New Delhi, August 30
A case of negligence has been filed against Delhi Public School, Mathura Road, in the Nizamuddin police station today after one of its students was found dead in the school swimming pool yesterday evening.

Mohammad Nadir, 13, was found dead under mysterious circumstances in the swimming pool. He had gone to the school for the evening classes but did not report for the same. Instead, his body was found in the pool by the cleaning staff at around 6 p.m. A class VI student, Nadir was rushed to a hospital, where he was declared brought dead.

The Delhi police has lodged a case against the school under Section 304(A) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), i.e. death resulting due to negligence.

Initiated an inquiry into the death, the police has questioned the staff of the school and has recorded statements of the security guards and cleaners who first found the body as well as the swimming instructor Arun.

“The school authorities don’t have an answer as to how the teenager went inside the locked swimming pool,” said a senior police officer when told about the school authorities’ claim that the swimming pool was locked. “If the pool was locked, the only possibility seems that he somehow scaled the wall and went in the pool and ultimately drowned. But even that is school authorities’ negligence,” the officer added.

The police is also investigating the possibilities of any foul play including any fight with other students.

Only son of Mohammad Salim, a resident of Chand Biwi, Sarai Kale Khan, Nadir has three elder sisters. Mohammad Salim is a motor mechanic and Nasir was admitted to the school under the economically weaker section quota. Nadir’s father told that after attending the morning classes, he came back home and was again dropped to school around 4.30 p.m. by him to attend the extra classes. Blaming the school for the death, the parents said the school authorities should have kept a watch on where the student was going and how he reached the pool.

Nadir, a polite student by nature was a good student and wanted to become an engineer.

This is the second incident of death in DPS schools in last three days. On Wednesday a 15-year-old girl student of DPS, R.K. Puram died after falling from the fifth floor of the hostel.

Noida, August 30
The chief information commissioner, under the Right to Information Act, has reprimanded the law officer and the chief principal information officer of the National Commission for Women which “lacks a functional system for dealing with a case so important as the Nithari case which was brought before the National Commission for Women.”

While disposing of a complaint by retired Naval Commodore Lokesh Batra who had submitted a power point presentation on Nithari killings and on response to RTI requests, the chief information commissioner, Wajahat Habibullah, under the RTI gave the following a decision on August 20:

“Having heard the arguments and examined the files we are constrained to observe with deep regret the lack of a functional system in the National Commission for Women in dealing with so important a case that was brought before the NCW by Commodore Lokesh K. Batra.

“It is strongly recommended under the authority vested in us by Sec 19 (8) sub-section (a) to the Ministry of Women & Child Development that the Ministry institute a regular administrative structure for the Commission, which will then bring its functioning into conformity with the RTI Act, 2005 by instituting a system of maintenance of records in keeping with Sec 4(1) particularly sub-section (a). This exercise may be completed within thirty days of the issue of this decision notice under intimation to Mr PKP Shreyaskar, Jt Registrar, Central Information Commission.”

The commission further added that “the plea taken by the CPIO that the information sought is cumbersome “which cannot be provided” is, therefore, specious. If the NCW has been so lackadaisical hitherto as to neglect its duty to conform to the Sec 4(1) sub-section (b) (iv) of the RTI Act, 2005 it will do so now, by publishing the norms set by it for the discharge of its functions in consonance with our decision on file CIC/WB/C/2008/00426. The information sought under both heads will be provided to the appellant, Cdre Lokesh Batra within 15 working days of the date of issue of the decision notice.”

The CIC also served a show-cause notice to NCW’s PIO, Yogesh Mehta “should not therefore show-cause as to why he should not be held liable for a penalty of Rs 25,000 for the delay between 20.1.2008 when the response became due up to 9.5.2008 when it was actually provided, a delay of 110 days at the rate of Rs 250 per day not exceeding Rs 25,000.” He can do this either in writing by September 10, 2008.

The chief information commissioner, Wajahat Habibullah has alternatively summoned Yogesh Mehta for personal appearance “before us on 29 September 2008 at 12.30 pm. On the basis of this explanation we will also take a decision on compensation payable, if any, as prayed by appellant.”

New Delhi, August 30
The Bharatiya Janata Party will kickstart its campaign for the Delhi Assembly elections with a rally tomorrow at Ram Lila Ground.

It will be a massive affair as a majority of the party top leaders like prime ministerial candidate L. K. Advani, national president Rajnath Singh, Venkaiah Naidu, Arun Jaitley, Prof V. K. Malhotra, Dr Anita Arya, Dr Harsh Vardhan and Prof Jagdish Mukhi will address the rally to highlight the deficiencies of 10-year rule of the Congress government in Delhi.

The rally is being organised by the Anadhikarit Colony Mahasangh that claims that provisional authorisation certificate is a misdeed with the people of Delhi.

The BJP leaders are of the view that provisional authorisation has no legal validity. Once the election is over the colonies will have the same status. In the name of development, the government has sanctioned Rs 28,000 crore but nothing is being done. It is only an election stunt.

They said had the government been serious about developing the colonies, it would have authorised them earlier. The Sheila Dikshit-led Congress government had been at helm of affairs for the past 10 years, but it has never discussed this issue.

