Teachers burn books to keep warm in winter, villagers irked

September 29th, 2009 IMPHAL - In spite of protests by local people, underground groups have set a government school on fire here. They have also set another school on fire in Manipur's Thoubal district.

September 5th, 2009 LUCKNOW - Primary school teachers demanding a salary hike were baton charged by police here on Teachers Day. As the teachers tried to enter the state assembly Saturday, police baton charged them.

September 5th, 2009 LUCKNOW - At least 12 primary schoolteachers suffered injuries during a demonstration to demand confirmation of their jobs and increments on Teachers' Day. The teachers alleged they were staging a peaceful protest when the police, for no fault of their own, baton-charged them.

September 4th, 2009 BHOPAL - Professors in Madhya Pradesh are marking Teachers Day in a different way this Saturday -- they have started an indefinite strike demanding higher pay. The joint front of government college teachers, Shasakiya Mahavidyalayin Shikshak Sanyukta Sangharsh Samiti, said the teachers went on an indefinite strike after the state government failed to keep its promise of implementing the revised pay scale from Sep 4.

July 22nd, 2009 RANCHI - A seven-year-old girl died in a school near Ranchi after falling into a bucket full of hot daal (pulses) prepared for the midday meal, an official said Wednesday. Afsari Parveen, a class one student was standing in a queue waiting for the midday meal to be served.

July 13th, 2009 PANDEYPUR - Pandeypur village has been declared Ambedkar village in Uttar Pradesh that entitles it to additional government funds for development, but it remains abandoned and underdeveloped. Residents in Pandeypur village of Uttar Pradesh's Kanpur district are compelled to lead a miserable life, which sans basic infrastructure; roads, electricity and water supply for many years.

May 23rd, 2009 PATNA - After he was caught stealing rice meant for schoolchildren's lunch, the headmaster of a primary school in Bihar's Begusarai district has been banned from the school by irate villagers, police said Saturday. Pitambar Pathak, headmaster of a government-run school in Puwari Tola village under Teghra block of the district, 126 km from state capital Patna, was caught selling rice to a local trader Monday by the villagers, police officers said.

March 10th, 2009 RANCHI - A man was beaten to death by villagers in Gumla district of Jharkhand, police said Tuesday. Dileep Kujur, who was released from jail last week, allegedly tried to snatch a woman's gold chain in Derangdih village, about 160 km from here, Monday night.

February 15th, 2009 RAIPUR - A 16-month-old baby in a Chhattisgarh village was shockingly subjected to treatment by hot iron rods, leaving burn marks on his body - all to cure the child of fever and vomiting! The small boy was given the hot iron rod treatment about 100 times by villagers with the consent of his parents in Surjula village in Jashpur district, some 450 km from here, health officials said Monday. The villagers who treated 16-month-old Deepak told the family that the baby was possessed by a ghost and the only cure was to press hot iron rods on his body.

February 7th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Pull out those woollens again, because after days of experiencing warm weather, Delhi will again witness a cold spell, according to the meteorological department. 'The western disturbances from the north that had cast the dry warm spell over Delhi have passed.

February 4th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Warm weather, with the mercury nearly touching 30 degrees Celsius, when winter is supposed to be far from over has left Delhiites puzzled -- and hot. But another spell of chill is likely, warns the met office.

February 1st, 2009 NEW DELHI - Don't let the warm winter sun and the calm winds fool you into shedding your woollens. As temperatures remain close to normal, the weatherman warns of another cold spell.

January 26th, 2009 PATNA - A leopard was killed by villagers in Bihar Tuesday, a police officer said. The leopard was first stoned by the villagers and later beaten to death with bamboo sticks and iron rods.

January 22nd, 2009 NEW DELHI - Except for the biting wind reminding us that winter is not yet over, Delhi has been witnessing warm sunny days with temperatures well above normal. And the mercury will continue to rise over the next three days giving us a warm Republic Day, the met department forecasts.

January 9th, 2009 PATNA - Bihar school teachers who allegedly burnt books meant for students to keep warm on a chilly winter day are likely to face police action after a case was registered against them, officials said Saturday. A case has been lodged against the teachers of a school in Gaya district after panchayat (village administrative body) head Shyamdeo Prasad Gupta filed a complaint with the police, the officials said.