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Volume 05 | Issue 08 Dec 16 - Dec 22, 2017 Price `10

Brahmaputra turbidity decreases city fish pollution

» Administration yet to verify over 84K NRC documents in city PG 02

Field Level Officer (FLO) verifying legal documents to update the NRC at Bishnupur in Guwahati | G Plus Photo

Rahul Chanda rahul.chanda@g-plus.in

senior official of Kamrup Metro district administration revealed that the National Register of Citizens (NRC) verification process is going on a war footing and yet, the documents of more than 84,000 families are yet to be verified. An ADC level official, under conditions of anonymity said, “Documents of 84,654 Application Receipt Numbers (ARN) are yet to be verified,” adding that ARN is the number provided to every family when they apply for NRC. The file containing the documents of all the members of a family is labelled with the ARN. The official said that in these ARNs, documents of a few family members are not being accepted by the software used for NRC; hence door-to-door verification is going on. The verification teams (VTs) are visiting the households but in many cases, the family members were unavailable. In such cases,

the VT members contact the family members over phone and a different date is set for verification. Even phone numbers of many unverified applicants are not working, lengthening the verification process. For the job, 9 ACS officers from the district administration are heading 238 teams. A district administration source said that 1033 additional manpower from various government offices has been taken for the NRC work which comprises the 238 teams. 104 government officials are kept reserved as stand-by and are used whenever required. The teams, after verifying the doubtful documents, report to the respective ACS officers at the NRC Seva Kendras in the evening. The report on the verification is submitted and accordingly the concerned ACS officer writes the decision whether the applicant’s name should be added in the draft NRC list or not. n Continued ON page » 5

MG Road walking zone continues to create huge traffic congestion

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“Police stations to be service delivery centres” - Mukesh Sahay, DGP, Assam

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Lead Story

G PLUS | DEC 16 - dec 22, 2017

Brahmaputra turbidity decreases city fish pollution Avishek Sengupta avishek.sengupta@g-plus.in

he fish population in the Brahmaputra River in and around Guwahati has drastically decreased after the water turned muddy, a study has revealed. The study, was conducted by Aaranyak, said “As opposed to normal average of 30 to 45 kg of fish caught daily by one fisherman during the winter season, after the increase in turbidity, it has decreased to five to 15 kg per fisherman.” The fisherman bycatch is one of the popular sample sizes that are used to measure the fish population in a particular area. According to Abdul Wakid, Head of Aaranyak’s Gangetic Dolphin Research and Conservation Initiative, who conducted the study, fishing is

highest on the Brahmaputra during the winter season. “In the summers or the monsoons, the river water is too turbulent for fishing. But during the winter, fishing is very rampant in the river. The study also revealed that as per our old data, at least 5060 fisherman operate around the city in this season, but now the number of fishermen has gone down to about 10-15 whom we have encountered during the time period of a week,” Wakid told G Plus. The study however did not notice any large-scale fish mortality caused due to the rise in turbidity. Another environmental expert, Jayaditya Purkaystha explained that the turbidity will impact the fish population as it decreases the amount of dissolved oxygen in the water. “With more pollutants in the water, the dissolved oxygen volume in the water decreases. This won’t impact

AASU activists forming a human chain on the banks of river Brahmaputra demanding the government to take immediate action to cleanse the river

the amphibians or the cetaceans (aquatic mammals such as river dolphin), but the fishes will be affected.

Bharalu contamination a bigger threat: Experts

hile the turbidity of Brahmaputra River has become a major concern, environmental experts are more worried about the contamination in the Bharalu River and the lack of a sewage treatment facility in the city. “The sudden rise in turbidity is a very recent phenomenon, while the city aquatic life is getting hampered on a daily basis due to widespread chemical and biological wastes dumped on the Bharalu river,” Jayaditya Purkaystha, who is also the founder of a city-based NGO Help Earth ,said. According to the data released by the Central Pollution Control Board in 2010, the level of faecal coliform bacteria that causes water-bourne diseases such as diarrhoea was below the acceptable norms in the rest of the state but above 3,000 in the city where the Bharalu meets the Brahmaputra. Besides the CPCB, the Pollution Control Board, Assam, has said the bacteria level of the river is way above the standard norms, caused by the con-

tinuous dumping of sewage. “The situation has worsened. Now, the bacteriological oxygen demand (BOD) level is much higher in the lower streams of the river and its tributaries. If the contamination level rises over the next decade, the Brahmaputra will become another Ganga,” warned Rafiqua Ahmed, chief environmental scientist of PCBA. The BOD measures the quality of river water especially the population of coliform bacteria or disease-causing bacteria per 100ml of water. “Had there been proper sewage treatment, not only the BOD but the Chemical oxygen demand, that measures the chemical contamination of the river could also have been brought down,” Ahmed added. Last month, the water of Siang River in Arunachal Pradesh which is called Yarlung Tsangpo in Tibet and a major tributary of the Brahmaputra, turned muddy fuelling speculation about large-scale constructions in the upstream of the river in China. Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister

Pema Khandu declared the water “unfit for consumption” in the hill state. The Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) that treats and supplies the Brahmaputra water to thousands of citizens in the city found it to be “abnormally turbid”. China has categorically denied construction of a tunnel for diversion of the river water. But the increasing concern has compelled Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal to urge the central government to take up the matter with China. Soumyadeep Dutta, member of another NGO Nature’s Beckon said, “It is essential to find out what kind of pollutant the turbid water of Brahmaputra consists of. If it is just mud and soil, it is not that dangerous, but if it contains chemical wastes, then it will have a far cascading effect than expected. “But untreated water from Bharalu is contaminating the river water around the city. In the 1 and half kilometer radius of Bharalumukh, there is no sign of aquatic fauna,” Dutta said. n

Though there have not been any instances of fish mortality, a study throughout the stretch of the river will

reveal that the fish are getting suffocated and will soon die if the condition continues,” Purkaystha said. n

Lesser fish in city markets

he decrease in fish population is evident from the lack of river fishes in the city markets, fish sellers shared. “We are facing a tough time to get river fishes which is in usually in abundance during this time such as Hilsa, Chital or Bowal (Wallago catfish). The market is flooded with Katla, Rohu, Grass carp and other breeds that are reared in stagnant fresh water bodies,” Aminul Laskar, a fish seller at the Uzan Bazar fish market said. The concern is echoed by a buyer, Chandan Goswami, who had to settle for an overpriced Rohu after days of searching for the Chital. “Chital is available but very expensive. It used to be much cheaper during this season,” he said. Facing huge losses, the sellers shared that if the crisis persists for more than another week, they will have to seek government’s intervention. An official of the Assam Fishery department said, “Currently the bulk of the supply is from the government fisheries. But, if this continues and the government’s

sources are depleted, then the city fish market will have to rely on the frozen fishes coming from Andhra Pradesh.” “After all, it is government’s responsibility to maintain the flow of fishes in the city. At an average, the city consumes at least 2,500-3000 kilograms of fish daily. If naturally it is not available, the government will have to make other arrangements,” a seller said. n

We are facing a tough time to get river fishes which is in usually in abundance during this time such as Hilsa, Chital or Bowal (Wallago catfish). The market is flooded with Katla, Rohu, Grass carp and other breeds that are reared in stagnant fresh water bodies.”

Aminul Laskar, a fish seller at the Uzan Bazar fish market

City

G PLUS | DEC 16 - dec 22, 2017

Third major godown fire within 42 days Rahul Chanda rahul.chanda@g-plus.in

massive fire broke out in the fourth floor of the Rupayan Arcade on the morning of 12th December in the Fancy Bazar area, making it the third major incident in the last 45 days. A source in the fire department said, “The last two fires on 1st November and 7th December this year were also reported in godowns.” On 1st November, a plastic goods godown along with two adjacent buildings was gutted at Tokobari area in Athgaon. On 7th December two godowns were partially damaged in Haldi Gali of Athgaon area. The Rupayan Arcade fire engulfed nearly two garment godowns, 14 garment shops and a tailoring outlet before it was finally brought under

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Fire fighters trying to douse the fire at Fancy Bazar | G Plus Photo

control. Local residents said that the fire started from a garment godown and gradually engulfed other nearby shops. DGP of Fire & Emergency Services, AP Rout said, “The cause of the fire is suspected to

be an electrical short circuit,” adding that the fire fighters faced a tough time to douse the fire because the lane (SS Road) in Fancy Bazar is very narrow and messy. The fire vehicles reached

the spot within seven minutes but it took around 30 minutes for the hydraulic platform to reach the spot because of the congested traffic. Rout said that the concern remains that people take electricity connections but there are no fire extinguishers

installed in the establishments which is a must for areas like Fancy Bazar. The fire department is also investigating if the godowns which were destroyed by fire recently had obtained fire clearance certificates in the past or not. n

Illegal godowns flourishing in many city areas

any illegal godowns are operating in city areas without any permission from the authorities. Town Planner of Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC), Deepak Bezbaruah said, “GMC, from time to time, raids and seals such godowns,” adding that recently around 20 godowns in the National Highway areas were served notice for functioning without any permission. Talking about illegal godowns, the residents of Jyotikuchi Dhupolia

said that there are many residential buildings in the area operating as godowns and it is suspected that many of them do not have any permission. Even in Fancy Bazar and Athgaon areas many godowns are operating illegally. Blaming the GMC officials, Councillor of Ward No 9, Rajkumar Tewari said, “As a councillor we can just inform the GMC officials about such concerns,” adding that he had raised the issue many times during Mayor-in-Council meeting but GMC field-level workers are not working

efficiently. Tewari said that after the recent fire incident at Rupayan Arcade in SS Road, officials came to know that there are godowns on the top floor of the building. The GMC officials should have known about it as they visit the building for collecting tax, he alleged. DGP of Fire & Emergency Services, AP Rout said, “All authorised godowns should have fire clearance certificates from the Fire & Emergency Department.” An authorised godown must have proper trade license, fire clearance certificate, occupancy

GMC to identify and close all illegal godowns

fter the recent SS Road fire incident, the Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) has decided to speedily identify and seal all illegal godowns in the city. A GMC source said, “The

GMC commissioner has asked the deputy commissioners of all the zones to conduct a survey and identify all illegal godowns operating in Guwahati.” After the identification a notice will be served to such

godowns and finally it will be sealed, the source added. Even the district administration has asked the GMC to identify all illegal godowns and act against them, a district administration source said. n

certificate, permission

and

building proper

parking facility, source said.

GMC n

In The News

G PLUS | DEC 16 - dec 22, 2017

City real estate developers mandated to register projects under RERA Rahul Chanda rahul.chanda@g-plus.in

t is now a mandate for the city’s real estate developers to register their projects under the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) (RERA) Act 2016, after the Assam Government notified the Act as Assam Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Rules 2017 in May this year. Town Planner of Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) and RERAincharge, JS Kakoty said, “RERA is a quasi judicial authority and all the ongoing and future real estate projects have to be registered under it,” adding that RERA is the authority to address the issues between the purchaser and the builders/ promoters. If a builder has 10 projects, all the projects will have to be registered under RERA individually. There are four elements under the RERA Act - RERA authority, real estate project

File photos of apartments in the city

promoter, realtor (agents who sell property) and the purchasers.

Under the RERA Act, a RERA authority comprising two members – a retired judge and

a real estate expert - has to be formed. The Assam government is yet to form the authority

and till then the GMDA Town Planner has been appointed as the RERA incharge. Any ongoing project without occupancy certificate will have to come under RERA. After the projects are registered under RERA, the promoters and realtors will have to stick to the promises made in the agreements with the purchaser. Any promoter/ realtor failing to fulfil the promises made while selling the project can be punished by the RERA authority. Kakoty said that even while advertising the project, the promoters/realtors should make sure that the advertising claims are followed in the project or else purchasers could file complaints against the project owners for not fulfilling the claims in the advertisements. The RERA rules are beneficial even to the promoters. If the purchasers do not make payments on time, they will have to pay 2% extra on the prime lending rate of the bank. n

Only one city project registered under RERA till date

ven though the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act (RERA) authority is yet to be formed, one real estate project is already registered under RERA. A source in GMDA said, “25 projects have applied but only Shine Seven Developers have received deemed registration under RERA.” After the Assam government notified the RERA rules in May 2017, the registration process started on 10th September 2017. According to RERA rules,

if a registration request is not processed within 30 days, the applicant will automatically receive deemed registration; the same happened with Shine Seven Developers, the GMDA source said. The source said that once the RERA authority is formed, the registration work will be a very smooth process and the applicants will not have to wait for deemed registration. One of the partners of Shine Seven Developers, Gaurav Jaina, explained that they received the information on 9th September that projects have

to be registered under RERA. The promoters applied on 14th September and received the registration in the first week of December. Jaina said that the documentation process is pretty lengthy as all the required documents have to be submitted. He explained that if other papers like no objection certificates (NOCs) from GMDA, and other permissions from other departments are availed than RERA registration is very easy. Jaina stressed that there is no corruption in the RERA registration process. n

Representative image of the proposed Shine Seven Developers project

Weather report for the week Guwahati

SUN

MON

TUE

WED

THU

FRI

Sunny

Mostly Sunny

Sunny

27°/16° C

26°/15° C

27°/15° C

26°/16° C

26°/15° C

SATURDAY Mostly Sunny

27°/16° C

City

G PLUS | DEC 16 - dec 22, 2017

MG Road walking zone continues to create huge traffic congestion Rahul Chanda rahul.chanda@g-plus.in

raffic congestion has emerged as a major concern for the residents of the areas adjacent to MG Road on Sunday evenings. The problem has emerged after the stretch from Sukreswar Temple to Bharalumukh was converted into a walking zone seven weeks ago. Councillor of Ward No 9, Rajkumar Tewari said, “It is a major issue and we have taken

it up with the administration but they have failed to give any solution.” He was of the view that the problem can be mitigated if one side of the road was kept open for vehicular movement. A traffic police personnel said that the vehicles plying towards Maligaon get choked at Bharalumukh as commuters from AT Road, Hem Baruah Road, Gorchuk–Bharalumukh Road gather at the junction. The 8 railway crossings in the area further deteriorate the situation creating a chaotic scenario.