Now as the assembly elections are to be held soon, the government has announced for provisional authorisation. Forty lakh people reside in these colonies.

The leaders also said the other issues to be highlighted in the rally are price rise, demolition, sealing, BRT and other transport related issues, power and water.

The decision to organise the rally was taken after a group of Muslims, Mallah community and others joined the party, sources said.

The BJP claimed that today more than 500 people joined the party who were formerly office-bearers and workers of the Congress, BSP and other political parties.

Delhi Pradesh president Dr Harsh Vardhan expressed his confidence that the acrimony against the anti-people policies of the Congress in Delhi was becoming stronger and that is why workers of various political parties of Delhi were joining the BJP.

During the past three months, more than 5,000 workers of various parties have joined the BJP. These include a large number of persons from the minority community, backward classes, women and youth.

The prominent persons who joined the BJP today include general secretary of the Babarpur Congress district and Delhi Pradesh Nishadraj Samaj president Arvind Kashyap and others like Dr S.C. Kashyap, K.M. Kashyap, Avdesh Kashyap, Meghnath Kashyap Baba, Krishna, Pratap Singh and Pratap Narain Kashyap.

The Congress government has failed on all fronts.

The economically weaker sections are the most affected persons due to backbreaking price spiral.

Even after ten years of rule the Congress government has not been able to supply pure drinking water to about 60 percent of people of Delhi. 

New Delhi, August 30
The Delhi police yesterday nabbed Mohammed Israil, 24, a member of the notorious bikers’ gang, which is believed to be behind at least four murders and a spate of armed robberies in and around the national Capital in the recent time.

Israil was arrested last night from Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu. He was brought to the Capital today morning and is being interrogated.

Israil was carrying a reward of Rs 50,000 on his head and is being considered a big catch for the Delhi police.

His arrest comes within a week of the killing of Om Prakash alias Bunty, the gang leader, in an encounter on the outskirts of the Capital on Monday.

With this arrest, now Shivam is the only member of the infamous gang who is at large.

According to H.G.S. Dhaliwal, DCP (South), the police had received specific information about Israil’ being in Coimbatore, where he had ran away after Bunty was killed here. 

New Delhi, August 30
Book lovers made a beeline at Pragati Maidan with the inauguration of the Delhi Book Fair 2008. The nine-day event, organised by the Indian Trade Promotion Organisation in collaboration with the Federation of Indian Publishers, was inaugurated by vice-president Hamid Ansari.

The fair this year has 299 participants, which is 75 more than last year’s 224, giving visitors a wide range of choice. Further, the presence of foreign writers has also attracted a lot of readers. And so, besides the usual book lovers, university and school students and parents can also been seen thronging the fair in large numbers.

Another interesting thing about the fair this year is that, apart from having usual books on fiction, romance, fantasy, literature and humour, the Delhi Book Fair, in order to attract young readers, also have books carrying games, music and sounds with wonderful illustrations that too at very reasonable prices.

Making the place complete for all age groups, the fair also has CD’s for students of board and pre-board classes. Many stalls have a special section for guides and reference books of Indian as well as international authors. Competition books are also available for students preparing for various competitions. The display profile includes periodicals, magazines, journals, teaching aids, computer softwares, craftwork, geographical illustrations and even books and CD’s on ethics and devotional songs.

“Besides giving an opportunity to the readers to get all authors at one place, the fair simultaneously provides a unique platform for business to business transactions, developing new contacts, entering into co-publishment, translation and copyright arrangements and reprinting of old and rare books,” said an ITPO official.

The theme of the fair this year is ‘Women’ writing and a number of books written by women writers of Indian as well as foreign origin are on display.

The stationery fair will open tomorrow with a seminar on ‘Status of School Library in India” by Ranganathan Research Circle.

Noida, August 30
In view of the weak law and order situation in Noida, the administration has decided to upgrade all police stations in this key district of the state.

This step, it is hoped, will improve the security of the people and the law order of the hi-tech city. All Noida police stations have now been upgraded to kotwali level with a full inspector of police in charge of each.

Now citizens can expect improvement in disposal of their grievances as well as in police functioning, law and order and a more efficient police, generally.

All the police stations in rural areas namely Surajpur, Javer, have also been upgraded. Sector-20 and Phase-II police stations were upgraded some time back. The administration has taken a decision to upgrade city police stations in Sector-24, Sector-58, Sector-39 and Sector-49 to the kotwali level in Noida.

According to the SSP, R.K. Chaturvedi, the need to improve law and order and the preparations for and challenges of 2010 Commonwealth Games have played in important part in this decision of the government.

Three police stations in the rural sector — Dankore, Greater Noida and Kasna — have also been upgraded to kotwalis, it is learnt. Now, 12 among 17 total police stations in the districts have become kotwalis while five will remain senior SI-level police stations. Kotwalis are put under the charge of a full inspector of police who will be known as (SHO) while SI-level police stations are having staff officers (SO) as their in charge.

