New Delhi, March 4
A 16-year-old girl allegedly shot herself in the Saraswati Vihar area on Tuesday morning. Tanvi was a student of class XI and was allegedly tense as her exam results were due on March 7.

“At about 8.30 a.m. Tanvi killed herself by shooting herself in the right temple with her father’s revolver at her home in Saraswati Vihar in northwest Delhi,” a police official said.

Tanvi’s father and mother were in another room when the incident occurred. No suicide note was recovered.

New Delhi, March 4
To improve awareness about female foeticide, the Centre for Social Research today organised a rally in the Punjabi Bagh area of the Capital.

Nearly 250 people ,including nigam parshads, local MLAs, kirtan mandals, ministry officials participated in the event.

The rally was a part of the Meri Shakti, Meri Beti (MSMB) campaign that was launched in 2007 by the Centre for Social Research (CSR) and the ministry of health and family welfare to protect the girl child in Delhi.

The project mainly focuses on three areas of Delhi which have the lowest sex ratio- Narela (South West), Punjabi Bagh (West) and Najafgarh Tehsil (South West) with the sex ratios of 828, 842, and 841 respectively (per 1000 males).

According to the 2001census, sex ratio in India stood at 927 girls per 1000 boys. In the national capital the situation was even graver with only 868 girls per 1000 boys.

In Delhi the lowest ratio was reported from the South West area, where many of the city’s most affluent and educated live. This ratio has dropped alarmingly from 904 in 1991 to 846 in 2001.

The census also shows that the sex ratio in India is turning dangerously masculine!

The MSMB project aims at conducting an analysis of the action taken by the existing agencies on female foeticide in the context of the PC/ PNDT Act. It will then evolve a long- term strategy to deal with the problem.

“Only a collective force of citizen partnership can help combat female foeticide. The shameful practice of sex selective abortions can only be checked when the whole community takes the responsibility of protecting the girl child and not just a handful of people working towards the empowerment of women,” said Dr Ranjana Kumari, director, CSR.

Ghaziabad, March 4
A high-powered electric wire of 11000 MW passing over NH No.24 snapped on the road as a result of which a bike rider had a narrow escape as the live cable got entangled in the bike and sent the rider sprawling on the highway.

Police and administration officials rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control otherwise it could have resulted in major accidents.

Incidentally the accident has blown to shreds the UP Power Corporation’s claim that overhead power cables have been very firmly secured at main highways and crossings and that they are safe. Sanjay of Sector-23 was seriously injured.

Ultimately the power supply had to be disconnected to extricate the badly
mangled bike.

The injured was rushed to a hospital. Such a high-tension wire over crowded residential areas and busy roads pose a great risk to life and property of the residents.

Even passing traffic trucks, buses, cars and bike riders could have met with fatal accidents due to snapping of live high powered overhead cables, people said.

Executive engineer Arun Kumar of UPPC said budget had been made available for firming and guarding, but the work was not carried out properly by contractor.

Additional. Ghaziabad DM Sarvajit Ram, SP City and GDA officials inspected the spot.

New Delhi, March 4
The crime branch today arrested 11 girls in the Capital in connection with many cases of cheating. The girls were allegedly running a fake friendship club with Varun.

According to police sources, club members had advertised about their club in several newspapers and men used to call up on the given phone numbers.

The accused charged money from the callers for the membership of the club. Also, even while talking to the customers on phone, these girls used to ask money from them on different pretexts.

The police has found that the accused had many accounts in different banks. The alleged gang used to operate from the Dabdi area.

Faridabad, March 4
Haryana labour minister A.C.Chaudhary today urged for making the state free of industrial accidents, starting from this industrialised city.

Chauhary, who was the chief guest at a state level function here to celebrate the 37th “National Safety Day”, said on the occasion that Haryana was at the top of the perch in all-round qualitative performances, and it would only be proper if the state was made an accident-free zone.

The Haryana’s labour commissioner and chief inspector of factories, N.C.Wadhwa said that the present industrial accident figure in the state was 0.49/1000/year as against the national figure of 11.2/1000/year.

The function was organised by the Haryana Safety Council which is a joint and collaborative organisation of the labour department, the industry and the labour/employee.

The minister tried to drive home the point in favour of industrial peace in the state, saying that industry and labour force are laced in a symbiotic relationship.

He further said that the industrial units must ensure the safety of their workers and also come good on other parameters followed at international level, for their own good. The world is networked as a global economy.

With India treated as a huge market, international business interests have started zeroing in here. But the obverse side of it all is that the businessmen from abroad are having a dekko at the ethical and other practices followed by the units in order to do business with them.

The minister directed that pictorial graphics including dos and don’ts relating to finer points on safety measures be displayed on the premises of units. The literature and other material would be supplied by the labour department, he added.

He cautioned that the government would be constrained to take harsh measures against those units found guilty of not following the safety parameters.

Noida, March 4
Jatin Sarkar’s death in connection with Nithari killing case has once again become a subject of suspicion and questions whether his death was due to an accident or conspiracy have been raised by his wife?

