New Delhi, February 27
As the timeframe for staggered implementation of the OBC reservation ends this year, Delhi University (DU) as well as Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) would introduce full 27 per cent reservation in admissions for the upcoming 2010-11 academic year.

Both the central universities decided to implement 27 per cent reservation along with 54 per cent seat increase after getting guidelines on OBC reservation from University Grants Commission (UGC) three years ago.

The administrations of the two universities took the option of implementing the quota in staggered manner as they found shortcomings in their existing infrastructures.

“The university decided to implement nine per cent OBC reservation each year along with increasing the infrastructure. Full 27 per cent OBC quota would be implemented in our university,” said Gurpreet Tuteja, deputy dean, DU.

In JNU, the administration implemented 12 per cent OBC reservation in the first year inviting opposition from several students’ groups which were asking for total implementation in the first year itself. This year, the university prospectus for 2010-11 states that JNU would implement the total quota.

“Our university has been in the centre of debates related to OBC reservation ever since the Supreme Court passed the guidelines and even though a lot of infrastructure had to be created for it, we are going ahead with the full implementation this year,” said sources in the JNU administration.

However, the ratio of students admitted under reserved and general categories point out that neither of the universities has been able to fill the quota so far. In fact, there are reports that there was a shortfall of around 4 per cent in the total OBC quota in JNU last year.

The administration maintained that JNU only faced the non-fulfillment as the university had already admitted students from the OBC category through its unique quartile system under which students from backward regions were given extra points.

The quota-filling story in DU was not different. According to the last year’s figures collected by the university from colleges, almost 50 per cent of the OBC quota seats remained unfilled till the end of its admission process after which the vacant seats were turned into general category seats.

“It is beyond our control to fill these seats if we do not find eligible students under the category, we cannot do anything about it,” said Tuteja adding that the university did all kinds of campaigning inviting eligible OBC candidates for the seats. According to the mandatory guidelines, the universities have to maintain a difference of total 10 points while admitting students from general and OBC categories.

New Delhi, February 27
With the CBSE examinations beginning on March 3, the countdown to Class X and XII boards is narrowing down.

A student’s performance will not be assessed using the conventional method of numerical marking and ‘grades’ will be awarded on a nine-point scale, which will indicate their subject-wise performance. Unlike past years, this year Class IX students will get a question paper set by the CBSE, but their answers will be marked internally by school teachers using grade system.

A CBSE official said, “Only subject-wise grades will be shown in the statement that will be issued to all students. Moreover, the subject-wise percentile score/ rank at national level will be provided to schools on demand.”

The practice of declaring compartment or fail has been discontinued. Only those candidates who obtain qualifying grades (below D) in all subjects, excluding additional subject, will be awarded with a qualifying certificate.

“Candidates who obtain grades E1 or E2 in a subject are needed to improve their performance through five subsequent attempts,” said a CBSE official.

Also, candidates who are not able to get qualifying grades (D and above) in all subjects, excluding additional subject, shall not be permitted for admission to the next class.

CBSE officials inform that the grading system “will minimise misclassification of students on the basis of marks and eliminate unhealthy competition among them. It will also reduce societal pressure and provide more flexible learning environment to them.”

Under the comprehensive evaluation system in Class IX and X, the syllabus has been split in two terms. Each term will have two formative tests of 10% weightage and summative tests of 20% and 40 % weightage respectively.

New Delhi, February 27
Jawaharlal Nehru University’s School of Arts and Aesthetics, the only institute of its kind in India, is exploring the possibility of tie-ups with international arts institutes in the coming academic year.

The school is the only Indian institute of arts that offers postgraduate degree courses in the theoretical and critical study of cinematic, visual and performing arts.

“Some of the biggest international universities in the field of arts have communicated to us their interest in doing some joint academic work, but the modalities are yet to be finalized,” said Prof H.S. Shiva Prakash, dean of the school.

He said the school has been getting international artists to come and interact with its students regularly, but in the coming academic year some of the big names in different fields of art would visit the school to conduct workshops and seminars and joint courses, if they come off, would be a bonus.

Some of the universities with which the school is looking at initiating joint courses are based in South Korea, France and the United Kingdom. A theatre performance is also lined up in the school from Warwick University of the UK.

