30 Dec 2021

Nagaland Post www.nagalandpost.com

Vol XXXII No. 25

DIMAPUR, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2021 Pages 12 ` 5.00

UK aims for ‘Jabby New Year’ with boosters as COVID cases remain high

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INTERNATIONAL, PAGE 9

India-SA Test, Day-4: India need 6 wkts to win SPORTS, PAGE 12

massacre: SIT Konyak CSOs outraged by 21 Paras in Oting toOting interrogate Para SF Say faces of personnel involved recognised; warn that this will be dealt as per customary norms of Konyaks

DIMAPUR, DEC 29 (NPN): Konyak Civil Society Organisations (CSOs)-Konyak Union (KU), Konyak Nyupuh Sheko Khong (KNSK) and Konyak Students’ Union- have expressed strong resentment over the presence of some of those (21 Paras) involved with the Oting massacre with the Army Inquiry Team at Oting Yatong incident (site of massacre) on December 29, 2021.

The CSOs demanded to know as to why were those 21 Paras involved given protection by the Indian military forces?

They said this violation would be dealt with as per the customary norms of the Konyaks.

They said that allowing the accused 21 Paras by the military institution to “step upon the Konyak soil” was an insensitive act and “disappointing and unacceptable.”

They said by “bringing along the killers” seemed like

PM-KISAN fund to be released on January 1 NEW DELHI, DEC 29 (PTI): On the first day of the New Year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will release the 10th instalment of financial benefit under Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PMKISAN), transferring an amount of over Rs 20,000 crore to more than 10 crore beneficiary farmer families.

The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said the money transfer is in line with Modi's continued commitment and resolve to empowering grassroots farmers.

Under the scheme, a financial benefit of Rs 6,000 per year is provided to eligible farmer families, payable in three equal four-monthly installments of Rs 2,000.

The fund is transferred directly to the bank accounts of the beneficiaries.

In this scheme, an amount of Rs 1.6 lakh crore has been transferred so far.

During the programme to be held through videoconference, the prime minister will also release equity grant of more than Rs 14 crore to about 351 Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs), which will benefit over 1.24 lakh farmers.

The Prime Minister will also interact with Farmer Producer Organizations during the event and deliver a speech as well.

This is it!

"After all the pandemic, protests, cancelled Hornbill, quiet Christmas, do we see an Omicron year ahead?"

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an “intention to hurt and aggravate” the grief of the families.

The CSOs questioned the credibility of the Indian Army Inquiry Team that had visited Ground Zero on December 29, 2021. They expressed unhappiness over the kind of questions and interrogations put on witnesses present at the site on December 4 by the inquiry team. The CSOs said this raised questions on the credibility of the Army Inquiry Team.

The CSOs said justice is being delayed and will be denied as they expressed dismay over the “snail paced Indian judiciary system.”

According to the signatories, justice would be meted only through prosecution of the accused. On the visit to Ground Zero by the Army Inquiry Team on December 29, the CSOs said such visits should not be taken as an act to appease the victims but to ensure justice

by prosecution before “public domain within 30 days.” They also demanded that the government of India immediately sanction prosecution of those “Indian Army and officers involved in the killing of those 14 innocent Konyak youths” on December 4 & 5 2021. They have also warned that any move to “distort the truth, shall be considered as an act against the Konyaks.” They said the onus lie with the government of India to” prove whether Konyaks are its citizens or not.”

The CSOs reiterated that justice be delivered at the earliest and those 21 Para Special Forces involved in the massacre of 14 Konyak youths be prosecuted immediately.

‘Genocide site’: Konyak CSOs at an emergency meeting on December 27, 2021 resolved and declared the Oting Yatong massacre site as the “Genocide site” and demanded that the actual incident site should be manned by the state security forces 24/7. They also declared that no remains of the December 4 should be moved out from the original place where they still stand.

Army inquiry team visits Oting T

he Indian Army’s court of inquiry (CoI) team headed by a Major General, reached Oting village under Mon district on Wednesday and visited the site where the December 4 shooting took place to understand the circumstances that led to the incident, where 13 innocent civilians were killed by the 21 Para (special forces) of the Indian Army.

According to PRO (Defence) Lt Col Sumit K Sharma, the team took along witnesses for better understanding of the situation and how the events could have unfolded that fateful day.

Thereafter, PRO said that the team went to Tizit police station and was present there between 1.30 p.m. and 3 p.m. to meet representatives from a cross section of the society, including civilians, police personnel and doctors who treated the injured, for obtaining information pertaining to the incident.

The PRO said that the court of inquiry was progressing expeditiously and all efforts were being made to conclude it at the earliest.

Earlier, the Indian Army had requested twice through public notices

personnel in Jorhat

Staff Reporter

CoI team at the incident site at Oting. (Twitter)

requesting any person having any information pertaining to the incident to directly share it either by being present before the inquiry team at Tizit police station on Wednesday or share the input, photo or video via phone, SMS or Whatsapp at 6033924571.

The army also said the information may be shared in person to the inquiry team at Dinjan Military Station in Assam.

DIMAPUR, DEC 29 (NPN): The state government constituted Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by IGP (R) Limasunep Jamir (IPS) is to crossexamine and record the statements of those involved in the Oting massacre over a period of two days.

Highly placed sources informed Nagaland Post that the interrogation will be held at Jorhat, where the 21 Para special forces are stationed. According to the sources, the Indian Army has permitted the SIT to examine and record the statements of officer(s) and jawans of the 21 Para (SF) commandos involved in the December 4 ambush at Oting,where 13 innocent civilians were gunned down.

Though the State government had initially constituted a five-member SIT on December 5, it later expand-

ed the team by including at least 17 other members, taking its strength to around 22. This has been done so in order to speed up the investigation. The SIT has also been divided into seven teams.

As the 30-day deadline to submit its report is to end on January 5, 2022, sources said that the SIT was trying its best to complete its job within the time-frame.

However, earlier, an official said the job may not be completed within 30 days as police have to file charge sheet within 90 days in the court. The official said the SIT had so far examined 55-60 witnesses and would examine more people.

“We have taken the help of cyber, forensic and ballistics experts from all over the country,” the official said. “We are conducting the investigation in a very professional, serious and sincere manner,” he added.

WHO worried about ‘tsunami’ of omicron, delta cases Omicron tally in country crosses 900

BERLIN, DEC 29 (AP): The head of World Health Organization said Wednesday that he was worried about the omicron and delta variants of COVID-19 combining to produce a “tsunami” of cases, but said he was still hopeful that the world will put the worst of the pandemic behind it in 2022.

Two years after the Covid-19 first emerged, top officials with UN health agency cautioned that it was still too early to be reassured by initial data suggesting that omicron leads to milder disease.

After 92 of WHO's 194 member countries missed a target to vaccinate 40% of their populations by the end of this year, Director-

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus

General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus urged everyone to make a “new year's resolution" to get behind a campaign to vaccinate 70% of countries' populations by the beginning of July.

According to WHO's figures, the number of COVID-19 cases recorded worldwide increased by 11% last week compared with previous week, with nearly 4.99

Lakhera to take over as IGAR (N)

Brig. Vikas Lakhera (File)

DIMAPUR, DEC 29 (NPN): Following the approval of the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) in September last, Brig. Vikas Lakhera will take over as the next Inspector General (North) of the Assam Rifles from the

incumbent Maj. Gen. PVS Kaushik.

It was learnt that Brig.

Lakhera will, on promotion to the rank of Major. General, assume charge by first week of January 2022.

According to Defence Watch Bureau, Lakhera has been appointed to the post on a deputation basis for a period of 18 months from the date of assumption of charge of the post, or till their retirement on attaining the age of superannuation from the Indian Army, or until further orders, whichever is the earliest.

million newly reported from Dec. 20-26. New cases in Europe-- which accounted for more than half of the total -- were up 3% while those in the Americas rose 39% and there was a 7% increase in Africa. The global gain followed a gradual increase since October.

“I'm highly concerned that omicron, being more transmissible (and) circulating at the same time as delta, is leading to a tsunami of cases,” Tedros said at an online news conference. That, he said, will put “immense pressure on exhausted health workers and health systems of the brink of collapse.”

WHO said in its weekly epidemiological report that

the “overall risk” related to omicron “remains very high.” WHO's emergencies chief, Dr. Michael Ryan, underlined that note of caution.

He said it will be important in coming weeks to “suppress transmission of both variants to the minimum that we can.”

Ryan said that omicron infections began largely among young people, “but what we haven't seen is the omicron wave fully established in the broader population. And I'm a little nervous to make positive predictions until we see how well the vaccine protection is going to work in those older and more vulnerable populations.”

NEW DELHI, DEC 29 (PTI): Mumbai, Delhi and Gujarat on Wednesday recorded a big spike in fresh Covid cases-- their highest since the May-June period-while Punjab reported the first case of the Omicron variant to take the countrywide tally past 900.

According to data from the Centre and the states, the total number of Covid-19 cases in the country crossed 10,000 after a little over a month. The number of states and union territories where this highly contagious strain has been detected rose to 22.

Updated official data available in the night showed that the Omicron tally was close to 950 with Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan,

Tamil Nadu and Telangana reporting a majority of the fresh cases of this variant.

In Maharashtra, 85 more people were infected by the new strain taking the total to 252, the Health department said.

Maharashtra was followed by Delhi- 238, Gujarat-97, Rajasthan-69, Kerala-65 and Telangana-62 among those with over 50 Omicron cases, according to official data from the Centre

and States. It had also said there were 9,195 new Covid cases while the active cases rose to 77,002.

The Indian SARSCOV-2 Genomics Consortia INSACOG, meanwhile, said there is now clear experimental and clinical data supporting a very high immune escape potential of Omicron, but initial estimates show the severity of illness being lower than what was seen in previous outbreaks.

Nagaland logs 3 fresh Covid cases

DIMAPUR, DEC 29 (NPN): Nagaland on Wednesday recorded three Covid-19 positive cases while no death was reported during the day. The fresh cases were reported from Dimapur taking the total caseload to 32188.

According to state health department, eight patients had recovered from the virus—six in Dimapur and two in Kohima.

‘Dancing on razor’s edge’: CJI on journalists’ work in present time NEW DELHI, DEC 29 (IANS): Speaking truth to power and holding up a mirror to society is an immense responsibility that is extremely difficult to fulfil and there is enormous pressure and stress upon journalists, Chief Justice of India N.V. Ramana said on Wednesday.

“In the contemporary world, performing duty as a journalist is akin to dancing on razor's edge,” he said.

“As someone who started his professional career as a journalist, I can understand your difficulties and

struggles,” CJI said in a keynote address at the Red Ink Awards 2021, awarded for excellence in journalism.”

“You are on your feet for long hours and constantly on call and working.

Holidays are few and far between and finding time to spend with family is difficult.

The stress on your family is also immense. The wages too are not very encouraging. Women, particularly beyond metros, still find it difficult to gain a foothold in the profession,” he said.

Further, CJI said that

Chief Justice N.V. Ramana

those who are serving in conflict zones are willing to risk their lives. “Those on regular beats are also no longer safe.

Some of those in powerful positions, both political leaders and bureaucracy, the mafia of all shades, and those

on the wrong side of the law - none of them are comfortable with the professional journalists. As a result, you keep getting unpleasant and disturbing messages. I know it is not easy for you and your families to deal with such threats. Another worrisome trend is the concerted effort to bracket journalists into a particular category. I can imagine how painful it is,” he said.

Yet, he stressed, “it is an extremely satisfying profession to pursue. It is often said that the legal profession is a

noble profession. I can state that the journalist's job is as noble and is an integral pillar of democracy. Like the legal professional, a journalist also needs to have a strong moral fibre and moral compass.

Your conscience is your guide in this profession”.

He also noted that the freedom of the press is a valuable and sacred right enshrined in the Indian Constitution. “Without such freedom, there cannot be discussion and debate that is essential for the growth of democracy...,” he added.

Urbangreens: Paving way for sustainable health in Naga community Correspondent

KOHIMA, DEC 29 (NPN): With the right motivation, even Naga youth can script success stories in entrepreneurship. That’s what 43-year-old Vikhapi Valeo has proved.

Valeo and his wife Hokali have pioneered microgreens in the State. What started as an experimental trail with pea and mustard during the 2020 lockdown has now turned into a small but established local business, growing and supplying microgreens in the State Capital.

Microgreens are essentially young vegetable greens that have an aromatic flavour and concentrated nutrient content and come in a variety of colours and textures. Microgreens are considered baby plants, falling somewhere between a sprout and baby green.

Researching through articles on micro-vegetables, Valeo, a father of four, is a self-taught grower who has developed a keen interest on the concept of microgreens and has expanded it to crops like broccoli, purple radish, sunflower, kohlrabi and wheat grass.

Valeo and his wife Hokali display the microgreens. (NP)

He said the young green vegetables were grown with an aim to provide a healthy alternative lifestyle to the Nagas.

The couple initially experimented with soil from the backyard and manure, but moved to cocopeat as it was more sterilised and

reliable in comparison. They usually grow the greens under LED lights as these required about 10-15 hours of light depending on the requirement of the crop. Under Kohima conditions, the greens require a temperature of 18-220C and humidity range of 40-60% and sufficient water as well. With proper light and suitable conditions, the greens get ready for harvesting within 6-7days while attaining 3-4 inches of growth.

Owner of Urbangreens, Valeo mentioned that these greens could be grown year round, if one

could make the climate suitable for their growth.

After harvesting the greens, they are weighed and packed. The residues and leftover cocopeats are kept for manure in the field as they are nitrogen-fixing plants and used as natural manure in fields and kitchen gardens.

He said the demand for microgreens have increased gradually in Kohima, with growing health consciousness among the people. The products are available in Kiwi outlets here. Urbangreens can also be contacted on special media platform

Instagram @urbangrowers21. Studies have shown that younger leaves of plants have higher levels of antioxidants and vitamins in comparison to matured plants.

Due to their high nutritional profile, microgreens are now considered the future of farming with shorter growing period, ability to be grown year round and less space usage.

These superfoods are known for their nutritional profile, containing vitamin A,C, E and K, Omega-3 fatty acids, polyphenols, etc, and pose a good alternative to boost general well-being.

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NBC celebrates 100 years

LBCA executive secretary, Rev. L. Tsanso unveiling the monolith stone. (NP) Correspondent WOKHA, DEC 29 (NPN): A three-day centenary celebration of Nungying Baptist Church (NBC) got underway with unveiling of monolith stone at the church compound by Lotha Baptist Church Association (LBCA) executive secretary, Rev. Dr. L. Tsanso and blowing of jubilee trumpet on Wednesday.

The celebration which was held on the theme, “Potsow jo echungren topvulo nkohopvui” (Ethungkhen 41:2) was attended by thousands including delegates from the

LTSU refutes AR claim; serves ultimatum

DIMAPUR: Refuting the claim of the Assam Rifles that its Kiphire Battalion conducted an interaction and coordination meet with Kiphire and Longmatra youth and student union at Longmatra on December 28, 2021, the Longmatra Town Students’ Union (LTSU) has served an ultimatum on officer incharge of 41 AR at Operating Base Camp Longmatra to retract its statement within three days.

In a press release, LTSU president Lentsothe T Anar and general secretary Mercy T claimed that there was no such meeting neither with the youth of Longmatra nor with students’ union of Longmatra.

According to LTSU, the inaugural programme of the 35th session of LTSU, which was held in the public ground adjacent to 41 AR camp, was disturbed by the personnel of 41 AR by banging iron sheets and metals in their camp. The union also claimed that persistence phone calls were made to LTSU leaders and some elders asking about the conduct of the union’s programme when the programme was in full progress.

After the programme was over, LTSU said the student leaders had gone up to the camp to seek “clarification on the motive behind it.”

However, LTSU said that instead of giving clarification, the officer in-charge of 41 AR took photograph in the course of discussion and “came up with concocted writeup which appeared in the news media.”

In this regard, LTSU has condemned the action of 41 AR authority based at Longmatra Hq. for issuing “such a baseless and malicious statement with the intent to create discord within the region thus to realize their sinister design.”

Meanwhile, LTSU affirmed that it fully supported the non-cooperation movement extended towards security forces by the Eastern Nagaland People’s Organisations (ENPO).

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neigbhouring villages.

During the programme, dedication of jubilee service hall at local ground was done by LBCA president, Rev. Dr. Nrio Ezung and welcome song by jubilee choir. Delivering jubilee greetings, deputy chief electoral officer, Kohima, R. Mhathung Ngullie reminded the congregation that jubilee was a time to retrospect and to forgive one another for past misdeeds.

He, however said that in order to move ahead, everyone must first remember and give thanks to the Almighty for His abundant blessings.

In the opening day, pastor Lotha Baptist Church Dimapur, Rev. Zanao Mozhui, who spoke on the theme reminded the gathering that it was everyone’s responsibility to honour and acknowledge the pioneers for their sacrifices.

Earlier, history marking 100 years of Christianity of NBC was released by pastor, Wokha Town Baptist Church, Rev. Abemo Jungio while jubilee theme and programme was dedicated

by Pastor LBC, Bor-Lengri, Dimapur, Rev. Arhonthung Odyuo.

On the occasion, pastor KLBC, Rev. Sankiluma Kikon prayed for

the departed souls. Special numbers were presented by jubilee choir and Koio Baptist Church choir. Earlier, on December 28, a prelude service was held where the church acknowledged the past and the present pioneers for their services towards the church.

Greetings message was delivered by R.N. Kithan, Kohima while the speaker of the programme was ex-pastor, Rev. M. Kikon.

It may be mentioned that on December 30, jubilee greetings would be delivered by deputy chief minister, Home, Road and Bridges, Y. Patton.

Diphupar village welcomes inclusion under Chumoukedima district DIMAPUR: Diphupar Village Council (DVC) after a joint meeting with councillors, GBs, VDBs, DNYO, DNWO, DNSU and all tribal communities at village council hall on December 29, unanimous-

ly resolved to acknowledge state government’s decision for inclusion of Diphupar village under Chumoukedima district.

In a press release, Diphupar Village Council stated that the house

also resolved to extend cooperation to the district administration and appealed to all villages under Chumoukedima district to unite and support the government in all developmental activities.

NAGALAND POST, DIMAPUR THURSDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2021

NLSF addresses grievances on bar enrolment

DIMAPUR: Nagaland Law Students’ Federation (NLSF) led by its President, C. Talimoa, met Secretary, Bar Council of Assam, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram and Sikkim, Kulesh Goswami, at designated office in Guwahati, on December 28.

A press release by NSLF stated that the team addressed grievances of recent bar on enrolment of fresh law graduates of Kohima Law College under State Bar Council.

NSLF said that the advertent procrastination to register fresh Kohima Law graduates in state roll had “impeded students at stark disadvantage in their career progression and future professional activities”.

The state bar council while acknowledging impediment endured by aggrieved students assured that with assent of Bar Council of India and after its approval, it would commence with registration of fresh law graduates of Kohima Law Collage.

In this regard, Nagaland Law Students’ Federation would also communicate with Bar Council of India, New Delhi for speedy redressed post vacation, it informed.

Further, NLSF acknowledged the state bar council for timely resuming registration of law graduates from Mokokchung Law College and City Law College, Dimapur in the state roll.

ZSU observes 62nd general conference

Deo Nukhu addressing the gathering at the ZSU 62nd general conference.

DIMAPUR: Zhavame Students Union (ZSU) held its 62nd general session on the theme “toward proficiency” at public amphitheatre, Pame Tsüdu Zhavame.

In a press release, ZSU informed that former minister and executive member of SCAN, Nagaland, Deo Nukhu in his speech said that the growth of education was visible in development of the village in different areas.

AKM (Ao Kaketshir Mungdang) organised a brief programme at the site of AKM golden jubilee monument, Longkhum village on Wednesday to commemorate its 92nd anniversary. It may be mentioned that AKM was established in the village on December 29, 1929.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

"Your presence we miss memories we treasure, loving you always, forgetting you never."

