New Delhi, May 26
Delhi University is doing its best to prepare for admissions which will begin on June 2. Registrations will carry on till June 16.

There will be tight security arrangements around campus during the admission process. This announcement follows a key proctorial board meeting held recently.

The proctor, Prof Gurmeet Singh, informed the press, “The registration process will begin on June 2 and will continue till June 16 at 15 different centres, including the university main campus and south campus for the 2008-09 session. We have also asked the police to make adequate security and traffic arrangements.”

The proctor also said that the police had been contacted as early as on May 11 to help in security and traffic management at the varsity.

He further informed that the university would be providing tents for students and a public address system, wherever needed, and especially at the DSW’s office, arts faculty and at some more centres.

Also, this year round the venue for SC/ST admissions has been shifted to the arts faculty from the sports complex.

“The varsity has also made arrangements for water. Police pickets around the women’s hostels have been strengthened. A university FM station will be providing regular bulletins to admission seekers till the admission process is completed,” the proctor said.

He also warned that only the university, individual colleges and official students unions would be allowed within the campus to put up tents for providing information to students and no sponsored tents would be allowed.

The university has taken many other steps to help students like the introduction of telecounselling and a helpline (27662507 and 27662508).

Special arrangements for counselling have also been made for the SC/ST students. Moreover, multi-media presentations will take place to facilitate the admission seekers.

The varsity is also holding ‘open days’ at different campuses in various colleges in the last week of May to brief students and help them with the admissions process. The university has also set up two-stage grievance redressal committee at college and central level.

Ghaziabad, May 26
The All-India Jagriti Yatra, commemorating 300 years of Guruta Gadhi—of Guru Granth Sahib is coming to Ghaziabad on Wednesday morning.

Three hundred years ago, the Tenth Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh had declared at Hazoor Sahib Gurdwara in Nader, Maharashtra that Guru Granth Sahib would be the future Guru of the Sikhs.

The Guruta Yatra will be received at Delhi Shahdara-UP border in the morning of May 28 by Ghaziabad Sangat.

After formal reception, expected to be attended among others by the district and divisional officers, where Punjab band will also be in attendance.

The Yatra will proceed in a grand vehicular convoy to Kavi Nagar Gurdwara via Link Road, Dawar Chowk, Pacific Mall, Anand Vihar Road, G.T. Road, Sahibabad, Mohan Nagar, Arthala, Meerut Road, Lohia Nagar and Kavi Nagar C Block Gurdwara reaching there about 1.30 pm.

After Guru ka Langar and two hours’ stop here, the Yatra will proceed at 3-30 pm to Shri Guru Singh Sabha Gurdwara, Bazariya via Santosh Hospital, Ambedkar Road, Chaudhary Mode, GT Road, Clock Tower and Bazariya Gur Singh Sabha Gurdwara, reaching there at about 8 pm.

According to the president of Shri Guru Singh Sabha Ghaziabad, Harmit Singh, this leg of the Yatra will move at a very slow speed so that the devotees could walk along and pay their respects to the Granth Sahib from.

At Gurdwara Guru Singh Sabha, Bazariya, a Kirtan Darbar will be held for about three hours after which Langar will be served.

After the night halt, the Guruta Yatra will start at 9.30 am on May 29 for Sector 62, Noida, where it will be handed over to Noida Sangat at about 11 am.

The route in the city has been decorated with flags, buntings, posters, etc heralding the grand Yatra. Devotees will also put up stalls and kiosks at various spots en route to serve refreshment to the Sangat walking along the entire route in the city. 

Gurgaon, May 26
More than 400 aspiring teen pop stars crooned and danced on stage as part of auditions for Disney Channel’s music talent show “Hannah Montana - The Big Pop Star Dream” at a mall here.

The contest was held at the MGF Mega City Mall in Gurgaon on Saturday evening.

The teens sang and danced to the beats of hit Bollywood numbers and songs from Disney Channel’s Original movies - “High School Musical” and “High School Musical 2”.

The MGF Mega City, a sprawling shopping mall in the satellite township near New Delhi, was packed to capacity. The children aged between 7 and 12 wore make-up and were given props to perform on the stage decked up like a concert space - complete with strobe lights and smoke screens.

