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CM storms out of press meet on power tariff hike
Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit coming out of a press conference in the Capital on Sunday. — Tribune photo by Rajeev Tyagi
Traders, RWAs to protest power tariff hike
Traders challenge VAT for silk saris in HC
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Health Dept makes light of dengue menace
Tribune
Impact
Sale of big property under IT scanner
Gang of dacoits smashed; four held
DU polls: No candidates from east Delhi
Tight security to ensure peaceful DUSU polls
A varsity with focus on job-oriented courses
‘Atmajaa’ to get second innings on Doordarshan
Bomb scare in DTC bus
Merchant arrested for cheating
NAD protests ban on turban in Canada
IMA flays proposed Bill
Owner of video theatre killed
Indian Airlines plane grounded
IGNOU course material a big draw
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CM storms out of press meet on power tariff hike
New Delhi, August 28 Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee chief Ram Babu Sharma later said that the party would take up the issue in the next Congress Legislative Party (CLP) meeting. Ten minutes into the press conference, Ms Dikshit declined to talk about the power bill even as reporters followed her out of the state Congress headquarters. However, Mr Sharma said All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary Ashok Gehlot (who is in charge of the party affairs in Delhi) would decide whether to call a meeting of the Congress Legislature Party as demanded by some party legislators to discuss the issue. Mr Gehlot will also decide on calling a meeting of the coordination committee, the interface between the state government and the party, Mr Sharma added. He said that only after the recent Coordination Committee meeting, Ms Dikshit started tightening the noose of the Discoms for their poor performance. Meanwhile at a joint press conference, Ms Dikshit and Mr Sharma said that the Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme Bill, passed in Parliament at the initiative of Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, would empower the rural youth. Both the leaders said that the Congress had included in its election manifesto that a bill would be brought up for the Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme. They also said the Congress was the only political party which took the initiative to include such an important issue in the election manifesto. Mr Sharma said the party would organise a massive thanksgiving rally in honour of Ms Gandhi and Mr Singh for passing the bill in Parliament. He also requested the Delhi Government to identify the educated unemployed in the Capital and provide suitable employment for them.
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Traders, RWAs to protest power tariff hike
New Delhi, August 28 While extending the support, the confederation said that a joint meeting of the Traders Association and RWAs would be convened to discuss the issue. Mr Praveen Khandelwal, Secretary-General, CAIT said the government claims that it has prevented 12 per cent theft of electricity, resulting in a profit of Rs 1,100 crore, why there is hike in tariff, he questioned.
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Traders challenge VAT for silk saris in HC
New Delhi, August 28 A Bench comprising Mr Justice T. S. Thakur and Mr Justice B. D. Ahmed issued notice to the Commissioner, VAT Department, seeking explanation for imposing four per cent tax on silk fabrics and saris in accordance with the Entry 63 of the Third Schedule of the Delhi VAT Act. Though the Empowered Committee on VAT has decided to keep sugar, tobacco and textile items out of VAT, the Delhi Government has brought one of the precious varieties of textiles — silk products — under VAT. Traders through advocate M. L. Lahoty contended that since silk items are a textile they fall in the exempted category under Additional Duties of Excise (Goods of Special Importance) Act, an embargo was cast upon the Commissioner to levy VAT on it. The association has sought quashing of VAT Department’s July 25 communication ruling that silk items were taxable as per Entry 63 of the Third Schedule of the Delhi VAT Act. The silk traders have sought a direction for declaring that silk fabrics and saris fall under Entry 48 of the First Schedule and as such exempted from the levy of VAT. The merchants referred the Karnataka ordinance and steps taken by the Jammu and Kashmir Government on the issue by which all varieties of textiles and fabrics other than those specified in the Third Schedule were brought under the First Schedule and exempted from levy of VAT. Asserting that the VAT Commissioner’s ruling to levy tax on silk products under the Delhi VAT Act violated natural justice the traders said the concept of VAT was to be uniformly applicable in all states and action of the VAT Commissioner in not aligning with other states was not only arbitrary but also contrary to the basic principle of the state-level VAT.