The family of Lt. Imnamadong would like to express our heartfelt thanks to everyone for the support and sympathy shown at the loss of our beloved father on 14/12/2021. Your presence and kind words of support during our difficult time is deeply appreciated and acknowledged.

Every act of kindness; physically, emotionally, financially and especially your prayers will never be forgotten. May the Almighty God bless you all.

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Emphasising that education did not end with students earning their degrees, he said that it was a lifelong process.

Nukhu impressed upon the gathering that they must continue developing their skills even after their formal education.

He further encouraged students to broaden their horizons while choosing their careers and not just limit themselves to following general trend of

getting into government service.

He also urged upon the student body to be a unifying factor in the village and to preserve the environment.

It may be mentioned that Nukhu became the first graduate from Zhavame village in the year 1973 and subsequently taught at a government school in Meluri.

Deo Theodore Dukru Memorial Award which was instituted in 2018 in memory of late Deo Theodore Dukru, ex-headmaster was also presented to Zasi Pohena, teacher, GMS Zhavame.

Earlier, invocation was said by Zhavame Baptist Church pastor, Rev. Akha Shupao, presidential address from Muvi Domeh, greetings by village council chairman, Zao Krocha and benediction was said by Zhavame Christian Revival Church pastor, Dakhru Rhi.

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Loving sons, daughters and relatives

DP-6170/21

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

22/06/1974 – 23/12/2021

We the family members of Lt. Yevishe Achumi would like to express our profound gratitude to all those who stood by us and supported us emotionally, materially, financially and spiritually during the brief illness and unfortunate demise of our beloved on 23rd Dec. 2021. We would like to convey our special thanks to :1. Sumi Baptist Church Kohima 2. Aotsakilimi Union Kohima 3. Agri Farm Panchayat 4. AFE Fellowship We deeply regret our inability to thank each and every individual but we sincerely pray that God Almighty will bless you all abundantly.

DP-6171/21

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Loving wife and family members K Y M C

nagalandpost.com Poll Q.: Is the inaction against those unleashing violence against minorities a tacit support?

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

A B C

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Kaito graces LSU platinum jubilee

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A

B

Yes. No. Can’t Say.

C

89% 11% 0%

NEXT POLL

Q: Is the Govt of India

likely to repeal AFSPA from the north east?  Yes.  No.  Can’t Say.

WEATHER FORECAST DECEMBER 30

(Temperature in ºC)

Max Min

Agartala Sunshine and patchy clouds

25 13

Aizawl

Mostly sunny and nice

Guwahati A couple of morning showers Imphal

Beautiful with some sun

Itanagar A few showers; not as warm

22 9 22 12 24 9 20 12

Shillong

Variable clouds with a shower 13 6

Kohima

An afternoon thundershower

18 8

Dimapur Sun and clouds; a few showers 23 12 Mkg

A couple of afternoon showers 21 9

Tuensang Cooler with afternoon showers 13 5 Wokha

An afternoon shower in spots

Zunheboto A stray afternoon t-shower

17 11 17 7

G. Kaito Aye speaking at the programme on Wednesday.

DIMAPUR: Lazami Students’ Union (LSU) on Wednesday observed its platinum jubilee on the theme “75 strides and beyond” at Lazami Local Ground, Khuluqa, with minister for agriculture & cooperation, G. Kaito Aye as chief guest.

A press release from LSU informed that during the programme, Kaito in his speech acknowledged the pioneers of the union for their vision.

He said that it was because of the aspirations of the pioneers that they were able to come this far and celebrate the jubilee.

The minister exhorted the leaders of the village and student community to be sincere in their responsibilities for the betterment of the village community.

He also encouraged the students to work hard and acquire knowledge and wisdom to lead the community and be torchbearers for others.

Urging upon the community to promote peace for cordial coexistence in the society, Kaito also encouraged them to adapt to the fast-changing environment so that they could progress at par with

Sharon High School 1996 alumni observe 25th reunion

SHS 1996 alumni at the reunion on December 28.

DIMAPUR: Sharon High School (SHS), Dimapur, class 10 of 1996 observed its 25th reunion on December 28.

In a press release, the class of ’96 informed that during the programme, Imtiwapang reminisced on days in the High School.

Meanwhile, a special song was presented by Lochumi followed by a special prayer for the 1996 batch by The Lighthouse Church, associate pastor, Alferd Amri.

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NAGALAND POST, DIMAPUR THURSDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2021

In a short speech, he shared his testimony on how God’s miracle was evident in his life.

In this regard, he encouraged the gathering to let Jesus be the centre of their lives.

The programme was led by Tiasunep and invocation was said by Dr. Resenmenla Longchar.

Later, an informal session “extravaganza” was also conducted. The session was led by Alila Longchar and Moamonger.

other communities.

Short speeches were delivered by Joshua Sumi, former deputy speaker NLA and Lazami village council chairman while presidential address was delivered by LSU president, Khuvishe Swu. The programme was compered by Ngukato Tsuipu and Qhevili Futhena, invocation as said

by SABAK youth secretar y, Hokato Futhena, welcome note from convener, planning board, platinum jubilee Inakhe Swu and release of jubilee souvenir was done by the inaugural guest.

YWOK supports demand for separate district DIMAPUR: Yimkhiung Women Organisation Kohima (YWOK) has extended support to the demand of the Yimkhiung community for a separate district.

In a press release YWOK general secretary, Athsang stated that the state government should honor and uphold assurance given to Yimkhiung people in letter and in spirit.

YWOK expressed disappointment that as of late, “the state government has been making lame excuses thereby, negating what had been assured”.

It stated that YWOK had been allegiant to the state government despite being deprived of their legitimate right to have a district like any other community.

YWOK hoped that “people at the helms of affairs would hear cries of its citizens” and “fulfill the aspirations of Yimkhiungrü” by incorporating all Yimkhiung administrative headquarters in the proposed district without any condition and further delay.

PSU general session underway

Dr. Ketholenuo Rhakho speaking at the inaugural session on Wednesday.

KOHIMA: The two-day 63rd general session-cumcultural dance competition of Phek Students’ Union (PSU) got underway at Phek village on the theme “cultural identity in modern context” on Wednesday.

Speaking on the topic “develop competency through education”, deputy director, animal husbandry & veterinary services (AH&VS), Dr. Ketholenuo Rhakho warned about the negligence of one’s identity during the process of

cultural assimilation.

At the programme, Chakhesang Public Organisation (CPO) general secretary, Veduvo Rhakho shared greetings, BJP Phek district president, Niesucho Keyho shared history of the union while Dr. Ketholenuo Rhakho hoisted the PSU flag.

The inaugural session was chaired by Shehuzo Hoshi, CRC pastor Chitanieyi Venuh said the invocation, indigenous tune was

presented by Chopachi and Nukusayi while Akuve Soho delivered the welcome address.

Krove Hoshi read out general secretary report and presentation of meritorious award was led by Makrota Venuh.

The session was followed by PSU general assembly, spelling bee, debate and solo competition.

It may be mentioned that Kuzholuzo (Azo) Nienu, MLA, would be the cultural guest on December 30.

Sakraba Students’ Union holds general session

Sukhalu graces BKK golden jubilee DIMAPUR: Baimho Kiphimi Kuqhakulu (BKK) observed its golden jubilee with advisor school education, K.T Sukhalu as guest speaker on Wednesday.

In a press release, NDPP 35 A/C general secretary Kabo Kiba informed that Sukhalu in his speech exhorted the students to be ambitious in their academic career.

He encouraged them to make a habit of reading and to minimise the usage of social media platforms.

The advisor also exhorted the women to participate in various platforms.

Reiterating on proxy culture in the government educational institutions, he asked the stakeholders to revamp the regulation to provide quality education to students through qualified and trained teachers.

Sukhalu further requested the parents to realise the potentials of their children and help them achieve their dreams instead of dictating their desires upon their children.

The advisor was accompanied by NDPP party workers of the central, Zunheboto region, 35 A/C Zunheboto and various civil societies under Zunheboto area including ZAPO, ZRSU, STH (Zunheboto Area) and ZTKK.

CYA Diphupar Rongmei celebrates golden jubilee

Zaveyi Kezo (seated fifth from left) with SSU members and others at the general session on Wednesday. (NP)

Correspondent S A K R A BA , D E C 2 9 ( N P N ) : T h e t wo - d ay 56th general session of the Sakraba Students’ Union (SSU) on the theme “discover the differences” concluded at Lohe Khel, Sakraba village, here, on Wednesday.

In the inaugural session BJP Nagaland, state secretary, Zaveyi Kezo called upon the people to pay attention towards human resource development.

He urged upon the parents to invest in the development of intellectual, mental, physical, emotional and social abilities of a child.

He pointed out that the holistic development of a child was of utmost importance and that parents should continue to encourage their children to be assets and not liabilities to the society.

Highlighting the session theme “discover the differences”, Kezo challenged the students to take a corrective steps and decisions for healthy and successful academic career.

He exhorted the students to know their duties and discover their talents and abilities.

On the union motto “hard labour triumphs”, Kezo said there was no shortcut to success and

called upon the students to work hard and be achievers.

Pointing out the advantages and disadvantages of mobile phones, Kezo exhorted the students to make the best use of it.

Earlier, Chakhesang Students’ Union (CSU) president Vetho Vadeo conveyed greetings, Centre Chakhesang Public Organisation (CCPO) president Niehüsa Cükhamu exhorted the gathering while SSU president Vesüto D. Vadeo delivered the president’s address.

SSU election com-

missioner Lehü Lohe announced the new team of SSU for the tenure 20222023 which would be led

by Vetho Lohe as president and Küthono Cükhamu as general secretary.

Later during the valedictory programme, a quiz competition was also conducted with district jail Phek, assistant jailor, Dozhoyi Cükhamu as quiz master.

Earlier, Phek SDO (C), Zhoi Lohe spoke during the introductory session-cum-seminar on the theme “focus on competitive exams”.

DIMAPUR: The Catholic Youth Association (CYA) of Our Lady of Lourdes Church, Diphupar Rongmei celebrated its golden jubilee on Wednesday, with Most Rev. Dr James Thoppil, Bishop of Kohima as the main celebrant.

A press release from the Church informed that during the programme, K Y M C

Bishop Thoppil in his homily urged upon the youth to have an intimacy with God through prayer and to love him deeper.

He also encouraged them to practice forgiveness and to live a just life.

During the felicitation programme, OSD to the government of Nagaland and CAN presi-

dent, Johnny Ruangmei quoted Psalm 23 while parish priest of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Fr Johnson delivered a speech.

The programme was attended by various leaders and members of the community including president of Nagaland Catholic Youth Movement, Dr. Lawrence Kithan, presi-

dent of Nagaland Catholic Women Association, Rita Kikon, priests, nuns and others.

It may be mentioned that the Catholic Youth Association of Our Lady of Lourdes Church was established in the year 1971 with around 20 members with over 80 members today.

davp 34128/11/0008/2122

Members of the Church along with priests and others at the programme on Wednesday.

K Y M C

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NORTHEAST

Powerful explosion rocks Imphal

Powerful IED exploded at a godown in Imphal on Wednesday morning.

Correspondent IMPHAL, DEC 29: A powerful bomb exploded at the main entrance gate of the grocery godown at Telipati under Porompat police station of Imphal East district around 3.40 am on Wednesda. Police and security forces who immediately rushed suspect it was an IED that went off.

The impact of the blast destroyed the main gate made of GI sheet besides digging a pitch of around two feet in diameter. No casualty was reported in the explosion that

took place. In the aftermath of the explosion, security measures were tightened across the capital.

Sources say that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit the state in the first week of January, tentatively on January 4. Other Central leaders are also likely in the poll-bound state and as such security has been beefed up in capital.

CCTV footage showed an Activa brand scooter borne masked person planted the bomb just at the gate of the godown owned

by Ramnath Sahu (75).

The masked man was seen depositing a polythene bag at the gate of the godown and left the spot hurriedly.

It was minutes after he left the spot that the explosion took place.

No militant group has owned up for the explosion till the time of filing this report.

This is the third instance in which suspected militants have triggered explosion at shops in the recent time.

Three weeks ago, militants destroyed a pharmacy at Khurai Lamlong Bazar by triggering a powerful

AAI team visits Kailashahar Airport to explore feasibility for resumption

AGARTALA, DEC 29 (PTI): A team of the Airports Authority of India (AAI) visited the Kailashahar Airport in Tripura’s Unakoti district to explore the feasibility of resumption of air service, officials said here on Wednesday.

The airport located near the Indo-Bangla border has been shut down since the early 90’s on account of lack of adequate passengers.

The six-member AAI team led by joint general manager (Operations) Dubdulal Chowdhury on Tuesday inspected the old airport and also Hiracherra tea estate, an alternative place for setting up a greenfield airport in presence of District Magistrate (DM) of Unakoti, Uttam Kumar Chakma.

Later, they held a meeting with the DM, SubDivisional Magistrate of Kailashahar, Shanti Ranjan Chakma and Vice-Chairperson of Kailashahar Municipal Council, Nitish Dey as part of a feasibility study on setting up a greenfield

File photo of Kailashahar Airport.

airport at Hiracherra tea estate instead of reviving the old airport.

The AAI team visited the old airport and the proposed site - Hirapur tea estate - to conduct a feasibility study on setting up a greenfield airport, the District Magistrate said.

“We had a detailed discussion on setting up a greenfield airport at Hiracherra tea estate because the old airport is so small and possibility of expansion is very remote because of land scarcity”, he said.

However, the AAI team is “not satisfied” with the possible site for establishing greenfield airport at Hiracherra tea estate because the place is hilly, which doesn’t suit the AAI’s guidelines for setting up a

new airport, the DM said.

“They said they will submit a comprehensive report to the higher authority to take a final call on Kailashahar Airport”, Chakma added.

After visiting the proposed site, the AAI team told reporters that they will submit the report to the higher authority within next few days.

On December 15 Tripura Chief Secretary Kumar Alok had said that he had a meeting with the Union Civil Aviation Secretary for setting up a greenfield airport at Kailashahar followed by a meeting between Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb and Union Civil Aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia.

IED. They had also triggered an IED at a grocery shop at Kairang in Imphal East district around a month ago.

Meanwhile, as a part of security measure ahead of the visit of VVIP and VIPs from the Centre, police commandos, the elite force of the state police to counter insurgency were conducting a series of mopping operations at different places across the capital city, besides intensifying random frisking and checking operations on roads leading to the city.

Continuing the operation, police commandos conducted search operations at Keishamthong and Keishampat areas under Imphal police station on Wednesday morning.

The police commandos raided around 70 houses in the areas besides conducting verification of around 200 residents, including those staying in rented houses.

There were no reports of any suspect detained during the operations.

NAGALAND POST, DIMAPUR THURSDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2021

3 African students test COVID positive in Assam

DIBRUGARH (ASSAM), DEC 29 (PTI): Three African students of Assam’s Dibrugarh University have tested positive for COVID-19, and their samples have been sent for whole genome sequencing, officials said on Wednesday. Two samples tested positive for the Omicron strain in a kit developed by the Regional Medical Research Centre (RMRC), NE of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) in Dibrugarh, while the third result is awaited.

“After the samples tested Omicron positive in our kit on Tuesday, we then carried out ‘targeted sequencing’, which confirmed the test results,” an ICMR source told PTI. The samples have been sent to the CSIR-North East Institute of Science and Technology (NEIST) in Jorhat for whole genome sequencing.

Dibrugarh University International Affairs Executive Officer Arinjit Hazarika said an M Com student from Comoros recently returned from his country and tested positive for COVID-19. “His two roommates, hailing from Nigeria and Lesotho, in the international hostel also tested positive for COVID-19, and the trio was isolated in the hostel itself, which houses 22 foreign students,” he said.

The ICMR source said that the students from Comoros and Lesotho tested positive for Omicron in their kit. On Sunday, a 57-year-old man returning from Nigeria, his four family members and their domestic help tested Omicron positive in the RMRC kit, and their samples were sent for whole genome sequencing, the results of which are awaited.

Silchar church incident: Six detained by Cachar Police

SILCHAR, DEC 29 (AGENCIES): The Cachar police arrested 6 more youths in relation to the Silchar Church Incident which occurred on 25 December during the Christmas festival in Assam’s Silchar, reports The Sentinel Assam.

According to reports, Ramandeep Kaur the Superintendent of Police, Cachar informed that all the six accused arrested are juveniles.

The police initiated a CrPC (Criminal Procedure Code) proceeding and as per this interrogation upon the case is underway.

On Christmas Eve last Saturday, a group of young individuals entered the premises of the Presbyterian Church complex located near Oriental School, Silchar and initiated violence in the religious institution.

Those young individuals wearing saffron-colored Cholas claimed themselves as members of the Bajrang Dal and demanded that the people from the Hindu community should not celebrate Christmas and stay away from the celebration. The bunch of youths started manhandling visitors inside the Church and later they went forward to close the door of the Church. According to them on that evening the Hindus must celebrate

Tulsi Dibas instead of visiting the church. According to the eyewitnesses present at the time of the incident, the young group with saffron Cholas suddenly entered the church and started fights with people disrupting the celebration of Christmas. They also raised the slogan of ‘Jai Shri Ram’ inside the venue of the Church.

Meanwhile, the Bajrang Dal General Secretary of the Cachar District Unit on the matter said that these young boys in connection with the Church Incident do not have any official position in the Bajrang Dal as to be part in the Dal they must be at least 18 years old.

Nath further stated that the youth might have done such a thing out of immaturity to gain popularity.

The police also informed that during the investigation they did not find any connection of the boys with any organizations and henceforth consulted the same with local Bajrang Dal units who informed the same.

No case has been registered yet as the Church authorities did not file a formal complaint against the young individuals disrupting the Church authorities and other people present at the venue during the occasion of Christmas.

Tripura State Rifles recruitment: Road named after Modi inaugurated in Sikkim Rejected candidates stage protest ngnosla GPU. The newly

AGARTALA, DEC 29 (IANS): Protests that began on Tuesday in Tripura after the announcement of candidates selected for recruitment to various posts including riflemen in the Tripura State Rifles (TSR), continued on Wednesday as individuals whose name did not appear in the list of selected ones attacked the BJP offices in different parts of the state.

A large number of rejected candidates attacked party offices of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the state’s different districts on Tuesday and Wednesday, apart from holding agitation in various districts and sub-divisions.

The angry candidates ransacked BJP party offices and engaged in squabbles against the local leaders in several places of Gomati and South Tripura districts for not getting selected in the TSR jobs.

The agitated candidates including women threatened to file cases in the Tripura High Court.

A BJP legislator from northern Tripura had open-

ly expressed his anger on the social media over the selection list. However, on Wednesday the legislator withdrew his post on Facebook. A senior police officer said the Tripura police headquarters on Monday published the names of the 1,443 selected candidates including 138 women to the post of Riflemen and Riflemen (tradesmen) to raise two new battalions of TSR under the Indian Reser ve (IR) battalion category. Of the 1,443 selected candidates, 357 are from different states of the country.

Tripura currently has 12 battalions of TSR. Following the request of the Union Home Ministry, one battalion was deployed in Delhi and another battalion posted under Oil and Natural Gas Corporation, while another battalion would soon be deployed under South Eastern Coal Fields Limited in Chhattisgarh.

Trained in counterinsurgency operations, the TSR was raised in March 1984 to deal with terrorism.

Narendra Modi Marg inaugurated by Sikkim governor Ganga Prasad.

GANGTOK, DEC 29 (PTI): A second road linking Tsomgo lake and Nathula border pass with Gangtok -- christened as ‘Narendra Modi Marg’ -- was officially inaugurated by Governor Ganga Prasad.

