New Delhi, June 5
Keeping the number of total seats in academic year 2006-2007, Delhi University (DU) has increased 36 per cent seats in each course along with the implementation of 18 per cent OBC quota this year.

Overall the number amounts to 7,000 increased seats in the university. The seats reserved for SC-ST candidates were also calculated on the basis of the increased seats this year.

In the beginning of the admission process , DU had announced that it would take students from the general category on the seats left vacant by OBC candidates.

According to the university sources, after implementing nine per cent OBC quota last year, the university fell short of applications and many seats were left vacant.

Even though the process of implementation of the OBC quota started last year, considerable confusion prevails amongst the students.

“I thought that the application forms for the reserved category students were available at the four special counters. However, when I stood for long at the counter, I realised that the OBC candidates are supposed to apply through the general category forms,” said Mukesh Yadav.

“We are getting calls from all over the country regarding the OBC quota. We would want to clarify that OBC candidates have to apply in the common Optical Magnetic Reader (OMR) form. They can fill in the column given for OBC candidates,” said Dinesh Varshney, deputy dean, students’ welfare, DU South campus.

The administration said the number of candidates applying under the category would be sent to colleges so that individual colleges could further take out their cut-offs accordingly.

“The colleges would bring out separate cut-offs for the OBC candidates. However, colleges would ensure that the difference between the general and OBC cut-off is not more than 10 per cent,” said the sources in university administration.

Even the students sitting on admission assistance booths do not have much information about the quota.“We do not exactly know the castes included in the OBC quota. Students have been coming and asking queries, but not much information has been provided on the OBC category,” said Rakesh, a volunteer helping students at the SC-ST booth.

The university has also taken out a central list of castes included in OBC. “Not every OBC is considered OBC in DU. Like Jats in Delhi are not OBCs. Similarly, Jats from Dhaulpur and Bharatpur in Rajasthan are not in our list. The OBC certificates of the candidates must mention whether one comes under creamy or non-creamy layer of OBCs. DU only considers candidates from non-creamy layer for the OBC quota,” said Varshney.

Like other students from the general category, OBC candidates should also consult the general cut-offs from the last years. “The OBC cut-offs can come down to maximum 10 per cent of the general category. So, the candidates should compare their marks with the cut-offs from previous years,” said Promod, a volunteer .

The university authorities said many OBC candidates were attaching their documents along with the application forms. “The certificates are supposed to be submitted only at the time of admission and not before that,” added Varshney.

New Delhi, June 5
In the wake of global environmental concerns, the Organising Committee Commonwealth Games 2010 Delhi (OC CWG Delhi 2010) today flagged off a set of Green Games initiatives at the Ashok Hotel here while commemorating World Environment Day.

Attesting to the Green Games vision, Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit and chairman of OC CWG 2010 Suresh Kalmadi planted saplings in the Games’ family

hotel, and reiterated the Delhi government’s commitment towards renovating the city with green environs. Besides, there were representatives from other countries, participating in the Games, who planted saplings next to a plaque of their respective country.

The Green Games microsite (wwwgreengames.cwgdelhi2010.org) was also launched on the occasion. Besides, Sheila unveiled the Countdown Clock of the XIX Commonwealth Games 2010 Delhi.

“The Countdown Clock will tick faster than ever before and I would like people of Delhi—children, women, resident welfare associations etc—to come together to make Delhi greener,” she said. 

New Delhi, June 5
Increasing its ambit of corporate social responsibility, the BSES today joined hands with the Delhi government's city greening endeavour 'Green Drain' and signed a memorandum of understanding at the Delhi Secretariat here.

Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit hailed the step as a big milestone in the beautification of Delhi and said, "I appeal to the members of the society to take upon themselves to bring about a change for a greener Delhi".

