New Delhi, May 21
Delhiites got a pleasant break from the sweltering heat of the past some days after heavy dust storms and thunderstorms took the city by surprise last night. The city woke up to a cloudy sky and light rain today.

The maximum temperature, which had remained above 40 degrees in the last week, settled at 32.4 degree Celsius, seven degrees below the average for this time of the season.

The minimum temperature was recorded at 26.1 degree Celsius, which is average for this time of the season.

Over the past week, the minimum temperature had been on a steady rise. In fact, just three days back, the Capital witnessed the hottest morning of the season.

"The day temperature dropped due to the weather conditions. In May 2008 also, the maximum temperature had dropped to 29 degrees once," said one of the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) officials.

Light showers continued in breaks in several parts of the city and people left no stone unturned in enjoying the day.

"Just a few days ago everyone was panicking about the rising heat. It was restless during the nights as well. This sudden change in weather has come as an absolute blessing. Even if the cloudy weather lasts for only few days, it will be a big relief. I took took my family to the India Gate to enjoy the weather," said Anupama Gaur, a housewife.

Tomorrow, the maximum and the minimum temperatures are likely to oscillate between 35 and 23 degree Celsius. Similar weather conditions are expected even tomorrow.

"Tomorrow, the city is most likely to see generally cloudy sky. One or two spells of light rain can be seen. There is also a strong possibility of hailstorms or thunderstorms in some areas," an IMD official said.

"The storm and cloudy conditions are due to upper air circulations that have developed over Punjab and Haryana over the past few days," he added.

New Delhi, May 21
The auto unions called off their strike after the government agreed to give subsidy for installing the GPS device and constituting a welfare board, said Rajinder Saini, president of Bhartiya Private Transport Mazdoor Mahasangh.

He said he, along with other auto unions, was called by transport minister Arvinder Singh Lovely to discuss the issue. In the meeting when the minister saw the adamant attitude of the union members, he agreed to give subsidy for the GPS device and constituting the welfare board after a month.

Earlier, the auto drivers were directed to pay Rs 7,500 per year for three consecutive years. Now the government agreed to pay Rs 628 per month and after subsidy, the annual amount would not be more than Rs 6,000 annually.

When asked about the percentage of subsidy the government agreed to give, Saini said, so far, it had not been decided. It would be decided within a few weeks. Now, auto drivers would get installed the GPS from the next month.

The government also agreed to constitute the Welfare Board for the auto drivers. A minute of the meeting has been signed. A copy of the minute has been given to each protesting unions. If government goes back from its agreement, the unions will go on strike again.

Spokesperson for the transport department said no such agreement was signed between the government and the union leaders. Their demands were not accepted. They called off strike on their own, he said.

New Delhi, May 21
The admission season may have arrived at Delhi University, but the fervour that grips the university is lacking this year--partly because most of the formalities now being done online and partly because of the uncertainty over the semester system.

Be it looking up the details of their favourite courses or finding out about the faculty members teaching a particular module, applicants just do not know where to look at. The university helplines have been receiving numerous calls with queries about the courses in semester system. They are told to wait a week's time and call later.

Even the university website which had been applauded till last year for being active during admission time, dons a blank look now with no notifications, no updates on the latest information of the courses. The website's sections have not been updated with the latest modules yet. Even the new bifurcated list of courses has not been uploaded.

While there is information about science courses, which were started in the semester mode last year, there is none about courses in social sciences, arts and commerce. In fact, BCom and BCom (hons), the two courses for which semester syllabi have already been passed, are listed as annual mode courses. There is no information about popular courses such as economics (hons), English (hons) and psychology (hons).

So far, there has been no significant glitch in the admission process, but certainly if the details are given at the last minute, applicants will have a very less amount of time to apply to their favorite courses, once the cut-off lists are out in June.

"There is no information about courses. The vice-chancellor has said he would bifurcate courses but there is no information regarding the present status. I don't know what to do, what course to opt as of now," said Kirti Mishra, who wants to pursue BCom (hons) from Lady Shri Ram College.

All hopes are now pinned on the information bulletin of the university which is expected to be out shortly and mentions that all courses will be in the semester mode.

Most of the uncertainty over the course structure is likely to clear out by the month end with the new booklet; however, still many departments have not worked out details, including the department of social sciences.

With only 10 days left for June to arrive, departments are holding meetings round the clock to have a more substantial picture soon.

