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Congress kicks off poll campaign
Child raped by uncle
Abducted boy killed
Education |
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Workshop on prevention of osteoporosis
UAE minister presented with FLO award
Trucks claim more lives than Bluelines
HC reserves order on extradition of murder accused
Court orders FIR against firm
10-hour power cut in Noida
Vardhan for amnesty scheme on sealing
Delhi favourite retail destination
Boy sodomised by neighbour
Food expo from May 3
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Congress kicks off poll campaign
New Delhi, April 27 Describing the developmental works done by the Congress government, DPCC president and Rajya Sabha MP Jai Prakash Aggarwal sought the third term in power. Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit also addressed the meeting. She said that the Union and Delhi budgets aimed at helping the poor and ensuring overall development of the country and the Capital. Enough money has been allocated in the current budget to carry out developmental works in the Capital. Dikshit claimed that the state government has been trying to improve the plight of Dalits, minorities, OBCs, handicapped, children, women, old people and widows. She said that the first metro line from Shahdara to Ritala that was constructed due to the Congress government’s efforts would be extended to Ghaziabad border within six months. The route will cover areas like Rohtas Nagar, Babarpur and Dilshad Garden. With the construction of Sonia Vihar water treatment plant, water shortage in the Trans-Yamuna area and the rest of the Capital has been solved, claimed Dikshit. She said that the government is focusing on the overall development of the Trans-Yamuna area. Jai Prakash Aggarwal seconded the claim. He said that the area would change considerably by the time 2010 Commonwealth Games begins. The government had constituted the Delhi Infrastructure Development Board to hasten the process of development in the area. Aggarwal said that the government gave importance to the needs of people from other states. The Maithili/Bhojpuri Academy was intended to give a boost to the language of people from Poorvanchal region. East Delhi MP Sandeep Dikshit and Rashid Alvi, MP also addressed the gathering. Babarpur district president and municipal councillor Razia Sultana, DPCC general secretary and district in charge Mahmood Zia, DPCC vice-president Hasan Ahmed, general secretary Deepak Gothi MLAs Bhisham Sharma, Veer Singh Dhingan, Vinay Sharma, Ch Mateen Ahmed, Baljore Singh, municipal councillors Ajit Chaudhary, Taj Mohd, Savita Sharma, Shakuntala Devi, Geeta and Shakila Begum also attended the meeting. |
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Child raped by uncle
New Delhi, April 27 The child, whose parents are residents of the Capital’s Mangolpuri area, was admitted to the Sanjay Gandhi Hospital, where psychiatrists are trying to elicit information from her about the incident, according to the police. “We got an intimation from the hospital that a minor girl with suspected rape injuries was admitted there. The medical examination has confirmed rape and we are in process of registering an FIR (first information report),” a police official told IANS. This is second incident of a child being raped in the Capital in the past two days. Another child was raped on Saturday evening by a man near a police post in Kamla Market in central Delhi. But, the police was not able to identify and arrest the assaulter. “Investigations are on. We have detained a few people for questioning, but no one has been arrested so far,” a police official said on Sunday. The ,victim a child of less than five years, was found on Saturday by passers-by in an unconscious state and bleeding. She was rushed to the state-run Lok Nayak Jaiprakash Narain Hospital. “The victim is still unconscious and traumatized. So we have not been able to record her statement,” the police official said. Earlier, on April 24, traffic police constable Sanjeev Rana and his property dealer friend were arrested for allegedly raping an 11-year-old girl in a moving car. On April 13, a 12-year-old mentally challenged girl, who has difficulty both in talking and hearing, was raped by her neighbour in New Kondli in East Delhi. The accused, Sandeep Rawat, was arrested. On April 4, a 12-year-old girl was gang raped in a moving car that ferried schoolchildren at Khayala in West Delhi. The police later arrested the three men who indulged in the criminal assault. Rape accused acquitted Meanwhile, a local court recently acquitted a man charged with kidnapping and raping a girl, as the victim gave him a clean chit. Sab Babu, 29, was acquitted, as the victim did not depose against him. The court said that the prosecution has failed to establish that the accused had kidnapped and raped the girl. Additional sessions judge HS Sharma said, “From the perusal of record, it was reflected that the 20-year-old girl herself had not deposed against the accused and gave a clean chit to him. Therefore, I am acquitting him.”
