14 Jan 2023

At CNTC’s request, NPAC defers bandh

8apextribal hohos to meet onJanuary17

DIMAPUR, JAN 13

(NPN): Just on the eve of the January 14 six-hour statewide bandh (from 6 a.m. to 12 noon) in support of solution before election, Nagaland People’s Action Committee (NPAC) Friday deferred the bandh at the request of Central Nagaland Tribes Council (CNTC).

Paying heed to CNTC’s request and more so in view of the meeting of eight tribal bodies to be held on January 17, to deliberate on the same issue-- demand for Naga political solution, NPAC said it decided to defer the bandh.

Giving this information through a statement on Friday, NPAC said it needed to give credence to the advice which had “confidently

shifted the given challenges to tribal bodies including members of CNTC.”

NPAC said it did not doubt “the sincerity and commitment of our tribal leaders toward solution for election” and thus considered its mission successful as it has been able to “awaken the primary stakeholders satisfactorily to take their mandated responsibility”.

For this reason, the proposed 6-hour bandh on January 14 was deferred and expressed the hope that tribal bodies would not fail the public of Nagaland. NPAC also assured Nagas of its continued and unreserved cooperation to anyone and whoever was for “political solution first before election.”

As several organisations mainly from the Tenyimi group expressed opposition to the bandh, NPAC lamented that absence of a regular common platform

for the communities and tribes in Nagaland, continue to remain a setback when common interests were to be pursued collectively. It said the same predicament was faced when the people of Nagaland had to actively pursue and facilitate the political negotiation between Government of India and the Nagas.

NPAC pointed out that in view of the inordinate delay of political solution, tribal bodies and 72 civil society organizations (CSOs) under the initiative of Nagaland GB Federation converged on June 21, 2022 at Hotel Saramati, Dimapur after which it was resolved to form Nagaland People’s Action Committee (NPAC).

NPAC said its formation comprised of limited members headed by Theja Therieh as convener under who, NPAC was empowered to carry out the collective decision to urge

the negotiating parties to expedite Naga talks its logical conclusion. NPAC said its tenure was co-terminus with the closer of political negotiations, whether it was a success or failure.

NPAC also reminded that the during the last 25 years of continuous negotiation between the two entities, the NGOs, CSOs and the tribal bodies had submitted several representations and memorandums particularly to the Prime Minister of India urging upon him to resolve the Naga political issue without further delay.

NPAC also noted that in Nagaland, the public had also observed bandhs and public rallies against delay of the decision but political solution remains as elusive even in its 26 years of political talks. In the light of the above, NPAC at the meeting with various CSOs on January 12, 2023 at Dimapur,

decided to hold a statewide bandh on January 14 just for 6 hours (6a.m. to 12:00 noon).

NPAC also said that the press statement of the 14 tribes published on January 11, 2023 reiterating and reaffirming the resolution of urging Government of India to settle the Naga political issue without delay, confirmed the public opinion enough for the negotiators to understand the sentiment of Naga public to not further resort to any other alternative. In the same pulse, NPAC said the committee, standing for the common cause, announced the proposed statewide bandh on January 14.

NMDA: Coming out in support of the bandh, the Nagaland Medicine Dealers Association had asked all its members to observe the bandh in order to support NPAC vis-à-vis solution to the Naga political issue before Assembly polls.

Organizations opposed to NPAC’s state wide bandh call

DIMAPUR, JAN 13 (NPN): After the Angami Public Organisation (APO) opposed the 6-hour January 14 bandh called by Nagaland People’s Action Committee certain tribal organizations also strongly opposed the state wide bandh called in demanding solution before election.

Those organisations who opposed the January 14 bandh included-- Tenyimi Union Dimapur (TUD), Chakhesang Public Organisation (CPO), Rengma Hoho (RH), Naga Tribal Union Chümoukedima Town (NTUCT), Chakhro Angami Kuda Youth Organization (CAKYO), Nagaland Zeliang People’s Organization (NZPO) and Sovima Village Youth Organisation (SVYO).

TUD: Tenyimi Union Dimapur (TUD) resolved to not to participate in the proposed bandh and directed its

members to do likewise.

TUD media cell said it was “unbecoming of any organisation” to call for bandh every now and then as per its whims and fancies as these only cause harassment to common public. TUD expressed the hope that the administration would take action and thwart such activities. Further the union said while it welcomed any positive step by any organisation towards an honourable settlement; it was however sceptical of actions of some vested individuals and organisations.

TUD reaffirmed the decision taken at the consultative meeting on June 28, 2022 to stand on the political principle of “One People, One Nation” based on the ideals of the 1951 plebiscite, which was acceptable, honourable and inclusive of all Nagas and groups. TUD said presently, Nagas were

at a critical juncture with enemies both within and outside trying to destroy the very fabric of Naga nationhood for which the forefathers had sacrificed much. It thus appealed to every right-thinking Nagas to be wary of such elements. CPO: Chakhesang Public Organization (CPO) also declared non participation in the bandh and expressed dismay over the decision of NPAC to call a blanket bandh.

CPO president Vezuhu Keyho and general secretary Chepetso Koza clarified that CPO had neither endorsed nor authorised NPAC to call the bandh and therefore the latter’s decision has no bearing upon CPO. CPO said that the question of participating in the bandh did not arise as NPAC cannot give any direction to apex tribal body of Chakhesangs in any matter.

CM launches CSR projects in health sector ECI teams arrives Nagaland

DIMAPUR, JAN 13

NEW DELHI, JAN 13 (PTI): The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has got the Centre’s sanction to prosecute former railways minister Lalu Prasad Yadav in connection with the landfor-jobs scam, officials said on Friday. The agency submitted the sanction before a special court on Friday, they said. Sanction to prosecute from the competent authority is a prerequisite for the special court to take cognizance of the charge sheet filed by the agency, they said.

The CBI had filed on October 7 last year a charge sheet against Yadav, his wife Rabri Devi and 14 others in connection with alleged appointments made in the Railways in return for land parcels gifted or sold to his family but the cognisance was pending.

In its charge sheet filed before a special CBI court here, the agency has also named Prasad’s daughter Misa Bharti, former general manager of Central Railways Sowmya Raghvan, former CPO Railways Kamal Deep Mainrai, seven aspirants appointed as substitutes and four private individuals.

“During the investigation, it has been found that the accused in conspiracy with the then GM, Central Railways, and CPO, Central Railways, engaged persons as substitutes in lieu of land either in their name or in the name of their close relatives,” a CBI spokesperson had said in a statement.

KOHIMA, JAN 13 (NPN): Nagaland chief minister Neiphiu Rio on Friday launched corporate social responsibility (CSR) project for Nagaland under the initiatives of Boeing India and Doctors For You (DFY).

The CSR initiatives include setting up of model labour rooms (MLR) at six community health centres (CHCs) and primary health centres (PHCs) and medical equipment and other logistics of MLR, besides ambulance, digital x-ray and ultrasound machine to Botsa

PHC. Speaking on the occasion, Rio said the initiatives taken up by DFY across the country and its presence in over 300 districts of 26 states, including Nagaland, by means of contributing to public health infrastruc-

ture development, disaster management, risk reduction, hospital infrastructure development and capacity building were laudatory.

Through the partnership with DFY, he hoped that quality healthcare, low

Khehovi inaugurates 7 tourism projects

Swadesh Darshan scheme-Dikhu Eco Resort (Rs. 693.72 lakhs), Tribal Circuit in New Peren (Rs. 3316 lakhs), Tizit Eco Resort in Mon (Rs. 487.89 lakhs), Ungma Tribal Hub (Rs. 2804.32 lakhs), Suteplenden Waterfall Mokokchung (Rs. 510.91 lakhs and Doyang Eco Resort, Wokha (Rs. 3554.60 lakhs)

cost and free basic healthcare services, healthcare education and training, doorstep access to cutting-edge diagnostics and treatment services would be ensured.

“Working together, we can ensure the achievement of these goals, making Nagaland a model for other States in the country,” he remarked.

He said the launch of CSR projects was another milestone towards ensuring improved quality of healthcare, especially in maternal and child healthcare services through the MLR project.

Budget Session from Jan 31

NEW DELHI, JAN 13 (PTI): Parliament’s Budget Session will begin from January 31 with President Droupadi Murmu’s address to the joint sitting of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.

(NPN): Full bench of Election Commission of India (ECI) led by chief election commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar and election commissioners Anup Chandra Pandey and Arun Goel arrived Kohima Friday on a two-day visit to hold meetings with leaders of different political parties and senior government officials ahead of the upcoming assembly elections.

According to a DIPR report, ECI team upon arrival held separate meetings with various political parties, enforcement agencies

(both

KOHIMA, JAN 13 (NPN):

Adviser Tourism, Art and

adviser H Khehovi

on Friday virtually inaugurated seven projects to promote tourism in the state-- development six tribal circuits and development of infrastructure of a pilgrimage centre, under Prasad Tourism Scheme and

scheme, funded by Ministry of Tourism.

Altogether Rs 11,337.44 lakh was being spent on the six tourism tribal circuits and one pilgrimage Centre. The projects include Pilgrimage Facilitation Centre at Aizotu, Zunheboto under Prasad scheme at a cost of Rs 650.84 lakh and under

Addressing the programme held at the conference hall of Directorate of Tourism, Art & Culture, he hoped that the newlylaunched assets would cater to the needs of tourists and promote tourism, thereby acting as a catalyst for economic growth and create more employment opportunities for the community.

The Session will have 27 sittings and will continue till April 6 with a month-long recess to examine the budget papers, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present the Union Budget on February one. The first part of the Budget Session will conclude on February 14, he said.

Parliament will reconvene on March 12 for the second part of the Budget Session.

1,148 ‘unauthorised structures’ on railway land: NFR

Bendangchuba

DIMAPUR, JAN 13

(NPN): Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) disclosed that there are 1,148 “unauthorised structures” on railway land in Dimapur.

Disclosing this to Nagaland Post, NFR chief public relations officer (CPRO) Sabyasachi De said the railways had sent out eviction notices to the encroachers on December 21, 2022 served under Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorized Occupants) Act, 1971.

NFR first pasted its show-cause notice on November 14, 2022 to the “unauthorised occupants”,

directing them to respond to the estate office, NFR, Lumding on or before November 29, 2022, while another notice was served to present themselves in person on December 6, 2022 for the hearing.

After expiry of the deadline, the NFR estate officer issued another notice on December 16, 2022, asking the “unauthorised occupants” to vacate land within 15 days from the date of publication of the notice (December 16, 2022). This meant that lands were to be vacated on or before December 31,2022.

“Once the period of notices lapses, the railways

will start eviction of all illegal encroachers with the help of district administration,” he stated.

It may be pointed out that NFR did not serve notices personally to the “unauthorised occupants” but pasted on walls in and around Dimapur railway station. It also did not publish information about the notices in local newspapers to ensure require attention.

De also informed that the total area of land earmarked for development in Dimapur was not finalised as the planning and survey works were still in progress.

He disclosed that Dimapur railway station was

proposed to be developed as a “world class” station, with double tracks from Lumding to Furkating. He said these proposals were in final stages and that an exact date could not be committed until plans were finalised.

The CPRO said once occupants in earmarked locations were evicted, the land would be utilised to upgrade Dimapur railway station and also modify Dimapur yard.

De also said if lands were not cleared off occupants, then economic development of the State, particularly Dimapur, would be adversely affected.

Russia says it took Soledar; Ukraine denies

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Central and State) at Hotel de Oriental Grand, Kohima. At the meeting, the chief electoral officer Nagaland, V. Shashank Shekhar, and state police nodal officers gave a presentation on poll preparedness.

Later, EC team also had an interaction cum felicitation programme with the first-time voters. Earlier, the team was welcomed by CEO Nagaland and a host of senior government officials.

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Culture

Yepthomi

Swadesh Darshan

ECI team with first-time voters in Kohima. (DIPR)

Rio at the launch of CSR projects by Boeing India & DFY. (NP)

H Khehovi with officials during the virtual inauguration. (NP)

CBI gets Centre’s nod to prosecute Lalu in land-for-jobs scam

MKPO celebrates Aai Sagi festival

DIMAPUR, JAN 13 (NPN): Mech Kachari Public Organization (MKPO) Nagaland celebrated Aai Sagi, the postharvest festival of the Mech Kachari tribe at Kachari community ground, Kushiabill-Darogajan village, Dimapur on Friday.

Boro Kachari Welfare Autonomous Council (BKWAC) Assam deputy CEM Romeo P Narzary graced the festival as guest of honour.

Extending greetings, Narzary spoke on the importance of protecting the identity, culture, tradition

Meetings held for R-day in Peren, Tseminyu

DIMAPUR: In view of the forthcoming Republic Day celebration, meeting of all HoDs under Peren and Tseminyu districts was held on January 13. In Peren, the meeting was held under the chairmanship of SDO (C) Peren, Kelevituo Nisa where work distribution to be carried out by various departments under the district for the Republic Day celebration were discussed. The house decided to conduct a mass social work on January 24 from 11 am onwards at district headquarters, Peren. It therefore requested all the HODs to inform their respective staff to participate in the mass social work positively and SDO (C) has directed the HODs to submit the attendance sheet of their respective department to EAC Peren, Kevethito Rose who is the overall in-charge of the mass social work.

Tseminyu: DPDB meeting of Tseminyu district was held on January 13 at Deputy Commissioner’s official chamber Tseminyu where work distribution of forthcoming Republic Day programme to various departments under Tseminyu district were discussed.

The board members approved and recommended to government for registrations of Women Club Tseminyu which was given by Asole Tep. PowerPoint presentation was given by Vivili J, HA Horticulture Assistant DHO Tseminyu and the next powerpoint will be presented by SBI Tseminyu.

ADC returning officer for 12 AC Tseminyu, Longasen Lotha requested all departments to be mentally prepared for the conduct of election to the 14th Nagaland Legislative Assembly Constituency 2023.

RD department bids farewell

DIMAPUR: Department of Rural Development (RD) bade farewell to its outgoing director, Liboni Humtsoe, at a grand programme on Friday at RD Conference Hall. Speaking on the occasion, commissioner & secretary, RD, Neposo Theluo, on behalf of the department, congratulated the outgoing officer for shouldering her roles and responsibilities efficiently and successfully throughout her career.

and custom and encouraged the community to protect the languages and cultures by bringing communities together.

“If we do not celebrate our traditions and pass them down to future generations, they will eventually fade away” he said.

Narzary also encouraged the youths acquiring education to study hard with dedication and commitment in order to achieve their goals.

Significance of Aai Sagi was delivered by MKPO general secretary Dharma Dhaj Sonowal and speech was also delivered by various guests.

Various cultural dances were showcased by Gyanswrang cultural troupe, Burkhang cultural society, Naharbari cultural troupe and Gyanswrang students.

The programme was chaired by MKPO general secretary Dharma Dhaj Sonowal, invocation by missionary Robin Mech, welcome address was delivered by MKPO president John Mech and welcome song was presented by Gyanswrang teachers.

Later, vote of thanks was delivered by Lakhi Mech which was followed by Aai sagi feast and second session.

YAA conference concludes

DIMAPUR: The 57th general conference of Yimkhiung Akheru Arihako (YAA) held under the theme “Breakthrough to excellence: Facing the Yimkhiung Future Together”, concluded on January 12 with deputy speaker NLA, T. Yangseo Sangtam as special guest. Speaking at the occasion, T. Yangseo Sangtam encouraged the students to cultivate a clean mindset and have a habit of helping one another. The programme ended with a grand closing ceremony. The conference was attended by 4256 delegates from all the villages under Yimkhiung jurisdiction.

DIMAPUR: Nagaland Building & Other Construction Workers’ Welfare Board (NBOCWWB) on Friday launched the Media Fellowship 2023 at DIPR Conference Hall, Kohima.

Chief Executive Officer, NBOCWWB, Dr. T. Chubayanger, chairing the function, said that the first Media Fellowship was introduced in 2022, and motivated by the success of the fellowship the NBOCWWB has decided to announce the Media Fellowship 2023.

Chairman of NBOCWWB, Dr. Kekhrie Yhome said after the successful culmination of the first media fellow ship which showcased the plight of

DPDB Tuensang meeting on Jan 18

DIMAPUR: Deputy Commissioner (DC) and vice chairman District Planning and Development Board (DPDB) Tuensang, Nokchasashi has informed that the DPDB monthly meeting will be held on January 18 at 11 am in the DC’s Conference Hall, Tuensang. Therefore, all the District Planning and Development Board members have been requested to attend the meeting without fail.

construction workers, the NBOCWWB decided to award the fellowship to two parties, namely Kohima Press Club (KPC) and DIPR.

He said DIPR will initiate the production of two documentaries on Immigrants Workers engaged

in Nagaland in the building and construction sectors and Internal Migration within Nagaland amongst Nagas in the search for livelihood through the building and construction sectors. He also said that KPC will initiate fellows/ awards in three categories,

feature writing/ reporting, Photojournalism, and Video journalism. During the acceptance speech, Dzüvinuo Theünuo, Head of Department, IPR said it was a privilege to accept the Media Fellowship 2023 on behalf of the department of IPR.

