G Plus Vol 7 Issue 41

@guwahatiplus | /c/gplusguwahati www.guwahatiplus.com

INSIDE

Volume 07 | Issue 41 Aug 01 - Aug 07, 2020 Price `10 ‘No room for complacency despite fall in JE deaths,’ Monalisa Goswami

Education Policy 2020: A Ready Reckoner & what you need to know

PG 04

Rafale Fighter Jets The Game-Changing Weapon Centre Spread Pages 08-09

PG 06

How did an Australian

Online gambling grips Guwahati Kangaroo

land in Assam?

G Plus News @guwahatiplus

T

he Assam forest department is being lauded for its efforts in rescuing exotic wildlife species recently. Assam’s Cachar Forest Division had intercepted a vehicle at Lailapur on Tuesday night and rescued exotic wildlife that included a kangaroo, six macaw parrots, three tortoises and two monkeys. The animals were brought to Guwahati Zoo for safe-keeping and to be give care. But the issue that has raised eyebrows is how did a Kangaroo, an animal that is indigenous to Australia mainly, land in Assam?

Two persons namely Narsimha Reddy and Navnath Tukaram

Daigude have been detained subsequent to the interception.

In the course of the interrogation, they revealed to the forest personnel that the consignment was headed to Guwahati.

Highly placed sources in the forest department, talking to G Plus, revealed that after the seizure, many agencies have been contacting the Assam Forest Department; the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), West Bengal, is one of them. The source revealed that the arrested accused had been also arrested in 2018 by DRI in Kolkata with 40 exotic wildlife species which were meant to be smuggled to Pune and other parts of Maharashtra.

PG No - 03

G Plus News @guwahatiplus

G

iven that the Covid-19 pandemic has forced people to remain within the confines of their homes, the committed gamblers of the city have identified a novel way to pursue their passion – something that was previously popular in western countries. Online gambling has gripped Guwahati in a big way and many youth and businessmen are gradually falling prey to the cyber game which is nothing less than a variety of cyber crime.

The crime branch of Mumbai Police had busted an online gambling racket in July last and had arrested three persons from the posh locality of suburban Bandra. During investigation it came to light that the accused were using PP Poker application through which they had created various online gambling clubs, which were probably spread across the country.

Similarly, according to some city gamblers, there are 5 to 6 online gambling apps where some Guwahatians are forming closed groups or clubs according to their playing abilities and preferences of Teen Patti, PP Poker, Poker Fishes, Just Club and so on.

A club member from Fancy Bazar, who played for a few days in one of the app-based gambling clubs, talking to G Plus under conditions of anonymity said, “It is quite impossible to trace the application owner or even the club owner because a member who has been introduced to any of

the clubs can only be in contact with the person who has added him. The person is usually a close friend or a regular fellow gambler and the money transaction happens between only these two persons.” He further added that it is a win-win situation only for the app owner and the club owner. He said that app owners are mostly based in other states and even outside the country whereas the club owners are based in the city itself.

Talking about the modus operandi, the source explained that when the app is downloaded, it looks like just a gaming app which can be played for free.

But anyone desiring to play with real money can contact the app owner through mail in the support mail address. The app owners have their own ways of verifying the applicant and after the verification they form a club in the app for a particular player. That applicant becomes the club owner and purchases chips from the app owner for a certain amount. Then the club owner adds members in the club and sells them these chips; one club has around 6 to 8 members. For every board that the members play, around 3 to 5 percent from the total

amount on the board goes to the club owner. The money transactions for new members happen on a daily basis and for old members it happens weekly.

Once the club owner exhausts his chips, he purchases them again from the app owner and the cycle continues. If a person wins Rs 1,000 from one board, he gets 3 to 5 percent lesser than the winning amount as the cut of equal amount goes to the club owner.

There are clubs in some apps in Guwahati where the worth of one board is around Rs 20 lakhs to Rs 30 lakhs. The members play usually from 2 pm to 3 am of the next day during which around 500 to 1,000 boards are played on one club’s table.

“I left because I lost a huge amount and many people have gone bankrupt during the lockdown,” the source said adding that most of the club owners are former bookies of cricket matches.

The game is illegal because according to a police officer, no licence for such games - if they are being played – has been taken under Assam Game and Betting Act, 1970.

A source in the city police crime branch said that no case against such activity has been filed yet but the police have received some inputs and they are further developing a case based on such inputs. The police said that it is a cyber crime and they will certainly act against such crimes after all the evidences are accumulated.

Meanwhile, many youth and businessmen have lost or continue to lose huge amounts of money on a daily basis.

2 Lead Story

| Aug 01 - Aug 07, 2020

Education sector sees partial fulfilment of schemes Saumya Mishra @saumyamishra03

W

ith the New Education Policy being announced by the central government recently which will bring in some major changes to revamp the education sector, the education scenario of the country has once again become the talking point.

We take a look at some of the major announcements which the BJP-led Assam government had made with regards to the education sector’s development in the state.

Emphasis on providing quality education has been one of the key priority areas for the state government. Even before the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was elected to power in the state in the 2016 state assembly elections, the party had listed out a plan of action in its ‘Vision Document’ for different sectors.

One of the promises made by the party in the document was, “Ensuring compulsory enrolment and zero dropouts in schools.”

However, as per a report presented by Union Human Resource Development minister, Ramesh Pokhriyal in Rajya Sabha in February 2020, Assam registered the highest school dropout rate in primary and secondary classes in the country. The report presented

by Pokhriyal tabled the country’s state-wise data of dropout rates in primary (I-V) and secondary (IX and X) classes between 2015-

16 and 2017-18.

As per the MHRD’s figures, Assam registered a dropout rate of 10.1 per cent at the primary level in 2017-18 while the dropout rate for secondary level in Assam was 33.7 per cent.

The state was followed by Arunachal Pradesh in the primary category (8.1 per cent) and Bihar (32 per cent) in secondary category.

With a view to improve the overall quality of education in government-run primary schools, the Assam government started the initiative ‘Gunotsav’ in April 2017.

Under the scheme, government school students of classes 2 to 10 were tested on various academic and non-academic skills and were allotted grades accordingly.

The results of Gunotsav have been encouraging as the number of schools getting the highest grade, A+, has improved with each phase. However, it remains to be seen if it gets transformed into lower dropout rates for the state.

Regularisation of TET teachers

Another promise made by the BJP was to regularise the services of contractual TET teachers.

TET (Teacher’s Eligibility Test) qualified teachers in Assam had been demanding for their regularisation for a long time now. Last month, state education minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, stated in a press conference that services of TET teachers who are part of the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, state pool teachers and

File photo of TET teachers staging a protest in Guwahati demanding their rights teachers working on contractual basis in high schools, will be regularised.

He added that these teachers will receive all benefits of government teachers and will retire when they reach 60 years of age.

“We had made this promise when we went to polls in 2016 and have fulfilled that promise now,” said Sarma adding that the term ‘regularise’ cannot be used for TET teachers due to a Supreme Court order on TET teachers, but they would be given all benefits of a government job.

However, TET teachers are not fully satisfied. Diparnav Ghosh, a

TET teacher told G Plus that the government has made their jobs secure but it would still remain contractual. “For TET teachers, this is at least one step ahead that our jobs are secured. However, the circular contains a lot of bindings and regulations for us,” mentioned Ghosh adding that even though many of the TET teachers have been working for the past several years, as per the fresh agreement, their services would be counted from July 1, 2020.

“We have decided that we will not sign any fresh agreement; we only want regularisation of jobs with full pay protection,”

said Ghosh adding that they are currently employed under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) project and want to be directly employed under the government.

“If tomorrow, the SSA project is shut down for some reason, then what will happen to our jobs?” he said.

Further, the BJP had promised setting up of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Assam, the foundation stone for which was laid in 2017 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

This apart, the party had also promised to set up an IIM in the state. However, it still remains to be fulfilled.

How did the Australian Kangaroo land in Assam?

From page 01

“

According to the stamps and seals on the cartons in which the animals were caged, it was found that the consignment was coming from Thailand via Myanmar and Mizoram.

As soon as it reached Assam (Lailapur Forest Sub Beat) the forest department seized the truck,” the officer said. He said that kangaroos are indigenous to Australia and even South America but what the initial investigation reveals is that there are many farms in Thailand where these animals are bred.

From Thailand the animals were brought to Myanmar and

from Myanmar it came to Cachar via Mizoram.

The consignment was suspected to be going to Hyderabad that has many pet shops to which it was supposed to be delivered.

The officer said that there are many wealthy people in India who purchase exotic species for rearing or even for consumption.

The arrested accused people are hardcore international wildlife smugglers and it would be difficult to extract much information from them but the security agencies are working on exposing the entire nexus.

The rescued animals from left: Macaw Parrot, Giant Tortoise, Capuchine Monkey

In The News

| Aug 01 - Aug 07, 2020

3

Covid-19: Assam records highest single-day spike with 2,112 new cases Nehal Jain @NehalJain96

A

ssam registered 2,112 new COVID-19 cases on July 30, its highest single-day spike in the number of infections so far.

Of the new cases, 283 were from Kamrup (M) which is the worst affected district in the state.

Further, 211 cases were reported from Nagaon, 210 from Kamrup (R) and 132 from Sonitpur.

On the same day, 1,248 patients were discharged after fully recovering from coronavirus.

The total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases has gone up to 38,407 of which 9,230 are active and 29,080 have been cured and discharged so far. Further, 94 persons have succumbed to coronavirus and three persons have migrated to other states.

“The consistency of our good recovery rate is a reflection of continuous efforts & dedication of our teams. Gratitude,” said health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announcing the latest figures.

