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ASSENG/2015/64205

Vol. 1

SHALL WE CALL IT A STEP MOTHERLY TREATMENT OR A GOOD SAMARITAN EFFORT?

Issue 242

Dibrugarh, Monday, February 8, 2016

Congress in Arunachal Pradesh today accused Governor J P Rajkhowa of conspiring to help the dissident MLAs form a government with the support of BJP without waiting for a decision of the Supreme Court which is hearing petitions challenging imposition of President's rule in the state.

Geetartha Darshan Barua, spokesperson for CLP leader and deposed Chief Minister Nabam Tuki, said Deputy Speaker T N Thongdok, who is in the dissident camp, has sought the opinion of the state Law Department through the Governor asking if he can function as Deputy Speaker performing the duties of Speaker when President's Rule is in place in the state.

Following Thongdok's letter, the Governor sought a report from the law department on the subject.

"We have contended that the Governor is guided by malafide intention and he had taken all decisions keeping in mind vested interests. The

ET CAPSULES

Thieves caught Golaghat, Feb 7: Two thieves trying to steal goods from a shop in Golaghat were caught red handed by the shop owner with the help of local people. According to the report two youths named Bitu Hussain and Tintu who was a rickshaw puller tried to steal a water motor pump hanging outside the shop Golaghat Solar House in Bengenakhowa area in Golaghat. When the duo tried to flee from the spot the shop owner with the help of local people caught them. Later they were handed over to the police. (Correspondent)

Quiz Competition Golaghat, Feb 7: Golaghat Nagarik Mancha and Furkating College today jointly organised a Quiz competition and a Speech programme in the fond memory of veteran journalist, educationist Keshav Saikia. The Quiz competition and Speech programme was held at the Amateur Theatre Society auditorium. The Quiz competition was held in two categories - from fifth standard to twelfth standard students where students of Golaghat Jatiya Vidyalaya and Mahatma Balya Bhawan shined.

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After that a speech programme was held where the Executive Editor of Dainik Janambhumi Utpal Baruah delivered a very relevant speech on the topic - " Karmabimukhita, Chhinnamul Manashikta aru Bhawiswatar Asom " .

Another distinguished guest Dr Ajit Baruah also delivered a very important and relevant speech on the same. (Correspondent)

In his letter, Thondok has contended that although a five member Constitution Bench is hearing matters related to the session held on December 16 and 17, 2015, the Speaker's office is vacant as per the Gauhati High Court order dated January 13, 2016.

Thongdok has sought to know whether Deputy Speaker performing duties of Speaker continues in office when the Proclamation under Article 356 is operative in the State.

In the letter, dated February 4, 2016 addressed to the Governor, Thongdok has referred to various articles with regard to his query.

Barua claimed, the Governor through his Deputy Secretary Minik Damin wrote to the Secretary (Law) on February 4, 2016 directing him to furnish a reply by February 5.

The details of the reply to the Governor's Secretariat in not

CONFIDENT THAT MCD STRIKE WILL BE CALLED OFF SOON: BJP

Page 9

Page 10

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known.

The query from Thongdok has come at a time when the Supreme Court is hearing the matter related to the Assembly Session having been advanced by the Governor in December 2015 without the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers.

A revolt by the dissidents led to a political crisis in the state that finally resulted in the imposition of President's rule on January 26.

Congress party, which has 47 MLAs in the 60-member assembly, suffered a jolt when 21 of its lawmakers rebelled.

Eleven BJP MLAs and two independents backed the rebels in a bid to upstage the government.

The Congress rebels had "impeached" Speaker Nabam Rabia and lated voted out Nabam Tuki as Chief Ministers.

The Supreme Court, which is considering pleas against imposition of President's rule in Arunachal Pradesh, is hearing on petitions seeking examination of constitutional schemes on the scope of discretionary powers of the Governor.

Supreme Court looks into the Constitutional and Political Crisis in Arunachal ET Bureau New Delhi, Feb 7

The Supreme Court is looking into the various aspects of the political crisis in Arunachal Pradesh which led to the imposition of President’s rule in the State.

The role of governors, role of speaker, and anti defection law (in a different case but also relevant to current Arunachal crisis) are under the scrutiny of the apex court given the challenges that the whole episode posed to the ethos of democracy. A five-judge Constitution bench has said: “If democracy is slaughtered, how can the court remain silent” Governor’s role The Supreme Court, which is considering pleas against imposition of President’s rule in

Arunachal Pradesh, is hearing on petitions seeking examination of constitutional schemes on the scope of discretionary powers of the Governor.

The Court yesterday questioned Arunachal Pradesh Governor JP Rajkhowa’s decision to advance the assembly session to December last year from this January, asking what difference would it have made if the sitting was held as originally scheduled.

The poser came when senior advocate Rakesh Dwivedi, appearing for some rebel Congress MLAs, said there were serious corruption charges against then Speaker Nabam Rebia and the Governor was empowered under the Constitution to advance the assembly session and instruct that the issue of removal of the Speaker be taken up as first item of business.