The older route is called Jawaharlal Nehru Road. The alternative double-lane road at 51 Kyongasala gram panchayat unit

(GPU) -- spanning 19.51 km -- has been operational for almost a year now, officials said.

DB Chauhan, the state BJP president, shared pictures of Tuesday’s inauguration on Twitter and said, “Pleased to join Hon’ble @Governor_Sikkim Shri Ganga Prasad Ji during the inauguration ceremony of #Narendra #Modi #Marg at Kyo-

constructed alternative alignment road towards Changu lake has been named after Honourable PM Shri @narendramodi Ji.” IK Rasaily, the panchayat head of 51 Kyongasala GPU, said a proposal to rename the road after the prime minister was unanimously passed in the gram sabha on December 20.

The stretch, constructed by Border Roads Organisation, has reduced the distance between Gangtok and Tsomgo lake by 15 km.

It is a small gesture to show gratitude to the PM, who made available free vaccines and ration amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Rasaily stated.

“Also, another reason that prompted us to name the road after the PM was the manner in which he handled the Doklam issue (border standoff with China) and provided protection to people in this border region,” he said, adding that 80 per cent of the youth in the area have joined the Army.

NPP leader Letpao Haokip joins BJP Mizoram logs 207 new COVID cases No new COVID-19 case in Arunachal Pradesh

NEW DELHI, DEC 29 (PTI): Manipur minister and NPP leader Letpao Haokip on Thursday joined the BJP in the presence of Union minister Bhupender Yadav.

NPP is BJP’s ally in Manipur and Hakoip is the youth affairs and sports minister in the BJP-led government in the state.

Hakoip joined the BJP in presence of party’s national spokesperson Sambit Patra and the Union minister. Yadav and Patra are BJP’s incharge

Letpao Haokip

and co-incharge for Manipur polls, respectively.

NPP has two ministers in the Manipur government,

including the deputy chief minister.

Welcoming Hakoip into the party, Yadav said he was joining the BJP after being impressed with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership,and good governance by BJP governments both at the Centre and the state.

NPP chief and Meghalaya Chief Minister Cornard Sangma has already announced that the party will contest upcoming 60-member assembly polls in Manipur alone.

AIZAWL, DEC 29 (PTI): Mizoram’s COVID-19 tally surged to 1,40,955 as 207 more people tested positive for the infection on Wednesday, 23 more than the previous day, a health department official said.

The COVID-19 death toll rose to 541 as two more persons from Kolasib and Champhai districts succumbed to the infection in the last 24 hours, he said.

At least 60 children were among the newly infected people, the official said. Aizawl district reported the highest number

of fresh cases at 75, followed by Mamit (32) and Serchhip (29), he said. The northeastern state now has 1,483 active COVID-19 cases, while 1,38,931 people have so far recovered from the infection, including 157 in the last 24 hours, the official said.

The COVID-19 recovery rate now is 98.56 per cent, which is higher than the national average of 98.40 per cent and the death rate is 0.38 per cent, which is less than the national average of 1.38 per cent, he said.

The single-day positivity rate dipped to 6.70 per cent from 10.27 per cent the previous day. Mizoram on Tuesday had reported 184 new COVID-19 cases.

The state has so far tested more than 15 lakh samples for COVID-19, including 3,090 samples on Tuesday.

Over 7.30 lakh people have been inoculated with COVID-19 vaccine, including 5.87 lakh people who have received both doses of the vaccine till Tuesday, state immunisation officer Dr Lalzawmi said.

Assam Transport Dept starts drive for accident-free New Year eve GUWAHATI, DEC 29 (PTI): The Assam Transport Department has started a special drive across the state to enforce various safety regulations to prevent accidents in and around the New Year celebrations, a senior official said on Wednesday.

Assam has already witnessed more than 6,800 accidents, in which over 2,800 people have lost their lives in 2021. This has forced the state administration to vow to have accident-free celebrations on December 31.

“Most of the accidents take place due to high speeding and drink-anddrive. The fatalities are mostly among the people

of 15-40 years of age and 48 per cent of them are due to not wearing helmets,” Assam Transport Department Assistant Commissioner Gautam Das told PTI. In order to have a safe and accident free new year this time, the Transport Department along with Assam Police has started a special exercise to aware as well as penalise the violators that will continue till January 1 morning, he added.

“We have already made helmets compulsory for both the riders from this month. For drink-anddrive, we are imposing a fine of Rs 10,000 along with suspension of the

licence and arrest of the person,” Das said.

Each district has formed special teams of enforcement officials for inspection at various points and they are equipped with breath analysers with disposable pipes and other devices, he added.

“We have imposed a speed limit of 60 km per hour for December 31 across the state irrespective of the roads like highways.

I appeal to all not to drink and drive as this is the winter season with heavy fog at several locations. Have a slow and steady drive,” he said.

Das, who is also the District Transport Officer of Kamrup Metropoli-

tan comprising mostly the Guwahati city, said seven enforcement teams have been formed to enforce the rules in the state capital.

According to Assam Transport Department data, 29 lives were lost in 69 accidents on December 31, 2020 and January 1 this year. In 2020, 6,593 accidents took place in Assam and 2,629 people lost their lives in those incidents. Of these, 215 persons died in 699 accidents in Guwahati alone.

As per Transport Department figures, the state has seen 23,191 road accidents in the last three years from 2018 to 2020, taking the lives of 8,803 people in those cases and 56 per cent

of the death victims were in the age group of 18-35 years age.

Of all these accidents, 6,149 cases involved twowheelers. Noticeable point is that about 75 per cent of the road accidents have happened due to overspeeding, an official note of the department said.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has recently announced that he has resolved not to allow any person to die in an accident during the New Year celebrations in this year.

Taking a serious note on drink-and-drive cases and the consequent casualties, Sarma on December 24 held a video conference with Deputy Commis-

sioners, Superintendents of Police, DTOs, Superintendents of Excise of all districts and asked them to put a spanner on drink-anddrive phenomenon.

ITANAGAR, DEC 29 (PTI): Arunachal Pradesh did not report any fresh COVID-19 case or death due to the disease on Wednesday, with the virus tally remaining unchanged at 55,334 and the toll at 280, a senior official said here.

As many as 55,036 people have recuperated from the infection so far, with the recovery rate standing at 99.46 per cent, State Surveillance Officer (SSO) Dr Lobsang Jampa said.

The northeastern state currently has 18 active cases.

Capital Complex -- comprising Itanagar, Naharlagun, Nirjuli and Banderdewa areas -- has11 active cases, followed by Namsai district at three, West Kameng at two, and Tawang and Lohit at one each.

Altogether 12,04,590 samples have been tested for COVID-19 in the state, including 246 on Tuesday, Jampa added.

GOVERNMENT OF NAGALAND

OFFICE OF THE COMMANDANT 6TH NAP BATTALION TIZIT : MON : NAGALAND.

No. 6BN (R0-10) 2021-22/2856

To

Dated Tizit the

th

Nov '2021.

No. 312 NCE - Pappu Kumar Father's Name - Laxman Prasad Village - Bindke Chhapara P.O. - Aakhar P.S. - Aakhar District - Ballia State - Uttar Pradesh Sub :- CALLING NOTICE You have been found absent from bonafide Government duty with effect from 07-08-2021 without any prior permission from the competent authority and remain absent till date.

And whereas inspite of notice served to you to report before the undersigned vide this order you have failed to report.

1. No. 6BN (RO-10) 2021-22/ 2072 Dated 20-09-2021.

2. No. 6BN (RO-10) 2021-22/ 2207 Dated 04-10-2021.

3. No. 6BN (RO-10) 2021-22/ 2365 Dated 22-10-2021.

4. No. 6BN (RO-10) 2021-22/ 2556 Dated 20-11-2021.

You are asked to report for duty within 7 (seven) days from the received of this calling letter. Failing which you will be declared as deserter as per the law and legal action will be taken by the authority against you.

Commandant 6th NAP Battalion, Tizit Nagaland.

DC-1376/21

5

NATIONAL

NAGALAND POST, DIMAPUR THURSDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2021

Ludhiana blast: mobiles used by accused recovered Raids at industrialist Piyush Jain’s

LUDHIANA, DEC 29 (PTI): The investigating a ge n c i e s p r o b i n g t h e Ludhiana court complex blast incident recovered seven mobile phones, a few of them used by the accused, from the city’s central jail, police sources said on Wednesday.

The phones have been sent to forensic lab for further examination, they said.

Dismissed Punjab police cop Gagandeep Singh was killed in the blast on December 23. Six others were injured in the incident.

According to police, Gagandeep had gone to the washroom in the court complex to assemble the bomb to plant it somewhere.

Gagandeep, who was dismissed from service in 2019, had spent two years in the Ludhiana jail in a drug-related case.

Gagandeep along with two others -- Ranjit Singh and Sukhwinder Singh

Punjab Police inspect the site of an explosion at the District Court complex, in Ludhiana. (PTI)

-- who were also lodged in the same jail allegedly used these phones, the sources said. Ranjit and Sukhwinder had been brought on production warrants for questioning, they said.

It has been found during investigation that some international calls had also been made from these mobile phones. Two of these phones were

largely used by Gagandeep during his stay in the jail, said police sources.

Gagandeep had came out on bail in September.

According to CCTV footage procured from cameras installed at Ludhiana bus stand and r o a d s i d e, G a g a n d e e p had used a bus to reach Ludhiana from Khanna on December 23.

T h e i nve s t i g a t i n g

a ge n c i e s h ave a l s o questioned Gagandeep’s wife. They also questioned his girlfriend, serving in the police. Gagandeep had stayed with her in a hotel before proceeding to Ludhiana.

The police are also questioning Gagandeep’s friends in the police department whom he used to frequently meet after his dismissal from the service.

N o t a b ly, G e r m a n authorities detained a person allegedly belonging to the Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), an organisation suspected to be behind the bomb blast in Ludhiana, based on intelligence inputs from India, officials had said on Tuesday.

The man, identified as Jaswinder Singh Multani, was detained in a city in Germany after intelligence inputs were shared with the authorities in Berlin highlighting his alleged role in planning terror attacks in India, they said.

Multani, against whom two FIRs have been registered in Punjab, was picked up and kept under detention, and was questioned on the inputs provided by Indian agencies to the authorities in Berlin through diplomatic channels.

The central agencies and the Punjab police are investigating the Ludhiana blast incident jointly.

premises in Kanpur concludes

NEW DELHI, DEC 29 (IANS): The raids, which started on December 22, on the premises of Kanpur perfume trader Piyush Jain is finally over, the Directorate General of Goods and Services Tax Intelligence(DGGI) said Wednesday.

Several documents, huge cash, gold and other precious materials were r e c o ve r e d d u r i n g t h e searches.

O n We d n e s d a y morning, Pratyush Jain-son of Piyush Jain-- was seen locking the house and leaving with the DGGI team for further interrogation.

Zakir Hussain, the Additional Director of DGGI said that they have recovered Rs 19 crore more in cash besides gold and other things. The team was at Jain’s residence at Chhipati Mohalla of Kannuj for the past eight days.

“It is Piyush Jain’s

The counting of notes was on for the past five days with the help of SBI officials and 20 note counting machines.

house. This will be closed for few days. His son Pratyush locked the house and he has the key. For the time being we are taking him and will free him after making panchnamas of articles recovered from the house,” said the official.

Notably, the counting of notes was on for the past five days with the help of State Bank of India officials

and 20 note counting machines. The notes were put in big cartons and sealed by the team. The financial intelligence teams had to take help of extra labourers and a truck to take the cash to SBI branch.

A large number of people had gathered outside his house and local police was called to maintain law and order.

Maybach added to Modi’s security Police sends notices of appearance to Dharma Sansad accused detail routine replacement: Govt

DEHRADUN, DEC 29 official said everything (PTI): The Uttarakhand d e p e n d s o n h ow t h e police has sent notices of investigations progress. appearance to Jitendra “We are looking into Narayan Tyagi and Sadhvi the application submitted Annapurna who are on behalf of the core accused of delivering hate committee for med by speeches against Muslims organisers of the event at a Dharma Sansad held and an FIR will be lodged recently in Haridwar. if necessary,” he said.

J i t e n d r a N a r aya n Kathait said police Tyagi was earlier known has to carry out the as Waseem Rizvi, the investigations responsibly president of Uttar Pradesh as it is also accountable to Shia Waqf Board. Rizvi the court of law. had changed his name after “We cannot jump to converting to Hinduism. conclusions on the basis Haridwar Kotwali of mere allegations and police station SHO penalise someone. The Rakender Singh Kathait allegations will be probed s a i d o n We d n e s d ay, Yati Narsinghanand speaking at the controversial Dharam Sansad and appropriate action will “We have sent notices of be taken,” he said. appearance to Rizvi and lodged in this connection.” on Tuesday submitted of hatching a conspiracy P r ovo c a t ive Sadhvi Annapurna so far.

Meanwhile, members an application to police against them. speeches were delivered Official sources said the SPG security detail has a six-year norm to replace vehicles A notice may also be sent o f a c o r e c o m m i t t e e seeking a counter FIR When asked whether by par ticipants at the used for the protectee, and the previous cars were used for eight years under Modi. to Dharamdas who is the for med by organisers a g a i n s t a n u n n a m e d a counter FIR will be Dharma Sansad held from NEW DELHI, DEC 29 of the media is over Rs discussion on the security third one named in the FIR of the Dharma Sansad ‘maulana’ accusing him lodged in the case, the December 16 to 19.

(PTI): Amid speculation on 12 crore. Official sources features of the protectee’s the price and other details said the SPG security car is not in national interest of the Mercedes Maybach detail has a six-year norm as it puts in public domain added to Prime Minister to replace vehicles used a lot of unnecessary detail. PUNE, DEC 29 (PTI): The ‘Mahavir Chakra’ for his acts of allegedly made inflammator y Narendra Modi’s security for the protectee, and the This only threatens the life Pune police have registered a case bravery in the Kargil war, said police speeches with an intention to hurt detail, government sources previous cars were used for of the protectee,” the source against Hindu seer Kalicharan inspector (crime) Harshavardhan the religious sentiments of Muslims said on Wednesday that the eight years under Modi, added.

Maharaj, right-wing leader Milind Gade. A case was registered and Christians and to create a new cars are not an upgrade leading to an audit objection Officials asserted that Ekbote and four others for allegedly on Tuesday against Kalicharan communal rift between people. but routine replacement as and comment that it was Modi has not given any making inflammatory speeches Maharaj, Ekbote, Capt Kumar A police official said they BMW had stopped making compromising the life of the preference on which cars to during an event here and hurting and three others at Khadak police registered the case suo-moto (on the model used for him protectee. use and noted in this context religious sentiments, officials said station under IPC Sections 295 (A) their own) after scruitinising a video earlier.

“The decisions relating that Congress president on Wednesday. (deliberate and malicious intention footage of the event. “ T h e c a r s c o s t to security detail purchases Sonia Gandhi in the past The event, ‘Shiv Pratap of outraging religious feelings of Kalicharan Maharaj is also much less than the media are based on the threat used Range Rovers which Din’, to celebrate the killing of any class), 298 (deliberate intention facing FIRs in Maharashtra and Kalicharan Maharaj speculation, in fact it is perception to the protectee. were actually procured for Mughal commander Afzal Khan of wounding religious feeling of any Chhattisgarh for allegedly using about one-third of the price These decisions are taken the then prime minister.

by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, event was attended by Kalicharan person) and 505 (2) (false statement, derogatory words against Mahatma quoted in the media,” an independently by the SPG Cars manufactured by was organised here in Maharashtra Maharaj, Ekbote, Captain Digendra rumor made in place of worship, Gandhi during at an even in Raipur official source said. without taking views of the BMW are among those used by Ekbote’s Samast Hindu Aghadi Kumar (retired) and others. etc, with intent to create enmity, recently. Ekbote is accused in the The price quoted for protectee. by the prime minister over outfit on December 19.

Capt Kumar is a Kargil hatred or ill-will), the officials said. case of violence at Koregaon-Bhima a Maybach car in a section “ T h e w i d e s p r e a d the years.

According to police, the war hero, who was awarded the As per the FIR, all the accused in Pune district in 2018.

Case against Hindu seer for inflammatory speech at event in Pune

Priyanka vows to launch stir if ‘BJP has brought development, will return to power in UP’ Amethi girl not given justice

Priyanka Gandhi

accused has been arrested in this case while police teams have been set up to arrest others Police had contacted the girl and based on her father’s complaint, a case under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act was registered against accused Suraj Soni, Shivam and Sakal.

The officer said the survivor is a resident of a village under Sangrampur police station area of Amethi district and the incident took place in Raipur Phulwari town.

Anurag Thakur

to rampant “gundaraj and mafiaraj” in the state during the tenure of the previous Samajwadi Party (SP)government and now they are returning seeing

the work of the Adityanath dispensation.

He alleged that the development work took a hit under the SP government as it was busy protecting goons.

Wo m e n i n U t t a r Pradesh can now step out of their houses in the dark and businessmen have d eve l o p e d c o n f i d e n c e due to the Adityanath government’s action against “gundaraj and mafiaraj”, the information and broadcasting minister told reporters.

“We will retur n to

power with more than 300 seats due to a positive public... we brought development to every nook and corner of the state even after Covid-induced problems in the last two years,” he said.

Responding to a question on the womencentric approach of the Congress for its UP assembly poll campaign, Thakur said the Sonia Gandhi-led party had joined hands with those who inflicted atrocities against women in the last assembly elections.

Stalin urges Modi to release assistance for flood damage

C H E N NA I , D E C 2 9 (IANS): Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Wednesday requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to advise the Ministry of Home Affairs to release the Central assistance towards rain-related losses suffered in the state. Stalin, in a letter to Modi, said the northeast monsoon rains and floods damaged habitations, crop lands, and resulted in loss of human lives and cattle.

“The Central team for

assessing the damages due to incessant rains visited Tamil Nadu on November 21, 2021. We have submitted so far, three memoranda seeking relief assistance from Government of India to the tune of Rs 1,510.83 crore for temporary restoration and Rs 4,719.62 crore for permanent restoration of damaged infrastructure like roads, bridges and public buildings etc.,” he said.

The financial position of the state has been

under severe stress due to Covid-19 pandemic and the subsequent flood situation only accentuated it, Stalin added. “The SDR funds have also been fully utilised.

As you may agree, the affected people need to be compensated at the earliest to enable them to get over the present impact of the floods and also to reconstruct the damaged infrastructure so that transport, irrigation, education etc, are put back in track,” he said.

dc-1377/21

AMETHI (UP), DEC 29 (PTI): Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Wednesday attacked t h e Yo g i A d i t ya n a t h g ove r n m e n t ove r t h e thrashing of a Dalit girl in Amethi, and said her party will launch an agitation if the accused in the case are not arrested soon.

Her remarks come after a video purportedly showing a 16-year-old Dalit girl being beaten up and molested went viral on social media.

Attaching the video of the incident, the Congress General Secretary tweeted, “If the criminals who committed this inhuman act are not caught within 24 hours, then the Congress will work to wake you up by vigorous agitation.”

“This incident of ruthless thrashing of a Dalit girl in Amethi i s c o n d e m n a b l e. @ MYOGIADITYANATH Sir on an average 34 crime incidents against Dalits take place every day under your rule and 135 against women, yet your law and order is sleeping,” she said.

Amethi Deputy Superintendent of Police, Arpit Kapoor said that one

VARANASI, DEC 28 (PTI): Union Minister Anurag Thakur on Tuesday said the BJP will return to power in Uttar Pradesh with more than 300 seats on the back of a positive public mood due to action against “gundaraj”, “unprecedented” development and public welfare schemes under t h e Yo g i A d i t y a n a t h government.