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Health Dept makes light of dengue menace
Noida, August 28 In the Sector 30 government hospital the blood bank has not started yet, which will once again result in blackmarketing in blood platelets. With the dengue graph rising in Delhi, the possibility of the scourge affecting Noida residents has also increased Despite this, neither the Noida Authority nor the Health Department nor the Chief Medical Officer’s office have stirred out of their hibernation. The Noida Authority officials claim that their fogging and anti-larval campaigns are being conducted in a routine manner. Though the CMO office claims there is enough stock of medicines, sources say dengue investigation kits are not at all available in the district hospital. During 2003 the number of patients in Noida had gone up to 52. These figures were, however, later scaled down under pressure from the higher authorities by bypassing the requirement that data should have been confirmed by the CMO office. In view of this many private hospitals and nursing homes had stopped submitting their reports about dengue to the CMO. Man kills wife after argument:
Khora Colony is shocked at the merciless killing of a woman by her husband in Nandana Vihar. After brutally killing her with a sharp-edged weapon, Rajaram is reportedly absconding, leaving their three children, Rekha, Balaram and Ankit, dazed in a one-room house.
Rajaram, originally hailing from Aligarh, is working in a security agency in New Delhi. When he came home at 11 pm he was told that the dinner kept for him had been nibbled away by a neighbour’s goat. At this, Rajaram flew into a rage and ordered his wife
Devki, 35, to cook food for him immediately. They took their three kids upstairs and for quite sometime the neighbours heard them arguing. But they did not hear any shrieks or cries. In the morning, Devik’s body was found in a pool of blood and Rajaram was nowhere to be seen. According to neighbours, the couple used to clash quite often, but no one could attribute any reason behind this. They had another daughter, who was living in Aligarh. Devki had returned from Aligarh about three months ago. According to Indirapuram police station in-charge Satinder Yadav, who has been designated investigation officer of the case, suspected illicit relations could be the cause of the murder.
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Admn gears up for timebound repair of roads
Bijendra Ahlawat Tribune News Service
Faridabad, August 28 The Tribune had carried a story yesterday about the poor condition of the roads here even after the two visits of the Chief Minister to the district in the past fortnight. According to the Deputy Commissioner, Mrs G.Anupama, the various departments, including the PWD, Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA), Market Committee and the MCF, have been engaged in a time bound and phased manner to repair and relay the damaged roads in their respective areas. She said the officials concerned have been directed to complete their projects in a satisfactory manner. Stating that several crores of rupees would be spent on the roads in the district during the next few months, she claimed that the works would be over by December next. She said the authorities concerned would ensure that the quality of the work would be maintained. According to her the HUDA will be spending Rs 4.5 crore on the widening of about 11 kms long roads and in carpeting the internal roads in the various residential sectors and colonies. She said an amount of about Rs 1.30 crore would be spent on laying a concrete passage between the ITI and the railway station here. Stating that all the main and dividing roads in the city will be carpeted soon, she added that about 23 different roads of about 64 km in length in the district will be repaired and re-laid by the Marketing Board at a cost of about Rs 4.5 crore. The PWD will be taking up the work of the roads connecting various villages and towns with the headquarters here and the important link roads in the various sub-divisions at a cost of about Rs 18.5 crore, besides the budget of another Rs 20 crore in related work in the remaining parts. As per the details, the work of widening the road between Faridabad and Gurgaon was nearing completion. The main roads where works have either been launched or would be started soon include Ballabhgarh-Sohna, Ballabhgarh-Mohna, Faridabad-Tigaon, Hodal to Hassanpur , Hassanpur to Hathin, Hodal town, Hodal-Khambi, Palwal-Aligarh, Palwal-Mohna, Palwal-Bamnikhera and all the roads within the Municipal Corporation limits. The Municipal Corporation has been looking to other departments like HUDA for repairing the roads, as it had been faced with an acute financial crisis with no assurance of any extra aid from the government so far.
