21st jan 2016

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ASSENG/2015/64205

Vol. 1

Issue 225

Broken politics and the flashes of humor Page 8

Dibrugarh, Thursday, January 21, 2016

JOBS & CAREER

“

The Congress wants to go it alone in the Assam assembly elections, Tarun Gogoi, who is completing his third consecutive term as the state's chief minister, has said.

One of the senior most leaders of the Congress, Gogoi said "There is no need of any prepoll alliance."

"We would like to go for tactical understanding where our appeal to voters will be either vote for Congress or any such like-minded party which can defeat the BJP and its allies in the polls," he added.

When the Grand Alliance, of which the Congress is a part, won the assembly elections in Bihar in November last year, Gogoi was among the first Congress leaders to suggest that the experiment of "antiBJP forces" coming together be repeated in Assam and other state assembly elections.

Assam will go to the polls in April this yearm, Gogoi's latest statement puts an end to speculation regarding a possible alliance between the Congress, Badruddin Ajmal's AIDUF and the AGP. The Assam chief minister, who is once again projected as Congress's chief ministerial candidate, also ruled out any

ET CAPSULES

Gambling activities banned Tawang, Jan 20: In a prohibitory order issued by the Deputy Commissioner-cum-District Magistrate, Tawang District, Sri Duly Kamduk, all sorts of gambling activities viz. Housie (Tambola), Dice etc. have been banned in the District. The order reads that any sort of violation shall entail penal action under Section 4 of the Arunachal Pradesh Gambling Prohibition (Act) 2012 and other relevant laws. Further, the Officer-in-Charge of Police stations have been directed to ensure absolute enforcement of the Order. (DIPRO)

Leopard captured Golaghat , 20 Jan : A leopard which was creating terror in Dabidubi and Greater Khumtai areas in Golaghat for the last several days was captured by forest officials last night . Around 4-5 leopards were creating terror in the areas by killing more than twenty cattles and injuring a labourer. Yesterday local people came out with sharp weapons in search of the leopard gang but could not trace the wild beasts.

Finally last night forest officials managed to capture one leopard in a cage. Today the caged leopard was taken to Nambor Forest.

(Correspondent)

144 in Lakhimpur ahead of R-Day

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Lakhimpur, Jan 20: Lakhimpur District Magistrate cum Deputy Commissioner Debeswar Malakar has imposed some prohibitory orders under section 144 CrPC with a view to keep law and order situation under control ahead of the Republic Day. As per these orders, pillion riding on two wheelers has been prohibited. However, elderly people, students of the schools, women and police personnel have been exempted from this prohibition. Moreover, carrying of weapon without permission of the District Magistrate is also prohibited.

This order comes into force with immediate effect and shall remain in force until 27th January as per the information found from DIPRO Chumpi Chutia. (Correspondent)

Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi

threat from a proposed alliance between the BJP and Bodo parties.

Whenever these parties came together in the past, the alliance helped the Congress in the polls, he said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had hit out at Gogoi in his speech yesterday for problems faced by the state, especially shortage of electricity, during the 15 years that he has been chief minister. Gogoi hit back at PM Modi saying, "He always get his facts wrong and he doesn't know that most of the rivers in Assam cannot be used for electricity generation."

Gogoi is meeting Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi on Thursday to finetune a fresh set of strategies to remain in power for the fourth consecutive

We would like to go for tactical understanding where our appeal to voters will be either vote for Congress or any such like-minded party which can defeat the BJP and its allies in the polls.

terms.

The Chief Minister who arrived in the capital on Wednesday afternoon is scheduled to have a close door meeting with Gandhi at his official residence at 9 in the morning.

Gandhi, who invited Gogoi for an emergency meeting on Wednesday would be discussing the ways to take on top BJP leaders who would be touring Assam in the run up to the assembly polls. Gogoi would further discuss with Gandhi more announcement he has in mind to woo the voters.

Gogoi's meeting with the AICC top leader assumes significant after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit refused to raise any ray of hope for the development of BTAD even after BJP forged poll pact with BPF.

Teaching-learning process should not be hampered: Moyong Pasighat, Jan 20

Pasighat MLA Kaling Moyong today sanctioned three lacs to bring back teaching-learning process into the track in DEM Hr. Sec School, Pasighat that ravaged in a massive fire accident, gutting down seven rooms of the school on Jan-17 at 2.41 AM. Expressing sympathy and concern, Moyong sought a detailed report on the unfortunate incident and extensive damage caused by the inferno.

He appreciated fire service for their commendable job to control spread of inferno. He also instructed the local admin-

istration to extend all required help and assistance to the school for quick restoration.

Granting three lacs for immediate procurement of office accessories and furniture and equipments etc the MLA in his message said sustainable education allows every human being to acquire the knowledge, skills, attitudes and values to shape a sustainable future and therefore teaching learning process should be hampered at any cause.

The MLA has expressed concern over repeated fire mishaps reported from various parts of Pasighat.

Contd. on Page 3

5.00

Pages- 12

S-Cross price slashed by Maruti Suzuki by over Rs 2 lakh

Dalit scholar's suicide a 'political conspiracy': Yechury

Page 10

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Congress wants to go alone in the Assam assembly elections: Tarun Gogoi A Staff Reporter Guwahati, Jan 20

Price -

ARUNACHAL CALLING

Thought Modi will give Rs 10,000 crore to Assam and Rs 1, 000 crore for Bodoland A Staff Reporter Guwahati, Jan 20

Launching counter attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi questioned as why Modi did not speak on the foreigners issue. Illegal influx from Bangladesh is one of the prominent issues in Assam.

Gogoi on Tuesday said Modi is not aware about the situation in Assam. He talked about broad gauge railway track which already Assam has.

"Modi said Assam has water to produce electricity to supply to the whole country.

Modi is not ware Assam does not have resource to produce electricity. In 2014 Modi took vote in the name of foreigners, however now he has forgotten the same."

The chief minister said that he was expecting Modi will announce package for Bodoland.

"I thought he will give Rs 10,000 crore to Assam and Rs 1, 000 crore for Bodoland.

However he did not announce anything."

Contd. on Page 4

Senior Cong. leader Konwar joins AIUDF Juthika Das Barpeta, Jan 20

In what could be seen as a game changer ahead of the state assembly election in Assam slated to be held in April this year, veteran Congress leader from Assam and former governor of Tripura and Bihar, Devananda Konwar today joined the Badaruddin Ajmal led All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) at a meeting in Barpeta.

It is being seen as a major boost for the AIUDF as it doesn't have a base in upper Assam, and Konwar is being seen as a popular Ahom face from upper Assam.

The denizens of Bomdila township and its peripheral areas woke up to a pleasant surprise this morning - the first snowfall of the year after a period of seven years!! Pic - Gocham Taga, DIPRO West Kameng, Bomdila.

Education minister Tapang Taloh clarified over yesterday’s teachers’ protest A Staff Reporter Itanagar, Jan 20

Reacting to the demands placed by the Arunachal Pradesh Teacher Aspirants Forum (APTAF) this morning in which protesters held a protest outside Directorate of Secondary Education yesterday, urging the education department to conduct the post of TGT and PGT through Arunachal Pradesh Public Service Commission, not by the department, State Education Minister, Tapang Taloh said, “It’s true that the recruitment process should be conducted un-

der education rule,” while informing that the education department has already sent intimation to APPSCE to fill the gap of shortage of teachers in more than 29 secondary and higher secondary schools.

“It will take months if APPSCE conducts the examination and the dept. of education is facing acute shortage of subject teachers and have a pressure for posting the same.

Most of the lady teachers are taking the advantage and provision of CCL, deputation, retirement, death, educational for B.Ed course etc. which have created lots of vacancy and we have no provision to appoint

such leave substitute vacants of teachers and since long the post have not been created due to which 29 schools like in Ruksin HSS, Ganga HSS, Aalo, Nafra etc. are running without post creation of PGT. Before starting of the next financial year we want to complete the recruitment process for which one time relaxation have been obtained by the state cabinet after viewing the immediate demand to fulfil the gap in want of the subject teachers,” the minister further explained.

Taloh also said if any irregularities is surfaced during the recruitment process, then im-

mediate disciplinary action to officials or anyone involved will be taken up.

He said we are on job and we want that such teachers who are recruited through such recruitment process shall be disciplined and dedicated towards upgrading the education scenario and enhanced the human resources of the State.

The minister will inspect the fire accident of the DEM Higher Secondary School Pasighat soon. He was very much concern about the fire mishap which occurred and wanted that a departmental enquiry to be initiated.

4 arrested for timber smuggling in Bordumsa Laxman Sharma Bordumsa, Jan 20

Altogether 4 persons including the vehicle staff were arrested by the police last night on charges smuggling timber from the Tarani reserve forest under Doomdooma forest division in upper Assam’s Tinsukia district.

According to information availavle, a police team led by

Jai Sankar Wary, the officer-incharge of Pengaree police station chased a vehicle in the Bokapathar area which was carrying logs including several pieces of Hollong variety and arrested four persons, while one managed to flee, after successfully managing to intercept the vehicle.

The seized logs and the vehicle. Pic - Laxman Sharma.

Contd. on Page 4

Preparations afoot to celebrate ‘Judima Fest’ at Haflong Anup Biswas Haflong Jan 20

The preparations for the first ever ‘Judima Festival’ at Haflong on January 23 and 24, 2016 organised by Youth Association for Development and empowerment (YADEM), Haflong and Dibarai Mahila Samity,Haflong are in full swing.

The ‘Judima Fest’ is being organised for popularising Judima and attracting tourists along with other associated events like Trekking, Home stay, Angling, Cycling and Sightseeing followed by Rock Concerts are the added attractions of the Festival.

"Judima" is a traditional brewed rice wine of the

Judima.

Judima is a very tasty drink. It is a fermented brew from two types of rice mixed in correct proportions of which is handed down to generations. These two types of rice are specially grown for the purpose of brewing Judima.

One is the sticky rice called Maiju (Bora chawal in Assamese) and the other variety is called Bairing in Dimasa language.

Dimasas though, rice wine is also produced by some tribes of the district like Zemes and Rangkhols, the other tribes other than the Dimasas do not brew rice beer at present after they embraced Christianity.

The Dimasas are Hindus, still practicing the age old customs, traditions and their own way of worship.

‘Judima’ along with animal sacrifices are required while performing the worships of the gods in order to be blessed by the God. Judima is also mandatory item in any ritual of the Dimasas, like annaprasan of the baby, marriage ceremony, death ceremony, etc, i.e. from birth to death).That is why, Judima has a special bondage which cannot be separated from the Dimasa Community. Almost every household in a Dimasa village brew rice wine or

A tree house prepared to attract visitors at the ‘Judima Fest’. Pic - Anup Biswas

The rice "Bairing" is exclusively grown for production of Judima. It is non edible rice.

It is said that rice Bairing helps in producing more juice out of the combination and helps in preservation of the Judima after fermentation of the mixed rice by specially developed Humou (yeast cake). Humou is extracted from the barks of the plant "Thembra" in Dimasa (Botanical name:Acacia Pennata).The

process of producing Humau is still patent to the families of the Dimasa community.

The ensuing Judima Festival at Haflong is being organised by Youth Association for Development and E m p o w e r m e n t (YADEM),Haflong and Dibarai Mahila Samity,Haflong is a right The organisers are also planning Talking to this correspondent, Maipal Kemprai of Dibarai Mahila Samity said youths of Dibarai are very enthusiastic and busy for the preparation while women folk are also busy in preparing and collecting Judima for the Festival. She also disclosed that they were planning to organise a workshop by which means the Judima can be branded, commercialised and promoted in the market for the economy of the district.

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Dalam Studio Near parking stand Khonsa

PAGE 2

DIBRUGARH, THURSDAY, JANUARY 21

ASTRO FOR YOU Aries Today, you are not in your usual gregarious mood. An unpleasant situation may also prove to be a challenge. Even though you’re enterprising, you don’t go tripping all over yourself. A little devotion to God can make a big difference to your life.

Taurus This is a productive day to deal in money matters. You will probably enjoy both money and muscle power in the afternoon. A necklace or pendant is awaiting your sweetheart, so surprise her. Caution: There is a risk of your money being swindled.

Gemini Today, your actions may change your social surroundings forever, or at least leave a lasting impression on them. You, however, will appreciate a bit of quality time with yourself. Later in the evening, you may spend lavishly to leave a breathtaking impression on one of your friends from the opposite sex.

Cancer It is highly probable that you will be highly pious and dutiful today. You will spend sparingly in the afternoon. You will stay in excellent health condition. Romantic dinner with sweetheart is likely.

Leo You will be so scheming and calculating today that you can even give the vixen in a soap opera a run for her money. With such stars on the horizon, it becomes imperative that you find a way to keep your temper, especially at work. You might find yourself in some risky situation towards the latter half of the day. But by the end of it, you will be able to seek answers to some of your troubling issues. The key is patience; rest will fall into place.

Virgo You will focus on your finances today and work towards consolidating your profits, says Ganesha.

You may also make provisions for any crisis that may arise in future. There is a strong feeling that you may sign some agreements and documents that will become milestones in your future business life.

Libra There is a very high probability of legal disputes receding and going your way due to out-ofcourt settlements that go in your favour. The afternoon may see you being unyielding when it comes to interacting with people. You will display courage and resilience when it comes to matters of relationships, or so.

Scorpio It is highly likely that you will be on the move today. You will be actively shuttling from one location to the other for work or social purposes. Business meetings and conversations will be the basis of all your thoughts. Business proposals may take shape later in the day.

Sagittarius Mysteries that have perplexed and plagued you for the past few days will unravel as the curtain draws from the clandestine, laying bare the aspects you needed an insight into. Any associations you make today will be beneficial in the long run. Your day will end with a feeling of gratitude and emotional attachment to loved ones, beyond the sweet veneer of material love.

Capricorn It’s rare that while you’re engaged in work, slogging to sort out things and prove yourself capable, you simultaneously manage time for the love of your life, and spare some more for recreational activities. Quite a bit of multitasking, but that’s what is in store for you today. This apart, you will succeed in suppressing all negative feelings, which will be followed by the realization that you may not be a very ethical person, but you’re at least a good human being.

Aquarius Today, the slump in energy will beat the daylights out of you! Yes, the day does improve later and a sudden good news will take you by surprise. But be careful about meeting deadlines, as you need to maintain your niche in the scheme of things.

Pisces You will be in the mood to splurge today. You are likely to find yourself throwing a party or entertaining guests in the afternoon. You might just indulge in some uncalled-for extravagance and give your spouse a pleasant, albeit expensive, surprise.

PRASAR BHARATI (India's Public Service Broadcaster) ALL INDIA RADIO : DIBRUGARH (M.W.529.1m/KHz567 F.M. 101.30 MHz)

A Staff Reporter Guwahati, Jan 20: The historic Digholipukhuri, located in central Guwahati, has been facing perils of different nature since many years, rubbish dumping, water pollution as well as lack of maintenance. The administration’s most recent decision to build a concrete embankment around the shore of Digholipukhuri, in the guise of its beautification, has become a cause of great

alarm among environmental activists of the region.

Aaranyak, an NGO pioneering biodiversity conservation in Assam since 1989, has raised questions on the ecological consequences that would lead from such concretization of the Digholipukhuri.

Dr.BibhabTalukdar, Secretary General of Aaranyak, has pointed out that a concrete embankment at the shore would cause grave

damages to the ecological equilibrium of the pond and its ecosystem. The obstructive concrete between the pond water and shoreline could even lead to death of fish and turtles, caused due to misbalance in aquatic physio-chemical composition. Furthermore, if the vegetated area at the edge of the pond, which would normally provide shelter, places to feed, breeding and nesting areas of aquatic life including fish and turtle and

tortoise, is cleared and built over, it would completely destroy the needed PH balance and oxygen content in the Digholipukhuri.

Dr.Talukdar, while commending the intent of beautifying the Digholipukhuri, has seriously urged the concerned authorities to reevaluate the decision keeping in mind the ecological services and encourage the district authorities to consult with experts to ensure

that the wetland quality of Dighalipukhuri, which is a historic wetland is not compromised. There are many eco-friendly ways of enhancing the pristine beauty of Digholipukhuri, and the ideal way forward would be to undertake such procedures in consultation with environmental experts.

Dr.Talukdar added that Aaranyak is equipped as well as prepared to lend assistance to the district administration, in this regard.

Anusuchit Jaati Bikash Lalit Rajkhowa’s death anniversary observed at Teok Manch slams ministers ET Correspondent Margherita, Jan 20: Anusuchit Jaati Bikash Manch have slammed Minister of State of Labour and Employment Bandaru Dattareya and HRD Minister Smriti Irani for allegedly playing dirty politics in the name of religion and caste. Rohith Vemula, a research scholar from University of Hyderabad was found hanging himself at Boys Hostel because he was suspended from the University which have sparked controversy all over the country. Anusuchit Jaati Bikash Manch President and Secretary Ram Prasad Ambedkar and M K Gautam have slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi led BJP government at the centre for not able to control intolerance and inequality which is growing tremendously at our country after BJP party formed the government 1 and Half years back. Rohith Vemula death is the murder of democracy, social justice and equality. HRD Minister Smriti Irani and Minister of State for Labour and Employment Bandaru Dattareya both have compelled and provoked Vice

ET Correspondent Teok, Jan 20: The 26th death anniversary of ex student leader Lalit Chandra Rajkhowa was observed today at Teok – Cintamonigarh.

The programme was organized

by All Assam Students Union’s Jorhat district committee in coordination with Chintamonigarh AASU branch. More than two hundred people were present during the day long programme. The flag of the function was hoisted by Surjya Kumar Bhuyan, president of the All Assam Students Union’s Jorhat district committee. An Eye Checkup Medical camp and a blood donation camp were also held today in related with the programme. Mr Jitu Neog, general sectary of the AASU’s Jorhat committee, Mr Horen Rajkhowa, elder brother of Lalit Chandra Rajkhowa and Mrs Jyotimala Rajkhowa, sister of Lalit Chandra Rajkhowa with a numbers of reputed persons were also available at the function.