— IANS/TNS |
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Abducted boy killed
Greater Noida, April 27 There is a lot of tension in the area after the body was found from the fields. Protesting villagers blocked Javer- Rabupura Road, while raising slogans against the Rabupura police and demanding action against the SO in-charge of Rabupura police station. According to police circle officer, Javer, important clues have been recovered and the killers will be nabbed soon. Rahul, 13, a student of 7th class and son of Tej Pal Singh of Terthali village under Rabupura police station, had been abducted on April 21. Police had registered a missing report on April 22 which was changed into a kidnapping report later. On Saturday Khan Mohd, a resident of Terthali, while harvesting his field, noticed a body in a ditch. He informed other villagers who brought out the half-burnt body. The decomposed body had been nibbled at by stray animals. It was identified by his family as that of Rahul from his shirt, belt, etc. Villagers’ anger then exploded over the ‘negligence’ of the police. They jammed Javer Rabupura Road, raised slogans against the police. Later, CO police and SDM persuaded the villagers, who were demanding action against SO police and killers. A compensation of Rs 5 lakh was also demanded by the villagers. CO police said the killing appeared to be the result of old enmity as no ransom call was received. Rahul’s father Tej Pal accused the police of negligence as they did precious little even after he had told them that some people had abducted his son in an orange-coloured car. Police negligence took his son’s life, he lamented. |
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Education
New Delhi, April 27 The children reminded the parliamentarians about the government’s promises made at Dakar regarding education for all and submitted their charter of demands addressed to the Prime Minister asking for 6 per cent of GDP for education. Common school system, making the law more child-friendly, regulation of private school system and compliance of millennium development goals were the main issues of charter of demands. Children demanded legal provision for enforcing the right to education with redressal system for those who are being excluded from the mainstream education. When children knocked the doors of the parliamentarians’ early morning, they got mixed responses. Some of the parliamentarians welcomed them whole-heartedly and offered money for their breakfast. While, some tried to escape from facing them. Nevertheless, most of them assured the kids of total co-operation. Abdullah Kutti, Member of Parliament from Kannor constituency promised the kids of raising question in the house to bring out law making education a fundamental right. He opined that education would bring many positive changes in the country like land reform and decentralisation of power. Former parliamentarian Karnendu Bhattacharya assured the children of taking the agenda forward with the help of his party colleagues. Beerbhadra Paswan from Nawada, Bihar and Vishnudeo Sai from Raipur, Chhattisgarh also extended their support. However, Nikhilanand Sir from Vardhman disagreed with the right to education act. “I don’t support this idea. It is not the duty of the government. This country is too big and it will take lot of time.” “Some of the parliamentarians are still thinking on the party, caste, region and religious lines. However most of the parliamentarians are in support of our movement,” said Rama Kant Rai, country convener, National Coalition for Education. “NCE, with the help of Bachpan Bachao Andolan, will raise this issue during next general elections,” he added. The Global Action Week was supported by international organisations like Care India, Save the Children Fund, Mukti Ashram, Global March Against Child Labour, Bal Ashram, Bal Vikas Dhara and Save the Childhood Foundation. |
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Workshop on prevention of osteoporosis
New Delhi, April 27 Specialists at the workshop emphasised the need for developing a healthy lifestyle to prevent bone-related ailments. “Dietary management includes a balanced diet with adequate amount of calcium. Exercises build and maintain strong bones. Adequate calcium deposition results in better balance, muscle strength and agility, thus reducing the risk of falls and fractures,” said Dr H.S. Chhabra, additional medical director, Indian Spinal Injuries Centre. Osteoporosis is a generalized reduction in bone density. It results when the rate of bone breakdown exceeds the rate of bone formation. It increases the risk of fractures, especially those of the back, wrist and hip. It can also lead to hunched back, loss of height and pain in the back. Most often, osteoporosis is a silent disease. An early diagnosis is imperative to ensure best treatment. It is advisable to take suitable steps to prevent osteoporosis as it is difficult to revert the changes once they set in. Osteoporosis is diagnosed through a DEXA scan. The treatment of osteoporosis includes pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatment. The former includes hormonal therapy, SERMs, bisphosphonates, calcitonin or teriparatide and calcium as well as vitamin D supplementation. Non-pharmacological management includes dietary management, a healthy lifestyle with adequate exercises and removal of predisposing factors, the experts said. The risk factors for osteoporosis which cannot be changed include female gender, advanced age, small body size, Caucasian and Asian ethnicity and family history. However, those which can be changed include inactive lifestyle or extended bed rest, premature menopause, a lifetime diet low in calcium and vitamin D, use of certain medications, such as steroids or some anticonvulsants, cigarette smoking and excessive alcohol use. |