A resident of Cycle Factory, Anup Das said, “I was taking my ailing mother to Sanjeeveni Hospital located near Kamakhya on Sunday but had to wait for around one and a half hours due to the congestion in the area,” adding that the same distance on week days takes around 20 minutes as travelling time. Many residents in the locality are of the view that the decision was implemented in a hurry and without assessing the fallout of the new traffic arrangement. n

Govt not thinking of any alternate option, feels Ajoy Dutta

ocial activist and the member of Save Guwahati Build Guwahati (SGBG), Ajoy Dutta, explained that the government’s decision to create a walking zone on MG Road was “abnormal” and without any alternative. Dutta said, “If the government wants to make a walking zone, Vivekananda Kendra (Uzan Bazar Ghat) to Raj Bhawan in Ujan Bazar could have been an option as that stretch is free from congestion.”

File photo of Ajoy Dutta

He added that there were some other options like the

backside of Sonoram High School to Bhootnath since there is hardly any vehicle plying on that road. Another resident pointed to the road between Kharguli and Noonmati which is devoid of heavy traffic. On enquiring if the government is thinking of any alternate option, a source in the district administration said that despite the walking zone project starting as an experiment to be continued till 26th January 2018, the project might extend forever. n

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River-fronts far from developed

ard No 9 Councillor, Rajkumar Tewari, said that if the government wanted to provide a beautiful view with some ambience to the pedestrians, the river beautification work should have been completed three months before converting a stretch of MG Road into a walking zone. He said, “The bank of the entire stretch looks dirty as it is not regularly cleaned and there is not even a proper infrastructure for the visitors.” Backing the councillor’s view, social activist and vice president of Save Guwahati

Build Guwahati (SGBG), Ajoy Dutta said, “If the government wants the people to enjoy, let them open the stretch of land between the river and the road from Sukreswar Ghat to Bharalumukh.” Dutta said that the riverfront from Sukreswar to Bharalu has been “wasted” as the parks have remained undeveloped. “The owners of private ships are favoured with plots of river bank lands,” he added. An official in the district administration however clarified that a plan has been firmed up to develop the park within six months. n

Last minute verification: City NRC verification workers rush back home process stalls all other administration work A Continued from page » 1

s the Kamrup Metro district administration has been asked to complete all verification processes immediately, all other works have been stalled for the time being. A source in the district administration said, “None of the additional deputy commissioners visit the office stalling all other works,” adding that even the Deputy Commissioner is very busy

with the NRC verification works. Talking about the problems the public is facing, a citybased event manager said, “We are trying to get the permission from the administration to

A source in the district administration said that none of the additional deputy commissioners visit the office stalling all other works.

organise an event during New Year Eve, but the request is not getting processed as there is no one in the administration.” Similarly, many other works like the survey to find out how many commercial establishments had encroached lands in Amchang Wildlife Sanctuary is halted. A source in the district administration said that the Supreme Court has imposed Article 144 to complete NRC process on time in Assam which means that it has been accorded the highest priority. n

s the last phase of verification is going on many workers in Guwahati are rushing back to their homes to clarify National Register of Citizens (NRC) verification doubts. Jatin Das, a fish seller in Lal Ganesh market said, “There are 22 fish sellers who sell fish in this market but now we are only 8,” adding that all the others have rushed to their native place as they have received calls that some of their documents are yet to be verified. A resident of Birubari, Alka Chetri said, “To drop my daughter at Nichols

School, Chatribari, I take a rickshaw every day.” Since the last few days it has become difficult for her to find rickshaw pullers as she observed that there are very less rickshaw pullers in the area. Backing Chetri’s claim, a rickshaw puller, Achit Boro said, “Many rickshaw pullers have gone to their native places for the National Register of Citizens (NRC) verification process.” Similarly, many shop owners in the Fancy Bazar area said that employees working in their shops have taken leave for NRC verification. n

Concern

G PLUS | DEC 16 - dec 22, 2017

Future of Amchang students hangs in balance Saumya Mishra saumya.mishra@g-plus.in

anmay Kalita is unsure if he would be able to go to a school from the next academic session. He is a student of Janashimalu High School (JHS) which was razed to the ground during the eviction drive carried out in Amchang Wildlife Sanctuary on November 27 and 28. Tanmay had appeared for the High School Leaving Certificate (HSLC) examinations this year. His fate is shared by many students in the locality that witnessed an anti-eviction drive by the government last month. Close to 257 students between classes 6-10 were enrolled in the school. The district administration is yet to decide on the education of these students. Headmaster of JHS, Kanak Kalita, said that they were yet to receive a formal notice from the district administration regarding the rehabilitation of the students. “We are in touch

Janashimalu High School

with the school inspector but have not received any written order for shifting the students to another place,” he said. The school was demolished just before the annual exami-

Janashimalu High School students appeared their exams in a makeshift hall

nations which were scheduled to begin from December 6. The school authorities then took the help of a local tent-house owner and set up two small tents which are currently func-

New academic session to start from January 1, school authorities in a fix

he teachers of JHS said that the new academic session would begin from January 1 but they are concerned about the future of the school. The admission process is expected to be completed by the end of December. “If we do not receive any direction from the government before the beginning of the new session, then we don’t know what to do. We even do not want to continue using this space, since that will be against the government’s orders,” said, Kamal Das, a Hindi teacher at the school. According to the authorities, the High School was a government-recognised school and they had also received financial aid from the government from time to time for running and the upkeep of the school. “A separate building with a kitchen for preparation of midday meal was also constructed by the government last year, but that too was demolished

during the eviction drive,” said the headmaster of the school, Kanak Kalita. He added that they had protested during the demolition drive and had even showed the relevant documents of the school but “nobody listened to us or paid any attention.” On the other hand, district elementary education officer of Kamrup (Metro), Buli Gogoi,

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said that the deputy commissioner has directed her to monitor everything related to the matter along with the circle officer. “Nothing has been finalised yet but we are looking at sites to shift the school there. We will also have to first verify the documents of the school as it was not a provincialised school,” said Gogoi. n

tioning as the make-shift arrangement for classrooms. The students have appeared in the examination in different shifts in these two tents. Further, the practical ex-

aminations for classes 9 and 10 began from December 15. More than 700 families were rendered homeless in the eviction drive that attracted a great deal of attention from the media. Amchang residents said that after the eviction drive, the community members and local NGOs came forward and helped them to set up the tents from scratch and also donated desks and chairs for the students and teachers. On the orders of the Deputy Commissioner Kamrup (Metro), M Angamuthu, a team comprising officials from the district administration and education department had visited the area and distributed books and bags among students as many of them had lost their belongings when their houses were demolished. Despite difficulties, the school authorities are also continuing to provide mid-day meals for the students. However, in the absence of any building, they have been forced to cook in the open and without LPG cylinders. n

Won’t be able to afford travelling if the school shifts: Students

tudents feel that they may not be able to afford travelling to long distances if their school is shifted. “We do not have enough money to travel everyday if our classes are held somewhere else,” said Mandira Das, a class 8 student of JHS. She has two siblings and her family is engaged in farming and selling milk for earning their livelihood. Her mother said that they earn just enough to manage their household expenses. “We will not be able to spare money to cover the travel expenses. The majority of the population in the area belong to the low income group.” Another student said that his house was narrowly saved from getting demolished as the drive had stopped on the third day. “If the drive had continued, then our house would have been destroyed too,” he said adding that many of his friends, whose houses were destroyed, had left the area to

settle somewhere else. Residents informed that there was no electricity supply as the power had been snapped since the first day of the demolition drive. In the absence of electricity, the students studied for the examination with lamps donated by NGOs or with candles. n

If we don’t receive any direction from the govt before the beginning of new session, then we don’t know what to do. We even do not want to continue using this space, since that will be against govt’s orders.” Kamal Das, JHS teacher

Ward Watch

G PLUS | DEC 16 - dec 22, 2017

Perennial snarls at Ganeshguri junction slowing down city traffic G Plus checks out the severe, daily traffic congestions that dog the Ganeshguri junction; residents opine that it is due to the flawed design of the flyover Avishek Sengupta avishek.sengupta@g-plus.in

ike many other wards in Guwahati, traffic congestion and frequent violation of rules under the Ganeshguri flyover have been causes of inconvenience and concern for the residents. The smooth movement of traffic is paralysed by the city buses, auto rickshaws and share taxis that pick up passengers from the road. “This is the most confused area of the city. Vehicles from every direction come and go. The traffic personnel either lack experience or are very lax in their work as they hardly seem to put in any effort to ensure uninterrupted movement of vehicles,” Karan Bora, a resident of Hatigaon and who commutes daily through the area, said. Located in Ward No 19 of Guwahati Municipal Corporation, the traffic junction under

A traffic signal on the middle of the road restricting vehicular movement | G Plus Photo

the flyover lies at the intersection of two major roads in the city – Mahapurush Srimanta Sankardeva Path (GS Road) and RG Baruah Road (Zoo Road) – and it carries heavy traffic

throughout the day. Two lanes from Japorigog – Nayanpur Road and Hengrabari Road also open up at GS Road under the flyover. Thus, it not only impacts

Ganeshguri flyover flawed in concept: Residents

esidents of Ganeshguri are of the opinion that the flyover which took years to build is based on a flawed plan. Built in 2006, the long flyover starts from the Walford (now housing the KFC and Pizza Hut outlets) area and terminates near the Kar Bhavan. The PWD has proposed to build a 1.2 km long flyover from Ganesh Mandir in Dispur to Nursery bus stoppage on Zoo Road which will crisscross the existing one. “The crisscross flyover that the state PWD is mulling should have been built back in 2006. GS Road is already very

wide and capable enough to handle traffic much more than the roads that run under the flyover now. Instead the government decided to have the flyover on GS Road leaving the

Concentrated Area: Ganeshguri (19C) Ward No: 19 Population of the Ward: 32,000 Voter Population: 26,300 Population of Ganeshguri: 9,550 Ward Councillor: Ranjit Barman areas under it battling traffic jams on a daily basis,” Paresh Kalita, a businessman at Ganeshguri, said.

Another resident, Pallab Saharia said, “The flyover has aggravated the traffic problem although its objective was quite the opposite. Four roads intersect under the flyover. The space between the pillars of the flyover is not enough to allow smooth vehicular movement. If two trucks or buses approach from the opposite directions, it creates congestion which takes at least 20 minutes to clear. Had the bridge been built from Zoo Road to Ganesh Mandir, the entire GS Road could have been put under two pillars, thus causing no major hurdle,” Saharia added. n

the residents of Ward No 19, but also those living in the neighbouring wards such as Ward Nos 17, 20 and 26. “Earlier traffic jams were seen during the office hours and in the evenings when the vehicular movement is at its peak. But now, traffic snarls begin from 10 am and last till 9 pm. Only Sundays and the second and fourth Saturdays are exceptions,” Imtiaz Ahmed, who lives in Hatigaon Chariali, said. To add to the chaos, the footpaths on both the sides of the Dr RP Road have been encroached by roadside vendors and their stalls that attract a huge crowd every day. Faster movement of vehicles is further prevented by cars parked on the narrow lanes. “We constantly make rounds near the bazaar area of Ganeshguri and along the footpaths and try to clear the illegally parked vehicles regularly. But it is a tough job since people of-

ten park their vehicles for a few minutes for shopping,” a traffic police personnel said. Commuters complained that the snarl causes a delay of at least 20 minutes through the half kilometre radius of the area. “I travel almost daily through this region and in peak hours it might last for more than 30 minutes. On an average, we keep an extra time of 20 minutes in hand to cross this area,” Pankaj Sarma, a resident in Ganeshguri, said. The surge of vehicles in the city with the introduction of app-operated taxis such as Ola and Uber has further aggravated the traffic load in the area. “Most of the vehicles flouting traffic norms are the app-operated taxis. They are always in a hurry and break signals. They also park the vehicles at No Parking zones to board passengers whenever they don’t see traffic personnel around,” said one traffic police personnel. n

Traffic jams unavoidable: Councillor

Traffic jam at Ganeshguri | G Plus Photo

he councillor of Ward No 19, Ranjit Barman, however is not hopeful of a solution to the existing traffic congestion since there is hardly any scope for expanding the roads. “All the roads that meet here are running to their full capacity and there is no scope for expansion. I raised this issue several times in the council meeting, but no solution came up,” Barman said.

