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Quota candidates enjoy dual options at AIIMS
Ghaziabad water highly toxic, claims NGO
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Court extends drug kingpin’s interim bail
Huge shortage of staff in MCD
Govt starts facility for online recognition of schools
Tewatia provoked Bhatta farmers to clash, his aide tells cops
Automobile unit workers call off strike
20 cases of robbery solved; 9 arrested
Warmer, humid day in Delhi
9 housing projects okayed
Judicial probe sought into Ramlila Maidan action
Truck crushes 2 kids to death
Maid, husband held for theft
Suicide
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Quota candidates enjoy dual options at AIIMS
New Delhi, June 13 Unlike last year, this year the institute didn't conduct the selection process for the candidates of SC, ST and OBC based on their undertaking, a pattern it introduced during the last year's counselling in June. The premier institute then ran into court cases after many aspiring students of postgraduate courses complained of irregularity in the new admission system. While the reserved category candidates enjoyed the privilege to appear from either the reserved category or the general as per the merit list, many general candidates expressed displeasure over the dual counselling process. However when contacted, a top official of the academic section, said, "Counselling is done on the basis of merit and any candidate of the reserved category has the equal right to opt for the desired branch under the general category. The whole counselling process has been streamlined." Among the prospective candidates, hopeful of an AIIMS postgraduate seat, many had already sought transfer certificates from the institutes where they had taken admission after qualifying the All India Post-graduate Medical Entrance Exam in February 2011. Amit (name changed) from Ranchi is confident of securing a seat in one of the good branches as he holds eighth position under the ST category, which has been allocated nine seats, including psychiatry, his second desired subject. "I've resigned from Central Institute of Psychiatry of Ranchi for a better option here. I've my original documents for admission as I know I'll surely get one seat from at least any of eye, ENT, anesthesia, radiotherapy, radiodiagnosis, surgery, pathology, pharmacology and psychiatry disciplines," he said. This time among the total 134 seats that opened for couselling for MD, MS and MDS courses, 88 were designated for general category, 17 for ST, nine for ST and 20 stood for the OBCs candidates respectively while the MCh course in two disciplines of neurosurgery and paediatrics was done without any preference as per the norm. Further, the number of seats for the OBCs remained the same even as the 2007 Supreme Court ruling directs all the central educational institutes to implement the nine per cent quota each year. Though the institute has sanctioned 565 seats to reach the 27 per cent reservation goal within three years, the institute hasn't raised the OBCs seats this session given the inadequate resources, said sources from the institute's administration. On the matter, AIIMS maintains, "Reservation policy is applicable on the total number of seats and the couselling is being done based on a roster made by the health ministry. In the last session, over 40 students left the institute after they got better choices in All-India entrance." |
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Ghaziabad water highly toxic, claims NGO
Ghaziabad, June 13 Industrial effluents are being dumped through reverse boring and are accumulating in the underground water, leading to increased chromium percentage in the water, NGO Paryawaran Sachetak Samiti (PSS) said in a release here. "The chromium contents were found to be 16.30 mg/l, while the maximum permissible limit is 0.05 mg/l -- this means that the chromium content is nearly 326 times over the safe limit. The untreated industrial effluents are being pumped directly in the groundwater and the Central Ground Water Board has declared all of Ghaziabad a critical zone," alleged the NGO. It said the groundwater was being poisoned and these toxic wastes were spreading to all parts of city. The NGO said it had earlier reported about the serious contamination of groundwater, but in the latest study, industrial effluents have been found in the water supplied to the Lohianagar, Meerut Road, Nabada, Mukundnagar, Sahibabad, Kadkadmodel, Delta Colonies, Bhoorgargi, Bhurbharatnagar and other areas, though residents remain unaware. Suspecting that chromium might account for the slight yellow tinge in the water, the PSS said it had the water tested for the heavy metals, adding that the contaminated water was having a bad effect on people. "Ghaziabad's residents suffer from high rate of cancer, miscarriages and birth defects," said Vijay Pal Baghel, the NGO chief. Meanwhile, the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board said it was aware of the contamination and measures to deal with it were underway. "Bio-remediation work is in progress in Lohianagar where chromium contents were found. The four industrial units -- Shri Ram Pistons, Kathuria, Marshall and Mascot -- are funding the project for long-term remedy approved by the state pollution control board," said T.U. Khan, the board's regional manager in Ghaziabad. Baghel refuted the claims. "No work is in progress for bio-remedial project. The pollution control board has not even identified the land for the project. The regional manager's claim is only on paper," he said.
