New Delhi, June 1
Queues that moved fast, no temper tantrums and an unprecedented pace of work, the first day of the sale of applications for admission to various undergraduate programmes in Delhi University was unlike the years before.

“I went to the counter in the Dean of Students’ Welfare (DSW) office at 9.40 am and was surprised to see that students were already purchasing forms. The counter was supposed to open at 10 am,” said Harsh Vardhan, who managed to procure a form in less than an hour.

The university sold 42598 ICR forms on the first day today, with the maximum number, 6500 being sold at Kirori Mal College

As many as 3770 forms were sold in DSW, 3525 in Shradhanand College, 3466 in Vivekanand College and 4200 in Gargi College. Last year the selling counters had seen a different picture, the waiting queues had lost their tempers over the fear of all forms being sold out on the first day.

The university has set up 16 counters this year for the sale of forms, while three are on main campus, the rest have been spread over on South Campus and some colleges.

“There are four counters in the DSW office, four in the Arts faculty and two in Kirori Mal College. Besides, we have also made the provision for an extra counter at the DSW itself, if the need arises,” said a university official.

With both the human and vehicular traffic being effectively managed, the university saw less of a commotion this year. The university officials claimed that they have made adequate arrangements to meet the requirement. “There are forms for everyone. We have provided all the 16 centres with the required number of forms and there is no need for anyone to panic,” said the Registrar, Mr Amrinder Dubey.

Refusing to reveal the exact number of forms that have been provided to each centre, he said, “There is a formula that we have worked out and each centre has been given forms according to their need.”

While most counters gave one form to a person, there were instances when some persons were allowed up to three forms. “Our aim is to stop people from indulging in unfair practices, if someone wants two forms, we usually give them. However, if someone is asking for 20, we know there is something wrong,” Mr Dubey said.

And it was not just the ICR forms that were being sold to the students despite having an option of applying in eight colleges and 10 courses of their choice in one ICR form.

“I just wanted to see the college prospectus and I am thinking of applying through the ECA quota (extra-curricular activities quota). Besides, it just makes me feel secure,” said Neha Ahuja who was standing in a serpentine queue in Kirori Mal College.

New Delhi, June 1
Nipun with 92 per cent in his class XII exams is a wheelchair user, which means, despite his high score he may not secure admission to the college and the course of his choice as almost all Delhi University colleges are disabled-unfriendly.

Nine years after the Disability Act 1995 made it mandatory for a barrier-free environment and seven years after the University Grants Commission (UGC) announced a special scheme, colleges have done nothing to make their premises disabled-friendly for either lack of knowledge or sheer will.

“It’s been a long time since the Disability Act was passed, colleges in the prestigious Delhi University do not have even a ramp,” said Javed Abidi, National Center for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People (NCPEDP).

The NCPEDP team that visited five colleges of the university to gauge the facilities that are available there, have found out that two of the colleges, Hindu and SRCC did not have a barrier-free entrance. All five including Gargi, Miranda, Sri Venkasteswara had steps at the entrance, but no ramps. The classrooms were accessible, but the toilets were not accessible in all five colleges. Braille books and cassettes were not available in Gargi and SRCC and interestingly, all five colleges were not aware of the UGC’s special grant.

“The special grant that the UGC provides to the colleges allows them to make the required changes on the premises. It’s a question of a few
lakh rupees, yet the colleges have not applied for the grant, which is a substantial amount,” Abidi said.

Of the 1010 seats that were reserved for the disabled in DU last year, a little more than 300 were admitted. “This is not because the disabled

are lazy or not intelligent, they have no avenues to go to college. There are colleges that have no provisions for holding classes on the ground floor, no ramps, no elevators, not even wide door in toilets for wheelchair users,” he said.

“If a private school can provide facilities why not the government, who have the money and the mandate,” questions Abidi, but for Nipun it is a simple question of whether he will make it to college.

“Cut-offs are the deciding factors, what is the use of these cut-offs if one can’t even go to college,” he asks.

New Delhi, June 1
Two suspects of bomb blast cases in two cinema halls in the Capital have been remanded in police custody for 10 days by a city court today.

