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Schools to stay shut due to cold
Govt schools to stay shut till Jan 7
Temp up, but fog continues
1 dies in mishap
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Domestic violence complaints on rise
Gas agency bouncer assaults woman
Bicentennial Birth Anniversary
Metro to reach sites of Commonwealth Games
Youth decry criminals in politics
Six-lane highway to connect Aligarh with Lal Kuan
Rural women get health tips
Plan to improve civic amenities in Gurgaon
India will emerge from recession: Assocham
Book on Bhagat Singh released
7 held for looting family on highway
Five detained with gunpowder at airport
Man killed for resisting mobile snatching
Recession drives youth
to suicide
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Schools to stay shut due to cold
New Delhi, January 4 Delhi education minister Arvinder Singh said today that an advisory had been sent to all government schools to extend the vacation till Tuesday. The advisory has been sent to public schools as well. K.S. Mehra, commissioner, municipal corporation of Delhi, said: “MCD schools will remain closed till January 11 due to the cold wave and foggy weather. The schools will reopen Jan 12.” In the past few days, the Capital has seen the minimum temperature plummet below 5 degrees Celsius, coupled with bitterly cold winds and dense fog. Many private schools like the Delhi Public School branches in East of Kailash and Vasant Vihar—which have classes till the middle level—will reopen on January 12. Meanwhile, some others like Springdales School, Pusa Road, have decided to delay the start time from 7.15 am to 8 am. Cold easterly winds have begun to make the winter experience risky and health officials warn that children would be especially vulnerable to developing infections at this time. — IANS |
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Govt schools to stay shut till Jan 7
Noida, January 4 In
Noida, some private schools have decided to remain closed till January 11. The Noida administration has asked private schools to ensure safety of students in foggy conditions, especially in the morning hours.
— IANS |
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Temp up, but fog continues
New Delhi, January 4 Though, the temperature rose to 8.1 degrees Celsius against yesterday’s 5.4 degrees, the weather remained foggy, especially during the first half of the day. The heavy fog continued to trouble passengers commuting by airways as around 17 flights— 13 domestic and 4 internationals— were cancelled. The visibility levels fell sharply to 100 m at 6.30 am disrupting the air traffic operations. Ten flights—8 domestic and 2 international, had to be diverted out, while two domestic and 11 international flights had to be rescheduled. However, some passengers were accommodated on other airlines; while others had to face tough time waiting at the airport for hours. Similarly, Railways also continued to face hassles due to fog. Several trains were cancelled while many had to be diverted because of the derailment of a goods train between Bhaupur-Panki stations on Kanpur -Tundla section of the North Central Railway this morning. The train had hit a stationary object apparently because of poor visibility caused by fog, seriously injuring one person. An official of the North Central Railway has informed that 13 trains have been partially or wholly cancelled from January 4 to January 31 due to the prevailing foggy conditions. “The trains will remain cancelled and a fresh notice will be issued for further information,” said, Rajiv Saxena, public relation officer, Northern Railways. The weatherman has forecast mist or fog in the morning for the next 24 hours. |
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1 dies in mishap
New Delhi, January 4 Puniya Nand Sharma (25), who worked in a Gurgaon-based call centre was returning to his East Delhi home when the accident took place near Harphool Singh Akhara in the Manju Ka Tila area. According to the police and eyewitnesses, Sharma was driving on the wrong side of the road when he crashed into a crane coming from the opposite direction around 12:30 am due to poor visibility. He probably lost direction due to heavy fog. |
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Domestic violence complaints on rise
New Delhi, January 4 According to the crime against women cell, during 2008 women helpline number 1091 received as many as 6,107 calls, far more than the previous years. The breakup of the calls received shows that maximum complaints were related to domestic violence. As per the data, 34 per cent of the total complaints were related to domestic violence, while 26 per cent were missing complaints, 15 per cent were related to suicide, including attempt to suicide. About 9 per cent were related to sexual harassment. Joint commissioner of police Sudhir Yadav believes that the use of Dial 1091 has increased due to the recognition of services rendered by the helpline. “The staff manning the helpline is trained in counseling and support, necessary to handle situations faced by women in distress. Besides, the helpline arranges professional help for victims of rape or sexual assault through Rape Crisis Intervention Centres (RCIC),” said Yadav. Moreover, the CWC has also played a major role in settling marital disputes. “Considering the significance of counseling in such matters where differences have not reached the stage of tragedy, attempt is made to forge unity between spouses to make their marriage a success,” said Yadav. A total of 8,319 complaints related to marital disputes were received during 2008, of which decision was taken in 5,561 cases. In 1,425 cases spouses were re-united. While in 534 complaints the warring parties mutually agreed to settle marital disputes amicably with police intervention supported by the services of professional counselors, trained mediators and psycho-therapists. Yadav said criminal cases were registered in only 768 cases. |
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Gas agency bouncer assaults woman
