Woman nominee for MDUTA presidentship
Our Correspondent

Rohtak, September 20
Following the withdrawal of nomination papers by Dr Gulshan Taneja, the Maharshi Dayanand University will witness a direct contest between Dr Sudha Jain, Reader, Sanskrit Department and Dr Narender Kumar Garg, Reader, Commerce Department, for the post of president of the Maharshi Dayanand University Teachers Association (MDUTA) slated for September 27. It is for the first time in the 25-year-long history of

MDUTA that a woman is contesting for the post of president. Dr Sudha Jain is vice-president in the outgoing Executive Committee of MDUTA.

The contest for the post of secretary will also be direct between Dr Himmat Singh Rathee, Lecturer in Economics Department and Dr Ravinder Kumar Singh, Lecturer in Hindi in the University College.

For nine posts of executive committee, there are 14 candidates in the fray. Four of these contestants are from the University College and 10 from University Teaching Department (UTD).

COURTS

HC notice to Delhi Govt, Centre on rag-pickers’ lot
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, September 20
The Delhi High Court has issued a notice to the Centre and the Delhi Government on a petition seeking the implementation of various acts to curb the menace of child labour. In an order issued here today, the court laid stress on the plight of rag-pickers in the Capital.

Bench comprising Justice Anil Dev Singh and Justice R S Sodhi issued notices to the MCD and the NDMC on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) alleging that due to the failure and apathy on the part of respondents to implement the laws to protect the fundamental rights of children, the number of such destitute children was increasing manifold.

The court has asked the respondents to file a reply on October 31. The PIL filed by an NGO, Social Jurist, comprising a group of lawyers submitted that despite the existence of acts like the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, Delhi Primary Education Act, UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, more than five lakh minors are engaged full-time in rag-picking in the Capital.

Social Jurist counsel Ashok Aggarwal said a team of lawyers from the organisation extensively interact with the rag-pickers during the last six months in various parts of the city and it was found that most of those who attended the meetings were girls.

The counsel said the government, after issuing notification in May last year prohibiting the employment of children in rag-picking, has not done anything further to implement it. The PIL submitted that children involved in rag-picking are made to work for long hours in the most unhygienic condition, which jeopardises their physical, mental and moral well-being.

The counsel also pointed out that the study conducted by the group felt that the children were willing to go to school but their complaint was that no attention was given to them and to cap it, they were beaten up in the school.

The PIL sought that the government machinery should make efforts to ensure that no child up to 14 years be allowed to be engaged in rag-picking and they be given compulsory education and free hostels. They also wanted options made for those children who are prevented by their parents from attending schools and are forced to work as rag-pickers.