The health minister also said that over 41,028 COVID-19 tests were carried out in Assam in the

last 24 hours, taking the figure of total tests conducted in the state to 8,79,071.

“In a new milestone I proudly share that our teams carried out over 41,000 tests in last 24 hrs.

While the number of cases may go up, what will be important will be the positivity rate, which continues to be low. We must remember, tracking & tracing is our finest weapon,” tweeted Himanta Biswa Sarma, further adding that with 2,112 people testing positive throughout the day, the positivity rate stands at 5.14%.

As Assam continues to register thousands of new cases every day, the Assam government has been strengthening its fight against Covid-19.

“Upgrading our medical facilities & infra have been on top of our priority in our fight against #COVID19. Regular monitoring too has been a key and I must compliment officials for being on their toes,” told Himanta Biswa Sarma.

Apart from setting up new care centers and conducting regular testing, the state has also

started plasma donation process.

Assam to unlock partially: Himanta Biswa Sarma

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Government of India has ordered for the third phase of unlock of the nationwide lockdown. A notice issued by the Press Information Bureau states that Unlock 3 will come into effect from 1st August.

However, the health, finance and education minister of Assam, Himanta Biswa Sarma has said that Assam will not follow the Unlock 3 guidelines entirely.

“Assam will go for partial implementation of the guidelines under Unlock 3 to keep the Covid-19 situation under control and attempt to flatten the curve by mid-August,” Sarma said.

As per the new MHA guidelines, night curfew will be removed.

Gymnasiums and yoga institutes are being finally allowed to open from 5th August. However,

educational institutions along with theatres, metro services, swimming pools, and bars are to remain closed till 31st August.

The order from the Ministry of Home Affairs however clearly mentioned that states and union territories may accept or prohibit the guidelines based on the assessment of their respective situations.

“There shall be no restriction on inter-state and intra-state movement of persons or goods.

No separate permission/approval/ e-permit will be required for such movement,” the order further states.

Sarma said that the Covid-19 situation in Assam has started improving and thus the state would go for limited application of the unlock guidelines.

“We want to continue with some restrictions, at least till August 15 because we do not want to lose our grip on the situation, which is improving. Our testing is very encouraging and if we can maintain the current trend,

Total number of coronavirus cases in Assam stands at 38,407.

29,080 persons have been cured and discharged.

Assam government steps up vigil, tests over 8.7 lakh people for Covid-19.

The positivity rate in Assam stands at around 5%.

MHA issues guidelines for Unlock 3.0.

Assam to unlock partially, says Himanta Biswa Sarma.

we might be able to flatten the Covid-19 curve by August 15,” he explained.

T

he Final Year University Exams have not been cancelled yet. The Supreme Court of India adjourned the hearing awaited by students across the country on University Grants Commission (UGC’s) decision to conduct final year university exams.

The hearing has been pushed to August 10 and the apex court will not pass any interim order on the matter.

In today’s hearing, the Supreme Court of India asked individuals to submit affidavits by August 7 and rejoinders

by August 8.

The Supreme Court

however did take notice of the fact that fresh guidelines issued on July 6 by UGC did not take into account guidelines issued

by MHA as those guidelines were issued much later on July 20.

On cancellation of exams in Maharashtra, the State Disaster Management Committee of Maharashtra has also been given time and asked to file a reply.

Janasanyog No. 1371/20

University Final Exams: SC Refuses to Pass Interim Order, Verdict Likely On August 10

4 In Conversation

| Aug 01 - Aug 07, 2020

‘No room for complacency despite fall in JE deaths,’ Monalisa Goswami Rifa Deka was in conversation with the Commissioner & Secretary, Health & Family Welfare, Government of Assam to discuss the current situation of Japanese Encephalitis (JE) in Assam in the backdrop of the Covid-19 pandemic. JE has claimed 34 lives in Assam as of 25th July, 2020.

Rifa Deka @dekarifa

EXCERPTS What is Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) and Japanese Encephalitis and which are the areas worst affected by the disease in Assam?

These are a group of vector borne diseases which are transmitted by Culex mosquitoes.

The Japanese Encephalitis is a disease that affects the central nervous system. It is very difficult to treat a patient once the virus affects a person’s brain, which is why the fatality rate by this particular disease is very high.

Natural hosts of this viral disease are water birds (pond herons and cattle egrets) and pigs play an amplifier host. These birds sit on pigs and infect pigs which maintain prolonged viraemia, which is the duration of presence of the virus in their blood. JE cannot be transmitted through human to human contact and humans are the dead end of the cycle. Culex mosquitoes bite at dawn and dusk.

In Assam, the highest number of deaths has been recorded in Barpeta district from where 20 cases have been found and 6 deaths have been recorded. 3 deaths have been reported from Sivasagar, Sonitpur , Kamrup (Rural) and Morigaon districts whereas 2 deaths each have been reported from Sonitpur, Jorhat, Darrang and Dibrugarh districts of Assam.

As of today, Assam has 225 cases of Acute Encephalitis Syndrome or Japanese Encephalitis and 34 deaths have been reported from the state.

What is the root cause of AES/JE and similar vector borne diseases in Assam? Could you tell us what preventive measures are being taken to ensure that people are safe from this?

Floods and stagnant water, as we know, are breeding grounds for these mosquitoes (Culex) that spread the viral disease.

Although pigs are said to amplify the disease, we have noticed that in districts such as Nagaon and Hojai, where some JE cases have been identified, have no piggeries.

This means that these mosquitoes are breeding in paddy fields where waster had accumulated due to rains.

Infrastructure in many districts is a challenge which also leads to water logging, then there are the floods; all this leads to a rise in JE cases around the time between July and September.

Control rooms have been set up and officials are regularly visiting places and field workers have intensified surveillance. Use of ITBNs which are Insecticide Treated Bed Nets are given to people to keep them safe from mosquitoes.

Fogging is done regularly to kill adult mosquitoes and larvicides are used to kill the larvae; otherwise if only fogging is done, then the larvae turn into pupa and the pupa into mosquitoes in a few days and we are back to square one. So, both are important and done regularly and simultaneously.

We are also going to suggest breeding of Guppy and Gambusia Fish, which are currently being bred in certain areas, on a wider scale in water tanks and ponds or any other place where water accumulates. These fish are known to feed on larvae; however it is most useful in elimination of anopheles larvae of malaria spreading mosquitoes.

At a time when the state is busy battling the novel coronavirus disease, how is the health department preparing to deal with an increase in AES/JE cases in Assam?

We are personally taking stock of the situation and ensuring testing and immediate treatment if anybody shows symptoms of AES/JE. The mortality rate by JE is very high as compared to COVID-19; at close to 15%. We have set up various District Task Forces to ensure that even those at the grassroots get benefitted with whatever it is that we have facilitated for their treatment.

District Task Forces comprise the Veterinary, PHE, Deputy Commissioner, Police, Education, etc, who all play a vital role in implementation of our plans in a

File photo of Monalisa Goswami, Commissioner & Secretary, Health and Family Welfare, Govt of Assam more inclusive manner. Regular routine immunization is on and we will resume adult vaccination after this JE season.

Do people voluntarily come forward to get themselves treated or is there fear among them?

What happens if a person does not get proper treatment?

One problem that we have noticed is that when a person starts to show symptoms of JE which usually involve fever, disorientation, tremors, hypertonia or loss of coordination, villagers tend to take the patient to a ‘bez’ rather than a Primary Healthcare Center (PHC) or a nearby hospital. Sensitization and awareness campaigns play a major role here for which our workers are going down to the grassroots level and informing people of the dangers of such fatal diseases. In many cases, almost 25% of JE patients end up with lifelong physical disability if they are not treated well which is why it is very important to give the right treatment to the patient.

What new initiatives are being taken by your department to help those infected by the disease?

What facilities have

been arranged for their treatment?

This year we have taken additional measures apart from the immunization, sensitization and surveillance that we do each year. We have arranged for special facilities such as transport allowances for patients, free treatment for those suffering from JE, incentives for workers, dedicated help desks in district hospitals and medical colleges.

We have also cancelled leaves of all doctors and medical staff till the end of September.

Transportation is a big problem in Assam, especially during the current flood season, and with restrictions on travelling due to COVID-19. What kind of transportation facilities are being provided to patients and how much allowance is being given to them?

We have instructed all service providers of 108 Mrityunjoy ambulances and 102 InterFacility Transfer ambulances to accord high priority to shift AES/JE patients. In case patients have to travel on their own, we

have consolidated a transport allowance of Rs 1,000 for them which will be given to those who make their own arrangements to reach the district hospital or medical college.

All superintendents of medical colleges will put in place a mechanism for immediate reimbursement of this amount to AES/JE patients out of the Hospital Management Society Funds which they can claim from the government as reimbursement.

What other measures have been taken by your department to ensure timely treatment of AES and JE patients?

We have directed all medical colleges and district hospitals to earmark certain beds exclusively for AES and JE patients.

Treatment of these patients will be absolutely free of cost in all government hospitals inclusive of medicines, consumables and all other diagnostic facilities.

Hospitals that cause out of pocket expenditure will be charged with disobedience to government orders and will be viewed seriously. Even ICU facilities in these medical colleges and hospitals will be made free for pre-diagnostics and treatment of the disease.

continue on page 07

City

| Aug 01 - Aug 07, 2020

5

This Raksha Bandhan, Guwahatians opt for Indian Rakhis instead of Chinese ones Rifa Deka @dekarifa

Sale of Rakhis has seen a decline this year Sellers take their businesses online as markets and malls remain shut Customers choose from e-catalogue of Rakhis and make online payment Sellers resort to making Rakhis locally, sell exclusive Rakhis at higher rates Chinese Rakhis which are relatively cheaper, less likely to be available this year Guwahatians keep the spirit of the festival alive despite the COVID-19 pandemic

F

or Vridhi Surekha, a Rakhi seller from Guwahati who is passionate about her profession and sells her stuff online, Raksha Bandhan in the month of August is usually a special occasion for her and her business. While selling Rakhis is a just part of the occasion, the variety she usually has on offer is somewhat different this year than in previous years.