The Hannah Montana show, one of the highest rated shows on Disney Channel with the largest viewership in the age group of 7-16, is about an ordinary not-so-good looking girl Miley Stuart in Malibu, California, who goes to school during the day and gets a makeover as pop star Hannah Montana at night. She lives with her brother and widowed father, Robby, a song-writer. No one in college knows that she is Hannah Montana. It is a musical with a fairy tale plot.

A statement by Disney Channel said nearly 100,000 children had registered for the talent hunt show in four cities - Kolkata, Delhi, Hyderabad and Mumbai.

Altogether, 1,600 aspiring pop idols will be handpicked from four cities, of whom four will be selected for the clinching round. The first round has been held in Kolkata. The auditions, recorded by the Disney team, will be screened by Anoushka Manchanda of the all-women’s pop group, Viva.

The channel will fly the four semi-finalists to Mumbai to give them a complete Hannah Montana makeover and record the Hannah Montana title track in Hindi. The vignettes of these four semi finalists’ performances will then be aired on Disney Channel for an audience poll to select the Big Indian Pop Star.

“We want Indian kids to get a feel of the real Hannah Montana show. It allows Indian children to get an opportunity to express themselves and pursue their dreams. I am thrilled that so many children in India emulate Hannah Montana,” Antione Villeneuve, senior vice-president and managing director, Walt Disney Television International, said.

One lucky fan among the Disney Channel viewers who participates in the voting to select the final winner, will also win a chance to accompany the contest winner to meet Hannah Montana in the US. — IANS

New Delhi, May 26
For the second time in less than a fortnight, widespread rains and a high velocity thunderstorm in the morning brought the temperatures tumbling down in the National Capital Territory of Delhi today much to the delight of the citizens.

However, the morning showers which coincided with the rush hour, sent the traffic into a state of disarray with long traffic jams reported from all over. The traffic on the main roads in East, West, Central and New Delhi areas was virtually reduced to a crawl. Similar was the situation on the main road connecting Noida with Delhi and the Nizammudin Bridge Road.

As in the previous storms, the high velocity winds took a toll on the Capital’s trees. A number of trees were uprooted in different parts of the city. Environment experts said that so many trees were being uprooted in storms as most of them had become weak since they were surrounded with concrete.

Aware of this problem, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has now decided to clear concrete from around the trees to give them room to breathe.

According to the Met office, this morning’s thundershowers were the result of a disturbance over western Rajasthan and adjoining areas. The sharp showers brought the temperature down by at least six degrees, well below the average at this time of the year. The minimum temperature was recorded at 18 degree Celsius.

The National Capital Territory of Delhi had earlier enjoyed a five-day spell of pleasant weather. The Met office said that some more rains were expected in the next 24 hours.

New Delhi, May 26
Nearly 42 million Indians are suffering from thyroid disease, doctors said on the International Day of Thyroid on Sunday.

According to the Indian Thyroid Society (ITS), thyroid disorders are among the most common and yet most under-diagnosed of all health problems, making it a hidden disease.

Experts said women are eight times more prone than men to the disease.

“With growth, the demand for thyroid increases in the body and women are more prone to the disease especially after they reach puberty,” said Unnikrishnan A.G., a professor at the Amrita Institute of Medical Science at Cochin.

“If thyroid patients are not monitored and the disease not controlled, they may suffer from more serious health problems like higher cholesterol levels, heart disease, osteoporosis, infertility and depression,” Unnikrishnan told IANS.

The thyroid gland produces hormones that regulate metabolism in every organ, tissue and cell in the body. It contributes to the growth of children’s physical attributes, mental power and even the IQ level.

Doctors said that with iodised salt reaching almost every parts of the country the problem has gone down in a major way.

“There is a substantial decrease in the number of people suffering from thyroid problem. But what is required is more awareness and concerted efforts in some pockets of the country where the disease prevalence is high,” said R.K. Marwaha of the Delhi-based Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences.

Marwaha said among children 20 per cent suffer from goitre (enlarged thyroid gland) problem.

Of these, nearly one percent suffer from the under-performing thyroid gland, medically known as overt hypo-thyroidism.

