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Central surveillance team set up to monitor meningitis cases
High alert sounded in Noida hospitals
Need to screen thalassemics before marriage stressed
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Dreaded criminal killed in encounter
Student commits suicide
Parents protest ‘harassment’ of examinees
School principals to pick up management tips at IIMs
Decision on monorail after feasibility study: Govt
BSNL banking on ‘Dataone’ to increase its consumer base
Vidrohi demands probe into ‘illegal’ constructions
12 persons held for rioting in Adarsh Nagar
Experts emphasise the need for safe drinking water
‘Stree Shakti’ camps to empower women
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Central surveillance team set up to monitor meningitis cases
New Delhi, May 8 Sources in NICD said that the remaining samples are being processed. A sample received from Faridabad has also tested positive. The Ministry of Health claimed on Sunday that no deaths resulting from meningitis have been reported in the last 48 hours. Mr P.K. Hota, Secretary, Health, told the Tribune News Service that no deaths due to meningococcaemia were reported between Friday and 1.30 pm on Sunday. At the same time, thirty-three fresh cases of meningococcaemia were reported on Sunday in addition to thirty cases that were reported on Saturday. He said that of the 174 patients, who were being treated in various city hospitals, 43 have been discharged. So far, 15 meningococcaemia deaths have been reported in the national Capital. Mr Hota said that the Health Ministry has issued alert to Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh and has set up a central surveillance team comprising the Director and scientists of NICD, Director General Health Services and senior doctors of AIIMS. Dr Sunil Gupta, microbiologist at NICD told the Tribune News Service that most of the samples tested were sent from hospitals in the Walled city. Since April 26, the NICD has received nearly 51 samples from Bara Hindu Rao, Kasturba Hospital, LNJP, St. Stephen’s and Sant Parmanand Hospital besides samples from Kailash Hospital, Noida and two samples from Faridabad. The NICD received another ten samples today. Dr Gupta said that although there has been a sudden increase in cases of meningitis, it cannot be called an outbreak. He said that NICD has been testing the CSF (Cerebral Spinal Fluid) sample and the blood samples. “After processing these, we need to do culture, smear examination and latex test. While the smear examination and latex test can be done within 15 minutes, the culture test takes 48 hours. Early diagnosis and treatment enhances chances of survival in meningococcaemia.” Dr Gupta said that the NICD has evolved technical guidelines for doctors in consultation with the Directorate General of Health Services and other experts. Apart from this, the NICD is in the process of updating its Communicable Disease (CD) alert on meningitis published in 2000 in consultation with DGHS. It has sent copies of the old CD alert on meningitis to Director, Health Services, Delhi Government and top health officers of Gurgaon,
The President of Delhi Medical Association, Dr K. K. Aggarwal, said that the cases of meningococcaemia being reported from various parts of the city are only a focal outbreak. “We cannot call it an epidemic. It can be called an epidemic only if more than 1,500 cases are reported in a week. There is no need for mass vaccination.”
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High alert sounded in Noida hospitals
Noida/Ghaziabad, May 8 The Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Noida, Dr S. C. Singhal, who has also echoed the words of UP Minister for Family Welfare, Ahmed Hussan, that there is no shortage of necessary medicines in the city hospitals to deal with the menace. A 26-years-old woman, Beena of adjoining Ashok Nagar, East Delhi, died on Saturday at 2 am in Kailash Hospital, Noida. She had been admitted to the hospital in critical condition three days ago. Yatinder Kumar, an eighteen-month-old son of one Deepak, Khora Colony, had also breathed his last yesterday of meningitis, Yatinder was taken ill on April 25. Besides, another victim Yoginder Rai, who had been admitted to Metro Hospital on May 1, also died on Friday morning. After these deaths, the Deputy CMO, Dr S.C. Singhal, has instructed all primary health centres and private hospitals in the G B Nagar district to set up separate wards for meningitis patients. Dr Singhal has confirmed that the deaths of Beena in Kailash Hospital and Yatinder Rai in Metro Hospital while Yatinder Kumar was expired in a Delhi hospital. In Ghaziabad district, a young girl has died of meningitis in Loni area. Her death took place in a Delhi government hospital. However, the Ghaziabad CMO, Dr M. P. Singh, has reportedly expressed ignorance of the death of the girl. The 15-year-old girl, daughter of Badar Ali of Upper-Kot Mohalla, was down with this ailment for many days. On Friday, she was advised treatment in a Delhi hospital in view of her worsening condition. She was rushed to Lok Nayak Hospital, New Delhi, where doctors said she was too late and her condition had already deteriorated. She also died in the hospital early on Saturday morning. She, too, died of meningo coccocemia.
