<p>The Delhi High Court was today put on high alert after the police received an anonymous call about a bomb threat on its premises, which later turned out to be a hoax.</p>

<p>Soon after the call was received around&nbsp;11 am, Delhi Police commandos of the Quick Reaction Team were instantly deployed at Gate-5 of the High Court along with the Bomb Disposal Squad and fire tender vehicles.</p>

<p>The call was received by the control room from a man who claimed to have planted bombs inside the court complex, the police said.</p>

<p>The bomb squad was alerted and the entire court complex thoroughly scanned. However, the call was found to be a hoax, they said. An intensive search was carried out and sniffer dogs deployed.</p>

<p>The police are on the lookout for the caller who has since switched off his phone.</p>

<p>Senior police officials, including the ACP, were in high court and held meeting with the HC Registrar General D K Sharma in this regard, court sources told<em> PTI.</em></p>

<p>Delhi High Court Bar Association Ex-officio Abhijat confirmed that the police had received such a call.&quot;The police have received a call and search is going on. However work and court proceedings have not been affected,&quot; he said.&nbsp;</p>


The Delhi High Court was today put on high alert after the police received an anonymous call about a bomb threat on its premises, which later turned out to be a hoax

The Delhi High Court was today put on high alert after the police received an anonymous call about a bomb threat on its premises, which later turned out to be a hoax. Soon after the call was received around 11 am, Delhi Police commandos of the Quick Reaction Team were instantly deployed at Gate-5 of the High Court along with the Bomb Disposal Squad and fire tender vehicles. The call was received by the control room from a man who claimed to have planted bombs inside the court complex, the police said. The bomb squad was alerted and the entire court complex thoroughly scanned. However, the call was found to be a hoax, they said. An intensive search was carried out and sniffer dogs deployed. The police are on the lookout for the caller who has since switched off his phone. Senior police officials, including the ACP, were in high court and held meeting with the HC Registrar General D K Sharma in this regard, court sources told PTI. Delhi High Court Bar Association Ex-officio Abhijat confirmed that the police had received such a call."The police have received a call and search is going on. However work and court proceedings have not been affected," he said.

Delhi High Court on high alert after bomb threat

<p>The Not in My Name protests will be held today in at least 13 cities both inside and outside the country.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The protests are against the spate of lynchings of Muslim men in recent times.&nbsp;</p>

<p>As many as 15 Muslim men have been killed since September 2015.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The protests today will be held in most major Indian cities and in the&nbsp;UK.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Cow has a message for all Cow Terrorists . <a href="https://twitter.com/Shehla_Rashid">@Shehla_Rashid</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NotInMyName?src=hash">#NotInMyName</a> <a href="https://t.co/5jdcKQUqc9">pic.twitter.com/5jdcKQUqc9</a></p>
&mdash; Md Asif Khan (@imMAK02) <a href="https://twitter.com/imMAK02/status/879750795557650432">June 27, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">An appeal to the citizens of India to change their profile pictures as protest mob lynching. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NotInMyName?src=hash">#NotInMyName</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ProfileAgainstMobLynching?src=hash">#ProfileAgainstMobLynching</a> <a href="https://t.co/OY4zb8wuq7">pic.twitter.com/OY4zb8wuq7</a></p>
&mdash; Kawalpreet Kaur (@kawalpreetdu) <a href="https://twitter.com/kawalpreetdu/status/879703722393182208">June 27, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>A few will be held tomorrow -- in other Indian cities, and the US and Pakistan -- and on July 1.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Delhi protest will be held this evening at Jantar Mantar between 6 to 8 pm.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Not in My Name Facebook page says: &quot;These attacks on Muslims are part of a pattern of other incidents that involve Dalits, Adivasis, and other disadvantaged and minority groups across the country.&nbsp;As citizens let&#39;s get together and through music and poetry assert that the killings and the hatred being unleashed - Is Not In Our Name.&quot;&nbsp;</p>

<p>Attendees are expected to wear black armbands.&nbsp;</p>


The protests are against the spate of lynchings of Muslim men in recent times

The Not in My Name protests will be held today in at least 13 cities both inside and outside the country. The protests are against the spate of lynchings of Muslim men in recent times. As many as 15 Muslim men have been killed since September 2015. The protests today will be held in most major Indian cities and in the UK. Cow has a message for all Cow Terrorists . @Shehla_Rashid #NotInMyName pic.twitter.com/5jdcKQUqc9 — Md Asif Khan (@imMAK02) June 27, 2017 × An appeal to the citizens of India to change their profile pictures as protest mob lynching. #NotInMyName#ProfileAgainstMobLynching pic.twitter.com/OY4zb8wuq7 — Kawalpreet Kaur (@kawalpreetdu) June 27, 2017 × A few will be held tomorrow -- in other Indian cities, and the US and Pakistan -- and on July 1. The Delhi protest will be held this evening at Jantar Mantar between 6 to 8 pm. The Not in My Name Facebook page says: "These attacks on Muslims are part of a pattern of other incidents that involve Dalits, Adivasis, and other disadvantaged and minority groups across the country. As citizens let's get together and through music and poetry assert that the killings and the hatred being unleashed - Is Not In Our Name." Attendees are expected to wear black armbands.

Not in My Name: Protests today in 13 cities inside & outside India

<p>A ten-year-old girl got justice after being sexually assaulted by her uncle more than two years back.</p>

<p>The court sentenced the uncle after looking at the sketches made by the girl&nbsp;indicating sexual abuse and emotional as well as mental trauma.</p>

<p>Apparently, the girl was given paper and crayons while waiting to keep her distracted. It was then that she drew an abandoned house, a girl holding balloons, and a dress lying beside her. She chose dull colours to fill the drawing. The sketch was used as an evidence to prove her allegations.</p>

<p>The girl was disowned by her drunkard father after her mother died in Kolkata.</p>

<p>She lived with her aunt in Delhi after that. It was during this&nbsp;time that her uncle, Akhter Ahmed, assaulted her a number of times.</p>

<p>She fled her home and was found in a bus in November 2014. She was provided with care and rehabilitation and was slowly getting over her disturbing past. In a medical test, it could be concluded that she had been possibly assaulted sexually. Members of HAQ Centre for Child Rights counselled her and she slowly revealed to them her afflictions, but it still took them time to piece together a description of Ahmed. When traced in June 2016, he claimed not guilty.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In the presence of the additional sessions judge Vinod Yadav, Ahmed&#39;s lawyer contested that the girl had been brainwashed into blaming him of rape and could not be considered &#39;competent witness&#39;.</p>

<p>After comprehending the girl&#39;s sketch, the judge said &quot;If the elements of this drawing are considered in the background of facts and circumstances of this case, then commission of sexual assault upon her by somebody in her house after undressing her, and it leaving an impression upon her mind, becomes evident. Therefore, I find the child victim to be a competent witness. Her so-called saviour had committed repeated sexual assault on her.&quot;</p>

<p>The court sentenced Ahmed of five years&#39; jail term and a fine of Rs 10,000 on the grounds that the sexual abuse was not penetrative. A compensation of Rs 3 lakh in fixed deposits was also announced&nbsp;for the girl&#39;s welfare and rehabilitation. It also praised HAQ counsellors Pearl Messy and Uzma Parveen for providing the child with institutional care.</p>

<p>&quot;The legal battle is over. The girl lives in a children&#39;s home and is attending regular school. She is doing very well in her studies and hopefully the compensation will help to build a bright future for her,&quot; her lawyer and child rights activist Chandra Suman Kumar told media reporters.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


Two years being after raped by uncle, Kolkata girl got justice after providing her sketches as evidence in the court

A ten-year-old girl got justice after being sexually assaulted by her uncle more than two years back. The court sentenced the uncle after looking at the sketches made by the girl indicating sexual abuse and emotional as well as mental trauma. Apparently, the girl was given paper and crayons while waiting to keep her distracted. It was then that she drew an abandoned house, a girl holding balloons, and a dress lying beside her. She chose dull colours to fill the drawing. The sketch was used as an evidence to prove her allegations. The girl was disowned by her drunkard father after her mother died in Kolkata. She lived with her aunt in Delhi after that. It was during this time that her uncle, Akhter Ahmed, assaulted her a number of times. She fled her home and was found in a bus in November 2014. She was provided with care and rehabilitation and was slowly getting over her disturbing past. In a medical test, it could be concluded that she had been possibly assaulted sexually. Members of HAQ Centre for Child Rights counselled her and she slowly revealed to them her afflictions, but it still took them time to piece together a description of Ahmed. When traced in June 2016, he claimed not guilty. In the presence of the additional sessions judge Vinod Yadav, Ahmed's lawyer contested that the girl had been brainwashed into blaming him of rape and could not be considered 'competent witness'. After comprehending the girl's sketch, the judge said "If the elements of this drawing are considered in the background of facts and circumstances of this case, then commission of sexual assault upon her by somebody in her house after undressing her, and it leaving an impression upon her mind, becomes evident. Therefore, I find the child victim to be a competent witness. Her so-called saviour had committed repeated sexual assault on her." The court sentenced Ahmed of five years' jail term and a fine of Rs 10,000 on the grounds that the sexual abuse was not penetrative. A compensation of Rs 3 lakh in fixed deposits was also announced for the girl's welfare and rehabilitation. It also praised HAQ counsellors Pearl Messy and Uzma Parveen for providing the child with institutional care. "The legal battle is over. The girl lives in a children's home and is attending regular school. She is doing very well in her studies and hopefully the compensation will help to build a bright future for her," her lawyer and child rights activist Chandra Suman Kumar told media reporters.

Delhi court takes cognisance of 10-year-old girl's sketches to convict uncle of rape

<p>India&#39;s health minister has formed a&nbsp;five-member committee of&nbsp;<a href="http://aninews.in/keysearch/keyword-search/aiims.html">AIIMS</a>&nbsp;doctors to deal with Delhi&#39;s Tughlaqabad gas leak incident.</p>

<p>At least 300 students&nbsp;from Rani Jhansi Sarvodaya Kanya Vidyalaya were rushed to the hospital on Saturday moring after a gas leak from a container.</p>

<p>Meanwhile, ESIC Hospital -- where the students were sent for treatment -- said: &quot;Received 103 children (all girls) and three adults, five with pre-existing illnesses referred to Apollo, 69 handed over to their guardians.&quot;</p>

<p>Delhi&#39;s deputy chief minister <a href="http://aninews.in/keysearch/keyword-search/manish-sisodia.html">Manish Sisodia</a>&nbsp;has asked the district magistrate to investigate the situation, while assuring that the students were safe.</p>

<p>&quot;I spoke to&nbsp;<a href="http://aninews.in/keysearch/keyword-search/doctors.html">doctors</a>, who told me that the students were fine. I will visit the children soon in the hospital and have spoken to a few on the phone. I have also asked the DM (District Magistrate) to investigate. The students are being properly taken care of,&quot; Sisodia said.</p>

<p>A call was received around 7.35 am&nbsp;about the gas leakage and seven fire-tenders were rushed to the spot, said a senior officer from Delhi&nbsp;Fire Services, adding that the source of leakage was not clear, according to PTI.</p>

<p>Police have filed a filed an FIR (First Information Report), while its personnel have deployed in the area to prevent any untoward incident.</p>

<p>Romil Baniya, a senior police officer, said the gas leak was a case of &quot;negligence&quot; and that &quot;hazardous substance was not handled properly&quot;.</p>

<p>The officer also informed that girls complained of irritation in their eyes, but added that none of the girls is critical.</p>

<p>(WION with inputs from agencies)</p>


A gas leak in south Delhi left sparked about 300 schoolgirls to complain about irritation in their eyes