She said, “There’s a lady in Kolkata who makes Rakhis for us and we sell it out here. In the market, in malls and Fancy Bazar there are shops that sell Rakhis which are made in China.

These China ones are relatively cheaper; ours are made in India and are exclusive, so they are usually priced higher.”

In August, markets are usually filled with these colourful amulets suspended as display in shops on the streets of Guwahati.

This time around, the COVID-19 situation has hindered sale of the commodity.

To add to this massive fall in demand for Chinese Rakhis

due to the pandemic, there is no demand for Chinese Rakhis due to the cross border standoff between India and China at the Galwan Valley in Ladakh. There was no demand for Chinese Rakhis two years ago also around this time prior to the festival, due to the face-off in Doklam.

To find out more about the preparations with the fast approaching Raksha Bandhan festival that is right around the corner, G Plus got in touch with sellers of the commodity to find out how Guwahati was prepping for this symbolic and highly popular festival.

Rakhi sellers first evaluate demand which fluctuates each year. “We would, for instance, purchase one lot of 10,000 Rakhis and see whether customers like them. We examine the designs and see whether these designs are doing well in the market only after which we purchase in bigger lots.”

On the size of a lot purchased at once, Vridhi said, “We purchase 50 to 60 thousand Rakhis depending on the types available.” The demand is sometimes very high and this time, despite the COVID situation, sellers are seeing much demand as compared to previous years for Rakhis which are made in India after the India-China stand-off.

As malls and markets are closed and people are unable to put up stalls on the roadsides, a lot of customers have begun placing orders for Rakhis online.

“Malls and shops in bazaars are closed and we give customers free delivery which is why many customers are now placing orders with us,” explained Vridhi.

On taking the Rakhi business online she said, “I have a 3 year old online business. We also sell other seasonal items such as hampers for Diwali and other festive occasions. The response is not great as many people are still unaware about our business, as we do not have a website. We run our business through social media platforms like Instagram,” said the owner of the business.

Online Rakhi business is flourishing in Guwahati city as people are afraid to step out of their homes due to the novel

Rakhis being displayed at a Guwahati market | G Plus photo coronavirus pandemic. “We send customers a catalogue of Rakhis in PDF form and they select their Rakhis. We accept online payments from them. So people find it convenient to order from us,” said Vridhi Sureka.

“We are making our own Rakhis this year as we’re not able to

purchase Rakhis from our usual seller in Kolkata,” said Premlata Maskara, owner of a boutique in Kumarpara who also sells Rakhis in her boutique around the time of the festive season.

“Although there is this

COVID-19 pandemic, those who have got to celebrate Raksha Bandhan will celebrate the festival; however, the grandeur of celebrations may be reduced to some extent.

There is still

uncertainty regarding demand of Rakhis this year,” said

Maskara.

Transportation, she believes is a problem. “Someone willing to send a Rakhi to her brother in Guwahati will not be able to send it due to that problem. So they ask us to dispatch the product

and send it to the house of the receiver and they directly give us the payment,” added Makara.

Contrary to this, another Rakhi seller from Fancy Bazar, whose family has been doing a similar business of seasonal festive commodities, said that although there will be no imports from China this year, wholesalers in cities like Delhi and Kolkata have already previously purchased huge lots of Rakhis.

“Rakhis are not something that is perishable; most of the sellers here in Guwahati already have a stored stock from previous years which they will now release into the market,” she added.

Apart from buying Rakhis online, most people have decided not to exchange Rakhis between households to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus disease among communities at a time when Guwahati is the hotspot of COVID-19 pandemic in the region.

Some sisters have also decided to make their own Rakhis at home and tie them to the wrists of their beloved brothers.

From sending e-Rakhis to ordering Rakhis online, customers have stopped at nothing to keep the spirit of the festival alive, despite the major COVID-19 setback.

6 In The News

| Aug 01 - Aug 07, 2020

Education Policy 2020: A Ready Reckoner & what you need to know Barasha Das @Barasha_mi2

T

he Union Ministry of Human Resource Development approved the New Education Policy (NEP) 2020 on 29th July, the day it was renamed as the Ministry of Education.

This is the first education policy of the 21st century and replaces the thirty-four year old National Policy on Education (NPE), 1986. Built on the foundational pillars of Access, Equity, Quality, Affordability and Accountability, this policy is aligned to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and aims to transform India into a vibrant knowledge society and global knowledge superpower.

Major highlights of the policy for school and higher education

I: FOR SCHOOLS

1. Ensuring Universal Access at all levels of school education Emphasizes on ensuring universal access to school education at all levels- pre-school to secondary.

About 2 crore out of school children will be brought back into main stream under NEP 2020.

2. Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) The present education structure of 10+2 has been changed to more pedagogical and curricular structure of 5+3+3+4.

5 years Foundational stage: First 3 years in anganwadi/ balvatika (age 3-6 yrs), second 2 years in class 1 to 2 (age 6-8 yrs). Scope - multilevel, play/activity-based learning.

3 years Preparatory stage: Class 3 to 5 (age 8-11 yrs).

Scope- play, discovery, and activity-based and interactive classroom learning.

3 years Middle stage: Class 6 to 8 (age 11-14 yrs). Scope experimental learning in the sciences, mathematics, arts, social sciences and humanities.

4 years Secondary stage: Class 9 to 12 (age 14-18 yrs).

Scope - multidisciplinary study, greater critical thinking, flexibility and students choice of subjects.

3. Foundational Literacy and Numeracy Recognizing Foundational Literacy and Numeracy as an urgent and necessary prerequisite to learning like reading, writing, speaking, counting, arithmetic, mathematical thinking.

This is to be achieved for all learners by Grade 3 by 2025.

Setting up of a National Mission on Foundational Literacy and Numeracy by MHRD. A National Book Promotion Policy is to be formulated.

subjects in physical education, the arts and vocational crafts.

There will be no rigid separations between arts and sciences, between curricular and extracurricular activities, between vocational and academic streams.

6. Multilingualism and the power of language The policy has emphasized mother tongue/local language/regional language as the medium of instruction at least till Grade 5, but preferably till Grade 8 and beyond.

Sanskrit to be offered at all levels of school and higher education as an option for students, including in the three-language formula.

Other classical languages Union ministers Ramesh Pokhriyal (L) and Prakash Javadekar announcing the NEP and literatures of India also to be available as options. However, no language will be the subjects that they are interested in having tested, and imposed on any student. universities will admit students based on individual subject portfolio.

Students to participate in a fun project/activity on ‘The Languages of India’, sometime in Grades 6-8.

Several foreign languages will also be offered at the secondary level.

Indian Sign Language (ISL) will be standardized across the country and National and State curriculum materials developed, for use by students with hearing impairment.

7. Integration of essential subjects and skills Introduction of contemporary subjects, such as Artificial Intelligence, Design Thinking, Holistic Health, Organic Living, etc.

Important vocational crafts, such as carpentry, electric work, metal work, gardening, pottery making, etc. from class 6-8.

Basic training in health, including preventive health, mental health, etc.

8. Textbooks with local content States will prepare their own curricula (based on NCERT curricula), however incorporating State flavour and material as needed.

Nutrition and health (including mental health) of children will be addressed.

Aims to significantly reduce the weight of school bags.

4. Curtailing Dropout Rates

9. Assessment Reforms NEP 2020 envisages a shift from summative assessment to regular and formative assessment, which is more competency-based, promotes learning and development, and tests higher-order skills, such as analysis, critical thinking, and conceptual clarity.

It aims for Universalization of Education from pre-school to secondary level with 100% Gross Enrolment Ratio in school education by 2030.

Open and Distance Learning (ODL) Programmes offered by the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) will be expanded.

Alternative models of education, such as gurukulas, pathshaalas, madarassas and home schooling to be allowed.

To track students’ progress throughout their school experience all students will take State School examinations in Grades 3, 5, and 8.

Board exams for Grades 10 and 12 will be continued, but redesigned with holistic development as the aim.

10. Special training based on talent Topic-centered and Project-based Clubs and Circles will be encouraged like Science Circles, Music Performance Circles, Chess Circles, Poetry Circles, etc.

Olympiads and competitions in various subjects will be strengthened across the country.

Universities to use results from Olympiads, and results from work in topic-based programmes as part of admissions criteria.

11. Equitable and Inclusive Education Special emphasis will be given on Socially and Economically Disadvantaged Groups (SEDGs) which include gender, socio-cultural, and geographical identities and disabilities.

Setting up of Gender Inclusion Fund and also Special Education Zones for disadvantaged regions and groups.

Support from educators with cross disability training, resource centres, accommodations, assistive devices, appropriate technology-based tools and other support mechanisms tailored to suit their needs.

12. Robust Teacher Recruitment and Career Path Teachers will be recruited through robust, transparent processes.

Promotions will be merit-based.

A common National Professional Standards for Teachers (NPST) will be developed by the National Council for Teacher Education by 2022.

13. School Governance Schools can be organized into complexes or clusters to ensure availability of all resources including infrastructure, academic libraries and a strong professional teacher community.

5. Reforms in school curricula and pedagogy Students will have an option of exiting at Class 10 and reentering in the next phase.

