corporation, Ashok Verma, who is considered a strong contender to get the ticket in the race for Mayor's position, said he was not sure whether he would be able to

get the ticket, fearing this particular seat might be reserved for other categories. However, insiders are claiming that Congress government had made the policy in such a way that it would suit the electoral prospects of the party and dent BJP interests.

Besides the reservation policy, it is also being circulated that Congress is preparing to challenge the High Court order to conduct the elections in the month of April in the Supreme Court. Ashok Verma, however, denied it, saying that Congress was all prepared to face the elections and it was not going to move the apex court against the High Court's decision.

Mussoorie, March 24
It seems that the days of chalk and blackboard in classrooms are numbered as more and more schools in and around Mussoorie are finding the path-breaking and innovative educational technology, popularly known as smart class, much to their liking.

According to educationists here, with the introduction of smart class technology in several schools of the town, namely St. George's College, Manav Bharti International School, Mussoorie International School, Oak Grove School (presently the facility is available at Girls' School), Wynberg Allen School etc, the teaching methodology has transformed from an orthodox, laborious method of verbal explanation to a very interactive and graphical presentation, making teaching more interesting to the teachers and learning easy and enjoyable for the students.

The schools in the town are finding this audio visual smart class method really effective. Most of the schools are using the technology with effective use while those who do not have it are contemplating to introduce it soon.

According to the Principal, St.George's College, Brother Christopher, the school two years back had introduced the smart class system created by Educomp, a company pioneer in digital education in junior sections from Class IV to VI on experimental basis. After receiving positive response from the students, they have introduced the upgraded system in 18 more classes from this year. He further said that this system enabled the students to interact with the blackboard, using the touch tel technology. The new system also enabled the students to do their tests online with the help of a remote, which is provided to every student using the updated contents given by Educomp. “Students learn difficult and abstract curriculum concepts, watching highly engaging visuals and animations, making learning easy and enjoyable, helping in enhancing their understanding capacity and enabling the retention power in much better way. The technology would help them in securing more marks in the board exams,” added Brother Christopher.

The teachers of various subjects have also taken the new system in their stride and believe that it is beneficial to all types of students in the school, as some students are much more at ease with the audio and some with the visual methods.

When contacted Manjari Joshi, Principal of Manav Bharti International School, said the smart class technology had completely changed the concept of teaching by bringing the technology in the classrooms and had empowered the teacher with well-researched, mapped-to-curriculum digital modules right in the classrooms to elucidate and explain concepts. The result has been amazing as classrooms have come alive. “The challenge to explain and students’ struggle to understand has given way to an inspired participation in the journey of discovering new concepts through this technology," added Manjari Joshi.

However, some education experts are of the view that the use of digital devices in classrooms could have negative effects, too, such as negligence in the use of paper, pen and notebooks, ruining of writing skills, the negative effect on the eyes due to the projector glare, lack of imagination and free thinking. The Principal, St George's, Brother Christopher, rebutting the claims said that necessary precautions are taken to ensure that the writing skills and the imaginative thinking of the students are not hindered in any way. Anti-glare screens have been fitted now, which do not exert pressure on the eyes of the students, and opportunity to enhance the creative skills are provided, apart from the new learning process in the school.

The new system could evolve in becoming an excellent tool to resolve the apprehensions of the teachers and facilitate them to create an environment of learning. However, with the government schools yet to adopt the new technology, it could create a divide among the students from rich and poor strata.

Mussoorie, March 24
A class VII student, a girl residing at Bhatta village, near Mussoorie, died after falling into a gobar gas plant while she was 
playing with other friends today.

She was rushed to Max Hospital where after examination she was reported brought dead. The whole Bhatta village is under grief at the tragic incident that occurred here.

According to the police, the incident occurred in the morning when the 12-year-old Nandita Rawat was playing along with her friends near a gobar gas plant.

The lid of the plant was open. She slipped around noon and fell into the plant.

Dehradun, March 24
The volunteers of Making A Difference (MAD), a voluntary organisation of young people, conducted a clean-up drive on the Krishna Palace garbage dump on the Chakrata road here today.

The MAD has cleaned up this very spot over a dozen times in the past and there was a time when this spot was completely clean. But the situation is not the same now.

The volunteers assembled at 6:45 am at Astley Hall and started the clean-up drive at 7 am. The drive lasted till 10 am. “We are absolutely shocked to note that this place always comes back to square one even though the locals always encourage and support us. We are almost sure that the waste in the area is outsourced from Paltan Bazaar and Clock Tower,” alleged Bharat Garg, a young class XI student of Brightlands School and an MAD volunteer.

Ever since its formation in June, 2011, the MAD has been conducting an activity every Sunday of which the clean-up and awareness drive forms a major part. In the course of the Krishna Palace clean-up drive, the Maddians filled 20 garbage bags with assorted waste of plastic, metal, polythene and daily household waste, which the locals regularly dispose of carelessly.

Simultaneously, secretary Abhinav Bahuguna and core team member Vishwas Pandey conducted a door-to-door awareness campaign by going to every household and explaining to the people the dangerous implications that accrue from the disposal of waste. The residents promised cooperation and pointed out to the Maddians that the waste was much less now because of the MAD's repeated clean-up drives that awakened not just the masses but also the DVWM, whose vehicle now regularly patrols the area.

During the last clean-up drive, few MAD members arranged for a negotiation between the local people and the DVWM officials that the vehicle would visit the area every alternate day and the locals would dispose of the collected waste properly by handing it over to the DVWM. Hence, the MAD’s awareness campaign has ushered an appreciable coordination between the government and the civil society in the Krishna Palace area.

