DU students asked to wear 'angvastra' on convocation
New Delhi, Feb 4: The 99th convocation of Delhi University is going to be different as students will be seen in Indian attires with 'angvastras' (stole) instead of the "old colonial gowns."
The varsity will hold its 99th convocation on February 25, according to an official notification. The varsity has decided to renounce the robes to adopt an attire "inspired by Indian culture," a senior varsity official said.
The official told PTI about the change in the dress code, saying the students will be provided 'angvastras' and there will be no graduation cap or gown.
For officials and guests, the attire will be made of khadi silk, another way to promote Indian traditions and culture.
Delhi University Vice Chancellor Yogesh Singh said: "The robe or gown had been there for quite a long time. The university felt the need to change the way. Students will be dressed in 'angvastras' and officials in an outfit made of Khadi silk, it is like going back to our roots."
Though it will not be mandatory for students to wear Indian attire, the varsity is requesting them to choose traditional attires such as kurta and saree.
"This year instead of gown or robes, we have decided to adopt a traditional style with different colours of angvastras for students of graduation, postgraduate, and PhD courses," the official told PTI.
All officials, including the chief guest, will be given traditional attire made of khadi silk, he said.
The matter was presented before the Executive Council in December 2022. "Everybody in the meeting appreciated the move," the official added.
The convocation ceremony will begin at 9.30 am at Multipurpose Hall, Delhi University Sports Stadium Complex, the notification said.
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Traffic fraud: Fake 'no-entry' sticker racket busted in Delhi, mastermind among 3 held
New Delhi (PTI): Police here have busted a crime syndicate involved in traffic fraud and extortion, arresting three people including the alleged mastermind who sold fake stickers to help commercial vehicles bypass no-entry restrictions, an official said on Saturday.
The police said they dismantled a third organised syndicate linked to traffic-related frauds, with the arrest of Rinku Rana alias Bhushan, his associate Sonu Sharma and Mukesh Kumar alias Pakodi, who was also connected to another extortion syndicate.
According to the police, Rinku Rana was running a well-organised network that facilitated the movement of commercial goods vehicles during restricted hours by selling fake 'marka' or stickers for Rs 2,000 to Rs 5,000 per vehicle every month. The stickers were falsely projected as authorisation to evade traffic challans.
During raids, the police recovered Rs 31 lakh in cash, property documents worth several crores of rupees, over 500 fake stickers and six mobile phones allegedly used to operate the syndicate.
The crackdown followed a complaint filed by a traffic police officer in April this year after a commercial vehicle tried to evade checking by producing a fake sticker claiming exemption from enforcement action.
Investigation revealed that social media groups were being used to coordinate the illegal movement of vehicles and alert drivers about traffic police checkpoints, police said.
"A parallel system was being run to cheat drivers and vehicle owners while undermining traffic enforcement. On the basis of evidence, provisions related to organised crime under the BNS were invoked," a senior police officer said.
Sonu Sharma, the police said, managed social media groups through which stickers were sold and real-time alerts were circulated regarding traffic police movement. He also acted as a link between Rana and drivers operating in the field.
In a related development, Mukesh Kumar alias Pakodi, an associate of Rajkumar alias Raju Meena, who was earlier arrested under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA), was also apprehended.
Mukesh allegedly helped extort money from transporters and was involved in blackmailing traffic police personnel by recording enforcement actions, the police said.
Investigators alleged the syndicate led by Rajkumar deployed drivers to deliberately violate traffic rules and secretly record police officials during challans, later using manipulated videos to extort money under threat of false allegations.
The police said that in total, eight accused belonging to three different organised crime syndicates linked to traffic frauds and extortion have been arrested so far.
Further investigation is underway to trace the remaining members, conduct financial probes, and analyse digital evidence recovered during the raids, officials added.