A new National Assessment Centre, PARAKH (Performance Assessment, Review, and Analysis of Knowledge for Holistic Development), will be set up as a standard-setting body.

14. Standard-setting and Accreditation for School Education States/UTs will set up independent State School Standards Authority (SSSA).

Students will be given increased flexibility and choice of subjects to study, particularly in secondary school including

The National Testing Agency (NTA) will conduct common university entrance exams. Students will be able to choose

The SCERT will develop a School Quality Assessment and Accreditation Framework (SQAAF)

In The News

| Aug 01 - Aug 07, 2020 II: HIGHER EDUCATION

earned.

1. Institutional Restructuring The policy will be transforming higher education institutions into large multidisciplinary universities, colleges, and higher education institution (HEI) clusters, each of which will aim to have 3,000 or more students.

All HEIs will evolve into research-intensive universities (RUs), teaching universities (TUs), and autonomous degreegranting colleges (ACs).

By 2040, all HEIs shall become multidisciplinary institutions.

Affiliation System of colleges to be phased out in 15 years with graded autonomy to colleges.

Over a period of time, every college would develop into either an Autonomous degree-granting College, or a constituent college of a university.

2. Increase GER to 50 % by 2035 NEP 2020 aims to increase the Gross Enrolment Ratio in higher education including vocational education from 26.3% (2018) to 50% by 2035.

3.5 Crore new seats will be added to Higher education institutions.

3. Holistic Multidisciplinary Education The policy envisages broad based, multi-disciplinary, holistic Under Graduate education with flexible curricula, creative combinations of subjects, integration of vocational education.

UG education can be of 3 or 4 years with multiple entry and exit options and appropriate certification within this period. For example, Certificate after 1 year, Advanced Diploma after 2 years, Bachelor’s Degree after 3 years and Bachelor’s with Research after 4 years.

All Open Distance Learning (ODL) programmes will be of standards and quality equivalent to the highest quality programmes run by the HEIs on their campuses.

An Academic Bank of Credit is to be established for digitally storing academic credits earned from different HEIs so that these can be transferred and counted towards final degree

Undertaking a PhD shall require either a Master’s degree or a 4-year Bachelor’s degree with Research.

The M.Phil. programme shall be discontinued.

Multidisciplinary Education and Research Universities (MERUs), at par with IITs, IIMs, to be set up as models of best multidisciplinary education of global standards in the country.

The National Research Foundation will be created as an apex body for fostering a strong research culture and building research capacity across higher education.

4. Internationalisation: High performing Indian universities will be encouraged to set up campuses in other countries, and similarly, select universities will be permitted to operate in India.

5. Regulations: Higher Education Commission of India (HECI) will be set up as a single overarching umbrella body for the entire higher education, excluding medical and legal education.

HECI will function through faceless intervention through technology, & will have powers to penalise HEIs not conforming to norms and standards.

6. Teacher Education: A new and comprehensive National Curriculum Framework for Teacher Education, NCFTE 2021, will be formulated by the NCTE. By 2030, the minimum degree qualification for teaching will be a 4-year integrated B.Ed. Stringent action will be taken against substandard standalone Teacher Education Institutions (TEIs).

7. Mentoring Mission: A National Mission for Mentoring will be established, with a large pool of outstanding senior/retired faculty to provide short and long-term mentoring/professional support to university/college teachers.

7

8. Financial support for students: Efforts will be made to incentivize the merit of students belonging to SC, ST, OBC, and other SEDGs. The National Scholarship Portal will be expanded to support, foster, and track the progress of students receiving scholarships.

Private HEIs will be encouraged to offer larger numbers of free ships and scholarships to their students.

9. Online Education and Digital Education: A comprehensive set of recommendations for promoting online education in order to ensure preparedness with alternative modes of quality education whenever and wherever traditional and in-person modes of education are not possible, has been covered.

10. Technology in education: An autonomous body, the National Educational Technology Forum (NETF), will be created to provide a platform for the free exchange of ideas on the use of technology.

Appropriate integration of technology into all levels of education will be done to improve classroom processes, support teacher professional development, enhance educational access for disadvantaged groups and streamline educational planning, administration and management.

11. Promotion of Indian languages: NEP recommends setting an Indian Institute of Translation and Interpretation (IITI), National Institute (or Institutes) for Pali, Persian and Prakrit, strengthening of Sanskrit and all language departments in HEIs and use mother tongue/local language as a medium of instruction in more HEI programmes.

12. Professional Education: All professional education will be an integral part of the higher education system.

13. Adult Education: The Policy aims to achieve 100% youth and adult literacy.

14. Financing Education: Increase in the public investment in Education sector to reach 6% of GDP at the earliest.

‘No room for complacency despite fall in JE deaths,’ Monalisa Goswami From page 04

This will be paid to them by the end of September this year by their respective District Health Societies.

How has community surveillance helped with AES and JE cases?

Are field workers still visiting homes to collect samples or have they been withdrawn due to COVID-19 pandemic?

Have any steps been taken to hasten the process from identification of the disease to treatment of patients since, in most cases, it is delay that leads to the death of a patient?

Surveillance workers are out on the field doing their job and to further strengthen the mechanism of early detection of AES/JE cases through blood slide collection.

We have announced a special incentive of Rs 5 per blood slide collected from 1st July till 30th of September this year, which will be paid to Multi Purpose Workers (MPWs), Auxiliary Nurse Midwives (ANMs) and Surveillance Workers (SWs).

We have directed all medical colleges and hospitals to set up dedicated help desks to ensure faster delivery of services and so that no time is lost between the arrival of the patient and treatment. These desks will be manned by staff round the clock to ensure that there are no delays of any sort.

In addition to this, as I mentioned earlier, we have cancelled leaves of doctors and paramedical staff, including

leaves of surveillance workers, till this season passes.

Emergency leaves, however, will be granted but only with prior approval. We will treat absence seriously.

How is the scenario of AES and JE in Assam this year as compared to previous years?

Last year at this point of time, 125 deaths had been recorded from across the state of Assam.

This year only 34 deaths have been reported from JE. We have even set up death review committees in various districts to take corrective actions as sometimes a person could be fully treated and recovered of AES or JE and succumbed to co-morbid conditions and the death would be counted as a JE death.

Have the lockdown, COVID-19 pandemic and floods been

posing additional challenges to the state health department in combating problems of vector borne disease like JE? Despite the lockdown, we have been in consultation with districts and have constantly monitored the situation.

We have been meeting up via video conferencing and conference calls and have insisted on regular field visits.

I myself will be travelling to Barpeta and Nalbari tomorrow to personally take stock of the situation there. Despite a decline in the number of JE cases as compared to previous years in Assam, we do not want to be complacent. We will leave no room for any kind of complacency.

Are any benefits being provided to patients who undergo treatment in private hospitals?

In many cases, almost 25% of JE patients end up with lifelong physical disability if they are not treated well which is why it is very important to give the right treatment to the patient.

Critical patients suffering with AES/JE who are admitted in the ICUs of private hospitals or nursing homes which are registered under the Clinical Establishments Act will be extended a monetary support of up to Rs 1 lakh. To avail this benefit, attendants accompanying the patient may call up on JE Central Room helpline numbers or to the concerned health authorities at the district level.

8 Centre Spread

| Aug 01 - Aug 07, 2020

Squadron No. 17 – Golden Arrows This squadron of the Indian Air Force stationed at Ambala Air Force Station as part of Western Air Command. The squadron was number-plated (wounded down) in 2016, but was resurrected in Ambala on 11th September 2019 with Dassault Rafales.

A squadron once wounded down or retired from service, can be resurrected later with a different aircraft.

Specifications of the Aircraft Top Speed Wing Span Length Height Overall empty weight External load Max. take-off weight Fuel (internal) Fuel (external) Ferry Range Landing ground run Service Ceiling

1.8 Mach at high altitude 10.90 m 15.30 m 5.30 m 10 tonnes 9.5 tonnes 24.5 tonnes 4.7 tonnes 6.7 tonnes 3,700 km 450 m (1,500 ft) 50,000 ft Rifa Deka @dekarifa

Weapons and Technology

The Game-Cha

The 4.5 generation Rafale Fighter Jets can be tuned to deliver nuclear weapons. It comes with game changing missiles.

Weapon/ Technology

Features

Special Feature

Additional Info.

METEOR air-to-air missilie

-worth over Rs 20 crores - long range rocket - ram-jet powered - range of 150 kms

Zero escape kill distance of 120 km

Rafale jets can strike down enemy aircraft over 100 km away without it entering the Indian airspace

SCALP long range airto-ground stand-off cruise missile

-worth over Rs 40 crores Known for its - strategic weapon precision - weighs 1,300 kgs - 5.1 m in length - 600 km range

French HAMMER airto-ground precision guided weapon system (tech)

H- High A- Agile M- Manoeuvrable M- Munition E- Extended R- Range Costs Rs 1 crore

Rocket enabled precision missile

Can strike down enemy aircraft in Enemy’s territory

The Rafale Fighter Jets are among the world’s finest fig - arrived at the Ambala Air Station in India on July 29 a Merignac airbase in French port city of Bordeaux The ‘omnirole’ aircrafts have multi-role capabilities w a single flight, right from Electronic Warfare, Air Defen Proven aircraft was used by the French Air Force for Republic, Ira South Asia’s most potent aircrafts – Rafale jets - with a inducted into IAF’s ‘Gol

Medium range weapon perfectly suited for high altitudes

Pricing The Rafale Jet deal was struck at 7.878 billion euros.