Thakur, who was the chief guest at the first edition of the Kashi Film Festival here, said people migrated from Uttar Pradesh due

6

OPINION/EDITORIAL

Nagaland Post VOL. XXXII NO. 25 DIMAPUR, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2021

A

Unsparingly unfair

fter the BJP came to power in 2014 with a huge mandate, the new government began unleashing its no-longer-hidden-agenda of anti-minority rights. Not to talk of open threat of violence or even incitement against Muslims and Christians or many who have been lynched by cow protectors but who have never been punished , while the leaders of the government maintained a stoic silence; Indian secular democracy may soon exist on paper only. Even that is likely to be in serious doubt since the constitution is slowly being interpreted to represent the views or interests of the political party in power and not that of the religious sentiments of the majority community. Leaving aside the lynching, desecration of churches or attacks, the BJP has also not left alone foreign-funded religious NGOs, particularly those of Christian or Muslim charities. In the clearest proof of targeting Christian NGOs, the union home ministry of the BJP government has refused to renew the foreign-funding licence for the Missionaries of Charity, the Christian-order founded by Mother Teresa. This suggests that a new low and threshold has been reached since it happened on Christmas day. The MoC is globally known for its work among the country’s poor and destitute, suggests that a new threshold has been reached. The Ministry of Home Affairs(MHA) defended its non-clearance for renewal of registration for the MoC under Foreign Contribution Regulation Act(FCRA).The MHA justified its stand on the ground that renewal was refused to MoC on December 25,2021 for not meeting the eligibility conditions under FCRA 2010 and FCRR 2011. The FCRA registration of MoC was valid up to December 31,2021. The MHA said the reason(s) for its action stemmed from “some adverse inputs” but did not mention these and neither were these made known to MoC. Since the registration under FCRA was refused, the MoC had no option but to not operate its bank accounts and accordingly informed the State Bank of India about circumstances leading to its decision. When the matter caused not only national but also international outrage, the MHA again said it had not received any request or revision application from MoC for review. If the MHA did not specify what were the “adverse inputs” against MoC, how could it make any such request? The government in 2020, tightened restrictions on non-profit groups and froze bank accounts of groups such as Greenpeace and Amnesty International. The Home Ministry had also cancelled the foreign funding of Harvest India, a Christian missionary organization, for violating FCRA rules. Officials accuse Harvest India which has more than 1,500 community centres functioning across the country of proselytising purposes. An accusation may be justified by the accuser but the accused has to be given the opportunity of a fair hearing. Unlike Pakistan or Bangladesh, India is not a theocracy as it is established on the principles of a constitutional democracy where citizens are equal and enjoying guaranteed fundamental rights. The charges against those NGOs that were either refused NoC for FCRA or deregistered are mere hogwash. If there are violations or non-adherence to FCRA rules,why are only Christian and Muslim organisations and not even a single Hindu or RSS-affiliate(s) under scanner every time? Human rights activist Suhas Chakma who has a long list of tribals converted to Hinduism said many Hindu-based organisations received huge NRI funds but are never questioned. That itself is a revealing fact about how official machinery is even being used to target religious minorities in India.

DailyDevotion Deserter or Disciple?

From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more. —John 6:66 When God, by His Spirit through His Word, gives you a clear vision of His will, you must “walk in the light” of that vision (1 John 1:7). Even though your mind and soul may be thrilled by it, if you don’t “walk in the light” of it you will sink to a level of bondage never envisioned by our Lord. Mentally disobeying the “heavenly vision” (Acts 26:19) will make you a slave to ideas and views that are completely foreign to Jesus Christ. Don’t look at someone else and say, “Well, if he can have those views and prosper, why can’t I?” You have to “walk in the light” of the vision that has been given to you. Don’t compare yourself with others or judge them— that is between God and them. When you find that one of your favorite and strongly held views clashes with the “heavenly vision,” do not begin to debate it. If you do, a sense of property and personal right will emerge in you— things on which Jesus placed no value. He was against these things as being the root of everything foreign to Himself— “…for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses” (Luke 12:15). If we don’t see and understand this, it is because we are ignoring the underlying principles of our Lord’s teaching.

Our tendency is to lie back and bask in the memory of the wonderful experience we had when God revealed His will to us. But if a New Testament standard is revealed to us by the light of God, and we don’t try to measure up, or even feel inclined to do so, then we begin to backslide. It means your conscience does not respond to the truth. You can never be the same after the unveiling of a truth. That moment marks you as one who either continues on with even more devotion as a disciple of Jesus Christ, or as one who turns to go back as a deserter.

Quotes

Sincerity is the way to heaven. ~ Mencius

NAGALAND POST, DIMAPUR THURSDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2021

Post-mortem

Need to scrap the collegium system of appointing judges M any years ago, Justice V. R. Krishna Iyer, a celebrated jurist, had criticized the collegium system in one of his articles published in The Hindu on 18 August 2012. This is what he had said in his piece: “Thus, today we have a curious creation with no backing under the Constitution, except a ruling of the Supreme Court, and that too based on a very thin majority in a single ruling. Today, the collegium on its own make the selection. There is no structure to hear the public in the process of selection. No principle is laid down, no investigation is made, and a sort of anarchy prevails.

In a minimal sense, the selection of judges of the highest court is done in an unprincipled manner, without investigation or study of the class character by the members of the collegium. There has been criticism of the judges so selected, but the collegium is not answerable to anyone”. Justice Iyer’s words are very relevant even today when several people are raising objections against the decisions and decisionmaking process of the collegium.

In his academic opinion, Justice Krishna Iyer had also suggested some measures to bring a new system to appoint the judges of the constitutional courts. He had emphasized the need to adopt a better criterion to select the judges for the constitutional courts. He had said: “In the process of selection, an investigation into the character, class bias, communal leanings, and any other imputations that members of the public may make, may have to be investigated. This has to be done not by the police, which function under the government, but by an independent secret investigation agency function under the commission’s control. These and other views expressed by outstanding critics may have to be considered”.

Further, Justice Krishna Iyer had strongly advocated the need to establish the National Judicial Appointments Commission to select the judges of the Supreme Court and High Courts under the leadership of the Chief Justice of

India. He had envisioned the commission in these insightful words: “The commission has to be totally independent and its ideology should be broadly in accord with the values of the Constitution. It should naturally uphold the sovereignty of the Constitution beyond pressures from political parties and powerful corporations, and be prepared to act without fear or favour, affection, or ill-will. It should act independentlysuch should be its composition and operation. The commission should be immune to legal proceedings, civil and criminal. It should be removed only by a high tribunal consisting of the Chief Justice of India and the Chief Justices of all the High Courts sitting together and deciding on any charges publicly made. We, the people of India, should have a free expression in the commission’s process.” Today, India needs such a system to appoint judges in the higher judiciary.

In 2014, the Modi Government took a notice of collegium’s faulty process and replaced it with the National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC) by amending the Constitution for making the appointments of judges of the Supreme Court and the High Courts more transparent and objective.

The NJAC was to be headed by the Chief Justice of India and was comprising some other members such as two senior-most judges of the Supreme Court next after the CJI, Union Minister of Law and Justice, and two eminent jurists.

But the Supreme Court did not allow the Central Government to eliminate the collegium system and struck down the constitutional amendment including the NJAC in 2015. The Court observed that the NJAC hampered the independence of the judiciary, a basic feature of the Constitution. However, the Supreme Court also admitted some faults in the collegium system’s working in the NJAC case.

Justice Kurian Joseph, in his judgment, had exposed the loopholes of the collegium system in these words: “To that extent, I agree with Chelameswar, J. that the present collegium system lacks transpar-

ency, accountability, and objectivity. The trust deficit has affected the credibility of the collegium system, as sometimes observed by the civil society. Quite often, the very serious allegations and many a time not unfounded too, have been raised that its approach has been highly subjective. Deserving persons have been ignored wholly for subjective reasons, social and other national realities were overlooked, certain appointments were purposely delayed so as either to benefit vested choices or to deny such benefits to the less patronised, selection of patronised or favoured persons were made in blatant violation of the guidelines resulting in unmerited, if not, bad appointments, the dictatorial attitude of the collegium seriously affecting the respect and dignity, if not, independence of judges, the court, particularly the Supreme Court, often being styled as the Court of the Collegium, the looking forward syndrome affecting impartial assessment, etc., have been some of the other allegations in the air for quite some time. These allegations certainly call for a deep introspection as to whether the institutional trusteeship has kept up the expectations of the framers of the Constitution. Though one would not like to go into a detailed analysis of the reasons, I feel that it is not the trusteeship that failed, but the frailties of the trustees and the collaborators which failed the system. To me, it is a curable situation yet.”

Since the NJAC verdict, unfortunately, nothing has changed on the ground and the collegium is still working with great opacity and secrecy. The concerns raised by the judges in the NJAC case have not yet been addressed properly.

Nobody, except the five collegium members, knows how it selects the judges and how it rejects them. Several senior judges have been superseded by the collegium during the last few years. Many judges of the High Courts have been transferred without assigning any reason.

During the collegium system, the High Courts are functioning just like subordinate courts to the Apex

Court. There is no remedy against the omissions and commissions of the collegium. Chances of judicial review against the collegium’s decisions are also remote. The collegium is not accountable to any constitutional authority. It exercises huge powers without any checks and balances. Even the Full Court meetings of the Supreme Court are not held to discuss the collegium’s decisions, and resolutions. An aggrieved judge, who is bypassed, has no remedy to redress his/her grievances. The recent memoirs of former Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi reflect the poor state of affairs of the collegium system.

Who will judge the judge-makers?

Who will ensure transparency in the decision-making process of the collegium? Has not the time come when Parliament should once again enact a law to replace the collegium system to make it more transparent, accountable, and inclusive? Can the Central Government remain a mute spectator or should it come forward, bring the issue before Parliament, and improve the appointment process of judges of the Supreme Court and High Courts?

The answer is yes. The government and Parliament should make better arrangements for the appointments of judges to the higher judiciary to strengthen people’s faith in the institution of the judiciary and make it more inclusive. The Supreme Court collegium cannot be the sole arbiter in making judicial appointments to the constitutional courts.

Notably, not only the judges have criticized the functioning of the collegium system, but a former President of India Mr. Pranab Mukherjee has also criticized this system strongly in his memoirs titled “The Presidential Years 20122017”. Mr. Mukherjee criticizes the collegium system in these words: “I have serious doubts over the present arrangement, and the judiciary ought to relook into the issue….. it is possible that the judiciary has come to mistrust the executive or the legislature and, therefore, does not want them to have decisive powers on the appointment of judges. It does not, in its own words, wish to

be caught in a ‘web of indebtedness’ through the NJAC. This mistrust is not good for the healthy administration of the country and should be avoided. Better communication between the parties concerned can help in dispelling such mistrust”.

This is not an ordinary criticism.

Policy-makers should take these words seriously.

Given the above discussion, the time has come when the Supreme Court collegium should be replaced by a National Judicial Appointments Commission to ensure quality appointments in the higher judiciary. Obviously, the Chief Justice of India should be empowered to head the NJAC, comprising a few other members from the judiciary, executive, legislature, and the bar. A transparent and accountable system is necessary to sustain the people’s faith in the judiciary and no constitutional authority including the judiciary can be given absolute powers to appoint judges of its own choice. Let it be a collaborative process. Judges hold high constitutional offices and exercise great powers to deliver justice to the people according to the constitutional scheme. Thus, the process must be more democratic and inclusive. Admittedly, the collegium system has failed to achieve the targets set by its makers in the 1993 judgment. The existing arrangements hardly leave any space for the Central Government which is the essential stakeholder in the judicial system of the country. The government cannot be treated like a postman. The Central Government is collectively responsible to Parliament, not the judiciary. The government represents the collective will of the people who make/ unmake the governments. This is why the government should also have an effective say in judicial appointments to be made in a collaborative manner for protecting the independence of the judiciary.

This will indeed be a great tribute to Justice Krishna Iyer, a great defender of judicial independence and the rule of law.

Lokendra Malik, advocate, Supreme Court of India

Addressing challenges in food systems with climate-smart agriculture

T

o meet the suite of climate challenges, while also producing food and energy in an environmentally and socially sustainable way, climate-smart agriculture (CSA) is becoming popular around the globe. CSA is defined by the Food and Agricultural Organisation as a strategy for transforming agri-food systems to be more environmentally friendly and climate-resilient.

Food systems are responsible for a third of our global emissions. At the United Nations climate conference in Glasgow, Scotland (COP26), the negotiations featured plans lowering the sector’s contribution to global warming. Scientists and farmers criticised the dichotomy narrative in the ‘food versus fuel’ conversation and called for more climate-resilient food and energy systems while highlighting the existing technology. They pressed on the fact that transformative agricultural systems exist and agriculture can be climate-friendly.

Technologies and practices for better water management and climate-smart agriculture (CSA) are improving in India. Farmers face different climate vulnerabilities based on their landholding sizes, crops grown and their geographic location. However, solar-based irrigation systems and Direct Seeded Rice (DSR), as CSA methods, are emerging as popular examples among many Indian farmers.

“CSA can include innovations such as agro-advisory services and weather insurance; solar water pumps, community-based and onfarm water management; adaptive varieties of crops, breeds and seedbanks; sustainable livestock management, integrated nutrient management, using biogas and minimum tillage,” Kundhavi Kadiresan, Managing Director, Global Engagement and Innovation of the

CGIAR, told MongabayIndia. The CGIAR is a network of 15 international agricultural research centres focusing on different food crops and geographies.

Innovations at the market level include building strong local institutions, implementing gender-inclusive strategies, making cross-sector linkages and providing access to market information, added Kadiresan. “So, some are focused on adaptation to the effects of climate change and some are focused on reducing the carbon footprint of agriculture,” Kadiresan said. The CGIAR, shared Kadiresan, is working towards increasing the resilience of smallholders who are on the front line of climate change and there are many examples of climate-smart innovations that have already been developed and many more in the pipeline.

Climate smart farming takes wing in India “Salt tolerant rice is one example. Rice is a staple crop in India as well as in many parts of Asia and Africa.

Climatic extremes including rising sea levels – which cause inland salinization – can seriously affect rice production. The adoption of ‘climate-smart’ rice has led to significant increases in yield in climate change stress-affected areas, including those inhabited by the most impoverished farming communities. The Sahbhagi Dhan variety is specifically deployed in India,” explained Kadiresan.

One good example of CSA intervention is Dhundi village in Gujarat, where the farmers irrigate their lands with solar power, shared Giriraj Amarnath, Principal Researcher, Disaster Risk Management and Climate Resilience Research Group at International Water Management Institute (IWMI).

The solar programme provides remuneration to the farmers in two ways. First,

the farmers transfer the electricity to the local grid, and they are provided an income for the same. Second, they can also diversify and grow different crops as there is a guarantee of water and they don’t have to depend entirely on monsoons.

“They are g rowing pomegranate, papaya, cotton and the like. You don’t need a lot of water for that. This also doubles the farmers’ income.

The grids are also local. A section of farmers in India are now using solar-based energy, which means lesser emissions compared to the diesel-based pumps,” Amarnath told Mongabay-India, stressing that CSA should be looked at the broader nexus of mitigation and adaptation. “Water is a co-benefit for mitigation. Climate is basically a water crisis. You can’t separate climate and water crises. There is more awareness about this now,” Amarnath said.

Farmers are also experimenting with a switch in rice planting. Direct-seeded rice, in which rice seeds are sown and grown directly into the field instead of the need for puddling in water, is increasingly being explored as a climate mitigation strategy to cut back on greenhouse gas emissions associated with the volume of water required to grow traditional varieties in flooded fields.

Scientists from the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) are breeding new varieties of rice that can thrive without puddling, and the first trials are currently close to harvest at sites across India, including Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Odisha. Rice currently generates around 10% of global methane emissions – comparable to emissions associated with livestock.

IRRI’s breeding programme targets the development and testing of breeding lines specifically targeted to dry and puddled direct-seed-

ed systems by bringing together yield potential, stability and specific traits crucial for these systems into elite breeding lines. Direct seeded crops require less labour and tend to mature faster than transplanted crops. But direct-seeded plants can have problems in lodging, weeds, and uneven growth, requiring weed management and robust tillering.

“Rice at present is not well adapted to direct-seeding. What we then need to do is to work on rice and develop varieties that can handle that kind of growing system; if we try to use the current base varieties that are being grown in the farmers’ fields and try to put them in the same situation (directseeding) then the yield will be zero or may be low and farmers will not want to go back to that,” said Shalabh Dixit, Senior Scientist and Plant Breeder at IRRI. Dixit explained that the breeding lines that are being developed will factor in the following: well adapted to direct-seeding conditions, will be risk-free and offer farmers the flexibility in the way they want to grow rice without the risk of crop failures. “If they want to transplant, they can do that; if they want to opt direct seeding, they can do that; if they want to use machines or if they want to broadcast, they can do that without the risk of crop failures,” Dixit added.

One of the challenges DSR could help address, is the paddy stubble burning issue in north India. “Since DSR relatively shortens the duration of the crop growth, and say, Punjab, Haryana and UP start doing DSR, hypothetically, rice matures a little bit earlier than it does right now. It might give them the time to manage straw better rather than burning it,” he said.

Mechanisation (including how quickly or easily machinery is available in a

certain area), weed management and how fast seeds move into farmers’ hands are factors that need to be considered for the successful uptake of DSR. However, there are opportunities in these challenges. “The need for mechanisation may spur the development of local enterprises to rent out such machinery, for example,” observed Dixit.

The cost-effectiveness of DSR is an added benefit.

Farmer Harminder S Sidhu from Raikot, Punjab, who has adopted DSR farming as a CSA method says that he expects more farmers to adopt DSR in the coming years.

“During the lockdown period in 2020, the farmers couldn’t get many labourers to work on the farms with them. Because of its minimal input requirement, direct-seeded rice (DSR) is generating a lot of interest.

Pre-germinated seeds are sowed into a puddled surface.

In the DSR method, the puddling cost, sowing cost and the labour cost are reduced.

There are also fewer pest attacks. In a field that has moisture, we also save water for several days.”

Sidhu manages the Gadri Baba Dulla Singh Giani Nihal Singh (GBDSGNS) foundation – an NGO that empowers Indian farmers.

The foundation also helps

farmers buy the machines needed for DSR farming.

“We motivate the farmers to buy machines in a group so that the cost is split and the benefits are shared,” he adds.

The way ahead: Technological interventions and multistakeholder collaborations Collaborative approaches between the government agencies and the farmers, enabling mechanised farming and opening up to new technological inventions is the way to go in CSA. Big data and digital innovations, at various levels, can empower farmers to face climate-linked challenges in agriculture.

“Farmers need to believe in technology and its role. We need to build our capabilities of sub-seasonal forecasting. Met departments function at district levels.

And the districts are large with farmers growing diverse crops. We don’t have the technology to track and monitor all these crops; we need to digitise the farm fields,” explained Giriraj Amarnath.

BICSA (Bundled Solutions of Index Insurance with Climate Information and Seed Systems to manage Agricultural Risks) is one good example that combines the strength of public and private partnerships.

Y Priyanka Shankar and Sahana Ghosh (Mongabay India)

Reader’s Post

Sir,

Pathetic network

Off late the mobile service providers are neglecting their duties in providing network to the customers, be it BSNL, Airtel or Jio etc. The network flip flops every now and then, at times complete BTS failures for days together.

I think the service providers should seriously pay attention before the consumers start claiming compensation.

John Semy, President, Nagaland Voluntary consumer organization, Tseminyu Unit

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.

7

NATIONAL

NAGALAND POST, DIMAPUR THURSDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2021

to inaugurate, lay foundation NEET-PG: Docs to protest till FIRs withdrawn PM stones of 23 projects in U’khand

in the court on the next hearing on January 6 and he was hopeful that soon the counselling dates will be announced. But, some of RDA representatives were determined to stretch the protest till the FIRs are withdrawn by the Delhi Police and an apology submitted for their action during Monday’s protest. “However, we all agreed to continue the protest till all our demands are met,” he added.