Greater Noida, January 4 Shanti Devi of Naya Gaon had gone to Raghav gas Agency where a bouncer allegedly not only snatched her gas cylinder but also shooed her away after threatening her. Shanti Devi had kept her cylinder beside her. She was awaiting her turn in a queue. She alleged that three bouncers of the agency started pushing and threatening people. They even beat up some people and one of them took away Shanti Devi’s gas cylinder. The harassed clients, including Shanti Devi have lodged a complaint against the gas agency and its bouncers. SHO of Dadri Kotwali Shyam R. Arya said that investigation is on and the agency owner has been summoned in the Kotwali. However, owner of Raghav Gas Agency Sachin has refuted the allegation that the bouncer had taken away the woman’s gas cylinder and claimed that the woman might have left the cylinder at some other place. There have been many cases where bouncers fled away with customers’ gas cylinders. Two months ago people had protested against such bouncers. Apart from shopping malls and pubs, gas agencies are also employing bouncers. These bouncers not only control customers who come to collect cylinders, but also snatch their cylinders and throw them out. Sometimes the customers are also assaulted and beaten up. |
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Bicentennial Birth Anniversary
New Delhi, January 4 The ministry of social justice and empowerment declared the Rs 100 coin was a memento to Braille. Education is an essential component in grooming of a civilised individual, and this grooming in the case of all those who are born or forced to live without the gift of light can be effective and holistic only with the help of Braille textbooks. As a token, books in Marathi, Gujurati and Kannada languages were also released by Lok Sabha speaker Somnath Chatterjee. Tamil books in Braille have already been released and Braille books in Hindi and English are in existence since 1998, yet many parts like the North-Eastern states do not have access to them. The ministry gave away the Best Braille Printing Press Award to the All India Confederation of Blind, NGO. An 18-minutes Hindi documentary on Louise Braille’s contribution was also screened that was telecast this evening on the national television. Chatterjee, stressing upon the need for increasing the provision of appliances, said, “Total integration of disabled children in schools is possible only with enhanced resource support, teacher training and parental counselling.” Meira Kumar, minister of social justice and empowerment, said “The DPEP has had a powerful impact on integrating disabled children and efforts are being made towards modifying children-centred pedagogy to provide learning opportunities tailored to the needs of children with impairments.” Earlier during the day, AICB had organised an exhibition, displaying modern technological appliances for the visually challenged. The AICB also honoured blind students with citations and awards. Satheesan B, a blind student from Kerala, received the Krishna Kumari Varma Memorial award of Rs 10,000 along with citation, for securing the first position in MA (sociology) from Mangalore University. Three awards of $500 and two $200 each under the Onkyo International Braille competition awards were given to Indian students, and the winners of the national poster competition and inter-school declamation and group song competitions were also honoured. Besides, 400 Braille kits and 10 talking computers were distributed to needy students from Delhi and visually impaired, meritorious girl students of under-graduate and post-graduate levels across India, respectively. Lt-Governor of Delhi, Tejender Khanna, before distributing the prizes called for improved provision of resource support, learning environment and remedial assistance to children with special needs. Meanwhile, at a recent conference on “Status of Braille in Asia”, Braille think tanks and researchers had hinted at various lacunae and hurdles extant across the world that hinder the empowerment of the visually disabled as a whole. They emphasised upon removing architectural barriers and enhancement of provision of educational aids. Tejender Khanna and chairperson of National Trust for Developmental Disabilities, Poonam Natrajan released “Louise Braille Ka Jeevan Aur Krantikari Aavishkaar” authored by Dr V.P. Varma, himself blind and retired professor of the department of philosophy, Delhi University, and “Ubhre Akshar”, a collection of poems. |
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Metro to reach sites of Commonwealth Games
New Delhi, January 4 The ten games sites included Games Village, Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Delhi University, Thyagaraj Complex, Siri Fort Sports Complex, National Stadium, Indira Gandhi Sports Complex, Talkotora Indoor Stadium, Yamuna Sports Complex and R K Tennis Complex. “DMRC has completed 25 per cent to 57 per cent work on all the metro lines close to the games venues and the lines would be opened by September 2010, a month before the Commonwealth Games are scheduled,” said Anuj Dayal, chief PRO, DMRC. He added, “In fact, five lines are set to be opened in 2009 itself, which include Vishwavidyalaya to Jahangirpuri, Indraprastha to New Ashok Nagar, New Ashok Nagar to Noida, Yamuna Bank to Anand Vihar ISBT and Inderlok to Mundka.” Three Commonwealth Games venues that included the Games Village, the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium and Delhi University, would have direct access to metro stations. “The Games Village, where most athletes will reside, is adjacent to the Akshardham Metro station on the Indraprastha to New Ashok Nagar line, which is already 57 per cent complete and is scheduled to be opened by June this year,” said Dayal. The Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, where the opening and closing ceremonies are to be held, can be accessed directly from either the JLN Stadium Metro station or the Jangpura station. Both these stations are part of the Central Secretariat to Badarpur corridor on which 25 per cent of the work has already been completed and is scheduled to open in September 2010. “The Thyagaraj complex will be one kilometer from the underground INA Metro station, part of the Central Secretariat to Qutub Minar line, work on which is 30 per cent complete and the line would open by June 2010. The Siri Fort Sports Complex will also be 1 km from the nearest Metro station Hauz Khas, which is on the same line,” said Dayal. DMRC claimed that the hockey venue Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium and the Indira Gandhi Sports Complex that will host cycling, archery, wrestling and gymnastics would be 1.5 kilometer from