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Govt blasted for shoddy mid-day
Revised wages on cards in private sector
Sheila launches Earth Charter for schools
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Incumbation-cum-mentoring centre for innovation
BSES scheme on buying CFLs till June 30
Rs 21 crore ransom demand for FCI officer
Climate change workshop in Capital
New education learning system
Home and Beyond Fair showcased
Seminar on allergic nasal problems
One injured as four cars collide on DND bridge
Two held in kidnapping case
Man kills wife, son before committing suicide
IGNOU to introduce new course on medical ethics
New DG at ESIC
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Govt blasted for shoddy mid-day meal scheme
New Delhi, April 20 The Audit report of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India relating to the Government of Delhi for 2006 revealed that the implementation of the Mid-Day Meal Scheme in the national Capital had inadequacies in planning, funds management, implementation and monitoring of the project. The report was tabled today before the Delhi Assembly. “The NGOs involved in preparation and distribution of the much-hyped Mid-Day meal had no licence to prove their experience of food supply. They do not have sealed container to supply food and their kitchens were also not fully prepared as per the guidelines issued by the government,” he said. There was almost 50 per cent shortfall in lifting of food grains during the period between 2001 and 2006 indicating poor implementation of the scheme. No joint inspections were carried out by the implementing agencies to ensure that the food grains supplied by the Food Corporation of India were at least of Fair Average Quality, the Accountant General claimed. The financial resources meant for the mid-day meal was also not fully utilised, he added. The nodal department did not ensure that the cooked meals being supplied to the schools conformed to the stipulated quality or quantity. In 51 out of 308 schools checked, cooked meals were short supplied to the extent of 52 grams per child per day. The monitoring scheme was non-existent till 2005-2006. The report said that as on March, 31, 2006 the Delhi Power Company and the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) had accumulated losses aggregating to Rs 522.06 crore and Rs 4,000.46 crore which far exceeded their paid up capital of Rs 0.05 crore and Rs 117 crore respectively. It also said that release of funds of Rs 105.51 crore under the Accelerated Power Development Reforms Programme (APDRP) to discoms was not in conformity with the guidelines set up by the government. Due to non-implementation of the computer education by the Directorate of Education, 1.97 lakh students were deprived of the computer knowledge in academic year 2005-2006. It also resulted in idling of equipment worth Rs 12.37 crore. The audit report revealed that the strength of medical, para medical and nursing staff in Lok Nayak, DDU, Hindu Rao and Charak Palika Hospitals were less than adequate, which adversely affected the patients’ care service. Test check of record of sales tax, Value-added Tax, State Excise or entertainment tax, motor vehicle tax and stamp duty tax conducted during 2005-2006 disclosed loss of revenue amounting to Rs 491.49 crore in 1,330 cases. |
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Revised wages on cards in private sector
Faridabad, April 20 Mr Ved Prakash
Vidrohi, spokesperson of the Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee (HPCC), said this while talking to mediapersons here today. The government had announced revision of wages to Rs 3,510 per month on March 23. He said though the new wages may come into effect from June the employer would have to pay these from April.