India's health minister has formed a five-member committee of AIIMS doctors to deal with Delhi's Tughlaqabad gas leak incident. At least 300 students from Rani Jhansi Sarvodaya Kanya Vidyalaya were rushed to the hospital on Saturday moring after a gas leak from a container. Meanwhile, ESIC Hospital -- where the students were sent for treatment -- said: "Received 103 children (all girls) and three adults, five with pre-existing illnesses referred to Apollo, 69 handed over to their guardians." Delhi's deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia has asked the district magistrate to investigate the situation, while assuring that the students were safe. "I spoke to doctors, who told me that the students were fine. I will visit the children soon in the hospital and have spoken to a few on the phone. I have also asked the DM (District Magistrate) to investigate. The students are being properly taken care of," Sisodia said. A call was received around 7.35 am about the gas leakage and seven fire-tenders were rushed to the spot, said a senior officer from Delhi Fire Services, adding that the source of leakage was not clear, according to PTI. Police have filed a filed an FIR (First Information Report), while its personnel have deployed in the area to prevent any untoward incident. Romil Baniya, a senior police officer, said the gas leak was a case of "negligence" and that "hazardous substance was not handled properly". The officer also informed that girls complained of irritation in their eyes, but added that none of the girls is critical. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Delhi gas leak: India appoints top doctors to tackle threat

<p>Three men were beaten up in South Delhi Saturday night for transporting buffaloes, apparently by &quot;animal rights activists&quot;.&nbsp;</p>

<p>News reports said the men claimed to be members of the NGO People For Animals (PFA).&nbsp;</p>

<p>The PFA website says it is &quot;India&#39;s largest animal welfare organisation with a nationwide network of 26 hospitals, 165 units and 2.5 lakh members&quot;. Maneka Gandhi -- the minister for women and child development -- is its chairperson.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The PFA however has denied that its men were involved in the incident.&nbsp;</p>

<p>News reports said a mini truck transporting buffaloes was stopped in the Kalkaji area last night and three men assaulted.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The men were identified as Rizwan, Ashu, and Kamil. Reports said the three of them were taken to AIIMS.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Police said the three of them had suffered minor injuries.&nbsp;</p>

<p>But the &quot;animal rights activists&quot; -- most reports quoted one Gaurav Gupta, who claimed to be a PFA member -- denied they had attacked the trio.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Gupta was the one who called the police control room.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The buffaloes meanwhile, reports said, have been handed over to the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.&nbsp;</p>

<p>(WION)</p>


The 'activists' claimed to be from the NGO People for Animals

Three men were beaten up in South Delhi Saturday night for transporting buffaloes, apparently by "animal rights activists". News reports said the men claimed to be members of the NGO People For Animals (PFA). The PFA website says it is "India's largest animal welfare organisation with a nationwide network of 26 hospitals, 165 units and 2.5 lakh members". Maneka Gandhi -- the minister for women and child development -- is its chairperson. The PFA however has denied that its men were involved in the incident. News reports said a mini truck transporting buffaloes was stopped in the Kalkaji area last night and three men assaulted. The men were identified as Rizwan, Ashu, and Kamil. Reports said the three of them were taken to AIIMS. Police said the three of them had suffered minor injuries. But the "animal rights activists" -- most reports quoted one Gaurav Gupta, who claimed to be a PFA member -- denied they had attacked the trio. Gupta was the one who called the police control room. The buffaloes meanwhile, reports said, have been handed over to the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. (WION)

'Animal rights activists' beat up 3 men transporting buffaloes?in South Delhi

<p>Imagine the response by any of the previous Indian governments on Kashmir if today&#39;s&nbsp;situation had come to&nbsp;pass. Emissaries would have been activated, delegations would have camped in the valley, some would have received invites to come to Delhi and reassurance would have directly come from the Prime Minister&rsquo;s office. None of this&nbsp;has happened.</p>

<p>The unique form of protest--pelting of stones, participation of students, schools and hospitals being shut--is a feature consistent for almost a year now. And this has happened in a regime which started with the process of reconciliation and meeting of two ends of political spectrum, that being Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the People&#39;s Democratic Party (PDP).</p>

<p>But the dream went bust and the government was accused of not reaching out. The fact that the current collapse of civil administration&nbsp;receives a mute response from the Centre is because it suits its larger politics. Kashmir, instead of being treated as a people&rsquo;s problem, is being played out as a theatre for a type of nationalism which BJP has successfully churned for electoral politics. It is for this reason that for the first time, &quot;human right&quot; as a word is also being used for the army and paramilitary forces.</p>

<p>But this did not happen overnight.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

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<h5>The voices supporting talks or reconciliation in the national narrative have&nbsp;been sidelined as&nbsp;the weak liberal category</h5>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>The voices supporting talks or reconciliation in the national narrative have&nbsp;been sidelined as&nbsp;the weak liberal category, making any pitch on their part feeble and without public support. It is in this climate, Kashmir continues to bleed and Kashmiris refuse to participate in hope for the announcement of a grand gesture. Unfortunately, the gesture will not come because the government has already handed over a choice between terrorism and tourism to the people. The government has already thrown in its towel, realising that every attempt by the Home Minister Rajnath Singh has failed.</p>

<p>It is for this reason attempt made by BJP leader Yashwant Sinha did not cut any ice with the Centre. Since the government runs the risk of looking weak, the matter has been parceled&nbsp;to Home Minister Rajnath Singh, whose political capital runs shallow. To expect a package or a complete U-turn by the government on this issue would be to fool oneself. What is evident is that the Centre has dug in its feet on Kashmir and has decided to tackle it from the angle of nationalism.</p>

<p>Now the question is,&nbsp;how will this approach&nbsp;evolve in the long run? The approach rests on the premise that the protest run out of steam and players will come back to the talking table tired, sooner or later. But the risk of this strategy is higher than those tried before.</p>

<p>Today Kashmir has a plethora of street fighters who are children. None of them are getting integrated into&nbsp;the state and political structure of the government.</p>

<p>How will the state then deal with this generation when it gets out of the school and colleges without any sense of engagement with the mainland?&nbsp;</p>

<p>Many in the ruling dispensation argue that the situation is not as bad as when Kashmiri Hindus had to leave valley. At that point of time, the migration represented failure of the state to give security to the minority, and civil society, at large, did not attack Hindus. Today civil society&nbsp;is not only alienated from the state but it has bankrupted local political players of credibility and gravitas, creating consequences for Delhi in long run.</p>

<p>For this very reason Kashmir, today, is very different from the Kashmir of the past. There is a departure from the cycle of violence which the Centre is used to. The new generation is asking fundamental questions on article 370. The article 370 is a commitment made by India at the time of accession. India agreed for a Kashmiri exceptionalism. Whether we like it or not, the fact that we are far removed from Kashmir when we talk about changing the alignment&nbsp;destroys our own credibility. The symbols of unity act as instruments for further violence and divisive politics.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

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<h5>The symbols of unity act as instruments for further violence and divisive politics.</h5>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>The fact that the mainstream discourse challenges the unique identity of India has itself become a political problem. Indian politicians and resurgent middle-class need to rise above the cacophony of nationalism, homogeneity of symbols and concept of India First in which instead of people, territory comes first.</p>

<p>It is not possible for the Centre to hide behind the logic of normal Ladakh and Jammu. It cannot afford to have an ego with its own people even if empathy has died a slow death in popular discourse. The former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee understood it well. It is for this reason he continues to be the most remembered leader in the valley. He understood the power of hope.</p>

<p>Vajpayee&rsquo;s narrative rested on it. This similar narrative was used by late Mufti Mohammad Sayeed. He raised the bar of hope when he formed the government in Srinagar. People felt that Mufti would usher certain long pending changes. The change didn&rsquo;t happen, and he passed away creating anger, resentment and rage. It is for this reason PDP leaders came under attack from its own people.</p>

<p>It&rsquo;s not PDP alone. The mainstream parties in Kashmir today stand discredited. To begin with, we can restore some credibility to them by giving into some of their civil administrative demand and make people in the valley feel that it is their representative who is ruling them and not the political players associated with Delhi durbar. Lastly, what works in the rest of India may not work in Kashmir or North East.</p>

<p>(WION)</p>


Instead of treating Kashmir as a people?s problem, it is being played out as a theatre for nationalism which BJP has used successfully

Imagine the response by any of the previous Indian governments on Kashmir if today's situation had come to pass. Emissaries would have been activated, delegations would have camped in the valley, some would have received invites to come to Delhi and reassurance would have directly come from the Prime Minister’s office. None of this has happened. The unique form of protest--pelting of stones, participation of students, schools and hospitals being shut--is a feature consistent for almost a year now. And this has happened in a regime which started with the process of reconciliation and meeting of two ends of political spectrum, that being Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the People's Democratic Party (PDP). But the dream went bust and the government was accused of not reaching out. The fact that the current collapse of civil administration receives a mute response from the Centre is because it suits its larger politics. Kashmir, instead of being treated as a people’s problem, is being played out as a theatre for a type of nationalism which BJP has successfully churned for electoral politics. It is for this reason that for the first time, "human right" as a word is also being used for the army and paramilitary forces. But this did not happen overnight. The voices supporting talks or reconciliation in the national narrative have been sidelined as the weak liberal category × The voices supporting talks or reconciliation in the national narrative have been sidelined as the weak liberal category, making any pitch on their part feeble and without public support. It is in this climate, Kashmir continues to bleed and Kashmiris refuse to participate in hope for the announcement of a grand gesture. Unfortunately, the gesture will not come because the government has already handed over a choice between terrorism and tourism to the people. The government has already thrown in its towel, realising that every attempt by the Home Minister Rajnath Singh has failed. It is for this reason attempt made by BJP leader Yashwant Sinha did not cut any ice with the Centre. Since the government runs the risk of looking weak, the matter has been parceled to Home Minister Rajnath Singh, whose political capital runs shallow. To expect a package or a complete U-turn by the government on this issue would be to fool oneself. What is evident is that the Centre has dug in its feet on Kashmir and has decided to tackle it from the angle of nationalism. Now the question is, how will this approach evolve in the long run? The approach rests on the premise that the protest run out of steam and players will come back to the talking table tired, sooner or later. But the risk of this strategy is higher than those tried before. Today Kashmir has a plethora of street fighters who are children. None of them are getting integrated into the state and political structure of the government. How will the state then deal with this generation when it gets out of the school and colleges without any sense of engagement with the mainland? Many in the ruling dispensation argue that the situation is not as bad as when Kashmiri Hindus had to leave valley. At that point of time, the migration represented failure of the state to give security to the minority, and civil society, at large, did not attack Hindus. Today civil society is not only alienated from the state but it has bankrupted local political players of credibility and gravitas, creating consequences for Delhi in long run. For this very reason Kashmir, today, is very different from the Kashmir of the past. There is a departure from the cycle of violence which the Centre is used to. The new generation is asking fundamental questions on article 370. The article 370 is a commitment made by India at the time of accession. India agreed for a Kashmiri exceptionalism. Whether we like it or not, the fact that we are far removed from Kashmir when we talk about changing the alignment destroys our own credibility. The symbols of unity act as instruments for further violence and divisive politics. The symbols of unity act as instruments for further violence and divisive politics. × The fact that the mainstream discourse challenges the unique identity of India has itself become a political problem. Indian politicians and resurgent middle-class need to rise above the cacophony of nationalism, homogeneity of symbols and concept of India First in which instead of people, territory comes first. It is not possible for the Centre to hide behind the logic of normal Ladakh and Jammu. It cannot afford to have an ego with its own people even if empathy has died a slow death in popular discourse. The former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee understood it well. It is for this reason he continues to be the most remembered leader in the valley. He understood the power of hope. Vajpayee’s narrative rested on it. This similar narrative was used by late Mufti Mohammad Sayeed. He raised the bar of hope when he formed the government in Srinagar. People felt that Mufti would usher certain long pending changes. The change didn’t happen, and he passed away creating anger, resentment and rage. It is for this reason PDP leaders came under attack from its own people. It’s not PDP alone. The mainstream parties in Kashmir today stand discredited. To begin with, we can restore some credibility to them by giving into some of their civil administrative demand and make people in the valley feel that it is their representative who is ruling them and not the political players associated with Delhi durbar. Lastly, what works in the rest of India may not work in Kashmir or North East. (WION)

Hope dies a slow death

<p>The South Delhi Municipal Corporation has initiated steps to make toilets in hotels and restaurants accessible to the general public as part of efforts to boost its &#39;Swachh Bharat&#39; campaign.</p>