They are allegedly activists of the Babbar Khalsa militant outfit. The bomb explosion occurred on May 22 which killed one person and injured 50.

Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Madhu Jain sent Balvinder Singh and Jagannath Yadav in custody till June 10 after police sought time for their interrogation to get clues to their two accomplices and effect recoveries. The Special Cell of Delhi Police had yesterday arrested Balvinder from Nawashahr in Punjab and Jagannath from Patel Nagar here. Two of their associates, Jaspal Singh and Vikas, were yet to be nabbed.

New Delhi, June 1
A Delhi court today granted anticipatory bail to Lajpat Nagar SHO V K Malhotra who is wanted by the CBI in connection with a bribery case.

Special CBI Judge Dinesh Dayal, however, directed Malhotra to appear before the CBI tomorrow and help the investigation of the case. In case he is arrested by the investigating agency, Mr Dayal ordered that he be released on furnishing a bail bond of Rs 50,000.

Malhotra had moved an anticipatory bail plea as the CBI was on the lookout for him after the arrest of his junior colleague while accepting bribe. The CBI had arrested Malhotra’s subordinate Sub-Inspector Purinder Singh on charges of accepting a bribe of Rs 30,000. It had registered a case against Malhotra for allegedly conniving with Singh in the transaction.

The raid was conducted on a complaint that the accused had demanded Rs 50,000 for extending official favour in a case. The complainant submitted that the amount was reduced to Rs 30,000 after negotiations.

Mr Dayal allowed the absconding cop’s plea after noting that there were certain contradictions in the FIR registered. The court noted that while the complainant first mentioned that he had talked to Malhotra, later he expressed doubts whether the SHO would agree to the amount being paid by him.

Bulandshahr, June 1
The criminals in Bulandshahr district have become so bold that instead of fleeing on seeing the cops, they pounced upon them, beat them up and snatched rifles of two of them. Later, the police claimed to have recovered the rifles in a combing operation in the area. The criminals are still at large.

A case for looting government firearms from the policemen and attacking them with intention to murder has been registered in a police station against the unidentified criminals.

In another incident, the residents of Chitsone village under Salimpur police station had pelted stones on the policemen for having arrested a youth, who was accused of loot in the area. Three cops, including the SO in-charge of the police station, received severe head injuries in the stone throwing by the villagers.

Cops Kanwar Singh and Krishen Gopal were on night patrol in Rabura town under Titav police station on Tuesday night when they saw about 12 criminals roaming in the area. Later, the criminals attacked both the policemen. After injuring them, the miscreants snatched the rifles from the policemen and fled away. Later, the injured cops reached the local police post and told them what had happened with them. In the other incident, Khurja Dehat police had picked up Dharminder, son of Dayanand Sharma of Chitsone village for allegedly snatching Rs 90,000 from a dairyman near village Dharaon. He was sent to jail after Rs 24,000 had been recovered from him.

Later, Dharminder’s relatives and all the villagers had jammed Bulandshahr, Badayun road and pelted stones on the policemen. SI Neeraja Singh, constables Jatinder and Jai Kumar, had got serious head injuries in the stone pelting by the villagers. The police have arrested Dharminder’s mother Kamlesh, father Dayanand and uncle Jagidish, for pelting stone on police. 

New Delhi, June 1
The Delhi Police have arrested four persons for planning a dacoity in the North district area. The police claimed to have recovered silver jewellery, one countrymade pistol and live cartridges from their possession.

The accused have been identified as Sarwan (27), Sonu (23), Gurmeet Singh (27) and Sameer Khan (21).

The police also claimed that the accused were allegedly involved in a case of night burglary that took place in Timarpur sometime back. In another case, the West district police have arrested five persons and solved more than a dozen cases of burglaries that took place in the area.

The accused have been identified as Dhruv Kumar (32), Sanjay (25), Deepak (21), Chaman Ali (28) and Barkat Ali (24). The police also claimed to have recovered stolen property, button-actuated knives, countrymade pistol and live cartridges from their possession.

The police said that before committing the burglary in any house, the head of the gang Dhruv, alias Nepali, conducted a recce and chose such houses that usually were locked for long.

