Dehradun, December 4
Chief Secretary Alok Kumar Jain has called for taking hard decisions to ease the traffic situation in Dehradun for the general good of residents. He was speaking at a meeting of the officials today to discuss the traffic management in the capital city at the Secretariat here.

Short-term and long-term plans for traffic management were discussed at the meeting. Jain laid emphasis on better coordination among the departments concerned to maintain smooth and hassle-free traffic in the city.

Jain directed the Commissioner and the District Magistrate to hold meeting and discuss ways to ease traffic. It was discussed at the meeting that the decision pertaining to entry of heavy vehicles prohibited from 8 am to 10 pm and the conversion of seven routes to one-way roads had yielded positive results.

The action was being taken against shopping complexes not making proper arrangements for parking. So far, seven complexes have been sealed by the Mussoorie-Dehradun Development Authority (MDDA). The parking arrangements had been made mandatory in all 37 identified complexes. The prohibition of vehicles inside Paltan Bazaar had resulted in convenience for the general public.

The Dehradun District Magistrate has formed a team comprising of officers from the Revenue Department, Nagar Nigam, PWD and Power Department for better coordination. The PWD is also conducting a study on u-turns on the roads for future planning and u-turns will be made where sufficient space is available. The PWD had also been asked to construct dividers and railings at appropriate places for smooth traffic. The Power Department has been asked to remove electric poles posing hindrances in traffic flow. It is also being planned to lay underground electric wires.

Looking into the increasing number of vehicles in the city, Jain has directed the officials to construct multi-level parking lots. A four-storey parking complex will be constructed on the Dispensary road along with double basement parking. A parking lot will also be constructed on the premises of Jal Sansthan at Dilaram Bazaar Chowk. The RTO office will be shifted to Transport Commissioner’s Office located at Sahastradhara Road. This will ease the traffic congestion around the present RTO complex at Rajpur Road.

Out of total 400 motor workshops in the city, 48 had been shifted to Transport Nagar so far and remaining will also be shifted there. It was decided at the meeting to make mandatory for licence holder hand carts to display names, numbers issued by Nagar Nigam. Vendor huts will be made to regularise hand carts scattered all over the city. Jain said the process for the construction of flyovers at Bhandari Bagh, Balliwala, ISBT and Jogiwala was underway and construction works would begin soon. The traffic situation would also improve after the completion of three-lane elevated roads and two-lane service roads under flyover at Mohakmpur, said Jain.

The meeting was attended by secretary, Housing, MH Khan, secretary, Transport, Umakand Panwar, Vice Chairman, MDDA, R Meenakshi Sunderam, DIG Sanjay Gunjiyal, Dehradun District Magistrate BVR Purushottam, SSP Kewal Khurana and other senior officials.

Dehradun December 4
Deputy Inspector General, Dehradun Range, Sanjay Gunjiyal has directed Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Kewal Khurana to conduct an inquiry into the presence of an Indian Police Services (IPS) officer in a rave party which was held at a lounge club in Jakhan on Rajpur Road on Saturday where 34 boys and girls were apprehended by the police.

The police had sealed the club and taken the blood samples of the arrested youngsters.

However, the matter with regard to the presence of an IPS officer at the rave party, who allegedly remained there for one and a half hours and slipped away 15 minutes before the police raid, has become controversial.

It is also said the alleged IPS officer also mounted pressure on the police to suppress the matter.

Taking note of the situation, Gunjiyal has handed over the inquiry to Kewal Khurana. He has asked Kewal Khurana to identify the name of the IPS officer. He has also instructed him to inspect the footage of CCTV cameras to ascertain the presence of other police officers/personnel in the lounge at that time.

He asked Kewal Khurana to find out the source from where the city police came to know about the party, the time of information and when the police conducted the raid.

He has also inquired about the police officer, whom the information was given first of all. Gunjiyal has also directed him to take out the call details made to the official or private contact numbers of the related circle officers or station officers in this regard. He has instructed Khurana to include the call details of all officers/policemen who were part of the raid team.