Contd. on Page 3

“There has been no discussion with BJP. If they approach us with a concrete proposal, we may discuss it.” : Mahanta

The Governor of Arunachal Pradesh Shri JP Rajkhowa, who is in Guwahati on an official tour, paid a surprise visit to the under-renovation building viz. new State Guest House at Khanapara, Guwahati on 7th February 2016.

The Governor, who was accompanied by DJ Borah, DRC Guwahati and other officials posted there for liaison and coordination, expressed dissatisfaction on the arrangements made so far.

While emphasizing the importance of the facility at Guwahati, which is the Gateway of North East region, the Governor said that it should cater the need of the common people of Arunachal Pradesh, who mostly come for medical or educational related issues.

The project should be expe-

dited and complete within the time frame and also with adequate amenities.

The Governor directed the concerned officials for regular inspections and monitoring and details should be sent to Raj Bhavan regularly. At the same, the Governor assured all assistance to address the bottlenecks in progress of the project.

Later the Governor also visited the Deputy Resident Commissioner's Office, Guwahati and found it in a very shabby condition. He was surprised to see the basic electrical fittings missing, giving excuse of paucity of fund. He directed the DRC to refurbish the office immediately.

The Governor said that it is the epicentre of coordination and liaison as many tourists and guests come for Innerline Permits. It should reflect the State.

In a new development which could change the course of politics in Assam, in a recent media interaction, former Assam chief minister and former AGP president, Prafulla Kumar Mahanta said that the party might consider an alliance with the BJP, if certain issues are looked into.

Mahanta also said that there is no question of any alliance with the Congress.

"There is no question of an alliance with Congress. The

ANI New Delhi, Feb. 7

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Sunday met the family members of 39 Indians who are held hostage in Iraq.

EAM Swaraj reiterated that

during her recent Bahrain visit, she talked about the hostages with Arab ministers and none of them said that the hostages had been killed.

"Two of the ministers said that they are alive. Entire Arab world has promised India that they will try to get them free soon," she

A Staff Reporter Guwahati, Feb 7

In a major break through for the Assam police, a suspected IS operative was arrested at Silchar Medical College in Assam's Cachar district on Saturday.

Police have launched an operation to arrest three others based on information revealed

added.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had earlier confirmed that 39 Indians, who were held hostage by ISIS in Iraq, were alive and the government was doing all to secure their release after gathering more information.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas had also discussed the issue.

MEA spokesperson Vikas Swarup had said: "According to President Abbas, all the captive Indians are alive."

He said the President has also assured to pass on any information regarding the imprisoned Indians to the government.

In Iraq, a group of 39 Indian construction workers were held captive by Islamic State in Mosul a year back.

Lone Arunachalee player bags gold for India in SAG A Staff Reporter Guwahati, Feb 7

The lone Arunachalee, playing for India, Mr. Sambo Lapung won Gold medal in his maiden appearance and with this achievement he become first Arunachalee to win Gold medal in SAF Games.

Mr. Sambo after trailing by 5 kg in Snatch event became winner in overall Total with lesser body weight than his compatriot Disanayake M.I.C.D. of Sri Lanka with a total lift of 281 kg and secured 5th Gold Medal in weightlifting medal tally on the second day of 12th South Asian Games - Guwahati.

In a close fight contest, Sambo Lapung was trailing by 5 kg after conclusion of Snatch event.

Sambo Lapung (Middle) after winning the gold for India.

Pic - ET Photo Eventually, by his sheer determination and will power he has able to beat Disanayake on lesser body weight as both the lifters finished with 281 Kgs in total but lesser body of Sambo Lapung came to his advantage as he has been 200 Grams lesser in body weight than his Sri Lankan compa-

triot who weighed 69.000 kg as compared to Sambo Lapung's 68.800 kgs.

The detailed results of 69 kg Men weight category are as under:1. Sambo Lapung of India Snatch-123 kg C&J - 158 kg Total - 281 kg Gold 2. Disanayake M.I.C.D. of

Sri Lanka Snatch -128 kg C&J - 153 kg Total - 281 kg Silver.

3. Sufiyan Abu of Pakistan Snatch - 124 kg C&J - 151 kg Total - 275 Sambo is the current senior national weightlifting champion in 69 kg category. He won the Senior title in the 68th Senior National Weightlifting Championship held at Patiala, Punjab in December 2015, by striking 3 gold medals for Arunachal.

Sambo has brought many a laurels to the State and the Nation by winning medals in national as well as international level competitions since 2011.

7th Youth National Weightlifting Championship, held at Nirjuli (Arunachal Pradesh) in 2011.

He became Youth National Champion winning three Gold

Prafulla Kumar Mahanta

The two parties considered an alliance ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha polls but the regional party had backed off, apparently with the assumption that such an understanding would not be beneficial for AGP.

Suspected IS operative arrested at Silchar Medical College

hostage in Iraq

Sushma Swaraj with the family members of the hostages.

AGP was formed on an antiCongress plank. So, it is not possible to have an alliance with Congress," Mahanta told the media.

"There has been no discussion with BJP. If they approach us with a concrete proposal, we may discuss it," he said.