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L-G to take stock of action plan to check spread of meningitis
New Delhi, May 8 The meeting will be attended by Health Minister Yoganand Shastri, Chief Secretary S
Regunathan, Principal Secretary (Health) S. P. Aggarwal, MCD Commissioner Rakesh Mehta, NDMC Chairperson Sindhushree Khullar and
others. — TNS
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Need to screen thalassemics before marriage stressed
New Delhi, May 8 Mr Shastri also said that a new thalassemia ward at Dr Hegdewar and other hospitals are in the offing and the feasibility of including Thalassemics in the list of disabled is being studied. He was addressing a ‘Symposium on Thalassemia’ organised by the National Thalassemia Welfare Society and the Department of Paediatrics, MAMC, LNJP Hospital and Directorate of Health Services, Government of Delhi. It was pointed out that Thalassemia is an inherited disease and about 4 crore Indians are carriers of this gene. As many as 10,000 children, known as Thalassemia major, are born each year. An ICMR study on 12,000 schoolchildren revealed that 5.5 per cent of Delhiites are carriers of the gene. Thalassemics need repeated blood transfusion and costly medicines throughout life and the cost of therapy ranges from Rs 50,000 to Rs 2 lakh per annum. The general secretary of the National Thalassemia Welfare Society, Dr J. S. Arora, said the disease can be prevented by screening Thalassemics before marriage or conception. It was pointed out that the disease has been largely controlled abroad and Thalassemics even enjoy martial life and have normal children. Dr Arora said countries such as Cyprus, Sardinia and Greece in the Mediterranean region, which have a carrier rate of more than 10 per cent, have controlled the disease with effective implementation of National Thalassemia Prevention Programme. However, despite awareness programmes by the government, the country still has no prevention programme.
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Dreaded criminal killed in encounter
Ghaziabad, May 8 The police recovered a pistol, one country-made revolver and a motorbike from the wounded desperado. Two commandos of STF were also reportedly wounded during the encounter. Bhandari was wanted in over 40 heinous cases of murder, loot, abduction and dacoity registered in various police stations. He was considered the key player in the abduction of cable businessman, Ashok Phaphrana and the murder of Meerut jeweller Rahual Jain, the police said. According to STF SSP, Akhil Kumar, police had received a tip-off that Bhandari along with a companion had stepped out from Meerut to accomplish a big crime. Accordingly, Modi Nagar Kotwali SO Ajay Kumar was asked to organise a vehicle check. At about 12 noon, police noticed two men were coming on a motorbike on Chandgi gate near Khanjarpur village on the Hapur Meerut Road. When signalled to stop, both the miscreants opened fire on police and tried to flee. A message was flashed to all police posts in the area and soon Modi Nagar police and STF cops surrounded the criminals in Tibra village forests. In the ensued firing, the criminals had wounded two STF cops. But in return fire, one of the robbers was wounded while the other had escaped. He was declared brought dead at the district hospital. The killed criminal was identified as Rakesh Bhandari. He had played a leading role in the murder of the cable operator Ashok Phaphrana. He had looted one gun and two rifles from police in 2000, while freeing Buntty Gujjar from
the police custody, the police said.