As the protest, includ-

ing the withdrawal of all medical and emergency services, entered into 13th day, the patient care has largely been affected across the hospitals in Delhi.

City’s Safdarjung Hospital, which has emerged as the main centre of protest, is running with only senior doctors in the OPD and Emergency services. Amid heavy security personnel deployed in the hospital, junior doctors are boycotting the services. However,

doctors are planning to take the protest forward with Covid norms as Delhi has been placed under yellow alert after the Covid spike.

Will take legal action if docs flout DDMA guidelines: Delhi Police

Citing guidelines issued by the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) of not organising gatherings during the pandemic, the Delhi Police on Wednesday said they would

Maha police issue notice to Narayan WB Gov accuses Mamata Rane over case against his son of using offensive language

File photo of Narayan Rane and his son Nitesh Rane.

MUMBAI, DEC 29 (PTI): Sindhudurg police on Wednesday issued a notice to Union minister Narayan Rane to present his MLA son Nitesh Rane before them in connection with an attempt to murder case in which the latter and others have been named as accused.

Narayan Rane was also asked to be present at Kankavli police station in

Sindhudurg district of Maharashtra at 3 pm to record his statement in connection with the case, but he did not appear at the given time, following which police pasted the notice at his residence there, police sources said.

According to the notice, issued under section 160 (1) of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), the minister has been asked to share information related

to the case with police after getting the notice.

His son has been named in the FIR, which was registered under Indian Penal Code Sections 307 (attempt to murder), 120 (B) (criminal conspiracy) and 34 (common intention) and he was not traceable after various attempts made by police, the notice mentioned.

In the notice to the Union minister, the police also referred to a statement made by him in a press conference on Tuesday where he had said that “was he a fool” to reveal the whereabouts of his son.

Reports about the statement have been published in various newspapers and considering that, it seems the Union minister is aware of Nitesh Rane’s whereabouts, the notice mentioned.

KO L K ATA , D E C 2 9 (IANS): West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar continued his tirade against Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Trinamool Congress in general. Uploading a video of a speech of Mamata Banerjee, Dhankhar accused the chief minister of using utmost foul ‘vituperative language’ defaming and insulting the Governor and being autocratic.

Posting a video of the chief minister’s rally in Goa on December 16, Dhankhar said, “Your stance ‘Raj Bhawan Mein Eik Raja’, while being on a political trip to Goa, is hurtful and not in sync with constitutional norms or fact scenario. Seek to engage with you on this count as we both constitutional functionaries must act in harmony to serve people in dire need. Am sure you will accord priority to this

and spare time for urgent interaction.”

The Gover nor was referring to the chief minister’s speech where she without taking the name said, “Raj Bhawan mein ek raja baitha hai. Kiya nehi bolta hain. BJP ka president se bhi bada. All India President BJP ka - aisa baat karta hain (There is a king who sits at Raj Bhawan. What doesn’t he say? He is even bigger than the President of BJP. He speaks as if he is the All-India President of BJP.) T h e G ove r n o r o n his Twitter handle wrote: “Stunned @MamataOfficial ‘Raj Bhawan mein ek raja baitha hai’ stance, while on a political visit to Goa- unexpected act of impropriety.

On Dec 16 urged CM for interaction as constitutional functionaries must act in harmony to serve people”.

Rise in active COVID-19 cases in Maharashtra alarming: Tope

MUMBAI, DEC 29 (PTI): Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope on Wednesday expressed concern over the rise in the number of fresh as well as active COVID-19 cases in the state, and termed it as an “alarming situation”.

Talking to reporters here, Tope urged people and authorities to exercise caution. He also emphasised on strict adherence to COVID-19 protocols and ramping up of vaccination

against the infection.

He said in the last 8-10 days, the active cases in the state stood in the range of 5,000-6,000.

On December 10, the state had 6,543 active cases, according to the health bulletin.

On Tuesday, the state had 11,492 active cases.

Rajesh Tope On Wednesday, the number of active cases could cases in the state is alarmrise over 20,000, the min- ing,” he said.

He also expressed ister said.

“The rise in active concern over the fast dou-

Unidentified person sets Haryana BJP MLA’s SUV on fire, case registered

The Toyota Fortuner of Panipat MLA Pramod Kumar Vij burnt was an arsonist.

CHANDIGARH, DEC 29 (PTI): A Haryana BJP legislator’s SUV was set afire by an unidentified person when the vehicle was parked in the high-security Haryana MLA Hostel complex here, police said on Wednesday.

The incident, which occurred on the intervening night of Tuesday and Wednesday, was captured by CCTV cameras.

The arsonist, whose face was not visible in the video, is seen breaking a windscreen of the Toyota

Fortuner of Panipat MLA Pramod Kumar Vij and later setting the vehicle on fire. A fire tender reached the spot and doused the fire, but the SUV’s front portion was badly damaged.

“A case has been registered and investigations are on,” the Station House of Office of Sector 3 police station, Sher Singh, said.

He said that two to three people could be involved in the incident and efforts were on to trace them.

Speaking to reporters

outside Hostel, Pramod Vij said he does not have enmity with anyone and has no clue why the vehicle was set afire.

When asked why his SUV was targeted when other vehicles too were parked near it, the MLA said, “Police are conducting a thorough probe. Let them complete their investigations”. “ H o p e f u l l y, t h e y should be able to catch the culprits soon,” the legislator, who had arrived in Chandigarh on Tuesday to attend the Haryana cabinet expansion event, said.

Notably, the site where the SUV had been parked is a stone’s throw from the police station. Haryana Assembly Speaker Gian Chand Gupta, who visited the MLA Hostel, said that “it is a serious issue and a matter of concern that the incident took place in a high-security area”.

bling rate of cases in the state, and the rising number of infections in Mumbai.

Tope said the active cases in Mumbai could reach over 2,200 on Wednesday. The state capital reported 1,377 cases on Tuesday.

“Everyday, 51,000 tests are conducted in Mumbai, but if 2,200 people test positive, then the positivity rate stands at 4 per cent, which is not good.

We need to be cautious,”

Rains lash parts of Chhattisgarh RAIPUR, DEC 29 (PTI): As unseasonal rains lashed several parts of Chhattisgarh, Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Wednesday directed officials to carry out an immediate assessment of damages to crops and houses in the state.

Incessant showers hit Raipur, Durg, Korba and Rajnandgaon districts on Tuesday evening, causing a drop in the day-time temperature by 3 to 4 degrees Celsius, an official said.

Apart from this, hailstorms were witnessed in parts of Bemetara, Kabirdham, Surguja, Rajnandagon, Surajpur and Balod districts.

The chief minister has directed all district collectors to immediately carry out assessment of damages to crops and houses, the official said. The affected persons will be compensated under provisions of the Revenue Book Circular, he said.

he said.

Tope also emphasised the need to reduce contacts, wear masks and maintain social distancing.

Stressing that vaccination should be ramped up, Tope said a list has been prepared of those left out of the vaccination drive.

He said political will is necessary and leaders across all parties, religious leaders and NGOs should urge people to participate in the vaccination drive.

NEW DELHI, DEC 29 (IANS): Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate and lay the foundation stones of 23 projects worth over Rs 17,500 crore in Haldwani, Uttarakhand on Thursday.

Among the 23 projects, 17 projects worth over Rs 14,100 crore cover a wide array of sectors/areas across the state including irrigation, road, housing, health infrastructure, industry, sanitation, drinking water supply among others.

The Prime Minister will inaugurate six projects, including multiple road widening projects, a hydropower project in Pithoragarh and projects to improve sewerage network in Nainital.

The cumulative cost of the projects being inaugurated is over Rs 3,400 crore.

Modi will lay the foundation stone of the Lakhwar Multipurpose Project to be built at the cost of about Rs 5,750 crore. This project was first conceived in 1976 and had been pending for many years.

Modi’s “vision to pri-

Army sets up quantum lab, AI centre NEW DELHI, DEC 29 (PTI): The Army has set up a quantum computing laboratory and a centre for artificial intelligence (AI) at a military engineering institute in Madhya Pradesh’s Mhow. The two centres will carry out extensive research in developing transformative technologies for use by the armed forces.

“The Army, with support from the National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS), has recently established the Quantum Lab at Military College of Telecommunication Engineering, Mhow to spearhead research and training in this key developing field,” the defence ministry said.

It said the Indian Army is making steady and significant strides in the field of emerging technologies.

Chief of Army Staff General MM Naravane visited the facility during his recent visit to Mhow.

“Indian Army has also established an Artificial Intelligence (AI) Centre at the same institution with over 140 deployments in forward areas and active support of industry and academia,” the ministry said in a statement.

“Training on cyber warfare is being imparted through a state-of-the-art cyber range and cyber security labs,” it said. The ministry said the research undertaken by the Army in the field of quantum technology will help it leapfrog into the next generation.

Narendra Modi

oritise long pending projects is the force behind the project’s foundation stone being laid. This project of national importance will enable irrigation of about 34,000 hectare additional land, produce 300 MW hydro power and supply drinking water to the six states of Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan”, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said in a statement.

To improve connectivity at far flung places of the country, inauguration and foundation stone laying of multiple road sector projects worth about Rs 8,700 crore would be done.

Further, foundation stones of multiple road

projects all across the state under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojna would also be laid by the Prime Minister.

The projects include laying of 133 rural roads with a total length of 1,157 km at cost of more than Rs 625 crore and construction of 151 bridges at a cost of about Rs 450 crores.

The Prime Minister will also lay the foundation stone of AIIMS Rishikesh satellite centre in Udham Singh Nagar district and Jagjivan Ram Government Medical College at Pithoragarh. These two hospitals are being built at a cost of about Rs 500 crore and Rs 450 crore, respectively.

The improved medical infrastructure will not only help the people of Kumaon and Terai regions but also the bordering areas of Uttar Pradesh. The Prime Minister will also lay the foundation stone of ‘Aroma Park’ at Kashipur and Plastic Industrial Park at Sitarganj and multiple other initiatives in housing, sanitation and drinking water supply across the state.

SAD and Congress leaders join BJP in Punjab

Three leaders who joined the BJP are SAD and one former Congress MLA.

NEW DELHI, DEC 29 (IANS): Ahead of next year Punjab Assembly polls, more leaders from Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and Congress have joined BJP on Wednesday.

Leaders who joined the BJP are Jagdeep Singh Nakai, Ravipreet Singh Sidhu and Harbhag Singh Desu from SAD and former Congress MLA Shamsher Singh Rai. These leaders joined BJP in presence of union ministers Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and Som Prakash, party national general secretary and Punjab in-charge Dushyant Gautam, chief spokesperson Anil Baluni at party headquarters here.

“The way eminent personalities, elected representatives and influential people from different walks of life joining BJP shows the way wind is blowing in Punjab,” Shekhawat said.

Shekhawat pointed out that yesterday two sitting MLAs had joined along with others.

“One of oldest names

in Punjab politics with long association with SAD, former MLA Nakai is joining BJP. Young face of Punjab, who worked at different positions in SAD Sidhu is also joining BJP today.

Fo r m e r C o n g r e s s MLA Rai and a prominent OBC leader Desu also joined us, Shekhawat, BJP election in-charge of Punjab said.

Shekhawat further said that joining these leaders will strengthen the party and help in building a new Punjab. On Tuesday, former Indian cricketer Dinesh Mongia joined BJP. Two Congress MLA Balwinder Singh Laddi, Fateh Jung Singh Bajwa and 13 others also joined the BJP along with cricketer Mongia.

The BJP has on Monday announced an alliance with former chief minister Amarinder Singh’s Punjab Lok Congress and Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa’s Shiromani Akali Dal (Sanyukt) to jointly contest the Punjab assembly polls.

‘Congress should apologise for false cases against Hindu orgs’

FARRUKHABAD (UP), DEC 29 (PTI): Attacking the Congress over the claims of a witness in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday accused the party of “nurturing” terrorists and foisting false cases against Hindu organisations when in power.

T h e w i t n e s s, w h o turned hostile, on Tuesday old Mumbai’s special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court that ATS officers had forced him to take the names of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and five RSS members in the terror case.

“This mischief of the Congress is a crime against the country and its leaders should apologise to the people,” Adityanath said while addressing a public meeting during the BJP’s Jan Vishwas Yatra here.

“How the Congress

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Students stage a protest in solidarity with doctors protest over delay in NEET counselling and alleged police brutality, in New Delhi, Wednesday. (PTI)

initiate a legal action if doctors do not follow it.

“We have requested the protesting doctors that keeping in view the rising cases of Covid-19 they should not organise any kind of gathering in the city,” Assistant Commissioner of Police KPS Yadav told IANS. The resident doctors have been protesting for the past 13 days over the delay in NEET-PG 2021 counselling. The ACP said it is clearly mentioned in the DDMA guidelines that no social gathering or rally is allowed in these pandemic times.

“They [doctors] are the country’s responsible citizens and every one of us takes inspiration in our lives from them. If the people see the doctors themselves are not following the Covid induced protocol, they might do the same,” Yadav said.

Responding to a question that if the doctors still do not budge?, the officer said the cops’ first attempt will always be to make the resident doctors understand, but, “if they still don’t agree, then legal action can be initiated against them”.

Yogi Adityanath

played with the country is not hidden. When in government, they encouraged and nurtured terrorists and fake cases were foisted against Hindu organisations. And now when it is out of government, it opposes all works which are in people’s interest,” the firebrand BJP leader alleged.

He also took a swipe at Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav over the income tax raids on a Kanpurbased perfume trader, saying this shows why Yadav was opposing demonetisation.

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NEW DELHI, DEC 29 (IANS): The resident doctors on Wednesday continued their protest in support of their demands, including the withdrawal of the FIRs filed against them.

The meeting between a delegation of the protesting doctors and the Union Health Minister on Tuesday had failed to make any headway.

The resident doctors have been protesting for the past 13 days over the delay in NEET-PG 2021 counselling.

In a statement, the Federation of Resident Doctors Association of India (FORDA), which is leading the protest nationwide, said that the FIR has been filed by the police against the protesting resident doctors.

“After discussion with the RDA representatives, it has been decided to continue the agitation till our demands are met,” said the doctors’ association.

A source in the RDA meeting said that all RDAs agreed to call off the strike as the Union Health Minister assured the meeting that the report will be submitted

Railways strove hard in 2021 to be back on track

of operations in a phased manner and reduce losses in its core activities.

This comes at a time when the national transporter has targeted to reduce its operating ratio to 95 per cent.

Last year, the Railways was able to lower its expenditure and make up for the shortfall in traffic through revenue generated by freight operations. A fall in pension liabilities also helped with the Railways’ massive pension bill of more than

Rs 51,000 crore in the current financial year has been converted into a loan by the finance ministry.

While the Railways also saved money by not restoring most concessions, it earned through “marginally” raised fares of special trains and hiked prices of platform tickets.

Till December 18, its revenue from goods traffic has been Rs 98075.12 crore while its target for the 202122 fiscal is Rs 137810 crore.

In the passenger segment,

Amul to set up Rs 500 crore plant in Telangana HYDERABAD, DEC 29 (IANS): Dairy giant Amul on Wednesday announced setting of their largest stateof-the-art plant in Telangana with an investment of Rs 500 crore in two phases.

The plant will come up in a special food processing zone with an investment of about Rs 300 crore in first phase and Rs 200 crore in second phase. It will provide direct employment to more than 500 persons and opportunities to several ancillary industries.

This will be Amul’s largest plant in south India with capacity to process 5 lakh litres per day of milk - expandable to 10 lakh litres per day - to manufacture packed milk and value added dairy products such as curd, buttermilk, lassi, yogurt, paneer, sweets etc.

An MoU in this regard was signed in the presence of Telangana’s Industry

Minister K.T. Rama Rao in Hyderabad.

Principal Secretary, industry and Commerce, Jayesh Ranjan and Amul’s largest milk cooperatives, Sabarkantha District Cooperative Milk Producers Union Ltd - Sabar Dairy MD Babubhai M. Patel signed the MoU. Amul will also set up its bakery production division in Telangana with a range of products such as breads, biscuits, traditional

Crossword

Su doku

KAKURO

sweets, and baked snacks.

Rama Rao thanked the leadership team of Amul for deciding to set up their largest plant in Telangana.

He highlighted the all round performance of the state and also mentioned about the friendly industrial policy and the existing investment ecosystem.

He said the state was experiencing a water revolution and was in the process of witnessing another white revolution (milk) with Amul

Bajaj Auto to set up Rs 300 crore EV manufacturing facility in Pune

the Railways has earned Rs 26871.23 crore while its projected target is Rs 61000 crore for the FY. Railways’ big ticket projects: The year was also marked by struggle to address issues causing delays and resulting in missed deadlines for big ticket projects. The Rs 81,000 crore Dedicated Freight Corridor, the Railways’ single-largest developmental project currently underway, was scheduled to be completed by December 2021.

The new deadline is now June 2022, which officials said could be further delayed.

Then there is the ambitious bullet train project between Ahmedabad and Mumbai. Mired in land acquisition issues and then the pandemic, the project has now been hit with cost escalations. While the project had a December 2023 deadline, it has now been pushed to 2026.

Another key project of the railways to handover cer-

tain routes to private entities has fizzled out due to lack of interest from the sector.

The ministry scrapped the Rs 30,000 crore bids for private trains around four months ago after it received only two offers - one from IRCTC and another from Megha Engineering and Infrastructure.

Initially, the national transporter had planned to introduce private trains on its network in phases, with the first dozen due to start running in the 2023-24 financial year and all 151 by 2027. However, sources indicate that the national transporter will give the plan one more try and has begun deliberations with the private sector on it.

The introduction of state-of-the-art trains like the Vande Bharat have been delayed due to cancellation of tenders and gained momentum only when Prime Minister Narendra Modi promised the nation 75 such trains by August 15, 2023 in his Independence Day speech.

Rupee snaps 9-day winning streak

Apple puts Foxconn’s TN facility on probation

MUMBAI, DEC 29 (PTI): The rupee snapped its nineday winning streak to settle 3 paise lower at 74.73 (provisional) against the US dollar on Wednesday, following weakness in domestic equities. At the interbank foreign exchange, the rupee started on a tepid note at 74.69 against the dollar.

During the day, it witnessed a high of 74.68 and a low of 74.86. On Tuesday, the rupee registered its ninth straight session of gain and surged 30 paise to close at a one-month high of 74.70 against the greenback. The rupee is expected to trade in a close range this week amid the year-end holidays, forex traders said. On the domestic equity market front, the BSE Sensex ended 90.99 points or 0.16 per cent lower at 57,806.49, while the broader NSE Nifty declined 19.65 points or 0.11 per cent to 17,213.60.

NEW DELHI, DEC 29 (PTI): Tech titan and iPhone maker Apple on Wednesday said it has put Foxconn’s Sriperumbudur facility on ‘probation’, and asserted it will ensure strict standards are met before the unit reopens. Foxconn’s Sriperumbudur factory hit headlines recently over mass-food poisoning at its offsite dormitory facility, an incident that led to workers’ protest.

Apple supplier Foxconn, in a statement, said it is restructuring local management team and management systems to ensure it can achieve and maintain the high standards that are needed. Foxconn Technology Group further informed that all employees will continue to be paid while necessary improvements are undertaken before restarting operations. Foxconn said that some offsite dormitory facilities did not meet the

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MUMBAI, DEC 29 (PTI): Bajaj Auto Ltd on Wednesday said it will set up an electric vehicle manufacturing facility at Akurdi in Pune with an investment of Rs 300 crore.

The facility, for which the work has already commenced, will have the capacity to produce 5,00,000 Electric Vehicles (EVs) per annum and cater to both domestic and exports markets, the company said in a release.