He has also asked him to find out who were those officers whom the calls were made by the alleged IPS officer to suppress the matter. Gunjiyal specifically mentioned about the role of the CO and the SO, Mussoorie and Rajpur, to be inquired into this matter. 

Dehradun, December 4
In the run-up to the December 8 passing-out parade, the Indian Military Academy's award ceremony of the passing-out course of 131 regular and parallel courses took place at Khetarpal Auditorium of the IMA, Dehradun.

Commandant, Indian Military Academy, Lt Gen Manvender Singh gave away the awards to outstanding gentlemen cadets, who excelled in various fields during their precommission training at the academy. The Commandant in his brief address to the gentlemen cadets of the passing-out course, congratulated them on successfully completing their training at the Indian Military Academy -- a difficult, arduous, challenging, taxing and precarious training, fraught with dangers.

First lady of the Indian Military Academy Ranjana Singh released the IMA Journal Autumn Term 2012.

Gentlemen cadets during their course of training are adjudged in varied fields and are awarded according to their performances. These awards are conferred in recognition of their work and dedication not only in exhibiting the qualities but also an endeavour to achieve excellence to perfection.

The Gentlemen Cadets are adjudged in individual as well as group activities, which is an essential component of military training.

Among those awarded included Vikram Mann with the Brigade of the Guards medal for standing the best in service subject. Rahul Gautam was awarded the Rajputana Rifles medal for being adjudged the best in tactical ability, initiative and leadership. Safiullah Saeedi was awarded with the Sikh Regiment medal for being adjudged the best sportsman. PG Kolekar was awarded with the Maratha Light Infantry medal for standing the best in physical training.

Zabiri Huseyn was awarded the Parachute Regiment medal for standing the best in endurance and physical toughness. Avinash Pandey was awarded with the Sikh Light Infantry medal for standing the best in turnout and drill and Vikram Singh got the Jat Regiment silver medal after being adjudged the best in officer-like qualities.

The Commandant's IMA Banner was bagged by Jessore company. 

Dehradun, December 4
Ninety species were spotted during the Xth Birdwatching Camp at Mundiapani situated in the Kalagarh Tiger Reserve Forest Division on the northern side of the Corbett National Park.

The Ecotourism Wing of the Uttarakhand Forest Department conducted a bird watching camp which was the 10th in the series. The camp was conducted by Dr Dhananjai Mohan, a renowned ornithologist posted as a scientist in the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), and Monica Kaushik, a research scholar studying birds at the WII.

According to Dr Dhananjai Mohan, the areas covered in the camp were outstanding for birds and a total of nearly 90 species were seen during the programme. The species of birds seen were 8 species of woodpeckers, 6 species of bulbuls and species such as green magpie, bule-winged minla, and the highly endangered pallas' fish eagle.

Dr Dhananjai said being in the northern part of the Corbett Tiger Reserve, the area was more moist with slight sub-tropical influence which increased the possibility of sighting some of the eastern Himalayan elements like the green magpie and the blue-winged minlas.

Dr Mohan felt that much of the avifauna could be seen in the close vicinity of the three forest rest houses namely mundiapani, rathuadhab and halduparao and he found the area was more walking friendly which made bird watching easier.

There were 20 participants, including nine forest guards, one forester and 10 daily wage staff and forest rest house attendants from Kalagarh and Lansdowne Forest Divisions. The copies of the recently released Uttarakhand Nature Handbook was also given to each participant.

Dehradun, December 4
The difference of opinion among traders on closing shops for half day tomorrow in protest against traffic restrictions has led to the cancellation of the bandh.

Some traders had given a bandh for tomorrow to oppose the ban on vehicle movement in Paltan Bazaar and the removal of cuts on the road from Clock Tower to Bindal Pul. However, some traders of Paltan Bazaar and Moti Bazaars are of the view the ban on vehicle movement had come as a relief for customers and shopkeepers. They refused to participate in the bandh.