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Student commits suicide
Faridabad, May 8 According to reports, a student identified as Bhagirath son of Satbir of Dakora village near Hodal town in the district, hanged himself on Friday last after he came to know that he had failed in the exam, whose result was declared on May 5. A total of 26,695 students had appeared in the matric exams of the Haryana Board. About 16,130 students were able to clear the exams, making the total pass percentage to 60.42 percent. The result of the CBSE Board papers of both matric and plus two are expected to be declared in the first week of June. Although, this has been the first such case this year, but it is a fact that the pass percentage of the majority of the government schools has been poor in comparison to the results of the students of the privately-managed schools in the district. While the district education authorities do not provide the details about the performance of the government schools, it is reported that the matter was kept under the ‘carpet’ and the culprit schools were hardly exposed. Last year, the results of a government school at a village was one of the poorest. Later, the school was declared closed and was told that until things are improved, the school will not function. It was learnt that there was an acute shortage of staff in the school, and as a result, most of the students failed to clear the annual exams. There are several schools where only a single teacher is available while the students’ strength is around 300 to 500. The Education Minister of Haryana had recently admitted that there had been shortage of teachers in the government schools in the state. At present, posts of around 15,000 teachers have been lying vacant across the state and majority of the teachers of the government schools are being used by the government in various campaigns and surveys affecting adversely the teaching and the studies of the students, a report said. On the other hand, the private schools have been doing far better than the government schools as far as results are concerned.
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Parents protest ‘harassment’ of examinees
Faridabad, May 8 They alleged that neither the examinees nor their parents were allowed to see each other during the break between the two shifts of the examination at the Modern School centre in Sector- 17 here today. As a result, they claimed that the candidates could not even take refreshment or food, which is normally allowed during the break. They said they would take up the matter with the higher authorities on the alleged maltreatment of both candidates during the exams. Naresh Yadav, who had come from Gurgaon with his ward for the test, claimed that the students were not allowed to come out from the exam hall to take some refreshments or meet their attendants waiting outside during the break of over an hour. Stating that it was like confinement of the candidates continuously for about 5.45 hours. As the examinees entered the exam centre at about 9 am and were allowed to come out around 2.45 pm after the end of the exams only while the schedule allowed them a break of about a hour from 12 noon to 1:00 pm. He claimed that his son had not taken any food since the morning. Mr Ashok Chugh, another parent who had come all the way from Kurukshetra, also expressed his resentment over the arrangements and the ban on meeting of the candidates and their parents during the break. Bhajan Lal, a senior official of the MTNL, H. S. Bhatia of Sector- 29 here and D. P. Sharma were among dozens of the parents who protested against the arrangements. According to Mr Sharma, there were many candidates who had no money with them inside the exam hall and could not take any refreshment inside the building. A large number of policemen were posted at the main entrance of
the school.
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School principals to pick up management tips at IIMs
New Delhi, May 8 These principals are headed for the Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Ahmedabad, in September to learn lessons in management. The training programme, it was pointed out, is to help provide the necessary leadership for bringing about the desirable changes in the school environment of a value-oriented climate. Supported by the CBSE, the six-day ‘Strategic Leadership for School Principals’ programme at IIM, Ahmedabad, is being touted as a lesson to pick up the nuances of management, a key word for survival in the competitive world. The Director, Academic, Mr G. Balasubramanian, said the programme is part of the Board’s plans to strengthen the academic climate of its affiliated institutions by “meaningfully responding to emerging challenges of globalisation and Information Technology”. The CBSE has urged affiliated schools to participate in the programme to equip themselves with the recent methods and systems in the administrative and conceptual environment in educational management. Over 350 principals have participated in the programme so far and the feedback from them has been encouraging, the Board officials point out. The broad objectives of the programme would be developing systematic strategies and processes for managing key functional areas in schools, such as financial management and resource mobilisation, management of human resources and interpersonal relations and resolution of conflicts. Identifying and implementing suitable systems of appraisal, evaluation of feedback for teachers and staff will also be given emphasis, besides the place of value and culture in the present educational system and identifying options and evolving choices. Introducing and managing change within the school system in the context of rapid changes taking place in society and role of technology in management of schools will also be covered under the programme. While the schools will have to bear the costs incurred by the principal for the programme,
the CBSE will support the programme for the preparation of necessary materials and inputs and the follow up.
