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MCD insurance for school kids goes abegging
Nursery Admission
HC questions NDMC, school on denial of admission
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Metro Airport line likely to miss deadline again
2 yrs of Delhi govt: BJP holds protests
Congress Plenary Session
70% women migrants from UP, Bihar, finds Assocham survey
Snag in check-in system delays flights at T3
Son’s testimony establishes
man beat, burnt wife
4 held with heroin worth
Rs. 1 crore
Tibetans burn Jiabao’s effigies
10,000 litres of duplicate kerosene seized
Man found hanging from tree
No heavy vehicles on Outer Ring Road for
5 days
Biker crushed by dumper
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MCD insurance for school kids goes abegging
New Delhi, December 17 According to the insurance scheme, MCD students can get over Rs 50,000 in case of death, loss of limb or hospitalisation. However, the reality remains that a few students and parents are aware of the scheme hence, it is hardly availed. Further, statistics indicate that only 24 students in 10 lakh studying in MCD schools have availed this insurance scheme over the past four years. An MCD official said, "We have made elaborate provisions for the insurance of our students and offered a number of health schemes. But a miniscule number of students have availed these schemes. The problem is lack of awareness. Not only students, but parents, teachers and in many cases principals are also ignorant of these highly beneficial schemes." He added, "The responsibility for spreading awareness about these schemes among students, parents and faculty members rests squarely with the principals and the education departments of each MCD zone. However, those responsible have hardly done anything on this issue. As a result, these schemes have largely gone ignored. There have been no awareness campaigns to help further these schemes and it is still not too late for something to be done on this." The MCD also has health schemes like -- the corporation is supposed to provide spectacles and hearing aids to students who need them. However, over the past four years, the MCD data indicates that only 1,042 spectacles and 20 hearing aids have been distributed among the needy students. Reena Gupta, a teacher at an MCD school in south Delhi, said, "This is the first time I have heard of an insurance scheme for students. Had we been aware about it, we would have definitely brought it to the notice of parents and students at parent-teacher meetings. As for health schemes, a few spectacles were supposed to be distributed among school students two years ago, but as far as I know nothing has been done in this regard." Janaki Arora, a parent of a class VI student at an MCD school in south Delhi, said, "This comes as a total surprise to me. I never knew that the MCD had an insurance policy for its students. My son was down with dengue and he was hospitalised for a week. We could have used this insurance policy. I will spread the news among other parents and will also talk to the school principal. For once, the MCD has done something commendable. It is a shame that it has not been adequately publicised."
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Nursery Admission
New Delhi, December 17 The DCPCR has said that the guidelines violate the Right to Education (RTE) Act and need to be re-examined. The commission issued the notice to the principal secretary, the department of education and the government of Delhi. It also sent a copy of the notice to the Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court. The notice states, "The order containing the guidelines regarding the admission of children in pre-primary classes and class I in unaided schools and schools in specified categories may be re-examined on priority basis." It also mentions that the department of education "has given its own interpretation and made changes that contravene the provisions of the Act which prohibit any screening procedure". The DCPCR feels that the liberty given to schools to formulate their respective admission policies "would be tantamount to the government not having any control over the admission policies of schools". The DCPCR further states in its notice that the mention of 'unique background, ethos and objectives of schools in Delhi' would create "categorisation of applicants on the basis of siblings, transfer case, single parent and alumni, which is nothing but introduction of the so-called point system." The DCPCR says that it has found the point system, "as applied in some schools highly discriminatory both prior and subsequent to the enforcement of the RTE Act 2009." |
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HC questions NDMC, school on denial of admission
New Delhi, December 17 The parents have alleged that the school's decision was arbitrary and without sound reason. Moreover, the parents have argued through their lawyer Ashok Agarwal that children of many other families residing in the areas which are also not part of the constituency continue to study in the school, which raised question mark over the fairness of the decision. Parents said 12 such students had been denied admission on this ground and the decision had the potential of affecting their career. A division bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justice Manmohan has asked the NDMC and school to file their responses by February 7 next year. Earlier, a single judge bench had upheld the school's decision on October 28 while dismissing the plea of the parents who had then appealed the order before a division bench. Parents have contended that the school's decision violated their children's right to education and also negated the Delhi Education Act. "If authorities decided to go for delimitation of constituencies, it should not go against them. It was neither their fault nor choice," they said. The children mostly hailed from Mata Sundri Road and Minto Road, which have been excluded from the New Delhi parliamentary constituency following delimitation. They added that the decision was discriminatory and that the children of NDMC employees hailing from the same areas had been admitted to the schools. A NDMC official said the school's decision was as per the rules guiding admissions in the school.
