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Delhi Pavilion goes green
‘European countries seeking commercial ties’ |
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10,000 autos to go off
road today
Confusion prevails over nursery admissions
Many Delhi school kids drop out for work,
marriage
Angels of Sun kids get National Child awards
Govt hospitals to have diabetes centres
Dogs can now find a mate online
Chatterati
Rain expected today
Three acquitted in dowry case
Four held for murder, robbery
2 thieves held with 10 vehicles
Trader’s body found
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Delhi Pavilion goes green
New Delhi, November 14 With the motto of "Let's grow closer to nature", the Delhi pavilion has been designed to highlight the need of eco-friendly life. The pavilion has been set up on behalf of the Delhi government. The Chief Minister stated that the government put up enough stalls to showcase its achievements in the field of Mission Convergence, environment, education, transport, health, water supply, IT, industries, social welfare, art and culture, Bhagidari, etc. A stall put up by Tihar Central Jail was attracting visitors in large numbers as goods made by the jail inmates were being sold at reasonable prices. A number of private traders and companies have also put up their stalls selling handicraft items and other useful products. While taking round of the pavilion, Dikshit appreciated the efforts of government agencies in making contents more informative and interesting for the public. More than 30 lakh visitors are expected to visit the pavilion during the fair. A "green belt" created with a horticultural support ring reflects an image of giant Helium balloon that was used extensively during the Commonwealth Games. On display are the various attractive and vibrant "haats" where traditional craftsmen and artisans sell eco-friendly wares. The façade of the pavilion has been transformed into a replica of the world-class T 3 terminal at Indira Gandhi International Airport. The reception area and lobby space also looked like the terminal. Trees have been given the shape of light bulbs, signifying green and energy combination. On the granite floor stands uneven rotating blocks with pictures of Delhi's lost monuments. The space on the left front of the exit has a tree made of bamboo and fabric symbolizing Delhi's determination to make it one of the greenest capitals in the world. "The Royal Cavalcade", crafted during the Commonwealth Games, is placed at the pavilion. Images of Indian players who won medals at the Games are being showcased on long hangings from the roof of the atrium. A huge replica of the Jantar Mantar observatory has been recreated. It has been lit up with solar energy. Delhi industries minister Haroon Yusuf, chief secretary Rakesh Mehta and secretary (Industries) Chetan B Sanghi accompanied the Chief Minister during the visit. |
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‘European countries seeking commercial ties’
New Delhi, November 14 Claiming that the national Capital will have high-class facilities in the coming years, the minister said that India believes in mutual partnership with other countries. The country has achieved such an important position in the world that many European countries have expressed willingness to trade with India. During his historic visit to India, US President Barrack Obama accepted the significance of India in commerce and industry, he added. Addressing the gathering at Pragati Maidan, Sharma said that during the economic crisis, India was also affected immensely still it is among the few emerging economies in the world. This is an acknowledgement for the world that India will be an important partner in exporting goods and services to the world. The country is growing well in both the zones. Indian investment in various fields will be double in the coming five years, he said. There was some problem in exporting Indian goods after the economic crisis, but commerce and industry experts here have explored new markets in South America and South African countries. Markets are also being explored in China and Japan, the minister added. |
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Haryana Pavilion displays energy-saving solar panels
New Delhi, November 14 Haryana chief secretary Urvashi Gulati said the utility of solar panels and technique of energy saving in building was showcased in the pavilion. The performance of Haryana players had been spectacular in the recent Commonwealth Games and this achievement in the field of sports had also been effectively presented, under the title "Chak De Haryana, Chak De India". Mrs Gulati also released "Flash Fair Guide" book about Haryana Pavilion which has been brought out by Trade Fair Authority of
Haryana. |
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10,000 autos to go off
road today
New Delhi, November 14 Despite extending the date for obtaining smart card-based permits several times during the last one year, over 10,491 permit holders failed to apply for the smart card following which the transport department has decided to cancel their permits. According to official figures, Delhi has about 55,000 autorickshaws at present. The government also cautioned the auto unions that permits would be cancelled if the autorickshaw owners failed to install Global Positioning System (GPS) in their vehicles within the next six months. But autorickshaw owners did not care, officials said. The auto union, however, expressed ignorance about the Delhi government's decision. "We haven't heard anything from the Delhi transport commissioner and whatever we know is from the media. But it is really unfair on part of the government to cancel the permits of autorickshaw drivers," said Suresh Sharma, president, Rashtravadi Janta Tipahiya Chalak Mahasangh. According to Sharma, the government is not issuing smart card-based permits to those auto drivers whose vehicles are registered in someone else's name. "A majority of these drivers have bought the vehicles from someone who no longer lives in the city and the vehicle is registered in the latter's name. We have asked the transport department to transfer the vehicle in the name of the present owner and issue a new permit but they are denying it," he said. Rajender Soni, president of Delhi auto union, said: "If the government is not ready to issue permits to these 10,000 autorickshaw drivers, then we will go on a strike."