"This is actually very confusing and interesting at the same time. We have started registering for entrance exams like English (hons) while we do not even know the course structure," said Madhavi Sharma, who wishes to take up English (hons) at St Stephens College.

The Delhi government claims of the Capital being self-sufficient in its power requirement have started proving hollow with loadshedding in some colonies going up to 12 hours. The frequency of complaints from consumers across the city, suffering from power cuts took the distribution companies by surprise.

The distribution companies belatedly admitted to power shortage and the administration woke up only after the TV channels started running the story, recalling the tall claims of the administration.

New Delhi, May 21
Faced with the threat of falling back into the vicious cycle of crime, the biggest fear of the Capital's juvenile delinquents is being harassed by the cops themselves once they are out of the observatory homes.

Given a chance, many of them-victims of Delhi police's indifference and family's poor socio-economic condition-would like to study and make a standing for themselves instead of losing their future in dark cellars.

Only if they got the assured support from the guardians of law that the Delhi Commissioner of Police B K Gupta promised today during the launch of Yuva-connect, an attempt to affect a change in police's response to the juvenile justice and mainstreaming the children socially.

"The parents of these juveniles should support them and accept them back after their release from the homes. The police should assume the role of custodians of these children and I assure that no policeman would go to their homes and trouble them," he said after many juveniles currently lodged in Prayas-run juveline care home for boys, complained of police abuse at the event.

"I was put into the jail for the second time even as I had not committed any crime. When given money, they (police) leave us," said Pappu (name changed) currently lodged at the Prayas-run juveline care home for boys near Delhi Gate.

Supporting the version of his peer, another said, "I've been here for 21/2 months for a theft case and my only worry now is that the police shouldn't harass me after I go out."

For addressing the concerns of juveniles, nearly 600 such children under 18 years were identified from all over Delhi and among them 200 were shortlisted followed by the personal profiling of 93 who have been inducted based on their aptitude into the after-care real-time rehabilitation programme, a joint initiative by the Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights (DCPCR), Delhi police and the city-based NGO Prayas.

"The children do not knowingly enter into crime, they are forced into it by some societal elements and due to the environment they are brought up in. Among the children contacted, most of them want to study and work. The police's dealing with the juvelines has been faulty as they are treated as adult criminals," observed DCPCR chairperson Amod Kanth.

The project, first of its kind for juveniles, would enable to forge a link between the police and children who are either in the homes or are undergoing proceedings under the Juvenile Justice Act, 2000. There would be teams comprising juvenile/child welfare officer, counsellor, educator and vocational instructer who would manage the project.

In the first phase, there are 30 such children from the observatory home of Prayas and almost 63 others from the city who have volunatrily joined the progarmme, Kanth added. 

New Delhi, May 21
With the arrest of a man named Sanjeet (20), the Shalimar Bagh police has claimed to have solved the murder of 24-year-old Suresh who was beaten to death on May 17.

Hailing from Mau in UP, Sanjeet was arrested yesterday. Suresh, who lived in East Shalimar Bagh, was killed by Sanjeet after a fight over liquor.

According to Meenu Chaudhary, DCP (northwest), during investigation, the police found blood stains on the floor and walls of a jhuggi close to the spot where Suresh's body was found.

"The police learnt that the jhuggi belonged to Sanjeet, Suresh's friend, and that he was missing since the incident. On arrest, Sanjeet confessed to have killed Suresh," said Chaudhary.

Sanjeet revealed that Suresh was asking for liquor from him. A quarrel took place and he threw Suresh outside his jhuggi. Suresh sustained injuries on the nose and got up again. After this, Sanjeet strangled him. After late night, Sanjeet threw the body outside his jhuggi and ran away.

Ghaziabad, May 21
Two unidentified armed men looted Rs 4.90 lakh from the cashier of a spinning mill while he was on his way to the factory after withdrawing the money from a bank near here, the police said.

The incident took place at Modinagar, 25 km from here, when Himanshu, the cashier of Sibli spinning mills, was on his way to the factory after withdrawing the cash from Bank of Baroda near the Raj Chopla area.

As Himanshu reached near Ganga canal, two armed men on a bike fired shots in the air and hit him with the butt of a gun after which he became unconscious and the dacoits fled with the money.

In another incident, armed dacoits attacked a petrol pump near Garhmukteshwar, 70 km from here, and fled with Rs 45,000, the police said.

No arrest has been made in both the cases, he said. -- PTI