— IANS |
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Court extends drug kingpin’s interim bail
New Delhi, June 13 The bench accepted his plea as Sheikh's mother was to undergo a surgery in April, but it was not held due to some complications in her health. Sheikh requested for extension of interim bail as the surgery is to take place by this month-end. "The accused Sheikh can stay with his mother till June 30. However, he will have to surrender himself by July 1," said the bench. Sheikh was arrested in 2005, from his house in Nizamuddin, which is named Bihar Bhawan. An Italian pistol and 500 gm of heroin were seized from him. He is the owner of some dance bars in Mumbai and has several properties in Delhi. He was booked under the the National Security Act (NSA) in 2004, but managed to get bail from the high court. Later, the Delhi police invoked the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) against him. The police says Sheikh is behind 90 per cent of the drug trade in Delhi. Before his arrest, he also emerged as one of the biggest diamond merchants in Delhi. Earlier, the Delhi police claimed that he had managed to carve out a Rs 100-crore empire since he came to Delhi from Bihar in 1985. Sheikh is also said to be the head of several gangs of juveniles who are into picking pockets and other petty crimes. He himself started as a burglar and later took to drug trafficking. Now his friends include Bollywood stars to whom he apparently supplies jewellery. An actor is said to have recently bought an old Pajero car from Sheikh. Sheikh calls his mansion in West Nizamuddin as Bihar Bhawan. He has a huge building in Mumbai which he has also named Bihar Bhawan. This is located at Kotwal Park, near Ghazi Masjid, in Malad (West). The spurt in his income resulted in Sheikh purchasing a bar in Black Hut, Andheri. He owns two more bars in Mumbai. He also owns a showroom opposite Maharaja building on S.V. Road, Mumbai, according to the police. He also owns a house in Punjabi Bagh and two automobile showrooms in Uttam Nagar. He is also said to be the owner of a hotel in Uttam Nagar.
— IANS |
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Huge shortage of staff in MCD
New Delhi, June 13 According to the official data, 33,924 of the 1,33,433 posts in the MCD in A, B, C and D categories are lying vacant. In Group A, 482 out of 2,063 posts are vacant, in Group B, 6,123 out of 30,673 posts are vacant, in Group C, 2,913 out of 11,074 posts are vacant and in Group D, 24,406 out of 89,623 posts are lying vacant. Among the high-ranking officials, four of the 16 posts for deputy commissioners are vacant, while six out of the 21 posts of additional deputy commissioners are vacant. Out of the 55 posts for assistant commissioners, 23 are vacant and out of the 115 administrative officer posts, 56 are empty. Leader of the Opposition Jai Kishan Sharma also raised the issue of lack of enough additional commissioners. The MCD has six such positions, out of which, three are filled by officials on deputation while the other three are filled by MCD officials through promotions. Sharma said that for the past four years, only deputed members had been filling the posts and the rest of the three posts had remained vacant as officials were not being promoted.
— PTI |
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Govt starts facility for online recognition of schools
New Delhi, June 13 The Chief Minister stated that a large number of schools are required in Delhi. This has become essential keeping in view the implementation of RTE Act. The process used to take two to three years but with the launch of online procedure, it will take only two to three months and there will be no harassment and delay. She said that Delhi has become the first state to develop and launch such an important module. She stated that 146 recognition cases of schools are pending. Henceforth, there will be no delay. The implementation of the new module will increase transparency, accountability and fairness in the working system of Directorate of Education. Speaking on the occasion, education minister Arvinder Singh stated that the appointment, transfer of teachers, school record, attendance, teachers ID, students ID, etc., all such items of work are already computerized. Now the societies will be able to apply directly through the Internet for recognition, etc. They will be provided with an ID to track their case. Further, the verification will be done in the shortest possible time. This will facilitate the opening of more educational institutions. It will also discourage the non-serious societies or organizations to come into the education system of Delhi. |
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14 yrs on, kin of Uphaar victims cry for justice
New Delhi, June 13 Tears were seen rolling down from the cheeks of the relatives of the victims while they were praying for their souls. Fifty-nine people were asphyxiated and trampled to death in the Uphaar fire. The cinema hall was closed after the tragedy. Twenty-eight family members of the victims observed a two-minute silence at a prayer meeting this morning at Smiriti Upvan. Neelam Krishanamoorthy, who is president of the Association of the Victims of the Uphaar Tragedy (AVUT) and comes to the Smiriti Upvan every year to remember her teenaged daughter and son, said that though about one and a half decade had passed, the culprits had not been punished. However, she still hopes for justice. Had the authorities been serious, the incident that had taken place in the year 1997 could have been avoided and the lives of 59 people had been saved, she said. More than 100 people who went to see J.P. Dutta's war film 'Border' sustained injuries. Speaking to media persons on the spot, tears welled up in the eyes of Naveen Sawhney who had lost his 21-year-old daughter in the fire. The cinema hall was owned by Ansal developers. The fire broke out just after the blast in the transformer installed in the underground parking. After the blast, there was darkness inside the cinema hall and it was full of smoke. The people tried to reach the exit door, but could not due to darkness. By the time they could come out, the fire had engulfed the entire cinema hall. However, local people and the fire brigade personnel who reached the spot helped in protecting the life of many people trapped inside. A majority of the people died from asphyxiation. Sawhney said that the Delhi High Court held the owners of the building and several government agencies guilty of not adhering to the safety norms at the cinema hall and slapped monetary penalties. However, the relatives of the victims were not satisfied and demanded a rigorous punishment. The case is still in the court of Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate. The next hearing will be on July 8. |