<p>The SDMC on Tuesday said it has acted on the advice of Lt Governor Anil Baijal, who had asked it to explore this idea.</p>

<p>&quot;Acting on the advice of the Lt Governor, the SDMC has made it mandatory for all hotels and restaurants located in south Delhi to give full access to the general public to these toilets.</p>

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<h5>This will boost the Swachh Bharat mission, the SDMC said</h5>
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<p>&quot;The establishment of these restaurants have also been given discretion to charge upto Rs. 5 per usage to cover their charges towards maintenance and cleaning,&quot; the SDMC said in a statement.</p>

<p>The civic body said this decision will come into effect from April 1 and the remaining modalities will be worked out in due course of time. &quot;This move of SDMC will boost the Swachh Bharat Mission,&quot; it said.</p>

<p>&quot;At one stroke this smart move will now make available an additional over 3,500 toilets accessible to public,&quot; it added.&nbsp;</p>

<p>(PTI)<br />
&nbsp;</p>


The hotels and restaurants will be allowed to charge customers up to Rs 5

The South Delhi Municipal Corporation has initiated steps to make toilets in hotels and restaurants accessible to the general public as part of efforts to boost its 'Swachh Bharat' campaign. The SDMC on Tuesday said it has acted on the advice of Lt Governor Anil Baijal, who had asked it to explore this idea. "Acting on the advice of the Lt Governor, the SDMC has made it mandatory for all hotels and restaurants located in south Delhi to give full access to the general public to these toilets. This will boost the Swachh Bharat mission, the SDMC said × "The establishment of these restaurants have also been given discretion to charge upto Rs. 5 per usage to cover their charges towards maintenance and cleaning," the SDMC said in a statement. The civic body said this decision will come into effect from April 1 and the remaining modalities will be worked out in due course of time. "This move of SDMC will boost the Swachh Bharat Mission," it said. "At one stroke this smart move will now make available an additional over 3,500 toilets accessible to public," it added. (PTI)

Pay & use toilets in South Delhi hotels, restaurants from April

<p>Earthquake tremors were felt in Delhi at 10:33&nbsp;pm (Indian Standard Time). The tremors lasted about 35&nbsp;seconds.</p>

<p>The National Seismological Bureau said the epicentre of the earthquake measuring 5.8 magnitude on the Richter Scale was in Rudraprayag in Uttarakhand, a state in the north of India.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Earthquake tremors felt in Delhi, Noida, Uttarakhand</p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/828651582770253824">February 6, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Felt tremors in Delhi..Hope everyone is safe and sound after this <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/earthquake?src=hash">#earthquake</a></p>
&mdash; Ragini Nayak (@NayakRagini) <a href="https://twitter.com/NayakRagini/status/828652385388023808">February 6, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Tremors were felt in parts of North India, including New Delhi, according to Indian media reports.</p>

<p>&quot;The quake was quite heavy. It lasted for 25 or 30 seconds, but there are no reports of damage so far received,&quot; said Ashok Kumar, a senior police official in the state capital Dehradun.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Amit Negi, the secretary of disaster management in the state said they had alerted all districts and were coordinating with them.</p>

<p>There are no reports of loss of lives or damage to property.</p>

<p>(WION)</p>


The National Seismological Bureau said the earthquake measured 5.8 magnitude on the Richter Scale

Earthquake tremors were felt in Delhi at 10:33 pm (Indian Standard Time). The tremors lasted about 35 seconds. The National Seismological Bureau said the epicentre of the earthquake measuring 5.8 magnitude on the Richter Scale was in Rudraprayag in Uttarakhand, a state in the north of India. Earthquake tremors felt in Delhi, Noida, Uttarakhand — ANI (@ANI_news) February 6, 2017 × Felt tremors in Delhi..Hope everyone is safe and sound after this #earthquake — Ragini Nayak (@NayakRagini) February 6, 2017 × Tremors were felt in parts of North India, including New Delhi, according to Indian media reports. "The quake was quite heavy. It lasted for 25 or 30 seconds, but there are no reports of damage so far received," said Ashok Kumar, a senior police official in the state capital Dehradun. Amit Negi, the secretary of disaster management in the state said they had alerted all districts and were coordinating with them. There are no reports of loss of lives or damage to property. (WION)

Earthquake tremors felt in Delhi, epicentre in Rudraprayag district in Uttarakhand

<p>The Indian government on Wednesday scrapped its 92-year-old practice of presenting a separate Railway Budget.<br />
<br />
The Railway Budget will be subsumed under the the annual General Budget, Indian finance minister Arun Jaitley said.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
The upside of the amalgamation is that it will allow Indian Railways to save around Rs 10,000 crore every year for not paying the dividend it has to pay for gross budgetary support from the federal government. The dividend it has to pay is because it takes Rs 40,000 crore from the government to facilitate its overhead costs.<br />
<br />
The other advantage of the merger is that the Railways&#39; revenue deficit will be shifted to the finance ministry.<br />
<br />
The merger will have political ramifications too. The powerful railway ministry is set to lose its sheen in the process, though the proposal for a merger was backed right from the start by the incumbent minister Suresh Prabhu.<br />
<br />
Plus, there was always pressure on railway ministers to augment the rail network in the region they hail from. But that practice would possibly end as the consolidated budget is set to be announced by the finance minister.<br />
<br />
However, the Indian Railways&#39; &quot;functional autonomy will continue to be maintained&quot;, finance minister Jaitley said.<br />
<br />
The other important development is that the federal government is planning to announce its annual budget on an earlier date.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
The finance ministry wants to present the budget on February 1 as against the existing practice of doing it on the last working day of February.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
(WION with inputs from agencies)</p>


One of the merits of the merger is that the Railways' revenue deficit will be shifted to the finance ministry

The Indian government on Wednesday scrapped its 92-year-old practice of presenting a separate Railway Budget. The Railway Budget will be subsumed under the the annual General Budget, Indian finance minister Arun Jaitley said. The upside of the amalgamation is that it will allow Indian Railways to save around Rs 10,000 crore every year for not paying the dividend it has to pay for gross budgetary support from the federal government. The dividend it has to pay is because it takes Rs 40,000 crore from the government to facilitate its overhead costs. The other advantage of the merger is that the Railways' revenue deficit will be shifted to the finance ministry. The merger will have political ramifications too. The powerful railway ministry is set to lose its sheen in the process, though the proposal for a merger was backed right from the start by the incumbent minister Suresh Prabhu. Plus, there was always pressure on railway ministers to augment the rail network in the region they hail from. But that practice would possibly end as the consolidated budget is set to be announced by the finance minister. However, the Indian Railways' "functional autonomy will continue to be maintained", finance minister Jaitley said. The other important development is that the federal government is planning to announce its annual budget on an earlier date. The finance ministry wants to present the budget on February 1 as against the existing practice of doing it on the last working day of February. (WION with inputs from agencies)

India scraps almost century-old practice of presenting rail budget

<p>Delhi&#39;s deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia&#39;s office in Vinod Nagar area of his Patparganj constituency&nbsp;has been burgled, with the thieves decamping with computers, documents, CCTV camera DVR among others, police said on Friday.</p>

<p>&quot;Some materials have been stolen from the reception area of the office which is in the process of being shifted. The burglary is expected to have taken place late last night. The matter is being probed,&quot; said a senior police officer.</p>

<p>Two computers, letter pad, hard disk, documents, digital video recorder of CCTV camera among others were stolen by the burglars who entered the premises by breaking the lock of the office, sources said.</p>

<p>Police said they received a burglary call at around 9:20 am following which a team was sent to the spot.</p>

<p>&quot;The whole office was ransacked and we are trying to ascertain what others item are missing. The office was locked at 2:30 AM yesterday,&quot;&nbsp;the office in-charge Upendra said.</p>

<p>The matter is being probed, police added.</p>

<p>(PTI)</p>


Two computers, a hard disk, and documents have gone missing from Manish Sisodia's office

Delhi's deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia's office in Vinod Nagar area of his Patparganj constituency has been burgled, with the thieves decamping with computers, documents, CCTV camera DVR among others, police said on Friday. "Some materials have been stolen from the reception area of the office which is in the process of being shifted. The burglary is expected to have taken place late last night. The matter is being probed," said a senior police officer. Two computers, letter pad, hard disk, documents, digital video recorder of CCTV camera among others were stolen by the burglars who entered the premises by breaking the lock of the office, sources said. Police said they received a burglary call at around 9:20 am following which a team was sent to the spot. "The whole office was ransacked and we are trying to ascertain what others item are missing. The office was locked at 2:30 AM yesterday," the office in-charge Upendra said. The matter is being probed, police added. (PTI)

India: Delhi deputy chief minister's office burgled

<p>Exactly four years after the infamous December 16 gang rape in the Indian capital, a girl was allegedly raped in a moving car in South Delhi,</p>

<p>The 20-year-old girl, who is from Noida, had&nbsp;come to Delhi in search of a job.</p>

<p>According to news agency ANI, the accused was driving a rental car bearing a Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) sticker and&nbsp;has been arrested by the police.</p>

<p>The girl was reportedly waiting for the bus at around 9 pm&nbsp;last night near All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS)&nbsp;after searching for a job the whole day.</p>

<p>A Maruti car stopped by and the driver offered her to drop to Noida, ANI reported.</p>

<p>At around 11 pm to 12 am, the driver allegedly molested and raped the 20-year-old. The girl managed to escape and reached the police van patrolling the area,</p>

<p>The police van took the victim to the police station and a medical check-up was conducted. The accused driver had fled from the spot after leaving the car.</p>

<p>The police has registered a case under Indian Penal Code (IPC) Sections 357 and 376 and arrested the accused from his friend&#39;s house</p>

<p>(WION with inputs from ANI)</p>


The accused, driving a rental car bearing a Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) sticker,?has been arrested by police

Exactly four years after the infamous December 16 gang rape in the Indian capital, a girl was allegedly raped in a moving car in South Delhi, The 20-year-old girl, who is from Noida, had come to Delhi in search of a job. According to news agency ANI, the accused was driving a rental car bearing a Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) sticker and has been arrested by the police. The girl was reportedly waiting for the bus at around 9 pm last night near All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS) after searching for a job the whole day. A Maruti car stopped by and the driver offered her to drop to Noida, ANI reported. At around 11 pm to 12 am, the driver allegedly molested and raped the 20-year-old. The girl managed to escape and reached the police van patrolling the area, The police van took the victim to the police station and a medical check-up was conducted. The accused driver had fled from the spot after leaving the car. The police has registered a case under Indian Penal Code (IPC) Sections 357 and 376 and arrested the accused from his friend's house (WION with inputs from ANI)

India: Four years after Delhi gang rape, another girl raped in moving car

<p>It was a cold morning in the national capital today with minimum temperature settling at 11.5 degrees Celsius.</p>

<p>&quot;The maximum temperature hovered at 25.6 degrees Celsius. The relative humidity oscillated between 68 and 98 per cent,&quot; a MeT department official said.</p>

<p>According to the Safdarjung Observatory, the visibility was recorded at 300 metres at 8.30 AM, and foggy condition will continue.</p>

<p>&quot;Forecast for next 24 hours is clear sky with fog at most places and dense fog at isolated places in the morning,&quot; he said.</p>

<p>The maximum and minimum temperatures are expected to hover at 25 and 10 degrees Celsius respectively, the weatherman said.</p>

<p>Yesterday, dense fog had reduced visibility to zero in many parts of the city, severely affecting air and rail traffic.</p>

<p>The maximum temperature was recorded at 25.8 degrees Celsius while the minimum settled at 11.9 degrees Celsius.</p>

<p>(PTI)</p>


Yesterday dense fog had reduced visibility to zero in many parts of the city, severely affecting air and rail traffic. The fog will continue