These could be paid as arrears to the employees. He said as per the rules the government was to decide about the objections and claims put up by the employers by the end of next month as the last date of receiving such objections was May 23. He added the new wages would be applicable in all types of industrial, commercial and educational institutions. The government there was no laxity from the authorities’ side. Claiming that there were around 10 lakh industrial workers who stood to benefit directly from the windfall as their salary would get hiked by a little over Rs 1,000 per month, which, he said, would be a kind of record as far the history of wage revision was concerned in the country. About two lakh people would gain directly if their wages were below Rs 3510. The employees would get a total benefit of about Rs 3000 crore in this manner. Mr Vidrohi said the claim of the Haryana Government that land prices in Gurgaon and NCR region had gone up because of the move to set up the Special Economic Zone stood vindicated. Land prices crashed by 30 to 40 per cent in the area after the recent announcement made by the Union Government that the total size of the SEZ may be decreased to only 5,000 hectares. He said though the final decision was still to be implemented this announcement had led to a slump in the land prices in the region, especially Gurgaon district. He said this development had proved the land prices had gone up due to the SEZ move and not due to any absurd reason put forth by certain political leaders who, he said, had wanted to derive political mileage by misleading the farmers. He said a majority of the land in the area was infertile and the move by the Hooda government to raise the minimum rates of land to Rs 30 lakh per acre was historic and changed the fortunes of a large number of farmers. Regarding allegations by Indian National Lok Dal leaders that the present government had been victimising its political rivals, he said the ongoing CBI probe against the former Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, was independent. The probe into the alleged scam of recruitment of JBT teachers during his tenure was initiated on the directions of the apex court. |
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Sheila launches Earth Charter for schools
New Delhi, April 20 Ms Dikshit described the Earth Charter as a most revered holy book like the Gita, the Koran, the Bible and Guru Granth Sahib. She instructed all concerned to develop Delhi schools as nature’s park. Delhi Environment Minister Raj Kumar Chauhan was also present on the occasion. Ms Dikshit requested people to avoid tampering with nature, otherwise they would be forced to face a most difficult time. She exhorted large number of schoolchildren present to take care of Mother Earth. She appreciated the role of Delhi schoolchildren in making Delhi the greenest city. Around one million saplings would be planted by 2010 in Delhi. The Chief Minister asked schoolchildren to take care of the trees to help in improving surviving rate. She reminded them about the dangers of global warming and requested children to inculcate the habit of conservation of natural resources. Ms Dikshit added that for children and the youth of Delhi the Earth Charter would not only give moral and ethical orientation but would also help sensitising and developing self-confidence to answer the challenges of our times and in becoming a responsible global citizen. In addition to their intellectual contribution and their ability to mobilise support, they would bring in unique perspectives. The inclusion of the Earth Charter in the educational system would add an important dimension towards sustainability. The Earth Charter is an integrated ethical framework to guide towards “good” globalisation and sustainable living. The Earth Charter disseminates values and principles for a sustainable future. It is a tool for education for sustainable development. The Earth Charter is a declaration of fundamental principles for building a just, sustainable and peaceful global society in the 21st century, created by the largest global consultation process ever associated with an international declaration. The preparation of the first draft of the Earth Charter began during the Rio Earth Summit in 1992. The Earth Charter Commission was formed in 1997 to oversee the project. Thousands of individuals and organisations from different regions, cultures and sectors of society have participated and many world leaders, experts and representatives from grassroot communities have given shape to the charter. It is a people’s treaty. It provides a new framework for thinking about and addressing the issues of environmental protection, human rights, equitable human development and peace. Development Alternatives has been designated as India Affiliate by the Earth Charter Commission. The CLEAN-India programme of Development Alternatives has adopted the principles in the programme. With the objective of expanding the Earth Charter to millions of children across country a Children’s Earth Charter has been developed. Development Alternative is dedicated to bringing about a better balance among the prerequisites of sustainable development for which awareness among students would be imminent for sustainable a lifestyle to be good citizens for the new country i.e. a good human being; respecting and caring for the community of life; building democratic societies that are just, participatory, sustainable and peaceful; securing the Earth’s bounty and beauty for the present and future generations. |