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Tewatia provoked Bhatta farmers to clash, his aide tells cops
Noida, June 13 Veer revealed this during his interrogation after being arrested by the Sector 39 police from Salempur village in Bulandshahr on Saturday. According to Veer, Tewatia had lured farmers into supporting him by promising them that he would ensure that they got at least Rs 40 lakh per bigha and also try that the landless farmers got land. This turned the villagers in the favour of Tewatia who then turned the agitation violent. According to SP (city) Noida, Anad Dev, Tewatia had instigated the farmers to clash with the police and the leader had even raised a fund for the purpose. A sum of Rs 9 lakh had been collected for the clash. Veer had also contributed Rs 60,000 to the fund. Dev said around 150 country-made revolvers and hundreds of cartridges of .12 and .15 bores had been procured with this fund from Aligarh, Ettah and Haryana. On the night of May 6, Tewatia told the villages to attack the policemen entering the village. Ten youths each from Bhatta and Parsaul villages had guarded Tewatia during the clash, Veer told the police. After the clash, Tewatia escaped to Aligarh along with security guards in a vehicle requisitioned from some relatives. Veer and others had escaped to Haryana. Dev said according to Veer, Tewatia was patronised by a political party in Uttar Pradesh which is active in Bihar. Veer also claimed that Tewatia was in touch with the national-level leaders of this party. |
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Automobile unit workers call off strike
Faridabad, June 13 According to the government's version, the employees, agitating under the banner of "Clutch Auto All Employees Union", called off their strike immediately after reaching an understanding with the management of the firm in which their demands were accepted. The understanding was claimed to have been reached following a joint meeting of the representatives of the employees and the management of the firm. The meeting was convened by the Haryana's labour minister. As the management and the employees had hardened their stance, the latter went on an indefinite strike on June 3, adversely affecting the production works of the firm. A minister's aide said that the employees would return to work from tomorrow. According to the Faridabad Industry Association (FIA), the firm was considered to be a reputable unit in the automobile sector in Faridabad as it had a record of uninterrupted production for more than three decades. Employees' unrest leading to the total disruption of production work had drawn criticism here in the industry and government circles. The timely intervention by the government resulting in an amicable solution has been appreciated by various industrial associations here. |
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20 cases of robbery solved; 9 arrested
New Delhi, June 13 The police has recovered two firearms with ammunition, two knives, three motorcycles and a scooter from their possession, said a senior police officer. The accused were arrested from Sector 15, Rohini. All the gangsters belong to Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh and used to travel around Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan and Gujarat to commit any crime, said the officer. "The gang leader Sanjay is involved in at least 16 criminal cases. One of the arrested accused, Sandeep, was found wanted in Uttar Pradesh for a dacoity of Rs 7,80,000 outside the bank in Ghaziabad, UP," added the officer. |
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Warmer, humid day in Delhi
New Delhi, June 13 Monday's maximum temperature was 39.5 degrees Celsius, normal for this time of the year but two notches above Sunday's 37.5 degrees Celsius. The minimum temperature was 27.5 degrees Celsius, a notch below average, an official of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said. The humidity wavered between 77 and 45 per cent. "Similar conditions are likely to prevail on Tuesday as the maximum temperature is likely to be 39 degrees Celsius and the minimum temperature is expected to settle at 29 degrees Celsius," added the official. "The sky will remain partly cloudy and there is a possibility of lighting in some parts of the Capital," said the Meteorological official.
— IANS |
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9 housing projects okayed
New Delhi, June 13 He said that the Union ministry of housing and poverty alleviation has given a go-ahead for the projects to make the national Capital slum-free. He said the city government was currently implementing six low-cost housing projects for the construction of 18,460 dwelling units at a cost of Rs 470 crore. Talking to media persons, Srivastava said the government's infrastructure agency Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (DSIIDC) has already built 13,528 low-cost flats in Narela, Dwarka, Bhorgarh and Bawana areas of the national Capital. |
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2 gun-runners held for robberies
New Delhi, June 13 Seven sophisticated weapons, two magazines and five cartridges were seized from them, said a senior police official. "Kamla got involved in criminal activities after the death of her husband. She initially worked as a bootlegger and graduated to violent crimes and became a member of the gang," said the official. Naveen is a school dropout and allegedly involved in more than eight cases of robbery, theft and criminal intimidation, added the official. |
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Judicial probe sought into Ramlila Maidan action
New Delhi, June 13 Delhi BJP president Vijender Gupta said that the government was trying to cover up this incident. He has held home minister P. Chidambaram, communication minister Kapil Sibal, Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh responsible for the 'inhuman' act. They gave orders for the firing of tear gas shell in a closed pandal, lathicharging in a barbarous manner without any warning. |
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Truck crushes 2 kids to death
Ghaziabad, June 13 The incident took place when the children, identified as 11-year-old Soni and 4-year-old Krish, were crossing the road, the police said, adding that both the kids died on the spot. The truck driver Imran has been arrested, police said.
— PTI |
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Maid, husband held for theft
New Delhi, June 13 The accused Neelma used to work as a maid in the house of Satish Kumar Dhingra, a chartered accountant who had reported a theft of Rs 3,74,000 from his house two days ago. The complainant suspected the involvement of his maid servant Neelma. Her husband Dalip had also been absconding since then. |
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