17 Oct 22

ENPO reaffirms ‘Frontier Nagaland’ state

Reporter

DIMAPUR, OCT 16 (NPN): Shifting to high gear as a strong message over de mand of people of Eastern Nagaland for Frontier Naga land State, Central Executive Council (CNC), Eastern Nagaland People’s Organ isation (ENPO) through its media cell, has reaffirmed that it will stick by the Au gust 26, 2022 resolution of “ not taking part in any elec tion process of the Central and State until and unless a separate Statehood- (Fron tier Nagaland)-is granted by the Government of India, as demanded by the people of Eastern Nagaland under the aegis of ENPO.”

Further, indicating that there will be no compromise on the issue, the CEC also resolved that in the event of there being no early response from the Central government to the demand of people of ENPO areas for a separate Statehood, “the public of Eastern Nagaland region shall demand resignation of 20 legislators of Eastern Nagaland from Nagaland Legislative Assembly and all

2 dead, 2 injured in Chümoukedima road mishap Staff Reporter

DIMAPUR, OCT 16 (NPN): Two persons were killed and two injured in a road mishap on NH29 near Chümoukedima police station Sunday at around 4 a.m.

According to police sources, two women (age around 31 years and 26 years) died on the spot while the two injured males (both age around 30 years) were rushed to Referral (CIHSR) hospital for treat ment.

As per initial reports, police sources said the incident took place when the vehicle Maruti A Star- with four occupants, all locals-- was on its way towards Dimapur and re portedly rammed on to a bus from behind, which had halted by the road side as some passengers were alighting from the bus.

Soon after the inci dent, the bus driver fled from the site and abscond ing, police said, adding that the car and the bus were under their custody.

A case has been reg istered at Chümoukedima police station and investi gation on to ascertain the exact cause of the accident and also to apprehend the driver of the bus.

political party workers, both central and regional.”

This was among sev eral resolutions adopted by the CEC of ENPO at Chang Khulei Setshang Hall, Tuen sang on October 14 while deliberating on reaffirma tion to previous resolutions on important issues.

ENPO media cell in formed that the seven tribal bodies– Chang Khulei Set shang (CKS), Khiamniun gan Tribal Council (KTC), Konyak Union (KU), Phom People’s Council (PPC), United Sangtam Likhum Pumji (USLP), Tikhir Tribal

Council (TTC) and Yimkhi ung Tribal Council (YTC) – have endorsed the resolu tion to mobilise people at the grassroots to ensure success of the movement for sepa rate state. Subsequent to the resolution, the conglomerate has decided, an effective plan of action for further ing the movement will be worked out through at an emergency CEC meeting.

In another resolution, the CEC of ENPO has also decided, that from the year 2022, participants from East ern Nagaland will not take part at Hornbill Festival at

Kisama, Kohima in view of hardships faced by the participants. However, the meeting decided that the State government shall be requested through East ern Nagaland Legislators’ Union (ENLU) to promote Mini Hornbill Festival of respective tribes.

The house also strongly resolved to uphold the De cember 18, 2007 Tuensang Summit ENPO resolution, which stated that “there should be no bloodshed, threat, intimidation or any form of violence within East ern Nagaland jurisdiction.”

NSCN (I-M), NNPGs to meet in Kolkata

Staff Reporter

DIMAPUR, OCT 16 (NPN): NSCN (I-M) and Working Committee of the NNPGs are likely to hold another joint meeting, as a sequel to the joint declara tion of ‘September Joint Accordant’ signed on Sep tember 14, 2022.

Though the meeting date and venue was not known, sources said that Naga Political Groups (NPGs) leaders from both the factions will be leaving for Kolkata on Monday, where the meeting is set to take place. According to

sources, Forum for Naga Reconciliation (FNR) is facilitating the meeting. In this regard, a seven-member FNR team left for Kolkata on Sunday led by its conve nor Rev. Dr. Wati Aier.

NSCN (I-M) delega tion will be led by vice chair man Tongmeth Wangnao and WC, NNPGs will be led by convenor N. Kitovi Zhimomi.

It may be recalled that the NSCN (I-M) and WC/ NNPGs, besides signing the three-point joint accordant resolution, had reaffirmed its commitment “to a dia logue in order to move for

ward, live in peace and over come the cynicism, anxiety, and disagreements…”

They also reaffirmed the June 13, 2009 ‘Covenant of Reconciliation’ and re newed “to work together in the spirit of love,” and desist from all forms of armed violence and refrain from in dulging in violence of words through print and social media among Naga Politi cal Groups and the general public. “We solemnly affirm the offer of togetherness from God in Christ. This is the Naga belonging renewed and restored with God and with each other,” they added.

The house also decided that the people of ENPO will not extend any public cooperation to any group(s) for non-compliance of the above.

It may be mentioned that the ENPO on September 7, 2022 directed all seven tribal bodies to ban any election-related campaign by any party and candidate declaration programme in their respective jurisdictions. ENPO also prohibited carry ing out massive public mobil isation programmes without any delay vis-à-vis demand for ‘Frontier Nagaland’ state.

Congress Prez Polls: Kharge or Tharoor, party to elect non-Gandhi after 24 years

NE W DELHI, OCT 16 (AGENCIES): The Con gress is all set to vote to elect its next president on Monday (October 17) with senior party leaders Mal likarjun Kharge and Shashi Tharoor are pitted against each other.

This will be the sixth time in its nearly 137-yearold history that an electoral contest would decide who would take up the mantle of the party’s president. The voting will be done between 10 am and 4 pm, with the results likely to be declared on October 19. With Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra not in the running, a non-Gan dhi would be at the helm after over 24 years.

Even as chief Sonia Gandhi and Congress gen eral secretary Priyanka Gan dhi Vadra are expected to vote at the AICC headquar ters, Rahul Gandhi will be voting at the Bharat Jodo Yatra campsite in Karnata ka’s Sanganakallu in Ballari along with around 40 other Bharat Yatris who are PCC delegates.

Kharge is considered the firm favourite for his perceived proximity to the Gandhis and backing by senior leaders, even as Tha roor has pitched himself as the candidate of change.

The contrast in the campaigns has been stark, while Kharge’s campaign has seen several senior lead ers, PCC chiefs and top leaders receiving him at the state headquarters visited by him, Tharoor has mostly been welcomed by young PCC delegates with PCC chiefs mostly absent from his events.

Tharoor has under lined during his campaign that he is the candidate of change while Kharge of status quo. “…Whether Kharge sahab wins it or I

win, I am of the view that the Congress should emerge victorious,” Tharoor told re porters at the Uttar Pradesh Congress headquarters.

In an interview with a news daily, Kharge said the party cannot work without the guidance and advice of the Gandhis. Kharge said his priority on being elected, will be to implement the organisational reforms announced at the Chintan Shivir in Udaipur.

Meanwhile, Tharoor, alleged that the contest was not a level playing field in accessing the delegates.

He also lashed out at col leagues who were “indulg ing in ‘netagiri’ and telling party workers” that they know whom Sonia Gandhi “wants” elected.

Coffee plantation on nearly 10,000 ha of land in Nagaland

KOHIMA, OCT 16 (PTI):

The Nagaland government is undertaking coffee plan tation on nearly 10,000 hectares of land and the organic beverage grown in the state is now being exported to European and Middle East countries, an official said.

Around 8,412.49 hect ares and 1,419.7 hectares of land are covered by planta tions of Arabica and Ro busta coffee respectively, the official said. The state government has set a target to cover 50,000 hectares of land by 2030, he said.

With Nagaland having

micro-climatic condition, the soil is very suitable for coffee, the official claimed.

Coffee plantation was first started in Nagaland in the early 1990s but it was not a success then as there was no market linkage with the project, the official said. In October 2014 the State government resumed the revival of coffee planta tions throughout the state with Land Resources Devel opment (LRD) as the nodal agency and now the organic coffee grown in this hill state is being exported, said Ad ditional Director of LRD, Albert Ngullie. Kohima

district has the highest cov erage of 2649.69 hectares of land while Zunheboto district has 1025.9 hectares of land under organic coffee plantations.

“Our target is to make it a successful plantation and the farmers have to benefit,” he said.

Under the post-COV ID-19 economic recovery plan supported by North Eastern Council (NEC), 360 coffee pulping ma chines were procured and distributed across the state.

The pulper caters to about 1,000 hectares of coffee plantation clusters

in the state which are at the threshold stage for bearing cherries, he said.

The LRD is carrying out coffee plantation ac tivities with the support of the state government and NABARD while the techni cal and management sup port has come from Coffee Board, he said, adding that even the seeds are produced from Coffee Board certified nurseries.

The Coffee Board is supporting the department in providing training to the farmers and also conduct ing exposure trips to other

DIMAPUR, OCT 16

(NPN): As registration and obtaining Ayushman card was mandatory to avail ben efits under Chief Minister’s Health Insurance Scheme (CMHIS), the State Health (H&FW) department will carry out an intensive enrol ment drive fortnight from October 18 to 31 across the State to facilitate beneficiary enrolment and Ayushman card generation.

According to H&FW secretary and CEO of State Health Agency (AB PMJAY CMHIS) Asangla Imti, registration will be free dur ing the drive, but registration

centres thereafter will charge up to a maximum of Rs 20 from every beneficiary, take consent from the ben eficiary for creating Ayush man Bharat Health Account (ABHA) and Aadhaar eKYC collection for genera tion of Ayushman card for at least one beneficiary in the household to meet their operational expenses.

The H&FW depart ment requested all citizens to register or update their family details either by self or through various registra tion centres to obtain the Ayushman card for every member of the family, all free

of cost during the fortnight.

Details of eligibility criteria, KYC documents required for registration and list of pri mary health centres (PHCs)/ community health centres (CHCs) empanelled under Ayushman Bharat – Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) CMHIS and partner BIS operators/agen cies in the State and details of empanelled card vendors at district and block levels were available at the website https://cmhis.nagaland. gov.in.

The department stressed that beneficiary enrolment and Ayushman

Card generation were cru cial to enjoy benefits un der CMHIS. Collection of supporting documents for CMHIS (EP) beneficiaries for registration was already underway. Facilities for on line registration and updat ing beneficiary data were available at https://cmhis. nagaland.gov.in.

Online registration and updating beneficiary data could be done either by self or through various registra tion centres which include all PHCs/CHCs empan elled under AB PM-JAY CMHIS, common service centres,

NEW DELHI, OCT 16 (PTI): Power distribution companies (Discoms) in Nagaland reported the maximum aggregate tech nical and commercial losses (AT&C) of 60.39 per cent in 2020-21, followed by those in Jammu & Kashmir (59.28%) and Andaman and Nicobar Islands (51.94%), showed a report.

‘The Report on Perfor mance of Power Utilities in 2020-21’ by Power Finance Corporation stated that overall AT&C (aggregate technical & commercial)

losses of discoms widened from 20.73 per cent in 201920 to 22.32 per cent in 202021. Aggregate losses of power distribution utilities or discoms increased by 66 per cent to Rs 50,281 crore in 2020-21 as compared to the previous year, the report said.

Nagaland had highest AT&C losses in 2020-21, but it reduced the propor tion from 64.79% in 2019-20 to 60.39% in 2020-21. The AT&C losses also increased in Mizoram to 36.53% from 20.66%. For the year

2020-21, the report covers 117 utilities comprising 68 power distribution utilities, 23 power generation utili ties, 22 power transmission utilities and 4 power trading utilities.

It also showed that discoms in Daman & Diu reported the least AT&C losses of 4.48%, followed by Dadra and Nagar Haveli (5.17%) and Kerala (7.76%).

Similarly, Jammu & Kashmir reduced from 60.46 per cent in 2019-20 to 59.28 per cent in 2020-21.

‘Pray without ceasing’: CNC holds ‘Naga National Prayer Day’ at Agri Expo

DIMAPUR, OCT 16 (NPN): Hundreds of peo ple attended the inaugural service of ‘Naga National Prayer Day’ held under the aegis of Council of Nagalim Churches (CNC) at Agri Expo Sunday on the theme “Pray without ceasing”.

Message of NSCN (IM) chairman Q Tuccu was read out by CNC president Rev D Heutui Zeme which made a call for a solemn pledge of allegiance to God’s irrevocable covenant with Naga people. Tuccu urged upon people to remind them selves that they cannot pur

sue their political struggle and defend their God-given rights without Christ leading them, adding it was the real ity they had to understand now and always. He stressed this was the meaning of the political movement under the banner of Nagalim for Christ,as there was no other

way forward to sustain “our movement when we placed under the crucial juncture in order to bring yielding temperament on the part of the Government of India to respect and honour the his torical and political rights.”

Tuccu said the need to day was for justice and unity

of a people who were one in God’s creation and purpose. He appealed for pleading with God to intercede that Naga people had the courage and wisdom to know that they were one in transpiring the dream of Naga nation by building the truth of Naga history. (Full text on p-6)

Delivering a message of repentance and prayer, Rev Dr VK Nuh of Naga Archive and Research Centre, Dima pur, lamented that like the Israelites, who were slow to learn despite many miracles from God, Naga people also suffered in the same way and faced all kinds of tragedies

for the last 75 years.

He emphasised “We re fuse to believe His wonderful deliverance and we believe that no power on earth can stop us to enter promised land, we trusted on our own powers and fought to extend the factional supremacy.”

He called for reminding the growing generation how their forefathers made cov enant with God. He urged NSCN (I-M) and GPRN/ NSCN to forgive and for get other national workers’ deeds for national recon ciliation and to have national salvation. Likewise, he said NNC and FGN must admit the past mistakes and ac

cept other remnant national workers for national rebirth.

“Today, as we see the rust and rot of Naga people, we have no hope of a future till we accept the truth. The only option left for Naga people is we have to say sorry with national repen tance,” he underlined.

(Full text on p-6)

Delivering a message of God’s forgiveness and blessing, Nagaland Joint Christian Forum vice-pres ident Rev Dr N Paphino said repentance could not be received without forgive ness, adding that one needed change in order to repent.

Staff Reporter

Will demand all 20 MLAs to resign if no early response from GoI on Statehood demand

No participation in Hornbill Fest from this year; urge govt to promote mini hornbill festival

Participants during the August 9, 2022 public rally in Tuensang. (File)

Candidates: Mallikarjun Kharge and Shashi Tharoor.

DPDB, SDPDB monthly meetings held in various districts

DIMAPUR: Zunheboto, Tseminyu, Kiphire, Tuensang and Wokha District Planning

Development Board (DPDB) monthly meetings and Pughoboto Sub-Divisional

Planning and Development Board (SDPDB) meeting were held, wherein the

members deliberated on various issues and passed proposals.

Tseminyu

Zunheboto district held its monthly DPDB meeting on October 14 at Town Hall, Zunheboto. According to a DIPR report, at the meeting, Deputy Commissioner (DC) Zunheboto and vice chairman Zunheboto DPDB, Rahul Bhanudas Mali asked the members to be present at the station for smooth functioning of the office and to serve the public sincerely. He also directed the members to be present in the office during office timing and informed that discussion for the celebration of Zunheboto jubilee and Ahuna celebration would be done in the next DPDB meeting.

Tuensang

Tuensang DPDB meeting was held on October 11 in the conference hall of the Deputy Commissioner (DC) Tuensang. According to a DIPR report, DC Tuensang and DPDB vice chairman, Kumar Ramnikant updated the members on the 50% completion of Dikhu Bridge between Tuensang and Mokokchung road. He highlighted the members of the meeting outcome of PWD (NH) and NHIDCL with regard to zero point to 95 Kms towards Tuensang. The DC also encouraged district HoDs to impart departmental practical education to school students and asked them to report on the programme initiated by the departments in the schools at every DPDB meeting.

Wokha DPDB monthly meeting was held on October 12 at the Conference Hall of Deputy Commissioner (DC) Wokha, informed a DIPR report. At the meeting, Wokha DPDB chairman and advisor of Law & Justice, Dr. Chumben Murry advised that all HoOs in the district should make it mandatory to attend DPDB meeting without fail. Commenting on PowerPoint presentation by DUDO & Administration Wokha Town Council (WTC), Dr. Chumben urged upon the Urban Development department to work in coordination with WTC and start executing plans for naming roads/lanes.

Tseminyu DPDB monthly meeting was held on October 13 in the official chamber of Deputy Commissioner (DC) Tseminyu with advisor V&AH, women resources development, and chairman DPDB, Tseminyu, R. Khing. According to a DIPR report, the advisor asked the officers to remain in their respective stations and reminded all members that attending DPDB monthly meeting was an official responsibility and bounding duty of every member.

Pughoboto

Pughoboto SDPDB meeting was held on October 11 at DB Hall, ADC office Pughoboto under the chairmanship of Y. Vikheho, MLA. According to a DIPR report, while reviewing the last meeting minutes on discussion for shifting of ADC office Pughoboto to new building along with subdivision office of industries, PWD (R&B), IPR, YRS, and NRE Department, Y. Vikheho Swu informed that the main purpose of constructing the office within an area was to provide better services to people and better coordination between departments. He asked all the responsible department personnel whose office buildings were completed, to prepare for shifting and enquired about the status report of offices.