A Staff Reporter Guwahati, Feb 7

Governor on EAM Swaraj meets family surprise visits members of Indians held A Staff Reporter Itanagar, Feb 7

Pages- 12

HYUNDAI MOVES CARS VIA SEA

Arunachal Pradesh Governor JP Rajkhowa conspiring with dissident MLAs: Congress Deputy Speaker's letter to the Governor reflects the nexus between the two. Their final aim is to lodge a government with the help of BJP without waiting for the Supreme Court order," Barua alleged.

5.00

Children under five account for 30 per cent of deaths due to food borne diseases globally: WHO

Page 8

ET Bureau New Delhi, Feb 7

Price -

medals at 8th Youth and Junior National Champion at 49th Junior National Weightlifting Championship in 2012. In 2013, he has successfully defended both his Youth and Junior National Championship titles at National Weightlifting Championship held at Guwahati.

At international level, Sambo has won silver medal at Commonwealth Youth Championship in Apia, Samoa in 2012.

In 2013, he won Gold medal in Asian Youth Championship as well as Commonwealth Youth Champion.

The Asian title was achieved at 15th Asian Youth Weightlifting Championship in Doha, Qatar and Commonwealth title at the Commonwealth Weightlifting Championship held in Penang.

by him during interrogation.

A senior police officer said the 20-year-old man was taking the fourth semester examination of MBBS at Silchar Medical College (SMC) on Saturday morning. Some students sitting near grew suspicious of him and alerted the invigilators.

The students said that the man, in question, was not a stu-

dent of the medical college.

Additional superintendent of police (Cachar), Subhashini Shankaran said the investigation was conducted on the basis of the information revealed by the man adding that some incriminating documents have been recovered from him including a file that contains certain codes of Mumbai and other cities.

Ex-manager Sunil Dev claims IndiaEngland Manchester Test in 2014 was fixed ANI New Delhi, Feb 7

DDCA secretary and former team India manager Sunil Dev has revealed that the fourth Test between his country and England, which was played in Manchester in 2014, was fixed.

Dev was caught saying these revelations in a sting operation conducted by a Hindi daily newspaper.

Dev said that skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni chose to bat first in the cloudy conditions because the match was fixed , insisting that his decision came as a surprise to the team management as they had decided to bowl first in a team meeting.

The 67-year-old, who was the manager of the Indian team in that tour, claimed that he had informed the issue to the then president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) N. Srinivasan, adding that he had appreciated the information but did not feel the need to make it public.

Dev further slammed the BCCI, saying that the India's cricket governing body did not bother about these things as they had not reacted yet on the issue.

The Manchester Test was ended in just three days with India losing the match by an innings and 54 runs against England.

Indoor stadium inaugurated at Tinsukia

Ghatowar and Rockybul inaugurating the Indoor Stadium in Tinsukia. Pic - Arjun Mishra Rishu Kalantri Tinsukia, Feb 7

moment for sport lovers of Tinsukia.

An indoor stadium was inaugurated at jyoti nagar area of Nauphukri in Tinsukia town on Sunday jointly by minister of Agriculture, Panchayat, Power and Rural Development Rockybul Hussain and ex union minister Paban Singh Ghatowar in the presence of Tinsukia MLA and parliamentary secretary Rajendra Prasad Singh and Chabua MLA Raju Sahu. Both the leaders cut the ribbon to open the indoor stadium for public.

The opening ceremony was attended by many people including several sport lovers apart from leaders of several students organziation. Speaking on the occasion, chief guest of the fucntion minsiter Rockybul Hussain said that ever since Tarun Gogoi took over as chief minister of the state the state is on the path of development in all fields and this is indoor stadium is an ax ample.

The indoor stadium, built by Tinsukia development authority headed by Pronab Baruah, has facilities like badminton, table tennis and other indoor sports activities and is a great

The stadium has a well built infrastructure and is of a great importance for sports development in the region. The development of such a indoor stadium in a quick time has been appreciated by all.

cmyk

Dalam Studio Near parking stand Khonsa

DIBRUGARH, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 8

PAGE 2

ASTRO FOR YOU Aries Ganesha sees a wonderful time ahead for you. Today, you will meet many people who will prove reliable and trustworthy in the future. You aim to think and work perfectly. For that, says Ganesha, you will have to remain your practical and head-on-shoulders self.

Taurus It will be an optimistic day with its share of day dreaming, says Ganesha. You will be submissive at work, giving in or blindly following the advice of your peers. Things at work may be tense and cause some trouble today afternoon, but they will be much more to your liking by nightfall as you return to the comfort of your beloved and your home.

Gemini You are likely to be concerned about your finances, jointly held assets and property, says Ganesha. Also, you will be a little edgy today. Even the most insignificant problems will dampen your mood. You will probably take chances in money matters. Ganesha advises you to keep your cool and return to your charismatic self.

Cancer Today, you will use money to fulfil your needs. If there is anything that according to you needs changing, you will throw some money to get it changed. Your loved ones will celebrate your financial gains and spend some more of it in the process. If there has been any limit to the amount of money flowing in, there is certainly no limit to the money leaving your coffers.

