New Delhi, January 1
The New Year begins with light showers in Delhi. Cloudy weather throughout the day followed by light showers in the evening served a perfect beginning of the New Year for the people of the city as they came out of their houses to celebrate with their friends and relatives.

Sunday being a public holiday coupled with comparatively warm weather, people chose to spend their evening outdoors. The hue of crowd was seen at India Gate lawns where tourists and Delhiites celebrated the beginning of the New Year.

"The weather was just perfect for an outing. Moreover, it is the first day of the New Year, so we decided to come here with friends," said Manjula at India Gate.

However, in the morning, the city had woken up to a foggy weather, though the skies were clear and mercury remaining above normal in the day.

The mercury sank to a low of 8.4° C early this morning, one degree above normal and up from yesterday's 6.8° C.

Last year on the New Year day, the minimum was 11° C, four degrees above normal.

However, the maximum temperature went down to 19.5° C, one degree below normal, said an official at the IMD department.

Though the city was troubled by fog in the past few days, the Delhiites experienced clear sky in the New Year with the visibility at 700 m.

Last year December saw the minimum temperature coming down to 2.9° C on Christmas morning, the lowest for the season so far.

The temperature will rise further tomorrow as the weathermen have predicted a minimum temperature of 9° C while the maximum will hover around 20° C.

"The partly cloudy sky is likely to become clear tomorrow. There will be mist and shallow fog in the morning," said the official.

Yesterday, the maximum temperature was 23.3° C, three degrees above normal and the minimum was recorded at 6.8° C, which was below normal.

New Delhi, January 1
Parents in the city are all set for the winter scramble to secure a seat for their tiny tots in schools of their choice. As the nursery admission process is kicking off tomorrow, parents join online alerts on how they could avoid unnecessary difficulties that often put hurdles in their mission admission, given the harrowing experience they had last year.

Many schools across the city have issued guidelines for parents to ensure smooth sale of forms which are to be available from 8.30 am. "It's important for parents to be punctual as they have to queue up outside the school. We can't issue forms after the scheduled time," says Jyoti Bose, principal of Springdales School, Dhaula Kuan.

"Parents must carry the requisite documents when they come to fill forms. But the most important documents are proof of birth," says Usha Ram, principal of Laxman Public School.

There are about 4,500 schools in Delhi and NCR, of them over 2,000 are unaided private schools which have been the first preference of parents.

On a portal created specially to provide admission assistance to parents, suggestions are being upload as to what are the necessary things that needs to be taken care about.

"Expect long queues outside schools without any sitting arrangement and it may take from two to three hours in few schools to get the forms. So, ready for that. Don't take your tiny tots along with you," advices Dheeraj Tripathy in a messaged posted on the website.

Dheeraj said that he had applied in 23 schools for his child's admission last year and finally managed to book one. He also suggests parents to read the forms carefully, fill them up and submit the same day to avoid multiple trips to the school.

"Going by my experience last year, I would suggest that parents reach school early," says Asha in her message to the parents. Maharam, another parent on the forum, has posted a format of the affidavit required for applying in the first boy child category.

"There has been a huge discussion on many such issues that can help parents to do their homework before plunging into this battle for admission," says Sumit Vohra, founder of the website.

"These discussions are not only making parents aware about the intricacies of the admission process, but also making the entire process easier for them," he said.

As per the guidelines issued by the directorate of education of Delhi, the forms will be made available from January 2 to 16, and the entire process of admission will have to be completed by March 31.

The schools will have to publish the first list of selected candidates by February 1 and second list by February 28.

New Delhi, January 1
As the national Capital cheered to welcome the onset of New Year, thousands of homeless people faced the chilly winds of the inclement weather. Around 1,60,000 people reportedly live on the Delhi streets.

Sleeping under the open skies and being exposed to the vagaries of weather, many perish in the harsh conditions. And the situation is repeated every year, which activists call a national shame that demonstrates how a disempowered segment is denied access to the most basic of human rights: shelter.

According to the 2001 Census, there were 24,966 homeless people in Delhi at that time, although a 2000 survey by Ashray Adhikar Abhiyan had a figure of 52,765. In 2010, the UNDP put the number at 56,000, while a survey conducted by Indo-Global Social Service Society (IGSSS) in 2008 found there were 88,410 homeless people living in Delhi.