Chancellor of the University of Hyderabad to suspend Rohith Vemula and other four dalit scholar students from the University of Hyderabad which hurted Rohith Vemula after which he committed suicide alleged Ram Prasad Ambedkar President of Anusuchit Jaati Bikash Manch. RSS Student Wing and ABVP leaders are also responsible of this incident because there were some ABVP leaders also compelled Vice Chancellor of the University of Hyderabad for suspending Rohith Vemula and four other dalit Scholar Students alleged M K Gautam Secretary of Anusuchit Jaati Bikash Manch. Ambedkar said that the Student Union should continue their protest and agitation against HRD Minister Smriti Irani, Minister of State for Labour and Employment Bandaru Dattareya and Vice Chancellor of the University of Hyderabad. “We demand the resignation of HRD Minister Smriti Irani, Minister of State for Labour and Employment Bandaru Dattareya and the Vice Chancellor of the University of Hyderabad”, Ambedkar said.

Golap Sarmah Memorial Inter College/ University Debate Competition held Assam Academy of Media Studies adjudged Best Team while Uddipana Goswami of Tezpur University becomes Best Debator

Phone No.-03732325456 E-mail -dibrugarh@air.org.in Facebook Page-All India Radio Dibrugarh Programme Highlights 21-1-16 (THURSDAY) 5-35 A.M-Bhaktigeeti(Devotional Songs) 6-10 A.M-Swasthya Charcha (Health Programme) 6-15 A.M-Classical Music 6-50 A.M-Dihanaam 7-15 A.M-Aajir Dinto (Morning Information Service) 7-30 A.M-Geetanjali(Assamese Modern Song) 8-35 A.M-Surar Panchoi(Composite Programme of Assamese Film Songs) 9-05 A.M- Antara (Composite Programme of Hindi Film Songs) 12-30 P.M-Ghar Jeuti (Women's Programme)-Talk-"Jeewanat Unnati Sadhonor Babe Manosik Prastuti" by Rukshana Begum 3-30 P.M-Mishing Geet 3-45 P.M-Programme in Miju Mishmi 4-05 P.M-Programme in Khamti 4-25 P.M-Programme in Wancho 4-45 P.M-News for Arunachal Pradesh 5-00 P.M-Programme in Idu 5-20 P.M-Programme in Tangsa 5-40 P.M-Programme in Nocte 7-15 P.M-Yuvavani 8-00 P.M-Gyanmalini (Sponsored Programme of Directorate of Distance Education, D.U) 8-30 P.M-Jnan Bijnan 9-30 P.M-Moor Anubhawar Geet

Sd-/H.O.P

SITUATION VACANT

Historic Digholipukhuri becomes dumping ground

ET Correspondent Lakhimpur; Jan 20: Being a thought-provoking and message-giving debate competition in the state for around three decades, the 28th Golap Sarmah Memorial Inter College/University Debate Competition was held in the auditorium of North Lakhimpur College today. The Debating and Symposium Section of the College organised the Competition on a sensitive topic: that is- In the opinion of the house, "Central Government's decision for providing citizenship to the non-muslim migrants is fueling the foreigner debate in Assam" Dr. Puspa Gogoi, an eminent educationist, researcher and historian took part in the competition as the speaker. The competition began with the lighting

of earthen lamp and paying floral tribute by Principal Dr Biman Chetia to the portrait of Late Golap Sarmah, who was an enthusiastic student leader and the General Secretary of the College Student Union in 1974-75.

A total of twenty teams from different colleges and universities participated in the competition and strongly set up their arguments for and against the motion. Out of them Assam Academy of Media Studies appeared to be the Best Team and North Lakhimpur College 2nd Best Team. On the other hand, Uddipana Goswami of Tezpur University, Samujjal Dutta of Assam Academy of Media Studies and Gayatri Hajarika of North Lakhimpur College were Judged to be the Best 2nd Best and 3rd best de-

baters respectively. Jury's Special Award was given away to Tinku Das of Lakhimpur College of Veterinary Science. It is to be

noted that journalist Sunit Kumar Bhuyan, advocate Rajeev Gogoi and lecturer Sajjad Hussain were the judges while journalist

Sailen Baruah and professor Nava Krishna Rajkhowa were the members of the jury in the competition.

DECKED UP

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1. PGT (Political Science) - Candidate must be at least MA, B.Ed Preferable.

2. TGT (English) - Candidate must be at least BA with B.Ed. 3. Chief Warden & Hostel WardenCandidates must be fluent in English, Graduate Preferable.

Eligible and Interested candidates May mail their CV at admin@zcs.org.in or Contact at +918794726020, +918794719341.

Entrance Gate of Dibrugarh University Inter College Youth Festival 2016 to be held at DHSK College from 21st- 23rd Jan in Dibrugarh. Pic - UB Photos

PAGE 3

DIBRUGARH, THURSDAY, JANUARY 21

ADSU submits memo to PM Modi ET Correspondent Haflong Jan 20: The All Dimasa Students' Union (ADSU) submitted a memorandum to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday at Borjhar Airport when PM was returning from Guwahati.

ing, planning and direct funding with special mention without interference by the State Government of Assam and immediate implementation of MoS signed between Govt of India, Govt of Assam and DHD.

The memorandum signed

by ADSU President Prafulla Hapila and others urged upon PM Modi to take initiative for tripartite talk with ADSU and other Dimasa Civil bodies for amicable solution of decade old Dimaraji issues and other grievances.

The memorandum too included a demand in the field of sports; where establishment for SAI complex at Maibang and sports development infrastructure in Dimasa inhabited areas including Diyungbra, Dhansiri, Lanka & Joypur was raised.

They ADSU in their memorandum demanded separate Member of Parliament in Lok Sabha and to increase the legislative seats for Dima Hasao District considering the 99% geographical hilly terrain condition. They have also demanded students hostel for Dimasa Students in New Delhi and all district headquarter of Assam, Kohima & Dimapur; and to establish ethnic youth development centre in the name of "Dilaubra Sangibra Smaturaoni nodrang" at Haflong and at the same time, demand for establishment of Dimasa Culture and Language Research Centre was also made.

Whereas for the advancement of education institutional – Assam University campus at Haflong and an engineering & medical college in Dima Hasao District have been highly solicited by the aforesaid students' body .In the concluding point of ADSU's memorandum to PM Modi a smart city at Maibang - a capital of ancient Dimasa Kingdom was prayed for the inclusion.

ADSU in its memorandum also expressed for full autonomy of finance budget-

It has been learnt that ADSU along with Dimasa Students' Union (DSU) and Dimasa Students' Community, Guwahati also submitted a memorandum to PM Modi opposing proposed declaration of Schedule Tribes (Hills) to the Schedule Tribes (Plain) in his daylong visit in the State.

th

9 HMS Governing Body meeting held Ensure best and affordable healthcare to the people: DC

9th HMS Governing Body meeting held at Pasighat.

Pasighat, Jan 20: 8th Governing Body meeting of Hospital Management Society (HMS) of the Pasighat General Hospital was held at Siang Guest House conference hall here on Jan-19, under the chairmanship of East Siang Deputy Commissioner Isha Khosla. The meeting was attended by the HMS members including ADC Deepak Shinde, JDHS (T&R) Dr. Kabang Lego, DMO Dr. M Perme, MS Dr. YR Darang, ZPC Kaling Dai, Chief Councilor (PMC) Denong Tamuk, member doctors, ZPMs and head of offices.

In her address, DC Khosla said GB meeting is an integral part of the HMS and efforts have to be made to assess, review, evaluate and suggestions / recommendations in the implementation process for better health care services. It is not a fault

finding exercise but a tool to strengthening the existing system through discussions and understanding. The hospital must have an effective governing body, legally responsible for up-gradation and modernization of the hospital. Our mission is to ensure the best and affordable healthcare to the people for which we must have good planning and strategies that can help the hospital authorities to provide better and advanced treatment facilities to the patients, opined the DC. Stating follow up action is essential, DC Khosla instructed to conduct such review meeting at least three times in a year to settle shortcomings. She while suggesting the hospital authorities to provide better and advanced treatment with latest technology has appreciated the hospital au-

thority for the onus of keeping the Hospital clean and beautiful. The authority should maintain the rhythm and members should extend their best cooperation to ensure clean and hygienic atmosphere in and around the hospital, Khosla stated.

Considering health department as one of the most important departments that deal with human lives, the DC emphasized for infusing work culture amongst the facilitators so that quality service could be realized.

They must be dedicated and work with missionary zeal providing effective services to the patients, she added in her deliberation.

Stating healthcare facilities is her priority, Chairman Khosla while suggesting the ways and means for upgradation of the hospital asked the house to ensure regulated power supply for

Postal Service in the State must expand its coverage to all the districts and ADC Headquarters: Governor Itanagar, Jan 20: The Chief Postmaster General, North East Circle, Shillong, Shri S.C. Barmma called on the Governor Shri JP Rajkhowa at Raj Bhavan, Itanagar on 20th January 2016.

In the meeting, the Governor emphasised that the Postal Service in the State must expand its coverage to all the districts and then ADC Headquarters. It must provide quality service and the Speed Post service must be improved. He suggested for use of helicopter service for faster delivery of its goods and services.

In this regard, the Governor stressed that the post of

Shri S.C. Barmma greets Governor.

Director, Postal Service at Itanagar, which is laying

vacant since a long time must be filled at the earli-

est.

Expressing his appreciation to the Postal Department for starting a Parcel Hub and Postal Bank with postal ATM facilities in the State Capital in the coming days, the Governor advised the Chief Postmaster General (CPMG), North East Circle to keep Arunachal Pradesh in mind for such innovative and extended programmes of the Department. He also advised him to exhort the Postal Officials in the State to take active part in the Swachh Bharat Mission.

The Chief Postmaster General informed that Shri

Ravi Shankar Prasad, Union Minister for Department of Telecom will be inaugurating the new building of Post Office at Itanagar on 31st January 2016.

While assuring better service in the future, the CPMG briefed the Governor on ‘Rural Postal Life Insurance scheme in the State and amenities provided by the Department.

He informed that it aims to cover all the Gram Panchayats.

The CPMG also informed the Governor the challenges of the department in the State. (DIPRO)

CM in Delhi for a meeting with Rahul ET Correspondent Guwahati, Jan 20: Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi is meeting Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi on Thursday to finetune a fresh set of strategies to remain in power for the

fourth consecutive terms.

The Chief Minister who arrived in the capital on Wednesday afternoon is scheduled to have a close door meeting with Gandhi at his official

residence at 9 in the morning.

Gandhi, who invited Gogoi for an emergency meeting on Wednesday would be discussing the ways to take on top BJP

leaders who would be touring Assam in the run up to the assembly polls.

Gogoi would further discuss with Gandhi more announcement he has in mind to woo the voters.

Gogoi's meeting with the

AICC top leader assumes significant after Narendra Modi's visit refused to raise any ray of hope for the Bodo people even after BJP forged poll pact with BPF.

the hospital so that all sophisticated instruments and equipments etc are operated properly to deliver uninterrupted service to the patients. Necessary corrective measures would be taken immediately by installation of power transformer and DG set would be taken up on priority, leaving no stone unturned, she assured. Construction mortuary at outskirt, maintenance of OPD, cattle trap, police beat office, maintenance of water supply and electrical maintenance, Biomedical waste management and deep burial pit for human anatomical waste, construction of AYUSH unit, CGI sheet roofing connecting specialist block to passage towards IPD from casualty and proper implementation of all welfare schemes and projects were also part of the daylong discussions.

Before concluding her

speech, Khosla cautioned the miscreants not to object any development project in larger interest of the people.

Co-chairman Kaling Dai appreciated the doctors and their associates for rendering outstanding services to the people. He appealed the house to approve need base and genuine demands for betterment of the hospital functioning.

Vice-Chairman Dr. Kabang Lego briefed about the achievements and difficulties being faced by the hospital management. He informed that the hospital is doing the best to enhance the safety and quality of health services for the benefit of patients but many sophisticated equipments could not be operated well due to power fluctuations.

He urged the house to provide uninterrupted and sta-

bilized power supply to the hospital on top priority.

Chief Councilor Denong Tamuk assured to extend full cooperation and supports to the HMS on behalf of PMC. ZPM Okom Yosung also shared his experiences and views.

DMO Dr. M Perme laid stress on preventive treatments and massive public awareness. Maternal death and infant mortality should be reduced to zero. He hoped that cent percent immunizations could be carried out in the district with the help of councilors and PRIs. The Medical Superintendent Dr. YR Darang briefed about the detail expenditure statement, work done during the year and also highlights the future plans through power point presentation on the day. (DIPRO)

Teaching-learning process should not be hampered: Moyong Contd. from Page 1

The matter has already been taken up at appropriate level for restructuring of the school on priority, he informed and further in his

advisory note, has urged the Disaster Management Department to spread awareness on protective measures to ensure that such incidents are not repeated in future.

Referring last year's fire accident occurred in Pasighat

Gandhi Govt Sec School, he informed that the matter was seriously taken up by him and the Chief Minister and education minister assured for reconstruction but necessary fund for the purpose is yet to release.

Manipur’s Kourouhanba Spices Industry comes as a boon for jobless Imphal, Jan. 20 (ANI): Given the favourable agroclimatic conditions and rich agriculture resources, the Food Processing Industries sector is fast developing in Manipur.

However, the state still depends on other states for essential commodities.

Kourouhanba Spices Industries, which is an upcoming brand of spices in the state, has come as a boon for the jobless youths of Moidangpok and Keithelmanbi villages. The industry based at New

Keithelmanbi was launched on November 16, 2015.

Presently, the new industry manufactures several products such as chicken masala paste, garam masala, vegetable masala, chilli powder, ginger powder, jeera powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, fish masala, meat masala, kitchen queen, mustard powder and coarse mix spices.

Potshangbam Kulachandra is the Chief Executive Director of the company. He is a B.Tech in Food Tech-

nology and M. Tech in Bio Technology from Jadavpur University.

His dream to open a agro based food industry led him to resign from Regional Agricultural Marketting Corporation in 1990 and venture into spices business.

All the raw materials used for the spices are from the forest products which are free from in-organic chemicals, except two components of Jeera and Cardamon which are being imported from other states.

SPORTS Chief Minister’s Trophy for football and Volleyball concludes at Changlang

UP IN ARMS

Employees of Jorhat district administration during the state wide protest today. Pic - Nekib Ahmed

Changlang, Jan 20: The third edition, Chief Minister’s Trophy for football and Volleyball (Men & Women) at the Constituency Level of both Changlang North and Changlang South Assembly Constituency concluded here at general ground, Changlang, today.

In the final match of Changlang North Assembly constituency, Changlang Football Club-A defeated Bubang Zaaro Football Club by huge margin of 51. Shri Rossen Mamai was adjudged best football player. In football women category, Changlang women Football Club was declared winner with no other contender and will represent the constituency at the district level. In volleyball men category, Jungmaisung-II beat

Jungmaisung-I by 2-0 set and in volleyball women category BSB team beat Changlang Volleyball Club by 2-0 sets will represent the constituency at the district level in their respective category. Shri Kensim Kenglang of JungmasungII and miss Nyamzob Chenging of BSB team were adjudged best players men and women respectively.

Under Changlang South Assembly constituency, Changlang Football ClubB defeated Kantang Circle Football Club with a lone goal in the final match of football men category played today. Shri Kenglu Kenglang was adjudged best player whereas in football women category KGBV, Longlung was decalred winner with no other contending team. In

volleyball men category Jukhi team defeated Jonlipather by 2-0 sets while in women volleyball category KGBV, Longlung defaeat Longlung volleyball team by 2-0 sets.

Addressing the inaugural programme, ZPC, Changlang Mrs Marina Kenglang urged the players to maintain true sportsmanship spirit and maintain discipline. She lauded the state ghovt for its continued effort to promote games and sports in the state by giving them chance to showcase their talent through the tournament.

Thereafter, the ZPC alongwith EAC, Khimyang Shri Bamin Tarang, DSO(Sports) Shri Kumar Doka gave away the Cash prizes and trophies to the winner teams of both the constituencies.

PAGE 4

DIBRUGARH, THURSDAY, JANUARY 21

DDCC protests DMB move to ‘remove’ Congress hoardings

thorities for the Board’s alleged involvement in destroying publicity hoardings erected by the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee in Naliapool and Thana Charali.

The Chairperson of Dibrugarh Municipal Board Anuradha Dey had however denied the charges labeled by the Congress.

However, the Board has instructed the hoarding owner to remove the hoardings which are against the democratically elected Prime Minister of the DDCC protests DMB move to ‘remove’ Congress hoardings. Pic Javed Hussain country. The Congress party also burnt the efA Staff Reporter Congress Committee Commissioner, here figy of BJP leaders in Dibrugarh, Jan 20: has lodged a complaint against the Dibrugarh protest of the alleged The Dibrugarh District before the Deputy Municipal Board au- move by the civic body.

Light to heavy rains lashed several parts of Assam intensifying cold wave conditions on Wednesday. Rain in the region brought down day temperature considerably in Guwahati also. The sky remained overcast as scattered rains and icy winds swept through the state. The maximum temperature was 16 degrees Celsius, while the minimum was recorded at 12 degree Celsius in Guwahati, officials of the Met department said.

Text - Staff Reporter, Guwahati & Pic - Firuz Ahmed

CPM protest against railway dept ET Correspondent Rangia, Jan 20: The activists of CPM and their sister organisations today staged a dharna in front of Rangia Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) office. Hundreds of supporters from different parts of the Rangia subdivision and the office bearers joined the programme. They also shouted slogans in support of their demands. The programme was led by Ananta Deka, former MLA of Rangia constituency and the state secretary of CPM. The other organisation who joined hands in the programme were CITU, Nikhil Bharat Krishak

Robbers decamped with Rs. 4.5 lakhs ET Correspondent Dhubri, Jan 20 : Robbers decamped with Rs. 4.5 lakhs from the house of a trader Sarbesh Ali at Sadullabari under Mancachar police station of South SalmaraMancachar district last night.

The armed robbers who also before decamping injured two family members of Sarbesh Ali. Sarbesh Ali had withdrawn the amount from bank yesterday for purchasing a car and he was to move Goalpara for it but robbers got smell of the amount kept in the house and planned accordingly to rob the money, source further said.

CPM protest against railway department at Rangia.

Sabha, DYFI, SFI, All India democratic woman organisation, All Assam Mid day meal workers

union, All Assam construction Labour union, All Assam Anganwadi workers and Helpers union etc. The

main demands of the protesters are to introduce double railway line between New Bongaigaon and

Agiathury via Rangia, Construction of second railway bridge on the river Brahmaputra, appointment of local candidates in the vacant posts of Group 'C' and group 'D', Stop harassing poor hawkers of the running train. They also submitted memorandum to the DRM demanding early implementation of their demands. They also requested the railway authority through the DRM to fulfill the demands and include these in the next Railway budget. Bhupen Sarma, Satish Sarma, Bibekananda Adhikary also spoke on the protest programme.