It was a cold morning in the national capital today with minimum temperature settling at 11.5 degrees Celsius. "The maximum temperature hovered at 25.6 degrees Celsius. The relative humidity oscillated between 68 and 98 per cent," a MeT department official said. According to the Safdarjung Observatory, the visibility was recorded at 300 metres at 8.30 AM, and foggy condition will continue. "Forecast for next 24 hours is clear sky with fog at most places and dense fog at isolated places in the morning," he said. The maximum and minimum temperatures are expected to hover at 25 and 10 degrees Celsius respectively, the weatherman said. Yesterday, dense fog had reduced visibility to zero in many parts of the city, severely affecting air and rail traffic. The maximum temperature was recorded at 25.8 degrees Celsius while the minimum settled at 11.9 degrees Celsius. (PTI)

Cold, foggy winter morning in Delhi

<p>After being hit by the worst smog in years, New Delhi today saw thick fog following a couple of weeks of clear weather.</p>

<p>Thursday&#39;s fog affected in the Indian capital and nearby regions affected road, rail and air travel.</p>

<p>The visibility was below 50 metres (55 yards) early morning, leading to the Indira Gandhi International Airport suspending operations. Around four domestic flights were diverted in the morning.</p>

<p>&quot;There was dense fog during the night which caused a lot of problems. It is natural and can lead to accidents on the road,&quot; said passenger Ravinder Singh, flying to Sydney via Bangkok, told Reuters.</p>

<p>Northern railways informed that 50 trains were running late.</p>

<p>The fog is expected to persist for a week, weather forecasters said.</p>

<p>North India, and in particular New Delhi, suffers from a temperature inversion at this time of year that traps air pollution.</p>

<p>The US&nbsp;Embassy&#39;s monitoring station recorded an air quality index (AQI) of 297 that is classified as &quot;very unhealthy&quot;.</p>

<p>It, however, was not as bad as readings that approached 1,000, which is way off the AQI scale that runs to 500, during the first week of November, caused by firecrackers during the Diwali festival and burning of crop stubble in nearby regions.</p>

<p>(WION with inputs from Reuters)</p>


North India, and in particular New Delhi, suffers from a temperature inversion at this time of year that traps air pollution

After being hit by the worst smog in years, New Delhi today saw thick fog following a couple of weeks of clear weather. Thursday's fog affected in the Indian capital and nearby regions affected road, rail and air travel. The visibility was below 50 metres (55 yards) early morning, leading to the Indira Gandhi International Airport suspending operations. Around four domestic flights were diverted in the morning. "There was dense fog during the night which caused a lot of problems. It is natural and can lead to accidents on the road," said passenger Ravinder Singh, flying to Sydney via Bangkok, told Reuters. Northern railways informed that 50 trains were running late. The fog is expected to persist for a week, weather forecasters said. North India, and in particular New Delhi, suffers from a temperature inversion at this time of year that traps air pollution. The US Embassy's monitoring station recorded an air quality index (AQI) of 297 that is classified as "very unhealthy". It, however, was not as bad as readings that approached 1,000, which is way off the AQI scale that runs to 500, during the first week of November, caused by firecrackers during the Diwali festival and burning of crop stubble in nearby regions. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

After smog, Indian capital welcomes foggy winters

<p>Here&rsquo;s some good news for all those iPhone users who often find themselves shrugging a lot - be it during a chat or in comments on social networks. Because your iPhone is soon going to have a dedicated emoji to represent the same.</p>

<p>Apple has released a developer preview of iOS 10.2 which includes new emoji such as Shrug and Fingers Crossed.</p>

<p>Here&rsquo;s how the Shrug emoji will look on your iPhone after it is updated to iOS 10.2:</p>

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<p>The new iOS 10.2 update includes new emoji including the much-awaited shrug emoji. (WION)</p>
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<p>Besides, the new iOS update will bring along all those 72 emoji which were approved in June 2016 by the Unicode Consortium, a body which standardises emoji and sets other language standards for the computing industry.</p>

<p>Some of the popular additions in the new list include Fox Face, Selfie, Black Heart, Avocado and Owl.</p>
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<p>In addition, new emoji representing different professions have also been included in the new iOS 10.2 release. The list includes professions such as Firefighter and Judge, with female and male versions of each (in all skin tones). In total, the new iOS update includes emoji support for 16 new professions - which appear as 32 emoji on the keyboard - one female and one male.</p>

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<p>A range of professions on the emoji keyboard in iOS 10.2. (WION)</p>
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<p>Apple has also updated the appearance of all those existing emoji which were not updated in the last release back in September.</p>

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<p>Brand new emoji designs in iOS 10.2. (WION)</p>
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<p>While a developer preview of iOS 10.2 is out, it is still not known as to when Apple will roll out the new software update to the public. But it is expected to be released only this month.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


Chief secretaries of Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh shall meet once in two months to discuss pollution-control measures

Here’s some good news for all those iPhone users who often find themselves shrugging a lot - be it during a chat or in comments on social networks. Because your iPhone is soon going to have a dedicated emoji to represent the same. Apple has released a developer preview of iOS 10.2 which includes new emoji such as Shrug and Fingers Crossed. Here’s how the Shrug emoji will look on your iPhone after it is updated to iOS 10.2: The new iOS 10.2 update includes new emoji including the much-awaited shrug emoji. (WION) × Besides, the new iOS update will bring along all those 72 emoji which were approved in June 2016 by the Unicode Consortium, a body which standardises emoji and sets other language standards for the computing industry. Some of the popular additions in the new list include Fox Face, Selfie, Black Heart, Avocado and Owl. In addition, new emoji representing different professions have also been included in the new iOS 10.2 release. The list includes professions such as Firefighter and Judge, with female and male versions of each (in all skin tones). In total, the new iOS update includes emoji support for 16 new professions - which appear as 32 emoji on the keyboard - one female and one male. A range of professions on the emoji keyboard in iOS 10.2. (WION) × Apple has also updated the appearance of all those existing emoji which were not updated in the last release back in September. Brand new emoji designs in iOS 10.2. (WION) × While a developer preview of iOS 10.2 is out, it is still not known as to when Apple will roll out the new software update to the public. But it is expected to be released only this month.

Air pollution: India's national green tribunal favours committee for emergency action plan

<p>A thick menacing grey haze blanketed the Indian capital today as pollution levels breached the safe limit by over 17 times at several places.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The deteriorating air quality prompted chief minister Arvind Kejriwal to describe Delhi as a &quot;gas chamber&quot; and seek the central government&#39;s intervention.</p>

<p>The post Diwali pollution and burning of crops around the capital has increased the respirable pollutants PM 2.5 and PM 10 to hazardours levels.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Monitoring agencies recorded &quot;severe&quot;&nbsp;quality air and advised people to avoid going outdoors. The smog brought down the visibility to around 200 metres across the city.</p>

<p>The union environment minister Anil Dave called for a meeting of the environment ministers of Delhi and the states in the national capital region on Monday to take stock of the situation and find a solution to combat the problem.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;Pollution has increased to an extent that outdoors in Delhi are resembling a gas chamber. Prima facie the biggest reason seems to be burning of stubble in agricultural fields in Haryana and Punjab in huge quantity,&quot; Kejriwal told a press conference.</p>

<p>Shutting down of schools for a long time was not a feasible solution, he said, when asked about the decision of the civic bodies to keep schools run by it closed for a day in view of pollution.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The chief minister appealed to the people to minimise the use of private vehicles and switch to public transportation facilities. He further advised that farmers should be incentivised, so that they stop burning the crops which lead to decline to qir quality.&nbsp;</p>

<p>On Friday, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) observed that the Delhi government, the central government and other officials have been apathetic to the rising air pollution level.</p>

<p>(WION with inputs from agencies)<br />
&nbsp;</p>


As Delhi witnessed pollutant levels 17 times above the safe limits, environment ministers urged immediate steps to tackle the situation

A thick menacing grey haze blanketed the Indian capital today as pollution levels breached the safe limit by over 17 times at several places. The deteriorating air quality prompted chief minister Arvind Kejriwal to describe Delhi as a "gas chamber" and seek the central government's intervention. The post Diwali pollution and burning of crops around the capital has increased the respirable pollutants PM 2.5 and PM 10 to hazardours levels. Monitoring agencies recorded "severe" quality air and advised people to avoid going outdoors. The smog brought down the visibility to around 200 metres across the city. The union environment minister Anil Dave called for a meeting of the environment ministers of Delhi and the states in the national capital region on Monday to take stock of the situation and find a solution to combat the problem. "Pollution has increased to an extent that outdoors in Delhi are resembling a gas chamber. Prima facie the biggest reason seems to be burning of stubble in agricultural fields in Haryana and Punjab in huge quantity," Kejriwal told a press conference. Shutting down of schools for a long time was not a feasible solution, he said, when asked about the decision of the civic bodies to keep schools run by it closed for a day in view of pollution. The chief minister appealed to the people to minimise the use of private vehicles and switch to public transportation facilities. He further advised that farmers should be incentivised, so that they stop burning the crops which lead to decline to qir quality. On Friday, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) observed that the Delhi government, the central government and other officials have been apathetic to the rising air pollution level. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Delhi choking: Government calls emergency meeting over 'alarming' pollution levels

<p>Delhi Police on Monday briefly detained Congress party vice-president Rahul Gandhi and deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia after they tried to enter a government hospital in the Indian capital to meet the family of the ex-serviceman who had committed suicide earlier in the&nbsp;day, dissatisfied over the implementation of one rank one pension scheme for the Indian Army.&nbsp;&nbsp;Hours later, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal was also detained after he protested outside another hospital where the soldier&#39;s body had been&nbsp;taken for post-mortem.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Ex serviceman suicide issue: Cong VP Rahul Gandhi has been released from Mandir Marg Police station (Delhi) after being detained by police <a href="https://t.co/KvgkwU17Un">pic.twitter.com/KvgkwU17Un</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/793761706312728576">November 2, 2016</a></blockquote>
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<p>The family of the deceased soldier, Ram Kishan Grewal,&nbsp;was&nbsp;also reportedly detained&nbsp;for continuing to protest at New Delhi&#39;s Ram Manohar Lohia hospital even after the body was taken to the&nbsp;Lady Hardinge hospital for the post-mortem.<br />
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Delhi: Family members detained as well as they are contacting political leaders and holding demonstration here: MK Meena <a href="https://t.co/Ks7FwlK2qt">pic.twitter.com/Ks7FwlK2qt</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/793745960719429632">November 2, 2016</a></blockquote>
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<p><br />
Rahul argued with the police about the reason for the arrest of the family members.<br />
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash">#WATCH</a>: Inside visuals of the Mandir Marg Police station (Delhi), where Congress VP Rahul Gandhi has been detained. <a href="https://t.co/Tr0F34XMTn">pic.twitter.com/Tr0F34XMTn</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/793760420259442689">November 2, 2016</a></blockquote>
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<p><br />
This is &#39;goondagardi&#39; (hooliganism), Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said about his deputy being&nbsp;detained,&nbsp;adding that he was determined to meet Grewal&#39;s family. &quot;I am the chief minister of Delhi. An ex-serviceman has committed suicide. Is it not my duty to meet the grieving family?&quot; Kejriwal said.<br />
&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Deputy CM has also been detained, we have a cabinet meeting today which we will have to cancel now. This is &#39;gundagardi&#39;: Delhi CM Kejriwal <a href="https://t.co/QpftaqnHrA">pic.twitter.com/QpftaqnHrA</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/793754612398329856">November 2, 2016</a></blockquote>
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<p>Rahul was forbidden from entering the hospital premises&nbsp;for &#39;disruption of duty,&#39; Delhi Police had earlier told Indian&nbsp;news agency ANI.<br />
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Security personnel not allowing Rahul Gandhi to enter RML Hospital to meet family of ex-serviceman(who committed suicide) <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OROP?src=hash">#OROP</a> <a href="https://t.co/Nnd3a8M8qk">pic.twitter.com/Nnd3a8M8qk</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/793731887881519104">November 2, 2016</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">RGandhi detained at Mandir Marg PS for &#39;disruption of duty&#39;after he wasn&#39;t allowed to enter RML hosp to meet ex-serviceman&#39;s family-MK Meena <a href="https://t.co/bqtfShbuKe">pic.twitter.com/bqtfShbuKe</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/793745082436296704">November 2, 2016</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Democracy doesn&#39;t mean creating obstruction. Leaders must also understand that hosp is not the place to hold any demonstrations: MK Meena <a href="https://t.co/yLKvutCRG9">pic.twitter.com/yLKvutCRG9</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/793746332389257216">November 2, 2016</a></blockquote>
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<p>He retailated with a caustic tweet: &quot;A new India is being built&rdquo;.&nbsp;<br />
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<p dir="ltr" lang="tl">Naya Hindustan ban raha hai bhaiya: Rahul Gandhi after not being allowed to meet family of ex-serviceman in RML Hospital <a href="https://t.co/v1IWKaOSVl">pic.twitter.com/v1IWKaOSVl</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/793732623327637504">November 2, 2016</a></blockquote>
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<p>Rahul Gandhi had earlier condoled his death on Twitter and urged PM Modi that &ldquo;OROP be implemented in a meaningful way.&rdquo;</p>