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Sale of big property under IT scanner
Ghaziabad, August 28 Properties over Rs 30 lakh in value will be of special focus for the income tax sleuths. The registry of sale and purchase of all such properties will not be permitted unless seller and purchaser fill up a specially designed form made compulsory by the Income Tax Department in which Permanant Account Number (PAN) of both the parties and full details of the property will be included. Sometime back the government had made the Registrars and the Sub-Registrars responsible for
submitting details of such properties. However, according to sources, this form will be now be sent by Registrars to the concerned Income Tax Commissioner. The new system will come into force from Monday. According to the Income Tax Department orders, all properties worth Rs 30 lakh and above will come under the purview of these instructions. This system had been abolished about four years back. Now the Income Tax Department has once again streamlined the system in which the sale and purchase of property will be closely monitored. The Assistant Commissioner, Stamps, Mr Vijay Dev Sharma, said a letter has been issued to the Registrars and Sub Registrars from the Income Tax Department asking them that registries of property worth Rs 30 lakh and above should only be done when both seller and buyer fill up this form. Besides the PAN number, all the details and value of the property will have to be furnished in this form, Mr Sharma added.
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Gang of dacoits smashed; four held
New Delhi, August 28 The police also claimed to have solved three cases of burglary, vehicle theft and dacoity. The accused have been identified as Shabuddin (26), Om Prakash (35), Gajender (22) and Anil Dhama (30). The police claimed to have recovered one Tata 407 and 12 copper plates of worth Rs 3 lakh from their possession. Yesterday the local police in Nand Nagri arrested the four accused from the area of Rahul Garden, Harsh Vihar. In another incident, the north-east district police have arrested four persons for their involvement in robberies and dacoity. The accused have been identified as Rashid (25), Rahis (25), Mohammed Kamil (23) and Tanvir (28). The accused were arrested from the area of New Usmanpur. The police also claimed to have recovered one country-made pistol from their possession. Gang stealing MTNL cables busted With the arrest of 11 people, Delhi Police yesterday claimed to have smashed a gang involved in several cases of theft of underground MTNL cables, during some of which they had allegedly murdered the night-watchmen. The gang, lead by one Md Manzoor (22), pretended to be Mahanagar Telephone Nagar Ltd (MTNL) workmen and carried out the thefts. One of them Satish was a small contractor with the company. They were arrested in Rohini area of north-west Delhi where they had gathered to carry out another robbery. Cables worth Rs 1 lakh, a mini-truck and a large number of equipment were recovered from them, police said.
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DU polls: No candidates from east Delhi
New Delhi, August 28 According to sources, a student Ajay Chaudhary has been given ticket for this election by the ABVP. He lives in Mauzpur in the east Delhi area but his college Khalsa College does not fall in this area. Since 2000 to so far, these students unions seldom gave tickets to the students of the Trans-Yamuna based colleges. When contacted a senior leader of the NSUI said that without having given tickets to the students of the Trans–Yamuna area, their genuine demands could be represented. “We are here to voice their problems,” he said. Of around 30 thousands votes cast for the DUSU election every year, about 12 thousands are by students of Trans–Yamuna based colleges. The students of this area are facing a lot of problems. Their two decades old demands like starting of University-special buses on regular intervals, inception of the east Delhi campus on the lines of north campus and south campus, opening of correspondence centre etc are still in the cold storage.
