Kathmandu, May 22
A doughty schoolboy from New Delhi added yet another feat to the annals of mountaineering by becoming the youngest Indian to climb Mt. Everest, the world’s highest peak, on Saturday.

Arjun Vajpai of Ryan International School, who turns 17 next month, became the tallest 12th grader when he planted the Indian tricolour on the summit of the 8,848- metre mountain.

There was jubilation at his home in New Delhi as his mother Priya Vajpai laughed and cried in relief on being told that her son had reached the summit.

“I have no words to describe my feelings,” said Priya Vajpai on the phone.

Arjun set off for the last push at 10.45 pm on Friday night, making it to the top of the world at 6.18 am on Saturday. “We were anxiously waiting for a call in the morning and when it came, I was laughing and crying,” Priya Vajpai said.“Don’t worry mom. I can run my way to the top,” Arjun told his mother.

Arjun was part of a 12-member expedition that has a record number of Indian climbers trying their luck individually. Two hours later, one of Arjun’s team members, Mamata Sodah, a 30-year-old physical education teacher at Shaheed Baba Deep Singh College of Education in Haryana, also stood on the summit, making it the fourth Indian ascent this year.

Though Arjun began climbing only three years ago, he took to the sport immediately. He had no acclimatisation problems while taking up the Everest challenge.“I have no headache, breathing trouble or eating disorder.In fact, I am eating more here,” he said.”

Also, he began using bottled oxygen only after he reached camp three, from where the final push for the ascent starts. Arjun said he was making the attempt for the incredible view the summit offers to successful climbers.

Arjun was also buoyed by the thought that he would be in the company of legendary climber Apa Sherpa, the man who has climbed the peak the highest number of times - 19 - and is aiming to reach the summit for the 20th time.

Arjun’s father Sanjiv Vajpai said he was initially afraid to let Arjun go on the expedition.

“He is just 16,” the retired Indian Army Major said.

“I wondered if it would be fair to expose him to such a life-threatening risk. But his instructors at the Nehru Mountaneering Institute, where he did two mountaineering courses, said he had both the physical and mental ability to summit Mt. Everest and we decided to let him go,” he said.— IANS

New Delhi, May 22
Heritage bodies are busy sprucing up monuments to protect the city’s heritage. But the refurbishing process being conducted by the Archeological Survey of India has brought the authority in the dock as some workers were spotted mixing cement in the mortar used for construction at the Safdarjung Tomb— thus violating the prescribed norms.

When The Tribune team visited the Safadarjung Tomb, it found cement being mixed in the mortar and prepared in a concrete mixer machine.

Contractors, architects and conservation experts say that as per the standard practice and ethics of conservation, the material used for doing up any monument should be nearly same to what was used in its construction for the first time.

However, chief engineer of ASI, Delhi circle, K.K. Muhammad expressed ignorance in the matter. He said, “I am unaware of the use of cement in the conservation process. Also, if the mortar is being mixed in a concrete mixer, it is not right. The mixture must be made inside a ‘chakka’. I will look into the matter.”

The ASI has assured of taking action against any discrepancy, if at all.

Besides, many conservationists have claimed that cement has been used in the beautification of some areas in the Tughlaqabad Fort, Siri Fort and many other historical places.

An architect working with a heritage body, on condition of anonymity, said that most of the time there was leniency in the process of the preparation of mortar and mixing cement “kills its quality”. He added, “The older methods that were utilised had a specific purpose and hence, should not be changed.”

He added, “Earlier, historians relied on lime’s strength. If cement is mixed with lime, the monuments are bound to develop cracks within a month as lime and cement do not mix well. The fact is not realised in short period, but it only degrades the monument’s quality.”

A history faculty member from Indraprastha University said, “If the same material is not available, the most similar combination should be chosen to prepare the mortar. This helps in keeping the indigenous property of the monument alive. If changes are made, it will only erode the monument’s historical value.”

“These historical monuments have been standing tall for hundreds of years. The quality of mortar used should be taken into account. If the rules are violated, it brings unnecessary burden on the monument which would need work again after some years,” said another conservation architect in the Capital.

New Delhi, May 22
Delhi is decking up for the Commonwealth Games, but most streetscaping projects are far from complete and time is fast running out for the public works department (PWD) as it struggles to meet deadlines.

Most major roads in central and southern areas of the city or linked to stadia and other Games infrastructure are either dug up or half done or simply littered with construction rubble and half-done masonry.