— IANS |
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Confusion prevails over nursery admissions
New Delhi, November 14 However, some schools have stopped the admissions after stern warning from the Delhi government. Education minister Arvinder Singh Lovely on Thursday warned private schools not to start the process for nursery admissions before issuance of relevant guidelines and said punitive action will be taken against the violators. This has led to confusion among many parents, who are in a mad race to get their wards' admission into one of the reputed schools in the city. They are not sure whether they should go ahead with their child's admission or wait till the DoE comes out with fresh guidelines. "I have bought forms for my daughter's admission from three top schools. A school in Pitampura even asked me to pay Rs 90,000 to reserve a seat for my child," said a disgruntled parent. "But after Delhi education minister's statement that no school should commence the admission process before the DoE notice, the schools have instructed us to contact after December 15," she said. The government was drafting comprehensive guidelines for admissions into nursery classes incorporating provisions of the RTE (Right To Compulsory and Free Education Act) and all the schools have to comply with it, Lovely had said. Sumit Vohra, who runs admissionsnursery.Com -- a website which deals with nursery admissions-related information, said parents seeking admission for their children have reported that at least a dozen schools have started selling admission forms and some even asked parents to deposit the fees in part or full to ensure seats for their kids. "It's like a catch-22 situation for parents. If you pay the admission fees to a school today, and after a month you get a seat for child in a better school, there are much chances that you won't get back your money," Vohra said. "As per the DoE guidelines, one is entitled to getting the fees refunded within a month. If the time exceeds, you have to forgo the money," he said. R P Malik, chairman of the Federation of Public Schools in Delhi, described the situation as "unfortunate" and said they have received several complaints against some schools which have begun the process. "We have information about a few schools that have jumped the gun. They (schools) were already told to postpone the process and wait till the government notification comes," he said. "If any school is found defying the instructions, strict action will be taken against it," he added. The federation has about 300 schools under its purview in the national Capital. Meanwhile, most of the schools whose names were surfaced in the media for beginning the admission process have now backtracked. A reputed school in Rohini, which many parents on Vohra's website claimed to have sold admission forms, has now postponed the process. When contacted, a school administrative official said: "We have decided to wait till the DoE guidelines are out. But, the applications we have received so far will remain valid." However, Mt Carmel School has kept the nursery admission announcement on its website, indicating that the forms will be sold from December 1 to 15. "(Being a minority unaided school), we have the liberty to decide our own schedule. We have informed the DoE and have not received any objection yet," said V K Williams, principal of the school's Anand Niketan
branch. — PTI |
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Many Delhi school kids drop out for work,
marriage
New Delhi, November 14 This was revealed by a Right To Information (RTI) plea, which also said only two out of 28 zones under the directorate of education in the Capital could give information on government school dropouts. RTI activist Manish Bhatnagar says when he sought information on school dropouts in 2009-10, the divisional officers of the state education department didn't have any such details. Then he applied RTI to the directorate of education to know the number of school dropouts, but out of the 28 zones across Delhi he only got responses from the northwest and outer zones. Rest of the zones could not provide the information. "Even from the two zones, the plight of school dropouts was startling. The information given showed that mostly girls studying in classes VIII and IX were granted school leaving certificates (SLC) as they had to get married while some institutions granted the same to boys as they had to work," Bhatnagar said. The RTI findings reveal that the UK Rajakiya Sarvodaya Kanya Vidyalaya, Daryapur Kalan, Delhi, granted SLC to a student, Kanchan of class 5, mentioning that the family was shifting back to their home state of Bihar for labour work and she was needed to support the family in the work. The same school replied that the administration had granted SLC to a student, Sonam of class X, as she was about to get married. As per the Government Co-Ed Secondary School, C-block, Metro Vihar, Holambi Kalan, in the present session, it has provided SLC to class 5 student Rakesh, who has been working and has been absent for a long time. Almost all schools of northwest Delhi have answered that the maximum number of students dropped out due to long absence and non-payment of dues. Rakesh Singhar, national secretary of the child rights NGO Bachpan Bachao Andolan (BBA), says, "The status of Delhi government schools is no doubt like this. Government school teachers and officers are less aware of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE Act 2009)." The RTE Act states that every child in the age group of 6-14 will be provided free elementary education in an age appropriate classroom in the vicinity of his or her neighbourhood. The act also states that any cost that prevents a child from accessing school will be borne by the state which shall have the responsibility of enrolling the child as well as ensuring attendance and completion of eight years of schooling. No child shall be denied admission for want of documents; no child shall be turned away if the admission cycle in the school is over and no child shall be asked to take an admission test, as per the rule. Singhar also said in Delhi, many government school teachers, principals, MCD officials and lower level district education officers are not aware of RTE. "When crores of rupees are spent by the Indian government to eradicate illiteracy, in schools in the outer district, particularly Narela, the school dropout rate of girls in classes 8 and 9 is high as all of them get married. When we ask the principal why they grant SLC on this ground, they can offer no reasons," Bhatnagar added. Singhar said: "Often when we rescue children who are being exploited as labourers, we discover that they are school dropouts. This is a major problem but the government is less concerned."
