March 29th, 2016

Page 1

C M Y K

www.morungexpress.com

tuesDAY • MArch 29 • 2016

DIMAPUR • Vol. XI • Issue 85 • 12 PAGes • 5

T H e

ESTD. 2005

P o W e R

o F

T R u T H

It is simplicity that makes the uneducated more effective than the educated when addressing popular audiences — Aristotle Nobody needs to be forced to chant ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’: Bhagwat PAGE 08

‘Nagaland is a state of possibilities’

Virat Kohli masterclass prompts Sachin Tendulkar comparisons

PAGE 02

PAGE 12

Mtlt writes to Governor for removal of Mokokchung Dc

In this Reuters File Photo, Girls are seen walking to school at the outskirts of Yangon. One in five children aged 10 to 17 in Myanmar go to work instead of school, according to figures from the Occupation and Industry report published on March 28.

ACAUT calls for ‘deletion’ of bogus entries in electoral roll DIMaPur, March 28 (MExn): The Against Corruption and Unabated Taxation (ACAUT) Nagaland has called for the deletion of all bogus and multiple entries of names in the state electoral roll. A press note from the ACAUT Nagaland media cell state that inflated electoral roll is the “root cause of all corruption in the state.” It informed that as per the Nagaland State Chief Electoral Officer, the total number of voters has been reduced by

reflections

By Sandemo Ngullie

almost 2 lakh to 11, 74,633 lakh as of 2015, “making Nagaland probably the only state in India to have negative electoral growth rate.” “According to calculations done by the ACAUT Nagaland, the true total voter list of Nagaland cannot be more than 7 lakh and if the State Election Commission carries out electoral revision to its logical conclusion, not less than 4 lakh names would still be deleted in the state,” it claimed.

The ACAUT Nagaland called upon all sections of society to co-operate with special emphasis on the churches to give their correct membership figures to the State Election Commission, “since the churches are the true repository of correct Naga population.” It further asked the Commission not to “halfheartedly implement any directives from the ECI.” It rather proposed that Nagaland State “should be a pilot project for the ECI to

Municipal Affairs HoD ‘under suspension’ by Govt Morung Express News Dimapur | March 28

One very angry young man threatened to replace me with an App! What’s App?

CITIZEN UMBRELLA CITIZEN UMBRELLA MANUFACTURER LTD. H.O.: 147, Mahatma Gandhi Road, Kolkata-7 Ph. No. 033-2268-1396, 2271-2152 Fax : (033) 2271-2151 E-mail : citizenkolkata@gmail.com

Tokheho Sema conferred Padma Shri 2016 award

C M Y K

DIMaPur, March 28 (MExn): Tokheho Sema from Nagaland was today conferred the coveted Padma Award-Padma Shri 2016 in the field of ‘Public Affairs.’ A total of seven personalities from the North East Region were awarded the Padma Shri award 2016 by the President of India, Pranab Mukherjee. Other Padma recipients from NE include Professor Veena Tandon from Meghalaya, Heisnam Kanhailal from Manipur, Dhirendra Nath Bezbaruah, Prahlad Chandra Tasa, Kameshwar Brahma and Ajoy Kumar Dutta from Assam.

formulate its clean electoral agenda.” It appealed to the pastors of all the Churches in Nagaland to start a campaign to delete bogus and multiple entries of names in their respective villages in the true Christian spirit. “Corrupted electoral roll will only beget corrupt leaders and therefore, Christian pastors should exercise the enormous moral authority at their disposal and ensure the success of the Clean Election Campaign,” it said.

The Government of Nagaland (GoN) has placed the Additional Director & HoD, Municipal Affairs Department “under suspension with immediate effect.” The order, dated March 26, was passed by the Chief Secretary of Nagaland, Pankaj Kumar IAS through Dr. Maongwati Aier IAS, Secretary to the Government of Nagaland. According to the order, the “disciplinary proceeding” was “contemplated for his alleged involvement in misappropriation of funds under the 13th Finance Commission Award, Rajiv Awas Yojana

and BSUP Projects.” It may be noted that the Association of Kohima Municipal Wards Panchayat (AKMWP) had given a 15-days ‘ultimatum’ on March 13 to the GoN to take action on “corrupt practices” they found in the Department of Municipal Affairs following an RTI application they filed on February 20 this year. “We are satisfied with the suspension,” said President of AKMWP, Neibulie Kiewhuo. He also informed that the Nagaland State Vigilance Commission has initiated an enquiry into the matter. The Department of Municipal Affairs was created by the Nagaland State Government in June 2015.