Leo The complete family man that you are, it is your near and dear ones who have always laid the foundation of your success. So why should today be any different. The auspicious tides of the day begin from your home and follow you everywhere. Be it work or play, you have a tempo that is undiminished. It's going to be a great day, says Ganesha, so just go with the flow and smile your way through everything.

Virgo Mundane, everyday routine will get on your nerves today, warns Ganesha. Don't make a mountain out of a mole hill. All said and done, you won't let anything affect your zest for work. You will break new ground to win the hearts of others, feels Ganesha.

Libra Love is in the air, and passion lurks right around the corner. So keep your eyes and ears open, because you may soon find yourself entrapped in a passionate love episode. But the price of new love is always steep, and your beloved may burn a hole in your pocket. Still, with someone like that, you are always assured of getting good value for your money! So bring on the champagne and the caviar! Ganesha wishes you a splendid time ahead.

"Communal conflicts are the brain child of Congress & AIUDF"- M.Madani ET Correspondent Mangaldai Feb 7 : The State President of the Islamic organization All Assam Ahle Hadis and an young religious minority leader Maulana Maqsoodur Rahman Madani has observed that communal conflicts in the state are the brain child of the ruling Congress and AIUDF. Referring to questions from reporters in a press conference at Kharupetia in Darrang today Madani claimed that both the parties try to avail political gain out of such communal conflicts.

Leveling charges against

AIUDF President Badaruddin Ajmal , the highly qualified Islamic leader further stated that , Ajmal did not utilize the foreign fund he collected from Arab countries in the name of victims of communal conflicts of Darrang district in the past .

On the other hand he was full of praise for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his BJP party for its present pro people programme under the umbrella slogan " Sabka Sath , Sabka Bikash." In his support he pointed out that common religious people now could

Cleanliness drive in Golaghat town

Scorpio You shall groom yourself all prim and proper today. The thought of how you look dominates your mind today. You are likely to capture the imagination of people - both at work and at social gathering. Cash will exit left, right and centre from your pockets on account of fun and entertainment.

Capricorn Today, you will get back to playing the power game, using both fair and unfair means to achieve your goals, says Ganesha. Intellectual growth will be phenomenal; equally good will be your intuitions. In fact, your gut feelings will guide all the decisions you take today, and rest assured, none will leave you in a soup. You will be sensitive to and understanding of others' problems, and will lend a helping hand to those who seek your assistance.

Pisces An auspicious time for starting new projects, today will see you make substantial investments in your future. Your family is the foundation of your success, and keeping that in mind will provide you with some vital insights. Your smile wins many a heart today, says Ganesha.

PRASAR BHARATI (India's Public Service Broadcaster) ALL INDIA RADIO : DIBRUGARH (M.W.529.1m/KHz567 F.M. 101.30 MHz) Phone No.-03732325456 E-mail -dibrugarh@air.org.in Facebook Page-All India Radio Dibrugarh Programme Highlights 8-2-16 (MONDAY) 5-35 A.M-Bhaktigeeti 6-15 A.M-Classical Music (Santoor Recital) 6-30 A.M-Bidyarthir Anusthan (Students' Broadcast) 6-50 A.M-Lokageet 7-15 A.M-Aajir Dinto (Morning Information Service) 7-30 A.M-Highlights of 12th South Asian Games 8-35 A.M-Surar Panchoi(Composite Programme of Assamese Film Songs) 9-05 A.M- Antara (Composite Programme of Hindi Film Songs) 12-05 P.M-Ramdhenu (Request Programme of Hindi Film Songs) 2-30 P.M-Western Music Programme 3-10 P.M-Selfie from North East 3-45 P.M-Programme in Miju Mishimi 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 (Discussion in Assamese) 8-00 P.M-Drama 8-30 P.M-Talk in Assamese (Barir Chukar Banya Pranikeita) 9-30 P.M-Mandakini (Request Song Programme)

Cleanliness drive in Golaghat town. Pic - Amit Nagori

ET Correspondent Golaghat, Feb 7: Under the joint collaboration of 142 Battalion of CRPF and Golaghat Municipal Board a massive cleanliness drive was taken up in almost every nook and corners of the town. The step taken up by the para military force drew the attention of the people and passersby as they witnessed the men in uniform in an altogether different role.

The drive was carried out near the court area, market area, and in the town. The Commandant, 142 CRPF Avinash Sharan, Golaghat

Municipal Board Chairman Ghanshyam Barohi and other dignatories were seen cleaning the area which inspired the people in regard to Cleanliness is next to Godliness. Avinash Sharan said "The drive shall he continued for few days in various places of the town". The Chairman Barohi said "People should also take the initiative to keep their own town clean and green."

Among other CRPF officers Achla Ram, Kunjumal T.K, and M.S Yadav along with other CRPF personal took part in the same.