The 'Green Drain' project that has the mantra of 'adoption and beautification' by interested parties, was flagged off on April 22 this year, the Earth Day, with cleaning some of the city's dirtiest drains. Under the initiative, the selected parties will beautify the drains by planting and maintaining Bougainvilleas along their allocated stretches.

On the lines of the concept, BSES, in the first phase, would turn the 4 km long drainage in Najafgargh across Punjabi Bagh and between Burari and Bhalsawa Lake regions green and exotic by sprucing it with Bougainvilleas.

In the second phase, it would take up the stretches along the Shahdara supplementary drain, near Commonwealth Games site.

On asked about the reason for choosing Bougainvilleas, a BSES official said, "These pretty looking plants, besides being hardy, need minimal maintenance and are best suited to Delhi's climate". 

Gurgaon, June 5
Call it a candid confession or a faux pas, but the Haryana minister of state for forests, environment, tourism and youth affairs, Kiran Choudhry, has publicly admitted that despite specific orders of the Supreme Court, deforestation and colonisation and other illegal activities (like mining) were going on in the Aravalis.

Addressing a state-level function organised to mark the World Environment Day here today, Choudhary said it had been brought to her notice that despite the complete ban ordered by the Supreme Court on mining in the Aravalli Hills, felling of trees, colonisation and various illegal non-forestry activities continued in the region.

The minister ordered the officials concerned to put an end to such activities or be ready to face the consequences.

Calling for a mass awareness drive on environmental awareness, she exhorted the local residents, particularly industrialists, to take some positive and effective initiative in this regard.

Promptly responding to the suggestion, P.K. Jain, founder president of the Gurgaon Chamber of Commerce and Industry, assured the minister of full cooperation regarding the matter.

Choudhry also made a clarion call to adopt zero tolerance towards polythene bags and other plastic bags; and exhorted the children to play a key role in this regard by discouraging their parents from using these.

She pointed out that the Haryana government had banned the use of polythene bags of less than 30 micron thickness and 8X12 inches in length, but still these were rampantly used. “The government can only make a law and of course, we are there to enforce it, but the drive cannot be a success unless people resolve to shun the use of eco-unfriendly products,” she maintained.

The minister also planted a sapling on the premises of the HSIIDC office and saw the model of sewerage treatment plant showing reuse of sewage water for irrigation purposes and watering the plants.

Earlier, Haryana financial commissioner (environment) Maha Singh, Gurgaon MLA Dharamvir Gauba, ADC Praveen Kumar, former Kurukshetra University professor J.S.Yadav and Punjab University dean Prof R.K. Kholi also enlightened the gathering on various aspects of environment conservation.

New Delhi, June 5
The story of the arrested LeT operative Mohammad Umer Madani's transformation from a simple Muslim youth to a key aide of terrorist outfit stretches over more than two decades.

Fluent in six languages-- Hindi, Urdu, Arabic, English, Bangla and Nepali-- Madani disclosed that he had done his Maulviat (Fazilat) from Zamia Salafia, Revari Talab, Varanasi (UP) in 1969-78. In 1983-84, his father shifted from India to Nepal and opened a madrasa in Jamia Salafia, Janakpur Dham, Dhanusha in Nepal. In the year 1995, he also started his own madrasa in Saptari, Nepal and in 1996, opened another madrasa in Kathmandu.

"So far he was clean. In 1996-97, while in Nepal, he was motivated by two Markaz-Dawa-Wal-Irshad members namely Abdul Khalid Saifi and Abdul, both teachers at a Saifi school in Nepal. He got influenced by them and on their instructions visited Lahore," said a police official.

In 1998, he took Daura-e-Aam and Daura-e-Khas training in LeT camps and started hobnobbing with the leaders of Jamaat ud Dawa (JuD). Gradually he was assigned the task of recruiting youths for the organisation for the lure of money.

