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DU teachers’ stir reflects in results of students
Traffic hit as rain lashes Delhi
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‘Misery Day’ against service tax hike in hospitals
MCD to discard project of café-cum-toilet
I’ve given my life to Ramjas College: Principal
Wanted for father’s murder, man held after 16 years
Nigerian, Manipuri held for online lottery scam
4 suicides reported in one day
28 fall ill due to adulterous flour
Directorate of AYUSH planned
Nude mutilated body found on rail track
3 held for murder
HC allows Bluelines till permits valid
3 arrested for thefts
Minor raped
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DU teachers’ stir reflects in results of students
New Delhi, March 3 They were marked for 'Essential Repeats' in the papers they flunked. And now, the arts and commerce students are also tense as their teachers have also started voicing serious concerns with the semester system. An analysis of the results of science students in the North Campus comprising 18 colleges shows that the majority of those who failed were from colleges worst affected by the teachers' stir. "We were told the battle was being waged for our good. But we turned out to be the biggest casualty in the protracted standoff between the university administration and teachers. I hope the situation is better for arts and commerce students," says Bharati Goel, a Kirori Mal student of physics. While students of colleges largely unaffected by the stir, including Miranda House, St Stephen's, Hansraj, Kalindi, Daulat Ram and Bhagini Nivedita, have passed in most of their theory papers, the mark sheets of students of Kirori Mal, Ramjas, Zakir Husain, Rajdhani, Shivaji, Swami Shraddhanand and Deen Dayal Upadhyay have the maximum number of E-Rs or Essential Repeats in their subjects. At Kirori Mal College (KMC), for instance, classes for BSc courses hardly took place before November. It was only after November 15, when the Delhi High Court ordered the professors to teach in the semester mode, that classes picked up speed. Accordingly, the first semester syllabus had to be completed in less than a month's time. KMC, predictably, has the worst results among the eight coveted North Campus colleges offering science courses. Six of the 29 students studying zoology (almost 21 per cent) have not passed in at least two or more theory papers. Students of life sciences, botany and physical science at KMC have suffered a similar fate. Over 15 per cent of the total students in each of these subjects have got an E- R in two or more papers. Professors from Zakir Husain College, which is famous for its science courses, also participated actively in the agitation, adversely affecting the results. Twenty two of the 53 students in electronics first year have flunked at least two of the four theory papers. More than 20 per cent students in botany, physical science, chemistry, life sciences and zoology courses have also failed in at least two papers. "The results clearly reflect where the strikes were at their worst," a member of the vice-chancellor's team said. But the abysmal performance by a few colleges didn't cause much problem, thanks to a huge concession provided by DU. All students, including those who have E- R in all four theory papers, have been promoted to the second semester. This, however, is a one-time exception. "This was done at the suggestion of the committee formed under the direction of the high court to resolve the semester tussle amicably. Keeping in mind the interest of the students, it was decided that everyone will be promoted this time. “However, we are confident that there will be no such issues in the semesterisation of the rest of the courses. The worst times have ended," the member added. |
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Traffic hit as rain lashes Delhi
New Delhi, March 3 While the maximum temperature today settled at 20.7° C, six notches below average, the minimum temperature was recorded at 14° C, one degree above the normal. Furthermore, the weather department has predicted more rain in the store for the Capital tomorrow. The morning showers today also caused traffic snarls during office hours, but the Delhiites were largely delighted with the sudden change in weather. "The skies will remain overcast and there is a possibility of thundershowers in some areas of the city tomorrow. The showers in the city are due to the western disturbances approaching the city skies," said an official of the India Meteorological Department (IMD). The city received 1.6 mm of rainfall till 8.30 am, and further 2.1mm rain from 8.30 am to 5.30 pm inconveniencing office-goers. The humidity levels wavered between a high of 87 per cent and a low of 60 per cent. The maximum and the minimum temperatures tomorrow are likely to hover around 23 and 14 degrees, respectively, the official added. |
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‘Misery Day’ against service tax hike in hospitals