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Tight security to ensure peaceful DUSU polls
New Delhi, August 28 The Delhi Police personnel have been deployed in large numbers as in the previous years to avoid trouble. “We are carrying out thorough checks on campus. The men have been briefed to ensure that the common man feels secure and that there is confidence in the police,” said ACP Rajan Bhagat. Adhering to the command, the police were seen conducting checks at the numerous barricades put up on the main campus. However, their “thorough checks” seem to anger many. “I usually pass through the route and today I was made to stop at two barricades to show my papers etc,” complained Rajesh Ahuja, a trader who was seen arguing with a policeman. On its part, the university has issued a list of dos and don’ts. “We have told all the parties to tell their supporters to carry identity cards while canvassing. At least that way we can keep out those who are not students,” said Prof. Rajiv Khanna, Chief Election Officer. The ban on posters being flouted as usual, the university is still hopeful that the candidates will stick to the norms for a peaceful conduct of polls. “We have asked them to maintain peace and not to resort to violence,” said Prof. Khanna pointing out. Even as he was saying this, supporters of candidates gave the police a tough time as they tried to outdo one another in their exuberance to show “support”.
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A varsity with focus on job-oriented courses
New Delhi, August 28 Q What is so unique about GGSI University? A In my opinion, there are currently several factors that make GGIS unique. First, this is the only university in the state of Delhi. The others are all central. Further, this university is solely devoted to professional education. All courses are employment-oriented. Q Do Indraprastha’s courses compete on a par with those of other engineering, professional or medical colleges? A Course wise, we are probably the best in having the latest. Further, lots of inputs were available to design a better curriculum. We have used expertise provided to us by sources within the industry. Q Which courses do you rate as popular? A Almost all our courses are doing well. Still, I would say that biotechnology, MBBS, BA in business administration and law rate as among the most promising courses. Q How do you ensure the quality of these courses? A The curriculum is carefully planned and designed by leading experts in the field. Further, all admission is conducted on the basis of an entrance examination. Also, exams are regularly held every semester and all courses have continuos internal assessment to ensure the upkeep of daily evaluation mechanisms. Q Do you involve the industry at large in your courses? A We have major industry involvement with our university: for instance, the curriculum is designed by taking guidance from experts in industry and their contribution is at least 50 per cent towards the designing of the curriculum. Further, our curriculum is revisited every year by a panel of experts so that they may be revised keeping in view new industrial trends. Further, industrial training is part of all our programmes. We also invite people from the industry to give talks at the level of each department. Q Does the university offer placements on campus? A We have been in touch with the industry to facilitate campus placements. For example, the current batch of IT final year students have all been placed and some with more then one placement letter ahead of their graduation. Q Are there any new courses coming up? A
We have added a course on disaster management and an MBA weekend programme. Hopefully, we will be starting a programme on epidemology soon. Q Can you tell us something about the disaster management course that you have started? Is this the first course of its kind? A The disaster management course is an inter-disciplinary subject. For instance it involves disciplines like law, communication in the face of disaster, medicine and environment. We felt that we are an ideal university for this as we have so many schools on the same campus. We have integrated all our resources from other schools for this course. Further, this course is only for working people and we run classes only on Saturdays and Sundays.
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‘Atmajaa’ to get second innings on Doordarshan
New Delhi, August 28 Developmental film maker, Nila Madhab Panda, has got the go-ahead to telecast the second phase which is being co-sponsored by the Government of India Department of Health and Family Welfare and an international multilateral agency called,
IFES, supported by the United States Agency for International Development
(USAID). This gender-sensitive television series exposes issues like female foeticide caused by rampant gender discrimination in North India and in the Hindi heartland. It gives an apt social statement on the prevalence of preference for son in this region, the practice of dowry, denial of the reproductive rights of women and the general low status of women. The series also deals with the burning issues like rape, sexual harassment at work and domestic violence etc. In the first half, 13 episodes have already been telecast on Doordarshan. In the second phase now, the story line takes a two-and-a-half year leap, with the main character, an estranged girl called
Mamta, returning to her husband’s home with her two daughters. Her in-laws and husband had formerly refused to accept the two girls. Mamta is running her husband’s business while he serves a term in prison. The series has strong very identifiable characters and aims at empowering women, shaping individual behaviour, encouraging interpersonal relationships and breaking traditional myths about the girl child.
