New Delhi, October 5
Concerned over excessive use of mobile phones by youngsters, the union government plans to conduct a study to find out its negative effects on health.

We plan to conduct a long -term study to find out the negative effects of mobile and the mobile towers on the users, union health and family welfare minister Anbumani Ramadoss said today.

He said he has asked the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) to conduct the study.

Kids are using mobile phones. They often complain of headaches, he said.

He said it is a long-term study, which will take at least 10 years to complete

The minister also said they are planning to come out with health guidelines for people working in the BPOs and IT companies.

It is our flagship industry and there is a fear that people will burn out soon if something soon is not done, he added.

Young kids in these industries are dying at an age of 24 years of heart attack and diabetes, he said. We along with IT minister D Raja are working out a white paper that will come out with guidelines, he said.

Ramadoss said the comprehensive guidelines would also deal with tobacco, alcohol and skin problems faced by the employees. Most of these problems are easy to be solved, he added—PTI

New Delhi, October 5
A function was held today at Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit’s residence, 3, Motilal Nehru Place to celebrate the foundation day of nature trail-green canopy. She had dedicated this canopy to children last year. The programme was organised as part of the ongoing world wildlife week.

Dikshit said that nine new city forests had been set up in the Capital. With this, the number of city forests has reached 14. The new city forests would provide habitat to wildlife. She stressed on the need to protect the Ozone layer. She also spoke on the effects of climate change and global warming. Environment secretary J.K. Dadoo and environmentalist Mike Pandey also presented their views on the subject.

Around 200 children from 15 schools were present. The CM expressed satisfaction that the nature trail for children that was set up last year had acted as a catalyst in creating environment awareness. The CM exhorted children to protect nature.

The nature trail is a classroom in open. The nature trail and visitor centre in residential bungalow having trees like imli, neem, babul provide habitat to many animals and birds. 59 species of birds exist here. A pond has also been developed to show the picture of life in water. All these have helped children to realise the importance of nature and environment.

The department of environment will present nukkad nataks till October 8 at prominent locations in Delhi.

More than 2,000 students from the Eco Clubs of 90 schools visited the nature trail last year.

New Delhi, October 5
St Stephen’s College principal, Valson Thampu, has taken a rather nonchalant stance on the issue of senior students setting a junior on fire recently. Thampu has insisted that this was not a case of ragging and there was no question of informing the police in the matter.

“Clearly, frankly and honestly, it is not a case of ragging. We have not gone to the police and will not inform them even in future,” says a rather firm Thampu. This incident took place on the night of September 27, when first year student Debayan Chakraborty approached his seniors for help in filling up a form. The four second year students were reportedly in an inebriated state and allegedly sprayed deodorant on the student and threw a lit match-stick at him. Luckily Chakraborty survived the incident and is recovering in Kolkata now.

Despite the appalling situation, Thampu stresses that, “I know the Supreme Court directions on ragging but in the language of the boys this is a trick. The boys were punished not for ragging but for violating residential hostel rules.”

He further added that the punishment given to the students is adequate and nothing more needs to be done.

Three of the students were suspended from the college for one year and the fourth has been suspended from classes for a month because he was not staying in the hostel.

The Supreme Court earlier this year had come down heavily on ragging and warned educational institutions that any failure or negligence in lodging a police complaint would be construed as negligence on their part. The police insist that they cannot initiate any action unless the college or the victim files a formal complaint. 

New Delhi, October 5
Power department of Delhi government has earned a profit of Rs 11,716 crore for the last five years after the privatisation of power distribution, sources said.

Discoms success in reducing theft losses has alone saved the government Rs 6,000 crore. Delhi discoms created history by reducing losses by around five per cent every year.

The sources said that in July 2002, the erstwhile Delhi Vidyut Board (DVB) had accumulated liabilities of over Rs 23,000 crore. The losses were mounting and the system was on the verge of collapse. The annual subsidy to the DVB was to the tune of over Rs 1,200 crore and there were no funds available for system upgradation and augmentation.

To arrest this certain collapse, Delhi’s electricity distribution sector was privatised and BYPL, BRPL and NDPL came into being. Since then, it has been a success story and today the Delhi power reform process has become a trend-setter.

It is because of this success of the discoms that Delhi consumers pay the lowest tariff in the country–despite still being the world’s power theft capital.

Tariff in Delhi has increased (for domestic customers) by only 16 per cent in the last five years. This is much lower than the projected 38 per cent as recommended by the government consultants.

Even in the ARR’s filed earlier this year, BYPL, BRPL and NDPL have asked for a hike of only 8.5 per cent, 5.52 per cent and 12 per cent respectively.

New Delhi, October 5
Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit said that the government was introducing high- capacity air-conditioned buses in the Capital and had decided to beautify the area around flyovers. She said this at the inaugural session of the second regional conference on ‘Road safety-design, construction and operations of roads’ in the Capital today.

She added that the Public Works Department would use a new technology to construct durable roads. Under the new technology, bitumen and plastic would be used. This would facilitate the use of plastic bags collected by rag pickers.

It would help in overcoming the problem of potholes and bumpy roads. It would also minimise maintenance expenditure on roads.

