New Delhi, December 7
The rage of influenza A (H1N1) virus continued in the capital with the city recording four more fatalities today, taking the cumulative toll to 34. Besides, 198 people were diagnosed positive for the infection and out of which, 121 are children.

Among the four deaths, one is that of 52-year-old Balam Singh, a resident of Janakpuri, who gave in to H1N1 this morning at 10 in Mata Chanan Devi Hospital (MCDH).

The city nodal officer for H1N1, Dr Debasis Bhattacharya, said, “On December 5, the patient came to MCDH with complaints of cough and breathlessness and he had fever since six days. He was put on ventilator and today he suffered a cardiac arrest and could not be recovered.”

Adding that most of the deaths have resulted due to delay in reaching out to designated hospitals, he briefed, “A patient died in Saint Stephen’s Hospital and two others, who succumbed to the disease on November 10 and 22 respectively in Sucheta Kriplani Hospital, were reported to the city health department today.”

At present, screening and treatment of H1N1 is being carried at 17 government and four private hospitals, and Dr Debasis informed, talks are on for identifying more centres, as H1N1 cases are expected to rise with the aggravating chill of winters. Also, the government is taking stock of the situation and looking out for increasing the number of ventilators for the H1N1 sections.

Meanwhile, the death of 25-year-old male resident of Tagore Garden yesterday happened after the relatives of the patient shifted him to Ambedkar Hospital against the doctors’ advice and inquiry is going on the matter, said Dr Debasis.

New Delhi, December 7
Four Class X students of a Delhi government girls’ school in the Shalimar Bagh area of north-west district were injured when they were allegedly beaten by their seniors and their male friends. The accused girls are students of Class XI.  

The incident took place around 1:30 am at AH Block in Shalimar Bagh today.

The victims have alleged that when they called the policemen standing nearby for help, the officials rebuked them. They stood around and watched the scuffle.

However, the policemen have denied the allegation.

According to the police, the girls clashed due to some past rivalry. The victims alleged that their seniors along with their male friends tore their clothes and beat them. One girl suffered a leg fracture in the incident.

The injured have been identified as Shweta, Nupur, Neha and Sunita. They alleged that they were attacked by their seniors — Heena, Jesica, Pooja, Shalu, Anamika, Gitika and their male friends who had come on four bikes. The names of the boys are Vikram and Ravi.

“Class X students performed brilliantly on the school sports day on December 4. They often used to tease their seniors over their failure. This led to heated arguments between the girls. Therefore, some Class XI girls decided to settle the scores with the juniors,” said a senior police official on condition of anonymity.

Shweta, who is undergoing treatment in a hospital, said that she and her friends were attacked while they were returning to their homes after school.

“Our seniors along with their male friends were standing near the school. They pounced on us and before we could understand anything we were thrashed. They also tore our clothes,” she said.

She alleged that the policemen standing nearby did not intervene. Nupur’s leg was fractured in the incident while Neha received injuries on hand,” she said.

However, no case was registered till late night as the girls are minors. The parents of the victims and the accused are trying to reach a compromise.

New Delhi, December 7
Delhi University’s (DU) executive council (EC) had to adjourn its meeting as teachers stormed into the well of the house this morning. They were protesting against the university’s plans to start biometric attendance system in colleges.

The Delhi University Teachers’ Association (DUTA) also held a university-wide strike.

The teachers have been demanding that the EC drops the attendance issue from its agenda in the next meeting.

Earlier, DU had brought in biometric machines to regulate the attendance of non-teaching staff and now it is planning to put in place a similar system for teachers as well.

The DUTA feels it would curtail the movement of teachers and would have an adverse impact on teaching conditions in colleges. DUTA president Aditya Kumar Misra said, “We already have a system to mark the attendance of teachers. The new system is humiliating.” He added, “This will adversely affect the input system. If teachers have to grow they should have the freedom to attend seminars. This will restrict our movement.”

Agitated teachers also sat on a dharna outside the EC and raised slogans. They stormed into the well of the house demanding that the attendance issue be dropped from the agenda and the meeting had to be deferred.

