New Delhi, March 11
In the wake of the alleged suicide by a December 16 gangrape case accused, who committed suicide this morning in Tihar Jail, Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit met Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde and said that a magisterial inquiry has been ordered into the incident.

The issue figured in the meeting during which the Chief Minister also discussed the law and order situation in the Capital. "A magisterial inquiry has already been ordered. Till the report comes out, it will be difficult to comment on the issue. Let the autopsy report come, things will be clear," Dikshit told mediapersons after the meeting here.

She said that she did not come to meet Shinde because of today's incident. "It was a routine meeting. I keep coming here," she said. Sources in the government said that Dikshit took up the issue of policing in the Capital. The Chief Minister is understood to have expressed concern about the increasing cases of crime against women despite steps being taken after the December gangrape incident.

She also wanted deployment of more woman personnel in the police stations, the sources said. The gangrape accused Ram Singh allegedly hanged himself in the high-security Tihar Jail this morning.

New Delhi, March 11
Following the mysterious death of the main accused, Ram Singh, of the Delhi gangrape case, inside his cell in Tihar Prisons, the jail authorities are now contemplating installing CCTV cameras in every cell.

They have been looking at this possibility after the three undertrial inmates, who were lodged with Ram Singh in a cell of Jail number three, claimed that they didn't hear any noises. Surprisingly, the cell in which Ram Singh is lodged with the three inmates is merely 15 ft wide and 12 ft high.

According to jail officials, they said that they were sleeping when Ram Singh allegedly committed suicide. However, the prison authorities will wait for his postmortem report, which will ascertain the cause of his death.

Tihar has recently procured about 250 CCTV cameras and the work for installing them in the prison is currently under progress. "We are looking at the possibility of installing these CCTV cameras in every cell. Presently only the cells in the high-security wards of the nine prisons of Tihar have CCTV cameras," said a jail official.

New Delhi, March 11
Members of the ABVP today staged an extensive protest outside the building of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), opposing changes in the pattern of the mains paper of the civil services exams. The protesting activists of the Bharatiya Janata Party student wing said that the inclusion of compulsory English paper would be a big blow to thousands of Hindi medium students.

Demanding a rollback of the decision, State Secretary Rohit Chahal today said, "The majority of civil services aspirants reside in Hindi belts of the country. They study in government schools and colleges where English is not used much. They are intelligent and very hardworking and deserve to sit for these exams in all fairness. But due to the new changes, they would end up paying a price for not knowing a language which is not stressed upon right from the schooling years in their states."

As per the changes effective from this year, a 100 marks paper of English comprehension and precis will replace English and Indian language papers which were qualifying in nature and their marks were not included while forming merit list.

The ABVP today threatened that the agitation would intensify if the changes are not rolled back in time. "We met the UPSC representatives and handed over our charter of demands. We want the liberty for an aspirant to write the 100 marks paper in his/her vernacular language, out of the 22 earlier mentioned languages. If within 10 days, some concrete steps are not taken to roll back this decision, the protests will go viral nationwide. We will approach the judiciary. We will not be responsible for the consequences if this attack on our indigenous languages and the future of talented students is not withdrawn," Chahal added.

New Delhi, March 11
With both the BJP and the Congress gearing up for the Budget session commencing on March 13, the former today held a meeting to chalk out a strategy to confront the government on various important issues during the session.

The Leader of the Opposition in Delhi Assembly, Prof. Vijay Kumar Malhotra, lashed out at the Sheila Dikshit Government for its 'failure' on all fronts.

The party legislators have given notices for discussion on 27 critical issues during the session.

The BJP has given notices on the deteriorating law and order situation, city being unsafe for women, missing of a large number of children, etc. The party has also given notices on a hike in electricity and water tariffs, increase in the price of LPG, heavy expenses incurred on cleaning the Yamuna and delay in regularization of unauthorized colonies.

Addressing the meeting of the party MLAs, Prof Malhotra described the Delhi Government as an example of corruption and bad governance.

"It has been a failure on the part of the government to cleanse the Yamuna despite spending a colossal amount of Rs 3,500 crore," said Malhotra.

On the other hand, the ruling Congress said that it is ready for a constructive debate on any issue related to public interest raised by any member in the ensuing Budget session. The party expressed hope that the major opposition party would raise issues while respecting the democratic values and rules of the House.

Mukesh Sharma, Parliamentary Secretary to the Chief Minister, and also member of the Legislative Assembly, said that a few notices have been accepted by the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) of the House for discussion.

"The ruling party would initiate a discussion on regularization of the remaining unauthorized colonies. The BAC has also accepted a notice for discussion in the House on the law and order situation in the Capital," said Sharma. 

New Delhi, March 11
In response to the direction from the Prime Minister's Office to all the Central Universities through the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD), Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) is all set to establish the Mother Teresa Chair at its head quarters in the Capital during the centenary celebrations of the birthday of Mother Teresa tomorrow.

Oscar Fernandes, Member of Parliament and Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the MHRD will inaugurate the Chair. The proposal to establish the Mother Teresa Chair was made by the School of Social Work and the Academic Council during its 53rd meeting recommended the same to the board of management of IGNOU. The board during its 106th meeting approved the proposal for establishing the Chair," said a spokesperson for the university.

"The main objective of the chair is to promote socially relevant programmes in the area of philanthropy and inter-religious studies. We believe that the Chair would go a long way in encouraging students to undertake extension activities targeting the HIV infected, leprosy patients, street children, refugees, destitute, and other vulnerable population. We will also organize training and skill development programmes for socio-economic development of vulnerable sections of the society along with workshops, seminars and conferences on socially relevant topics," the spokesperson added.

New Delhi, March 11
A 25-year-old man who needed money to pursue a judiciary services course was arrested for allegedly stealing money of women after gaining their friendship.

Additional Commissioner of Police (West District) V Renganathan said Shashank Shekhar was arrested from Janakpuri on March 8.

"He would befriend girls, develop cordial relations with them. After winning their trust, he stole their belongings such as debit cards and laptops. He claims to have cheated many women. He would use different aliases," said Renganathan.

New Delhi, March 11
Jamia Millia Islamia today kicked off a unique exhibition depicting the evolution of Urdu calligraphy. The week-long exhibition touted as an effort towards reviving the dying art form was inaugurated at M.F. Hussain's Gallery at Jamia by Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit in the presence of Saudi Arabian ambassador Saud Mohammed Al-Sati.

The exhibition, "Siasat's Urdu Calligraphy and Art Exhibition", is a collaboration between the Zakir Hussain Institute of Islamic Studies and the Daily Siasat of Hyderabad --a 65-year-old Urdu daily known for its fine calligraphy.

Prof Akhtarul Wasay, Director of the Zakir Hussain Institute of Islamic Studies, said, "Our effort has been largely appreciated. The exhibition puts on show the Urdu calligraphy which flourished as the sole printed medium once. It was crafted by immense precision and technique by experienced calligraphers before the arrival of the computer. There were days when the publishing industry depended on the services of the calligraphers for all the publishing tasks."

Dikshit expressed the desire to facilitate such exhibitions outside the university campus as well, so as to reach out to a wider audience.

Urdu Academy, Delhi government, is likely to take up the task further on, in collaboration with the university.