“Seven to 8 per cent of those kids suffering from goitre problem have sub-clinical hypo-thyroidism,” Marwaha, an endocrinologist, told IANS.

In sub-clinical hypothyroidism, the symptoms are not visible.

The most common symptoms of hypothyroidism, which constitutes over 80 percent of all thyroid disorders, are fatigue, weight gain, intolerance to cold, sleepiness, depression, goitre, dry coarse skin and hair, hoarse voice, forgetfulness and constipation. — IANS

New Delhi, May 26
Snacks form a vital part of healthy lifestyle and are a great way to enhancing energy, bridging nutrient needs and helping manage weight. Snacks can be used to fill in the gaps in meals so that there is a balance and variety in the daily diet.

At a recent gathering of leaders in health and nutrition here, the problem of childhood obesity was discussed. This is often due to poor snacking habits. One option that was suggested at the meeting for healthy snacking was that of enjoying almonds in place of the usual rush for fast food.

According to these health experts, snacking is enjoyed by all, but today children are consuming fast foods as an integral part of their diet. Much of the snacking that happens, whether in the midmorning (in school) or at home (after school) or on the run, is from pre-packaged snack foods, which are high in calories (fat and sugar), salt and low in nutrients (vitamins and minerals).

An AC Nielsen’s online survey on fast food and impulse habits shows that India is among the top 10 markets for weekly fast food consumption.

The popularity of these high calorie indulgences may be one of the factors responsible for the obesity epidemic proportions in India. The prevalence of the adolescent obesity in Asian Indians is increasing. A study done by Asia Pacific Journal of Nutrition on metabolic syndrome in children in 2008 shows that the overall prevalence of overweight/obesity in urban children in India (New Delhi) has shown an increase from 16% in 2002 to about 24% in 2006-2007. Also, a high-calorie, low-nutrient diet will eventually decrease the growth potential, physical and mental work ability and immunity in most children.

Hence, there is an increasing need to educate parents and teachers on eating habits as there is a general misconception amongst parents in India that an obese child is a healthy child. And that if the child is fat, “baby fat” will go with time. In an effort to keep child “healthy”, they are fed in excess, leading to obesity.

Working parents often, because of paucity of time, allow their children to eat chips and other easy snacks when they get home after school as they are unable to prepare healthy food for them.

However, substituting the tempting and high caloric snacks like chips, burgers, pizzas and cola with appetising almonds can make a healthy nutritious snack, claim these experts.  

Nutritionists say that one can carry almonds easily in small containers as ready-to-eat snacks at work and schools or can easily prepare delicious low caloric snacks like almond dhokla, almond bhelpuri and almonds in upma/poha to curb hunger and make a significant difference to the snacking habits.

Snacks like chhola-bhaturas — one of the most commonly consumed snack — have 9.5% transfat compared to almonds which have zero transfat, thus making them a great snacking choice as they not only deliver taste, crunch and wealth of nutrients like vitamins E but also minerals like potassium, iron, calcium, magnesium, phosphorous and fiber.

Experts claim that almonds are a nutrient-rich, heart-smart snack and ingredient that can help maintain a healthy cholesterol level. A mere 28 grams of almonds not only has enough vitamin E and magnesium but also potassium (200 mg), calcium (75 mg) and iron (1.0 mg).

New Delhi, May 26
Thousands of passengers were stranded at the three railway stations in the national capital today. Northern Railways cancelled nine trains and diverted six others due to the ongoing Gujjar unrest across the region.

Amidst total chaos, anxious passengers kept strolling from one platform to another at the New Delhi railway station. With no substantial information available at the station, passengers kept blankly staring at the emergency notice board. “I have been roaming around this station clueless about the status of my train,” said MS Tomar, an army man, who had to board a train to Baroda at 6.30 am. “The station master has now told me that I would be accommodated in the Paschim Express, which is expected to arrive at 5 pm.”

Parvesh Kumar, who was accompanying Tomar, was not sure if they would be able to report to their battalion on time. “Our aircondition railway warrants will expire and we will have to travel in the ordinary sleeper class,” he said.

“I doubt if I will be allowed to board the alternative train as I have no reservation,” said Amaan Ullah, a daily labourer. “Nobody in the station master’s office is ready to answer my queries. I have been sitting here since 6 am.”

