1. DU revamps website
For those who’ve been DU students for a while would know the drastic change brought about in the revamped and improvised website of DU. The students joining university for this year are warmly welcomed by a new and fresh look of the Delhi University website- www.du.ac.in. Till the last academic year, students had to visit separate websites for North and South campus to check their results and for university details, however from now all details are available on the same website.
2. DU introduces course on Research Competency
Institute of Lifelong Learning & Delhi University Library System introduces short term course on “Information Literacy for Research Competency” (ILRC). The students of the University of Delhi fulfilling the eligibility criteria mentioned in the official website of DU may apply for the short term course on ILRC. The application details are also available. The course aims to impart information literacy skills among the participants making them information literate. A certificate will be awarded to the participants on successful completion of the course.

3. Campus Bus Service
A feeder bus service has been started in the North Campus, charging Rs. 5 only. The buses will ply from Monday to Saturday betweek 08:00 am to 06:00 pm with a frequency of 10 minutes every bus. There are 3 main routes: Ramjas- Khalsa College, St. Stephens’- DSW, FMS- Hansraj College.

4. Perfect Gift to DU
A new swanky Delhi University Stadium, a Commonwealth Games venue for rugby, was inaugurated on Thursday by Sports Minister MS Gill, who described it as a ‘gift’ to Delhi University. It took almost 2 years to build.

‘Mission Admission’ may have been successfully completed, but the new inductees into Delhi University from out of town face another hurdle this year: ‘Mission Accommodation’.

The Commonwealth Games are proving to be an expensive affair, not just for the government, but also for out-station students with the leasing out of college hostel rooms. This has led to an increase in the demand for Paying Guest (PG) accommodation this year. Even though such accommodation has been made available, it has been done at unreasonable prices. Given the non-regularised nature of PGs, there has been no check on the exorbitant rents charged by land owners. This lack of monitoring has also resulted in poor quality of accommodation. Students complain about the small size or the rooms in proportion to the rent, and the inadequate facilities.

In the areas around Lady Shri Ram College, the rents stand at an average of Rs 9000 a month, a huge leap from last year’s Rs 6500. These charges do not take into account other costs like electricity, among others. While the PG owners claim that the rise in price is a result of over-all inflation, it may be seen as directly related to the fall in number of available hostel rooms due to the Commonwealth Games.

While there has been an increase in the rates of PG accommodations and in the rents of flats that are often occupied by students in north campus as well, it has not been anything out of the ordinary. Says Aditii Saxena, “My PG has increased it rates by a thousand rupees, but it is justified considering the facilities they provide. They have increased the rates due to the provision of Wi-fi.” This view was shared by a resident of a PG in Civil Lines, “I am now paying a higher rent, but it has nothing to do with the Commonwealth Games.”

Thus, there seems to be a dichotomy between the rates charged and facilities provided by the accommodations provided around North and South Campus colleges.

A boy was found mysteriously murdered in the Hansraj College hostel. The boy was recognized to be 22 year old, Mukesh Kumar of B.A. Hindi Hons. The victim was visually impaired and was found hanging from the ceiling fan.

Around 7:30 in the evening on 8th February, Mukesh Kumar’s friend came to his room for dinner, and receiving no reply from within he alerted the warden who then proceeded to call in the police.

Police suspect it to be a murder case since the victim’s hands were tied behind his back and suicide seems improbable. “We have lodged a murder case. We believe this to be the job of an insider who knew exactly where Mukesh stayed in the hostel,” said DCP (North) Sagarpreet Hooda.

Hooda said Mukesh came from a poor family in UP. “It is too early to arrive at a conclusion about the case. A crime team has been sent to the spot to investigate. We are questioning his hostel mates. His parents have been informed and they are on their way to Delhi,” the DCP said.

The incident is significant considering that security at the Hansraj College hostel is regarded as the strictest in north campus.

Karnal Singh, Joint Commissioner, Northern Range stated to us that murder was a distinct possibility. “We have sent the body for post-mortem. But we can confirm that there has been an attempt to pass off a murder as a suicide. Both the hands of the deceased were tied indicating foul play. We are yet to retrieve any suicide note. Moreover, a stool was found inches below Mukesh’s legs. If he had indeed hanged himself, he would have kicked the stool away,” said Singh.

In the interim, an investigating officer said that the rope used for the hanging was much longer than needed. “The aim probably was to use the rope to pull the body up. His white shirt and black trousers were unscathed. All these make the suicide theory very implausible,” said the officer.

The incident has caused a lot of panic in the College hostel. A hostel resident, upon being questioned, said that blind students are allotted single rooms which are close to the main gate, are well lit and are easily visible from outside. Moreover the area where the room is located is the most accessible area of the hostel as the residents often stroll by it at night while taking study breaks.

When asked about the possibilities of the case being one of bullying a classmate of the victim regarded it as improbable, stating that Mukesh was, “a simple guy of cheerful demeanour. He was good at studies and kept to himself. He had a few friends and no problems with anyone at the hostel whatsoever.”

Indo-Pak Talks Welcomed by US
The Obama Administration has welcomed the Indian proposal to hold Foreign Secretary-level talks with Pakistan. “We certainly have been encouraging steps that both Pakistan and India could take to address mutual concerns and to take appropriate steps so that tensions can be reduced,” said Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs, P J Crowley.

Terrorists open fire
Two people including a head constable of Jammu and Kashmir Police were killed on Friday when militants opened indiscriminate fire on a crowd after Friday prayers in Sopore town of North Kashmir. Giving details, senior police officials said two militants emerged from a nearby orchard in Sopore town and opened indiscriminate fire on the crowd which was coming out from a mosque.

Bank of America sued
New York state officials sued Bank of America and its former top executives alleging fraud and deception to obtain billions in taxpayer bailout funds to acquire brokerage Merrill Lynch.

UK MPs to repay 1.1m
Members of Parliament in the United Kingdom were ordered to repay more than £1 million of excessive expenses claimed by the legislators, after a probe into a scandal which revived a politically damaging scandal ahead of an election that must be called in June.

Monster to acquire Yahoo’s hot jobs
Online career and recruiting firm Monster Worldwide has said it will buy Yahoo’s jobsite HotJob for $225 million in cash.