New Delhi, June 18
Did you know that economics lecturers in DU colleges actually prefer science and arts students over commerce students in their stream? Not just that, but up to 60 class strength in most of the economics (Hons) department across DU colleges comprises science and arts students.

Surprisingly, on the one hand colleges were accused of discriminating against science and arts students in the BCom (Hons) cut-off list, on the other, in economics (Hons) it's the commerce students that have to bear the heat.

It means that there is a higher cutoff for any commerce student wanting to pursue Eco (Hons) than a science student who actually benefits with a lesser cutoff.

"The main reason behind this is that science and arts students run higher on analytical capabilities than commerce students. Over the past 15 to 20 years we have been seeing an increasing influx of commerce students in Eco which has really strengthened now. So much so, that now the colleges give an advantage of up to 4 per cent to science students in Eco (Hons)," said Nandini Dutta, economics (Hons) faculty, Miranda House.

In this years' cutoff, the economics (Hons) cut-off range in Miranda House is 94-96 per cent (94 for science and 98 for commerce students).

At Kirori Mal, commerce students need a 98 per cent while science students require a 93 per cent. At Ramjas, the cutoff is 92 per cent for science and 97 per cent for commerce students. Venkateshwara College has a lesser range with 95 per cent for science and 97 per cent for commerce.

Hindu College has a cutoff of 95.5 per cent for science students, while commerce students need 98.5 per cent.

"The Eco (Hons) course is very subjective and analytical in nature. What most commerce students learn in Class XI and XII we have to make them unlearn many things. The approach to economics is very different in college syllabus. It is easier for science and arts students to grasp the concepts which are brand new for them. They are the better performers and honestly, in economics (Hons), commerce background students need a lot of work to do.

Many of them drop out of the course and shift to BCom or BCom (Hons), at times not even hesitating to opt for an evening college," added Dutta.

A senior faculty members at Hindu (requesting anonymity) said, "Let's not forget that commerce is also a very scoring subject. The percentage automatically jumps up considerably against anyone from humanities or science background."

Talking on the recent uproar on the 100 per cent cutoff in BCom (Hons) in SRCC, the faculty member added, "There is honestly no discrimination towards science students. Teachers, who come up with the cut-off list, study important aspects before declaring the list. If science students had a problem in BCom cut-off range, commerce students should be so much more furious about Eco (Hons) where they need a higher score in their own stream subject, but everyone understands the core of both courses. The fuss is absolutely about nothing."

Faridabad, June 18
The police here has registered a criminal complaint against the owners of Piyus Group of Builders at the direction of a local court for alleged fraud.

The FIR names the owner of the firm, Puneet Goyal, and his two sons, Anil and Veneet Goyal, as they look after the affairs of the firm.

The complainant in the case, Deepti Saini, contended in the court that the firm had taken more than Rs 2 lakh from her for booking one of the flats to be constructed by it at Bhiwadi in Rajasthan. However, the firm had no authorisation from the Rajasthan government for the project. The firm misrepresented facts and misled people into investing in its project, Saini said.

According to her, she learnt about the alleged fraud from the Rajasthan government much after she had made the booking.

Saini, a native of Jharsa village in Gurgaon district, said she approached a Faridabad court because the firm had its headquarters here.

Mahender Verma, SHO, Sector 7 police station, where the compliant has been registered, said that investigation was on and arrest, if any, would be made only after it was completed.

New Delhi, June 18
The affidavit submitted by the Delhi police in the Supreme Court yesterday, claiming that it did not use force to remove Ramdev and his supporters from the Ramlila Grounds on the intervening night of June 4-5 is false and baseless and misleads the court, said the BJP today.

I hope the apex court sees the reports of electronic and print media on the incident and take a serious view of the false report of the Delhi police and take stern action against it, said chief of the Delhi unit of the BJP Vijender Gupta.

"If the police did not use force, how did the stampede, in which Rajbala was injured, occur?" asked Gupta. If the police had taken appropriate action, there would have been no stampede, said Gupta and VK Malhotra in a joint statement.

They said Baba Ramdev's satyagraha, which started in the morning of June 4, was peaceful and non-violent.

"Thousands of women and children were there at the Ramlila Maidan. The home ministry and the Delhi police had allowed the satyagrahis to sit in the ground. Then, why they decided to get the Maidan vacated before the end of the time limit, that too without issuing a warning," they said.

They further asked if the order was only to get the ground vacated, why the force lobbed tear gas shells.

The leaders also asked if the police did not commit any atrocity, why it took away the CDs of the footages of the CCTV cameras from the contractor.

Further, the leaders asked what forced a world famous yoga guru like Ramdev to hide himself in women clothes to save his life.

Gupta and Malhotra asked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to answer their questions.

New Delhi, June 18
The Delhi High Court has restrained the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) from removing street vendors from where they have been running their shops, till its further order.

While dealing with a batch of petitions against the civic agency's decision of removing the vendors from the NDMC area, Justice GP Mittal said: "The the New Delhi Municipal Council be directed not to disturb the petitioners from their present places till its further order".

The court has fixed August 29 for further hearing of the plea.