He further added, “The only way is to build a road over the Ganeshguri flyover. This had been an idea for quite some time, and being a councillor, I too had pitched for the same for a long time. If it happens, the problem will be solved.” He explained that his current focus was more on resolving problems like flash floods and crisis of drinking water in the ward. n

In The News

G PLUS | DEC 16 - dec 22, 2017

3000 candidates register for CM’s Super 50 Saumya Mishra saumya.mishra@g-plus.in

round 3,000 aspirants have registered for the ‘Chief Minister’s Super 50’ coaching programme which was launched with the goal to produce successful candidates for the examination to select civil servants at the national and state levels. According to an official, the scheme has been launched as a pilot project in the state and depending on the response received this year, the government could set up more centres in different districts. The coaching programme, which will begin by the end of January, has been undertaken by the State Level Advisory Committee (SLAC) for Students and Youth Welfare, under the department of Sports and Youth Welfare. Officials from SLAC said that the nine-month long coaching would be provided free of cost with boarding and lodging

File photo of CM Sarbananda Sonowal

facilities for the aspirants who get selected. “We have received a very

encouraging response from the candidates. The final 50 students will be selected

after a preliminary screening test to be conducted on the pattern of the Union Public

Service Commission (UPSC) preliminary examinations. In the selection process, preference will be given to candidates hailing from economically poor backgrounds,” said Shyam Choudhary, programme officer at SLAC. He added that an interview and counselling session would also be held after the first round of screening. The coaching programme is based on a concept similar to that of Anand Kumar’s successful Super 30 in Bihar where he trains 30 meritorious students hailing from economically backward sections of society, for the entrance examination to the Indian Institute of Technology (IITs). Around 15 faculty members for this first-of-its-kind initiative in Assam will be hired from New Delhi and Hyderabad, said officials. The candidates will also be given tablets in which they will be able to access audio recordings of their classes, online study material as well as newspapers and magazines. n

Super 50 to improve performance of Assam candidates in UPSC

fficials said that they wanted to improve the poor performance of the state in UPSC examinations as over the years, the candidates from Assam have not been performing well in the competitive examination. In 2016, only 13 candidates from Assam had qualified in the UPSC. “It has been seen that many candidates take the coaching but do not sit for the examination. Last year only 160 candidates appeared for the preliminary examination out of a total of 400 who availed the coaching,” said an SLAC official. In order to check this trend, the authorities will take a signed undertaking from the candidate’s parents stating

that their ward will appear for the examinations. In CM’s Super 50, eight hours of classes would be conducted daily and candidates would be put up in hostels under strict regulations. “They will not be allowed to watch movies or television, there will be strict monitoring of their in-and-out timings and there will be a warden for 24 hours in the hostel,” said authorities. An official said that one of the reasons that students from the state do not fare well is because they don’t devote enough time for preparations. Even among those who clear the examination from the state, a majority of them live and prepare in Delhi.

“Students here start preparing for civil services very late, often after completing their graduation

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as they do not properly plan for their career whereas, it requires around three to four years of dedicated hard work

to clear the UPSC,” said Zafreen Mehjabi, Director of Unified IAS Academy in Guwahati. She added that many candidates do not have the habit of reading the newspaper whereas a lot of questions are based on current affairs, especially in the preliminary examinations. “However, the awareness is increasing among students and hopefully we will see more successful candidates in the future,” she said. This year, in order to motivate candidates from Assam, Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal has also announced a scholarship of Rs 1.25 lakhs to each of the 61 candidates from the state who have cleared the UPSC’s preliminary examination. n

Concern

G PLUS | DEC 16 - dec 22, 2017

NCPCR seeks report in corporal punishment case Saumya Mishra saumya.mishra@g-plus.in

he National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has sent a reminder to the department of elementary education to submit a report on an incident of corporal punishment in a city school where three teachers of a government school were allegedly involved. The NCPCR wants the matter to be investigated and the report submitted within 10 days. This is the second reminder from the central agency to the department of elementary education to furnish a report in this case. The NCPCR has said that it would be compelled to serve a summon to the department in case of non-compliance of

its order. The letter states, “In the event of non-receipt of the report, the commission will be constrained to initiate requisite action as per the Commissions for Protection of Child Rights (CPCR) Act 2005 and serve summons seeking your personal appearance for explaining non-compliance at the Office of the Commission in New Delhi.” NCPCR took cognisance of the matter after a complaint was filed in March this year against three teachers of Bamunimaidan Sarkari Nimna Buniyadi Vidyalaya for repeated corporal punishment in school. “Two girl students had approached me and complained that they did not want to go to school because they were beaten regularly. I wrote to the NCPCR and also to the state education minister,” said city-based child rights

activist, Miguel Das Queah. Subsequently, the elementary education department had directed the district administration to take action and submit a report within seven days. However, no report was submitted to the

NCPCR despite a subsequent reminder. n

‘Need an Act for banning corporal punishment’

eople associated with child protection feel that stricter punishment could contribute to checking corporal punishment. They feel that the bill against corporal punishment should be passed by the state assembly at the earliest. The Corporal Punishment for Educational Institutions (Prohibition) Bill was presented before the state assembly in 2010 but it could not be passed due to the opposition from some teachers’ associations. Activists feel that there could be several cases of a similar nature that have remained under wraps. “We can only imagine how many cases go unreported from remote areas of the state and often in a majority of these cases, no action is taken by the authorities,” said an activist. The NCPCR under the Ministry of Women and Child Development has framed certain guidelines

for eliminating corporal punishment in schools. Such a form of punishment is also banned under Section 17 of the Right to Education (RTE) Act. These guidelines call for the constitution of Special Monitoring Cells in order to ensure quick action in case of harassment or physical punishment given to children. These cells should also hear complaints related to corporal punishment within 48 hours of the incident. The guidelines state that school teachers need to give a written undertaking that they will not engage in any action which could amount to physical punishment, mental harassment or discrimination. The national panel has also suggested that schools should be granted affiliation and recognition only after they ensure that they have corporal punishment free environment. Further, physical punishment or mental harassment should

become grounds for withdrawal of affiliation. The guidelines mandate that annual audits should be conducted in schools for checking physical punishment, mental harassment and discrimination. The NCPCR has also come up with a set of guidelines laying emphasis on the need for positive engagement with children. It suggests that teachers should encourage students and appreciate good efforts by them. The students must also be sensitised regularly on issues such as drug abuse, coping with stress, self esteem and decision making among others. The guidelines also suggest that these issues should also be discussed during parentteacher meetings. The NCPCR had conducted a study of more than 6,000 students in 2010 across seven states. It revealed that 81.2 per cent students had faced some or the other form of verbal abuse. n

Govt officials say inquiry reveals a different version

tate government officials from the elementary education department, however, said that they had already conducted an inquiry into the matter around two months ago and the report has been sent to the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA). They have offered a different version of events. “It was found after the inquiry that the president of the School Management Committee (SMC) had instigated the students

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against the principal. We have taken everyone’s statement in the case including the principal, teachers, students and SMC members,” said Buli Gogoi, district elementary education officer. She added that in the report, no evidence has been found of any misconduct on the part of teachers and the SMC president had orchestrated this entire incident. This report will now be sent to the NCPCR, said authorities. n

City

G PLUS | DEC 16 - dec 22, 2017

Is the GHC underpass tunnel project a structural failure? Avishek Sengupta avishek.sengupta@g-plus.in

onstruction of the underpass connecting the old and new buildings of the Gauhati High Court has hit an unexpected impediment due to an alleged structural flaw. According to sources at the Public Works Department (building), the government department entrusted to supervise the construction, the tunnel has diverted at least a feet away to the left away from its projected outlet in the new building of the High Court. “There is a huge stone underground restricting the tunnel route as per the detailed project report (DPR). Due to this, we had to dig around it and while tackling the turns, there has been a slight diversion,” the source said. “It is a minor technical glitch. We just need to dig a bit towards the right and once done, refill the already dug area. We are not running late and will be able to complete within the projected

time,” the official said. According to the DPR, the underpass will be 30 metres in length, while the tunnel will be 3.6 metres in diameter. The project, that had an estimate of Rs 16 crores to be funded by the state government, was vouched to be the first such structure in the state. The works that were allotted to a Pune-based company, had started from the later half of April this year and was expected to complete by next April. The PWD claimed that the works of the tunnel is going on in full swing at night after the Court’s official hours. But when G Plus checked the progress in five separate instances within the time period of one and half month, no progress was noticed. The PWD, when asked, defended saying, “The works are being done underground due to which people did not notice any development.” However, Kalyan Gogoi, a paan vendor who keeps his shop open till late hours said, “When the works were started, even though at days, there were not

many working outside, but there were sounds coming from under the ground. Lately, no such works were noticed.” It may be mentioned that though the PWD is expecting to complete the structure by a year, the court authorities are pressing it to finish construction much earlier. “The tunnel is meant to transport important documents regarding cases that are in the archives in the old building. The more the delay the higher is the risk of those documents getting damaged,” an official of the Court said. “The old court building is where the records are kept now. It has become increasingly inconvenient to carry the records from the old building to the new during hearings of the cases or when they are required, given the traffic on the road that passes through the two buildings. The files are often carried on trolleys for convenience,” the official said. Talking about the specifications of the tunnel, the official said, “There will be two tunnels, one for coming and the other for

The tunnel under construction at Gauhati High Court | G Plus Photo

going. On both ends of the tunnel there will be escalator lifts. The underpass will have special security features, including CCTVs and air conditioning. There will be systems to flush out water in case of water-logging inside the tunnel.” The new four-storied Gauhati High Court building, which has all modern facilities, was built at

a cost of Rs 66 crores and was inaugurated in 2013. All the courts are housed in this new building. It also has the registry. “In 2013 itself, the construction of an underground tunnel or an over-bridge was proposed. A tunnel seemed a more plausible choice. The delay was caused due to the arrangement of funds,” the court official said. n

Campus Talks at TISS sees enthusiastic participation G Plus News

Plus in association with Airtel and Life Insurance Corporation of India (LICI) successfully conducted Campus Talks for the students of Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Guwahati on Thursday, December 14. The event was supported by Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) and Swachh Bharat Mission Gramin. For this edition of Campus Talks, G Plus organised an interactive discussion on “Suicide Awareness - Building Resilience Among Youth” with Dr. Sangeeta Goswami, renowned Counselling Psychologist of Guwahati; Nikita Barooah, Criminal Lawyer and Advocate, Gauhati High Court; and Hiren Chandra Nath, Commissioner of Police. Speaking on the occasion from a clinical perspective, Dr. Goswami said, “There is always that one person in life, with whom we are able to share our thoughts. The moment we feel like we’re moving towards aloofness,

The panellists at Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Jalukbari | G Plus Photo

we must share our problems with that person. The most common symptoms of the initial stages of depression include lack of self confidence, degrading food habits, disliking human company, and cutting off from all sources of entertainment.” “If anyone ever tells you that he/she wants to commit suicide, you should never take it as a joke. Rather, you should try to understand

the reason behind him/her saying so. Taking it as a joke might magnify the damage,” she told the students. Commissioner of Police, Hiren Ch Nath, said, “Life is very precious. We have taken millions of years to evolve and become different from other species. So we must not let one particular moment of darkness impact us so much as to end everything.” He further added that the

Guwahati city police receive at least two-three suicide cases from within the city every week. While it’s difficult to analyse the reasons behind these suicides, one common factor found prevailing is the lack of faith and confidence. Nikita Barooah spoke on the legal aspects of suicide saying, “There is no such legal punishment for anyone committing suicide. However, one can be punished un-

der Section 306 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for abetment to suicide. The punishment can extend to 10 years of imprisonment and the person shall also be liable to fines.” The program concluded with a question-answer session between the students and panellists along with a felicitation ceremony. Campus Talks is an initiative started by G Plus which primarily aims at creating an open platform for students to discuss various social, political and trending issues. An open debate forum is also provided for the students where they can put forward their views. Eminent persons from different walks of life are invited to various colleges who enlighten the youth on topics of national importance and interest. Through Campus Talks, they aim to get the youngsters’ opinion about the current government, its policies on various political, social and current issues, since it is important to know the changes that the younger generation seeks or wants for the betterment of the society. n

In Conversation

G PLUS | DEC 16

“Police stations to be service delivery centres”

Rahul Chanda rahul.chanda@g-plus.in

What were the challenges that you faced when you joined, and how did you overcome them?

- Mukesh Sahay, DGP, Assam

I try to follow the philosophy of living life one day at a time. So for me, I generally don’t think in terms of weeks, months or years. I think of only today and maybe tomorrow. But yes, it’s a great

all such people – be it maids, drivers or other workers. But unfortunately, we have not been able to make that impact on people.

Why is police not mandating it?

blessing of the people and the support of the government that I completed two years. What is important is not the tenure but what I’ve been able to achieve in the two years.

What have been your achievements and what remains to be done? We might have moved a few steps forward and the achievement does not belong to me. The achievements belong to the people – my officers, men and women, who work on the ground and on the road. As the police chief, my job is not to take the credit but to own up to the failures and be accountable to them and correct them to the extent possible with my limited capabilities. All the credit for my achievements and success go to my people.