Kiphire

Kiphire DPDB meeting was held on October 13 at the Conference Hall of the Deputy Commissioner (DC) Kiphire under the chairmanship of DC and vice chairman DPDB Kiphire, T. Wati Aier. According to a DIPR report, DC Aier highlighted on Chief Minister’s Health Insurance Scheme (CMHIS) and encouraged government employees to avail the opportunity.

NEWS IN BRIEF

NHHDC exhibition: Nagaland Handloom & Handicrafts Development Corporation Ltd. (NHHDC) Dimapur would be organising a handicraft exhibition from October 26 to November 1 at Urban Haat, Dimapur. NHHDC has informed interested artisans with artisans’ ID card issued by the office of the development commissioner (handicrafts) to apply to the project cell, NHHDC Ltd, Half Nagarjan, Dimapur on or before October 21 during office hours.

NSCN (Niki) terminates: NSCN/GPRN (Niki) through its MIP informed that its “union territory, the ministry of home affairs” has terminated its “razou peyu” Akheto Achumi son of Atozhe Achumi of Baimho village, “leacy” Kughato Achumi and “khapur” Hito Ayemi, both from Tichipami village, with immediate effect, for their involvement in “anti-social activities”.

Jubilee flag unfurled at SFCK: Fr Raymond D’Souza SJ unfurled 50 years jubilee launching flag of Kohima Diocese on October 16 at St Francis Xavier Church of Kidima Parish.

Wokha

WEATHER FORECAST

17

NBOCWWB awareness campaign in Wokha

Coordination meeting held at Longchem

DIMAPUR: A coordina tion meeting of all the of ficers and staff of various government departments under Longchem admin istrative circle along with Longchem Adhoc Town Committee (LATC) and GBs was held on October 14 at Zulutemba Memorial Hall, Longchem Hq.

In a press release, LATC stated that chair person of the coordination meeting, Extra Assistant

Commissioner (EAC) Longchem, Yapangmenla Jamir advised the gov ernment employees to be present at their respec tive posting places and to perform their duties with dedication.

In a brief address, LATC vice chairman, A. Chuba Longkumer urged the government employees to play a vital role in the development of the town. He informed that surprise

checking would be con ducted by the committee.

At the meeting, it was apprised that there was no replacement for headmas ter at GHS Longchem, vet erinary assistant surgeon and junior engineer (JE), Power since the transfer of previous incumbents.

The departments also resolved to contribute fi nancially to construct a waiting shed at Longchem, as desired by the public.

DIMAPUR: A three-day aware ness campaign and field registra tion was organised by department of labour under Nagaland Building and Other Construction Workers’ Welfare Board (NBOCWWB) and Old Riphyim Village Gazetted Officers Forum (ORGOF) from October 13-15 at Old Riphyim Village, Wokha.

According to a DIPR report, at the meeting, NBOCWWB chair man, Dr. Kekhrie Yhome informed that government of Nagaland has recognised 1283 villages. He said, India being a welfare state, many schemes are being implemented for social security and benefits of the public. Dr. Yhome said NBOCWWB was actively involved in sensitising the people about the

LCD organises ‘pre-Diwali mela’

various benefits available for the build ers and construction workers where beneficiaries are identified and guided in availing the benefits. He also urged and encouraged the workers to take up works in building and construction works as it has the potential to earn livelihood.

Delivering the keynote address, CEO, NBOCWWB, T. Chubayanger said that the dedication and cooperation from the workers, the range leaders and ORGOF made the scheme a reality.

Stating that digital and online facility has been made for easy reg istration making it convenient for the unregistered workers, he encouraged the unregistered workers to register them selves with complete documentation.

Senior PS to deputy chief minister of Nagaland, Hachio Patton also spoke during the programme. The threeday campaign and field registration recorded around 280 registrations/ enrolments from Englan Range public consisting of eight villages.

DIMAPUR, OCT 16 (NPN):

A “pre-Diwali mela” was organised by Lions Club Di mapur (LCD) Sunday at Li ons Centre, Midland Colony, Dimapur with minister, higher education and tribal affairs, Temjen Imna Along as the special guest.

Speaking to Nagaland Post, LCD vice president, Basu Damani said the mela, a flagship project of LCD, was organised every year on theme, “We serve with a smile”, to bring people together and also to generate revenues for the club.

He informed that the rev enues collected were used to provide “free facilities” to the general public and the remain

ing amount to “develop the infrastructure of the club”.

Highlighting some of the activities of the club, Damani said Lions Health Centre pro vides free treatment to patients, conducts eye screening camp twice a year under which 4800 patients were treated and more than 900 patients have been operated under sight for all project.

He also claimed that the club was “running the most successful vaccination camp” beside all other social services and for which the members make contribution and also raise funds from activities like the Diwali mela.

The mela was organised under the chairmanship of Basu Damani and LCD presi dent, Sandeep Bakliwal.

SAWO commemorates silver jubilee

DIMAPUR: Southern Angami Women Organisation (SAWO) celebrated its silver jubilee on October 13 at Main Arena, Naga Heritage Village, Kisama with advisor, youth resources & sports, Er. Zale Neikha and advisor, technical education and election, Medo Yhokha as the special guests.

According to a DIPR report, Er. Neikha while releasing a book to commemorate the jubilee lauded SAWO for its good works and encouraged the organisation to continue passing the good traditions and practices of their forefathers to the younger generation. Releasing a book documenting the traditional at tires and ornaments of the Southern Angami region, Yhokha expressed hope that it would help in preserving the traditional attires and ornaments for future generations.

Speaking on the theme, “Pass on the good practices of our forefathers”, Angami Women Organisation, general secretary, Chozhüle Kikhi pointed out some of the beliefs and good prac tices of the forefathers and narrated the beliefs held and rituals performed by their forefathers to perform various tasks.

She reminded the gathering of the rich social life the past generation enjoyed, and also how some of the practices of “kenyü” (prohibitions) have helped in maintaining harmony and order in the society. She appealed the gathering to hold on to the good practices. During the jubilee celebration, Neisevoü Kirha, one of the founding members of SAWO, unfurled the SAWO silver jubilee flag, and the blessing on the occasion was given by 1st SAWO president, Zakieviu Kechü. Folk songs were performed by women representing the 13 villages of the Southern Angami area.

Staff Reporter

Stakeholders of the awareness campaign and field registration at Old Riphyim Village, Wokha. (DIPR)

Minster Imna Along along with members of LCD. (NP)

SAWO silver jubilee celebration at Naga Heritage Village. (DIPR)

Manipur CM talks tough on illegal immigration

Correspondent

IMPHAL, OCT 16: Mani

pur chief minister N Biren Singh on Sunday expressed serious concern when over 650 illegal migrants from Bangladesh and Myanmar were arrested in the state in the last few days.

Manipur police have been conducting a special drive to detect illegal mi grants and Inner Line Per mit (ILP) violators across the state in the last few days.

The government was very concerned about the influx of illegal immi grants into the state and the threats posed to the indigenous population by such activities, Singh told reporters at a press confer ence held at chief minister secretariat today evening.

“The state govern ment is serious about this issue and is leaving no stone unturned to com pletely root out this men ace,” he said.

The chief minister also sought full support and cooperation of the people in identifying and informing the police or district administration of illegal immigrants staying illegally in the state by violating the Inner Line

Permit System.

Singh said, “The issue has today reach an alarm ing stage . Today, there is a threat looming large in our society and we are seeking cooperation and support from the people.”

He said that the Popu lation Commission will be set up at the earliest and a house to house survey will be conducted soon.

He appealed to all against renting out rooms or selling land to illegal foreigners, immigrants.

“Legal action could be taken against any house owner found renting out or housing illegal foreigners,” he cautioned.

The chief minister

informed that the state government has also al ready announced 1961 as the base year for the ILP Act and will soon launch its mechanism to trace foreigners including face recognition cameras, apps to regulate entry and exit.

He said that in the drive against illegal mi grants and ILP violators, the police have arrested around 650 illegal migrants who entered the state vio lating the ILP regime.

They have been booked accordingly and some of them have been deported upto Dimapur (Nagaland).

“The main worry is that most of these violators

are from Bangladesh with some from Myanmar,” Singh added.

The government alone will never be able to deal with the menace of the influx of illegal migrants without the support of the general public.

Singh also said that the success witnessed in the government’s ‘War on Drugs’ and ‘campaign against poppy plantation’ was because of the sup port and cooperation of the public.

Likewise, the govern ment needed the support and cooperation of the people to deal with the menace of illegal migrants effectively.

Singh said the indig enous people of Manipur have small populations and highlighted the ap prehension that it wouldn’t be long before the illegal immigrants/ migrants, foreigners outnumber the indigenous population.

He claimed that the Narendra Modi govern ment at the Centre ex tended the ILP regime in the state, understanding the gravity of the situation.

“However, due to cer tain doubts, dishonesty amongst ourselves, we are facing various hindrances

in identifying these illegal foreigners,” the chief min ister said, citing the story of an illegal migrant recently arrested by the police.

He said an individual entered India from Ban gladesh through Malda district of West Bengal and into Manipur in 1990 without any valid papers, according to his own ad mission to the police after his arrest on October 7 last from Khabeishoi of Imphal East by the police.

Narrating how the foreigner acquired a driv ing license and Aadhar card from the state, Singh said all the said documents have been seized and a case lodged.

“However, the main concern is how many il legal foreigners must have already infiltrated into our communities,” he said, adding that the man who entered the state in 1990 was arrested only in 2022.

State works minis ter Govindas Konthou jam, CAF&PD minister L Susindro Meitei, educa tion minister Th Basanta Kumar Singh, transport minister Kashim Vashum, DGP P Doungel and other senior police officers also attended the press confer ence.

Assam CM Himanta visits erosion-hit area in Dibrugarh; promises remedial measures

Correspondent

SHILLONG, OCT 16:

With the assembly elections in Meghalaya due early next year, several issues have been cropping up with one of these being the decades’ old demand for a separate ‘Garoland’ to be carved out of the tribal state.

The Garoland State Movement Committee (GSMC) and the National Federation for New States (NFNS), which claim to represent the indigenous Garo people residing in the western part of Meghalaya has called for demonstra tion in Tura on October 29 in support of the demand for a separate state. Deputy Chief Executive Member of the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) and the vice president of NFNS, Nikman Ch Marak said that leaders from across

the country, who were part of the different statehood movements, would come forward and support the demand for a separate Ga roland state. Nikman urged all leaders to work towards ensuring a huge gathering at Teteng Aja, where the meeting to revive demand for Garoland will be held.

“If we work together, everything is possible. We can handle any obstacle and circumstance that are blocking our paths. All the leaders from different social organizations and NGOs are welcome. We need to support each other and work hand-in-hand to achieve our long-standing demand of a Garoland state,” he asserted.

Tura is the second larg est city in western part of Meghalaya and the pre mier city in Garo Hills re gion, which is spread across 10,102 sq km area.

GUWAHATI, OCT 16

DIBRUGARH (ASSAM),

OCT 16 (PTI): Assam

Chief Minister Himanta

Biswa Sarma on Sunday in spected the erosion-affected embankment in Maijan area of Dibrugarh district and gave assurance that urgent measures would be taken to address the problem.

He also said that his government would provide assistance to the families who have lost their land and houses to erosion in the area.

Tripura to use radio collars to track elephant movement

“Over the last few days, the water resource department had been tak ing urgent steps to check erosion. We are hopeful of being successful in the endeavour,” Sarma told reporters later.

He said that efforts were being made to find a permanent solution for the problem.

“The government will do everything within its might to prevent erosion. Local people and workers of adjoining tea gardens are

also helping us.

“Many people have lost their land, their houses here. The government will extend its assistance to them,” the chief minister said.

Sarma reviewed the repair work being under taken at the embankment and asked all agencies to work in a concerted manner for a time-bound solution.

The embankment in Maijan area is crucial for keeping Dibrugarh town safe from floods.

Assam Police OC, SI suspended for assaulting civilians

(PTI):

The Assam Pradesh Congress Committee has an electorate strength of 289 for the party’s presidential election, APCC spokesper son Manjit Mahanta said on Sunday.

He said arrangements for the polls, scheduled for Monday, have been complet ed at the APCC headquar ters, the Rajiv Bhawan, here. Polling will be conducted from 10 am to 4 pm.

“All preparations are complete for tomorrow’s polling,” he said in a state ment.

Mahanta said APCC president Bhupen Borah and Leader of Opposition Debabrata Saikia have urged all eligible members to cast their votes in the election.

Senior Congress lead ers Mallikarjun Kharge and Shashi Tharoor will face-off in the electoral contest on Monday for the post of AICC chief, as the party gets set to have a non-Gandhi president in over 24 years.

Over 9,000 Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) delegates form the electoral college to pick the party chief in a secret ballot.

Both Kharge and Tha roor had recently visited Guwahati as part of their campaign trail.

MissingArunachalmountaineers:Team

SEPPA, NOV 16 (AGEN

CIES): The 13-member foot-based search and rescue (SR) team after eight days has now finally reached the base camp and will be heading towards camp-I on Sunday. The team is in search of missing Everester Tapi Mra and his companion Niku Dao.

The mountaineer went reportedly missing when he was on his mission to explore snow-capped mount Khyarisattam in the East Kameng District. This was informed by TCS Human Resource Devel opment (HRD) Secretary Dosh Dashi, who is in con stant touch with the team through satellite phones.

Dashi said that the 13 members also include eight porters, who reached the base camp at 11 am today from Kyalai Camp near here. Moreover, the team is also planning to reach Camp-I on Sunday by noon.

“Further, the team is planning to reach camp-II on Monday morning if the weather is suitable. The team will search for the 3-coil rope dumped by Tapi Mra last year nearby camp II,” he said, adding that the plan is also to search the rock wall alongside the LAC. Doshi said that the health condition of the members is well, and

is regularly being checked by Dr Tadie Mra.

The doctor is a family member of the missing and had accompanied the team earlier. “There was rainfall till October 14. However, no rainfall is expected the next day till noon. The entire update is being pro vided by team leader Tagit Sorang through satellite phone,” he added.

AGARTALA, OCT 16 (PTI): The Tripura forest department, as part of its efforts to reduce man-ani mal conflicts, has decided to use GPS-enabled devices to track the movement of elephants, said deputy chief wildlife warden K G Roy.

A Bengaluru-based company has been entrust ed with the task of fitting radio collars around the neck of elephants and work is expected to be completed by December this year.

“The radio collars will help us track the move ment of the wild elephants. We can take measures to push them back to forests if found anywhere near human habitations,” Roy told PTI.

At least 50 incidents of man-elephant conflict were recorded in the state since 2019.

“We have settled 30 such cases so far. The rest will also be taken care of soon,” the deputy chief wildlife warden said.

Earlier, West Bengal, Uttarakhand, Chhatisgarh among other states have used radio collars to mini mise man-jumbo conflicts.

The state government has also embarked on a beekeeping project in ag ricultural lands to prevent

Assam: Two men die in road accident

GUWAHATI, OCT 16 (IANS): Two men died after a car, in which they were travelling, plunged into a roadside pond in Assam’s North Lakhimpur district on Sunday.

A police officer in formed that the accident took place in the Laluk area of the district after the driver lost control over the car following which it fell into the pond.

The locals have said that the men sitting in the car drowned as they could not come out of the car after it fell into the pond. Later, their bodies were retrieved from the car and taken to a hospital. How ever, the doctors declared them dead.

The bodies have been kept for postmortem. The deceased have been identi fied as Anarul Islam and Noor Mohammad.

As per the police source, the duo was going to Tezpur from Laluk.

elephant attacks and taken steps to grow bamboo and banana in the forests, Roy said.

A special elephant census, conducted last year by the State Board for Wildlife, found that the population of elephants in Tripura has increased to 40 from 38 in 2002.

Notably, British sur veyor John Hunter, in his report, had once said that elephants outnumbered humans in the erstwhile princely state, one reason why the colonisers did not consider taking administra tive control of the place.

Their numbers began sliding, however, with the clearing of forests for con struction of a hydel power project on Gomati river, forest officials said.

Elephants slowly mi grated from the Gomati reserve forest area to Chit tagong Hill Tracts of Ban gladesh, where food was available to them in abun dance, they said.

As their habitat kept shrinking over the years, elephants also took to in vading villages in search of food, often flattening houses, damaging crops and killing people that came in the way.

Many pachyderms have also been targeted by poachers, the officials added.

A senior official said the Tripura government has decided to set up an elephant reserve at Gand hari in Gomati district for conservation of the pachyderms.

DIBRUGARH, OCT 16 (PTI): The Officer-inCharge (OC) and a Subinspector (SI) of Moran Police Station in Assam’s Dibrugarh district were sus pended for allegedly beating some people a few days ago, an official said on Sunday.

Dibrugarh Additional Superintendent of Police Bitul Chetia said depart mental proceedings will also be initiated against both the officers for their alleged role.

“OC Bijoy Daimari and SI Bhaben Dutta were suspended yesterday for their role in the incident. Earlier, they were put un der reserve close. They will remain under suspension till the outcome of the de partmental enquiry,” the ASP said.