NSUI- Youth Congress stage Dharna at Haflong

Sd-/H.O.P

understand that BJP is not against them . This misconception was nothing but the fake publicity of the Congress and

ET Correspondent Haflong Feb 7: Demanding detection and arrest of the culprits involved in the kidnapping of Sri JibonKemprai, elder brother of MahendraKemprai, President DCC(I) DimaHasao , the National Students Union of India, Mahila Congress and members of Youth Congress of DimaHasao staged Dharna in front the office of the Deputy Commissioner, DimaHasao on Saturday.

Later they also submitted a

memorandum to the Chief Minister of Assam, Sri Tarun Gogoi through the Deputy Commissioner, DimaHasao wherein they have detailing their grievances expressed concern over the kidnapping of Kemprai and also failure to detect the whereabouts of Kemprai even after nine days.

Sri Kemprai was kidnapped on January 27th from Thaijuari and FIR was also lodged at the Diyungbra Police station.

AIUDF party so that BJP could not come close to religious minority people and they always become the vote bank of the Con-

CM Tarun Gogoi congratulated the members of 12th South Asian Games being held in Guwahati and Shillong A Staff Reporter Guwahati, Feb 7: Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi congratulated the members of the Indian contingent for putting up a splendid performance in the ongoing edition of the 12th South Asian Games being held in Guwahati and Shillong.

Sagittarius Zoom in on complicated problems and solve them with style, says Ganesha. Don't fret over problems; instead concentrate on ways to solve them. Your day will get even better when perhaps, news from an overseas friend reaches you

Aquarius Amid all the boring work buzz, you will manage to sustain your sense of humour. And, why not? After all, you are an expert at inducing a laugh riot! You are in a gregarious mood and that explains it. This also makes you a welcome guest at any party you may wish to grace.

Maqsoodur Rahman Madani

In a statement here today, Chief Minister Gogoi said the Indian contingent has been putting up an impressive performance in several disciplines and hoped that it would emerge No.1 in the overall medals tally in this edition of SAF. “My heartiest congratulations go out to the medal winners. I hope the Indian contingent will continue with its splen-

did performance and emerge No.1 in the overall medals tally when the curtains are finally drawn,” he added.

The Chief Minister hoped that the Games would create bonhomie and camaraderie and strengthen relations between India and South Asian countries.

Gogoi also hoped that the Games would also help to promote the rich cultural heritage of Assam and the North East in a big way.

“The participants representing different countries would act as ambassadors of peace and friendship and help to make the South

vited newcomers and established poets from Dibrugarh, Tinsukia, Golaghat, Jorhat, Sibsagar district took part. Dr Runjun Saikia Associate Professor of Margherita College and her husband Shyamal Khetra Gogoi, who is an ACS officer book titled "Sutalpuk" a collection of poems was inaugurated by Dipika Saikia, noted poet from Duliajan. The poet’s meet programme was conducted by Ledo Xakha Kabi Sanmelan and Ledo Xakha Xahiyta Xabha. The poet meet programme was presided over by Punya Saikia, Former President of

Tinsukia District Xahitya Xabha. The welcome speech was delivered by Ranajyoti Neog, General Secretary of Margherita Journalist's Association.

Punya Saikia in his speech said that everyone has a hidden talent which needs to be properly nurtured. He also stated that the poets help the society by their poems and writings. The first day of the programme concluded with the formation of a new committee of Margherita Journalist's Association where Ram Prasad Ambedkar was unanimously selected as President, Rajiv Ningkhee as Ad-

visor, Partha Pratim Goswami as Vice President, Rana Jyoti Neog as General Secretary, Mithun Baruah as Organising Secretary, Manash Pratim Gogoi as Magazine Secretary, Faizur Rahman as Treasurer along with other executive members. The second day programme began with the Satellite News Channel Pratidin Time Popular TV Show "Bartalap" where many Tribes and Ethnic Tribes of Margherita region performed their Traditional Songs and Dance. The whole programme was directed by Rajdeep Bailung Baruah, input editor of

Pratidin Time. After that the open session began which was presided by Ram Prasad Ambedkar, President of Margherita Journalist's Association where many distinguished persons were present such as Dr Kripa Prasad Upadhaya, Principal of Ledo College, Jagat Changmai, Veteran Journalist of Margherita and President of Ledo Xakha Xahitya Xabha, Binita Hore, Member of Borgolai Zilla Parishad, Rajdeep Bailung Baruah, Input Editor of Satellite News Channel Prati Din Time, Kailash Kumar Gupta, President of Margherita Rotary Club,

Asian region a better place to live in by resolving conflicts and disputes,” he added.Gogoi said the manner in which the prestigious event is being hosted with participation of over 3,000 delegates comprising players and officials has been made possible because of the state-of-the-art infrastructure that came up during the 33rd National Games in Guwahati.

“Thanks to the modern stadia that came up during the 33rd National Games in Guwahati, the State has been able to host successfully the SAF and other prestigious national and international sports events,” he added.

E/Siang participating in the State Level 3rd CM’s Trophy

E/Siang participating in the State Level 3rd CM’s Trophy Spl Correspondent Pasighat, Feb 7: Along with the rest of the state, East Siang district too is going to participate in State Level 3rd Chief Minister’s Trophy on Football & Volleyball (men & women) which is being slated to be starts from 9th Feb’ onwards at Sangay Lahaden Sports Academy, Chimpu,

Itanagar after successful conduct of the District Level competition in last December 2015.