Woman from Nagaland arrested over cocaine smuggling in Nepal

kaThManDu, March 28 (PTI): Two foreign nationals, including an Indian woman, have been arrested from a tourist hub in the Nepalese capital for allegedly smuggling drugs worth Rs 54 million in their shampoo bottles. The two women who have been identified as Mersi, 41, from Nagaland and Mapathone Masne, 37, of South Africa- were arrested from Thamel by the anti-drug trafficking unit of the Nepal Police, who seized 2.7 kg of cocaine from

their possession. The duo had hidden the drugs in four shampoo bottles, according to Nepal Police. They have been involved in the trafficking network extending from New Delhi, Kathmandu and Europe as well as South Africa for a long time, authorities said. The women were bringing drugs from New Delhi for dispatching to various destinations in Europe including Netherlands via Kathmandu, according to police. They have been taken into custody.

Mokokchung, March 28 (MExn): The Mokokchung Town Lanur Telongjem (MTLT) has urged the Governor of Nagaland State to “initiate necessary action” against the Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Mokokchung district. In a letter to PB Acharya, the Governor of Nagaland State, the MTLT stated that the Telongjem as well as other “concerned citizens” have “totally lost trust” in the Mokokchung DC for his “failure to discharge his duties as the administrative head of the district” and requested the “removal” of the DC “at the earliest for the greater interest of the Mokokchung town society.” In a list of allegations, the MTLT found the first fault in the DC’s handling of the Mid Day Meal Scheme’s rice issue that the Telongjem discovered in March 2016. “In March 2016, the Deputy Commissioner, as the chairman of the District Level Steering-cum-Monitoring Committee, failed to seriously tackle the Midday Meal (MDM) rice issue at Mokokchung which put the lives of thousands of students at stake. The MDM rice for the students was found to be spoilt, unhealthy and infested with worms,” stated the MTLT. The MTLT had highlighted the issue to the DC through a petition and through the mass media on March 9, 2016. “However, instead of taking urgent measures, the DC tried to daunt the concerned citizens by citing CrPc 1973,” alleged the organisation in the letter from its President, Imkummeren Jamir and Convenor of its Public Grievances Cell, Aolong Imchen. Though the DC had not named any organisation, the MTLT found it “evident through his order,” which was issued a day after MTLT visited the schools and

TR revision petition case hearing concluded, judgment reserved Morung Express News Dimapur | March 28

The hearing in the case of TR Zeliang (petitioner) Vrs KK Kulimbe (respondent) was concluded today in the Gauhati High Court (Assam, Nagaland, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh). The hearing was being conducted with regards to a revision petition filed by TR Zeliang in the GHC at Kohima seeking the revision of an order passed by a lower court in Peren district regarding his educational qualification. The hearing, which lasted for little more than an hour, took place in the court of Justice LS Jamir. Sources informed that the judge has reserved the judgment, which may be passed next week.

highlighted the issue, “that it was directed against the MTLT.” The MTLT maintained that the DC has not just hurt the sentiments of Mokokchung’s citizens but also that he has “no concern for the lives of the school students.” In its second allegation, the MTLT noted that the DC had advertised a number of LDA, Dobashi and Driver posts lying vacant under the Mokokchung District administration last year. The interviews for the said posts were reportedly scheduled to be held in the middle of 2015. However, the interviews are said to have been postponed and not conducted till date. The MTLT registered concern in the delay of the interviews, which, it stated, has “destroyed the hopes of the deserving applicants and made the concerned citizens lose their confidence” in the DC. The third point the MTLT raised was with regard to the 2015 AugustSeptember power failure in Mokokchung town. “In 2015, when the whole Mokokchung town was reeling under darkness for more than a month (August – September), the Mokokchung DC failed to take the issue seriously. The DC, in this case, asserted the MTLT, “failed to understand the destitution of the citizens and to take into account the commercial losses and other similar implications.” In its fourth argument for the removal of the DC, the MTLT observed that the Rs 750-crore NEC-funded Interstate Bus Terminus (ISBT), Mokokchung, constructed under Central funding, is “still not functional even after a lapse of 5 years since its inauguration on August 1, 2011.” The MTLT stated that it had impressed upon the district adminis-

tration to make the ISBT functional several times. However, it remains a “phantom facility” due to lack of its intended utilisation.

CrPC statement was meant for general public awareness: Mkg DC

Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner Sushil Kumar Patel, on being contacted, maintained that the March 10 press statement issued by him on the provisions of CrPC 1973 had nothing to do with the MTLT visitation to different government schools on matters related to the Midday Meal (MDM) rice issue. The provisions states that only police can search a place (Private or government properties) with prior search warrant and that searches made by any individual, groups, NGOs etc. is not authorized as per law and such searches are “deemed illegal and ultra-vires.” “The press statement was meant for general public awareness and has nothing to do with the MTLT and the MDM rice issue,” Patel said. On the issue of non conduct of interview for the job advertisement under Mokokchung District administration on 2015, Patel stated that the Nagaland State Government had put a hold on the job interview after certain NGOs submitted a representation through him. Patel said the matter now remain under the purview of the State government. The DC also informed that he has directed the nodal department to shift the existing NST bus station located at Police Point, Mokokchung to the NEC-funded Interstate Bus Terminus (ISBT). He said the procedure of shifting the terminus was the lookout of the nodal department- NST, adding, he can only supervise.