Theünuo also said that in 2022, the department engaged two reputed production houses in Nagaland to produce two short-length Public Service Announcements (PSA) and said that it was a challenge to capture what the NBOCWWB wants to convey in a short duration, but she thanked the board for coming up with a path-breaking initiative not only concerning

DIPR video production but by engaging Kohima Press Club. Theünuo said that KPC, being the most powerful voice in society to influence people, should highlight stories in objective ways and influence the public and policymakers in showcasing the plight of the workers. Convenor of Kohima Press Club Media Fellowship 2022, Rita Krocha thanked NBOCWWB for awarding the media fellowship to KPC and said that apart from feature writing/ reporting this year NBOCWWB has extended the fellowship to other mediums like Photo Journalism and video Journalism which will impact in imparting awareness to the public.

PHED minister inspects road construction

DIMAPUR: Minister of PHED, Jacob Zhimomi undertook inspection of road construction from Diphupar (Central Jail) to Niuland, on January 13.

According to media secretary to the minister, Zhimomi emphasized on the quality of road and cautioned against compromise of raw materials, and called for completion of the project at the earliest.

He informed the officials and contractor that inspections would be carried

the ongoing road construction.

out again to check on the quality and pace of the work being carried out.

The release also stated that Executive Engineer (PWD), department officials and contractor were present along with the minster.

It further stated that 7 kms of the road stretch out of 21 km was completed, which served as a lifeline for more than 100 villages.

Staff Reporter

Cultural troupe performs at the Aai Sagi festival on Friday. (NP)

Jacob Zhimomi inspects

Dzüvinuo Theünuo, Kekhrie Yhome and others at the launching of Media fellowhship 2023 on Friday. (DIPR)

Nagaland prepares for general election

DIMAPUR: In preparation of the upcoming general election to 14th Nagaland Legislative Assembly (NLA), various meetings and campaigns were held and information disseminated by the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Nagaland and respective district and sub-division administrations.

Coordination meeting at Pughoboto

In view of the upcoming General Election of the Nagaland Legislative Assembly Election, a coordination meeting was held on Friday at the Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) office, Pughoboto.

According to a DIPR report, at the meeting, the ADC and District Election Officer (DEO) Tiameren Chang briefed on the rules

and regulations and urged all citizens under the Pughoboto sub-division to cooperate with the government officials and security force for the successful conduct of the upcoming general election 2023.

SDPO Pughoboto Hankiumong informed that six companies of the paramilitary would be stationed in Pughoboto for the smooth conduct of the election. He also highlighted the importance of law and order within the Pughoboto Assembly Constituency.

SDO (C) and Returning officer Pughoboto, R. Daniel Angami spoke on the requisition of the vehicle and informed the public to deposit arms to the respective authority as per the order.

The meeting was at -

tended by all the vice chairmen Adhoc town council, and village council chairmen; head GB, GBs, DBs, executive secretary SABAK, executive secretary NCRC, Rev. Fr. Parish Priest president, president SAKK, and representatives from Totimi Hoho.

DC Kohima flags off MDV

As part of Systematic Voters’ Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP) campaign and in connection with the forthcoming general election, Mobile Demonstration Van (MDV) was flagged off by Deputy Commissioner (DC) and District Election Officer (DEO) Kohima, Shanavas C on January 11 at Deputy Commissioner (DC) office complex Kohima.

According to a DIPR

Unnati skill centre inaugurated in Kohima

report, the demonstration was carried out at five locations within Kohima town to create awareness on the use of Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) and Voters Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT). Altogether, 89 electors participated in the awareness programme. Besides, message on free and fair election for the upcoming election on NLA 2023 was disseminated in vernacular language.

DC Tseminyu cautions on the declaration of consensus candidate

In connection with the conduct of the election to the 14th Nagaland Legislative Assembly, Deputy Commissioner (DC) and District Election Officer Tseminyu, Dr. Zaskuolie Chusi has notified all village councils and government registered

Jakhalu, Director, Higher Education.

Earlier, welcome address was delivered by Renny Wilfred. He thanked Praveena Yagnambhat chief of staff & BGE Lead, Boeing international for proposing to set up a youth empowerment center in Nagaland.

Wilfred mentioned that the Unnati training will be for 35 days with 100 percent job placement and the courses offered will be GST, Spoken English, Computer Skills, Life skills, Hygiene, Counselling, and Confidence building in the community.

DIMAPUR: With an aim to educated the community and to provide job opportunities to the unemployed youth and weaker sections of the state, projects on Unnati Skill Centre Kohima, UNXT, and Innovation studio was inaugurated in Kohima on January 12. The projects including Solar power backup for Examination Cell for 10 Government Colleges in Nagaland supported by Boeing was inaugurated by chief secretary., J. Alam.

In his speech, Alam said that young people in

Nagaland were enthusiastic to learn, and given the platform, they would perform positively.

He was hopeful that this kind of skill innovation opportunities will open a new opportunity for the unemployed youths in the state.

He also stated that the partnership with Boeing will help the people of Nagaland to progress further and innovation will gradually progress. He appreciated joint secretary of IDAN, Renny Wilfred, and his team for tirelessly

working for the welfare of the state as well as for the younger generation.

Special addresses were delivered by Ramesh Swamy, CEO, Unnati skill Centre India, Sudeep Dube, Partner, Learning Links Foundation, Praveena Yagnambhat, chief of staff & BGE Lead, Boeing, Thavaseenlan K, principal director, School Education, Kenilo Apon, Commissioner & Secretary, Higher & Technical Education, Er. M. Nakro, Director, Technical Education. & Dr. Katoni

Wilfred also stated that Unnati will provide job placement to the trainees as per their competencies in various companies.

He highlighted and appreciated the initiatives of the IDAN led by Alemtemshi Jamir, CEO, and acknowledged him in the inaugural function of CSR Initiatives, Unnati skill Centre at Kohima for being the guiding force for setting up the training center in the state.

After the inauguration of the projects, Praveena Yagnambhat handed over MoU to chief secretary J. Alam.

CCEM announces prohibitory measures for polls

The CCEM also urged the public to abstain from organizing party camps.

Meanwhile, CCEM clarified that Church was not an enforcing agency to control, to penalize or fine any party or individual. However, it was felt that the church was divine institution with the responsibility to keep its members moral behavior intact.

In this regard, the CCEM urged the church leaders to continue speaking on clean election in the church platforms and even more so with the state assembly election around the corner.

The house has also decided to continue with the setting up of check gates spearheaded by the Chakhesang Mothers’ Association in order to curb the inflow of alcohol and other substances within its jurisdiction.

societies/organizations/associations to strictly refrain from the declaration of individual/person as village/ward/Khel consensus candidates.

According to a DIPR report, the DC warned that such declaration was a violation of provisions of Article 326 of Indian constitution, Rule 39 of conduct of election rules 1961 A of representation of people’s Act 1951.

The DC cautioned that undue influence or any attempt to interfere with the free exercise of the electoral right by any means- such as threat or injury/restraint or wrongful confinement is an offense under sections 171 C, 339, and 340 of IPC and an attempt to promote enmity between classes in connection with elections

on grounds of religion, race, caste, community or language constitutes an electoral offense under section 125 of the representative of people Act 1951 and was punishable under section153A, 153B, 159A and 505(2) of IPC.

The DC also pointed out that the ECI in its instruction dated April 26, 2014 reiterated the same, prohibiting any organization or group from any activities or statements that amount to an attack on the personal life of any person or are malicious or offensive decency and morality.

The DC added that any violation of the same by any organization could also lead to debarment and denial of permission to hold any further programmes/ activity.

The village councils being an auxiliary to the administration under section 15 of the Nagaland Village Councils Act 1978, DC said the councils are bound to be neutral in matters related to elections.

Further, the DC informed all the village councils and government-registered organization/associations under the Tseminyu district to take note of the above-mentioned provisions of the law and refrain from such activities that might otherwise, subvert the individual’s free exercise of his/ her electoral rights.

The DC cautioned that any individual/group/organization/village council found acting contrary to the above-mentioned shall invite strict legal action under the relevant provision of law.

NBSE’s webinar for heads of institutions

DIMAPUR: In line with the vision of National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPWD) Act, 2016 for equitable and inclusive education, Nagaland Board of School Education (NBSE) has notified that to create further awareness, the board along with Changeinkk Foundation will be organizing a webinar for all Heads of Institutions to learn strategies on how they can improve their

institution’s learning outcomes.

Changeinkk Foundation is a nonprofit organization committed to creating pathways of success for neurodiverse individuals from cradle to career, in particular those with SLDs by enabling an inclusive ecosystem.

In this regard, all the Heads of Registered Institutions have been directed to take note of the date and time of the webinar and attend the webinar without fail

as attendance will be mandatory. For Dimapur, Chumoukedima, Niuland, Wokha, Mokokchung, Longleng and Peren districts, the webinar will be held on January 23 from 11 am to 1 pm and for Kohima, Tseminyu, Phek, Kiphire, Tuensang, Mon, Zunheboto, Shamator, Noklak districts on January 24 from11am to 1 pm. The link for the webinar is – http:// changeinkk.org/nbse_webinar

DIMAPUR: As part of the clean election campaign, the Chakhesang Clean Election Movement (CCEM) decided to take up prohibitory measures against buying and selling of votes in the upcoming election within its jurisdiction.

The matter was de -

cided at the CCEM meeting held at Chakhesang Baptist Church Ministers’ Hill, Kohima on January 12.

In a press release CCEM stated that buying and selling of votes during election was the major root of corruption among many factors. Therefore,

the CCEM at its level will put every effort to control such malpractices within its jurisdiction.

It appealed to the voters, intending candidates, and party workers to abstain from engaging unethical voting during the election.

However, it will be implemented only after clearance from the state government. Other topics discussed at the meeting included area wise update, banners and posters, awareness programme in villages etc.

The CCEM members have also scheduled to meet with the district administration at Phek on January 23 for better coordination and to work together towards clean election.

(L-R) Coordination meeting in progress in Pughoboto. (DIPR) Consultative meeting at DC’s Office Tseminyu. (APRO Tseminyu) Physical verification of arms license/arms/ammunitions in all the police stations under Dimapur, Chumoukedima and Niuland districts were carried out in view of the forthcoming general election.

Chief Secretary J. Alam speaking at the inauguration of CSR Initiatives Unnati Skill Centre Kohima. (DIPR)

Members of CCEM during its meeting at Chakhesang Baptist Church Ministers’ Hill Kohima on January 12.

People in disputed Assam border villages can vote in Meghalaya: CEC

electors are registered in the State with female electors outnumbering voters. The Gender Ratio in the state is 1022. A total of 3,482 polling stations will be set up in 60 Assembly Constituencies while the average voter per Polling Stations will be 620 and 50 percent of the polling stations will have webcasting facility.

6 illegal B’deshis nabbed from train

GUWAHATI, JAN 13 (PTI): Six Bangladeshi nationals were apprehended from a Kolkata-bound train in Alipurduar in northern West Bengal for allegedly entering India illegally, the railways said in a statement on Friday.

They were travelling from Agartala in Tripura to Kolkata’s Sealdah station when they were apprehended, it said.

Manipur Olympian Park dedicated

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SHILLONG, JAN 13:

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar on Friday said all arrangements have been made to ensure that residents of Meghalaya residing in disputes areas on the inter-state border with neighboring Assam are able to exercise their franchise in a peaceful manner during the upcoming assembly elections in the state. “Be sure they will vote. The Election Commission of India (ECI) was seized with the matter, which has been discussed

and sorted out at the highest levels,” Kumar said when the issue was raised at a press conference after reviewing state poll-preparedness with senior state and central government officials. Joint meetings have been held between officials, including the police of the two states. Therefore, it would be absolutely peaceful there is no need to worry or fear,” Kumar added.

The CEC said the inter-state and international borders will be adequately manned by central paramilitary forces and CCTV cam-

eras will also be installed in all polling stations located in such locations.

An ECI team comprising CEC Rajiv Kumar, Election Commissioners Anup Chandra Pandey and Arun Goel had arrived here last evening on a two-day visit to review poll preparedness for the upcoming assembly elections. The ECI team held a meeting with all political parties and later with district and State officials, including the police on January 12.

As per the final Electoral Roll published on January 5, over 21.61 lakh

Manipur lawyers protest against assault on lady colleague; court work suspended

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IMPHAL, JAN 13: Work remained suspended in the courts in Manipur on Friday after the lawyers protested against assault of one of the lady colleagues.

On January 10, advocate N Tejpriya Devi in uniform was physically assaulted by a 27-year-old youth who waylaid her on her way from High Court of Manipur to the Revenue Tribunal in Imphal’s Lamphelpat. The police later arrested Longjam Rohit of Thangmeib and Maisnam Leikai in Imphal West district on the same day.

Ending his three-day police custody period, the police produced him in a local court. The court remanded him to judicial custody for 15 days.

As per police record,

on January 10, around 10.50 am, the lady advocate was stopped at Nagamapal Phougeishangbam Leikai due to traffic when a scooter driven by one person with a pillion rider hit on the back side of her two-wheeler.

The lady advocate told the driver of the vehicle to apologize. However, the pillion rider (the accused) shouted at her, slapped her, assaulted, mocked and insulted with callous words in public.

Condemning the assault with an attempt to outrage the modesty of the lady advocate, lawyer fraternities on Friday abstained from their duties. Owing to this, court cases in the High Court of Manipur and lower courts had to be postponed.

However, the courts took up urgent matters.

The lawyers adjourned

their cases that were listed on Friday, as All Manipur Bar Association (AMBA) had earlier issued a notification regarding the matter.

AMBA in its notification, called upon all its members to abstain from their duties on January 13 from 11.30 am till the end of the court in solidarity with the lady colleague.

No lawyer represented the alleged accused when he was produced in the court.

However, the police, in its interrogation statement tabled in the court, stated that the alleged accused along with his friend was going to Uripok and on the way their vehicle hit the lady advocate vehicle.

As insisted by the advocate, they stopped and apologized but they were not sure if the lady advocate heard them.

The CEC said that the Commission was conscious of providing all basic facilities to voters. He also added that all arrangements will be made at the polling stations for the convenience of senior citizens and People with Disabilities (PwD) voters. Home voting facility will also be there for 80 years plus and PwD voters while pick and drop facility will be made available for them.

Kumar further said that the Commission has “policy of zero tolerance” towards misuse of money power and muscle power and has directed all enforcement agencies for coordinated action to ensure inducementfree elections.

Suspected dacoit injured in police firing

GOLAGHAT (ASSAM), JAN 13 (PTI): A suspected dacoit was injured when police fired at him as he allegedly tried to escape from custody in Assam’s Golaghat district on Friday, an official said. A police constable also suffered minor injuries, he said. Golaghat ASP Anjan Pandit said the accused Druno Das alias Akoni was arrested with three others from a car that was intercepted by Dergaon Police on Thursday.

All the four were held on suspicion of involvement in a dacoity, to which they later confessed during interrogation, Pandit said.

While they were returning in a police vehicle from neighbouring Nagaon district following further investigation based on their statements, Akoni said he had to relieve himself and upon alighting, pushed away a constable and tried to flee, the ASP said.

During a check by the RPF on board the AgartalaSealdah Kanchanjungha Express at Alipurduar Junction station on Wednesday, the security personnel found six persons, including four females, of “doubtful nationality”, it said.

“They could not produce any valid documents and later confessed that they entered India illegally from Bangladesh,” the statement said.

Fake Indian Aadhaar cards, mobile phones and two e-tickets of the train from Agartala to Sealdah were found with them, it said.

Legal action has been initiated against them, the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) said in the statement.

IMPHAL, JAN 13: Manipur Olympian Park, set up in honour of Olympians from the state, which was formally inaugurated by Union home minister Amit Shah recently, was dedicated to the people on Friday. Manipur chief minister N Biren Singh handed over the park to the people. The park constitutes of 19 statues of Olympians including three women from Manipur.

The state government created the park to honour the Olympians from the state and to encourage players of the state. The park is located in Sangaithel in Imphal West district.

Speaking at the event, the chief minister acknowledged the contributions of local clubs in moulding the careers of the 19 Olympians, who brought respect and recognition for the state and country. Singh referred to the Olympians as “Living Legends” and appealed towards creating a healthy society free from drugs.

Acknowledging the rich sporting culture and love for sports, the state

has been referred as ‘Powerhouse of Sports’ and the first national sports university was set up in the state, he added. Singh said that suitable government jobs were given to the sportspersons who won gold medals at national and international level as a part of one-time solution in the past. The same will be continued in the near future, he added.

The chief minister asked each and every one to create and promote one Manipur where there is no division based on caste, religion, tribe or hill and valley.

CM Biren Singh also appreciated the village chiefs and CSO leaders who took the lead role in

motivating villagers to destroy poppy plants in the hills voluntarily. “We can root out the drug menace by collective and cooperative efforts,” he added. The park was constructed by Keystone Infra Pvt Ltd under Manipur Police Housing Corporation Ltd and was inaugurated by Union home minister Amit Shah on January 6 last.

Cabinet ministers - GovindasKonthoujam, NemchaKipgen, L S usindro Meitei, H Dingo Singh, Th Basantakumar Singh and KhasimVashum – some MLAs, government officials, Olympians from the state and their family members attended the function.

GUWAHATI, JAN 13 (PTI): Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday said that Northeast is witnessing “transformation through transportation” and mega projects regularly inaugurated in the region bear testimony to it.

He said that had development work in the Northeast taken place at the current pace since Independence, the region would have already been on the growth trajectory.

Sarma was speaking at a programme at Pandu terminal in Guwahati, which was attended virtually by Prime Minister Narendra Modi from New Delhi.