Accordingly, he, along with LeT militant Saifulla of Pakistan, came to Nepal and opened accounts in various banks for smooth flow of terrorist money from Pakistan to Nepal. He was also directed to provide logistic support to the terrorists who would go to Nepal prior to being sent to India for committing terrorist activities or for militants who were to be sent back to Pakistan after committing a terrorist act. "He also opened a surgical equipment firm in Nepal in the name of M/s Khan Traders to cover his activities. They sent many youths for arms training to Pakistan. In 2004, three of their outfit members namely Mohd Ibrahim, Inqmul Haq and Mohd Abrar, all residents of Nepal, were arrested by the special cell along with explosive material and surgical equipments. Thereafter, Madani stopped visiting India and changed his Nepal base too," said the police.

It was due to this reason that Saifullah had to retreat back to Pakistan and thereafter the entire Indo-Nepal operations of the LeT was looked after by Madani. 

Faridabad, June 5
The Faridabad Industries Associaton (FIA) today made a collective demand from the Hero Honda Motors, billed to be world’s largest motorcycle manufacturing venture having its base in Gurgaon and Dharukhera in Haryana, to set up a unit in Faridabad in order to give boost to industrialisation here.

Making a fervent plea to the motorcycle producing giant at a function relating to the 56th annual general meeting (AGM) of the FIA, the president of the association Sajjan Kumar Jain said that setting up a unit in Faridabad would give boost to employment and attract a large number of ancillary units.

The FIA suggested that Hero Honda Motors could set up its unit in Industrial Model Township (IMT) which was being set up in Faridabad.

Sunil Kant Munjal, chairman of Hero Corporate Services, the services business arm of the Hero Honda Group, was present at the function as a guest.

Munjal in his speech said that there was great potential in Faridabad to redirect its industrial growth afresh. He said that Faridabad was once a leading industrial hub of the country and could again ride the high path as it already had a solid base.

He further said that the country was at a vantage point and it was now time for it to take off in a big way in terms of overall progress. The world admires the country’s rapid progress as while the entire world was reeling under recession, India continued to grow, he added.

Gurgaon, June 5
The local industry captains have accused the Haryana State Infrastructure and Industrial Development Corporation (HSIIDC) of harassing the small and medium industrialists, imposing exorbitant penalties for small violations, delaying routine works like execution of title deeds for years and several other serious matters.

A number of local industrialists, assembled under the aegis of a joint forum comprising members of the Chamber of Industries of Udyog Vihar, Udyog Vihar Industries Association, Haryana Industries Association and Gurgaon Udyog Association staged a silent protest demonstration to press for the redress of their aforesaid grievances here today.

The protesters, carrying placards, marched from the CII convention hall to the HSIIDC building located in Udyog Vihar Phase-V here today. They also submitted a memorandum addressed to the Haryana Chief Minister to the HSIIDC DGM.

Later, talking to The Tribune, Col (retd) Raj Singla, the president of the Chamber of Industries of Udyog Vihar, maintained that they had been apprising the authorities concerned of their grievances for a long time, but to no avail.

Making startling revelations, Col Singla said instead of helping the small entrepreneurs, the HSIIDC had even issued letters to several banks, asking them not to finance the industrialists without their NOC.

He said there were a large number of plot owners who were yet to get the title deed of their plots even as many as 30 years of allotment and having paid all installments.

“The plots were allotted to us on freehold basis. But we are made to pay a heavy amount to the HSIIDC in the name of leasing fee,” he asserted, alleging that they were made to pay as much as Rs 300 to Rs 600 per square metre penal rate in nearly all cases, as against the specified fee of Rs 15 and Rs 30 per square metre.

Col Singla further pointed out that they were made to pay exorbitant amounts even for small violation, much to their harassment.

The industry captain demanded that as a Municipal Corporation had been set up in Gurgaon and the development of Udyog Vihar been completed, it should be handed over to the Municipal Corporation.

Greater Noida, June 5
A large number of colonies have sprung up on Greater Noida land and the authority officials did not get a wind of it.

