27 oct 2021

Nagaland Post www.nagalandpost.com

Vol XXXI No. 322

DIMAPUR, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2021 Pages 12 ` 5.00

Sudan coup: protesters burn tires, block roads

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INTERNATIONAL, PAGE 9

Nominations not elections to ULBs

Correspondent

KOHIMA, OCT 26 (NPN): In order to avert another showdown with regard to the contentious issue of 33% women reservation in Urban Local Bodies (ULBs), the state government has decided to nominate members to ULBs for an interim period in the ratio of 70:30 with 70 male and 30 women representatives.

This was disclosed by minister planning & coordination, parliamentary affairs and land revenue Neiba Kronu while interacting with media persons here Tuesday. Kronu said the State government has constituted a committee to revisit the Nagaland Municipal Act vis-à-vis women reservation and whether it infringed upon Article 371 (A). He said the government would look into its recommendations and take a call only after the committee submits its report. However, since the committee might take some

Nagaland logs 21 fresh Covid cases DIMAPUR, OCT 26 (NPN): Nagaland on Tuesday recorded 21 fresh Covid-19 positive cases while no deaths were reported during the day.

Of the fresh cases, 14 were from Dimapur, four in Kohima and three in Wokha, taking the total caseload to 31747.

Meanwhile, a total of 1186478 persons have been inoculated against Covid-- 708115 first dose and 478363 second dose.

PTI: India saw a single-day rise of 12,428 new Covid cases, pushing the total tally to 3,42,02,202, while the death toll climbed to 4,55,068 with 356 fresh fatalities, Union health ministry stated.

Neiba Kronu (NP)

time to study the matter before submitting its report, Kronu said the government decided to opt for an arrangement whereby nominated members will run the ULBs for the interim period.

He further said the Urban Development department would work out modalities for the nomination system.

Reacting to a recent statement by Rising People’s Party (RPP), Kronu said the nascent party had begun attacking the government over non-inclusion of women representatives in the committee even before the notification was out. He pointed out that the government had already included

two women in the panel as members– Prof Rosemary Dzüvichu of Nagaland University and secretary science & technology Sotsula .

As earlier published in this newspaper, the panel will be headed by the chief secretary and also include representatives from Central Nagaland Tribes Council (CNTC), Eastern Nagaland People’s Organisation (ENPO) and Tenyimi Public Organisation (TPO) as members. It was also reported that chief minister Neiphiu Rio had on October 20 held discussions with representatives of CNTC, TPO and ENPO on the contentious issue, after which it was decided to form the committee.

He claimed that the State government was serious on the women reservation issue and had been briefing civil society groups and tribal hohos from time to time on the matter.

Consultation with ENSF over NSSB: Kronu said the issue of Naga-

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land Staff Selection Board (NSSB) could not be finalised at the cabinet meeting on Tuesday. He however, said consultation with Eastern Nagaland Students’ Federation (ENSF) was on and exuded confidence that the matter would be resolved.

ENSF had on Monday reaffirmed its September 16, 2020 order directing candidates from eastern Nagaland against applying for NSSB unless the State government addressed its “genuine and legitimate demands”.

Influx of Myanmar refugees: Kronu said refugees from Myanmar were arriving and taking shelter in Nagaland and expressed gratitude to civil society groups and churches for giving shelter to them. He said some refugees had arrived Mon district, though the number of refugees could not be confirmed for now.

Kronu also said the state government would take decision on how to deal with the refugees shortly.

T20 WC: Pak beat New Zealand by 5 wkts SPORTS, PAGE 12

WHO seeks further clarification on Covaxin vaccine

NFHRCC urges State govt announces govt to expedite ‘Unlock 8’ from Nov 1 foothill project

UNITED NATIONS/GENEVA, OCT 26 (PTI): World Health Organisation’s technical advisory g roup (TAG) Tuesday sought “additional clarifications” from Bharat Biotech for its COVID-19 vaccine Covaxin to conduct a final “risk-benefit assessment” for emergency use listing (EUL) of the vaccine. TAG would now meet on November 3 for a final assessment.

Bharat Biotech, which has developed Covaxin, had submitted expression of interest (EOI) to WHO on April 19 for vaccine’s EUL. TAG met on Tuesday to review data on Covaxin for EUL of India’s indigenously-made vaccine.

“The TAG expects to receive these clarifications from the manufacturer by the end of this week, and aims to reconvene for the final risk-benefit assessment on November 3,” it added.

Correspondent

KO H I M A , O C T 2 6 (NPN): As part of graded reopening of activities, the state government has announced Unlock 8 starting from November 1 till December 15.

The decision was taken at high-powered committee (HPC) meeting chaired by chief minister Neiphiu Rio on Tuesday.

Addressing a press conference at his office chamber civil secretariat, the minister planning and coordination, Neiba Kronu, who is also HPC spokesperson, said the meeting decided to go for Unlock 8 after considering the briefings presented by the department of health and family welfare.

Fo r r e o p e n i n g o f schools from class I-IV in urban areas, Kronu said the district task forces (DTFs) have been tasked to see whether classes could resume or not.

DTFs to decide on resumption of classes I-IV in urban areas  Night curfew lifted  Public transport return to 100 pc capacity 

Kronu said that HPC has also decided to lift night curfew and allow public transport services including buses and taxis to run with 100% capacity.

Urging the citizens to take the vaccine, the minister has asked the DTFs to put more effort in organizing vaccination drives.

Kronu also informed that the annual Hornbill Festival would be held, but the number of days for the festival would be decided later. He said vaccinated tourists would be allowed to visit the state during the festival.

Dimapur roads to be BAN asks state govt to provide Covid-19 repaired soon: PWD (NH) stimulus package to Naga entrepreneurs

DIMAPUR, OCT 26 (NPN): Drawing attention to the protest rally against bad roads by Congress party in Dimapur on Monday, the PWD (NH) has stated that it has been trying to maintain the roads especially earmarking priority areas with the limited resources available within its discretion.

In a statement, chief engineer PWD (NH) Nagaland, Er. Pukroneizo Kera stated that department had pursued with the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways for 6.88 Km of the NH36 [Nagaland Gate (Dillai side)-PWD Road-MidlandGS Road-Station RoadTragopan junction] within the Dimapur city and sanc-

tions have been received. Er. Kera informed that tender process was on and the letter of award (LoA) has been issued on October 22 on EPC contract. On completion of the formalities of EPC contract, Er. Kera said the contractor would be directed to immediately start the work. Er. Kera assured that department would carry out the work for improvement of that stretch of road as per the specifications and complete within stipulated time period.

It may be recalled that the State Congress had threatened to “paralyze” the government functioning if it failed to repair the roads in Dimapur by December 31.

DIMAPUR, OCT 26 (NPN): Business Association of Nagas (BAN) has sought a Covid-19 stimulus package for Naga entrepreneurs.

This was among the nine measures demanded by BAN for the government to be implemented urgently as contained in a press statement issued by BAN president L Mongkum Jamir and general secretary Dr Yan Murry.

BAN’s demands include- waiver of electricity bill and rent in government properties for 12 months to industrial units, shops and offices, which can be linked to power subsidy of Naga-

land Industrial Policy.

It also proposed employment wage subsidy to be linked with manpower subsidy of Nagaland Industrial Policy, 2004, which had not been utilised for the last more than 12 years and grant of a flat rate of 50% .

BA N a l s o s o u g h t SGST reimbursement for one year linked to the industrial policy, along with Covid-19 business loan.

It also suggested that the loan could be from NIDC or under NBFC co-lending scheme and the loan amount between Rs 2 Lakh and Rs 10 Lakh.

BAN also urged upon the State government to

reimburse six-month interest (linked to industrial policy) and make the loan repayable in 36 months.

They also sought Covid-19 microfinance by extending assistance up to Rs 1 lakh and cover it under CM corpus fund.

In order to seek sustainable enterprise fund, BAN pointed out that if business had to run at a profit of 25% post Covid-19, it would take nearly 24 months to set off the losses incurred in the last 18-plus months and hence the fund was required to sustain the business. The duo said NIDC or cooperative bank could extend this loan, of which 50% could be grant

and 50% payable. They suggested that 50% grant could come from Covid-19 cess, adding that loan could be repayable in 24 months.

Appealing to the government for extending Covid-19 restriction livelihood scheme, Jamir and Murry sought income support as compensation for the livelihood that was denied during lockdown. They said funds could come from Covid-19 cess, adding that this scheme could be provided to those sectors that had been hit the most and that assistance could be to the tune of 3% of previous turnover or as per the SGST filed.

DIMAPUR, OCT 26 (NPN): While appreciating the state government for sanctioning Rs.20 crore to make the Foothills Road pliable in September 2021, the Nagaland Foothills Road Co-Ordination Committee (NFHRCC) has urged the state government to intervene and expedite the matter for the greater interest of the Naga general public.

In a press note, NFHRCC co-convenor Hokiye Yepthomi and general secretary W Lemba Chang said that following the sanction of the amount the committee had accordingly impressed upon the responsible authority to expedite the process as the working season has already started. NFHRCC has expressed delight that the file has already reached the CMO for final comments.

Meet to discuss Hornbill Festival

DIMAPUR, OCT 26 (NPN): State chief secretary has convened a meeting with all the line departments in connection with the status of preparation and road map for celebration of the Annual Hornbill Festival 2021 on October 28 at 2pm in the secretariat conference hall, Kohima. All responsible have been requested to attend the scheduled meeting.

Travel advisory

DIMAPUR, OCT 26 (NPN): In view of the upcoming by-poll to the 101 Mariani constituency in Assam, ADC Mangkolemba, Dharam Raj, has advised all travellers from Nagaland passing through Mariani to exercise caution and cooperate with the security officials for the relevant election related chicks, especially on October 30, 2021 (date of poll) and November 2, 2021 (Cont’d on p-8) (date of counting).

GPRN/NSCN releases ‘custodial detainee’ No inclusive education Mangkolemba CSOs serve ultimatum on govt in State: School Edn PD

Officials of WSH, KU Dimapur unit and others at CHQ Khehoyi designated camp.

DIMAPUR, OCT 26 (NPN): GPRN/NSCN Tuesday said it has released “one of the intruders”, who was apprehended and taken into custody during the October 17, 2021 incident at Khehoyi designated camp premises. GPRN/NSCN

This is it!

"Sir, great speech about roads and call for change here. But change doesn't come free or cheap."

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through its MIP said that the apprehended individual identified as Chingsai Konyak of Wangti village, Konyak region, a lance corporal in the Niki group, was released despite of his “involvement in explicit mission which is detrimental to

NSCN’s policy”. GPRN/ NSCN said its president “Gen. (Retd.)” MB Neokpao Konyak invoked his decree to pardon and release the cadre “in the larger interest of peaceful cohesion in the Naga society”.

GPRN/NSCN said the apprehended cadre was released from its custody without any physical harm and handed over to the officials of Western Sumi Hoho (WSH) led by its president Shikaho Zhimomi and Konyak Union (KU) Dimapur unit led by its president Mosa Konyak at 1pm on October 26, 2021 from CHQ, Khehoyi designated camp.

Correspondent

KOHIMA, OCT 26 (NPN): Principal director (PD) of school education Shanavas C said inclusive education was non-existent in schools, which needed to be changed.

Addressing a one-day workshop organised by State commissioner for persons with disability (PwD) in collaboration with Bumble Bee Inclusive School at hotel Japfu, Shanavas explained that the concept of inclusive education was that PwD children should be given proper education along with

normal children. He said there were about 3,200 special schools in the country, but data was available mostly from urban areas only, which posed a major challenge for the government to help children with disabilities in rural areas.

He said the only time PwDs received focus was during the elections when Election Commission of India (ECI) would direct the States to arrange ramps at polling stations and get data of PwDs. But even that data was not accurate, he added.

CSOs holding emergency public general meeting at Mangkolemba.

DIMAPUR, OCT 26 (NPN): Civil society organisations (CSOs) of Mangkolemba division, which had served an ultimatum on the state government to lay asphalt on MangkolembaLongnak road on September (Read more on p-3) 26 last, have threatened to

take own course of action if the government failed to respond positively by October 31.

In a press note, Mangkolemba CSOs president I Tia Jamir and secretary Imtitoshi stated that there had not been any positive reply

from the government to its September 26 ultimatum till date. The signatories said that the CSOs along with the public, at an emergency public general meeting at Zero Point Mangkolemba, unanimously decided to stand firm on its demand.

COVID-19 poses higher risk of rare brain conditions than vaccines: Oxford led study LONDON, OCT 26 (PTI): COVID-19 is more likely to cause very rare neurological conditions than vaccination with the AstraZeneca or Pfizer preventives, according to a study led by the University of Oxford in the UK. There have been reports of rare neurological complications associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection and Oxford-AstraZeneca or Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines.

The study, published in the journal Nature Medicine on Monday, analysed ano-

nymised healthcare records of over 32 million people across England.

The researchers assessed the risk of developing neurological complications within 28 days of a first dose of either the AstraZeneca vaccine, known as Covishield in India, or Pfizer preventive, or within 28 days of testing positive for COVID-19.

They found an increased, but low, risk of the rare neurological conditions Guillain-Barre syndrome and Bell’s palsy following a

first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine and an increased but low risk of hemorrhagic stroke following a first dose of the Pfizer vaccine.

However, infection with COVID-19 was associated with a greater risk of developing neurological complications than receiving either vaccine, according to the researchers.

“This analysis provides important information about which neurological conditions could be linked with COVID-19 vaccination or infection,” said Professor

Carol Coupland from the University of Nottingham, UK, one of the researchers involved in the study.

“Overall, the findings from this study show that the risks of hospital admission with nervous system complications associated with COVID-19 infection are greater than the risks associated with COVID-19 vaccinations,” Coupland said. The researchers found different risks for different types of neurological conditions depending on which vaccine people received.

However, these were substantially lower than the risks occurring in association with a positive COVID-19 PCR test.

“For example, we estimate 145 excess cases of Guillain-Barre syndrome per 10 million people in the 28 days after a positive SARS-CoV-2 test, compared to 38 per 10 million for those who received the AstraZeneca vaccine,” said Martina Patone from the University of Oxford, and co-lead author of the study.

The researchers noted

that the initial clinical trials of the vaccines were not large enough to be able to detect very rare adverse neurological events -- those that happen in less than 1 person out of 10,000.

The latest study was able to achieve this by looking at the real-world data from over 32 million healthcare records in England, they said. The study used what is known as a “self-controlled case series (SCCS)” design. An SCSS compares how often adverse events -- in this case neurological

complications — happen in different set windows of time. The authors noted several limitations to the study, including that only risks associated with the first vaccine dose were examined.

Data on outcomes following second doses was limited at the time of this study since the vaccination programme in the UK is still underway. The researchers could also not distinguish between different types of Guillain-Barre syndrome due to the way healthcare records were coded.

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2

Farmers trained under MOVCD-NER

DHO, Dimapur along with the resource person during the workshop. (NP)

Staff Reporter DIMAPUR, OCT 26 (NPN): A two-day workshop event for farmers selected from Dimapur under Mission Organic Value Chain Development for North East Region [MOVCD-NER (2020-21)] organised by department of horticulture, Dimapur commenced here on Tuesday at conference hall, State Horticulture Nursery (SHN).

The programme was chaired by district horticulture officer (DHO) Dimapur, Temsu Longkumer who briefed about MOVCD-NER, a central

sector scheme under government of India’s organic scheme which was aimed at development of organic value chains in the NE region.

In Nagaland, the scheme was launched during 2015-16 with the department of agriculture as the nodal agency. The department of horticulture was also included into the ambit of MOVCD-NER since 2016-17, he informed.

Resource person of the workshop programme was entrepreneurs associate, Seo Sangtam who highlighted on the plantation of dragon fruits mentioning that drag-

on fruit (Hylocereus sp.), a new introduction in India was highly valued for its reported neutraceutical properties.

Impressing upon the benefits of dragon fruit plantation, Seo said that the fruit have gained wider popularity among farmers due to its profitability and the fact that it needed lower inputs once established.

The plant sustains yield for more than 20 years, is high in nutraceutical properties and good for value-added processing industries, Seo informed.He also informed the beneficiaries that an increase in the area under cultivation and production of the dragon fruit would make them selfreliant.

On the benefits of plantation, Seo asserted that the fruit was on high demand, nutritious and also added to the income of the farmer.

The programme highlighted interactive session where queries and doubts were clarified by the resource person.

Later, vote of thanks was delivered by HI, Akumeinla Longchar.

STATE DHS Tuensang conduct seminar at Yangli village DIMAPUR: A two-day seminar on “family planning for men, health care and hygiene for mothers” was organised by district health society (DHS) Tuensang from October 24-25 at Yangli village under Longkhim block.

In a press release, chief medical officer (CMO) Tuensang office informed that during the seminar health talk on family planning was given by MO (CHC Longkhim), Dr. Saotakum Chang where he spoke on the importance of vasectomy and methods of male sterilisation and the effectiveness of vasectomies.

He added that vasectomy is a “small operation to prevent pregnancy”.

Family Welfare Assistant (FWA) Yungmei encouraged women to go for regular check-up, screen for cervical cancer, breast cancer and to maintain a menstrual calendar. She also talked about the adolescent age group, reproductive age, etc.

DBC Kohima holds staff development programme

DBC faculty and others at the programme.

DIMAPUR: Don Bosco College (DBC) Kohima held “classroom management techniques and counselling skills in handling students” for assistant professors as part of its monthly staff development programme on October 25 at the College Conference Hall.

A press release by DBC stated that at the programme, counsellor, St. Joseph’s College (Autonomous) Fr. C. Joseph highlighted the difference between techniques and skills to be understood well as they are different.

Fr. Joseph covered the scope of nine class room

NEWS IN BRIEF

managing strategies which could be used by teachers/ lecturers/ assistant professors for better teaching and learning.

He also underscored the importance of counselling skills in handling the students.

The programme chaired by coordinator

IQAC, Jarani Mao began with an invocation by assistant professor (sociology) Razoukhrienuo, welcome note by SDB director Bosco Computer Centre DBCK, Fr. Christudass and culminated with vote of thanks by assistant professor (education) Dr. Imtinaro Longkumer.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

NAGALAND POST, DIMAPUR WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2021

Sakhi OSC building inaugurated in Wokha

Sarah R. Ritse, members of CSOs and others at the inauguration on Tuesday. (DIPR)

DIMAPUR: Commissioner & secretary, department of social welfare & administrator, NSSWB, Sarah R. Ritse inaugurated the new Sakhi-One Stop Centre (OSC) building at Dr. Motsuo Memorial District Hospital premises, Wokha on October 26.

According to a DIPR report, speaking at the programme, Sarah stated that the day was an era of convergence and an era of coordination and called for departments to coordinate and work together in order to see the good result.

Advisor to CM calls on governor

She congratulated Wokha district for successfully launching the sub-centre and thanked all concerned involved for the successful completion of the building.

Ritse lauded deputy commissioner Wokha, Orenthung Lotha for the support and effort he was rendering to the team and making Wokha OSC one of the best in the state.

She also appealed to all the civil societies, especially the churches and Eloe Hoho team to support and encourage the OSC

DIMAPUR: Seyochung district jail Kiphire where term and restore their lives Village Government Em- the union exhorted the constructively. The union DIMAPUR: Advisor to ployees’ Union Kiphire inmates and urged them to also handed over blankets, state chief minister, Abu district on Tuesday visited retrospect over their prison masks, etc., to the intimates.

Metha called on Nagaland and Assam Governor Jagdish Mukhi at Raj Bhavan in Guwahati.

According to a DIPR report, Metha briefed the governor on the upcoming international events such as the South Asian Cross Country Championships and the Asia Music Summit, which would be held in Nagaland. The governor assured his support and participation and wished the events success.

Metha also briefed the governor on the upcoming Hornbill Festival and the Raj Bhavan Edition of the Handshake Concert.