SETAN demands “immediate” intervention of Nagaland govt

DIMaPur, March 28 (MExn): The Special Education Teachers Association of Nagaland (SETAN) on Monday highlighted a number of grievances faced by the Special Education Teachers (SETs) and has demanded immediate intervention and redress from the Nagaland State government. In a press statement, SETAN president, Sanen informed that during the orientation programme held on September 12, 2013 at Capital Convention Centre, the SET were promised to be sent for requisite training which, was yet to materialize. Besides, as per the directive of IEDSS Committee headed by the then Chief Secretary Banuo Z. Jamir at a meeting held on July 28, 2014, it was proposed that training should be provided to all the appointed SETs. This also has not been implemented; the press statement said and has demanded immediate necessary action. The association also maintained that the teachers have been teaching and attending normal classes since appointment even though they were denied service extension and salary since July 2014 and has demanded release and extension of the same. Pointing out on the irregularities ow-

ing to financial misappropriation on the part of the implementing agency leading to setting up of Special Investigation Team (SIT) from Vigilance Commission, it said SIT has physically verified and identified all the genuine SET and each SET has complied by submitting performance certificate as desired by the department. The association also reminded the department to abstain from making any fresh appointment until all the genuine in-service SET are absorbed and trained. It also expressed hope that their job would be streamlined at par with other teachers in the education department, while stating that many amongst the teachers have already become over-aged. Stating that it has waited long enough “observing the inaction and lukewarm attitude” of the government towards the SET, the association cautioned that it would go for any measures deemed fit to fight for their rights if the government fail to meet their demands. SETs were appointed under the MHRD scheme of Inclusive Education of the Disabled at Secondary Stage (IEDSS) to deal with Children with Special Needs (CWSN) with the State Education Department as the implementing agency.

Nagaland State: NES 2015-16 claims progress in education Our Correspondent Kohima | March 28

Nagaland State Department of Economics & Statistics has claimed that the state has witnessed tremendous progress in the field of education during the last decades. Coupled with the centrally sponsored schemes, the communitisation of education in 2002 has led to improvement in the management of schools at the primary level and to a considerable extent in the attendance of teachers and in the enrolment rate in the schools, according to the Nagaland Economic Survey (NES) 2015-16 brought out by department and tabled in the re-

cent NLA session.

Literacy rate

As per the 2011 Census, the state achieved a literacy rate of 79.55 %, which is higher than the national average of 70.04 %. There is an improvement in literacy rate from 66.59 % in 2001 and 61.65 % in 1991. In 2011, male literacy rate showed drastic improvement of 82.75% from 71.16 % in 2001. Female literacy rate also showed improvement to 76.11 % as against 61.46 % in 2001. The state gender gap in literacy rate stood at 6.64 % as against the gap of 16.6 % at the national level. This indicates a lower gender disparity in educational attainment in Nagaland.

Accessibility

The survey stated that to achieve the goal of universalisation of elementary education, primarily schools have been established in almost all the villages. As per Unified- District Information System of Education (U-DISE 2014-15), there were 3,002 number of various types of schools functioning in the state. Out of which, 1,428 were primary schools, 862 upper primary/ middle schools, 543 secondary/ high schools and 169 higher secondary schools.

Enrolment

Meanwhile, intervention of the government to improve

access to primary schools, strengthening of existing infrastructures, communitization and other types of educational facilities have resulted in considerable increase in enrolment at all level. The survey informed that the total enrolment covered under U-DISE 2014-15 was 4, 35, 432 out of which 2, 93, 836 were found to be enrolled in primary; 1, 13, 207 in upper primary; 53, 012 in secondary and 28, 110 in higher secondary.

were working regularly, whereas in upper primary/middle schools there are 8,722 teachers. At secondary/high schools there were 7,934 teachers and in higher secondary schools there were 4,564 teachers. However, only 30.05 % of the teachers in the state were found to be trained. Trained teachers was maximum in higher secondary schools with secondary schools having 51.56 %, and lowest was in higher secondary only with 18.07 %. Teachers with graduate degree and above conTeachers stituted 53.65 % of teachers in Under U-DISE 2014-15, the state. there were 29,499 teachers in all types of schools in the state. In Gross Enrolment Ratio Nagaland achieved a Gross primary schools 8,279 teachers

Enrolment Ratio (GER) of 100.57 at the primary level as against the national GER of 100.08 in 2014-15. However with a high dropout rate of 19.41 at the primary level as against all national dropout rate of 4.34, the Nagaland Net Enrolment Ratio is 85.59 as against all national ratio of 87.41. The survey stated that this trend of GER and NER is the same even in the upper primary level. At the secondary level, Nagaland NER falls to 40.28 against the national NER of 48.46. The higher secondary level however paints a dismal picture as the Nagaland NER falls further to 17.65 against the all India NER of 32.68.


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.