During the function, Modi inaugurated a Maritime Skill Development Centre in Guwahati, which will offer better job opportunities to local youths. It was built at a cost of Rs 6 crore.

He also laid the foundation stone for a ship-re-

Centre of Excellence in online gaming to be set up in Shillong

SHILLONG, JAN 13: Union Minister of State for Information Technology and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Friday announced that India’s first Centre of Excellence in Online Gaming will be set up in Meghalaya’s capital Shillong by March 2023.

He said digital India start-up

hub through the Software Technology Parks of India would be setting up the centre.

“The Centre of Excellence in Shillong is expected to catalyse startups and entrepreneurs from the entire North East Region to build the next gen online gaming ecosystem,” Chandrasekhar told reporters.The Union Minister said that it is the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi that the

next wave of startups and entrepreneurs must come from Shillong, Kohima and other parts of the North East India.

It is pertinent to mentioned that the Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY) has recently circulated Draft amendments to the IT Rules 2021 in relation to the Online Gaming for public consultation.

The Union Minister also

highlighted the importance of Digital Skills post Covid, as the rate of Digitalization of products, services and devices continue to increase across the globe.

Chandrasekhar announced another initiative of MeitY to set up a state-of-the-art facility under the National Institute of Electronics and IT (NIELIT) to provide training on cutting edge Digital Skills at Shillong.

M’laya CM inaugurates road projects, water treatment plant

AMPATI, JAN 13 (AGENCIES): Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Friday inaugurated a water treatment plant at Garobadha under the Greater Garobadha Water Supply Scheme, which will provide clean drinking water to 70 villages in the area in the West Garo hills district, reports Eastmojo.

The Chief Minister also inaugurated the periodic renewal of the 103rd km-124th km stretch of the Agia-Medhipara-Phulbari-Tura (AMPT) Road repaired under Systematic Maintenance at Garobadha during a function held at Garobadha Higher Secondary School.

The inaugural programme was also attended by Tura Municipal Board Chairman J.D. Sangma, Khadi & Village Industries Board Chairman Subir Marak, and officials of the District Administration, PWD, and PHE departments, among others.

The Chief Minister also inspect ed the water treat -

CM Conrad K. Sangma in the inaugural program.

ment plant of Greater Garobadha WSS at Megonggre village on his way to Selsella.

Addressing the gathering on the occasion, the Chief Minister said the state government in the past five years has constructed a number of roads across the state through externally-aided projects and other schemes, more than the number of roads constructed in the past 20 years. “Through these statistics, one can gauge

how much this government prioritizes the construction of roads.

Maximum budget from central schemes and externally-aided funds have been earmarked for construction of roads,” he said.

“Sectors like health, business, tourism, etc benefitted immensely from these road constructions. I thank the engineers, officials of the department, and contractors concerned for completing

these roads on time,” he added.

Stating that Garobadha- Selsella road is as important as the GarobadhaTura road as it is the lifeline of the people of the area, he said, “Even as Meghalaya attained 50 years of its statehood, these roads were neglected for a very long time. The government has ensured the completion of these roads to fulfill the aspirations of the people.”

The Chief Minister also observed that the PHE department has become one of the most active departments as the government has unceasingly lent support by bringing schemes and projects for the department.

He said his government was “not doing different things but doing them differently”. “Other departments also have been performing well with the state government’s support for public services and development of the state.”

Sangma thanked the government officials, political leaders, and all other departments for their dedication and team spirit and contributing generously towards the progress of the state.

Earlier, the Chief Minister, while laying the foundation stone for the construction of the MultiFacility Hall of Manchak Integrated Village Cooperative Society (IVCS) at Dengnakpara under Rerapara C&RD Block of South West Garo Hills, lauded the efforts of the Society and their numerous livelihood activities.

pairing facility in Guwahati which will be built at a cost of Rs 208 crore.

It will serve as an alternative to a similar facility in Kolkata, saving fuel and manpower costs for vessel owners and boosting local ancillary industries, besides generating employment.

The foundation stone for an elevated road connecting Pandu terminal to National Highway 27 was also laid by the prime minister.

The project, which will cost Rs 180 crore, will allow

24/7 movement of cargo vehicles. The world’s longest river cruise, MV Ganga Vilas, which will travel from Varanasi to Dibrugarh in Assam via Dhaka, was flagged off by the prime minister.

The chief minister said that in 2014, when the first Modi government was formed at the Centre, the prime minister had visualised “transformation through transportation” for the Northeast.

“We have seen progress in railways and highways. The focus is now on waterways and we are witnessing much development in this sector now,” he said.

Mega projects that are regularly inaugurated across the Northeast assure the people that development is taking place, he said.

With Guwahati and Dibrugarh being among G20 meeting venues, he claimed that under previ -

Three poachers held in Tinsukia district

TINSUKIA, JAN 13 (AGENCIES): The Pengeree police in the Tinsukia district, in an operation on Wednesday, apprehended three poachers from Duarmara Bebejia village and recovered five hand-made guns, wildlife skins, skulls

with horns etc. from their possession, reports the Sentinel.

The poachers have been identified as Anil Koya, Jugnu Orang and Turku Munda. The operation was led by OC Pengeree PS Bukul Ingty.

ous regimes, such mega programmes were confined to big cities.

“People of the Northeast are thankful for these. We feel that had such thrust been put on the development of the region since Independence, our condition would have been already much improved,” he asserted.

Sarma said MV Ganga Vilas will enable tourists to visit places such as Kamakhya Temple, Kaziranga National Park, Majuli island and tea city Dibrugarh in Assam. The tourists will always be treated with utmost respect and cordiality, Sarma added.

CEC Rajiv Kumar in Shillong with others.

CM Biren Singh inaugurating the event on Friday.

Correspondent

Himanta Biswa Sarma

DU’s 99th convocation

NEW DELHI, JAN 13

(PTI): Delhi University will hold its 99th convocation on February 25, according to an official notification.

The convocation ceremony will begin from 9:30 AM at Multipurpose hall, Delhi University Sports Stadium Complex, University of Delhi, the notification said.

Gunfight between police, robbers in WB

BARRACKPORE (WB), JAN 13 (PTI): A security personnel was shot at as a gunfight broke out between the police and a suspected gang of robbers at a guest house on the outskirts of Kolkata on Friday, officials said.

Acting on a tip-off, police raided the guest house in Adyapith in Dakshineswar police station area in North 24 Parganas district, adjacent to the state capital, they said.

Soon, a gunfight broke out between the two sides and a civic volunteer was shot in one of his legs, they added. Three people were arrested and a firearm was seized, police said.

2 held for chopping off man’s hands

KURUKSHETRA, JAN 13 (PTI): Two men were arrested for allegedly chopping off the hands of a Karnal resident and fleeing with the severed body parts, police here said on Friday.

The victim, identified as Jugnu, was seated at a restaurant with a woman on Monday when the assailants arrived in two vehicles and attacked him, they said.

Following the alleged attack, the accused fled with the severed hands while the woman who was accompanying him also escaped. Jugnu was admitted to PGIMER-Chandigarh, the police added.

Jail official held for bribery in MP

BHOPAL, JAN 13 (PTI): A jail official in Madhya Pradesh’s Sehore district was nabbed for allegedly demanding and accepting a bribe to give an inmate unauthorised facilities, a Lokayukta police official said on Friday.

The assistant jailor of the facility at Nasrullaganj, some 40 kilometres from here, had sought Rs 20,000 from the kin of an inmate in return for arranging meetings etc, the official said.

He was charged under provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act and further probe into the case was underway, the SP added.

Hate speeches: SC seeks report from Delhi Police

for Gandhi, said he did not want contempt action against the city Police Commissioner and would rather like to see progress in the investigation.

NEW DELHI, JAN 13 (PTI): The Supreme Court on Friday posed a volley of questions to Delhi police over the delay in registration of an FIR and “no palpable progress” made so far in the investigation of a case of hate speeches made at religious assemblies in the national capital in 2021 and sought a report from the investigating officer withing two weeks.

“What are you doing in terms of investigation? The incident took place on December 19, the FIR was registered actually five months later on May 4, 2022. Why do you require five months to register an FIR?” a bench comprising Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justice P S Narasimha said.

“What have you done? How many arrests have been made? How many people have you examined?” the CJI asked Additional Solicitor General K M Nataraja.

The law officer said the Delhi police have not committed any contempt of the Supreme Court judgement in the Tehseen Poonawala case in which several directions were given to effectively deal with hate crimes.

He said, moreover, activist Tushar Gandhi cannot “dictate” as to how the probe agency should proceed. The bench then questioned the delay in registration of the FIR and asked several questions on the consequential probe. “Whether any arrest has been made? How many witnesses have been examined?” the court asked the city police.

At the outset, lawyer Shadan Farasat, appearing

Himachal Pradesh govt approves restoration of OPS

Committee has also been constituted to explore possibility for one lakh jobs.

“There was a requirement for registration of an FIR. The FIR was not registered for five months. The Delhi police in their counter affidavit (reply) say that the investigation is underway. They do not even say that they have even called anybody for interrogation. They have not arrested anybody. No charge sheet has been filed,” the lawyer said. The bench then took note of the submissions of Gandhi that “no palpable progress” had been made in the probe and sought a report from the Investigating Officer (IO) within two weeks.

The top court was hearing a contempt petition filed by activist Tushar Gandhi alleging inaction by Uttarakhand and Delhi Police in alleged hate speech cases.

On November 11 last year, the bench had discharged the Uttarakhand government and its police

chief from a list of parties to the contempt plea.

The contempt petition was filed seeking punishment for the police chief of Delhi and Uttarakhand for their alleged inaction in the cases in violation of the apex court judgment in the Tehseen Poonawala case.

In the judgement, the top court had laid down guidelines as to what action needed to be taken in hate crimes, including mob lynching. In his petition, the activist sought contempt action against senior police officials for not taking any steps in accordance with the SC guidelines meant to curb hate speeches and mob lynching.

The plea claimed immediately after the events took place, the speeches were available in public domain but still the Uttarakhand Police and the Delhi Police did not act against the offenders.

The hate speeches were made at the ‘dharma sansad’ held in Haridwar from December 17 to 19, 2021 and in Delhi on December 19, 2021, the petition alleged.

Rajouri terror attacks probe given to NIA, says Amit Shah

to me that they are 100 per cent prepared to deal with any situation and stop such incident in future,” he said. The home minister said the meeting, also attended by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, had a 360-degree view of the prevailing situation and threadbare discussion on the terror support system. A time-bound action plan has been drawn up, which envisages tightening of security grid across all areas of Jammu division, within three months, he said.

JAMMU, JAN 13 (PTI): Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday said the probe into the recent terror attacks in Rajouri in Jammu and Kashmir has been handed over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA).

Addressing a press conference after a day-long visit here, Shah said all terror incidents in Jammu in the past one-and-a-half years will also be probed by the NIA and the Jammu and Kashmir Police will actively assist in the investi-

gation. “We have yesterday handed over the probe into the Rajouri incident to the NIA,” he said.

The twin terrorist attacks on January 1 and 2 in Rajouri had claimed seven lives while 14 people were injured.

Shah also had a security review meeting with security agencies and top officials of Jammu and Kashmir.

“We have discussed how to further strengthen the security grid. The security agencies conveyed

Shah said the security agencies have assured him that there will be foolproof security in the Union territory.

He said he had come to the Jammu region with the objective of visiting the affected families of the terror attacks in Rajouri but could not go there due to bad weather.

“However, I have spoken to the family members of each of the seven victims by over phone. The families said that they are ready to fight back the terrorists. It is really heartening to hear such things from the them,” he said.

Twist to AI peeing incident: Accused claims he didn’t urinate on woman

to her seat.

SHIMLA, JAN 13 (PTI):

Keeping its poll promise, the Himachal Pradesh government led by Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu in its first cabinet meeting on Friday approved restoration of the Old Pension Scheme.

There are over 1.36 lakh employees, including employees and pensioners under the New Pension Scheme (NPS). The Congress party had promised to restore the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) in the first cabinet meeting and it stood by it.

The benefit of old pension scheme would be given from today and notification in this regard would be issued soon, said Sukhu while interacting with the media persons after the cabinet meeting. He said that we would fulfill our promise to provide Rs 1,500 per month to women and a sub committee with cabinet ministers, including Chander Kumar, Dhani Ram Shandil, Anirudh Singh and Jagat Negi, has been constituted to prepare a road map for disbursement of Rs 1,500 per month in 30 days.

TN Assembly records ‘agony’ over Gov’s conduct

CHENNAI, JAN 13 (PTI):

The Tamil Nadu Assembly on Friday officially recorded its ‘agony’ over Governor R N Ravi omitting and including some portions in the customary Governor’s Address on January 9.

The official List of Business dated 13 January 2023, on the reply to the discussion on the Motion of Thanks to the Governor’s Address, read: “That an address be presented to the Governor in the following terms: This House records its agony for the act of Hon. Governor by omitting and including some portions in the Governor’s Address which was sent by the Tamil Nadu Government approved by the Hon Governor and circulated in the Assembly; That the members of the Tamil Nadu legislative Assem -

bly are grateful to the Hon Governor for the Address, recorded in the House on 9 January 2023.”

Speaker M Appavu, while mentioning the reply to the discussion on the motion, moved by N Eramakrishnan, read out the para. The List of Business (12 January 2023) on the same motion, mentioning ‘further discussion’ over it had the same wordings. Chief Minister M K Stalin replied to the discussion by members on the Governor’s Address.

Governor Ravi, on Monday skipped some paras/portions of the government prepared Address and also included on his own, some points. The portions not used by Ravi includes ‘Dravidian model of governance’ and ‘Tamil Nadu continues to be a haven of peace.’

The liability under the OPS for this year is about Rs 800 to Rs 900 crores which would be borne by the resource mobilisation like increase of Rs 3 on VAT on diesel. Sukhu reiterated that the state government has not restored OPS for votes but for giving social security and safeguarding self respect of the employees who have scripted the history of development of Himachal.

The matter has been studied in depth and in spite of some reservations by finance officers, the issue has been settled and all the employees under the New Pension Scheme would be covered under OPS, he added.

Sukhu said that the previous BJP government has not given arrears worth Rs 11,000 crores approx, including Rs 4,430 crores to employees, Rs 5,226 crores to pensioners and Rs 1,000 crores dearness allowance of sixth pay commission.

Sukhu also said that the state is under debt of Rs 75,000 crores due to the financial mismanagement and wasteful expenditure by the previous BJP Government.

The government denotified over 900 institutions opened by the previous BJP Government without budget as a sum of Rs 5,000 crores was required to make them functional. Hard decisions would have to be taken as government cannot run under huge debt, he added.

NEW DELHI, JAN 13 (PTI): In a surprise U-turn, Shankar Mishra, the man accused of urinating on an elderly woman co-passenger on an Air India flight, told a Delhi court on Friday he did not commit the offensive act and that the alleged victim seems to have urinated on herself.

The claim by his lawyer, made for the first time since the sordid event unfolded on an Air India New York-New Delhi flight on November 26 last year, flies in the face of denunciation

of the accused by some of the co-passengers and even a string of WhatsApp exchanges he had with the victim woman which suggested the unsavoury incident indeed took place. The counsel for the accused made the submission before Additional Sessions Judge Harjyot Singh Bhalla while arguing against a Delhi police petition seeking revision of an order passed by a magisterial court denying police his custodial interrogation.

The judge disposed of

the application, saying the submissions made before him did not seem to have been made in front of the Metropolitan Magistrate. He said police can approach the magisterial court with its application afresh. “I’m not the accused. There must be someone else. It seems she herself urinated. She was suffering from some disease related to prostate which several ‘kathak dancers’ seem to suffer from. It was not me. The seating system was such that no one could go

“Her seat could only be approached from behind, and in any case the urine could not reach to seat’s front area. Also, the passenger sitting behind the complainant did not make any such complaint,” the defence advocate told the judge.

Senior advocate Ramesh Gupta, appearing for Mishra, accused police and the press of turning the case into a joke.

“The first complaint was made by complainant a

day after the incident. What was the claim? To refund. That was done by the airline. The police and press have turned this case into a joke... Was this case so big, was it a murder case that they reached Bangalore to arrest me and called me an absconder. He was removed from job,” the defence counsel said.

Arguing for fresh custody of the accused, the prosecutor told the court that Mishra’s interrogation was required to establish the sequence of events.

Students selected through NEET/NSEE/State Departmental Examination only and undergoing the above mentioned courses shall be eligible to apply.

5. Students failing to complete their curriculum within the specified duration of the course (repeaters) shall not be entitled to additional stipend.

6. The portal shall be closed from 17th February 2023 and late application will not be entertained.

7. Students & Institutions are hereby advised to fill their online application well ahead of last date to avoid any last minute inconveniences.