AJYCP stage 2 hour protest in support to 3 charter demand Sp Correspondent Tinsukia, Jan 20. With its 3 charter demand, AJYCP members on Wednesday sat on 2 hours protest outside its office at GNB Road. The student organization demands include inner - line permit on the lines of Arunachal Pradesh for all people coming from other states, dual citizenship ie one for people of other state and one for local people so as it will impact political scenario and thirdly centre government cannot take away natural resources of Assam by just giving merely some royalty and it should be in control of state government for the development of the state.

Congress wants to go alone in the Assam assembly elections: Tarun Gogoi Thought Modi will give Rs 10,000 crore to Assam and Rs 1, 000 crore for Bodoland Contd. from Page 1

The chief minister said that he was expecting Modi will announce package for Bodoland. "I thought he will give Rs 10,000 crore to Assam and Rs 1, 000 crore for

Bodoland. However he did not announce anything."

Gogoi said that despite Assam witnessing two devastating wave of floods in 2014 and 2015, Modi did not visit the state.

"Over 100 people were

killed and lakhs of people were affected, however Modi did not visit the state and did not release the money for the state."

Gogoi said that Modi has said Assam has to furnish details of money spent in last 15 years.

4 arrested for timber smuggling in Bordumsa Contd. from Page 1

One of the arrested persons has been identified as Bijoy Moran of Tarani area in Pengaree while his accomplice Roton Moran of the same locality managed to escape. According to police sources, confessions revealed that the illegally procured timber resources were being carried to Bordumsa village to the residence of a local businessman-turned politician located in Bordumsa in Changlang

District of Arunachal Pradesh. Police expressed confidence in busting the entire network of the smugglers who are destroying the forest resources in close nexus with the forest personnel. 'Many more high profile names were expected to be surfaced soon' added a source.

Talking to this journalist, the nature's lovers of Pengaree-Bordumsa belt alleged that due to indifferent attitude and gross neg-

ligence of the forest department including the concerned Rangers, the act of felling the rare species of forest product were carried out almost every day by the miscreants thus the act of smuggling goes unabated in the said belt along the Assam- Arunachal border.

Police interrogation and investigation were being carried out till the filling of this report. The arrested culprits would be produced before the court on Thursday morning.

Opium worth several lakhs recovered in Tinsukia, 4 arrested

AJYCP central committee publicity secretary Kon Gogoi said that our protest shall continue till are demands are not met.

AJYCP 2 hour protest in Tinsukia. Pic - Arjun Mishra

12th South Asian Games torch arrives Brisk preparations A Staff Reporter Guwahati, Jan 20 : The torch of the 12th South Asian Games (SAG), to be held in Guwahati and Shillong from February 5, arrived here today.

The torch was received at Mawiong by SAG-Shillong CEO R K Sharma along with officials of the organizing committee of the Games.

It was taken to the premier Games venue and around the city by renowned sportsperson Linza F Syiem and Lekini Suting.

The torch will also take part in the 'Run for North East Mini-marathon' tomorrow which coincides with the statehood day before being taken back to Guwahati for the second half of the 'Run for North East' scheduled on

Friday.

The SAG statement said that the torch will travel to all eight states of the region.

Over 3,000 athletes from eight member countries Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Pakistan are expected to participate in the 12th SAG in Assam and Meghalaya.

Health centre sans physician ET Correspondent Dhubri, Jan 20 : Asha activists and nurses are running the Bouskata Health Sub-Centre under South Salmara assembly constitituency of Dhubri district in absence of doctor.

Two pregnant women who were admitted with labour pain last night but since there was no doctor paramedical staffs did not take the risk and referred them

to civil hospital Hatsinghimari.

at

But by the time, it was too late for shifting them and women started groaning with pain and then Asha activists and nurses took the calculative riks and got the babies delivered as there was no other way out to shift them to Hatsinghimari.

The doctor who was posted in this sub-health centre was intimated by miscreants

along with TET teachers to cough up money at the gun point two months ago. Doctor got himself transferred two months ago after the incident, a source in Bouskata said.

Source also said that the health Sub-Centre also having medicine worth Rs. 10 lakhs but due to absence of doctor, the medicines could not be prescribed to the patients.

to observe Netaji’s birth anniversary A Correspondent Dimapur, Jan 20: The Dimapur Bongs is making brisk preparations to observe the 119th birth centenary of Netaji Subash Chandra Bose on 23rd jan 2016 at Kalibari Road, Dimapur, Nagaland.

According to the programme, the flag hoisting will be done by Col. Shikhawat along with team of NCC cadets at 9 am followed by short speeches from guests.

Next on the agenda is – Rang Mela – a sit and draw competition which will commence from 10 am at Kalibari premises.

A blood donation camp will follow from 10.30 am followed by sensational blood painting by national award winner Mr. Gautam Bardhan from 12.05 noon.

A cultural programme from 4 pm during which patriotic songs will be presented will wind up the day’s proceedings.

The programme will be moderated by Sargam Cultural Association.

Subrata Bhattacharjee has requested the participation of all during the daylong programme on behalf of the organizing committee.

The arrested persons along with the recoveries. Pic - Arjun Mishra Spl Correspondent Tinsukia, Jan 20: In a yet another major break through against drug pedlars, Makum police on Wednesday recovered over 1 kg opium, opium, articles used in Opium smuggling and cash to the tune of rupees 2 lacs 1 thousand from residence of one Dandeswar Moran from Makum in Tinsukia district.

Till now police has arrested four persons in this connection.

According to sources, acting on a tip-off, Makum police lead by onfficer - in - charge of Makum police station Bhaskar Saikia searched the residence of Dandeswar Moran. During the search operation the team recovered one kg opium with cash of over 2 lacs. Those arrested include Dandeswar Moran (54), Modin Moran (50), Muhin Dangoria (53) and Lakheshwar Moran (49), added sources.

Police has registered a suomoto case and interogation of the arrested person is going on.

It must be noted that in a short while Makum Police station oc Bhaskar Saikia has unearthed three cases related to opium and brown sugar. In one case, based on information from his sources he recovered opium worth crores from a residence of Phillobari in Tinsukia district.

Fund constraints delay separation of judiciary from executive Shillong, Jan 20: After the separation of the Executive from the Judiciary in Meghalaya in 2010-11, financial constraints have delayed the separation of judiciary in five districts of the State.

Out of the total 11 districts, South Garo Hills, South West Garo Hills, South West Khasi Hills, North Garo Hills and East Jaintia Hills are yet to separate Executive from Judiciary. An official source said that funds constraints for creation of infrastructure and non availability of advocates in the new districts are the hurdles for the complete separation of Judiciary

from the Executive in the State.

"At least Rs.20 crore is required only to set up infrastructure especially to construct buildings in each district," the official said. Moreover, the minimum salary component for the judicial officers per year will come to around Rs.1.50 crore, he added.

In the last five years, Meghalaya has been able to separate Judiciary from Executive in six districts starting with East Khasi Hills. The official pointed out that neighbouring Assam was yet to carry out complete separation in all the districts due to lack of infrastructure facilities.

(Agencies)

Child killed in explosion in Assam Diphu , Jan 20: A child was killed and four others were injured in an explosion at a house near here on Tuesday, police said. The blast at the house of a scrap dealer in Rongnihang area in Karbi Anglong district killed a two-and-a-half-year-old girl on the spot. Of the four injured, the condition of two was stated to be critical and they have

been referred to the Guwahati Medical College Hospital, Karbi Anglong Superintendent of Police Debojit Deuri said.

The cause of the explosion was yet to be ascertained and the materials found at the blast site have been sent for forensic tests, he said. The police ruled out the involvement of any militant outfit in the incident. (Agencies)

NFR announces two new special trains from Silchar Silchar, Jan 20: The Northern Frontier Railway will a two day special one way passenger train service from January 20 from Silchar to Guwahati. The trains will depart at 11 am in the morning and stop at eight stations including Badarpur, New Harangajao, New Haflong, Maibang, Lumding, Hojai, Chaparmukh and Jagi Road on the way to Guwahati.

The train departing on Wednesday will have 6 sleepers, 4 chair cars and 8 general compartments while the second train will have 4 chair cars and 14 general compartments.

The ticket booking for the special services has been started from today. It was informed by B K Mishra, senior DCM, Lumding, to media-persons in a pressmeet held in the premises of Silchar Railway Station today. Mishra informed that there are some spare bogies in the station which have to be shifted to Guwahati. The extra bogies will be shifted on January 20 and 21. For the convenience of the passengers this one way spe-

cial service using the spare bogies is being provided.

On being asked about the status of the pending works of Silchar Railway Station, Mishra informed that the works for over all renovation of the station is going on and will be completed shortly. After completion of the works, the station will be graded as 'A Class' station. Speaking about the response of the pubic to the present lone passenger train service on this route, BK Mishra said the response has been very good, all the seats are fully booked on this route.

Railways is earning around Rs.2.5 lakh through ticket sales per journey in the newly inaugurated SilcharLumding-Guwahati BG route.

On being asked about the present early morning schedule of the train departing from here, Mishra informed that presently Railway PIT Investigation is going on and the timings may change after its completion. The government will soon launch newer passenger train services from Silchar to other parts of the country. (Agencies)

Girl dies after sipping tea laced with poison by her mother

A four-year-old girl has died and her 12-year-old sister has been hospitalised after taking tea

Agartala, Jan 20: A fouryear-old girl has died and her 12-year-old sister has been hospitalised after taking tea their mother had allegedly laced with poison apparently to kill her husband, a police officer on Tuesday said. The incident occurred at Govinda Sardar Para, about 25 km from here yesterday, the officer said.

Sita Rani Debbarma (29) offered tea laced with poison to her second hus-

band Goutam Debbarma, apparently to kill him, but he didn't take it, Uttam Bhowmik SP (Police Control), said.

Their two daughters, Shriya Debbarma (4) and Merry Debbarma (12), sipped the tea and fell sick, Bhowmik said. Shriya died on the way to hospital and Merry is now struggling for her life at the GB hospital here. Police have registered a case and arrested Sita. (Agencies)

PAGE 5

REGION

DIBRUGARH, THURSDAY, JANUARY 21

Nagaland CM against fencing along Indo-Myanmar border Dimapur, Jan 20: Nagaland chief minister, TR Zeliang today came out against the Government of India's proposal to construct security fencing along the IndoMyanmar border, particularly in the Nagaland sector.

"Border fencing is not a viable proposition in the Nagaland sector," he said while inaugurating the 2day workshop on 'IndiaJapan partnership towards meeting the challenge of infrastructure development in India's Northeast' here at Hotel Acacia on Wednesday.

Sharing his thought on the development and security strategy for the Nagaland sector of the IndoMyammar border, which he said will be equally relevant for the Manipur and Mizoram sectors as well, the Chief Minister maintained that while there is logic behind the fencing of India's land borders with Pakistan and Bangladesh, the same logic does not apply in the case of India's land border with Myammar.

"Especially in the Nagaland sector, the international boundary does not follow a river or other convenient landmarks. It rather follows the watershed principle. Since Nagas and other North East tribals have been generally building their villages on the hill-tops, the

Nagaland chief minister, TR Zeliang international boundary divides many villages into two halves," he reasoned.

To prove his point, the Chief Minister highlighted that in the case of Longwa village in Mon district, the international boundary runs right through the middle of the Angh's (Village Chief's) house where half of his house is in India and the other half is Myammar. "I cite this example to show, how badly the Nagas and their ancestral lands have been divided by the IndoMyammar border. Naturally, the villagers have to continue their movement across the international boundary almost on a daily basis for their agricultural activities. Hence, border fencing is not a viable proposition in the Nagaland sector."

Another peculiar character of the Nagaland sector in the Indo-Myanmar border, Zelinag said is that in spite of the open and

unguarded border, and in spite of the free-movement regime, there has been practically no migration of the native Nagas across the international border. This, he said, is basically because of the strong attachment the Nagas have for their ancestral land, and because of their traditional landholding system.

"I am stressing on this point as I want the policy makers and planners to clearly understand this peculiar nature of the Nagaland sector of the Indo-Myammar border.

In fact, what we need is not barbed wire fencing, but construction of roads across the border to "unlock the land-locked areas", and promote trade and development. It is the absence of roads and communication that make these areas the perfect hiding grounds for insurgents," he said.

Wooing Japan to invest in

NE India, the CM observed that through its (Japan) role in the infrastructural development in India's North East as part of India-Japan strategic partnership, Japan is going to create a new image and memorial for itself in this region. He highlighted that except for the Cathedral at Kohima which was funded by the Japanese war veterans in memory of the World War

gion."

On infrastructural development, Zeliang said the first priority should be construction of highways and railways within the region, and connecting it with mainland India and the neighbouring countries, so that the geographical isolation of the region becomes a thing of the past; so that its location will no longer be considered remote and isolated but cen-

"I am stressing on this point as I want the policy makers and planners to clearly understand this peculiar nature of the Nagaland sector of the Indo-Myammar border. In fact, what we need is not barbed wire fencing, but construction of roads across the border to "un-lock the land-locked areas", and promote trade and development. It is the absence of roads and communication that make these areas the perfect hiding grounds for insurgents."

II, there is no other war memorial for the Japanese soldiers who lost their lives in the battle of Kohima.

"Let us hope that with the successful implementation of the infrastructural projects in this region, the name of Japan will no more be associated with war, but with peace and development in the minds of the new generation of this re-

tral and strategic in terms of international trade and development, particularly in line with India's Look East or Act East Policy.

In this connection, he said the most practicable and convenient road and rail connections between India and South East Asian countries should run through Nagaland to Moreh border town via Imphal. For this, he said the East-West cor-

Skill development training encouraging new leather entrepreneurs in Tripura Agartala, Jan. 20: Footwear artisans of Tripura, who traditionally have been learning the art from their forefathers, are being trained on the latest machines and with scientific knowledge.

Due to available of various fashionable items in the market the local leather artisans were facing difficulties. They were unable to make such items as did not have the knowledge and skill in making of quality footwear items using modern machineries and so unable to market their products.

It is in this context, NB Institute of Rural Technology, Arkaneer a nonprofit making organization in association with Welfare for SCs, OBCs and Minorities Department, Govt. of Tripura has come forward and set up training cum common facilities centre for leather goods artisans of Tripura at Arundhutinagar Industrial Estate, in West Tripura District.

The training centre is first of its kind in the state of Tripura where the leather

artisans particularly the youths go through one year's training in skill development training programme through application of science and technology.

"For the last six months I am learning to make various kinds of bags like ladies bags, purse, handbag, China bag, diary bag etc. I am taking the training so that it is useful in future and I am interested in starting a business of making bags," said Archana Rishidas, a Trainee.

The trainees designed by IGNOU consist of two semesters of six months each generally undergo the following training: awareness phase, theory on leather technology, practical training, advance training and production of leather goods like shoes, various bag items, purse and setting up of units.

The absolute emphasis of this program is to enable the students acquire a solid foundation from which they can design footwear, bags, garments or other utility goods from leather and specialized

executive training in leather upholstery is provided in with the latest techniques and technology by experts from outside the state so that they man produce quality products which has huge potential in the local as well as market outside.

"I have been a student here last year but from last August I joined here as a trainer. In present group there are 20 students of which seven are male while 13 others are female. First they learn to make various fashionable bags available in the marker and after completion of six months we teach them to make shoes. After training I got job here, moreover, this is common facility centre and so if they want they can continue to work here and I have done that," said Sampa Das, Trainee turned Trainer.

Various machineries have been installed at the training centre so that the young artisans learn how to design the right product for the right market and how to develop their design in the most efficient way.Moreover, dur-

Shillong, Jan 20: The Apex Court while hearing a plea to accord minority status to Sikhs who are numerically strong in Punjab, has made a reference to Meghalaya by asking "Can Christians who are the majority in Meghalaya be also treated as a minority community in the state?"

The Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court on Monday decided to scrutinize whether a religious community in a state which is numerically strong and not dominated by others should be accorded minority status.

"Can Muslims be treated as minority in Jammu

and Kashmir?" "For that matter, can Christians, who are the majority in the states of Nagaland and Meghalaya, be also treated as a minority community in these two Northeastern states?

Sikhs may be a minority in other states but can they be treated as a minority group in Punjab?" the constitution bench of Chief Justice T.S. Thakur and justices F.M.I. Kalifulla, A.K. Sikri, S.A. Bobde and R. Banumathi asked while hearing a plea by senior advocate Rakesh Dwivedi for treating Sikhs as a minority in Punjab. The Apex Court, while issuing notice to the

Ministry of Minority Affairs, has fixed the next hearing after four weeks.

The Court also wanted Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi and senior advocate R. Andhyarujina as amicus curiae to assist the court in deciding the matter. The Constitution Bench referred to the Punjab High Court's order in 2007 refusing to grant minority status to institutions run by Shiromani Gurdwara Parbhandak Committee (SGPC) and the Supreme Court verdict in Bal Patil case in 2005 on the religious minority status of Jains.

Footwear artisans of Tripura who traditionally have been learning the art from their forefathers

ing the training the trainees are also given a better understanding of the unique characteristics of leather, its product performance, design, production and quality craftsmanship to ensure that trainees have a 360 degree view of the work so that after completion of their course these young able designers have exciting career prospects. Beside the trainees during the training also get monthly stipend of Rs 1200.

The leather market is recognized as a vital-and extremely lucrative-part of the fashion industry, where even top- name designers have ventured

with outstanding success.

This has created a greater need for trained professionals skilled in leather design and production.

And these young able designers has huge prospect in that end. While others believe that the expert guidance of the resources has provided them with the confidence that they will turn into master craftsmen using the innovative technology will be able to produce standard quality leather products and with small bank loans shall be able to open their enterprises and be not only self employed but also provide employment to other. (ANI)

Bal Patil case had pointed out that a community can be protected as a minority only if there was an apprehension that it may be dominated by other communities. The 2005 Patil judgment by then Chief Justice of India M.N. Venkatachaliah had observed that "Minority as understood from constitutional scheme signifies an identifiable group of people or community who were seen as deserving protection from likely deprivation of their religious, cultural and educational rights by other communities who happen to be in majority and likely to gain political power in a

democratic form of Government based on election".

ridor has to be extended from Doboka junction in Assam to Moreh via Kohima and Imphal.