Greater Noida, June 1
Two youths, who were trying to rectify some snag in their scooter at Amka railway crossing, were run over by the Magadh Express under Surajpur police station areas.

The families of the deceased have demanded compensation saying that railway authorities were are responsible for the tragedy. About five years ago, nine people had died when a bus had been crushed by a train at this very level crossing.

Pintu Naggar, 22, a resident of Saini village and Dharminder Naggar, 20, were on their way to Dadri to see their nephew admitted in a hospital in Dadri. While the railway crossing gate was locked as Magadh Express from Aligarh side was expected, Dharminder and Pintu tried to cross the railway track from a temporary Katcha road. But on the railway track, their scooter got stuck. As they were trying to make a move, they were run over by the Magadh Express.

Faridabad, June 1
The police have booked a person on charges of raping a Plus Two student in the NIT area here. The complaint lodged with the Kotwali police station here said that the victim had been receiving tuition from the accused, identified as Jai Narayan, for the past eight months.

It is stated that the accused developed a close intimacy with the girl and had physical relations with her for the past several months based on the promise that he would be marrying her soon. But it is claimed that when the girl asked him to marry her finally, he declined to do so. The victim then told her parents about it, who lodged a complaint against the accused that he had raped her and had threatened her. The police have registered a case under sections 376 and the 506 of the IPC. No arrest has been made so far.

Faridabad, June 1
While the Haryana Government is likely to announce its new industrial policy very soon, with the assurances of some more favourable measures to boost the production and manufacturing, the local entrepreneurs have raised some of the demands, which they think were must to be fulfilled for a proper beginning on this front. The issues concerned were raised at a meeting with the Industry Minister of Haryana.

Mr Lachhman Dass Arora was here to chair the annual meeting of the Faridabad Industries Association (FIA) here yesterday. The representatives of the FIA claimed that the city had been contributing as many as 70 per cent of the total revenue collected for the state exchequer annually and this could grow more sharply and in a healthy manner if the things could be carried on in a proper manner. They said the total annual exports from the city had gone up to Rs 1,500 crore per year and it had the potential of touching up to Rs 5,000 crore in near future.

According to the president of the FIA, the foremost thing expected from the authorities was the speedy development and maintenance of the basic infrastructure as the competition had gone up in view of the globalisation and the implementation of the WTO agreement. He said the government should ensure speedy completion of the Badarpur flyover at the Delhi border and take up the construction of the Kalindikunj Express Highway connecting Faridabad with Noida and Ghaziabad and other parts of the NCR and the state.

Seeking reduction of the sales tax rate from the existing four per cent to two per cent, the Association has asked the government to ensure the release of the maximum amount of funds from the Local Area Development Tax collected, for the development here. It said that the financial condition of the Municipal Corporation Faridabad (MCF) was worsened beyond any check since the abolition of the octroi in the state.

It added that keeping in mind the industrial status and the growing need of the area, the government should take steps to create a ‘Special Economic Zone’ on the pattern adopted in many other state to provide the required thrust to the industrial and economic activity here. The association has also demanded extension of the Metro train and setting up of a mother unit at Faridabad.

Earlier, the Industry Minister assured that the new industrial policy to be unveiled by the Chief Minister on June 6 would be quite favourable for the industry and business. He said the government would be doing its best to maintain a proper law and order situation in the state and would be promoting the sector with all out efforts. The MCF authorities claimed that an amount of about Rs 3.25 crore was spent on the development of infrastructure in the industrial zone here in the last year.

Gurgaon, June 1
A security guard of the Corporation Bank of DLF branch was shot dead by two unidentified persons this morning.

According to police sources, the deceased, Surinder Singh, 42, was coming to his office when the incident happened. Near Phase 1, DLF City, two unidentified persons came on a motorcycle and fired at him at close range at about 9:45 am.

The assailants sped away after committing the crime. The people gathered at the spot took the victim to the Civil Hospital, where he was declared brought dead by the doctor. Two bullets had hit him.

The Chief Manager of the Corporation Bank informed that the incident has nothing to do with the bank as he was murdered around half a kilometre away from the bank. The assailants had not come to loot the bank, rather to kill the guard, said the Manager.