The other two persons, who were not from the po lice force, involved in the attack were arrested but they got bail from a local court, Chetia said.

According to official sources, Gyandip Borgohain (35), a tourism entrepreneur based in Demow of Siva sagar district, and his team were allegedly brutally tor tured in Moran Police Sta tion for several hours while returning from Arunachal Pradesh on October 7 and 8.

Daimari had alleged that the travellers, who were

returning from the Ziro Festival of Music, had eveteased and molested his wife at a restaurant on October 7 night.

“I agree, we had to use some force to make them admit to their crime,” Daimari had told reporters on October 8 morning.

On the other hand, Borgohain and the others alleged that the police of ficials, accompanied by two civilians, sexually assaulted his team, tortured them with weapons and police batons for several hours.

Among the victims was also the President of Western Angami Students’ Association from Nagaland, Kevileto Whiso, who was as sisting the team to organize camping for the visitors in the Hornbill Festival.

Several organisations, including Communist Party of India, All Tai-Ahom Students’ Union, Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuva Chhatra Parishad, All Assam Adivasi Students’ Union, All Deori Students’ Union, All MechKachari Yuba Parishad and others have been protesting in Demow and Moran.

The groups are de manding the arrest of Daimari, other accused police officials and the civil ians involved in the alleged case of torture.

AIZAWL, OCT 16 (PTI):

A 27-year-old Myanmar national was arrested in Mizoram’s capital Aizawl after heroin worth Rs five lakh was recovered from his possession, police said on Sunday.

Acting on a tip-off, a team from the Bawnkawn Police Station apprehended the person on Saturday and seized 10 grams of the nar cotics substance.

The accused hails from Tahan in the neigh bouring country and has been booked under various sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 and the Foreigners Act, the state police said in a statement.

The police personnel have been making efforts to curb smuggling activities in the state, it said.

Nearly 40 Myanmar nationals have been arrested between January and Sep tember this year in drugrelated cases, a senior police officer said.

The Mizoram Police

had on October 14 seized 6.8 kilograms of heroin worth over Rs 34 crore from the possession of a drug peddler at new Champhai village near the Myanmar border.

The seizure was be lieved to be the biggest drug haul in recent years in the northeastern state.

Notably, altogether 30,401 people from Myan mar have crossed the inter national border and taken refuge in Mizoram after the neighbouring country’s military ousted the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi there in February last year, state Home Minis ter Lalchamliana informed the assembly last month.

The majority of the refugees live in relief camps, while others are accommo dated by their local relatives and some live in rented houses.

Six Mizoram districts – Champhai, Siaha, Lawngt lai, Serchhip, Hnahthial and Saitual – share a 510 km-long international border with Myanmar’s Chin state.

Government oF naGalanD

Manipur CM addressing a news conference on menace of illegal migrants in Imphal on Sunday.

Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma visits the erosion-affected embankment at Maijan area in Dibrugarh.

Heroin worth Rs 5 lakh seized in Mizoram, Myanmar national held

File photo of an elephant with a radio collar.

Members of GSMC

Shah releases textbooks in Hindi for MBBS in MP

HAILS PM MODI FOR SPEAKING IN HINDI ON INTERNATIONAL PLATFORMS

BHOPAL, OCT 16 (PTI):

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday released textbooks in Hindi of three subjects for MBBS students as part of an ambitious project of the Madhya Pradesh government to impart medical education in the Hindi language.

Terming it as an important day in history, Shah said Madhya Pradesh has become the first state in the country to start the MBBS (Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery) course in Hindi.

“Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks in Hindi on the international platforms to send across a message to the world. This boosts the confidence of the young people in India,” Shah said addressing a gathering after unveiling the textbooks of medical biochemistry, anatomy and medical physiology subjects in Hindi for the MBBS students at a function in Madhya Pradesh capital Bhopal.

In the 21st century, some forces adopted the “brain drain” theory (migration of skilled professionals), but Prime

Minister Modi has changed it to the “brain gain” theory, he said.

“This day will be written in the history in golden letters,” Shah said after releasing the MBBS course textbooks in Hindi at the function where Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Medical Education Minister Vishvas Sarang were also present. Shah said he feels proud that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Madhya Pradesh has fulfilled the dream of Prime Minister Modi by launching medical studies in Hindi.

“This moment marks the revival of the education sector in the country and I thank the prime minister for it,” he added. Shah said the work is on to start technical and medical education in eight other languages of the country. The MBBS course in Hindi was launched as part of the National Education Policy and soon it will be started in other languages also, he said.

Now, the students of the country will not have any inferiority complex about not knowing the English language and they can study with pride in their own language, the Union

Sisodia, Jain are today’s Bhagat Singh: Kejriwal on CBI summons in excise case

NEW DELHI, OCT 16 (PTI): With the CBI summoning Manish Sisodia for questioning in the excise policy case, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday compared his deputy and jailed minister Satyendar Jain to Bhagat Singh and termed his government’s fight with the Centre the “second freedom struggle”.

The AAP claimed that Sisodia would be arrested on Monday and alleged the move was initiated in view of the forthcoming assembly elections in Gujarat where it is in a direct contest with the BJP.

The reactions from Kejriwal and his Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) came after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) summoned Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Sisodia for questioning on Monday in connection with alleged corruption in the formulation and

implementation of the nowscrapped excise policy.

The federal probe agency has asked the AAP leader to appear before it at its headquarters here at 11 am on Monday.

“Jail bars and hanging noose could not deter Bhagat Singh’s resolute intentions. This is the second fight for freedom.

Manish and Satyendar are today’s Bhagat Singh. After 75 years, the country got an education minister who gave good education to the poor and gave hope for a bright

AAP has broken records of corruption set by Cong: Nadda

party had promised to provide a clean and healthy government in Delhi, “but it has committed scams after scams in the power and excise departments, in th e purchase of DTC buses, in the construction of classrooms and toilets and in the Delhi Jal Board”.

“Five of their MLAs are out on bail,” he added.

future. Prayers of crores of poor are with you,” Kejriwal said in a tweet in Hindi.

Satyendar Jain was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on May 30 in connection with a money laundering case.

Reacting to the CBI summons, Sisodia said he will fully cooperate.

“CBI raid was conducted at my house for 14 hours, nothing came out. Searched my bank locker, nothing came out in it. They did not find anything in my village.

Now they have called me to CBI Headquarters at 11 am tomorrow. I will go and give my full cooperation.

Satyameva Jayate,” Sisodia tweeted.

Addressing a press conference at the party headquarters, the AAP’s chief spokesperson, Saurabh Bharadwaj, said the central probe agency has summoned Sisodia to arrest him.

minister said.

“Modiji has called for imparting medical and engineering education in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Gujarati, Bengali and other languages.

I feel proud that Madhya Pradesh, led by Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, has become the first state to start the medical education in Hindi,” he said. Shah said earlier there were 387 medical colleges in the country having a total of 51,000 seats. Now, the nation under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has 596 medical colleges with an additional

89,000 seats.

The country earlier had 16 Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and the number has now gone up to 23, the number of Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) has increased from 13 to 20, the number of universities from 723 to 1,043 and that of the Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIIT) from nine to 25, he said.

Similarly, the number of other national level institutes has also increased substantially, he said.

Shah praised CM Chouhan and minister Sarang for taking the lead in the country in starting the MBBS course in Hindi, and said now the students will be able to learn medical education in their own language.

Sarang, the driving force behind the move, said on the occasion that a team of 97 doctors prepared these text books in a mission mode to start the course in Hindi.

Chouhan said these textbooks have technical terms written in Hindi the way they are pronounced in English, like ‘kidney’ is written as kidney only.

CBI summons Delhi Dy CM Sisodia for questioning today

NEW DELHI, OCT 16 (PTI): The CBI has summoned Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Monday for questioning in connection with alleged corruption in the formulation and implementation of the excise policy for the national capital, officials said.

The federal probe agency has asked the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader to appear before it at its headquarters at 11 am on Monday, they added.

In a tweet on Sunday, Sisodia said: “CBI raid was conducted at my house for 14 hours, nothing came out. Searched my bank locker, nothing came out in it. They did not find anything in my village.

Now they have called me to CBI Headquarters at 11 am tomorrow. I will go and give my full cooperation.

Satyameva Jayate.”

CBI has questioned a number of people,

including Sameer Mahendru, the owner of Indo Spirits, Amit Arora, the director of Buddy Retail Private Limited in Gurugram, and India Ahead News managing director Mootha Gautam, in connection with the case, the officials said. The agency has also arrested Vijay Nair, an AAP worker and the former CEO of Only Much Louder, an entertainment and event management company, and Hyderabad-based businessman Abhishek Boinpally, they said.

India will give befitting reply to anyone who tries to cast evil eye on it: Rajnath

NEW DELHI, OCT 16 (PTI): India has never tried to hurt any country, but a befitting reply will be given if anyone tries to cast an evil eye on it, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Sunday, amid a lingering border row with China in eastern Ladakh.

In his address at a virtual event, the defence minister emphasised that strict vigil is being maintained at the borders and that the country is ready to deal with all challenges.

“India is a peace-loving nation which has never tried to hurt any country, but if any attempt is made to disrupt peace and harmony in the country, a befitting reply will be given,” he said.

The defence minister noted that bolstering the security apparatus by equipping the armed forces with indigenous state-ofthe-art weapons is the top priority of the government.

He also urged the citizens to contribute to nation-building by transcending sectarian barriers and imbibing the qualities of national pride and patriotism, found in abundance in every Indian

soldier and freedom fighter, according to the defence ministry.

The event, “Shaheedon ko Salaam”, was organised by an NGO named “Maruti Veer Jawan Trust”.

Singh said the armed forces personnel, rising above the barriers of region, religion, caste and language, serve the nation selflessly and protect people from various kinds of threats, the same way the “revolutionary” freedom fighters laid down their lives for the country’s independence.

“It is the duty of every citizen to carry forward the ideals and resolutions of our freedom fighters and soldiers, protect the unity, integrity and sovereignty of our nation and play their

part in building a strong, prosperous and self-reliant ‘New India’,” he said.

Singh further said India has never tried to hurt any country, but a befitting reply will be given if anyone tries to cast an evil eye on it.

Terming the support to the family members of the fallen heroes a national responsibility, the defence minister asserted that the government is committed to ensuring the welfare of the next of kin of the serving as well as the retired security forces personnel.

He described the family as the biggest strength and support system of a soldier and said the government is leaving no stone unturned to strengthen that support system.

“During my stint as the home minister, the ‘Bharat Ke Veer’ fund was one of the major decisions taken to support the families of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) jawans and officers,” Singh said.

“Recently, the Ministry of Defence launched the ‘Maa Bharati Ke Sapoot’ website to enable people to contribute more to the armed forces Battle Casualties Fund,” he said.

Government of India Ministry of Communications, Department of Telecommunications Office of the Jt. Controller of Communication Accounts North East -II Telecom Circle, OCB Exchange Compound, Dimapur -797112 Telephone Number: 03862 224212; Toll Free No. 1800-345-3809

Address: ccane2dimapur@gmail.com, ccane2pension@gmail.com, ccane2-dot@gov.in

HOLDING OF PENSION ADALAT ON 04.11.2022

NEW DELHI, OCT 16

(PTI): The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Delhi has become synonymous with scams and broken the records of corruption set by the Congress, BJP president J P Nadda alleged on Sunday.

He also asserted that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will “trounce” the AAP in the MCD election and thereafter, in the Delhi Assembly polls.

“The AAP has become a party of scams. It has broken all records of corruption set by the Congress. It needs to be packed off lock, stock and barrel,” Nadda said at the BJP’s “Panch Parmeshwar Sammelan” held at the Ramlila Maidan here ahead of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) polls, which are likely to be held in December.

The BJP chief said the Arvind Kejriwal-led

Chief Minister Kejriwal had said he would enforce prohibition in Delhi if his party came to power, but opened liquor shops in every neighbourhood after the AAP formed its government in Delhi, Nadda said. There are no principals in 745 schools run by the Delhi government, while 70 per cent of such schools do not teach science and commerce to students, he alleged. “We fail to understand how will you make poor children doctors. Spreading lies and giving false figures to people has become your nature, Kejriwalji,” the BJP chief said.

“The BJP will trounce the AAP in the MCD polls and thereafter, in the Assembly election. Tell the people of Delhi about the AAP’s corruption,” he told the party workers. Nadda said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has realised the goal of “sabka sath, sabka vikas, sabka vishwas”.

Sanjib Kumar Samanta Accounts Officer (Pension) O/o Jt. CCA, Dimapur

Amit Shah with Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan releases the Hindi books in Bhopal, Sunday. (PTI)

Rajnath Singh

J P Nadda (PTI)

Arvind Kejriwal (PTI)

Manish Sisodia

Cost overruns as a rule

For the time being, leaving aside the recent high voltage press statements in the media with regard to the controversy or irregulari ties or scam involving the construction of the high court building for Nagaland at Meriema, near Ko hima; what it only confirms is, that delays and cost overruns have become the rule rather than the exception of projects in Nagaland. There had been several media highlight over the issue but it gained prominence and credibility only after the Nagaland Tribes Council(NTC) filed an RTI about the project in 2017. The Registrar of the Gauhati High Court, Kohima Bench, has clarified on September 13,2017 that the foundation stone for the proposed building of a Nagaland State High Court was laid by Justice KG Balakrishnan, Chief Justice of India, on May 21, 2007 in the presence of chief minister Neiphiu Rio, Supreme Court judge, Justice H.K. Sema and Chief Justice of Gauhati High Court, Justice Jasti Chelameswar. Citing RTI reply, NTC revealed that Rs. 43 crore was the estimate for the High Court project at Meriema. During 2009-2014, i.e., in 5 years, the State Department of Law and Justice had drawn Rs. 41.62 crore and for the period from 2015 to 2017 an amount of Rs. 11.25 crores was drawn against the project. NTC revealed that there had been 18 drawals from 2009 to March 2017, and the amount totalled Rs. 52.63 crores as against the original estimate of Rs. 43 crores.The Gauhati High Court on May 2,2018 then registered PIL (Suo Moto) 5/2017 directing the CBI to inquire into the allega tions of misappropriation of public money vis-à-vis the snail pace of construction work of the new High Court complex at Kohima, and submit a report within 3(Three) months to the Registrar general of this High Court. Subsequently five persons were named by the CBI. While directing CBI to probe the alleged misappropriation, the Court also cited the Audit conducted by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India report for ending 2019 and Report 2 of 2020, where many anomalies had been exposed by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India in the delay of the construction of Kohima High Court. Following the high court’s order, the CBI conducted a preliminary inquiry and filed a first information report (FIR) in 2019. It named ten officials of the Nagaland Public Works Department, four contractors, and “unknown others” as accused in the case. The CBI found instances of “substandard construction” in the main high court building, as well as allegedly unac counted and misappropriated payments in three other areas — “construction of the retaining wall in the new high court complex”, “addition work for providing the retaining wall” and “construction of re taining wall and site levelling at new high court com plex”. These type of additional works are the spice added to the original estimates which have become part and parcel of major projects in Nagaland and factors for huge cost escalations. Respondent Sec retary to the Government of Nagaland, Department of Justice and Law, in the affidavit-in-opposition, said that as per the detailed project report, the total project cost was Rs 161,10,72,200 based on Naga land Public Works Department Schedule of Rates, 2010. However, the department, in the affidavit said that due to escalation of price if the DPR is revised as per NPWD SoR 2016, the total project cost will become more than Rs 200 crore. This is how projects costs are escalated in Nagaland.

DailyDevotion

The Key to the Master’s Orders

Pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest. —Matthew 9:38

The key to the missionary’s difficult task is in the hand of God, and that key is prayer, not work— that is, not work as the word is commonly used today, which often results in the shifting of our focus away from God. The key to the missionary’s difficult task is also not the key of common sense, nor is it the key of medicine, civilization, education, or even evangelization. The key is in following the Master’s orders— the key is prayer. “Pray the Lord of the harvest….” In the natural realm, prayer is not practical but absurd. We have to realize that prayer is foolish from the commonsense point of view.

From Jesus Christ’s perspective, there are no na tions, but only the world. How many of us pray without regard to the persons, but with regard to only one Person— Jesus Christ? He owns the harvest that is pro duced through distress and through conviction of sin. This is the harvest for which we have to pray that la borers be sent out to reap. We stay busy at work, while people all around us are ripe and ready to be harvested; we do not reap even one of them, but simply waste our Lord’s time in over-energized activities and programs. Suppose a crisis were to come into your father’s or your brother’s life— are you there as a laborer to reap the harvest for Jesus Christ? Is your response, “Oh, but I have a special work to do!” No Christian has a special work to do. A Christian is called to be Jesus Christ’s own, “a servant [who] is not greater than his master” (John 13:16), and someone who does not dictate to Je sus Christ what he intends to do. Our Lord calls us to no special work— He calls us to Himself. “Pray the Lord of the harvest,” and He will engineer your circumstances to send you out as His laborer.

A rating surpasses IISc! Billions at stake in education

Aranking by the university accredi tation system has raised critical questions about the higher education in India and its ranking system. Could a private deemed university sur pass the internationally acclaimed Indian Institute of Science? It has foxed the Indian educators.