Here is an estimated break-¬up of the amount: Part/ feature

Price in Euros

Vanilla price of the aircraft (basic aircraft)

91 mn

Single seaters

94 mn

Rafale Jets have

Two seater trainer aircrafts

3.42 bn

The Israeli Litening pod for sensor commonality

Weapons in the Rafale fighter jets

710 mn

RBE2 Active Electronically Scanned Radar

Indian specific changes

1,700 mn

Front Sector Optronics (FSO) system (makes it immune to radar jamming)

Suppliers and simulators

1,800 mn

Spectra-integrated electronic warfare suite

Performance based logistics

353 mn

Radars and Sensors

Centre Spread

| Aug 01 - Aug 07, 2020

ghters. Five of the 36 ordered - 4.5 generation aircrafts amid a ceremonial welcome. The jets took off from the x on Monday and covered a distance of 7,000 km. which means that it can perform several missions on nce, Ground Support to In depth Strikes. This Combat missions in Afghanistan, Libya, Mali, Central African aq and Syria. a capacity to reach double the speed of sound, will be lden Arrows’ Squadron.

Competing Aircrafts The Rafale Combat Jets compete with China’s J20 Chengdu jets which are fifth generation jets. These have no combat experience while Rafales do, which makes Rafale superior as its combat is proven.

Rafale also carries more fuel and weapons than the J20.

Pakistan’s F-16 The F-16 Fighter Falcon, a fourth generation, single engine supersonic multirole fighter aircraft gives tough competition to Rafale. In a dogfight, however, Rafales would have a slight edge over F-16s due to its capacity to hold more weapons.

What next The Indian Air Force ranks 4th in the list of the strongest air forces in the world after USA, Russia and Israel. The IAF currently has 31 squadrons and they assess a need for 42 squadrons to tackle a two-front war with

The Indian Air Force made a proposal to buy Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) for which Rafales were later selected

2004

Indian bureaucratic system delayed the decision. Global tender for MMRCA floated

2007

Global request for proposal issued

2012

Rafales selected (shortlisted)

2015 January

anging Weapon

China’s J-20

2001

Pakistan and China simultaneously.

Rafale Fighter Jets are being dubbed as the ‘Game-changer’ and it is said that the induction of these fighter aircrafts multiplies India’s firepower manifold.

India approached the French side to know if a government to government deal could work out for small number of planes

2015 April

Prime Minister Narendra Modi travelled to Paris and announced to buy 36 Rafale jets

2016

India ordered for 36 Rafale Jets

2020

First lot of jets arrived in India on July 29

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10 G Talk E

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| Aug 01 - Aug 07, 2020 T

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Ambiguities in the NEP

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he reforms in the education system of the country have finally come in the form of the New Education Policy (NEP) that seeks to overhaul the current education system which, at best, could be termed as inconsistent with the demands of the modern world. It is a different matter altogether that a lot of experts and experienced academics have cast aspersions on the timing of the announcement by the “newly” formed central Education Ministry (that has replaced the “HRD” ministry) given the current uncertainties prevailing in the nation’s academic scenario because of the Covid pandemic.

Be that as it may, the NEP essentially has two parts – one pertaining to schools leading up to a 4-year degree course (over the previous TDC) and then the higher or university education.

The school makeover seems fine, especially getting students and parents used to three statelevel board exams leading up to Grade 12 so as to define and discern the capabilities and interests of students until they reach that definitive stage of choosing a career path at the undergraduate or college level.

Further, encouraging multidisciplinary study and students’ choice of subjects would lead to greater critical thinking and flexibility making education more interesting and the student more employable.

What, however, remains ambiguous as of now is the locus standi of the state boards - for example our own SEBA. While the NEP has emphasized on mother tongue/local language/ regional language as the medium of instruction at least till Grade 5, but preferably till Grade 8 and beyond, it does not address the position of the state boards which impart education in the mother or regional tongues primarily. Perhaps we need to await the corollaries that are set to come by which all such ambiguities would be removed.

And whether the state boards (with their own respective agenda of imparting education on local language, history etc) will have a role to play in what looks like a “One India One NEP” remains to be seen.

As for the university education, it would be pertinent to catch the response of Delhi University Teachers’ Association (DUTA) to the NEP which it seeks to term as an act of “bulldozing.” The association’s tough contention rested on the government’s insistence on holding final year university examinations (as desired by the UGC) despite the fact that the current situation is not conducive for the same

given poor internet facilities in the country and the large number of students who do not have or have very poor access to the same besides devices, books and other educational resources. DUTA chose to term the government’s use of the current pandemic to push its agenda of online education in India as “shocking” given that a vast section of the citizens seek education for the betterment of their lives.

To quote another paragraph from its note would throw further light to the association’s fears: “The DUTA’s opposition to the draft NEP rested, among other things, on its proposal to dismember universities and handover every higher educational institution to a Board of Governors, which is to enjoy all powers hitherto vested in the governing authorities of colleges and universities as well as the UGC and other regulating bodies. Each BoG is to enjoy unfettered powers on matters of (1) setting educational goals; (2) academic starting and closing academic programmes(3) determining number of students to be admitted and number of teachers to be appointed; (4) students’ fees; (5) teachers’ qualifications, mode of recruitment, salary structure, promotions and continuation/ termination.”

The NEP may well address a few other apprehensions that have been the norm of every university so far. One of them is the university’s freedom to devise its own curriculum under the conditions set by the union education ministry allowing 30% deviation so as to meet the university’s desired local goals and agenda. The other of course is the credit transfer facility which essentially allows a student to transfer to another university between years with the marks credited from the previous university. This would require total standardization of course curriculum, teaching methods etc all over the country.

Also, with the 4-year UG course, what will be the status of the Masters’ programmes offered by various universities? The whole thing needs greater clarity than what can be observed or absorbed from the NEP. The NEP is very welcome to overhaul the moribund education policy hitherto in place but it is best that the creases as indicated above and any other are ironed out through addressing the concerns of various stakeholders to allow this ‘universalization’ of India’s education.

Swapnil Bharali (Editor) @swapnilbharali

Justice withheld with impunity

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he Indian Judiciary, as a result of falling woefully short in fulfilling it’s commitment of providing timely justice to the nation’s seekers, has rightfully found itself at the receiving end of extensive ridicule from the public in recent times.

Ex-CJI Dipak Misra took cognizance of this fact in 2018 and declared that the Indian Judiciary is languishing with more than 3 crore court cases in pendency. The subordinate courts reigned supreme in this arena for inefficiency chalking up more than 2.84 crore pending cases while the high courts clocked in a massive 43 lakh cases in waiting. Even the apex institution of the country, the Supreme Court, shockingly parented a backlog of about 57,987 cases.

Another Ex-CJI, Ranjan Gogoi, who famously delivered the verdict on the centuriesold contentious Ram Temple issue in Ayodhya, alluded to yet another disconcerting fact about the state of the Indian Judiciary in 2019 wherein he declared that more than 1,000 cases throughout India have been pending for more than 50 years; more than 2 lakh cases have been hung out to dry for more than 25 years.

This problem of undelivered justice, as of today, appears to be insurmountable owing to the short-handedness of the judiciary. Around 21,000 sitting judges exist in India today which brings the judge-to-population ratio to a dispiriting total of 10.5 to 1 million. This falls well short of the recommendations made by the Law Commission in 1987 which had suggested a ratio of 50 to 1 million to ensure proper functionality. Putting the recommendations made by the Law Commission in accordance with the population of that time in context with 2020 and the massive rise in population of more than 35 crores from 1987 according to figures from the World Bank, we find ourselves

looking down an abyss.

Every single government has failed to recognize the magnitude of this problem let alone take action on it.

According to the findings made by the India Justice Report, the country spends less than 1% of its budgetary allocation on the judiciary despite it being in dire need of resuscitation from its comatose state.

The blame game has been and can continue to be played until the end of time when discussing this problem, from the public blaming the redtapism of the judiciary to the judiciary blaming the apathetic approach of the executive to the executive having reservations about the inclinations of judges and implicitly citing that as the reason for delaying appointments of judges to higher courts resulting in an eternal finger-pointing game between different bodies and groups, none of which is bringing us any closer to getting out of this problem.

This state of suspended animation provides absolutely no favours to the common man tired of making the rounds of courts, police stations and offices. The phrase, “I rest my case,” has garnered an altogether different connotation to it because of this, where the case is eternally put into rest by the judiciary instead of being acted upon.

It is these facts which unsurprisingly make the overwhelming majority of the people in the country cheer for the Telangana Police Encounter which prima-facie was labelled to be “extrajudicial” leading to the Supreme Court ordering a probe into it. However, the labelling proved to have had no detrimental effect on the public’s perception of the city police, as the country all over lauded VC Sajjanar, Commissioner of Police of Cyberabad, also incharge of law and order in the areas surrounding Hyderabad, for “delivering justice,” a duty which the people disbelieved the

rNEP 2020: The much-needed reform

O pinion Gaurav Agarwal

courts were capable of doing in due course of time.

The top cop’s portraits where bathed in milk whereas women in the city treated police officers like gods, offering garlands to them and anointing them with “tilaks.”

It is baffling as to how the various authoritative bodies of the nation failed to read the pulse of the nation which was made evident by the aforementioned incident, and took no steps to address it let alone work towards a goal which would nullify the cause for that to happen again.

If the measures essential for the swift revival of the judiciary are not undertaken in the near future by all bodies who have the wherewithal to make a difference, we could be looking at an India where the public rewards bodies of people who are not assigned by the Constitution to pass judgments on the innocence or guilt of an individual but who still do due to the inefficiency of the body whose job it originally is, which may inevitably lead to the formation of ‘Kangaroo Courts’ nationwide.