the operational Pragati Maidan Metro station and Indraprastha Metro station respectively. Three venues, Talkatora Indoor Stadium, Yamuna Sports Complex and RK Tennis Complex, will both be two kilometers from metro stations. “The aquatics venue Talkotora Indoor Stadium can be accessed from the operational Jhandewalan Metro station. The Yamuna Sports Complex, a multi-game venue, will also be two kilometers from the Anand Vihar Metro station, a part of the Yamuna Bank to Anand Vihar ISBT line, which is 53 per cent complete and would be functional by December 2009,” he said. Dayal added, “The tennis venue, R K Tennis Complex, can be accessed from AIIMS Metro station, part of the Central Secretariat to Qutub Minar line.” The DMRC claimed that only one venue Dr. Karni Singh Shooting Range, was more than two kilometers away from the nearest Tughlaqabad Metro station, which was seven kilometers away. However, DMRC said it was also planning to start feeder bus services to all Games venues which are not adjacent to Metro stations. |
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Youth decry criminals in politics
New Delhi, January 4 Kaushal Mishra of the Youth for Equality said the organisation has put up 20 such hoardings at key sites in Delhi since the beginning of the year, based on what the lawmakers have said about themselves. ”We don’t make empty claims. We have proof in the form of affidavits filed by MLAs with the Election Commission, showing that at least 40 per cent of them have criminal record. With such legislators, how can we expect to remove crime from the city?” Mishra told IANS. The Youth for Equality, which was founded in 2006 to protest the government’s reservation policy, wants to go a step further and campaign for bringing about concrete changes in the law on elections. The government on October 24 last year introduced in the Rajya Sabha the Representation of the People (Second Amendment) Bill, 2008, seeking to amend the Representation of the People Act, 1950, and the Representation of the People Act, 1951. It was referred to the Standing Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law and Justice, which is scheduled to submit its report in three months. The Youth for Equality has written to the chairperson of the Standing Committee, calling for a more radical change. “The current Representation of the People (Second Amendment) Bill, 2008, is a sham exercise in the name of reform. We have asked for withdrawal of the current bill and have given suggestions for a comprehensive bill,” Jiten Jain of the organisation, said. Suggesting reforms, Jain said: “To begin with, anyone accused of committing an offence which is punishable by five years of imprisonment should be disqualified from contesting elections, even when the trial is pending. If necessary, special courts should be formed in order to dispose cases of politicians pending before courts either for trial or an appeal.” Stressing on a more transparency in the system, Jain said there should be electronic nomination forms for candidates so that immediately after he or she files the nomination, it is available on the internet for public viewing. “And then, of course, the voter pool be enlarged. One way to do that is by facilitating internet voting so that a person can cast his vote sitting at his home. Efforts should be made to make voting compulsory. Only then will the system change,” Jain said. — IANS |
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Six-lane highway to connect Aligarh with Lal Kuan
Greater Noida, January 4 The new NH-91 will be constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 1,256 crore. The highway will smoothen travelling on the existing road for which traffic jams have become a normal feature. According to district magistrate Shrawan Kumar Sharma, around 480 hectares of land will be acquired from 20 villages between Chapyana Bujarg and Nangla Chamru in Gautam Budh Nagar district. For the project, the government will take help from independent consultants. Commenting on the plan, senior officers said that the construction of the six-lane highway is an effort to make the road passing from four districts – Ghaziabad, Gautam Budh Nagar, Bulandshahr and Aligarh— smooth and broad for the increasing traffic and to speed up development of the area. To keep the highway free of traffic jams, seven byepasses and 32 underpasses will be constructed en-route. In addition, the stretch will have 24 bus stops up to Aligarh. The byepasses will be made at Dadri, Secundrabad, Bulandshahr, Khurja, Gabhana and Aligarh. The 58km long highway will have service lane alongside. The government also proposes to plan two toll plazas en route. The highway will have adequate lighting, especially in urban stretches, at toll plazas and main crossings. |
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Rural women get health tips
Gurgaon, January 4 The experts present at the seminar gave effective tips to rural women on preventing themselves and their families from various diseases. The director of the department, S.K. Monga, was the chief guest. He informed the gathering about the welfare schemes and facilities being provided by the government for women and exhorted them to avail these. Aasha Welfare, Aanganwari and ANM workers had put up stalls to make women aware of their rights. They were also told about ways and means to keep their surroundings clean and stay fit. |
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Plan to improve civic amenities in Gurgaon
Gurgaon, January 4 She said the administration will make efforts to provide adequate facilities of roads, drinking water and sewerage. “Almost all the major roads of Gurgaon which were damaged due to heavy rains in 2008 have been repaired and work is still in progress,” she said. “In this year,” she said, “Gurgaon would get an ultramodern solid waste management plant to be set up near Bandhwari village. This plant is expected to start functioning this year. |
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India will emerge from recession: Assocham
New Delhi, January 4 The study by the Associated Chamber of Commerce and Industry, titled ‘India and G20: Economic Fundamentals Amid Global Recession’, said India ranked fourth among 20 advanced and emerging economies (G-20) in terms of seven key economic indicators. The US, China and Japan ranked first, second and third respectively.