Nagabazar Youth Organization (NYO) joined Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan (NYKS) In this regard, the gov- Nagaland, Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, government of India “Clean India ernor said that he was look- Mission” by collecting ing forward to the Hornbill plastic waste on October Festival and hoped that it 25. The participants also would be a grand success took pledge not to litter MR. ROVINO PIENYÜ while assuring his support and initiate cleanliness in day-to-day life. and participation.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

(Died on 21-10-2021) The family members of Late Rovino Pienyü wish to acknowledge the many expressions of sympathy and gestures of kindness shown to us following our sad loss.

We offer our heartfelt thanks to all the friends, neighbours and well-wishers who visited and provided emotional and practical support to us at this difficult time.

As special word of thanks goes to SBI Kohima Bazaar Branch staff, SBI Main Branch staff, Local Church, Church Leaders and members.

As it is impossible to thanks everyone individually, yet it is our prayer that the Almighty God bless you all abundantly.

Loving Wife, Children, Family Members and Relatives k-2080/21

FOnDly reMeMbering

Born : 09.09.1913 – Died : 20.10.2021

lt. er. neizeu Chielie

"I HAVE FOUGHT A GOOD FIGHT, I HAVE FINISHED THE RACE, I HAVE KEPT THE FAITH".

We, the family members of Lt. K. Hevili Wotsa (Ghokimi) wish to acknowledge the sympathy and gestures of kindness shown to us following our sad loss. As we grieve the sad demise of our grandmother, words are inadequate to express our deepest heartfelt gratitude and appreciation to all the individuals, friends, well-wishers, churches and organizations for your unreserved contribution through physically, financially and unconditional moral support. Though we are unable to individually mention and thank each and everyone personally, may the Almighty God bless you all abundantly.

It is truly great and we glorify God that our grandmother was blessed and had lived for 108 years and died a peaceful death to live in her heavenly abode. db-316/21

strengthened reach out to people and help children and women in distress.

Earlier, EAC Wokha, Aloto Sohe chaired the function while DC proposed the welcome address.

It may be mentioned that the building was constructed at the cost of Rs. 48.69 lakhs with a total plinth area of 1421 sqft. Centre Administrator Sakhi-OSC, Wokha, Renthunglo presented the interventions and works the centre had undertaken during the past two years.

SVGEU team visits Kiphire district jail

C&S informs: Commissioner & secretary, Dr. PJ Antony has informed that chairman of the committee on public undertakings (2021-2022) Mhathung Yanthan, MLA, has proposed to undertake an “on-the-spot” verification visit to study the status of Hotel Japfu, Hotel Saramati and FEZ Ganeshnagar on October 29. All the members of the committee have been requested to join the visit.

Elderline awareness prog in Peren: National institute of social defence with department of social welfare organised elderline awareness programme at town hall Peren on October 26. The national helpline for senior citizens can be reached at toll-free 14567.

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team.

State Coordinator for state resource centre for women, nodal agency for Sakhi-OSC, Gracy Aye who also spoke during the function lauded Wokha OSC team for the works they have been doing for the welfare of the needy.

She encouraged the people (children and women) in need of help to come forward and register their case so that their problems are addressed accordingly.

She called for support from all sections so that OSC activities can be

dp-5165/21

Loving Children, In-laws, grandchildren and great grandchildren

On your 1st Death Anniversary Born on 07/02/1973 – Died on 18/10/2021 We, the family members of Late aBOtO. K. aWOMI, thank all the individuals and groups, who stood by us and supported through prayer, physically and financially during his prolonged illness and sad demise on 18/10/21.

We convey our special gratitude to: 1) Toluvi Village Council, Dimapur 2) Toluvi Village Baptist Church, Dimapur 3) Zunheboto Town Sumi Baptist Church (SBAK Aizuto).

4) Rev. Dr. Daniel Chishi, Pastor and Church Staff of ZTSBC. 5) Khetoi Village Union Dimapur 6) A/Saghemi Village Union Dimapur.

7) Project Colony Prayer Fellowship Zunheboto (SBAK Aizuto) 8) K.T. Sukhalu, Honble Advisor, School Education, Govt of Nagaland.

9) Mrs & Mr Kitto. I. Zhimomi, (IRS) Commissioner & Secretary to the Govt of Nagaland.

10) Exel Care Hospital, Guwahati, (Dr D.K.Das, Cancer Surgeon and his team).

11) Down Town Hospital, Guwahati, (Doctors & Nurses) 12) Eden Medical Centre, Dimapur, (Dr Aoakum, Dr Athiko, Dr Niuto & Nurses) 13) Blood Donors.

14) Friends, relatives & well wishers.

We regret our inability to thank everyone individually, but it is our prayer that the Almighty God bless you all abundantly.

Loving Wife, Children & Family Members. k-2083/21

Died on 27th October 2020 365 days have passed since you left us for your heavenly abode, yet it still feels like yesterday as your love and affection continue to live on in our hearts. The legacy you left behind reminds us of God's Grace and with each passing day we shall continue to celebrate your life and fondly remember all acts of love and kindness you have shown us.

Only brother in Christ C. Vilalhoulie Meriema village db-315/21 K Y M C

nagalandpost.com Poll Q.: Was over confidence t h e c a u s e o f In d i a being thrashed by Pak in T20?

100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0%

A B C

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

A

B

Yes. No. Can’t Say.

C

75% 21% 4%

NEXT POLL

Q: Should the govt float

global/national tender for Hornbill Festival?  Yes.  No.  Can’t Say.

WEATHER FORECAST OCTOBER 27

(Temperature in ºC)

Max Min

Agartala A morning shower

31 21

Aizawl

A shower in the afternoon

Guwahati Sunny and pleasant Imphal

Mostly cloudy

Itanagar Mostly sunny and nice

26 18 31 20 26 18 27 16

Shillong

A shower in the afternoon

22 11

Kohima

A morning shower

23 14

Dimapur Mostly sunny and pleasant

29 19

A passing morning shower

26 16

Mkg

Tuensang Mostly sunny and not as warm 19 11 Wokha

Mostly sunny and not as warm 24 17

Zunheboto An a.m. shower; partly sunny 23 13

3

STATE

NAGALAND POST, DIMAPUR WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2021

No inclusive education in Nagaland: Shanavas

Correspondent

KO H I M A , O C T 2 6 (NPN): Principal director (PD) of school education Shanavas C said inclusive education was nonexistent in schools, which needed to be changed.

Addressing a workshop on inclusive education organised by state commissioner for persons with disability (PwD) in collaboration with Bumble Bee Inclusive School at hotel Japfu here, Tuesday as a special guest, Shanavas explained that the concept of inclusive education was that PwD children should be given proper education along with normal children.

He said there were about 3,200 special schools in the country, but data was available mostly from urban areas only, which posed a major challenge for the government to help children with disabilities in rural areas.

He said the only time PwDs received focus was during the elections when Election Commission of India (ECI)would direct the States to ar range ramps at polling stations and get data of PwDs. But even that data was not ac-

curate, he added.

Observing that many parents did not want to send their PwD children to schools, due to which these children lacked confidence, Shanavas stressed that inclusive education should start from lower section in schools so that such children come forward and attend the school to help boost their confidence.

He stressed convergence of school education, social welfare and health &family welfare departments to help PwD children avail welfare benefits.

PD asserted that the department of school education intended to set up education management and information system where all data of teachers, students and schools would be updated to ensure enrolment was not bogus and that children got midday meals and textbooks.

He hoped to launch the activity soon so that the department could have accurate data on schools and children, adding that this would cover both private and government schools.

‘Children with disabilities more likely to

Shanavas C speaking at the workshop on Tuesday. (NP)

be excluded from schools’ In her keynote address, State disability commissioner Diethono Nakhro claimed that children with disabilities were one of the most marginalised and excluded groups.

She said even if there was a severe lack of data, available evidence from a few countries showed that, without exception, children with disabilities were more likely to be excluded from schools than their peers without disabilities.

Even when they joined schools, she said children with disabilities were less likely to complete primary or secondary education, and the inequality would grow

as the level of education advanced.

According to Nakhro, UNICEF analysis in 2016 in 15 countries revealed that among a number of factors, including income and gender, the role of disability was the most dominant in contributing to whether children attended school or not.

Children with disabilities were likelier to have never entered school in the first place, she said, adding that such findings had profound implications not only in terms of unfair educational access, but also in terms of life choices and opportunities denied because education was the gateway to children’s full participation

in society, transition into adulthood, opportunities for employment and engagement with their communities.

Nakhro informed the gathering that all these facts held true for children with disabilities in Nagaland too, adding that disability in general was totally neglected for the past many years.

She said one of the biggest challenges that children with disabilities faced was the lack of data because of which they continued to be “uncounted” in the society in many ways.

Nakhro stressed that such a situation should not be allowed to be continued and that all departments concerned, organisations and stakeholders should come together to make the change happen.

“School education is one of the major departments, especially when implementation of the new National Education Policy (NEP) is the focus, as the aim for equality and inclusion is at the heart of the new NEP,” she pointed out.

With education being the concurrent subject and the States had a huge say

in how to make the policy work, Nakhro pointed out that this was absolutely the right time to ensure that the State’s education system became fully inclusive.

Observing that the approach to education of children with disabilities currently was basically an “appendix, an afterthought that was added after everything was said and done”, she asserted that this was not acceptable.

According to the commissioner, inclusion has to be on the table to discuss and plan the overhauling of the education system, adding that inclusive education specialists have to be at the table to give their valuable inputs.

She further mentioned that Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 clearly stated in Section 16 that all educational institutions, funded or recognised by the State government, shall provide inclusive education to children with disabilities.

The steps to be taken towards this end had been laid out in relevant sections and sub-sections, she said, which was notified on March 30, 2020 in

Nagaland that effectively meant that all educational institutions funded or recognised by the State government should be following the inclusive education system. She remarked that she was sceptical whether all the schools were even aware of the notification and the implications.

She said the Tuesday’s workshop was just a beginning as a series of discussions and trainings were planned in the coming months with both government and private schools to help move towards real inclusion in education.

Kopele Tepa spoke on introduction to inclusion of and its importance in education, while Themmungla Raman spoke on challenges and mental health of children with disabilities.

Nagaland Board of Secondar y Education (NBSE_ chairman Asano Sekhose spoke on accommodation of children with special needs while Nzanbeni Tsopoe spoke on the role of teachers/schools to facilitate inclusion in schools.

The programme was chaired by G.Rio School councillor Aphre Kerhuo.

TCPDF Nagaland holds 3rd NSPMRUs organises awareness seminar in Dimapur biennial conference at Tseminyu Staff Reporter

TCPDF executive members with conference speakers and guest of honour.

D I M A P U R : Te n y imia Churches’ Pastors and Deacons Fellowship (TCPDF) Nagaland held its 3rd biennial conference on October 22-24 under the theme, “Growing Together in Christ” at the Tenyimia Union Baptist Church, Tseminyu.

A press release by TCPDF Nagaland stated that executive secretary of Liangmai Baptist Aruang (LBA, Tening), Rev. Kitanwi Chewang and executive secretary of Pochury Baptist Church Council, (PBCC, Yisisotha) Rev. Rümatho Nyusou were the

conference speakers.

Delivering the keynote address, TCPDF convener Visakuolie Vakha, said, “Growing is a universal biological process of any living beings, but growing together is categorically Christian, and it is possible only in Christ Jesus, our Lord.”

G u e s t o f h o n o u r, Tenyimi Union Dimapur president, Vekhosayi Nyekha asked the gathering to continue to strive for the greater unity of Tenyimias in the true spirit of Christian unity and the brotherhood and sisterhood

of the Tenyimias. He urged the Tenyimias to be positive force and a good example of unity for the society at large.

Pastors’ Fellowship Tseminyu Town chairman, Rev. Shukhi Mesen, Tenyimia Union Tseminyu president, Zelhouvotuo Vimero also spoke at the programme.

E a r l i e r, Te n y i m i a Union Baptist Church Tseminyu Pastor Krodilhou Vimera welcome the gathering while choir of Tenyimia sisters from Old and the New Tseminyu Town presented special songs.

DIMAPUR, OCT 26 (NPN): As part of ongoing celebrations on “Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav” broad framework for ‘Paricharcha” on “affordability of essential drugs”, an awareness seminarcum-launching of poster and pamphlet of National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) was held here, on Tuesday.

The programme was organised by Nagaland State Price Monitoring and Resource Unit Society (NSPMRUs) drugs control cell, CMO office Dimapur.

State additional drugs controller, WH Patton NPPA poster and pamphlet published by NPPS drugs control administration directorate of health and family welfare, Kohima.

PowerPoint presentation on the topic “drug price monitoring mechanism of PMRU” was presented by NSPMRUs project coordinator Keyiliagongbe Sephe where he mentioned that NSPMRUs worked under the supervision of state drugs control administration, directorate

‘Mission Corona Vijay’ launched in Mon

Country director AIF, Mathew Joseph, DC Mon Thavaseelan K and others at the launching programme. (DIPR)

DIMAPUR: Country director, American India Foundation (AIF), Mathew Joseph launched “Mission Corona Vijay” in the conference hall of the office of the deputy commissioner (DC) Mon on Tuesday.

According to a DIPR report, realising the importance of maximum vaccination coverage to contain the spread of COVID-19 and addressing the issue of loss of daily income of marginalised sections of the society due to time spent on getting COVID-19 vaccination, K Y M C

Joseph Mathew informed the house that the campaign was initiated to address the same.

DC Mon, Thavaseelan K acknowledged AIF for their gesture and requested for their continued support beyond the COVID-19 pandemic.

E a r l i e r, t h e p r o gramme was chaired by district coordinator, Prodigals Home Mon, Joseph Hapwang while vote of thanks was proposed by project director, Prodigals Home, K Sani.

The programme was attended by director pro-

gram, public health-AIF, Dr. Mahesh Srinivas, additional superintendent of police, officials and staff of district hospital Mon, office of the chief medical officer and civil society organisations.

It may be mentioned that Mission Corona Vijay or The First Million is a campaign of the AIF to ensure vaccination for a million most vulnerable and marginalised sections of the society.

Persons with disability, migrant labourers, street vendors, tribal population and women working in

the unorganised sector are identified as the vulnerable groups.

The Campaign is implemented in collaboration with the district administration with local support from the civil society organisation, NGOs working in related fields.

For Mon district, the campaign would be implemented in collaboration with the district administration, Mon and Prodigals Home, Dimapur.

Mon district is the first district in the North East to have been selected for the campaign.

of health and family welfare (H&FW), Kohima, funded by National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA).

He highlighted the functions of NPPA, which was a government regulatory agency that controlled the prices of pharmaceutical drugs in India, department of pharmaceuticals, ministry of chemicals and fertilisers. Keyiliagongbe said that NPPA under centre sector scheme consumer awareness, publicity and price monitoring (CAPPMS) set up price monitoring and resource units (PRMSUs) at the state/ union territories to support state drug controllers and NPPA with information gathering mechanism at the grassroots levels.

He also briefed about monitoring of notified prices objectives of PMRUs and the importance of monitoring prices and availability and legal action for overcharging. Keyiliagongbe informed that the collection and compilation of market-based data of scheduled and non- scheduled formulation was carried out weekly.

Special camp on E-Shram in Pfutsero DIMAPUR: A special camp for registration of unregistered workers under eSHRAM National Database of unorganised workers was organised by the department of labour in collaboration with Pfutsero administration on Monday at main town, Pfutsero.

According to a DIPR report, while chairing the camp, EAC Dr. Riku highlighted on the ongoing registration of unorganised workers all over India.

In the keynote address, assistant labour commissioner Phek, Neimenuo Koutsu stressed on the importance of the ongoing project and encouraged all the unorganised workers to avail the opportunity pointing out that citizens between the ages of 16-59 were the beneficiaries. It may be mentioned that categories of unorganised workers such as domestic workers, construction workers, migrant workers, agriculture workers and other unorganised workers would benefit themselves in availing various government schemes by enrolling in the portal.

Officials of NSPMRUs, participants and others at the awareness seminar on Tuesday. (NP)

On the feedbacks/ report, he said that PRMUs submit the collected data and market price analysing information to state drug controller as well as NPPA at the central.

On the topic “affordability and availability of essential drugs; role of consumer” deputy drugs controller, S Lithungo Lotha highlighted about the classification of pharmaceutical products, policies

and laws that regulate the manufacture, price fixation and marketing of pharmaceuticals in India.

He briefed on identifying violations, authority to report and how to lodge complaints. He also gave a PowerPoint presentation on pharmaceutical products, policies and laws, essentials medicines, drug control order-2013 etc.

Lamenting on the shortage of men power, Lithungo

said that due to this, sometimes they fail to deliver the service that they had to in time.

In this regard, he suggested the participants to disseminate the information and create awareness.

Highlights of the programme also included interactive session. Later, vote of thanks was proposed by senior drugs inspector, Kohima Ethungbemo Ezung.

Nagaland University launches ‘vigilance awareness week’

Registrar NU, Dr. Abemo, faculty and others at the inaugural programme on Tuesday.

DIMAPUR: Nagaland University (NU) Lumami launched organised an inaugural programme of the “vigilance awareness week 2021” at its premises on Tuesday.

In a press release, NU Lumami informed that chief guest of the programme, NU registrar Dr. Abemo in his speech stressed that the central vigilance commission was asking each and every one to collectively fight and prevent corruption.

He said that corruption had many forms and that not discharging one’s assigned duties was as good as corruption.

Lecture on “independent India @ 75: self-reli-

ance with integrity” was delivered by HoD, department of economics, prof.

T. Zarenthung Ezung.

Marking dandi march under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi as the starting point of India’s struggle for self-reliance, he dwelt on various policies of the country since independence in an attempt to achieve the same.

Asser ting that the overall growth of the country could be seen in the increase of the GDP and per capita income, he said these were made possible due to able leadership, both past and present and the dedicated contributions made by all sections of society.

He also stated that India was striving to become a developed country and that it was the bounden duty of the people to work with dedication and integrity to achieve this goal.

E a r l i e r, t h e p r o gramme was chaired by asstsistant prof., department of EVS, Dr. Latonglila Jamir.

A special number was presented by research scholar Thejano while the integrity pledge was led by controller of examinations, Dr. Maongsangba while vote of thanks was proposed by PRO, Peter Ki. The programme was attended by faculty members, administrative staff and students.

K Y M C

4

NORTHEAST

NAGALAND POST, DIMAPUR WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2021

Scindia flags off first EC notice to Assam CM on poll code breach Jyotiraditya Dibrugarh-Shillong direct flight

Cong seeks bar on campaigning

GUWAHATI, OCT 26 (IANS): The Election Commission has issued notice to Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma over his alleged violation of code of conduct during campaigning for the October 30 Assembly byelections, following a complaint from the Congress.

Amid the EC’s showcause notice seeking Sarma’s response by 5 p.m. on Tuesday, the Congress on Tuesday demanded the poll panel immediately bar him from further campaigning.

EC Secretar y N.T. Bhutia, citing the rules, said that from the time elections are announced, Ministers and other authorities shall not announce any financial grants in any form or promises thereof or make any promise of construction of roads, provision of drinking water facilities etc.

“The Commission is

Himanta Biswa Sarma had promised the construction of medical colleges, roads, bridges, stadiums, development projects and financial grant to self-help groups of tea garden workers.

further reference to you,” the notice to Sarma said.

The poll panel said that notice was served to Sarma on Monday following separate complaints by Assam state Congress President Bhupen Kumar Borah and leader of Opposition in the Assembly Debabrata Saikia, that the Chief Minister, during the campaign, promised the construction of medical colleges, roads,

bridges, stadiums, development projects and financial grant to self-help groups of tea garden workers.

Meanwhile, the Congress said that Sarma being the constitutional head of the state is supposed to respect the model code of conduct.

