New Delhi, April 14
A Manipuri student committed suicide by strangling himself with a wire of a mobile phone charger at his hostel room in Hindu College, said a senior police official today.

The body of the 21-year-old student, identified as Chang Than Kirpa Singh, was spotted in room number 175 of the boys' hostel by his roommate when he came back to the room this morning.

The official said that a two-page suicide note was recovered from his room.

"In the suicide note, Singh blamed himself for the death. The body was lying on a bed," said the official.

The suicide note reportedly said that he was not keeping well and fed up with his life. He said he was a "disobedient son".

Singh was pursuing graduation in music honours. His father said that he had been under depression for quite some time and taking medication for it.

This is the second case of suicide by a student in the college hostel in the past six months. The incident is similar to the suicide of Shashi Shekhar, a 21-year-old student, who hanged himself in the same college hostel room number 112 in November 2012.

New Delhi, April 14
While fire services across the country will observe 'Fire Service Week' from Sunday to pay homage to officers who sacrificed their lives while discharging their duty, Delhi Fire Services (DFS) also kicked off the event in the national Capital with elaborate arrangements and with a theme 'Fire is Fire, Friend or Foe, We Decide'.

The annual culture of observing Fire Service Week was started to commemorate the deaths of 66 firemen and officers of the Mumbai Fire Brigade. They laid down their lives while fighting a major fire on 'Fort Stikine' ship in 1944.

In Delhi, the names of all the gallant fire services personnel who lost their lives during firefighting and rescue operations are engraved on the martyrs' column at Fire Safety Management Academy in Rohini.

During the week, the DFS will generate fire safety awareness in society through a series of lectures, demonstrations, radio talks, group discussions and publicity through posters, banners, leaflets, and print and electronic media.

Inspection of buildings, including high-rises, hospitals, schools, nursing homes, is conducted throughout the year by the DFS. Managing fire calls from slums, which house more than 50 per cent Delhi's population, poses a big challenge to the firemen as it is very difficult to take the firefighting equipment into the narrow lanes of these areas.

Senior fire officials said that the materials used for construction of JJ clusters are highly combustible and produce toxic gases in case of fire. Also, jhuggis are small in size but large in numbers, thus allowing the fire to spread easily.

Officials said that there is lack of communication facilities in the JJ clusters which results in late information about the outbreak of fire.

"By the time the affected slum can inform the fire brigade, hundreds of jhuggis are on fire because of the type of material used for construction and unsystematic layout," said AK Sharma, chief of Delhi Fire Services.

The DFS has suggested relocation, supply of electricity through grounded cables, prevention of business activities, periodic inspection and prohibition of the use of plastic and other combustible substance for construction as measures to be adopted to minimize fire incidents in such areas.

"Measure like formation of watch-and-ward parties with the help of local police and imparting of training in the firefighting appliances and conducting programmes on fire prevention activities will go a long way in reducing fire incidents in slums," said Sharma.

Delhi Fire Service responded to over 22,700 emergency calls last year, but could not prevent deaths of 285 and injuries to 1,979 people.

The biggest rescue operation of last year was conducted at the head office of Punjab National Bank on Sansad Marg on May 23, where more than 250 lives were saved, Sharma added.

Fire at the 15-storey Himalaya House on Kasturba Gandhi Marg on November 19 was described as the second incident of serious nature. It had taken 30 fire tenders and seven hours to control the blaze.

Though the emergency calls saw a marginal increase in comparison to the last four years, there has been a decrease in the number of dead and injured persons.

The department received 22,786 calls in 2012-13 compared to 22,441 in 2011-12 and 22,187 in 2010-11. In 2008-09, the figure was 16,452, while it rose sharply to 21,314 in 2009-10.

The number of those killed has decreased from 357 in 2011-12 to 285 in 2012-13.

New Delhi, April 14
Accusing the Sheila Dikshit-led Congress government in Delhi of being insensitive to the demands of the common people, the Aam Aadmi Party leaders said sheer apathy of the Dikshit Government has led to the massive fire in the Bawana area of Outer Delhi that gutted 400 shanties, leaving two children dead and six injured on Friday.

While attacking the government on the issue of houses for the urban poor, the AAP called upon people to make donation in cash or kind for relief activities in the area. The party volunteers reached the site yesterday to manage the situation.

"The Delhi Government has been shedding crocodile tears since the tragedy happened, while the truth is that the incident could have been averted had the government been more sensitive to the people's needs. Sheila Dikshit who boasts of being Delhi Chief Minister for the last 15 years has failed to understand the people's pulse," said AAP leaders Manish Sisodia and Gopal Rai who visited the area yesterday.