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Incumbation-cum-mentoring centre for innovation
New Delhi, April 20 The ‘S.P. Kapur Mentoring Centre for Innovation’ will be one of the country’s foremost technology business incubators. The Centre of Excellence will provide, at any point of time, an opportunity for young new innovators and entrepreneurs, to take shelter and germinate their ideas into a business enterprise. Taking forward the agenda on affirmative action, 30 per cent of the seats will be reserved for special categories. “Being an entrepreneurship driven company ourselves, we always recognised the need for a mentoring centre for Incubation and Innovation, particularly in this region. Potential innovators, entrepreneurs, students and alumni, all need support to convert their ideas into commercial enterprise. We hope this centre, which is an important alliance between industry and one of India’s foremost academic institutions – MDI, will meet this need,” said Dr Kapur on the occasion of signing of the MOU. The centre is being designed to train the participants through the skill-based training methodology for new business creation. Its facilities include Concept Engineering, Work Environment and Virtual Prototype Laboratories. The centre will network and provide access to capable mentors, venture capitalists and thought leaders from industry to evaluate and facilitate the process of converting an Idea into an Innovation. Equipped with office facilities and managed workspace with laboratories, the S.P. Kapur Mentoring Centre for Innovation will provide professional services, guidance and training in areas such as business planning, finance and accounting, sales and marketing, legal and IPR protection. Other value additions such as seed capital and access to business networks will attract innovators. |
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BSES scheme on buying CFLs till June 30
New Delhi, April 20 Incidentally, this is the second extension for the scheme launched on October 25, 2006. Earlier, the scheme was extended till March 31, 2007. The scheme, launched in tandem with Indo Asian Fusegear Limited, one of India’s largest manufacturers and exporters of CFL on October 24, 2006, has exceeded all expectations. In about five month’s since its launch, more than 3.5 lakh CFLs have been sold. Savings accruing from the CFLs sold from BSES’ 52 special outlets, will lead to a reduction in maximum demand by nearly 23 MW at a given point of time, enough to power eight average shopping malls in Delhi and saving of over 33 million units of electricity annually. The data collated has revealed interesting trends. The data indicates BSES’ West Delhi customers, by buying over 1.32 lakh CFLs, take the lead in energy conservation. South Delhi is a close second with over 1.13 lakh CFLs being bought. East and Central are at the third and the fourth spot with over 89,000 and 18,000 CFLs being bought. Another interesting trend observed was that the 15 Watt CFL (equivalent to 75 Watt at Rs 150 for 2) is the most popular among the customers with over 1.47 lakh CFLs being bought. The 20 W CFL (equivalent to 100 W at Rs 200 for 2) sold over one lakh pieces closely followed by the 11 W CFL (equivalent to 60 W at Rs 135 for 2) which sold over 99,000 CFLs. The “Buy One, Get One Free” CFL Scheme for BSES customers is a one-of-its kind offer, which not only helps customers save energy but also helps to bring about substantial monetary savings. “Switching to CFLs will greatly help India overcome much of its present energy crisis. India’s power deficit, as per government figures, is around 14,000 MW. According to Greenpeace India, India can save around 12,000 MW of electricity by simply switching to CFLs”, said a BSES official. |
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Rs 21 crore ransom demand for FCI officer
Ghaziabad, April 20 Mr Ram’s family, living in Vaishali, Ghaziabad, is in great panic and is terrorised. They are under so much stress that they straightway deny having received any ransom call from Ulfa outfit. According to reliable sources, Heera Saraniya, who in-charge of kidnapping and ransoms in Ulfa, had called Mr Ram’s son, Praveen in Vaishali, to demand Rs 21 crore for the release of his father. Meanwhile, the Guwahati police claimed that it had traced the hide-out where Mr Ram was being detained and had thus intensified its efforts to free him. The Guwahati police had earlier said that neither a phone call nor a written communication had been received by them for ransom amount from the kidnappers. Meanwhile, a police official is understood to have said that the police have zeroed on the hideout where the FCI’s senior officer has been detained by his abductors, but does not want to disclose the hide-out. Mr Ram and his driver Rabi Basumatry had been kidnapped from Guhwati–Shillong road on Tuesday night. Meanwhile, the Ghaziabad police have taken a stance that they have not heard from the Guwahati police or Mr Ram’s family in Vaishali.