New Delhi, March 3 Shetty, founder of Narayana Hrudayalaya, a hospital chain specialising in cardiac care, said in the letter published in newspapers: "A patient undergoing a heart surgery would have to pay Rs.5,000 to Rs.10,000 more with the introduction of the proposed service tax. If the patient suffers from cancer, this tax will be anywhere in excess of Rs.20,000." Shetty urged citizens to assemble at the governor's house of every state at 11 am on March 12 with a petition seeking the rollback of the proposed tax. "Not a single operation theatre or blood blank can legally function without air conditioning," added Shetty, referring to the implications of the hike that referred only to private air-conditioned hospitals. Terming the tax as the 'Misery Tax', Shetty said it was wrong to assume that the hike will affect only the rich. "No surgery, simple or complex, can be performed without an air-conditioned operation theatre. Legally, a blood bank cannot get license without air-conditioning. CT, MRI and catheterisation labs do not function without air-conditioning," he said. The open letter, published in national newspapers, also mentions that India spends less than 1 percent of its gross domestic product (GDP) on healthcare. "It is the government's duty to provide us with affordable healthcare instead of increasing the cost by adding more taxes," Shetty said. Private hospitals had earlier criticised Pranab Mukherjee for the hike. "It is unfortunate that the finance minister has chosen to levy a service tax on air-conditioned hospitals having a bed capacity in excess of 25 beds. This comes at a time when the healthcare sector is already bearing the brunt of an inflationary spiral for the last few months," said Pervez Ahmed, chief executive officer and managing director of Max Healthcare. Prathap Reddy, chairman of the Apollo group of hospitals, said in a statement: "The budget has levied service tax on hospitals and diagnostic service providers and with this the end user, the patients, will end up paying much more than earlier."
— IANS |
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MCD to discard project of café-cum-toilet
New Delhi, March 3 Residents had complained that private builders were taking hold of prime land and encroaching upon parking spaces. The municipal leaders said they decided to scrap the project after opposition from residents. The MCD is toying with the idea of buying them from the private firms which built them to run them as public conveniences. Eight such structures were constructed at GK-1 (M and N block), Kailash Colony, Chittaranjan Park, Model Town, Defence Colony, Moolchand and East of Kailash. The concept was conceived by the corporation before the Commonwealth Games in the city. As per the plan, a technical committee was to select one of the eight structures and the company which designed it was to be given the task of building and operating 250 such blocks for 30 years in return of a payment of Rs 1,000 crore to the MCD. However, Lieutenant-Governor Tejendra Khanna raised objections following complaints from some residents' welfare associations. The RWAs argued that private developers would grab prime land this way and it would also eat away parking space. There was also some opposition to the idea of having cafes in the upper floors of toilets. The MCD has decided not to construct more such complexes in future and cancel the bidding process, officials said. A committee headed by Delhi Mayor P R Sawhney was earlier formed by the MCD to look into project. |
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I’ve given my life to Ramjas College: Principal
New Delhi, March 3 But a determined Rajendra Prasad, who completed 25 years in office last year, took it upon himself to make Ramjas College a top institution. Appointed as principal in 1985, Prasad recalled those terrible days when there was no alignment between the administration and students. "We knew we had problems in the college and the only way to bring the college back on track was by building a strong bond between the faculty and the students. So I started interacting and meeting students daily. I wanted them to trust me and confide in me. The staff of Ramjas also helped me tremendously in this," Prasad told IANS in an interview. "Gradually, things started to change for the better and the year 1997-98 was the breaking point for the college. Our academic and extra-curricular results were heading north and we were emerging as one of the finer colleges in the university." Today it has over 5,000 students, with its graduate courses in English, economics, history and commerce being much sought after. "There were times when I worked for 18 hours a day and my staff and I sacrificed our family life to bring this college back on track. But looking at the success that my college has achieved today, our hard work has been rewarded," said a proud Prasad. A Ph.D from Delhi University, he had completed his masters in history from St. Stephen's college in 1975. His family had shifted to the university campus area when he was two years old and he has seen it expand and grow into one of the country's finest education hubs. "Back then, the university was a compact and cohesive unit. I remember I used to visit the various departments of botany, zoology and physics with my father when I was 10 years old and was truly influenced by the aura a professor had back then," said Prasad. According to the principal, the regular interaction with those professors convinced him to become an academician against the will of his family which wanted him to try for the Indian Administrative Service. "But sadly, that aura has now diminished to a great extent because of lack of commitment and changes in the social environment and infrastructure and even the encouragement and support levels have dipped," added Prasad. Prasad is also saddened by the way knowledge is being imparted to students in university colleges where students are just mugging up notes and clearing examinations. It is high time that