The homeless on the roads are perceived variously as an eyesore, an embarrassment or even a nuisance, said the non-government organizations (NGOs) working for their cause.

"Every human has a right to have a roof over his or her head, and it's really a shame for all of us that a section of our society is deprived of this basic human right," says Indu Prakash Singh, an advisor with the IGSSS, an NGO that works with the city's homeless.

Sanjay Kumar of Ashray Adhikar Abhiyan (AAA), the NGO which currently runs 14 night shelters accommodating nearly 3,000 homeless in Delhi, echoes similar views, saying the situation is not going to change unless people really realize the plight of homeless.

"People can be generous with charity by donating warm clothes, blankets, hot food, but they appear to be less forthcoming when it comes to compassion," Kumar believes.

The number of homeless hasn't decreased, rather it has gone up over the years, due to rampant evictions in the national Capital and it's a larger national problem, the activists say.

"Homelessness in Delhi is not just a problem of the winter, it's a much larger problem having a wider national prospective," says Anshu Gupta of NGO Goonj, which distributes warms clothes to the needy during winters. "Why we suddenly start thinking about them during the winter only?" he asks.

"The government has a duty to think about this problem, not only in December," he says and suggests that unused and vacant government buildings and the municipal schools should be turned into temporary shelters to accommodate the huge homeless population in the city.

Currently, there are 64 permanent and some 35 temporary shelters for the homeless in Delhi. Under the Master Plan that provides for one shelter for 1,00,000 people, there should have been 150 shelters, say activists. Not only the number of existing shelters in the city is very less compared to their demand, their locations are also big cause of concern, says Kumar of AAA.

New Delhi, January 1
A celebration of the birth of a friend's child at the Lady Hardinge Hospital ended in an abrupt tragedy for two men, who while returning home, had an accident when a truck rammed into their motorcycle at Desh Bandhu Gupta Road last night. The motorcyclist, Nikesh (26) died on the spot, while the pillion rider, Naveen Kumar (26) was critically injured.

A police official said that Nikesh and Naveen had visited a friend at the hospital.

"Their friend's wife had recently given birth. After celebrating the moment, Nikesh and Naveen were coming back home. Since Connaught Place was blocked to traffic due to the New Year's celebrations, the two motorcycle-borne men took the route via Paharganj. When they were travelling on the DBG Road, a truck rammed into them about 11.30 pm," added the official.

The accident killed Nikesh on the spot, while Naveen was rushed to the Sanjeevan Hospital, where he is recuperating.

The police is presently trying to track the truck driver who fled after the accident. He had left his truck behind, which will give the police vital clues about his identity.

New Delhi, January 1
As yesterday's revelry ushered in New Year for the citizens of Delhi, over 500 people were prosecuted for drunken driving. A total number of 504 revellers were prosecuted for driving under the influence of alcohol. This is a major increase compared to 388 cases of drunken driving last year.

According to the traffic police, the punishment for drunken driving is a fine of Rs 2,000 or imprisonment or cancellation of driver's licence.

The Special Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) said, "Three thousand people were imprisoned for up to 20 days for drunken driving."

According to the police, there were arrangements for security and regulation of traffic during New Year's Eve. Four companies of the Delhi police and 15 companies of other security forces were deployed.

Several pickets were also placed outside hotels and restaurants to avoid any untoward incident.

Noida, January 1
While the New Year was being celebrated last night, a shootout was reported at sector 18 around 3 am in which two persons were injured. In another incident, four policemen were injured in a road accident late night.

Amit, Sumit, Sunder and Kulvinder, residents of Dallupura and Dhaula, along with other friends were having a coffee in a restaurant. Some men in an inebriated condition were passing obscene remarks on a couple of women sitting nearby.

When Amit and his friends tried to restrain them, a clash ensued. Soon someone pulled out a pistol and shot at them. Kulvinder and Sumit suffered bullet injuries and were rushed to Kailash Hopsital.

An FIR has been lodged against unknown persons. Till late afternoon, the police was not able to trace them.