The CBI and the local police have been accused of bringing pressures on cops probing the death to save the principal accused in the case.

Through a string operation, it has been claimed that higher officials of CBI and police are building up pressure on two policemen of Murshidabad who are probing the death of Jatin Sakar. The idea is to save the culprits in this murder by pressurizing the enquiring cops.

Even a senior officer of CBI has reportedly been put in the dock in this string operation. It may be mentioned that Jatin’s wife and son had already questioned the veracity of Jatin’s death.

Jatin’s wife had alleged before the media that higher officers of CBI and the then police circle officer (DSP) had been issuing death threats to Jatin. These officers had even chased him right up to Jatin’s village.

According to Nithari victim’s advocate Khalid Khan, Jatin was done to death because he had the then CO’s case diary which Jatin was about to produce in the court.

Khalid Khan said the CO had mentioned in his diary that the key accused, Moninder Singh had confessed in his presence that he had killed the innocent Nithari kids.

A saw had also been recovered by the police on Moninder’s bidding with which he allegedly used to cut the hapless Nithari children into pieces.

Since police and CBI both wanted to save Moninder, they ere keen to retrieve the case diary from Jatin at any cost. Khalid Khan has alleged that CBI’s role in this matter is extremely suspicious. He said a Kolkata police officer is already under CBI scanner.

Khan further alleged that there is an ominous agreement between the CBI and the police that both will be protect each other.

That is why even Kolkata police officials do not want that Jatin’s murder should be fully exposed.

Khan said CBI is trying to frighten all key witnesses in the case because it does not want truth about Nithari killings to come at the open, Khan said.

It may be mentioned that Jatin, father of Pinky Sarkar, had allegedly died last year by drowning. However Khalid said there was no way Moninder Singh could escape punishment in the case.

The doctors themselves may incorporate special techniques to allay such after-effects.

New Delhi, March 4
Italian University, Luiss Guido Carli, Rome, offers 10 scholarships for Indian students for its master of science in general management, a two year course starting from September 2008. Graduates or students finishing their graduation by July 2008 are eligible. 

The 10 scholarships are divided in three different categories and are intended for the complete duration of the programme.

In category A (4 scholarships) there is total exemption of the annual tuition fee of € 9,000 and thestudent will get € 9,000 per year for living expenses.

In category B (3 scholarships) 50% reduction in the annual tuition fee and the student will get € 8,000 per year for living expenses. In Category C (3 scholarships) the student will get 50per cent reduction in the annual tuition fee of € 9,000.

Selected candidates can do internship in an Italian company that cooperate with Luiss in this regard. The application form is available on: http://www.luiss.it/internationalisation.

The selection will be based on the results of a selection test and personal interview. The selection test and the interview will take place at the end of April 2008 in Mumbai and New Delhi.

The deadline for application is 10 April, 2008. For further information, write to Bettina Scheurer at bscheurer@luiss.it. 

New Delhi, March 4
Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit has stated that her government would put into service around 10,000 new buses within two years.

The transport scenario will change before Commonwealth Games 2010.

Around 20 per cent buses would be air-conditioned. This would provide comfortable intra-city journey and discourage the residents from bringing their cars on road.

While laying the stone of Asiad Village Community Centre, the Chief Minister said that Delhi would become self-sufficient in power by 2010. The Prime Minister had agreed to lay foundation stone of a gas-based 1500 MW power plant at Bawana on March 24. Apart from this, a number of other projects were being implemented to enhance the generation of power in Delhi.

It may be noted that around 9 to 10 per cent power consumption is going up in a year in the Capital.

Dikshit expressed satisfaction that power theft had been brought down from 52 to 28 per cent.

The government had worked hard to get Sonia Vihar Water Treatment Plant commissioned. But it has been facing difficulties in getting raw water from neighbouring states. Hence, it becomes government’s prime duty to conserve every drop of water.

In order to have a slum-free Capital lakhs of low-cost houses were being constructed with support from JNNURM.

New Delhi March 4
Several resident welfare associations (RWAs) in various parts of Delhi including Karol Bagh, Old Rajender Nagar, Krishna Nagar and Malviya Nagar have demanded from the Delhi government to end power cuts.

“Despite assurances by the power minister and the private distribution companies, power cut is a regular feature and is adversely affecting the students appearing for the board exams,” said Atul Goyal, convenor of the United Residents Joint Action (URJA).

“Privatization was brought in Delhi for better power to consumers but the situation is as bad as it was during the Delhi Vidyut Board (DVB) days,” he added.

New Delhi, March 4
The 23rd edition of Aahar 2008—the International Food Fair will be held at Pragati Maidan here from March 10 to 14.

It is being organized by the India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO) in association with the ministry of food processing industries, Government of India.

Attracting over 375 leading Indian and foreign ompanies, the fair is being held with support of APEDA, ARCHI, AIFPA, CIFTI and HOTREMAI.

Overseas participation is from Australia, and Belgium, among others.