What were the changes in Assam Police since you became the DGP? The policing system is well rooted in the law. So

my only job was to see that we work within the law and Constitution, follow the expectations of the people and do whatever is possible to meet them. Sometimes, hierarchy is important because someone has to take the decisions and be accountable for it, but most of the time it is horizontal leadership that is important where I’m also part of the team. I’ll be the captain, but I’ll also play and I won’t say that “I’m the captain, I’ll sit and watch, and you play.” Rather, I’ll take up more responsibilities, guide people, train them, and try to convert them into a team.

And what were the difficulties? There are quite a few – some we were able to successfully crack, others we are still trying to. The cases of kidnapping, the complicated Silapathar case, are yet to be solved. Abiding by the objectives set for us by the Chief Minister –

corruption free – we’ve been able to crack high profile cases and expose large number of people and such practices. The Chief Minister set parameters for us – one is corruption free, second is illegal immigrants free.

Talking about illegal migrants, none of the DGPs were able to set a system in place which could verify the labourers working at construction sites. A lot of labourers work in construction sites in and around Guwahati and these labourers are never verified. A lot of criminal activities are done by gangs formed by these labourers. It is also suspected that these labourers are illegal foreigners. Why are you not verifying them? Suspecting or presuming does not help. Time and again, I’ve been requesting people via various mediums to verify

Mandating everything is perhaps not the answer, but we will examine this. Ultimately, citizens themselves are the police. So more than mandating it, what is important is to convince the people that it’s in their own interest and perhaps the media can be of great help in doing so. Although we have made some progress in the area, there’s still a long way to go.

There was a report by Lieutenant General SK Sinha in 1998 regarding illegal immigration in Assam and he suggested many recommendations. Do you know about it? Yes.

Why is it not implemented by any DGP till date? Why are you not implementing it? We are definitely doing a lot in this area now. Right now,

our main focus is to make NRC a benchmark document to take all other steps in the area. We are focussing on the NRC and we will also implement the other recommendations if accepted by the government.

One of the recommendations was registering all the boats in the river border areas. The boats are used by the foreigners to migrate illegally. Why are the boats not getting registered with registration number plates? It is already done but if there are gaps we will try to fit up. Just couple of days back there was a meeting in Kolkata chaired by Union Home Minister, Chief Ministers of Mizoram, Bengal, Assam, and Ministry of Home Affairs officials; even we were present there. One of the key recommendations was to create a border protection grid. We can’t leave it to only border forces. There has to be first line of defence, second line of defence, strengthening the conventional policing system plus involving the border population. We have to work united and see that the border areas are made safe, developed better, as well as use the border population and see that any threat from across the border is minimised. So everything will be taken care of.

Talking about police modernisation what features were you able to bring in? One of the key features is the mission for overall improvement of thana for responsive image (MOITRI) scheme where the police stations will be transformed from information centres to service delivery centres.

In Conversation

6 - dec 22, 2017

”

Administrative approvals are already granted for 39 police stations, work is going on for tendering and awarding the work. This year we are planning to start the homework for 73 police stations. Over a period of 3 to 5 years all the 342 police stations will be covered. This scheme is not only about construction and equipment but about looking at things from the people’s perspective. Perspective of victims, women, children, nagarik samitis, as well as imparting soft skill training to the police personnel at the police stations so that they are looked at as persons who could deliver services to the society. We are trying to transform the traffic challan system, the higher traffic control system, highway helpline, senior citizens helpline. The national helpline of 112 is under implementation where there will be one single number for all kinds of help, it will start working soon. We are converting the police training college at Dergaon to a police training academy of a global standard. We are looking for a consultant at present. The work has started for the cyber dome project to take care of all the cyber security and the cyber crime areas.

in-progress in perpetuity. Modernisation also means how we change our attitude for which all police personnel should think so that we are not only looked at as an armed force but also as a service provider.

Any new weapons in the arsenal? We are trying to add some more small arms like glocks for VIP security. One of the objectives I have set is that while VIP security is important, we have to try and make it less visible, less intrusive and less irritating. The security personnel should be armed with good, modern concealed weapons. Similarly, their dress also has to change. We are looking into it.

4-5 years back, the Union Home Ministry had suggested that the uniform of the police personnel should be changed. After Guwahati traffic dress change do you plan something on similar lines for all Assam Police personnel? That is a major policy issue. Khaki also has its relevance; khaki has come from the word khak, which means ash.

is a subject which has relation to all India ramifications. Sudden changes may be disruptive because the people have identified police with khaki. In traffic, we have made some pilot changes. For our Veerangana girls, we have given a different type of dress where they jell better with the environment but at the same time they are effective. We

Police modernisation is work-in-progress in perpetuity, feels Mukesh Sahay. are slowly thinking on that line. We have to deal with the situation on a daily basis and at the same time we have to try and transform ourselves to be in smart policing system. It is tough but we are ready.

Don’t you think that the Guwahati city police ought to be carrying shotguns and similar weapons rather than the AK 47 and INSAS rifles? There was a time when everybody thought that we need more than AK 47s but the situation has perhaps improved in the people’s perception and we will definitely think of it. But it

attractive target for anybody.

Any imported arms you have procured? Not now. DRDO, ordinance factory board keep studying our requirements and try and develop new arms. One of the objectives is to become self-reliant. Make in India is one thing we follow and whenever they (DRDO & ordinance factory) develop some new weapon, if they are found useful, we place orders for the weapons.

What is the reason that Guwahati still lacks effective CCTV surveillance? CCTV surveillance unfortunately has run into some problems. It is working but we have not been able to take over some problems which we were trying to address through a third party audit. We have short listed two parties and within a week or two the government will take a final call but at the same time the CCTV system is functioning. And partly we are also using many private CCTV cameras. The whole project is not yet taken off because of some technical problems.

The city is also lagging behind in artificial intelligence... Artificial intelligence is a new area and yes we are yet to move into it. It is an evolving domain and to be honest we are not yet ready for it. We have to improve our readiness because our training, our recruitment, everything will have to undergo a change in view of the artificial intelligence. At this stage I am not focusing on artificial intelligence but yes, the potential is there as people want proactive policing. Artificial intelligence can play some role but we are still some distance away from it.

Whenever we visit the police stations there is a common refrain of less manpower. Did you try to resolve it?

DGP Mukesh Sahay during Bihu organised by the Assam Police | G Plus Photo

There are many others including modernisation of the river policing – how to better access the char and riverine areas. These are some of the features that we have taken up. Police modernisation is work-

It signifies that police people are wearing a dress which motivates them to sacrifice everything. But change is a law of nature. So now the Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPRND) is also doing some study because this

also has financial and other implications. In the city, we would like the police to have small arms but at the same time the militancy has declined but is not out. So we still require being prepared. Guwahati is always a very

It is a problem as we are carrying a vacancy of 10,000 people. We have already recruited about 1,500, the verification is going on and by January they will be put to training. The government has announced 5,000 further recruits; we are looking for that. Still some vacancies will be left but police recruitment process takes about 12 to 18 months. There is a problem and we are trying to seek out;

perhaps we have committed to the Supreme Court to filling up these vacancies. May be in the coming year or half we will be able to recruit all these men. We are also proposing to the government that in the coming recruitment process there should be some vacancies allotted to sportspersons.

Have the police lagged behind in some cases like recovery of stolen mobile (cell) phones? Every case is important. I said that criminals adopt new techniques and they are faster than us. We have to catch up. In cyber crimes our capabilities were like next to nil earlier. Today we have developed some capabilities. Some mobile (theft) cases have also been solved but we have to try and improve our technology.

Investigating officers have to manage law and order as well. Did you think of separating them? Assam Police Act says that every police station should have some people only dedicated to investigation. 340 sub-inspectors are training. We will try and see that some systematic approach takes place and investigation/law and order are separated.

Why is the home department controlling the transfers in police? Why are you not taking it up? The rules are very clear and the powers are with the home department. Up to Inspector it’s with us but from DSP to above it is their choice. I am not with them.

After Akhil Gogoi’s arrest, people have blamed the police of being biased towards the government... Police have to follow the Constitution of India and the lawful instructions of the government. What unlawful has happened to him? Police is bound to follow the lawful instructions of the government.

As you are retiring in April 2018, do you have any political ambitions? I take life one day at a time and I am aware of my strengths and weaknesses. I have no such ambition and I will see how I can serve the people. n

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G Talk D

G PLUS | DEC 16 - dec 22, 2017 T

2000 Relocated In Tibet

evelopments have been happening at a fast pace ever since the water in the Brahmaputra turned muddy fuelling suspicion about the implementation of secret jumbo projects in China. Political representatives from Assam and Arunachal Pradesh have already taken up the case with the Centre and the latter has assured that the matter would be pursued with the big neighbour. Then came reports about an earthquake in Tibet which could have made the water grimy. Subsequently, there were stories that sought to pin the blame on a 1,000 km long tunnel secretly constructed in Tibet for diversion of water from the Yarlung Tsanpo (Siang) to the arid regions further north in China. A story in The Print written by a retired colonel of the Indian army even produced satellite imageries to prove the possibility of a tunnel for diversion of water. Given China’s lack of reluctance to share information, it is difficult to identify the exact cause at the moment. But one aspect that ought to be paid greater attention is the earthquake and its impact on the terrain. The Indian media seemed to have missed out a report that was published in the state run

Global Times which said that more than 2,000 people have been relocated to temporary shelters after a 6.9-magnitude earthquake hit Nyingchi in southwest Tibet. This could mean that the statement issued by Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal pinpointing the earthquake as the cause of the turbidity carries greater substance than the theories and stories about the tunnel. Beijing has already denied these reports saying that there was no such project in Tibet. Tibet is a sparsely populated region in China. The relocation of 2000 inhabitants could possibly mean extensive damage in the hills following the earthquake. If the hills collapse and come down on the Siang, there could be ample reason for the water to get muddy for several days. Beijing would have done better to share more information and explore ways and means to mitigate the impact of the earthquake. It is already constructing a tunnel in the south-western province of Yunnan for diversion of water. Some observers feel that similar projects in Tibet could be launched only after an evaluation of the scheme at Yunnan some years later. Rajeev Bhattacharyya Consultant Editor

‘Nirodh pe Nirodh’

he internet is clearly upset with the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting’s 18th Century decision to run condom ads only between the window of 10PM to 6AM. To the internet’s observation, that is the window to use a condom and not watch commercials about it. The observation extends; the Ministry’s reflex to ‘gag’ everything is not really a smart move. The purpose of a condom advertisement is to educate people on the use of condoms and practice of safe sex, a habit that needs reinforcement in an over populous country like India. I still think if the Ministry would have set guidelines for the content of the advertisement rather than an all out gag, it would have made more sense. This means that the government run Nirodh advertisements also fall under this blanket. This shows a bigger picture about the state of the country’s sex education. ‘Sex’ as a subject altogether has been tiptoed around by society and our education system. There is a reason why India records a high rate of rape and molestation cases and it is the ignorance at the school level that problems like rape and molestation plague the society. It is also important to understand that if they can clamp down on condom ads, they can also ban ads on sanitary napkins citing terms like ‘indecent and inappropriate for children’. Where is the education then? How do you improve the status of sanitation for women? The sensible approach would have been to create guidelines. It is likely, that the way condoms are spoken about on TV is laden with sex appeal and not information. So creative brainstorming is the need of the hour, but banning is no way forward madam!