President of the Chakrata Traders’ Association Shashi Kant Goyal said: “Since some traders of Moti Bazaar and Paltan Bazaar refused to observe the bandh and supported the traffic measures, we were left with no option but to call off the bandh. We did not want to do anything that would have created a rift among traders.”

Raman Vohra, a trader, said some shopkeepers got scared and backtracked when the SSP threatened to arrest the protesters under the National Security Act if they disturbed peace and put public in inconvenience in the name of bandh.

A delegation of traders, led by Anil Goyal and Umesh Aggarwal, also met DGP Satyavrat Bansal and urged him to relax the restrictions. The DGP assured them of looking into their demands.

Meanwhile, the police has opened two cuts on the stretch between Clock Tower and Bindal Pull for pedestrians.

Dehradun, December 4
In order to encourage Unison World School to work within an international network of autonomous, interdependent and equal partners of the Youth For Understanding (YFU), one of the oldest students’ exchange programmes in the world, Ian Henderson, national Director of the programme, gave a presentation to the students of the school here today.

He explained that living, learning and immersing in another culture would broaden their perspective and give a competitive edge to them in the interdependent world.

The YFU is one of the world’s oldest, largest and most respected international exchange programmes. Since 1951, the YFU has exchanged over 225,000 students. Now over 4,000 students participate in the YFU programmes from over 50 countries each year. The YFU was founded on the belief that immersion in other cultures contributes substantially to the development of a more peaceful and just world as well as to the personal development of an individual. It believes that all international problem-solving is based on full and open international cooperation. It is through this cooperation that the YFU strives to model cross-cultural skills, international understanding and mutual respect.

Henderson said by experiencing a totally new culture, making new friends and doing new things, enjoying different food, playing different sports, listening to different music and exploring new places, students acquired knowledge and get an insight into how other people and other countries prepare themselves for an international career. The students actively participated in the discussion and exhibited keenness for the programme.

Dehradun, December 4
Education Minister Mantri Prasad Naithani today inaugurated first The Higher Order of Thinking Skill (THOTS) laboratory at Sun Valley and Summer Valley School.

While appreciating the efforts, the minister said the initiative taken by the school for introducing such tools developed thinking skills among children without the use of any academic subject. He further said it was a way to educate children in the modern times and that he would love to promote the concept as he strongly believed in it.

The lab shall bring direct focus on thinking right from the age of four through experiential learning and structured simulations within the school environment.

The lab will promote lateral thinking among the students and cultivate originality of thought, promote experiential learning to bridge the gap in processes through outcome based approach to problem solving, decision making, options testing etc.

“Choosing Dehradun, known to be an academic-centered area, to launch the first THOTS lab in the state, was our good fortune and the perfect plan. We are extremely happy to be associated with Summer Valley School and Sun Valley School to roll out our flagship offering,” said Ashutosh Khurana, co-founder and CEO, Mind Edutainment.

Col (retd) Jaswinder Singh, Principal, Summer Valley School, said, “It is going to be a trendsetter in development and growth of children and will sharpen their mental faculties to think ahead of their age.”

Mind Edutainment embarked upon the journey of child development through cognitive thinking four years ago.

“We felt the need of such a programme as the development of thinking skills is an embryonic process and the methodology of such a programme should have the sensitivity to understand the age specific abilities of children,” said Ashutosh Khurana.

Mind Edutainment’s thinking development programme was adjudged the winner in the 'Power of Ideas 2010’ event.

The event was organised by the Department of Science and Technology, and the Economic Times in association with CIIE IIM-Ahmedabad.

Also present on the occasion were Dr Ashok Wasu, Director administration, Summer Valley School, Pawan Wasu, Director, Sun valley School, Col Jaswinder Singh, Principal, Summer Valley School, PN Onial, Director, Summer Valley School, Abhaya Wasu, Director, Summer Valley School, and Sunita Uberoi, headmistress.

