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The Delhi government has issued a health advisory urging people to follow respiratory hygiene, avoid crowded places and seek timely medical advice as cases of H1N1 (swine flu) rise in the national capital. Delhi has recorded over 2,300 Influenza-A cases this year, including over 1,777 H1N1 cases till Friday. The health department said 114 H1N1 cases were reported on Thursday alone. The advisory asks people to cover their mouth and nose while coughing or sneezing, wash their hands regularly with soap and water, wear masks in crowded places and avoid close contact with people suffering from respiratory illnesses. People have also been advised to avoid touching their eyes and nose, refrain from spitting in public places and take adequate fluids. If symptoms such as fever, cough, sore throat, breathing difficulty, body ache or headache appear seek medical advice instead of taking medicines without consulting a doctor, the advisory said. The health department earlier said Delhi was ful
Construction activities will be completely banned in Delhi from December 10 to January 20 as part of the government's measures to curb air pollution during the winter season, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said on Friday. In a post on X, Gupta urged citizens to report violations, saying construction sites measuring above 500 square metres would be monitored through the Delhi government's Dust Portal and AI-enabled cameras. "Construction will be completely banned from 10 December to 20 January. If you spot any violation, inform MCD, your MLA, or me directly," she said. Gupta said that during the previous winter, construction activities had continued at some sites despite the implementation of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), with work being carried out behind covers. "Last time, even under GRAP, some construction continued behind covers," she said. This year, such sites will be monitored in real time through the Dust Portal and AI-enabled cameras, with alerts being sent to the .
The Delhi government is planning to enact a 'Parivar Pehchan' legislation to formally introduce 'family cards' to ensure that benefits of its welfare schemes and programmes reach the genuine persons, officials said on Monday. The legislation will allow the government to create a database of Delhi residents, said a senior Delhi government officer. In July, the government announced its family card plan, with the primary objective of creating a unified database of all families in the city. The card will carry information of the cardholder's family members, birth and death details and whether they are availing benefits under any existing government scheme. The family card will be modelled on a similar 'Parivar Pehchan Patra' system introduced in Haryana. The 'Delhi Parivar Pehchan' legislation will provide the legal and administrative bases to implement these cards, officials said. Under the system proposed, each family would be issued a card in the name of the eldest female member o
The Delhi government has again extended the pink ticket facility for women passengers in Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) buses till August 31, an official order said on Saturday. In an earlier direction issued by the transport department, 'Pink Saheli' smart card was supposed to be made mandatory from August 16. "The competent authority has now been pleased to accord approval for further extension of the existing arrangement for issuance of paper-based pink tickets up to August 31. Accordingly, during this extended period, eligible women passengers may continue to be issued paper-based pink tickets for availing the free bus travel facility in DTC/DoT (Cluster) buses," the order said. During the extended period, special emphasis shall be laid on public awareness through depot announcements, in-bus announcements, social media, print media and other appropriate channels, it added. So far, around 18 lakh cards have been distributed across the city, and the government aims to increase
To provide different types of transportation services in a single area, the Master Plan of Delhi 2047 proposes developing Multi-Modal Transport Hubs (MMTHs), where metro, bus, railway and other facilities are available in close proximity, officials said on Saturday. Three locations, including Anand Vihar-Karkardooma, Kashmere Gate and Nizamuddin-Sarai Kale Khan road stretches, will be developed as multi-modal transit hubs integrating rail, metro, bus, para-transit and non-motorised transport to improve last-mile connectivity. "Delhi will develop high-footfall transit nodes with multiple modes of transport located at a single location as Multi-Modal Transport Hubs (MMTHs), with comprehensive plans to be prepared jointly by all concerned transit agencies," an official added. According to the draft MPD plan, the concerned transit agencies will undertake coordinated plans for execution of such projects. Beyond the aforementioned roads, additional areas will also be identified for the ..