The first vehicle from the new unit, spread over half-a-million square feet space, is expected to be rolled out by June 2022.

The unit will employ around 800 personnel.

Akurdi is the site of the original Chetak scooter factory. “In 2001, Bajaj 2.0 took off on the roaring Pulsar, in 2021, Bajaj 3.0 arrived on the charming Chetak. Going forward, for the Bajaj portfolio, except for implementing one state-of-the-art ICE (Inter-

required standards.

An Apple spokesperson said: “We hold our suppliers accountable to the highest standards in the industry and regularly conduct assessments to ensure compliance.” Following recent concerns about food safety and accommodation conditions at Foxconn Sriperumbudur, Apple dispatched independent auditors to undertake additional detailed assessments.

“We found that some of the remote dormitory accommodations and dining rooms being used for

nal Combustion Engine) platform that is currently under development, all our R&D drive train resources are now laser focused on creating EV solutions for the future.

“This alignment reflects our belief that light electric vehicles for sustainable urban mobility is an idea whose time may finally have come,” Rajiv Bajaj, Managing Director

employees do not meet our requirements and we are working with the supplier to ensure a comprehensive set of corrective actions are rapidly implemented,” Apple spokesperson said.

Apple spokesperson added: “Foxconn’s Sriperumbudur facility has been placed on probation and we will ensure our strict standards are met before the facility reopens. We will continue to monitor conditions closely.” Foxconn Technology Group statement said that safety and well being of employees is the company’s

of Bajaj Auto, said.

He also said the investment at the Akurdi facility will complete the virtuous cycle of hi-tech R&D competencies, highefficiency engineering capabilities, world class supply chain synergies, and global distribution network which should leapfrog the company into a market leading position in EVs in India and overseas.

top priority. “We have been investigating recent issues at our Sriperumbudur facility in Tamil Nadu and have found that some offsite dormitory facilities do not meet the required standards.

We are very sorry for the issue our employees experienced and are taking immediate steps to enhance the facilities and services we provide at the remote dormitory accommodations,” Foxconn said.

The company said it is “restructuring our local management team and our management systems to ensure we can achieve and maintain the high standards that are needed”.

“All employees will continue to be paid while we make the necessary improvements before restarting our operations and we will continue to provide support for our employees as they return to work,” Foxconn said.

Sensex, Nifty edge down on profitbooking in banking, metal stocks MUMBAI, DEC 29 (PTI): Benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty retreated from over one-week highs to close lower on Wednesday due to profit booking in banking, IT and metal stocks amid weak global trends.

After a two-day rally, the 30-share BSE Sensex dropped by 90.99 points or 0.16 per cent to settle at 57,806.49 in volatile trade.

As many as 19 of its constituents declined while 11 advanced.

The broader Nifty slipped by 19.65 points or 0.11 per cent to close at 17,213.60 with 31 of its stocks ending in the red.

SBI was the top loser in the Sensex pack, shedding over 1 per cent. ITC, NTPC, Tech Mahindra, Tata Steel, Kotak Bank and M&M were among major losers. On the other hand, gains in Sun Pharma, IndusInd Bank, Dr Reddy’s, Bajaj Finserv and Reliance Industries restricted Sensex losses. Markets

were choppy throughout the session ahead of the F&O expiry and a weak trend in global markets, experts said.

“Market traded flat today and closed in negative.

In the past two trading days, the market witnessed positive momentum on the back of short covering ahead of the December F&O expiry.

However, the market is expected to remain flat in the next two trading days ahead of the New Year holiday as many global markets will remain shut in the next few days,” Arijit Malakar, Head Research (Retail) of Ashika Stock Broking said.

Experts said Omicron is a concern in the market as the Delhi government announced the Yellow alert and imposed restrictions amid a spike in virus cases.

The current concern for the market is that if other state governments follow the same then there will be again short term pause on

the recovery of the domestic economy. PVR shares declined by 1.98 per cent due to the ban by the Delhi government on cinema halls.

There are two divergent trends in the governments’ and market’s response to the Omicron variant, said V K Vijayakumar, Chief Investment Strategist at Geojit Financial Services.

“Governments, globally, are responding with caution and imposing some restrictions. In India too Maharashtra and Delhi have imposed some restrictions in the context of rising cases. But the markets have responded to the Omicron variant assuming that this marks the last phase of the pandemic,” he said. Sectorally, BSE metal, power, utilities, bankex, basic materials and FMCG indices fell up to 1.01 per cent, while healthcare, auto, capital goods and telecom indices rose up to 1.71 per cent.

PM to release KISAN fund on Jan 1

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NEW DELHI, DEC 29 (PTI): On the first day of the New Year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will release the 10th instalment of financial benefit under Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN), transferring an amount of over Rs 20,000 crore to more than 10 crore beneficiary farmer families.

The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said the money transfer is in line with Modi’s continued commitment and resolve to empowering grassroots farmers.

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NEW DELHI, DEC 29 (PTI): The story of Indian Railways in 2021 was one of recovery and putting its house in order after a forced hiatus from the tracks for the first time in its history due to the coronavirus outbreak.

The Railways has been completely dependent on its freight revenues for sustenance over the last two years, with the passenger segment running in loss in 2020 and gaining momentum only slowly with the removal of restrictions during the first half of this year.

A recent report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has noted that the Indian Railways’ operating ratio of 98.36 per cent in 2019-2020 does not reflect its true financial performance and if the actual expenditure on pension payments is taken into account, the ratio will be 114.35 per cent.

The CAG also noted that the national carrier needs to revisit the passenger and other coaching tariffs so as to recover the cost

NAGALAND POST, DIMAPUR THURSDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2021

BUSINESS

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UK aims for ‘Jabby New Year’ with boosters as COVID cases remain high L O N D O N, D E C 2 9 (PTI): The head of UK’s COVID vaccination programme said the National Health Service (NHS) is contacting thousand more people from Wednesday urging them to book a booster vaccine and have a “Jabby New Year” as the country recorded another 129,471 COVID-19 cases.

The surge in cases continues to be driven by the Omicron variant but it does not show a similarly sharp rise in hospital admissions, taking into account the lag between infections and hospital treatment.

However, Tuesday’s COVID infections data only includes data from England and Wales over the Christmas holiday period, with a UK-wide picture covering Scotland and Northern Ireland expected only in early January 2022.

“The National Health Service (NHS) Covid vaccination programme continues to break records with almost 250,000 people jabbed on Monday, the second-highest number for

Shoppers, some wearing a facemask to combat the spread of Covid-19, walk along Regent Street in London. (AFP)

a Bank Holiday so far,” said Dr Emily Lawson, head of the NHS Covid Vaccination Programme.

“We are contacting hundreds of thousands of people this week urging them to ensure they have maximum protection in the face of the threat from Omicron. Experts are clear that two doses do not give the protection we need from the new strain so everyone eligible should get boosted now and enjoy a Jabby New Year,” she said.

The NHS said there are more than a million appointments available through its national booking system between now

9

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NAGALAND POST, DIMAPUR THURSDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2021

and January 1, 2022. With boosters being offered to all adults, around 650,000 text messages and 50,000 letters are being sent to people who have not yet had their top-up third dose – applicable any time after a three-month gap from the second dose of a COVID vaccine.

It has also emerged that not all patients in the hospital will have been admitted for COVID, with the latest official data suggesting about three in 10 have the virus but were admitted to the hospital for something else. Chris Hopson, chief executive of NHS Providers which covers

staffing at NHS trusts, said some trust bosses thought self-isolating staff would be a “bigger problem” than the number of people being treated for COVID. A number of scientists are now calling for the UK to follow in the footsteps of the US and reduce the country’s COVID self-isolation period to five days, in an effort to protect frontline services struggling with staff absences.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Monday that Americans who catch COVID and don’t have any symptoms only need to self-isolate for five days, so long as masks are worn for another five.

In England, those who have tested positive for COVID are able to leave selfisolation after seven days, as long they can produce two negative lateral flow tests. Paul Hunter, professor of medicine at the University of East Anglia, told the BBC that he believes Omicron has become “effectively just another cause of the common cold”.

38 killed in gold mine collapse in Sudan

China warns of ‘drastic measures’ if Taiwan makes move on independence

KHARTOUM, DEC 29 (IANS): At least 38 people have been killed after a gold mine collapsed in West Kordofan state in southern Sudan, a government company announced in a statement. “The General Manager of the Sudanese Mineral Resources Company Limited mourns the death of 38 miners who died as a result of the collapse of Umm Draisaya mine,” the statement said on Tuesday.

The collapsed gold mine lies near El Nuhud town in West Kordofan state, nearly 500 km west of Sudan’s capital Khartoum.

The government of West Kordofan state and the state’s security committee previously issued a decision to close the mine, citing that it was not suitable for mining, according to the company. However, the miners infiltrated into and worked in the mine again despite the decision, it said. About 2 million Sudanese employees are working in the traditional mining industry across Sudan, including the states of Red Sea, Nahr alNeel, South Kordofan, West Kordofan and Northern, Xinhua news agency reported.

absence of formal diplomatic ties.

China regularly describes the island as the most sensitive issue in its ties with the United States.

Ma said provocation by pro-independence forces and “external intervention” could grow “sharper and more intense” in coming months.

“Next year, the Taiwan Strait situation will become more complex and severe,” he said.

Beijing has sent repeated air missions over the Taiwan Strait in recent months to pressure Taiwan. It has said it will not give in to threats.

While the United States recognises only one China, it is required by law to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself and has long followed a policy of “strategic ambiguity” on whether it would intervene militarily to protect Taiwan in the event of a Chinese attack. The defeated Republic of China government fled to Taiwan in 1949 after losing a civil war with the Communists, who established the People’s Republic of China.

A military honour guard holds a Taiwanese national flag as he attends flag-raising ceremony in Taipei, March 16, 2018.

BEIJING, D EC 29 (AGENCIES): China will take “drastic measures” if Taiwan makes moves towards independence, a Beijing official warned on Wednesday, adding that Taiwan’s provocations and outside meddling could intensify next year.

China claims democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory and in the past two years has stepped up military and diplomatic pressure to assert its sovereignty claim, fuelling anger in Taipei and concern in Washington.

China was willing to try its utmost to seek peace-

ful reunification with Taiwan but would act if any red lines on independence were crossed, Ma Xiaoguang, spokesman of the Taiwan Affairs Office, told a media briefing.

“If separatist forces in Taiwan seeking independence provoke, exert force or even break through any red line, we will have to take drastic measures,” Ma said.

Taiwan has emerged as a key factor in strained relations between China and the United States, the island’s most important international backer and arms supplier despite the

Pak’s Interior Minister Rashid dismisses South Africa recalls new isolation and quarantine rules talk of Sharif’s return as ‘useless chatter’ ISLAMABAD, DEC 29 (PTI): Amidst rumours about the possible return of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, Pakistan’s Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said on Wednesday that it was just “useless chatter” by the Opposition to gain some traction in the media.

Sharif was in prison serving his term after conviction by an accountability court when the Lahore High Court allowed him in 2019 to go to London for medical treatment for four weeks but he never came back at the end of the deadline.

His party has maintained that 71-year-old

Sharif would be back when allowed by the doctors.

“Unnecessary hype is being created around Sharif ’s return,” said the interior minister, who on Sunday offered to buy an air ticket for the PML-N supremo in case he was willing to return Pakistan from London where has been living since 2019 for medical treatment.

Speaking to the media in Rawalpindi, Rashid sarcastically added that his offer of a one-way ticket to Pakistan for Sharif was still valid.

He also said it was unfortunate that people who spent most of their life in Pakistan “eventually leave

the country instead of loving it”.

Rashid said that the Opposition wanted to bring the government under pressure by talking about the return of Sharif but it would not make any difference to the government.

During a media interaction on Tuesday, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry said that Sharif would never come back on his own.

“Nawaz Sharif will never return home voluntarily, rather the government will bring him back once the agreement with the UK government is finalized,” he said.

JOHANNESBURG, DEC 29 (AGENCIES): South Africa has recalled rules that no longer required people without symptoms of COVID-19 to isolate or test if they have been in contact with a positive case, the government announced on Tuesday, saying an amended circular will be re-issued.

Last week the health ministry said that asymptomatic individuals who had been in contact with a case of COVID-19 no longer had to isolate but should monitor for symptoms for 5-7 days and avoid attending large gatherings.

It had added that only those people who devel-

oped symptoms needed to get tested and that those with mild symptoms should isolate for eight days and severe cases for 10 days.

It had also revised protocols on quarantine, saying all quarantine facilities outside the home would be stopped, while contact

tracing efforts would also be scrapped aside from in specific scenarios such as cluster outbreaks.

The reason for the revision was based on a number of scientific factors including the fact that, most people have vaccinated with at least one vaccine dose and developed

some level of immunity.

This has contributed to the current low hospitalisation and high recovery rates, the department said.

Now all those protocols will be recalled after the Department of Health was inundated with media, stakeholders and public enquiries and comments following the release of the revised regulations.

“In line with the principles of transparency and openness, the department has decided to put the implementation of the revised policy changes on hold, while taking all additional comments and inputs received into consideration,” it said in a statement.

“This means the status quo remains, and all prior existing regulations with regards to contact tracing, quarantine and isolation remain applicable.”

The country has led the continent in terms of COVID-19 cases and deaths as well as vaccinations, with 3.42 million cases reported and 90,854 fatalities.

Its experience has been closely watched around the world after it was among the first countries to identify the more transmissible Omicron variant.

Cases started declining this week, with 7,216 new cases and 25 deaths reported in the past 24 hours.

4 killed after small plane ‘SL finalising talks to reacquire oil tanks leased to India’ Vienna talks on good path: Iran FM DEC 29 tanks once they are reac- India for the purchase of T E H R A N , D E C 2 9 ropean Union Deputy Forcrashes in California COLOMBO, (PTI): Sri Lanka is nearquired. Trinco Petroleum petroleum products amidst (IANS): The Iranian For- eign Policy Chief, has been

SAN FRANCISCO, DEC 29 (IANS): Four people were killed after a small plane crashed in California, according to authorities.

“A Learjet 35 business jet crashed in a residential San Diego neighbourhood around 7:15 p.m. local time Monday. Four people were aboard,” said the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in a statement on Tuesday.

It added that the flight departed John Wayne Airport in Orange County and was headed to Gillespie Field Airport in San Diego, reports Xinhua news agency. Police and firefighters responded to the scene

after the crash.

Firefighters were not able to find any survivors at the crash scene, according to the San Diego County Sheriff ’s Department.

The Learjet 35, which could carry up to eight passengers, is a type of multi-role twin-engine business jet manufactured by Learjet.

The plane was scheduled to land at Gillespie Field Airport when the accident happened.

No one was hurt on the ground, but one home was damaged and power lines were knocked down in the area, said the department in a news release.

ing completion of talks with India to reacquire the 99 World War II-era oil storage tanks leased to the Indian Oil Corporation in the strategically advantaged port district of Trincomalee in the country’s east coast, Energy Minister Udaya Gammanpila said on Wednesday.

The Trincomalee Harbour, one of the deepest natural harbours in the world, was developed by the British during World War II. Since 2003, the Lanka IOC, the Sri Lankan subsidiary of India’s oil major Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), has the leasing

Udaya Gammanpila

rights to 99 tanks at the facility for a period of 35 years for an annual payment of USD 100,000.

Energy Minister Gammanpila had earlier this year made his intentions clear to reacquire the tanks.

“On my instructions, the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation has already formed its new entity dedicated to handle the oil

HK pro-democracy news site closes after raid, arrests

HONG KONG, DEC 29 (AP): A vocal pro-democracy website in Hong Kong shut down Wednesday after police raided its office and arrested six current and former editors and board members in a continuing crackdown on dissent in the semi-autonomous Chinese city.

Stand News said in a statement that its website and social media are no longer being updated and will be taken down.

It said all employees have been dismissed.

The outlet was one of the last remaining openly critical voices in Hong Kong following the shuttering of the Apple Daily newspaper, which closed after its publisher, Jimmy Lai, and top editors were arrested and its assets frozen. Police raided Stand News’ office earlier in the

Editor of Stand News Patrick Lam is escorted by police officers into a van after they searched evidence at his office in HK. (AP)

day after arresting the six, including popular singer and activist Denise Ho, a former board member, on charges of conspiracy to publish a seditious publication.

More than 200 officers were involved in the search, police said.

They had a warrant to seize relevant journalistic

materials under a national security law enacted last year.

The six were arrested under a crime ordinance that dates from Hong Kong’s days as a British colony before 1997, when it was returned to China.

Those convicted could face up to two years in prison and a fine of up to 5,000

Hong Kong dollars ($640).

Police did not identify who was arrested, but Hong Kong’s South China Morning Post newspaper reported they were one current and one former editor of Stand News, and four former board members including Ho and former lawmaker Margaret Ng. A Facebook post early Wednesday morning on Ho’s account confirmed that she was being arrested.

A subsequent message posted on her behalf said she was OK and urged friends and supporters not to worry about her.

That post drew nearly 40,000 likes and 2,700 comments, mostly from supporters.

Early Wednesday, Stand News posted a video on Facebook of police officers at the home of a deputy editor, Ronson Chan.

Terminal Limited has been already set up,” the minister said.

The talks are on and the progress would be revealed, Gammanpila said.

In October, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla visited the World War II-era oil storage facility in the strategically important port district of Trincomalee in Sri Lanka’s east coast, which has been a key bilateral economic partnership link for decades.

The talks over the oil tanks are underway even as the Sri Lankan government is in the process of negotiating a credit line with

Kuwait forms new government KUWAIT CITY, DEC 29 (IANS): Kuwait has formed a new government led by Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Khaled AlHamad Al-Sabah, the state media reported.

Kuwait’s Emir Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah received the Prime Minister, approved the new cabinet formation handed by him, and wished him the best in serving the people of Kuwait, Xinhua news agency quoted the state media report as saying. The Emir hoped that the executive and legislative powers would cooperate for the sake of Kuwait’s development and welfare, the report said.

On November 8, the government submitted its resignation, which was accepted by the Emir on November 14.

a foreign exchange crisis.

Sri Lanka shut its only refinery in November as they could not find dollars to pay for crude imports.

The foreign exchange crisis has affected the imports of essentials, leading to shortages in the island nation.

Former prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, who is now an Opposition figure, urged the government on Tuesday to expedite talks with India to facilitate the imports of oil and food.

He warned that the country would be facing a major food shortage crisis

by April.

eign Minister has said the talks in Vienna, Austria, on the restoration of a 2015 nuclear deal are on a “good path.” In an address to the media on the sidelines of a Tuesday ceremony, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said that “we have a unified and joint text, on which the Iranian negotiating team is focused,” Iranian Foreign Ministry reported on its website.

The Iranian top diplomat added that the other parties to the deal are also focused on the issues “we placed in the text,” which are those the sides have differences on, Xinhua news agency reported.

Enrique Mora, the Eu-

actively making efforts to play the coordination role, Amir-Abdollahian said.

He added that if the other parties, including France, Britain, China, Russia and Germany continue the negotiations with goodwill, it will be possible to reach a good agreement in the near future.

Iran and the five signatories started the eighth round of talks in Vienna in a bid to revive the 2015 nuclear deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, which the US quit in 2018 under former President Donald Trump who then reimposed sweeping sanctions on Iran.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Through this column, we extend our warmest thanks to each and everyone who have contributed towards the construction of our Village Council Hall. Special thanks to Smti. Er. Kahuli Sema, Chief Engineer (R&B) PWD Govt. of Nagaland for Inaugurating the Dubagaon Village Council Hall.

Sincere Thanks to : Shri. Renben Jami, Director Land Resource Shri. IGP Sunep IPS & Smti. Nukshila. Rtd. Director RD Smti. Khatoli Swu. Shri. Khekato Zhimomi.