There are more vehicles in the Capital than the vehicles taken together in all metros. The CM said that road traffic would continue to increase in the Capital, as people would continue to purchase vehicles. She said that the trend could be reversed with the introduction of reliable, pollution-free, modern public transport system. Keeping this in view, high-capacity buses are being introduced and routes of the Delhi Metro are being expanded. 

New Delhi, October 5
Satisfied over the Jammu and Kashmir government having started the process of issuing identity-cards to the displaced Kashmir Pandits, Kashmir Samiti has urged the Centre to provide KPs affordable houses till the time they were able to return to their native place.

Sunil Shakdher, chairman of the Political Advisory

Committee of the Samiti, said here that KPs had been forced to leave the Valley due to security failure and they should be provided with accommodation under the Centre’s housing policy.

He said that the I-card being issued to KP families contained their permanent address of the Valley and their houses in most cases had either been damaged or occupied.

He said that the state government should become custodian of their houses till their return becomes possible.

The KP leader said that the community had been able to convince the government of the need for I-cards after great effort.

The first batch of I-cards were given by state’s principal resident commissioner S V Bhave at a function here yesterday.

Kashmir Samiti is the nodal agency for the displaced people for issue of I-cards.

New Delhi, October 5
Security agencies have rung alarm bells after seized fake Indian currency notes (FICN) totalling a whopping Rs 10 crore this year alone, showed most of the security features in various denominations had been replicated.

A presentation at the ongoing four-day directors and inspectors general of police conference revealed that in the last two years there has been a sudden spurt in smuggling of these notes as reflected by a large seizure at different places ,including in some neighbouring countries.

Particularly, some of the seizures in past eight months are really alarming. Total FICN seizure in the country in past seven months have crossed Rs 10 crore, which may be just a tip of the iceberg, according to a presentation made by a security agency.

Among the high-value seizures this year, 2.34 crore fake notes were seized from Hyderabad in August, 1.67 crore in Kuala Lumpur and one crore in Kathmandu (both in July) Now, in FICN most of the security features are being replicated, the agency said and added that fake notes were being smuggled from different trans-shipment points such as United Arab Emirates, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bangladesh, Malaysia and Nepal.

The forensic examination of seized notes indicate uniformity of replication of security features from which it can be inferred that the notes originate from the same source and there is a strong suspicion that it may be from one of our neighbouring country (Pakistan), it said.

Besides shipping in the FICN, the fake currency notes were also being smuggled from the land routes through Nepal, Bangladesh and Jammu and Kashmir, train routes through Atari and Munabao-khakrapar and even by air.

Very recently in two cases, one in Colombo and another in Hyderabad, the currency was transported in containers through sea route., it said—PTI

New Delhi, October 5
Don’t let any militant escape! These were the last words of Major D Raghuraman as he was flown from the gunbattle site in North Kashmir after being hit by a bullet in the chest.

These words came out as Gaurav Negi, a Company Officer of the 19-Jat Regiment watched his officer’s family and colleagues bade a tearful adieu to the soldier, who was killed in the gunbattle in Baramulla on Wednesday, at the Brar Square crematorium here.

A bullet had hit his chest and the worst thing was that it remained embedded inside the body. As he was being flown, he showed a thumbs-up sign to Commanding Officer Harjinder and told the officer not to leave anyone alive, Negi told reporters.

As armymen fired in the air thrice and played the bugle, Major Raghuraman’s ex-servicemen father Krishnamurthy lit the pyre in the presence of Rashtriya Rifles Director General Lt Gen K.P.D. Samanta and other officers.

Major Raghuraman’s wife Lata, who works with TCS and was in London at the time of incident, his soldier-sister Aparna and father-in-law Sivaprakash were also present.

Lata, who is to become a mother in two months, was handed over the uniform worn by the Major and the Indian Tricolour used to drape the body.

Krishnamurthy, himself an ex-servicemen, said he was very proud of his son who sacrificed his life for the nation.

He said that even though he had lost his son in the service of the nation, he would still suggest his grandson to join the Indian Army and serve the nation.

“He was great and brave. I wish every child and youngster draws inspiration from him,” Krishnamurthy said in an emotion-choked voice.

Major Raghuraman, who hails from Kanchipuram in Tamil Nadu, was to come home on leave next week but was killed along with his fellow officer and friend Major Vinay when they were engaged in the gunbattle in which nine militants were eliminated.

Major Vinay, who hails from Hyderabad, was leading the army onslaught on Wednesday in Baramulla and was hit at the start of the operation, while Raghuraman braving heavy gunfire was shot while going to rescue the former.

Major Vinay and Major Raghuraman were batchmates and they had an excellent rapport, Army spokesperson Col S.K. Sakuja said.

Major Vinay was to get married later this month and he had distributed the invitation cards a day before his death, he said.

New Delhi, October 5
The Municipal Corporation of Delhi today accorded a warm civic reception to the officers and jawans of Territorial Army at a glittering function organized at historical Azad Park in front of Town Hall.