Despite a number of teachers being upset about the matter, there remain many who are not so dead set against it.

A professor from Hansraj College on condition of anonymity said, “This is just an attendance and teachers are unnecessarily over-reacting. I don’t think it will restrict our movement. No body is stopping teachers from attending seminars.”

However, the DUTA is not convinced. Misra said, “We will not rest till this issue is not resolved and will continue our agitation.”

New Delhi, December 7
Former President Abdul Kalam today asked students of St. Stephen’s college to plan their lives considering who they would want to be remembered as.

He mentioned 11 “out-of-the-box missions” that students could choose from while mapping out their lives which included building institutions of excellence, contributing to primary healthcare and formulating organisations working towards energy independence.

The Bharat Ratna awardee was delivering a lecture at the college on the occasion of its Founders Day, when college honours its founder Rev Samuel Scott Allnutt and pays tribute to all its teachers and principals who have worked with the college since its inception in 1881.

Remembering the contribution of his teachers in shaping his life, Kalam talked about the way “teachers enrich the society”.

“The greatness of an institution could be estimated not only by its teachers’ capacity to teach, but also by their unique pure way of life through which they become role models for students,” said Kalam.

The former president talked about three out of his six teachers who influenced and shaped his life from primary school to the university.

Talking about his teachers from government’s panchayat elementary school, he said the teacher was so committed to the cause of education that he would personally visit the houses of students to check why a particular student did not attend school.

“My handwriting was very poor. Taking special note of this, my teacher came to my house and handed over some writing exercises to me and asked my father to make sure I did them regularly,” said Kalam, adding that the exercises actually helped him improve his handwriting to a certain extent.

Kalam went to a boarding school for high school studies. His school had many students from small towns and were not comfortable being taught in English.

Realising the shortcomings of this section of students, the father of the school used to hold special classes for students coming from vernacular backgrounds, he said.

Impressing the students with lively anecdotes, Kalam said a teacher’s responsibility was to put students ahead of time.

Meanwhile, on the sidelines of the Founders’ Day, the chairman of the supreme council bishop Sunil Kumar reportedly asked for reconciliation between the college faculty and the church in the light of on-going tussle between the two.

New Delhi, December 7
The dismal percentage of woman officials in key positions in the Delhi police is evident right at the police station-level, the lowest denomination in the police hierarchy which deals with the common man.

As on date, out of the 155 police stations in the national Capital, only one police station has a woman station house officer (SHO).

“There were some women officers in-charge of police stations till few months back. But as on date, we have just one woman station house officer who is posted with the Kamla Market police station,” confirmed Rajan Bhagat, ACP, Delhi police.

Bala Sharma is in charge of the Kamla Market police station in central district since past one-and-a-half year.

According to Bhagat, there is no reservation of any kind in the Delhi police and all appointments are made by the establishment committee, the body responsible for appointments, on the basis of service record, merit and interview.

“It is merely a co-incidence that presently there is just one woman officer in-charge. There could be many in times to come if the establishment committee finds that an officer deserves the post,” said Bhagat.

The present strength of the Delhi police is 74,000, and there are only 3,300 (approx) women officers.

“Earlier, women presence was mere 4 per cent and it has gone up by 7 per cent only now. We expect to increase the women presence by 7.5 per cent before the Commonwealth Games next year,” revealed Bhagat.

The low percentage of women officer is not limited to police stations alone, but in fact stretches to posts like assistant commissioners of police (ACPs) and deputy commissioners of police (DCPs) also.

While there is no woman deputy commissioner of police (DCP) in charge of any of the eleven police districts in the Capital, there are just three woman ACPs manning the work of local policing.

These three are ACP, Chanakyapuri, Megha Yadav; ACP, Civil Lines, Vimlesh Yadav and ACP, Patel Nagar, Anita Rai.

DCP Shalini Singh, who was in charge of the south-east district till few months back, has been transferred out of Delhi. As on date, all eleven districts are under the command of male officers.

