Metro Delayed to March 2013

• Metro Delay. Chief minister Prithviraj Chavan has announced that the Versova-Ghatkopar Metro will now be ready only by March 2013. Chavan who visited the construction sites of some of the city’s major infrastructure projects also said that the the first phase of the Monorail, from Chembur to Wadala, should be operational by the end of this year. [The Indian Express]

• New School Thinking. Among the outcomes of a two-day work workshop held by the state education department in consultation with Unicef is the news that from the next academic year, no school will be allowed to put potential students or their parents through any kind of screening process. Instead, seats at the entry level will be randomly alloted through a lottery or draw, and schools will be fined up to Rs50,000 for flouting the rule. [The Times of India]

• Realty Show. According to a new report by the US National Association of Realtors, for the year ending March 2012, Indians were among the top five international purchasers of residential properties in America. Desis from cities such as Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore and Hyderabad buying family, vacation or investment homes help put Indians in the fourth position, below Canadians, Chinese and Mexicans but ahead of British people. [Hindustan Times]