Pvt engg colleges seek fee hike

HYDERABAD:
Private engineering collegeson Wednesday sought increase in the convener quota fee by Rs 23,000 from the new academic year. They put
forth their demand at a meeting convened by the Admission and Fee Regulatory Committee (AFRC). Representatives of over 60 colleges participated in the meeting.

Private college managements have also asked for increase in the management quota fee from Rs 91,000 to Rs 1.5 lakh from the new academic year.

This was the final representation from the Consortium of Private Engineering Colleges Managements Association. In the past one month, individual colleges had submitted proposals on fee increase along with their audited accounts.

The demands of the colleges had ranged from Rs 40,000 to Rs 75,000 for convener quota and Rs 1 lakh to Rs 2.5 lakh in management quota.

Earn $$ with WidgetBucks

After Sania, Sachin `issued' ration card!

 NELLORE: If Sania Mirza can be `issued' a ration card, why can't the master blaster Sachin Tendulkar get one too! In what is a classic case of
rank official apathy, two ration cards bearing Sachin Tendulkar's name and photographs were found during the exercise to weed out bogus ration cards here on Wednesday.

Both the cards were issued in Nellore town, with details such as father's name, family members, missing. The two cards were part of the 6,000 ration cards which were found to be bogus. Ironically, some cards were `issued' in the name of buildings and some to streets.

In all, two lakh ration cards were verified by officials after the district administration went into an overdrive to weed out fake cards.

Drop-boxes and a toll-free helpline have been set up to receive as many complaints as possible from the public on bogus cards. Officials said ten days' time has been given to the people to disclose the details voluntarily. "After that, we will conduct random raids, seize the bogus cards and book cases against the card holders," a senior official warned. According to official sources, there are 6,94,985 white ration cards in the district and amongst them, nearly one lakh cards are suspected to be bogus.


Earn $$ with WidgetBucks

Homosexuality no crime

NEW DELHI:

In a historic judgement, the Delhi High Court
on Thursday decriminalized homosexuality by reading down section 377 of the Indian
HC decriminalises homosexuality
Gay activists celebrate after the Delhi High Court decriminalised homosexuality by striking down section 377 of the IPC, outside the court in New Delhi.

The Section 377 of the IPC as far as it criminalizes gay sex among consenting adults is violation of fundamental rights, said the high court. However, Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code which criminalizes homosexuality, will continue for non-consensual and non-vaginal sex.

Love-bites don't lie, Deepika !

The actress who has returned to badminton and yoga with a vengeance, has lost five kilos. And, as she stands before you in a short green dress, she looks dishy. “Dishy is such a sexy word,’’ she smiles, her brown eyes lighting up like beacons on a cloudy monsoon day.

The actress has just wrapped up a rom-com with Saif Ali Khan, 39, and is actually packing her suitcases again for a 50-day schedule of Sajid Nadiadwala’s Houseful in London. “This will be my first full-on comedy film,’’ she says. “And I’m a bit excited and nervous.’’

Her co-star is Akshay Kumar, 42, and when you ask Deepika why she chooses men almost double her age to team up with, the 23-year-old says, “I don’t sign a film looking at the hero’s age.’’ She adds, “The script of a film has to turn me on. There are films that I have rejected that other actresses have accepted and vice versa.’’

Factors like money, too, don’t count for this gorgeous girl who is in a happy place in her career, simply because she’s not avaricious. Deepika who saw Kuch Kuch Hota Hai when she was in Class 6, still says bagging Om Shanti Om with Shah Rukh Khan, 44, remains one of the best moments in her life.

And, though there are legions of fans who wish to see her team up with her real-life sweetheart Ranbir Kapoor, the actress says there is no project on the anvil with the two of them.

Currently, if there is one dark cloud that she is worried about, it’s the fact that she will have to spend 50 days away from Mumbai. “I get homesick when I’m away for long spells,’’ says the leggy lass. We’re guessing she misses two staple things in her life when she’s away — Ranbir and her favourite South Indian dish, rasam. Ummm...

Petrol price hiked by Rs 4, diesel by Rs 2

Government has hiked the petrol prices by Rs 4 per litre and diesel by Rs 2 per litre to cut losses of oil companies in view of rising international crude.

Petroleum Minister Murli Deora discussed the necessity of raising fuel prices with party leaders and he is also reported to have sounded Prime Minister Manmohan Singh [ Images ] on the issue, sources close to the development said.

Public sector oil companies have seen losses on fuel sale widening to about Rs 170 crore (Rs 1.7 billion) per day on firming global oil prices and may end the fiscal with over Rs 49,000 crore (Rs 490 billion) in revenue loss.

Indian Oil , Bharat Petroleum and Hindustan Petroleum have seen losses on sale of petrol, diesel, domestic LPG and kerosene inflating from Rs 130 crore (Rs 1.3 billion) to about Rs 170 crore (Rs 1.7 billion) per day, an industry official said.

The hike would come into effect from midnight.

The ministry, however, clarified that there was no change in the prices of kerosene and LPG.