There are seven glar ing instances where Na tional Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) has seemingly given scores of universi ties which the assessors themselves feel impractical as appears. It has raised queries on the process and functioning of the asses sors. It impacts just not education but the future of youth, may encourage an economics that promotes mediocrity and possibly siphoning of unaccounted billions.

Despite 403 private universities, 42,000 private colleges and huge private finances involved hardly any higher education in stitution enjoys the trust and quality of the terms of quality and deliverance de spite technically putting in equivalent man-hours per day. Chairman of NAAC executive committee B Patnaik has said that now assessment will be based on quality and not quantity.

Overall private quality very rarely matches that of a government institution, may be with some excep tions, though many have more glitz and high fees.

The National Knowledge Commission assessed that education expansion till 2020 would have needed $ 356 billion, with need ing Rs 2.2 trillion private funding. An Aspire Circle report estimates India’s education market to double from $ 180 billion to $ 313 billion in 2030 for 429 mil lion learners and cater to 5 million jobs.

The KPMG estimates that the operating revenue generated by higher educa tion institutions in India is estimated to be upwards of Rs 1 lakh crore. This would constitute around 20 percent of the overall size of charitable institutions, in which the total operating expenditure is estimated to be around Rs 5 lakh crore as of 2017-18. Clearly, there is a significant sur plus being generated in the higher education system annually. It amounts to around Rs 15,000 crore a year. The FICCI is ad vocating retention of the surplus generated (profits) by the investors against the government stipulation of reinvesting the surplus in the institution itself.

There is difference in

general, engineering and medical educations costs.

The general varies from Rs 45,000 to 1.50 lakh, engineering from Rs 1.5 to 10 lakh and medical Rs 25 lakh to 40 lakh a year.

The surplus is the highest in medical educa tion and a beeline of inves tors await entry to it.

According to The Fi nancial Literates, an inves tor company, estimates in about a decade higher education would need a corpus of Rs 1 crore or more.

Funds are siphoned off is known. In medical education, still there is high un registered capitation fee and with the shortage of medical seats, unofficial capitation is likely to re main high.

The vacant seats are high in most private institu tions, even in the national capital Delhi and around. Despite that it is around four crore students and private sponsors vying to invest.

There is a catch, stu dents even rural, prefer quality institutions. S o many institutions go abeg ging. The fee structure is also tampered with as per demand. Scholarships world over are not real.

The shortfall in earn

ings is adjusted against cuts in salaries, infrastructure, amenities and facility costs.

They also compromise in the quality of the staff. A major difference that has been observed is the critical observation and presenta tion by the faculty of pri vate universities and those of the public institutions.

Public institutions have a long tradition despite grad ual reduction in funding even of central and state universities. Despite a total budgetary allocation of Rs 40,828 crore or about 13 percent more than the last final estimates the actual allocations of either Jawaharlal Nehru University, Jamia, Delhi, Aligarh Muslim Umiversity, BHU or any other have been drastically cut. The delivery of public institutions still is better.

Allahabad University is witnessing a protest against 400 percent rise in tuition fees for four months. In these circumstanc es a deemed university in Bhubaneshwar being awarded the highest NAAC score has raised many eye brows as it surpasses the world ranking of IISc. Next is an engineering college of Bengaluru. Then another deemed university of Co imbatore that has jumped five grades in five years in

Post-mortem

two NAAC assessments. There are other anomalies raising the demand for an audit by the education ministry.

The pointer is obvi ous. Higher the NAAC grade, higher fees are levied apart from getting lucrative sponsors, better autonomy, access to UGC funds and collaborations with foreign universities. It’s a long chain. A record number of institutions have got A++ this year. The grade hike is astounding almost match ing with the inflation.

The review is rightly demanded. None of the institutions’ infrastructure, research or projects match that of IISC, which some have surpassed and many are vying for. The major query – is it an academic evaluation or a market ing gimmick! Each of the marks awarded by NAAC ensures financial return and esteem.

Do the institutions qualify for it? Would it sat isfy the youth? The young generation is more discern ing, have clear assessment of their institutions, and re alise more than the NAAC and know their worth. The grave issue at stake is cred ibility of NAAC itself and promotion of mediocrity. Should the nation do away with NAAC?

Allegations of cor

ruption are easily raised. It may be or not the sys temic erosion of NAAC definitely needs a check. It does not call for Vedic revalidation of the ethical quotient. It needs clarifica tion as to how supposedly the best academicians fal tered. One hopes it was not more than that.

They say it was against fixed asset, self-assessed institutional scores and the other their own as sessments. Perfect. Does it mean that those who as sessed IISC under-rated it? Nobody has raised a finger at IISC assessor. So NAAC may have budged from its standards. There is an urgency to restore visibly honest, transparent and responsible functioning of the organisation.

It is sine qua non for a fledgling National Educa tion Policy, in which the clarity is yet to set in. It would set the course for the next 30 years.

The NAAC function ing has raised questions for that too. Let the audit be done fast and people told if there was a mistake and how it can be corrected.

The youth should feel reassured and not shaken amid economic and other problems they are facing. May this be treated with utmost priority for confi dence in the system.

Message of Repentance and Prayer

Go and take it is yours. Behold I have set the land before you go and posses the land which the Lord swore unto your father Abraham, Isaac and Ja cob to give unto them and into their seeds after them.

(Deut: 1:8)

Our country is Prom ised Land is being delayed to possess because of our disobedience to Jehovah, Our God. Naga people rust and rot which has stopped us to get into the Promised Land. Factional war and factional supremacy has blocked our way to enter the Promised Land.

Freedom and pros perity are fragile things and God give freedom to them only who prepared to protect. They are not given to all Man and they must receive it with thanksgiving and protected with vigi lance. God grants Liberty only to those who love it and always prepared to guard and defend it.

What better lesson can we learn from the story of the Israelites? God tested them and gave them les sons to learn; to run a na tion and to unite as people.

God did not allow them to enter the land of Canaan along the shorter way which actually takes only seven days walk from Egypt.

But He knew that such a young nation will not be able to stand on its own feet.

Therefore He took them around for forty years in the desert. They often disobeyed God and thereby, they suffered and were often defeated. And yet they adopted a new way of life. They faced bitter

lives but made them strong.

At last they reached borders of the Promised Land and realized that real battles were required to be fought in order to possess the Promised Land. But the more they depended on their strength, the more they found themselves help less. When they put their trust in the Lord, God gave them power to defeat their enemies but when battles are won through His help, God want the people to glorify Him. This is the way God taught His people to trust Him. When Israelites put their trust in God they became powerful. When they trusted themselves they became like any other human beings. This is how God revealed His ways through the Israelites. We have heard enough lessons from Israelites, how slow they were to learn despite many miracles from God. They were often rebellious against God that is why their journey of the land of Canaan was delayed.

In the same way we have seen all kinds of trag edies for the last 75 years how Naga people have suffered. But we refuse to believe His wonderful deliverance. We believe that no Power on earth can stop us to enter Promised Land. We trusted on our own powers and fought to extend the factional supremacy.

We have to remind the growing generation how their forefathers made cov enant with God. We have made a Political covenant on 16th of May 1951 to be a Sovereign Nation where 99.9% of the population affirmed with their thumb impression. But forget

ting the covenant, Naga People’s Convention was formed on 28th May, 1959 which brought Statehood with the 16 Points Agree ment against the Plebiscite. Most of the Naga People are involved in the state election by hook or crook, to run the government under different political parties.

Another covenant in the form of an Act is to safe guard the interest and security of Nagaland which was adopted on 27th April, 1955. But with rebellious motive a Revo lutionary Government of Council of Naga People was formed on 13th of November, 1968.

Again in November, 1975, Shillong Accord was signed by the Federal Gov ernment in the name of underground. Thus politi cal outbursts began.

National Socialist Council of Nagalim came into being on 31st of Janu ary, 1980, that ignored the original Naga political institution. Naga National Prayer Centre U.N Sethi at Hasik area in Nagas Myanmar.

Throughout our his tory, we had gone against the will of people and against the will of God. We must realize that the voice of the people is the voice of God.

Now there are six truths among the faction and all factions claiming themselves as defending the truth. Because of which they did not hesitate killing each others:

1. NNC leaders must say sorry because they could not hold together Na tional principles in keeping their leaders together.

2. The Federal Gov ernment of Nagaland must say sorry because of sign ing the Shillong Accord that created conflicts in Naga society.

3. Muivah, Isak and Khaplang must say sorry because they dismissed the Naga National Politi cal institution of NNC by forming National Socialist Council of Nagalim on 31st January, 1980.

4. 4. The public must say sorry because they have forgotten the covenant of the plebiscite and began involving in the State elec tions.

5. 5. All the state political leaders have to say sorry because they did not fulfil their promises to bring political settlement according to their mani festo.

6. Churches have to say sorry because they lost the prophetic voice to chal lenge the bloodsheds in the land in accordance to the Biblical mandate.

Through all the mis takes and wrong doings against God and against people, we must come to our senses of penitence. Blaming and accusing each other will not solve the Naga problem until Naga people reaches national repentance.

“If anyone of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her” (John 8:7) NIV. Is there any Naga left without committing sin against God or against his or her fellow men.

NSCN/GPRN (IM) and GPRN/NSCN (U) must forgive and forget other national worker’s deeds for National Recon ciliation to have National

Salvation.

When the Lord said, “one of you shall betray me” (Mat. 26:21) NIV, the disciples had enough spirituality that nobody had began asking, “Is it he”? Every one of the dis ciples said, “Lord is it P? (Matt. 26:22). We want all Naga leaders to have such attitude and spirituality.

NSCN/GPRN (Khaplang Group) must forgive and forget the deeds of other national workers and accept national unifi cation.

Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suf fered this way? I tell you, no! But unless you repent you too will all perish” (Luke 13:2-3) NIV.

Naga National Coun cil and Federal Govern ment must admit the past mistakes and accept other remnant national workers for national rebirth.

I cancelled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn’t you hav mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?” (Matt. 18:32-33) NIV.

Leaders must have the courage to admit their faults, mistakes, lapses, shortcomings.

Today, as we see the rust and rot of Naga peo ple, we have no hope of a future till we accept the truth. The only option left for Naga people is “We have to say sorry” with national repentance. The Lord says, “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there re member that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front

of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift” (Matt. 5:23, 24) NIv. With so much divided Naga, can you dream the Promised Land? With so much sacrifice has done, can we go back again to Egypt? Come let us reason together, and united as people of a nation. Deliver ance will come from God, not from india! Today Nation from all walks are here for asking forgiveness and deliver ance. It seem to me that 8” century Israelites people, Nation on the mount of Carmel Elijah who chal lenged the worshipers of Baal his message is simple but, arresting, “Choose whom you want to wor ship how long you will hold to your opinions. One man cannot worship two Gods. If Baal is your God, worship him. If YAWEHJEHOVAH is our God Worship him, choose be tween Jehovah and Baal”. Nation have come to conscience. It is wrong to worship Baal foreign god but it was late: thereby the Kingdom of Israelites was over thrown by the judg ment of God.

At this National repentance upon Naga people to turn their face to Jehovah and Jesus Christ our Savior. The Bible said in II Chronicles 7:14 “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then I will hear from heaven and will forgive your sin, and will heal their land”.

My dear countrymen!

In the name of Nagalim for Christ I greet you all on this auspicious day dedicated as Naga National Prayer Day. Let this day be our solemn pledge of allegiance to God’s irrevocable covenant with the Naga people. This is also to remind ourselves

that we cannot pursue our politi cal struggle to defend our Godgiven rights without Christ lead ing us. This is the reality we have to understand now and always.

Importantly, this is the meaning of our political movement under the banner of Nagalim for Christ. There is no other way forward

to sustain our movement when we are placed under this critical juncture in order to bring yielding temperament on the part of the Government of India to respect and honour our historical and political rights.

My dear countrymen, let us invite God’s gracious pres

ence on this occasion that He will show us the way and guides our journey towards ultimate victory. Nothing is impossible with God if we approach Him with open hearts, admitting our shortcomings and confessing our sins. What we need today is justice and unity of a people

who is one in His creation and purpose. Let our prayers be to plead God to intercede that Naga people have the courage and wisdom to know that we are one in transpiring the dream of Naga Nation by upholding the truth of Naga history.

Kuknalim, Q. Tuccu

Shivaji Sarkar

Stalin flays ‘Hindi for jobs proposal’ of Parl panel

CHENNAI, OCT 16 (PTI):

Tamil Nadu Chief Minis ter M K Stalin on Sunday staunchly opposed what he called a Parliamentary panel’s “recommendation” that for specific jobs, aspi rants should have learnt the Hindi language.

Writing to Prime Min ister Narendra Modi, Stalin referred to media reportage on a report of the Parlia mentary Committee on Official Languages. Days after his Kerala counterpart Pinarayi Vijayan wrote to Modi taking exception to the panel’s recommenda tion, Stalin followed suit. Stalin said: “It has been reported that the Commit tee, chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, sub mitted its report to the Presi dent of India, wherein interalia, has recommended that Hindi should be the compul sory medium of instruction in educational institutions of the Union government such as IITs, IIMs, AIIMS and central universities and Hindi should replace Eng lish.”

It also includes a rec ommendation that Hindi shall be made as the me

dium of instruction in all technical, non-technical in stitutions and all the Union government institutions including Kendriya Vidya layas.

The Chief Minister, who is also the president of the ruling DMK said that it has been recommended by the panel that, “youth would be eligible for certain jobs only if they had studied Hindi, and removal of Eng lish (is proposed) as one of the compulsory papers in recruitment exams.” Such proposals went against the federal principles of Consti

BJP’s central pleased with Bommai’s performance

BENGALURU, OCT 16 (PTI): The BJP’s central leadership is pleased with the performance of Basa varaj Bommai, the party’s in-charge for Karnataka Arun Singh said on Sunday, and made it clear that he will be its Chief Ministerial candidate in the poll-bound State.

“They are very happy with Bommai, the kind of work he is doing,” the party national General Secretary told PTI in an interview.

Singh was asked about the assessment of the par ty’s central leadership on the performance of the Chief Minister Bommai, the role of BJP strong man B S Yediyurappa, the party’s prospects in the As sembly elections, just a few months away, and whether it would project a Chief Ministerial candidate.

He said the BJP would create “history” in Kar nataka by exceeding its own target of winning 150 Assembly seats of the to tal 224, as he highlighted the welfare and develop ment schemes of the Modi and Bommai governments.

Basavaraj Bommai

Singh said the ruling party would fight the polls under the leadership of Bommai and guidance of Yediy urappa, a four-time Chief Minister and currently a member of the party’s cen tral parliamentary board.

“Bommai is the Chief Minister. We are going to contest the elections when he is the Chief Minister. He is the Chief Ministerial can didate. There is no doubt,” Singh said.

Describing Bommai, who replaced Yediyurappa as Chief Minister in July last year, as a simple, downto-earth and polite man, Singh pointed to the former being referred to as “com mon man’s CM” and said he has been drawing good response in public meetings.

“People of Karnataka feel he (Bommai) is like them”, he said.

TN govt fully involved in corruption, alleges Goyal

the inauguration of stalls of central government schemes as part of public outreach here. Continuing his tirade against the ruling DMK, Goyal said, “the govern ment is fully engaged in corruption... completely not taking up the developmental works for the poor but, do ing development work of their son and son-in-law.”

tution and would only harm the nation’s multi-lingual fabric, he said.

On October 10, Stalin, in a statement appealed to Modi to give up attempts to “make Hindi mandatory” and uphold the nation’s unity. “Do not force another language war by imposing Hindi,” the DMK chief had said. In Tamil Nadu, DMK and CPI(M) are allies.

In his letter, the Chief Minister requested Modi that efforts to “impose” Hindi in various ways as recommended in that report should not be taken forward

and the “glorious flame of unity of India may be held high forever.”

The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister demanded that all languages should be ac corded the status of official language of the Union gov ernment. All the regional languages, including Tamil, should be treated equally and that is the way to ensure the principle of unity in diversity.

There are 22 lan guages including Tamil in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution. All such lan guages have equal rights and there are several demands that some more languages should also be included un der the schedule.

“I would like to point out that the number of peo ple speaking languages other than Hindi is numerically more than Hindi-speaking people in the Indian Union. I am sure you would ap preciate that every language has its own specialty with its uniqueness and linguistic culture.”

He recalled Tamil Na du’s consistent opposition to Hindi “imposition,” the massive agitations in 1965 in

the state and former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Ne hru’s assurance that English would continue to be one of the official languages as long as the non-Hindi speaking people wanted.

“Subsequently, the resolutions passed in 1968 and 1976 on official lan guage, and according to the rules laid down thereunder, ensured the use of both English and Hindi in union government services. This position must continue to remain as the corner stone of all discussions on official language.”

The Centre’s recent attempts to “impose Hindi” are impractical and divisive in character puts non-Hindi speaking people in a very disadvantageous position in many respects. “This will not be acceptable not only to Tamil Nadu but also to any state that respects and values their mother tongue.”