New Delhi, December 7
Social activists and development workers from across the country came together as Charkha Development Communication Network celebrated its 15th Founders’ Day at Gandhi Smriti & Darshan Samiti in the Capital today. The day marks the birthday of the Charkha’s founder, social activist Sanjoy Ghose.   

Mirai Chatterjee, co-ordinator of Social Security SEWA, was the chief guest. He said, “Sanjoy had established Charkha on October 24, 1994, to bridge the gap between the marginalised communities in rural areas and the policy formulation.”

Stressing media’s role, she said, “Media coverage lacks sociological and cultural aspects of issues in spite of the fact that its training includes development communication and reporting of grassroot issues. Media being the fourth estate of democracy has the potential to make a difference.”

Narayan Choudhary, co-ordinator of Bihar-based NGO Mithila Gram Vikas Parishad, and Md Iqbal, president of People Action Group for Inclusion and Rights (PAGIR) in Leh Ladakh were the special invitees.

Sharing his experience during the Kosi flood, Choudhary said, “An article in a local newspaper about discrepancy in relief funds by local officials led to action the next day across 13 tehsils. Another article that exposed a local heath officer refusing to come on duty on Durga Puja even as four villages were in the grip of diarrhea led to the establishment of a medical camp within the next two days.”

“In short, media is capable of reinforcing duties on those who have forgotten their responsibilities as they occupied power. Development issues at grassroot level are worthless without ample awareness. And no better ally than media,” he added.

Md Iqbal, a differently-abled who traveled from Leh Laddakh for the function, said, “We are still referred to as disabled in Leh. There are no separate entrances for us in most buildings. PAGIR strives to achieve better living conditions and livelihood for the differently-abled.”

Using different forms of media, Charkha has devised ways to draw perspectives from the grassroot in different states. Through its service in Hindi, English and Urdu, it places the writings from these areas in the national mainstream media.

Gurgaon, December 7
The vigilant neigbhours timely help averted major tragedy this evening when a gas cylinder leakage led to blast and fire in a senior citizens house.

According to fire officials, the cylinder blast took place around 8 pm in the house of M L Gupta (61) who lives with his wife in flat number 803 of MS12 society in Kendriya Vihar area of sector 56 here.

However, before the fire officials could reach the spot, the old couples immediate neighbours Sandeep Brar and Navdeep Singh rushed inside the burning kitchen. “I heard the blast in the house and when I rushed there along with my friend Navdeep, the kitchen had been engulfed by the fire. We assured the old couple so as not to worry and got about dousing the fire by the help of buckets,” said Sandeep adding that his hand was burnt in the process.

Navdeep Singh, alleged that the society’s fire extinguishers were not working and he had broke flower pots of his house and used the sand to douse the fire.

Several other neighbours later joined the duo to douse the flame and succeded in about half an hour of efforts.

New Delhi, December 7
There is yet another reason for the consumers to get delighted on the matter of inflated bills received during the months of July and August.

After ordering discoms to refund the extra amount paid by consumers over 30 per cent of the electricity bill in the corresponding month of last year, the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC) has refused to set any last date for filling complaints.

Amidst a large number of consumers complaining against the inflated bills, the discoms had asked the DERC to set a last date for filing complaint as even those who had received inflated bills had started joining the race.

“We had approached the commission to set up a deadline for filing complaints about inflated bills. But the commission has refused and said that no last date would be announced as people were still not fully aware about the scheme,” said Gopal Saxena, CEO, BSES, Rajdhani Power Limited.

According to BSES sources, some consumers who have received marginally hiked bills are queuing up for refund

“Everyday there is a notice or some piece of information appearing in the sections of media and people think that even slightest of increase is getting refunded and thus they start thronging for filing complaints,” he said.

Large number of activists had started crying hoarse when the DERC had announced that consumers who received abnormally high bills from June to August this year needed to pay only 30 per cent more than what they paid in the corresponding period last year. The activists complained that the order only included complainants, which was unfair, and that relief should be given to all affected consumers.

The commission then asked people to file complaints if they had not done it earlier. According to discom BSES, about 3,500 consumers will be issued provisional bills by month-end.