The CM also stressed on the need to address the power/electricity infrastructural gap in NE region, both in terms of adequate availability and its efficient transmission and distribution system. Highlighting that the present power infrastructure, especially the transmission and distribution system is far from satisfactory, he said, "How this serious gap can be addressed may also be discussed during the workshop."

Earlier, Akio Isomata, Minister Embassy of Japan in his remarks said Japan is committed in its stand to develop the connectivity of the region and to work together with India and there is tremendous possibility for development in Northeast. He said, a better connectivity in the region would improve the quality of life in NE which cannot be compromised and also would enhance business opportunities and private investments. He mentioned though it would not be without challenges, which include involvement of local people in workforce as well as geographical difficulties. The workshop, sponsored by Toshiba International Foundation, will conclude on January 20. (Agencies)

Shimla Admin invokes provisions of Epidemic Disease Act 1897 Shimla, Jan 20: With the spurt of jaundice cases and other waterborne disease in this capital town district administration has invoked provisions of Epidemic Disease Act 1897 to check further spread of epidemic.

Issuing notification in this regard Deputy Commissioner, Shimla Dinesh Malhotra said that it had banned the public sale of momos and golgapa beside eatery and restaurants have to abide by advisory issued by the administration forth with.

We had convened meeting of Shimla Vapor Mandal, Vendors and other stake holders to invoke restriction under the aforesaid act.(Agencies)

GHADC staff to resume stir Can Christians in M'laya be treated as minority, asks SC

The Apex Court in the

In Meghalaya, another plea by the Niam Khasi and Niam Tre to accord minority status to them is also pending with the High Court.

The High Court of Meghalaya on January 13 had issued a bailable warrant against Amarendra Sinha, Secretary, Ministry of Minority Affairs, after he failed to appear in the court regarding the case.

The Court had wanted the Niam Khasi, Niam Tre and other minor tribes to be declared as minorities.(Agencies)

Tura, Jan 20: Employees of the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) under the banner of the Non Gazetted Employees Association (NGEA) have decided to resume their stir against nonpayment of their six months pending salary. The agitation would begin with the donning of black badges for three days from January 20 to 22.Most of the members are of the opinion that an office strike should also be called if the authorities do not respond and mass signature was also taken in favour of the same.(Agencies)

NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL

DIBRUGARH, THURSDAY, JANUARY 21

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Dalit scholar's suicide a 'political conspiracy': Yechury Hyderabad, Jan. 20: Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Sitaram Yechury on Tuesday dubbed the Dalit scholar's suicide a political conspiracy by Union Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister Smriti Irani, Minister of State for Labour Bandaru Dattatreya and Hyderabad University Vice Chancellor Appa Rao in tune with the ideology of the RSS. "It's a very clear-cut political conspiracy to change the echoes of research in our country, in tune with the ideology of the RSSwhich wants to convert Indian

history only on the lines of upholding Indian mythology," Yechury told the media here.

"What has happened in the Hyderabad University is completely obnoxious.

This is something that cannot be accepted and cannot be tolerated. This runs contrary to the fundamental feature of the Indian Constitution.

Therefore, action should be taken against all those who are involved, including two Cabinet Ministers in the Centre, the Labour Minister, the HRD Minister and the Vice Chancellor," he added.

Yechury further said that

Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Sitaram Yechury

the Union Ministers and the VC should immediately asked to demit their offices and a criminal proceeding must be initiated against them. The CPI (M) visited the Hyderabad University campus and in-

teracted with the students protesting over Dalit scholar Rohith Vemula's suicide.

Rohith, a second-year research scholar of Science, Technology and Society Studies Department, and

others were suspended from the hostel last year following allegations that they attacked Sushil Kumar after the screening of a controversial documentary 'Muzaffarnagar Baaqi Hai'.

Earlier this month, five students were thrown out of the hostel after they accused the university authorities of denying them access to campus facilities, except their classrooms and workshops. The 28year-old from Andhra Pradesh's Guntur district was found hanging at the hostel room of one of his friends around 7:30 p.m. on Sunday. (ANI)

"It's a very clearcut political conspiracy to change the echoes of research in our country, in tune with the ideology of the RSSwhich wants to convert Indian history only on the lines of upholding Indian mythology."

Kejriwal gets bail in India stands with Pakistan in this horrifying terrorist attack: Congress Mankhurd rally case Mumbai, Jan. 20: A Mumbai Court on Wednesday granted bail to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in a case in which the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) was accused of holding a rally in Mankhurd without permission during the 2014 Lok Sabha polls.

The Kurla Metropolitan Magistrate Court accepted the surety furnished by Kejriwal and granted him bail. Even though the court had ear-

lier in December exempted Kejriwal from appearing in this case, Magistrate Richa Khedekar had directed the Delhi Chief Minister to appear today for furnishing a bail bond.

The Mumbai Police had in 2014 claimed that the AAP election rally held to campaign for their candidates Meera Sanyal and Medha Patkar was 'unscheduled' and held without prior permission.

(ANI)

Badal brushes AAP aside, brands Congress as their main opponent Amritsar, Jan. 20: Raising the pitch for the 2017 Assembly polls in Punjab, Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal on Wednesday branded the Congress party as Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD)'s main opponent while brushing the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) aside.

The AAP will be making its debut in the Punjab Assembly polls in 2017.

Both Congress and SAD-BJP alliance have consistently maintained that AAP would be nowhere in the competition as they do not have any political base in the state.

"Not AAP but Congress is a threat to us in the forthcoming elections in

Punjab," Sukhbir told.

Recently, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal's nephew Manpreet Badal joined the Congress after meeting party vice-president Rahul Gandhi.

Speaking about Manpreet Badal's People's Party of Punjab (PPP)'s merger with theCongress, Sukhbir Badal said, " Manpreet Badal is a desperate man."

Manpreet, who was the state finance minister in 2010, quit the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal after differences cropped up between him and his uncle Parkash Singh Badal and cousin Sukhbir Singh Badal. (ANI)

Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal

Pulwama encounter: One terrorist killed by security forces in Naina Batpora Pulwama, Jan. 20: One terrorist was killed by the security forces in Naina Batpora area of Pulwama in the gunfight which erupted in the area last night.

The Army, Special Operations Group (SOG) of Jammu and Kashmir Police and CRPF in a joint operation cordoned offNaina Batpora village after information about the presence of militants was received. The mili-

tants reportedly fired upon the forces triggering off a gunfight.

Firing resumed at around 6:30 this morning. Three Hizbul Mujahideen militants are believed to be trapped inside the village.

Scores of worshippers are reportedly trapped inside a local mosque where they were listening to sermon when the gunfight suddenly erupted. They are reported to be safe. (ANI)

New Delhi, Jan. 20: Condemning the horrifying attack on Bacha Khan University in Charsadda, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in Pakistan, Congress leader R.P.N. Singh on Wednesday said that in this hour of tragedy the Indian Government stands in solidarity with Pakistan.

"I strongly condemn this horrifying attack. Condolences to all the once who lost their lives in the uni-

versity. It is most horrifying and brutal that children and students are being attacked. But in this hour of tragedy we stand with the government of Pakistan," Singh told here.

"This is something the whole world needs to fight against terrorism. We have said many times that there is nothing like a good terrorist or bad terrorists, terrorists are terrorists.

Pakistan has suffered

these kind of attacks and that is why we always said that all institutions, all system of terror need to be dismantle," he added.

Expressing similar sentiments, Defence Expert P.K. Sehgal said the Taliban which is taking revenge on the Pakistan Army is making desperate attempts to overthrow the government in Islamabad.

The Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has claimed

responsibility for the attack on the university.

Two attackers have been killed in the terrorist attack, according to Peshawar DIG Saeed Wazir. Rescue officials say some 50 students have been rescued from the premises following the attack by armed gunmen, who stormed the university and opened indiscriminate fire. As per reports, four terrorists have been killed in the attack so far. (ANI)

Congress backs Ashok Vajpeyi, reiterates demand for Dattatreya's resignation New Delhi, Jan. 20: Reiterating the demand for sacking of Minister of State for Labour and Employment Bandaru Dattatreya and Hyderabad University Vice-Chancellor Appa Rao, the Congress Party on Wednesday backed writer Ashok Vajpeyi, who returned D. Litt honours conferred on him by the varsity as a mark of protest against the Dalit scholar's suicide.

"Since the incident took place inHyderabad University and that too due to the pressure on the VC by the HRD Ministry, he has returned his D. Litt. Writers and poets are free to express their thoughts. The BJP earlier used to say that 'award wapasi' was taking place due to the Bihar polls, but there are no polls going on at the moment.

Congress leader Shakeel Ahmed So, whom will they hold responsible?" Congress leader Shakeel Ahmed told .

"It is very clear that the BJP's student wing had troubled him (Rohit). It is only after pressure from Dattatreya and Smriti Irani's ministry that the Vice Chancellor took such

a step. All the three: the VC, Dattratreya and Union HRD Minister are responsible for this. The demands that they should step down from their posts is valid," he added.

Vajpeyi had earlier returned the Sahitya Akademi Award in protest against the murder of re-

nowned writer M.M. Kalburgi. Rohith, a second-year research scholar of Science, Technology and Society Studies Department, and others were suspended from the hostel last year following allegations that they attacked Sushil Kumar after the screening of a controversial documentary 'Muzaffarnagar Baaqi Hai'.

Earlier this month, five students were thrown out of the hostel after they accused the university authorities of denying them access to campus facilities, except their classrooms and workshops.

The 28-year-old from Andhra Pradesh's Guntur district was found hanging at the hostel room of one of his friends around 7:30 p.m. on Sunday.

(ANI)

Khajuria dubs Pak University attack 'revenge' by Taliban Srinagar, Jan. 20: Former Jammu and Kashmir DGP M. M. Khajuria on Wednesday dubbed the terrorist attack on the Bacha Khan University revenge against the Pakistan Army's claims that they have eliminated Taliban from the country.

"This is a revenge attack against the Pakistan Army to refute its claims that they have eliminated Taliban. By these attacks, they want to convey the message that they are still active in the region and they can attack," Khajuria

told. "Most probably the attack has been planned by the Tehreek-i-Taliban, I hope they will claim the responsibility also," he added.

Khajuria also condoled the death of innocent students.

Condemning the attack, the former top cop hit out at Pakistan for supporting the terror outfits.

Khajuria said the moot point here is that Pakistan has to take a call that there is no good or bad terrorist. "Any form of terrorism has to end. If you show your sympathy to-

wards Jaish and Masood, this acts a morale booster for other terror outfits," he added.

In Pakistan, heavilyarmed terrorists today stormed the university in Pakistan's restive northwest KhyberPakhtunkhwa province and opened indiscriminate fire on students and teachers. As per latest reports, the security forces have neutralised the armed terrorists inside the campus. At least 21 people have been killed and over 30 others injured in the attack.

Former Jammu and Kashmir DGP M. M. Khajuria

Over 3,000 students were present inside the university to mark the death anniversary of Khudai Khidmatgar Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan alias Baacha Khan, who died on January 20, 1988.

(ANI)

Pathankot terror attack: All four suspects sent to 15-days police custody New Delhi, Jan. 20: The Delhi Police on Wednesday placed all four suspects involved in the Pathankot terror attack to 15 days police custody.

"We have got an input from the Central Investigation Agency that a few people might do something on Roorkee-Haridwar bound trains, the Ardh Kumbh Mela and Delhi-NCR regions. We constituted a team for this directly under

the supervision of DGP Tihar Jail Alok Kumar Verma and DCP Pramod Kushwaha," said Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) Arvind Deep. Deep said that the leads were further developed and after an over ground work, four people were identified.

"Yesterday we arrested them and brought them to Delhi.

They were produced in the court today and they have sent to 15-days police cus-

tody. Their names are Akhlakur Rehman, Mohammad Osama, Mohammad A. Shah and Mehraj," he added.

Thanking the Uttarakhand Police for active cooperation on the matter, Arvind Deep stated that further investigation on the matter is on. In a joint operation carried out by intelligence agencies, the Delhi Police's special cell had arrested four terror suspects here.

According to sources, the four were planning to carry out terror strikes in the ongoing Ardh Kumbh mela in Haridawar. The arrested suspects' links with the Pathankot terror attack is being probed.

The suspects were also planning to strike Delhi as they had carried out reconnaissance of malls in the national capital.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Delhi Police special cell had brought the suspects to Delhi for interrogation. (ANI)

Centre working with states to build stronger India: Rajnath

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh

New Delhi, Jan. 20: Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday said the Centre is working with the states in a cooperative and supporting manner for building a stronger India. Singh, who inaugurated an international conference on cooperative federalism in the national capital, said the centrally sponsored schemes have been rationalized through

the NITI Aayog to give best benefit of it to the states and citizens.

He said the Centre has also increased the tax devolution from 32 percent to 42 percent as per the 14th Finance Commission recommendations. The Home Minister further said the Centre and the states must work together in spirit of cooperative federalism.

(ANI)

Taliban taking revenge on Pak army: Defence Expert New Delhi, Jan. 20: Defence Expert P.K. Sehgal on Tuesday condemned the attack on Bacha Khan University in Charsadda, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and said the Taliban which is taking revenge on the Pakistan Army is making desperate attempts to overthrow the government in Islamabad.

"This university, which houses over 3,000 students, would be from families of security forces. So, it's a way of taking revenge against the Pakistan Army. Pakistani itself has been harbouring this status. The greatest threat to Pakistan is from its own home grown elements, which they call soldiers of Islam," Sehgal told.

"Pakistan Army has been carrying out operation in the Fatah area for the last one and one and a half years, primarily against the Pakistan Taliban. This is the so-called bad Taliban and not the good Taliban.

The TTP is being cautioning them to lay off. They initially carried out an attack against the school children in Peshawar, where 132 children were killed, who belonged to the

Defence Expert P.K. Sehgal security forces," he added.

Sehgal further said that the Taliban is attempting to grab government's assets of nuclear and chemical weapons, and added that they would create mayhem for the nation if they get hold of the same.

The Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has claimed responsibility for the attack on the university. Two attackers have been killed in the terrorist attack, according to Peshawar DIG Saeed Wazir.

Rescue officials say some 50 students have been rescued from the premises following the attack by armed gunmen, who stormed the university and opened indiscriminate fire.

As per reports, four terrorists have been killed in the attack so far. (ANI)

IRNSS-1E satellite launch a major milestone in navigation system history: Ex-ISRO chief Sriharikota, Jan. 20: Following the successful launch of India's fifth navigation satellite, the IRNSS1E, today, former Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chief G Madhavan Nair described it as a major milestone in the history of indigenous navigation systems.

"It (the launch) has done the country proud again.

Today's launch of the fifth navigation satellites into orbit is a major milestone in the history of indigenous navigation system. It is a proud moment for us. I take this opportunity to congratulate everybody in the team," Nair told here.

The satellite is the fifth of the IRNSS constellation. It was launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SHAR), Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh on-board the PSLV-C31. Group director Vijayasarthi said the success rate is definitely remarkable because out of the 33 launches, 32 have been successful and it is a world record.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated ISRO scientists for the successful launch of navigation satellite IRNSS-1E, saying they keep making the country proud. "Congratulating the dynamism & determination of @isro & our scientists on successful launch of PSLV C31 & putting IRNSS-1E in orbit precisely," he wrote on micro-blogging site Twitter.

IRNSS-1E is the fifth navigation satellite in the IRNSS space system, comprising seven satellites, which would be on par with US-based GPS once the full complement of spacecraft is launched. It is an independent regional navigation satellite system designed to provide position information in the Indian region and 1500 km around the Indian mainland.

It would provide two types of services, namely, Standard Positioning Services (SPS), which will be provided to all users, and Restricted Services (RS) that will be provided to authorised users only. (ANI)

DIBRUGARH, THURSDAY, JANUARY 21

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NEIGHBOURS

IS releases 270 of 400 civilians abducted in east Syria Beirut, Jan 20: The Islamic State group has released 270 of more than 400 civilians it had abducted during its assault on the eastern Syrian city of Deir Ezzor, a monitor said. Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that hose released included women, children under 14 years old, and the elderly.

He said they had been freed late on Tuesday night after undergoing

questioning by IS jihadists to determine whether they had ties to Syria's regime. "They will not go back into Deir Ezzor city, but will be spread out among local tribes in the province," Abdel Rahman said.

IS still holds 130 civilians, mostly teenage and adult men, whom Abdel Rahman said were being questioned. "If IS sees that they have no ties to the Syrian government, they will take a religious

Saudi accuses Iran of sowing 'sedition, unrest, chaos' Riyadh, Jan 20: Saudi Arabia on Tuesday accused Iran of a nearly four-decade record of "sedition, unrest and chaos," as the international community tried to calm tensions between the regional rivals.

"Since the Iranian revolution in 1979, Iran has established a record of spreading sedition, unrest and chaos in the region," the Saudi Press Agency quoted an unnamed senior foreign ministry official as saying.

"During the same period, the kingdom has maintained a policy of restraint in spite of having suffered -- as have neighbouring countries -- the consequences of Iran's continued aggressive policies."

The official said Iranian policy was based primarily on the idea of exporting revolution. "Iran recruits militias in Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, and Yemen", the official said, further accusing Iran of supporting "terrorism" and carrying out assassinations.

Tensions between Sunniruled Saudi Arabia and predominantly Shiite Iran reached a new high this month when Riyadh and a number of its Sunni Arab allies cut diplomatic ties with Tehran.

They acted after protesters burned Saudi diplomatic missions in Iran following the kingdom's January 2 execution of Shiite cleric Nimr alNimr.(Agencies)

Three cops killed in Mali attack by suspected jihadists Bamako, Jan 20: Three policemen were killed by suspected jihadists in an overnight attack in central Mali, police and military sources said on Wednesday. Shortly before news of the attack, in a televised speech to mark the 55th anniversary of the Malian army, President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita had paid tribute to "some of our valiant soldiers, some of the worthy sons of our country (who) paid with their lives in this patriotic commitment", insisting that "their sacrifice is not in vain".

The three policemen were shot dead in an overnight attack near the town of Mopti while on duty, a military source in Mopti said.

