New Delhi, November 18
Apprehensive about the feasibility of the mandatory pollution under control (PUC) plan, the Delhi government has sought report from the state transport department and traffic police to assess the conditions of its certificate issuing centres, even as it has already decided to implement the plan in the city from December 1.

There are around 400 PUC centres under the Delhi transport department and the government has asked for a report on the working conditions of these centres and whether their timing can be extended beyond the current 9 am to 5 pm in order to ensure smooth functioning at the refuelling station.

The government is also deliberating to put only diesel and commercial vehicles under the net from December 1 as it is concerned about the massive rush of vehicles at petrol pumps following the implementation of the order.

"There are still some challenges in the plan that needs to be addressed. The petrol pump dealers have also raised concern about handling the sudden jam. Therefore, we might first implement it for diesel and commercial vehicles only," said a senior Delhi government official.

According to the official, implementing the order first on diesel and commercial vehicles will give the government some time to spread awareness about the campaign on the mandatory PUC certificate.

The new proposal allows fuel stations to refuse fuel if the vehicle doesn't have a valid PUC certificate.

The Petroleum Dealers Association has also written to the Lieutenant Governor on the problems of implementing the decision. "It will be practically very difficult to check PUC of every vehicle at the petrol pumps. It will create problems as a petrol pump caters to nearly 6,000 vehicles daily. The checking of every vehicle for the certificate will double the time taken for filling a vehicle," said a petrol pump dealer.

According to the PUC proposal, the fine for the first violation would be Rs 1,000 and thereafter, Rs 2,000 for subsequent violations.

New Delhi, November 18
With a view to spreading the message of total sanitation and putting an end to the scourge of open defecation, a three-day International Toilet Festival began here today, on the eve of World Toilet Day.

Around 900 students from nine Delhi schools, delegates from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Bhutan, a group of liberated manual scavengers and about 100 widows from Vrindavan took part in the event organised by Sulabh International at New Delhi's Central Park.

Following a walkathon, the students carrying placards, came together to form a human chain. They were later administered a pledge of cleanliness.

Hailing Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of having a toilet in every household by 2019, Sulabh International Founder Bindeshwar Pathak said that the country may finally get to realise Mahatma Gandhi's dream of total sanitation.

Lamenting the fact that previous governments did not adopt the 'Sulabh model', he expressed hope that the Modi government will replicate it, which he claimed will help the government in achieving its objective of total sanitation.

"Our model has helped in putting an end to the large-scale open defecation in many areas apart from liberating many manual scavengers. The Alwar and Tonk model should be replicated all over the country," he said.

As per Census 2011, over 67 per cent rural households of the country do not have access to toilets leading to large-scale open defecation.

The first World Toilet Day was launched in 2001 after a resolution was co-sponsored by 122 countries at the 67th General Assembly of United Nations.

In 2010, the UN released statistics that were shocking-- more people had access to a mobile phone in India than a toilet. Now in 2014, estimates put mobile phone penetration at about 74 per cent of the Indian population while almost 600 million people in India - or nearly half of the Indian population - still practise open defecation.

New Delhi, November 18
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh today made a surprise inspection of Swachhta Abhiyan at various locations in the national Capital, including New Delhi railway station, Paharganj and a police station.

Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung also accompanied the Home Minister.

The minister visited New Delhi railway station where he inspected the Sulabh toilet complex and taxi stand and asked for maintaining cleanliness. He also visited the Shivaji Stadium bus terminal and asked passengers about the difficulties which they face regarding transport.

Rajnath Singh later reached the Paharganj police station in central Delhi and inspected various offices, including the women's desk, prison rooms, and the functioning of CCTVs.

"There has been a good improvement in the conditions, but a lot more is yet to be done for making the police stations and other complexes environment-friendly," he said.

Rajnath Singh had instructed the Delhi Police Commissioner B.S. Bassi on October 4 to get all the police stations cleaned.

Continuing with his surprise inspection, he next headed to the office of the deputy commissioner of the North Delhi Municipal Corporation.

Finding old and seized vehicles dumped here and there, he directed the officials to keep the complex and parking zone neat and clean.