On Saturday, the ruling DMK’s youth wing secre tary and Stalin’s son, Udaya nidhi Stalin warned the Centre that his party would stage a protest against it in Delhi if Hindi was thrust upon Tamil Nadu.

AAP releases fifth list of 12 candidates for Gujarat Assembly polls

AHMEDABAD, OCT 16 (PTI): The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Sunday released its fifth list of can didates for 12 seats in the Gujarat Assembly elections due this year-end. With the new list, the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP has so far announced the names of 53 candidates for the upcom ing polls to 182 Assembly seats in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-ruled state.

The ruling BJP and the opposition Congress have so far not announced names of any of their candidates for the polls. The new entrant AAP, which is trying to position itself as the main contender to the BJP, had on October 6 announced its fourth list of 12 candidates and said it will contest elec tions on all 182 seats in the state.

The latest names an

nounced on Sunday of can didates are for 12 seats, four of which are reserved for the Scheduled Tribes (STs) and two for Scheduled Castes (SCs). Out of these 12 seats, six are currently held by the Congress, five by the BJP and one by the Bharati ya Tribal Party (BTP), the Chhotu Vasava-led outfit which recently broke its alli ance with the AAP.

While releasing the list, AAP Gujarat presi dent Gopal Italia said his party has set an example by announcing the names of candidates much in advance with an idea to allow them to get enough time to reach out to the public. As per the list, Rajesh Pandoriya is the AAP candidate from Bhuj, Jayantibhai Parnami from Idar, Ashok Gajea from Nikol, Jasvant Thakor from Sabarmati, Sanjay Bhatasna

from Tankara, Valjibhai Makwana from Kodinar (SC), Ravjibhai Vaghela from Mahuda, Udeysinh Chauhan from Balasinor, Banabhai Damor from Mor va Hadaf (ST), Anil Garasi ya from Jhalod (ST), Chaitar Vasava from Dediapada (ST), and Bipin Choudhary from Vyara (ST). The Asa duddin Owaisi-led All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Musli meen (AIMIM) has so far released its list of three can didates -- from Danilimda (SC), Jamalpur Khadia and Surat-East.

The AAP’s national convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has been aggressively cam paigning in Gujarat, holding rallies and town halls and promising a host of pre-poll guarantees, including free electricity, better education and healthcare facilities.

Govt not to procure fresh Covid vax; surrenders Rs 4,237 cr from budget

NEW DELHI, OCT 16 (PTI): The government’s Covid vaccination pro gramme is in its final leg with the Health Ministry deciding against procuring more vaccines as of now and surrendering Rs 4,237 crore, or nearly 85 per cent of the 2022-23 budget allocation for inoculation purposes, to the Finance Ministry.

Official sources told PTI that more than 1.8 crore doses are still available with the governments at the Centre and in states and the stock is sufficient to con tinue the vaccination drive for around six months, given the low uptake of vaccines among people due to declin ing Covid case burden.

Even if the govern ment’s stock gets exhausted, Covid vaccines will be avail able in the market.

“Any decision on whether to procure Covid vaccine doses through the government channel or get (fresh) budget allocations for the purpose after six months will depend on the corona virus situation prevailing in the country at that time,” an

official source told PTI.

As part of the na tionwide vaccination drive which began on January 16 last year, the Government of India has been supporting states and Union territories by providing them COV ID-19 vaccines free of cost.

Since the Covid cases have been low, a sense of complacency has grown among people and there has not been much demand of vaccines even though the government conducted a 75day drive -- ‘Covid Vaccina tion Amrit Mahotsava’ -- to administer booster doses to all adults free of cost.

“Considering this and the vaccines in the stockpile nearing their expiry date, the decision has been taken not to procure any more vac cines for now.

Also, the Union Health Ministry has surrendered to the Finance Ministry the balance of Rs 4,237.14 crore from its 2022-23 budget al location of Rs 5,000 crore for inoculation purposes,” the source said.

The cumulative Covid vaccine doses administered in the country has crossed 219.32 crore, according to provisional reports till 7 am on Sunday.

C’garh Assembly Dy Speaker Mandavi dies

KANKER, OCT 16 (PTI): Chhattisgarh As sembly’s Deputy Speaker and ruling Congress MLA Manoj Singh Mandavi died on Sunday following a heart attack, party lead ers said.

Mandavi, 58, was tak en to a hospital in neigh bouring Dhamtari town

after he suffered a heart attack where he died in the morning, state Congress communication wing head Sushil Anand Shukla said.

As a mark of respect to the departed leader, the Chhattisgarh government has announced one-day state mourning on Sunday in his home district Kanker

and capital city Raipur, a public relations depart ment officer said.

The national flag will be flown at half mast at these two places during the period. Besides, there will be no government entertainment and cultural programmes during this period there, he added.

CHENNAI, OCT 16 (PTI):

Union Minister Piyush Goy al on Sunday trained guns on the DMK government in Tamil Nadu, alleging that it was involved in corruption and ignored the develop ment of the poor.

The Minister of Com merce and Industry, Con sumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution said the DMK was ‘so scared’ of the Centre that it was not even allowing to affix the photo graph of Prime Minister Na rendra Modi on the central government schemes being implemented in the state.

Referring to the PM’s speech during the 75th In dependence Day at the Red Fort in Delhi, Goyal said, “Modi referred to a corrup tion free India. I think the people of Tamil Nadu also want a corruption free Tamil Nadu. And when we talk of corruption free Tamil Nadu, we cannot trust the govern ment, which is fully engaged in corruption,” Goyal said.

He was speaking at

“There is no place for family politics, there is place only for karya kartas (in the BJP).”

“We cannot have two or three families running the state. The karya kartas present all over Tamil Nadu should raise and take care of the state. We will finish cor ruption and will give good governance,” he assured.

Alleging that the state government was trying to prevent all the union govern ment’s schemes from reach ing the poor, he urged his party workers to make sure all the initiatives reached the real beneficiaries.

Charging the state ministers with using ‘foul language’ while criticising Modi, Goyal said, “He is not Prime Minister of one party, he is the Prime Minis ter of the country.”

“Have you ever heard me or (BJP Tamil Nadu President) Annamalai using abusive language even while addressing the DMK lead ers?” he asked the gathering.

M K Stalin

Piyush Goyal

PM Modi launches 75 Digital Banking Units

NEW DELHI, OCT 16

Prime Minister Na rendra Modi on Sunday attributed India’s sustained economic growth to the ef forts of the BJP government to replace pre-2014 ‘phone banking’ with ‘digital bank ing’.

Referring to the previ ous UPA regime, he said under ‘phone banking’, in structions were given on phone to banks regarding whom they had to lend to and at what terms and conditions.

“The economy of any country is as progressive as its banking system is strong,” the Prime Min ister said after dedicating 75 Digital Banking Units (DBUs) to the nation via video-conference.

Observing that the country has shifted from the pre-2014 ‘phone bank ing’ system to digital bank ing in the last eight years, he said “as a result, India’s economy is moving forward with a continuum.”

Modi said before 2014, the banks used to get phone calls to decide their func tioning, and added “phone banking politics had made the banks unsafe and made the country’s economy in

secure by sowing the seeds of thousands of crores of scams.”

The BJP-led govern ment came to power in May 2014. The Prime Minister further said the present gov ernment has transformed the banking system with a focus on transparency.

“After bringing trans parency in the identification of NPAs, lakhs of crores of rupees were brought back into the banking system.

We recapitalized banks, took action against willful defaulters, and reformed the Prevention of Corruption Act,” he noted.

Moreover, he added, the enactment of the Insol vency and Bankruptcy Code

(IBC) has helped in resolu tion of the non-performing assets (NPAs) of the bank ing sector in a transparent and scientific manner.

The Prime Minister said a new self-driven mech anism has been created for the banking system through new initiatives like Digital Banking Units and innova tive use of fintech.

“There is as much au tonomy for the consumers, there is also the same conve nience and transparency for the banks,” he said.

Recalling the tradition al ways of the past where people had to go to the bank, the Prime Minister said this government transformed the approach by bringing the

banks to the people.

“We have given top pri ority to ensure that banking services reach the last mile,” he said.

The Prime Minister urged the small business owners from villages to completely move towards digital transactions. He also asked banks to connect 100 merchants with them for going totally digital for the benefit of the country.

“I am sure, this initia tive will take our banking system and economy to a stage which will be futureready, and will have the capability to lead the global economy,” he said.

The banking system, Modi said, has gone beyond financial transactions and has become a medium of ‘good governance’ and ‘bet ter service delivery’.

“Digital economy to day is a great strength of our economy, of our startup world, of Make in India and of self-reliant India,” he said.

The combination of technology and economy has helped in eliminating the digital divide as well as corruption, he said, add ing the government has transferred Rs 25 lakh crore

Nagaland records maximum AT&C loss of...

(From p-1)

In case of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, the AT&C losses increased from 23.34 per cent in 2019-20 to 51.94 per cent in 2020-21.

Kerala and Telangana brought down their AT&C losses. Telangan reduced its AT&C losses to 13.33 per cent in 2020-21 from 21.92 per cent in the preceding fiscal.

Similarly Kerala reduced those to 7.76 per cent from 13.12 per cent in 2019-20, the report showed. As per the report, the AT&C losses in Andhra Pradesh rose to 27.25 per cent in 2020-21 from 10.77 per cent in previous fiscal.

Similarly in case of Mad hya Pradesh, it rose from 30.38 per cent to 41.47 per cent. In

Maharashtra, it increased from 18.56 per cent to 25.54 per cent in 2020-21.

The report showed that during 2020-21, the utilities received maximum revenue of 31 per cent from industrial con sumer while they consumed 25 per cent of the energy supply.

Similarly, commercial consumer contributed 12 per cent of revenues to discoms while they consumed just eight per cent of power supply in the year under review.

Commercial as well as in dustrial consumers’ proportion of revenue contributions were higher than their consumption of power supply by discoms.

Domestic consumers on the other hand contributed 25 per cent to the revenues of

utilities but they consumed 32 per cent of total power supply.

Similarly, agriculture con sumers contributed 23 per cent of revenue but they consumed 24 per cent of the power supply by utilities. Other consumers contributed nine per cent of the revenues but they con sumed 11 per cent of power supply. The report further said that 100 per cent metering is yet to be achieved for certain categories of consumers by many utilities.

Further, it stated that for most utilities the informa tion is not available in an nual accounts and is obtained from utilities/true-up petition. Thus, it said, “due care needs to be exercised while using this information”.

directly to beneficiaries via the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) scheme.

He also said another installment under the PMKISAN scheme will be transferred on Monday.

Under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Ni dhi (PM-KISAN) scheme, a financial benefit of Rs 6,000 per year is provided to the eligible farmer fami lies, payable in three equal installments of Rs 2,000.

Referring to the gov ernment’s decision to launch a digital currency based on blockchain technology, the Prime Minister said “be it digital currency in the com ing times, or digital transac tions in today’s time, apart from the economy, many important aspects are associ ated with them.”

The initiative, he said, would result in savings, reduction of physical cur rency and preservation of the environment.

Noting that currently paper and ink used for cur rency printing are imported, Modi said that “by adopting a digital economy we are contributing to a self-reliant India while also benefiting the environment by reducing the consumption of paper.”

Coffee plantation on nearly 10,000 ha...

(From p-1) states, he said, add ing that the Coffee Board has also been supporting the coffee growers with government aided subsi dies through direct benefit transfers.

Joint Director LRD Banchamo Ngullie said plantation, quality produc tion and market linkage are being looked into by the department.

In order to transform the economy of the state and alleviate poverty, cof fee is the alternative and for that the government needs to make sufficient budget al location under state funds, he said.

LRD Project Officer (Coffee) Dr Menuosietuo Tseikha said the depart ment is taking utmost care on providing quality coffee seeds and also ensuring reasonable market prices to the coffee growers.

While the department is engaged in expanding coffee growing areas, he said it is also engaged with Nagaland Coffee, which exports the coffee product of the state to international markets.

The LRD is not only engaged in promoting cof fee farmers, but it is also extending barista training to promote coffee-based en

trepreneurship among edu cated unemployed youths. It also helps in establish ment of coffee bars across the state.

Deputy Director of Coffee Board, Jorhat, As sam, P P Chaudhury said that the Board has been supporting around 400 cof fee growers in a year cover ing around 200 hectares of land.

It is also providing market linkage by bring ing in players from various parts of the country, he said.

Coffee Board has schemes like providing seed lings to raise nurseries and infrastructural support dur ing harvest, he said, adding that in order to facilitate the growers fetch better prices it is also bringing in private players to the state.

Though production wise Nagaland’s production is limited, the quality of coffee is “very good” and meeting the international standard, said Chaudhury while appreciating the LRD Nagaland in its endeavour to promote coffee plantation in the state.

Proprietor of Naga land Coffee Pvt Ltd, Vivito Yeptho, who is also a certi fied barista himself, said that he started to venture into coffee through Dr Pi

eter Vermeulen from South Africa and did the first ex port in 2017 with a mere 4 tonne while the highest has been 11 tonne per season.

It is slowly picking up now but during the CO VID-19 pandemic there has been no business while the company is working to export at least 20 tonne of coffee by 2023, he said.

Maintaining that Na galand’s coffee is recognized among the best in the world, he also highlighted that Na galand coffee won the silver plaque at the third annual Aurora International Taste Challenge, which was held in September 2021 in South Africa.

Yeptho said Nagaland Coffee is exported to coun tries like South Africa, Bah rain, Dubai, Germany, Italy, Netherlands and also South East Asia.

Nagaland Coffee Pri vate Limited is the sole exporter of Nagaland cof fee. The company signed an MoU with the Government of Nagaland to distribute and export Nagaland coffee abroad.

Founder of Ete Coffee Roasters, Lichan Humstoe said coffee has the potential to revolutionize the econo my of Nagaland and allevi ate the living standards of the farmers.

Enrolment drive fortnight from...‘Pray without ceasing’: CNC holds ...

(From p-1)

He mentioned that in order to receive repentance and forgiveness, one needed change for his or her mistake, which was important in the eyes of God, as repentance was the foundation.

In the current context of Nagas Rev.Paphino lamented divide along tribal lines, groups, factions and churches have become the order of the day. A short message on God’s purpose for Nagas was delivered by NSCN (I-M) vice-chairman Tong meth Wangnao

“Responsive Reading and Prayer of Consecration” was pro posed by Nagaland Baptist Church Council’s (NBCC) former general secretary Rev Dr Pongsing Konyak, while a patriotic song was presented by Makuilongdi Lun Choir, a prayer of repentance for the sins of fore

fathers and present generation was proposed by NJCF treasurer Rev Moses Murry, prayer of blessing for Naga nation, every family and national leadership was proposed by Fellowship of Naga Baptist Associa tions (FNBA) general secretary Rev H Gedeon and prayer, confession of faith in the Saviour, “Our commit ment to the cause, and our pledge to Naga Flag and Constitution, the embodiment of our National identity and sovereign power” was proposed by Presbyterian Church of India (PCI), Haflong Rev Deisaung Pame, Area Pastor Zeme Presbytery.

The moderator for the event was Rev Dr Fr Godfrey Vilasal Thapo, director of Global Holis tic Health Centre, Jalukie, Peren, while secretary for the event was Elvis Chishi Swu, undersecretary of Youth Leader, CNC.

(From p-1)

UTI-ITSL and partner BIS operators/agencies in the State or kiosks set up by empanelled card vendors at the campuses of deputy commissioner (DC) offices and district hospital in all district headquarters as well as at administrative offices/health centres of block headquarters during outreach enrolment camps.

Various departments at directorate and district offices have also been designated as registration centres for employees, along with interested empanelled private hospitals. Registration can also be done during the outreach enrolment camps of AB PMJAY CMHIS, eSHRAM or registration camps of various welfare schemes in various localities. On verification and approval of the application for registration, the applicant will get a confirma tion message over his/her registered mobile number along with household ID assigned for his/her family. Using the household ID assigned to every household/family and following mandatory Aadhaar eKYC collection, Ayushman card would be issued to every member of beneficiary household/family free of cost by the empanelled card vendor.

For any query, the department has urged citizens to con tact helpline numbers 8880515011, 8880515012, 8880515013, 8880515014 and 8880515015, toll-free number 14555 or E-mail to nagaland.nhpm@gmail.com.

DIMAPUR, OCT 16 (NPN):

Apropos the news item-- Fourmember team inspects NIM SR’ published on October 16,

Corrigendum

the first para should be read as the inspection team visited the Nagaland Institute of Medi cal Sciences and Re¬search

(NIMSR) at Phriebagie in Kohima and not as published.

PM Narendra Modi addresses at dedication of 75 Digital Banking Units across 75 districts, Sunday. (PTI)

Xi warns use of force to annex Taiwan

BEIJING, OCT 16 (PTI):

As he is all set for a record 3rd five-year term in power and perhaps for life, Presi dent Xi Jinping on Sunday warned that China will “not renounce the use of force” to unify Taiwan with the mainland and vowed to advance the modernisation of the country’s military to “world-class standards” to protect national sover eignty, security and devel opmental interests.