(Dr.TEMJENTSUNGLA)

Principal Director Dte. of Health & Family Welfare Nagaland, Kohima DC-45/23

Takes note of ‘no palpableprogress’ ininvestigation

Amit Shah with Manoj Sinha and others chairs a high-level meeting to review the security situation in J&K. (PTI)

Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu

Enigma of solution

Withprominent NGOs confident that it is only a matter of decision to secure solution; they have gone further in demanding solution before election and which has spilled over to promulgation of President’s Rule to facilitate an interim arrangement before election is eventually held. Much has been written and spoken-about the political issue that has been negotiated for over 25 years and the near finalisation of an agreement for translating into a solution. Several prominent organisations have been demanding that the government of India and should not delay in announcing solution to the Naga political issue since it has been overdue. Even the state legislators of the first ever opposition-less government under T.R.Zeliang, who claimed to be facilitator(s) for a negotiated settlement had also made a serious effort to resonate with the public demand for solution, when on December 15,2017 they resolved to ask the government of India to bring solution before election or deferment of election. The elected members of the 12th Nagaland Legislative Assembly were guided by popular public perception and somehow did not apply their minds that solution cannot be achieved without completion of negotiations. Weeks ahead of the subsequent election in 2018, various organisations including political parties on January 29,2018 resolved to not participate in the election and demanded solution. Representatives from the Congress, the BJP, the NPF, the UNDP, the Nagaland Congress, the AAPN, the NDPP, the NCP, the JD(U) and the NPP attended the meeting on January 29,2018. It is to be known that election is a constitutional obligation which has to be fulfilled under normal circumstances except in times of natural calamity or war of serious financial crisis etc and therefore, postponement or deferment has to be with very good reasons. The BJP however reneged on its promise as its candidates filed nomination papers under the excuse ‘Election for Solution’. This had a cascading effect when all other parties also were compelled to fight election in 2018. Unlike during the period till 2018, the situation today is different expected solution appears to have reached a crucial stage after the signings of Framework Agreement on August 3,2015 and later Agreed Position on November 17,2017. On October 25,2019 then Interlocutor and Nagaland Governor R.N.Ravi informed that the official meetings with two Naga stakeholders have covered all aspects and will conclude on October 31,2019 and whatever remains to be resolved will be done post-solution. The government of India had rejected outright any demand for inclusion of Naga flag and constitution in the final agreement but principally agreed to address the issue post-solution for cultural purposes. Since Naga people now know what has been achieved and what has been accepted, the situation today clearly lends credence to optimism that solution is but a call away and can no longer be wrapped under a cloak of secrecy especially since Ravi’s tenure. Since 2003 the NPF and later after 2018 the NDPP have been talking about Naga solution but people in Nagaland know who are those whose actions mean no solution is solution. It is time that the government of India comes clear about what it will do since continuing to harp of Naga unity will only provide the alibi for prolonged delay and the further the delay the worse the consequences.

(From previous issue) Part –II.

The question of Naga Unity is somewhat like the European Unity today. On the issue of Free Democracy and on dissent at Communism, all the 30 members of the European Union commonly profess unanimity. The Eastern Partners in the European Union particularly know themselves of the differences in the two Systems of Governance better than others because some of them were overtaken by Communism before in their recent past history and had experienced tremendous political difficulties to get Free from Communism, remain free and join NATO for what they know why!

The European Union is comfortably as free as any other free democratic Society can become, while the 15 Russian Republics are bound together by ‘Repressive Democracy’ of powerful autocratic ‘big brother’ State of Slavic Russia under Putin or in the case of the Chinese under the tight grip of Xi Jingpin.

The pressing difficulty in the European Union today is mostly on the issue of Immigrations from war torn Middle East and African countries and the EU policy of Trade sanctions laden on Russia.

Hungary is a member of the European Union but has a strongly independent Policy on Immigration from outside the Union particularly from war torn Middle East. Hungary is not racist; but rejects the Quota System of sharing Immigrants the EURO proposes, and say they don’t feel embarrassed to decide for what is good for its own Society.

Hungary also follows an independent policy different from the EURO in its Relations with Russia. Some other smaller members of the EURO also disavow unregulated entry of immigrants to their country and finds it difficult to follow in Toto the entire circumference of the EURO Trade Sanctions, almost under the impulsion of the USA against Russia, that benefits USA and not as much the small countries of the EURO.

‘What Will Unite The Naga?’

from India. Perhaps Israel is the only country in the world that welcomes immigrants, but that is only for the Jews and not for others!

The Immigration of people from one country to another, from one Nation State to another and from one place to another is always a problematic matter even universally.

In the case of the Naga, the powerful structure of the colonial British Administration unified the Naga in the nineteenth century by requiring the burial of the dead under the ground, not in raised platform exposed to the processes of natural decay; the colonial Government relentlessly prevented the Naga’s ‘historical habit’ of head hunting.

The peaceful progressive Gospel of Christianity and fair British Justice were two of the greatest ‘Soft Forces’; that made the hitherto stiffnecked turbulent Naga Tribes into ‘a united NAGA People’ of hope.

If the Naga is to be united; we must ourselves know what has divided us. There are many things that divided us; mental division makes physical divisions; the foremost in my mind is: the political Hegemony of the NNPG with the most dominant barrel of the Gun: -no malice, no hatred intended, except the interest on Facts for the hope of the common good.

I. The hegemony of the barrel of the Gun has become the political hegemony of the Naga National Political Group most dominant in fire-arms and it has affected the lack of Unity in the Naga over-grounds, under-grounds, from outside and inside the State of Nagaland.

Many Suns and Moons have come and not yet gone completely today in the Naga National Group that has created political hegemony over all the silent Naga over-grounds, under-grounds, inside and outside the Nagaland State, and that has created a climate of fear, suspicion and division from the Ministers down to the lowest Office Sweeper.

DailyDevotion

Have You Ever Been Alone with God? (2)

When He was alone…the twelve asked Him about the parable. —Mark 4:10

His Solitude with Us. When God gets us alone through suffering, heartbreak, temptation, disappointment, sickness, or by thwarted desires, a broken friendship, or a new friendship— when He gets us absolutely alone, and we are totally speechless, unable to ask even one question, then He begins to teach us. Notice Jesus Christ’s training of the Twelve. It was the disciples, not the crowd outside, who were confused. His disciples constantly asked Him questions, and He constantly explained things to them, but they didn’t understand until after they received the Holy Spirit (see John 14:26). As you journey with God, the only thing He intends to be clear is the way He deals with your soul. The sorrows and difficulties in the lives of others will be absolutely confusing to you. We think we understand another person’s struggle until God reveals the same shortcomings in our lives. There are vast areas of stubbornness and ignorance the Holy Spirit has to reveal in each of us, but it can only be done when Jesus gets us alone. Are we alone with Him now? Or are we more concerned with our own ideas, friendships, and cares for our bodies? Jesus cannot teach us anything until we quiet all our intellectual questions and get alone with Him.

Quotes

~ Mark Twain

No independent country can be expected to follow a policy detrimental to its own national interest and the question of accepting Quota of Immigrants from the EURO appears to be one of the main factors for the differences in the European Union.

There is no country in the world that favours Immigrants to freely enter its country: Myanmar does not want immigrants from Bangladesh, so too is India; China does not entertain any immigrants, America is wary of accepting Muslim immigrants and Fiji does not favour immigrants

This apprehension has adversely long affected unhealthy political clout not conducive to Peace, Serenity and Unity in the Naga Society and others in the State today.

This umbrella of political hegemony affected even the decisions of the august house of the State Assembly of Nagland and adversely affected the administrative purity and the lack of cleanliness in the Governance. It affected even the decisions of the august house detrimental to its own State!

The 16 Point Agreement with the Government of India demanded that the Naga Areas adjacent to the

It was sometime in January, 2003 that a trivial incident made me realise the deficiency in my awareness of the import of the 16-Point agreement (16-PA or Agreement, hereinafter). I was a sympatizer of the then Congress candidate in our constituency, and a particular acquaintant of mine , who was a vociferous grassroots leader of the ‘Boycott Elections’ lobby the previous state elections, and a much in demand ‘youth leader’ (in his early forties!) provoked me with a diatribe against the ‘Indian’ party candidate.

A mini-debate followed during which he authoritatively pronounced that the 16-PA was a sellout and betrayal by a few educated Nagas in collusion with the Indian intelligence agencies . Being uninitiated on the background history, I was squarely beaten in the battle of words with the obviously misled and indoctrinated acquaintant of mine.

That particular ‘defeat’ led me to go for a serious perusal of the text of the 16- PA and to acquaint myself with its background history. This personal note is penned as it is believed that the agreement of 1960 has a bearing on the present scenario.

Nagaland State be united with Nagaland.

After the State became full flagged, the Assembly of Nagaland, passed Resolutions six times at different times requesting the Government of India to honour the Resolution.

The Government of India, in principle of universal democracy, has not agreed to the ‘Naga Demand’ of amalgamation of Naga Areas of other States with the State of Nagaland, because of the great majority of the population of the States to be dismembered: Arunachal, Assam and Manipur, wouldn’t accept the dismemberment of their State Area to be added to the neighbouring State of Nagaland, a no easy State!

More than once, the Naga of Manipur became its Chief Minister for more than once and there were Naga Ministers and MLAs in Manipur Assembly, but not a single Naga MLA raised any voice in the State for the amalgamation of the Naga Areas of Manipur to Nagaland. It is in record that a Naga Chief Minister of Manipur, in ringing voice in Manipur Assembly said, “not a single inch of Manipur Territory will be given to Other State.”

The NSCN[IM] with dominant fire-Arms controls the political hegemony over all the Naga in Manipur, Nagaland, Arunachal and Assam; it wants to share Nagaland Special constitutional provisions by all the Naga of all the other States.

If the Areas inhabited by the Naga in the other States are integrated with Nagaland, all reasonable privileges of the State, before and after the integration, may be equitably shared by all, but before the Union, there is no secular reason for Nagaland to share its State with the Naga of all other Northeast States.

The Constitution of India allows Re-arrangement of State boundary; and it is constitutionally possible to create new States; India has done that; but it is done only on the free¬-will consent of the majority population of the State.

Nagaland has vehemently refused the transfer Dimapur Area of Naga Hills to Assam, during the Constituent Assembly; and demanded the Return of the Reserved Forests lands transferred to Assam. Nobody likes to dismember his or her State to increase the area of a neighbouring State!

In the case of Nagaland, it wants all the 16 Tribes –including the recently named Tikhir Tribe- that created the STATE OF NAGALAND in 1963 to live together in the State of Nagaland; (9 Principal Anghs, on behalf of All Konyaks with Mon Angh as their Spokesman, swore

a most solemn traditional customary Oath saying: “if the NNC is Land Animal, the Konyak is Land Animal: if NNC is Water Animal, Konyaks is also Water Animal,” however, the majority of the Naga of the Nagaland would perhaps not raise any objection to the formation of a separate ‘EASTERN NAGALAND STATE’ carved out of Nagaland: the Authority of assenting and dissenting lies with the Union Government.

The issues mentioned above are complicated and not easily settled; it has taken the Naga a long time to come to such a pass and it needs Great Souls, Time and magnanimity for the solutions of the complicated problems; but Great Souls are as rare as Halley’s Comet these days! May God help!

Part –III.

II. Kuki Migration to Manipur and intrusion into Naga Hills.

People usually migrate from lands of difficulty to lands of plenty; migration of People from place to place has always created difficulties between the old and the new populations.

Prior to the First World War, in the last decades of the 18th century and during the first quarter of the 19th Century, the Kukis under pressure from the Burmese in the south began to migrate north into Manipur and intrude into Naga Hills.

They did not settle in the fertile Manipur valley of the Meitei with much stronger Army than the martial Kukis who were at best equipped only with primitive Muzzle Loading Guns and Guns made out of dried hardened Buffalo Skins! The migrating Kukis overcame quite some Rongmei Villages in the hills. The Kukis pressed the Rongmeis season after season. This seeded the conflict between the Kuki and the Rongmei Naga communities in Manipur.

At this time there arose Jadoanang, a returnee of the Manipur Labour Corps to Europe and who took the leadership of the Rongmeis. With a few Magic Tricks learned while abroad, Jadoanang claimed himself the Mesiah of the superstitious Rongmeis and talked of driving out all foreign rulers and to introduce new dispensation principally against the Kukis.

There arose great social unrest among the Rongmeis; and Jadoanang introduced new practices of worship not known indigenous.

Jadoanang made secret programs to eliminate all the Kukis from the Rongmei areas; this caused a lot of fear in the Kukis and some of them started to flee from the hill Villages to Imphal valley for security.

The Government sought

to

The Kukis did not like to be drafted for the Labour Corps from Manipur and when the Raja’s Sarkar sought to contribute a second lot of Labour Corps, all the Kuki Chiefs met at Jampi on 17/03/1917 and raised rebellion for 3 years till the winter of 1919 known as the Kuki Rebellion of Manipur.

It was put down ultimately and 10 of the principal Kuki Chiefs were exiled to Pasighat in North East Frontier Agency and pardoned years after.

With the colonial Government’s tacit understanding, some 10 Kuki Villages, some jointly with Zeliangs: Tening, Paona, Tesangki, Kandung, Chamcha, Tolbung, Thenjol, Jolpi and Holkang in Naga Hill adjoining the North Kachar Area as a Buffer Zone to stop the Angami’s restless intrusion to the Company’s Territory of North Kachar in Assam.

Lenjang Kuki’s elder brother Lhoukhosei was the Mouzadar/ Hd GB of Henima/Tening for collection of House Tax and after him in 1908 Lenjang was made the Dobashi, later Hd. DB in 1926 till his retirement in 1946.

It was reported to the DC Kohima that Seirhima Village lies in abandonment and the DC askedNeisier [Niser] of Khonoma to go to the Area and see whether the Village is actually abandoned or not.

Nisier reported back to the DC that the Village is completely abandoned and vacant, and the other Chakhroma Villages have no objection in populating it again.

The Village is to be known as Seirhima and the boundary of it was set on the original Seirhima Village.

Seirhima-Kuki Village was perhaps one of the first Christian Villages in the Naga Hills! A small group of first Christian Angamis [NiserMeruno, of Khonoma, Sieliezhü and Kumbho of Kohima] Villages and a few other early Christians helped construct a small first Christian Church Hut of Thatch in one Week in the Village.

III. Kuki Settlement in South eastern Naga Hills.

Part of the Kuki Migration to Manipur from Burma penetrated into Naga Hills through the controversial contested South East corner of the Naga Hills, known as ‘Cross Hatch Area’ North East of Somra Tract, now Puchuri Area and caused trouble with the indigenous inhabitants.

The Government de -

Revisiting the 16-Point Agreement

It goes without saying that the current Indo-Naga political negotiations has been necessitated because the existing 16-PA fell short of the Naga aspiration for a sovereign, independent homeland as envisioned and put into active pursuance by the Naga Club and the Naga National Council to which hundreds and thousands of true Naga patriots vowed, and still vow, unflinching loyalty and adherence.

It is an irony that the Naga nationalist organisations engaged in the political negotiations now, more than 60 (sixty) years after the signing of the 16-PA have been COMPELLED to give in to a solution ‘under the Indian Constitution’. Accordingly, sovereignty is ruled out. Integration of all contiguous Naga areas under a single administrative unit (hereinafter, Integration) has been shut out as of now. Back to square one?

An optimistic inference now is that Nagas will be favoured with a new deal which, compared to the existing 16-PA , ought to be atleast a notch higher in terms of political status, qualitatively better in terms of general human benefit and substantively bigger in terms of influence, capacity and

standing. In this light, a serious, dispassionate and enlightened reappraisal of the following points may help us to hazard a guess as to what may be expected when the ‘solution’ materialises, hopefully in our lifetime !

Constitution Art. 371(A) is the soul of the 16-PA. Withdraw or invalidate the 16-PA and Art. 371(A) will be history unless this particular provision is incorporated in the latest anticipated settlement.

The 16-PA does not mention anything, not even implicitly, about renunciation of the Naga birthright of sovereignty and independence and, therefore, the allegation of sellout and betrayal does not hold water.

If one bothers to acquaint oneself with the kind of situation that prevailed in our land in the 1950s till the advent of 1960s, he/ she will agree that the 16-PA was the only available option, sort of an interim-measure, to prevent a holocaust-like massacre and even extermination of Nagas (remember Morarji Desai’s threat?)

Documented accounts of many contemporary Nagas of diverse political affiliations and leanings pertaining to the Naga situation

in prevalence upto the time of signing of the 16-PA may be read and pondered by anyone before daring to condemn the 16-PA and demeaning and degrading its Naga signatories.

The invitation extended by the Govt. Of India to the NSCN (IM) in 1997 for political negotiations is an instance to prove that the 16-PA had kept the door open for further pursuance of the Naga political issue.

By going through the biographies, auto-biographies, books etc. authored by several Nagas of repute, it is gathered that the 16-point Memorandum, on the basis of which the 16-PA was arrived at, was finalised and drafted following painstaking, extensive and transparent consultations with Nagas at all levels covering 16 major tribes.

Also, look at the array of distinguished leaders who piloted the 16-Pt. Memoramdum right from its embryonic stage to its culmination in the 16-PA. If we are to believe the words of the authors/writers referred to above, and there is no reason why we should not, the probably motivated and juvenile allegations against our leaders who made the 16-PA possible is

cided to push the Kukis back to Burma and did so to the then “recent Kuki Emigrants” but a few small Kuki Villages like Kangjang, Akhen were there before also and allowed to stay. These few “Old Kukis” Villages were allowed to stay but the other “Resent Kukis” were all pushed back to Somra Tract of Burma.

One of the distinguishing characteristics of the Naga Tribes of Nagaland is that every Tribe has a Territory of its own and the people of one Tribe do not migrates to other territory without the consent of the original Tribe!