Confirming the attack, a local police official said the trio were ambushed

about 60 kilometres (40 miles) from Mopti, once a popular tourist destination. "They went into an area that is difficult to access," said the police source. "The terrorists set an ambush and they were caught in the ambush."

Two soldiers and a guard were killed in separate attacks in northern and central Mali on Friday.

Northern Mali fell under the control of jihadist groups linked to Al-Qaeda in 2012. The Islamists were largely ousted by a Frenchled military operation launched in January 2013, but large swathes of Mali remain lawless and prone to attacks. In November last year, 20 people, 14 of them foreigners, were killed in an attack claimed by jihadist groups on the Radisson Blu hotel in the capital Bamako.(Agencies)

Nigerian Army chief rejects abuse claims in Shiite raid Nigerian, Jan 20: Nigeria's most senior army officer has said his troops acted appropriately during a raid on a Shiite Muslim group which has led to claims of hundreds of deaths. Chief of Army Staff General Tukur Yusuf Buratai said on Tuesday his officers and soldiers "acted in accordance to the rule of engagement and to the task given them by their commanders".

He was giving evidence to an inquiry set up by the National Human Rights Commission, which is looking into last month`s raid on the headquarters of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN). No official death toll has been given from the two days of clashes from December 12, which were sparked when IMN followers blocked Buratai`s convoy in the city of Zaria, in northern Nigeria.

The group said last week some 730 of its members were unaccounted for, "either killed by the army or in detention". A medic at the Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital in Zaria

told AFP he counted at least 400 bodies in the morgue on the evening of December 12.

Local reporters covering the violence said they saw hundreds more on the streets near IMN leader Ibrahim Zakzaky`s compound in the days that followed.

Human Rights Watch has said "at least 300" were killed while Amnesty International put the figures at "hundreds". Buratai, however, rejected claims that soldiers operated outside the law.

He told the panel soldiers "respect human rights" and had sworn to protect human lives, judging it unfair to criticise troops for trying to uphold law and order.

Zakzaky and the IMN have previously clashed with Nigeria`s secular authorities over their quest to establish an Islamic state through and Iranian-style revolution.

The cleric has periodically been incarcerated for alleged incitement and subversion. Nigeria's north is mainly Sunni Muslim.(Agencies)

Ezzor city on Saturday, with dozens of its fighters carrying out suicide bomb attacks as they stormed government positions. The group is now in control of 60 per cent of the city and has tightened its siege around it by capturing surrounding towns.

The Islamic State group has released 270 of more than 400 civilians

course and will be released," he said.

IS launched a multipronged assault on Deir

As IS overran AlBaghaliyeh, an agricultural area northwest of the city, it abducted another 50 people, mostly men, Abdel Rahman said, but it was not immediately clear whether they were civilians or pro-regime fighters.

(Agencies)

"They will not go back into Deir Ezzor city, but will be spread out among local tribes in the province,"

S Korean academic pleads not guilty to defaming `comfort women` Seoul, Jan 20: A South Korean academic accused of writing a book that defamed wartime sex slaves denied the charge in court on Wednesday, insisting her work was in the public interest.

Park Yu-Ha, a professor at Seoul`s Sejong University, was formally charged by prosecutors last November following an investigation prompted by complaints from a group of so-called "comfort women". Mainstream historians say up to 200,000 women, mostly from Korea but also other parts of Asia including China, were forced to work in Japanese military brothels during World War II. In "The Comfort Women

of the Empire" published in 2013, Park challenged the dominant narrative in South Korea that all comfort women were dragged from their homes by Japanese soldiers. Park suggested the reality was more complex, with some of the women volunteering -- though without necessarily knowing what their eventual fate would be.

The book also suggested some women forged an emotional bond with the soldiers they served, sparking an angry reaction from some surviving comfort women. "Park provided a different approach to explore this issue that had remained unresolved for so long," her lawyer

said in court.

"She wrote the book only for interest of the public," the lawyer was quoted a saying by the Yonhap news agency. As the result of a separate civil suit, Park was ordered by a court last week to pay nine former sex slaves a total of 90 million won ($74,000) in damages.

She has appealed the decision.

On Tuesday, Park said she would release the full text of her book online for free. The book blames the plight of the comfort women on the entire "patriarchal social system" in both Japan and South Korea that exploited poor, uneducated women.

Park said some passages had been taken out of context to build the case against her. The hugely emotional comfort women issue has marred ties between Seoul and Tokyo for decades. The two neighbours reached an agreement last month to resolve the issue, with Tokyo offering an apology and a one-billion yen ($8.5 million) payment to South Korean survivors.

Both governments described the agreement as "final and irreversible", but it has been criticised by surviving comfort women and their supporters in South Korea for Japan`s refusal to accept formal l e g a l responsibility.(Agencies)

Oldest Christian monastery in Iraq razed Irbil, Jna 20: The oldest Christian monastery in Iraq has been reduced to a field of rubble, yet another victim of the Islamic State's relentless destruction of ancient cultural sites. For 1,400 years the compound survived assaults by nature and man, standing as a place of worship recently for US troops.

In earlier centuries, generations of monks tucked candles in the niches and prayed in the cool chapel.

The Greek letters chi and rho, representing the first two letters of Christ's name, were carved near the entrance. Now satellite photos obtained exclusively by The Associated Press confirm the worst fears of church authorities and preservationists St Elijah's Monastery of Mosul has been completely wiped out.

In his office in exile in Irbil, Iraq, the Rev. Paul Thabit Habib, 39, stared

The oldest Christian monastery in Iraq has been reduced to a field of rubble

quietly at before- and after-images of the monastery that once perched on a hillside above his hometown of Mosul. Shaken, he flipped back to his own photos for comparison. "I can't describe my sadness," he said in Arabic.

"Our Christian history in Mosul is being barbarically leveled. We see it as an attempt to expel us from Iraq, eliminating and finishing our existence in this land."

The Islamic State group, which broke from al-

Qaida and now controls large parts of Iraq and Syria, has killed thousands of civilians and forced out hundreds of thousands of Christians, threatening a religion that has endured in the region for 2,000 years.

Along the way, its fighters have destroyed build-

ings and ruins historical and culturally significant structures they consider contrary to their interpretation of Islam. Those who knew the monastery wondered about its fate after the extremists swept through in June 2014 and largely cut communications to the area.

Now, St Elijah's has joined a growing list of more than 100 demolished religious and historic sites, including mosques, tombs, shrines and churches in Syria and Iraq. The extremists have defaced or ruined ancient monuments in Nineveh, Palmyra and Hatra.

Museums and libraries have been looted, books burned, artwork crushed or trafficked.(Agencies)

"For 1,400 years the compound survived assaults by nature and man, standing as a place of worship recently for US troops."

Iran's Khamenei warns against US 'deceit' Tehran, Jan 20: Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned on Tuesday against American "deceit", just days after the end of sanctions under a nuclear deal that the central bank said would unblock USD 32 billion. The remarks underscored the still-strained relations between Tehran and Washington, which unveiled new missilelinked sanctions against Iran on Sunday almost as soon as the nuclear-related measures were scrapped.

In his first comments since the atomic agreement was implemented at the weekend, Khamenei told President Hassan Rouhani in a letter to "guard against deceit and violations of arrogant states particularly the United States". Rouhani wrote to Khamenei on Monday to provide an update after the UN atomic watchdog declared Saturday that Iran had met conditions stipu-

lated in the nuclear deal.

"We have to watch if the other parties fulfil their commitments," the supreme leader wrote in response. Washington cut diplomatic ties with Iran in 1979, when its embassy in Tehran was stormed by students, months after the Islamic revolution, leading to a 444-day hostage crisis.

Khamenei has never endorsed repairing relations with the US and has largely followed a similar tack to Iran's late leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, who dubbed America the "Great Satan".

Opening up to the world cannot completely fix the economy, Rouhani said on Tuesday in a televised speech, warning the "difficult road has just begun". "Today is just the start for an innocent human who was kept chained unjustly by the hands and feet for 12 years," said the president.

"Sanctions are gone but

Ninth World Future Energy Summit opens in Abu Dhabi

The Ninth World Future Energy Summit, one of the major events of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week 2016, opened on Wednesday.

Abu Dhabi Jan 20: The Ninth World Future Energy Summit, one of the major events of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week 2016, opened on Wednesday.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, ruler of Dubai, and Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, crown prince of Abu Dhabi, attended the opening ceremony of the summit.

Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al

Maktoum, crown prince of Dubai, was also present at the event.

The World Future Energy Summit, dedicated to advancing future energy, energy efficiency and clean technology, is expected to have as participants government leaders, thought leaders, entrepreneurs, investors and thousands of visitors coming together to experience the latest developments in future energy.(Agencies)

Terrorists storm Pak varsity Peshawar, Jan 20: At least 20 people are feared dead and 50 injured in the terror attack on a Pakistani varsity on Wednesday even as a heavy gunbattle continues inside the campus, media reports said. Heavily-armed terrorists on Wednesday stormed the Bacha Khan University in Charsadda district of Pakistan's restive northwest KhyberPakhtunkhwa province and opened indiscriminate fire on students and teachers.

Earlier reports said that a professor was killed in the attack and 10 others were injured.

At least three gunmen entered the Bacha Khan University in Charsadda district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, some 50 kms, south west of Peshawar, and opened fire on students and teachers in classrooms and hostels, media reports said.

"Armed men stormed into the university premises early this morning," police said, adding that two explosions were heard inside the building and firing was still going on. Professor Hamid of chemistry department was killed while 10 other persons were injured.

"A teacher of the varsity after evacuation said Chairman Chemistry Department Hamid has been martyred by the firing of the militants," it said, adding the terrorists barged into Hamid's room and fired at his head, killing him instantly.

At least 10 persons, including security guards, sustained multiple injuries in the

terrorist attack, police said.

The injured were shifted to hospital. An emergency has been imposed in all hospitals in the town.

University Chancellor Dr Fazal Rahim said there are over 3,000 students present inside the university along with an additional 600 guests who are present for a poetic symposium to mark the death anniversary of Khudai Khidmatgar Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan alias Baacha Khan who died on January 20, 1988.

The terrorists barged into the university where the event was being attended by a large number of students.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Member of Provincial Assembly Arshad Ali said the attackers entered the university after scaling its walls, Dawn reported. It quoted a woman inside the university as saying that intense firing is underway.

Citing DSP Charsadda, the state-run PTV said that three armed men entered the university premises and opened fire. A large contingent of security forces had reached the site and started evacuating students.

Army troops, police and personnel of Elite Force engaged the militants into gunfight.

Security forces are not sure how many terrorists are holed up inside the university. The Taliban militants massacred over 150 people, mostly students, in an attack on an army-run school in Peshawar in December, 2014.(Agencies)

Singapore arrests 27 Bangladeshi Islamists, deports 26

Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei there is a long way between sanctions and development," he said, speaking to an economics conference in Tehran.

"Today, our main problem is unemployment and recession, the lack of a booming economy and many structural and economic deficiencies."

Iran hopes that steps to ease its isolation, including the re-admission of its banks to the SWIFT system of international transactions, will inject new vigour into the economy.

The central bank said that USD 28 billion (25.8 billion euros) of the unfro-

zen funds would go to it and USD 4 billion "will be transferred to the state treasury as the share of the government". The assets, which had been held in foreign banks, will be kept "in centralised and safe accounts" abroad, central bank chief Valiollah Seif was quoted by state television as saying, adding that the money could be used to pay for imports.

Iran's economy suffered greatly under the international sanctions that since 2006 targeted the Islamic republic's nuclear programme and financial systems.(Agencies)

Singapore, Jan 20: Singapore, a wealthy multiethnic city state, arrested 27 Bangladeshi construction workers who supported Islamist groups including al Qaeda and Islamic State and deported 26 of them, the government said on Wednesday. The 27 were arrested in November and December, the home ministry said. Twenty-six were deported, while the last one was jailed for attempting to leave Singapore illegally after hearing of the arrest of the others, the home ministry said.

The investigation revealed that several members of the group had considered carrying out armed violence overseas, but did not plan any attack in Singapore.

Some of them had contemplated taking part in armed jihad in the Middle East, the ministry said. "I appeal that we be more vigilant, whether against radical teachings and ideologies, or of any suspicious activities around us," Minister-in-Charge of

Muslim Affairs Yaacob Ibrahim said on his Facebook page.

"At the same time, I hope we will remain united and not resort to discriminating (against) foreign workers here." Singapore broke up plots for militant attacks after the Sept. 11, 2001, al Qaeda attacks on the United States. Recently, concern has been growing in countries around the world about individuals joining the cause of the Islamic State.

The Bangladeshis were encouraged to return home and wage armed jihad against the government in Dhaka, and tried to recruit other Bangladeshis to their group, the ministry said.

The announcement came a week after an attack by suicide bombers and gunmen in the heart of Jakarta, the capital of neighbouring Indonesia, highlighting the growing threat Southeast Asia faces from radicalised Muslims. (Agencies)

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DIBRUGARH, THURSDAY, JANUARY 21

Broken politics and the flashes of humor Drug Addiction Soaring Drug Problem in Mizoram The population of India has reached over 1 billion people and is rising. The country is growing at an incredible pace. Its culture, social values, demographics and economy is rapidly changing, and these stresses are having an impact on the people. Some evidence suggests that there is an increasing use of illicit drugs and reported numbers point to over 3 million drug addicts in India. However, the World Health Organization does note that there is significant difficulty in estimating drug usage and addiction rates in the country due to poor bureaucratic processes and census reporting. Cannabis, heroin, opium and hashish are the most commonly used drugs in India. However, some evidence indicates that there is an increasing prevalence of methamphetamine as well. Drug addiction is a major problem for many families, communities and law enforcement. Massive numbers of addicts are left to be treated by the families as financial costs, available services and lack of appropriate care challenge the country. This is not only the case for drug addicts.

According to the record maintained by the state excise and narcotics department, at least 27 people including three women, died in Mizoram due to drug abuse in 2015. Of the 27 deaths, nine died due to heroin addiction, four due to abuse of spasmo proxyvon and parvon spas, while 19 died due to consumption of a mixture of different kinds of intoxicating drugs, the record said. At least 1,342 people including 141 women have died in the state due to drugs in the state since 1984, when the first drug-related death was reported. Except for the initial six years, till 1989 when heroin-related deaths were high, more and more people died due to spasmo proxivon, a clinical painkiller drug widely abused by the youth in Mizoram. Out of the 1,342 deaths since 1984 till last year, 1,164 died due to abuse of spasmo proxyvon and parvon spas, while heroin claimed 109 lives, the report said.

State excise and narcotics department officials reports that there has been considerable increase in heroin trafficking through the porous Mizoram-Myanmar border during the last two years and the cost of heroin in the local market had come down over the years. The state shares a 404 km long international border with Myanmar and the infamous Golden Triangle makes Mizoram vulnerable to drug trafficking.

The government of India had undertaken remedial measures like Integrated Rehabilitation Centre for Addicts (IRCA) that provides counselling, treatment and rehabilitation services to drug abuse victims. But the numbers of IRCAs are very low.Even though there are 3.4 million drug abuse victims, the government has only 401 rehabilitation centres functioning at present. That is an average of overwhelming 8,478 victims per IRCA. Out of these 3.4 million drug abuse victims, a mere 0.3 million have registered themselves in these de-addiction centres, which is just 10% of the total figure. And of the 0.3 million registered members about 0.15 million (50%) are from Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Odisha and Manipur.

Crimes against Northeast People in Delhi on the rise When will the centre wake up?

People from the north-eastern states who come to the Capital in search of better opportunities face racial discrimination even at the hands of the police. A report has revealed that 78 per cent of the North-East population in Delhi is subject to several kinds of humiliation because of their appearance. Reported incidents of crime against people from North-East living in the national capital have increased by around 232.58 per cent in two years. Crime against people from North-East in the national capital has witnessed a steady rise with Delhi Police receiving 650 calls related to crime this year. According to data compiled by Delhi police, till November 15 this year, it has received a total 847 calls out of which 645 calls were related to crime. Police converted 139 of these into FIRs. The number of FIRs stood only at 74 from the people of this region last year. The highest complaints numbering 259 were received from South Delhi district followed by South East which stood at 53.

The lowest number of calls, six, were received from North East Delhi district. The number of complaints received from other districts were, North West - 44, South West 40, North - 35, West - 32, East - 19, Central - 15, New Delhi - 15, Outer - 10, Crime & Railway - 8 and Out of Delhi - 8. When it comes to police station wise data Vasant Vihar got the most 58 calls followed by Safdarjung Enclave - 48, Kotla Mubarakpur - 23, Malviya Nagar 21, and Mukherji Nagar - 20. These are all areas with considerable population from the North-East. There were 159cases related to quarrel which topped the list. 56 cases of eve teasing were reported while there were 22 cases of cyber crime/ or racial discrimination through social media etc. 13 cases were of molestation while six cases of rape and four cases of attempt to rape were also reported. In 2011, statistics inform that more than 20 cases of crime have taken place against individuals of the community. The figure of crime against northeastern women according to the report is around 60 per cent including molestation, human trafficking, beating, rape and attempt to rape.

It seems that social profiling is the root cause of racial discrimination, attack and sexual violence against men and women from the North- East. The majority of NorthEast India residents come from scheduled caste and tribes. They are ethnically from the Mongoloid race and fall out of the caste hierarchy. This is the reason they are discriminated against. According to the report, over 414,850 people from North- East India migrated to other big cities in India during 2005- 2010. The annual average increase in the number of migration is 13.62 per cent.

Delhi is one of the most preferred destinations for NorthEast migrants with almost 48.21 per cent of the migrants moving to the Capital.

Does Arunachal need a new Chief Minister?

Debananda S Medak The constitutional crisis in Arunachal has got worse instead of better.

Since the clash has been put into trial, the final ruling of the court will decide the resistance or arrival of a new chief minister. The division is quite visible. If the antiTuki camp backed by the opposition is camping in Delhi waiting for the final verdict, the ruling Congress is busy in demonstrating Vikash Rally besides preparing for celebrating the grand Statehood day.

For a casual onlooker, the whole scene is quite dramatic and messy; as if a new election is suppose to take place. As such, valuable months have whiled away. Joining hands to this debate, everybody is pouring random tweets on random thoughts demonstrating their choice and point of argument on social media; predominantly on facebook.

Heading far, some individuals or group on social media have mandated a new face for their next chief ministerial choice.

