New Delhi, November 20
Two children were crushed to death and nine people, including seven women, suffered multiple fractures after a state-run Delhi Transport Corp (DTC) bus struck them on Tuesday.

The accident occurred in Burari area in north Delhi when the driver of an empty DTC bus, Prem Chand, failed to apply the brakes and rammed the vehicle into a group of people standing behind a stationary bus around 11.30 a.m.

The police said Sheila, 17, and Mohan, 12, came under the wheels of the DTC bus, while others got sandwiched between the two buses.

All the victims were rushed to the nearby Trauma Centre, where doctors declared Sheila and Mohan brought dead with head injuries. The others suffered multiple fractures and were stated to be recuperating.

According to the police, around 300,000 people from the city and other states had come to attend a religious congregation of Nirankaris at the Burari ground. The victims were waiting to board buses back home.

“People were chitchatting and didn’t expect that the DTC bus would not stop before time. The bus was also not speeding, but picked up some pace as it was descending from slop. The driver could not manage to apply the brakes on time and hit the awaiting people,” said additional deputy commissioner of police (North Delhi) Atul Katiyar.

Katiyar said the bus driver was arrested and a case was registered at the Timarpur police station.—IANS 

New Delhi, November 20
Road safety experts and engineers have expressed concern over the safety and feasibility of the High Capacity Bus System (HCBS) coming up in South Delhi.

They urged for immediate stalling of the project and reviewing it for other parts of Delhi, where it has been planned.

“The HCBS project in the Capital is the first project in the world, which has started without a detailed project report. The concern of other road users has to be first thought of before starting such a project,” said K. K. Kapila, vice-chairman, Geneva-based International Road Federation (IRF).

Speaking on the World Day of Remembrance for road traffic victims, he said, “The entire road stretch where the project is being implemented in South Delhi has only four lanes (two on both sides), one lane on both sides is fully being dedicated to HCBS while lakhs of motorists and two-wheeler users commuting daily on this stretch have been given a raw deal as only one lane on both sides is meant for them.”  “This has also divided South Delhi into two parts as it will become difficult for lakhs of residents on both sides to cross to each other’s side. The pedestrians and cyclists have no space left for use despite that they are more than 50 per cent of road users in the Capital,” he added.

“Road Safety Audit is mandatory worldwide for each phase of road development including project preparation, implementation and operation. In the HCBS, this has totally been given the go-by,” said Pradip Chaturvedi, former chairman, Safety and Quality forum, Institute of Engineers.

“The dedicated corridor of HCBS is not going to bring any relief to the growing population of Delhi, rather it will create traffic chaos. The existing ordinary buses are already overloading passengers. Unless a separate route like Metro is developed, it is no use having HCBS system on existing roads as most of the time this corridor will remain unused,” Chaturvedi said.

New Delhi, November 20
For the second consecutive day on Tuesday, hundreds of Delhi University (DU) students protested the death of an 18-year-old girl student who was crushed by one of those notorious Blueline buses while trying to avoid a speeding motorcycle just outside her college.

Pearl Gupta, a first year student of Aditi College, was killed when a Blueline bus, plying on Route No 106 between Bawana and Delhi railway station, ran over her on Monday morning.

Amrita Bahari, president of the Delhi University Students Union (DUSU), who participated in the protest following Pearl’s death said that her body was lying on the road for a good one hour before being taken away by the teachers of the college.

“Pearl was with a friend, Parul, who was injured in the accident. Not one person came forth to help the girls...and later when the girls of the college protested against the incident, one police officer rebuked them.

“When I tried to intervene, Rajib Singh, the police officer, remarked callously ‘the girl was not family, why create the fuss’?” Bahari said.

“Infuriated, I and three other girls of the college went to the police commissioner, Y. S. Dadwal, today and submitted a memorandum demanding his suspension,” Bahari told IANS.

They also demanded security outside the college, which is situated in an isolated area in northwest Delhi, in Bawana, and other measures such as the building of speed-breakers on the road outside.

“The police commissioner gave us a positive response and assured us that he will take all the necessary action,” Bahari said.

Police said Pearl, her classmate Parul and their friend were getting down from a Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) bus at a stand near their college when a motorcycle rider hit them.

While the other two fell on the pavement, Pearl fell on the road and was run over by the Blueline bus. These buses, dubbed ‘killers’, have already claimed 105 lives in the Capital and the Delhi government has said it will phase them out soon and get modern buses run by trained drivers to replace them.

All three were rushed to a nearby hospital, where doctors declared Pearl brought dead. Parul and her unidentified friend were recuperating from minor injuries, police said.—IANS

New Delhi, November 20
One thousand NCC cadets will help Delhi Traffic Police to manage traffic during peak hours in the Capital.

NCC cadets will educate common people at 16 places in Delhi to create awareness on road safety, announced Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit while flagging off a two-wheeler rally of the cadets at her residence today.