Warming up to signing these MoUs with the arts institutes, School of Arts and Aesthetics is holding a big international event next month. “Many international delegates would participate in a conference at the university in the beginning of the next academic year,” said Shiva Prakash adding that the event would be one of the biggest so far.

The institute is the only place in India where these disciplines are offered in one integrated programme that allows students to understand the individual arts in broader context of history and politics, he said.

The school offers M.A., M.Phil. and Ph.D. courses in different fields of art. For doing M.A., there are total 23 seats available on the entrance level. For M.Phil., there are eight seats each in cinema, theatre and visual arts. The admission to the school is through entrance examination.

New Delhi, February 27
With cases of quacks going high in the Capital, another instance of a man posing as doctor came to light after the Delhi Medical Council (DMC) conducted a raid at Krishna Ultrasound Centre (KUC) yesterday.

On an average in a month, DMC receives nearly 20-30 complaints related to quacks, informed Dr Girish Tyagi, the registrar of DMC.

The surprise visit of the DMC officials led to the arrest of Banshi Lal Kashyap, a resident of Babarpur, who posed to be Dr Upender Kumar Singh Kashyap and the sealing of Jyoti Ultrasound Centre and KUC.

Banshi Lal, who was arrested by the northeast Delhi police yesterday, conducted an ultrasound on a resident of Gokulpuri, Arun Kumar Singh, on February 9 following which Kumar sent a complaint to DMC, finding the conduct and behaviour of Banshi Lal unusual.

Dr Tyagi said, “On Febraury 18, we received a complaint against Dr Upender Kumar Singh Kashyap from Arun Kumar who doubted his credentials. Somehow, the complainant managed to get the DMC registration certificate no. 38033 of the man and sent it to us.”

On verification, it was found that registration no of Upender Kumar Singh Kashyap was forged and the number actually belongs to Dr Ngaizavung Hauzel.

“The team of four members of DMC reached the site and asked Banshi Lal to show the certificate, which had the number belonging to the said lady doctor. Later, when grilled, he admitted to his fraud,” added Dr Tyagi.

A case under Sections IPC 420 (cheating) and IPC 417 (forgery of genuine false documents) has been registered against Banshi Lal.

A few years back, Banshi Lal was working at another clinic where he learnt about ultrasound technique and the way to handle the machine.

According to Dr Tyagi, the growing trend of quackery is coming to notice due to the awareness among the public. Any medical graduate, registered under the PNDT Act is only entitled to perform the test and failure in that would amount to quackery, he said.

New Delhi, February 27
The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) is all set to upgrade the existing underground parking near Pallika Bazar in Connaught Place by using electronic parking guidance and management system.

The system will guide drivers to vacant space in the parking area, thereby reducing the harassment of finding a parking slot in the basement.

The underground parking has a system which tells about the number of vacant lots but not its exact location. Therefore, drivers take long time to find vacant space.

The three-level Pallika lot has the capacity to park 1,050 cars and 500 scooters. In the absence of a management system to guide cars, motorists are usually in for a hard time.

“The proposal has already been floated and the work is expected to begin soon which will allow more judicious use of the space,” said a senior NDMC official. The work is slotted to finish before October so that the parking can be used during the Commonwealth Games.

In electronic parking guidance and management system, a special detector will be installed at every parking slot.

The slots will be numbered and the detector will analyse whether a particular spot is vacant.

Based on the information, the main computer will provide information on a board installed outside the parking lot.

The board will also display how many slots on which level are vacant.

Ghaziabad, February 27
Six persons died after consuming country liquor at Kanaur village under Bahadur Garh police station in Garh Mukteshwar.

One of the dead was hurriedly cremated before the police reached the village. The police has sent the three bodies for autopsy. After hearing of the tragedy, cops, administration and excise officials are camping in the village.

Meanwhile, Ghaziabad SSP Raghuvir Lal suspended a sub-inspector and a constable for negligence. The excise department has confirmed death of only three persons.

After buying country liquor, Naresh, Chanderpal, Jitender, Mitter Singh, Suraj Singh, Javeer, Mahinder, Ram Gopal and many others consumed the brew near a temple and then went home.