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Metro Airport line likely to miss deadline again
New Delhi, December 17 However, with more than half the month already over, there has been no inroad in even organising a safety clearance test by the Commissioner for Metro Rail Safety (CMRS), without which the line cannot be commissioned. Also, considering the pace with which work at the stations is being carried out, it appears the line would miss its deadline again. Work at six stations on the line is going on. Dwarka Sector 21, the changeover station linking Blueline with the Airport line, is almost ready and only finishing touches are being given. IGI Airport, New Delhi and Shivaji Stadium stations are nearly complete. Some electric work is pending, apart from fixing escalators and elevators. Passenger information system display boards too have been installed and are being tested. Work at the Dhaula Kuan and Aerocity stations has, however, been inordinately delayed. The station buildings are still under construction. However, tile work on the station's exterior has started at Dhaula Kuan, while inside, civil work is pending in large portion. The way to the platform and the station entrance is not even half complete. The stations are set to miss the line's inauguration, whenever that happens. After the 22.7-km showcase link received a fire clearance on November 30, it was inspected by Sreedharan on December 8. Those in charge of the line had announced that the documents to invite the CMRS for an inspection would be sent soon. What is contradicting is the fact that Reliance Infrastructure and the DMRC officials maintain that all documents have been forwarded to the CMRS, inviting him for the inspection. However, the CMRS office said that no paper had arrived yet. "The application for CMRS inspection has been sent. As soon as the inspection takes place and the approval is received, the line will become operational," said a spokesperson of the Delhi Airport Metro Express Private Limited, the line's concessionaire.
Maintenance work on Gurgaon Metro line tomorrow
New Delhi, December 17 On December 19, the Delhi Metro will carry out track maintenance work from 10:30 am to 3:30 pm between Sultanpur and Guru Dronacharya stations on the line. Therefore, passengers might face some inconvenience on that day during these five hours. Passengers going towards either side, be it Jehangirpuri or HUDA City Centre will have to get down at Sultanpur and Guru Dronacharya Metro stations, respectively, and board the connecting trains going towards Jehangirpuri or HUDA City Centre. Announcements about the line will be made at all stations. The DMRC will also run feeder buses between Sultanpur and HUDA City Centre stations to maintain smooth movement of passengers till the time the maintenance work on the line is on. Train services on Line II will run as per the normal schedule, except during these five hours. Train services on all other lines of the Delhi Metro will be as per the schedule. |
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2 yrs of Delhi govt: BJP holds protests
New Delhi, December 17 Delhi BJP president Vijenjder Gupta said Delhiites should remember the last two years as the years of government- sponsored price spiral, corruption, unemployment and unfulfilled promises. "No other state has such a despotic anti-people government. Now, the Chief Minister is trying to shirk her responsibility by terming the migrants as burden on Delhi," Gupta said. "The government is so hell bent on bringing in the new anti-people new circle rates for the interest of the land mafia of Delhi that she is disregarding the dignity of a constitutional post like Lieutenant Governor and confronting him," he added. Speaking against Dikshit, Gupta further said, "She ha sgot so addicted to looting public money that she wasted Rs 700 crore of the scheduled caste welfare fund on the Commonwealth Games."
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Congress Plenary Session
New Delhi, December 17 The convention is being held to celebrate 125 years of the party's existence. Costly wallpapers have been used in the rooms meant for the PM and the Gandhis. Only VVIPs can enter these rooms. Meanwhile, the area where the tents for the participants have been erected looks like a city in itself. A total of 500 tents have been erected for an estimated 20,000 participants from various states. Every necessary facility like food, telephone, mobile recharge booth and train and air ticket bookings are available in the area. Three separate dining rooms have been erected. Each of the rooms can accommodate 5,000 men. The participants will get food free of cost. For breakfast, the participants will be served sambhar, vada, idli, puri-subzi, coconut, tea, coffee, kachauri and upma. For lunch, the menu includes chhole, vegetables, rice, pulses, chapatti, naan, puri, curd, pickles and deserts. In the evening, the participants will be served tea with snacks. For dinner, the items of lunch will be repeated. The arrangement for food will be done by Delhi social welfare minister Managt Ram Singhal. However, the foods to be served to Prime Minister, Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi are not being disclosed due to security reasons. Separate living arrangements have been made for the women participants. In the main section, 17,000 chairs have been installed. The area has a huge stage from where all the speakers and VVIPs will address the gathering. Four big LED TVs have also been installed at the venue.
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70% women migrants from UP, Bihar, finds Assocham survey
New Delhi, December 17 The report stated revealed that 38 per cent of women migrant are from UP, 32 per cent from Bihar, 12 per cent from Rajasthan and 6 per cent from Madhya Pradesh. Releasing the findings, Assocham secretary general D.S. Rawat said that out of 38 per cent women migrants from UP, 21 per cent are employed in the organised sector, 65 per cent in the unorganised sector and the remaining 14 per cent are still unemployed. Out of 32 per cent women migrants from Bihar, 28 per cent are employed in the organised sector, 64 per cent in the unorganised sector and the remaining 8 per cent are jobless. Whereas, of the 12 per cent women migrants from Rajasthan, 33 per cent are working in the organised sector, 56 per cent in the unorganised sector and 11 per cent are unemployed. Of the total number of women migrants, a large part of the workforce is employed in the unorganised sector. The highest number of unemployed women migrants i.e. 20 per cent is from Madhya Pradesh. The Assocham said that most women are becoming financially independent and the society is welcoming the change in a positive way. The organised sector comprises housekeeping, security guards and government peons. The unorganised sector includes domestic help, construction labourers, tailors, beauty parlour assistants, vegetable sellers, scrap dealers and laundry assistants. According to the report, 46 per cent migrant women come here in search of work either for themselves or for their husbands'. Only 7 per cent of them consider better education for their kids the reason to migrate. The rest 24 per cent women have migrated either after their marriage and job opportunities.