The country has been put through these testing conditions for a prolonged period of time now and the chinks in the armour of the people’s ability to endure and tolerate the virtual lawlessness is showing.

It is imperative for the bodies in question to look at this and also hear the desperate clarion calls made by the common people of India for reviving the rule of justice or risk standing guilty in the people’s court.

(The author is in a Post Graduate Diploma Programme In Communication (PGDPC) and a Master Of Arts (M.A) from The Delhi School of Communication.

The views expressed are his own)

Letter to the Editor

The National Education Policy 2020 approved by the Union government aims to overhaul the Indian education system which has so far remained highly examination centric based on rote learning. The framers of the NEP 2020 have thought it right to make the education system more holistic and skill-oriented. Often experts and professionals question the quality and utility of the degrees awarded by our colleges and universities for not meeting the standards required for employment. It is an inconvenient truth that our education system does not really encourage critical thinking and reasoning.

It should be well appreciated that NEP 2020 has also resolved the most contentious issue of language subjects by providing the flexibility of choices and more importance to learning in mother-tongue. However, challenges like poor infrastructure, low-quality teaching and lack of investment still persist as critical problems in the sector. While the government has announced to invest 6% of the GDP, the overhaul will not be successful without more publicprivate partnership. The government must ensure that high-quality education continues to remain affordable, fair, and inclusive for all.

Himangka Kaushik, Hatigarh Chariali, Guwahati

In Focus

| Aug 01 - Aug 07, 2020

11

Guwahati student leaders on need for cancellation of final exams Rifa Deka @dekarifa

Supreme Court of India heard a plea by Yuva Sena and other student bodies Plea against UGC’s decision on conducting final year university examinations amid COVID-19 pandemic 454 of 640 universities have agreed on conducting exams, 177 undecided Supreme Court of India refuses to issue interim order on the issue Individuals asked to submit affidavits by August 7 and rejoinders

by August 8 Final verdict likely to be out on August 10

T

special examination by the institution at a later date.

UGC had earlier warned states of action against them and that not accepting its decision would put the future of students at risk.

The body had also stated that 454 of 640 universities have agreed on conducting exams or have already held them, while 177 have said that they are yet to take a decision.

The petitioners like Yuva Sena want the UGC to allow individual state governments to pass the final year students based on the candidate’s past performance and not insist on mandatorily holding examinations amidst the health crisis.

There is also a justification given by petitioners that when board examinations and first year/second year university examinations could be cancelled, then why not that for the final year students.

Students from Assam, however, raise other issues, in addition to the pandemic, unlike other states of the country; students of Assam have the annual devastating floods to worry about, which aggravate the problem further.

Student leaders speak Student leaders from institutions across Guwahati city spoke with G Plus and expressed their views on the situation.

“At a time when people are finding it difficult to get 2 meals a day, how can one expect them to afford mobile internet packs? To what extent has the syllabus been completed online and how much is left, has UGC taken these into account in consultation with students is a question we must ask,” said Bagmita Borthakur, Ex-Debate Secretary Handique Girls College Student Union.

“Situation in Assam is bad.

UGC officials cannot sit in air conditioned rooms and make decisions for students in Assam. There is not a single student representative in UGC’s committee. Without

From top left clockwise: Arpita Dutta, Bagmita Borthakur, Bishaldeep Kakati, Moon Talukdar students they have formed a committee,” said Moon Talukdar, General Secretary of Post Graduate Students Union – Gauhati University.

“We have faith in the judiciary and have submitted a memorandum with the Chief Justice of Assam. We are not against exams, we just want them to be conducted once the situation gets better,” added Moon.

Another student activist from Guwahati, currently a student of Delhi University and National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) Delhi Secretary, Arpita Dutta said, “The situation in Assam is worse because of floods.

Students have not been able to take online classes because they come from remote areas and villages.”

“Now, to expect them to sit for online exams is problematic. It is upon the Supreme Court of India to right whatever UGC has done wrong. I hope that the Supreme Court decided to protect the student community that the

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he Supreme Court of India heard a plea by Yuva Sena and other student bodies against the University Grants Commission’s (UGC) decision on final year university examination amid the novel coronavirus pandemic.

The final verdict is likely to be out on August 10, as thousands of university students look up to what could be a ‘landmark’ judgement.

On July 7, UGC had said that the end-term examination for all final-year students would have to be mandatorily held by the end of September 2020 in offline (pen & paper), online or blended mode.

Under a new UGC directive, in case a student is not able to appear for examinations, he/she would be given an opportunity to appear for a

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“Situation in Assam is bad. UGC officials cannot sit in air conditioned rooms and make decisions for students in Assam. There is not a single student representative in UGC’s committee.

Without students they have formed a committee,” said Moon Talukdar, General Secretary of Post Graduate Students Union – Gauhati University.

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government and UGC are right now risking,” she added.

Outcome of hearing on 31st

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July The Final Year University Exams have not been cancelled yet, as Supreme Court of India adjourned the hearing awaited by students across the country, on University Grants Commission or UGC’s decision to conduct final year university exams.

The hearing has been pushed to August 10 and the apex court will not pass any interim order on the matter. In the second hearing, the Supreme Court of India asked individuals to submit affidavits by August 7 and rejoinders by August 8.

The Supreme Court however, did take notice of the fact that fresh guidelines, issued on July 6 by UGC did not take into account guidelines issued

by MHA as those guidelines were issued much later on July 20.

On cancellation of exams in Maharashtra, the State Disaster Management Committee of Maharashtra has also been given time and asked to file a reply.

12 Lifestyle

| Aug 01 - Aug 07, 2020

Tips for shopping outside safely and to disinfect household

W

Sohini Chakraborty Chatterjee

ith global lockdowns and all of us being home, we must be careful when we step out for essentials that we need and to disinfect all the things coming from outside.

While it is most advisable to stay home completely, many societies are also organizing deliveries to flats or having a vendor come into the society, everyone may not be having such facilities, and there are certain cases where one has to go out.

counter Door knobs, door handles, door bells, and all switches Remote controls, keyboards, joysticks, and other frequently used device Laptops, phones

Precautions while shopping for essentials

own

Mattresses, cushions, and other upholstery that cannot be washed frequently may be cleansed with disinfectant sprays

shopping

Wearing as far as possible, long trousers/dresses/ joggers etc and also wearing long sleeved tops.

Most important, wear masks, as soon as one steps out.

Use gloves to handle the items you’re buying and in case you touch anyone or anything.

Wear footwear which is comfortable and if possible, washable.

Pocket sanitizers can be used 2-3 times during visit.

Wash your hands before you go out and when we come back home.

Try your best not to touch your face with hands or with gloves while out.

Precautions at shop

Once you reach the shop/ supermarket of choice, if you have to wait in line to

Things you bring into your home get in, make sure you are at least 5-7 feet away from the person in front and from the person behind.

Maintaining social distancing is necessary. If the shop does not have an organized line up system, think about going to another shop or maintain the distance yourself regardless of whether the shop is maintaining it or not.

If possible and if available, pre-order and pickup, or order at the door and request them to give you the items. If this is not possible, go inside, get what you want and leave as soon as possible.

After returning home

Once back home, change your clothes immediately

and ensure that you keep your footwear outside.

Wash your hands with soap and if possible take a shower to ensure maximum cleanliness so as to not risk others at home.

For items in plastic, tetra packs or carton packaging, wipe them down using normal cleaning detergent with a cloth/sponge or with sanitizing spray.

For vegetables, wash them with water mixed with vegetable washing liquid.

Medicine packets/bottles strips should also be wiped down and sanitized.

Along with maintaining hygiene outside, your household should also be disinfected to maintain safety from the virus.

Areas of Focus When You Disinfect Your Home Household Surfaces: Because of the relative novelty of the COVID-19 virus, there is a lack of extensive research, but we are learning more each day. Studies show that the coronavirus has different survival times on different surfaces. Plastic and stainless steel surfaces deserve the most attention when you disinfect your home, as the virus could survive on such surfaces for up to nine days. On the other hand, paper and cardboard surfaces were found to be most inhospitable to the virus, with survival times of no more than a day.

Keeping this in mind and the efficacy of the various disinfectants mentioned earlier, you should focus on cleansing the following areas in your house: Kitchen and cabinet

Assam govt prohibits private hospitals from collecting COVID Convalescent Plasma

T

he Assam government, vide a notification, has prohibited collection of COVID Convalescent Plasma by privatelyowned institutions that hold a license for collection and transfusion of human blood

and

The outside of your wallet or bottom and handle of your purse

One should make sure to be fully ready and prepared before stepping out.

Carrying bags.

tablets,

and blood components.

The order further states that the Health & Family Welfare Department prohibits the only collection of COVID-Convalescent Plasma by any privately owned institution/Private Nursing

Home/Private Blood Bank in the entire state until further orders.

However, all such institutions/nursing homes/ blood banks are free to carry out transfusion of COVID-Convalescent Plasma

to a needy patent by collecting plasma from any government blood bank as per availability, by making available a curable replacement donor for the same.

Despite the lockdown and social distancing measures, trips to the ATM, grocery store, or pharmacy can be unavoidable. When you return with groceries and other supplies, you need to be aware of the risk of surface contamination.

Every item that you purchase and bring into your home, from the packaging to the individual items, is handled by a chain of people – the employee who stocks the shelves, the cashier, and other customers who may have handled the product before.

This makes the cleansing and sanitizing of all things you bring into the house more important than other household cleansing. Wipe the surfaces of all bottles, cans, plastic bags or boxes, and other containers with disinfectants like sanitizer before you put them in your cabinet or fridge. For the same reason, it would also be a good idea to put your clothes to wash with detergent each time you enter your home.