NCC cadets will educate people at 16 places including Rajiv Chowk, Gurgaon-Dhaula Kuan Road, Outer Circle, Rao Tula Ram Marg, Moti

Bagh Chowk, Gyarah Murti, South Ex Ring Road, Rajpath, Mathura Road, Tilak Marg, ITO, Rajghat, IP College on Ring Road, Ashram Chowk, Sena

Bhawan, Lodhi Road and other points as coordinated with Delhi Traffic Police.

The Chief Minister stated that the city government was concerned about safety and security of the passengers. The government started a campaign, ‘Walk Safe, Drive Safe’ through the print and electronic media. It is also taking 1,000 good quality privates buses in the Capital in which participation of corporate sector cooperatives would be significant. These buses would not only decrease the burden on the DTC but also improve the public transport system in Delhi.

Dikshit further said that the Congress-run city government would do its best to curb road accidents in the Capital.

The NCC cadets as well as children can play a vital role in the road safety campaigns. They can become the role model for others. “Children are real ambassador because we have seen in the last few years that children had played a major role

in increasing the green cover of the Capital,” the Chief Minister said.

She added that small precautions could decrease accidents. It is important for a pedestrian to know how to cross the road using zebra crossing, red signals and by looking right and left sides.

Director General of NCC Lt. General Prakash S. Chaudhary, Brig. Mahesh Mathur, Dy. Director General, NCC Delhi Directorate and large number

NCC cadets were present at the rally.

New Delhi, November 20
Tiny-tots will have only one year of nursery class at age four before they go straight to Class I, according to the new guidelines for admission to nursery classes in private schools which the Delhi High Court approved on Monday, virtually trashing the Ganguly committee recommendations.

According to the new guidelines, on which the court gave the city government permission to issue notification, school managements will not be allowed to interview tiny-tots or their parents, though it has allowed “interaction” with the parents. The court on Monday granted permission to the government to issue notification on the new guidelines from December 15.

After the Department of Education (DoE) submitted the revised guidelines, a bench headed by Chief Justice M.K. Sarma said, “The state government can introduce the new guidelines by issuing a notification.” Extending the date of admission from November 30 to December 15, the court directed private schools to submit their criteria of admission before the DoE immediately and the authorities have been directed to clear it within a month.

“The authorities are directed to approve or disapprove them within four weeks,” said the court, adding that the government should take responsibility for smooth implementation of its guidelines. With Monday’s order, the Ganguly Committee recommendations implemented last year have been shelved.

The court also rejected a plea of the Association of Private Schools on two years of nursery classes, saying that there was no need to make a child study two years in nursery classes and the Delhi Education Act has specified that the entry to Class I should be at the age of five. Pre-primary education should be restricted to one year and a child should be four years of age at the time of admission to nursery class and five years at Class I, the order said.

The government will also set up a monitoring cell in every district to look into admission-related complaints. Further, it has asked schools to get their admission criteria approved by the managing committee of the school with the consent of the Director of Education.

New Delhi, November 20
A rather innovative three-day science show has been organized in the Capital by Sony India, from November 19 to 21. The targeted audience are schoolchildren from class four. The Science Show held at Apeejay School, Sheikh Sarai, had an audience of over 7,000 students from 28 participating schools. With over 830 excited students per show, the auditorium was packed with children who responded enthusiastically to the genius of renowned Japanese scientist, Soichi Nishimura.

Nishimura entertained children through simple scientific experiments using basic everyday props such as balloons, paper, strings and cardboard boxes.

Masaru Tamagawa, managing director, Sony India, said, “We believe that instilling and nurturing an aptitude towards scientific thinking amongst kids at an early age is very important for the future. The Sony Science Show extends this thought into reality by stimulating the children’s natural sense of curiosity. Sony Science Show experiments make the theories they learn in the classroom come alive and their understanding of science increases with Nishimura’s clever demonstrations. This Science Show is our first such initiative in India, which will soon be followed by other activities based on science and technology across India.”

Conceptualized to make science learning fun and to encourage children to question natural phenomena that have scientific implications, each show changed classroom theories on subjects like conduction, air pressure, flight dynamics, etc into participative experiments. Throwing a boomerang which sailed around the auditorium, Nishimura explained how this deceptively simple instrument worked on the principle of flight dynamics of a rotational body.

Nishimura also showed experiments to demonstrate that air has weight and exerts pressure as well as the phenomenon of static electricity. The Science Shows are a part of Sony’s Global Community initiatives directed at children’s education. Sony places high emphasis on innovations and scientific research and invests approximately 7.5% of its global turnover in research and development. And the Sony Science Shows are Sony India’s first step towards corporate social responsibility by the way of nurturing these attributes among youth in an environment of fun and personal engagement.