“But instead it is being seen how brazenly and openly Sarma is violating the rules without consid-

Mizoram by-poll: Special measures unlikely for Bru voters living in Tripura, says CEO

Heroin worth Rs 8 crore seized in Assam, 2 arrested

AIZAWL, OCT 26 (PTI): The Election Commission is unlikely to make special arrangements for the Bru community voters of Mizoram, who are now living in relief camps in Tripura, to enable them to exercise their franchise in that state in the Tuirial assembly seat by-poll on October 30, an official said on Tuesday.

Thousands of the Bru tribal people have been living in relief camps in Tripura since 1997. They had fled their homeland Mizoram to reach the neighbouring state because of ethnic clashes. By now, the number of these internally displaced people has risen to over 30,000.

There is no plan as of now to set up special polling booths for the Bru voters at relief camps in Tripura, Mizoram Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) P Jawahar told PTI. “We have not received any instruction from the EC regarding the Bru vot-

of the view that by making the above statements, you have violated the said provision of Model Code of Conduct and the instructions. Now, therefore, the Commission gives you an opportunity to explain your position in this regard on or before 5 p.m. of Tuesday. If no explanation is submitted within the said time limit, the Commission shall take a decision without any

ers (of Tripura) till now.

There is no plan to allow the Bru voters to exercise their franchise in their camps as of now,” he said.

In the past, special voting booths were arranged for them at a place on the Mizoram-Tripura border.

The Bru people need to come on their own to their respective polling stations in the Tuirial assembly constituency to cast vote in the by-poll, unless a special arrangement is made for them, the CEO said.

He said 663 Bru voters are currently living at relief camps in Tripura and they have been allowed to permanently re-settle in that state.

After attempts to repatriate the Brus to their home state failed, arrangements have been made to resettle them in Tripura.

The total number of these internally displaced people has risen to over 30,000 now and there are more than 4,400 families.

Following an agreement

signed in January last year among representatives of the Bru community, the Centre and the governments of Tripura and Mizoram, it was decided that they will be allowed to resettle permanently in Tripura.

Political parties and civil society organisations such as Central Young Mizo Association (CYMA) had opposed any special arrangement for the Bru voters in Tripura and demanded deletion of their names from Mizoram’s voter list as they will live permanently in the neighbouring state.

Four candidates are in the fray for the Tuirial by-poll, which was necessitated by the death of sitting MLA Andrew H Thangliana in August.

They are K Laldawngliana of the Mizo National Front, Laltlanmawia of the Zoram People’s Movement, Chalrosanga Ralte of the Congress and the BJP’s K Laldinthara.

Votes will be counted on November 2.

DIPHU/NAGAON, OCT 26 (PTI): Heroin worth Rs 8 crore was seized in Assam’s Nagaon and Karbi Anglong districts with one of the suspected drug peddlers injured in exchange of fire with the police, officials said on Tuesday.

Acting on a tip-off that three-four persons were smuggling drugs through the Dimapur Sunday Bazar Road in Karbi Anglong district on Monday, police intercepted the suspected peddlers, they said.

They allegedly fired upon the police who retaliated in “self defence”, a police officer said. Following the gunfight, police found a bullet wounded person lying on the ground with a 7.65 mm pistol and a backpack beside him, he said. Fifty soap cases with 626 gm heroin, valued at Rs 6 crore, and 20 ammunitions were found in the bag, he added.

A search is on to apprehend the rest, the officer said, adding that two persons fled towards Nagaland.

BJP’s candidate Borgohain’s assets up by 13% SIVASAGAR (ASSAM), OCT 26 (PTI): The value of assets owned by BJP candidate for Assam’s Thowra constituency in the upcoming bypoll, Sushanta Borgohain, who switched from Congress to the ruling party, have increased by nearly 13 per cent within just six months.

Since March, when Borgohain had contested and won as a Congress MLA in the Assam Assembly elections, the asset value of his entire family has risen almost 10 per cent, the affidavits filed for the elections showed.

Comparing the two affidavits filed in March and October, the total worth of assets and properties directly owned by the two-time Congress MLA, now a BJP candidate, has increased to Rs 1.93 crore from Rs 1.69 crore, a rise of 12.81 per

Sushanta Borgohain

cent. Considering his wife and other family members’ incomes, the net assets of his immediate family soared to Rs 2.64 crore in October, a 9.98 per cent increase from Rs 2.38 crore in March.

During this period, properties registered under his wife’s name increased by 2.12 per cent to Rs 69.10 lakh from Rs 67.64 lakh, documents with the Election Commission showed.

Out of the total assets at present, Borgohain personally owns Rs 37.30 lakh

worth of movable items and Rs 1.56 crore of immovable properties, including non-agriculture land and residential complexes.

The newly inducted BJP leader also has a .32 pistol, worth Rs 56,936, his affidavit showed.

Borgohain, who had first become the MLA from Thowra constituency in Sivasagar district in 2011, resigned from Congress on July 30 this year citing “changed internal political atmosphere” within the party. He later joined the BJP. He lost in 2016, but won the 2021 Assembly polls from Thowra defeating incumbent BJP MLA Kushal Dowari by 2,006 votes.

In the upcoming bypoll, Thowra is expected to witness a triangular contest between Borgohain, Con-

gress candidate Monuranjan Konwar and Raijor Dal’s Dhaijya Konwar, who is contesting as an Independent.

While Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma is the star campaigner for Borgohain and is carrying out an aggressive publicity drive for his old Congress colleague, rights activist and MLA Akhil Gogoi has stationed himself at Thowra for Dhaijya Konwar.

The BJP is stealing the limelight with a series of well-attended public meetings, but Raijor Dal is holding small corner gatherings at various villages and tea gardens of the Upper Assam constituency.

Senior Congress leaders, including its National General Secretary Jitendra Singh, are trying to woo voters for their candidate Monuranjan Konwar.

Poll-related violence in Manipur, CrPC 144 clamped

Correspondent

IMPHAL, OCT 26: Following escalation of poll-related violent incidents, section 144 of CrPC has been clamped in the entire Heirok Assembly constituency of Manipur’s Thoubal district.

An order issued by the district magistrate of Thoubal district announced that the prohibitory order with immediate effect will continue until further order.

The order strictly prohibited assembly of five or more individuals and carrying of any offensive weapons or sharp objects.

Tensions prevailed in parts of Heirok Assembly Constituency after a district based scribe was physically assaulted by a group of people alleged to be Congress workers on Sunday morning.

In yet another poll-related violence, a 26-year-old youth suffered serious injuries in the same assembly ( Heirok) constituency on Monday night.

Following the attack on the youth, an irate mob burned down the house of an individual, allegedly involved in the physical assault of the youth.The house of the Thokchom

Romeo was completely reduced to ashes as the police and fire fighters’ attempt to douse the inferno was hindered by the mob.

On the other hand, the seriously injured youth identified as Abujam Ramananda is struggling for life at a hospital in Imphal He suffered severe injuries on his face and other parts of the body in the attack allegedly with a sharp object.

On account of these incidents, security has been beefed up in the entire constituency to prevent further escalation of violence, a police source said.

eration for EC rules giving the impression that those in power are not accountable to anybody.

This reflects a complete lack of respect for institutions and rules,” state Congress chief spokesperson Bobbeeta Sharma said.

It is evident through the proof of the video clippings that the Chief Minister has violated the model code of conduct and the EC should not wait for a response by giving a show cause notice, she said, in a statement.

“On the basis of the audio-visual evidence, Sarma should be immediately barred from further campaigning. This would set an example for EC that the model codes of conduct rules have been made to be followed and not to be disregarded in utter disdain by those in power,” the statement said.

By-elections will be held for five Assembly seats - Bhabanipur, Mariani, Thawra, Tamulpur and Gossaigaon - on October 30.

DIBRUGARH, OCT 26 (PTI): The first direct flight on the Shillong-Dibrugarh route, under the Centre’s Regional Connectivity Scheme – Ude Desh Ka Aam Naagrik (RCS-UDAN), was on Tuesday virtually flagged off by Union Minister of Civil Aviation Jyotiraditya Scindia.

On the occasion, Scindia said that Shillong, one of the “highest and wettest places in the world, is not just important for the country but for the entire world”.

Noting that Shillong is known as the ‘Scotland of the East’ for its rolling hills, caves, tall waterfalls, beautiful landscapes and rich heritage and culture, he said, “There’s nothing that Meghalaya does not have to offer. The place attracts tourists from all over the world.”

Pointing out that only six airports were operational in the northeast back in 2014, he further said that the number has now risen to 15.

Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia virtually flags off direct flight on Shillong- Dibrugarh route under UDAN. “Within a short span of seven years, we have achieved this ambitious target. I assure you that this is just the beginning. We are committed to enhancing the interstate and intrastate connectivity in the Northeast,” the minister stated.

Apart from improving flight connectivity, the government is also focused on developing infrastructure capabilities, along

with helicopter services, for last mile delivery, Scindia maintained. “We recently launched a helicopter policy to further promote heli services in northeast. We want travellers from all over the country to visit northeast,” he added Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma, Shillong MP Vincent H Pala were among those who attended the event.

Temple construction at Meitei’s sacred place stirs row

Correspondent

IMPHAL, OCT 26: With the recent attempt to construct a Hindu temple at the premises of the sacred place of Meitei at Royal Palace creating a heated debate, opposition Manipur Congress on Tuesday took a dig at the BJP alleging it of attempting to abolish indigenous religion.

The opposition Congress also cautioned the people against BJP and its frontal organization RSS, ‘one language one religion one nation’ agenda.

The BJP-led Manipur government is planning to construct a temple of Hindu God at the premises of Pandit Loishang (a sacred place of Meitei following indigenous religion) inside the Royal Palace. The matter came to light when Amaiba and Amaibis (indigenous priests and priestess) raised strong objections to the proposed construction at the premises last Sunday.

It then turned into a heated debate in the state after a video emerged on social media in which a

group of people can be manhandling protesting Amaiba and Amaibis using slang.

Addressing a press conference at the Rishang Keishing Media Centre of Imphal Congress Bhavan today, MPCC spokesperson Bhupenda Ningomba alleged that those mishandling Amaiba and Amaibis were insulting the indigenous religion of the Meitei community. The unparliamentary words used towards the priests have hurt the sentiment of the Meitei following the indigenous community.

The incident should not be taken lightly as it has hurt the sentiment of people following indigenous religion.

They should be booked and legal action must be initiated against them, he demanded.

The spokesperson alleged that the BJP-led government in the state is remaining silent without taking up any action against them.

“FIR should be lodged and they should be arrested immediately before things go out of hand,” he demanded. He said that till date Congress has been

BEFORE THE MARRIAGE OFFICER

DIMAPUR : NAGALAND Marriage Regd. No. 71/20 Dated Dimapur, the 25/10/2021

NOTICE OF REGISTRATION OF MARRIAGE

I, Marriage Officer, Dimapur, Nagaland hereby give notice Under Section 8 of the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955, that a petition for registration of marriage has been filed by Debajit Das aged about .... years, S/o Shri Lt. Utpal Kanti Das, resident of H/No. 257, Netaji Colony and Chandini Mazumder aged about .... years, D/o Shri Anjan Mazumder, resident of H/No. 257, Netaji Colony before me on 25th day of Oct 2021 and whereas 26th Nov, 2021 has been fixed for registering their Marriage. Objections, if any, are to be furnished on or before the aforementioned fixed date.

Addl. Deputy Commissioner Cum Marriage Officer Dimapur : Nagaland DC-1039/21

IN THE COURT OF

DISTRICT & SESSIONS JUDGE ZUNHEBOTO : NAGALAND

No.JUD/SUCC-34/19-20/74

Dated Zbto. the 19-08-2021

Notice Calling Objection for the Issue of Succession Certificate Whereas application has received from Smti Kivi U/s 372 of the Indian Succession Act, resident of Lukhai Village, P.S- Satakha for Succession of P.P.O No.- 111404573, SBI A/C No - 11819537910, pension benefits & other allowances, debts & securities of Late Ghotovi Sema.

Notice is hereby issued for filing objections to all who have interest in the said claim(s) within 45 (forty five) days from the date of publication of this notice.

DP-5166/21

Regd. No. 664/2021

Sd/District & Sessions Judge Zunheboto : Nagaland

AFFIDAVIT

Date 25/10/2021

I, Shri T. TITOKA SEMA, Rank-Sep Unit 164 TA Naga, Husband of Smt. NYEMANG, permanent resident of Satakha Old Village, PO/PS-Satakha, District- Zunheboto, Nagaland, do hereby solemnly swear and declares as under:1. That I am a bonafide citizen of India.

2. That my wife actual name is NYEMANG. 3. That in some of my documents inclusive of sheet roll documents, my wife name has been inadvertently entered as M NYIMANG instead of NYEMANG. 4. That both the names NYEMANG and M NYIMANG are one and the same person and there are no discrepancies between the above names.

5. That the instant affidavit is sworn to declare that henceforth my wife name shall be called and known as NYEMANG in all official records correspondence and intents.

6. That this affidavit is to be treated as piece of evidence before the authority concerned as and when necessary.

7. That the above statements are true to my knowledge and nothing has been concealed thereof.

DEPONENT Sworn before me on this 25th day of Oct, 2021.

NOTARY PUBLIC DP-5156/21

protecting the secularism structure of the country and has treated all religions equally. He however added that since the BJP came to power in the country, the party has been pushing RSS’s agenda of making the country a Hindu nation.

The saffron party has been campaigning for ‘one religion, one language and one nation’, an agenda of RSS to make the country a Hindu nation, he asserted.

The recent attack using abusive words on Amaibas and Amaibis of Pandit Lioshang was a part of carrying on the agenda, he claimed.

Though the ruling BJP and its frontal organization RSS were remaining silent, MPCC has not take the incident lightly, he said.

He further stated, “This is a direct attack to the secularism of the country. Our

secularism is under attack.

We need to fight against this agenda.” “What I am saying is not to vote but to save the secular structure of the country,” he said, adding that Congress stood against such an act and will always stand for secularism.

In the court of DIstrIct & sessIons JuDge Zunheboto : nagalanD No. JUD/SUCC-34/19-20/95 Dated Zbto., the 18/10/2021 notIce callIng obJectIon for the Issue of successIon certIfIcate Whereas application has received from smti. a. swapna singha U/S 372 of the Indian Succession Act, resident of 8th NAP, Naltoqa for Succession of SBI A/c No. 31043313208, Leave encashment, GIS, GPF, gratuity, pension benefits & service benefits, debts and securities of Late A. Jiten Singha.

Notice is hereby issued for filing objections to all who have interest in the said claim(s) within 45 (Forty five) days from the date of publication of this notice. sd/District & sessions Judge Zunheboto : nagaland DB-317/21 IN THE COURT OF PRINCIPAL DISTRICT AND SESSIONS JUDGE COURT MOKOKCHUNG: NAGALAND NOTICE S/C No.195/2021 Whereas application under Succession Act 1925 for grant of Succession Certificate for the estate/pension benefits of Late Rongsentiba Ao has been applied by Smti Limakumla, W/o Late Rongsentiba Ao R/o H.No. 153 Industrial Village, Razuphe, Dimapur, Nagaland for possession of: 1. GPF 2. GIS 3. Gratuity 4. Leave Encashment 5. Pension etc 6. Closing of A/c Notice is hereby given that any person having interest in the administration of the estate/pension benefits of the said deceased may, if she/he so desire to appear in this Court on or before the said day of 22.11.2021.

Given under the hand and seal of the Court on this day the 22.10.2021.

Sd/- Principal District & Sessions Judge Mokokchung: Nagaland MkC-391/21 IN THE COURT OF PRINCIPAL DISTRICT & SESSIONS JUDGE MOKOKCHUNG : NAGALAND S/C NO. 205/2021 NOTICE NOTICE INVITING CLAIMS/OBJECTIONS OF OTHER CLAIMANT(S) FOR ISSUE OF SUCCESSION CERTIFICATE UNDER PART-I OF INDIAN SUCCESSION ACT 1925.

Whereas application under Succession Act 1925 for grant of Succession Certificate for the estate/pension benefits of Late Mohamad Name has been applied by Smti. Raufan Begam, W/o Lt. Mohamad Name, R/o H.No. 664 Alichen, Mokokchung, Nagaland for possession of: 1. GPF 2. GIS 3. Gratuity 4. Leave encashment 5. Pension etc 6. Closing of A/C Notice is hereby given that any person having interest in the administration of the estate/pension benefits of the said deceased may if she/he so desire to appear in this Court on or before the said day of 22.11.2021.

Given under the hand and seal of the Court on this day the 22.10.2021.

Principal District & Session Judge Mokokchung : Nagaland MkC-392/21

5

NATIONAL

NAGALAND POST, DIMAPUR WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2021

Rijiju to meet state law ministers Sonia chairs congress leaders meeting next month on judicial infrastructure Says strengthening party must override ‘personal ambitions’

NEW DELHI, OCT 26 (PTI): In a candid message to top Congress leaders, party president Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday said strengthening the organisation must override “personal ambitions” and emphasised the need for discipline and unity for both collective and individual success.

Chairing a meeting of party leaders to evolve a strategy for assembly elections in five states early next year, she said there is “lack of clarity and cohesion” on policy issues even among state leaders and expressed concern that the messages on key issues were not percolating down to the grassroot cadres.

Former party chief Rahul Gandhi along with Congress general secretaries, in-charges and pradesh presidents attended the meeting that also comes

Sonia Gandhi presides over a meeting of AICC general secretaries, at the party headquarters in New Delhi. (PTI)

amid growing factionalism within the party’s state units.

Gandhi said the party also wishes to focus on training its cadres to counter BJP’s “false propaganda” and will work out modalities for the upcoming training programmes. “The fight to defend our democracy, our constitution and the Congress party’s ideology begins with being fully prepared to identify and counter false propaganda.

We must fight the diabolical campaign of BJP/ RSS ideologically. We must

do so with conviction and expose their lies before the people if we are to win this battle,” she said.

The meeting to chalk out a strategy ahead of assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Goa, Uttarakhand and Manipur also comes ahead of the party’s new membership drive starting November 1.

“I would like to reemphasise the paramount need for discipline and unity. What should matter to each and every one of us is the strengthening of the or-

ganisation. This must override personal ambitions. In this lies both collective and individual success,” Sonia Gandhi said in her opening remarks. Stressing on training programmes for party workers, the Congress chief said it should be taken up on priority.

Noting that new members are the “lifeblood” of any political movement, she said the young men and women across the nation seek a movement to give voice to their aspirations and it is the Congress’ duty to provide them with a platform. She also called upon party leaders to go house to house to enrol members in a transparent fashion.

Noting that AICC releases important and detailed statements almost every day on issues facing the nation, Sonia Gandhi said, “but it is my experience that they do not percolate down to our grass root cadres at the block and district level”.

“There are policy issues on which I find a lack

of clarity and cohesion even amongst our state-level leaders”, she added.

Attacking the Modi government, she said it has sought to erode our institutions so it may evade accountability and has sought to undermine the core values of our constitution so it can hold itself to a lower standard. It has questioned the very fundamentals of our democracy, she said.

Gandhi said the party’s history bears witness to the fact that if an organisation is to succeed against injustice and inequality, if it is to effectively champion the rights of the marginalised, it must become a widespread agitation down to the grassroots.

“We must redouble our fight for those who are the victims of this government’s worst excesses: our farmers and farm labourers, our youth fighting for jobs and opportunities, small and medium scale businesses, our brothers, our sisters with particular focus on the deprived,” she stressed.

NEW DELHI, OCT 26 (PTI): With several courts functioning from premises that have insufficient space or are in a dilapidated condition without basic amenities, Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju will meet state law ministers next month to make a fresh push to improve judicial infrastructure in the country.

Rijiju announced the proposed meeting days after Chief Justice of India N V Ramana said that judicial infrastructure was important for improving access to justice but it was baffling to note that its improvement and maintenance was being carried out in an ad-hoc and unplanned manner.

“Judicial infrastructure is one of the agenda items for the meeting ... It is my responsibility to take the state governments on board,” Rijiju told reporters here on Tuesday.

The infrastr ucture for high courts and lower courts is the domain of the

Kiren Rijiju

state governments.