<p>On Saturday, the Congress vice-president had written to&nbsp;PM Modi, asking his government to ensure that the grievances of defence personnel relating to their salary and pensions were addressed. He had specifically mentioned the OROP scheme and the disability pension in his letter.</p>

<p>Indian Army soldier, Ram Kishan Grewal allegedly committed suicide by consuming poison at New Delhi&#39;s Jantar Mantar over the implementation of the Indian government&#39;s One Rank One Pension (OROP) scheme.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In a suicide note, Grewal, 70, said he was taking the extreme step for the soldiers.</p>

<p>Police said that&nbsp;he along with some other ex-servicemen was in the process of submitting a memorandum to the Indian defence ministry over the issue of OROP.</p>

<p>Grewal&#39;s son told ANI that his father took the extreme step because the government had failed to fulfil the demands related to OROP.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Ex-servicemen have been protesting over the OROP scheme introduced by the government.<br />
<br />
(WION with inputs from ANI)</p>

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The Congress vice-president attacked the Narendra Modi-government and sarcastically tweeted: A new India is being built

Delhi Police on Monday briefly detained Congress party vice-president Rahul Gandhi and deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia after they tried to enter a government hospital in the Indian capital to meet the family of the ex-serviceman who had committed suicide earlier in the day, dissatisfied over the implementation of one rank one pension scheme for the Indian Army. Hours later, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal was also detained after he protested outside another hospital where the soldier's body had been taken for post-mortem. Ex serviceman suicide issue: Cong VP Rahul Gandhi has been released from Mandir Marg Police station (Delhi) after being detained by police pic.twitter.com/KvgkwU17Un — ANI (@ANI_news) November 2, 2016 × The family of the deceased soldier, Ram Kishan Grewal, was also reportedly detained for continuing to protest at New Delhi's Ram Manohar Lohia hospital even after the body was taken to the Lady Hardinge hospital for the post-mortem. Delhi: Family members detained as well as they are contacting political leaders and holding demonstration here: MK Meena pic.twitter.com/Ks7FwlK2qt — ANI (@ANI_news) November 2, 2016 × Rahul argued with the police about the reason for the arrest of the family members. #WATCH: Inside visuals of the Mandir Marg Police station (Delhi), where Congress VP Rahul Gandhi has been detained. pic.twitter.com/Tr0F34XMTn — ANI (@ANI_news) November 2, 2016 × This is 'goondagardi' (hooliganism), Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said about his deputy being detained, adding that he was determined to meet Grewal's family. "I am the chief minister of Delhi. An ex-serviceman has committed suicide. Is it not my duty to meet the grieving family?" Kejriwal said. Deputy CM has also been detained, we have a cabinet meeting today which we will have to cancel now. This is 'gundagardi': Delhi CM Kejriwal pic.twitter.com/QpftaqnHrA — ANI (@ANI_news) November 2, 2016 × Rahul was forbidden from entering the hospital premises for 'disruption of duty,' Delhi Police had earlier told Indian news agency ANI. Security personnel not allowing Rahul Gandhi to enter RML Hospital to meet family of ex-serviceman(who committed suicide) #OROP pic.twitter.com/Nnd3a8M8qk — ANI (@ANI_news) November 2, 2016 × RGandhi detained at Mandir Marg PS for 'disruption of duty'after he wasn't allowed to enter RML hosp to meet ex-serviceman's family-MK Meena pic.twitter.com/bqtfShbuKe — ANI (@ANI_news) November 2, 2016 × Democracy doesn't mean creating obstruction. Leaders must also understand that hosp is not the place to hold any demonstrations: MK Meena pic.twitter.com/yLKvutCRG9 — ANI (@ANI_news) November 2, 2016 × He retailated with a caustic tweet: "A new India is being built”. Naya Hindustan ban raha hai bhaiya: Rahul Gandhi after not being allowed to meet family of ex-serviceman in RML Hospital pic.twitter.com/v1IWKaOSVl — ANI (@ANI_news) November 2, 2016 × Rahul Gandhi had earlier condoled his death on Twitter and urged PM Modi that “OROP be implemented in a meaningful way.” On Saturday, the Congress vice-president had written to PM Modi, asking his government to ensure that the grievances of defence personnel relating to their salary and pensions were addressed. He had specifically mentioned the OROP scheme and the disability pension in his letter. Indian Army soldier, Ram Kishan Grewal allegedly committed suicide by consuming poison at New Delhi's Jantar Mantar over the implementation of the Indian government's One Rank One Pension (OROP) scheme. In a suicide note, Grewal, 70, said he was taking the extreme step for the soldiers. Police said that he along with some other ex-servicemen was in the process of submitting a memorandum to the Indian defence ministry over the issue of OROP. Grewal's son told ANI that his father took the extreme step because the government had failed to fulfil the demands related to OROP. Ex-servicemen have been protesting over the OROP scheme introduced by the government. (WION with inputs from ANI)

India ex-serviceman suicide: Rahul Gandhi, Delhi CM briefly detained while trying to meet deceased's family

<p>Last week, a night patrol team of Delhi Police received a call about a baby lying in a plastic bag under the Munirka flyover in the RK Puram locality of the city.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>The policemen&nbsp;reached the spot, not far from the Munirka bus stop where a 23-year-old paramedical student was gangraped on the fateful night of December 16 in 2012. The incident had sent shockwaves across India.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>The baby was immediately taken to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) by Somnath Paruthi, the station house officer (SHO) of the RK Puram police station and his team.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>The doctors at AIIMS told Paruthi&nbsp;that she was only two days old. Upon examination, they affirmed the baby girl was healthy with no injuries or infection.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Paruthi and his team bought her formula food, some warm clothes and made sure three of their women colleagues&nbsp;were on duty at the neo-natal intensive care unit. &nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

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<p>The Delhi police found her wrapped in a plastic bag under the Munrika flyover. She was admitted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) hospital and was declared healthy by doctors. The police named her &#39;Swadha&#39; or &#39;divine approval&#39;. (WION)</p>
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<p><strong>&#39;Divine approval&#39;&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p>The chance spotting of the baby and her miraculous survival on a Delhi pavement prompted the Delhi police to name her &#39;Swadha&#39;, which means &#39;divine approval&#39; in Sanskrit. But in medico-legal parlance, Swadha is referred to as &quot;baby unknown&quot;.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Even as the police have registered a case and are trying to trace the baby&#39;s family, the doctors and nurses looking after Swadha treat her as one of their own. The nurses dote on her, feeding her formula food with a vessel.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;We receive four to five cases of abandoned infants every year,&quot; says Vinod Paul, head of the pediatrics department at AIIMS.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;We&#39;re happy to look after them,&quot; he adds.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>The western Indian state of Maharashtra has seen the highest number of cases of abandonment of newborn babies. A total of 1,093 cases were registered between 2011 and 2015.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Preference for sons in many Indian families means that most of the abandoned newborns are girls.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Official statistics reveal that a large number of orphaned children are waiting for homes. In 2015, only 3,011 such children were adopted by Indian parents, according to the Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA).&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Meanwhile, police are getting calls from couples hoping to adopt Swadha. AIIMS will subsequently hand over the baby to the child welfare committee.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;We&#39;re the bridge between police and a home for Swadha,&quot; says Dr Paul.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>(WION)&nbsp;<br />
&nbsp;</p>


Delhi Police are receiving calls from couples hoping to adopt the baby. She was found abandoned in a plastic bag

Last week, a night patrol team of Delhi Police received a call about a baby lying in a plastic bag under the Munirka flyover in the RK Puram locality of the city. The policemen reached the spot, not far from the Munirka bus stop where a 23-year-old paramedical student was gangraped on the fateful night of December 16 in 2012. The incident had sent shockwaves across India. The baby was immediately taken to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) by Somnath Paruthi, the station house officer (SHO) of the RK Puram police station and his team. The doctors at AIIMS told Paruthi that she was only two days old. Upon examination, they affirmed the baby girl was healthy with no injuries or infection. Paruthi and his team bought her formula food, some warm clothes and made sure three of their women colleagues were on duty at the neo-natal intensive care unit. The Delhi police found her wrapped in a plastic bag under the Munrika flyover. She was admitted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) hospital and was declared healthy by doctors. The police named her 'Swadha' or 'divine approval'. (WION) × 'Divine approval' The chance spotting of the baby and her miraculous survival on a Delhi pavement prompted the Delhi police to name her 'Swadha', which means 'divine approval' in Sanskrit. But in medico-legal parlance, Swadha is referred to as "baby unknown". Even as the police have registered a case and are trying to trace the baby's family, the doctors and nurses looking after Swadha treat her as one of their own. The nurses dote on her, feeding her formula food with a vessel. "We receive four to five cases of abandoned infants every year," says Vinod Paul, head of the pediatrics department at AIIMS. "We're happy to look after them," he adds. The western Indian state of Maharashtra has seen the highest number of cases of abandonment of newborn babies. A total of 1,093 cases were registered between 2011 and 2015. Preference for sons in many Indian families means that most of the abandoned newborns are girls. Official statistics reveal that a large number of orphaned children are waiting for homes. In 2015, only 3,011 such children were adopted by Indian parents, according to the Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA). Meanwhile, police are getting calls from couples hoping to adopt Swadha. AIIMS will subsequently hand over the baby to the child welfare committee. "We're the bridge between police and a home for Swadha," says Dr Paul. (WION)

India: Abandoned baby girl in Delhi gets new lease of life

<p>Mexican ambassador to India, Melba Priya, has ditched the comfort of fuel-guzzling luxury cars for a beautifully customised auto rickshaw. She uses the white auto rickshaw, replete with floral patterns, to travel across the city.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/7moiptES5Pg?list=PLmWa9ZZLlCjt0Jlg7kN3JBNX4LH1sRsGh" width="970"></iframe> &nbsp;<br />
<br />
This quirky chauffeur-driven auto rickshaw is definitely a breath of fresh air to the city, considering the high air pollution levels that Delhi is grappling with. Her attention-catching auto rickshaw has also created a stir on social media.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
Here&rsquo;s a glimpse of Priya travelling in her auto rickshaw, which she considers as her favourite mode of transport. Watch her ride in style!</p>


This quirky chauffeur-driven auto rickshaw is definitely a breath of fresh air to Delhi.

Mexican ambassador to India, Melba Priya, has ditched the comfort of fuel-guzzling luxury cars for a beautifully customised auto rickshaw. She uses the white auto rickshaw, replete with floral patterns, to travel across the city. This quirky chauffeur-driven auto rickshaw is definitely a breath of fresh air to the city, considering the high air pollution levels that Delhi is grappling with. Her attention-catching auto rickshaw has also created a stir on social media. Here’s a glimpse of Priya travelling in her auto rickshaw, which she considers as her favourite mode of transport. Watch her ride in style!