— IANS |
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Book on Bhagat Singh released
New Delhi, January 4 ‘Bhagat Singh: Vicharan Inqlabi’, the book in Punjabi was released by eminent writer and journalist Kuldip Nayar in annual ‘Dhup Ki Mehfil’ organised by Punjabi Sabha Sahitya Sabha. The book has been published by well-known Punjabi publishing house Navyug Publishers. Introducing the book, eminent Punjabi story writer and former editor of Punjabi Tribune, Gurbachan Singh Bhullar appreciated the book for carrying rare pictures from Pakistan. “The author has focused on Bhagat Singh’s ideas about the country rather than presenting his stereotype image of a man with bombs and pistols,” he said. While complementing Lal for his painstaking research, Kuldip Nayar, narrated his own experiences about writing books on Bhagat Singh. Lal expressed his happiness over the publication of the book in his mother tongue. |
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7 held for looting family on highway
Ghaziabad, January 4 The police has recovered Rs 8
lakh, an Alto car and three motorbikes from the arrested robbers. All the seven were arrested from Akela
Marg. However, five members of the gang are still on run, the police said. Sunder, a resident of Gujjar
Garhi, his wife and their son Subash were going on motorbike to Dadri for the registry of a plot. They were waylaid by half a dozen armed men who took away Rs 14 lakh from them. The robbers had hit their bike with their Alto car. The criminals also assaulted Sunder’s wife when she tried to resist the loot. Those arrested include
Jamil, Promode, Anuj, Neelu, Vinode, Srinivas and Kapil. Kapil is a BA student. According to the police, during investigation Vinode and Srinivas disclosed that they were aware of the fact that Sunder and his family were going to buy a plot in
Dadri. |
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Five detained with gunpowder at airport
New Delhi, January 4 According to the airport authorities, the incident took place around 5 am when CISF officials found about 100 grams of gunpowder, crackers, handcuffs, electric wires, switches and battery clips in a Maruti van occupied by five persons. All five were immediately detained. According to security officials, Allaudin of Ghaziabad was to board a Qatar Airways flight to Doha, while Atif Ahmed, Ajmal Khan, Nihar Ahmed and Pankaj Chauhan (driver) had come to see him off. According to CISF officials, the items were used for a film shoot. The detained persons would be released after thorough investigation. However, nothing suspicious about them has come to light. It has been found that the vehicle was used for a documentary film shoot a few days ago and the gunpowder and other paraphernalia were used for the shoot. According to DCP (IGI Airport) Sanjay Kumar, the five were questioned separately for hours but “nothing suspicious and objectionable” has come out. |
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Man killed for resisting mobile snatching
New Delhi, January 4 Shekhar, 34, and Sanjay, 24, were arrested on Saturday from the Rajouri Garden area for stabbing Raju in his neck outside his employer Shyam Kumar’s Tagore Garden house last month, the police said. “The two had snatched a mobile phone from Kumar. But when Raju resisted, they stabbed him ,” DCP (west Delhi) Sharad Aggarwal said.Aggarwal said Shekhar was involved in 18 cases of snatching, robbery, theft and violations of the Arms Act.
— IANS |
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Recession drives youth
to suicide
Gurgaon, January 4 The youth, Kishan, stayed in Aamar colony and hailed from Bhangrola village near here. Kishan used to work for a private firm, Dharuheda Loomex Company, in Manesar. But, he was chucked out of his job six months ago due to recession. The SHO of Sector 10 police station said that the deceased parked his bike near the pole and hanged himself. It has been learnt that he was depressed. |
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