“We are faced with certain hard facts like several courts do not have proper facilities. Some courts function out of dilapidated buildings. Judicial infrastructure is important for improving access to justice,” the CJI had said.

C J I R a m a n a wa s speaking on Saturday at the inauguration of two wings of the annexe building at the Aurangabad bench of the Bombay High Court.

Sources in the Law Ministry said the proposed meeting between Rijiju and state law ministers was planned before the CJI

made these remarks on judicial infrastructure.

In July this year, the Union Cabinet had approved a five-year extension for a centrally sponsored scheme for developing infrastructure for the judiciary.

The Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS) for Development of Infrastructure Facilities for Judiciary has been in operation since 1993-94.

An official statement had then said that in the extended term, it would continue from April 1, 2021 to March 31, 2026 during which Rs 9,000 crore would be spent with the central share of Rs 5,357 crore, including Rs 50 crore for the Gram Nyayalaya Scheme.

Several cour ts are still functioning on rented premises with insufficient space and some in a dilapidated condition without basic amenities, the statement pointed out.

Lakhimpur violence: SC directs UP China’s PLA deploys new type of all-terrain vehicle on border to grant protection to witnesses

Security personnel at the site of Lakhimpur Kheri violence. (File)

NEW DELHI, OCT 26 (PTI): The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the Uttar Pradesh government to grant protection to the witnesses of the Lakhimpur Kheri violence case in which eight people including four farmers were killed during a farmers’ protest.

A bench headed by Chief justice N V Ramana asked the Uttar Pradesh government, represented

by senior advocates Harish Salve and Garima Prasad, to record the statements of other relevant witnesses before judicial magistrates under section 164 of the CrPC. “We direct the District judge concerned to entrust the task of recording of evidence under section 164 of the CrPC to the nearest judicial magistrates available,” said the bench which also

comprised justices Surya Kant and Hima Kohli. The bench asked Salve to to convey its concerns to forensic labs and experts on preparation of reports on electronic evidence of the incident.

The top court, meanwhile, asked the state government to also file its report on two complaints including the one related to the lynching of a journalist.

“The state is directed to file separate replies in the cases,” the bench said and fixed the plea for further hearing on November 8.

Obser ving that the probe into the Lakhimpur Kheri violence should not be an “unending story”, the Supreme Court on October 20 had rapped the government, saying the court was getting the impression that the state police was dragging its feet, and also ordered the protection of witnesses.

JKART case: NIA convicts 4 Hizbul operatives NEW DELHI, OCT 26 (IANS): A special NIA court in Delhi has sentenced two Hizbul Mujahideen operatives to 12 years and two others to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment in the Jammu Kashmir Affectees Relief Trust (JKART) case.

As per the case, JKART, a militant outfit under the garb of an NGO, was getting funds from neighbouring countries to carry out terrorist activities in India.

It was actively involved in furthering the terrorist activities in the country, according to the probe agency that registered a case in this regard on October 25, 2011.

The funds were also used for families of dead Hizbul terrorists in the Union

Territory, it said. The Special Court has sentenced the four accused persons under Sections 120B IPC, 121A IPC & Section 17,18,18A, 18B, 20,38 & 40 Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. Of the four, Mohammad Shafi Shah and Muzaffar Ahmad Dar were sentenced to 12 years and fined Rs 15,000 each, while Talib Lali and Mushtaq Ahmad Lone were sentenced to 10 years and fined Rs 10,000 each. After investigation, a total of 12 accused were chargesheeted in this case. Four have been convicted and sentenced and the remaining eight accused are active cadres of Hizbul who are absconding and currently based in Pakistan, the NIA said.

NEW DELHI, OCT 26 (IANS): The Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Xinjiang Military Command has received a new type of all-terrain vehicle, which is expected to ensure logistics support to plateau border defence troops as winter draws close and as China-India border tensions again risk rising after the latest military talks failed to reach an agreement due to “unrealistic Indian demands”, Global Times reported.

The delivery of the vehicle comes at a time when China and India failed to reach an agreement during the 13th round of corps

commander-level talks over issues related to the western section of the ChinaIndia border, with the PLA Western Theater Command slamming India for its unreasonable and unrealistic demands on October 11, Global Times said. Several Chinese experts reached by the Global Times warned at the time that China needs to brace for the possibility of further Indian military aggression, as India is risking a new round of conflict.

The unit that commissioned the new vehicle is garrisoned at a high-altitude, snowy border region that is extremely cold, lacks oxygen and has a complex terrain,

‘People to face torture with extension of BSF jurisdiction’

KURSEONG (WB), OCT 26 (PTI): Continuing her tirade against the Union government over its decision to extend BSF’s jurisdiction, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday alleged that the move was meant to torture common people.

Banerjee also said that she respects the border guarding force for the job it undertakes, but condemns the “intention” behind extending its jurisdiction.

The BJP-led central government has amended the BSF Act to authorise the force to undertake search, seizure and arrest within a larger 50 km stretch, instead of 15 km, from the international bor-

der in Punjab, West Bengal and Assam.

“In the garb of extending BSF’s jurisdiction, people will be tortured.

There was no need to do so, the BSF does not even have the authority to lodge an FIR,” the CM said here during an administrative meeting of Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts.

She further stated that there was no problem anywhere in the bordering areas of the state, and the West Bengal director general of police has spoken to inspector general, BSF, on the matter.

“We are living in peace. I have already sent a letter to the PM on the issue,” the CM added.

Representational image

which causes difficulties in logistics support including the transport of supplies, the PLA Xinjiang Military Command revealed in a release published on its We-

Navy commander, 2 retired officers arrested for allegedly leaking info NEW DELHI, OCT 26 (AGENCIES): A serving Navy officer and two retired officers have been arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for allegedly leaking confidential information on the upgrade of the Navy’s Kilo class submarines.

More arrests are likely in the case and it is unclear so far if foreign intelligence agencies were involved in the information leak.

The Navy said in a statement, “Investigation related to alleged information leak of administrative and commercial nature being with some unauthorised personnel has come to light and is being investigated

Pegasus row: SC order on pleas seeking independent probe today NEW DELHI, OCT 26 (PTI): The Supreme Court is scheduled to pronounce verdict on Wednesday on a batch of pleas seeking independent probe into the Pegasus snooping matter.

A bench comprising Chief Justice N V Ramana and Justices Surya Kant and Hima Kohli had reserved order on September 13, saying it only wanted to know whether or not the Centre used the Pegasus spyware through illegal methods to allegedly snoop on citizens.

The apex court had observed orally that it would set up a technical expert committee to inquire into the matter and pass an interim order on the pleas seeking an independent probe into the grievances of the alleged surveillance of certain eminent Indians by hacking their phones using Israeli firm NSO’s spyware, Pegasus.

The top court’s observations on constituting the committee assume significance in view of the

Centre’s statement that it would set up an expert panel on its own to look into the entire issue.

The apex court had said it would pronounce order in a few days and asked Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, to mention the case if the government had a re-think about filing a detailed affidavit.

The bench had said that it only wanted to know from the Centre, which expressed unwillingness to file a detailed affidavit

citing national security, whether Pegasus was used to allegedly spy on individuals and if it was done lawfully.

Observing that concerns have been raised by journalists and others over violation of privacy in the Pegasus row, the top court had said it was not interested in knowing the details related to national security.

The Centre maintained it did not wish to file a detailed affidavit on whether a particular software is used or not as it

was not a matter for public discussion and will not be in the “larger national interest”.

The law officer had contended that the disclosure whether the country was using a particular software or not may cause “harm” and alert all potential targets, including terror groups.

“We had to have your affidavit to understand your stand. We do not want to say anything further,” the court had told Mehta, adding that if a spyware is used by the government then it has to be as per the procedure established by the law.

The law officer had said the government has “nothing to hide” and that is why the Centre has on its own said it will constitute a committee of domain experts who will look into the allegations and report to the court.

“I am not averse to certain individuals claiming invasion of privacy.

This is serious and must be

gotten into. The question is whether it is Pegasus or something. Our stand is putting this into an affidavit will not serve national interest... Hence allow us to form a committee of domain experts without the government members,” Mehta had added.

The apex court was hearing a batch of pleas, including senior journalists N Ram and Sashi Kumar along with the Editors Guild of India, seeking independent probe into the alleged Pegasus snooping matter.

The pleas seeking independent probe are related to reports of alleged snooping by government agencies on eminent citizens, politicians and scribes by using Israeli firm NSO’s spyware Pegasus.

An international media consortium had reported that over 300 verified Indian mobile phone numbers were on the list of potential targets for surveillance using Pegasus spyware.

Chat account.

After several on-thespot investigations, the vehicle was tailored to suit the needs of the troops, as it uses caterpillar tracks that

aren’t made from metal.

These tracks are sturdy, do not damage road surfaces, have high mobility and can carry heavy loads, the command said.

The vehicle can traverse freely in complex terrains like shallow river banks, deserts, mountains and snowfields even under bad weather conditions, and provide reliable support to the supply transportation of plateau troops, the release said. It didn’t reveal the designation of the new vehicle.

“There is no need to worry that we will run out of living materials this winter,” the release quoted a soldier as saying, the report added.

by appropriate government agency. The investigation by the agency with complete support of the Indian Navy is in progress. An internal inquiry by the Navy is also being progressed.”

Navy sources have confirmed that the matter is being investigated by a ViceAdmiral and a Rear Admiral. The Mumbai-based

serving officer accused of sharing the classified information holds the rank of Commander.

Kilo class submarines, designed and built in the Soviet Union for the Soviet Navy, are among the world’s most common conventional submarines and are currently in service in the navies of several countries.

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OPINION/EDITORIAL

Nagaland Post VOL. XXXI NO. 322 DIMAPUR, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2021

State braces for third wave

D

uring the second wave of the coronavirus that hit the state from March to July this year, Nagaland witnessed a surge in number of deaths while the number of fresh cases officially reported were somehow much below the actual figure. This was mainly due to under reporting because a large number of cases were done at private clinics or nursing homes and most of which were not reported to the authorities. In addition, many persons with symptoms decided to not get tested and admitted but self-isolate and take standard medications. The situation is much better after more than eleven lakh people in the state have been vaccinated. However, despite all the efforts as well as vaccinated persons, there is still the issue of adequate medical facilities to tackle Covid-19. Most hospitals that are quite capable of tackling covid-19 are in Dimapur and Kohima. Now that epidemiologists and virologists in India have been warning of a third wave, there is serious concern in Nagaland about such a likelihood. Recently, the state Health & Family Welfare (H&FW) department expressed grave concern that “there is sufficient evidence of the possibility of a third wave anytime”, stating that many cases remain “undetected and under reported”. In a communiqué the department, cited the Weekly Sample Positivity Rate (WSPR) of Nagaland which continued to increase during the last two weeks (from 2.1% to 2.9% and 3.2%). Further, the department also pointed out that Tuensang, which reported WSPR of 1.6% and Longleng at 0% between October 9-15, have reported a weekly positivity rate of more than 10%. The WSPR (October 16-22) of Tuensang was at 10.5% while Longleng was at 11%.

Wokha also reported a weekly positivity rate of 7.4%, it added. Any rate of 5% and above is considered of grave concern. It also disclosed, that there has also been a slight increase in Covid-19 positive cases as compared to the previous week. The department said 142 new cases and four deaths were reported from the week with a weekly sample positivity rate of 3.2%.Also, an average of 40 new COVID-19 hospital admissions and 6 COVID-19 deaths per week continue to be reported in the last 5 weeks, it said.

At the national level, eminent epidemiologists and virologists have predicted that India may see a third wave of COVID-19 peaking between October and November if a more virulent mutant than the existing ones emerge by September. However, its intensity is expected to be much lower than the second wave, a scientist involved in the mathematical modelling of the pandemic said. They predicted that if the third wave peaks, the country may see only 1 lakh daily cases as against more than 4 lakh when the deadly second wave was at its peak in May. The second wave killed thousands and infected several lakh.

It may also be recalled that even as early as April this year, Dr. Shahid Jameel virologist and Director Trivedi School of Biosciences at Ashoka University, informed that the Indian mutant called E484K, has 15 different mutations which have functionally changed the Wuhan virus strain allowed the virus to get inside human cells more aggressively. The predicted third covid wave, even if not as deadly as the second, cannot be taken lightly as India’s health limitations are limited while in the north east, it is still totally inadequate.

DailyDevotion What is a Missionary?

Jesus said to them again, “…As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” —John 20:21 A missionary is someone sent by Jesus Christ just as He was sent by God. The great controlling factor is not the needs of people, but the command of Jesus. The source of our inspiration in our service for God is behind us, not ahead of us. The tendency today is to put the inspiration out in front— to sweep everything together in front of us and make it conform to our definition of success. But in the New Testament the inspiration is put behind us, and is the Lord Jesus Himself. The goal is to be true to Him— to carry out His plans.

Personal attachment to the Lord Jesus and to His perspective is the one thing that must not be overlooked. In missionary work the great danger is that God’s call will be replaced by the needs of the people, to the point that human sympathy for those needs will absolutely overwhelm the meaning of being sent by Jesus. The needs are so enormous, and the conditions so difficult, that every power of the mind falters and fails. We tend to forget that the one great reason underneath all missionary work is not primarily the elevation of the people, their education, nor their needs, but is first and foremost the command of Jesus Christ— “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations…” (Matthew 28:19).

When looking back on the lives of men and women of God, the tendency is to say, “What wonderfully keen and intelligent wisdom they had, and how perfectly they understood all that God wanted!” But the keen and intelligent mind behind them was the mind of God, not human wisdom at all. We give credit to human wisdom when we should give credit to the divine guidance of God being exhibited through childlike people who were “foolish” enough to trust God’s wisdom and His supernatural equipment.

Quotes

Where is all the knowledge we lost with information? ~ T. S. Eliot

NAGALAND POST, DIMAPUR WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2021

Post-mortem

India must build, re-build its courts for disabled. Judicial S ince he took oath as the Chief Justice of India, Justice N. V. Ramana has been vocal about the crippling court infrastructure being a stumbling block in access to justice. Judicial infrastructure is a necessary component of justice delivery and its inadequacy adversely affects not just litigants and advocates, but also the judges, judicial officers, and staff. Recognising this gap, the CJI has conceptualised the National Judicial Infrastructure Corporation or the NJIC with the intention to build modern and self-sufficient courts in India.

The task cut out for the NJIC is mammoth — one of its biggest challenges will be ensuring accessibility of courts to diverse sections of society, especially people with various physical or situational disabilities. Our study conducted in 2019 of 665 district courts found that only 27 per cent of these courts had ramps at the entry and inside court premises; 2 per cent had visual aid tools such as Braille notices and tactile pathways; and 11 per cent had washrooms designated for persons with disabilities. Furthermore, only 20 per cent had guide maps and 45 per cent had a helpdesk. A survey undertaken

by the CJI’s office in 2021 had similar findings indicating that very little has been done towards mitigating this state of affairs. Out of the 6,000 trial courts surveyed, as many as 67 per cent were found inaccessible for people with disabilities.

Why are our courts not disabled-friendly?

One of the reasons behind the lack of facilities is the absence of a governing document binding courts to any standards of accessibility. Currently, district courts are sanctioned and built under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme for Judicial Infrastructure (CSS).

The revised guidelines for the CSS states that the court complexes must provide barrier-free access. Similarly, the National Court Management Systems Report (NCMS), 2012, states that court complexes should be easily accessible for all and must incorporate universal design principles to meet local needs and conditions.

It recommends the use of graphic signage systems that transit language barriers, and washrooms that are accessible to persons with disabilities. However, neither document is binding nor do they provide a comprehensive policy or guidelines to make court

complexes accessible.

Since the discourse on accessible public spaces in India is in itself fairly new, the probability of policy action to improve the conditions also remains low. The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act 2016, and the corresponding 2017 Rules form the basis of the current guidelines on accessible public spaces.

The Rules, based on principles of universal design, made it mandatory for all public buildings to conform to the “harmonised guidelines for built environment standards on barrier free built environment for persons with disability and elderly persons”. The National Building Code 2016 also incorporated principles of universal design and provided directions to ensure public buildings are universally accessible. However, neither of these codes provide any specific directions for courts. They were published after the NCMS report and hence, have not been taken into account.

How do we work towards making our courts inclusive?

1. Putting in place appropriate guidelines for disabled-friendly court design There is an urgent need for providing specific direc-

tions to incorporate standards of universal design and accessibility in our judicial complexes. For example, the accessibility standards provided under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) that are applicable to all public and commercial spaces and government facilities. The standards provide specific mandates for making different parts of the courtroom wheelchairfriendly. The Commission for Disability Rights, United States of America, has also put in place a handbook for Court Access for Individuals Who Are Deaf and Hard of Hearing to ensure that court proceedings are being effectively communicated to persons with hearing impairments.

Specific provisions for making the court complex disabled-friendly have also been incorporated in the Court and Tribunal Design Guide, HM Courts and Tribunal Services, United Kingdom. The guide recommends that elements of visual contrast, visual cues, appropriate acoustics, and lighting, etc., should be designed keeping in mind the needs of people with disabilities.

Similar standards and specifications are necessary to ensure conscious deci-

sion-making while designing, planning, and budgeting for court complexes in India.

The specifications should not only be mandatory for newer builds, they must also make provisions for retrofitting existing buildings.

2. Bringing together the right experts The power to sanction courts for the lower judiciary lies with the high courts.

Even though the central government has been providing financial support through the CSS, the ultimate decision-making regarding allocation of land, granting permissions for the court complex, etc., are handled at the state government-level in consultation with the concerned high court. This has created a bureaucratic maze comprising the law department, finance department, Public Works Department, and court officials in every state.

The NJIC, as envisaged by the CJI, will have the CJI at its helm, along with Supreme Court judges who may be elevated as the CJI, high court judges with long tenures, and finance secretaries at the central/ state level.

While this structure may be able to overcome some bureaucratic complications, a very crucial element that the corporation is missing is

the existence of experts from professional disciplines.

There is an urgent need to appoint experts belonging to various fields such as spatial architects, accessibility experts, sound engineers, technology experts, etc., who may be able to guide the committee towards making the appropriate decisions to ensure that the courts built are future-proof and also to incorporate principles of accessibility.

Moving beyond physical infra While the setting up of the NJIC and the attention being provided to court infrastructure are all steps in the right direction, the CJI’s office must be cognizant of the fact that court infrastructure must move beyond the aspects of just brick and mortar. This post-pandemic judiciary must not only have physical spaces that are accessible to India’s diverse citizenry, it should also move towards adopting principles of universal design in all aspects of its functioning.

Shreya Tripathy (@ShreyaTripathy3) is a Research Fellow with the JALDI (Justice, Access and Lowering Delays in India) Initiative at the Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy.

(As published by The Print)

Transformative adaptation: Ways to improve India’s long-term food security

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he impact of climate change on India’s food systems has been long evident, with about 194 million people struggling for food and nutritional security today. Between 2017 and 2019, 18 million hectares of crop was lost to floods and 40% of food was lost or wasted post-harvest. More recently, Covid-19 has exacerbated hunger and livelihood challenges in the country. In 2020, India performed poorly by ranking 94th out of 107 countries on the Global Hunger Index, with child nourishment falling rapidly in the last 20 years.

Going forward, tackling the twin challenges of climate change and food insecurity will require bold, innovative approaches. Beyond certain climate ‘tipping points’, some food systems will not be able to continue existing in their current forms. These include hotspots where severe impacts of climate change — including floods, droughts and temperature extremes — are already occurring, or are projected for the future.

Fo o d s y s t e m s i n t h e s e hotspots will need to be fundamentally transformed to build resilience against climate change.

‘Transformative adaptation’ — defined as promoting long-term resilience by changing the fundamental

T

attributes of a system in response to actual or expected climate change and its effects — could be part of the answer to this crisis.

Transformation contrasts with incremental adaptation, the currently prevalent practice of trying to maintain existing food systems through less dramatic measures like more drought-tolerant varieties of familiar crops and more efficient water management.

