New Delhi, May 6
Ahead of the Delhi University's Academic Council meeting on the new syllabi of the Four-Year Undergraduate Programme, scheduled for tomorrow, department heads and faculty concerned today remained tied up in modifying the courses with the last-minute changes suggested during the two-day meeting of the Standing Committee.

Leaving history and sociology courses, the pattern and content of nearly 63 courses now wait for the approval of the Academic Council.

Even as the response to the new format seemed well, concerns about the increased burden on students due to the increased number of subjects were expressed.

"Around 63 courses were discussed and passed and now recommended for consideration of the Academic Council. Courses with research areas have been referred for some changes. Other issues of reading material also came up. The students should not be overburdened," said member of the Academic Council, Prof Rajesh K. Jha.

However, the Bachelors with Honours/B.Tech. degree under the new FYUP, currently proposed for five courses of Food Technology, Electronics, Computer Science, Polymer Science and Instrumentation, is expected to give a fillip to the aspirants. This, the administration says will push their placement prospects.

"As far providing B.Tech., currently the faculty of science and applied sciences has approved it, but any department or discipline can offer to give a B.Tech. degree after getting a sanction. This will improve their market prospects," said Prof Jha.

Other highlights of the new courses ready for approval are: Bachelors of Business Studies (BBS), Bachelors of Business Economics (BBE) and Bachelors of Financial Analysis and Investment. They have been merged to have an integrated Bachelors of Management Studies degree.

"There were three colleges which provided BBS and 10 colleges which offered BBE. Under the new programme, the Faculty of Management Studies is designing the curriculum for the comprehensive course," said the faculty concerned.

New Delhi, May 6
An unemployed youth who had been frustrated by the nagging of his pregnant wife stabbed her to death during an argument in their house in east Delhi's Kalyanpuri locality on Sunday.

The youth named Vikrant was arrested when he surrendered to the police. His wife, Vinita, belonged to Dhadha village in Greater Noida. She lived with him and his parents in Kalyanpuri. Sources claimed that she was nine months pregnant.

The police were informed about the incident at about 9 pm yesterday. They reached the house and found Vinita lying in a pool of blood.

"Vinita sustained multiple stab wounds in her abdomen, which caused excessive bleeding. She was declared brought dead at Lal Bahadur Shastri Hospital," a police officer said.

Vinita married Vikrant in 2012. They often quarrelled because of his unemployment. He was pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in correspondence. The family's livelihood depended on Vikrant's father, Ajit, who works as a cable operator.

"Vinita often nagged Vikrant. He also claims that Vinita taunted him that he must leave his studies and start earning," the officer added.

On Sunday, they had an argument during dinner. Vikrant allegedly grabbed a knife and stabbed Vinita.

Hearing the commotion, Vikrant's parents and brothers rushed to their room, but Vinita had succumbed to her injuries.

A murder case has been registered. The weapon used in the commission of the crime has been seized, according to the police.

Since the woman died within seven years of her marriage, an enquiry by the sub-divisional magistrate has been initiated.

Vinita's body was handed over to her father, Kishanchand, a farmer, after its postmortem on Monday.

New Delhi, May 6
Delhi Lokayukta today ordered that no photograph of Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit and Minister for Public Works Department Raj Kumar Chauhan be carried on the forms offering loan at low rates to entrepreneurs from SC/ST, OBC and minority communities.

The order by the Lokayukta, Justice Manmohan Sarin, came in response to a complaint filed last year by BJP leader Harsh Vardhan who objected to publication of the photographs on the loan forms, saying it was aimed at getting 'undue political gain' from intended beneficiaries.

"Issue an 'advisory' to the Chief Minister and the minister concerned to desist from printing their photographs on the loan application forms under the Dilli Swarojgar Yojna," Justice Sarin said in the order.

Seeking blocking of photographs of Sheila Dikshit and Raj KumarChauhan on the forms, the Lokayukta recommended to the President, Pranab Mukherjee, that a direction be issued to the city government to frame appropriate guidelines for issuance of advertisements, hoardings, etc., featuring photographs of public functionaries.

New Delhi, May 6
The Tihar Jail authorities have been instructed by the Delhi government to chalk out a blueprint for improving security in the jail.

Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit today reviewed the security situation at Tihar Jail at a meeting attended by the Chief Secretary D.M. Spolia, Principal Secretary (Home) Arvind Ray and DG (Prisons) Vimla Mehra.

"The blueprint with comprehensive steps to strengthen the existing security related infrastructure and administrative steps should also be prepared taking into consideration the lapses and deficiencies observed in recent past. The authorities have been directed to submit the blueprint within a week," said Dikshit.

She also instructed the DG (Prisons) to take steps to prevent the incidents of assault among the prisoners. The authorities have been asked to keep all the CCTVs and mobile phone jammers functional.

She underlined the need to check incidents of smuggling of objectionable items inside the jail.

"The authorities were told to keep a close eye on the activities of inmates, especially convicts of dreaded criminal cases," the Chief Minister said.

New Delhi, May 6
A transit camp has been opened for the pilgrims from various states going to attend the annual celebration of 'Urs' Hazrat Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti at Ajmer.

The camp in Burari would continue to May 25 and has been organized by the Department of Revenue, in collaboration with Kanwar Samiti and Tirth Yatra Vikas Samiti.

"The city government has been making arrangement for their comfortable stay in specially prepared transit camp for the past 14 years continuously. It has brought all agencies like MCD, DJB, Mother Dairy, DTC, Rajasthan Tourism, Indian Railways, Health Department, Food and Supplies Department, Police, Kendriya Bhandar, etc., at one place in order to serve the pilgrims," said Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit.

Pilgrims from all parts of the country visit Ajmer Sharif to attend holy celebration. The amenities available includes nine camps, drinking water, electricity, public conveniences, medicines, ambulances, six-bedded hospital, telephone facility, local shopping facility, railway ticket booking counter and kerosene depot.