The District Level competition was conducted here at Pasighat from 28th to 30th December 2015 where all the winners of the constituency level faced-off one another at General Ground.

6th annual convention of Margherita Journalists’ Association held ET Correspondent Margherita, Feb 7: The 6th Bi-annual Convention and Dibrugarh and Tinsukia District level poet Conference concludes at the Ledo College premises today .On 6 January the programme began with the hoisting of the association flag by Ram Prasad Ambedkar, President of Margherita Journalist's Association. After that Smriti Tarpan was carried out by senior journalist Partha Pratim Goswami.

Planatation of sapling was initiated by Dr Kripa Prasad Upadhaya, Principal of Ledo College. At 10:30 am Poet meet where many in-

gress and Ajmal.

Regarding the possibility of BJP in the religious minority dominated Dalgaon LAC in the ensuing assembly poll , Madani observed that due to the absence of quality leader from the party belonging to the minority community , the saffron party failed to show good results in polls over the years but he is hopeful that with some active ground work by the party leaders and projecting a minority candidate with clean personal image, the BJP will be able to put up a good show in the ensuing polls.

Student Union Leaders such as Saimen Tumten, Udayan Turung and Jayanta Neog, retired teacher Bhupen Chandra Neog was present at the open session. Jagat Changmai in his speech said that Margherita has many tribes and ethnic tribes living together where Margherita has its own history which is famous all over the world. Ram Prasad Ambedkar said that like every year Margherita Journalist's Association has been organising unique programme and shall continue to do it every year.

Meanwhile, Rajdeep Bailung Baruah, Input Edi-

tor of Satellite News Channel Pratidin Time said that Margherita is a wonderful place of Assam and is famous for its Tribes and Ethnic Communities living together for centuries. Baruah also said that Margherita is a hotspot destination for tourists. “People can come up with proper plan to promote tourism particularly the educated unemployed youths”, he sadi. Baruah also appealed to journalists of Margherita to study more and to be honest towards the society and nation. Ranajyoti Neog, General Secretary of Margherita Journalist's Association gave the vote of thanks.

The competitions concluded with winners of 3rd Edition of Chief Minister’s Trophy on Football (men) being clean swift by the 38th Pasighat assembly constituency in all category and representing East Siang District, informed Nada Apa, District Sport Officer cum Contingent Leader this afternoon.

ADVT

Name Change I have changed my name from Kumila Saikia to Kunti Saikia W/O Tulsi Dhar Saikia resident of Charali Gohain gaon. Before Notary Public Titabor dated 25, January 2016 . I shall be known as Kunti Saikia for all purposes.

Kunti Saikia w/o. Tulsi Dhar Saikia Charali Gohain Gaon

DIBRUGARH, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 8

PAGE 3

Training-cum-Awareness Programme for Tribal Farmers on Organic Farming through Vermi-compost Technology under TSP Dirang , Feb 7 ; A threedays training-cum-demonstration programme on "Vermi-compost Technology" was collaboratively organised by ICAR-National Research Centre on Yak, Dirang and Krishi Vigyan Kendra, West Kameng, Arunachal Pradesh exclusively for the tribal farmers of Sangti village during February 57, 2016 under Tribal Sub Plan (TSP). A total 21 farmers consisting of 8 females and 13 males participated in the trainingcum-demonstration programme at KVK, West Kameng. Farmers were educated on the benefits of adopting organic farming through vermi-compost technology. Farmers were also made aware about the scientific livestock rearing, organic potato & vegetable production and their organic agri-products.

While inaugurating the

Governor condoles: instruct measures A Staff Reporter Itanagar, Feb 7: The Governor of Arunachal Pradesh Shri JP Rajkhowa has condoled the death of a student, Ganga Suba in the fire accident of Nyokum Lapang, Itanagar on 5th February 2016.

Expressing shock and grief, the Governor reiterated for immediate setting up of a high level committee to go to the details of the fire accidents and in various parts of the State and recommend measures to mitigate these kinds of accidents.

Instructing for immediate action to the concerned officials, the Governor also appealed to the people to take extra care and precautions against fire accidents. He emphasised that to avoid accidents due to improper use of gas cylinder, do's and don'ts should be issued and widely circulated to the public, by the gas marketing agencies and also by the State fire departments.

Governor congratulates Lapung A Staff Reporter Itanagar, Feb 7: The Governor of Arunachal Pradesh Shri JP Rajkhowa has congratulated Shri Sambo Lapung for winning a gold medal in weightlifting in the ongoing South Asian Games in Guwahati.

Thrilled by the achievement of Shri Lapung, an athlete from Arunachal Pradesh representing the country in the 12th South Asian Games (SAG) being held in Guwahati and Shillong from February 5 to 16, the Governor said that Shri Lapung has truly showcased the sporting potential of the State and the Region. He hopes that he will inspire many more youth towards games and sporting talents.