Taiwan considers it self a sovereign state – but China views the self-ruled island as a breakaway prov ince that must be reunified. Beijing has not ruled out the possible use of force to achieve national unifica tion.

“We will not renounce the use of force and will take all necessary measures to stop all separatist move ments” in Taiwan, Xi said on the opening day of the week-long key once-in-afive-year Congress of the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC), which is

PLA soldiers march past a poster depicting Chinese President Xi Jinping at their quarters. (AP/PTI) widely expected to confer an unprecedented 3rd fiveyear term on him.

Except for Xi, all the top leaders of the party, including the number two leader Premier Li Keq iang, would be replaced or reshuffled during the Congress as the administra tion headed by 69-year-old Xi is completing a 10-year tenure.

However, the Con gress is expected to endorse Xi’s continuation as he has

Quake of magnitude -5.3 hits Philippines

already been declared a “core leader” of the party on par with its founder Mao Zedong. Xi’s continu ation in power will formally end the over three decade practice of its top leaders retiring after completing two-five-year tenures.

In a show of unity, almost all retired former leaders of the party -- in cluding Xi’s predecessor Hu Jintao and Song Ping, a 105-year-old party vet eran who groomed Xi’s

early career, took part in the opening ceremony held at the ornate Great Hall of the People here. However, conspicuously missing was 96-year-old former presi dent Jiang Zemin, who was party leader until 2002.

All the leaders were seated along with Xi and Premier Li in the front row in the ornate Great Hall of People and seen cheering key aspects of his speech spanning one hour 45 minutes. Xi’s pledge to complete the reunification of China, which means the merger of Taiwan with the Chinese mainland, re ceived a prolonged round of applause from over 2,300 elected delegates attending the Congress.

Xi, also the General Secretary of the CPC, said the party must stand firm on its strategy to resolve the Taiwan issue and be deter mined to reunify the nation.

“Resolving the Taiwan question is a matter for the Chinese, a matter that must be resolved by the Chinese,”

he said.

China has conducted intense military drills and fired missiles over the selfgoverning island following the high-profile visit of US House Speaker Nancy Pe losi in August, the highest American official visit to Taiwan, sparking concerns that Beijing may be prepar ing the ground for invasion.

“We will continue to strive for peaceful reuni fication with the greatest sincerity and the utmost effort, but we will never promise to renounce the use of force, and we reserve the option of taking all measures necessary. This is directed solely at interfer ence by outside forces and the few separatists seeking ‘Taiwan independence’ and their separatist activities; it is by no means targeted at our Taiwan compatriots,” Xi said.

The president said the wheels of history are rolling on toward China’s reunifi cation and the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

Jaishankar meets Indian diaspora in Egypt; speaks about changes in India

good and the possibilities are greater. “There is enthu siasm in India to explore it,” he said.

According to the web site of the Indian Embassy in Cairo, the Indian com munity in Egypt numbers at around 3,200, most of whom are concentrated in the country’s capital. There are also a small number of families in Alexandria, Port Said and Ismailia.

CAIRO, OCT 16 (PTI): External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar spoke on the transformational changes underway in India where aspirations are becoming achievable rights as he ap prised the Indian diaspora in Egypt about advances in the traditionally strong ties between the two countries.

During an interaction with the Indian community in Cairo on Saturday, Jais hankar also talked about the new opportunities in trade and investments, con

Rockets strike mayor’s office in separatist Donetsk

KYIV, OCT 16 (AP): ProKremlin officials on Sun day blamed Ukraine for a rocket attack that struck the mayor’s office in a key Ukrainian city controlled by the separatists. Sepa rately, Ukrainian officials said Russian rockets struck a city across from the Zapor izhzhia nuclear power plant, injuring six people.

The attacks on both sides came as Russia has lost ground in the nearly seven weeks since Ukraine’s armed forces opened their southern counteroffensive.

The quake hit at a depth of one km, nearly 68 km northeast of Marihatag town.

MANILA, OCT 16 (IANS): An offshore earth quake with a magnitude of 5.3 rattled Surigao Del Sur province in southern Philippines, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said.

The institute on Satur day added that the quake, which occurred at 11:14

p.m. local time, hit at a depth of one km, nearly 68 km northeast of Marihatag town.

The earthquake took place on Saturday evening, Xinhua news agency re ported. The institute said the tectonic quake will trig ger aftershocks but will not cause damage.

Last week, in retaliation, the Kremlin launched what is believed to be its largest coordinated air and missile raids on Ukraine’s key infra structure since Russia’s inva sion of Ukraine on Feb. 24.

The municipal build ing in separatist-controlled Donetsk was seriously dam aged by the rocket attack.

Plumes of smoke swirled around the building, which

Investigators inspect a site after shelling near an administrative building, in Donetsk.

had rows of blown-out win dows and a partially col lapsed ceiling. Cars nearby were burned out.

There were no imme diate reports of casualties. Kyiv didn’t immediately claim responsibility or com ment on the attack.

Kremlin-backed sepa ratist authorities have previ ously accused Ukraine of numerous strikes on infra structure and residential targets in the occupied re gions, often employing the

U.S.-supplied long-range HIMARS rockets, without providing corroborating information. Separately, Ukrainian authorities on Sunday reported that at least six people were wounded as a result of rocket attacks across from Zaporizhzhia, Europe’s largest nuclear power plant, where Russia has stationed its troops.

Kyrylo Tymoshenko, deputy head of the Ukrai nian president’s office, said that two residents of Niko

pol had been hospitalized following the strikes, which also damaged five power lines, gas pipelines, and a raft of civilian businesses and residential buildings.

Russia and Ukraine have repeatedly accused each other of firing at and around the plant, which continues to be run by its pre-occupation Ukrainian staff. Ukrainian officials have also regularly reported on attacks on civilian com munities across the Dnieper river from the plant, includ ing in Nikopol and nearby Marhanets.

The presidential office and regional authorities also reported that Russian rock ets destroyed two schools, a park and private houses in the southern region of Za porizhzhia, which has seen sustained Russian shelling since Moscow illegally an nexed it along with three other Ukrainian provinces last month.

Conservatives to discuss replacing Truss with a joint ticket of Sunak & Mordaunt

LONDON, OCT 16 (IANS): Senior Conserva tives will this week hold talks on a “rescue mission” that would see the swift re moval of Liz Truss as lead er, after the new chancellor Jeremy Hunt dramatically tore up her economic pack age and signalled a new era of austerity, local media reported.

A group of senior MPs will meet on Monday to discuss the prime min ister’s future, with some wanting her to resign with in days and others saying

she is now “in office but not in control”. Some are threatening to publicly call on Truss to stand down after the implosion of her

warned MPs they would precipitate an election and ensure the Tories were “finished as a party” if they toppled a second leader in just a few months, The Guardian reported.

tax-cutting programme, The Guardian reported. In a rearguard ac tion to prop up the prime minister, her cabinet allies

However, support for Truss is also evaporating inside the cabinet, with members keeping in close touch with her critics. “She is in the departure lounge now and she knows that,” said a former minister. “It is a case now of whether she takes part in the process and goes to some extent on

Iran’s celebrities face reprisals for supporting protests

BAGHDAD, OCT 16 (AP):

Singers, actors, sports stars — the list goes on. Iranian celebrities have been star tlingly public in their sup port for the massive antigovernment protests shaking their country. And the ruling establishment is lashing back. Celebrities have found themselves targeted for ar rest, have had passports confiscated and faced other harassment. Among the most notable cases is that of singer Shervin Hajipour, whose song “For …” has become an anthem for the protest movement, which erupted Sept. 17 over the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in police custody after she was arrested for not abiding by the Islamic Republic’s strict dress code.

The song begins with a soft melody, then Hajipour’s resonant voice starts, “For dancing in the streets,” “for the fear we feel when we kiss …” — listing reasons young Iranians have posted on Twitter for why they are taking to the streets against the ruling theocracy. It ends

with the widely chanted slogan that has become syn onymous with the protests: “For women, life, freedom.”

Released on his Insta gram page, the song quickly went viral. Hajipour paid the price: The 25-year-old was arrested and held for several days before being re leased on bail on October 4.

Since the protests took off — and expanded from anger at Amini’s death to a complete challenge to the 43-year-old rule by con servative Islamic clerics — a string of celebrities have faced reprisals, from singers and soccer players

to news anchors. At least seven public figures have been detained inside the country, most of whom were released on bail and could face charges, accord ing to Iranian news outlets. Others were questioned and released. But their popular ity has also made it difficult to crack down too hard on them — in contrast to pro test activists whom security forces have arrested in large numbers. Iran has a vibrant scene of singers and actors, as well as sports stars, who are closely followed by the public.

Holly Dagres, an Irani

an-American non-resident fellow at the Atlantic Coun cil, said the attempts to intimidate public figures were no surprise. “Celebri ties — be it athletes, actors, singers or artists — have a large following inside Iran, particularly on social media, and their support gives life to these protests,” she said.

Their support has helped invigorate protesters struggling with widespread internet outages that limit their ability to have their voices heard and facing a brutal government crack down. There have been widespread arrests, dozens have died and many more wounded. Still, protests have spread to dozens of cities, drawing broad segments of Iranian society, from school girls to oil workers.

One of Iran’s most be loved singers of classical Persian music, Homayoun Shajarian, projected a large photo of Amini behind him on stage as he sang a tradi tional song, “Dawn Bird,” during a tour in Australia in September.

her own terms, or whether she tries to resist and is forced out.”

Between 15 and 20 former ministers and oth er senior MPs have been invited to a “dinner of grown-ups”, convened by leading supporters of Ri shi Sunak, to plan how and when to remove Truss and install Sunak and fel low leadership contender Penny Mordaunt as a unity pairing, The Guardian reported.

A source familiar with the conversations said:

“They are just going to have to sit down and work things out. It now becomes a rescue mission for the Conservative party and the economy. That’s where we are.”

The battle over her fu ture comes after an extraor dinary round of interviews by Hunt, who said it had been wrong to ‘fly blind’ by announcing a raft of tax cuts without explaining how they would be funded. On Saturday night, he said Truss’ mini-budget “went too far, too fast”.

nectivity, education, health and many other domains in India.

One of the interest ing developments this year was that after a long time Egypt has started importing wheat from India, Jaishan kar said. “The good thing about Egypt is that the trade has been reasonably balanced. So there is an inclination on both sides to do more,” he said.

Jaishankar underlined that the relationship be tween India and Egypt is

A majority of the In dians are either employed with Indian companies or are professionals with vari ous multinationals. About 400 Indian students are studying in Egypt, mainly in Al Azhar University with around 275 students, and the rest in Ain Shams Medi cal University (around 80 students) and Cairo Uni versity, it said. Jaishankar thanked the Indian dias pora for advancing India’s national interests and shap ing the country’s image in the region.

S Korea on 24-hr standby against possible North Korea nuclear test

SEOUL, OCT 16 (IANS):

The office of South Ko rea President Yoon Sukyeol has been on 24-hour standby as North Korea is expected to conduct its seventh nuclear test at any time, officials said Sunday.

North Korea’s recent series of missile launches and other provocations are believed to be part of the regime’s preparations for a seventh nuclear test, Yon hap news agency reported quoting officials.

“As North Korea’s provocations have become more frequent, we’re put ting all of our effort into maintaining a readiness posture with a sense of alertness,” one senior presi dential official told report ers. “It’s a 24-hour readi ness regime.”

Another official told Yonhap News Agency that the presidential office has

been coming up with de tailed plans to respond to a North Korean nuclear test.

“Everyone is in stand by m`ode,” the official said by phone. North Korea has ratcheted up tensions in recent weeks by con ducting a series of ballistic missile launches, including one over Japan, flying war planes and firing artillery shells into maritime buffer zones off its east and west coasts.

Yoon had no public schedule this weekend but is known to have received briefings in real time on North Korea’s movements.

On Saturday, the president visited a hotel restaurant in the U.S. military’s Yongsan Garrison and took photos with troops in a demonstra tion of his commitment to strengthening the South Korea-U.S. alliance, the senior official said.

Rishi Sunak and Penny Mordaunt

S Jaishankar addressing the Indian community in Cairo, Egypt.

Singer Shervin Hajipour’s song “For …” has become an anthem for the protest movement.

I dream of winning an Oscar, says Dwayne Johnson

The 50-year-old actor Dwayne Johnson ‘The Rock’ - who shot to stardom in the 90s as a professional wrestlerhas revealed that he hopes to win an Academy Award one day.

He shared: “I would love to win an Oscar one day. I’d love to stand on an Oscar stage one day.”

The wrestler-turnedactor has even given some thought to what he might say in an acceptance speech.

He told ET Canada: “I think about what that Oscar speech would look like, who I would thank, how I would speak, right?

“Would I have something prepared? A lot of people who I know who have won Oscars like, you know, [have said] ‘I tried to prepare something and then it just went out

the window.’”

Dwayne previously admitted that being named the highest-paid actor in the world was “incredibly gratifying”.

Asked whether it was an important milestone in his career, Dwayne explained: “It’s exciting and it’s incredibly gratifying. But anything

I’ve accomplished is the result of having great selfbelief and determination to succeed in life.

“I had to pick myself up off the floor and work very hard to make my way back in life.”

Dwayne insisted he’s had to “scratch and claw” his way to success in Hollywood.

And he hopes that aspiring actors can take some inspiration from his career.

He said: “Trying to find work in Hollywood, I had that scratch and claw mentality where you just keep pushing and fighting until you get one job, then the next, and keep moving forward. I hope a lot of people can look at my life and see that hard work and ambition can take you a long way.”

(Contactmusic)

Pierce Brosnan reveals slip-up that might have cost him ‘Batman’ role

help him secure the role. But, it went completely south.

“I remember saying something stupid to Tim Burton,” he told Jimmy Fallon, quoted by Deadline.

“I said, ‘You know I can’t understand [why] any man who would wear his underpants outside his trousers.”

Google Meet calls can now be transcribed into text

Tech giant Google has announced that Meet calls can now be transcribed into text, and users can further save them in a Google Doc format.

According to Android Central, the saved file can be accessed from Google Drive. Google Meet is one of the most popular apps, especially after replacing the Google Duo app for iOS and Android devices. However, Google has stated the new feature that can be accessed in Google Meet for desktop or laptop clients and is available only for the English language.

Google said the transcribed file can be stored in the same “Meeting Recordings” folder of the Google Meet app from the accompanying Google Drive storage.

Before joining the Google Meet call, attendees will be notified that the call is transcribed. (IANS)

The free concert by K-pop sensation

BTS in Busan, South Korea, was viewed by close to 50 million people.

The free-of-charge ‘BTS ‘Yet to Come’ in Busan’ concert was held in support of the Korean city’s bid to host the 2030 World Expo and represented an attempt to introduce Korean culture to a global audience, reports Variety.

After a change of venue, the physical component was held at the city’s Asiad Main Stadium and attracted some 50,000 in-person guests.

An additional 10,000 people in the city watched a live retransmission at the Busan Port, and a further 2,000 gathered in Haeundae, the tourist area that recently played host to the Busan International Film Festival.

According to Variety, the bigger numbers came online and on broadcast TV. Online live streaming through Weverse, the fan

Akshay Kumar rubbishes report about owning private jet

Bollywood star Akshay Kumar on Sunday dismissed a news report claiming that he owns a private jet worth Rs 260 crore.

Calling the report a “baseless lie”, the 55-year-old actor said he will continue to call out falsehood written about him.

platform operated by the band’s management group Hybe Entertainment, claimed approximately 49 million views. Local TV broadcast in Korea on JTBC claimed a high 3.3 per cent rating, suggesting at least another million TV viewers.

The concert began with ‘Mic Drop’ and continued with ‘Run BTS’, running to 19 songs in total. For the unit performances, Jin, Jimin, V and Jung Kook performed ‘00:00 (Zero

O’Clock)’ and ‘Butterfly’ while RM, Suga and j-hope staged ‘Ugh!’ and ‘BTS Cypher PT.3: Killer’. The seven-man act continued the show with hit songs including ‘Dynamite’, ‘Butter’, ‘Burning Up (Fire)’, ‘Idol’, and ‘Spring Day’.

“The setlist comprised songs that best represent the band and anyonebeyond ARMY - can easily sing along,” said Hybe in a statement, accessed by Variety.

The concert included symbolic elements that represent Busan and Korean culture. Hybe said: “BTS performed ‘Ma City’ showcasing graphic images of Busan’s beautiful landmarks and scenery. The ‘Idol’ stage caught the eyes of the global audience with Korean traditional visuals and performances such as Bukcheong Saja Noreum (a Korean traditional game that involves dancing with lion masks).” (IANS)

Stallone, wife Jennifer Flavin keep Rottweiler that caused their rift

H

ollywood star Sylvester Stallone and his wife

Jennifer Flavin, who were almost headed to splitsville, have decided to keep their Rottweiler after deciding to save their marriage.

Deadline.

‘J

ames Bond’ star Pierce Brosnan has had a dream screen career as he effortlessly transitioned from the television success in the 1980s to film superstardom in the 1990s.