The Delhi government is likely to bring an ordinance to facilitate the establishment of private universities in the national capital, an official said, days after the Delhi Cabinet approved a draft Bill for the purpose. The proposed legislation, aimed at creating a legal framework for setting up private universities in Delhi, was expected to be introduced in the Assembly during the Monsoon Session but could not be tabled due to legal and technical issues, the official said. "The government will now bring the provision through an ordinance," he said, adding that other details would be incorporated in the legislation. The Delhi Cabinet had on Friday approved the Draft Bill relating to the establishment and incorporation of private universities in the National Capital Territory of Delhi. The proposed law seeks to provide students with more higher education options within the city and promote research, innovation, entrepreneurship and academic collaborations. Under the proposed framewo
Delhi IT minister Pankaj Singh said on Saturday that the Delhi government's proposed drone policy aims to create over 1,000 jobs in the city. The policy, currently under development, will emphasise establishing drone research clusters, dedicated flight testing facilities, utilising drones for traffic management, and providing subsidies to enhance the drone ecosystem. "A comprehensive drone policy is being planned to ensure safe and regulated drone operations, along with job opportunities. The policy is ready; we plan to table it for cabinet approval in a month," Singh said. The policy is being developed by the government's information and technology (IT) department. According to officials, the policy's key objectives include regulating drone usage to prevent misuse, enabling government agencies to use drones for surveillance and mapping, and strengthening integration with the DGCA's Digital Sky platform. The government plans to allocate a separate budget for implementing the schem
Thousands of young and angry people converged on central Delhi on Monday, only to be met by police teargas and lathi-charges in a spiralling protest that started with exam paper leaks and gained traction with activist Sonam Wangchuk's hunger strike. Large parts of central Delhi were gridlocked as the protests gathered pace. Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke was picked up by Delhi Police, the organisation's spokesperson said. "Police brutally cracking down and beating up peaceful protesters, request MPs to stand in support of students on streets," Saurav Das said. Clashes broke out with protesters, some in school uniform, streaming into central Delhi, navigating inner lanes and attempting to find alternative routes to get as close as possible to Parliament. Some police personnel and protesters were injured. Undeterred by the extensive barricading, they walked several kilometres, sometimes joining groups of protesters, shouting slogans stopping to wait for an opport
The Delhi government on Saturday approved replacing the mandatory "Essentiality Certificate" required for opening private schools with a self-certification system, saying the move will simplify the school recognition process and align it with the RTE Act, 2009. According to the Education Department, the decision, approved by Education Minister Ashish Sood, removes long-standing procedural requirements under the Delhi School Education Act and Rules (DSER), 1973, as part of a compliance reduction and deregulation exercise. Under the new self-certification system, applicants seeking recognition for schools will only have to certify that they meet the norms prescribed under the RTE Act, including infrastructure, safety, teacher qualifications and pupil-teacher ratio, instead of requiring prior government approval on whether a school is "necessary" in a particular area. As part of the changes, Rule 44 (3) of the Delhi School Education Rules, 1973, has been amended to do away with the ...
Activist Sonam Wangchuk who was taken to Safdarjung Hospital after a 20-day hunger strike has refused intravenous fluids, oral rehydration solution and other medications despite signs of dehydration and metabolic abnormalities, hospital authorities said on Saturday. He is being continuously monitored and counselled to accept treatment in the interest of his health, they said. Wangchuk, 59, was brought to the hospital by Delhi Police and admitted at 7:40 am with a history of fasting from solid food for 20 days and generalised weakness. There is no history of fainting attacks, the hospital said in health bulletin. At the time of admission, he was conscious with stable pulse, blood pressure and oxygen saturation. Signs of dehydration were seen, it said. Blood gas analysis revealed compensated acidosis with decreased serum potassium with blood sugar of 78 mg/dl. Repeat serum potassium test was similar. Urinary ketones were 1+ at the time of admission which have increased to 3+ by 1 pm,