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Celebrating the colourful life of Lord Krishna during Janmashtami
Ravi Bhatia Tribune News Service
New Delhi, August 28 The exhibition has on view water colours, oleographs, prints, glass paintings, photographs, cinema stills, wood cuts, Chamba rumals and Pichwais-all related to some aspect in the colourful life of Lord Krishna and crafted by some of the well known artists in the respective fields. Tribute to the Mahatma An exhibition to commemorate 75th anniversary of the historic Dandi March led by father of the nation Mahatma Gandhi opened in the Capital last week to reiterate once again the trials and tribulations that the freedom fighters had to suffer. The exhibition entitled ‘Dandi March’ was inaugurated on August 22 evening by the Information and Broadcasting Minister, Mr S. Jaipal Reddy. Mounted by the National Archives of India, the exhibition is a tribute to the indomitable spirit and genius of Mahatma Gandhi. The exhibition will be open to the public for one month till September 23. The Mahatma had led 78 devoted followers from the Sabarmati Ashram on March 12, 1930. They covered a distance of 241 miles, finally reaching Dandi on April 5, 1930. On the next morning, Mahatma Gandhi and his followers picked up lumps of natural salt to symbolically and publicly violate the oppressive Salt Law of British rule.
Journey of the straight line On August 26, Dr. Karan Singh, MP, released a book “Journey of the straight line: An exposition of Sahni’s drawings and creativity” by the well known art aficionado and author, Dr. S. S. Bhatti at the All India Fine Arts and Crafts Society here. According to the publishers, the book is neither a routine monograph on the work of Mr S. K. Sahni, a former keeper of the National Gallery of Modern Art here nor is it an ordinary write up on drawings and creativity. In fact, it is an attempt at recovering the country’s most wonderful cultural endowment –Holism-from the grime of a world gone haywire. The book provides a comprehensive perspective in which to view modern art in general and Sahni’s work in particular. The author has painstakingly explored the essential meaning of various modern art styles in context to Sahni’s work. The author, Dr. S. S.
Bhatti, who has earned the sobriquet of “Chandigarh’s Mr Versatality “ is an architect by training but has been pursuing several parallel artistic interests like painting, sculpture, poetry, graphic design, mysticism, mythology and music. A prolific writer, Dr. Bhatti has several books and more than 600 articles and poems to his credit in English, Urdu, Panjabi and Hindi. Member of several professional associations, for 12 years he was a member of the Panjab University senate and Dean of its faculty of Design and Fine Arts.
Reincarnation Music Today has released ‘Reincarnation’–the first ever electronica album by Sarod virtuoso, Amaan Ali Bangash and Ayaan Ali
Bangash. The album is being described as “a power packed mélange of melody and rhythm against the vast canvas of
electronica”. The album presents traditional Indian music in a new avatar and hence the title –‘Reincarnation’.
Cards for a noble cause Cine star Suniel Shetty last week unveiled SOS Children’s Village of India range of greeting cards for the coming festive season brought out by ITC. The cards for
Diwali, Christmas and New Year come in 82 different designs depicting outstanding works of renowned artists, designers and photographers. In addition, ITC introduced 13 designs of assorted boxes and five designs of desktop calendars in the SOS Children’s Village of India range. While the Diwali designs are based on lamps and rangoli besides vivid imagery of Lord
Ganesha, the Christmas range has festive designs with bells, Christmas trees, Santa Claus and snow visuals. The seasonal range consists of designs from landscapes paintings, scenic photography, inspirational and serious patterns, including special thematic designs based on peace and traditional paintings. Priced between Rs 4 and Rs 20, the cards would be available at 12,000 retail outlets spread over 600 cities. “Despite different themes and techniques the designs share a common purpose— each will help transform the life of a less fortunate child. The products offer both the sender and receiver an additional dimension to participate in a cause that has now spanned almost five decades.’’' Every individual who sends and receives a SOS Children’s Village of India card directly contributes to SOS Children’s Village of India effort in supporting destitute children’s future. SOS Children’s Village of India president Padamshree J. N. Kaul said it was a happy occasion for us to receive this friendly support from corporates like the ITC. “Celebrities like Suniel Shetty and like-minded friends help us in expanding our work and reaching out to more children in need of long-term care,” he said. SOS Children’s Village of India, part of SOS Kinderdorf International Austria, is a non-government organisation caring for children who have lost their homes and families. It endeavours to give a homeless child a mother, brother, sister and a family, complete education and a loving home to live in through its 37 SOS Children’s Village and 122 allied facilities like kindergartens, schools, social, medical and vocational training centres for children.