People do not migrate carrying their land to other places but the Naga of Nagaland doesn’t accept emigration of people from other States, be he or she a Naga or not, into the State of Nagaland without the emigrants sharing their land with Nagaland.

This is a strong traditional political stand of the Naga of Nagaland State; its violation is taken a grave violation of the Traditional Customary practice unacceptable in the Naga custom. From time immemorial, primal Forest lands were traditionally regarded as belonging to the Tribe nearest it, to the Village, to its Thinuo/ Khel, the Clan and the Family in descending order that actually owns the Land. The Government does not own Land in Nagaland. Every Tribe, Village, Khel and Clan respectively has the full authority over its traditional territory. The colonial Government from the beginning respected this Land holding System of the Naga Hill Tribes and enacted Jhumland Act of Naga Hills that prevents the transfer of land from one Village to another, even within the tribe. The Right in the Village is rooted in the indigenous Membership of the Village of the Territory. The colonial Government’s acceptance of this Naga Tribal Land Holding System during their administration affected the paucity of ‘conflict over Tribal Jurisdictions’ in the Naga Hills. The inviolable Land holding System of the Naga of Nagaland was evolved naturally over time immemorial in the life of the People. The Colonial Government rarely occupied land it needed for Government purposes but never appropriated the area it has not compensated and seized land only over War.

[The present famous WWII Memorial Cemetery at Kohima is the only Area the Colonial Power seized from Tsütuonuomia Khel of Kohima Village, for joining the Khonoma Siege of the Colonial Post at Kohima in the 1879]

(To be continued..) Thepfulhouvi Solo.

outrageous, to say the least.

The issue of Integration has found mention in the 16-PA. It is clear that GoI neither acceded to nor rejected outright the demand for Naga Integration. We can say that the issue has been left or kept pending to be pursued and decided ‘post-Agreement’(!). The point is that India remains seized of the matter and we can justifiably pursue the matter concertedly and vigorously any time as long as the 16-PA remains valid.

The above are just a few points which may be relevant for reference vis-a-vis the anticipated political settlement.

As stated earlier, we have to wait for the attainment of the aspiration of our pioneer patriots for now. We have waited for nearly a century and we are prepared to wait for another century or more, even eons, steadfastly clinging to our dream. Meanwhile, Govt. of India may not forget or ignore our uniqueness and extend befitting respect and treatment that unique citizens of India deserve by keeping its words and fulfilling its promise without further delay.

K.T. Imchen Merhulietsa, Kohima

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

Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear - not absence of fear.

arrest Jadoanang for the social unrest. He fled to Cachar from where he was brought to Manipur and charged for inciting mob lynching and Murder of four Manipuris Traders in his village of Kambirong and was hanged in 1930.

SNIPPETS

Amit Shah to visit Andaman on Jan 23

PORT BLAIR, JAN 13 (PTI): Union Home Minister Amit Shah will arrive in Andaman and Nicobar Islands on Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose’s birth anniversary on January 23, an official said on Friday. Netaji hoisted the national flag at Gymkhana Ground here on December 30, 1943, and Shah will do it at the same spot on January 23, the official said. The ground is now renamed as ‘Netaji Stadium’. The Union home minister is also likely to visit Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Island, the nearest Island from Port Blair, which can be reached through a 15-20-minute boat ride from Aberdeen Jetty.

Revenue official booked for bribery

THANE, JAN 13 (PTI): The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) in Maharashtra’s Thane district has registered a case against a revenue official for allegedly demanding a bribe from a housing society, an official said on Friday.

The accused official had sought Rs 20,000 from an office-bearer of the housing society in Navi Mumbai to include its name in the “7/12 extract”, a type of land record, he said. After negotiations, the official brought down the bribe amount to Rs 10,000, but complainant approached the Navi Mumbai unit of the ACB, the official said.

Father-son robbed of Rs 2.5 lakh in Delhi

NEW DELHI, JAN 13 (PTI): Two scooter riders robbed Rs 2.5 lakh from a man and his father in west Delhi’s Uttam Nagar area when the two were returning from their shop, police said on Friday. The incident took place Thursday around 9 pm on the relatively desolate Hastsal road. The complainant, along with his father, was returning from his shop with around Rs 2.5 lakh cash in a bag, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Dwarka) Harsha Vardhan said. They said two people riding a scooter accosted them coming from the front and one of them snatched the bag.

3 killed, 4 injured in Raj road mishap

SIKAR, JAN 13 (PTI): Three people including a minor were killed and four injured after their car lost control amid dense fog and overturned here on Friday, police said. The accident occurred in Nechwa area, they said. The victims, who belong to the same family, were going to attend a condolence meeting in Nagaur from Jhunjhunu, they said. Prima facie, it seems that the driver lost control of the vehicle after hitting something, they said.

10 dead as bus collides with truck in Maharashtra

MUMBAI/NASHIK, JAN 13 (PTI): Ten persons were killed and at least 22 others injured after a speeding bus collided with a truck in Maharashtra’s Nashik district on Friday morning, police officials said. Many of the 45 passengers of the private tourist bus were employees of a company located in Ambernath in Thane district who were heading for the temple town of Shirdi in Ahmednagar district, officials said. The incident took place around 6 am on Nashik-Ahmednagar road near Pathare Shivar village in Nashik’s Sinnar tehsil, around 180 km from Mumbai, officials said.

PM flags off world’s longest river cruise

VARANASI, JAN 13 (PTI): Strong connectivity is essential for building a developed India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday while flagging off the world’s longest river cruise ‘MV Ganga Vilas’ which will travel 3,200 km in 51 days to reach Dibrugarh via Bangladesh, sailing across 27 river systems.

Modi via video conferencing also inaugurated a Tent City at Varanasi, developed on the banks of the Ganga opposite the famed ghats of the holy city, to tap the tourism potential of the region. Besides, he inaugurated and laid the foundation stones for several other inland waterways projects worth more than Rs 1,000 crore in West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Assam during the event.

In his address, Modi pointed out that the world’s longest river cruise from Kashi to Dibrugarh will bring to the fore, places of tourism in North India on

the world tourism map.

Talking about the importance of river Ganga in the lives of Indians, Modi regretted that the area around the banks lagged behind in development in the post-independence period thereby leading to a massive exodus of population from the area.

Elaborating on a twin approach to address the situation, the Prime Minister said that on one hand, the campaign to clean Ganga was undertaken through ‘Namami Gange’ and on the

other hand ‘Arth Ganga’ was taken up. In ‘Arth Ganga’ steps have been taken to create an environment of economic dynamism in the states from where Ganga passes. Addressing the 32 tourists from Switzerland who have signed up for the entire length of the journey, the Prime Minister said: “Today India has everything and a lot beyond your imagination”. He said India can only be experienced from the heart as the nation has welcomed everyone with open

Last rites of Sharad Yadav in MP

Nadda, former Congress president Rahul Gandhi and ex-chief minister of Bihar Rabri Devi were among the leaders who paid tributes to Sharad Yadav at his residence. Later, Shah described the demise of Sharad Yadav as an “irreparable loss” for the country.

hearts irrespective of region or religion, creed or country and welcomed tourists from all parts of the world.

The beginning of cruise service on river Ganga is a landmark moment and it will herald a new age of tourism in India, Modi said adding this will further push tourism and create new employment opportunities.

“Strong connectivity is essential for building a developed India,” the Prime Minister said and stressed that the rivers of India will give new heights to water power and trade and tourism of the country.

Modi further said there was a low usage of river waterways in India before 2014 despite the rich history in this mode of transport in the country. Post 2014, he said India has started harnessing the ancient strength to the cause of modern India. There is a new law and detailed action plan for developing waterways in big rivers of the country, he said.

Congress steps up attack on VP over his judiciary comments

NEW D ELHI, JAN 13 (PTI): Upping the ante, the Congress on Friday alleged that Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar’s comments on the judiciary were part of a “game plan to orchestrate a confrontation”, and cited his predecessor M Venkaiah Naidu’s remarks in 2020 that the Constitution is supreme.

Vice President Dhankhar on Wednesday said “one-upmanship and public posturing” from judicial platforms is not good and these institutions must know how to conduct themselves. Dhankhar’s virtual censure of the judiciary had come following the apex court’s remarks on the issue of the collegium system.

Stepping up the party’s attack over the issue,

Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh tweeted, “Mr Chidambaram has pointedly countered the Vice President’s assault on the judiciary by saying the Constitution and not Parliament is supreme. Just a year ago, Mr Dhankar’s predecessor Venkaiah Naidu-garu had said exactly what Mr Chidambaram has.”

Ramesh tagged an official release of Naidu’s remarks at the inaugural session of the 80th All India Conference of Presiding Officers at Kevadia, Gujarat, in November 2020.

In his remarks, Naidu had said none of the three

organs of the ‘State’ can claim to be supreme as only the Constitution is supreme and the legislature, the executive and the judiciary are bound to work within the respective domains as defined in the Constitution.

Asked about Dhankhar’s comments at a press conference later in the day, Ramesh said,”this is clearly an orchestration of a confrontation between the judiciary and the government. Different voices are being raised. It is one thing to have a committed judiciary but if the objective is to have a captured judiciary then I think democracy is under threat.”

“So, this is part of a game plan to orchestrate a confrontation,” he alleged.

Noting that this year would be the 50 anniversary of the Kesavananda Bharati verdict, the Congress leader said if there is one judgement that every political party has upheld, it was this one.

Joshimath sank by 5.4 cm in just 12 days: ISRO report

NEW DELHI/DEHRADUN, JAN 13 (PTI): Satellite images of Uttarakhand’s Joshimath released by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) show that the Himalayan town sank at a rapid pace of 5.4 cm in just 12 days, triggered by a possible subsidence event on January 2.

to land subsidence.

The preliminary study by ISRO’s National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) said the land subsidence was slow between April and November 2022, during which Joshimath had sunk by 8.9 cm.

Family members of former union minister Sharad Yadav mourn near his mortal remains in New Delhi, Friday. (PTI)

BHOPAL, JAN 13 (PTI):

The last rites of veteran socialist leader and former Janata Dal (United) president Sharad Yadav will take place at his ancestral village in Madhya Pradesh’s Narmadapuram district on Saturday, his close associate said here on Friday.

The former Union minister died on Thursday at a private hospital in Gurugram at the age of 75.

Former JD (U) Madhya Pradesh unit head and a close associate of Sharad Yadav, Govind Yadav, said the veteran politician’s last rites will be performed at his ancestral village Ankhmau in Babai tehsil of Narmadapuram (formerly Hoshangabad) district on Saturday afternoon.

“The mortal remains of Yadav will be brought from Delhi to Madhya Pradesh by a chartered plane at 11 am and taken to his ancestral village Ankhmau by road.

The last rites will be at 1:30 pm,” he told PTI.

Meanwhile, cutting across party lines, top political leaders gathered at the residence of Sharad Yadav in Delhi’s Chhatarpur on Friday to pay their last respect to the socialist stalwart who passed away a day earlier.

Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP president J P

Rahul Gandhi reached Yadav’s residence around 8.30 a.m. The Congress leader travelled to Delhi from Punjab where the Bharat Jodo Yatra is camped presently. Talking to reporters later, he recounted a conversation with Yadav, adding that he learnt a lot from him.

The former congress president said that his grandmother Indira Gandhi and Yadav were political rivals but always maintained a relationship of mutual respect.

Joshimath, the gateway to famous pilgrimage sites like Badrinath and Hemkund Sahib and international skiing destination Auli, is facing a major challenge due

But between December 27, 2022 and January 8, 2023, the intensity of land subsidence increased and the town sank by 5.4 cm in these 12 days. The pictures were taken from the Cartosat-2S satellite.

NOW HIRING

Moving step by step to address land subsidence problem: Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Friday said his government is moving step by step to address the issues of subsidence-hit Joshimath town in Chamoli district. “Our biggest priority now is to provide quick relief to the affected people and evacuate them to safety,” he said.

“The affected families are being shifted to safer places. The demarcation of

the affected buildings is going on continuously. Teams of geologists and experts are engaged in investigating the causes of land subsidence in the town,” the chief minister added. The administration is in constant touch with the affected people, he said, adding that basic facilities are being provided to them at the relief camps. Dhami said the decisions taken by the state cabinet on Friday are in the larger interest of those affected by land subsidence.

the limited period of application from 10th Jan. to 24th Jan. 2023.

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Calls it part of ‘game plan to orchestrate confrontation’

PM Modi flags off world’s longest river cruise - MV Ganga Vilas in Varanasi via a video conference on Friday. (PTI)

Jairam Ramesh

Industry leaders expect GDP to grow at 6.5%

CHENNAI, JAN 13

(IANS): About 60 per cent of the business leaders surveyed were of the view that Indian gross domestic product (GDP) will grow at 6.5 per cent during 202324, said Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu India LLP (DTTILLP).

In a pre-budget survey by DTTILLP, industry leaders said amongst the industry sectors, chemicals, capital goods and energy would log high growth.

They also said government initiatives, such as Atmanirbhar Bharat, production linked incentive (PLI), and favourable monetary policies by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI - to moderate retail inflation and maintain significant forex), increased spending on infrastructure, and research and innovation, will

further this momentum.

According to the survey, the pace of capital expenditure, infrastructure development and the need to boost infrastructure financing through private partnership are important for economic growth.

Sixty per cent of respondents suggested raising funds through Indian

Government Bonds, DTTILLP said. Fifty-eight per cent respondents suggest that public-private partnership (PPP) should be encouraged to meet the funding gap and address issues that deter private participation, while bringing in innovative structures such as credit guarantee enhancement.

As global uncertainties and an economic slowdown loom across geographies, tax-r elated changes are expected to boost industry growth and are the most sought-after measures from the upcoming Union Budget, DTTILLP said.

An overwhelming majority of respondents

see trade treaties as vehicles for increasing investment flows and providing exchange of emerging technologies to strengthen their role in global value chains (GVCs).

“Despite global uncertainties, the Indian economy has been resilient and is well on its way to a growth rate of 7 per cent. With the vision of attaining a $5 trillion economy, the government has adopted a focussed approach towards ease of doing business and enhancing industrial growth, generating employment, and increasing investments. Union Budget 2023-24 holds great expectations from the industry to continue this momentum and lead the country towards economic prosperity,” Sanjay Kumar, Partner, DTTILLP said.

1,148 ‘unauthorised structures’ on railway land: NFR

(From p-1) He also said introduction of new trains as demanded by people of Nagaland might also get affected.

Asked whether the State government was aware of the eviction notice, he claimed that copies of notices were also sent to district administration. He said the district adminis-

tration was the competent authority responsible for maintaining law and order during the eviction drive.

It may be recalled that when asked by Nagaland Post last year on the inaction by the district administration to clear unauthorised occupation, Dimapur deputy commissioner had pointed out that eviction from railway land

was the responsibility of NFR estate officer and not the local administration.

NFR officials also acknowledged this and said they would be initiating a move for eviction in the light of clear directive to railways from Supreme Court in December 2021 to initiate action against unauthorized land occupants.

Khehovi inaugurates 7 tourism projects

(From p-1) He noted that these newly-inaugurated assets had the potential to provide complete tourism package by enhancing tourism attraction of the districts in a sustainable manner and also act as centres to promote local art, handicraft, culture and cuisine to generate livelihoods.

of tourism in terms of increased sources of income, improved living standards and overall development of the area and, most importantly, promote the rich cultural heritage.

diction.

(From p-1)

Organizations opposed to NPAC’s state wide bandh call CM launches CSR projects in health sector

(From p-1)

Under the initiative, six CHCs and PHCs – Pungro CHC in Kiphire, Angpang PHC in Mon, Tamlu CHC in Longleng, Tuli CHC in Mokokchung, Aghunato CHC in Zunheboto and Botsa PHC in Kohima –would be initially taken up for piloting.

The chief minister lauded Boeing India for supporting the State through partnership with DFY in providing much-needed resources for strengthening public healthcare system in the State.

He thanked the two bodies on behalf of the people of Nagaland and hoped that the collaboration between the stakeholders would continue to grow.

He claimed that Nagaland’s health infrastructure had witnessed tremendous growth since the State was created in 1963.

Currently, Rio disclosed that there were 771 public health facilities in the State, including 11 district hospitals, two TB&CDH, one State Mental Health In-

stitute (SMHI), 35 CHCs, 42 PHCs, one sub-health centre and 577 sub-centres.

He claimed that improvement of public healthcare was the cornerstone of his government’s policy, with special focus on maternal and child health, education and access to primary medical services for all.

Delivering the keynote address, DFY president Dr Rajat Jain hoped that the projects would greatly benefit the State in strengthening its public healthcare and other healthcare programmes implemented by various agencies as per needs identified by the government.

He disclosed that DFY would be taking up more infrastructural development activities in the State and reiterated the organisation’s commitment to strengthen public healthcare services.

During the programme a memorandum of understanding (MoU) was also inked between the State government and DFY to further strengthen the public health system in the State.

In addition, CPO said since celebration of the premier festival of the Chakhesang Sükrünye was underway, CPO will neither participate nor enforce the bandh within its jurisdiction.

NTUCT: Naga Tribal Union Chümoukedima Town (NTUCT) also resolved to not extend cooperation or take part in the state wide bandh called by the NPAC.

NTUCT president Lhousito Khro and general secretary Longshi Kikon said that the decision was made at the union’s executive meeting held on January 12.

NTUCT said it was “crystal clear that NPAC is not recognized and mandated organization (an) neither endorsed by any Naga tribal apex hoho” and therefore the bandh will not be ef-fected under Chümoukedima district jurisdiction.