In another incident around 1 am last night, Ram Prakash, the night incharge at Noida Phase 2, took the SHO vehicle and along with driver Mohammad Arif, constables Yashvir Singh and Jagat Singh proceeded towards Kakrola.

A speeding dumper then hit them near the crossing. All the four got injured. They were rushed to hospital. Their condition was said to be stable by the late evening.

Noida, January 1
If hospitals ensure 'proper safety measures' in basements, they can run OPDs from there, says the chief fire officer. Earlier, following the Kolkata tragedy, the government and the administration had said that no OPD could be run out of basements.

"Our main concern is fire safety. If hospitals incorporate proper fire safety, we have no objection whether they run the OPDs from basement. Shifting was not possible at this stage. Moreover, in other buildings also, activities are allowed in the basement as per the authority norms," chief fire officer Mahavir Singh said today.

"We had issued notices to 20 hospitals in Noida, directing them to provide the details of the buildingm, including basement mentioning the covered area and also information on fire safety measures installed at each floor," said Singh.

"Metro Hospital submitted the details yesterday. I care, Fortis, Max healthcare, Kailash, Prakash and Vinayak too have submitted their details. I have directed the fire station officer AB Pandey to inspect the safety measures at these hospitals. Once they implement his suggestions, we will grant NoC," said Singh.

"Those who have not yet submitted the details included Shivalik Medical Centre Sector 34, Samvedna Hospital Sector 48, Surbhi Hospital Sector 35, Metropolis Sector 8 and Bhardwaj Hospital Sector 29. If these hospitals do not submit the details by next week, we will recommend sealing," said Singh.a"All the hospitals in the city as of today do not have proper fire safety system. However, they have promised to install the necessary set-up as per the fire department suggestions," he added.

Noida, January 1
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Jyoti Narayan today resolved to bring community policing in the district. The district magistrate has also planned to provide transparent and efficient administration in 2012.

"Community policing is the need of the hour. I appeal to the residents to cooperate with the police and treat them as friends. I have directed policemen to be more interactive with residents and hold regular meetings with RWA representatives," the SSP said.

District magistrate Hridesh Kumar said, "At present, my priorities are holding smooth assembly elections.

Later, my aim would be to provide transparent and efficient administration with an effective complaint redressal mechanism and fast development in rural areas at par with sectors."

New Delhi, January 1
The colourful and handmade paper cards for sending new year wishes are a thing of the past, thanks to the online era that has made e-greetings and SMSes just a click away.

The attraction of sending New Year greeting cards to friends and relatives used to be an annual ritual, something that people performed with great interest and enthusiasm. But in the recent past, there has been a sharp decline in the sale of paper cards. The trend can be attributed to the fast-changing technology that has changed the mediums of communication.

Sushant Sharma, manager of a gift shop in Khan Market, agreed to the fact that the charm of sending paper cards is loosing its sheen and the business of paper cards has seen a downfall in the past few years.

"The sale of our New Year greeting cards has decreased considerably, thanks to the advent of technology. People now prefer to send their wishes through email or SMS," said Sharma.

"Not just new year cards, cards for other occasions also rarely attract people these days," he added.

Meanwhile, the people who miss the warmth of paper greeting cards in their rooms say that it helped them convey their feelings in a better manner.

"It was almost customary for many to buy bundles of Christmas and New Year cards, personalise it with a message and send it to the loved ones, not just within the country but overseas too," said Raghubir Pal, a government employee.

However, there are still some people who are not willing to give in to the increasing popularity of Internet.

The fact is evident by the presence of people of all age groups at gift shops buying cards for near and dear ones.

Trying to keep the interest of such people alive, shopkeepers have stocked up an array of designer and colourful cards, giving the customers a huge range to choose from.

Traders claim that the trend of giving greeting cards is back in fashion and they are just cashing in on it. "The sale of greeting cards was affected for some time due to the rising popularity of cell phones and e-cards, but now, once again, people are shifting to paper cards. For the last three years, the sale of greeting cards has increased and we have earned good profits," said Ramesh Kothari, a shop owner in South Extention Market.

New Delhi, January 1
The chief of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) E Sreedharan called it a day from the post of managing director of Delhi Metro, after 14 years. On his arrival in New Delhi from Chennai, Sreedharan said he was satisfied with his time at the top of Delhi's most ambitious public transport project.