The Irish actor has now revealed a bump in the road where, he believes, a casual comment may have cost him a huge and returning role, reports

Brosnan was already the established star of TV detective show ‘Remington Steele’ -- and appeared in films including ‘The Fourth Protocol’ and ‘Mrs Doubtfire’ -- when he auditioned for the role of ‘Batman’ for the film to be directed by Tim Burton.

He revealed on ‘The Tonight Show’ that he thought a light quip might

“But there you go … the best man got the job.” Michael Keaton ended up bagging the role, which he went on to play again in ‘Batman Returns’ in 1992.

Things didn’t turn out too badly for Brosnan, either -- instead of ‘Batman’ he got James Bond, a role he played four times in total between 1995 and 2002, and in which -- for some -- he remains the ultimate 007.

“Liar, Liar…pants on fire! Heard this in childhood? Well, some people have clearly not grown up, and I’m just not in a mood to let them get away with it.

“Write baseless lies about me, and I’ll call it out. Here, a Pants on Fire (POF) gem for you. #POFbyAK,” Kumar wrote on Twitter.

The “Cuttputlli” actor also posted a screenshot of the report that featured

his photo along with his “Bellbottom” co-star Vaani Kapoor standing in front of a private jet. The caption of the picture mentioned that the aircraft reportedly “costs around Rs 260 crore”.

On the work front, Kumar is currently awaiting the release of his next feature film “Ram Setu”, set to be released in theatres countrywide on October 25.

(PTI)

The couple, who have been married for 25 years, nearly called things off earlier this year but decided to give it another shot, reports Mirror.co.uk.

The new pooch, Dwight, reportedly became a “major source of conflict” that resulted in Jennifer filing for divorce in August. ‘TMZ’ also reported that she now really loves the pup - which hasn’t always been the case.

The publication previously reported that the model didn’t want another dog, especially a

The worst things you can put on your face

Hydrogen Peroxide :

It’s a popular zit fighter because it kills bacteria living on your face. But hydrogen peroxide can damage your own skin cells, including fibroblasts that help make new tissue and heal wounds. Also avoid it for cleaning cuts and scrapes. Use soap and water instead. Hydrogen peroxide might irritate your already fragile skin.

Breast Milk: This liquid gold has long been known for its bevy of health benefits for babies. Now some spas are offering breast milk facials to tamp down pimples and to soothe skin. It won’t hurt you. But you’re better off using a cream or other products that contain lauric acid, the fatty compound found in mother’s milk.

Witch Hazel: This plant is a common natural remedy to treat acne, tighten pores, and fight greasiness. Witch hazel acts as an astringent, a type of chemical that causes your skin tissue to contract. But toners that contain witch hazel can strip all the natural oils from your skin. That might lead to irritation, dryness, and even allergic reactions.

Hydrocortisone

Cream: This medication is a balm for red, itchy, swollen skin. So you might be tempted to smear it on if you have rosacea or similar conditions. But this type of steroid cream thins the skin, so the blood vessels on your face are more likely to burst. It also can force your oil glands to go into overdrive, leading to what’s called “steroid acne.” It’s OK to apply a small amount for bug bites and itchy rashes for a day or two.

Deodorant: If beads of sweat are always rolling

down your face, swiping an antiperspirant over your brows, cheeks, and elsewhere may seem like a clever solution. It isn’t. Deodorant sticks and rollers can clog pores and make you break out. The skin on your face is also sensitive, and you might get an allergic reaction. See a dermatologist instead. They may curb your sweaty glands with prescription medications or Botox.

Honey: This sweet stuff has been used to treat wounds since ancient times. Today, some folks dab it on to banish acne. Honey helps to keep germs at bay and lessens inflammation. But it probably doesn’t do much. One study found that honey worked no better than antibacterial soap. If you still want to try it, look for manuka honey that has a minimum rating of 10 UMF to ensure it has enough germ-fighting power.

Hair Dye: If you color your hair, you may want your brows to match. But it’s not a DIY project. Home dyes have too much peroxide to use safely near your brows. You might burn the surrounding skin or even injure your eyes. Instead, look for tinted brow gel at your drugstore. Or coat your brows with a lightweight mascara or eye shadow powder.

Urine: Devotees swear by their pee as the secret to

smooth, unclogged skin. Urine is made up of mostly water and a compound called urea. Many creams and potions include a labmade form of urea because it binds to moisture in the air and draws it to the skin. But your pee probably doesn’t contain enough of it to matter. Plus, it’s just gross.

Hair Spray: It’s a handy and effective fix to stop a run in your stocking or to get rid of static cling. But don’t use hair spray to set your makeup. The same ingredients that make hair stick also can dry out your skin or trigger an allergic reaction. A makeup setting spray is a better choice.

Lemon Juice: It’s loaded with vitamin C, which can brighten skin and smooth fine lines. But lemon juice is acidic and can irritate your face. You also might end up with an ugly rash from phytophotodermatitis, a skin reaction that happens if you expose chemicals in certain plants and fruits to sunlight or other ultraviolet light. The rash goes away on its own, but it can be uncomfortable..

Coconut Oil: If you believe the hype, it’s a magic elixir for beautiful skin. It’s true that coconut oil is rich in lauric acid, which has proven zit-fighting powers. But it’s also about 90% saturated fat, which can clog your pores. Use it as much as you want on your body -- in

fact, research shows it can help with severe dryness or eczema -- but keep it away from your face.

Very Hot Water: Wash your face following the Goldilocks rule: not too hot, not too cold, but just right.

High-temperature water strips your skin of moisture. When that happens, your skin’s oil glands try to replace it by churning out even more oil. The result?

Acne breakouts.

Body Lotion: If you run out of your facial

moisturizer, you may be tempted to substitute it with your body lotion. Resist. Most lotions for the body are thicker, and thus more likely to clog your pores. They also may have fragrances or other ingredients that can cause an allergic reaction on the thinner, more delicate skin on your face. Want to check if it’s OK to use on your face? The label should say fragrance free and noncomedogenic

Glue: It’s all the rage on social media: turning

school glue into facial masks to root out blackheads. People spread a layer of the white sticky stuff around problem-prone areas, let it dry, and peel it off.

Unfortunately, this home hack won’t clean out your pores. It may just leave you with irritated skin or broken blood vessels. Worse yet, you could accidentally strip away the surface layer of your skin.

Reviewed by Stephanie S. Gardner, MD on June 22, 2021

large breed. The ‘Rocky’ actor also went as far to get a tattoo of the dog - which he had inked over a portrait of his wife.

According to ‘Mirror. co.uk’, an insider said that when he bought the dog home, Jennifer wasn’t impressed and the

argument led to a deeper one about issues within their relationship.

Stallone, though, has maintained that their relationship hadn’t ended over “such a trivial argument”, but rather that the couple “went in different directions”. (IANS)

Regasa, Cheptai win Delhi Half Marathon

NEW DELHI, OCT 16 (PTI): Chala Regasa of Ethiopia and Kenya’s Irine Cheptai produced impres sive performances to claim the men’s and women’s titles respectively in elite races at the Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon here on Sunday.

Regasa won the race with a time of 1 hour 30 sec onds, while Cheptai came up with a personal best of 1:06:42 to top the women’s event.

In the Indian elite men’s category, it was an incredible photo finish as de fending champion Avinash Sable and Kartik Kumar took the first two positions respectively, receiving tre mendous applause from the spectators.

The duo clocked an identical 64 minutes, but it was the top-billed Sable who was declared the win ner by the technical officials of the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) after going through the footage.

There were no surpris es in the Indian women’s elite race with Sanjivani Jadhav bagging the crown after two previous podium finishes, with a timing of 1:17:53.

Monika Athara and Priti Lamba were second and third with 1:18:39 and 1:19:06 respectively.

Regasa, 25, came out on top of a thrilling threeman battle over the final

kilometre, sprinting away from Kenya’s Felix Kip koech and fellow Ethiopian Boki Diriba with 400 metres to take the USD 27,000 first prize cheque.

Kipkeoch finished sec ond in 60:33, while the debutant Diriba, the Ethio pian U20 5000m champion on the track and still just 18, was third in 60:34. The leading trio passed 20km in

57:31 and duelled almost all the way to the finish line at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium.

“The final two kilome tres were tough, but I knew I had the speed to come out in front as I have a good back ground at shorter distances on the track,” said Regasa.

The international women’s race, however, was a one-woman show from

U-17 WC: India to play mighty Brazil today

BHUBANESWAR, OCT 16 (IANS): Indian U-17 women’s national team head coach Thomas Dennerby wants his girls to be more confident with the ball while building their attacks when they play Brazil in their concluding Group A match of the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup at the Kalinga Stadium on Monday.

Hosts India are already out of the World Cup hav ing lost their first two group league encounters against the United State (0-8) and Morocco (0-3).

They are now pitted against mighty Brazil, con sidered a force to reckon with in women’s football.

In the latest FIFA rankings released early this week, Brazil’s senior girls are placed ninth.

“When we have the ball, we need to feel relaxed and start playing. We need to be confident and play a little bit more. Now, we have nothing to lose. I hope the girls start playing freely,”

said Dennerby on the eve of the match. Dennerby is very much aware of Brazil’s reputation, but at the same time, he thinks his wards are capable of proving them selves on the pitch.

“We have to focus very hard on defending, but we also know football is not only about defending. It would be nice for us to score in the tournament,” the coach said.

“Hopefully we can have another good perfor mance. Brazil are a good team. And we also know that Brazil are fighting to ensure their place in the knockout stage. So, I think they are going to come out with all guns blazing,” he added.

The Indian girls, Dennerby said, are ready to play for their honour against Brazil.

“We will fight and try to score a goal. It would be nice to come out of this tournament with a goal,” he said. We have worked on

the final crucial pass - the ac tions around the opponents’ box. That is also the hardest part in football--to learn exactly how to handle that kind of situation,” he said.

“The girls need to have a better understanding of de cision making - we also have to work a little bit with the skills in those crucial mo ments, because in the end the result of all games are decided in the two boxes,” he added.

India’s senior national women’s team had played against Brazil in November 2021 and lost 1-6.

Coach feels there are similarities in playing style between Brazil’s seniors and juniors.

“The playing style of this team is similar. Of course, they are not that skil ful yet, but it is normal when you are 17. I will say it’s even tougher to play against the youth team because, in a senior team, you have the best players from your country.

just after halfway. Cheptai made a decisive move just after 12 kilometres and was never challenged before re ducing her personal best by one second to 66:42.

Cheptai, who was in fourth place the last time, finished more than a minute in front of Ethiopia’s 2022 World Athletics Champion ships 5000m bronze medal list Dawit Seyaum, who was

Kohima open volleyball tourney

Correspondent

KOHIMA, OCT 16 (NPN): Kohima District Volleyball Association (KDVA) has constituted an organising committee for the upcoming Kohima Volleyball Tournament scheduled to be played from November 9 to 12, 2022, at Indira Gandhi Stadium, Kohima.

The tournament will have categories for both women and men without any player restrictions and is open to all.

Total cash prize of Rs 2.16 lakh has been set aside for the tourney.

The organizing com mittee will be headed by Mhalelhou Mere as con vener, Seyievituo Lese as secretary, Neikehetuo Solo as treasurer and Khrietu olie Üsou, Sedevizo Zat su, Zekho Casavi, KDVA president, general secretary and technical secretary as members.

Mount brace helps Chelsea win 2-0 at Villa

LONDON, OCT 16 (RE

UTERS): Graham Potter’s impressive start as Chelsea manager continued as Ma son Mount’s double gave his side a 2-0 Premier League victory at struggling Aston Villa on Sunday.

Chelsea is unbeaten in six games since Potter replaced Thomas Tuchel at Stamford Bridge and the win at Villa was its fifth in a row in all competitions.

It was given a help ing hand by its host with Mount cashing in on a hor ribly misguided defensive header by Tyrone Mings in the sixth minute.

Villa responded well and created several good chances before the break but were frustrat ed by Chelsea’s keeper Kepa Arrizabalaga who made a series of saves including a miraculous one to deny Danny Ings an equaliser. Any hope of Villa salvaging something from the game disappeared in the 65th min ute when Mount’s dipping free kick deceived keeper Emiliano Martinez.

Victory left Chelsea in fourth place with 19 points from nine games, four behind London rival Tottenham Hotspur. Villa is 16th, one point above the relegation zone, with pres sure mounting on manager

Steven Gerrard who was taunted by Chelsea fans throughout the game.

With England manag er Gareth Southgate sitting in the stands to run the rule over some of his England squad, the day could not have been more different for Mings and Mount. Mings has lost his place in the England squad and hardly boosted his prospects of a recall for the Qatar World Cup when he gifted Mount Chelsea’s opener.

Ben Chilwell’s pass was deflected up in the air and Mings got his clearing header all wrong, glancing it

backwards towards his own goal where Mount pounced to volley home. Chelsea’s goal led something of a charmed life after that with Arrizabalaga producing excellent saves to keep out efforts by John McGinn and Jacob Ramsey as Villa attacked with verve.

His best effort, how ever, was springing through the air to keep out an Ings header from point-blank range. Raheem Sterling was denied by the woodwork as Chelsea looked dangerous going forward but rocky at the back.Mings’s afternoon got worse when he gave

away the foul which gave Mount the chance to size up a free kick.The England midfielder got plenty of movement on the ball but Martinez should have done more to keep it out. Villa was subdued after that but while there were boos at the final whistle, Gerrard would have been encouraged by the way his team caused Chelsea problems.

RESULTS

Liverpool 1-0 Man City

Arsenal 1-0 Leeds

Man Utd 0-0 Newcastle

Southampton 1-1 West Ham

second in 68:02. Stella Che sang set a Ugandan record of 68:11 in third place. Re turning to the venue where he became the first Indian to complete the half marathon in under 61 minutes in 2020, Sable said his plan was a little different this year.

“It was overall a good race. We got off to a good start and stayed with the Elite group for the first 7-8 kilometres. Their pace wasn’t that fast and my plan was to stay together with Karthik, who maintained his pace with me through the race,” the Common wealth Games steeplechase silver medallist said.”

Since my practice also wasn’t specific to the half marathon this year, my focus was more on plac ing than timing. In 2020, I trained well for the half marathon and back then I wanted to go for the record.”

Srinu Bugatha, a regu lar marathoner, finished third at 01:05:25. He was in a challenge with Man Singh (01:05:43) after Sable and Karthik broke away early.

Sanjivani was well ahead of the Indian pack right from the start and was hardly challenged by Monika and Priti. “Soon after the first 2-3 kms, I went ahead and had to pace my own race. If I had a pacer I could have gone faster but I am still happy to finish first,” Sanjivani said.

Haney pummels Kambosos to retain undisputed lightweight title

MELBOURNE, OCT 16

(AFP): American Devin Haney kept his unbeaten record intact on Sunday by battering Australian George Kambosos in a rematch to remain undisputed light weight world champion.

The highly-rated 23-year-old successfully de fended his WBC, WBA, IBF and WBO belts at Mel bourne’s Rod Laver Arena in a unanimous points deci sion with one judge scor ing the bout 119-109 in his favour, with the other two both having it 118-110.

Haney now looks set for a fight next with twotime Olympic champion Vasiliy Lomachenko.

“I went in with the jab but also wanted to show oth er tools in my arsenal,” said San Francisco-born Haney after pummeling Kambosos, who did well to still be there after 12 rounds.

“When I first came out I couldn’t interact but I caught up with his timing and I started picking my shots. “He’s a player, I take my hat off to George Kam bosos,” he added.

Haney is only the eighth boxer to hold all four belts from the major sanctioning bodies -- WBC, WBA, IBF and WBO -at the same time. He beat Kambosos unanimously in June to achieve the feat and become the first undis

puted lightweight champion in modern boxing history, since Pernell Whitaker in 1990, and the first in the four-belt era, which began in 2004

A rematch was in his contract and he again used his sensational speed, in stinct and relentless left jab, but this time also deployed big right-hand blows that left the Australian a bloodied mess.

Victory in the 135-pound limit fight stretched Haney’s phenom enal record to 29-0 with 15 KOs, while inflicting only the second defeat on Kam bosos who is now 21-2.

The Australian sug gested before the fight he could retire if he lost and the chances of him getting another world title crack now appear slim. But he put

an end to retirement talk after the fight. “He’s a great fighter. He gave me a box ing lesson the first time but I came here and gave it my all. It is what it is,” he said.

“It’s not the end, I’ll be back,” added Kambosos.

On a bumper under card, two-time world title challenger Jason Moloney of Australia beat Thailand’s Nawaphon Kaikanha in the final eliminator for the WBC bantamweight title, winning with a unanimous verdict. A second world title fight saw Australia’s women’s IBF super-bantam weight champion Cherneka Johnson defend her title.

Despite a deep cut that left her covered in blood, she beat Australian former two-time world belt-holder Susie Ramadan, also in a unanimous decision.

Swiatek overcomes Pegula to enter San Diego final

SAN DIEGO (CALIFOR

NIA), OCT 16 (IANS):

World No.1 singles player

Iga Swiatek recovered from being a set down to defeat Jessica Pegula of the US 4-6, 6-2, 6-2 in the semifinals of the San Diego Open to leave her just one win away from an eighth title this season.