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Climate change workshop in Capital
New Delhi, April 20 The two-day seminar, which concluded in the Capital today, was organised by the India Meteorological Society in association with the IMD and aimed at helping trainees know the burning issues related to climate change and the scope of research in the field. Speaking at the inaugural function, Dr Goel said, “Global climate may be currently at a tipping point and rapid changes be expected in the next few decades. Indian monsoon may also undergo such rapid changes. Time has come for undertaking necessary measures for a national coordinated effort for addressing various issues associated with the climate change and work towards preparedness through appropriate mitigation steps.” The IPCC’s recent report has succeeded in focussing the attention of scientists, planners, media and general public on the phenomenon of climate change, global warming and extreme weather events. As per the IMS, the report provides a rigorous analysis of how climate change is affecting natural and human systems, what the impacts will be in future and how far adaptation and mitigation can reduce these impacts. These changes, however, will not uniform over the globe as large regional and seasonal variations are expected, requiring area and region specific research and further studies on the issue. As many as 55 young scientists from institutions like IMD, IITM, NCMRWF, NPL, IARI, IIT and TERI participated in the workshop that dealt with issues related to climate change, the monsoon and extreme weather events. The IMS was established in 1956 with the main objectives of advancement of meteorological and allied sciences in all their aspects, dissemination of knowledge of such sciences among the scientific community and the public and application of meteorology and allied sciences to various activities like agriculture and irrigation navigation of sea and air.
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New education learning system
New Delhi, April 20 Through Qualified Learning System, Shiv Khera intends providing a platform to school principals, teachers and students on a national level to come forward with their problems, suggestions and solutions. Taking the effort forward, a Leadership Forum was formed on April 17 in association with Ramjas School, Anand Parvat, at PHD Chamber. The objective of the forum was “Challenges and Solution in the Present Education System”. Former Chief Justice of India Y. K. Sabharwal was the chief guest. Mr Ramesh Agarwal, Senior Vice-President, All India Transporter Welfare Association, also graced the occasion with his presence. The convener of the event was Ms Rajni Arora, Principal, Ramjas School, Anand Parvat. Principals, teachers and students of 14 different schools participated and expressed their opinion about the challenges faced in the current education system of modern India and their practical solutions. Said Mr Sabharwal, “This is more important for students as for the principals and teachers in the school. Through these programmes and interactive sessions, the students can express their opinions and expectations to the teaching faculty. In the past few years, the Indian students have proved their mettle globally. These sessions will definitely boost the confidence and morale of the Indian students for decades.” The issues raised by Principals, teachers and students were higher expectations of parents from their children and their pressures on teachers and Principals to fulfil it, frequent changes in the syllabus, non-availability of books in the market, schoolbags getting heavier, price-sensitive education, encouraging girl education, education process to be more interesting and scientific games and cultural things to be a part of the education system, improving the education system in villages and government schools, use of the latest technology in education and giving importance to the mother tongue in primary education.
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Home and Beyond Fair showcased
Greater Noida, April 20 It could also project multiple usages of handicraft products, which were showcased in an exclusive B2B (business to business) show ‘Home and Beyond’ held at the India Expo Centre and Mart, Greater Noida from April 15th to 18th. Handicraft products, including lifestyle items known internationally for their intricate workmanship, exquisite nature and exclusive designs hitherto supplied through big international chains to overseas consumers, were thrown open for sourcing by domestic retail houses, hotels, property developers, builders, etc. Indian real estate and construction industry is in its golden era, witnessing a huge upward spiral in the last few years. The changing lifestyles, rising incomes and favourable commenting on the whirlwind demographic patterns are set to boost India’s real estate business to new highs in days to come. The housing and retail boom is proportionately boosting up demand for home textiles and interior decoration products. “The booming construction activities’ in the housing, retail and corporate sector is directly linked to the need for home décor and lifestyle products. Offering a platform to this effect, Home and Beyond show showcased a whole range of items being used in the construction business”, said Mr Navratan Samdria, Chairman, India Expo Mart Limited, the organiser of the show. The show had attracted all prominent names in the retail, hospitality, architecture, building, interior designing and security industries besides major Buying Houses and Bulk and Institutional users, he said.