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Snag in check-in system delays flights at T3
New Delhi, December 17 An official said the system conked out around 4.30 pm and was restored over an hour later, but it still took longer to bring normalcy to the operation. Official sources said the computerised check-in facility collapsed, forcing the authorities to resort to work manually that delayed close to 12 flights, international as well as domestic. The flights affected were those set for or nearing their departure. Officials said the Common User Terminal Equipment, commonly known as CUTE, had developed some glitch. The software speeds up and streamlines the reservation system at the airport and also deals with check-in of passengers of all airlines from a common terminal. |
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Son’s testimony establishes
man beat, burnt wife
New Delhi, December 17 Relying on the testimony of the child and the dying declaration of the victim, additional sessions judge Savita Rao convicted Babu for murdering his wife. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 5,000 on him. The child in his testimony had said that his father had burnt his mother after pouring kerosene on her. The boy also said that his father used beat his mother after consuming liquor. The counsel for the accused, however, opposed the boy's testimony, saying that the child is a minor and his testimony cannot be relied on. "The accused was not at house at the time of the incident and he cannot be held responsible for the murder of his wife," Babu's counsel said. The court, however said, "It is clear from the deposition of the child that he is very truthful. He was present in the same room when his father murdered his mother." On September 28 last year, Babu poured kerosene on his wife and set her on fire after a quarrel. The victim was taken to hospital by her mother-in-law and sister-in-law, but she died. |
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4 held with heroin worth
Rs. 1 crore
New Delhi, December 17 Arun Kampani, DCP (special cell), said the police has recovered 1 kg of heroin worth over Rs 1 crore from the possession of the accused identified as Anil Kumar, Sandeep Kumar, Taj Mohammed and Sageer Khan. "The first three accused were apprehended from Sultanpuri this afternoon while Khan was arrested from Mustafabad following the interrogation of the first three. Khan told us that he had received the heroin from Guddu, his distant relative, and Babloo, a resident of Mustafabad," Kampani said, adding that Babloo and Guddu were partners in the racket and received drugs from Bareilli and Barabanki. Mohammed was lured into the crime by Guddu about six months ago. "Mohammed then motivated Anil Kumar and Sandeep Kumar to work as his carriers and search for possible buyers. The drugs were kept in the houses of Anil and Sandeep," he said.
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Tibetans burn Jiabao’s effigies
New Delhi, December 17 Waving Tibetan flags and singing songs in praise of their homeland, hundreds of Tibetans wearing bandanas which had 'Free Tibet' written on them shouted slogans against China and burnt effigies as the Chinese leader left India after a three-day visit. Tenzing Tsundue, a Tibetan poet and activist, warned the Indian government that the relationship between India and China had no future if the issue of Tibet was not resolved. "Long term interest of India lies in re-creating Tibet as a buffer zone. Without that, India is going to suffer under Chinese pressure in all ways-- militarily, politically and environmentally," opined Tsundue, a prominent figure in the protests against the visits of premiers Zhu Rongji in 2002 and Wen in 2005. |
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10,000 litres of duplicate kerosene seized
Noida, December 17 The tanker was carrying the illegal consignment to Wajdpur village in Noida on Thursday. Its driver and another person sitting with him have been arrested. The accused were transporting the illegal kerosene for mixing it in petrol and diesel in the NCR areas. |
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Man found hanging from tree
New Delhi, December 17 The man, in his mid-20s, was discovered hanging with a stole by morning walkers. "We got a call around 6 am. The man was hanging from a tree on a divider on Outer Ring Road. He was declared brought dead in hospital," said a police official, adding that the identity of the man could not be established. |
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No heavy vehicles on Outer Ring Road for
5 days
New Delhi, December 17 The prohibition will remain in force till December 22 between 7 am to 11 pm and any violation will attract a fine of Rs 2,000. According to Satyender Garg, joint commissioner (traffic), the traffic police will divert all heavy goods vehicles to ensure that heavy vehicles do not ply on the restricted route. According to him, vehicles coming from Ghaziabad will be diverted to Nizamuddin Bridge and further towards Dhaula Kuan and Rohini. "Similarly, vehicles coming from NH2 and desirous of going to Sonepat will also be diverted to Dhaula Kuan to reach Mukarba Chowk," said Garg, adding that the traffic police will guide heavy goods vehicles at various points like Khajoori Chowk, Pushta Road, Nizamuddin Bridge, Ashram Chowk, Dhaula Kuan, Rajouri Garden and Punjabi
Bagh. |
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Biker crushed by dumper
New Delhi, December 17 According to the police, victim has been identified as Ghanshyam, engaged in supply of LPG. A resident of the Laxmi Garden area in Seelampura, Ghanshyam was returning home from office when he met with the accident. He was rushed to the GTB Hospital where doctors declared him dead. |
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New Delhi, December 17