education in India moved beyond books and classrooms, he said. "There is no holistic approach in our education system and I am proud to say that we are not like them. Ramjas is the best college in the university because we have amenities and the success rate of our students proves it," said Prasad. "The college boasts of LCD screens and projectors in every classroom and the teachers are using laptops with internet connection to teach students. We have empowered our faculty and kids to access the whole world in a classroom. Even our whole campus is Wi-Fi enabled. "We like to get involved with the kids and encourage them to have an independent perspective. We ask them to take the lead, participate in extra-curricular activities and experiment with new things," Prasad explained to IANS. However, Prasad claimed there was too much interference by the university in the administration of colleges. "The university should eschew arbitrary rulings and a college should be provided the freedom to develop independently without any restrictions. They should be encouraged to do something new, something creative and innovative," opined Prasad. He said Ramjas had to bring down the number of foreign languages on offer from nine to six and the number of short-term certificate courses from 28 to just three. However, collaborations with foreign colleges are on and there is ever-expanding infrastructure and amenities. "The future is definitely bright for the college. We are entering into several memoranda of understanding (MoUs) with various American universities," added Prasad. The college this year opened four new centres of excellence which are awaiting funding. These centres will encourage research activities and train undergraduates in various fields. The principal will retire in January 2017. Ramjas would hold its grand centenary celebrations the same year, perhaps a fitting tribute to its longest serving
principal. — IANS |
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Wanted for father’s murder, man held after 16 years
New Delhi, March 3 DCP (South) HGS Dhaliwal said, "We received information regarding Karamvir Singh, alias Pappu, who was wanted for the murder of his father and had been declared a proclaimed offender. It was learnt that Karamvir had been absconding since 1997 and was hiding at Greater Kailash and frequently visited his new house, M-57, Saket. The police kept a watch on his hideouts and apprehended him from outside his house in the wee hours this morning. During sustained interrogation, it was revealed that Karamvir had killed his father Kaptan Singh over a property dispute. "He had shot his father dead. A case was registered and Karamvir was arrested and later chargesheeted. He was facing trial in this case and was released on bail in 1995. But, thereafter he did not turn up in the court," said Dhaliwal. Karamvir is a graduate from Delhi University. He had purchased one plot of 500 sq yards in the name of his father. Kaptan Singh sold the land to someone else without Karamvir's consent. When he learned about his father's deed, he shot him dead. |
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Nigerian, Manipuri held for online lottery scam
New Delhi, March 3 Once the money was received, the accused would disappear and look for another victim. The accused have been identified as Obaseki Prince (32), a Nigerian, and Boni Sushila James (26). The duo was arrested from outside IGI Airport on February 24. According to the police, the arrest followed a complaint from one Rakesh Gupta, a resident of Khajoori Khas, that he had been cheated of Rs 90,000 by someone who had promised him an online lottery of £ 7, 50,000 via email. According to DCP (Crime) Ashok Chand, Obaseki specialises in sending fake emails of lottery wins through email ID Nationwidebank@englandmail.com, wherein the location of the sender is difficult to find. The lottery promises a windfall to the winner (victim) on an authentic looking webpage. Once hooked, the winner (victim) is asked to send sensitive information to a free email account generated by Obaseki. At the same time, a cleverly drafted email advised the victims to keep the matter secret till the lottery amount was received by them. "He then used to notify the victim through email that the release of the funds would require a small fee and once the victim sends the fee, Obaseki would invent some other fictitious fee to fleece the victim. To make the offer seem authentic, calls were made by some persons from England using telephone numbers +448713159061, +447010995814 and +447045755224," said Chand. The bank account numbers used by Obaseki belonged to his friend and co-accused James. Sometimes the victims were provided cell phone numbers of Indian origin which were usually taken on fake identification documents. The victims belong to different parts of India and are mostly well to do and educated people. |
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4 suicides reported in one day