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Decision on monorail after feasibility study: Govt
New Delhi, May 8 The Government of National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi proposes to get a feasibility study conducted before taking a decision on introduction of monorail. In this regard, a private company, Geobase Techniques, has recently made a presentation to the Chief Minister, Mrs Sheila Dikshit. According to sources in the Union Urban Development Ministry, the Indian company, having collaboration with Hitachi of Japan, has claimed that it would be able to do the job at a low capital cost of Rs 45 crore per kilometre, as against that of Metro Rail of Rs 130 crore. The company maintained that the operational cost would be 20 per cent to 30 per cent less than that of the Metro Rail, the construction time would be less and there would be least amount of dislocation of the current traffic during the period of construction. It was safer too, it claimed. About the capacity, sources said each coach, which is self-propelled, has a capacity of 90 to 120 passengers. It has also been claimed that it can carry a passenger load up to 48,000 per hour, per direction. Besides, it would cause no air pollution and the silent operation ensures no noise pollution either. On land requirement, it has been said that the system is stated to require only a right of way and virtually no land. The National Capital Regional Planning Board has also facilitated preparation of project proposals intended to enhance connectivity in the region such as Eastern and Western Peripheral Expressway and Integrated Rail-cum-Bus Transit System.
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BSNL banking on ‘Dataone’ to increase its consumer base
Faridabad, May 8 Claiming that the service has a bright future, he said that the BSNL has commissioned the equipment and machinery required for the smooth operation and the new connections are being released progressively. The total capacity of the present infrastructure of the broadband equipment has at least 2,600 connections and it would be increased with the time and demand, he said. Claiming that the ‘Dataone’ is a better service, he said that the ‘Netone’ Internet service, provided by the corporation on the existing landline phone connections, is also getting popular. However, the experts feel that the consumer base for the ‘Dataone’ could increase manifold if the BSNL decreased the monthly charges, as the present rates are slightly on higher side, and this is perhaps the reason for its popularity. Harping on the annual achievements of the BSNL in the district during the past financial year, the GM claimed that a total of 10,490 new lines have been added to the present infrastructure and over 5,000 connections were released during the period. He said the switching capacity of the district telephone system had gone up to 1.82 lakh, while the total working connections have been over 1.10 lakh at present. He said the waiting list of 2,890 is in the rural areas only, but with the expansion and addition of the network, the demand of new connections would be met progressively. Admitting that there could be some problems for the consumers in the matter of depositing the bills, he said the total number of customer service centres have been gone up to nine, besides the opening of seven new bill collection centres in the city. According to the BSNL authorities, 3,290 mobile phone connections have been released and 27 leased lines commissioned during the period. According to the sources, as many as 1,867 phone connections have been restored and a pending amount of Rs 35 lakh has been recovered as part of the various ‘Rental Waiver’ schemes launched. The amount realised by the BSNL during 2004-05 was around Rs 119 crore, while the total billing is around Rs 118 crore.
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Vidrohi demands probe into ‘illegal’ constructions
Faridabad, May 8 Alleging an existence of a strong mafia involved in the encroachment, construction and mining, he claimed that the ecological balance in the region has been disturbed due to unbalanced construction activity in Faridabad and Gurgaon districts. In a statement here today, Mr Vidrohi said that it was a fact that property prices in both Faridabad and Gurgaon had increased beyond expectations in the past few years and this was due to many factors. However, he alleged that several shady land deals had taken place in the past decade and many of the land allotments to many societies, boards and trusts had been done by the state governments by setting aside the norms and rules on many occasions. He said the Congress party in its charge sheet prepared against the previous state government just before the last Assembly polls had highlighted some of the cases of alleged land grabbing or suspected deals. Stating that the total cost of the land allotments and deals done in the past over 10 years or so could be in several hundreds of crores, he said it was the duty of the present government, which had promised to wipe out corruption, to probe such cases and expose the politicians and the officials, who he said had been involved in such deals. Quoting the recent notice of the Forest Department in the matter of the ‘illegal’ construction in the Aravalli hills adjoining the Delhi border in Faridabad district, he said the government should find and punish the people responsible for the alleged violation of construction laws in the area. He alleged that influential persons, including politicians and officials, were behind the construction scandal. A revenue official had been suspended by the previous government after some dispute arose over the consolidation work, which could never be completed. He said the government should immediately order a high-level inquiry into the reports that some influential persons were still selling the unconsolidated land in the Surajkund area to private parties and builders, which he alleged was totally illegal. He demanded that the probe should include all the deals and sale of land that was done in these districts in the past 20 years.