In south Delhi, streetscaping on the 2.20-km stretch on Africa Avenue road is 65 per cent complete, while only five per cent of the 1.2-km Siri Fort section, again in the south, has seen progress, according to a PWD report.

The deadline for both has been fixed as June 30, with work starting in October last year.

Streetscaping is one among several things the PWD is doing to beautify the city roads ahead of the mega sporting event from October 3-14 that is expected to attract thousands of foreign tourists, besides 8,000 athletes and delegates.

The other works include verges and horticulture development, street lighting and beautification of flyovers, besides putting up signage.

Footpaths alongside the venues of the Commonwealth Games are being beautified. Also, footpaths and cycle tracks are being constructed and saplings being planted near the Games venues.

Nearly 25 per cent of the work has been completed on a 2.9-km-long August Kranti Marg and 55 per cent of the 5.8- km stretch on Ring Road from Ashram to Bharon Marg still remains, the report says.

Similarly, it says streetscaping work on the 8.3-km-long National Highway 24, M.B. Road and Vikas Marg around Games Village has seen a completion of only 58 per cent.

“We are continuing with the work and hoping to complete it by the end of June-July. There is no problem with finances and also constant monitoring is being done to accelerate the pace of work,” PWD minister Raj Kumar Chouhan said.

However, PWD work on streetscraping has hit a few roadblocks.

“At the IGI stadium, for widening of level crossing near I.P. Depot, the Railways is demanding about Rs 57.45 crore, which is not justified at all. At the Karni Singh shooting range, private land is to be acquired by the land and building department in Lal Kuan village,” Chouhan said.

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) will also have to shift the carriageway connecting Tughlakabad Fort and Gayasuddin Tomb.

At the Games Village near Akhsardham Temple in east Delhi, a bus stop has to be relocated, while local opposition to reduction in the width of service roads and removal of ramps for houses is being sorted out.

The PWD minister said road signages covering 410 km of the city roads at a cost of Rs 71.50 crore will be completed by July-end.

He also said the focus was on completing flyovers, underpasses and bridges within the deadline of July, mainly on roads that will facilitate movement of players and visitors in October.

With several of the PWD projects running late, Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit held a meeting in the Capital on Tuesday asking its officials to complete the work on time. She had also asked the department to expedite streetscaping and road signages projects to ensure an international look for the city ahead of the event.

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) is also tasked with streetscaping work around Games sites. — IANS

New Delhi, May 22
A large number of students in Delhi and across the country have scored more than 90 per cent marks this year, sparking apprehensions that the already high cut-offs at Delhi University could go even higher. However, the fear may be exaggerated, as the university is offering 5,000 more seats this year.

The number of seats on offer has been increased as the central university is implementing full 27 per cent OBC reservation this year.

Out of the increased 5,000 seats, 2,500 are meant for the general category students. Further, if the university does not find enough qualified quota students, even the OBC quota category seats will converted into general quota seats.

Gurpreet Singh Tuteja, deputy dean of students’ welfare (DSW), said the cut-offs would have gone up slightly in the normal circumstances, but the increase in seats would stabilise it to some extent.

Meanwhile, around 700 students poured in at the seventh open day held at Acharya Narayan Dev College today. Students were asked to keep last year’s cut-off as benchmark before applying for colleges.

Though the common pre-admission form is accepted by most colleges for maximum courses, it is advisable that the students interested in any particular course should check with individual colleges about their admission process.

New Delhi, May 22
“Bio-diversity can help reduce the effects of climate change on world's population and eco-system. It is, therefore, crucial to conserve bio-diversity in all its forms,”said Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit at a function on International Biodiversity Day today.

The Chief Minister said that the human beings are dependent on the rich bio-diversity of the planet. So, it is important to preserve nature’s biodiversity.

Speaking during the function at Aravali Biodiversity Park in Vasant Vihar, the Chief Minister said that poverty and biodiversity are intimately linked. The poor, especially in the rural areas, are dependent on biodiversity for all their needs, including fuel, shelter, livelihood, etc. The loss of biodiversity exacerbates poverty, likewise poverty is a major threat to biodiversity.

This year’s theme of the International Biodiversity Day is Biodiversity Development and Poverty Alleviation. The theme will also provide a unique opportunity to raise public awareness on the importance of bio-diversity.

Addressing the audience, Dikshit stated that bio-diversity embraces the variety of genes, species and ecosystems that constitutes life on earth.

She also referred to a number of campaigns conducted by the city government. These include conservation of water and electricity, rejection of plastics and crackers, adoption of car pool and green building concept, etc. 