However, they fell unconscious after some time and late yesterday night Ajay and Jitender became serious. A little later, Ajay died while Jitender breathed his last on way to a nursing home in Meerut.Jayveer, son of Ramchand, was shifted to a hospital yesterday evening where he too succumbed to poisonous liquor. Ajay’s body was hurriedly cremated by villagers.

As the condition of Naresh, Chanderpal, Mitter Singh and Suraj Singh had also deteriorated, they were shifted to a local nursing home.

On getting the information, Rajesh Bharti, DSP, Anurag Kumar, SHO, came with a police team. People told them that Ajay and Jitender had been working as peddlers of country liquor for quite some time.

Noida, February 27
The Noida Management Association has termed the budget growth-oriented and feels that it will lead to an all-inclusive growth.

Noida Management Association president Dinesh Jain said, “It is tricky and good budget. It has taken care of deficit control without displeasing the majority of masses.”

The only trouble point was hike in petrol and diesel prices which residents feel will lead to inflation and rise in price of essential commodities. However, the association feels that market prices are influenced by supply and demand.

Dr D.K.Garg, president, Ishan Institute of Management and Technology, too felt that budget is growth-oriented. For educational loans, some relief could have been provided for students, but the finance minister cannot please everybody. For an all-inclusive growth, he has to arrange for funds and at the same time provide relief to the masses.

“Budget is above average,” Garg added.

Kamal Thapar, an multi-national company employee, feels that the savings will be nullified by hike in petrol and diesel prices.

This should be rolled back if the government really wants to help the middle class and the poor.

New Delhi, February 27
Reacting to the budget presented by Union finance minister Pranab Mukherjee, the leader of the Opposition in Delhi Assembly Vijay Kumar Malhotra said that it would cause an increase in inflation and unemployment.

“By proposing an increase in petrol and diesel prices, two per cent increase in excise duty, bringing 12 new items under the service tax net and levying service tax on rental income, Mukherjee has ensured that only sky high inflationary trends will continue at the cost of the poor and the middle-class people,” said Malhotra.

He added that the government and other employees had not been exempted from standard deduction.

“It is strange that people with getting an annual income of Rs 5 lakh and above have been exempted from income tax and those who receive Rs 3 lakh annually have not been offered any exemption. This budget supports the rich at the cost of the poor,” he said.

Malhotra claimed that the government had reserved its biggest injustice for the unemployed, as the UPA had promised in its 2004 and 2009 manifesto that it would promulgate the National Employment Guarantee Law which would provide jobs to the rural and urban unemployed.

“Though the government tried to implement this in rural areas, it failed to implement it in urban areas. There is no policy for the lakhs of unemployed in the country,” he said.

He added that the Delhi government had sought Rs 2,000 crore as additional expenditure for the Commonwealth Games, but it had received only Rs 50 crore.

“The funds for additional central schemes have also been reduced from Rs 2,500 crore to Rs 1,283 crore, and yet Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit finds the budget praiseworthy,” he added.

Greater Noida, February 27
A man and his son shot dead two persons over dumping garbage in a drain at Devla under the Surajpur police station area here.

One of the accused Nobat Singh works as a security guard at a company in Greater Noida.

The victims— Jatinder (23), Rajiv Kumar (23), Ashutosh (20) and Depinder (22)— lived at a lodge in Devla. The accused father and son intruded into their house in the neighbourhood and sprayed bullet on them. Two of them were shot dead while the other two were seriously wounded. Rajiv and Depinder were admitted in to the Sharda Hospital.

The victims worked at Moser Baer Co in Greater Noida.

Nobat Singh’s family lived in the house opposite to their’s. A few days ago Jatinder and his friends had cleaned the drain in front of their house. But Nobat Singh’s son had dumped waste in the drain. Following which Nobat Singh and Jatinder had an argument on Friday.

Nobat Singh’s daughter Bhura (18) informed her brother Avedesh about the clash on phone.

After some time, Mahesh, Nobat Singh and Avedesh intruded into the house of Jatinder.

Mahesh shot Jatinder in the chest who died on the spot, then he shot Rajiv, Depinder and Ashutosh. Ashutosh also died on the spot.

Alarmed by the gunshots, villagers overpowered the accused and thrashed them before handing them over to the police. However, one of them managed to escape.