Shri. Vikheto Yeputho (GM) Shri. Ukhadhar Marak.

Shri. Tohoshe Awomi.

Shri. Along Tzudir.

Shri. Sutul Momin.

Shri. Kisheto Kiho.

Shri. Dependra Sangma, Hd. GB Shri. Ahuto Achumi Sd/Diganto Sangma Chairman Dubagaon Village Council

Newto K. Zhimomi (GB) Convenor Const. Committee dp-6175/21

INFOTAINMENT

10

NFA holds First Nagaland Film Awards 2021

NFA members, artistes and others after the Nagaland Film Awards 2021 on Tuesday.

N

their contribution to the Nagaland films in various categories.

The full list of awardees of the first Nagaland Film Awards 2021 A. Contribution in Nagamese film as an actor (male) 1. Zhokhoi Chuzho 2. Ariensa Lonchar 3. Bokavi Swu 4. Meren Ozukum (Boss Meren) 5. Bishu Sarkar 6. Moa Subong Contribution as actor male in other language

(Hindi) 1. Kartic Kumar B. Contribution in Nagamese film as an actor (female) 1. Rose Longchar 2. Asen Jamir 3. Mengu Suokhrie 4.Yekitoli Yeptho Contribution as an actor (female) in other language (Hindi) 1. Yana C. C o n t r i b u t i o n in Nagamese film as an actor/director/producer 1. Ajay Kumar 2. Atae Konyak (Akash) 3. Munna Yadav 4. Tiakumzuk Aier 5. Neangbah Konyak 6. Tiakumzuk Aier 7. Tony Assumi 8. Arenla 9. Anok Pongen Contribution as an actor/director/producer other language (Hindi) 1. Shiva Kumar BK D. Contribution in Nagamese film as a comic artist 1. Imkong Longchar 2. Kitol Swu (Mr. Smile) Contribution as a

comic artist other language (Hindi) 1. Manish Jha E. Contribution in Nagamese film as a play back singer 1. David Konyak F. Contribution as a producer 1. Sunil B.K. G. C o n t r i b u t i o n i n N a ga m e s e f i l m a s supporting artist (male) 1. Rakesh Lal 2. Tsiose sangtam 3. Kevito (Chiten) 4. Lipok 5. Late Kumar BK 6. Sanjay Thapa 7. Gopal Pandey 8. Jacob Contribution as supporting artist (male) other language (Hindi) 1.Sudipta Chakraborty 2. Kamal Deep Sunwar 3. BB Sewa 4. Deepak Deb H. Contribution i n N a ga m e s e f i l m a s supporting artist (female) 1. Puja Mech Contribution as supporting artist (female) other language (Hindi) 1. Payal Purkayastha 2. Neeta Agarwal

NAGALAND POST, DIMAPUR THURSDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2021

Renowned singer Methaneilie to release original music video soon

R

enowned Naga singer, Methaneilie Jütakhrie’s solo is all set to make an entry into the social media platforms by releasing his first original music video on YouTube soon.

Methaneilie made the announcement at his residence in Kohima village.

Bor n in 1955, the popular singer from Ts ü t u o nu o m i a K h e l o f Ko h i m a Vi l l a g e, Methaneilie started his career while being a teenager in the late 1960s and over 52 years has a total of 208 songs in Angami, Nagamese and English languages.

6 7 - y e a r - o l d Methaneilie said with the unwarranted situation due to the pandemic it was quite some time that he came out for fans, but hoped that music lovers will enjoy the music video.

Methaneilie informed that some young upcoming mu s i c i a n s h ave b e e n included in the band and music video to encourage them to carry forward his

agaland Film Association (NFA) organised the first Nagaland Film Awards 2021 on December 28, 2021 at Urban Haat, Dimapur.

The event was graced

by MD Multi Builders Pvt Ltd, Howoto Jakhalu, as the special guest while district horticulture officer (deputy director), Temsu Longkumar was the guest of honour.

During the awards ceremony, the audience were enthralled by performances from various a r t i s t e s s u c h a s F ive

Minutes Band, Pur Neken (comedian), Colored Keys, Dancers: Mur ti Dance Academy, Dancers: Passion Dance Institute, Ayala Jamir, comedy by Mr Smile, Aseno Metha (singer) Nagamese song.

The event was organized under the l e a d e r s h i p o f N FA chairman Kashito Kiba under the motto to promote Naga local films. The programme was hosted

by Neeta Agarwal and Mhonjan Lotha.

A l t o g e t h e r, 4 7 artists were awarded for

Manoj Bajpayee tops list of most popular OTT actors of 2021

Britney Spears not ready to return New nasal spray using blood-thinning drug to fight Covid developed to music business she calls ‘scary’ A

Manoj Bajpayee

A

ctor Manoj Bajpayee is the most popular OTT actor in India in 2021, according to an Ormax Media survey.

In the survey, actor Manoj Bajpayee topped the list of the most popular OTT actors, followed by Pankaj Tripathi.

Nawazuddin Siddiqui grabbed third place in the list, while Samantha Ruth Prabhu, who captivated audiences as ‘Raji’ in ‘The Family Man 2’, was fourth.

Radhika Apte, Kay Kay Menon, Saif Ali Khan, Sushmita Sen, Jithendra Kumar, and Tamannah Bhatia bagged spots in the top ten OTT actors.

Ormax Media took to Twitter to publish the results of the survey, “Most popular OTT actors in India (Sep-Nov 2021): @ BajpayeeManoj stays at no.

1, @kaykaymenon02 (no.

6), @thesushmitasen (no.

8), and @tamannaahspeaks (no. 10) make an entry in the Top 10 #OTT #Streaming.”

(IANS)

B

ritney Spears has signaled she is not yet ready to return to making music after 13 years under a conservatorship that took away control of her personal and business affairs and left her scared of the entertainment business.

S p e a r s, 4 0 , w h o last month was freed from the court-imposed a r r a n ge m e n t i n 2 0 0 8 sought by her father, said in a lengthy Instagram post on Monday that she wanted to “push myself a bit more and do things that scare me but not too

much” in 2022.

“I guess it seems odd to most why I don’t even do music anymore... People have no idea the awful things they have done to me personally and after what I’ve been through, I’m scared of people and the business!!!,” wrote Spears, who last performed publicly in October 2018.

“Not doing my music anymore is my way of saying ‘Fuck You’ in a sense when it only actually benefits my family by ignoring my real work.

It’s like I’ve subconsciously let them win,’ the “Toxic”

singer added.

Spears, who is engaged to boyfriend Sam Asghari, complained to the judge in charge of her conservatorship case earlier this year that she found her father Jamie Spears, who was in charge of her career, controlling.

Jamie Spears was removed as conservator in September. He has said his only goal was to help his daughter rehabilitate her career after she suffered a mental health breakdown in 2007 and that he always acted in her best interest.

(Reuters)

u s t r a l i a n researchers have developed an athome nasal spray treatment that is effective against all Covid-19 variants, including the new Omicron variant, using a bloodthinning drug.

Heparin, a widely used blood-thinning drug to treat or prevent blood clots forms the base of the nasal spray treatment that is simple to administer, stable at room temperature and available globally.

According to Professor Gary Anderson, Director of Lung Health Research Centre at the University of Melbourne, the spray will be easy to use, with two puffs in each nostril, three times a day.

“Basic science studies revealed that intranasal heparin may be an effective way to prevent Covid-19 infection and spread.

Covid-19 first infects cells in the nose, and to do that the virus must bind to Heparan Sulfate on the surface of nasal cells lining the nose,” Anderson said.

“Heparin -- the active ingredient in our spray -- has a structure that is very similar to Heparan Sulfate, so it behaves as a ‘decoy’ and can rapidly wrap around the virus’s spike protein like a python, preventing it from infecting

you or spreading the virus to others.

“Impor tantly, this nasal spray should prove effective for all Covid-19 va r i a n t s b e c a u s e t h e Heparan Sulfate binding site is essential for infection, and is likely to be preserved in new variants.

Heparin binds avidly to the Omicron variant currently swee ping through the country,” Anderson said.

Northern Health medical divisional director Don Campbell sparked the innovation, entertaining the possibility that the blood-thinning drug heparin could stop the virus growing in cells in the early months of the pandemic.

A slew of researchers from the Universities of Melbourne, Monash and Oxford have also confirmed that heparin can block the transmission of Covid-19 and prevent infection. The nasal spray is expected to undergo clinical trials in the first quarter of 2022.

“It is now essential that we test the actual effectiveness of Heparin in the rigorously designed, double blinded, placebo controlled clinical trial as this will provide definitive evidence. If the treatment is proven to work in the setting of preventing progression and spread within homes,

I

n a video message, Metaowned photo-sharing platform Instagram’s head Adam Mosseri said that the platform will “double down” on video and focus on Reels in the upcoming year.

Mosseri said Instagram will “consolidate all of our video products around Reels and continue to grow that product”, Engadget K Y M C

reported on Wednesday.

“We are going to have to rethink what Instagram is because the world is changing quickly and we’re going to have to change with it,” Mosseri was quoted as saying.

Instagram has been making some changes to how it handles videos in recent months. In October, it killed off the IGTV

future endeavours.

He also infor med that works are in progress for release of more of his original music videos.

Extending greetings to all of his fans and music lovers for a blessed and prosperous New Year 2022, Methaneilie requested all to support the original music video, which would be an

it would support using the spray to protect highly vulnerable populations such as the elderly, pregnant women, and those with weak immune systems,” Anderson said.

“It may also prove useful to protect our

added festive bonus for the music lovers.

The self-made musician, composer, singer and living legend’s music video will be available on YouTube channel – Methaneilie Jütakhrie Solo and subsequently on Instagram @methaneilie and Facebook – Metheneilie Jütakhrie Solo.

frontline health care workers from illness and to preserve capacity in the health care system. It must be stressed that heparin would be used on top of vaccination and would not replace vaccines,” he noted. (IANS)

Congratulations

Lalminlun Hangsing (Minlun), eldest son of Mr & Mrs Jimmy Hangsing & grandson of Mr & Mrs Paolal Hangsing on your completion of B.Tech in Chemical Engineering from the prestigious IIT Delhi.

Wishing you a new world to conquer & new adventures to discover. Here's to making dreams come true.

Instagram to ‘double down’ on video, focus on Reels in 2022: Report brand to bring longer-form videos into the main feed.

However, users need to tap through to Reels to watch the full video.

For creators, Mosseri said Instagram will introduce more monetisation tools to help them make a living. In addition, he said Instagram will focus on messaging and transparency in 2022.

He noted the platform will double down on its work on controls as well -- earlier this month, Instagram announced it will add parental controls in March. A version of the chronological feed will return next year too, the report said.

Mosseri touched on some updates that Instagram made this year centered around giving users more control over t h e i r e x p e r i e n c e. H e highlighted features like sensitive content controls, the ability to hide like counts and Hidden Words in direct messages.

(IANS)

A clip from Methaneilie Jütakhrie solo music video.

Loved ones

DP-6168/21

Dr S. Impang Jamir & Mrs Ayangla Pongen On this great day of jubilation, we take this opportunity to have a glimpse of the yesteryears and want to thank you both and our Almighty God for blessing us such wonderful parents. Your guidance, advices and exemplary lives has mounded us into what we are today. Thank you for all the sacrifices you made for us. Happy 50th Anniversary.

DP-455/21

Your Loving Children, In-laws and Grandchildren.

Mr. KENILO KENT 30th December 2021 Dear Daddy, A very Happy 75th Birthday to you!!

We pray for good health, strength and peace from God. May you be a useful and effective tool in the hands of God as you enter into this new phase of life.

DP-6102/21

We Love You Children, grandchildren, daughters-in-law and sons-in-law.

K Y M C

SPORTS

NAGALAND POST, DIMAPUR THURSDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2021

Salah misses penalty as Liverpool lose to Leciester 26th edition of Twenty-Twenty L O N D O N, D E C 2 9 (IANS): Liverpool remain six points behind Premier League leaders Manchester City after suffering a 1-0 defeat away to Leicester City here.

The team coached by former Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers rode their luck on Tuesday night when Liver pool striker Mohamed Salah fired a penalty against the woodwork, before hitting the rebound wide and Ademola Lookman’s 59thminute strike decided the game.

Lookman had only been in the game for three minutes when he burst past Joel Matip and scored with a low shot, shortly after Sadio Mane had missed for Liverpool when he looked certain to score.

Liverpool had enough chances to have taken at least a point, but for once their strikers had an off day which leaves them level on 41 points with Chelsea, while Manchester City have 47.

West Ham produced

Leicester City players celebrate after a goal against Liverpool during the Premier League match at King Power Stadium, Leicester. an impressive performance to win 4-1 away to relegation-threatened Watford with goals from Tomas Soucek, Said Benrahma, Mark Noble and Nikola Vlasic allowing them to bounce back after Emmanuel Dennis’ third-

minute opener had given Watford a perfect start to the game, Xinhua reports.

Soucek levelled from Jarrod Bowen’s pass in the 27th minute and two minutes later Benrahma, who had earlier hit the woodwork, put West Ham in

front. Mark Noble added West Ham’s third from the penalty spot on 58 minutes after Bowen had been fouled and Vlasic’s injury-time goal rounded off an excellent afternoon for David Moyes’ side.

Southampton played

Vekuzo is Khomi wrestling champion 2021

Barca trio test positive for COVID-19

Participants of 13th wrestling meet 2021 of Khomi Wrestling Association with other dignitaries on December 28.

DIMAPUR, DEC 29 (NPN): Vekuzo Veziih emerged as the champion of the 13th wrestling meet 2021 of Khomi Wrestling Association (KWA) which was held on December 28 at Middle Khomi under Phek district.

Khriiku Veziih, Kiichohii Ciirha and Shurhovoyi Nienu stood second,

third and fourth positions respectively.

Under B wrestling category, Miiliitso Nienu, Maha Lohe and Mave Lala bagged first, second and third position respectively.

Miiliibi Dziido emerged as champion in under 16 years category while Thatsoyi Lohe and Yove-o Tetseo were placed

Arsenal manager Arteta to miss City game after testing Covid +ve L O N D O N, D E C 2 9 (IANS): Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta will miss Saturday’s Premier League game against Manchester City after testing positive for COVID-19, the club said on Wednesday.

The 39-year-old, who also contracted the virus in March 2020, is now isolated. Assistants Albert Stuivenberg and Steve Round will take charge of Arsenal at Emirates Stadium on January 1 in Arteta’s absence.

“Mikel Arteta will miss our match against Manchester City on New Year’s Day after testing positive for Covid-19.

Mikel is isolating in line with Government guidelines and we wish him

second and third positions respectively.

Eelier, MLA Kezhienyi Khalo and Vechita Khesoh, former champion of Nagaland Wrestling Association (NWA) and certified wrestling coach Netaji Subhas National Institute of Sports Patiala graced the occasion as the chief guest and guest of honour respectively.

BARCELONA, DEC 29 (AGENCIES): Barcelona’s Ousmane Dembele, Samuel Umtiti and Gavi are set to miss Sunday’s trip to Real Mallorca after testing positive for COVID-19, the LaLiga club said on Wednesday.

The Catalans have been hit by a number of cases in their squad, with Clement Lenglet, Dani Alves, Jordi Alba and Alejandro Balde also returning positive tests this week.

“Dembele, Umtiti and Gavi are positive for COVID-19 after PCR tests on the squad. The players are in good health and self-isolating at home. The club has reported the cases to the relevant authorities,” Barcelona said in a statement.

Barca, who last played in the league in a 1-1 draw against Sevilla on Dec. 21, are seventh on 28 points from 18 games.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

with 10 men for 50 minutes but held on for a 1-1 draw at home to Tottenham.

James Ward Prowse put Southampton ahead, but Harry Kane levelled from the penalty spot in the 40th minute after Mohammed Salisu brought down Son Heung-min in an action that cost the Saints’ defender his second yellow card of the game.

Kane later had a goal ruled out for a tight offside, but the result means Antonio Conte is unbeaten in his first seven matches as Tottenham coach.

Finally, Crystal Palace beat bottom of the table Norwich 3-0 thanks to first half goals from Odsonne Edouard, JeanPhilippe Mateta and Jeffrey Schlupp, who punished some poor defending from a rival that has lost five consecutive games.

The scheduled games between Arsenal and Wolves and Leeds United and Aston Villa have been postponed due to outbreaks of COVID-19.

Winter Cricket Challenge kicks off

DIMAPUR, 29 DEC (NPN): The 26th edition of Twenty-Twenty Winter Cricket Challenge (WCC) 2021-22 match kicked started on Wednesday at local ground Wokha. While a formal inauguration of the 26th edition of WCC was done on December 22.

The oldest reigning cricket tournament locally organised in Nagaland this time changed the theme “Green Cover Drive” were earlier “bowled out HIV/ AIDS” was used for the past 25 years as a theme.

A total of 21 teams from various districts and players from different states are vying for the coveted at the ongoing 26th edition of WCC. In the first match played between Royal Strikers Tsumang and LCYO, winning the toss LCYO decided to bat first making a target of 102 runs, where Mhajan was the main contributor making 24 runs for the team.

Ayush (35 runs) and

SNK members, the organiser of WCC with Hemari of Salix CC (the man of the match).

Danish (19 run not out) recorded victory to the Royal Strikers Tsumang.

Akash from Royal Strikers Tsumang claimed the man of the match taking 5 wickets and one maiden over while bowling in his four overs delivery.

The second match was played between Salix CC and Imperials CC and Salix winning the toss opted to bad first scoring a target of 164 runs in the twenty over.

Senlong (39 runs) and Nchumthung (28 runs)

were the main contributors to Salix CC. Bikram and Yanren of Imperials CC claimed three and two wickets each while bowling. Imperial CC chasing the target lose the match to Salix CC, who won by four runs in the 19.5 overs.

Hemari of Salix CC claimed three wickets in four over while bowling bagged the man of the match in the second match of the day.

TODAY’S MATCH Rising Star Vs GA CC Dashing Dudes Vs Blitzkrieg

1st edition of LCYA volleyball tournament from Jan 3

DIMAPUR, DEC 29 (NPN): Lotha Catholic Youth Association will be organising its 1st edition of volleyball tournament from January 3 to 5, 2021 in memory of late Rev. Fr. John Larrea, the first Catholic missionary in Lotha region at Montfort School Baghty Town under the theme “Therefore, encour-

age one another and build one another up, as I indeed you do” (Thessalonians 5:1).

The inaugural day will be graced by assistant director, department of Social Welfare and president Lotha Catholic Union C. James Ezung as the special guest while district agriculture officer, Mon, K. Ren-

With eye on ATP Cup, world No. 2 Daniil hits the Sydney courts

SYDNEY, DEC 29 (IANS): World No. 2 Daniil Medvedev hit the practice courts here as the countdown to the multi-nation ATP Cup -- the first tournament in the New Year -- began, with the 25-year-old Russian keen to help his country defend the trophy. The 2021 US Open champion, who is spearheading Russia’s title defence, had a session with Australia’s Alex de Minaur whom he will meet next week in group play. The

2020 ATP Finals champion returned again mid-afternoon on Tuesday for another session with 20-year-old Australian Rinky Hijikata, who is ranked 375th on the ATP. Medvedev, who led the ATP Tour with 63 match wins last season, is expected to challenge Serbian Novak Djokovic’s stranglehold on world No. 1 in the ATP rankings during the 2022 season and will be keen to start the year strong in Sydney.

2nd DEATh ANNivErsAry

phamo Lotha, will grace the valedictory function.

Special invitees for the tournament will include Nagaland Catholic Youth Movement (NCYM), Lotha Catholic Union (LCU) and Lotha Catholic Women Association (LCWA).

The tournament will be for both men and women.

