In brief

Census from May 1-June 15
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation has urged citizens to avoid travel plans during the nationwide Census from May 1 to June 15. The civic body is also planning to gather details of people living in the city for the National ID card project during the period,which includes gathering biometric finger prints and iris prints of citizens. Municipal commissioner Swadheen Kshatriya said they look forward to covering the entire population within the allotted 45 days. “As many as 18,525 enumerators will be involved in the exercise. We will deploy one enumerator each for 150 houses.” The population of Mumbai was 1.19 crore in the previous Census while it is estimated to be 1.38 crore now.

Exam,hrs after father’s death
Aurangabad: A 15-year-old girl appeared for her board exam on Thursday,hours after her father passed away in Jehur village of Kannad tehsil,60 km from here. While relatives and neighbours advised her to drop the Marathi paper,Surekha Kharat appeared for the exam and attended her father’s last rites in the evening.

The Marathi paper was scheduled for 11 am on Thursday. Her father Ramesh Kharat,43,had given her tips to do well but on Thursday,around 3 am,he passed away after a heart attack. Shocked relatives and neighbors asked Surekha to drop the paper but the principal of her school,New High School,GK Magare advised Surekha her to appear for the exam. She heeded the principal’s advice,winning praises for her courage.

Student ends life
Rahul Gandhi,a third-year mechanical engineering student of Vartak College in Vasai,allegedly committed suicide at his Borivali residence on Thursday evening. Police said Rahul,who failed in three subjects,had called up his mother and younger brother before taking the extreme step. “Both of them had tried to console him. He was found hanging from the ceiling on a dupatta,” said senior inspector Bhagwan Chate.