Dehradun, December 4
Shri Guru Ram Rai Darbar's Mahant Devendra Das has been conferred with honorary Doctorate of Literature by The Open International University for complementary medicine, Sri Lanka.

The honorary Doctorate of Literature was presented at a ceremony that took place at World Congress of Integrated Medicines held at Colombo, Sri Lanka, recently.

In his address, Das said the health sector was the most challenging of all development sectors. He said research works were in progress across the globe to provide best of medical services to the humanity. He said the SGRR education mission, through its schools and medical institutions, was serving society.

Das has earlier been presented with Swami Vivekanand National Award, Shiksha Bharti Award, Asia Pacific Global Achievers Award and Uttarakhand Gaurav Award.

Dehradun, December 4
The Dehradun Bar Association (DBA) today felicitated actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui, who received critical acclaim for his powerful performances in flicks, “Gangs of Wasseypur” (GOW) Part 1 and II and “Talash”. The DBA honoured him as his brother Alfazzuddin Siddiqui is an advocate and member of the association.

The lawyers were enthusiastic at honouring the actor. They presented him with a bunch of flowers and got photos clicked with him. Siddiqui, too, entertained them by mouthing dialogues from “GOW”.

The impact of a spate of success has not rubbed off on him as he still comes across as a boy next door with his humility intact. With a lean physique and unconventional looks, Siddiqui proved that people like him could also do well in the glamour film industry of Mumbai with their exceptional talent. He said, “After doing graduation from Dehradun, I remained jobless. I went to Delhi to try my hand in theatre. I enrolled in the National School of Drama and after passing out from there, I followed the predictable path of moving to Mumbai and struggled for work for 12-13 years. Barring minuscule roles in films like ‘Sarfrosh’, ‘Pipli Live’ and ‘Kahaani’, nothing grand came my way.”

Life turned for good with his power-packed performance in ‘GOW-I’ and the leading role in ‘GOW-11’. “This is certainly the best time for the film industry as films like ‘GOW’ has their niche audience. Given to this, people like me who are not gifted with good looks too fit in well. When ‘GOW’ happened, I had no idea that it would be appreciated so much,” he said.

Earlier Siddiqui was not in a position to make choices in matters of films, but today he could exercise that authority. Of 150 films offered to him, he said, he selected only 12 and of these in three films, namely “Sher Singh Rana”, “Black Currency” and “Fountain Man”, he is playing a prominent role. He is also working with Bipasha Basu in one such venture as well. 

Dehradun, December 4
Graphic Era beat Saigrace Academy by 7 wickets in the 1st Beehive Inter-College Cricket Tournament match here today.

Batting first, Sairgrace Academy scored 161 runs, losing all its wickets in the process.

For Saigrace Academy, Shivam scored the highest runs (37), followed by Chand Babu, who scored 34 runs. As of Graphic Era bowlers, Vikas and Mandeep took 2 wickets each. Graphic Era batsmen easily reached the target score losing just 3 wickets, thereby ensuring itself a 7-wicket win. Mudit Tyagi contributed unbeaten 55 runs to the Graphic Era’s score.

Mussoorie, December 4
Sanskrit Mahavidyalya trounced the Mussoorie Press Club team by 82 runs in the opening match of the cricket tournament being organised under the aegis of the Cricket Club of Mussoorie here today.

Sports Minister Dinesh Agarwal inaugurated the tournament. Batting first, Sanskrit Mahavidyalya scored 193 runs in the stipulated 15 overs, losing 9 wickets in the process. Vikas was the highest scorer for the team with 35 runs.

The Mussoorie Press Club team could score only 111 runs at the loss of five wickets, losing the match by 82 runs. Vipin scored 34 runs for the Press Club team and was declared the highest scorer. —OC