Video: An auto-rickshaw is the Mexican ambassador's official vehicle

&quot;Don&#39;t know how you all got here. You must have needed boats to get here,&quot; the US secretary of state John Kerry, who is in India for the second Indo-US Strategic and Commercial Dialogue, quipped to the 200-odd students who had assembled at the Indian Institute of Technology in Delhi to listen to him.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
Mr Kerry was of course was referring to the heavy rain that had lashed the Indian capital on Wednesday morning, gridlocked traffic, and made the US secretary of state late for his talk by about an hour. (As anybody who lives in Delhi will tell you, it does not take much rain to bring the city to a dead stop. It rains, the roads get waterlogged, and traffic gets gridlocked.)&nbsp;<br />
<br />
Mr Kerry was supposed to start speaking at 10 am. He was finally able to at 11, which is when he came up with the quip.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
That however was not the end of his woes. Mr Kerry was today supposed to visit three places of worship --&nbsp;the Gauri Shankar temple, the Jama Masjid, and the Gurdwara Sisganj Sahib -- in the old Delhi area at around 11 am today&nbsp;but the rains and the accompanying traffic forced him to call off his plans..&nbsp;<br />
<br />
Kerry also talked about pluralism and democracy -- he had after all wanted to visit a temple , a mosque, and a gurudwara or a Sikh place of worship&nbsp;--&nbsp; in his speech. &nbsp;<br />
<br />
This has not been the first of Mr Kerry&#39;s traffic woes in India. He had found himself stuck in traffic for an hour when he landed on Monday night; the roads then too had been waterlogged.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
Even should Mr Kerry have wanted to escape from his rain and traffic woes, he might have found that difficult too for the rains also led to a slight delay in flights taking off from Delhi airport.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, the met department has forecast rain through the day.<br />
<br />
(WION)

The US secretary of state was also supposed to visit a mosque, a temple, and a gurudwara but the rains forced him to call off his plans

"Don't know how you all got here. You must have needed boats to get here," the US secretary of state John Kerry, who is in India for the second Indo-US Strategic and Commercial Dialogue, quipped to the 200-odd students who had assembled at the Indian Institute of Technology in Delhi to listen to him. Mr Kerry was of course was referring to the heavy rain that had lashed the Indian capital on Wednesday morning, gridlocked traffic, and made the US secretary of state late for his talk by about an hour. (As anybody who lives in Delhi will tell you, it does not take much rain to bring the city to a dead stop. It rains, the roads get waterlogged, and traffic gets gridlocked.) Mr Kerry was supposed to start speaking at 10 am. He was finally able to at 11, which is when he came up with the quip. That however was not the end of his woes. Mr Kerry was today supposed to visit three places of worship -- the Gauri Shankar temple, the Jama Masjid, and the Gurdwara Sisganj Sahib -- in the old Delhi area at around 11 am today but the rains and the accompanying traffic forced him to call off his plans.. Kerry also talked about pluralism and democracy -- he had after all wanted to visit a temple , a mosque, and a gurudwara or a Sikh place of worship -- in his speech. This has not been the first of Mr Kerry's traffic woes in India. He had found himself stuck in traffic for an hour when he landed on Monday night; the roads then too had been waterlogged. Even should Mr Kerry have wanted to escape from his rain and traffic woes, he might have found that difficult too for the rains also led to a slight delay in flights taking off from Delhi airport. Meanwhile, the met department has forecast rain through the day. (WION)

Kerry misses the boat, gets to his talk an hour late

<p>Despite Indian&nbsp;Prime Minister Narendra Modi&#39;s tough message against cow vigilantism, thousands&nbsp;of gau rakshaks (cow vigilantes) are set to descend on Delhi on November 6.<br />
<br />
A stadium is being booked in the national capital to accommodate the invitees, numbering more than a lakh. A ceremony will also be held on the banks of Yamuna river that very evening which may coincide with the North Indian festival of Chhath.</p>

<p>Former Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS)&nbsp;ideologue&nbsp;Govindacharya, the chief organiser of the event, said any person associated with the party cannot go against the cow protection movement.<br />
<br />
&quot;We will organise such awareness programmes at state levels throughout India,&quot; he said.<br />
<br />
It is pertinent to mention that RSS is the parent body of India&#39;s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).&nbsp;<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, the BJP-ruled Indian government is worried about the fact that cow vigilantism has accentuated caste differences within the larger rubric of Hindu politics. The party feels that such activism may hurt them in next year&#39;s elections in Uttar Pradesh, the largest state in India.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
BJP, however, is trying to draw a fine line between vigilantism and &#39;love for cows&#39;.<br />
<br />
&quot;The prime minister did not speak against cow protection. He spoke against cow vigilantism and those who take the law into their own hands and create social conflict,&quot; said BJP spokesperson Sudesh Verma.</p>

<p>The headache doesn&#39;t seem to end for the BJP as a number of cow protection associations have started targeting BJP governments at the state level itself.<br />
<br />
One such meeting, held on Monday in Jaipur and attended by 550 members representing 125 cow shelters across western state&nbsp;Rajasthan, openly spoke against the government.</p>

<p>&quot;We decided that if the Rajasthan government does not improve the current infrastructure, then all the bovines in the state would be taken to respective district magistrate&#39;s residence and set free,&quot; said Govindacharya.</p>

<p>Sources say that at this juncture despite a strong position being taken by the Centre, RSS will not disassociate itself from the issue of cow protection. As expected, the Congress has found a good opportunity to attack the BJP on the issue.<br />
<br />
(This article first appeared on DNA)&nbsp;</p>


The Modi administration is worried that cow vigilantism has accentuated caste differences within the larger rubric of Hindu politics

Despite Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's tough message against cow vigilantism, thousands of gau rakshaks (cow vigilantes) are set to descend on Delhi on November 6. A stadium is being booked in the national capital to accommodate the invitees, numbering more than a lakh. A ceremony will also be held on the banks of Yamuna river that very evening which may coincide with the North Indian festival of Chhath. Former Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) ideologue Govindacharya, the chief organiser of the event, said any person associated with the party cannot go against the cow protection movement. "We will organise such awareness programmes at state levels throughout India," he said. It is pertinent to mention that RSS is the parent body of India's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Meanwhile, the BJP-ruled Indian government is worried about the fact that cow vigilantism has accentuated caste differences within the larger rubric of Hindu politics. The party feels that such activism may hurt them in next year's elections in Uttar Pradesh, the largest state in India. BJP, however, is trying to draw a fine line between vigilantism and 'love for cows'. "The prime minister did not speak against cow protection. He spoke against cow vigilantism and those who take the law into their own hands and create social conflict," said BJP spokesperson Sudesh Verma. The headache doesn't seem to end for the BJP as a number of cow protection associations have started targeting BJP governments at the state level itself. One such meeting, held on Monday in Jaipur and attended by 550 members representing 125 cow shelters across western state Rajasthan, openly spoke against the government. "We decided that if the Rajasthan government does not improve the current infrastructure, then all the bovines in the state would be taken to respective district magistrate's residence and set free," said Govindacharya. Sources say that at this juncture despite a strong position being taken by the Centre, RSS will not disassociate itself from the issue of cow protection. As expected, the Congress has found a good opportunity to attack the BJP on the issue. (This article first appeared on DNA)

Thousands of cow vigilantes to hit Delhi on November 6 despite Indian PM's stern message

In the Indian capital, Delhi police special cell today seized heroin worth Rupees 16 crore and arrested four persons, including two Nigerians. The other&nbsp;two, Surendra Bhatt and Balwinder, belong to northern Punjab state, and they were arrested from Delhi&#39;s Mubarka Chowk.<br />
<br />
On questioning, the Indian duo revealed that the two Nigerians used to supply them heroin. After the raid, the two Nigerians were also arrested and one kilogram of heroin was seized from them.<br />
<br />
The police have recovered a Nigerian passport, a South Africa passport and a fake Indian visa.The two accused from Punjab used to supply heroin in Delhi, which was being used in parties.<br />
<br />
The police are on the look out of more people involved in this racket.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
<br />
(ANI)

Four people including two Indians and two Nigerians, were arrested in the raid by Delhi Police special cell

In the Indian capital, Delhi police special cell today seized heroin worth Rupees 16 crore and arrested four persons, including two Nigerians. The other two, Surendra Bhatt and Balwinder, belong to northern Punjab state, and they were arrested from Delhi's Mubarka Chowk. On questioning, the Indian duo revealed that the two Nigerians used to supply them heroin. After the raid, the two Nigerians were also arrested and one kilogram of heroin was seized from them. The police have recovered a Nigerian passport, a South Africa passport and a fake Indian visa.The two accused from Punjab used to supply heroin in Delhi, which was being used in parties. The police are on the look out of more people involved in this racket. (ANI)

India: Police recover heroin worth 16 crores

Heavy rains have lashed large parts of India, bringing major metropolitan cities to a standstill.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
Vehicular movement remains affected in various parts of the southern city of Bengaluru due to heavy downpour. In the small hamlet Bilekahalli, boats are being used after torrential rain wreaked havoc. &nbsp;<br />
<br />
Arterial roads in the national capital Delhi as well as Mumbai, metropolitan city in western state of Maharashtra, also remain choked with traffic. Massive traffic jams have been reported on Western Express Highway in Andheri, a Mumbai suburb. &nbsp;<br />
<br />
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<p>Indian cities Delhi, Gurugram, Uttarakhand and Bengaluru massively affected by heavy downpour. Heavy rainfall triggers traffic jams, power cuts and waterlogging in the cities. Source: ANI, Dr. Amit Kapoor, Bengaluru, twitter</p>
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<br />
<br />
<strong>Traffic snarls in the millenium city of Gurugram draw India&#39;s attention &nbsp;</strong><br />
<br />
Thousands of Indians were left stranded on Thursday as major traffic gridlocks paralysed roads to a key business city near Indian capital city New Delhi and authorities struggled to get the situation under control.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
Television images showed thousands of partially submerged cars stranded in miles-long jams on a key highway and link roads connecting New Delhi with the satellite town of Gurugram, formerly known as Gurgaon.<br />
<br />
Office-goers and locals were pictured wading through knee-deep water after heavy monsoon rains deluged streets late Thursday.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
Local authorities issued an order today asking people to avoid travelling to the area in northern Haryana state and shut schools for two days.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
Dubbed &quot;Millennium City&quot;, Gurgaon is home to scores of top multinational companies, expensive condominiums, a world-class golf course, top hospitals and gleaming shopping malls.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
However, like many Indian cities, it lacks an efficient drainage system making it prone to flooding.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
&quot;People coming to Gurgaon from Delhi are advised to stay back today to avoid being stuck in traffic jams due to flooding on roads,&quot; Gurgaon police posted on Twitter. &nbsp;<br />
<br />
Several commuters meanwhile took to social media to vent their anger. &quot;Gurugram! What a nightmare. 5 hours to cover 1 km. Parked car on roadside, slept in the car and now back in office,&quot; Rajesh Mehta wrote on Twitter.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
Crumbling civic infrastructure, clogged drains and uncontrolled construction in Indian cities results in widespread flooding of roads during the rainy season.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
Indian transport minister Nitin Gadkari today talked to the National Highways Authorities of India (NHAI) chairman, directing him to send team of officials to National Highway-8 (NH-8) immediately.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
The tailback on Friday extended to 15-20 kilometres at central Hero Honda Chowk in Gurugram that was inundated. &nbsp;An under-construction underpass and flyover near the Chowk led to a diversion at the spot which further slowed the traffic, while the drainage system has failed&nbsp;<br />
<br />
<strong>Floods hit more than 1.2 million Indians </strong>&nbsp;<br />
<br />
The four-month-long monsoon begins in June and is vital for irrigating farmland of more than 330 million Indian farmers. &nbsp;<br />
<br />
But excess rains in many parts in east and north India have resulted in deluge, killing dozens. &nbsp;<br />
<br />
More than 1.2 million people in northeast India have been hit by floods, which have submerged hundreds of villages, inundated large swathes of farmland and damaged roads, bridges and telecommunications services, local authorities said on Tuesday.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
Incessant monsoon rains in the tea and oil-rich state of Assam have forced the burgeoning Brahmaputra river and its tributaries to burst their banks -- affecting more than half of the region&#39;s 32 districts. &nbsp;<br />
<br />
Indian interior minister Rajnath Singh will be making an aerial survey of flood-affected areas of Nagaon, Morigaon and Kaziranga in Assam tomorrow.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
He will also be visiting Bhagatgaon Camp of flood-affected residents in Morigaon district.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
Singh will hold a meeting with Assam chief minister Sarbanand Sonowal and other state government officers in state capital Guwahati before returning to Delhi in the evening.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
(Agencies) &nbsp;<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
&nbsp;