In this chaotic affair, the Governor JP Rajkhowa'a involvement became more mysterious and consequently he received mass hesitation, criticism and even protests in the form of contemporary vandalism. We must remember the role of Governor in non-BJP state governments is quite controversial.

Arvind Kejriwal in Delhi and Tarun Gogoi in Assam triggered similar anger and allegation to their respective Governors.

As of now, certain community based organization and students' body have made their appearance on the limelight either as anti or pro Tuki aides. Apparently, they are also receiving severe criticism. In a democratic state, we always prioritize freedom of speech. Having said that, we must learn the

true nature of free speech; may it be on social, print or electronic media. The unedited and unrepressed vulgar phrases posted on social media to criticize some individual or group in respect to the present conflict seem to be quite injurious. It does not represent a comprehensive and healthy dialogue on the catastrophe.

Moreover, the saying has been observed true that the intervention of national media on the present turmoil is again tested very poor. Here we suffer the absence of a locally owned liberal, commercial electronic media outlet; which could engage in aggressive and influential reporting. Although good numbers of local print media establishments are there, investigative and more interpretative journalism is still fading in Arunachal.

Perhaps, practicing of such valuable journalism faces periodic reprisals.

As a result, shaped and extended public conversation on such a crucial state affairs is deprived.

present government under Tuki is completely a failure in many aspects.

As such, rebel MLAs deserve a mention for their bold approach.

But we are forgetting that the proposal to endorse a new chief minister alone will not solve the genuine problems of Arunachal. The appropriate solution is not only creating a new face, but making significantly better and a more accountable team of ministers, legislators and a pool of professional bureaucrats and technocrats.

During the Congress regime both at the centre and state, these 20 rebelling Congress MLAs were close affinities and confidante to the present chief minister, Nabam Tuki.

Many of them were occupying cabinet portfolios. In 2014, when the parliamentary and assembly elections emerged simultaneously, they campaigned for Congress on promises of hope and change. Finally, vowed when they took office to transform

During the Congress regime both at the centre and state, these 20 rebelling Congress MLAs were close affinities and confidante to the present chief minister, Nabam Tuki. Many of them were occupying cabinet portfolios. In 2014, when the parliamentary and assembly elections emerged simultaneously, they campaigned for Congress on promises of hope and change. Finally, vowed when they took office to transform Arunachal in the path of development.

Well, do we need a new face to swap the present chief minister? Did the present chief minister alone hold back the entire opportunities to progress the state? Perhaps, partially the dissidence itself is the testimony of the fact that the

Nabam Tuki, CM of Arunachal Pradesh. Source:google images.

the chef minister designate Kalikho Pul will resume his office and reshuffle the cabinet including these same 20 dissident congressmen.

Does it sense any innovation? There may be two reasons behind their move; they must have been the squad of prodevelopment and anticorruption who could not shine under Tuki. Either, they were behind misappropriation of funds for which Tuki stood against them. If so, Pul will remain as a mute statue in the name of chief minister.

The Congress in Assam, NCP in West Bengal, Aam Admi Party in Delhi and Communist Party in Tripura have been resisting against the wave and pressure of the BJP led NDA despite many odds. But as was spectacled since earlier, the Congress in Arunachal is going to admit their defeat falling far short of the goal they promised during election besides calling it a lasting disappointment among the fellow citizen.

"We need to rise above Arunachal in the path of political differences and development. coordinate at all levels as representatives of Ironically, soon after the the people to start road BJP led NDA replaced connectivity by 2019 to the Congress at the cen- bring vistas of developtre they became of- ment in the nook and fended on Tuki and dra- corner of the state esmatically flashes of alle- pecially in the border gation came out. In case areas". There were big Nabam Tuki is replaced, round of applause

across Arunachal while Union minister of state for home Kiren Rijiju made this announcement at Yigikaum, West Siang.

We witnessed joyous mode irrespective of party affiliation while Rijiju further proclaimed that "To match China's road infrastructure across the McMohan Line, India is planning to construct a road along the international boundary from Mago-Thingbu in Tawang to Vijaynagar in Changlang district of Arunachal Pradesh. It will be the biggest single infrastructure project in the history of India with an estimated cost of over Rs40,000 crore".

Without pursuing all these announcements, we are just struggling with foul play. With a better diplomatic approach, the induction of Rijiju in the Union Ministry could have been a political benchmark for Arunachal to trail more developmental projects that can upkeep Arunachal. Instead, going against the motion of progress, much damage had been done leaving no alternatives for remedy.

More surprisingly, at a time while the prime minister had signed the framework agreement with the NSCN (IM) to reduce insurgency, there is allegation that

the Tuki led state government is using the NSCN (K) to resist in power. This clearly depicts in what direction we are heading.

It has been made ample clear that Modi led NDA government is focusing more on trade deals visiting all the five continents instead of other geopolitical initiatives. Accordingly numerous ambitious projects have been lunched. More significantly, the reassessment of Look East Policy and reforming it as Act East Policy will make Arunachal a major stakeholder since the state will remain as strategic corridor for trade and security. Considering this, the prime minister had already visited Myanmar, Bhutan and China who are immediately neighboring to Arunachal.

Participating in this nationwide paradigm shift of development could have transformed a better Arunachal with a comprehensive dialogue. But are we preparing for it? Whether CongressorBJP,eitherTuki or Pul, all we need is a transparent leader and a committed team of ministers, MLAs and officers with a peaceful governance reaching the hopes and aspiration of the fellow citizen for a better Arunachal. In a democratic system, chief minsteralonecannotrunthe whole machinery towards development.

Contradictory Stand Sir, On one hand, the officials of the forest department sunk deep into the morass of corruption leave no stone unturned to maintain the status quo about securing the first position in the deforestation among all the states of the country, on the other hand the officials of forest department of the Digboi Division led by the DFO lost no time to arrange an awareness meeting for protecting the endangered species of wild animals, referring to the killing of a hoolock gibbon, Kalia who was brutally killed by some cruel miscreant at ketetong village under Margherita Sub-Division. It is the corrupted forest department's officials who are responsible for getting the endangered species driven out from forest reserves as these reserves are being denuded by the forest mafias in league with the officials. We harbour a strong hope that a corruptionfree central government with the help of agencies like NIA and some other analogous department, will be instrumental one day in detecting all these enemies of the nation, including corrupted bureaucrats, M.L.As and ministers putting them behind the bars-conficating their properties. These enemies of the nation give rise

to Naxals, and Maoists. For these 'Babus' a fat salary is only a pocket expense. We, the humans who are thought to be the most rational creation by God should take immediate and all possible steps in guarding these beautiful creations of God.

Yours etc.

Ashok Bordoloi Dibrugarh

Best Letter The best letter of the month in the Letter to the Editor section will be awarded an amount of Rs 200. So please keep writing.

Letters to the editor and articles should be sent to : The Eastern Today Chowkidingee, Near Sankardeva Hospital Mancotta Road, Dibrugarh-786003 (Assam) Ph: 0373-2328944 Web : editor.easterntoday@gmail.com

JOBS & career

DIBRUGARH, THURSDAY, JANUARY 21

Appointment in Assam Administrative Staff College Society, Khanapara, Guwahati (Assam) Applications are invited from eligible Indian nationals for filling up positions under the Assam Administrative Staff College Society in the Assam Administrative Staff College, Khanapara.

Applications in plain paper indicating name, date of birth, present and permanent address, email ID and contact number(s), office address, present post held, educational qualifications with photo copies of certificates, experience and nature of work done with certificates may be addressed to "Director, Assam Administrative Staff College Society, Jawaharnagar, Khanapara, Guwahati-781022". In case of government employees, applications may be submitted through proper channel.

Candidates will have to appear before an interview board where original copies of all testimonials will have to be produced.

No TA and DA shall be paid for attending the interview. Candidates will be informed individually regarding the date and time of interview.

The term of post engagement will be initially for a period of one year renewable every year, Subject to satisfactory performance. Further, the engagement will be on the basis of terms and conditions prescribed by the Board of Management and Executive Committee of Assam Administrative Staff College Society.

The last date for submission of applications for each of the posts mentioned above isJanuary 25, 2016.

Sd/- Director Assam Administrative Staff College Society Khanapara, Guwahati-22

Vacancy of Assistant Professor at Rangapara College, Sonitpur (Assam) In persuance of DHE letter No. G (B) Ac/Permission/247/ 2015/426 Dt. 04.12.2015, applications along with testimonials from H.S.L.C. onward are invited from the candidates having UGC Norms with NET/SLET/SET Degree (as mandatory required qualifications) for the following vacant sanctioned posts of Assistant Professors at Rangapara College in the Pay Band + AGP Rs. 15,600-39,100 + AGP 6000/- with allowance as per rule.

Candidates who have obtained M.Phil degree on or before 1.07.2009 may also apply for the post excluding the candidate obtained M. Phil / Ph.D degree from off campus centre. Provided however, that candidates who are or have been awarded a Ph.D degree in accordance with the UGC (Minimum standards and procedure for award of Ph.D degree) Regulation, 2009 shall be exempted from the requirement of the minimum eligibility condition of NET / SLET / SET. The age of a candidate should not be more than 38 years as on 01-01-2015 and relaxable up to 5 years for SC / ST candidates.

1. Assistant Professor, English 2 (Two) Posts i) 1 (One) Post Un-reserved ii) 1 (One) Post, Reserved for OBC/ MOBC Application with Bio-Data including contact number and all relevant testimonials from H.S.L.C. onwards along with a bank Draft of Rs. 1000/- (Rupees One thousand) only in favour of the Principal, Rangapara College payable at SBI, Rangapara Branch should reach Rangapara College, Rangapara within 5 days from publishing of this advertisement. The candidates must have a PermanentResidential Certificate (PRC) and must know local languages.

Candidates in service must apply through proper channel or submit NOC issued by concerned authority. No TA / DA is admissibleat the time of interview.

Page 9

Junior Assistant in District Industries & Commerce Centre, Cachar, O/o Commissioner Industries & Commerce, Assam.

Last Date: 27/01/2016.

Applications are invited in the Standard Form from intending candidates for filling up following vacant posts in the office of the General Manager, District Industries & Commerce Centre, Cachar.

Name of post: Junior Assistant No of posts: 2 (OBC=1, UR=1) Pay : PB-2, Rs.5200 - 20,200/- + GP of Rs.2200/PM + other allowances.

Age: 18 to 38 years as on 31-12-2015. The upper age limit is relaxable by 5 years for SC/ST candidates.

Educational Qualification: HSLC Passed and candidates should have knowledge of Computer on MS Office, net surfing and Computer typing in English, Assamese & Bengali (for Barak Valley Districts) having minimum 6 months diploma/ certificate from recognized institute.

Job posts vacant at Dimoria College, Khetri, Kamrup (Assam) Applications along with a demand draft of Rs.1000/- (one thousand) (non refundable) only drawn in favour of Principal In-Charge, Dimoria College, Khetri payable at Central Bank of India, Khetri Branch along with full bio- data supported by selfattested copies of certificates and mark sheets from HSLC onward and contact number are invited from the candidates having latest UGC norms in the regular UGC scale of pay and will be received by the undersigned within 2 days from the date of publication of this advertisement for the fol lowing vacant sanctioned posts of Assistant Professors.

The candidates having Ph.D Degree in accordance with the UGC (Minimum Standards and Procedure for award of Ph.D Degree) Regulation, 2009 shall be exempted f rom the requirement of NET/SLET/SET. Those who have obtained M.Phil Degree on or before 10/7/2009 may also apply for the post excluding the candidate obtain M.Phil/Ph.D Degree from the off campus centre.

(1) Assamese: 02 (Two) Posts: (i) 01(One) Post: (Unreserved), (ii) 01(one) Post: (Reserved for SC), (2) Political Science: 01 (One) Post : ( Reserved for ST(H)), (3) Geology: 01 (One) Post: (Unreserved), (4) Botany: 01 (One) Post: (Reserved for OBC/ MOBC) (5) Education: 02 (Two) Posts: (i) 01(One) Post: (reserved for ST (P)), (ii) 01(One) Post: (Reserved for SC), (6) Post: Anthropology: 01 (One) Post against FIP of UGC. The candidates should have a Permanent Residential Certificate and must know local languages.

The age of the candidate should not be more than 38 years as on 01-01-2015and relaxable up to 5 years for SC/ST candidates. The OBC/ MOBC, SC and ST candidates must submit their relevant caste certificate from appropriate authorities. Those who are in service must apply through proper channel.

No TA/DA will be provided for appearing interview.

Sd/- Dr. Hem Ch. Deka Principal In-Charge Dimoria College, Khetri, Kamrup (Metro) PIN: 782403, Assam

Sd/- Principal i/c, Rangapara College PO:- Rangapara, PIN:- 784505 Dist:- Sonitpur (Assam)

Head Assistant Jobs in SDO, Bijni Office O/o Deputy Commissioner, Bongaigaon.

Last Date: 25/01/2016.

Applications are invited in Standard Form from eligible candidates for filling up of the following posts in the office of the Sub-Divisional Officer (C), Bijni.

Name of Post: Head Assistant No of Post: 01 Pay: Rs.5200/- to Rs.20200/- + G.P. of Rs.3100/Educational Qualification: The applicant must have rendered at least 10 years of continuous service as Senior Assistant including Supervisory Assistant and gathered experiences of working in different branches of the Amalgamated Establishment of the Deputy Commissioners of the State of Assam.

Job posts vacant for PWD at LGB Regional Institute of Mental Health, Tezpur (Assam) LGB REGIONAL INSTITUTE OF MENTAL HEALTH (Govt. of India, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare) Post Box No. 15: FAX No. (03712) 233623 TEZPUR:: 784001 :: ASSAM No. LGB/Estt/PWD/1804/15/09 Dated 1st Jan'2016 SPECIAL RECRUITMENT DRIVE FOR PWD (2nd Attempt) LGB Regional Institute of Mental Health, Tezpur invites applications in prescribed Format from the Persons With Disabilities (PWD) candidates for the post of (i) Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and (ii) Staff Nurse under Special Recruitment Drive.

Application Form and other details of Advertisement/conditions may be downloaded from the website www.Igbrimh.org. Duly completed application should reach to the Administrative Officer, LGBRIMH, Tezpur- 784001 on or before 21.01.2016. Candidates are advised to follow website for further modification if any from time to time. Candidates may submit application through e-mail at recruitment lgbrimh@gmail.com.

Interview/Selection test is likely to be held on 30.01.2016.

Director, LGBRIMH

The Eastern Today has taken an initiative to present Questions & Answers to help the aspirants in their competitive exams (SSC, Banks, Insurance, etc.).

1).Which among the following country's parliament has ratified the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) agreement? a) China b) Japan c) India d) Nepal Answer: a) 2).Which of the following has been banned by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) in New Delhi and 4 other north western states? a) Using imported pesticides b) Digging deep well c) Using chemical fertilizers d) Straw burning Answer: d) 3).What is the position of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the 2015 Forbes's Powerful Person of the year? a) 9th b) 7th c) 8th d) 10th Answer: a) 4).Who is the next Chief Justice of India? a) Justice Gorla Rohini b) Justice T S Thakur c) Justice S J Wazifdar d) Justice K Sridhar Rao Answer: b) 5).Who has been appointed as the new Indian High Commissioner to United Kingdom? a) Navtej Singh Sarna b) Ashok Lahiri c) Pratyush Sinha d) Raghunath Anant Mashelkar Answer: a) 6).Name the Indian Shooter to win Silver in the 13th Asian Shooting Championship in Kuwait City? a) Malaika Goel b) Jitu Rai

c) Anjali Bhagwat d) Apurvi Chandela Answer: b) 7). What is the rank of Indian famous boxer Shiva Thapa in the latest international ranking of boxing in the 56kg category? a) 2nd b) 3rd c) 4th d) 5th Answer: a) 8).Who is the head of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) bench? a) Justice Mohit S Shah b) Justice Ashok Bhusan c) Justice L K Mahapatra d) Justice Swatanter Kumar Answer: d) 9).Who has been appointed as the new senior Vice President and Head of Consumer Experience and Growth of Flipkart? a) Surojit Chatterjee b) Bhairon Singh Shekhawat c) Kocheril Raman Narayanan d) Brian Moynihan Answer: a) 10).Who is the present Chief Minister of Jharkhand? a) Prithviraj Chavan b) Virbhadra Singh c) Hemat Soren d) Raghubar Das Answer: d) 11). Union cabinet has approved to sign MoU between India and ________ to strengthen their Cooperation in the field of Tourism. a) Thailand b) Colombia c) Singapore d) Switzerland Answer: b) 12). Recently PM Narendra Modi has

launched 3 Gold Related Schemes to reduce the physical damage of the gold, which of the following is NOT one among them? a) Sovereign Gold Bond Scheme b) Indian Gold Coins c) Gold Monetization Scheme d) Indian Golden Papers Scheme Answer: d) 13).Ujawal DISCOM Assurance Yojna (UDAY) is related to with which of the following sectors? a) Food for All b) Insurance for All c) Houses for All d) Power for All Answer: d) 14). Who has been conferred with prestigious Vishnudas Bhave Award for his outstanding contribution to Marathi Theatre? a) Vikram Gokhale b) Shaktikanta Das c) K Chockalingam d) Raif Badawi Answer: a) 15).IMPRINT stands for __________. a) Impacting Revolutionary Innovation and Technology b) Implementing Revolutionary Innovation and Technology c) Impacting Research Innovation and Technology d) Implementing Research Innovation and Technology Answer: c) 16).Which country has sent its largest warship to boost up its further operations against Islamic State (IS) in Syria and Iraq? a) Germany b) France c) US d) Russia

Answer: b) 17).How many of the Indian States were implementing the Food Security Act, 2013? a) 30 b) 15 c) 20 d) 25 Answer: c) 18).Who has been appointed as the Cultural Ambassador for Seychelles? a) A R Rahman b) Kareena Kapoor c) Hrithik Roshan d) Farhan Aktar Answer: a) 19).Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Airport is located at _______. a) Mumbai b) Ahmadabad c) Bangalore d) Bhopal Answer: b) 20).Central Government has hiked the Minimum Support Price (MSP) including for season 201516 of which of the following crops? a) Sugar Cane b) Wheat c) Rabi d) Pulses Answer: c) 21).Which of the following state government has launched the Agro-Processing and Agri-Marketing Promotion Policy 2015? a) Madhya Pradesh b) Rajasthan c) Punjab d) Gujarat Answer: b) 22).BrahMos Supersonic cruise missile was successfully test-fired by Indian Army at the Pokhran Test Range in Rajasthan; this missile has been developed by the BrahMos