SIDHARTH BEDI VARMA

GST is Good, need to make it Simple

oods & Services Tax (GST) has been hailed as the biggest tax reform by India in 70 years of independence. With one stroke, it has united the country of over a billion people into a common market. The introduction of GST subsumed 17 central, state and local taxes into it. All state and local levies as also those applicable on inter-state transportation of goods have also been done away with. The idea of a single GST was proposed in 1999 and given a go-ahead by the then PM, Atal B Vajpayee and has since evolved under different Union governments before finally being introduced this year. PM Modi gets the credit for one simple reason – his government showed the political courage to lead a $2 trillion-1 billion population economy kicking and screaming into the GST era. Calculated risk? Let us examine in some detail. GST is a destination-based tax, in contrast to the previous origin-based taxation regime. It means that taxes are paid to the state where goods or services are consumed and not where they are produced. Since GST is levied at the point of consumption, the entire tax revenue on goods manufactured in say, Maharashtra and retailed in Guwahati will go to Assam and not Maharashtra. It follows a multi-stage collection mechanism; tax is collected at every stage and the credit of tax paid (input tax credit) at the previous stage is available as a set-off at the next stage of transaction. This helps eliminate the cascading impact of tax. Here, credits of input taxes paid at each stage of production or service delivery can be availed in the succeeding stages of value addition. This means that the end consumer will only bear the GST charged by the last point in supply chain, with set-off benefits at all the earlier stages. For example, a manufacturer’s total tax on output comes to Rs. 5,000 while tax paid on input is Rs. 3,000. In this case, the manufacturer needs to deposit only Rs. 2,000 as tax, after claiming input tax credit of Rs. 3,000, reducing the

overall tax incidence on final product. However, an entity can only claim input tax credit if they have a tax invoice, the tax charged on the purchases has been paid to the government by the supplier and the supplier has filed GST returns. In one stroke, the government has taken a big step forward in formalizing the economy and providing incentives to businesses to ensure tax compliances across their entire supplier network! A key benefit of GST: it promises to ensure a freer flow of goods across states. Estimates show that the consequent abolition of inter-state check posts

The benefits of this mega taxation reform are already showing. As domestic manufacturing competitiveness increases, India’s ranking on the Ease-of-Doing-Business Index has jumped by 30 places to 100 this year has reduced movement time of goods by up to 30%. The lower logistics cost, due to the decline in transit time, is a result of the elimination of multiple checkpoints and consolidation of warehouses. This could significantly reduce delays leading to a marked change in productivity in the months to come. Talking of technology and GST, the unique ID-based tracking of goods by the GST Network (GSTN) throughout a product’s value chain will ensure higher compliance. This will reduce the tax arbitrage enjoyed currently by unorganized players and facilitate the shift from the unorganized to the organized sector. In the long run GST is estimated to add 1.5-2% to the gross domestic product (GDP). The benefits of this mega taxation reform are already showing. As domestic manufacturing competitiveness increases, India’s ranking on the Ease-of-Doing-Business Index has jumped by 30 places to 100 this year. The recent upgrade

rHope it’s not a wasted opportunity

O pinion Sumanta Deb

of India’s sovereign rating by Moody’s is partly attributed to GST, its promise of higher tax compliance, leading to an increase in India’s tax-to-GDP ratio (it currently stands at 17%; average of OECD countries is 34%). On this front, the government’s efforts at formalizing the economy by bringing cash into the banking system through demonetisation, clamping down on high value cash transactions, encouraging digital transactions, will all play a part. The first 5 months haven’t caused much disruption in the basic macro-economic variables as was seen in many countries like Singapore, Australia and New Zealand post their GST regimes. Despite operational glitches in the IT systems, the proportion of registration to returns is a healthy 60%. Though states have suffered some revenue loss, they are overcoming the short term liquidity problem by taking recourse to overdrafts. So why did Rahul Gandhi say, “GST stands for Gabbar Singh tax?” Are multiple taxation rates or the cumbersome filing of returns over a yet-to-be-fullystable IT backbone the culprit? My opinion: given that GST is still work-in-progress, the multiple rate slabs will converge over time; the 12% and 18% slabs will converge to 15% soon enough. For the first time there are uniform rates for commodities across the country. This is a marked departure from a taxation regime of extreme dispersion of rates, not only across states but within commodity groups too. However, the GST Council has to continue simplifying the returns filing and make it less cumbersome. Rationalization of rates has to continue. There are bound to be “teething problems.” We need to remain focused and continue on the path of larger tax compliance, increasing the formalization of the economy and truly achieving the goal of “One nation, One market, One tax.” n Bangaluru-based Sumanta Deb, a self-professed “bhakt,” is a management consultant by profession.

Letter to the Editor

s a resident of Guwahati, I hope that something good comes out of the recently-concluded International Tourism Mart held in the city. The state has tremendous potential for tourism which should be utilised by the government to attract maximum number of tourists. It should not merely remain a wasted opportunity in terms of large amount of money spent for the pomp and show and in inviting international delegates. The people of Assam should get to see something substantive in the tourism sector in the near future. I would like to suggest the state government to come out with a report after one year showing the amount of work done during the period. Biswadip Hazarika, Panbazar, Guwahati

In Focus

G PLUS | DEC 16 - dec 22, 2017

Dhaneswar Roy

Musician, Singer

he wise musicians are those who play what they can master, said Duke Ellington. Assam-born Dhaneswar Roy has mastered the art of playing not one, but twelve instruments, at the same time. Born in Bajali village of Barpeta, Dhaneswar did his primary schooling from Adarsha Vidyalaya, Dharmatala and went on to Patacharkuchi Vidyapith where he studied till Class 10. He then went to NH College where he completed his higher secondary education. Belonging to a financially backward family, Dhaneswar had to face a lot of challenges to complete his schooling. He used to work with the carpenters and contractors who were responsible for the construction work going on in his school so that he could attend classes there. On some days, he used to go fishing in order to sell fish in the market for money to pay his school fees. He shifted to Guwahati in

1989, and worked as a carpenter to earn a living until he got a fourth grade job at the Sports Authority of India in 1993.

The one thing that has remained constant in Dhaneswar’s life, ever since he was a kid, has been his love for music. Recalling his early days,

Dhaneswar told G Plus, “When I was very young, around 7-8 years old, I used to sit on top of

buffalos with a flute in my hand and sing Assamese folk songs. In those days, radio used to be the only medium via which I listened to songs.”

In Guwahati, Dhaneswar auditioned for All India Radio multiple times, and finally got selected as a Folk Song Singer (General) in the 4th attempt in 2007. He started performing with a group of musicians from the radio centre initially but after people started leaving the group, he started wondering whether an individual could play all the instruments of folk music and sing at the same time. Talking to G Plus about the inception of Panchangik Lokobadya Silpi (a term he gave to the practice of playing multiple instruments at the same time), Dhaneswar said, “I have always loved music, especially folk songs. Playing a folk song requires 7-12 artists, but I wanted to be able to play these songs by myself. So I started to practice with 2-3 instruments at a time and it was in 2012 that I finally learnt to play 7 instruments and sing at the same time.” Dhaneswar initially started with playing the Dotara, but now plays 11 more instruments namely Dogor, Basuri, Juri, Ektara, Mandira, Ramtal, Khutital, Bortal, Nagara, Khol and Mridanga. He sometimes also plays the Tabla and Daina. Not only does the this musician perform Assamese

folk songs, he also performs Kamrupiya Lokageet, Goalpariya Lokageet, Bihu songs, Boro Lokageet, Karbi Lokageet, Bangla Baul Geet, and Hindi songs. This self taught musician is insanely good at playing multiple instruments at the same time. He has performed at multiple places on multiple occasions over the years. He was invited to perform at ITA Cultural centre during the cultural program of the 12th South Asian Games in 2016. He was also a finalist at the North East Got Talent 2016, and got selected in the city round of India’s Got Talent but he couldn’t participate in the next rounds due to lack of money. The musician has also been invited to perform on other occasions like Raas Puja, Bihu, and school functions. Dhaneswar considers Bhupen Hazarika as his biggest inspiration in life; he is also inspired by the songs of Mohammad Rafi, Lata Mangeshkar and Kishore Kumar. The musician talked to G Plus about his mantra in life and what keeps him going in spite of all the challenges and said, “The only mantra I have is to focus on my passion and follow my dreams no matter how tough the times get.”

The decision of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to restrict condom advertisements from 6 AM to 10 PM has been met with strong opinions voiced for both sides of the argument. Here’s what Guwahati thinks: Nibir Das The government is fond of banning things. Instead of banning the ads, they could have been moderated. I remember in early days, the ad of Delux Nirodh used to be a very simple one, and no child could figure out what ad it was. The government can ask the censor board to step in for the ads of condoms so that the ad doesn’t look too explicit because condom is something that people need to be educated about. Rajdeep Roy It’s the time for spreading the knowledge about sex education, not to ban such ads. It’s the time for changing the sensuality in between the ads and not to distract the viewers out of the main content. Condom is not a shameful word; it is a safeguard for many reasons such as AIDS etc. So banning the ads is a rubbish type of work that has been done by the government.

No. of Respondents

39% 61%

952

Illogical

Tonmoy Nanda Even in many western countries, a lot of ads ranging from contraceptives to others are banned for their explicit content. If our yardstick of progress has been the progressive nations and their way of thinking then I believe we are not backward looking and regressive. Organizations like NACO did wonderful ad campaigns during the yesteryears which educated the masses in the proper sense. Then there was a TV show Jasoos Vijay, where the lead namesake being played by Adil Hussain did wonders to spread awareness about HIV and preventive methods, etc. Therefore, a distinct margin has to be drawn between sensual marketing and en masse sex education.

Hiranya Deva Sarmah Contradictory! When it’s about sex and condom ads then there’s ban and when there is an incident of rape or molestation then the requirement of sex education is raised. We need the confusion to be sorted. The government is not clear by itself what exactly it wants.

Ricky Unique II Totally against such kind of decision. Just because in their homes they don’t use condom doesn’t mean other people don’t use it. One should see their job profile not on the broadcasting, and moreover it would be better if these guys could encourage the new generation (18+) to use condoms so that they don’t get infected by any kind of STDs. Just drop this kind of useless things. Better one should generate awareness among the masses.

Gaurav Shuttler Kashyap It shouldn’t be ban as there is nothing wrong behind this act. And yes, one thing is there that it can be shown in different ways for which proper understanding is required. Nowadays people must think in broader way and moreover educate their children regarding this matter. It’s the need of the time. I only request: kindly educate the masses rather than imposing bans on everything.

Logical

Snippets

G PLUS | DEC 16 - dec 22, 2017

National conference of Chartered Accountants held in city

agdish Mukhi, the Governor of Assam inaugurated the National Conference of Chartered Accountants 2017 at the Pragjyoti ITA Centre by on December 15 in the presence of CA Nilesh S Vikamsey, the President of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India amidst a gathering of almost 1000 delegates from across In-

dia. PVSLN Murty, CGM State Bank of India, was the Guest of Honour. The welcome note was delivered by CA Mahabir Agarwala, the Chairman of the Guwahati Branch, who mentioned that the theme of the conference – Catalyst: Resilient yet Versatile aptly mirrors the characteristics we Chartered

Accountants are looked up by the world at large. Addressing the gathering, Jagdish Mukhi said, “CAs are in a position to make India realize the long cherished dream of the forefathers of our nation which was of a corruption-free India, where every citizen can be a partner in nation building. This India will be free and not plagued by the ills of black marketing, hoarding, corruption, red tapism etc.” The mega conference was attended by members from the Central Council and Regional Council from the Eastern region. Eminent speakers and the delegates discussed and brainstormed on the latest issues on sensitive reforms. Past Chairman of CBDT, RK Tiwari chaired the session on Income Tax Evasion, Penalty and Benami. n

Guwahati City outskirts to be encircled by Ring Road

he Chief Minister of Assam, Sarbananda Sonowal on Wednesday called upon Union Minister for Road Transport, Highways and Shipping, Nitin Gadkari at New Delhi and discussed various issues of road communication in the state. The Chief Minister apprised the Union Minister about State Government’s initiative to expand Guwahati City and establishing the State Capital Region. He also proposed construction of a ring road for improving the road connectivity within the State Capital Region (SCR) area. The Union Minister agreed to the proposal and asked the Chief Minister to allot land for building the proposed ring road. Stating that the state gov-

nna Hazare while taking part in a press conference in Guwahati announced that he will fight against corruption prevailing in the country. He will also organise a large-scale rally related to Lokpal Bill, from 23rd March 2018. The rally will proceed from Itanagar to Patna, and will travel from Patna to Rajasthan. “I will travel across the nation to fight against corruption. Much against my efforts to remove corruption, the previous Congress government never took any stand to fight corruption,” Hazare said. Anna Hazare also alleged that the present government

has no affection for the farmers of the nation, which is why he wants to stand for them. “Our government only stands for the business class people, and do not think of the poor farmers. It is unfortunate that our farmers commit suicide because the government doesn’t stand for them,” alleged Hazare. He also raised the concern that a farmer of 60 years should be provided with pension. Alleging against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Hazare said that he had written 32 letters requesting Modi to take measures for the farmers, but none of the letters were attended. n

First set of Mercedes buses to arrive in January 2018 ernment would take steps for providing land for building the ring road, Sonowal said that the problem of traffic congestion in Guwahati would be solved once the ring road encircling the State Capital Region is built, which would ensure speedy development of the city

outskirts. The road would add to the beauty of the SCR area and would prove to be a vital asset, he added. During the meeting, the Sonowal also invited Gadkari to Majuli for inaugurating the Rs 237 crore project to protect the island from erosion. n

Maligaon footbridge to undergo construction; lifts to be introduced

he construction work of Maligaon footbridge, which has been closed since Durga Puja, has started from December 11th. Additional District Commissioner of Kamrup (Metro), Pulak Mahanta, reviewed the present condition of the bridge on Monday morning and announced to convert it into a state-of- the art footbridge. The reconstruction of the bridge will come as a relief to

Anna Hazare visits Guwahati

many as its closure has caused troubles to the regular commuters of the area. The construction work is likely to be completed within

three months, announced Pulak Mahanta. The responsibility of the construction has been given to the Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) engineers who will work 24 hours round the clock to complete the work within the prescribed time period. The newly constructed bridge will also be wider than the previous one, and will be equipped with lift facility. n

us commuters in the state are in for an all new experience soon. The Assam State Transport Corporation (ASTC) on Tuesday, December 12, signed an agreement with German company Mercedes Benz for operating around 175 buses in the state. According to the agreement, the buses will be operated under a 90:10 profit model to be shared between the company and ASTC and will run under a PPP model. “Mercedes will bear all the investment cost. We will just facilitate them. The staff recruitment will also be done by

the company in the state,” ASTC managing director Anand Prakash Tiwari informed. The company will also operate inter-state buses besides those within the state, he added. Sources said Mercedes will also set up special air-conditioned lounges for its passengers and other special features. It will also provide door-to-door connectivity and link its services with cab aggregators like Ola and Uber. “We will have virtually nothing to do. We will give them the route and facilitate them. The company will recruit all the staff members from Assam. The ASTC will take a facilitation charge of 10 per cent and in case of courier service, 30 per cent,” the MD said. The first set of around 10-15 buses are expected to arrive in the State by January. At present, over 2,000 buses operate under the ASTC. n

Trotter

G PLUS | DEC 16 - dec 22, 2017

In Gujarat, bride-to-be leaves haldi Uber charges man $18,000 for 8-kilometre ride; it ceremony to vote in state polls

bride-tobe who left her haldi ceremony to cast her vote during the first phase of the state elections in Gujarat has captured the internet’s imagination. Pictures tweeted by news agency ANI caught Fenny Parekh standing in line to cast her ballot in Surat’s Katargam. Dressed in a resplendent yellow saree, Parekh smiled widely at the camera and showed off her voter ID card in one picture. With her hair tied back in a tight top knot and her face covered in bright yellow haldi, Parekh made for quite a sight.