RH: Rengma Hoho (RH) also opposed the statewide bandh with RH president Pollem Tep and general secretary Sinhilo Thongseb

reiterating that the proposed bandh called by NPAC will not be imposed within Tseminyu district. While RH reiterated its stand for early settle-ment of Naga political issue, it was however opposed to the proposed bandh and was done without proper consultation and so, was uncalled for.

RH also pointed out that it had communicated to all frontal organisations that RH had not officially endorsed any of its member to be at the NPAC meeting and therefore asserted it will not participate nor impose the bandh in Rengma areas.

NZPO: Nagaland Zeliang People’s Organization (NZPO) has also decided to not take part or impose the bandh in Peren district. NZPO said it has been reiterating its stand for early set-tlement of the Naga political issue but that the proposed bandh was without proper consultation therefore, uncalled for. NZPO said that since it had not officially endorse any of its member to attend the NPAC meeting, it had decided to not impose the bandh under its juris-

SVYO: Sovima Village Youth Organisation (SVYO) has affirmed its stand that the bandh will not be effected within its jurisdiction in line with the directive issued by Angami Youth Organisation (AYO) and Chakhroma Youth Organisation (CYO).

SVYO directed all shops to remain open and to conduct all business activities normally. It also asked all members to ensure that there was no unwanted situation while maintaining a peaceful atmosphere within the village jurisdiction.

CAKYO: Chakhro Angami Kuda Youth Organisation (CAKYO) president Ketoulelie Nagi and general secretary Kekhriezekhou Belho stated, it has decided to not participate in the bandh as per the decision of the Angami Public Organization (APO).

CAKYO also said as per directive from Angami Youth Organization it has asked all youth bodies of its constituent villages, to direct businesses/shops to remain open in their respective jurisdictions.

He also hoped that these would generate awareness among local communities about the importance

Yepthomi said the Ministry of Tourism initiated the Swadesh Darshan Scheme, which was a theme-based tourist circuit for integrated development, and Prashad scheme was dedicated to religious destination in Nagaland and the Northeast.

The virtual inauguration was chaired by additional director V Doulo, welcome address was delivered by director KM Rio, project summary was presented by junior engineer Rokovituo Tep and vote of thanks was pronounced by deputy director Toka E Tuccumi.

Russia says it took Soledar; Ukraine denies

KYIV, JAN 13 (AP): Russia claimed Friday that its forces captured a fiercely contested salt mining town, in what would mark a rare victory for the Kremlin after a series of setbacks in its invasion of Ukraine.

Ukrainian authorities said the fight for Soledar continued.

There have repeatedly been conflicting reports over who controls the town, the site of a monthslong bloody battle in the grinding fight for Ukraine’s eastern regions. The Associated Press could not independently confirm either side’s claim.

Soledar is located in Ukraine’s Donetsk province, one of four that Moscow illegally annexed in September.

From the outset, Moscow identified Donetsk and neighbouring Luhansk province as priorities, and in September declared them part of Russia along with two other regions.

“The liberation of the town of Soledar was com-

Ukrainian

fires

pleted in the evening of Jan. 12,” Lt. Gen. Igor Konashenkov, the Russian Defense Ministry’s spokesman, said, adding that the development was “important for the continuation of offensive operations in the Donetsk region.” Taking control of the

town would allow Russian forces “to cut supply lines for the Ukrainian forces” in Bakhmut and then “block and encircle the Ukrainian units there,” Konashenkov said.

But Serhii Cherevaty, a spokesman for the Ukrainian army in the east, de-

SL’s Catholic Church head welcomes court ruling on 2019 Easter Sunday attacks

COLOMBO, JAN 13

(PTI): The head of the local Catholic Church in Sri Lanka Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith on Friday welcomed as “significant” the Supreme Court ruling that ordered former President Maithripala Sirisena to pay rupees 100 million as compensation to the victims of the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks.

The apex court on Thursday ordered Sirisena and four top former officials to pay a total of 310 million rupees as compensation to the victims of the attack for their negligence in preventing the country’s one of the worst terror strikes despite having credible intelligence from India of an imminent attack.

Nine suicide bombers belonging to the local Is-

lamist extremist group National Thawheed Jamaat (NTJ) linked to ISIS carried out a series of devastating blasts that tore through three Catholic churches and as many luxury hotels on April 21, 2019, killing nearly 270 people, including 11 Indians, and injuring over 500. The seven-member

bench also ruled that the respondents named in 12 petitions filed for failing to prevent the 2019 Easter attacks had violated the fundamental rights of the petitioners. “This ruling would show that no matter how high their position is, they must be answerable and be held accountable,” Ranjith told reporters.

The court ruling was significant for all who respect justice in the country, Ranjith said.

Alongside Sirisena, then police chief Pujith Jayasundera, and the then director of state intelligence Nilantha Jayawardena have been ordered to pay 75 million rupees each while the then top defence ministry bureaucrat Hemasiri Fernando was ordered to pay 50 million rupees.

Philippines rain, floods kill 17

nied the Russian Defense Ministry’s claim in remarks carried by RBK Ukraine news outlet, saying that “fighting is ongoing in the city.”

The Institute for the Study of War, a think tank in Washington, observed that the fall of Soledar

wouldn’t mark “an operationally significant development and is unlikely to presage an imminent Russian encirclement of Bakhmut.”

The institute said that Russian information operations have “overexaggerated the importance of Soledar,” a small settlement, arguing as well that the long and difficult battle has contributed to the exhaustion of Russian forces.

Just hours before Russia’s claim, Ukraine reported that there had been a heavy night of fighting but did not acknowledge loss of the town.

In a Telegram post early Friday, Ukraine’s deputy defense minister, Hanna Maliar, said that Moscow “had sent almost all (its) main forces” to secure a victory in the east. She said that Ukrainian fighters “are bravely trying to hold the defense.”

“This is a difficult stage of the war, but we will win. There is no doubt,” Maliar added.

Sri Lanka announces plans to downsize military by half by 2030

COLOMBO, JAN 13 (PTI): Cash-strapped Sri Lanka on Friday announced plans to reduce the current strength of its military to half by 2030 to build a technically and tactically sound and well-balanced defence force, amid criticism that military expenditure was more than the allocation for health care and education in the 2023 budget.

The Army’s strength is to be reduced to 100,000 by the year 2030, down from the current figure of 200,783. The strength would be limited to 135,000 by next year, the Defence Ministry said in a statement. “The overall aim of the strategic blueprint is to broach a technically and tactically sound and wellbalanced defence force by the year 2030 in order to meet upcoming security challenges,” the statement quoting the state minister of defence Pramitha Bandara Tennakoon said.

The defence allocation of 539 billion rupees in the budget 2023 drew criticism as the island nation faced its worst economic crisis since 1948.

Due to the forex shortage, Sri Lanka was unable to afford key imports, including fuel, fertilisers and medicines, leading to serpentine queues.

For health and education, the 2023 budget has allocated over 300 billion rupees each.

Although the strength had been halved from around 400,000 since the

conflict with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) ended in 2009, the current strength of 200,000 was termed excessive.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe said last year that military strategy reforms were needed to gear the island’s army to face new challenges.

The Tamil minority and rights groups have been demanding the descaling of the military in the former battle zones in the conflict regions in the Northern and Eastern provinces.

Biden don’t know what’s in classified docs found at his place: WH

WASHINGTON, JAN 13 (PTI): President Joe Biden takes classified documents and information “very seriously” and does not know what is in the secret papers found at the garage of his personal residence and private office, the White House has said, as it defended him amid a furor over the discovery.

Attorney General Merrick Garland has appointed Robert Hur as a Special Counsel to investigate the discovery of classified documents at the Penn Biden Center in Washington, DC and the Bidens’ personal residence in Wilmington, Delaware.

“It is important for the American people to know that the President has said he takes classified documents and information very seriously,” White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters at

MkW- jes'k feÙky funs'kd] ihthMh,e&, ch ,e

her daily news conference on Thursday.

“This is something, as you all know, that he will not shy away from saying and has continued to say this week. And again, he was surprised that these records have been found,” she said.

Biden’s aides found classified records, likely dating from his time as vice president 2009 to 2016, at his Wilmington home garage and at an office he used at a Washington-based think tank that bears his

Mittal Director, PGDM-ABM ADMISSION ANNOUNCEMENT

name. “He does not know what’s in them and his team, once they identified that these documents were there, they immediately reached out to the archives of the Department of Justice and did the right thing by turning that over,” she said.

“And they have been cooperating very closely with the Department of Justice. Attorney General (Merrick) Garland, say today that they heard from his team really shortly after the discovery. And so I just want to make sure that this

is understood, that he takes this very seriously,” JeanPierre said.

Responding to a question, Jean-Pierre exuded confidence that a thorough review will show that these documents were inadvertently misplaced, and the President and his lawyers acted promptly upon discovery of this mistake.

“I’m going to leave it there. That’s what his lawyer said. But again, this is something that the President takes very seriously, and we have been coordinating, they have been coor-

dinating, his lawyers have been coordinating very closely with the Department of Justice,” she said, facing a volley of questions during her daily news conference on Thursday. The White House early in the day said the additional documents were found in the President’s Wilmington residence garage and in an adjacent room. But when the President mentioned this himself in person earlier, he said they were found in storage areas and in his personal library.

WASHINGTON, JAN 13 (PTI): At a time when the world is faced with continued economic slowdown and social distress, the international community counts a lot on India’s leadership of G-20, the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund said Thursday. “India, which is the president of G-20 countries, remains among the countries that perform better than global average and by a good percentage,” IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva told reporters during a media roundtable.

India formally assumed the G20 (Group of 20) Presidency on December 1. The next G20 Leaders’ Summit at the level of Heads of State/Government is scheduled to be held on September 9 and 10 in New Delhi.

“We count a lot on India’s leadership of the G-20. Because it is such a critical time for the world to protect

its own wellbeing by protecting the integrated global economy. I hope that India will do that huge global service keeping us together,” she said. Georgieva lauded India for embracing digitization.

“What we see us working extremely well for India is how the country has taken digitization that was accelerated by COVID-19 to be a strong comparative advantage, both for public policy and for private sector growth,” the IMF Managing Director said in response to a question.

For public policy, because the combination of digital ID and digital public infrastructure allows India to move policy support on a digital platform and to target extremely well those who are recipients of the support as well as to become a bright example of vaccinations done in a prioritized and highly effective manner, she noted.

MANILA, JAN 13 (IANS): Heavy rain which have triggered floods and landslides in the Philippines since January 1 have killed 17 and affected over 500,000 people, a government disaster agency said on Friday.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said in a report that it has tallied 17 deaths in five regions from rains brought about by the combined effects of lowpressure areas, the northeast monsoon, and the shear line, reports Xinhua news agency. The authorities were looking for two more missing people.

The weather has affected 13 regions, mainly in central and southern Philippines. These areas have been grappling with flooding over the Christmas weekend that persisted after the New Year.

The agency said the disaster displaced more than 70,000 people who were temporarily housed in over 120 evacuation centres.

POST GRADUATE DIPLOMA IN MANAGEMENT (AGRIBUSINESS MANAGEMENT) (PGDM-ABM, 23rd Batch)

CCS NIAM, Jaipur invites applications for admission to the Post Graduate Diploma in Management (Agri-Business Management) for batch 2023-2025 approved by AICTE.

The Minimum qualification for admission is a Bachelor's Degree in Agriculture of Allied sciences or in any other discipline from any University or Institute as recognized by ICAR/UGC. The details such as eligibility, selection criteria, reservation, application form, admission procedure, and prospectus are placed on the institute's website www.ccsniam.gov.in. The Candidates who wish to apply for PGDM-ABM are required to have CAT 2022 or GMAT 2023. The application form can be downloaded from the website http://www. ccsniam.gov.in from December 2022 onwards. Director

cBc 01375/12/0002/2223

NEW YORK, JAN 13

(AP): Donald Trump’s company was fined $1.6 million Friday as punishment for a scheme in which the former president’s top executives dodged personal income taxes on lavish job perks — a symbolic, hardly crippling blow for an enterprise boasting billions of dollars in assets.

A fine was the only penalty a judge could impose on the Trump Organization for its conviction last month for 17 tax crimes, including conspiracy and falsifying business records.

The amount imposed

by Judge Juan Manuel Merchan was the maximum allowed by law, an amount equal to double the taxes a small group of executives avoided on benefits including rent-free apartments in Trump buildings, luxury cars and private school tuition. Trump himself was

not on trial and denied any knowledge of his executives evading taxes illegally.

While the fine — less than the cost of a Trump Tower apartment — isn’t big enough to impact the company’s operations or future, the conviction is a black mark on the Republican’s reputation as a savvy businessman as he mounts a campaign to regain the White House.

Neither the former president or his children, who helped run and promote the Trump Organisation, were in the courtroom for the sentencing hearing.

iMPleMeNted BY NatioNal MediciNal PlaNt Board (NMPB)

NMPB, Ministry of AYUSH wishes to appoint a nationally reputed organizations/ Marketing Research/ other Research institutions/ consortia, etc., under Public Sector for comprehensive third party monitoring of activities under the c entral Sector Scheme for conservation, development and sustainable management of medicinal plants" implemented by National Medicinal Plant Board (NMPB).

The interested Bidders may submit their proposal within 03 (three) weeks of publication of this advertisement (in newspapers) against the TOR and Evaluation criteria to the above mentioned address of NMPB, Ministry of Ayush, New delhi. Interested Bidders can download the TOR and Evaluation criteria issued by the NMPB, Ministry of Ayush at www.nmpb. nic.in, for more information. For any queries please contact Under Secretary to Government of India, NMPB, Ministry of Ayush. Tel: 011-23721821.

cEO, NMPB

In reference to this Office Advertisement dated 30th November 2022, the result for G/T Mathematics and G/T Science for engagement on fixed pay under Nagaland Education Mission Society (NEMS) Samagra Shiksha is declared based on academic records and interview conducted on 13th & 14 the Dec. 2022. The details of result is provided in the website www.samagra.nagaland.gov.in Sd/:(TEMSUNARO AIER) State Mission Director dc-

OFFICE OF THE SOTOKUR SERVICE UNION Shamator : Nagaland

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The office of the Sotokur Service Union wishes to acknowledge and extend our heartfelt gratitude to the Sotokur Village Council and Sotokur Baptist Church for their financial and material support rendered during the Christmas Feast from 23rd to 25th Dec. 2022 at Sotokur Village organised and sponsored by the Sotokur Service Union.

The union also offers our sincere thanks and appreciation to Dr. Rukuto Tetseo MBBS, Dr. Elvin Yanthan Physiotherapist and Dr.Chumbeni Odyuo, MDS Orthodontist for their initiative in organising a Free Medical Camp on 23rd and 24th of December 2022. A total of more than 221 patients were screened and received free medical checkup. Free medicines and medical aids were also distributed during the camp. May Almighty God bless you all abundantly.

The Union would also like to express our sincere thanks to Shri C. Peter Yanthan, Addl. Director, Dept. of Agriculture, Kohima, Shri Wochamo Odyuo Addl. Commissioner of State Taxes Nagaland Dimapur, Eshel Mor and Ayal Lizer from Jerusalem, Israel for their presence in our midst and for bringing goodwill and spirit of Christmas to our village.

The union would also like to acknowledge our sincere thanks to all well wishers and individuals for their financial contribution in making the occasion a grand success. We also convey our sincere thanks and appreciation to:

Mrs. T. Achila Quinker, Project Director DRDA - 3,00,000/-

K. Soriso, Addl. SP Wokha - 50,000/-

Mhabeni Lotha - 45,000/-

Lunso SDPO, Jalukie - 25,000/-

Z. Sotsü J.A.A - 25,000/-

Joe Biden

Malcolm Ranjith

Donald Trump

Dr. Ramesh

tank

at Russian positions near Kreminna, Lugansk region on Jan. 12.

Lisa Marie Presley, singer and daughter of Elvis, dies at 54

Lisa Marie Presley, the only child of Elvis Presley and a singer-songwriter dedicated to her father’s legacy, died Thursday after being hospitalised for a medical emergency. She was 54.

Her death in a Los Angeles hospital was confirmed by her mother, Priscilla, a few hours after her daughter was rushed to the hospital by paramedics after a medial episode at her home.

“It is with a heavy heart that I must share the devastating news that my beautiful daughter Lisa Marie has left us,” Priscilla Presley said in a statement. “She was the most passionate, strong and loving woman I have ever known.”

Presley shared her father’s brooding charisma — the hooded eyes, the insolent smile, the low, sultry voice — and followed him pro fessionally, releasing her own rock albums in the 2000s, and appearing on stage with Pat Benatar and Richard Hawley among others.

She even formed direct musical ties with her father, joining her voice to such Elvis recordings as “In the Ghetto” and “Don’t Cry Daddy”, a mournful ballad which had reminded him of the early death of his mother (and Lisa Marie’s grandmother), Gladys Presley.

With the release last year of Baz Luhrmann’s major musical feature “Elvis,” Lisa Marie and Priscilla Presley had been attending red carpets and award shows alongside stars from the film.

She was at the Golden Globes on Tuesday, on hand to celebrate Austin Butler’s award for playing her father.