The Governor reposed confidence on the young men and women of the State that they will derive inspiration from such commendable performance by Shri Lapung and also others to follow.

He conveys his best wishes to all the participants at the SAG for their brilliant performances.

Training-cum-Awareness Programme for Tribal Farmers on Organic Farming through Vermicompost Technology under TSP

programme, Additional Deputy Commissioner Dirang, Shri Dagbom Riba highlighted the significance of organic farming. He appealed to the farmers to take scientific inputs from the scientists for improving soil fertility and health by using organic vermi-compost prepared from the locally

available bio-waste materials and cattle dung.

The chairman of this training programme, Dr. S. M. Deb, Director, ICARNRC on Yak emphasized on the three strengths of the area that is Tourism, Horticulture and Livestock based income for livelihood support of the local inhabitants. He ex-

plained the importance of organic products and their demands by the health conscious consumers. Dr. Hano Tama, Deputy Director, Regional Sheep Breeding Farm and Smt. Lanjom, Anchal Chairperson while attending the inaugural function, appealed to the farming community for more production of chemical free agriproducts.

During the programme, 20 vermi-compost units were provided to the trainees by ICAR-NRC on Yak under TSP for adopting organic farming at their fields.

KVK programme coordinator Dr. N.D. Singh, has provided detailed insights on low and high cost based vermi-compost technology. The trainees appreciated the training programme and requested for organizing more such kind of programmes for their support.

National Tourism Day observed

National Tourism Day observed

Bishnu Rana Tezu, Feb 7: Joining with rest of India, Lohit Tourism Department observed National Tourism Day at the picturesque Parsuram Kund on 25th January

last where about 30 (Thirty) student from Apne Vidya Bhavan (AVB) Wakro and 10 ALC from Wakro circle participated in a mass social services cleaning the premises of the

Temples.

Under the theme ‘Campaign Clean India / Arunachal’ the student and ALC had together clean the litters deposited in and around the holy sites. Parsuram Baba who also present during the services lauded and appreciated the effort taken by the student in cleaning the environment.

Later, Dibroo Catherina Boo DTO also interacted with student of AVB at Wakro and advised them to evolve a sense of unity and universal brotherhood among themselves for peaceful co-existence.

Vice Chancellor Prof. Mibang urges students to aim at excellence Dept. of Geography wins the Darpan 2016 at SCCZ Ziro, Feb 7: The Department of Geography came out winners at the DARPAN 2016: Interdepartmental Fest of Saint Claret College, Ziro, held on Saturday, in the august presence of Prof. Tamo Mibang, honorable vice chancellor of Rajiv Gandhi University. The winner takes home a cash award of Rs.25,000 and the Darpan Shield. The Department of History won the Runners Up prize which carries Rs.15,000.

The special category of "Swachh Campus Award" of Rs.5,000 was bagged by the Department of English. The prizes will be given away at the Commencement Ceremony in March.

DARPAN 2016 was a two-part contest. Each of the seven departments presented a 15-minute capsule of cultural performance themed along the departmental discipline.

The senior lawyer said “the Speaker, who is under clout, cannot and should not be allowed to preside over the house” and added that there was a very limited scope of judicial review in matters where the Governor exercises his powers under the Constitution.

Day before yesterday, the court, examining the powers of Governors, had taken strong note of a submission that all decisions of the Governor are not open to judicial review.

“If democracy is slaughtered, how can the court remain silent,” it had said when a counsel for a BJP MLA of crisishit Arunachal Pradesh referred to the powers of the Governors to drive home of the point that courts cannot “review” all the decisions of the Governor.

Earlier, the bench had said that Governors are political appointees and their actions are open to judicial review as nowadays even judges are considered for such an assignment.

The bench, however, agreed yesterday that on some occasions, the Governor is not bound to act

as per the aid and advice of the Chief Minister and his council of ministers.

Role of Speaker The Nabam Tuki government, which had initial support of 47 MLAs in 60 member house, allegedly lost the confidence motion by 33 votes in the assembly session held in a community hall in the state capital of Itanagar. Congress party suffered a jolt when 21 of its lawmakers rebelled.

14 rebel Congress MLAs were disqualified by the speaker Nabam Rebia.

The Governor then called the assembly session, scheduled on January 14, on December 16 in which Deputy Speaker revoked the disqualification of 14 rebel Congress MLAs and removed Rebia from the post of Speaker.

The court on Thursday summoned dispatch records, having details of correspondences of Arunachal Pradesh assembly from October to till date, on February 8 as it was not satisfied with documents produced by an official of the assembly.

The court wants to ascertain certain communications between the office of Assembly Speaker Nabam Rebia and Gov-

ernor JP Rajkhowa on issues like convening or advancing assembly session and disqualification of rebel Congress MLAs. Senior advocate Rakesh Dwivedi, appearing for some rebel Congress lawmakers, supported the Governor’s decisions saying that summoning the assembly session cannot be termed “undemocratic” and does not frustrate “democratic process”. Rather, locking out the assembly building and shying away from it are undemocratic acts.