The value of the land runs into hundreds of crores. Systematic plots have been cut in the colonies and hundreds of houses and other buildings have been constructed on it. Even pucca roads and electric poles have been dug up in the illegal colonies.

Some property sharks are suspected to be at the back of the fraud and insiders feel it will be difficult to dislodge the people who have bought the plots and built houses there. Apart from local villagers, people from Delhi, Mathura, Punjab, Meerut, Muzzafarnagar, Secundrabad, Ghaziabad, Noida, Bulandshahr have bought plots here.

Interestingly, plots have been cut on the Greater Noida land for which the authority has already paid compensation to farmers whose lands were acquired.

There are nine villages –Chipyana, Khurd, Yusufpur, Chak Shavery, Roja, Yaqubpur, Pitawri, Eteda, Dara Dehra, Sirsa and Kasna. The colonisers have developed colonies with meticulous planning and are even claiming that the authority had approved these colonies. Some poeple have obtained power connections through dubious means.

The GNIDA officals have come out of their hibernation now after a large number of houses had been built. They are now issuing notices to the colonisers and illegal builders. But freeing the area of such a large-scale encroachment will not be an easy.

A letter is learnt to have been sent to the SSP Noida to provide a large police force for the operation.

Meanwhile, the villagers are claiming that it was Abadi land. The operations for large-scale encroachement and construction of houses had started well before the Lok Sabha campaign. The din of the political campaigns by candidates had given the colonisers and the builders a chance to construct houses at a fast pace.

Gurgaon, June 5
When the Gurgaon Municipal Corporation came into being in June last, the residents were promised that it would change the face of the city.

However, more than a year after its inception, the MC has not been able to deliver the goods it was supposed to.

When the MC was established, the areas which were under the jurisdiction of HUDA, HSIIDC and Gurgaon’s erstwhile Municipal Council till then were transferred to it. Besides the 58 sectors of Gurgaon, these areas also included those specified by the notification under the Gurgaon’s Master Plan 2021.

However, till date, the MC has even failed to take over the provision of essential services like water supply, sewerage, roads, parks and streetlights in most areas under its jurisdiction from the other government agencies like HUDA, Public Health Department and PWD etc.

As far as the outlook of the millennium city’s civic body is concerned, it does not have a website or even a logo to call its own.

As of now, the MC authorities are carrying out ward-wise survey of the city. Apart from it, its functioning seems to have failed to take off.

“We had high expectations from the MC when it was formed. However, it has not been able to bring any noticeable difference so far,” says Vinod Kumar, a local employee.

On its part, the government has changed the guard by shifting the local municipal commissioner as well as the additional commissioner elsewhere.

Admitting MC’s non-performance on several counts, newly appointed municipal commissioner R.K.Khullar maintains that taking over the provisions of public services from other government agencies manner would be his immediate priority.

“We plan to take over these services in a phased manner after working out the modalities,” he asserts, adding that Gurgaon has made its presence felt at the international level and the “happening” city requires a “doing” local government (which the MC was supposed to be).

But the million dollar question here is: Will it deliver?

Noida, June 5
The court of additional district judge of Noida Saroj Yadav yesterday sentenced one Rameshwar Sharma to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment for raping his daughter-in-law.

Rameshwar was arrested and sent to jail after the verdict. The court also slapped a fine of Rs 12,000 on Sharma.

According to the prosecution, on December 30, Rameshwar’s wife and son had gone to the family cattleshed to milch buffalos in a Dadri colony. Finding his daughter-in-law alone in her bedroom, Rameshwar had raped her. After the crime he had threatened the young woman that if she opened her mouth he would throw her out of the house.

However, when Rameshhwar’s wife and son came back, the daughter-in-law told them about the rape. But to her shock and surprise, the two also asked her to keep quiet, explaining that nothing would be achieved by going to the police. But the daughter-in-law lodged a case against her father-in-law with the Dadri police.