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With young artists priced high, masters sell better
New Delhi, April 27 A large body of first-time buyers are choosing works by established artists primarily because of the timeless quality and the brand attached to their works. According to industry estimates, the Indian art market is valued at nearly Rs 500 million. A painting by top line contemporary artist Subodh Gupta costs almost the same as a small “good quality” canvas by MF Husain measuring 3 feet by 3 feet. According to Ashish Anand of Delhi Art Gallery, a buyer would rather settle for a painting by Husain priced at Rs 10 million than a big canvas by Subodh Gupta for the same amount. Works by top contemporary artists like Atul Dodiya, Anupam Poddar, Sudarshan Shetty, Mithu Sen, Anju Dodiya, Sibu Natesan, Jagannath Panda and Bose Krishnamachari are priced in the same range as Satish Gujral, FN Souza, MF Husain, Ram Kumar and SH Raza. It is not that buyers are rejecting contemporary art. Works by artists priced between Rs 100,000 and Rs 1.5 million are selling well, but there is a lot of resistance when the prices shoot past the Rs 1.5 million-mark, says Anand. Modern masters, on the other, are priced at Rs 3 million to Rs 4 million on an average. “So buyers are willing to fork out a little more to take a master home,” says Anand. The astronomical prices commanded by leading contemporary artists act as a psychological barrier, says veteran art promoter Sunit Kumar Jain. “Masters are time-tested and potential investors look for value for money,” he says. At the annual group show of the Delhi-based Chawla Art Gallery last week, which showcased works by several top-of-the chain modern and contemporary artists, a private collector settled in favour of veteran artist Ram Kumar when asked to choose between a contemporary artist and masters. “Ram Kumar to me represents everything that creativity should represent. It is open to so many interpretations,” says K. Jagjit Singh, who came to check out his favourite artist. Another Delhi-based collector, who refused to be named, says he would “rather buy a Souza than a new artist because contemporary paintings are shallow and somewhat monotonous”. Quality names sell, says Shivani Chawla of Chawla Art Gallery, one of the oldest in the Capital. Artists like Gujral, Ram Kumar, Souza and Husain are still “very much in demand”, says Chawla. But there is a pitfall, warns Narendra Bikhu Ram Jain, owner of Art Mall in Najafgarh in West Delhi.
— IANS |
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Artscape
New Delhi, April 27 Rameshwar Singh’s paintings reflect the vibrant colours of Rajasthan, the state in which he was born and brought up. The artist has a studio in the National Capital Territory of Delhi as well and divides his time between Jaipur and Delhi. Political films
The India International Centre (IIC) here and the Magic Lantern Foundation are jointly presenting “Persistence Resistance – A Festival of Contemporary Political Films” at the centre from April 28 to 30. More than 100 films made in the last 10 years will be screened during the festival which has been organised to celebrate “a rich, exciting moment in the history of the Indian documentary film”. Apart from this, the festival will also have eight simulated video parlours where audiences will be able to check out the film of their choice from the temporary video library set up there. On May 1, the centre is also presenting an evening of Kathak recital by Daniel Freddy, a disciple of Guru Rajendra Gangani, Pandit Birju Maharaj and Vaswati Misra in the centre’s auditorium. On May 4, the IIC is presenting Carnatic classical vocals and bhajans by O.S. Arun, a well-known vocalist from Chennai. On May 5, it will be the turn of Ashwin and Anujan Krishnamoorthy from Thane to regale the audience with their rendering of carnatic classical vocals at the centre’s auditorium. Pratidhwani
Pratidhwani, an exhibition of recent works of artist Shampa Sircar Das is being held at the Shridharani art gallery here from April 29 to May 8. ‘Art For Art’s Sake’
Seventeen women artists displayed their creations at a special exhibition organised by Artspeaks India at the Epicentre in Gurgaon from April 25 to 27. After that the “Art For Art’s Sake” exhibition can be viewed till May 15 by appointment only. Solo show
The Mystiq Art Gallery here is holding a solo show of paintings by Subhasish Dutta entitled “Mirrored Reflections” from April 25 to May 1. Anand Moy’s works
Artist Anand Moy Banerji is also exhibiting his works at the Lalit Kala Akademi, Gallery Number Four from April 25 to 30. Kazim’s oeuvre
Gallery Espace is holding an exhibition of the recent works of artist Ali Kazim from April 23 to May 7. |
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UAE minister presented with FLO award
New Delhi, April 27 Dikshit said, “If the corporate houses of the FLO members could train young girls in various trades and link them to jobs, we would make a big contribution to empowering women at work.” She exhorted women entrepreneurs to absorb in their ventures, girls and boys who had received formal education under various schemes of the Delhi government. Shekha Qasimi said in the Middle East, women were assuming more prominent roles in the economy and society. In the UAE, she said, there were four women in the cabinet. The UAE parliament accounted for 22.5 per cent women and female workers in the private sector had gone up from 9.6 per cent in 1986 to 33.8 per cent by December 2007. The Annual Session saw animated discussions on how different organisations are empowering women at work and how successful women had empowered themselves at work. The discussants were: Lalita Gupte, chairperson, ICICI Venture Funds; Runa Bannerjee, founder SEWA, Lucknow; Rekha Seal, TATA Steel, Jamshedpur; Shobhna Kamineni, Apollo Hospital Group, Hyderabad; Anita Dongre, fashion designer; Sangita Singh, senior vice-president, WIPRO, Bangalore; Sangita Talwar, executive director, TATA Tea, Bangalore; Chitra Ramakrishna, managing director, NSE, Mumbai and. Falguni Nayar, MD, Kotak Investment Bank. |