— IANS |
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Angels of Sun kids get National Child awards
New Delhi, November 14 The child home, run by Padma Shri Vikram Sahney's Sun Foundation, is a free education home for deprived children in Bhondsi village in Gurgaon. The award come to the home given the role it has played in facilitating a rightful and secured living to needy
children. |
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Govt hospitals to have diabetes centres
New Delhi, November 14 While announcing the Urban Slum Health Check-up Scheme for diabetes and blood pressure at Baba Ramdev Park here in the Capital, the Union health minister Ghulam Nabi Azad said the intervention would cover all those affected in the next five years. In urban areas, diabetes has risen to alarming proportion and with every fourth person in Delhi being either diabetic or at-risk of developing diabetes, the Delhi government is all set to invigorate the fight against the disease by setting up diabetes centres in several government-run hospitals. "Diabetes is the mother of all the ills and preventing it would tackle many other related diseases, such as high blood pressure and heart attack, stroke/paralysis and foot gangrene. The Delhi government is committed to making the city diabetes-free through a comprehensive plan," said Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit on the occasion. While she exhorted Delhiites to join in the drive for early diagnosis and better management of the disease, she stressed the need to take up the campaign in Delhi on the lines of pulse polio immunisation programme. Health minister Kiran Walia said that Anganwadi workers, schoolteachers and the NGOs would be taken into the loop and the service would reach right to the doorstep of every house. Going by the conservative figures, as many as 58 million adults are now living with diabetes and the World Health Orgnaisation's estimate suggests that by 2030, India would be home to nearly 87 million diabetics. The pilot screening intervention was earlier intended for people of 30 years and above age-group, but given a large number of expecting mothers found to be prone to diabetes and related disorders, they were also brought under the targeted section. The primary beneficiaries of the pilot scheme, which would be implemented by joint partnership from NGOs and state governments in two phases in the remaining 11th and 12th Five Year Plan, would be the poor inhabiting the country's slums. The twin objective of the step would be to offer free insulin doses to those affected by diabetes among the impoverished along with generating a database of the people who would be issued cards carrying their particulars about their health and economic status. Also, in view of the alarming incidence of childhood diabetes (type II), the scheme of screening children for diabetes is on the anvil, said Azad. "Though diabetes type 1 cannot be prevented, type 2 diabetes is more of a lifestyle disease and can be prevented in many cases by bringing about lifestyle modifications such as helping and encouraging those at risk to maintain a healthy weight and take regular exercise," underlined Dr B.C Roy awardee and chairperson of Asian Institute of Medical Sciences, Dr N.K.