All parish/unit under Lotha

region have been invited for participation in the tournament. Champions and runners-up team for each category will receive a sum of Rs. 25,000 and Rs. 15,000 respectively along with trophy and certificates. For information and registration, all concern parish/unit may contact at 7085842144 or 9612973542.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

We the bereaved family express our sincere and profound gratitude to all the well-wishers who stood by us during the illness and demise of Late Nitoshe Swu (Nito), and also for the tremendous love, sympathy and unfailing support through physically, financially, materially and spiritually. We regret our inability to mention individual yet it is our sincere prayers that our Almighty God bless you all.

We also convey special thanks Born : 03-01-1976 to: Died : 02-12-2021 1. Lhomithi Ghami Baptist Church 2. Lhomithi Village.

3. Sumi Christian Union Shillong 4. Sumi Christian Fellowship Shillong 5. Naga Student Union Shillong 6. Dr. Sukhato A Wotsa Retd. Principal Director H&FW 7. Shri. Joshua Ex. MLA 8. Natsumi Tughalo Chekemi Kuqhakulu 9. Natsumi Service Union 10. Natsumi Kuqhakulu Dimapur 11. Natsumi Welfare Kohima 12. Sakipheto Youth Dept. BC 13. Dr. Shikavi Swu Natsumi DDTDWTU Shillong DP-6176/21

Loving Wife, Children, and Relatives

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Mikel Arteta well,” said Arsenal in a statement.

The Spaniard is the third Premier League manager to have contracted the virus after Crystal Palace’ Patrick Vieira and Aston Villa’s Steven Gerrard.

Arsenal, who have won their past four league games, are fourth in the table, 12 points behind leaders City.

BORN : 16/03/1974 – DIED : 09/12/2021 We the family members of Late Mr. Keduhol Pucho, S/o Lt. Tepuchel Pucho of Kidima Village would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to each and every individuals, friends, neighbours, colleagues and relatives throughout the period of illness till his untimely demise, who stood by us and supported us materially, morally, physically and financially.

We regret our inability to mention everyone individually. We pray that the Almighty God bless all of you abundantly.

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Late L. IMLISUNEP JAMIR Died - 30/12/2019

Two years have passed since you left us for your heavenly abode, you are always loved and never forgotten.

May your soul rest in peace.

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Loving wife, children and families.

FOREVER IN OUR HEARTS

I-League Dec 30, 31 matches postponed, confirms AIFF NEW DELHI, DEC 29 (IANS): The All India Football Federation (AIFF) League Committee on Wednesday decided to postpone the I-League 2021-22 next round matches scheduled on December 30-31 after COVID-19 positive cases have been detected among participating teams.

“Acting on the advice, the Committee hence, unanimously decided to postpone the Hero I-League 2021-22 matches for the next round which were scheduled on December 30-31, 2021,” the AIFF said in a statement.

“The Committee deliberated at length about the current situation wherein positive cases have been detected among participating teams in the ongoing Hero I-League 2021-22, and also took into serious consideration Dr Mahajan’s suggestions to adhere to medical parameters, and move forward together without making any compromise on the health of the players which is of paramount importance,” The AIFF said.

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11

LATE I. PIHOTO AWOMI (20/04/1954 – 30/12/2015)

Six years have passed since you left us.

The fact that you are no longer here with us will always cause an immeasurable pain. We miss you so much and you are forever in our hearts until we meet again.

Db-456/21

Loving wife, children, In-laws & grand children

DP-6169/21

Born : 29-06-2005 – Died : 28-12-2021 We, the bereaved family of Lt. K. Limeka Assumi would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to each and every individuals friend, neighbors and well-wishers who supported us physically spiritually, financially with unconditional love and support during her prolonged illness till her last breath on 28-12-2021. Your kind gesture and prayers are sincerely appreciated and will forever be remembered and cherished in our hearts.

WE SPECIAL THANKS TO : 1. NCRC Dimapur Town Church.

2. NCRC Dimapur Women Department 3. NCRC Dimapur Youth Department.

4. Tsaphimi Village Baptist Akukuhou 5. Tsaphimi Village Baptist Women Department.

6. Tsaphimi Village Baptist Youth Department.

7. Tsaphimi Union Dimapur & Fellowship.

8. CIHSR Dimapur Doctors & Nurses.

9. Civil Hospital Dimapur Doctors & Nurses.

10. Faith Hospital Dimapur Doctors & Nurses.

11. Medical Colony Council.

12. Medical Colony G. B. 13. Dr. Mulato Shikhu.

14. Dr. Chem & Chumu PHC Staff.

15. Nyambemo Ovung and Family.

16. Tovito & Family.

17. Tuyi & Family.

18. Ahoto & Family.

We are unable to thank each and everyone personally but we humbly pray to our Almighty God to bless you all abundantly.

From Your loving Family Members.

DP-6174/21

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12

SPORTS

NAGALAND POST, DIMAPUR THURSDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2021

India-SA Test, Day-4: India need 6 wkts to win ISL: ATK Mohun Bagan beat FC Goa 2-1 CENTURION, DEC 29 (PTI): Jasprit Bumrah produced a couple of magic deliveries at the fag end of the fourth day as India remained on course for an emphatic victory against a rattled South Africa in the first Test here on Wednesday.

The home side would be praying for their captain Dean Elgar’s dogged defiance and some rain on the final day on Thursday.

Chasing a never achieved victory target of 305 at the Supersport Park, South Africa finished the day at 94 for 4 with Elgar unbeaten on 52 after Indian batters caved in on a track with uneven bounce, getting all-out for 174 in just 50.3 overs.

It was another failure for the seasoned trio of skipper Virat Kohli, Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane but the pacers again swung the match in India’s favour.

With 211 runs required and six wickets in hand, an intriguing battle could be on the cards on the final day but the Indian team would pray that forecast of a steady afternoon shower on Thursday doesn’t come true.

Elgar and Rassie van der Dussen (11 off 65 balls) added 40 runs but more importantly batted for more than 22 overs as the pitch looked like easing down a bit.

Jasprit Bumrah celebrates with teammates. (AP) Just when the game looked like meandering, Bumrah (2/22) went wide off the crease and got the ball to cut back late just when Van der Dussen decided to shoulder arms thinking that it would go straight.

And then at the stroke of stumps, a lethal delivery knocked the stuffing out of night watchman Keshav Maharaj (8) to leave the Proteas in complete tatters.

Even Mohammed Siraj (1/25) bowled one that was angled in and moved away late taking Keegan Peterson’s (17) outside edge. Aiden Markram was the first to be dismissed as he failed to take his bat away from a

Mohammed Shami (1/29) delivery that bounced a tad extra after landing on the perfect upright seam.

The use of heavy roller and the Kookaburra getting old by the 15th over did work to South Africa’s advantage but only for a limited period of time before the quality and skill-set of Indian pacers found the opposition wanting.

If there is one worry, it’s Pujara (16), Kohli (18) and Rahane (20) playing some indiscreet shots while the others were done-in by widening cracks that led to deliveries rearing up awkwardly from short of length.

KL Rahul (23),

ICC T20I Player of the Year Award: Buttler, Rizwan, Hasaranga and Marsh nominated

Mohammad Rizwan, Wanindu Hasaranga, Mitchell Marsh and Jos Buttler

DUBAI, DEC 29 (IANS): The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Wednesday shortlisted England star batter Jos Buttler, Australia all-rounder Mitchell Marsh, Pakistan wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan and Sri Lanka spinner Wanindu Hasaranga for the ICC T20I Player of the Year award.

No Indian player figures in the list for the coveted award.

The 29-year-old Rizwan ruled the roost in 2021 in the shortest format of the game, smashing a whopping 1,326 runs in 29 matches at an average of 73.66 and a

strike-rate of 134.89.

He played a key role in Pakistan’s run to the semifinals during the ICC T20 World Cup 2021. He also scored the maiden T20I century of his career against South Africa in Lahore earlier in the year and ended 2021 with a brilliant knock of 87 against West Indies in Karachi.

Wicketkeeper-batter Buttler made 589 runs in 14 matches at an average of 65.44 with one century and 13 dismissals in 2021.

His great form continued against India, Sri Lanka and Pakistan and he ended

Rishabh Pant (34) and Ravichandran Ashwin (14) got snorters that grew big on them as Kagiso Rabada (4/42), debutant Marco Jansen (4/55) and Lungi Ngidi (2/31) looked menacing during the one and half sessions that the Indians batted.

South Africa have more than 140 overs to score 305 but on this Supersport Park track, it will be a herculean task to make a match of the target with highest successful chase here being 251 by England back in 2000-01.

For South Africa’s batting line-up that distinctly lacks class of bygone era,

facing Bumrah, Shami and Siraj remains a tall order.

Young Jansen, who had impressed the India skipper as a net bowler during their last tour of 2018, would certainly remember his debut as he angled one across at fuller length enticing the skipper to go for a drive.

Pujara once again played a lot of dot deliveries and then tickled one down the leg-side to Quinton de Kock off Ngidi.

The most embarrassing of the dismissals was Rahane’s after he had hooked and cover drove Jansen for a six and a four.

The first hook shot was off a bouncer above his left shoulder and the second one was over his right shoulder at a slightly lower height.

He couldn’t check his pullshot and holed out at deep square leg.

Had it not been for Pant’s counter-attacking run-a-ball 34, India wouldn’t have gained the psychological advantage of a target of 300 plus.

Brief scores: India 327 in 105.3 overs and 174 in 50.3 overs (Rishabh Pant 34, KL Rahul 23; Kagiso Rabada 4/42, Marco Jansen 4/55) against South Africa 197 in 62.3 overs and 94/4 in 40.5 overs (Dean Elgar 52 not out, Jasprit Bumrah 2/22), South Africa need 211 runs to win.

FATO R DA , D E C 2 9 (AGENCIES): A Liston Colaco thunderbolt stole the show on a night Roy Krishna also found the target to make Juan Ferrando’s return to familiar territory a sweet one as ATK Mohun Bagan beat FC Goa 2-1 in the Hero Indian Super League at the PJN Stadium in Fatorda on Wednesday.

Ferrando returned to take on his former side FC Goa as ATKMB head coach and Colaco (23rd) gifted him with a stunning strike in the first half. It was his fifth goal of the season, the highest by any Indian this term. Krishna (56th) made it 2-0 early on in the second half before Jorge Ortiz fortuitously pulled one back in the 81st minute but it was not enough in the end.

The result means ATKMB continued their resurgence under Ferrando, moving to third in the points table with 14 points from eight matches. FC Goa, meanwhile, remained eighth having the same number of points from eight games.

The impressive Devendra Murgaonkar warmed Amrinder Singh’s gloves with an early attempt after nutmegging his marker and getting the better of him to shoot on goal. Amrinder saw the ball all the way and had it covered.

ATKMB, though, were

ATKMB players celebrate Liston Colaco’s stunning strike. (ISL)

enjoying the lion’s share of possession and got their reward in the 23rd minute albeit a moment of individual brilliance.

The sparkling Colaco, causing all sorts of trouble to Goa for some time, got on the ball on the left inside channel near the halfway mark. The 23-year old took a couple of steps forward to then unleash a rocket of a hit that swerved past the keeper and into the back of the net. Ferrando had his hands on his head in disbelief, his mouth wide open as the green and maroons went ahead riding that piece of magic.

At the half-hour mark, Jorge Ortiz forced Amrinder into a good save from a freekick but the half had already gone to Liston for his won-

derful strike, and deservingly ATKMB went into the break with a 1-0 lead.

The Mariners doubled their advantage soon after the restart, Krishna firing home first time a Hugo Boumous lob from the edge of the box. Goa never really got a grip of the game after falling behind by two goals before a Amrinder gaffe helped them get back in the game.

Ortiz’s weak left-footer was inexplicably spilled by Amrinder as the ball went into the net. Goa threw in the towel by ATKMB held firm and bagged three points.

FRIDAY’S MATCH Chennaiyin FC Vs Bengaluru FC Time: 7:30 pm

Lakers get two triple-doubles, top Rockets H O U S TO N, D E C 2 9 (AGENCIES): LeBron James posted a 30-point triple-double and paced four 20-point scorers for the Los Angeles Lakers, who snapped a five-game skid with a 132-123 road win over the host Houston Rockets on Tuesday.

James finished with 32 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists for his third triple-double of the season but had ample support.

Russell Westbrook chipped in his seventh triple-double (24 points, 12 rebounds, 10 assists) while Malik Monk added 25 points and Carmelo Anthony 24 off the Lakers’ bench.

Rookie Jalen Green scored 14 of his team-high 24 points in the fourth quarter for the Rockets, who dropped their fifth consecutive game. Kevin Porter Jr. and Christian Wood scored 22 apiece for Houston, which was outrebounded 48-30 and fell despite shooting 53 percent overall.

the T20 World Cup as England’s leading run-scorer with 269 runs. Australia’s T20 World Cup hero with the bat, Mitchell Marsh too has been shortlisted for the award after smashing 627 runs in 27 matches at an average of 36.88. He also took eight wickets at strike rate of 18.37.

Heading into the T20 World Cup tournament in the UAE, Marsh was in supreme confidence as he aggregated 185 runs in six matches at an average of 61.66 and a strike-rate of 146.82. He would reserve the best for the last, playing a match-winning 77 off 50 deliveries consisting of six fours and four sixes in the final against New Zealand.

It was a breakthrough year for Sri Lankan Wanindu Hasaranga, who established himself as one of the best spinners in the shortest format, taking 36 wickets in 20 matches at an average of 11.63. He established himself as a player who could contribute with the bat, Nuggets 89, Warriors 86 making 196 runs with one Stephen Curry behalf-century in 2021. came the first player in

NBA history to make 3,000 3-pointers in a career, but Will Barton starred in the final minute as Denver beat Golden State in San Francisco. Barton scored four of his 21 points in the final 43.6 seconds.

Nikola Jokic had 22 points and a game-high 18 rebounds for the Nuggets, who opportunity to sweep a pair when the clubs meet in a rematch Thursday in Denver.

Curry missed his first seven 3-point before reaching the milestone in the final minute of the third quarter. He wound up 5 of 14 from long distance and scored a game-high 23 points.

Kings 117, Thunder 111

Tyrese Haliburton recorded 24 points and 10 assists to lead host Sacramento past Oklahoma City for just its third win in 10 games.

Buddy Hield scored 21 points off the bench, Harrison Barnes added 17 and De’Aaron Fox had 12 points and eight assists for the Kings.

Shai Gilgeous-Alex-

Houston Rockets guard Jalen Green (0) dribbles the ball as Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (6) defends during the fourth quarter at Toyota Center. ander scored 33 points for the Thunder, who lost for just the second time in six games. Luguentz Dort added 19 points and eight rebounds.

76ers 114, Raptors 109

Joel Embiid scored 36 points, hitting the go-ahead layup with 51.3 seconds left in the game, and grabbed

11 rebounds as visiting Philadelphia held off Toronto.

Tobias Harris added a triple-double for the 76ers with 19 points, a careerbest 10 assists and 12 rebounds. He made four free throws in the final minute. Georges Niang scored eight of his 19 points in the fourth quarter, helping

Philadelphia win for the third time in four games.

Chris Boucher had 28 points and matched his career best with 19 rebounds for the Raptors, who have lost two straight. Toronto also got 28 points from Pascal Siakam, who returned from safety and health protocols, as did Gary Trent Jr., who scored 19.

2021: When King Kohli became a lesser mortal Djokovic skips ATP Cup, adding to Australian Open uncertainty

NEW DELHI, DEC 29 (PTI): Virat Kohli’s watertight grip over Indian cricket loosened significantly in a mixed 2021 bag, when the team’s winless run at ICC events continued but the ‘Men in Blue’ cherished a historic Test series triumph in Australia.

When M S Dhoni left white-ball captaincy in 2017, Kohli became the undisputed king of Indian cricket with his rule unchallenged for the three years that followed.

In the absence of a strong administration at BCCI, Kohli called the shots and not many seemed to mind it with India performing well across formats though the ICC title eluded them.

However, his reign had to be challenged at some point with Sourav Ganguly and Jay Shah filling the power vacuum in the world’s most powerful board towards the end of 2019.

The Alpha males of Indian cricket did not come in each other’s way for the

Virat Kohli following year and cracks in their relationship could only be seen after Kohli decided to step down from T20 captaincy at the end of the 2020 World Cup. He had no plans to leave the ODI captaincy but India’s premature exit from the tournament led to the inevitable and the mighty Kohli did not see that BCCI bombshell coming.

Following his sacking

as 50-over skipper, dirty linen was washed in public with Kohli and Ganguly contradicting each other on the sequence of events that led to the former’s removal.

Kohli is used to the spotlight with cameras following his every move on the field but now that space will be shared by new white ball skipper Rohit Sharma.

With 70 international hundreds under his belt,

the charismatic cricketer has nothing left to prove but after a quiet two years with the bat by his high standards and his feud with the BCCI, Kohli will be more fired up than ever to show that he remains the best in the business.

The early exit at T20 World Cup was a big disappointment but it marked the end of a successful era under Kohli and Ravi Shastri, especially in the longest format. Not many can question the greatness of the Kohli-led Test team but the defeat in the World Test Championship final against New Zealand was also a big letdown of the year.

India had played remarkably well to reach the final and would have been worthy winners of that trophy but New Zealand once again upstaged them on the big stage.

However, nothing can take sheen off India’s second consecutive series win in Australia with an injuryravaged team struggling to even field a playing eleven

in the series decider in Brisbane.

The win at the Gabba will be talked about for years to come, not just because it was Australia’s first loss at the venue in 33 years but the way India overcame an injury crisis and the 36 all out debacle at Adelaide to script a comeback for the ages.

Kohli went back home after the first Test for the birth of his child but the way Ajinkya Rahane led the side in his absence also played a major role in India’s monumental achievement Down Under.

Later in the year, Kohli and Co. were set for another overseas series win but the fifth and final Test in England had to be cancelled due to a COVID outbreak in the visitors. India lead the series 2-1 with the final Test to be played next year.

If India manage to win that series in 2022 and the ongoing battle against Proteas, Kohli will be become the first Asian captain to win Test series in England, South Africa and Australia.

SYDNEY, DEC 29 (REUTERS): Novak Djokovic has pulled out of the Serbia team for the ATP Cup in Sydney, event organisers said on Wednesday, raising further doubts over whether the world number one will defend his Australian Open title next month.

There has been intense speculation over Djokovic’s participation in both events, with the 34-year-old, who is opposed to COVID-19 vaccinations, repeatedly declining to say if he has been inoculated against the virus.

Organisers of the Australian Open, which starts on Jan. 17, have stipulated that all participants must be vaccinated against the coronavirus or have a medical exemption granted by an independent panel of experts.

“Novak Djokovic has officially withdrawn from the ATP Cup in Sydney, we have no update as yet on his plans for the Australian Open,” a Tennis Australia

Novak Djokovic spokeswoman said in an emailed statement. “Regarding the medical exemption process, which pertains to all players, there is a rigorous and independent process in place. As with all medical information it is subject to confidentiality.”

The global men’s tennis governing body ATP did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

ATP Cup organisers said Serbia’s team would now be led by world number 33 Dusan Lajovic. Owing to Djokovic’s current world

ranking, Serbia received top billing for the 16-team event, which runs from Jan. 1-9, and have been drawn in Group A along with Norway, Chile and Spain.

Djokovic has won a record nine Australian Open titles, including the last three, and is in a three-way tie on 20 major titles with Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal in the all-time list.

His father Srdjan told a Serbian television channel last month that Djokovic would probably pull out of the major, saying Tennis Australia’s stance on mandatory vaccination was tantamount to “blackmail”.

The season-opening ATP Cup also saw Austria, which failed the eligibility criteria following the withdrawal of Dominic Thiem and Dennis Novak, replaced

by France. Russia, which won the 2021 title, will be missing Andrey Rublev and Aslan Karatsev from that team.

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