The haldi ceremony is a pre-wedding ritual that sees a paste of haldi, or turmeric, applied to a bride or groom’s body. Parekh’s presence at the polling station had provoked

mixed reactions on Twitter, with some praising her “dedication to democracy” and others calling the move an “attention-seeking” stunt. “Kudos,” tweeted one person. “What dedication to democracy,” tweeted another followed by a smiley face emoji. “Voter ID card ke photo se match hoga? (Will she match her Voter ID photo?),” wondered one person. “Election Commission officials will struggle.” She could have washed her face before coming, there would still be plenty of time left to vote, tweeted another, calling Parekh’s move “attention-seeking.” (Source: india.com)

6-year-old made $11 million in one year reviewing toys on YouTube

six-year-old named Ryan plays with toys mesmerizing millions of children across the

globe. Since he was three years old, Ryan's parents have been capturing videos of him opening toys, playing with them and "re-

viewing" them for videos posted on their YouTube channel, "Ryan ToysReview." Ryan's last name, and his place of residence are a closely guarded secret, and not without reason. Ryan has become a multi-millionaire, according to Forbes magazine's just-out list of highest paid YouTube entrepreneurs. He was ranked number eight having brought in $11 million in revenue between June 1, 2016, and June 1, 2017, before management fees and taxes, of course. He tied with the comedy channel Smosh, created by Anthony Padilla and Ian Hecox. Children everywhere have become hooked, watching his videos for hours a day, even mimicking him and starting their own YouTube channels. For some of his youngest fans,

Ryan is not just some stranger on the internet. He is their friend. Combined, the world's 10 highest-paid YouTube stars earned $127 million, up 80% from last year. According to Forbes, this boost came thanks to ad dollars from a surge in views - including a healthy sum from "Ryan ToysReview." During the 12 months considered by Forbes, "Ryan ToysReview" counted over 8 billion views. Ryan's popularity makes perfect sense. He's got every small kid's dream job, opening toys and playing with them, day after day. He's smiley, too, totally non-threatening to parents and children alike. No bad words. No preachy banter. He's a miniature Mister Rogers but without the sweater and slippers. (Source: washingtonpost)

Mumbai police take on reel-life villains in creative online campaign

umbai Police is on an intense social media drive to deter criminals - and to do so, they are telling them what would have happened to fictional and reel-life criminals if they had actually existed in Mumbai. (Spoiler alert: Most of them would have ended up behind the bars). Their latest social media campaign makes use of the hashtag ‘If Villains Were In Mumbai’ to imagine what

would have happened to everyone from Mr India’s Mogambo

to Ram Lakhan’s Kesariya Vilayati, had they been in Mumbai. The creatives have been hugely appreciated on Twitter, where each tweet has gained thousands of ‘likes’. This isn’t the first time that Mumbai Police’s Twitter game has won them admirers. Just a month ago, their tweet calling out actor Varun Dhawan for not following traffic rules had won them applause. (Source: ndtv)

wasn’t surge pricing

e’ve all booked cabs on surge pricing when in a hurry, but what a man in Canada had to shell out for a 20-minute ride was no surge but any rider’s nightmare. The customer booked an Uber from Widmer Street to The Queensway in Toronto, as seen in a screenshot of the trip. That’s precisely just 7.7 kilometres. When he reached his destination after about 20 minutes,

he was shocked to see a bill of 18,518 Canadian dollars (about 14,400 US dollars). It should have cost him between $12-16. He posted the screenshot of the trip on his private Instagram account which was re-shared on Twitter by a woman claiming to be his friend. “My friend was charged 18K for a 20 Min ride (!), and they are sticking to it. What in the world??? This is insane!” she tweeted. The cab company, in a statement to Slate, said that the customer had been given a full refund. “There was an error here and it has been resolved. We have provided a full refund to this rider and apologized to him for this experience. We have safeguards in place to help prevent something like this from happening and we are working to understand how this occurred,” an Uber spokeswoman told Slate. This isn’t the first time a cab company charged a rider an exorbitant amount for a trip. A Mumbai man was charged Rs. 149 crore by Ola for a 300-metre ride owing to a technical glitch. Ironically, it happened on April Fools’ Day. (Source: ndtv)

“Nearly Died” YouTuber defends cementing head in microwave after outrage

22-year-old British YouTuber who had to be freed by fire-fighters after cementing his head inside a microwave oven says the incident left him “traumatised.” Responding to outrage at the stunt on social media, the prankster appeared less-than-apologetic, shutting down trolls saying he “nearly died.” Though Jay Swingler said he would be “more than happy” to pay a fine for any inconvenience caused to emergency services, fire-fighters said they wouldn’t charge him because his life had genuinely been in danger. Swingler, who runs YouTube channel TGFBro with Romell Henry, routinely shares clips of reckless stunts, dares and challenges with his over three million subscribers. The stunt saw Swingler fill a microwave oven (which wasn’t plugged in, thankfully) with quick-drying cement. He then wrapped a plastic bag around his head, stuck a plastic tube in it to help him breathe and stuck his

head in the microwave. Then, he waited for the cement to harden. The prank quickly took a dangerous turn, however, when Swingler found himself stuck in the cement. After over an hour of struggling to help him out, Swingler’s friends finally called emergency services. Fire-fighters in turn took another hour to get him out. They tweeted pictures of the rescue efforts, saying they were left “seriously unimpressed.” A video of the stunt, filmed for Swingler’s YouTube channel, was uploaded and has been watched over two million times already. It includes the rescue. “The plan was literally to set my head in there but not let it set completely. It (the cement) was like a thick jelly... if I really wanted to, I could pull it (the microwave) off and it would slide off. I thought 10 more minutes wouldn’t hurt... (but the cement) solidified a lot faster than I thought,” said Swingler justifying his stunt. (Source: theworldvibe)

Reviews

G PLUS | DEC 16 - dec 22, 2017

Cast: Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Neeraj Kabi, Tannishtha Chatterjee, etc Director: Amit Kumar

vie Mo view Re

Monsoon Shootout

ebutant director Amit Kumar’s crime drama, Monsoon Shootout rests more on style than substance. The story revolves around a rookie cop who joins the crime branch of the Mumbai police department, and on his first assignment is faced with the dilemma of whether he should shoot a murder suspect who is attempting to escape or not. While the idea hooks the viewer, what fells the film is its execution. Three different versions of the narrative play out based on the varying decisions made by the protagonist and end up frustrating and fatiguing the viewer. The screenplay must have sounded good

on paper but when translated on screen, it lacks a definitive sharpness. The cinematography is top notch and the manner in which the city of Mumbai is invested with a visceral quality is one of the film’s high points. Vijay Varma makes a fairly assured debut, Nawazuddin Siddiqui plays evil with a smirk and Geetanjali manages to be memorable despite her rather vanilla role. Since the actors reprise their roles thrice over, they often don’t have enough screen time to flesh out their characters adequately. Perhaps, this film makes for a one-time watch, if you are in the mood to indulge in a narrative that’s not run-of-the-mill. n

Cast: Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Mark Hamill, Oscar Issac, Adam Driver, etc Director: Rian Johnson

ian Johnson’s strategy for The Last Jedi was simple: identify everything that’s great about the previous Star Wars films, use those things sparely as Easter eggs and not main plot threads, and craft a brand new storyline that goes in a bold and adventurous direction full of wonder, thrills and discovery. It makes The Last Jedi the most enjoyable blockbuster of the year. Many questions that were posed in the previous film are answered in The Last Jedi – and, unless you have a sixth sense of sorts you’ll be wonderfully surprised by the subversive direction Johnson takes in revealing those elements. And that is what makes this a great film – it is not

just about the visual grandeur of blowing things up, it’s more about the people in the story and the capricious relationships between them that is more powerful than the CGI made with a seemingly bottomless fund. There’s also a lot of thought that went into the sci-fi stuff that makes it believable enough for you to care about the intricacies that the characters are faced with. Oh, and in case you had any doubts about Adam Driver being the very best on screen contemporary actor, his amazing performance in this film should clear it. May the force be with you in the biggest possible theatre near you, preferably in 2D. n

Gadget Review

Panasonic Eluga I9

anasonic on Wednesday, December 13, widened its smartphone portfolio in India with the launch of the Eluga I9. The new smartphone with a price tag of Rs. 7,499 is exclusively available in the country via Flipkart.

Specifications

The dual-SIM Panasonic Eluga I9 runs Android 7.0 Nougat with the company’s own customisations atop, including the Arbo virtual assistant. Under the hood, the smartphone has a 1.2GHz quad-core MediaTek MT6737 SoC coupled with 3GB of RAM. There is 32GB onboard storage that can be expanded via microSD (up to 128GB).

The smartphone has 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS/ A-GPS, and Micro-USB on the connectivity front. It has a fingerprint sensor and comes with OTG support. With OTG support, you get the ease to connect external drives and other devices such as a mouse, keyboard and gaming controller to make your smartphone a complete entertainment centre. Besides, the handset packs a 2500mAh battery that is claimed to deliver up to eight hours of video playback on a single charge and comes in Space Grey, Champagne Gold, and Blue colour options.

Display The

smartphone

boasts

Cinepolis Christian Basti 09435025808

Fukrey Returns 03:30 PM Ferdinand 06:15 PM

Star Wars: The Last Jedi

Monsoon Shootout

Grande Cines Paltan Bazar 09854017771

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Fukrey Returns 12:00 PM 07:00 PM Monsoon Shootout 01:30 PM 06:30 PM Khalnayika 02:45 PM

Gold Cinema Paltan Bazaar 09854066166 Fukrey Returns 11:00 AM 05:00 PM 08:00 PM Khalnayika 02:00 PM

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Khalnayika 02:00 PM

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a 5-inch HD IPS display that does its job pretty well while indoors but the display tends to fade away when placed under bright sunlight which makes it tough to read the screen outdoors. Also, there is no Corning’s Gorilla Glass protection that can prevent scratches. The low-end budget smartphone sports a fingerprint reader at the back which has been a trademark in most budget devices.

Camera

Panasonic has provided a 13-megapixel camera sensor on the back of the Eluga I9, paired with an LED flash module. A 5-megapixel camera sensor is available on the front with a diffused, selfie flash. Adding more to the powerful camera, Eluga I9 has multicamera modes that let you edit your pictures without the need for external software. Also, there are preloaded

modes such as a watermark, panorama, burst mode, and a list of filters.

