New Delhi, June 4
Given the overhauled curricula under the Four Year Undergraduate Programme (FYUP) and finalised teaching workload, Delhi University can no longer delay the appointment of permanent faculty to nearly 4,000 posts held currently by ad hoc teachers.

The recruitment to the said posts has been pending for about two years now and with fewer than two months to go for the beginning of the new academic session, the university administration today sent letters to the principals of 64 colleges to reassess the gaps in the teaching positions in keeping with the revised workload and re-appropriation of seats in different courses.

"Re-appropriation of seats is over as per the faculty requirement and the workload. The colleges are now aware of the teachers' strength and the requirement due to increased seats. So, they now have to get sanction for the same," said Prof Umesh Rai, director of the South Campus.

Under the new course structure, not only has the students' intake climbed up in a majority of the courses, the teachers' workload too has risen significantly with some colleges introducing fresh courses this time.

Prof Rai said, "By implementing the roster of the SC/ST and the physically challenged now colleges have to advertise the posts and for that they have to get sanctions."

He said that by July 15, colleges should be in a position to finalise the recruitment of permanent teachers and by the end of July, recruitments have to be completed before the commencement of the classes.

The development has been welcomed by the Academics for Action & Development (AAD).

AAD chairperson Aditya Narayan Misra said, "It is a step in the right direction. In the process of assessment during selection, due weight should be given to the temporary teachers' experience."

New Delhi, June 4
The plan of the long-awaited expansion of Safdarjung Hospital got a nod with the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs today approving the Phase I of redevelopment of the hospital at an estimated cost of Rs 1,332 crore.

It is proposed that the entire project should be completed within three years and 11 months, including 12 months of commissioning, operationalisation and stabilization.

The sanctioned outlay is inclusive of Rs 165 crore towards expense on operations for the first one year. Under the Phase I, the hospital would see an augmentation in the form of two separate building blocks having a 807-bedded super specialty-cum-paid ward block and a 500-bedded emergency block. Both the blocks would come up with the intensive care unit beds.

The super specialty-cum-paid ward block would cater to the patients needing cardiac surgery, endocrinology, neurosurgery, neurology, etc. 

New Delhi, June 4
Two persons, including a minor girl, allegedly committed suicide in Delhi on Monday. In the first incident, a 17-year-old maid allegedly ended her life at her employer's residence in Safdarjung Enclave of south Delhi on Monday night.

The deceased has been identified as Rashmi, who was found hanging from a ceiling fan. The victim had been working in her employer's house, a businessman, for the past five years.

She reached the house on Monday evening and locked herself up in the servant's room. She then purportedly hanged herself using a dupatta.

The businessman returned home and when he didn't notice her, he peeked through her room. He saw her hanging. The police were informed about the incident at 10 pm. They rushed the victim to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, where doctors declared her dead.

Investigators said they have not recovered a suicide note. They have informed the family of the deceased. The police are trying to determine the cause of her suicide.

In the second incident, a 24-year-old man allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself from a ceiling fan at his residence in the Timarpur area of north Delhi on Monday morning.

The man identified as Satish was allegedly depressed as his wife left him. Investigators claim that his neighbours have confirmed this fact.

New Delhi, June 4
The President of India, Pranab Mukherjee, inaugurated a renovated shopping complex in the Rashtrapati Bhavan today.

The shopping complex includes Shakti Haat, an outlet where self-help groups (SHGs) will market their products like homemade masalas, organic compost and handmade envelopes. The complex will also have a 'Safal' outlet, Kendriya Bhandar, tailors, salons for gents and ladies.

The Kendriya Bhandar retail store is the 94th outlet in Delhi and the first at the President's Estate.

New Delhi, June 4
A pilot project to facilitate re-use of kitchen-waste water for horticulture purposes in colonies has been started at Vasant Kunj. The project will take off with the support of the Delhi Parks and Garden Society under the state government.

In an effort to keep parks of the colonies green without using fresh groundwater, kitchen-waste water from flats is being used for the system.

Through a series of filter screen, settlement tanks and grease taps, it removes impurities from the waste water and makes it fit for maintaining the greenery of the parks. The Resident Welfare Association (RWA) has installed a treatment plant in the Central Park.

Over 80 per cent of the water that falls on our roads and rooftops is wasted as it flows out through our drains and to use this water the RWAs has also used the abandoned tubewell in Central Park for rainwater harvesting system.

"The system takes water from the rain, water drain running next to park. This drain not only carries surplus rainwater, but also the overflows of the residents' water tank. The water is cleaned through a settlement tank and then a three-stage membrane filter. Clean water then entered the abandoned tubewell and adds to the groundwater reserve in the park," said a senior Delhi government official.

The project has been appreciated by Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit as it is a unique initiative to promote water conservation in a big way, she said. She added that this is a timely initiative which would prove to be a role model for other RWAs.

"Once a large number of RWAs adopt this system, water conservation efforts would gain momentum. The efforts would also go a long way in maintaining the greenery in the locality," she said.