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Seminar on allergic nasal problems
New Delhi, April 20 Well-known medical experts like Dr R C Deka, Dr Arvind Soni, Dr Rajeev Puri, Dr V P Venkatchalam, Dr S S Sidhu, Dr Kalpana Nagpal, Dr Anurag Tandan, Dr Narottam Puri, Dr H S Trehan, Dr Waryam Singh, Dr R R Thukral, Dr S H Ansari and Dr V P Sood will discuss nasal allergic disorders among different population segment. The conference will be held in the Auditorium of Apollo Hospital from 10 am to 4 pm. Topics for panel discussion are management of allergic rhinitis, allergic rhinitis in pediatric population, allergy testing and immunotherapy, diagnosis of allergic rhinitis, allergy and chronic rhino sinusitis, role of fungi, role of surgery in allergic rhinitis etc. |
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Couple, son murdered in Lajpat Nagar
New Delhi, April 20 A call to this effect was received about 8.30 hrs today and investigations were on, said a senior police official. “While there were stab wounds on the bodies of Chotte Lal and his wife Shanti Devi, the child had been strangled.” The weapon used in stabbing them, a kitchen knife, has been recovered from the spot, said the official, adding that it seemed to be a job of someone known to the family as there was no forced entry. Chotte Lal, who lives in Shahadpur Garhi area under Lajpat Nagar police station, ran a grocery shop. The police suspected that the murders could have been committed by someone known to the family. “We are zeroing in on some tenants of the family,” said a police officer.
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One injured as four cars collide on DND bridge
Noida, April 20 The accident took place near Toll Bridge booth. Sumit Chauhan, a resident of Mayur Vihar, was coming from Delhi. While he was making payment of the toll, an Indica car hit his Safari from the rear. The Indica was standing behind it in the queue. A Santro, which was behind the Indica was forcefully hit by an Esteem which had apparently been driven at great speed. The chain accident had created a commotion at the toll bridge. Police were informed promptly. In the accident, the driver of Esteem car was seriously injured and was rushed to Kailash hospital in Noida. According to the police, the car was being driven at high speed so much so that the driver could not control the car as it approached the toll bridge booth.
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Two held in kidnapping case
New Delhi, April 20 The kidnapped child Uzma Khanam was found abandoned at a lonely place. One Mehtab Begum, a resident of Kardampuri, had reported that two motorcycle-borne unidentified youths had kidnapped her granddaughter Uzma near BSES office, Yamuna Vihar, when she was coming from her school with her. The pillion rider of the vehicle lifted the girl from her possession and sped away from the spot. However, the girl was found abandoned at a lonely place and the suspects were arrested after a search operation launched on the basis of the information given by the child and the phone calls made by them demanding ransom. During interrogation, Azad Khan, the alleged mastermind of the kidnapping case, allegedly confessed to having hatched the kidnapping conspiracy with his close friend Imran Khan to get money for running his business unit, said the
police. — OC
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Man kills wife, son before committing suicide
Gurgaon, April 20 In a suicide note, Jai Singh, the deceased, has said that he was committing suicide and killed his wife and son on his own accord. He was an employee with the Honda Scooter and Motorcycle Ltd. Jai Singh’s father, Deen Dayal, got suspicious when the door of the room of his son remained closed for longer period in the morning. When he opened the door, he found Jai Singh hanging by the ceiling. Later, he found his daughter-in-law and grandson lying dead on the bed. The residents of the village were stunned as they could not ascertain the reason, which led Jai Singh to take such an extreme step.
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IGNOU to introduce new course on medical ethics
New Delhi, April 20 A senior officer of the School of Health Science at IGNOU said that the course was the need of hour. “This course will be extremely beneficial for medical professionals and medical representatives as far as the research and trial during the formulation of new drug is concerned,” he
said. — OC |
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New DG at ESIC
New Delhi, April 20 |
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Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit launched declaration of the Earth Charter for eco-clubs in schools as part of the Earth Day 2007 celebrations which began today.