Verdict

Priced at Rs. 7499, the Eluga I9 sits against popular budget offerings, including the

Xiaomi Redmi 5A and Nokia 2. On paper, the phone does not seem to be very promising, with the low battery life and display problems. It is yet to be seen how it comes together as a package and delivers in the real world. n

Entertainment

G PLUS | DEC 16 - dec 22, 2017

Nad 2017 – a Festival of Music and Dance

Women perform Xatriya (Sattriya) at the NAD Festival on Sunday

he Festival of Music and Dance – Nad 2017 – got under way at the Rabindra Bhawan on December 8, Friday. Under the aegis of the Directorate of Cultural Affairs, Government of Assam, and in collaboration with Sangeet Natak Akademi, New Delhi, the three-day festival (December

8-10) showcased a repertoire of instrumental and vocal music and various dances from different parts of India. Nrityacharjya Jatin Goswami inaugurated the festival and highlighted the importance of such a programme in making interested students, culture enthusiasts and the new generation of artistes aware of the

latest developments in the field of art and culture across the country. Raju Das, Deputy Secretary, Sattriya Kendra (Guwahati), Sangeet Natak Akademi, also attended the programme. Deba Prasad Misra, Director, Cultural Affairs, felicitated the guests. The programme started with a Borgeet performance by a group of students from Luit Konwar Rudra Barua State College of Music, Guwahati. It was followed by a solo Hindustani vocal rendition by Debangbhushan and a Kathak dance performance by Rupa Rani Das, both from Guwahati. Artistes from different states, including award-winning vocal artiste Omkar Dadarkar from Mumbai who specializes in Hindustani style, young exponent of Manipuri dance Sinam Basu Singh from Imphal, leading exponents of Dhrupad style of music Umakant Gundecha and Ramakant Gundecha from Bhopal –known as the Gundecha Brothers – also took the stage. n

Black Whale shines at ADDA festival jib Hazarika, film-critic Manoj Barpujari and script writer Bhaskar Das. As a part of the festival, this year ADDA also organized a photography contest and a quiz competition on cinema titled ‘Deep Focus’. In the photography contest, the best photogra-

Kalyan Kumar Kalita

‘B

lack Whale’ directed by Chandra Sekhar Das and produced by ‘E-kristi’ (North East Drama and Film Institute) was adjudged the ‘Best Film’ in Fiction Category at the 14th ADDA Short Film Festival held under the auspices of ADDA in association with Auto Creation. The key roles in this 9 minute 56 second long film have been essayed by Shabnam Borgoiyari, Dipti Prasad Goswami, Queen Talukdar, Jyotishma Deka and Sunikha. The film’s assistant director is Jyotishma Deka, cinematography and editing is done by Sujit Debbarma and lighting is by Ranjit. At the festival, ‘Adami ta Daman’ directed by Potdip Chaudhury was adjudged the best documentary and ‘Tetli Gash’, directed by Jiten Das was chosen for the Best Animation Film award. The two-day festival was held at Shilpgram, Panjabari on December 2 and 3. There were

16 films in the competitive category. This year, a few new awards were added in the festival such as best director, best cinematographer, best editing and best background score. The best director award was bagged by Sujit Deb Barma for ‘Running’ and the best cinematographer award went to Rasel Mahmud of Bangladesh for ‘Songs of Padma’, directed by Ashif Khan. The best editing award went to Amrit Basumatary for ‘Running’ whereas the best background score award won by Ashif Khan for ‘Songs of Padma’. The jury members of the 14th ADDA Short Film Festival were well-known director San-

pher award was collected by Raja Kankan Saikia, while Satabdi Baruah and Pompi Mech got the second and third positions. In the quiz competition, the winners were Dhrubajyoti Barman and Biswajit Sharma. Renowned photographer Tapan Das, Utpal Baruah and Kamal Barman were the jury members of the photography competition. A host of other programs like puppet dance by Assam Puppet Theatre, vintage photo exhibition by Vintage Assam and painting exhibition by Royal School of Fine Arts of Royal Global University also attracted cine-goers at the twoday festival. n

Title track of ‘Dham Dhama Dham’ released Kalyan Kumar Kalita

full length Assamese feature film titled ‘Dham Dhama Dham’ has recently released its title track. The audio-video of the song was officially launched in a program held at Sraddhanjali Kanan, Guwahati in the presence of various renowned cultural activists of Assamese cinema. The song’s lyrics have been penned by Sunit Gogoi, whereas the music and composition have been done by Rideep Das. The song has been beautifully rendered by Dikshu, Astha Rupa and Bastav. Music has been arranged by Papu Gogoi, mixed and mastered by Diganta Bordoloi. The movie, which has already completed it’s shooting is directed by Mani Sinha, produced by Ritesh Khater and Ajay Verma under the banner of ‘RRK Production’. The film’s story and screenplay has been written by Mani Sinha, dialogues have been penned by Mani and Rajiv Borthakur. The film revolves around the son of a retired police officer who was popular for his dedication during his working

days. The son, who also joined police and became an officer, is completely opposite in nature. Initially, due to his bad image, no girl wanted to marry him but suddenly love knocked at his door and completely changed his life. The key roles in the film have been essayed by Rupam Chakravorty, Kalpana Kalita, Arun Hazarika, Jharna Chaudhury Bishaya, Rajen Neog, Rajib Borthakur, Jeet Baruah, Bankim Rabha, Failung Basumatary among others. n

Xhoixoboite Dhemalite’s music album launched

idyut Kotoky’s “Xhoixoboite Dhemalite” (Rainbow Fields) has been winning awards and acclamation world-wide. The film, starring Victor Banerjee, Dipannita Sharma, Nakul Vaid, Naved Aslam, Nipon Goswami and Nikumoni Barua amongst others, is slated to release in January 2018. The date was announced by the director at the music launch ceremony that took place at Hotel Gateway Grandeur on December 14. Music Director Anurag Saikia spoke on the occasion about the album and said, “Music numbers of Xhoixobote Dhemalite carry the sensitive ethos of the film.” The songs of the film have been sung by the ever popular Zubeen Garg and Nilotpal Bora along with a new talent, Dipakshi. Earlier, the event began with a welcome address by Poran Borkakoty of Dhwani Records, who along with Sony

have the exclusive distribution rights for the album worldwide. Speaking on the occasion, Borkakoty shared his excitement about the launch since it was Sony’s first film music album release in Assamese language. “The film is based on the life of children growing up in violent places of Assam in the 80s, witnessing brutality around them and how it affects them deeply, leaving an indelible mark on their growth. It has an emotional depth that cuts across geographical barriers because the story could very well have been a story of children in conflict zone from any part of the world,” said Bidyut Kotoky. The much awaited music album of the film was launched in a glittering ceremony attended by dignitaries of the Assamese film industry including noted filmmaker Santwana Bordoloi and song-writer Rajdweep, in presence of the media fraternity. n

Fun

G PLUS | DEC 16 - dec 22, 2017

Horoscope of the week With your sector of relating continuing in focus, the coming week could see you networking and perhaps reviewing ideas, projects, or even decisions. When energizing Mercury, now retrograde, aligns with lovely Venus, you might need to unpick a promise or contract that requires adjustment due to recent events. On Saturday, it might be just as well to expect the unexpected, as an invitation could lead to a sizzling encounter. The new moon on Sunday can encourage you to explore this further.

Issues associated with your job and wellness matters continue to dominate. And with Mercury spinning backward until December 22, it pays to be watchful, especially if dealing with important documents. Jupiter is happily ensconced in your leisure sector for the coming months, so all kinds of activities get a boost. Long-term relationships and new romance can see the flame of love glowing brightly, helped along by feisty Mars. The weekend’s new moon could encourage you to reject bad habits and adopt healthier ones.

The love bug may continue to keep you enthralled with the planetary setup highlighting dating opportunities. You might feel a need to make a decision on Friday, as lively Mercury meets with lovely Venus. If so, consider leaving things as they are for now, as your outlook could change over coming weeks. With both flamboyant Jupiter and dynamic Mars in your home zone, you might be ready for a holiday get-together. The new moon on Sunday suggests a new creative project could beckon.

While the holiday mood sparkles, there continues to be activity at home that may involve important discussions. You might need to reconsider a decision that involves other family members. With tactful Venus involved, you could find that others respond favorably to any changes. This can also be a time of reunions. It feels good to reconnect with those who you haven’t seen in while. A lively connection between the sun and electric Uranus can see you benefiting from an unexpected gift.

Be sure to give yourself plenty of time if you have deadlines to meet. The reason is that it’s best not to leave everything until the last minute as long as talkative Mercury is still retrograde. There’s good news on Friday, though, as Mercury conjoins Venus, which could see you connecting with a person who reminds you of someone from your past. Because of this, you may get on exceptionally well. Sunday’s new moon could coincide with a golden opportunity. Will you grab it?

The focus on your personal financial zone continues. The sun here combines with chatty retrograde Mercury and encourages you to take stock of your situation and see what you can do to improve it. Mercury continues to spin backward until December 22, so go easy when purchasing big-ticket items. If you have no option but to buy them, keep receipts and paperwork. The good news is that with upbeat Jupiter continuing in your sign, some spectacular opportunities could come your way.

This is a great time to attend to personal goals and interests. Don’t rush any decisions, though, as with Mercury continuing its retrograde phase, changes may need to be made anyway. You might do better to research your options in the meantime. You may also want to look into an idea that you rejected but that now seems very appealing. Indeed, as the sun and diplomatic Venus combine with communicative Mercury, discussing this with others can help you decide whether to go ahead or not.

You may still have a desire to take time out to reflect and recharge. If this is the case, you’re on track, because a continued focus on your spiritual sector encourages this. And with Mercury spinning backward, this can also be the perfect time to resolve issues that may have dragged on for some time. A new moon on Sunday could encourage you to take up a practice such as meditation that can help you relax deeply and encourage peace of mind.

Your social sector continues to look upbeat, encouraging you to make a few changes and consider moving in new circles. And with Mercury retrograde, you might also find that old friends come back into the fold, bringing a chance to carry on where you left off. However, with a very potent focus on your career zone involving expansive Jupiter and dynamic Mars, things are certainly looking up in this area. Meanwhile, Sunday’s new moon encourages you to move in new social circles.

There’s a lot of activity in your goal sector that can indicate a time of goal setting, whether it’s related to your career or a personal ambition. With Mercury presently retrograde, hold off signing contracts or committing to major deals if possible. If you can’t, you could find that changes occur that alter the original terms and conditions considerably. There are times, though, when this can work in your favor. Sunday’s new moon could inspire you to take the first step toward a personal ambition.

Nabin Chandra Das is credited with the invention of which culinary delight?

curio-city

1. The first four caliphs of Islam 2. Rasgulla 3. Nottingham Forest 4. “O Ganga” by Dr. Bhupen Hazarika 5. Brandy 6. JN Tata

What do the four minars of the Charminar, Hyderabad represent?

Which English football club, once twice successive European Cup champions in 1979 and 1980, calls themselves ‘The Home of the true Reds’?

Paul Robeson’s “Ole Man River” inspired the creation of which famous Indian song of the 20th century?

What is the Dutch word for “burnt wine?”

Identify this famous Indian industrialist. Dr. Soubhadra Chakrabarty This quiz has been brought to you by Brain Jam, a property of Priya Communications

Doonesbury by Garry Trudeau

2 3

5 4 16

29 5 1 4 6 5 4 7 2 8 75 3 7 8 1 5 62 3 2 2 5 4 6 1 1 9 2 8 7 4 7 1 23 87 4 9 1 6 2 1 8 2 7 1 4 6 Daily Sudoku: 6 Wed 13-Dec-2017 3 6

Daily Sudoku: Thu 7-Dec-2017

last week solution 2 3 7 9 5 5 3 88 51 16 3 7 9 7 2 8 6 4 9 6 1 2 2 9 64 25 43 7 8 9 5 77 88 91 4 3 3 2 5 4 8 3 1 6 9 7 1 16 44 29 5 6 5 3 4 6 2 9 6 3 8 4 3 7 51 79 8 2 1 Daily 2 Sudoku: 6 Wed 7 13-Dec-2017 1 4

4 76 48 1

1 94 57 75

6 29 35 83

8 42 13 69

25 46 62 62 18 77 39 23 58 97 82 11

31 94 87 75

53 69 44 26 8 3 9 medium 5

Daily Sudoku: Thu 7-Dec-2017

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curio-city 1

Sudoku

The deeper issues of life could continue to be on your mind and encourage conversations with those who can act as trusted advisers or confidants. There may be changes that you’re eager to see happen, yet as lively Mercury continues its retrograde phase, you might need to take stock, especially when it ties with the sun on Tuesday. And while your social life shows great promise, you might be drawn to reflect and act on issues that will take your life forward.

Your focus continues to be on exploring new opportunities and making fresh discoveries. As chatty Mercury conjoins the sun, this can also be a chance to examine an offer that comes your way again. By looking at it with fresh eyes, you may find reasons to want to explore it further. There might also be some unexpected encounters coming your way that are like a breath of fresh air. Finally, the new moon on December 17 encourages you to step out confidently.

Word of the week Brachylogy noun [bruh-kil-uh-jee]

Brevity of diction; concise or abridged form of expression.

Crossword Across

Down

1 Heaped measure used in recipes (13) 8 Diamonds? (3) 9 Ringing sound (4-1-4) 10 Person making a will (8) 11 Turkish civil or military leader (4) 13 Annoy persistently (6) 14 Upward-brushed forelocks (6) 16 Belonging to us (4) 17 Legislative assembly (8) 20 At once (4,1,4) 21 Obliterate (3) 22 Mountainous plateau of southern France (6,7)

1 Contaminate (5) 2 Movements made swimming (13) 3 Final stages of a chess match (8) 4 Bird’s wing (6) 5 London cricket ground (4) 6 Upright cooler (6-7) 7 Stoppages caused by unusual activity (7) 12 Lamp filament metal (8) 13 Challenging question (7) 15 Lurid — style of European architecture (6) 18 Part of a flower — peals (anag) (5) 19 North African gully, dry except in the rainy season (4)

Last week’s solution

Lifestyle

G PLUS | DEC 16 - dec 22, 2017

Just Feel Generous

hen you feel stuck in life not growing, Bombarded by desires, dry, lacking enthusiasm, no juice – What do you do? Feel Generous... right away, not tomorrow. Generosity is a quality of spirit. A prince or a pauper can both feel generous. When you feel generous, your life becomes abundant, full of compassion and love. Generosity is independent of external circumstances. No one else can make you feel generous. It is something you have to do by yourself. Generosity is a state of consciousness. Generosity is

not an act, but it always finds its expression in an act. When you realize that you are here only to give and give, and you feel that you are very generous, lust is sublimated. Lust makes one possessive and not generous. Lust is one of the main botherations that many face. Lust grips the mind and tires the body, and dulls the intellect. Lust, when indulged, brings inertia, and when suppressed brings anger. Lust is nothing but primordial un-harnessed energy. The same when harnessed manifests as enthusiasm, sparkle, sharpness of intellect and love. Generosity is one of the factors which can sublimate or transform lust into love.