Stay safe and keep safe!

Feature

| Aug 01 - Aug 07, 2020

13

The South China Sea Dispute

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he South China Sea has always been a point of contention for a few South East Asian countries which have been making uninterrupted competing claims over the region.

Rival nations with rigorous attempts have continuously been contending over the territory for centuries. But the recent years have definitely witnessed some varying and escalating tensions that could probably change the face of the earth in the course of action leading to a far bigger catastrophic upshot.

Pratik Dhar

What is the argument about?

The South China Sea holds a stretch of around 1.4 million sq. miles in the Pacific Ocean.

Now, it is not just a dispute over territory claims of the two island

China has been claiming more than 80 percent territory in the South Chin Sea, Vietnam claims sovereignty over the Paracel and Spratly Islands, The Philippines argues over ownership of Spratly Archipelago and the Scarborough Shoal, Malaysia and Brunei have been constantly claiming rights over the southern parts of the sea and some of Spratly Islands. chains of Paracels and Spratlys and the Scarborough Shoals and the nearby geographical features.

Rather, a larger motive breathes beneath, establishing supreme leadership and procuring potentials that are of immense

Map of South China Sea and Chine’s 9-dash line strategic significance. Being a major shipping route, one-third of the world’s shipping passes through the region, carrying global maritime trade of over $3 trillion every year. Apart from this, the claimant nations like the People’s Republic of China, Malaysia, Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam and Brunei are eyeing for the fishing stocks for a long time and are involved in the race to acquire the rights of these lucrative fisheries to suffice the growing needs of the ever demanding millions of South East Asian population.

Moreover, the rising demand for other resources like the hydrocarbons have certainly chalked out a channel for the mega economic competition in a recent perspective. According to World Bank, the South China Sea comprises proven oil reserves of a minimum of seven billion barrels and an approximate amount of 900 trillion cubic feet of natural gas which is slightly different from the reports of EIA (Energy Information Administration), United States.

The body estimates that the South China Sea contains an approximate measure of 11 billion barrels of

oil and 190 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. But in relation to the statistics of both the estimates, a well-grounded assumption can be readily derived that smaller nations like Philippines, Vietnam and Malaysia will have a great amount of economic opportunities eventually while energy security of China can be confirmed at a larger stake in the future.

The ongoing disputes in the South China Sea make it likely to ignite an extensive territorial inferno capable of mass scale devastation in the coming times. The confronting issues of sovereignty is subject to no easy resolution. The constant overlapping territorial claims are based on accounts of various historical and geographical claims and such claims have become more noticeable in the course of time. China has been claiming more than 80 percent territory, while Vietnam claims sovereignty over the Paracel islands and Spratly Islands. The Philippines is arguing over the ownership of Spratly Archipelago and the Scarborough Shoal, while Malaysia and Brunei have been constantly claiming rights over

the southern parts of the sea and some of Spratly Islands.

China and the South China Sea

China’s move on consolidating its paramilitary power and political-legal actions can jeopardize the stability of the region that can result in a bitter face-off with the other competing nations. Ever since the implementation of the ‘ninedash line’, China encircling a major chunk of the contested waters have lately raised many eyebrows in the international forum. The neighboring nations are now living with considerable apprehensions regarding the region’s calamitous future.

Though China’s territorial claim is itself insubstantial, it does not look impressive enough and would not be able to support long term peace. The history of its sovereignty over the region as stated by Beijing goes centuries back when the island chains of Paracel and Spratly were its integral parts, and in 1947 issued a map detailing its claim. However, criticism has poured in from all corners in rejection of such

claims. Critics say the People’s Republic of China have not shed light on the subject sufficiently and moreover its nine-dash line has no coordinates to hold its point on the table.

But despite such chaos, China continues to build military and industrial boundaries on its artificial islands in the South China Sea hardly caring about the grave repercussions.

All this time, turning a blind eye to the situation, the concerned nations without interceding much into the matter, offered China enough time to strengthen its grip over the region. However, in recent years the United States’ intervention with its intensified military and naval capabilities in the South China Sea, have clearly outlined a new impression.

According to the United States, claimant countries, under UN Convention of the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), should have freedom of navigation through the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and are not required to notify claimants of military activities.

To protect the security and economic interest in the region, the United States has challenged China’s assertive reclamation policies by conducting a number of freedom of navigation operations (FONOPs).

The role of the United States can make a significant mark by preventing the military aggression resulting from constant territorial conflicts. The rising failure of the South East Asian leaders and representatives in resolving the ongoing arguments could diminish the essence of the international laws controlling naval disputes and destabilizing the progression of perilous weaponries.

(The views expressed in the article are the author’s own)

Weather report for the week Guwahati

SUN

MON

TUE

WED

THU

FRI

T-Storms

AM T-Storms

Partly Cloudy

AM T-Storms

T-Storms

Scattered T-Storms

33°28° C

25°28° C

37°29° C

37°28° C

34°28° C

34°28° C

SATURDAY

T-Storms

33°-27° C

14 Guest Column

| Aug 01 - Aug 07, 2020

Japanese Encephalitis The buzzing problem amidst Corona

W

ith the onset of monsoon Assam faces the never ending problem of floods. But apart from that, since the past few years, Assam has also been faced with the problem a dreaded disease called Japanese Encephalitis (JE) which has time and again proved to be deadly. This disease falls under the ambit of Vector Borne Diseases.

As of now, the death toll caused by this disease is below 50 this year which is less when compared to the

The problems related to such dreadful vector borne diseases is not about today; its roots can be traced to historians such as Sir Edward Gait who had said that the weather conditions of Assam were very harsh, unpredictable and hostile. statistics of previous years where more than 400 cases were observed due to various vector borne diseases. However this time the challenge for the authorities might just multiply manifold because of the corona outbreak, which has already made the authorities run helter-skelter; last year the authorities had devised a mechanism to start intensive adult vaccination camps to deal with the entire issue.

The Centre had also agreed to provide a whooping 57 lakh vaccines to combat the disease.

The problems related to such dreadful diseases (vector borne) is not about today; its roots can be traced from the words of historians such as Sir Edward Gait who had said that the weather conditions of Assam were very harsh, very unpredictable and could turn out to be very hostile.

The climatic condition of

Prakreetish Sarma

Representative Image Assam, which is hot and humid, is similar to some of the South American countries such as Brazil. Now a country like Brazil is said to be one of the most affected with dreadful vector borne diseases such as Dengue which wreaked havoc a few years ago. But with the combined effort of the authorities and equally backed by the local communities, Brazil devised its very own structured monitoring method also known as Wolbachia method where trials were conducted in phased manner which bore fruit and they were able to clamp down the effects up to a certain extent.

Similarly, a vector management plan (IVM) plan was also devised which targeted areas such as removing stagnant water from vessels and informing areas which were prone to such vector borne disease well in advance. This was one model that the authorities can follow.

The problem with Assam, as seen in similar belts, is that floods may initially flush out mosquito breeding, but it

comes back when the waters dry down relatively and that water which gets collected and goes unchecked turns out to be breeding grounds. Such a scenario was seen in various places across the world such as in Costa Rica where floods led to massive malaria outbreak in 2004.

The

other problem that has crept up in these corona times is disposing of corpses and such floods will definitely pose a challenge. As of now the death toll is comparatively less but eventually there is a possibility that floods may pose a challenge to dispose off the corpses as disposing the body underground or burials will be a Herculean task.

And to add to the woes there shall always be a potential threat upon the disposers

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as exposure to corona will always be a constant looming threat and apart from that, the disposers are also exposed to infections such as rotavirus diarrhoea, hepatitis A etc.

However, at a grassroots level, we can take certain measures to mitigate such issues. But the basic ingredients which are required to control the outbreak of JE is following the custom old prevention techniques such as controlling mosquito population, isolating pigs which is very much important because pig rearing and trade is a common practice across the state of Assam, and following other common prevention methods of wearing full sleeves, mosquito repellents etc.

There is a very close nexus between floods and vector borne diseases. Floods may lead to spurt in vector- borne diseases through various ways such as expansion in the number and range of vector habitats. But the sad reality is that previously (last year) there were reports flying in from various places across Assam such as Goalpara

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that the peripheral workers have displayed a very callous attitude towards JE and as per the words of the then state program officer of the National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme, the workers had portrayed a lax attitude towards the whole issue and it had led to late detection and eventually to higher fatalities.

It is really important at this stage to cooperate with the authorities. Although there are some common symptoms between Corona and JE, it is important to go for immediate testing because currently the death rate is relatively low. The Assam Community Surveillance Programme (ACSP) has vouched to carry out ground-level surveillance for related to severe acute respiratory infections, vector borne diseases such as malaria, dengue and have already carried out the second phase which is the ACSP-II and has covered around 29,918 villages approximately.

The current commissioner and secretary of Health and Family Welfare department has stressed upon strict reviewing and asked all the concerned authorities to stay stocked and be well prepared and has further ordered strict surveillance and organizing of awareness camps, especially in tea gardens. However if the cases related to JE go up it is going to add to the misery of everyone. So it is best that everyone cooperates and at least turns up for testing.

Proper synergy is needed between the authorities and the public to mitigate JE this time around. And the Brazilian model could be used as a referral point for the future times to come.

(The author is currently practising as an advocate in Gauhati High Court. The views expressed in the article are his own)

News This Week

| Aug 01 - Aug 07, 2020

A quick round up of the news that mattered during the past week

1

3 Assam Rifles personnel martyred in ambush by Manipur’s PLA terrorists

Three personnel belonging to 4 Assam Rifles unit lost their lives and four others were injured in an ambush by local terrorists in Manipur’s Chandel district, near the Myanmar border on July 30. According to ANI, the attack was planned and executed by the local terror outfit - People’s Liberation Army. The terrorists first carried out an IED blast and then opened fire at the troops. This is a developing story and more details are awaited in this regard.