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Playing with light to create a visual impact
Ravi Bhatia Tribune News Service
New Delhi, May 8 An exhibition of his photographs was inaugurated on Sunday at the Annexe of the India International Centre here by none other than Mr S. Paul, an eminent photographer and a former colleague, who was effusive in praise of some of the photographs on display. The exhibition will be open for public viewing till May 13. Visitors and critics were both amazed at the range of the photographs and the judicious use of available light to highlight or emphasise a particular aspect of the subject. In some the colours are subdued while in others they are bright and intense adding to the visual impact. It is apparent that the all-important combination of light and shade has been given prominence while shooting. For Mr Karlekar, whose journalistic career began way back in 1963, “photography is an endless quest to capture the light of truth revealed through the beauty as well as the starkness of visual images and their underlying metaphors”. Mr Karlekar, who started seriously pursuing photography from 1988, asserts that “life is a perennial search for light–the one without that makes the cosmos visible and the one within that illuminates the self and reveals its truth”. A Nieman Fellow at Harward in 1966-67, Mr Karlekar is currently consulting editor to the Pioneer and member of the Press Council of India. Saurangi Festival at Kamani Auditorium
Red Earth in collaboration with Shriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra and Swar Dharohar is organising a two- day Saurangi Festival at the Kamani Auditorium here on May 9 and May 10 as a tribute to the legendary late Ustad Siddique Ahmed Khan. Sarangi, one of the most sophisticated instruments of the Indian musical tradition, is found in both folk and classical musical traditions in North India, under varying names and forms. It derives its name from ‘Saurangi’, after which this festival is also named. Literally it means ‘one with a hundred colours’. The Sarangi has been the traditional accompaniment of Hindustani vocal music by virtue of the closeness of its notes to the human voice and its ability to replicate patterns of vocal music. There has also been an interesting nexus between Sarangi players and vocalists, with several Sarangi players, like Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan and Ustad Amir Khan, for example, taking to vocal music, vocal musicians learning from Sarangi maestros, and such other multi-directional flows. Of late, the Sarangi has been unceremoniously replaced by the harmonium in vocal music performances, and as a consequence its popularity is on the decline. That, coupled with the fact that it is a very difficult instrument to learn and master, has led to a situation whereby it is becoming rarer and rarer to hear the Sarangi. The maestros from the older generation can be counted on fingertips; and few music enthusiasts of the new generation want to learn the Sarangi. Besides accompaniment, it is also an instrument that has vast potentialities as a solo instrument, and it is thanks to the efforts of stalwarts like Ustad Bundu Khan and Pandit Ram Narayan that the Sarangi has found place in the Hindustani music pantheon as a solo instrument. However, the overall state of affairs seems bleak and there is an urgent need to take steps to ensure the preservation and continuation of this invaluable musical heritage. The Saurangi Festival is a small step in this direction. It aims to provide a much needed performance platform to the Sarangi. While the focus of the festival is the Sarangi, it also includes vocal and other instrumental performances, and hence is indeed ‘one with a hundred colours’, much like the Sarangi. This first of its kind event will feature Sarangi solos by some eminent Sarangi players, as well as young and upcoming Sarangi players. In addition, all other performances in the festival will be accompanied by Sarangi. The grand finale of the festival will be a performance by ‘The Saurang Ensemble’, featuring 12 Sarangi players, in musical collaboration with western musicians. Saurang Parampara is a society formed by musicians belonging to a branch of the Moradabad gharana to perpetuate the art of playing the traditional instrument. The society is headed by Sarangi maestro Ustad Ghulam Sabir Khan, who presently gives tutelage to a number of Sarangi players and some vocalists in Delhi. Since 2003, the society has been involved with promotion and propagation of the Indian performing arts, with a special focus on traditions of Sarangi playing. The society has been organising music concerts to foreground the Sarangi. Two such concerts, both dedicated to Sarangi maestro late Ustad Siddique Ahmad Khan (1914-2003) were held in New Delhi in 2003 and 2004, and were very well received by musicians and music lovers of the city
Lado Sarai, South Delhi located Heart and Soul-Fine Arts Gallery here is presenting an exhibition entitled, “Spirit of the Sikhs” consisting of selected watercolors by Aparimita Sapru from May 8 to May 22. Conceived and curated by Sandeep Magazine, the exhibition through judiciously selected paintings, effectively brings out the spirit of the Sikhs, their bravery, their piety, their selfless service to the community and above all, their sense of sacrifice. The exhibition is not only a must see for the members of the Sikh community but for all those who are interested in studying Sikhism through carefully crafted paintings.