"The DVWM's monitoring has made an impact, but it is important to levy fine on the wrongdoers. Moreover, this place needs a massive one-time cleanup to ensure complete cleanliness," said MAD member Dev Dutt Dhyani.

After the drive, a DVWM vehicle came to the spot to dispose of the waste collected by the MAD volunteers.

Dehradun, March 24
Uttarakhand BJP will start a house-to-house sensitisation programme from April 6, which will culminate in the form of a rally proposed to take place at Dehradun on May 26 to highlight the 'misdeeds' of Congress governments both at Centre and the state.

This was revealed at the BJP Pranteeya Parishad meeting held in Dehradun today. “Ghar Ghar Gaon Gaon campaign is meant to apprise the people of wrongdoings of Congress government, even while apprising them of the development initiatives taken during the earlier BJP rule in the state,” Ram Lal, BJP national organisation general secretary, told reporters here.

He disclosed that “Ghar Ghar Gaon Gaon” campaign will be held in two stages. In the first stage, that begins from April 6 to April 25, urban areas will be covered, while in the second stage, that will start from April 15 to May 25, villages will be covered. The campaign will culminate on May 26 in the form of a rally in Dehradun to be addressed by party’s national president Rajnath Singh.

Earlier, presiding over the meeting, BJP national organisation general secretary Ram Lal said the new Uttarakhand BJP president Teerath Singh Rawat faced formidable challenges as he was today poised to lead several senior members in the party. He also emphasised that the party workers needed to struggle in order to become senior political leaders.

Former Chief Minister BC Khanduri referred to large-scale corruption taking place under incumbent Congress government, both at the Centre and state. He appealed to the party leaders to bring 'misdeeds' of Congress before the people. The Pranteeya Parishad also passed a resolution expressing concern over rising inflation, corruption and crime in the state. 

Dehradun, March 24
The drive against polythene ban is becoming effective in the city though it seems confined to main markets. The prohibition which was resumed on March 15 after a relaxation of one month is getting effective. Most of the shopkeepers have begun providing goods in cloth

bags and charging Rs 5 extra from the customers for each such bag.

Same is with vegetable sellers or other vendors. They are packing loose goods in paper bags free of cost, and also offering cloth bags if customers are ready to pay extra.

The message is spreading gradually. Newspaper clippings can be seen pasted in many shops about the polythene ban and the subsequent penalties for repeated offence. According to shopkeepers, customers have not yet become accustomed to bringing their own jute/cloth bags

and insist on giving polythene bags to carry things. Many customers are not ready to pay extra for the cloth bags as well. It is through these news clippings that the shopkeepers reinforce their compulsion in not keeping stock of polythene bags with them.

District Magistrate BVRC Purushottam said if the ban continued unhindered for a couple of months more, people would get used to bringing their own cloth bags for shopping. The key to the entire campaign is to persist with the ban and the penalties. City Magistrate Harak Singh Rawat, who had been raiding wholesale shops

and even vendors' shops, said: ''I do not insist on charging a particular penalty from poor vendors but make them pay a certain amount according to their convenience so that the penalty pinches them deep inside and reminds them before they repeat the offence,'' he said.

He was not sparing the big wholesalers and was raiding their shops daily, collecting polythene in bulk quantities.

Sadly, most out of the 60 sector magistrates are not playing active part in this campaign. Had they done their bit, this campaign would have been successful long ago. Joint Magistrate Ranjana Verma said that she was taking daily reports from sector magistrates working under her

in the evening about the number of polythene bags collected and the challans issued.

The traders have shed their initial resistance and are supporting the campaign. Vipin Nagliya, president of Doon Traders' Association, said the traders were responding well to the campaign but it was the customers who must make their own arrangements to carry the goods.

Mussoorie, March 24
MPS Khurana has been elected president of the distributors’ association whereas Sanjay Agarwal has been elected secretary for the fourth consecutive time. A meeting in this regard was held at a hotel here today.

Dinesh Goyal has been elected vice-president. The president elect MPS Khurana thanked the members for reposing faith on him for the fourth consecutive term . —OC

Haridwar, March 24
Various matches of quarterfinal and semifinal stages were held today as part of the ongoing annual sports meet at Shantikunj Dev Sanskriti University which was started on Friday.

All final matches will be played tomorrow that include events of athletics, volleyball, tug of war, chess, carrom, steeple chase and cricket.

Sports officer of Dev Sanskriti University Nand Pandey said for the first time sports meet was being held at such a large level.

He appreciated the enthusiasm, spirit and skills put up by the participants making the event a grand success.

Earlier, head of the Shantikunj Gayatri Global Family Dr Pranav Pandya emphasised on the need of a healthy mind and body

Haridwar, March 24
Taking strong cognisance of the illegal demolition of a power corporation office at Chandracharya Chowk, Ranipur Power Corporation has filed a case against two brothers involved in this act.

A complaint has been lodged at Ranipur police station by Executive Engineer Rakesh Kumar against Ajay and Neeraj, sons of Satpal, for creating harm to public property, with an eye on occupying the place for commercial purposes.

Notably, the sub power corporation office was razed last night with transformers and other equipment thrown near the flowing nullah.

Nearby residents said that the whole office was first covered with huge hoardings and later half a dozen workers started demolishing the office.

As Ajay and Neeraj had brought nearby property just adjacent to the power house recently, the duo claim that the land on which the power corporation office was situated now was their property.

On this Executive Officer Rakesh Kumar pointed that the Power Corporation sub office had been at the very same place for decades and they had the authorised lease papers.

Circle Officer Rajesh Bhatt said that a probe is going on in this matter with both the sides being warned to maintain status quo.

He added that in view of the tense situation at the site, police personnel have been deployed as today Power Corporation employees had a verbal duel with the brothers and their supporters. —TNS