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Proving majority no challenge: Upadhyay
BJP running away from polls; Congress scared, says AAP
DU session begins today; colleges conduct orientation programmes
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SDMC invites corporate houses for educational tie-ups
Govt eases NOC policy for private institutes
Third party quality audit must for DUSIB buildings
Woman killed, mother hurt; house ransacked
Gunrunning rackets with links to Madhya Pradesh smashed
Sweaty day; mercury stays below 35 deg
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Proving majority no challenge: Upadhyay
New Delhi, July 20 Currently, the BJP along with ally Akali Dal's lone MLA has 29 legislators and will require the support of five more MLAs to prove majority in the 70-member assembly. At present, the effective strength of the assembly is 67 with three BJP MLAs being elected to the Lok Sabha. BJP insiders have been claiming that at least five Congress MLAs have indicated that they are ready to form a separate group and support a BJP government. Upadhyay along with party MLAs today met Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and apprised him of the party's views on the current political situation in the city. Refusing to comment on how the party will manage the requisite numbers as it will require the support of five more MLAs to prove majority in the assembly, he said the party will respond to the question if it gets an invite to form the government. "No proposal has come to us as yet on government formation. Whatever will be done will be as per the Constitution. We will take a decision on government formation if such a proposal comes to us," the newly appointed Delhi BJP chief said. However, Congress has denied the reports of any split in the party and also paraded all its MLAs before the media to show that all its legislators were firmly with the party. Sources said Upadhyay conveyed to Singh about the reluctance of party MLAs to face fresh elections. However, a section of the senior Delhi BJP leaders were not in favour of cobbling up a government arguing that it was better to go to polls as BJP had come first in 60 of the 70 assembly segments in the Lok Sabha polls. Meanwhile, former RSS leader Ram Madhav, who recently joined BJP, denied reports about RSS asking BJP leaders not to form a government in Delhi. He said the reports were based on speculation and were 'incorrect'. "We have checked with the Sangh leadership and they said they have not given any such directions to any BJP leader," Madhav said. |
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BJP running away from polls; Congress scared, says AAP
New Delhi, July 20 "Both the BJP and Congress claim to be ready for Delhi elections. Then what is preventing them from giving it in writing to the LG? Why are they afraid of officially telling the SC they want the Delhi assembly dissolved? If the BJP and Congress really want, the President's Rule can be over in no time, but do they really want it happen," AAP leader Manish Sisodia tweeted. AAP hit out at the BJP saying that it is running away from facing fresh elections and has allegedly encouraged horse-trading brand of politics. This, according to AAP, is clear from its "double meaning statements and consistent U-turns" on the current political situation in Delhi. "If the BJP and Congress really want fresh elections in Delhi, why they are afraid of stating so officially and clearly in writing," AAP stated. Shifting its guns towards the Congress, it said the stunned silence of the Congress on whether it is willing to officially communicate in writing to the Lieutenant Governor and the Supreme Court that the Delhi assembly be dissolved proves it is indirectly supporting the BJP's "Aya Ram Gaya Ram" brand of politics. The AAP said that the BJP and Congress have opposed the demand for dissolution of Delhi assembly in the Supreme Court. It also accused the Congress of supporting the BJP's attempt at horse-trading. "In the 70-member assembly, the 32 MLAs of the BJP and eight of the Congress had come together to defeat the Janlokpal of the AAP government, why these 40 MLAs of the two parties are running away from giving it in writing to the LG and the Supreme Court that they want elections," AAP asked. The party said that the people of Delhi cannot be denied their right to elect a new government and fresh elections are the only way to do so, for which the AAP will relentlessly fight and will not allow the national Capital to become a "centre of horse-trading". |
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DU session begins today; colleges conduct orientation programmes
New Delhi, July 20 While the process involved dissentions from teachers who opposed the ambitious four-year structure earlier arguing that the elements of the same have been retained for colleges. Like many colleges, Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC) where nearly 800 students have been admitted in various courses this year, conducted an orientation for the new batch on Sunday. "We have admitted over 800 students in various courses and we conducted an orientation programme for the freshers and we had a huge gathering today. The session saw nearly 1,500 students and parents. They were briefed about the courses, the timetables and the rules and regulations. Regular classes will begin from July 21 and harp at 8:40 am," said SRCC principal S K Jain. Similar sessions were held in many other colleges and hostels where the first year outstation students have arrived ahead of the opening day of this year's academic session. Principal of Miranda House, Pratibha Jolly said, "Like every year this year too we have orientation sessions for our students and this evening too we are going to welcome our 350 odd students, including nearly 120 freshers. Classes are going to be rigorous irrespective of whether it is a four year or a three year programme. Our sessions have always been interactive." Several other heads of colleges hoped that the new academic session would begin on a good note now that things have been finalised. Days ago the scenario was in contrast and there was chaos and uncertainty for students, parents as well as the faculty as courses structure for the 2013 undergraduate batch remained unclear in the wake of the roll-back of the FYUP. Consequently, the process of restructuring of courses was rushed through to ensure there was no delay in commencement of the academic session and in this the varsity administration drew flak from several quarters including Delhi University's Teachers Association (DUTA). This year owing to the FYUP controversy, fresh admissions to graduation first year under the three-year pattern began a week behind the schedule from July 2. |
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SDMC invites corporate houses for educational tie-ups