2

Indian Railways introduces ‘Rail Bicycle’ for track inspection

The Indian Railways has come up with a new innovation called the Rail Bicycle - a novel mechanism to quickly travel on rail tracks for inspections, monitoring and urgent repairs.

Rail tracks are particularly difficult and time-consuming to move on and during moments of urgency, when a repair is needed, such delays can be tedious if not hazardous. Piyush Goyal, Minister of Railways, Commerce and Industry, shared details about the rail bicycle on Twitter. “Railways introduces Rail Bicycle - a novel mechanism to quickly travel on rail tracks for inspections, monitoring & urgent repairs. Simple innovation ensuring passenger security,” he wrote on Twitter.

3

J&K village gets electricity for the first time post Independence

While most cities are ready with blueprints for turning smart, people residing in the Dunnadi village of Shopian in Southern Kashmir are celebrating getting electricity for the first time in the village’s existence of 70 years post Independence. Earlier, in the remote area of Shopian in Keller Tehsil, various villages of Dunnadi were without power even after 70 years of India’s independence. Now for the first time, due to the relentless efforts of the electricity department and the district administration, these remote villages have been electrified. Reportedly, people were overjoyed as they saw light bulbs illuminate their houses for the first time.

4

Times Square NY to be transformed into Ayodhya on Aug 5

On 5th August, the iconic New York Times Square will be transformed into Ayodhya with images of Lord Ram and 3D portraits of the upcoming Ram Mandir beaming across giant billboards from 8 am to 10 pm. The event is to celebrate the temple’s foundation laying ceremony at Ayodhya by PM Narendra Modi. Jagdish Sewhani, President of the American India Public Affairs Committee told PTI that preparations are under way and “among the prominent billboards that are being leased for the occasion are the giant Nasdaq screen and the 17,000-square-foot wrap-around LED display screen, considered among the largest continuous exterior displays in the world and the highest-resolution exterior LED screen in Times Square.”

5

HRD Ministry renamed as Ministry of Education

Union Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) has been renamed as the Ministry of Education and the National Education Policy 2020, also called the New Education Policy (NEP) 2020 has been cleared by the Union Cabinet.

As per reports, the decision was approved by the Union Cabinet during its meeting on July 29. Meanwhile, the Cabinet has also approved the draft of New Education Policy, which will replace the three-decade-old policy. The ministry has been renamed as per the recommendations of the draft NEP 2020. The draft policy stated that in order to bring the focus back on education and learning, the Ministry of Human Resource Development should be re-designated as the Ministry of Education (MoE).

6

15

Unlock 3: MHA opens up gyms from 5th Aug, removes night curfew

The Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India has ordered for the third phase of unlock of the nationwide lockdown. A notice issued by the PIB states that Unlock 3 will come into effect from 1st August. As per the new guidelines, night curfew will be removed. Gymnasiums and yoga institutes are being finally allowed to open from 5th August. However, educational institutions along with theatres, metro services, swimming pools and bars are to remain closed till 31st August. The order from the Ministry of Home Affairs however clearly mentioned that states and union territories may accept or prohibit the guidelines based on the assessment of their respective situations.

7

Govt contemplates banning PUBG in India

The Indian government could ban over 200 other apps in the country including popular gaming app, PUBG. Earlier in June, 59 Chinese apps including TikTok and UC Browser were banned in India. The government had alleged that the 59 banned apps were engaged in activities that were “prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, the security of the state and public order.” As per an ET report, the new list consists of 275 apps that can face the axe of the government. A senior government official has also told ET that the government has formed a process for such bans and the ministry in concern has been asked to frame a law for the constant examination of the apps in India.

8

Hajj pilgrims to perform downsized pilgrimage amid COVID-19

Hajj pilgrims would be performing a downsized pilgrimage amid COVID-19. Reportedly, only around one thousand Muslims will perform Hajj in Saudi Arabia on Thursday as part of downsized pilgrimage due to Coronavirus pandemic. Thirty percent of them are Saudi citizens while the remaining seventy percent are foreign nationals residing in the kingdom.

Earlier, the Saudi government held an online lottery to decide the lucky few who would be allowed to take part in the Hajj, leading to jubilation among the lucky few and bitter disappointment for many others.

9

NZ passes substantial bill to ensure equal pay for men and women

In a welcome move, New Zealand’s parliament has unanimously passed an Equal Pay Amendment Bill that ensures workers are not paid less because of their gender. Taking to Instagram, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern of New Zealand wrote, “In 2017, we said we’d fix the legislation aimed at addressing historic inequalities in pay for women. Today, we have. The bill delivers on our promise to create a more equitable Aotearoa (New Zealand) by making it easier for employees to raise a pay equity claim, and by encouraging collaborative mediation before issues are escalated to the courts. To everyone who got us to this point, for all the years of hard work, thank you.”

10

Dog who tested positive for coronavirus in US dies

In an alarming report, a dog that tested positive for coronavirus in the US succumbed to the disease on July 11 last. As reported by National Geographic magazine, Buddy, the seven-year-old German shepherd became sick in mid-April and died on July 11. The dog died after he started vomiting blood clots, urinating blood and was unable to walk. As per reports, the dog had symptoms that may be familiar to many of the humans tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. As per the World Health Organisation statement, it is unlikely that pets transmit the virus to their owners. According to the reports in National Geographic, twelve dogs and 10 cats have tested positive for coronavirus in the US till now.

16 Catching Up Talk Of The tOWN

| Aug 01 - Aug 07, 2020

Art of the week Washed and dried my clothes last night to wear them to work this morning. Those clothes got wet on the way to work. Sat in the AC and caught a cold, sneezing has become a sin.

Rains on the way back home again. Have to swim into the house, thanks to water-logging. Shower again out of COVID fright. The next thing will be moving in with SpongeBob in his Pineapple house and staying underwater forever! P.S. If you ride a two-wheeler to work, may the Rain God be with you.

Artist: Sanjeev Handique | The Beltola Market at Guwahati

#Guwahatiflashfloods | Art: Rifa Deka

Barasha Das @Barasha_mi2

200-yr-old shop of Guwahati

Fancy Bazar Borgola

G

uwahatians are well acquainted with Fancy Bazar. After the introduction of GST (Goods and Service Taxes) in 2017, what’s become common to every shop is displaying their respective GST number with pride in front of the shop; some are even glow-lit.

But did you know that the oldest business enterprise of Fancy Bazar bears the CST (Central Sales Tax) number 1 with the Imperial Bank of India?

Yes, renowned as Borgola, the business house was one of the oldest tax payers of the country, way prior to Independence.

Fancy Bazar Borgola, located at one corner of the ‘phal market’ (fruit market), was established in 1828 by Raibahadur Mahasingh Rai Meghraj Kuthari. He belonged to a Rajput family of Bikaner, Rajasthan, who resettled in Azimganj, Murshidabad district of West Bengal.

Mahasingh Rai Meghraj Kuthari first sailed to Assam in 1812 as a trader on a ship named

‘Bajra’. He landed in Mancachar.

He traded in food grains at wholesale rates. He was the first to introduce ‘Masur Dal’ (Red Lentils) and ‘Nimakh’ (white ocean salt) to the people of Assam. Large boats that traded these products to Assam carried

back the state’s famous jute, cotton and ‘Paat Kapur’ (Assam Silk) to be traded elsewhere.

When the RSN and IGSN companies started steamship carriers in eastern India, the Kuthari family became their chief carrier partner. They also

A businessman from Kerala was booked for holding a roadshow in his new Mercedes Benz and violating COVID-19 regulations.

Roy Kurien, a granite shop owner, was booked by cops after he was seen holding a roadshow, sitting on top of his new Mercedes Benz car. The luxury car was followed by six heavy-duty tipper lorries. In a video that went viral on the internet, Roy is seen sitting on top of the white Mercedes, waving at local residents and passers-by who watched on in amusement. After the visuals of the parade went viral, action was taken against him. acquired exclusive rights for radio-telephone transmission network of the vessels.

After a few years of business, Meghraj Kuthari opened his business headquarters at Tezpur in 1818. The place is still renowned as Borgola, as in Guwahati. His son, Zalim Singh Kuthari came to Guwahati and opened the Fancy Bazar Borgola business. That shop is the 18th of the total 64 shops the family owned in 1930. They were the oldest and largest wholesalers of food grains in the region in 1950.

Apart from the wholesale business, the Kutharis established close liaison with the tea gardens of Assam and even financed a few. Around 1860, they started issuing ‘hundis’ to a few gardens against a commission.

Due to Meghraj Kuthari’s contributions in support of the British Army during the Bhutan War, he was conferred the title of ‘Rai Bahadur’ by the British Raj on October 8, 1867.

Apart from contributing in various aspects to Assam’s society and economy, the Kutharis followed the tradition of ‘guptadaan’ (secret donation). They contributed to the establishment of several religious and charitable institutions of Guwahati like Sangenaria Dharmasala, Panchayeti Thakurbari, Hanuman Mandir and Mahavir Akhra. They also dug many wells across Assam.

The old business house still has an old iron chest that was made in England which bears a golden British Royal insignia, and is cemented to the floor of the old ‘gaddi’. Occasionally, the British government also used the chest for safe keeping of the revenue collected.

The 200 years old business house, Borgola, apart from holding the CST number 1, also owned the first motor vehicle of Guwahati, a Ford with registration number ASK 1.

(Credits: Heritage Guwahati)

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