Aerospace Pvt Ltd, which was formed by a joint venture between Indian and _________. a) Japan b) China c) Russia d) Germany Answer: c) 23).Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) headed by PM Narendra Modi has increased the MSP of Rabi crops, here MSP stands for _________. a) Minimum Support Price b) Maximum Support Price c) Minimum Supply Product d) Maximum Supply Product Answer: a) 24).What is the Venue of 21st International Conference on Frontiers in Yoga Research and its A p p l i c a t i o n (INCOFYRA)? a) Delhi b) Goa c) Mumbai d) Bangalore Answer: d) 25).Union Government has planned to impose _______% of Swachh Bharat Cess on all services. a) 0.5% b) 0.75% c) 1% d) 1.25% Answer: a) 26).Indian Government has recently approved the amendment on Double Taxation Avoidance Convention (DTAC) with which of the following country? a) Algeria b) Pakistan c) Turkmenistan d) Afghanistan

Answer: c) 27).Which of the following has recently declared Sierra Leone has Ebolafree zone? a) WHO b) UN c) WTO d) G-7 Answer: a) 28).Name the Indian Shooter who won Gold Medal in 10m air pistol Women's event at the 13th Asian Shooting Championship which was held at Kuwait? a) Apurvi Chandela b) Heena Sindhu c) Meena Kumari d) Anjali Bhagwat Answer: b) 29).What is the headquarters of International Telecommunication Union (ITU)? a) Tokyo, Japan b) New York, U.S.A c) Geneva, Switzerland d) Paris, France Answer: c) 30).What is the currency of Argentina? a) Taka b) Krone c) Euro d) Peso Answer: d) 31).Indra-2015 is the 7th edition of Joint Military Exercise between India and _______ has started at Bikaner, Rajasthan. a) Japan b) Russia c) Germany d) France Answer: b) 32). The Union Government has constituted an Empowered Committee to approve schemes proposed under _________. a) Nirbhaya Fund b) Pradhan Mantri Awas

Yojna c) Smart City Project d) Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojna Answer: a) 33).What is the major aim of the 7th edition of India and Russia Joint Military Exercise? a) Counter Terrorism Operation in Urban Areas b) Counter Terrorism Operation in Temples c) Counter Terrorism Operation in Hospital Zone d) Counter Terrorism Operation in Desert Terrain Answer: d) 34).Who is the winner of the 32nd edition of Indian Oil Surjit Hockey tournament which was recently held at Jalandhar, Punjab? a) Indian Railways b) Indian Oil Mumbai c) Indian Air Force d) CRPF, Delhi Answer: a) 35).Nitish Kumar has been elected as the Chief Minister of Bihar for the _____ time in the Bihar Assembly Election 2015. a) 2nd b) 3rd

c) 4th d) 5th Answer: b) 36).What is the maximum range of the Brahmos Supersonic Land Attack Cruise Missile which was successfully test fired

by Indian Army recently? a) 500km b) 400km c) 300km d) 350km Answer: c) 37).Name the Indian Shooter who won Gold Medal in Junior Skeet men's competition of the 13th Asian Shooting Championships which was held at Kuwait? a) Angad Bajwa b) Anjali Bhagwat c) Deepali Deshpande d) Malaika Goel Answer: a) 38).What is the tagline of Dena Bank? a) Good people to grow with b) Trusted family bank c) Together we can d) Where service is a way of life Answer: b)

BUSINESS

DIBRUGARH, THURSDAY, JANUARY 21

S-Cross price slashed by Maruti Suzuki by over Rs 2 lakh New Delhi, Jan 20: Maruti Suzuki India has cut the price of its premium crossover S-Cross by over Rs 2 lakh after failing to gain traction in the market. The company had introduced the S-Cross in two options of 1.6 litre and 1.3 litre engines last year coinciding with the launch of its premium retail outlet chain Nexa. However, sales of the vehicle were hindered by pricing issues.

"Yes, we have undertaken a price correction in prices of 1.6 litre and since then sales have picked up," Maruti Suzuki India Executive Director (Marketing and Sales) R S Kalsi told reporters here. How-

ever, as per the latest price list on the company's website, the slashing of price is also applicable on the 1.3 litre variant. The cut in the price of 1.6 litre variant is Rs 2,05,000 for all the three trims, while that of 1.3 litre variant ranges from Rs 40,000 to Rs 66,000. When the SCross was launched, the 1.6 litre option was priced at Rs 11.99 lakh, Rs 12.99 lakh and Rs 13.74 lakh for the base, mid and top-end trims. It is now available at Rs 9.94 lakh, Rs 10.94 lakh and Rs 11.69 lakh respectively. Similarly, the 1.3 litre variant was launched at Rs 8.34 lakh, Rs 9.15 lakh, Rs 9.99 lakh

Via.com announces 'Long Weekend Sale' ANI options. As per a Via.com New Delhi, Jan 20: Multi- spokesperson, the sale channel online travel and holiday packages were assisted e-commerce com- chosen after analyzing the demographic pany, Via.com announced its preferences, Bumper sale 'Long Weekend expectations Sale' to cater to the rap- and pain points. As a reidly growing weekend sult, all the weekend packtraveler segment. The six ages feature the highest day sale will offer Via.com rated, family-friendly leicustomers a choice of sure/boutique hotels and handpicked holiday pack- verified sightseeing serages exclusively designed vices. He also added that for weekend trips. As part even the location of the of the sale, the company hotel was carefully conis offering special deals sidered to offer the perfect and deep discounts on holi- balance of relaxation, day packages to popular sightseeing and an opporweekend getaways like tunity to experience the loGoa, Coorg, Lavasa, cal food and culture.

Mahabaleshwar, Ooty, Via.com is currently offerWayanad and Corbett. ing weekend packages from With the Long Weekend Bangalore, Delhi, Mumbai Sale, Via.com plans to of- and Chennai. However, in fer its customers the per- the coming months, the fect weekend getaway ex- company plans to launch perience that combines the short trip packages from best of accommodation Tier II cities like Nagpur, choices and handpicked Coimbatore, Jaipur, ancillary services like tour Trivandrum, Indore, guides and local transport Vadodara and Mangalore.

and Rs 10.75 lakh for the four trims. These are now priced at Rs 7.79 lakh, Rs 8.49 lakh, Rs 9.59 lakh and Rs 10.29 lakh respective (all prices ex-showroom Delhi).

The company has sold 17,000 units of S-Cross in the six months. "Out of these 15,000 units are from the 1.3 litre variant and the rest from the 1.6 litre variant," Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) Senior Vice President (Marketing & Sales), Nexa Channel, Partho Banerjee said. In contrast, Baleno which was launched almost three months later and sold from the same Nexa network has clocked sales of 28,000

CUT IN PRICE Maruti Suzuki India has cut the price of its premium crossover S-Cross by over Rs 2 lakh after failing to gain traction in the market.

The company had introduced the S-Cross in two options of 1.6 litre and 1.3 litre engines last year coinciding with the launch of its premium retail outlet chain Nexa.

As per the latest price list on the company's website, the slashing of price is also applicable on the 1.3 litre variant.

The cut in the price of 1.6 litre variant is Rs 2,05,000 for all the three trims, while that of 1.3 litre variant ranges from Rs 40,000 to Rs 66,000.

Similarly, the 1.3 litre variant was launched at Rs 8.34 lakh, Rs 9.15 lakh, Rs 9.99 lakh and Rs 10.75 lakh for the four trims. These are now priced at Rs 7.79 lakh, Rs 8.49 lakh, Rs 9.59 lakh and Rs 10.29 lakh respective (all prices exshowroom Delhi).

units. Despite the slow pick in sales, Banerjee said the SCross would continue to lead in the brand building of the Nexa chain. "It is just

the start of evolution of crossovers in the country.

Gradually the customers will find value in it and start accepting the crossovers,"

Banerjee said. Last week the company had announced increase in prices of differnet models by up to Rs 12,000. (Agencies)

Hayashi Electric Ltd. launches new range of electric fans ANI New Delhi, Jan 20: After making its presence felt in 14 countries across four continents, global consumer electronics brand and leader in the electric fan industry, Hayashi Electric Ltd., today announced its entry into India launching a new range of regular and premium electric fans in the country. The company's regular fans range comprises of 12 models priced from Rs 1200 onwards whereas the superpremium luxury fans has 15 models priced around Rs.150, 000. The fans will be available across 1000 retail outlets and 1015 key distributors across North, South and West India with exclusive distributors for the hi-end premium range. The company has earmarked a budget of six to eight percent of its annual global turn-

Chief Operating OfficerIndia, South East Asia and Middle East for Hayashi Electric limited, Ashish Narang.

Source: aninews.in

over towards marketing and brand building activities in the country this year and is targeting a combined portfolio of 50 models in the coming months with a cumulative sales target of five lakh fans in three years in India. Hayashi's fans consume less energy and

provide high speed at low voltage and operate in a virtually noiseless fashion.

The key USPs of Hayashi luxury fans is the style quotient as they come with three speed remote control and well balanced designed blades for maximum air delivery and powerful motor with silent operation. The company has pledged to plant a tree for every fan sold in the country in-line with its global green initiative.

Hayashi products are also packaged in recyclable material reinforcing the company's commitment towards a greener and cleaner planet. "Our entry into India supports Hayashi's strategic business decision and global growth strategy. The Indian market is estimated at 2.5 million fans per month and it is growing at about 10 percent per annum and hence it is a

very important market for us," said Chief Operating Officer- India, South East Asia and Middle East for Hayashi Electric limited, Ashish Narang. "Especially since, inspite of being amongst the biggest market for fans, buyers here are still deprived of good quality hi-end fans, where the market focus is just on pricing and functionality. We are optimistic of filling this void with our superior quality products equipped with fantastic looks," added Narang. As a customer oriented brand, HAYASHI has got over 100 different models of ceiling fans and ventilating fans under different categories like Regular Ceiling Fans with metal body and plastic body, Decorative Fans, Bladeless Fans, Domestic and Industrial Ventilating Fans.

Q3 net profit of Kotak Spinny launches pre-purchase inspection Mahindra rise by 30% service, 'Spinny Inspect' Mumbai, Jan 20: Private sector lender Kotak Mahindra Bank has posted a 30.3 percent increase in net profit to Rs 938.31 crore for the third quarter ended December 31. The bank had recorded a consolidated net profit of Rs 719.57 crore in the October-December quarter last fiscal, Kotak Mahindra Bank said in a statement. Total income of the lender rose to Rs 6,950.41 crore during the quarter under review as against Rs 5,323.46 crore over the corresponding period of 2014-15. On a

standalone basis, the bank posted a 37 percent rise in net profit at Rs 634.72 crore for the quarter ended December as against Rs 464.52 crore in the same period a year ago. During the third quarter of the current fiscal, the gross nonperforming Assets (NPAs) of the bank increased to 2.01 per cent of the total advances, from 1.58 percent at the end of third quarter of 2014-15. The net NPAs of the bank also rose to 0.85 percent from 0.83 percent of the total assets.

(Agencies)

INCREASE IN PROFIT Ø Private sector lender Kotak Mahindra Bank has posted a 30.3 percent increase in net profit to Rs 938.31 crore for the third quarter ended December 31. Ø The bank had recorded a consolidated net profit of Rs 719.57 crore in the October-December quarter last fiscal, Kotak Mahindra Bank said in a statement.

ANI New Delhi, Jan 20: Spinny, the go-to platform for buying and selling used cars has announced the launch of its new service Spinny Inspect for used car buyers in Delhi, Gurgaon, Noida, and Bangalore.

The pre-purchase inspection service enables those interested in buying preowned vehicles to make an informed choice and pay the right price for their purchase. Users who have identified a preowned car that they wish to buy can simply enlist the services of Spinny's expert inspectors. They will carry out an unbiased and thorough examination of the vehicle on-site and prepare a detailed 200point report for the cus-

tomer. The report helps them make an informed decision and evaluate whether they are getting a good deal or not. It's a much awaited solution for those who wish to buy preowned vehicles but often hesitate as they don't have the required expertise to judge the condition and value of a used car. Niraj Singh, Co-Founder and CEO of Spinny said, "It's an old adage that one should always take an expert mechanic or driver with them when looking to buy a used car. Unfortunately, not everyone is qualified to inspect a car properly and experts are hard to find.

Spinny-Inspect will give the buyers an easy access to a thorough evaluation of a preowned vehicle. The professional approach of our inspec-

Niraj Singh, CoFounder and CEO of Spinny. Source: media.licdn.com tors, the elaborate quality check and the certification given by Spinny Inspection goes a long way in reassuring potential buyers that they aren't being short-changed and are getting a truly good deal." Spinny Inspect is targeting transactions that take place outside the Spinny platform and will bring the

Slowest growth of China in 25 years Beijing, Jan 20: China's economy grew 6.9 percent in 2015, the slowest pace in 25 years, slipping below the seven percent mark and sparking concerns both at home and abroad over the continued slowdown in the world's second largest economy. The growth rate, released by China's the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), moderated to 6.8 percent for the fourth quarter, the lowest quarterly rate since the global financial crisis in 2009, and 6.9 percent for 2015. Chinese Premier Li Keqiang last year had said that the Chinese government targeted an annual economic growth of around seven percent for 2015. As per the new data, China's Gross domestic product (GDP) reached 67.67 trillion yuan ( about USD 10.3 trillion) in 2015, with the service sector ac-

counting for 50.5 percent, the first time the ratio exceeded 50 percent overtaking the manufacturing, the NBS said. Today's figures put a grade on a tumultuous year that saw the slowdown's impact spill over to global markets and batter the government's reputation for competent economic management.

Analysts said if the economy slips below 6.8

percent the government may have to opt for a stimulus package which it is trying to avoid, though investments in infrastructure, which is termed as mini stimulus measure has gone up substantially. The slowdown has already destabilised China's stock market last year which also had negative effect in the world markets. China had worst stock market crashes

last year which wiped out about USD 3.2 trillion of capital, prompting government initiate investigation.

Since then the market experienced severe volatility. Over 20 million small investors who lost heavily in the fluctuations deserted the market.

Since last year the government has also been vocal about the slowdown saying that the Chinese economy has entered a "new normal"

SLOW AS SNAIL Ø China's economy grew 6.9 percent in 2015, the slowest pace in 25 years, slipping below the seven percent mark and sparking concerns both at home and abroad over the continued slowdown in the world's second largest economy. Ø The growth rate, released by China's the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), moderated to 6.8 percent for the fourth quarter, the lowest quarterly rate since the global financial crisis in 2009, and 6.9 percent for 2015. Ø As per the new data, China's Gross domestic product (GDP) reached 67.67 trillion yuan ( about USD 10.3 trillion) in 2015, with the service sector accounting for 50.5 percent, the first time the ratio exceeded 50 percent overtaking the manufacturing, the NBS said.

in view of the transition from a state-led investment and manufacturing growth to one more dependent on services and consumption. Today's data said China's service sector contributed 50.5 percent to the country's GDP in 2015, up from 48.1 percent in 2014 as manufacturing which fired China's development in the last three decades has taken back seat. The ratio, which has continued growing over the last two decades, exceeded 50 percent for the first time, indicating China's economic restructuring has made progress, NBS said. Factory contribution to the GDP was 10 percent lower than services as the Chinese government tried to shift from investment powered growth to innovation led expansion. (Agencies)

same level of transparency to these transactions as any transaction through Spinny.

Spinny has made it extremely convenient for buyers to avail the service. All the buyer has to do to get their shortlisted car inspected is to book Spinny Inspect from their website and fill in the details of the car. The inspection is scheduled by their Executive who sets the time and place to conduct the inspection.

The buyer will need to pay a flat fee of Rs. 750 for the inspection which is to be paid before the inspection either online or with cash. On the launch of Spinny Inspect, Spinny is offering 60 percent off on any inspection paid for online as an introductory offer.

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Future Group CEO wants Patanjali products sales at Rs. 1000 cr

Patanjali Products. Source: www.wike images.com

ANI New Delhi, Jan 20: Yoga Guru Baba Ramdev's Patanjali entered into a partnership with Future Group in October, with its entire range of products available in Big Bazaar outlets across the country. Future Group is already seeing sales to the tune of Rs. seven to eight crore per week, going up to Rs. 30 crore a month, said Kishore Biyani, CEO of Future Group. The company is seeing maximum demand for products such as ghee, toothpaste and personal-care

products, he added. The CEO of Future Group further said the demand for noodles has also picked up.

Biyani wants sales to touch close to Rs. 1000 crore by next year, while adding that for Patanjali products - demand is much higher than supply. Once that is fixed, along with the supply chain, he aims to achieve Rs 7080 crore revenue per month. Patanjali Ayurved Limited, located in the industrial area of Haridwar, was established for manufacturing pure quality and scientifically developed mineral and herbal products.

'Mahindra Insurance Brokers' bag the 'Global Benchmark' award ANI Mumbai, Jan 20: Mahindra Insurance Brokers Ltd. (MIBL) has been appraised and rated at Maturity Level 3 of the People Capability Maturity Model for becoming the first insurance broking company globally to achieve this international benchmark.

MIBL joins the league of top companies practicing People-CMM such as Accenture, Computer Sciences Corporation, Wipro, CMC, Mahindra and Mahindra Financial Services Ltd., Tata Consultancy Services, L and T Infotech amongst others. P-CMM® is an organizational transformation model from the CMMI® Institute, USA. The CMMI® Institute, a subsidiary of Carnegie Mellon University is dedicated to elevating organizational performance through best-in-class solutions to real-world challenges. The institute is the home of the capability maturity model integration (CMMI)® for development, services, and acquisition. Ramesh Iyer, Managing Director, Mahindra and Mahindra Financial Services Ltd. and President - Financial Services Sector and Member of Group Executive Board of the Mahindra Group, said, "We are truly delighted that MIBL has become the first insurance broker globally to achieve this international benchmark. It is a reflection of the organization's steadfast commitment to the development of its people, its focus on adding value to its customers, and driving positive change in the lives

of people." "We are extremely honoured to have achieved People-CMM® Maturity Level 3 for Human Capital Development. Our focus on best practices has been driven by our desire and commitment to deliver a best-in-class service experience to our valued customers. Our customers deserve the best and we have endeavored to develop our people capabilities to match and exceed customer expectations. This achievement reinforces MIBL's continued commitment to develop and enhance skills and capabilities of our team," added Dr Jaideep Devare, Managing Director, MIBL. Rajesh Naik, the lead appraiser from QAI India said, "MIBL has a robust framework for employee growth, supported by a collaborative culture, a competency framework, internal job posting, educational assistance, and focus on internal promotions." "MIBL is also the world's first company in the insurance sector to have achieved Maturity Level 3 of the People CMM®. Powered by a strong and flexible people management system, I am sure MIBL has the potential to become one of the best organizations in the world," added Naik. "MIBL's appraisal at Level 3 of the PCMM Model is an endorsement of the significant emphasis we place on developing our existing competencies and creating a globally competitive learning and development culture," said Vinay Deshpande- Chief People Officer, Mahindra and Mahindra Financial Services Sector.