New Delhi, July 20 The chairman of Education Committee of SDMC, Ashish Sood, said the corporate houses now have to spend a part of their earnings on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and, therefore the companies would be interested in working with us. "Yes, we are in talks with a few corporate houses. And we are trying to rope them in as partners in our education projects, so that they can bring in their expertise to the board. But, we want them to provide services to us on our terms and not on their (companies') terms. We are in touch with these companies and the modalities being worked out. We are sending out feelers and those interested in working with us will join as," he said. The decision to go big on the PPP front comes after SDMC's recent education campaign 'Neev', where the municipal body enrolled over 12,000 underprivileged children living in the national Capital, in its schools. The over fortnight-long campaign ran from June 14 to 30, involved a door-to-door survey, which was carried with the support of over 400 municipal schoolteachers and about 300 volunteers from about 10 non-government organisations. Incidentally, a number of girls enrolled in all the four zones of the south corporation outnumbered boys. A total of 5,118 boys and 6,932 girls were enrolled during the campaign in its Central, South, West and Najafgarh Zones, the SDMC said. According to Sood, there are about 600 schools under the SDMC's jurisdiction. "We have not been able to complete work in some schools during the summer vacations. But action will be taken against officials if found guilty," he said. The main emphasis of the campaign, according to SDMC, was on girl child, children of construction workers and children with special needs. |
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Govt eases NOC policy for private institutes
New Delhi, July 20 The Lieutenant Governor, Najeeb Jung, has approved the modification in the existing policy guidelines with aims to sanction more educational institutes under the university. After the decision, the floor area ratio for the institutes in the conforming area can be increased maximum up to 225 per cent, as notified by the Union Ministry of Urban Development. The built up area as assessed and verified by the Joint Assessment Committee during their visit to an institute in conforming area and mentioned in their report may be considered for granting the courses intake to that institute, subject to the maximum limit as prescribed. Considering the fact that any building in use may have common operational areas like basement and stairs, committee may be advised not to take covered area strictly as built up area. Instead, the built up area as certified by the local body and architecture may be taken as final. The cases of all those institutes who were allowed to start various new programmes and additional intake during 2013-14 on the recommendation of the committee and without the NOC of the city administration may be reviewed. The interchange of existing programmes in the institutes may be allowed among the courses being run in the institute subject to the provisions of the policy guidelines, more especially the space factor. The ban on the new affiliations may be relaxed and affiliations may be granted subject to strict scrutiny of facilities to ensure fulfilment of all norms about infrastructure, staff and faculty through committee and only after NOC is obtained from the state government. For MBA programme, norms and standards for infrastructure and academic facilities as prescribed by AICTE may be considered for grant of intake and issuance of NOC. For colleges located outside Delhi, 85 per cent seats must be reserved for Delhi residents. |
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Third party quality audit must for DUSIB buildings
New Delhi, July 20 "For ensuring proper monitoring, the DUSIB has planned to empanel reputed agencies in the line of conducting third party audit and quality assurance for conducting quality audit of the buildings with regard to quality of materials used as well as maintenance work of the building," said chief executive officer of DUSIB Amar Nath. Nath informed that this has been done to ensure quality of construction of buildings. All quotations and expression of interest floated by the DUSIB will essentially mention the condition of the third party quality audit. Keeping in view the above requirements, the DUSIB has invited Expression of Interest from the well-experienced and registered agencies having accreditation from the National Accreditation Board for Certification Bodies of Quality Council of India. The agency will monitor the quality of the different works during execution and thereby requiring the services of the 3rd party assurance/audit agency to carry out the inspection/audit of works of above-said nature. Nath said that the DUSIB will strictly implement the essentiality condition of third Party Quality assurance and audit through such empanelled agencies to ensure that the construction work of all buildings such as night shelters, health centres, schools, Basti Vikas Kendras, community halls, toilet blocks and some maintenance work in tenements and other buildings undertaken by the DUSIB will maintain adequate quality. |
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Woman killed, mother hurt; house ransacked
New Delhi, July 20 Sonia's teenaged brother spotted them and informed the police. Her two-year-old son somehow escaped from the attack though he was present in the house. The two women were taken to a hospital were doctors declared Sonia brought dead. Santara is recovering there. The police said it seems the two were beaten up with stones and sticks and the house was ransacked. They have also not ruled out the possibility of personal enmity behind the attack and also suspected that the women were sexually assaulted by the attackers. Santara's husband works as a watchman at a farmhouse. At night, both her sons slept with their father at the farmhouse. When one of them came home in the morning, he found the two women lying in pools of blood and called the police. |
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Gunrunning rackets with links to Madhya Pradesh smashed
New Delhi, July 20 A new alarming trend has come to light for security agencies as after Munger in Bihar, a new centre for fabrication and supply of high-quality illicit firearms has developed in the thickly forested districts of Khargone, Barwani and Khandwa along Madhya Pradesh-Maharashtra border. According to police, Khilafat Ali, a resident of Meerut, UP and Dinesh Gawane, a resident of Badwani district of MP, were arrested on the evening of August 12 from near Anand Vihar inter-state bus station and 10 semi automatic sophisticated pistols of 7.65 mm bore along with 10 magazines were recovered from their possession. Later, Khilafat Ali led the police to a tube well in his agricultural field from where one more firearm was
recovered. — PTI |
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