New Delhi, December 7
It’s rock and roll time in Delhi as one the most-awaited music fests of the year — the South Asian Bands Festival is set to start on December 11. The three-day fest will be held on the sprawling Purana Qila lawns.

Presented by ICCR and SEHER in collaboration with the ministry of external affairs, the festival will bring 15 popular bands from nine nations on one stage.

While Pakistan is back to rock once again, it is Afghanistan that is set to make waves. Called the ‘Kabul Express’, the only Indie rock n roll band in Afghanistan uses eclectic guitar, bass guitar and drums.

The festival boasts of bands like Strings (Pakistan), Raghu Dixit Project (Bangalore), Shankar Ehsaan Loy (Mumbai), Who’s Your Daddy (Bhutan), who entertained audiences in the last two editions.

Bands like — Pentagram, Avial (Trivandrum), Half Step Down (Delhi), Faridkot (Delhi), Nagarbaul and James (Bangladesh), all-girls band Afflatus (Shillong) among others are debuting this year.

Sanjeev Bhargava, founder of SEHER who is behind designing the festival, said, “The festival comes to the Purana Quila again this year with some of the most prolific bands. Its popularity has grown and it would be a treat for music lovers.”

Virendra Gupta, director general of ICCR, said, “The fest was first held in 2007. We expect better turnout this time. It has served as a platform where talented bands from South Asian countries enable to exercise a healthy confluence of ideas.”

“Last year a band from Nepal and Bhutan started jamming together after they were impressed by each other’s style. The festival is a platform to push smaller bands from a cocoon to a stage with thousands of audiences. It not only gives them confidence but inspiration,” he added.

“The closing gig of Shankar Ehsaan Loy will feature some of their latest hits from Bollywood is a must see,” added Sanjeev Bhargava.

Greater Noida, December 7
A farmer has managed to obtain Rs 80 lakh land compensation for an additional hectare of land that did not exist in his name by allegedly tampering with the revenue records.

When the officials concerned realised that the farmer identified as Jagbir had befooled them, a notice was sent to him to refund the amount. But instead of returning the money, Jagbir took the matter to the High Court.

A case of fraud has been registered against Jagbir at Kasna Kotwali on the court’s order. The court has ordered Jagbir to refund Rs 80 lakh along with 15 per cent interest to the government. If he does not refund the amount, his property would be attached.

The district administration has reportedly started the proceedings for attaching Jagbir’s property.

In May 2009, the Yamuna Industrial Development Authority had acquired a land at Atta Gujran village in Sadar Tehsil. Jagbir had allegedly tampered with the revenue record and increased his land by a hectare. He also managed to obtain Rs 80 lakh as land compensation on June 5, 2009.

New Delhi, December 7
The south district police has arrested four persons for allegedly kidnapping a minor girl (a student of Class IX), and has rescued the girl.

Those arrested have been identified as Kuldeep (22), the mastermind, Kalu (19), Satpal (40) and Sri Chand (50).

According to the police, Renu (name changed) had gone missing from her Khanpur village house on the eve of Divali on October 17, 2009.

The investigation led the police to Kuldeep, who lived in the girl’s neighbourhood and did not have good relations with Renu’s father. The police team collected details of Kuldeep’s relatives and activated secret informers to collect information about his hideouts.

“Following a tip-off, the police, on December 4, rescued the girl from Defence Colony in Ghaziabad ” said DCP HGS Dhaliwal.

Kuldeep disclosed that while he was residing at his relative’s house at J.J. colony in Khanpur, he got to know that Renu’s father was a rich businessman. He then made the plan to kidnap Renu. He also involved his father and maternal uncle’s son Kalu in the plan.

As part of the plan, Kuldeep became friendly with Renu and lured her to accompany him to purchase sweets and crackers for Divali. He took her to his house where his father, uncle and Kalu were already present.

When Renu asked him to send her back to her home, they threatened her to marry Kuldeep and forget about home. They also threatened her that if she did not follow their directions, they would kill her father and brother.

Kuldeep also made physical relations with Renu several times without her will.