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Bomb scare in DTC bus
New Delhi, August 28 It was placed under the rear seat of the bus. The police were immediately informed who reached the spot. The bomb squad and forensic experts were also informed. The incident took place at around 2.00 pm when the bus reached near Shakar Pur area on Vikas Marg, east district. The bus bearing registration number DL-1PB-2280, started from Anand Vihar at 1.30 pm today and reached the Shakarpur red light when the ‘bomb’ was noticed. The senior police officials claimed that it was a simple thing used in repairing of punctures in tyres and tubes of the vehicles.
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Merchant arrested for cheating
New Delhi, August 28 Ratanchand Goel, who owns a shop in Chandni Chowk in central Delhi, had taken the money from Raghuvir Singh by promising to arrange a job for his nephew Kamal Kishore, police said yesterday. Goel and Singh, owner of a fruit shop, knew each other for over a decade. He had told Singh that his nephew would have no problems in the selection process, but Kishore failed in the medical test on August 21. When Singh asked Goel to give his money back, the latter refused after which he approached the Crime Branch. Goel had confessed to his crime during interrogation and Rs 50,000 recovered from him. He had apparently put the rest of the money into his clothes business, police said. Investigations are on to determine whether Goel had duped others.
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NAD protests ban on turban in Canada
New Delhi, August 28 The Canada Government has directed the Sikhs working in the railway department not to wear turbans. Instead, they were asked to wear helmets. He appealed to the Prime Minister, Mr Manmohan Singh, to intervene in this
matter. — TNS
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IMA flays proposed Bill
New Delhi, August 28 In a statement, the IMA said the proposed Amendment Bill was a draconian Bill for the medical profession of the country. The national president of the IMA, Dr Sudipto Roy, said these amendments, if allowed to be brought in place, would not only destroy completely the minimum functional autonomy of the expert bodies but would also have disastrous consequences in maintaining the standard
of medical education in this country.
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Owner of video theatre killed
Gurgaon, August 28 He was rushed to the local Kalyani Hospital where he was declared brought dead. Mr Ashok owned a video theatre in Shakti Park. He was shot by two persons travelling in a Maruti car. The assailants pumped three bullets in him from a close range. The deceased is a resident of Nazafgarh in Delhi. Although the police is silent at the moment, it feels personal enmity as a possible reason behind the incident. The killing has shocked the residents of the area.
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Indian Airlines plane grounded
New Delhi, August 28 According to police sources, the plane took off from the airport and immediately after takeoff it started releasing smoke. The plane managed to land safely and no passenger was hurt in the incident. When the airport staff was asked no reason was forthcoming by 2 pm. The officials said they were still examining the cause of emission of smoke from the aircraft. The passengers of the flight boarded another flight to Hyderabad after some time.
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IGNOU course material a big draw
New Delhi, August 28 Course material of different management and other courses of IGNOU is a big draw at the university’s stall in Hall No 10. “Due to the rising popularity of our course material, IGNOU is participating in the book fair,” said university spokesman Ravi Mohan. A special 10 per cent discount is available on the course material, he added. Self-instructional course material of IGNOU is prepared by pooling best practices and diverse experiences, Mr Mohan said.
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Move on UCMS opposed
New Delhi, August 28 Rather, there is need for takeover of all the government-maintained professional colleges by the university, he said.
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New Delhi, August 28