Word Flow virtual keyboard to be unveiled by Microsoft Bengaluru, Jan 20: Microsoft is bringing another formerly exclusive feature of Windows smartphones first of all to iOS then to Android. This time it's the Word Flow virtual keyboard, which sees mobile users write words by dragging a finger continuously across the keyboard. With sales of its own Lumia smartphones struggling, Microsoft is keen to share some of its platform's choice innovations -- like Cortana, Office and now the Word Flow keyboard -- with users of other mobile operating systems. Microsoft is currently letting members of its Windows Insider program test a beta version of Word Flow for iOS. This virtual keyboard uses exclusive technology that considerably speeds up text input on smartphones, as users don't have to lift up their finger

when typing words onscreen. In 2014, the system even entered the Guinness Book of Records after allowing one nimble-fingered user to type a 160-character text in a record 18.44 seconds. This isn't the first time that Microsoft has brought in-house innovations to platforms other than Windows. In 2015, Microsoft started rolling out adapted versions of its intelligent personal assistant Cortana for iOS and Android, hoping to make its cross-platform tool a must-have across the board. Still, the firm faced tough competition from Google and Apple's own personal assistants, Google Now (Android) and Siri (iOS), which offer more or less the same services. Prior to that, Microsoft's star applications -- including the Office suite and Skype -- have already been outed in spe-

cially adapted versions for Android and iOS. Microsoft has even opened its own Google Play store to promote all of the firm's Android applications. The store takes the form of an app designed to help users easily discover and download any of the Microsoft apps available for Android, from Office and Skype to Wunderlist.

Microsoft's aim is to get its applications onto as many devices as possible and to gain popularity beyond the realm of Windows. While the firm's operating system is still a leader in the world of PCs, the mobile version has never really made its mark, with Microsoft struggling to find a place in the market.

Data from Gartner shows that for Q3 2015, the total global share of the smartphone market for Windows Phone was just 1.7% (down by 1.3 points). (Agencies)

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T20 has changed cricket big time, says Sachin Tendulkar Tendulkar, who was one among the brand ambassadors of last year's ODI World Cup, said not having any such role for the upcoming T20 showpiece makes it easier for him to put on his cheering cap for India.

PTI Chennai, Jan 20: Sachin Tendulkar played just one Twenty20 International in his over two-decade long career but the iconic Indian batsman says there is no denying that the format has completely changed the way cricket is played, especially batting.

At an event to announce ICC's partnership with MRF Tyres ahead of the World Twenty20 Championships in India between March and April, Tendulkar spoke about how the format has revolutionised the game.

namics of cricket, the way it is played. For example, nobody thought that batters could play reverse sweeps off fast bowlers to short third-man stands. It has changed cricket big time," Tendulkar said at the launch of the four-year partnership.

Spectators also enjoy watching T20. I believe it is a lighter format for someone who is not familiar with the game. It is the right dosage of cricket and excitement.

The matches are fought to the finish and the results are close. It throws up different intensity altogether for three hours at a stretch," he added.

"T20 has changed the dy-

"...everyone is waiting for this opportunity to go and support India. This time I am not ambassador of ICC like last year when I had to say things discreetly and had said that the defending champions are ready to defend but this time I can say that India will go all the way," he said.

Tendulkar also took the opportunity to salute the spirit of Chennai during the destructive floods last year.

"This is my first time to Chennai after the floods in December. It was a difficult time and people from various parts of India extended their helping hand and getting things back on track. A big big thank you to all of them and it shows that it is the real character of our country. That is something that India is known for," he said.

Aabbing, unlikely to play final ODI against Australia PTI Canberra, Jan 20: Star batsman Ajinkya Rahane today split the webbing of his right hand while fielding during the fourth ODI against Australia, here today.

The batsman required four

stitches on the webbing of his right hand and will only bat if the situation arises. It is highly likely that the Mumbai right-hander will be rested during the fifth ODI in Sydney on January 23.

Normally, stitches are removed after a week, which

can also put his participation in the subsequent three-match T20 International series in doubt. After an injured Rahane left the field, it was Manish Pandey, who came in as the substitute fielder for the remainder of the Australian innings.

India to take on Ireland in ICC U-19 World Cup opener Agencies Dubai, Jan 20 : Three-time champions India will open their campaign against Ireland in Group D when the ICC U-19 Cricket World Cup gets underway in Bangladesh from January 27 to February 14. India and New Zealand are favoured to take the top two positions in Group D ahead of Ireland and Nepal. The biennial 16-nation tournament features nine Test-playing nations and seven Associate and Affiliate Members - Afghanistan, Canada, Fiji, Namibia, Nepal, Ireland and Scotland. Teams have been divided into four groups with the top two in each advancing to the Super League quarter-finals and the other two qualifying for the Plate Championships.

India, coached by batting great Rahul Dravid, features

high among the top contenders to bag the trophy which it has previously won in 2000, 2008 and 2012. India failed to defend the title two years ago in the United

Arab Emirates after England stunned it in the quarter-finals. India arrived in Bangladesh today with a power-packed batting lineup that includes Sarfaraz

Khan, a bright young batsmen who turns out for Virat Kohlis Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League. Sarfaraz joins Ricky Bhui and Avesh Khan for their second appearance in the premier age-group tournament, having also participated in 2014. Another batsman that will be noticed in Bangladesh is Armaan Jaffer, nephew of former Indian opener Wasim Jaffer. Both Sarfaraz and Armaan made their mark in schools cricket in Mumbai when the stocky Sarfaraz hit 439 in a Harris Shield match and Armaan topped that with scores of 498 and 473 a year later. Dravid, who retired from international cricket in 2012 with more than 10,000 runs in both Test and one-day cricket, gave up his lucrative television commitments last year

Indian shuttlers enter second round of Malaysia Masters AGENCIES Penang, Jan 20: Indian shuttlers including P V Sindhu and K Srikanth made a rousing start to the new season, reaching the second round of the USD 120,000 Malaysia Masters Grand Prix Gold on Wednesday.

Sindhu, Srikanth, Ajay Jayaram, Subhankar Dey, B Sai Praneeth and Sameer Verma outclassed their opponents in the opening round of their respective singles event, while pair of Jwala Gutta and Ashwini

Ponnappa notched up a stunning win to make their way into the women's doubles second round.

16 in a 33-minute battle, while 2014 China Open winner Srikanth brushed aside Malaysia's Wei Feng Chong 21-17 21-11.

A little over two weeks after their stints at the Premier Badminton League, Indian shuttlers rushed to participate in the first Grand Prix Gold event of the season and it was a fruitful outing in the opening round. Twotime World Championship bronze-medallist, Sindhu, seeded third, thrashed Switzerland's Sabrina Jaquet 21-17 21-

10th seed Ajay Jayaram, who had a good outing for Delhi Acers at PBL, sent packing Japan's Takuma Ueda 21-19 2111, while TATA Open winner Sameer stunned Japan's Sho Sasaki, seeded 12th, 21-18 21-18 in another men's singles match.

Sai Praneeth defeated

Malaysia's Shahzan Shah Misfahul 21-13 21-15, while new kid Subhankar Dey, too, notched up a 21-19 21-16 win over Thailand's Kantaphon Wangcharoen in another men's singles clash.

2010 Commonwealth Games champions, Jwala and Ashwini also showed her prowess, edging out Malaysian combo of Mei Kuan Chow and Lee Meng Yean 21-14 14-21 25-23 in a 54-minute hardfought clash.

to take up the challenging job of coaching both the India A and under-19 squads. Under his guidance, Indias teenagers have won a tri-series in Sri Lanka before Christmas last year that also featured England and defeated both Afghanistan and Bangladesh at home in November. "Ours is a decent side with a lot of promising players," Dravid said. "The conditions in Bangladesh will be quite similar to what the boys have grown up on in India, so that should be beneficial to the side."

India will be captained by Ishan Kishan, a lefthanded batsman and wicketkeeper, who hails from World Cup-winning captain Mahendra Singh Dhonis home state of Jharkhand.

Imperious Federer eases past Dolgopolov to reach Oz Open third round ANI Melbourne, Jan.20 : Thirdseed Roger Federercontinued his imperious run as he eased past Alexandr Dolgopolov of Ukraine in straight sets to progress to the third round of the Australian Open on Wednesday.

The Swiss maestro thrashed his Ukrainian opponent 6-3, 7-5, 6-1 in a thrilling second round clash on Rod Laver Arena.

Meanwhile, controversial Australian tennis star Nick Kyrgios also breeze into the third round after claiming a 6-4, 7-5, 7-6 (7-2) triumph against Pablo Cuevas.

India suffer dramatic colBanned Platini still lapse, loses fourth ODI in row being paid by UEFA ANI Canberra, Jan.20 : Opener Shikhar Dhawan and star batsman Virat Kohli's centuries went in vain as India suffered their fourth consecutive defeat by 25 runs at the hands of world champions Australia in the fourth ODI here at Manuka Oval on Wednesday.

In reply to the Australia's score of 348-8, India were bundled out for 323 runs despite brilliant efforts by Kohli (106) and Dhawan (126).

At one India stage, the visitors were crushing to an emphatic win at 276-1, but they lost their way and lost nine wickets for 46 runs.

Although opener Rohit Sharma (41) and allrounder Ravindra Jadeja (unbeaten at 24) also pro-

vided some resistance to his side, but besides them none of the batsmen managed to reach the double figures.

Kane Richardson was the pick of the bowlers for the hosts as he bagged five wickets.

Richardson was well supported by John Hastings and Mitchell Marsh who bagged two wickets each, while Nathan Lyon also chipped in with a wicket.

Richardson was also adjourned `Man of the match` for his brilliant performance with the ball.

Earlier, opting to bat first, Australia posted a massive target of 349 runs, thanks to opener Aaron Finch's 107 off 107 balls and David Warner's significant 93.

Skipper Steve Smith and Glenn Maxwell also

scored 51 and 41 respectively to take the hosts to the monstrous total.

Australia had already clinched the ODI series following their three-

wicket win against India in the third match in Melbourne. They have now taken an unassailable four-nil lead in the fivematch series.

The two sides will now play their fifth and final ODI in Sydney on Saturday before heading the three-match T20 series, starting from January 26.

ANI Johannesburg, Jan.20 : European football federation UEFA has confirmed that their banned president Michel Platini is still receiving his salary and will continue to be paid until further notice despite his eight-year ban

by FIFA from all footballrelated activities.

The confirmation came after FIFA reported that their banned president Sepp Blatter would continue to be paid until a new president is elected on February 26.

Meanwhile, UEFA further said that CONCACAF's former president Jeffrey Webb's contract had been terminated and that he had not been receiving any money from the organi-

zation.

The European football governing body, however, declined to reveal Platini's salary, saying that individual salaries were of a confidential nature and therefore couldn't be disclosed, Sport24 reported.

Blatter and Platini have been serving an eightyear ban from all football-

related activities over claims that the latter had received a ' disloyal payment ' of 1.35 million pounds from the outgoing president in 2011.

In addition to lengthy bans, Blatter and Platini were also fined 50,000 and 80,000 Swiss francs respectively.

Conflict of Interest allegations against BCCI consultant Shah sociation. The complaint has been filed by independent journalist-cum-activist Niraj Gunde and Office of O m budsm an ha s asked the BCCI to file a reply in this regard

by February 2. The mail has been sent to BCCI President Shashank Manohar and Game Development Officer Ratnakar

Shetty. According to the complaint, RP Shah, who is an employee/consultant of the BCCI, is also a director of construction company B G Shirke Construction Technology, which has a contract with MCA. Incidentally, one of the big bosses of BG Shirke Construction Technology is Maharashtra

CA president and IPL governing council member Ajay Shirke.

According to the complaint: "MCA, which is an affiliated unit of BCCI, has given BG Shirke Construction Technology Private Limited contract for running the club at Bandra-Kurla on a build-Operate and Transfer mechanism."

The complainant also attached the details of the contract awarded to BG Shirke Construction Technology Pvt Ltd. Gunde has already filed Conflict of Interest complaints against former India captain Sourav Ganguly, media manager Nishant Arora and national selector Vikram Rathour.

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PTI New Delhi, Jan 20 : BCCI ombudsman Justice (Retd) AP Shah sought the Boards response on an allegation of Conflict of Interest against its consultant RP Shah, who is also a Director in a construction company contracted with the Mumbai Cricket As-

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DIBRUGARH, THURSDAY, JANUARY U 21

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FASCINATING FACTS Giraffes have black tongues.

A duck's quack has no echo.

A cat has 32 muscles in each ear.

Cats can make over 100 vocal sounds, while dogs can only make 10.

An eagle can kill a young deer and fly away with it.

Some frogs can be frozen solid, then thawed, and continue living.

The Rat that ate Iron Jveernadhana was a merchant's son who was not successful. He faced a loss in his business and lost all his money.

He thought of travelling to a different part of the country to seek success.

He had inherited a very costly iron balance from his ancestors. When leaving, he mortgaged the iron balance to a nearby merchant in exchange of money for his travels.

He travelled all over the country, and had a successful travel. The merchant's son then decided to return to his home town.

After his return, he went to the nearby merchant's place and asked for his iron balance, "O Friend! Please return the iron balance that I had kept with you."

The other merchant did not want to return it, he said, "I do not have it anymore. We have a problem with rats.

The rats are eating up everything. They have eaten up your iron balance, too!"

At once, the merchant's son knew the truth. He replied, "If the rats have eaten it up, there is nothing that you can do. Anyway, nothing can last forever!"

He continued, I am eager to go for a bath in the river,

please ask your boy to help me carry my belongings, and to look after them while I take my bath" The other merchant agreed, and called his son, "Son, this is your uncle. Please accompany him to the river and keep watch so that none of his belongings get stolen."

So, the merchant's son and the boy went to river. After he had taken a bath, the merchant's son took the boy to a nearby cave. He kept the boy inside the cave and blocked the entrance of the cave with a big rock. He then returned to the other merchant's place.

When the other merchant saw his friend returning alone, he asked, "Where is my boy? Why have you returned alone?"

The merchant's son replied, "I feel sorry for you. When I was taking my bath, your boy was standing on the bank.

Just then, a flamingo flying above swept down and carried your boy off in its claws.

I could do nothing!"

On hearing this, the other merchant got angry. He said, "You are a liar! A flamingo can never carry a boy as big as him, in its claws. I shall complain about you to the village elders."

At once, the other merchant

Ostriches stick their heads in the sand to look for water.

Texas horned toads can shoot blood out of the corners of their eyes.

Starfish have eight eyesone at the end of each leg.

Honeybees have hair on their eyes.

CRAFTY CRAFTS Candy Bouquet

dragged the merchant's son to a nearby village elder and started complaining The other merchant said, "He is a disgraceful man, who has kidnapped by son."

The village elder instructed, "How can you do this? Return his son to him immediately!"

But the merchant's son was unmoved. He said, "There is nothing that I can do. A flamingo swept down and carried him off in its claws from the riverbank!"

Hearing this, the village elder got angry. He shouted, "How can a flamingo carry a child? You are lying!"

The merchant's son replied, "Sir! In a city where rats eat iron, why cannot a flamingo carry a child?"

The village elder was

amazed to hear this, "Where does a rat eat iron? What is the meaning of what you say? Please explain yourself clearly!"

The merchant's son narrated the entire sequence of events to them and explained how he had hidden the merchant's boy in a cave to get his iron balance back.

When the village elder, and everybody else who had crowded there heard the story, they started laughing. The other merchant was embarrassed.

The village elder instructed the other merchant to return the iron balance to the merchant's son immediately, and recover his son from the cave.

The wise indeed say: 'Tit for tat' is the best policy in life.

Items Needed: 5 Silk Rose Buds, a bunch of Pearly, 2 Thin Gauge wires, 1 Thick Gauge wire, 9 Lollipops, Silk Leaves, Green or White stem tape, Ribbon Procedure: *Trim the lollipop stick below the wrapper. *Later, tape will be used to attach the sticks like flowers (Lollipops should be able to move around). *Clean and trim rose bud stems. *Tape them. *Put a twist in the wire around the stick to wire the lollipops. *Repeat the process to make sure that the wire is not loose. *Pearly will help you to soften the bouquet. Make it more flowery. *Tape and wire the pearly. The wire should be positioned alongside the white piece of the pearly stand and then stem tape in place.

WHAT AM I ???

LAUGH OUT LOUD

The Magic Number What You Need: o Calculator o Friend Instructions: 1.

Have your friend think of a number between 1 and 100, and to keep it a secret.

2.

Now, using your calculator, take your age, multiply by 2, add 5, multiply by 50, and subtract 365.

3.

Next, keep that number from the last step on the calculator, hand the calculator to your friend, and tell them to add their secret number, then add 115.

4.

The first half of the resulting number is your age, and the other part of the number is your friend's secret number!

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A man goes to the doctor and says, "Doctor, wherever I touch, it hurts."

The doctor asks, "What do you mean?"

The man says, "When I touch my shoulder, it really hurts. If I touch my knee OUCH! When I touch my forehead, it r e a l l y, r e a l l y

hurts."

The doctor says, "I know what's wrong with you - you've broken your finger!"

FIND YOUR PATH

RIDDLES Q: What happened in the middle of the twentieth century that will not happen again for 4,000 years?

A: The year 1961 can be read upside down and that won't happen again until 6009!

Q:Before Mount Everest was discovered, what was the highest mountain on Earth?

A: Mt.Everest Q: Some months have 30 days, some months have 31 days; how many have 28?

A: Every month has at least 28 days.

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Editor: Ripunjoy Das

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