"Very, very satisfying, and a very glorious journey, I should say. We started with nothing, now we have produced 190 kilometres of Metro for Delhi. It was a very satisfying experience," he said.

Sreedharan spoke highly of his successor, Mangu Singh. "He is a very worthy and able successor. He will do very well," added Sreedharan. Mangu Singh, who oversaw the construction of the Metro's Airport Express Line, will take over from the 79-year-old veteran engineer.

The transfer of authority took place at the headquarters of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation in the national Capital.

Singh is the second managing director of the Delhi Metro after Sreedharan, who joined the organisation in 1995 and constructed over 190 km of network in the Capital. The first challenge before Singh is to award over 20 civil contracts of the Phase-III project that envisages connecting another 107 km of the Capital with the Metro.

The Phase-III project has been approved by the Centre at a cost of Rs 35,000 crore with 40 per cent of funding from Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA), but actual work is yet to start on most of the corridors in Phase-III. Delhi Metro officials said the plan is to finalise and award all the 20-odd contracts in the next four months so that construction work on them starts immediately.

Phase-III has a 2016 deadline and under Sreedharan, the Delhi Metro had the distinction of completing all the projects well before schedule. The construction of the Phase-III project would provide an opportunity to Singh, who was involved in Kolkata Metro project, to prove his mettle both as an engineer and administrator.

Besides, the other challenges before Singh are maintaining the operational standards of the Delhi Metro and the 'clean' image of the organisation, which was the hallmark of Sreedharan's tenure.

Delhi Metro is one of the most punctual transport systems in the world and Singh will have to maintain this by keeping up the operation standards set by his predecessor.

The new age transport system is also known for its cleanliness. In Phase-III, work on the Central Secretariat-Mandi House and Jahangirpuri-Badli corridor has already started and these lines would be commissioned within the next three years.

Delhi Metro's Phase-III envisages bringing another 107 km of the national Capital on the Metro network at an estimated cost of Rs 35,242 crore. The Phase-III, which will be completed by 2016, will have a total of 67 stations with 15 inter-change points that will facilitate free movement of commuters.

The corridors on the Phase-III are Mukundpur to Yamuna Vihar, Janakpuri West to Kalindikunj, Central Secretariat to Kashmere Gate and Jahangirpuri-Badli.

New Delhi, January 1
Delhi Lokayukta Justice Manmohan Sarin, who had joined the office in 2008, made history by recommending to the President for taking action against the Chief Minister, Sheila Dikshit, former minister of state for revenue Raj Kumar Chauhan, councillors and issuing notices to secretaries of the Delhi Urban Development and Revenue Departments, including the Delhi Development Authority , in connection with irregularities in getting issued provisional certificates to the RWAs of unauthorised colonies which did not exist in 2011.

This has happened first time in the history of Delhi Lokatyukta when recommendations had been made against the Chief Minister and the minister, said a senior official of the Delhi government.

First landmark recommendation was made on February 2, 2011, against the then revenue minister, Raj Kumar Chauhan, who had asked the then revenue commissioner to favour the owner of the Tevoli Garden restaurant in case of sales tax. In his recommendations to the President, the Lokayukta had asked the removal of Chauhan from the post of minister as he had misused his position to favour the owner of a restaurant.

Second recommendation was against councillor Narender Bindal who had asked Rs 1,100 in the name of magazine "Dharam Parivartan" from the pensioners in lieu of releasing increased pension to the aged persons, widows, handicapped persons and others. This was the case of 2009 when pension of the needy was increased from Rs 500 to Rs 1,000 and the increased amount of pension was given with the backlog of six months.

The recommendation said that the councillor had "abused and misused" his position in demanding and collecting Rs 1,100 each as contribution for the magazine for release of payment of pension to individual pensioners. He also recommended that action be taken against the councillor according to law.

The third recommendation was against Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit on August 18, 2011, in which the Lokayukta has asked that the CM be careful in publication of her message in future. This case was in connection with an announcement for allotment of 60, 000 low cost houses before the assembly elections in 2008. The complaint was filed by Sunita Bhardwaj.

The fourth famous case was of irregularities for issuing provisional certificates to the RWAs of four unathorised colonies.