Transformation is happening — but not for all farmers A recently released report from the World Resources Institute highlights three types of actions that can signal when transformative adaptation in agriculture is occurring, as well as examples of such changes in India.

The first action is the relocation of entire crop and livestock systems to different locations. In Himachal Pradesh, increasing winter temperatures have contributed to a decrease in apple production.

Where local land tenure arrangements would allow, farmers have shifted apple production to higher altitudes with more suitable temperatures. In lower altitudes, they are intercropping with vegetables and fruits such as tomatoes, peas, broccoli, kiwis, and pomegranates. In Maharashtra, farmers in

drought-prone regions have shifted to pomegranates from grapes due to falling ground water levels, along with increasing input costs.

The second type is to align crop and livestock production to changing ecosystems and natural resources. In south Gujarat, many farmers have shifted to aquaculture. They used to grow paddy and other crops, saltwater ingress in fertile soil made it impossible for them to continue.

The third action is to adopt new technologies that change the existing agricultural production in significant ways. For example, use of regular and storm-resistant greenhouses in India is on the rise.

These structures reduce crop losses that would normally occur due to water scarcity or extreme rainfall events. They may also make it possible for farmers to produce new types of crops. Despite these promising examples in which wealthier farmers have been able to adopt transformative practices on their own, such examples are scattered. The poorer, more vulnerable farmers lack access to resources such as capital, credit, and information required to make such fundamental changes.

Policy and institutional support crucial for transformative

adaptation For transformative adaptation to be adopted efficiently on a larger scale, across different geographies and by vulnerable communities, policy and institutional support is a must. Incorporating longerterm planning based on climate risks, in consultation with local communities, can help identify instances where transformative adaptation is needed. In addition to credit, technology, resilient seeds and livestock, scaling transformative adaptation may also require transforming land tenure, labour, finance, and insurance availability.

Governments need better information and analyses to identify tipping points and vulnerable hotspots so they can plan for transformative adaptation. Globally, influential organizations like the Food & Agricultural Organization (FAO) and Consortium of International Agricultural Research Centres (CGIAR) can pioneer research to build evidence and knowledge to support such efforts.

Towards a cultural shift Scaling up transformative adaptation will require complementary efforts to shift cultural and behavioural preferences to encourage uptake and create market demand for the new crops.

The ‘Millet Mission’ in India is an example. The revival of the hardy, drought-resistant crop, which is a better fit for increasingly waterstressed regions, was promoted among farmers, encouraging a shift away from water-intensive paddy and maize, across states in India. This was accompanied by inclusion of millet in the Public Distribution System (PDS), and awareness drives to change consumer dietary patterns through millet recipe books in local languages and supporting local centres to create millet-based products.

Fundamental shifts away from the status-quo are always difficult to achieve, both because of resistance to change and political sensitivities, and lack of access to the essential resources. It is politically convenient to prioritize actions that provide easy solutions for the short-term, rather than decades into the future. However, tackling climate change will require trading present benefits for future gains, and making long term investments for more resilient development.

Parvathi Preethan works with Climate Resilience Practice program and Namrata Ginoya with Energy program at World Resources Institute India.

(As published by Mongabay India)

The ‘Whole Child Approach’

he “Whole Child Approach” aims at recognizing the health and happiness requirements of children with equal priority to academic results. It is an ideal way to cultivate a student’s personal and academic evolution, which is also what the top-tier colleges and universities in the world expect to see in a student’s portfolio.

According to a June 2021 study, over 10% of university students in Bangladesh have been suffering from mental disturbances induced predominantly by the Covid-19 lockdown and closure restrictions. It stated that the root of their anxiety had mostly been the thoughts of failing in their career, especially if they became ineligible for government jobs due to age restrictions.

While this data indicates our students’ stiffened dependency on academic progressions, it also unveils the sad truth that a significant portion of our youth do not consider other skills as important as their academic grades.

What’s more worrisome is that this is, in fact, a process that has been developing for decades due to several loopholes in our

education system and the perceptions of those involved in it. Most parents in Bangladesh are yet to surmount the age-old exercise of stigmatization when their children fail to achieve high marks in the school exams.

As the numbers in the test sheets become more important to them than the integrity of friendship and coexistence, children also begin to show symptoms of developing a selfish and prejudiced personality. And when this continues to happen at an alarming rate, society eventually sees lesser and lesser valuation of humane qualities that are absorbed through the practice of arts, culture, and sports.

Great films like Dead Poets Society (1989), Where is the Friend’s House?

(1987), and Taare Zameen Par (2007) portray the significance of an individual’s growth from the inside, especially during the early years of their lives. It has been underlined by classic literary pieces like Chhuti

by Rabindranath Tagore, that children, if not given enough opportunity to open up with their passions, soon tend to forget they had one in the first place.

On the other hand, we see countries like Japan pro-

moting mental health and social skill development of children with more importance than textbook-based evaluation of their fates. The first three years for every Japanese child are dedicated solely to character formation, as they do not have to attend any examination till then. Similar kinds of formats have been gaining increased attention across other countries of the world, where educational institutes take a holistic approach while delineating their youth-development frameworks. Commonly known as the “Whole Child Approach,” this method aims at recognizing the health and happiness requirements of children with equal priority to academic results.

It has been noted that when parents and teachers place their attention on the mental wellbeing of the children, academic and other results mostly tend to show positive outcomes quite naturally.

A simple explanation behind this could be that children are more vulnerable to the adversities in their surroundings, and so when they feel more understood, engaged, and supported -- it reflects onto their overall performances.

Plus, activities beyond academics are a core part of the whole child approach.

Different indoor and outdoor sports enable children to grow their cognitive and motor skills.

Co-curricular activities enhance their expressional aptitude and propagate concerns regarding community values among the students.

These also prepare them to evolve as responsible civilians with refined conscience.

Thousands of students every year try to get admission to top universities in Bangladesh.

While only a handful of them make it to their dream destinations, others are left to wonder what went wrong with their applications.

A whole child approach is an ideal way to cultivate a student’s personal and academic evolution, which is also what the top-tier colleges and universities in the world expect to see in a student’s portfolio. Reputed foreign universities have a limited number of seats; hence, it is needless to say that only those who show the potential to create an impact in the world with their actions shall receive priority during the selection of foreign admissions and scholarships.

Few institutions in Bangladesh follow the International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum, which safeguards the values of a whole child approach, nurturing their students under precisely planned academics and beyond.

IB gives equal precedence to activities beyond academics to make students more future-ready and open to competing at the global standards with a vast array of knowledge and a firm

understanding of contemporary world trends.

We must create more awareness regarding the Whole Child Approach among future parents because their changes of perception might as well be the key to creating more resilient and multi-talented generations.

Syeda Sultana Razia is the Head of K-12 Bengali Department, International School Dhaka.

(As published by Dhaka Tribune)

Reader’s Post

Let’s not forget mental well-being Sir,

For most of us, fitness is only confined to the “physical” aspect of our health. We generally forget that our total wellbeing comprises mental wellness as well.

Dealing with mental illness is challenging not just for the people who are suffering but their entire family.

Societal discrimination further aggravates their problems and hampers recovery and rehabilitation.

Helping one another choose empowerment over shame is the need of the hour and our responsibility as human beings. Mental health has to be treated as equal to physical health and this is the biggest inequality that needs to be corrected.

Tovika Asumi, Kohima

Reader’s note: Articles or letters published in any of the columns do not reflect the view of this newspaper nor that of the Editor in any manner.

The sea phase of maiden bilateral tri-service Excersie Konkan Shakti 2021 between Flag of United Kingdom and Flag of India commenced off the Konkan coast in Arabian Sea. (PTI)

licopters (Sea King, Chetak and Wildcat), transiting through war-at-sea scenarios,” he said.

The official said the simulated induction of Army troops was also undertaken and was followed by the setting up of a joint command operations centre.

The two forces thereafter effected a rendezvous at sea with advanced air and subsurface exercises.

The air operations included strikes on the combined formation by Indian maritime patrol aircraft (MPA) Dornier, fighters of the Indian Navy MiG 29Ks, Royal Navy’s F35Bs and Indian Air Force’s SU-30 and Jaguar jets, he said.

Commander Madhwal said sub-surface exercises with an Indian Scorpeneclass submarine and underwater remote-controlled vehicle EMATT, operated by the Royal Navy, were undertaken through the night.

He said the superior level of interoperability displayed during the exercise reflected the high standards of professionalism and preparedness of both navies.

“It is also reflective of a high level of mutual trust and understanding that has been built over a period of many years,” the official said.

The British High Commission said personnel of all three services from both countries were participating in the tri-service exercise and described it as the “most ambitious conducted by the two countries to date”.

It said the exercise is another step in deepening bilateral defence and security ties and boosting strategic cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region.

The high commission said the exercise provides an opportunity for the armed forces of two outward-looking, confident democracies to work in synergy and uphold our shared commitment to peace and security.

“The CSG’s engagement with India showcases

the deepening comprehensive strategic partnership.

Both the Indian and the Royal Navy are blue-water, multi-carrier navies, which places us in a very exclusive club,” said First Sea Lord Admiral and Chief of Naval Staff of the UK Admiral Tony Radakin.

“Our growing interactions are a testimony to the shared commitment to a rules-based international system, a belief in the values of open trade, and in the importance of the freedom of the high seas -- a right conveyed on all nations,” he said. Elaborating on the sea phase of the exercise, Commander Madhwal said all participating units were split into two opposing forces

with the aim of achieving ‘sea control’ to land Army ground-troops at a pre-designated site. He said one force comprised INS Chennai, other warships of the Indian Navy as well as HMS Richmond, the Royal Navy’s Type 23 frigate.

The other force was operated under the UK’s Carrier Strike Group comprising aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth, other UK and Netherland naval ships, and Indian warships.

“The two forces integrated within their groups with exercises such as replenishment at sea approaches, air direction and strike operations by fighter aircraft (MiG 29Ks and F35Bs), cross control of he-

Guj court asks Rahul to appear on Oct 29 in defamation case

UP farmer dies of shock after seeing crop destroyed

PM should dismiss Goa CM, Minister for graft: Congress

JAMMU, OCT 26 (PTI): Jammu and Kashmir BJP chief Ravinder Raina on Tuesday accused PDP president Mehbooba Mufti of having “Talibani ideology” and said anyone who celebrated Pakistan’s recent win over India in a T20 World Cup match would be jailed for “conspiring” against the country.

Mehbooba Mufti, the former chief minister, on Monday had called on people to take Pakistan’s win over India in a T20 World Cup match in the right spirit, amid reports of anger against Kashmiris for celebrating the neighbouring country’s victory. Pakistan beat India by 10 wickets in a Super 12 game on Sunday in their first win over their arch-rivals in a World Cup match in their 13th attempt. “Some leaders need security cover and are protected round-the-clock by our forces but their heart beats for Pakistan. Mehbooba is of Talibani ideology and she is answerable to the people for supporting an enemy nation which is pushing armed terrorists, conspiring

Ravinder Raina

against us and bleeding J&K. She has committed a grave sin,” Raina said.

Talking to reporters on the sidelines of a function organised by his party to celebrate ‘Vijay Diwas’ (accession day) at Maharaja Hari Singh Park here, the BJP leader said those who have conspired against the country by celebrating Pakistan’s win cannot be spared. “Anyone who poses a threat to the territorial integrity and sovereignty of our motherland will be bulldozed and crushed. FIRs have been registered against those who celebrated Pakistan’s win in Kashmir and elsewhere and created a ruckus under a conspiracy are being identified. Police, CID and NIA are taking

action against them and all of them will be put in jail,” Raina said. Six people were detained in Samba district, while several FIRs were registered against those who celebrated the victory of the Pakistan cricket team.

Union minister Rao Inderjit Singh joined a large number of BJP leaders and workers to celebrate the accession day and paid rich tributes to the last Dogra ruler of J&K Maharaja Hari Singh. The national flag was also hoisted on the occasion.

Accession Day marks the signing of the instrument of accession by the maharaja with the governor-general of India, Lord Moutbatten, on October 26, 1947 to join the then dominion of India.

“Vijay Diwas is like Republic and Independence day for us as this was the day when our maharaja made J&K an integral part of India… some parts of Jammu and Kashmir are still under the illegal occupation of Pakistan and China and the day is not far when we will hoist the tricolour there as well,” Raina said in his address to the gathering.

Gaurav Vallabh

sitting judge of the Supreme Court,” Congress national spokesperson Gaurav Vallabh said while addressing a press conference here.

“The Prime Minister should come and answer.

You do ‘Mann ki Baat’.

Have one ‘Mann ki Baat’ on this issue. After being intimated by the Governor of state, why did you not initiate any action against the Goa Chief Minister? I hope by today evening, the Prime Minister will take action against Sawant and the entire cabinet,” Vallabh said.

Malik in a TV interview on Monday said that he had informed Prime Minister Narendra Modi about the corruption in the BJPled coalition government in Goa, but was soon transferred from his post in the coastal state to Meghalaya.

evidence. Contending that Aryan Khan was “wrongly arrested”, Rohatgi said the only thing against him was he arrived with Merchant, and apparently had knowledge of the drugs found on the latter, and hence, had “conscious possession”.

However, in Aryan Khan’s case, there was no conscious possession at all and even if this is considered the maximum punishment is one year for the 6 gms (seized from Merchant).

He also questioned the NCB’s charges under various acts including charging him with conspiracy, and said that the WhatsApp chats recovered from Aryan Khan’s phone, which are cited but not on record, don’t relate to the cruise party.

Moreover, he said even if there was a plan to smoke

there, it was aborted as they were arrested before, but the penalty (by the NCB) was of consumption, and argued that there was no case of either consumption, sale, or purchase of drugs.

Rohatgi said that Aryan is not accusing anybody from the NCB nor concerned or connected with the ‘Panch Witness’ (Prabhakar Sail or Kiran Gosavi) and their allegations, adding that while the NCB Mumbai said it (the controversy) was due to some political leader, today they are blaming Aryan for it.

He pointed out that Aryan Khan’s mobile phone was not seized and when the court asked the basis for the chats, Rohatgi said they were older chats and nothing to do with the cruise case.

LU C K N OW, O C T 2 6 (IANS): Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav has expressed the apprehension that the Modi government may withdraw the farm laws in view of the upcoming Punjab and Uttar Pradesh elections and later implement them afresh, once elections get over.

Accusing the BJP of only serving the corporates, he said the BJP government is committed to serve the industrialists who have already set up silos and other infrastructure because of the farm laws.

“Ho sakta hai, main aaj keh raha hoon aapse ki Punjab ke chunao dekhte hue, Uttar Pradesh ke chunao dekhte hue, ho sakta hai kisano ke kanoon rad kar diye jayen aur phir chunav ke baad naye kanoon phir aa jayenge (There is a possibility, I am telling you today. Keeping in mind the elections in Punjab and Uttar Pradesh, the three farm laws may be recalled and implemented again in a new form after the elections),” Akhilesh told reporters in an informal interaction.

He said the BJP gov-

Akhilesh Yadav

ernment will implement the farm laws afresh after the elections because it is committed to help the corporates who have already spent money on setting up the infrastructure required once

the farm laws are implemented. Akhilesh further said the government may soon “sell” the recently inaugurated airport in Kushinagar and added that it is selling away everything primarily to deprive the benefits like reservation in employment which will not be applicable once the project is taken over by a private entity. “Don’t be misled by the gala inauguration of the Kushinagar airport recently.

For the BJP leaders it was like visiting a property that a common man plans to sell,” he said.

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Public College of Commerce Dimapur : NagalaND

Notice for Class Xii Examination Form Fill up

Students who appeared in the HSSLC Examination 2021 as regular candidates but could not qualify, are hereby directed to contact the college office on or before 01/11/2021 with original copy of mark sheet and admit card and a coloured passport photo with white background.

2nd repeaters are directed to contact their exam centre Eastern Christian College immediately.

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Those celebrating Pak win over India in T20 match will be jailed: J&K BJP chief

PANAJI, OCT 26 (IANS): The Congress party on Tuesday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to immediately dismiss Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and his cabinet ministers in the wake of serious corruption allegations levelled by former state Governor Satya Pal Malik in an interview to a national news channel.

Malik, who is currently the Governor of Meghalaya, had said that there was rampant corruption in Goa, even during the Covid pandemic, especially in delivery of ration during the lockdown and turning a blind eye to movement of mining trucks, when the entire state was shut down.

The Congress has also demanded a probe into the allegations by a sitting Supreme Court judge.

“The Prime Minister must immediately dismiss the Chief Minister and his entire council of ministers, because they are directly involved in massive corruption in the middle of the pandemic. I am not saying it, it is a BJP-appointed Governor making these allegations. The allegations should be investigated by a

Fan’s of Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan, hold posters written ‘Release Aryan Khan’ outside Bombay HC, Tuesday. (PTI)

Farm laws may be withdrawn before Punjab, UP polls: Akhilesh Yadav

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SURAT, OCT 26 (PTI): A magistrate court in Surat has directed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to appear before it on October 29 to record his statement in connection with a criminal defamation case against him over his remark on the “Modi surname”. On Monday, Chief Judicial Magistrate A N Dave asked Gandhi to appear on October 29 to record his statement further, after the testimony of two new witnesses were taken since the Congress leader last appeared before the court on June 24 this year.

Prior to it, Gandhi had appeared before the court in October 2019 and pleaded not guilty for his comment.

“The court on Monday orally directed Rahul Gandhi to appear on October 29 to record his further state-

RAMPUR (UTTAR PRADESH), OCT 26 (IANS): Raees Khan, 60, went to see his fields and was shocked to find the paddy crop that he had planted in his 10 bigha land, completely submerged in water.

Unable to bear the damage he had suffered, Khan fainted and died in the field.

His family later found his body in the field.

Khan’s cousin said that he was a heart patient and was suffering from severe stress during the paddy season. Incessant rainfall has affected paddy crops of many farmers in the region.

The cumulative loss suffered by the farmers is still being tabulated, officials said.

Shahbad station house officer (SHO) Sanjay Tomar, said, “The family did not inform us about his death. If they approach us, we will take appropriate steps to assist them. We came to know about the incident from the local villagers.”

MUMBAI, OCT 26 ( I A N S ) : T h e B o m b ay High Court on Tuesday adjourned, till Wednesday, the hearing of the bail application of superstar Shah Rukh Khan’s son Aryan Khan, who has been arrested along with 19 others in the cruise party case by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB).

Making a forceful plea for bail to Aryan Khan, his lawyer and former Attorney General of India Mukul Rohatgi told the court that the star-son was a special invitee to the ship through event manager Prateek Gaba.

Both Aryan and Arbaaz Merchant were caught before they boarded the ship on October 2, nothing was recovered from Aryan, and the NCB has nothing to show he consumed anything (drugs), he said.

“He was arrested on Ocober 3 and his statement recorded. There was no occasion to arrest my client, short and simple,” Rohatgi told a single judge bench of Justice N.W. Sambre.

He pointed out that even though the NCB officers are not police officers, they exercise police powers, and citing a precedent, said that confessions given to them are inadmissible as

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Rahul Gandhi

ment over the testimonies of two new witnesses. He is likely to remain present before the court between 3 pm and 6 pm on that day,” Gandhi’s lawyer Kirit Panwala said. BJP legislator from Surat, Purnesh Modi, had filed a complaint against Gandhi in April 2019 under Indian Penal Code Sections 499 and 500, that deal with defamation.

In his complaint, the MLA had alleged that Gandhi while addressing a poll rally in 2019 defamed the entire Modi community by saying “how come all the thieves have Modi as the common surname?”

Purnesh Modi is now a minister in the new Gujarat government led by Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, holding the portfolios of road and building, transport, civil aviation, and tourism and pilgrimage development. Since Gandhi’s last appearance before the court, testimonies were taken of two more witnesses -- the then electoral officer of Kolar in Karnataka where the Congress leader made the speech, and a video recorder employed by the Election Commission to record his speech.