Just days before, she was in Memphis at Graceland — the mansion where Elvis lived, and died — on January 8 to celebrate her father’s birth anniversary. Presley lived with her mother, an actor known for “Dallas” and the “Naked Gun” movies, in California after her parents split up in 1973.

She recalled early memories of her dad during her visits to Graceland, riding golf carts through the neighbourhood and seeing his daily entrances down the stairs.

Elvis Presley died in August 1977, when he was just 42, and she 9 years old.

Lisa Marie was staying at Graceland at the time and would recall him kissing her goodnight hours before he would collapse and never recover. When she next saw him, the following day, he was lying face down in the bathroom.

She would later make headlines of her own. Struggles with drugs and some very public marriages. Her four husbands included Michael Jackson and

Nicolas Cage.

Jackson and Presley were married in the Dominican Republic in 1994, but the marriage ended two years later and was defined by numerous awkward public appearances, including an unexpected kiss from Jackson during the MTV Video Music Awards and a joint interview with Diane Sawyer when she defended her husband against allegations he had sexually abused a minor. Her other celebrity marriage was even shorter: Cage filed for divorce after four months of marriage in 2002.

“I had to sort of run into many walls and trees,” she told the AP in 2012.

“But now I can also look back at it and tell you all the stuff that was going on around me and all the different people around me and all the awww — and it was not a good situation anyway. That wasn’t helping. Either way, it was a growing process. It was just in a different way. It was just out in front of everybody all the time. Because it’s all documented of course.”

Presley had two children, actor Riley Keough, born in 1989, and Benjamin Keough, born in 1992, with her former husband Danny Keough. She also had twin daughters, Harper and Finley Lockwood, with ex-husband Michael Lockwood in 2008.

Her marriage to Lockwood would end in a combative and protracted divorce that began in 2016 and still was not resolved when she died, though they were declared single in 2021.

The fight saw the girls, now 15, put temporarily in protective custody in 2017. Presley and Lockwood later had joint custody, but were still at odds over the issue, with Lockwood seeking more child support from Presley.

Lisa Marie became the sole heir of the Elvis Presley Trust after her father died. (AP)

Reliance Entertainment re-releases ‘The Fablemans’ trailer

The over-two-minutes-long trailer of the semi-autobiographical from the dream maker, which includes an homage to the Cecille DeMille film, ‘The Greatest Show on Earth’, shows a little boy’s obsession with cinema in small-town America, where Jews are still hated, and how his pianist mother takes him nearer to it.

The film is a semi-autobiographical story loosely based on Spielberg’s adolescence and first years as a filmmaker, told through an original story of the fictional Sammy Fabelman, who explores how the power of movies can help him see the truth about his dysfunctional family.

According to ‘Variety’, Spielberg based the film on his own early

years in Arizona and co-wrote the script with ‘Lincoln’, ‘Munich’ and

‘The

The

‘The

Screen Actors Guild Awards, including Best Ensemble Cast of a Motion Picture and Best Supporting Actor. (IANS)

Cut your odds of a stroke

What Is a Stroke?

It happens when blood stops flowing to part of your brain. The cells begin to die, and you may have damage to areas that control muscles, memory, and speech.

If you have high blood pressure and you don’t manage it well, your chances of getting a stroke go up. Ideally, your blood pressure should be under 120 over 80. If yours is too high, talk to your doctor about ways to change your diet and get more exercise. If that’s not enough to control it, they may prescribe medication to help.

Exercise helps you get to or stay at a healthy weight and keep your blood pressure where it should be -- two things that can lower your odds of having a stroke. You’ll need to work out hard enough to break a sweat 5 days a week for about 30 minutes. Talk to your doctor first if you’re not in great health or haven’t been that active in a while.

Stress can make it more likely you’ll get a stroke, maybe because it causes inflammation in parts of your body. If you’re stressed at work, try some simple things to help dial it back. Get up and move around often, breathe deeply, and focus on one task at a time. Make your work area a calm space with plants and soft colors. And be sure to spend a healthy amount of time away from the office.

Obesity and the health issues it can cause -- diabetes and high blood pressure -- boost your chances of stroke. You can lower the odds if you lose as few as 10 pounds. Try to keep your calorie count under 2,000 a day, and make exercise a regular thing.

For years, doctors thought that a drink a day may help protect against stroke, but the latest research suggests that this may not be true. And if you have more than two, your stroke risk quickly shoots up. Heavy drinking can also lead to obesity, high blood pressure, and diabetes -- all things that raise your odds of having a stroke.

High levels of LDL “bad” cholesterol and low levels of HDL “good” cholesterol can raise your chances of having plaque buildup in your arteries, which limits blood flow and can lead to a stroke. Cutting down on saturated and trans fats can help lower your LDL, and exercise can boost your HDL. If those don’t do the trick, your doctor may prescribe medication to help

with your levels.

Atrial fibrillation (AFib), an irregular heart rhythm, makes you five times more likely to have a stroke. If you notice a racing or irregular heartbeat, see your doctor to find out what’s causing it. If it’s AFib, they might be able to treat you with medicine that lowers your heart rate and cuts the odds you’ll get blood clots. In some cases, they may try to reset your heart’s rhythm with medication or a brief electrical shock.

This condition affects how your body uses glucose, an important source of energy for your brain and the cells that make up your muscles and tissues. It can raise your odds of having a stroke, so it’s important to watch your blood sugar carefully and follow your doctor’s instructions.

The magic number here is 7: For every 7 grams of fiber you add to your daily diet, your stroke risk goes down by 7%. You should get about 25 grams a day: six to eight servings of whole grains, or eight to 10 servings of vegetables.

Flavonoids are plant-based chemicals in cocoa that have all kinds of health benefits. For example, they can help with inflammation, and that can relieve pressure on your heart.

Studies show a little dark chocolate a day helps prevent heart attacks and strokes in people with a higher chance of having heart disease. Just don’t overdo it because chocolate has sugar and saturated fat.

Smoking makes your blood more likely to clot, thickens and narrows your blood vessels, and leads to the buildup of plaque -- all of which make you more likely to have a stroke.

A balanced diet of fruits, veggies, fish, lean meats, and whole grains can help lower your cholesterol. That means plaque is less likely to build up in your arteries and form clots. It also can help protect you from other conditions that raise your odds of having a stroke, like diabetes and high blood pressure.

This sounds like an easy one, but a lot of people have a hard time with it. Take your medicine for blood pressure, diabetes, and heart health on time and as prescribed. If you’re concerned about side effects, talk to your doctor before skipping your medications or taking less than you’re supposed to.

(MedicallyReviewedbyMelindaRatini,MS,DO)

Lizzo and Ed Sheeran among hundreds of acts to play Jazz Fest

Lizzo and Ed Sheeran are among the headliners at this year’s New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, which takes place over two weekends beginning April 28.

The lineup released Friday also includes Dead & Company, Mumford & Sons, The Lumineers, Santana, Jon Batiste, Jill Scott, Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, Kane Brown, H.E.R., the Steve Miller Band and Ludacris.

Batiste, a New Orleansarea native, is one of many local acts who will perform.

Other New Orleans-anchored acts include Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue, the Preservation Hall Jazz Band and the Radiators.

The festival, which features hundreds of acts and draws tens of thousands of visitors daily, unfolds on more than a dozen music stages on the infield and surrounding structures of the historic Fair Grounds horse track. It also features scores of food booths that offer delicacies from Louisiana and beyond, plus numerous art and craft exhibitions.

Researchers test AI tool that predicts risk of lung cancer

With lung cancer the leading cause of cancer death around the world, researchers have tested an AI tool known as “Sybil” that accurately predicts its risk for individuals with or without a significant smoking history, a new study has shown.

Based on analyses of LDCT (low-dose chest computed tomography) scans from patients in the US and Taiwan, Sybil accurately predicted the risk of lung cancer for individuals with or without a significant smoking history, according to the study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

“Lung cancer rates continue to rise among people who have never smoked or who haven’t smoked in years, suggesting that there are many risk factors contributing to lung cancer risk, some of which are currently unknown,” said corresponding author Lecia Sequist, MD, MPH, a lung cancer medical oncologist at the US-based Mass General Cancer Center.

“Instead of assessing individual environmental or genetic risk factors, we’ve developed a tool that can use images to look at

collective biology and make predictions about cancer risk,” she added.

The team created Sybil, a deep-learning model that analyses scans and predicts lung cancer risk for the next one to six years, using data from the National Lung Screening Trial (NLST) in the US, the study said.

“It was designed to run in real-time in the background of a standard radiology reading station which enables point-of-care clinical decision support,” said co-author Florian Fintelmann, MD, of the Department of Radiology at the US-based Massachusetts General Hospital.

Sybil was validated using three independent data

sets: scans from over 6,000 NLST participants who Sybil had never seen before, 8,821 LDCTs from Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), and 12,280 LDCTs from Chang Gung Memorial Hospital in Taiwan, according to the study.

The latter group of scans included people with a variety of smoking histories and those who had never smoked.

“Sybil can look at an image and predict the risk of a patient developing lung cancer within six years,” said co-author and Jameel Clinic faculty lead Regina Barzilay, PhD, a member of the US-based Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research.

(IANS)

Festival organizers said this year’s event also will include a celebration of Puerto Rico, with artist demonstrations, live music and dance showcases, parades, cultural displays, photo exhibits and authentic cuisine. Full schedules haven’t yet been released, but Friday’s announcement said Sheeran, Lizzo, Plant & Krauss, the Steve Miller Band, the Tedeschi Trucks Band, Gary Clark Jr., Jill Scott, Kenny Loggins and the Wu-Tang Clan will be among the first weekend’s acts. (AP)

T-Series, Raaj teaming up for new films, series

Filmmaker Raaj Shaandilyaa and Bhushan Kumar-led T-Series on Friday announced that they will be collaborating to produce multiple films and web shows.

Shaandilya, who made his directorial debut with Ayushmann Khurranastarrer “Dream Girl”, will helm as well as co-produce different films and series across various genres, a press release stated.

The projects will be produced under the banner of Kumar’s T-Series, and Shaandilyaa and Vimal K Lahoti’s Thinkink Pictures.

“We at T-Series are all set to usher fresh ideas, content and stories and what better way to collaborate with young minds like Raaj! He has a distinct style and we couldn’t be more thrilled to have him abroad,” Kumar said in a statement.

Shaandilyaa said the aim behind his collaboration with T-Series is to set standards and break new grounds.

“I am ecstatic to collaborate with visionary Bhushan Kumar who recognises pulse of the audiences and explore our shared love for filmmaking,” he added. (PTI)

As filmmaker Steven Speilberg’s film ‘The Fablemans’, which won Best Picture and Best Director awards at 80th Golden Globes, is all set to be released in India on February 10, Reliance Entertainment has re-released its trailer to excite the audiences.

‘West Side Story’ screenwriter Tony Kushner.

Fabelmans’ stars Michelle Williams, Paul Dano, Seth Rogen, Gabriel LaBelle, Jeannie Berlin, Julia Butters, Robin Bartlett, Keeley Karsten and Judd Hirsch.

film is dedicated to the memories of Spielberg’s real-life

parents Leah Adler and Arnold Spielberg, who died in 2017 and 2020, respectively.

Fabelmans’ has received 11 nominations at the 28th Critics’ Choice Awards, including Best Picture, and two nominations at the 29th

India outplay Spain 2-0 to begin Hockey WC

ROURKELA, JAN 13

(PTI): A commanding India dished out a superb show of attacking hockey to outplay a tricky Spain 2-0 in their FIH men’s World Cup campaign opener here on Friday.

Local boy Amit Rohidas was among the goal scorers as he struck in the 12th minute from a penalty corner to the wild cheer of the packed Birsa Munda Stadium, which made its debut as an international hockey venue on Friday.

Hardik Singh scored a brilliant field goal in the 26th minute after a fine solo run as India, chasing their first medal after 1975, boosted their chances of making it to the quarterfinals from Pool D.

The score-line did not reflect the degree of domination by India, who could have won by a bigger margin but the world number six team did not allow their European opponents, ranked two rungs below them, to play their game.

India got five penalty corners and scored from the second one.

Captain Harmanpreet

Singh also missed a penalty stroke in the third quarter.

Young goalkeeper Krishan Bahadur Pathak was brilliant in front of the bar as he made some fine saves, including from penalty corners.

Spain were always a tricky opponent for India but it was the home team which dictated the terms to the Europeans, who had the upper hand in the four Pro League matches last year,

winning two and losing one.

The Indians were quick on the attack as well as in counter-attack and won a lot of balls from their opponents. Spain had a couple of chances besides three penalty corners, which they wasted.

Spain dominated the midfield battle in the initial minutes without getting any scoring chance.

India settled down nicely a fter taking a mea -

sure of their opponents and started pressing towards the end of the first quarter.

Most of the attacks began from the right flank with Nilakanta Sharma, Mandeep Singh, Akashdeep Singh and Abhishek in the thick of things.

India’s incessant pressing paid off as they got three penalty corners in quick succession and took the lead in the 12th minute of the second one through Rohidas.

Harmanpreet’s dragflick came off the stick of a Spanish defender and the ball fell to Rohidas whose powerful hit beat the Spanish goalkeeper all ends up.

Just a minute later, India got another penalty corner but Harmanpreet failed to find the target.

Just before the end of the first quarter, Abhishek outwitted a couple of Spanish defender inside the circle but the efforts did not result in a goal.

Nilakanta also took a shot but sent it wide.

The second quarter also went almost identical as the first, as action remained mostly in the Indian half ini-

Barca beat Betis on penalties; reach Super Cup final

minute after Pedri had set Ousmane Dembele clear down the left. Dembele rode one challenge and squared to Lewandowski, and although his first shot was blocked, the ball fell for him to score from a narrowangle.

Ter Stegen was in action again before the break, saving from Rodri and then getting down to frustrate Henrique, whose low effort looked bound for the bottom corner.

tially as Spain pressed hard for the equaliser.

But four minutes from half time, Hardik made a fantastic run down the left channel and then sent a cross on the face of the goal. It beat the Spanish goalkeeper and forced a defender to deflect it in for India’s second goal.

Spain got their first penalty corner soon but wasted it. The third quarter did not yield any goal but had plenty of drama as captain Harmanpreet wasted a penalty stroke in the 32nd minute. His effort was ruled to have been saved by the Spanish keeper after a video referral by India.

Earlier in the day, England thrashed neighbours Wales 5-0 in another Pool D match. Jeremy Hayward and Tom Craig scored a hattrick each, first of the tournament, to hand Australia a convincing 8-0 win over France in a Pool A match.

Former Olympic champions Argentina were made to toil by world No.14 South Africa before registering a 1-0 win in the opening Pool A match

DUBAI, JAN 13 (PTI): Batting icon Sachin Tendulkar believes the Indian Women’s U-19 squad could emerge as one of the standout sides of the inaugural the ICC U-19 T20 World Cup.

Senior players Shafali Verma and Richa Ghosh are part of the 15-member Indian team which will compete in the ICC event starting in South Africa on Saturday.

“I would say that the women’s team has the capability to be one of the standout sides this time,” Tendulkar wrote in a column for the ICC.

“The team has a good balance of few experienced players as well as young talented prospects both in the batting as well as bowling department.”

As many as 16 teams will compete in the tournament, which will comprise 41 matches and Tendulkar feels the ICC event will have a massive impact on the landscape of women’s cricket.

“The Under-19 event is a first-time event and one that holds a lot of promise. I think this can transform the landscape, since a global platform will ensure great learning and experience to young women cricketers,” the 49-year-old wrote.

“Though women’s cricket has made huge strides, there are areas still to be tapped. What is required right now is a more robust grassroots system across the world. The larg-

er we spread the base, the more talent we will unearth and that will have a direct bearing on the quality of the game.

“I feel the inaugural tournament will ensure that happens. Going beyond showcasing the best junior talent of the world, it will ensure more investment in junior cricket in different countries, resulting in a consistent feeder line for future U19 World Cups as well as senior cricket.”

AUCKLAND, JAN 13 (IANS): The multinational Cameron Norrie, who plays under the British flag, won 6-3, 6-4 against the American Jenson Brooksby in the semifinal to reach his second ASB Classic final here on Friday. Norrie, born in South Africa, will play Richard Gasquet in Saturday’s final after the Frenchman advanced via walkover when his compatriot Constant Lestienne pulled out with a pectoral strain.

ARABIA), JAN 13 (IANS): FC Barcelona will play archrivals Real Madrid in the final of the Spanish Super Cup on Sunday after beating Real Betis on penalties.

The two sides ended 2-2 after 120 minutes before Marc-Andre ter Stegen saved from William Carvalho and Juanmi in the shootout to see Barca through, but just as Valencia made Real Madrid suffer on Wednesday night, Betis

pushed Barca to the limit.

Barca began in control on Thursday with Betis struggling to get a touch of the ball, and it was no surprise when Pedri had the ball in the net in the 23rd minute after an excellent curling ball from Raphinha.

Pedri timed his run perfectly between the defenders, but VAR intervened and it was ruled out for a tight offside from Raphinha before his cross.

The goal woke Betis

up and they began to create better chances, with Sergio Canales’ shot from outside the area deflected out for a corner. German Pezzella got a powerful header on the corner but was denied by a low reflex save from Ter Stegen.

Sergi Roberto was Barca’s next saviour, just clearing ahead of Rodri as Luiz Henrique’s low cross deflected across the goal.