The new gradation will also place the officer in charge shoulder and neck above his other colleagues who are SI (darogas)

A new police station is proposed to be shortly set up in Badalpur, parental village of state Chief Minister Mayawati.

Besides there are proposals for opening another police station each in Sector-20, Sector-58 Noida and in Kasna area under rural belt. The main idea for this exercise is to provide better security and law and order to the citizens, the SSP added.

An inspector-level police officer is competent to take his decision with a free hand while SI doesn’t have that level of confidence and authority.

New Delhi, August 30
A majority of government schools in the country will now have sanitation and potable water facilities, said union rural development minister Raghuvansh Prasad Singh.

Releasing a blueprint of school toilets and water amenities at a workshop “School Sanitation and Hygiene Education”, the minister said, “I am heartened by the fact that nearly two-thirds of the schools now have toilets and 85 per cent of them have drinking water. These rates have improved dramatically in the past few years. Our priority is to reach all schools with these basic facilities at the earliest.”

Now 10 crore children studying in nearly 10 lakh government schools can hope to have an easy access to toilets and clean drinking water, he said.

The blueprint was aimed at meeting the needs of children with physical disabilities. It was the product of the combined efforts of the department of drinking water supply (DDWS) and the UNICEF.

The minister called for greater synergy between the DDWS and the department of elementary education and literacy (DEEL) so that the benefits of clean toilets and safe water could reach the remotest of areas of India.

The workshop organised by the UNICEF was a step towards celebrating the International Year of Sanitation, 2008. At the workshop, challenges in hygiene promotion amongst schoolchildren were discussed.

Secretary of the DDWS Shantha Sheela Nair said, “The School Sanitation Programme is at a tipping point now, after all the hard work of the last five to six years. The emphasis will now be on quality of facilities and on close collaboration with the education sector to ensure that children learn correct hygiene behaviour.”

Chief of child’s environment section of UNICEF, Lizette Burgers said that provision of toilets was contributing to a significant increase in enrollment and attendance rates of girls in India and in other parts of the world. “Schools must have the best quality of toilets possible, in keeping with the rising standards in other sectors. Children should learn to use them and aspire for similar facilities at home,” she emphasised.

Further, for spreading awareness about hygiene and sanitation in schools, the DDWS and DEEL will launch a nationwide campaign in September, 2008 and October 15 will be celebrated as Global Handwashing Day in all schools of the country.

New Delhi, August 30
With the students union election of Delhi University just a week away, the two major contenders—the NSUI and ABVP—are running hectic campaigns, but with a difference.

With the Lyngdoh Committee’s ruling in force, this year, parties are campaigning through the Internet using blogs and e-mails in a big way.

Units of the parties posted in different colleges are running their campaigns traveling on foot, rickshaw or even cycles! The printed posters have been replaced by imaginative posters made by students themselves, making the election more student-like, old-fashioned and environment friendly.

The NSUI is relying on the work done by it over the past one-year. “Our units in different colleges are attempting to get in touch with students through more individual and personalized campaigns. The idea is to reach to each and every student and inform them of the work we have done over the past year,” said Quintal Krishna.

“We have shifted to technological means in a big way for this election and are resorting to blogs and Orkut to reach students. We have also started an e-mail campaign,” he added.

The NSUI has so far covered more then 20 colleges. Quintal informed that this year for the first time they were using ex-DUSU presidents to campaign in different zones and have at least five of them with them.

On the other hand, the ABVP is also confident that they will win the elections this time.

“Our campaign is proceeding very well and we expect to win, in fact we would win all the four seats,” said Gaurav Pandey.

“We have received a tremendous response to our campaign through blogs and Orkut,” said Pandey.

Pandey informed that they were going from class to class informing students about their issues which include a more compact campus, more facilities, u-special buses for girls, lower metro rates and more hostels for students.

Noida, August 30
Jewellery kept in Sector-26 Noida branch of the State Bank of India lockers has been stolen.

A case has been registered in Sector-20 police station.

A former D-G of RPF had taken a locker in the SBI, Sector-26, known as the personal banking branch. Jewellery kept with the bank was found missing from his bank locker.

The police has started investigation after registering a case against the bank manager.

Raj Kumar Sharma, a retired D-G from RPF, lives in Sector-36 with his family. He had gone to the USA and UK for a couple of months to meet his children there. After his return to Noida a few days ago, he went to the SBI bank to operate the locker jointly held by him with his wife.

When the Sharmas opened the lockers, they were in for a big shock. Three gold chains weighing 18 tolas (180 gm), two bracelets weighting 16 tolas, and some bracelets weighting 9 tolas were found missing from the locker.

When Sharma informed the bank authorities, there was a total chaos in the bank. First, bank officials denied that the jewellery was missing. Now, the bank officials are refusing to say anything on the matter.

Raj Kumar Sharma later lodged a report with Sector-20 police station. The police has registered a case against bank manager and initiated investigation.

Meanwhile, policemen find it hard to accept that jewellery could just disappear from the lockers of a prominent bank. The bank official in-charge of lockers is being quizzed.

While bank officers and staff maintain that they are not at fault, the police agree it is a complex case so the investigations are being carried on with utmost care as the complainant a senior retired police officer.