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Trucks claim more lives than Bluelines
New Delhi, April 27 Sixty-two people, including five women, lost their lives to ‘unruly’ trucks across the city during the first three months of this year as against 25 people, including four women, killed by the Blueline buses. While 144 people, including four women, were grievously injured in accidents involving trucks till March 31, the figures for Blueline buses were 74 which included eight women. Last year, 305 people lost their lives and 675 were seriously injured in truck accidents while the figures for private buses, including Blueline, were 163 and 323 respectively. However, the figures for 2005 and 2006 reveal another story. The number of victims in Blueline and truck accidents was almost the same during these two years. In 2005, 119 people each died in truck and Blueline accidents. The figures for 2006 were 105 and 112 respectively. “This is a new trend which we are witnessing. While the figures for 2005 and 2006 were almost the same for Bluelines and trucks, it showed a steep increase with respect to trucks in 2007 and it is continuing this year as well,” said a senior police official. |
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HC reserves order on extradition of murder accused
New Delhi, April 27 Deepa Agarwal, 20, studied at University of Central Florida. Her decomposed body was found stuffed in a carton in her bedroom on July 11, 1999. According to the autopsy report, Deepa died due to the fracture of spinal cord. Several knife wounds were also found on her body. Kamlesh, then 22, was suspected for the murder, as he had left his studies midway and had fled from Florida. He studied computer science at the same college. He was arrested after an Interpol alert from a Mumbai hotel where he was staying under a false name. A grand jury in the US had charged Kamlesh with “first-degree murder” and ordered him to be present for trial in September 2000. The State of Florida had forwarded an extradition request to India.
While it is still not clear as to which way the verdict may go, Deepa’s father Mangi Lal Agarwal feels that Kamlesh will pay for the crime. |
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Court orders FIR against firm
New Delhi, April 27 “There are sufficient prima facie evidence for commission of an offence which requires investigation by the police. Therefore, SHO, Defence Colony police station is directed to register the case under appropriate provisions of the law,” said metropolitan magistrate Chandrashekhar. The court order follows a complaint filed by the bank. The complaint said that the accused should be booked under various provisions of the IPC dealing with cheating, forgery and criminal conspiracy. |
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10-hour power cut in Noida
Noida, April 27 As temperature on Saturday had touched 41 degree Celsius, people faced a lot of hardship due to power cuts from 4 to 5 hours in most sectors. It is a ‘local fault’ according to UPPC officials. Power supply was drastically cut in Sectors 52, 50, 12, 11, 71, 72, 16, 17 on Saturday. UPPC officials said after the installation of 42 KV transmission in Khora, the capacity of 120 KV substation, will go up from 80 MVA to 120 MVA. The power supply to Sectors 11, 23, 58, 62C, 62B, 62A was affected from 12 noon today. The power supply to Sectors 50, 63 and 64 also remained suspended. But after the new 40 KV transmission is fixed, it will improve the supply to all the sectors, officials said. |
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Vardhan for amnesty scheme on sealing
New Delhi, April 27 “Even after two years the Centre has not implemented the amnesty scheme. Both the Central and state governments are misleading residents of Delhi,” he said. “The only way to save people from sealing and demolition is by implementing amnesty scheme.” Harsh Vardhan alleged that the state and Central governments are hand in glove with the mall lobby and that is why small traders are not getting relief. “In the case of price spiral only small traders are being harassed,” he said. |
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Delhi favourite retail destination
New Delhi, April 27 Delhi has the highest concentration of households with an annual income of $110,000 and per capita income more than double the national average. “Delhi is a destination for shopping across India besides its own consumption appetite. It is the principal business and commercial centre in northern India,” minister of state for industry Ashwani Kumar said at a symposium organised by the Industry (CII) here.
— IANS |
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Boy sodomised by neighbour
New Delhi, April 27 Kapil Rana, 34, was on Saturday caught from Anand Vihar in East Delhi. “The accused is the neighbour of the six-year-old victim,” a police official said. Rana took the boy around 9.50 p.m. on Saturday. He told his parents that he was taking him out to buy him an ice-cream. But the boy did not return till 11 p.m.. “His parents searched the nearby Ambedkar Park, where an ice-cream vendor puts up his cart at night. During the search they found Kapil on top of the boy and both of them were naked,” said the official.
— IANS |
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Food expo from May 3
New Delhi, April 27 Kesar Singh Gupta, chairman of NNS, said that over 100 prominent government and private organisations would participate in the three-day expo. Rajesh Gupta, managing director of NNS said the exhibition provides a platform to transact business with food processing and related industries.
— TNS |
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