Robert Lewandowski put Barca ahead in the 40th

After the break, Betis took control of midfield, despite Sergio Busquets coming on to make his 700th appearance. Barca looked content to try and run the clock down and paid the price when the impressive Henrique prodded the ball to Nabil Fekir to score the equalizer with his left foot.

Lewandowski had a goal ruled out for offside in the 80th minute and the game went into extra time.

Just as Real Madrid triumphed on Wednesday, Barca kept their nerve in the shootout and Sunday will see a ‘Clasico’ in Riyadh.

Djokovic seeks normal service at Aus Open to match Nadal

MELBOURNE, JAN 13 (AGENCIES): Novak Djokovic resumes his Grand Slam title race with Rafa Nadal next week at the Australian Open, returning to what was his happiest hunting ground before the ugly controversy which led to his absence last year.

Having arrived in Australia unvaccinated 12 months ago, the ninetimes Melbourne champion was deported amid a backlash from angry Australians who had endured some of the world’s toughest lockdowns as COVID-19 infections surged.

Nadal pounced on the opportu-

nity, vanquishing Daniil Medvedev in an epic final to capture his second title at Melbourne Park, and more importantly his 21st at Grand Slams, before adding one more major trophy to his tally at the French Open.

While Roland Garros has been Nadal’s domain for nearly two decades, Melbourne Park is almost as much for Djokovic, with the world number five capturing nine titles and holding an 82-6 record since 2007.

Djokovic has also proven to be unbeatable in Australian Open semifinals and finals with 9-0 records in

Hockey WC: Odisha CM announces

both, making him the automatic favourite anytime he enjoys a deep run.

Back in Australia after his threeyear visa ban was waived, Djokovic has slowly won over fans and he soaked up the adulation en route to the Adelaide title -- his 11th trophy in the country -- but a more hostile reception could await in Melbourne.

If the seedings hold, Djokovic would not lock horns with Nadal until the final but he could take on Nick Kyrgios in a blockbuster rematch of last year’s Wimbledon final, when the Serb won his 21st major.

SPORTS AUTHORITY OF INDIA NORTH EAST REGIONAL CENTRE

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ROURKELA, JAN 13

(IANS): Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Friday announced Rs. 10 lakh reward each for Indian players hailing from Odisha participating in the FIH Odisha Men’s Hockey World Cup, Amit Rohidas and Nilam Sanjeep Xess.

Both Rohidas and Xess made it to the Indian team that will begin its campaign against Spain on Friday.

Tokyo Olympic bronze medallist Rohidas is also a deputy to Indian team captain Harmanpreet Singh. He has 127 caps to his name,

but the defender is always used as an alternative during penalty corners and has scored 18 international goals so far. Guarding the goal in defence with Rohidas will be local lad Sanjeep Xess. With 30 international caps and five goals Sanjeep Xess, who hails from Kadobahal village, a few kilometres away from the World Cup venue, will look to enthuse the home crowd with his presence at the Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium in Rourkela.

It will be a proud moment for Sundargarh, ‘the Cradle of Hockey’, when the two players get down to the middle of the pitch wearing Indian colours. The crowd at Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium is surely going to get behind Rohidas and Sanjeep Xess every time they receive the ball.

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Norrie improved to 6-0 on the 2023 season with a

convincing victory against the tricky Brooksby, who was making his Auckland debut. After converting on his sixth break point of the

opening set, Norrie found himself an instant break down at 2-0 in the second set before breaking straight back to love. The World No.

12 then erased two break chances at 2-3 to start a run of 11 consecutive points, including a second break at love. Back in control, he cooly served out the match in one hour and 38 minutes.

“It was an absolute battle with Jenson. A lot of long rallies and I know how well he competes, so it was nice to get it done in straight sets. I’m glad the sun came out; everyone came out on a Friday. It was an amazing atmosphere and I really enjoyed it,” Norrie was quoted as saying.

RIYADH (SAUDI

Sachin Tendulkar

Naveen Patnaik

Barcelona players celebrate during the penalty shootout against Real Betis.

Amit Rohidas of India with teammates celebrates after scoring a goal against Spain during the Hockey World Cup. (PTI)

KOLKATA, JAN 13

(AGENCIES): Jamshedpur FC defeated East Bengal FC 2-1 in the Indian Super League (ISL) clash at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan on Friday.

Harry Sawyer and Ritwik Das trumped a Cleiton Silva opener as East Bengal lost suffered yet another loss in the ISL 2022-23 at their home stadium.

In the buildup, things had not been ideal since the turn of the new year. The transfer ban from FIFA due to outstanding payments to Omid Singh proved to be a stumbling block to bringing some much-needed reinforcements. Injuries to key starters have not helped coach Stephen Constantine either.

East Bengal weathered an early barrage of

attacks from the Jamshedpur right as Boris Singh marauded with industrial tenacity. His crosses managed to upset the defensive concentration of the Torch Bearers but Daniel Chukwu could not capitalise.

In the 12th minute, Cleiton Silva tapped East Bengal into the lead after some brilliant work by Naorem Singh on the left. Alex Lima played in

Akhil, Esha and Sarabjot win in national shooting trials

2-1

Naorem, who cut sharply in to curl a shot which was parried by the keeper Vishal Yadav. Cleiton was the first to react and slot the ball home against the run of play.

Jamshedur had a golden chance in the 19th minute to get level as Ritwik Das pranced through the East Bengal defence from the left to find Boris on the opposite flank but his shot, although unmarked, just managed to ruffle the side netting.

As the teams settled down into a mid-field battle, Eli Sabia intercepted the ball in a crucial area and passed it onto Cleiton, who noticed the keeper out of his line and tried to catch him off guard with a long ranger. Luckily for Jamshedpur, the shot was not on target.

The first half came to an end with either team fashioning a weak attempt at their opponent’s goal and after the restart, the lacklustre football continued.

In the 54th minute, Ritwik Das sprung a counterattack, after being played in behind by Rafael Crivellaro but ran out of legs and space on the left as the move fizzled out.

22 in fray round 4 of Formula E World Championship

HYDERABAD, JAN 13 (IANS): A total of 11 teams, with 22 cars in the fray, will participate in Rund 4 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship to be held here on February 11. Notable manufacturers like McLaren, Maserati, Porsche, Jaguar, Nissan, and Mahindra Racing will be seen in action in the 2023 Hyderabad E-Prix, the first such event being held in India.

Formula E, officially the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, is a single-seater motorsport championship for electric cars, which was conceived in 2011 in Paris by FIA president Jean Todt and Spanish businessman Alejandro Agag, who is also the current chairman of Formula E Holdings.

Hyderabad is the fourth stop in the 16-race 2023 season of the Formula E World Championships. The highlight of the event in Hyderabad will be the introduction of the Gen3 Era Formula E car, which is known for its top speed of 322 kmph and its status as the world’s fastest, lightest, most powerful, and most efficient electric race car.

ADELAIDE, JAN 13 (IANS): Daria Kasatkina and Belinda Bencic will square off for the Adelaide International 2 title on Saturday after both the players advanced via walkover in the semifinals.

No.9 seed Paula Badosa withdrew from her match against Kasatkina due to a right thigh injury, and No. 6 seed Veronika Kudermetova pulled out ahead of her clash with Bencic due to a left hip injury on Friday.

“Veronika Kudermetova has withdrawn from tonight’s semifinal due to a left hip injury,” the organis-

ers said in a tweet. The rivalry between Kasatkina and Bencic goes back to their junior days.

At the pro level, Kasatkina leads the head-to-head 3-2, including their most recent meeting 6-2, 6-2 in the second round of Roland Garros 2021. However, Bencic was the victor in their only previous outdoor hardcourt encounter -- also in Adelaide, when she won 6-4, 6-4 in the 2020 first round and went on to reach the final.

Badosa withdraws from semifinal due to thigh injury the No.9 seed tennis player from Spain, Paula

Badosa withdrew from her Adelaide International 2 semifinal match against No.5 seed Daria Kasatkina of Russia due to a right thigh injury, the tournament organisers said on Friday. As a result of Badosa’s withdrawal, Kasatkina moves into Saturday’s final via walkover.

Spanish No.1 Badosa engaged in a gruelling quarterfinal match against Brazil’s Beatriz Haddad Maia that stretched beyond twoand-a-half hours with a 74-minute first set followed by an even longer 81-minute second set.

Malaysia Open: Satwik-Chirag enter semis; Prannoy loses in QF

KUALA LUMPUR, JAN 13 (PTI): Commonwealth Games gold medallist Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty played their hearts out to beat BWF World Tour Finals champions Liu Yu Chen and Ou Xuan Yi in three games to enter the semifinals of the Malaysia Open Super 750 badminton tournament here on Friday.

NEW DELHI, JAN 13

(PTI): Akhil Sheoran won the men’s 50m rifle 3 positions Trial 2 (T2) competition for Group A shooters, overcoming the challenge from Swapnil Kusale 17-11 in the gold-medal match at the Karni Singh Range here on Friday. In Trial 1 (T1) competitions for Group A shooters, 10m air pistol shooters Esha Singh and Sarabjot Singh won gold in the women’s and men’s sections respectively. Akhil Sheoran had earlier come second in qualification with a score of 592, finishing be-

hind Aishwary Tomar (594). But the Railway marksman then went on to top the ranking round with an effort of 408.9. Seasoned Army man Chain Singh won bronze in the event. Telangana’s Esha Singh emerged triumphant in the women’s 10m air pistol event beating Karnataka’s Divya TS 16-14 in the gold-medal contest.

Earlier, she had topped the qualification round with a score of 581 and then come second to Divya in the ranking round. Yashaswini Singh Deswal of Haryana won the bronze. In men’s

air pistol, the gold went to Haryana’s Sarabjot Singh when he got the better of state-mate Shiva Narwal 17-11. Railways’ Arjun Das bagged the bronze.

Sarabjot had earlier topped both the qualification and the ranking rounds before winning the competition. In the junior competitions, Rajasthan’s Amit Sharma (men’s 10m air pistol), Chandigarh’s Sainyam (women’s 10m air pistol) and Maharashtra’s Vedant Nitin Waghmare (men’s 3P) were among the day’s winners.

The Indian pair, seeded seventh here, toiled to get the better of the Chinese duo 17-21, 22-20, 21-9 in the men’s doubles quarter-finals.

They will play another Chinese pair, Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang, in the last-four round.

Earlier, India’s HS Prannoy went down fighting to world No. 7 Japanese Kodai Naraoka in a gruelling three games in the men’s singles quarterfinals.

The 30-year-old from Kerala ran out of steam in the 84-minute contest, los-

Iranian chess referee spars with governing body

GENEVA, JAN 13

(AGENCIES): Iranian chess referee Shohreh Bayat says a gesture of solidarity with female compatriots at a tournament in Iceland has caused a feud with the game’s global body and seen her kicked off a commission.

Bayat wore a “Women, Life, Freedom” T-shirt at a prestigious tournament in October, soon after protests began in Iran over the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini while in custody for breaking strict Islamic dress code.

“I don’t think it’s normal to stay quiet about this,” Bayat, 35, told Reuters in a video interview. She is among a string of sports figures to clash with authorities over the hijab policy and express solidarity with anti-government demonstrators.

“This is a big human rights matter. I think if we stay quiet about these things, we cannot forgive ourselves,” she added.

Bayat, who was also accused by Iran of violating hijab practice at a tournament in 2020, said the International Chess Federation (FIDE) had removed her from its arbiters’ commission after she angered its President Arkady

Dvorkovich.

The Iranian said Dvorkovich asked her to change her attire in Iceland, after another chess official had raised the issue. She reappeared at the tournament in a yellow suit and blue blouse: the colours of the Ukrainian flag.

FIDE confirmed Dvorkovich had requested she not wear the shirt about women’s rights. The federation said it respected Bayat’s political activities but that she “disregarded direct instructions given to her to stop wearing slogans or mottos.”

“No matter how noble or uncontroversial the cause is, doing activism from that role is inappropriate and unprofessional,” it said in a statement to

‘BEAUTIFUL MESSAGE’

Bayat accused Dvorkovich, a Russian deputy prime minister from 2012 to 2018, of succumbing to geopolitics.

“Iran and Russia are very united in the war against Ukraine,” she said. “When I was told by Dvorkovich to take off my T-shirt, that was the reason probably. “My T-shirt was not political at all ... It’s one of the most beautiful women’s rights messages in the world.”

According to a message seen by Reuters, a senior FIDE official told Bayat she had been removed from the commis-

sion because Dvorkovich was “furious” with her.

Dvorkovich did not respond to a request for comment.

FIDE said it had not discussed any disciplinary action against Bayat and values her as an arbiter.

Bayat lives in London, fearing for her safety after photos of her at the 2020 tournament in Russia brought criticism in Iranian state media.

Bayat said at the time that she does not agree with the hijab, but that she had been wearing a headscarf during the championship’s first matches, although it had been loose and was not visible from some angles in photographs.

Since Iran’s Islamic Revolution, all women are required to wear a hijab in public, including sportswomen abroad. Women who break the dress code can be publicly berated, fined or arrested.

Bayat was awarded the International Women of Courage Award by the United States in 2021 and has since used her platform to advocate for Iranian women. “When I can, when there is an opportunity, I have to raise the voice of Iranian people,” she said.

ing 16-21, 21-19, 10-21 to the 21-year-old Naraoka, who seemed faster and fitter, despite playing two long matches in the earlier rounds.

This was Naraoka’s third win over the Indian in as many meetings. He had defeated Prannoy in three games at the Singapore Open and World Tour Finals last year.

Prannoy played some crisp winners and showed delicate touch at the net to recover from the opening-game reversal but his younger rival managed to keep things under control in the decider as the Indian succumbed to a heap of unforced errors.

Naraoka, who came into the match after knocking out home favourites

second seed Lee Zii Jia in 73 minutes and Ng Tze Yong in 72 minutes, showed exceptional recovery as he retrieved everything thrown at him, making Prannoy work extra hard for his points.

The opening game was level at 7-7 as the two displayed some breathtaking retrieving in the energysapping rallies. Naraoka

eked out a two-point lead at the interval and managed to keep the pressure to earn the bragging rights.

In the second game, Prannoy tried to engage his opponent in long rallies, using tosses and clears and looked to finish with smashes. It worked for a brief while as he led 13-9 but Naraoka drew parity with four straight points after the Indian committed some errors.

Prannoy tried to keep the rallies tight and flat across the net but Naraoka again levelled at 16-16 before moving to lead with a net kill. A weak net return negated a towering smash from Prannoy as status quo was maintained at 18-18.

However, a precise return and a cross-court smash in the nick of time gave the Indian two game points. Prannoy sent one wide before another superb rally ended with the Japanese sending out the shuttle as the match went into the decider.

Joao Felix sees red on debut as Chelsea slump at Fulham

LONDON, JAN 13 (AGENCIES): Manchester City defender Benjamin Mendy was found not guilty of six counts of rape and one count of sexual assault on Friday, while jurors could not reach verdicts on one count of rape and one of attempted rape, British media reported on Friday. The trial had been taking place at Chester Crown Court since August after 13 women made allegations against Mendy and co-accused Louis Saha Matturie. City issued a statement saying the club had noted the verdict.

“Given there are open matters related to this case, the club is not in a position to comment further at this time,” City said in a statement. The BBC reported that Mendy covered his face with both hands as the jury foreman repeated “not guilty” to the six counts. The verdicts were delivered on Wednesday but could not be reported until the jury finished considering the remaining two charges. Mendy last played for City against Tottenham Hotspur in August, 2021 and was suspended by the Premier League club later that month when he was arrested.

LONDON, JAN 13 (AGENCIES): Chelsea’s Joao Felix endured a nightmare debut when he was sent off in a 2-1 Premier League defeat at local rivals Fulham on Thursday to increase the pressure on manager Graham Potter.

The Portugal forward looked sharp one day after completing a loan move from Atletico Madrid but he was shown a straight red card in the 58th minute for a reckless tackle on Fulham defender Kenny Tete when the score was 1-1.

Fulham made the most of the man advantage when Brazilian forward Carlos Vinicius, standing in for the club’s suspended top scorer Aleksandar Mitrovic, put the hosts back in front in the 73rd minute with a clever header.

Former Chelsea winger Willian had put Marco Silva’s side in front in the first half with a deflected shot but Potter’s team levelled early in the second half through a scrappy goal from close range by defender Kalidou Koulibaly.

Kai Havertz had a late chance to equalise with a stinging effort but

Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno was equal to it and Marco Silva’s side held on to record their first league victory over Chelsea in 17 years.

The win lifted Fulham above Liverpool and up to sixth in the Premier League standings on 31 points after 19 games.

Chelsea, who fell to their eighth league defeat

this season and third consecutive loss in all competitions, are 10th in the table on 25 points from 18 matches.

Potter had no complaints about the red card, describing Felix’s challenge on Tete as a “forward’s tackle”.

Fulham manager Marco Silva was happy with his team’s resilience.

Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty in action during the Malaysia Open.

Man City’s Mendy found not guilty on six counts of rape

Chelsea’s Joao Felix walks off the pitch after receiving a red card by referee David Coote. (Reuters)

Reuters. Tehran casts the protesters as pawns of a Western-led push to overthrow the government.

Shohreh Bayat

Ritwik Das of Jamshedpur FC celebrates after scoring Jamshedpur FC’s second goal. (ISL)

Esha Singh Akhil Sheoran

Sarabjot Singh

Daria Kasatkina

Belinda Bencic