Is generosity the same as being grateful? No, Generosity is not the same as gratefulness. Gratefulness always has self-concern. Why are you grateful? Because you have something or you will get something. Feel generous in dispassion also. Dispassion without generosity makes you self-centered and causes dryness. Don’t think about what you’ve done in the past; that only brings doer ship. Just feel generous.

shri shri ravi shankar

Founder- Art of Living Foundation.

Time in the markets, not timing the market

t is certain that first-time investors often worry about the timing of their initial stock purchase. Investing at the wrong point in the market can leave you staring at significant losses. Therefore, always remember when you first invest, time is on your side. Over time, the compounding returns of a timely-chosen investment will add up to your portfolio nicely. Investors usually hold concentrated positions of the best performing stocks and then hope for the same to yield equally brilliant results forever. But what happens next is out of the investor’s control. Whereas a certain stock rises in value, another one might be going through a particularly rough patch. Fearful of gulping in bigger loss figures, such investors decides to cut it off by selling negatively performing stocks. Although it’s a rare occurrence but some of such underdogs can actually spring back to health and even

outshine the winner of last quarter. This goes on forever and creates a death trap where the investors find it difficult to sale off high valued stocks as it becomes difficult to get buyers at such premium rates. Holding on to such stocks when the market falls also ends up affecting the health of the investor’s overall portfolio.

Invest Wisely The solution lies in owning the whole market rather than picking up trifle stocks. Historical records have proved

that “time in the market” have always triumphed over “timing the market.” Thus rather than being volatile in dealing with stocks, its best them to hold them for

considerable long patches of time. Whenever you enter the investment plethora for a long horizon, the foremost thing you are bound to reap benefits from is dividend which pours in annually in most cases. Such money is ploughed back into the system steadily increasing the earnings by about 5% in the long run. Thus you can understand how easy it is to gain from the goodness of compounding nature of money.

Managing Portfolio Doing the same while managing a portfolio consisting of bonds, foreign stocks, real estate and commodity will help you pocket big amounts by just buying and holding all of it. Portfolio rebalancing is required once in a while for avoiding the depressing lows and scary highs as they yield breeding ground for stringent market corrections. Time in the market forces investors to overlook their emotional undulations. Winning and losing shall both occupy considerable parts of the final game but the actual maturity lies in refraining from overreacting and hurting positive return in long term by tending short term pains. While educated investors swear by this thesis, some might

The negative energies of the earth

here are various types of electromagnetic energies of the earth which are acting on us. Some of them are harmful; some may be good for animals or plants but bad for us. The study of the effects of earth’s energy on us is called Geopathic Stress. In modern Vaastu, this study has become essential. Geopathic stress is caused by the harmful radiation from the earth originating from under the ground. Subterranean water, cavities, mineral concentrations, seismic fault lines and energy grids can cause geopathic stress. When two underground streams cross each other, the effect is doubled. Beehives, anthills, ants’ nests, rat holes, snake-holes or foxholes can also produce geopathic stress. The following are attributed by experts as the effects of geopathic stress on human beings:

Insomnia Migraine and headaches Lethargy, lack of energy Feeling tired most of the time Loss of balance Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Short term memory loss Cancer Panic attacks Joint pain Nightmares Back problems which get worse at night Depression

forget to apply these golden rules while managing their own portfolio. Rather they speculate over the market’s next big movement. They need to understand that the longer they stay put in the market, the better yield they shall receive. Time is any day a better ally compared to timing. For managing the portfolio with utmost excellence the investors need to get hold of all the necessary information. In certain cases investors can also seek expert help from financial advisors. Investing in equity through mutual funds is a great way to enjoy higher returns, with a lesser risk. Data discloses that equity funds have generated around 1115% returns over the decades. With mutual funds, you can get the benefit of default diversification, as your manager invests among a variety of stocks. SIP (Systematic

Waking up tired in the morning Hyperactive and aggressive children Undiagnosed headaches

A study was done in Germany and it was found that 52 people in 54 households living over a subterranean water stream suffered from cancer. The above may not necessarily be attributed to geopathic stress always unless the presence of such zones is confirmed. Expert dowsers and geological charts can find out the existence of geopathic stress areas. There are some layman’s rules for finding geopathic stress zones: 1) Cats, snakes, bees and ants like radiation lines and nest or lie above them 2) If trees do not survive in certain areas or do not bear fruits, it may be an indication of an underground radiation Most of the ill-effects cited above tend to disappear if the sleeping bed is shifted from the stress zone. Copper rods of certain sizes can be used in four corners of the room as well as at the centres of four walls to nullify the intersecting points of radiation lines.

Hemanta Kumar Sarmah Engineer, Businessman, Advanced Pranic Healer and Su Jok Acupressure specialist.

Investment Plan) is one of the popular approaches of investing in Mutual funds by an ordinary man. The SIP approach is useful to adjust the return as per the inflation and to keep stride in changing lifestyle. For instance, if you invest Rs. 5000 each month and increase this amount by 10%per annum, the corpus fund will speed-up by 45% from Rs11.61 lakhs to Rs. 16.87 lakhs in just a period of 10 years. At the end it must be remembered that both long and short term investment objectives need to be aligned with the financial needs and risk bearing capacity of the investor. Pallav Bagaria CEO, Brand New Day – one of Northeast’s leading Mutual Funds Investment Consultancy and Portfolio Management Services pallav@salasarcapital.com

Buzz

G PLUS | DEC 16 - dec 22, 2017

MVM, Silpukhuri to organise 1st Alumni Meet to mark 25 years of existence

aharishi Vidya Mandir (MVM), Silpukhuri is celebrating its Silver Jubilee this year. To celebrate the achievement, the school is organising an alumni meet for the first time, which will be held on 23rd December at

Greenwood Resort. The alumni event ‘SANSMARAN-2017: Revisit, Reunite, Relive’ will witness a gathering of MVM alumni, all of whom are excelling in various professions today. A host of eminent artists

who are passed out students of the educational institution, viz, Padmanav Bordoloi, Priyanku Bordoloi, Jahnavi Choudhury, Shatabdi Khataniar, and many others will perform cultural programs at the alumni meet. As a curtain raiser of the meet, a gala event called ‘Yaari’ was held on 22nd of November in the school premises, which was also marked to bid farewell to the outgoing students of class X and XII. The event concluded with a smashing performance by DJ Venom. Aditya Todi, Vice President of MVM Alumni Association, said, “We are endeavouring to give back a token of love and respect to our school for what it has given to us in our lives. I encourage all passed out students who were part of our school’s journey till now to come and join us on 23rd December to make the reunion a grand success.” n

TVS organised a live breathtaking performance by the Pros of Apache Pro Performance (APP) on December 15, Friday at the State Zoo Parking, Guwahati.

School students’ team develops device for hearing impaired

team of young scientists from Assam Jatiya Bidyalay has come up with a novel device for helping the deaf in their routine activities. In keeping with this year’s National Children’s Science Congress’ (NCSC) focal theme ‘Science, Technology and Innovation for Sustainable Development: With Special Emphasis on Persons with Disabilities,’ the device developed by the team emits vibration upon receiving a sound and alerts the user. It comprises three parts – a condenser microphone, a magnifier and frequency selector circuit, and a vibrator. Talking about the device, Kaustav B Arya (group leader) and a Class VIII student, informed, “After the condenser microphone receives a sound it converts the sound energy into electrical energy which goes to the magnifier and frequency selector circuit. The sound energy converted into electrical energy is very small in quantity and so the circuit magnifies the quantity of the energy. The magnified and selected energy goes to the vibrator through the circuit and it vibrates, alerting the person in the process.” The other young scientists in the project – all Class VIII students of the school – are Sourav Kumar Barman, Bhaswati Choudhury and Ananya Medhi. Arya added that the vibrator would be connected direct-

ly to the body of the user so that the person could feel the vibration and be aware of the sound, e.g., a horn coming from behind, and take right decisions at that critical moment. It will be handy for a deaf person experiencing hardship while walking, driving and riding on the road. The team has named the gadget ‘Horn for the Deaf: A Sensitive Gadget.’ “As the cost of making the full device is just about Rs 100, every deaf person will be able to have it and use it properly,” he added. The team has been guided by Pankaj Dutta, a teacher of Assam Jatiya Bidyalay and the Institute of Advanced Study in Science and Technology (IASST) provided their facilities to the students to work on the device. The team started experimenting on the device from June 2017. Dr Nirab Chandra Adhikary of IASST assisted the team in the process and the team created the device on September 1. The team will be representing the state in the forthcoming national level NCSC at Ahmedabad. The national level NCSC will be held in Ahmedabad from December 27 to December 31. Earlier, the team had exhibited the device at the district level NCSC at Pragjyotish College, Guwahati and at the state-level NCSC in Kokrajhar.n

Young Chess Prodigy Felicitated by Governor of Assam

oung Chess Prodigy and President Award recipient Master Shahil Dey, was recently invited by the Governor of Assam Sri Jagdish Mukhi and felicitated at Raj Bhawan, Guwahati. Shahil, a student of Assam Chess Club, a unit of sports promotion NGO Akshayam, was accompanied by his parents along with Biswajit Bharadwaj (Secretary of Akshayam), Kumud Bhattacharyya (Treasurer of Akshayam) and Bishov Lal Pathak (executive member of Akshayam). The Governor congratulated Shahil for his achievement and assured his full support and cooperation. He also wished the young prodigy success for the future. Shahil is

Shahil being felicitated by Governor of Assam

currently undergoing advance training and practice at Assam Chess Club under the guid-

ance of Nandan Buragohain, Y Dhanabir Singh and Biswajit Bharadwaj. n

Minister of Panchayat and Rural Development Naba Kumar Doley inaugurated the Sale of Articles of Rural Artisans Society (SARAS) Fair on Monday at the Ganesh Mandir Indoor Stadium Field, Khanapara, Guwahati. It is being organized by the Assam State Rural Livelihoods Mission, Assam.

Events

G PLUS | DEC 16 - dec 22, 2017

23 16th Dec to 22nd Dec

December 11-22 SARAS Fair 2017 Ganesh Mandir Indoor Stadium Field, Khanapara December 16-17 ACMA Aftermarket Expo Maniram Dewan Trade Centre December 10-16 10th Guwahati International Film Festival District Library, Guwahati

edge Tour Event – Sanam Pl 9, Saturday Date – December ium ad St Venue – Nehru

from Guwahati on rted Pledge Tour ta k-s e ‘No kic , nd ba highlight the caus an Pop-Rock ophone, aims to am Sanam, the Indi Gr u Ne of e tiv tour, an initia E December 9. The to child abuse. most amazing LIV ’ and bring an end rls Gi t nd made it one of ba e th ics of ss t World withou cla ien d ot ol ngs and and high live qu perform original so The energy, talent Not only did they ar Morome Mur” d. se um es “T tn s wi s ng so ha e ti two Assames ed concerts Guwaha rm rfo pe o als s for, they Hazarika. Kare” by Bhupen that they’re famou “Dil Hoom Hoom d an a rik za Ha a reception) by Jayant jun Deb (wedding Paoli Dam weds Ar 10, Sunday Date – December a by Taj nt va Vi – Venue

December 16 Ankit Tiwari ft Bhoomi Trivedi LIVE Sarusajai Stadium 6PM onwards December 16 Tarkash the Sufi Band Underdoggs Sports bar 7PM onwards December 16 Bullzeye Terra Mayaa 8PM onwards

the The newly-weds with nister Mi ief Ch ble honoura l ku Mu , ya ala gh of Me left) m fro Sangma (second

Newly-weds with the ir friends at their Grand Recepti on

December 16 Pollengers LIVE Madiza 7PM onwards December 16 Guwahati Diaries 2017 Assam State Museum 10AM onwards

Event – Ek Shaam John ny Lever ke Naam Date – December 10, Su nday Venue – Pragjyoti ITA, Machkhowa

December 17 India’s Got Talent Audition Pragjyotish Colege 8AM onwards

Noted comedian Jo hnny Lever and his daughter Jamie Le ver performed at ITA Guwahati in “Ek Sh aam Johnny Leve r ke Naam” during an event organised by Jeewan Ram Mung i Devi Goenka Publ ic Charitable Trust on Sunday.

Paoli Dam with Arjun Deb at their reception cerem ony

Event

Yuva Live nnected Event – We are co iyanjana Pr th wi Pre-Party 9, 2017 Date – December a ya Ma Venue – Terra

December 16 Strictly Hip-Hop NYX, Hotel Palacio 7PM onwards

Date

December 11, Mo

Venue

Dunkin Oza

nday

December 17 Writers meet & Reading session 4PM onwards December 17 Maha Kavi Kokil, Vidyapati Smriti Parv Samaroh Pragjyoti ITA Cultural Complex 2PM onwards

Catching Up

G PLUS | DEC 16 - dec 22, 2017