Pandey. |
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Dogs can now find a mate online
New Delhi, November 14 The brainchild of three young entrepreneurs - Rana Atheya, Shailesh Visen and Gaurav Malik - DogSpot is one of India's first dog websites. The owners, of course, are beaming with pride. "I have been an extreme dog lover since childhood and my wife is equally interested in pets. Given this background, I evolved my passion into a business. Later, Shailesh and Gaurav came on board. This makes the core team of DogSpot," said Rana Atheya. What started as a hobby, in a span of three years, became one of the leaders in the online pet market, offering its unique services like dog dating and matrimony. "We have a section called dog gallery, where you can showcase your pet and choose mates for your dogs. While building a dog profile, the user has an option to make the dog available for dating. Other users can browse by breed and select the dogs available," he says. Pet owners would know how difficult it is to find a suitable female dog for mating. There are more male dogs than female ones. Hence the importance of this portal, says Atheya. The site commands 17,000 unique hits every day and has 12,000 registered users, according to Google Analytics, the most widely used website statistics service. The web portal also features experts who offer tips on rearing dogs. "DogSpot works as a social networking platform, more than a portal. We frequently feature experts and conduct discussions, where users share, ask and advise as per their real life experiences with dogs. We believe this is the most scalable business model," he says. "We interact with users regularly to understand their needs and issues. We also have regular meetings with dog enthusiasts at various events and have a feedback system in place where we let these people know once we bring a solution ," he says. DogSpot was also featured as a successful startup in the popular business magazine Outlook Money. Even though the portal has grown substantially, Atheya is wary about competitors and is equally confident of his users. "We believe that the opportunity is big enough for a handful of players. We believe in healthy competition, because that only helps us innovate and also expand the market. Over the past three years, we have collaborated with offline pet players like Kennel Club of India, Gurgaon Kennel Club and many others in the industry. We are digital partners to most of the big dog events. We believe that the pet industry is growing at a rapid pace. There is still a long way to go," he adds.
— IANS |
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Chatterati
Michelle is good at dancing and struck an immediate cord with the Indians as she spontaneously took to the floor with the right bhangra steps with the special children in Mumbai. Her relationship with her husband is a pleasant change after the Clintons and Prince Charles and Diana. Unlike these couples, one noticed that the Obamas held hands, exchanged smiles and made eye contacts which show that the chemistry between them is strong. Her slick gelled hairstyle, with casual printed blouse and pumps showed panache. And much like any lady, she also ran out of money shopping at the crafts bazaar. Barack Obama has a special connection with India as he is a Gandhi follower and carries a little Ganesha in his pocket for good luck. Michelle's choice of bold colours like hot pink and turquoise showed her Indian touch. She may not appear porcelain perfect like Carla Brunei or Jacqueline Kennedy, but she knows what suits her frame and skin tone best. She is a perfect companion to the President of America as she is intelligent, articulate and chooses to support her husband. The guests at the Prime Minister's private dinner found her warm and easy to get along with. Delhi's ethnic scene
While Delhi is dominated by the loud or rather exploding Divali culture, it is easy to miss out on the growing impact and the influence of festival sub-cultures. It is an index of both: how Delhi is growing and expanding and how cosmopolitan it is getting. Barely had the crackers of an unusually loud Divali died down and hardly had the fire tenders get a chance to rest than the Chhath puja preparations peaked up--the most auspicious festival for the Poorvanchalis. Chhath puja used to be an eastern UP and Bihar festival but is now a big local event. Big enough, politically too, since the BJP has demanded this year that a public holiday be declared for their festival. Before the ghats can be emptied out along comes yet another festival 'the favourite of the growing Oriya population and the ISKON followers. Orissa just having got itself renamed as 'Odissa' is also an increasingly vocal aspect of Delhi's ethno-cultural scene. 'Kissa Kursi Ka'
"Of course," said the MPs and when Subi came back after doing his PR, he had to stand at the back till the end. 'Kissa Kursi Ka' is a saying Subi needs to remember in the Capital all the time. The others who had tried to sit on Subi's seat and were turned away were Mohsina Kidwai and Moti Lal Vohra, but Rahul, who can say no to him? |
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Rain expected today
New Delhi, November 14 "There may be thunder-like developments in some parts of the city tomorrow. The sky will remain partly cloudy and the maximum and minimum temperatures will be around 29 and 17 degree Celsius, respectively," an official of the IIMD said on Sunday. Sunday's maximum temperature was recorded at 29.2 degree Celsius, the average for this time of the season, while the minimum settled at 17.4 degrees, five degrees above average. The humidity levels oscillated between 94 per cent and 44 per cent, the official added.