Massive traffic snarls have been reported from Bengaluru, Delhi, Mumbai and Gurugram amid downpour

Heavy rains have lashed large parts of India, bringing major metropolitan cities to a standstill. Vehicular movement remains affected in various parts of the southern city of Bengaluru due to heavy downpour. In the small hamlet Bilekahalli, boats are being used after torrential rain wreaked havoc. Arterial roads in the national capital Delhi as well as Mumbai, metropolitan city in western state of Maharashtra, also remain choked with traffic. Massive traffic jams have been reported on Western Express Highway in Andheri, a Mumbai suburb. Indian cities Delhi, Gurugram, Uttarakhand and Bengaluru massively affected by heavy downpour. Heavy rainfall triggers traffic jams, power cuts and waterlogging in the cities. Source: ANI, Dr. Amit Kapoor, Bengaluru, twitter Traffic snarls in the millenium city of Gurugram draw India's attention Thousands of Indians were left stranded on Thursday as major traffic gridlocks paralysed roads to a key business city near Indian capital city New Delhi and authorities struggled to get the situation under control. Television images showed thousands of partially submerged cars stranded in miles-long jams on a key highway and link roads connecting New Delhi with the satellite town of Gurugram, formerly known as Gurgaon. Office-goers and locals were pictured wading through knee-deep water after heavy monsoon rains deluged streets late Thursday. Local authorities issued an order today asking people to avoid travelling to the area in northern Haryana state and shut schools for two days. Dubbed "Millennium City", Gurgaon is home to scores of top multinational companies, expensive condominiums, a world-class golf course, top hospitals and gleaming shopping malls. However, like many Indian cities, it lacks an efficient drainage system making it prone to flooding. "People coming to Gurgaon from Delhi are advised to stay back today to avoid being stuck in traffic jams due to flooding on roads," Gurgaon police posted on Twitter. Several commuters meanwhile took to social media to vent their anger. "Gurugram! What a nightmare. 5 hours to cover 1 km. Parked car on roadside, slept in the car and now back in office," Rajesh Mehta wrote on Twitter. Crumbling civic infrastructure, clogged drains and uncontrolled construction in Indian cities results in widespread flooding of roads during the rainy season. Indian transport minister Nitin Gadkari today talked to the National Highways Authorities of India (NHAI) chairman, directing him to send team of officials to National Highway-8 (NH-8) immediately. The tailback on Friday extended to 15-20 kilometres at central Hero Honda Chowk in Gurugram that was inundated. An under-construction underpass and flyover near the Chowk led to a diversion at the spot which further slowed the traffic, while the drainage system has failed Floods hit more than 1.2 million Indians The four-month-long monsoon begins in June and is vital for irrigating farmland of more than 330 million Indian farmers. But excess rains in many parts in east and north India have resulted in deluge, killing dozens. More than 1.2 million people in northeast India have been hit by floods, which have submerged hundreds of villages, inundated large swathes of farmland and damaged roads, bridges and telecommunications services, local authorities said on Tuesday. Incessant monsoon rains in the tea and oil-rich state of Assam have forced the burgeoning Brahmaputra river and its tributaries to burst their banks -- affecting more than half of the region's 32 districts. Indian interior minister Rajnath Singh will be making an aerial survey of flood-affected areas of Nagaon, Morigaon and Kaziranga in Assam tomorrow. He will also be visiting Bhagatgaon Camp of flood-affected residents in Morigaon district. Singh will hold a meeting with Assam chief minister Sarbanand Sonowal and other state government officers in state capital Guwahati before returning to Delhi in the evening. (Agencies)

Torrential rain paralyses metropolitan Indian cities

The Supreme Court of India will today begin its hearing in the appeals filed by the four accused in the landmark December 16 gang rape case which had rocked the nation.<br />
<br />
Twenty three-year-old Nirbhaya was brutally assaulted and gang-raped by six people in a moving bus in the capital city of New Delhi on the night of December 16, 2012 and thrown out of the vehicle. She died in a Singapore hospital on December 29.<br />
<br />
A special bench of the Indian apex court hearing the plea of convicts awarded death in the case has decided to sit two hours beyond its working time to ensure speedy disposal of the case that has been pending in the court for more than two years.<br />
<br />
The convicts Vinay Sharma (23), Akshay Thakur (31), Mukesh (29) and Pawan Gupta (22) were awarded death sentence by a trial court in September 2013 and six months later the Delhi High Court upheld their conviction and sentence. All the convicts then approached the Supreme Court which in 2014 had stayed their execution and the matter is pending in the top court since then.<br />
<br />
The Delhi High Court had upheld their conviction and award of death penalty by terming the offence as &#39;extremely fiendish&#39; and &#39;unparalleled in the history of criminal jurisprudence&#39; and said the exemplary punishment was the need of the hour.<br />
<br />
Though arguments started in April before a three-judge bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra, arguments will have to be made afresh since the combination of judges in the bench has been changed.<br />
<br />
The bench comprises Justices Dipak Misra, C. Nagappan and Ms. R. Banumathi.<br />
<br />
(ANI)

Jyoti Singh Pandey (23) was assaulted and gang raped by six on December 16, 2012. She died on Dec 29

The Supreme Court of India will today begin its hearing in the appeals filed by the four accused in the landmark December 16 gang rape case which had rocked the nation. Twenty three-year-old Nirbhaya was brutally assaulted and gang-raped by six people in a moving bus in the capital city of New Delhi on the night of December 16, 2012 and thrown out of the vehicle. She died in a Singapore hospital on December 29. A special bench of the Indian apex court hearing the plea of convicts awarded death in the case has decided to sit two hours beyond its working time to ensure speedy disposal of the case that has been pending in the court for more than two years. The convicts Vinay Sharma (23), Akshay Thakur (31), Mukesh (29) and Pawan Gupta (22) were awarded death sentence by a trial court in September 2013 and six months later the Delhi High Court upheld their conviction and sentence. All the convicts then approached the Supreme Court which in 2014 had stayed their execution and the matter is pending in the top court since then. The Delhi High Court had upheld their conviction and award of death penalty by terming the offence as 'extremely fiendish' and 'unparalleled in the history of criminal jurisprudence' and said the exemplary punishment was the need of the hour. Though arguments started in April before a three-judge bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra, arguments will have to be made afresh since the combination of judges in the bench has been changed. The bench comprises Justices Dipak Misra, C. Nagappan and Ms. R. Banumathi. (ANI)

Final hearing in India's landmark gang rape case to begin today

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal washed dishes today at Golden Temple in north India&#39;s Punjab state as a mark of &#39;repentance&#39; after his party received flak for depicting the image of the reverred Sikh shrine with the party symbol, a broom, in their election manifesto.<br />
<br />
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), or the common man party, created controversy when they superimposed a broom&#39;s image on the cover of their youth manifesto for 2017 local elections alongside a picture of Sri Harmandir Sahib, also known as Golden Temple.<br />
<br />
AAP spokesperson Ashish Khetan added fuel to the fire when he compared the party manifesto to the Guru Granth Sahib, the prime Sikh religious scripture.<br />
<br />
Party chief Arvind Kejriwal offered voluntary service at the holy shrine to make up for the mistake.<br />
<br />
&quot;We made some mistakes while drafting our youth manifesto due to our ignorance. I have come here to apologise for them. We offered sewa (voluntary service offered by devotees in Gurudwaras) which gave us immense pleasure. Then we prayed before God,&quot; he said in Amritsar city.<br />
<br />
In its youth manifesto, AAP promised to free the region of corruption and end the widespread drug menace in Punjab.<br />
<br />
A three-way political contest is shaping up between the AAP, the ruling Akali Dal-Bharatiya Janata Party alliance, which has ruled Punjab since 2007, and opposition Congress party.<br />
<br />
(Reuters)

His party had created controversy by printing a broom's image with a photo of Golden Temple, the most revered Sikh shrine

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal washed dishes today at Golden Temple in north India's Punjab state as a mark of 'repentance' after his party received flak for depicting the image of the reverred Sikh shrine with the party symbol, a broom, in their election manifesto. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), or the common man party, created controversy when they superimposed a broom's image on the cover of their youth manifesto for 2017 local elections alongside a picture of Sri Harmandir Sahib, also known as Golden Temple. AAP spokesperson Ashish Khetan added fuel to the fire when he compared the party manifesto to the Guru Granth Sahib, the prime Sikh religious scripture. Party chief Arvind Kejriwal offered voluntary service at the holy shrine to make up for the mistake. "We made some mistakes while drafting our youth manifesto due to our ignorance. I have come here to apologise for them. We offered sewa (voluntary service offered by devotees in Gurudwaras) which gave us immense pleasure. Then we prayed before God," he said in Amritsar city. In its youth manifesto, AAP promised to free the region of corruption and end the widespread drug menace in Punjab. A three-way political contest is shaping up between the AAP, the ruling Akali Dal-Bharatiya Janata Party alliance, which has ruled Punjab since 2007, and opposition Congress party. (Reuters)

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal washes utensils in Golden Temple

The Delhi High Court has said it was &quot;unfortunate&quot; that India was still following British era recruitment process and selecting police personnel on basis of only physical strength and fitness, and advised devising of a procedure which would include criteria like emotional maturity and psychological tests.<br />
<br />
&quot;What we find in India is that the only screening done is with respect to the moral character and integrity, physical strength and (that the person is) free from medical disease.&nbsp;No evaluation pertaining to the emotional maturity, ability to remain calm in emotionally charged situations, ability to handle difficult situations and be responsive and the ability of initiative in work is conducted,&quot; a bench of justices Pradeep Nandrajog and Pratibha Rani said.<br />
<br />
The bench said it was &quot;unfortunate&quot; that India was &quot;not marching ahead in the comity of nations&quot;, where psychological tests are also conducted to ascertain suitability of a candidate commensurate to the nature of job they are being inducted to.<br />
<br />
It advised the Centre to devise a selection procedure under which those who are desirous of joining police forces would be tested with regard to not only their integrity, physical strength and fitness but also with respect to their emotional maturity, ability to be calm in charged situations, ability to exercise initiative in their work, dependability and good judgement.<br />
<br />
The observations came on a man&#39;s plea challenging the order withdrawing his appointment to post of constable in the CISF on the ground that he was an accused in a criminal case, even though he was acquitted by the trial court.<br />
<br />
It noted there were &quot;no rules to guide the authorities in Delhi Police as to in what cases despite acquittal, the person can be kept out of service or can be deprived of employment&quot;.<br />
<br />
With regard to the criteria of criminal background of a candidate, the court said it would be a violation of the Constitutional right of a person if &quot;trivial offences&quot; by him would justify the government &quot;shutting its eyes and denying employment&quot;.<br />
<br />
It said it was &quot;high time&quot; that the executive made a policy for not treating summary or ordinary conviction as a bar to entry or retention in government service, including the police force.<br />
<br />
Noting that his acquittal was &quot;honourable&quot; as it came after the prosecution led all its evidence, the high court set aside his rejection and directed that he be inducted into service as a Constable with Central Industrial Security Force (CISF).<br />
<br />
It also said that &quot;he would be entitled to all benefits of seniority and continuity into service with effect from the date the person immediately beneath the petitioner in the empanelled list was made to join&quot;.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
(PTI)

The Delhi High Court said it was 'unfortunate' India still followed British era recruitment, selecting police only by strength and fitness