The Union Home Minister later visited the casualty and emergency ward of the Lok Nayak Hospital and interacted with people standing in long queues at the pharmacy section.

He asked the hospital's medical superintendent to ensure that the people who come there get the best possible treatment.

New Delhi, November 18
Airport Authority of India, Indian Railway, Delhi Zoo, state-run NTPC, DDA, Delhi University are among a host of defaulters listed by the south corporation which have been served notices for failing to pay property taxes, a senior official of the SDMC today said.

Top officials at the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) said the outstanding dues from such parties have incurred huge losses to the civic body.

Delhi Zoo, a favourite hang-out for city dwellers, now faces a closure threat, as it has "not paid" the property tax to the corporation, "since its inception".

"Property tax worth about Rs 15 crore is due from Delhi Zoo since 2004. We have already served them several notices, including a show cause notice, followed by a demand notice. But, so far no response has been received from the Zoo side, except a few visit by their officials, Deputy Collector, said SDMC, Amit Gupta.

He said, notification has been sent to their banks too, to attach Delhi Zoo's bank account but so far no action has been initiated from their (bank's) side either.

"We may now take further action, but we are trying to have a dialogue with the Zoo authorities to resolve the matter," SDMC Assessor and Collector Rajesh Pathak said.

"We may even have to take penal action like sealing the property but, we are looking to resolve this matter with the Zoo," Pathak said.

"And, we are only asking the amount applicable since the Unit Area Method (UAM) system was brought in by the corporation. But, that too they are not willing to pay," Gupta said.

When contacted, a senior official of DDA said, "We do not have any comment to make as the matter is sub judice."

Delhi Zoo curator said, "We do not have any details. We will look into into the matter and the Zoo's director will be informed about the pendency." In his reaction, Delhi University's Media Coordinator and Joint Dean of Students' Welfare Malay Neerav said, "I will have to check with the department concerned to know whether we have received any such notice or not." Set up in the mid-1950s, Delhi Zoo comes under the Central Zoo Authority (CZA).

According to SDMC officials, Delhi Zoo is arguing that, "It (Zoo) need not pay taxes to the corporation, unless an agreement was done under the Union government and the SDMC." "But, we have trying to tell the Zoo authorities that under the DMC Act, they are liable to pay taxes to us," Gupta said.—PTI

New Delhi, November 18
Faculty at the University of Delhi is being offered an opportunity to go abroad for pursuing Masters courses in 17 different subjects, with the varsity funding their higher education.

"The faculty preferably upto the age of 35 years will be sponsored by DU to do a Masters in areas where we need to strengthen our teaching and learning. The initiative is aimed at bringing our teachers at par with international scholars in diverse disciplines," DU's Dean of International Relations Anand Prakash said.

A batch of 35 teachers will be selected for pursuing one-year Masters course abroad. While the varsity will sponsor their course fee, travel and accommodation expenses, they will also be paid one-year salary by their respective departments.

"The expenditure by the varsity on each of the candidates will sum up to around 15 lakh. We have tied up with certain universities where the teachers will be sent," he said.

The partner universities include University of Nottingham, University of Edinburgh, University of British Columbia, University of Birmingham, University of Glasgow and King's College London.

The universities selected are part of the 'Universitas 21', a leading global network of research- intensive universities of which DU is also a member.

DU has identified 17 areas from which the teachers can choose including International Accountancy, Finance Systems Biology, Bio-informatics, Quantitative Genetics, Actuarial Mathematics Advance Genomics, Nanotechnology, Applied Chemistry and Web Management among others.

"The varsity has received a grant from the Government of India under the University of Excellence Grant for the training of teachers in emerging areas, and hence we have come up with this 'Faculty Training Programme'," added Prakash.

A total of 50 teachers have been sent in past by the varsity to different universities abroad for their Master degrees, but in the past year no faculty was sent due to non-sanctioning of funds. The subjects have varied in past depending upon the varsity's requirement.

"The teachers who will be selected will have to sign a legal bond with the varsity according to which they will be bound to complete their course within the stipulated time and will have to serve the varsity for at least three years after the completion of course," he said.

The interested teachers have to send a Statement of Purpose in 500 words to their respective colleges, which will be scrutinised by a selection committee. — PTI