The situation at other stations was no better, with hundreds of confused passengers desperately waiting at Hazrat Nizamuddin station for their trains, some of which never arrived.

Passengers who boarded the Sampark Kranti at 8.35 am had to return midway. “Our train was stopped at Ballabgarh, so we decided to catch another train that was coming back to Delhi,” said Anupam Chakraborty, a journalist based in Baroda. “Almost all the passengers returned. I do not know what happened to the train though.”

Nine trains that were cancelled include the Nizamuddin-Bandra Maharashtra Sampark Kranti, Nizamuddin-Gujrat Sampark Kranti, Nizamuddin-Kota Jan Shatabdi, Firozpur-Mumbai Janata Express and Amritsar-Mumbai Golden Temple Mail. The other trains that were cancelled are the Nizamuddin-Indore Intercity Express, Nizamuddin-Udaipur Intercity Express, Dehradun-Bandra Nimach Link Express and Nizamuddin-Mumbai August Kranti Express.

Many trains were diverted. They include the New Delhi-Mumbai Rajdhani Express, Amritsar-Bandra T Paschim Express, Jammu Tawi-Hapa Super Fast, Mumbai-New Delhi Rajdhani Express, Amritsar-Bandra T Paschim Express and Bandra T- Jammu Tawi Swaraj Express.

“The trains have been diverted and cancelled due to the Gujjar Samaj Mahapanchayat Samiti agitation and wide-scale public disturbances between Gangapur City and Bayana section on Kota division,” said a statement released by the public relations office of Northern Railways.

Faridabad, May 26
A former MLA from this district Rajinder Singh Bisla today supported Gujjar’s demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status for the community. Bisla, who is not a Gujjar, blamed the BJP government in Rajasthan for the ongoing agitation in the state over the issue. He urged the Centre to intervene, lest the agitation might get out of control and spread to other parts of the country.

According to him, Gujjar’s demand in Rajasthan was appropriate given their social and economic conditions. He said it was difficult to understand that why the Rajasthan government was not recommending the case to the Centre, which has to take the final decision.

Meanwhile, the administration in the district continues to be on high alert in view of the agitation in Rajasthan. Several parts of this district have good presence of Gujjars. 

New Delhi, May 26
With the arrest of a German national, Christian Fell, the narcotics branch of the Delhi police has claimed to have busted a transnational network allegedly involved in the supply of Lysergide Diethylamide (LSD). Fell was arrested from the Nehru Bazar area of Paharganj. Hundred grams of charas and 13 grams of LSD were recovered from him. Thirteen grams is a commercial quantity under the NDPS Act.

This is the first seizure of LSD by the narcotics branch so far.

According to the police, it had received inputs about the involvement of a German national in the supply of Charas and LSD to various parts of Delhi, Manali and Goa. The information was developed and the police team started surveillance of foreign nationals in the Paharganj area.

Secret information was received regarding the alleged accused, who came to deliver LSD in Nehru Bazar.

New Delhi, May 26
The special cell of the Delhi police claimed to have busted a gang of contract killers, who were planning to eliminate one Bangalore-based businessman. Naresh Yadav and Rajender Singh were arrested from the Mahipalpur area of the Capital. Two countrymade pistols with seven live cartridges were recovered from them.

The arrests were made on the basis of a specific information that the accused were planning to operate in Delhi and Gurgaon. A trap was laid near Shiv Murti on National Highway- 8 in the Mahipalpur area.

Interrogation revealed that Naresh Yadav is a former panchayat sarpanch of Jhunjhnu village in Rajasthan. — TNS

New Delhi, May 26
Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda yesterday expressed his gratitude to the voters of assembly constituencies of Indri, Gohana and Adampur for their support to the candidates of the Indian National Congress in the byelections.

The INC candidates have won from Indri and Gohana assembly constituencies while its candidate polled second in Adampur.

Hooda said that by casting their votes in favour of the Congress, the voters have acknowledged the effective implementation of welfare schemes of the poor and the common man.

He assured that the pace of development would be further accelerated in these areas to speedily fulfill the aspirations of the people.

Earlier, large number of workers and supporters of the Congress called on Hooda in the national capital and congratulated him for the favourable result for the party under his leadership.