Aryan Khan bail plea: Bombay HC to continue hearing today

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India, UK conduct mega tri-services wargame

NEW DELHI, OCT 26 (PTI): India and the UK are carrying out a series of complex military drills as part of a tri-services wargame in the Arabian Sea, billed as the most ambitious exercise by the two countries ever.

T h e U K ’s C a r r i e r Strike Group (CSG) led by its largest warship HMS Queen Elizabeth and several other frontline ships of the two navies are participating in the week-long ‘Konkan Shakti’ exercise that began on October 21, officials said.

A carrier battle group or carrier strike group is a mega naval fleet comprising an aircraft carrier, accompanied by a large number of destroyers, frigates and other ships. The UK is only the third country after the US and Russia with which India is conducting a tri-services exercise. Indian Navy’s MiG 29K jets, the Royal Navy’s F-35B aircraft and Indian Air Force’s SU-30 and Jaguar fighters were among the key assets deployed for the exercise, the officials said.

Indian Navy Spokesperson Commander Vivek Madhwal said the sea phase of the maiden tri-service exercise commenced off the Konkan coast in the Arabian Sea on Sunday after the completion of an exhaustive harbour phase.

7

NATIONAL

NAGALAND POST, DIMAPUR WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2021

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Contact : 8787846646

Email : kudatech1@gmail.com

8

BUSINESS/STATE DA hike to 31% effective from this year, Finance Minister July 1: FinMin Nirmala Sitharaman had

Law to regulate cryptocurrencies likely

NEW DELHI, OCT 26 (AGENCIES): A legal framework to regulate and govern the burgeoning cryptocurrency investment market in India may now see the light of the day by next February. Finance Ministry officials have told Business Today Television that a law for cryptocurrencies would most likely come around by the time of the next general Budget, Business Today reported.

The proposed framework is likely to veer away from an earlier approach that had proposed a complete ban on cryptocurrencies. Instead, the government is likely to opt for regulating cryptocurrencies as an “asset” class, somewhat on the lines of commodities, with appropriate taxation of transactions and gains.

Officials of the Finance Ministry and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) remain engaged in fine-tuning the conceptual framework and the necessary regulations, another official added. The thinking, the Finance Ministry official said, was towards a regulation that seeks to avoid potential pitfalls. “What should not

happen tomorrow is that if I start a personal digital currency, and after good marketing everybody buys it and once it has appreciated, I run away since I am a private player! Everybody has actually bought that currency by using other assets.

Government needs to look at regulation in order to avoid the above”.

Currently, India does not have any legal framework governing the issuance, use, and trade of cryptocurrencies. India is said to be among the fastest growing cryptocurrency markets globally, with an estimated 15 million Indians having invested in private cryptocurrencies in the recent past.

A combination of factors including dozens of start-ups operating in this space has fuelled an unprecedented in-

vestment boom, despite the seeming risks of investing in an unregulated product.

Cryptocurrency trading in India has witnessed a sharp uptick since May this year, after the RBI clarification that told regulated banks to not warn customers against cryptocurrency trading. That move capped a legal challenge to an earlier 2018 order by the central bank barring cryptocurrency transactions.

In 2019, a Finance Ministry committee had proposed a draft Bill – the Banning of Cryptocurrency & Regulation of Official Digital Currency Bill. The move was quietly scrapped.

Over the past several months, the central government seems to have preferred to tread cautiously on this matter. In March

said that the cabinet note on cryptocurrencies was nearing completion. “While we are very clear that the RBI may take a call on official cryptocurrency, but from our side we are very clear, we are not shutting all options off. We will allow a certain amount of windows for people to use so that the experiments in blockchain, Bitcoin will have that window available.”

In September this year, RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das was quoted as saying that the central bank had conveyed its serious and major concerns about cryptocurrencies from the point of view of financial stability.

“The government will take a decision. I think we need more credible answers as to whether going forward with the whole private cryptocurrencies, what contribution will it bring to Indian economy,” Das had said.

Earlier this month, Sitharaman was quoted as saying that the proposed framework was “in the last stages for the Union Cabinet to take it up, have a discussion and take a position”.

NEW DELHI, OCT 26 (PTI): Dearness Allowance for central government employees has been hiked to 31 per cent of the basic pay from 28 per cent with effect from July 1, 2021, the Finance Ministry said.

In an office memorandum, the Department of Expenditure, under the Finance Ministry, said the term ‘basic pay’ means the pay drawn as per the 7th pay commission matrix and does not include any other type of pay like special pay, etc. “....the Dearness Allowance payable to central government employees shall be enhanced from the existing rate of 28 per cent to 31 per cent of the basic pay with effect from July 1, 2021,” said the office memorandum dated October 25.

The hike will also apply to civilian employees paid from the Defence Services, while in respect of Armed Forces personnel and Railway employees, separate orders will be issued by the Defence and Railways Ministry, respectively.

NAGALAND POST, DIMAPUR WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2021

BAN asks state govt to provide Covid-19...

(From p-1) Seeking credit guarantee scheme, they proposed that each bank should be given a target and 3% interest supported by the State government (linked to industrial policy).

Finally, they urged the government departmentsto follow e-tendering process for all purchases and contracts by giving 15% price preference and exemption of earnest money to local entrepreneurs as per the provision under Nagaland Industrial Policy, 2004.

According to the BAN leaders, the Covid-19 pandemic had caused havoc around the world and governments had responded to the threat with appropriate health measures and lockdowns. Acknowledging that the Nagaland government too had taken steps to improve health infrastructure, for which crores of rupees had been allocated, they pointed out that the new reality has been compounded by the severe economic toll from the outbreak.

They observed that Naga entrepreneurs, who were mostly first-generation businesspersons, were not ready for such an unprec-

edented event. They said many businesses had closed, some were barely managing and many were on the verge of closing, adding that the employees attached to these businesses also stood to lose their jobs.

Mentioning that only business activities and industrycould bring about strong economy that could usher in a new era of prosperity for the Nagas, they said as the State government could no longer provide jobs to thousands of youth passing out from schools, colleges and training institutions every year, employment could only be created by existing and upcoming enterprises.

They said a vibrant local economy would also ensure that the State government earned more revenue through taxes to help fund public works and services, while building and maintaining the infrastructure.

Keeping these in mind, they claimed that BAN had written to the chief minister on the plight of Naga entrepreneurs, following which a consultative meeting was called by commissioner &secretaryof industries & commerceon September 8

this year, followed by another meeting at Nagaland Industrial Development Corporation (NIDC), Dimapuron September 22.

During these meetings, they said BAN took up matters of importance of the business community like State Industrial Policy, streamlining of PMEGP loan scheme, illegal occupation of industrial shed

by CRPF at Dimapur, Covid-19 stimulus package for Naga entrepreneurs and so on.

They pointed out that the Central government had announced stimulus package worth lakhs of crores since the pandemic started, most of which was in the form of government credit guarantees. These guarantees were in the nature of promises that the government would provide a back-stop if the creditors defaulted on loans that they take from banks.

However, they observed that the ground reality in Nagaland was that entrepreneurs were struggling to get loans from banks in the first place, which was further aggravated by the non-implementation of SARFAESI Act.

India’s tax revenues likely to beat forecast Rupee recovers 12 paise to close at 74.96 as crude oil eases

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Sensex ended 383.21 points or 0.63 per cent higher at 61,350.26, while the broader NSE Nifty advanced 143 points or 0.79 per cent to close at 18,268.40.

Brent crude futures, the global oil benchmark, fell 0.40 per cent to USD 85.65 per barrel. Foreign institutional investors were net sellers in the capital market on Monday as they offloaded shares worth Rs 2,459.10 crore, as per exchange data.

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Job Job

that on the global front, focus will be on the US consumer confidence number and a better-than-expected number could extend gains for the dollar. “ We e x p e c t t h e USDINR(Spot) to trade sideways and quote in the range of 74.70 and 75.20,” Somaiyaa said.

T h e d o l l a r i n d ex , which gauges the greenback’s strength against a basket of six currencies, fell 0.01 per cent to 93.80.

On the domestic equity market front, the BSE

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No. 10077 Yesterday’s solution No. 10076

local unit.

“Rupee consolidated in a narrow range in the first hour of the session but rose sharply on back of gains in domestic equities and retracement in the dollar against its major crosses,” said Gaurang Somaiyaa, Forex & Bullion Analyst, Motilal Oswal Financial Services.

Market participants remain cautious ahead of the important fiscal balance numbers that will be released on the domestic front.

Somaiyaa further said

dC-1041/21

currency.

Sriram Iyer, Senior Research Analyst at Reliance Securities, stated that the rupee appreciated due to broad advances in regional equities and currencies. Easing crude oil prices and US Treasury yields during the European trading session also helped the local unit.

“Additionally, fund flows will continue into the initial public offerings this week and that has supported the rupee over the last few trading sessions,” Iyer said, adding that Asian and most of the emerging market currencies were trading higher on Tuesday and lent support.

However, dollar demand from state-run banks, likely on behalf of importers, capped large gains in the

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MUMBAI, OCT 26 (PTI): The rupee snapped its twosession losing streak to settle 12 paise higher at 74.96 against the US dollar on Tuesday, tracking a positive trend in domestic equities and losses in crude oil prices.

A weaker greenback against major global rivals and easing US Treasury yields also supported the local unit, analysts said.

At the interbank forex market, the rupee opened higher at 75.05 against the greenback and later witnessed an intra-day high of 74.95 and a low of 75.17.

It finally ended at 74.96 against the American currency.

On Monday, the rupee had declined by 18 paise to close at 75.08 against the US

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Crossword

India aims to raise 1.75 trillion rupees in the current fiscal year through sales of stakes in state-run companies and is hoping the sale of Air India to conglomerate Tata will provide an impetus. The listing of fully state-owned Life Insurance Corp. (LIC) could fetch up to a further 1 trillion rupees, according to another government official. “We are working very hard to complete the listing of LIC and we should be able to do it by March,” the third official said.

Ratings agency Moody’s Investors Service this month upgraded its outlook on India to stable from negative, saying downside risks in the country and its financial institutions had eased.

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economy grew 20.1% between April and June, versus a 24.4% contraction during the same period last year.

“Activity levels have improved a lot. All indicators are showing a fasterthan-anticipated recovery, we are set to beat our own (tax) estimates this year if all remains well,” the second official said.

The finance ministry did not immediately reply to emails and messages seeking comment on tax revenues.

If tax payments remain strong and the government is able to hit the 2021-22 target for revenues from its ongoing privatisation programme, then it will be able to beat its fiscal deficit projection of 6.8% by as much as 30-40 basis points, the second official said.

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NEW DELHI, OCT 26 (REUTERS): India’s government expects tax revenues for the current financial year to be 10% above budget, beating forecasts for the first time in four years, two officials said, as the economy powers back towards pre-pandemic levels.

Tax revenues, budgeted at 15.45 trillion rupees ($206 billion) for the year to March 31, have been below projections ever since 2017-18, as the economy lost momentum even before COVID-19 and then slipped into a deep recession. But now retail sales have picked up and exports are surging at a record rate, suggesting it is rebounding faster than anticipated after a devastating second wave of coronavirus infections this year. India’s

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9

INTERNATIONAL

NAGALAND POST, DIMAPUR WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2021

organisations express solidarity Sudan coup: protesters burn tires, block roads 89 against B’desh communal violence

CAIRO, OCT 26 (AP): Pro-democracy protesters blocked roads in Sudan’s capital with makeshift barricades and burning tires Tuesday, a day after the military seized power in a swift coup widely denounced by the international community.

The country’s Sudan’s top general said the prime minister of the dissolved government — who was arrested Monday along with other officials — was being detained for own safety at the general’s own house, not in a prison. He said Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok was in good health.

The takeover came after weeks of mounting tensions between military and civilian leaders over the course and the pace of Sudan’s transition to democracy. It threated to derail that process, which has progressed in fits and starts since the overthrow of longtime autocrat Omar al-Bashir in a popular uprising two years ago.

The United Nations Security Council was to

Protesters use fires to block streets to condemn a takeover by military officials in Khartoum, Sudan. (Photo Credit- AP)

discuss the situation in a closed-door meeting later in the day.

In his second public appearance since seizing power, Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan said Tuesday that the military was forced to step to resolve a political deadlock.

“The whole country was suspended due to political rivalries,” he told a televised news conference.

“The experience during the past two years has proven that the participation of political forces in the transitional period is flawed and stirs up strife.”

Western governments and

the U.N. condemned the coup and called for the release of Hamdok and other senior officials who were detained. U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration announced the suspension of $700 million in emergency assistance to Sudan, a nation in Africa linked by language and culture to the Arab world.

But Burhan raised the possibility that some of those being held could face trial — for what he called incitement against the military. Mariam al-Mahdi, the foreign minister in the government that the military dissolved, was defiant

Tuesday, declaring that she and other members of Hamdok’s administration remained the legitimate authority in Sudan.

“We are still in our positions. We reject such coup and such unconstitutional measures,” she told The Associated Press over the phone from her home in Khartoum. “We will continue our peaceful disobedience and resistance.”

Hours after the military arrested Hamdok, Sudanese flooded the streets of the capital, Khartoum, and other cities in protest.

At least four people were killed and over 80 wounded when security forces opened fire on protesters, according to the Sudan Doctors’ Committee.

The country and the world are now braced to see if more violence will unfold in the nation, which saw a bloody crackdown on pro-democracy protests in 2019. Some protesters remained in the streets of Khartoum and its twin city of Omdurman on Tuesday morning, with many roads blocked. A bigger

test of how the military will respond to the resistance could come Saturday when protesters plan a mass march to demand a return to civilian rule.

Troops from the military and the feared Rapid Support Forces patrolled Khartoum neighborhoods overnight, chasing protesters. The international group Human Rights Watch said forces used live ammunition against demonstrators.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken called for an immediate halt to violence against protesters and for the restoration of internet services. He said the U.S. was coordinating with partners to “chart a common diplomatic approach to address these actions and to prevent them from leading to further instability in Sudan and the region.”

On Monday, Burhan dissolved the Hamdok government and the Sovereign Council, a joint military and civilian body created soon after alBashir’s ouster to run the country.

DHAKA, OCT 26 (IANS): A total of 89 organisations in Bangladesh have expressed solidarity against the recent communal violence in the country that erupted earlier this month during which five people lost their lives.

The groups expressed solidarity with Sampriti Bangladesh, a citizens’ platform promoting secularism, which has demanded taking quick legal actions against all the perpetrators of the violence that broke out on October 13 due to the placing of a Quran at a Durga Puja mandap.

Pijush Bandyopadhyay, convenor of Sampriti Bangladesh, staged a rally at the Central Shaheed Minar in Dhaka on Monday during which the organisation leaders put forward seven proposals aimed at resisting fundamentalism in the country.

The participants observed that the communal attacks wereattempts to destroy the ideology of Bang-

The organizations demanded quick legal action against communal forces.

abandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the spirit of the 1975 Libertion War. The rally was addressed by Dhaka University Vice Chancellor Md Akhtaruzzaman, former Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University Vice Chancellor Kamrul Hassan Khan, Dhaka University Teachers Association chief Professor Nizamul Haque Bhuiyan, Chand-

pur Science & Technology University Vice Chancellor Nasim Akhtar, Projonmo 71 President Asif Munir Tonmoy, among others.

The speakers demanded the quickest possible actions against those involved in the recent and past communal clashes, prompt actions from the administration, repair of the damaged temples and houses.

FB knew about & failed to police Myanmar skips ASEAN summit after its military ruler shut out abusive content globally: Document ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi in February.

Brunei, who is this year’s chair of the 10-member bloc, invited Myanmar’s highest-ranking veteran diplomat, Chan Aye, as a “non-political” representative but she didn’t attend the meeting, two diplomats said. The diplomats requested anonymity as they are not authorized to speak to the media.

Myanmar’s Foreign Ministry vowed late Monday to challenge ASEAN’s unprecedented move to

downgrade its participation in the three-day virtual summit, which is being held by video due to coronavirus concerns. The ministry said it will only accept representation by the country’s top general, who heads its government and ruling military council, or a ministerial-level representative.

The talks will be joined by other world leaders including U.S. President Joe Biden and the leaders of China and Russia, and are expected to spotlight

Myanmar’s worsening crisis, as well as regional security and economic issues.

Biden’s participation will be the first time since 2017 that a U.S. leader has attended the ASEAN summit.

The military takeover in Myanmar triggered widespread protests and led to a violent crackdown by authorities. Almost 1,200 civilians are estimated to have been killed by security forces, though the government has claimed a lower death toll.

NEW YORK, OCT 26 (AGENCIES): Facebook staff have warned for years that as the company raced to become a global service it was failing to police abusive content in countries where such speech was likely to cause the most harm, according to interviews with five ex-employees and internal company documents viewed by Reuters.

For over a decade, Facebook has pushed to become the world’s dominant online platform. It currently operates in more than 190 countries and boasts more than 2.8 billion monthly users who post content in more than 160 languages. But its efforts to prevent its products from becoming conduits for hate speech, inflammatory rhetoric and misinformation - some which has been blamed for inciting violence - have not kept pace with its global expansion.

Inter nal company documents viewed by Reuters show Facebook has known that it hasn’t hired

enough workers who possess both the language skills and knowledge of local events needed to identify objectionable posts from users in a number of developing countries. The documents also showed that the artificial intelligence systems Facebook employs to root out such content frequently aren’t up to the task, either; and that the firm hasn’t made it easy for its global users themselves to flag posts that violate the site’s rules.

Those shortcomings, employees warned in the documents, could limit the company’s ability to make good on its promise to block hate speech and other rule-breaking posts in places from Afghanistan to Yemen.

In a review posted to Facebook’s internal message board last year regarding ways the firm identifies abuses on its site, one employee reported “significant gaps” in certain countries at risk of real-world violence, especially Myanmar and Ethiopia. The documents

TEL AVIV, OCT 26 (PTI): Describing India as a “strategic priority”, Israel’s prestigious Tel Aviv University (TAU) has said that it will expand its partnership with its academic institutions and industries to boost bilateral ties as the two countries mark 30 years of their diplomatic relations next year.

TAU hosted External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar last week during his fiveday maiden visit to Israel where he met with Presidents and senior executives

of several leading academic institutions, including Tel Aviv University, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, the Technion, Ben Gurion University, Haifa University and Bar Ilan University to discuss opportunities for expanding and deepening academic ties between the two countries.

Jaishankar also interacted with a group of Indian students studying in Israel to hear about their experiences and suggestions for how to expand students’

mobility.

He noted that universities play a significant role in strengthening bilateral relations and whilst “there has been increased cooperation in the higher education field in recent years, there is much potential to boost ties in many fields, including technology and innovation”.

Currently, there are around 1,000 Indian students studying in Israel, almost half of them postdoctoral fellows.

2 dead due to severe weather in Italy, alert issued

Russia’s Covid deaths mark another high

Israel envoy to brief US over ban on Palestinian groups

Pak ready to talk, afraid to wound Islamists

ROME, OCT 26 (IANS): Severe weather battered southern Italy, with alerts issued for four regions and at least two people dies as a result in the major island of Sicily. A wave of heavy rainfalls has been hitting several areas since Sunday, with some 400 emergency calls to firefighters in the southern island and further 180 in the Calabria region over the last 24 hours.

A couple aged 67 and 54 went missing after their car was swept away by a flood in the province of Catania, east Sicily, since Sunday.

As of mid-Monday, the body of the man was recovered while searching activities were still ongoing for his wife, the Fire Corp stated. The mayor of Catania ordered schools, public gardens, and cemeteries to remain closed due to severe damages and flooding registered across the city.

Beside Catania, the most affected areas included Sicily’s Siracusa, and Calabria’s Reggio Calabria and Vibo Valentia cities, according to firefighters.

Four men were stranded by the sudden rise of a local river in the Trapani province and rescued by amphibious emergency teams in the early hours of Monday.