The Sony Science Shows use the scientific entertainer, Soichi Nishimura, whose personal passion is showcasing simple scientific experiments to schoolchildren. Driven with a personal passion for demystifying science for young minds, Nishimura travels around the world to entertain and teach children the magical world of science.

The schools attending the Sony Science Show are: Dehi Public School, Mathura Road, Mount Carmel, Tagore International, St. Georges’, Sriram School and St. Thomas School.

New Delhi, November 20
The sealing issue in Delhi is likely to hot up once again as a large number of traders from different parts of the city staged a daylong ‘Vyapar Bachao Dharna’ at Town Hall, Ghantaghar, Chandni Chowk under the umbrella of their apex body, the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) today.

They demanded that the Union Government issue directive for implementation of government ordinance promulgated two months back, thereby enabling de-sealing of sealed shops in unauthorized colonies, village abadi and other areas of Delhi. The demonstrators also demanded protection of distributive character of Delhi trade, which receives great distortions due to sealing and demolitions in the city for the last two years.

They further declared that if situation remains the same, the traders will be forced to launch an agitation once again.

Expressing shock over non-implementation of government ordinance, the trade leaders termed it as a blatant violation of law of the land and demanded immediate intervention of the Union Government.

Charging the government agencies for creating a mess of sealing matter, the traders said that even the levy of conversion charges on special area and several other areas which were declared commercial areas long back by the MCD and DDA is unjustified. It appears that both these agencies are disapproving their own laws and acts.

The traders alleged that both the MCD and DDA have failed to identify the areas which enjoy protection of Master Plan and other laws. The sealing has been carried even in establishments enjoying protection of Master Plan or other laws.

In the matter of desealing of shops, the traders are subjected to run from pillar to post and are facing harassment, corruption and inordinate delay resulting into huge financial losses.

It is an irony that the government which claims to be the champion of human rights has so far not been able to focus its attention on such traders whose fundamental and human rights are violated.

The trade leaders demanded formation of a ‘Special Cell’ in MCD on Master Plan 2021 and subsequently also demanded the Union Government to form a ‘special working group’ comprising all government agencies in Delhi.

New Delhi, November 20
“HIV/AIDS should be tackled scientifically and religiously,” said labour minister Oscar Fernandes here today.

Speaking at a conference on “Dissemination of learning on HIV/AIDS in Mewat”, Fernandes encouraged frank discussion on HIV/AIDS and its prevention.

The conference was organized by the Society for All-Round Development (SARD) in association with Oxfam (UK) and European Union.

New Delhi, November 20
Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, London Mayor Ken Livingstone and R.K. Pachauri, director, TERI, called for an active-city co-operation to tackle the problem of climate change.

Livingstone launched a tree-planting database for London. The project is inspired by the success of Delhi’s tree-planting initiative, which has helped secure its reputation as one of the greenest cities.

Dikshit stated the objective behind the tree-planting programme being observed in the national Capital. She described the initiatives being taken by the government to improve the quality of air in the city.

Expressing the government’s commitment to take feasible steps for the mitigation of carbon emission in the Capital, she described the Commonwealth Games 2010 as an opportunity for Delhi that would prove to be bedrock for hosting 20-20 Olympics. 

Ghaziabad, November 20
Bandana Sarkar and Anil Haldar, key witnesses in the murder cases of their wards, Pinky Sarkar and Riya Haldar, respectively in Nithari case, have filed an application in the CBI special court here against Nand Lal, witness in the rape and murder case of Payal, 26. They have accused that Nand Lal had presented false proof in the court.

Accepting the plea, the special CBI judge Rama Jain has fixed November 23 as the date for its hearing and verdict. If convicted, Nand Lal could be awarded up to seven years in prison. It may be recalled that Nand Lal had gone back from his earlier statements in this CBI court in the Payal case. After this Bandana Sarkar and Anil Haldar have presented an application in the court through their advocate Khalid Khan under Section 340/195 (I)b and Sections 193/199 CPPC and APC.Khalid Khan told the court that after Nand Lal’s earlier statement, accused Moninder Singh Pandher was booked for murder and rape and an NBW against police Dy S.P. Dinesh Yadav was also issued. The case diary was also sealed after Nand Lal’s statement. By backtracking from his earlier statement, Nand Lal has not only wasted the court’s time but has also become guilty of presenting fake proof in the court, advocate Khan added.

New Delhi, November 20
Two inter-state gangsters were arrested with illegal arms from the Badarpur border area here. The Delhi police apprehended Nand Kishore and Nikhelesh Gautam, who were wanted in a robbery case. They had robbed Rs 8 lakh from a Nokia showroom in Uttar Pradesh.

A uniform of Uttar Pradesh police sub-inspector and a fake identity card has been recovered from the suspects.

An information was received that two gangsters were hiding in Badarpur, after committing a robbery of Rs 8 lakh in Uttar Pradesh. Nand Kishore was nabbed near toll tax plaza on Badarpur border, where was waiting for his associate.