New Delhi, March 3 In the first incident reported from K N Katju police station area, sub-inspector Rishi Shankar (30) allegedly committed suicide by hanging inside his residence last night. According to the police, Rishi Shankar was discovered hanging by a ceiling fan in his residence at Krishna Apartments by his family members. "We have not recovered any suicide note. Some family problem which is not yet clear is being investigated for the reason behind the extreme step," said a police official. In another incident reported from the Alipur police station area in outer Delhi this afternoon, a 17-year-old student of Class XII allegedly committed suicide after being rebuked by the family for poor performance in the examination paper earlier in the day. Daniel, son of a Delhi police inspector, was found hanging from a ceiling fan in his room. "Daniel had appeared for a science paper in the morning and returned home around 12 pm. He had not done very well in the exam and told his family about it after which they asked him to concentrate and not loiter around. Thereafter, he left for his room and hanged himself," said the police. In the third incident of suicide which came to light in the morning from Shakarpur police station area, a 26 year-old man working as an accountant with a Noida company was found hanging from the ceiling fan in the hostel room where he was staying. The police believes that Radhey Mohan, originally from Roorkee town of Uttaranchal, had hanged himself at least two days ago. "Radhey worked as an accountant with IRA Infrastructure company of Noida and was living at Apex Hostel in Shakarpur area. He was discovered hanging today morning when one of his friends came to visit him when he failed to pick his phone for the last two days," said the police. A 22-year-old servant allegedly committed suicide inside his employer's house in the Anand Vihar area of east Delhi today afternoon. According to the police, Santosh Yadav, originally from Begu Sarai in Bihar, was discovered hanging from a ceiling fan by his employer Bharat Thakkar. Yadav was working with him at AGCR Enclave for the past 15 years. |
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28 fall ill due to adulterous flour
Greater Noida, March 3 The police has detained three distributors and registered a case under the Food Adulteration Act. On
Shivratri, last night they had eaten food made from the special flour used during the religious fast. Some of the victims were Deepesh
Anand, Smita Malhotra, Pankaj Rajput, Janil Patel, and Shikha Rana. "The food department has taken samples which will be sent to the laboratory. No arrest was made till late evening," said P P Singh,
SHO, Kasna. |
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Directorate of AYUSH planned
New Delhi, March 3 The matter was introduced in the meeting of Standing Committee which is a decision-making panel of councilors. The proposal included the formation of a new directorate which will consist of a director
(AYUSH) while three deputy directors will be re-designated as additional director
(ayurveda), additional director (unani) and additional director (homeopathy). "The three deputy directors in charge of AYUSH report to additional director (medical), who is a specialist in allopathic medicine," said VK
Monga, MCD Public Health Committee chairman. At present, AYUSH is under the supervision of director, hospital administration,
MCD. |
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Nude mutilated body found on rail track
Ghaziabad, March 3 The girl, who was missing from her home since Tuesday night, is suspected to have been raped before her death, the family alleged. But the police did not conduct any post-mortem. Superintendent of police (Rural) Ajay Kumar said, "The station officer of Simbhaoli police station is accountable for the lapse. He should have conducted the post-mortem, but he did not."
— IANS |
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3 held for murder
New Delhi, March 3 According to the police, Tika Ram was beaten and stabbed to death by Jamna Das and his two friends as he had developed illicit relations with his wife. "Tika Ram had caught Jamna Das and his wife in an objectionable state a few days ago and a scuffle had ensued between them. Thereafter, Jamna decided to get rid of him. Jamna along with his two associates killed him and threw the body in a drain when he was returning home," said the police His wife has no role in the murder. All the accused are illiterate labourers and work on agricultural lands in the Yamuna Khadar area. |
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HC allows Bluelines till permits valid
New Delhi, March 3 Rejecting the Blueline operators' plea seeking a stay on the Delhi government's decision to phase out the vehicles, Justice Suresh Kait and Justice A.K. Sikri said that the last batch of 328 Blueline buses will be permitted to ply till their permits are valid. The court said the Delhi government should introduce vehicles to substitute the Blueline buses as soon as possible. Following repeated accidents, the high court had directed the government to axe the
Bluelines. — IANS |
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3 arrested for thefts
New Delhi, March 3 The police seized five mobile phones and intoxicating medicine from their possession yesterday evening. According to DCP (outer) Chhaya Sharma, the trio was held after secret information from near S-Block
Chowk, Mangolpuri. "On search, 15 mobile phones and 16 tablets of 'Clonotril-2' seized from their possession. They said they had formed a gang comprising eight-10 persons and all were residents of adjoining villages of Gonda district in UP. Efforts are on to arrest other members of the gang. |
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Minor raped
New Delhi, March 3 The accused has been arrested. "On the pretext of discussing a home assignment, the accused went to the girl's house, where she was alone, and raped her," said a police official. |
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