Hisar gets first woman auto driver

Hisar: Nirmala Saini became the first auto driver of the town on Sunday. An NGO, Rashtriya Mahila Parishad, under the aegis MG Resorts donated her an autorickshaw on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan. Dr Anurag Bishnoi, director, MG Resorts, said that the autorickshaw would provide services exclusively to women passengers from Hisar bus stand to the Army Cantonment via government women's college. "Another autorickshaw will be donated to a woman next week. I urge other people to come forward and join hands with the NGO for providing more autorickshaws. We are aiming that around 30 per cent of the total autos should have women drivers, leading to a safe environment for women passengers," he said. -- Deepender Deswal

Muslim women tie 'rakhi' to state BJP chief 

In sharp contrast to his party's pro-Hindu image, state BJP president Subhash Barala celebrated Raksha Bandhan with Muslim women at Pachanaka village of Hathin block in Palwal district on Sunday. Led by Rahila Bano Mewati, hundreds of Muslim women tied rakhi to Barala. Congratulating them for Raksha Bandhan and Eid, which was celebrated recently, Barala said that people from all castes and communities should work together for making a better society. Rahila Bano Mewati is the first Muslim woman engineer from Mewat region, one of the most backward areas of the state. She also excelled in sports and academics and is presently working as a teacher in a polytechnic college. Barala said that the Vishwakarma Skill University recently set up in Dudhola village, Polytechnic College in Midkola and a degree college in Swamika village would help Mewat women acquire skills and education. -- Sushil Manav

Students from Ambala village meet Vice-President

Ambala: Four students -- Anu, Muskan, Payal and Amandeep Singh -- of Government Primary School, Delu Majra village, Ambala, met Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan at the Vice-President's house on Sunday and tied 'rakhi' on his wrist. Earlier, the students had expressed a wish to meet the Vice-President. So, two teachers Manoj and Pramod consulted Block Education Officer Sudhir Kalra and sent an email conveying their desire to meet Naidu. Three students Kavita, Vishal, and Priti of the same school had met President Ram Nath Kovind on Children's Day last year. -- Nitish Sharma

Raksha Bandhan gift to Sonepat

Sonepat: As much as Rs 45 crore will be spent by the Sonepat Municipal Corporation on the repair of roads in the inner and outer areas of HUDA's five residential sectors -- 12, 13, 14, 15 and 23 -- in Sonepat town. According to Rajiv Jain, media adviser to Haryana CM, the tenders for these works had already been released for the repair of 84 km of roads. The work is likely to be completed within six months. "It is a Raksha Bandhan gift to the people of the town," Jain added. -- BS Malik

Rodent threat to lion cubs?

Kurukshetra: The three Asiatic lion cubs that were born for the first time in captivity in Haryana in June were in the news again this week. It was reported that the Haryana Wildlife Department was keen to shift them from their birthplace at Pipli zoo in Kurukshetra to Rohtak. The "potential threat to the cubs from rodents" at Pipli was cited by a newspaper as the reason behind the plan to shift them. However, the news reportedly sourced to unnamed officials amused the Forest Department officials and wildlife enthusiasts. "Rodent population is there in the wild as well as around human habitats. Even the Gir forest in Gujarat, the last natural region of the lion population in the country, has rat colonies. The proposal of shifting them was on the cards so that there is an equal presence of the lion population in different zoos," said a wildlife official. -- Vishal Joshi

Jagadhri educationist awarded

Yamunanagar: Dr Uchit Kapoor of Jagadhri was awarded the all-India best paper award at a two-day national seminar organised by the Centre for Educational and Social Service, Bangalore, recently. The theme of his paper was "Rejuvenation of Undergraduate Education in India". The award was given by SV Ranganath (IAS retd), vice-chairman, Karnataka State Higher Education Council, and Dr KR Venugopal, Vice-Chancellor, Bangalore University. Dr Uchit's paper threw light on the parameters and impediments in skill development and employment of the youth. Under the current skill development initiatives of the government, only 10 per cent youth have been reached while the government aims to train 500 million youth in the country by 2022.  Dr Uchit is currently associated with the world's largest management body, Association of Indian Management Schools (AIMS), headquartered in Hyderabad. He is currently based at New Delhi. -- Shiv Kumar Sharma

Farmer's daughter selected for world c'ship

Rohtak: Wrestler Mansi has been selected for the Junior World Wrestling Championship. Mansi's coach Mandeep said she secured her berth in the international sporting event at a trial held in Lucknow on Saturday. Mansi, daughter of a farmer of Sheria village in Jhajjar district, trains at Sir Chhotu Ram Stadium in Rohtak. Mansi had won a silver medal in the 57-kg category at the Junior Asian Wrestling Championship held in New Delhi recently. She had won silver medal at the Sub-Junior Asian Championship in Uzbekistan. Mansi has also been selected for the Youth Olympics to be held in Argentina in October. -- Sunit Dhawan