MOSCOW, OCT 26 (AP): The daily number of COVID-19 deaths in Russia hit another high Tuesday amid a surge in infections that forced the Kremlin to order most Russians to stay off work starting this week.

The national coronavirus task force reported 1,106 deaths in 24 hours, the most since the start of the pandemic. The number brought the country’s pandemic death toll to 232,775, Europe’s biggest by far.

Ru s s i a r e g i s t e r e d 36,446 new daily coronavirus cases, slightly fewer compared to the past few days.

In a move intended to stem the spread of the virus, Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered a nonworking period between Oct. 30 and Nov. 7, when the country will observe an extended holiday.

During that time, most state organizations and private businesses are to suspend operations, and most stores will close along with kindergartens, schools, gyms and most entertainment venues. Restaurants and cafes will only be open for takeout or delivery orders. Food stores, pharmacies and businesses operating key infrastructure can stay open.

Access to museums, theaters, concert halls and

are among a cache of disclosures made to the US Securities and Exchange Commission and Congress

by Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen, a former product manager who left the firm in May. Facebook spokesperson Mavis Jones said the company has native speakers worldwide reviewing content in over 70 languages, as well as experts in humanitarian and human rights issues. She said these teams are working to stop abuse on Facebook’s platform in places where there is a heightened risk of conflict and violence.

Jones said Facebook bases its decisions on where to deploy AI on the size of the market and an assessment of the country’s risks. It declined to say in how many countries it did not have functioning hate speech classifiers.

Facebook also says it has 15,000 content moderators reviewing material from its global users. “Adding more language expertise has been a key focus for us,” Jones said.

KUALA LUMPUR, OCT 26 (AP): Southeast Asian leaders on Tuesday began their annual summit without Myanmar, amid a diplomatic standoff over the military-ruled nation’s exclusion from the group’s meetings.

Myanmar skipped the summit in protest after the regional bloc — the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, known as ASEAN — shut out its top general from its meetings.

The group’s refusal to allow Senior Gen. Min

Aung Hlaing to represent Myanmar at the summit was its harshest rebuke yet of the country’s military rulers since the generals

Israel to partner with Indian institutions China continues to bully

A funeral worker carries a coffin cover for a patient who died of COVID-19 in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia.

other venues will be limited to people holding digital codes on their smartphones to prove they have been vaccinated or recovered from COVID-19, a practice that will remain in place after Nov. 7.

Putin has told local officials to order unvaccinated people older than 60 to stay home and to close nightclubs and other entertainment venues.

Authorities also have moved to strengthen the enforcement of mask mandates on public transportation and in indoor venues, which have been loosely observed.

The Russian leader encouraged the worst-affected regions to start the off-work time earlier and possibly extend it beyond Nov. 7. Six of Russia’s 85

Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing

regions began the idle period on Monday, and more joined them Tuesday. Moscow is set to suspend work for most people Thursday.

Russian authorities expect the time off to help limit the spread of contagion by keeping people out of offices and off public transportation.

However, the sales of airline tickets and hotel bookings at Russian Black Sea resorts surged at the news of the extended holiday, forcing authorities in the south to shut entertainment venues and limit access to restaurants and bars to customers with the digital health codes. T our companies also reported a surge in demand for package vacations for Egyptian resorts.

(AP)

TEL AVIV, OCT 26 (AP): Israel is sending an envoy to Washington amid a deepening rift with the Biden administration over six outlawed Palestinian rights groups, a Foreign Ministry official said on Tuesday.

Israel last week designated the prominent Palestinian human rights groups as terrorist organisations, sparking international criticism and repeated assertions by Israel’s top strategic partner, the United States, that there had been no advance warning of the move. Israel’s move marked a major escalation of its decades-long crackdown on political activism in the occupied territories.

The US State Department has said it would seek more information on the decision.

Joshua Zarka, a senior Israeli Foreign Ministry official, told Israeli Army Radio the envoy would “give them all the details and to present them all the intelligence” during his visit in the coming days.

Zarka said he personally updated US officials on Israel’s intention to outlaw the groups last week, and said he believed Washington wanted a more thorough explanation of the decision.

NEW DELHI/ISLAMABAD, OCT 26 (IANS): The Imran Khan-led government in Pakistan is afraid to discipline, but is ready to talk, to various Islamist militant groups that, emboldened by the rise of a Taliban government in Afghanistan next door, are increasingly taking to the streets to force their demands. Challenged from various quarters, the government’s immediate threat comes from the banned Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) that has launched a ‘Long March’ to lay siege to the national capital. The body of hardline Sunni activists demands that the government fight the perceived ‘Islamophobia’ in the Western world. More specifically, it wants the French envoy in Islamabad expelled for France’s expulsion of Islamists at home and its role in the Charlie Hedbdo cartoons controversy.

The government that has banned the TLP has also been talking to its leaders, reportedly committed last November to the envoy’s expulsion and ending of trade ties with France.

This buying of time, or footdragging, has only emboldened other Islamist groups -- Pakistan has scores of them – to join the TLP protests. The Long March, joined by thousands of its

its neighbours: Pentagon

WASHINGTON, OCT 26 (PTI): China continues to bully its neighbours to try to coerce them into behaviour that is more in keeping with its national security or economic interests, the Pentagon said on Monday.

Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby was speaking to reporters at a news conference. “China continues to bully its neighbours to try to coerce them into behaviour that is more in keeping with China’s national security

Imran Khan

workers in major cities, has already caused the deaths of three policemen and two protesters as on October 22 with tensions rising. “On Saturday (October 23), the relatively less-equipped and poorly trained workers of the proscribed TLP had managed to bulldoze all security layers of the Lahore and Sheikhupura police and entered Gujranwala while chanting slogans and calling other activists to join them,” the Dawn newspaper said in a report.

The authorities have deployed para-military forces, including the Frontier Constabulary, the Rangers and Elite Commandos to deal with the marchers.

They were, however, outnumbered as the marchers “pierced through” (as Dawn newspaper described) the authorities’ multi-layered blockades and cordons, including placing of huge steel containers. Going by past experience, such protests have the tendency of being prolonged, leading to

or economic interests. And we don’t believe that that is conducive to a free and open Indo-Pacific,” Kirby said.

The Biden administration, he said, has put a real premium on bolstering and reinforcing its alliances and partnerships in that area and making sure they have proper defensive capabilities in place to deal with the security challenges that exist out there. “So, we’re going to continue to work as hard as we can,” he said.

violence and causing political instability and economic misery for the public.

Prime Minister Khan had himself led one when he was in the opposition and it had lasted several weeks. With the Internet snapped and roads blocked, they also affect economic activity and cause misery to the people. As of last weekend, the TLP had issued what seemed to be a two-day ultimatum. It has lodged itself at Muridke and will not enter Islamabad, 368 km away, while talks are underway. The announcement was made

by Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed who claimed that the talks had “almost succeeded”.

But the TLP declared that “nobody will go home” till demands are fully met.

They include the release of their chief, Saad Hussain Rizvi.

Reflecting confusion over who would conduct the talks, Prime Minister Khan directed that a committee be formed with Noorul Haq Qadri, the religious affairs minister in charge, and left on a threeday visit to Saudi Arabia.

Sensing greater seriousness, however, he directed Rasheed, who was in Dubai to watch IndiaPakistan cricket match, to return home and head the negotiations team.

INFOTAINMENT

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NASA finds first signs of planet outside Milky Way galaxy N ASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory has for the first time spotted signs of a planet transiting a star outside of the Milky Way galaxy, opening up a new avenue to search for exoplanets at greater distances than ever before.

The possible exoplanet -- or planets outside of our Solar System -- candidate is located in the spiral galaxy Messier 51 (M51), also called the Whirlpool Galaxy because of its distinctive profile, NASA said in a statement.

Astronomers have, so far, found all other known exoplanets and exoplanet candidates in the Milky Way galaxy, almost all of them less than about 3,000 light years from Earth.

An exoplanet in M51 would be about 28 million light years away, meaning it would be thousands of times

farther away than those in the Milky Way, NASA said.

“We are trying to open up a whole new arena for finding other worlds by searching for planet candidates at X-ray wavelengths, a strategy that makes it possible to discover them in other galaxies,” said Rosanne Di Stefano of the Center for Astrophysics at Harvard and Smithsonian (CfA) in Cambridge, Massachusetts, who led the study.

The findings are published in the journal Nature Astronomy.

The exoplanet candidate was spotted in a binary system called M51-ULS-1, located in M51. This binary system contains a black hole or neutron star orbiting a companion star with a mass about 20 times that of the Sun. The X-ray transit they found using Chandra data lasted about three hours,

YouTube to demonetise low-quality kids’ videos from November

G An artist’s rendering of the first planet candidate identified outside of our Milky Way galaxy is pictured next the M51 galaxy.

during which the X-ray emission decreased to zero.

Based on this and other information, the team estimate the exoplanet candidate in M51-ULS-1 would be roughly the size of Saturn, and orbit the neutron star or black hole at about twice the distance of Saturn from the Sun. The team looked for X-ray transits in three galaxies beyond the Milky Way galaxy, using both Chandra and the European Space Agency’s XMM-Newton. Their search covered 55 systems in M51, 64 systems in Messier 101 (the “Pinwheel” galaxy), and 119 systems in Messier 104 (the “Sombrero” galaxy).

However, more data would be needed to verify the interpretation as an extragalactic exoplanet. One

‘Squid Game’ creator responds to LeBron James criticising series ending

S

quid Game creator Hwang Dong-huyk has responded to LeBron James’ criticism about the end of the show.

Commenting on the NBA player’s remarks that he enjoyed the Netflix series but disliked the way it ended, Hwang suggested he make his own sequel.

When presented with James’ comments in an interview with The Guardian, Hwang responded: “Have you seen Space Jam 2? LeBron James is cool and can say what he wants. I respect that. I’m very thankful he watched the whole series.

“But I wouldn’t change my ending. That’s my ending. If he has his own ending that would satisfy him, maybe he could make his own sequel.”

Commenting on James’ own recent projects, Hwang added: “I’ll check

it out and maybe send him a message saying, ‘I liked your whole show, except the ending.’”

Meanwhile, Squid Game star Heo Sung-tae recently discussed his journey to becoming an actor.

Heo, who recently gained international recognition for his portrayal of Jang Deok-su in Netflix’s hit series Squid Game, only began acting at the age of 34.

“I used to copy what I saw in movies or what I saw in KBS2’s Gag Concert, or

NAGALAND POST, DIMAPUR WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2021

other comedy shows in the bathroom,” he shared per Allkpop‘s translation. He also revealed that he had never received any formal training in acting.

In a four-star review of Squid Game, NME wrote: “By juxtaposing the innocence of these childish games with the insidious belief that ceaseless, cutthroat competition is the only way modern adults can survive, Squid Game presents a potent microcosm of capitalist society.”

(NME)

challenge is that the planet candidate’s large orbit means it would not cross in front of its binary partner again for about 70 years, thwarting any attempts for a confirming observation for decades, NASA said.

Named in honor of the late Indian-American Nobel laureate, Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar, the Chandra X-ray Observatory is the world’s most powerful X-ray telescope. It has eight-times greater resolution and is able to detect sources more than 20-times fainter than any previous X-ray telescope.

Known to the world as Chandra (which means “moon” or “luminous” in Sanskrit), Chandrasekhar was widely regarded as one of the foremost astrophysicists of the twentieth century. (IANS)

Sikkim bags India’s ‘Most Film Friendly State’ award

S

ikkim was awarded the ‘Most Film Friendly State’ of the country at the 67th National Film Awards.

The award was received by the state’s Information and Public Relations Minister Lok Nath Sharma at Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi on Monday from Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu.

Sikkim was recognised for standing out as a new destination for shooting films in the country, officials in Gangtok said on Tuesday.

The recognition comes as a moment of pride for the state and shall greatly facilitate, setting the foundation for Sikkim to become a premier film destination, while also providing opportunities for the local filmmakers and artistes, they added. (PTI)

oogle-owned YouTube has warned creators that it will start demonetising kids channels on its platform that produce low-quality videos.

YouTube channels that primarily target young audiences are classified as “made for kids”.

“These channels will need to deliver high-quality content and comply with kids-specific monetisation policies,” said James Beser, Director of Product Management, Kids and Family at YouTube.

For example, channels that have predominantly low-quality kids content such as “heavily commercial or promotional” or “encouraging negative behaviours or attitudes” may be suspended from YouTube Partner Programme.

“And if an individual video violates these quality principles, it may see limited or no ads,” Beser added in a blog post late

on Monday.

Earlier in October, YouTube shared additional monetisation policies for channels that primarily create kids and family content on YouTube.

“Going forward, these principles will have not only an impact on recommendations and inclusion in YouTube Kids but also on monetisation,” the company warned.

YouTube said in Q2 2021, it removed more than 1.8 million videos for violation of its child safety policies.

“We have reached out to potentially impacted

creators in order to support them before these changes take effect starting next month,” the company added.

“There is a vibrant community of kids and family content creators that produce high-quality content. And we want to make sure that we’re rewarding these creators and helping them grow and succeed on YouTube,” Beser said.

‘YouTube Kids’ is a separate app that is a filtered version of YouTube, has specific content policies and a much smaller set of channels and videos available. (IANS)

Blue Origin to build a private space station by 2030

A

mazon founder Jeff Bezos’ space firm Blue Origin has announced plans to build a commercial space station called Orbital Reef by second half of this decade.

For the project Blue Origin has partnered with spaceflight company Sierra Space, a subsidiary of the Sierra Nevada Corporation, Boeing, Redwire Space, Genesis Engineering Solutions, and Arizona State University, the company said in statement.

“The station will open the next chapter of human space exploration and development by facilitating the growth of a vibrant ecosystem and business model for the future,” the statement said.

It “will start operating in the second half of this decade”, it added.

The company added that Orbital Reef will be operated as a “mixed use business park” in space.

The orbital outpost will offer a place for researchers, industrial and commercial customers, and international partners to visit and work.

It will have shared infrastructure, featuring a human-centered space architecture with world-class services and amenities.

“As the premier commercial destination in low Earth orbit, Orbital Reef will provide the essential infrastructure needed to scale economic activity and open new markets in space. Reusable space transportation and smart design, accompanied by

advanced automation and logistics, will minimise cost and complexity for both traditional space operators and new arrivals, allowing the widest range of users to pursue their goals,” the company said. “The open system architecture allows any customer or nation to link up and scale to support demand. Module berths, vehicle ports, utilities, and amenities all increase as the market grows.”

Moreover, the orbital outpost may also eventually take the baton from the soon to retire International Space Station (ISS).

“For over 60 years, NASA and other space agencies have developed orbital space flight and space habitation, setting us up for commercial business to take off in this decade,” said Brent Sherwood, Senior Vice President of Advanced Development Programmes for Blue Origin, in the statement.

“We will expand access, lower the cost, and provide all the services and amenities needed to normalize space flight. A vibrant business ecosystem will grow in low Earth orbit, generating new discoveries, new products, new entertainments, and global awareness,” he added.

Besides seasoned space agencies, Orbital Reef also has a place for “nations without space programmes, media and travel companies, funded entrepreneurs and sponsored inventors, and future-minded investors”.

(IANS)

Scientists find mechanism how penicillin can kill MRSA superbug WhatsApp may soon ask users to verify identity to make payments A n international team of researchers has discovered how penicillin and other antibiotics kill MRSA (Methicillin Resistant S. aureus) superbug that is resistant to several antibiotics.

The team led by University of Sheffield, UK, along with Xiamen University in China, Masaryk University in the Czech Republic and McMaster University in Canada, found that the antibiotics lead to the formation of small holes that span the cell wall that gradually enlarge as part of growth-associated processes, eventually killing the bacteria.

I t wa s p r ev i o u s ly known that beta-lactam antibiotics work by preventing cell wall growth,

but exactly how they kill has remained a mystery until now.

The team has also identified some of the enzymes that are involved in making the holes.

“Penicillin and other

antibiotics in its class have been a centrepiece of human healthcare for over 80 years and have saved over 200 million lives. However, their use is severely threatened by the global spread of antimicrobial

resistance,” said Professor Simon Foster, from the University of Sheffield’s School of Biosciences.

“Our findings get to the heart of understanding how existing antibiotics work and give us new avenues for further treatment developments in the face of the global pandemic of antimicrobial resistance,” Foster added.

In the study, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the scientists also showed the efficacy of a novel combination therapy against S. aureus.

The team worked with a simple model for how the bacterial cell wall expands during growth and division and established a hypothesis for what happens when

this is inhibited by antibiotics like penicillin. The predictions of this model were tested using a combination of molecular approaches, including high resolution atomic force microscopy.

Penicillin was discovered in London in September of 1928. In 1930 the first documented use of penicillin as a therapy was carried out in Sheffield

by Cecil George Paine, a member of the University’s Pathology Department.

He treated an eye infection in two babies with a crude filtrate from a penicillin-producing mould supplied by his lecturer, Alexander Fleming, whilst studying at St Mary’s Hospital Medical School in London.

(IANS)

F

acebook-owned WhatsApp may soon ask users to verify their identity to make payments on the platform.

According to XDA Developers, new strings spotted in the latest WhatsApp beta release suggest that the messenger will require users to upload verification documents to continue using payments on WhatsApp. Currently, when users set up WhatsApp Pay in India, the service only verifies the phone number linked to your bank account to enable UPI-based transactions.

In Brazil, the messenger uses Facebook Pay to validate users’ credit or debit cards to facilitate pay-

ments.

At the moment, the service doesn’t require users to submit any identity verification documents to make payments. However, that might change soon, the report said.

WhatsApp v2.21.22.6 beta includes a few new strings which suggest that users might have to submit identity verification documents to continue using payments.

The identity verification might be limited to those who use WhatsApp Pay to receive payments for their businesses.

UPI-based apps, like Google Pay, PhonePe and even WhatsApp Pay don’t require users to submit any documents to transfer or receive money. However, wallet apps like PayTM do ask for KYC verification as per RBI guidelines.

WhatsApp is yet to make an official announcement regarding this change.

Since the new strings have just made their way to the beta version, it might be a while before the company reveals any details, the report said.

(IANS)

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Berrettini secures ATP Finals berth alongside Djokovic

TURIN, OCT 26 (IANS): Italy’s Matteo Berrettini will make his second Nitto ATP Finals appearance after becoming the sixth singles player to qualify for the 2021 season finale, to be held at the Pala Alpitour in Turin from November 14-21.

The 25-year-old secured his return to the yearend championships for the first time since 2019 when he reached the Erste Bank Open second round in Vienna on Monday evening.

This year marks the first edition of the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin, following a 12-year stint in London.

“My words aren’t going to describe the happiness I feel in my heart,” said Berrettini. “2020 was a tough year for me on and off the court. Here I am about to play my second (Nitto ATP) Finals and I can’t believe it.

I always have to remember where I started. I didn’t dream about this, because it was so big, but now it’s happening. I want to do my best.

“When they were telling me in 2019 that the Finals would be in Turin, I

Malaysia pursuing bid to host CWG, Asian Games KUALA LUMPUR, OCT 26 (IANS): Malaysia will be aggressively pursuing its ambition to host either the Asian Games or the Commonwealth Games in the next 10-15 years and the Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) vicepresident Dato’ Shahrul Zaman Yahya has said that “discussions are underway”.

The next year’s Asian Games have been awarded to Hangzhou in China, while Birmingham is the host city for the 2022 Commonwealth Games. Malaysia’s capital Kuala Lumpur had last hosted the CWG, in 1998.

“There is certainly serious talk about us hosting a big Games in the next 10-15 years,” Yahya was quoted as saying by insidethegames.biz.

“Hosting Games is not a small feat. It is something that we have to plan probably for. Not only to host it but to bid for it would require very extensive and proper plans.

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NAGALAND POST, DIMAPUR WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2021

Matteo Berrettini

remember the mayor of the city told me, ‘I’ll see you in Turin’. And I was, ‘Yeah, right’. Then I qualified for London and now I am qualifying for Turin. I really cannot describe how happy I am. I hope the country is really proud of me.”