— IANS |
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Three acquitted in dowry case
New Delhi, November 14 Additional sessions judge Kamini Lau acquitted Pankaj Raj, his father Surender Kumar and mother Kamlesh of the charges under Section 304 B (dowry death) and 498 A (cruelty) of the Indian Penal Code. While absolving the trio, the court took into account a number of facts like Raj's earnings, the gifts he had given to his wife Ritu, the places where he took her during their honeymoon, besides the financial condition of Kumar and the victim's family. "It is clear from the evidences of the witnesses that the deceased has committed suicide, but it cannot be attributed to any dowry-related harassment by the accused, as apparently there is no proximity or link between her death and the alleged misconduct by the accused persons," the court said while pronouncing the judgment. "Ritu was maintaining an independent bank account and had even given Rs 40,000 to her brother for buying a motorbike after her marriage on December 9, 2005. This tells that she was capable of taking care of her financial requirements," the court said. It further added the alleged demands for articles like TV and AC by Ritu's in-laws do not appear 'plausible' as Raj was the only son of his parents and his sister is settled in the USA as a professor at Harvard University. Moreover, apart from Ritu's mother and brother, no one else from her family, including the father, was cited as witness by the prosecution to prove its charges. During the trial, the accused tried to point out to the court that the victim could not accept her marriage as she was attached to a boy with whom she was earlier engaged and was even in touch with before committing suicide on April 10, 2006 at her matrimonial home in Janakpuri within five months of her marriage. "The prosecution story does not inspire confidence and is not worthy of credence, especially in view of the glaring contradictions and overwhelming inconsistencies in the statements of witnesses," the court said. |
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Four held for murder, robbery
New Delhi, November 14 The police has recovered two mobile phones, one bag and a wrist watch of the deceased from the possession of the accused. On October 20, one Kamal Kishor Ajwani was found dead in front of the GTB Hospital. Postmortem report revealed that he died due to asphyxia, after which a case of murder was registered. During investigation, it was learnt that on the day of his death, Ajwani was carrying two mobile phones and a bag and that they were missing. The mobile phones were found with one Amit. On interrogation, Amit revealed that the phones were sold to him by Raju. On a tip-off, Raju and Javed were apprehended on November 13 from Bhopura border. The two spilled the beans over the murder. Based on their confession, Gola and Amit were also arrested. Amit is a juvenile. On interrogation, the accused revealed that they were involved in several cases of snatching and robbery. They used to rob people by acting as auto drivers. On October 19, the accused had assembled near Gagan Cinema to plan a robbery. Raju hired an auto from one Dinesh. All the five then drove the auto towards Ghaziabad. There, Ajwani hired the auto for the old bus stand. On the way, they tried to rob him of mobile phones and cash. In oredre to overpower him, they compressed his neck, which killed him. Thinking that he was only unconscious, the accused threw Ajwani near the GTB Hospital. Later, Raju sold both the mobile phones to Amit for Rs 500. |
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2 thieves held with 10 vehicles
New Delhi, November 14 The police has recovered 10 stolen vehicles-- two cars and eight motor cycles-- from their possession. The two were arrested on October 13 from near Vijay Vihar, Rohini, while travelling in a stolen Santro car. The car was stolen from Rani Bagh, said a senior police official. On interrogation, the police learnt that the gang of thieves used master keys to open the locks of the vehicles. Sometimes, they took out the lock installed in the car and then prepared a key within minutes to run away with the vehicle. The stolen vehicles were sold off at places in Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Punjab. Other members of the gang, including Satish and Reva of the Trans Yamuna area, are at large. |
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Trader’s body found
Gurgaon, November 14 "This morning, we received a call that a body was lying in a Honda City car in Galleria Market. The victim is Amit Bhardwaj, 30, who ran a courier company in Civil Lines. It seems that he was killed two-three days back," a police officer said.
— IANS |
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It is not easy to be the wife of the President of America. The First Lady has to be always perfect as she represent her country. One has been observing Michelle Obama ever since she started campaign in the US elections for her husband. She comes across as a modern yet grounded and very family-oriented person. On her first trip to India, she floored the young and the old with éclat.
Politics is a game of musical chairs. We have seen it literally happening all the time. One observes that in the cabinet reshuffle and chief ministers changing. One goes and the other arrives. But each one has his own good luck charms and prayers done before sitting on the chair. Recently when Obama was to address Parliament, the MPs ran around looking for seats in the front rows. Subi Ram Reddy got a perfect seat but Subi being Subi could not sit still as he saw leaders and went to say his 'Namastes'. As it happened, his colleagues did not let anyone take his seat. So, everything went well. Then came Rahul Gandhi and asked if the seat was vacant for him.