Filing the petitions, the street vendors submitted that in view of the Commonwealth Games held in New Delhi in October 2010, the agency had asked them to shift their shops temporarily but after the event, it failed to provide them any alternative place.

According to them, they were allowed to carry out various businesses, including selling of vegetables under a scheme framed by the the New Delhi Municipal Council.

They said under the Delhi Laws (Special Provisions Act) they were asked to temporarily relocate to other place but despite repeated representation to the authority no alternative place was provided to them.

Several street vendors have submitted their applications to the agency which replied that they were pending with the Vending Committee but no decision has been taken so far.

According to them, the term of the Delhi Special Provision Act would expire on December 31. — PTI

"LSR and Miranda girls are known for the latest fashion trends. I took admission in History (Hons) at LSR today and it just felt right to be dressed for the occasion. I am now an LSRite and even look like one," said a beaming Trisha Kaul at LSR today.

New courses at Ambedkar varsity

Ambedkar University has introduced three courses - English, mathematics and sociology - at the undergraduate level this year and started English, economics, history and sociology at the postgraduate level. There is rush of admission seekers in these courses which have been designed in such a manner as to fit into the semester system. Song and film are now part of the English curriculum. Though it's a new university begun by the Delhi government, the course structure is not so rigid but explores new dimensions, especially in the optional category.

For example, literature students can explore linkages in folklore, cultural studies, myth and trace the very roots of literature, says a spokesperson of the university.

A secular act

The Imam of Shahi Masjid Fatehpuri, Mufti Mohammad Mukarram went all the way to pay his respects at a 'kirtan', organised by Pushpinder Singh, member of the Delhi Minorities Commission, in memory of his parents at Guru Singh Sabha Gurdwara, Guru Harkishan Nagar.

The Gurdwara Committee of the Singh Sabha presented a Siropa and a Siri Sahib (sword) to the Imam. This is a rare happening when an Imam attended the religious function of a non-Muslim at a gurdwara and eat the langar.

The medical divide

The divide within the medical fraternity between the experts of the conservative open surgery and those who have adopted the minimally-invasive version aided by the high-end technologies is here to remain. There are many doctors comfortable with the open procedures and reluctant to adopt new techniques. "Ten years ago, when laparoscopy was started in India, experts of open surgeries used to highlight the disadvantages of the technique during conferences at international platforms. There are constraints which dissuade them from learning new techniques," said Dr Anil Varshney during the course of a press briefing on HOLEP technique. It is a learning curve and one gradually masters it under correct mentorship, he added. Nonetheless, he hailed open procedures.

(Contributed by Jyoti Rai, Charu Singh, Syed Ali Ahmed, Ananya Panda)

New Delhi, June 18
"It is a wise father who knows his own child" -- Shakespeare's words continue to resonate in the modern world where fathers are moving away from being strict, disciplinarian figures to a source of emotional support for their children.

"My father is not just my father! Of course, he is strict at times, as far as my studies are concerned, he gives me limited money like all stingy fathers...but he is also a great friend. He takes me out on weekends, we go bowling, we discuss my personal life, he guides me...and he is a fantastic counsellor!" said Abhinav Sethi, a 17-year-old college boy here.

Many fathers have started going out of their way to understand their children - once the preserve of mothers.

"I think it is very important to connect with the child, otherwise, they will always fear you. If we try to be friends with them, they will share a lot of stuff with us, as they do with their friends. There's so much stress these days, so much competition...so if we start pressurising them with the typical father ways, it's not going to help at all," says Arvind Singh, a father to two boys.

Films reflect society in many ways and it seems to be true in terms of the portrayal of a father on the big or small screen. The entertainment industry has attempted to portray the more compassionate side of fathers in recent times.

Ekta Kapoor's recently launched TV show "Bade Achche Lagte Hain" shows actress Sakshi Tanwar's on-screen father as more loving, considerate and understanding than her mother. In "Pavitra Rishta", Sushant Singh Rajput's character has a father who is more compassionate than his mother.

Earlier shows like "Jassi Jaissi Koi Nahin" or "Astitva - Ek Prem Kahani" showed protagonists enjoying better communication with their dads.

A recent survey by online matrimony site Jeevansathi.com revealed how a father is moving towards a role where the child can look up to him for a feedback and be the confidant while choosing a life partner.

About 45 per cent of the 25,000 respondents, who were independent youngsters looking for a life partner on their own, depended on their dads to help them make a decision.

"The new generation of children of marriageable age is starting to lean towards their parents for opinion. Traditionally, it was the mother who played the influencing factor and father the decision-maker," said Rohit Manghnani, business head, Jeevansathi.com.

Today, the roles are changing and the survey shows that young men or women take the decision and parental feedback is a key influencing factor, said Manghnani.

"The father has also started playing the role of the influencer rather than the decision-maker."

But there are some who belong to the old school of thoughts. Popular sarod players Ayaan and Amaan Ali Khan, who have a guru in their father, sarod maestro Amjad Ali Khan, says their father likes to maintain a certain protocol.

"It took us time to draw the line as to when he was a father and when he was a guru. This realisation obviously happened as we grew older. We feel ecstatic to think and realise from time to time that our guru is our father. As classical musicians, music for us was not just a profession but a complete way of life. — IANS