New Delhi, May 22
A Delhi court today framed charges against Utsav Bhasin, son of a Haryana-based industrialist, charged with ramming his BMW car into a motor cycle and killing a man in 2008.

On prima facie evidence, additional sessions judge Pinki charged Bhasin under harsher penal provision which may attract life imprisonment as the maximum sentence.

“There is sufficient evidence to frame charges under Sections 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 279 (driving rashly which could endanger human life) and 338 (causing grievous hurt) of the IPC,” Pinki said.

Counsel for Bhasin, Ramesh Gupta argued that the accused cannot be charged under Section 304 of the IPC, which prescribes life sentence as the maximum punishment, as he neither had the knowledge nor the intention to commit the alleged offence. He also referred to a Delhi High Court judgment in the 1998 sensational BMW hit-and-run case in which Sanjeev Nanda was awarded two years’ jail term as sentence.

He added, “Bhasin should be charged under Section 304A (causing death by rash and negligent act) of the IPC which prescribes two years’ simple imprisonment or fine or both as punishment.”

The incident had take place on September 11, 2008 when Bhasin while driving his BMW car allegedly hit a two-wheeler on the Moolchand flyover in South Delhi, killing Anuj Singh, the motorcyclist.

A journalist of a TV channel was also injured in the incident.

The trial in the case has begun now. The court has fixed the matter on July 21 for recording statements of prosecution witnesses.

New Delhi, May 22
An elderly couple living in Mukherjee Nagar exhibited exemplary courage today as they fought with three robbers carrying pistols and knife. Though two of them ran away, they handed over one robber to police.

Police said Rajender Khosla, 68, and his wife Santosh Khosla, 63, were at their ground floor flat in the Autumn Lane locality when three robbers, who had arrived in an Indica, barged into their house. Two of them were carrying pistols while another brandished knife and asked them to collect all money and valuables in the house.

What these robbers had, though, not bargained for was the raw courage of Rajender Khosla who shoved an assailant and caught hold of his neck as he and his wife began shouting for help.

They were attacked, but they managed to hold on to their own while their son and daughter-in-law living upstairs rushed down.

Neighbours also collected even as the Khoslas were hit by the robbers. Two of them tried to flee in their car, but its way was blocked by other vehicles, forcing them to escape on the foot. However, Rajender Khosla, who has a gift shop in Sadar Bazar, did not let go of the third gunman despite being bitten into his hands by him. Police identified him as Nadeem hailing from Meerut.

The arrest of Nadeem and recovery of their car mean that police would identify the other gang members also. Rajender Khosla was taken to hospital for treatment and discharged soon.

The Khoslas were publicly felicitated by the police. 

New Delhi, May 22
The south district police yesterday apprehended the 17-year-old juvenile, Maya (name changed), who along with 17 other juveniles escaped from observation home Sewa Kuteer on May 16, the police said today.

Maya and the leader of a gang of robbers conspired to escape from the observation home. On May 16, the duo along with 15 other juveniles threatened the guards of Sewa Kuteer with self-made knives and ran away, DCP (south) H.G. S. Dhaliwal said.

After escaping from the observation home, they committed a few burglaries and other crimes.

Maya was nabbed from near a temple while waiting for the gang leader. The gang leader revealed that he had been apprehended several times.

Noida, May 22
On the orders of a local court, a case of wrongful confinement was today registered against six policemen at the Sector 20 police station here.

The complainant in the case is a BSP leader and a resident of the slums in Sector 9, Pradeep Kumar. Kumar moved the court of CJM, requesting it to order the police

to lodge an FIR against the policemen.

Kumar in his complaint stated that few months ago, the in-charge of Jhundpura police station and five other policemen forcibly took him to the police station and kept him under wrongful confinement for several days.

They also took Rs 700 from his pocket, he said.

Though he went to lodge an FIR against the policemen, but the

SHO refused to oblige, he complained.

“On court directions, a case of wrongful confinement has been lodged against the then in-charge

of Jhundpura police station, Lokendra Pal Singh, and five other policemen,” said P.P. Singh, SHO, Sector 20 police station.

New Delhi, May 22
Another meeting of Delhi University (DU) teachers and administration on the issue of semester system ended inclusively yesterday.

The meeting was held on the directions of the Delhi High Court that had asked the DU Teachers Association (DUTA) and vice-chancellor Deepak Pental to resolve the issues surrounding the implementation of semester system.

The vice-chancellor reiterated that the teachers should concentrate on implementation and not "desirability", the teachers demanded that debate and discussion should be initiated amongst university committee on the matter.— TNS