Many people living in the area said that the government had promised them land long back in 2006 following which they had even deposited money with the DDA.

"Even though more than six years have passed, no land has been allotted to them forcing them to live in slums. The Delhi Government had been sitting on these applications and poor people's money for many years. What was it waiting for - were they waiting for a tragedy like this to happen or the next assembly elections? But the papers along with the receipts are destroyed in the fire. Those who managed to retrieve their papers, showed them to us," the AAP leaders remarked.

Hitting out at the Chief Minister further, they said that the casualness of the government was evident when a statement released by the Chief Minister's office said it had "deputed" the deputy commissioner (revenue), sub-divisional magistrates and other officers along with the local MLA to "take care of the affected persons". The ground reality is that the residents of the JJ cluster have received little attention from the authorities, according to the AAP leaders.

"Many children have passed away in the fire. Volunteers present at the site have informed that at least seven children lost their lives in the fire and more than 500 poultry and cattle were charred to death," they claimed.

New Delhi, April 14
A Delhi police constable reportedly shot at his 25-year-old friend with his service pistol in a residential flat in a police station complex here this morning, said a police official.

The constable has been arrested.

The victim, Rakesh, was critically injured by Constable Ranbir Tomar after a scuffle broke out between them during a drinking session last night in a flat inside the premises of the Jagatpuri police station in east Delhi.

"Tomar had invited his two friends Udaiveer and Rakesh at the barrack where they consumed alcohol. A scuffle broke out among them over some issue and Ranbir opened fire on Rakesh," said the official.

Rakesh was found lying in a pool of blood while Udaiveer ran away from the spot. Tomar was arrested. Rakesh was taken to Lal Bahadur Shastri Hospital and later to Lok Nayak Jaya Prakash Narayan Hospital in central Delhi.

Rakesh received a bullet injury on his face. His condition is critical but stable, the official added.

The reason for the scuffle is yet to be verified and the matter is being investigated.

A case under Sections 307 (attempt to murder) and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the Indian Penal Code has been registered.

The police also arrested Udaiveer from east Delhi. A departmental inquiry has also been ordered into the incident.

New Delhi, April 14
Expressing deep concern at growing incidents of distracted driving due to texting on mobile phones while driving, especially by the youth, the International Road Federation (IRF), a Geneva-based global body working for safer roads, has suggested behavioural strategies to address this issue including strong campaigns to promote awareness of the risk.

Entry of new in-vehicles communication technologies, such as GPS systems and increased use of phones for listening music with headphones while crossing roads by pedestrians are also an increasing threat, said road safety experts.

While this being a global phenomenon, with 1.42 lakh road accidents last year, India accounts for 10 per cent of the total road deaths world wide.

"Distracted driving is a serious and growing threat to the road safety. With more and more people owning mobile phones, and the rapid introduction of new in-vehicle communication systems, this problem is likely to escalate in the country in the coming years," said KK Kapila, Chairman of the IRF.

"Technology-caused distraction is a global problem and has its stake in the more people dying in road crashes each year. Some 1.3 million people are estimated to die on the world's roads annually. The problem could be addressed by national laws and awareness campaigns, and some organisations can develop guidelines and standards to make in-vehicle information and communication systems less distracting and publicise legislation and enforcement," he stated, while referring to the death of a 22-year-old youth while texting on his cell phone in USA last week.

Although the government is trying to amend the Motor Vehicle Act to impose fines on drivers caught using any hand-held or hands-free device or any gadget capable of transmitting or receiving signs, images or sounds, bringing in awareness and behavioural change is still the best solution and safety community has to work hard on it, Kapila added.

In this regard, the International Road Federation plans to launch social media campaign to educate drivers and bring in behavioural changes to reduce use of mobile phones and get less distracted by other technological devices.

New Delhi, April 14
Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit today gave Pratibha Awards to the two Dalit students for scoring the highest marks in the Senior Secondary Examination. The award carries Rs 10,000, a memento and a certificate and shawls.

Kumari Anjali and Aashish were presented awards in a function called Prerna Divas organised by the Minorities Commission to mark the 122nd birth anniversary of Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar. The award has been instituted by the Delhi Safai Karmchari Aayog.

Dikshit said that the city government is setting up a residential school to provide free education, board and lodging facilities to the children belonging to the minorities.

"This is going to be the best tribute to the architect of our Constitution, Dr Ambedkar, as he dreamt of imparting education to each and every Dalit child. We have set up a university named after Bharat Ratan Baba Saheb Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar," she said.

While referring to the contribution of Dr Ambedkar, Dikshit said, "He gave us the best Constitution in the world which helped us in protecting and nurturing our valued democratic system".