According to police sources, the motive of the murder must be some personal reasons as he was alone without any arms when he was killed. If the assailants have come to loot the bank, then they must have murdered him outside the bank when he was on his duty guarding the bank, said concluded the police official. No arrest has been made till late evening by the police department.

New Delhi, June 1
The Sri Guru Teg Bahadur Khalsa College is all set to become a morning college, which means an increase of about 2,000 seats in the much sought-after university. The news should be music to the ears of those aspirants hoping to merit a seat in Delhi University.

The first evening college of Delhi University to have been allowed the transformation to a morning college is also celebrating the “enhancement of its prestige”.

“It is very prestigious to be a morning college and we are happy that we have been allowed to shift to the morning schedule,” said the Principal, Mr Harmeet Singh.

While the college is awaiting the official verdict from the UGC, it has already received the green signal from the Academic and Executive Council of Delhi University.

Khalsa College Evening, in all probability, will also be renamed, Guru Nanak Khalsa College. “We have a separate building and the required infrastructure to run a morning college and we are hopeful that the UGC will accept our proposal. And as soon as we begin work, we will assess whether there is a need for more funds or grants and keeping that in mind, we will then approach the UGC and the university,” Singh said.

The college has been running from a separate building in Karol Bagh since 1973. The proposal to work in the morning slot has been a welcome step, said a faculty member.

“We used to begin our day at 1 pm, but after the duration of morning colleges was extended, the evening classes got delayed, making it hard for the girl students.”

While the college awaits the “official” nod, both the college authorities and the students are celebrating the decision. “While the prestige of the college will be heightened, it will also mean a boon for 2000 students who can secure admission to various undergraduate courses. We already have provision for the teaching of all undergraduate courses, but later we will consider offering special courses or even add-on courses for students,” the Principal said.

New Delhi, June 1
A team of students of the Delhi College of Engineering (DCE) here has designed and developed a 150km/litre concept car, which will hit the road at an international super mileage contest in the US next week.

‘Endeavour’, the 55 kg single-seat vehicle developed by 14 third year students of the Delhi College of Engineering, will be the only entry from Asia at the competition organised by the Society of Automobile Engineers (SAE) International in Marshall, Michigan.

Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit symbolically flagged off the vehicle at her residence this afternoon in the presence of the team, the first from India in the contest to be held on June 9-10.

“It’s a concept vehicle. We developed it because fuel efficiency is a very relevant issue today,” said Neha Juneja, the team’s only woman member.

The students, who call themselves ‘Team Endeavour’, took one year to design and develop the car, which is powered by a 3.5 hp four-stroke engine they received from SAE. The vehicle, which sports a race-car look, can run 150 km at a speed of up to 34km/hr in one litre of petrol, but the driver will have to fill its 250ml-capacity fuel tank.

The students got the support of multinational companies like Dupont and their teachers to develop the vehicle, which is made of light-weight carbon and fibre-reinforced plastic. There were, however, several obstacles in the team’s path. “We could not get an electronic ignition engine or a multi-point fuel injection engine,” says Jatil Grover. “We had to be contend with a carburator system,” he adds expressing the fear that this could hamper better mileage at the contest in which 36 teams from colleges around the world would be participating, he adds.

New Delhi, June 1
After the demise of Lt Gen. Jagjit Singh, the Executive Committee of the Sikh Forum today unanimously elected Dr Amrik Singh as the next president of Sikh Forum.

Maj Gen. M.S.Chadha and Wg. Cdr R.S.Chhatwal would continue as working president and secretary respectively.

Dr Amrik Singh is an eminent scholar and was Vice-Chancellor of Punjabi University.

New Delhi, June 1
Lt Gen (Retd) Z C Bakshi’s wife Sheela, who passed away today morning, was cremated at Lodhi Road crematorium.

She was 80 and had been ill for sometime suffering from Parkinson’s disease.

Sheela leaves behind by her son Rajeev and daughters Anita and Shail.

A prayer meting will be held on Saturday at 5 pm in Shrikrishna temple in Defence Colony.