The Delhi High Court has said it was "unfortunate" that India was still following British era recruitment process and selecting police personnel on basis of only physical strength and fitness, and advised devising of a procedure which would include criteria like emotional maturity and psychological tests. "What we find in India is that the only screening done is with respect to the moral character and integrity, physical strength and (that the person is) free from medical disease. No evaluation pertaining to the emotional maturity, ability to remain calm in emotionally charged situations, ability to handle difficult situations and be responsive and the ability of initiative in work is conducted," a bench of justices Pradeep Nandrajog and Pratibha Rani said. The bench said it was "unfortunate" that India was "not marching ahead in the comity of nations", where psychological tests are also conducted to ascertain suitability of a candidate commensurate to the nature of job they are being inducted to. It advised the Centre to devise a selection procedure under which those who are desirous of joining police forces would be tested with regard to not only their integrity, physical strength and fitness but also with respect to their emotional maturity, ability to be calm in charged situations, ability to exercise initiative in their work, dependability and good judgement. The observations came on a man's plea challenging the order withdrawing his appointment to post of constable in the CISF on the ground that he was an accused in a criminal case, even though he was acquitted by the trial court. It noted there were "no rules to guide the authorities in Delhi Police as to in what cases despite acquittal, the person can be kept out of service or can be deprived of employment". With regard to the criteria of criminal background of a candidate, the court said it would be a violation of the Constitutional right of a person if "trivial offences" by him would justify the government "shutting its eyes and denying employment". It said it was "high time" that the executive made a policy for not treating summary or ordinary conviction as a bar to entry or retention in government service, including the police force. Noting that his acquittal was "honourable" as it came after the prosecution led all its evidence, the high court set aside his rejection and directed that he be inducted into service as a Constable with Central Industrial Security Force (CISF). It also said that "he would be entitled to all benefits of seniority and continuity into service with effect from the date the person immediately beneath the petitioner in the empanelled list was made to join". (PTI)

Indian police recruitment to vet for emotional maturity, other psychological tests

<div paraeid="{9fd84d5c-04e8-4ea1-91ba-ec51a0e20ba0}{134}" paraid="100684559">Delhi&#39;s population of 10 million&nbsp;is served by 38&nbsp;state-run&nbsp;hospitals.&nbsp;&nbsp;The job they do is admirable given the workload --&nbsp;India&#39;s doctor to patient ratio is 1:1,700 -- a&nbsp;visit to one is not always a pleasant experience. Government-run&nbsp;hospitals tend to be&nbsp;a&nbsp;messy, chaotic affair.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>

<div paraeid="{9fd84d5c-04e8-4ea1-91ba-ec51a0e20ba0}{215}" paraid="365142878">Madhuri,&nbsp;therefore,&nbsp;is fortunate. She has a fever and has been feeling nauseous but she will not have to make the trek to the nearest government hospital.&nbsp;She&nbsp;will&nbsp;instead&nbsp;go&nbsp;to her&nbsp;mohalla&nbsp;or&nbsp;neighbourhood&nbsp;clinic&nbsp;the first of which was set up by Delhi&#39;s&nbsp;Aam&nbsp;Aadmi&nbsp;Party (common&nbsp;man&nbsp;party) government in July 2015.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>

<div paraeid="{9fd84d5c-04e8-4ea1-91ba-ec51a0e20ba0}{222}" paraid="1477063622">At the clinic,&nbsp;Madhuri&nbsp;is taken to a doctor who gives her a&nbsp;physical check-up&nbsp;and then takes a blood sample to test for dengue fever.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>

<div paraeid="{9fd84d5c-04e8-4ea1-91ba-ec51a0e20ba0}{226}" paraid="756363643">Madhuri&#39;s&nbsp;results come back in under a minute.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>

<div paraeid="{9fd84d5c-04e8-4ea1-91ba-ec51a0e20ba0}{229}" paraid="12864790">In under a minute! How can that be possible?&nbsp;Even a private laboratory&nbsp;in Delhi takes at least a day to return test results.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>

<div paraeid="{9fd84d5c-04e8-4ea1-91ba-ec51a0e20ba0}{237}" paraid="1948929865">The miracle worker in this little two-room clinic in the Indian capital&#39;s&nbsp;Peeragarhi&nbsp;area is&nbsp;Swasthya&nbsp;Slate, a compact, 8x12-inch&nbsp;portable device that hooks up to Android phones and tablet computers and allows doctors to conduct as many as 33 diagnostic tests &ndash; including for&nbsp;malaria, dengue, hepatitis B, typhoid, and HIV. A blood or urine sample is placed on a disposable strip, inserted into the Slate, and in less than a minute the results show up on the doctor&#39;s tablet or phone.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>

<div paraeid="{9fd84d5c-04e8-4ea1-91ba-ec51a0e20ba0}{241}" paraid="1181462168">The Slate can also do an ECG&nbsp;and check blood pressure and heart rates.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>

<div paraeid="{9fd84d5c-04e8-4ea1-91ba-ec51a0e20ba0}{246}" paraid="1949557041">((insert picture here of the&nbsp;Swasthya&nbsp;Slate)&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>

<div paraeid="{f9893b57-de3e-46bf-984c-e6a3b871b3ef}{28}" paraid="2020582874">The&nbsp;Swasthya&nbsp;(means health in Hindi)&nbsp;Slate has been a hit so far with both doctors and patients.&nbsp;Each unit costs about&nbsp;Rs&nbsp;40,000 or&nbsp;US$&nbsp;600.&nbsp;Aided&nbsp;by the Slate, a doctor is able to see and diagnose about 50&nbsp;per cent&nbsp;more patients than he did before. &ldquo;As many as 300 patients come to us a day. Earlier, I could diagnose about&nbsp;100 of them. Today,&nbsp;over an eight-hour shift and with the help of the Slate, I can diagnose as many as 150,&quot; says Rather&nbsp;Basit&nbsp;Nazir, the government doctor who&nbsp;has been manning the&nbsp;Peeragarhi&nbsp;clinic.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>

<div paraeid="{f9893b57-de3e-46bf-984c-e6a3b871b3ef}{35}" paraid="1791850438">The next time those 150 patients come in,&nbsp;Nazir&nbsp;will have their medical history handy,&nbsp;for the Slate stores it in the cloud.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>

<div paraeid="{f9893b57-de3e-46bf-984c-e6a3b871b3ef}{40}" paraid="424907524">&ldquo;I have all his information handy before a patient gets to me. I don&rsquo;t have to call him back with his test reports. That helps both us and the patient save time,&rdquo; says&nbsp;Nazir.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>

<div paraeid="{f9893b57-de3e-46bf-984c-e6a3b871b3ef}{55}" paraid="1980413343">Which was exactly why&nbsp;Dr&nbsp;Kanav&nbsp;Kahol, a biomedical engineer and researcher at Arizona State University, invented the Slate &ndash; to speed up testing and to cut costs. The Slate also recommends what treatment and medication can be given to patients, says&nbsp;Dr&nbsp;Vijender&nbsp;Jeph, who heads business development for the Slate.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>

<div paraeid="{f9893b57-de3e-46bf-984c-e6a3b871b3ef}{61}" paraid="322069114">Madhuri&#39;s&nbsp;test comes back positive. She does have&nbsp;dengue&nbsp;fever.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>

<div paraeid="{f9893b57-de3e-46bf-984c-e6a3b871b3ef}{77}" paraid="1960217798">Dr&nbsp;Basit&nbsp;checks his phone &ndash; to see what the Slate tells him about treatment &ndash; and writes out a prescription. As an added precaution, he also tests&nbsp;Madhuri&#39;s&nbsp;four-year-old son.&nbsp;His test&nbsp;has a&nbsp;negative&nbsp;report.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>

<div paraeid="{f9893b57-de3e-46bf-984c-e6a3b871b3ef}{102}" paraid="929087681">The&nbsp;mohalla&nbsp;clinics have themselves been revolutionary. They were set up to pare down the overcrowding that government hospitals in India, especially in the bigger cities, are&nbsp;synonymous&nbsp;with and,&nbsp;of course,&nbsp;to provide affordable healthcare&nbsp;to people closer to their homes. Private hospitals in India tend to be good but expensive. The Delhi government had promised that a 100 clinics would come up by July.&nbsp;So far they&nbsp;have set up 22.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>

<div paraeid="{f9893b57-de3e-46bf-984c-e6a3b871b3ef}{121}" paraid="499288928">Which means they will probably miss their deadlines,&nbsp;but the clinics&nbsp;which will be staffed by doctors from government hospitals and will also function as&nbsp;immunisation&nbsp;centres&nbsp;for children, have certainly found a fan in&nbsp;Madhuri. Going to a government hospital earlier&nbsp;would take up almost two days,&nbsp;she says. One day to get there, wait in line, and then go back the next day to collect her reports. &quot;Plus, I never got free medicine there. Here I do. And the tests are so quick. I certainly hope my&nbsp;mohalla&nbsp;clinic stays. In fact, I hope they build all 100.&quot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>


The 8x12-inch Swasthya Slate hooks up to Android phones and tablets, and is able to conduct 33 medical tests, including those for dengue, malaria, HIV, and even ECGs, in under a minute

Delhi's population of 10 million is served by 38 state-run hospitals. The job they do is admirable given the workload -- India's doctor to patient ratio is 1:1,700 -- a visit to one is not always a pleasant experience. Government-run hospitals tend to be a messy, chaotic affair. Madhuri, therefore, is fortunate. She has a fever and has been feeling nauseous but she will not have to make the trek to the nearest government hospital. She will instead go to her mohalla or neighbourhood clinic the first of which was set up by Delhi's Aam Aadmi Party (common man party) government in July 2015. At the clinic, Madhuri is taken to a doctor who gives her a physical check-up and then takes a blood sample to test for dengue fever. Madhuri's results come back in under a minute. In under a minute! How can that be possible? Even a private laboratory in Delhi takes at least a day to return test results. The miracle worker in this little two-room clinic in the Indian capital's Peeragarhi area is Swasthya Slate, a compact, 8x12-inch portable device that hooks up to Android phones and tablet computers and allows doctors to conduct as many as 33 diagnostic tests – including for malaria, dengue, hepatitis B, typhoid, and HIV. A blood or urine sample is placed on a disposable strip, inserted into the Slate, and in less than a minute the results show up on the doctor's tablet or phone. The Slate can also do an ECG and check blood pressure and heart rates. ((insert picture here of the Swasthya Slate) The Swasthya (means health in Hindi) Slate has been a hit so far with both doctors and patients. Each unit costs about Rs 40,000 or US$ 600. Aided by the Slate, a doctor is able to see and diagnose about 50 per cent more patients than he did before. “As many as 300 patients come to us a day. Earlier, I could diagnose about 100 of them. Today, over an eight-hour shift and with the help of the Slate, I can diagnose as many as 150," says Rather Basit Nazir, the government doctor who has been manning the Peeragarhi clinic. The next time those 150 patients come in, Nazir will have their medical history handy, for the Slate stores it in the cloud. “I have all his information handy before a patient gets to me. I don’t have to call him back with his test reports. That helps both us and the patient save time,” says Nazir. Which was exactly why Dr Kanav Kahol, a biomedical engineer and researcher at Arizona State University, invented the Slate – to speed up testing and to cut costs. The Slate also recommends what treatment and medication can be given to patients, says Dr Vijender Jeph, who heads business development for the Slate. Madhuri's test comes back positive. She does have dengue fever. Dr Basit checks his phone – to see what the Slate tells him about treatment – and writes out a prescription. As an added precaution, he also tests Madhuri's four-year-old son. His test has a negative report. The mohalla clinics have themselves been revolutionary. They were set up to pare down the overcrowding that government hospitals in India, especially in the bigger cities, are synonymous with and, of course, to provide affordable healthcare to people closer to their homes. Private hospitals in India tend to be good but expensive. The Delhi government had promised that a 100 clinics would come up by July. So far they have set up 22. Which means they will probably miss their deadlines, but the clinics which will be staffed by doctors from government hospitals and will also function as immunisation centres for children, have certainly found a fan in Madhuri. Going to a government hospital earlier would take up almost two days, she says. One day to get there, wait in line, and then go back the next day to collect her reports. "Plus, I never got free medicine there. Here I do. And the tests are so quick. I certainly hope my mohalla clinic stays. In fact, I hope they build all 100."

Delhi makes health check-ups easy with Swasthya Slate ? its one-stop medical test kit

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