Berrettini has notched a 40-10 record this season, including a run to his first major final at Wimbledon where he lost to Serbia’s Novak Djokovic. He went on to climb to a career-best No. 7 in the ATP Rankings -- making him the highest-

ranked Italian since Corrado Barazzutti in 1978 -- after he reached the US Open quarterfinals to Djokovic in September.

The Italian also lifted the Serbia Open trophy in Belgrade defeating Aslan Karatsev of Russia in April, reached his first ATP Masters 1000 final at the Mutua Madrid Open where he lost to Alexander Zverev of Germany in May and clinched the Cinch Championships crown in London by downing Cameron Norrie of Great Britain in June.

4 riders qualify for equestrian at Asian Games

BENGALURU, OCT 26 (PTI): Four Indian riders on Tuesday qualified for show jumping equestrian event of next year’s Asian Games after winning the first selection trials here.

Pranay Khare, Kaevaan Setalvad, Zahan Setalvad and Yashaan Khambatta are the four riders and they will be accompanied by five horses -- Vanilla Sky, Alasdair, Quintus Z, Lorenzo and El Capitan -- in the 2022 Asian Games scheduled to be held in Hangzhou, China from September 10-25.

Setalvad brothers -Kaevaan and Zahan -- had respresented India in the 2018 Asian Games in Indonesia. “A total of 4 riders and 5 horses have qualified after winning trials,” Equestrian Federation of India (EFI) said in a release. The show jumping event, organised by the EFI and which began here on October 22, concluded on Tuesday. Show jumping, an Olympic and Asian Games discipline, consists of obstacles called jumps in an area of 65m x 40m.

Chanu sets sights on second world C’ship title

NEW DELHI, OCT 26 (PTI): After the high of the Tokyo Games, India’s Olympic silver medallist weightlifter Mirabai Chanu has turned her focus on winning a second world championship title and is ironing out the chinks in her armour ahead of the event.

Chanu had clinched the gold at the world championships in 2017 but since then a medal at the event has eluded her. She was unable to defend her title a year later after she decided to give the tournament a miss due to a back issue and in 2019, she missed the bronze by a whisker.

The event was cancelled last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic but it is slated to take place between December 7 to 17 in Tashkent and Chanu is all geared up.

“I am working on my shortcomings and weakness in the technique in training. I will be trying my best to become a world champion a second time,” Chanu told PTI. Chanu, who holds the world record in the clean and jerk event in the 49kg category after she success-

Mirabai Chanu

fully heaved 119kg in the Asian Championship last year, has struggled to stay at par with her Chinese opponents in the snatch section.

The 27-year-old has, in her own words, struggled while lifting weights in the snatch due to an imbalance that affects her right shoulder and back.

“I have a world record in clean and jerk so my will focus on snatch in the worlds championships. I have to increase me wight in the snatch section,” she said.

Chanu had also consulted Dr. Aaron Horschig, a for mer weightlifterturned-physical therapist and strength and conditioning coach in the US, which

helped her immensely in winning the silver medal at Tokyo.

However, Chanu still feels the pain while lifting heavy weights.

“The issue is sorted, but sometimes, I still get pain in the right shoulder and back because of the imbalance. But there is a lot of improvement from before.

“Right now there is no plan to go to the US because there is World Championship in December.

After this we will maybe plan. I am consulting him online what to do.”

The diminutive Manipuri, whose personal best is 205kg, said she is working to catch up with her rivals by next year. Olympic gold

medallist Hou Zhihui of China currently holds the world record (total weight) with 213kg.

“I have to go above 210kg anyhow. 213kg is the world record right now so I’m working to touch it. My aim is to reach 213214kg till the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games.”

Weightlifting could lose its place at the 2024 Paris Olympics because of long-term doping problems and governance issues.

Asked how it could impact the sport in the country, Chanu said “it won’t be nice.”

“Every athlete dreams of participating in the Olympics. If it happens then we can’t really do anything. Maybe people will stop taking up the sport but I don’t know. The Olympics are huge.”

Part of Adidas’ famous ‘Impossible is Nothing’ campaign, Chanu says the campaign inspires her to keep getting better.

“This campaign is very special to me. I feel everything is possible in life. Whatever you want in the future, you think you can do it.

Whyte plans to fight Fury for world heavyweight title LONDON, OCT 26 (AP): British heavyweight Dillian Whyte wants his next fight to be against Tyson Fury for the world title instead of rescheduling his cancelled bout with Otto Wallin.

W hy t e l a s t we e k pulled out of his scheduled fight with Wallin this Saturday, citing a shoulder injury.

W hy t e h o l d s t h e WBC interim title and is next in line to fight Fury, the WBC champion who retained his belt by beating Deontay Wilder this month to complete their trilogy.

Asked if he will fight Fury in early 2022, Whyte

Dillian Whyte

told the BBC: “That’ll be the plan.”

Wallin and his promoter, Dmitriy Salita, are pushing for the fight against Whyte to be rescheduled, with the Swedish boxer

wanting an independent doctor to look at whether the British heavyweight’s injury is genuine.

In a statement to The Associated Press, Salita called on the WBC to

TN to host national blind football tournament C H E N NA I , O C T 2 6 (IANS): Tamil Nadu will host the national blind football tournament for men and women from October 27-30. This is the first time the state is playing host to the national blind football tournament.

The state has formed a blind football team for men only in 2018, and, in

2019 the Tamil Nadu blind football association commenced functioning.

The founder of the TN Blind football association, GR Bharathiraja, while speaking to IANS said, “While we were late in establishing a team and forming an association, we have not lagged behind in training, and a good team is

now arranged. We are hosting the national football championship for the blind in both men’s and women’s categories from October 27.” This is the first time a national-level women’s blind football tournament is being conducted while this will be the sixth national blind football tournament for men.

“make a fair decision relating to this fight and for boxing fans worldwide.” “ O t t o Wa l l i n v s.

Whyte should be rescheduled,” he said. “Whyte should not be allowed to forego the fight with Otto and fight Fury next as a mandatory challenger.”

The WBC has already announced plans to order Fury to defend his belt against its interim titleholder.

Oleksandr Usyk holds the WBA, IBF and WBO belts after beating Anthony Joshua on points last month. They are due to have a rematch early next year.

Champion Azhalhou Kire, 1st runners up Nuvezo Chuzho, 2nd runners up Veduzo D. Vadeo, 3rd Runners up Menovi Meyase, along with guest officials, Er. Kenisevi Meyase and officials from Nagaland Wrestling Association at the Alder College sports week.

Nagaland Kho Kho Association clarifies

DIMAPUR, OCT 26 (NPN): Nagaland Kho Kho Association (NKKA) has expressed resentment on the new items, “State to host Kho Kho C’ship” issued by “some individuals” in the name of the association. The association, publicity committee in a press release clarified that NKKA headed by Vikehielie Victor as its president, is the

only registered Kho Kho association recognised by Kho Kho Federation of India, Nagaland Olympic Association and state department of Youth Resources and Sports.

Therefore, NKKA reiterated that the “fraudulent statement” published in the aforementioned date should be treated as null and void once and for all.

SEIYHAMA BAPTIST CHURCH KOHIMA : NAGALAND

OPEN VOLLEYBALL TOURNAMENT

The Seiyhama Baptist Church is organizing Open Volleyball Tournament on 6th Nov. 2021, Venue: Seiyhama Village, with cash prize. First Prize - Rs, 20,000/- (Twenty thousand only), 2nd Prize Rs. 15000/- (Fifteen thousand only) 3rd Prize - Rs. 10,000/- (Ten thousand only). Form are available at Agape Vety. Clinic, High School Junction Sect-Road, Kohima. For any query, organizers contact nos 7085982315/8787572429. This event is organized in aid of church building construction.

(KHRIEZELHOU) (SAVIO METHA) Pastor, SBC Secy., Organizing Committee K-2079/21

De Kock withdraws as players ordered to take knee DUBAI, OCT 26 (PTI): Cricket South Africa on Tuesday ordered its players to take the knee before their remaining T20 World Cup matches in support of the ‘Black Lives Matter’ movement and took note of Quinton De Kock’s withdrawal from the game against the West Indies due to “personal reasons”.

In a shocking move, wicketkeeper-batter de Kock made himself unavailable for selection in South Africa’s Group 1 Super 12 stage match against the West Indies in Dubai on Tuesday, his decision coming after the CSA’s diktat.

The board said it will await a report from the management before deciding on the next move.

“Cricket South Africa (CSA) has noted the personal decision by South African wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock not to “take the knee” ahead of Tuesday’s game against the West Indies,” the CSA said in a statement.

De Kock has expressed his reluctance to make the gesture in the past as well saying, “It’s everyone’s decision; no-one’s forced to do anything, not in life. That’s the way I see things.”

The country’s cricket board, meanwhile, asked the players to follow the diktat.

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South Africa’s Heinrich Klaasen takes the knee before the match. (Reuters)

“All players had been required, in line with a directive of the CSA Board on Monday evening, to “take the knee” in a united and consistent stance against racism.

“This is also the global gesture against racism that has been adopted by sportspeople across sporting codes because they recognise the power of sport to bring people together.”

The C SA move is aimed at driving home the point that the board is serious about tackling racism and all forms of discrimination in the game.

“After considering all relevant issues, including the freedom of choice of players, the Board had made it clear it was imperative for the team to be seen taking a stand against racism, especially given SA’s history.

“The Board’s view was that while diversity can and should find expression in many facets of daily lives, this did not apply when it came to taking a stand against racism.

“The Board will await a further report from team management before deciding on the next steps. All players are expected to follow this directive for the remaining games of the World Cup.” The cricket fraternity too reacted to de Kock’s sudden decision to pull out of the vital game for his team.

Before the start of the match, Indian cricketer Dinesh Karthik tweeted, “Quinton de Kock not playing because of his stand on BLM (Black Lives Matter) movement,” with an image of de Kock refusing to take the knee.

For mer Australia allrounder Shane Watson said there must be some “internal issues”.

“Huge shock. There must be something going on internally,” Watson said on Star Sports.

Former West Indies captain Brian Lara said de Kock’s absence will give advantage to West Indies.

“It’s going to be big advantage West Indies now that de Kock is not playing,” Lara said.

Earlier in the day, the CSA had stated that “concerns were raised that that the different postures taken by team members in support of the BLM initiative created an unintended perception of disparity or lack of support for the initiative.”

“Taking the knee is the global gesture against racism adopted by sports persons across the globe.”

The South African cricketers have been seemingly split on the issue and before their T20 World Cup opener against Australia, players were seen standing, kneeling or raising a fist.

Pacer Anrich Nortje and wicketkeeper Heinrich Klaasen stood with their hands behind their backs even as their teammates used different ways to express their support to the ‘Black Lives Matter’ movement.

The Indian cricket team had also taken the knee ahead of its tournament-opener against Pakistan on Sunday.

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T20 WC: Pak beat New Zealand by 5 wkts

SHARJAH/DUBAI, OCT 26 (PTI/IANS): Pacer Haris Rauf led a clinical bowling display with an excellent four-wicket haul before Shoaib Malik and Asif Ali’s onslaught as Pakistan took “revenge” on New Zealand for a recent off-field snub with a five-wicket win in the T20 World Cup here on Tuesday.

Most of the top-order batters, except for opener Mohammad Rizwan (33), struggled but the experienced Malik (26 not out off 20 balls) and number seven Ali (27 not out off 12) flourished towards the end with a 48-run partnership for the sixth wicket to take Pakistan home with eight balls to spare.

This was Pakistan’s second consecutive win after their comprehensive 10-wicket victory over India on Sunday.

The New Zealand team, playing in its first match, had recently withdrawn from a scheduled series against Pakistan after landing there, citing a security threat which, according to the host country, did not exist.

Earlier, Rauf spearheaded the bowling attack with four wickets as Paki-

together with Williamson smashing Hafeez for a six and a four, even as Conway clobbered Shadab Khan for three successive boundaries.

But the Kiwi innings took a turn after Williamson was run out in the 14th over as Hasan Ali’s brilliant direct throw off his own bowling dislodged the bails.

New Zealand could only reach the 100-run mark

NSF Trophy: A Yhome, Hurricane Boys enter pre-quarterfinals

South Africa hand West Indies 8-wicket defeat

Pakistan’s Imad Wasim, left, celebrates with Shoaib Malik after hitting a boundary on Tuesday. (AP/PTI)

stan restricted New Zealand to a modest total.

The Kiwis were in all sorts of trouble after they were invited to bat in the face a disciplined Pakistani bowling attack with opener Daryl Mitchell and Conway top-scoring with 27 each and captain Kane Williamson contributing 25.

New Zealand could

not have one substantial partnership with their highest being the 36-run opening stand between Mitchell and Martin Guptill (17).

Shaheen Afridi, Imad wasim and Mohammad Hafeez also took one wicket each for Pakistan.

The Kiwis stepped on the gas and took 25 runs from the 12th and 13th overs

Dravid formally applies for coach’s post

NEW DELHI, OCT 26 (PTI): Celebrated former captain Rahul Dravid is all but certain to be the Indian cricket team’s next head coach after he formally applied for the high-profile position on Tuesday.

With Dravid, the current head of National Cricket Academy applying, the job for the Cricket Advisory Committee becomes easier as there aren’t any big names in fray who can match the batting great’s stature.

Also, it is reliably learnt that he is the first and only choice of BCCI president Sourav Ganguly and secretary Jay Shah.

“Yes, Rahul has formally applied today as it’s the last day of the deadline.

His team at the NCA, bowling coach Paras (Mham-

at the end of the 15th over and Conway and Glenn Phillips (13) got out in the space of three balls in the 18th over bowled by Rauf.

Brief scores: New Zealand 134-8 in 20 overs (Daryl Mitchell 27, Devon Conway 27; Haris Rauf 4/22) lost to Pakistan 135-5 in 18.4 overs (Mohammad Rizwan 33, Asif Ali 27*; Ish Sodhi 2/28)

NAGALAND POST, DIMAPUR WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2021

Rahul Dravid

brey) and fielding coach Abhay (Sharma) have already applied. His application was just a formality,” a senior BCCI official told PTI on Tuesday.

Dravid had recently met the BCCI brass in Dubai on the sidelines of the IPL final between Kolkata Knight Riders and Chennai Super Kings where Ganguly and Shah spoke to him about taking up the position once

Ravi Shastri steps down at the end of India’s campaign in the ICC T20 World Cup. Under Dravid, a new era in Indian cricket will start with the home series against New Zealand where he will take charge with a new T20 captain, which in all likelihood, will be Rohit Sharma.

Former India batting great VVS Laxman could again be back in the fray to head the National Cricket Academy in case the post falls vacant in the coming days. It is learnt from sources that Laxman might not continue as the mentor of IPL side Sunrisers Hyderbad and in case, he is selected, he would also have to leave his media commitments including commentary and writing columns.

South Africa beat defending champions West Indies by eight wickets in their second Super 12 match of the ICC T20 World Cup here on Tuesday.

Opener Evin Lewis struck a fine half-century before South Africa restricted West Indies to 143 for 8.

In response, South Africa batters overhauled the target with 10 balls to spare.

Rassie van der Dussen (43 not out), Aiden Markram (51 not out) and Reeza Hendricks (39) played match-winning knocks as West Indies bowlers looked on helplessly.

Sent in to bat, Lewis hit six sixes and three boundaries in his 56-run knock. Skipper Kieron Pollard (26) was the other top contributor for the defend-

Taliban officials hail Afghan cricket team’s win NEW DELHI, OCT 26 (IANS): Taliban officials took to social media to congratulate the Afghanistan cricket team for winning a match in the ICC Twenty20 World Cup. On Monday, Afghanistan thrashed Scotland by 130 runs in the Super 12 stage of the ongoing T20 World Cup in Sharjah. It was also the first major win for Afghanistan since the Taliban takeover of the country.

“Congratulations to the team and wish them more success in the future,” Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid wrote on Twitter.

ing champions For South Africa, Dwaine Pretorius (3/17) snared three wickets.

Ke s h av M a h a r a j (2/24) picked two wickets, while Kagiso Rabada (1/27), Anrich Nortje (1/14) accounted for one batter each.

Brief Scores: West Indies: 143 for 8 in 20 overs (Evin Lewis 56, Kieron Pollard 26); Dwaine Pretorius (3/17) Keshav Maharaj (2/24).

South Africa: 144 for 2 in 18.2 overs (Rassie van der Dussen 43, Aiden Markram 52; Akeal Hosein 1/27) WEDNESDAY’S MATCHES England Vs Bangladesh: 3:30 pm Scotland Vs Namibia: 7:30 pm

A Yhome FC in red jersey and Tsiesema Basa in the first match on Tuesday. (NP) Correspondent

KO H I M A , O C T 2 6 (NPN): A Yhome FC and Hurricane Boys Phesama entered the pre-quarters in the NSF Martyrs Memorial Trophy at IG Stadium, here on Tuesday.

A Yhome FC thrashed Tsiesema Basa Youth 4-0 in one sided match.

Kick starting the barrage of goals, Vilhoubeituo netted the first goal in the 10th minute and later another in the 65th minute.

His teammates Avilie Tsükrü and Bijay contributed a goal each.

On the other hand, Menuovizo playing for Tsiesema Basa Youth was

cautioned with a yellow card in the 53rd minute.

In the second match of the day, Hurricane Boys beat United Brothers FC 3-0 vie shoot out after the match ended in 2-2 in regulated time.

Playing for United Brothers, Poireng and Chinben each scored a goal in the 6th and 10th minutes of the game.

While Medoneisa and Ato Kaimo from Phesama’s side each netted a goal in the 38th and 71st minutes.

So far a total of 212 goals have been scored wherein 7 hat-tricks have been achieved while 48

yellow cards have been awarded. Yhunshalo Kent from MhakenyiKro-u with 9 goals is the highest scorer followed by Oinam M Meitei from Puliebadze Club with 6 goals and Theja Chuse from Phesama Youth Organization with 5 goals. The tournament is organised by Angami Students Union and the final will be played on November 6.

WEDNESDAY’S MATCHES Phesama Youth Organization Vs Magdaline Coaching FC (12:30pm) Puliebadze Club Vs Berenike FC Meriema (2 p.m)

Shiva wins opening bout at Men’s World Boxing NEW DELHI, OCT 26 (IANS): Seasoned boxer Shiva Thapa started his campaign at the 2021 AIBA World Boxing Championships with an easy win in Belgrade, Serbia on Tuesday. The bronze medal winner of the 2015 edition and reigning national champion, Thapa looked in good touch against Kenya’s Victor Nyadera in the 63.5kg round-of-64 match.

With technical supremacy, the boxer from Assam kept control over his opponent throughout the bout before recording a victory by a unanimous margin.

With this victory, the five-time Asian Championships medallist Thapa also extended India’s unbeaten run at the prestigious tournament after Rohit Mor

Shiva Thapa

and Akash Sangwan won their respective opening round bouts on Day 1. Thapa will now take on Sierra Leone’s John Brown in the Last-32 clash on Saturday.

Later on Tuesday, three more Indians will be seen in action in their respective opening round matches. While Narender (+92kg) will fight against

Poland’s Oskar Safaryan, Sumit (75kg) will take on Damon O’Neill of Jamaica. On the other hand, Deepak Bhoria (51kg) will have a comparatively difficult challenge in his opening round match as he will start off against two-time Asian champion Azat Usenaliev of Kyrgyzstan on Tuesday. A

13-member Indian contingent has been competing at the 21st edition of the tournament which will go on till November 6. With the participation of 650 top boxers from more than 100 countries, the championships is being played in 13 weight categories as per AIBA’s newly introduced weight divisions.

The gold medallists of each category will receive $100,000 while silver and bronze medallists will be given $50,000 and $25,000 respectively. Alongside an enormous prize pool of $2.6 million, AIBA will also award the winners with designed medals, made of solid gold and silver respectively, and belts to commemorate their accomplishments.

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