Seven artists from Chennai are presenting an exhibition of their paintings called the Summer Show-2005 at the Lalit Kala Akademi here from May 7 to May 13. The artists participating in the Summer Show are Amruthas Ranjani. K, Anuradha K Moorthy, N. Manoharan, R. B. Murari, K. Ramachandran, A.Z. Ranjit and Varshita Ravindranathan. Many of them are known names in the art circles of the Capital.
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12 persons held for rioting in Adarsh Nagar
New Delhi, May 8 According to the police, an unidentified person stabbed two persons on the railway lines near Old Delhi Railway station. When the people brought them to the Babu Jagjiwan Ram Hospital, they allegedly refused to give them first aid. Later, they were taken to the Hindu Rao Hospital where the victims were declared brought dead. The protestors were demanding action against those who were behind the two deaths in the Azad Pur Sabzi Mandi area last night and the hospital authorities, who refused to provide first aid to the victims. The incident occurred this afternoon when an agitated mob was demonstrating against the police at the Adarsh Nagar police station. According to the DCP, North East district, Mr Rajesh Khurana, “It was a matter concerning the Railway police as the stabbing incident occurred near the railway lines near the Old Delhi Railway Station area. Even as we tried to convince the people, some local politicians intervened and the people started pelting stones on the police party and the DTC buses. To control the mob, we had ordered a lathi-charge. However, no one was seriously injured in the episode.” He said that the police have arrested 12 persons in this connection.
Five nabbed
for stealing cooking gas
With the arrest of five persons, the Delhi Police claimed to have busted a gang allegedly stealing cooking gas by tampering with the seal of cylinders before supplying them to customers of various gas agencies. The accused persons arrested have been identified as Ram Charan, Kripa Shanker, Rajeev Singh, Vishnu and Raghu Nath Pandey. They were arrested near the CGHS dispensary in Paharganj area, said the police. The police said 49 cylinders, pipes and a weighing machine were seized from them while they were taking out gas from the cylinders. The accused persons tampered with the seal, the police said. A case under various sections of the Indian Penal Code has been registered against
them. — TNS
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Experts emphasise the need for safe drinking water
New Delhi, May 8 The discussion primarily focused on educating people about quality of groundwater and various water purifying technologies that are appropriate. A panel of expert doctors including Dr Abhay Kumar, Chief Scientist, Eureka Forbes Institute of Environment (EFIE), Dr Vinod Kaul, renowned Microbiologist and Mr K. M. Johnson, Scientist, EFIE, addressed this
issue. — TNS
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‘Stree Shakti’ camps to empower women
New Delhi, May 8 The Chief Minister, Ms Sheila Dikshit, visited several camps organised in all nine districts of the Capital under the ‘Bhagidari Stree Shakti Project’ aimed at empowerment of women. Expressing concern over the health of women, Ms Dikshit advocated yoga and other alternative system of medication to keep themselves fit. She said that they should be more conscious about their health and proactively seek medical help whenever
required. — TNS
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