Swiatek will meet the winner of the second semi final between Danielle Col lins and qualifier Donna Vekic of Croatia.

The Polish player won her 63rd match of the 2022 season, equalling the 2016 total of Germany’s An gelique Kerber for the most WTA Tour victories in the past six years.

Swiatek, who defeated Pegula for the fourth time this year, will become the fourth woman to finish the year with more than 10,000 points in the WTA Tour rankings, af ter Belarusian

Iga Swiatek

wildly in the first set with three breaks of serve. After back-to-back breaks, Pegula faced a third but saved two

break points and levelled the match at 4-all when Swiatek missed a forehand wide. In the next game, with Swiatek facing a break point, she double-faulted and Pegula went on to serve out the first set.

Play was suspended for more than an hour because of rain and Swiatek came back strongly to take a 3-0 lead, an advantage she never frittered. She converted her second set point with a rasp ing forehand that clipped the line, and the match went into the decisive third set.

Serving at 2-all in the third, Swiatek saved all three break points against her and then broke Pegula to take a 4-2 lead. A half-hearted forehand into the net from Pegula sent Swiatek into her ninth final of the year.

Swiatek, 21, is now 23-1 in the United States this season. Momentum swung

A

Chala Regasa Irine Cheptai

United States’ Devin Haney displays his belts after defeating George Kambosos Jr. (AP)

Victoria Azarenka, Rus sian Maria Sharapova and American Serena Williams, according to wtatennis.com.

Chelsea’s Mason Mount celebrates his goal with Ben Chilwell. (Getty Images)

Namibia shock Sri Lanka in T20 World Cup

GEELONG, OCT 16 (IANS/AGENCIES):

The great history of spectacular upsets in T20 cricket had another chapter added as Namibia secured a 55-run win over Sri Lanka in the opening match of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup at Kardinia Park, Geelong, on Sunday.

After big-hitting fire works from Jan Frylinck (44) and JJ Smit (31 not out) helped Namibia post a competitive 163/7 in 20 overs, the bowlers pro duced a superb collective show, mixed their fuller and short lengths well to bowl out Sri Lanka for 108 in 19 overs for a historic win over a major cricketing nation.

Frylinck backed up his superb batting performance with a brilliant 2/26 in his four overs to be adjudged Player of the Match in Namibia’s famous victory and ease their path towards a Super 12 qualification while causing a huge dent in Sri Lanka’s net run rate.

Apart from him, David Wiese, Bernard Scholtz and Ben Shikongo took two wickets apiece.

In defence of 163/7 on a two-paced pitch, Wi ese brought the first break through for Namibia, as Kusal Mendis top-edged a pull on his short ball to keeper in the second over. Shikongo broke the back of Sri Lanka’s innings with his back-to-back double

strikes in a maiden fourth over.

While Pathum Nis sanka holed out to mid-on, Danushka Gunathilaka poked at a nipping away delivery and gave an outer edge behind to keeper to depart for a golden duck. Post power-play, Dhanan jaya de Silva was next to depart, mistiming a flick to long leg off Frylinck.

Bhanuka Rajapaksa and Dasun Shanaka add ed 34 runs for the fifth wicket, before the former mistimed a slog to deep mid-wicket off left-arm spinner Scholtz. Wanindu Hasaranga was next to

fall, slog-sweeping straight to deep mid-wicket off Scholtz. When Shanaka fell by top-edging a slog to keeper off Frylinck, a vic tory for Namibia was just inevitable.

Earlier, electing to bowl first, Sri Lanka made good use of the breeze and tennis-ball bounce of fered by a two-paced pitch with some tight bowling to leave Namibia in trouble at 93/6 in 14.2 overs. But Smit (31 not out) joined Frylinck (44) at the crease and the duo added 70 runs in the next 34 balls of their seventh wicket partnership to take Namibia to 163/7.

NSF Trophy: Lajong FC arrive Kohima

Namibia had a shaky start, losing both of their openers Michael van Lin gen and Divan la Cock in the first three overs. Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton made a sparkling 20 before falling to a wonderful catch from Kusal Mendis with the score being 43/3 at the end of the power-play.

Stephen Baard (26) and captain Gerhard Eras mus (20) were involved in a fifty partnership but were dismissed in quick succession in the middle overs. When fast-bowling all-rounder David Wiese perished for a golden duck against Maheesh Theek

shana (1/23), it looked like Namibia would crumble before Frylinck and Smit engineered a rescue act.

The duo targeted Sri Lanka’s wayward bowl ing at the back end of the innings by targeting the shorter side of the ground for boundaries and ran hard for a lot of twos with the help of the longer side.

For Sri Lanka, star leg-spinner Hasaranga (1/27) bowled well dur ing the middle overs. The economy rates of Theek shana and Hasaranga were below seven, while the economy rates of Dush mantha Chameera (1/39),

Pramod Madushan (2/37) and Chamika Karunaratne (1/36) were above nine. But what the 2014 T20 World Cup champions would rue the most will be the 68 runs conceded in the last five overs which played a crucial role in a famous win for Namibia.

Brief Scores: Namib ia 163/7 in 20 overs (Jan Frylinck 44, JJ Smit 31 not out; Pramod Madushan 2/37, Maheesh Theek shana 1/23) beat Sri Lanka 108 all out in 19 overs (Da sun Shanaka 29, Bhanuka Rajapaksa 20; David Wi ese 2/16, Bernard Scholtz 2/18) by 55 runs.

What SL’s defeat by Namibia could mean for India

On Sunday, the opening day of the T20 World Cup 2022, Sri Lanka suffered a stunning 55-run defeat at the hands of Namibia at Geelong. Chasing a target of 164 runs, the Lankans were bamboozled by the Namibian bowlers. Barring Dasun Shanka’s 29 and Bhanuka Raj apksa’s 20, none of the Sri Lankan batters even crossed the 20-run mark. The fact that Sri Lanka, reigning Asia Cup champions, can be beaten by a team like Namibia has blown the entire tournament wide open.

But, this defeat of Sri Lanka can have huge ramifica tions on the entire tournament. As per the rules, the top two teams from the two qualifier groups will enter the Super 12s. As far as India’s group is concerned, which has the likes of Pakistan, South Africa and Bangladesh, the winner of Group B and the runner-up of the Group A is to join them.

West Indies are the favourites to win the Group B while the Group A could now see Sri Lanka taking the runners-up spot, courtesy of their defeat against Namibia.

Hence, India’s group could see an intense battle for the top spots, between Rohit Sharma’s men, Pakistan, West Indies and Sri Lanka. It has to be noted that the Lankans had recently beaten India in the Asia Cup to book a spot in the final. India’s group, hence, could go on to become the ‘Group of Death’ in the tournament.

Indian GM Erigaisi stuns Carlsen in Aimchess tourney

Generation Cup online tour nament. His 54-move win over the world champion enabled him to bounce back after a slow start to the event and brought him back in the top eight. Another Indian D Gukesh is in sixth place with 12 points after mixed fortunes on the second day of the preliminaries.

CHENNAI, OCT 16 (PTI):

Indian Grandmaster Arjun Erigaisi on Sunday hogged the spotlight, beating world champion Magnus Carlsen in round seven of the pre liminaries of the Aimchess Rapid online chess tourna ment.

The 19-year-old Eri gaisi, who had gone down to compatriot Vidit Santosh Gujrathi to make a losing start in the event, is currently in fifth place after eight rounds.

The win over Norwe gian superstar Carlsen in the seventh round early on Sunday was the Indian’s first over the world champion.

Erigaisi won three straight games, beating Nils Grandelius (Sweden), Dan iel Naroditsky (USA) and Carlsen before settling for a draw against Jan-Krzyszstof Duda (Poland).

He has 15 points and is in fifth place behind Uzbeki stan’s Nodirbek Abdusatto rov (17 points), Shahkriyar Mamedyarov (Azerbaijan) and Carlsen (both 16) and Duda (15). Erigaisi had last month lost to Carlsen in the final of the Julius Baer

After beating fellow countryman P Harikrishna in round five, he lost to Ab dusattorov and Naroditsky in the sixth and eighth round respectively. In between, he beat Grandelius in the seventh.

The other Indian play ers in the fray, Gujrathi, Ad itya Mittal and Harikrishna are in 10th, 11th and 15th spots after eight rounds of the 15-round preliminary phase.

Gujrathi had an im pressive win over world rapid champion Abdusat torov but draws against Grandelius and Naroditsky and a defeat at the hands of Carlsen pegged him back.

Carlsen has not been at his best so far, having suf fered two defeats (to Mam edyarov and Erigaisi) and escaped with a draw against young Indian GM Mittal in round four.

He faces Gukesh in the ninth round.

The Aimchess Rapid tournament is part of the Meltwater Champions Tour and features 16 players, in cluding five from India.

Rudrankksh, Arjun, Kiran win India’s 5th gold in ISSF Worlds

CAIRO, OCT 16 (PTI):

The Indian men’s 10m air rifle troika of Rudrankksh Balasaheb Patil, Kiran An kush Jadhav and Arjun Babuta won the country’s fifth gold medal in the ISSF World Championship here on Sunday, routing China 16-10 in the title round.

It was also Patil’s sec ond senior world cham pionship gold in his very first outing, having won the individual 10m air rifle event earlier.

Correspondent

KOHIMA, OCT 16

(NPN): One of the top football clubs in the North east Region, Shillong La jong FC (SLFC) arrived Kohima on Sunday after noon to take part in the on going 22nd NSF Martyr’s Memorial Trophy 2022.

In its debut match for this edition, Shillong La jong will play Dzülouzou FC in the second match on Tuesday at 1 p.m.

Formed in 1983 pri marily to promote and improve the declining stan

dard of football in Megha laya and to spot, train and nurture local talent, SLFC has become the top clubs of northeastern football in the last decade.

It has access to one of the largest student popu lation in the region and hence football talent from a very young age.

It also prides itself as having the biggest fan base in the region with an aver age attendance of around 11,000 during the 2021 Hero I-League played in West Bengal.

Fondly called as The

Red Dragons, SLFC has so far four Shillong Premier League titles to its credit.

The name Lajong in Khasi Language translates to “our own”, and the club is under professional management by Shillong Lajong Pvt. Ltd. with PD Sawyan as its chairman.

This visit will be the first time the club will be playing in Naga soil.

MONDAY’S MATCHES

Viswema FC Vs Grim FC - 11 a.m.

Unity FC Meriema Vs Peraciezie Youth Organi zation - 1 p.m.

India also picked up a silver and two bronze medals on the day to take their tally to five gold, one silver and five bronze, to maintain their second place behind China in the stand ings.

With the women’s 10m air pistol team also making the gold medal match, that tally is certain to go up further by the end of the tournament.

The Indian team raced ahead 14-2 in the final against a Chinese side which had Yang Haoran (double Olympic gold med allist and two-time world champion), Lihao Sheng (Tokyo Olympics silver

medallist) and Song Buhan (world championship silver medallist).

China mounted a strong comeback to win the next four series and nar row the gap to 14-10, but the Indians held their own in the final series to clinch the crown.

Both the teams were at each other from Saturday itself when the Chinese prevailed over the Indians, both in round one of quali fication of 28 teams and then in the top eight second round as well.

In round one, China

ISL : ATK Mohun Bagan drub Kerala Blasters 5-2

KOCHI, OCT 16 (AGEN

CIES): ATK Mohun

Bagan maintained its hege mony over Kerala Blasters in the Hero Indian Super League by chalking out an impressive 5-2 win at the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium here on Sunday.

In a match played un der persistent drizzle, ATK survived an electric start from the Blasters and pun ished the Kochi side for its defensive mistakes. After Ivan Kaliuzhnyi’s opening goal in the eight minute, Kerala Blasters faded away as Dimitrios Petratos’ hattrick (26th, 62nd and 90+2) destroyed the Kochi side.

Joni Kauko (38 th) and Lenny Rodrigues (88 th) also got into the scorers list to silence the capacity crowd. In between, sub stitute K.P. Rahul pulled one back for Blasters in the 80 th minute when ATK goalkeeper Vishal Kaith allowed the ball to slip in between his legs.

But any hopes of a come back quickly vanished as ATK struck two late goals through counter-attacks as Blasters pressed for the equaliser.

ATK exploited the yawning gaps in Kerala’s defence and the rub of the

green also went in favour of the Kolkata side as its defender Brenden Hamill’s wild clearances twice hit the crosspiece. The Kolkata side was more assertive in the second half with Lis ton Colaco proving to be a menace on the left flank.

The midfielder found an unmarked Petratos with a through ball to put ATK 3-1 ahead in the 62 nd min ute. After the goal Blasters was playing the catch up game.

However, Kerala Blasters was off to an elec

tric start with Ivan Kaliu zhnyi making his presence felt. Blasters went ahead in the eighth minute through Ivan Kaliuzhnyi. Dimitrios Diamantakos stole the ball from Dimitrios Petratos and passed it to Kaliuzhnyi who sent Samad clear and his cutback was booted in by the Ukrainian.

To its credit, ATK soaked up the pressure and slowly began asserting itself with moves from the flanks.

The equalising goal came against the run of play in the 26t h minute when Frenchman Hugo Boumas moved unchal lenged into the box from the left and squared to an unmarked Petratos who tapped in with his left foot into an open net. The Blasters defence was caught napping by another quick move from ATK from the right as Manvir Singh pass was banged in by Joni Kauko in the 38 th minute.

edged India by 0.4, while 0.9 was the difference in round two. In the match that mattered the most, however, it was the Indians who finally stamped their supremacy over the Chi nese in men’s air rifle in this world championship edition at least, winning both the individual and team titles.

The air rifle women, who had a heartbreak in the individual event, re deemed themselves with a bronze in the team event, prevailing 17-11 in a nailbiter against Germany.

Meghana Sajjanar shot two consecutive 10.9s in the crucial stages to clinch the deal along with partners Elavenil Valarivan and Mehuli Ghosh. They had earlier finished third in qualification stage two to miss out on the gold match by 0.6 points.

In stage one, they had shot 947.0 to finish second, a mere 0.1 behind China, among 30 teams.

Manvi Jain and Sa meer won India’s first silver of the championships, go ing down to China’s Feng Sixuan and Liu Yangpan

17-03 in the gold medal match of the 25m standard pistol mixed team junior competition.

They had come sec ond in stage one of qualifi cation with a score of 564 and then topped stage two with a combined effort of 378 to make it to the title decider.

Payal Khatri and Sahil Dudhane won In dia’s fourth bronze of the championships in the same event, defeating Ane Torg ersen and Hans Noestvold of Norway 16-14 in a close encounter.

The pair had finished third in stage one with 563 and then third again in stage two with 368, to qual ify for the bronze match.

In the men’s 10m air pistol team competition, the Indian trio of Shiva Narwal, Naveen and Vi jayveer Sidhu shot 580 in qualification stage two to finish fifth eventually.

Also, in the women’s 50m rifle 3 positions team Junior event, India’s Nish chal, Nikita Kundu and Nupur Kumrawat ended 10th in qualification with a score of 1278.

Real beat Barca 3-1 in ‘El Clasico’

MADRID, OCT 16 (RE

UTERS): Karim Benzema, Federico Valverde and Ro drygo were all on target as a dominant Real Madrid beat old rival Barcelona 3-1 at home in ‘El Clasico’ on Sunday to move top of LaLiga.

The defeat was an other blow to Barca and manager Xavi Hernan dez after they were left on the verge of Champions League elimination follow ing a draw with Inter Milan in midweek.

Barca had no answer to Vinicius Jr’s relentless pace and Toni Kroos’s precise passes for Real and both were the architects of several chances, including the first two goals.

The pair combined with nice one-touch passes in the build-up to Ben zema’s opener with the France striker finishing into the empty goal on the rebound, after goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen denied Vinicius from close

Real Madrid’s Rodrygo celebrates scoring its third goal with teammates. (Reuters) range in the 12th minute.

Ten minutes before the break, Vinicius took advantage of a mistake by defender Eric Garcia to run towards the area and create space for Valverde who, un marked on the edge of the box, slotted a bullet strike past the goalkeeper.

Real was barely threatened by its lifeless opponents until the final

minutes when substitute Ferran Torres reduced the deficit with a close-range strike from Robert Lewan dowski’s low cross.

However, Rodrygo secured the points from the penalty spot in added time, after he was tripped inside the area by Garcia.

Real is now on top of the standings on 25 points, three ahead of Barcelona.

Namibia’s Ben Shikongo appeals (R) during the Twenty20 World Cup cricket tournament match between Sri Lanka and Namibia. (AFP)

Arjun Erigaisi

(L-R)- Thomas Farnik, National Head Coach-Rifle, Suma Shirur, National Coach-Rifle, Arjun Babuta, Kiran Ankush Jadhav, Rudrankksh Patil and Manoj Kumar, National Coach-Rifle. (PTI)

ATK Mohun Bagan’s Dimitrios Petratos scores his third goal against Kerala Blasters. (Thulasi Kakkat)

Shillong Lajong players with ASU officials in Kohima on Sunday. (NP)