Mayor Arti Mehra presented a memento to Major General V.K. Dutta, additional director general of Territorial Army. Similarly, the Mayor was presented a memento on behalf of the Territorial Army.

Welcoming the officers and jawans of Territorial Army on behalf of 1.5 crore citizens of Delhi, the Mayor called upon citizens to join Territorial Army to serve the nation. Every MCD officer and employee between 18 and 42 years who wish to join Territorial Army will be given two months’ leave with full pay to undergo training, she announced.

The Mayor expressed satisfaction that at present there are 66 units in the Territorial Army of which 42 are Departmental Units. In all, more than 48,000 jawans are engaged in the Territorial Army.

She emphasized that resident welfare associations or local organizations should encourage the youths to undergo military training so that in crisis, they could serve like soldiers of the Indian Army.

Besides the Mayor, Mahinder Nagpal, chairman of Works Committee; Dr V.K. Monga, chairman, Health Committee; Ved Gupta, chairman, Garden Committee, Major General V.K. Dutta, Brigadier Sardar Jasjit Singh, municipal commissioner A.K. Nigam, additional commissioners Raj Mohan Singh and H.B. Sharma, other senior officers of MCD, and officers and jawans of Territorial Army were present on the occasion.

Major General V.K. Dutta said that any citizen whether he was a trader, businessman or employee could join the Territorial Army and undergo two months’ training in a year.

He said that three battalions of TA were deployed when the employees of oil sector in India called upon strike. The soldiers of his Army performed very well. As a result, the strike was called off, the Major General added. 

New Delhi, October 5
A new Department of Health Research to boost biomedical research was launched by the health ministry on Friday and the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) was brought under its purview.

Making the announcement, union health minister Anbumani Ramadoss said that the new department would be autonomous and play a major role in research and guiding the government in coming out with health policies.

The department will have its own secretary, deputy secretary and separate budget, he said at a function to commemorate ICMR’s foundation day.

“It will focus on developing drugs, doing biomedical research and address all kinds of problems that the ICMR laboratories are facing at this time,” the minister said.

“The department will tie up with international universities, research agencies and be in charge of setting up public health schools. The budget will be at least five times more than what ICMR is currently getting,” he said.

ICMR director general N.K. Ganguly said that ICMR had been working in this direction since 1911, but the challenges had grown and there was need for a separate department.

“The main thrust of the department will be to promote research, build capacity and infrastructure of the existing laboratories and create more manpower in the field of research,” he said.

“We should produce 10 times more PhDs every year,” he said.

The department would also start courses on translational medicine, said Ramadoss, as the 21st century calls for detecting a disease before the symptoms emerge.

Elaborating on the role of ICMR in research and the creation of new departments, Ramadoss said the need to reorganise ICMR on the pattern of other agencies was well appreciated. The ICMR will continue to function as earlier, but will now be part of the new Department of Health Research.

“The government of India took note of the recommendations made by the Performance Appraisal Board of the ICMR, which Prof. Kasturirangan chaired and set into motion a process to create a Department of Health Research,” Ramadoss said.

“I am happy to inform you that the President of India has given assent to the proposal and the Department of Health Research has been created. This fulfils a long-standing demand of the medical research community in the country.”

Special invitee on the occasion, Elias A. Zerhouni, director of the US’ National Institute of Health, said: “I hope the new department will address the future challenges in disease prevention.”—IANS

Noida, October 5
Expressing his views on Noida Vision 2010–a seminar organized by the Noida Management Association, UP chief secretary Prashant Kumar Mishra said broad roads and flyovers are changing the look of Noida. But equally important are sufficient power, clean water, efficient sewerage, drainage, waste management, large green belts, education institutions, industry, centres for arts and culture, etc.

“Along with Noida’s skyscrapers, we must integrate Noida villages and rural areas as development should not be lop-sided. Law and order and problems of crime are also very important. We must have economic growth in rural areas along with agro-parks, IT parks and software parks. We do not have a technical university of our own here. Let us provide all these and make Noida a world-class city,” exhorted Mishra.

New Delhi, October 5
With the arrest of three persons, Amit, Bhura and Raj Kumar, the northeast district police has solved a dacoity-cum-murder case. 1,350 kgs of copper scrap, one Tata 407 and a country-made pistol have been recovered from them.

A Paras Nath had gone to the Mandolin industrial area to deliver some copper scrap on September 14. Three men overpowered him while he was getting the copper scrap weighed. When he tried to resist, he was stabbed several times. Later, he succumbed to his injuries.

New Delhi, October 5
Three members of an international drug cartel were arrested from Govindpuri in the Capital on Wednesday. 3.670 gms of heroin worth Rs 3.67 crore in the international market was recovered from their possession.

The suspects have been identified as Rasheed Abisoye, Babatunde and Mehmood Shah.

An international drug cartel dealing in heroin was operational in the Capital.

It was learnt that an Afghan national would deliver a consignment on October 3 in Govindpuri to some Nigerians. A trap was laid and three persons were apprehended.

The police has confirmed that the network was run by Toufiq, an Afghan. Shah used to act as a courier of the consignment in India. According to the police, the trail of heroin starts from Afghanistan.