Vice Chancellor Prof. Mibang Urges Students to Aim at Excellence

It was followed by visits to the theme-based Exhibition stalls of each department. The dept. of Geography showcased the theme of "culture and physiography of the Apatani Valley" through its twin programs whereas History showcased the highly relevant theme of the status of women through various centuries. The other themes were: evolution of

communication and education systems, various ages in literature, Dr. Faust, the cultural anthropological scenario of Arunachal Pradesh, evolution of democracy, Make in India, corruption in politics, and suicide prevention. The high voltage contest was watched by a packed audience consisting of various dignitaries, officials, principals of educational insti-

Speaking at the occasion, Prof. Tamo Mibang lauded the college for its vision and mission as well as its creative ventures such as DARPAN.He exhorted the students to make use of the opportunities to excel and contribute towards making a civilization of love. Rev. Fr. Jijo K. Paul, Director of Claretian Publications at Macao and Shri. Anand Mishra, Principal of VKV Ziro were the guests of honor. The panel of judges for DARPAN consisted of three school directors: Mr. Habung Tamang, Mr. Rubu Tadii, and Sr. Christina Narzary. The event was the culmination of two weeks of highly competitive efforts by the entire student and staff community, and well served its objective of creative learning by doing.

Written test examination for UDC. LDC and multitasking staff ends peacefully Total candidates turn up held in one exam centre. All the HoDs, are as follow !

1. Multitasking staff out of 1158 candidates, 957 aspiring candidates appeared 87%.

2. LDC out of 409 candidates, 312 aspiring candidates appeared 76.28% 3. UDC out of 87 candidates, 39 aspiring candidates appeared 44.82%.

Written test examination for udc. Ldc and multitasking staff ends peacefully

Khonsa, Feb 7 :The written test examination for the post of UDC, LDC and Multasking Staff conducted by Tirap District Administration

Supreme Court looks into the Constitutional and Political Crisis in Arunachal Contd. from Page 1

tutions, and school and college students.

up after Amar Singh and cine star Jaya Prada, who were members of Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha respectively, had moved the Supreme Court on their expulsion from the Samajwadi Party on February 2, 2010, anticipating ouster from Parliament.

They had contended that they have landed in a piquant situation as expelled members and apprehended disqualification under the anti-defection law if they chose to defy party’s whip on any issue in Parliament.

A related Supreme Giving details of subCourt hearing on anti-demissions made before the fection law bench, advocate P S Eleven BJP MLAs Sudheer, said it was arbacked the 21 Congress gued that the Anti- Derebels in the bid to up- fection Law, as interstage the Arunachal gov- preted by the Supreme ernment, which was fol- Court in G Vishwanathan lowed by the disqualifi- case, does not apply to cation of 14 rebel Con- Amar Singh and Jaya Prada as they had not regress MLAs. signed from the party and This disqualification neither had they floated holds relevance to Su- their own. preme Court’s yesterday’s decision to As per the interpretarevisit its two-decade-old tion of the anti-defection verdict on the anti- defeclaw by the Supreme tion law by which a Court in G Vishwanathan member elected or nominated by a political party case in 1996, a member continues to be under its elected or nominated by control even after expul- a political party continues to be under its consion. trol even after his or her The issue had cropped expulsion.

on 30th January and 31st January and 6th February and 7th February concluded peacefully.

The

exam

for

Multitasking staff was held in 3 exam centres on 30th and 31st January, while exam for UDC and LDC was

M i n i s t e r i a l s t a ff of DC's office, teaching staff from different school and Multitasking staff were appointed as Centres Superintendent, Astt Superintendents, Magistrates, Invigilators, Centre Clerk and Centres Assistant to supervise and conduct written examination.

On the basis of merit candidates shall be called for computer exam and viva voce against post base basis.

Workshop on ‘Suicide prevention among the Idu Mishmi held

workshop on ‘Suicide prevention among the Idu Mishmi held

Jiko Linggi Roing, Feb 7 : Two days workshop on ‘Suicide prevention among the Idu Mishmi’ is being organized at Cehta Rekho under the aegis of Idu Mishmi Cultural and Literary Society with the support of another NGO, Samaritans Mumbai.

Attending the workshop as chief guest Dr. Pakha Tesia, Psychiatric Consultant, Shillong informed that like the rest of the ailments afflicting a human body, mental ill-health too affects a human being.

‘Just like other ailments affects a human body and needs treatment to cure them, mental ailments too need to be identified and treated accordingly’, said the doctor emphasizing about well being of a person’s mental health.

According to the doctor, the perceived stigma attached with visiting a Psychiatric consultant prevents many from seeking timely medical help. Sad-

ness and depression, he also opined are two different factors affecting a person’s mental health leading to ‘suicidal tendencies’. Being aware of mental ailments in a society, the consultant felt will go a long way in offering necessary help to the afflicted person.

Academician, Dr. Tarun Meme who has done his research on the subject of ‘suicide among the Idu Mishmis’ during his doctorate study explained that about half of those committed suicide or attempted belong to the age group of 19-29 years.

And according to his findings, he also opined that education did matter in reducing suicidal tendencies; as it was observed that most of those who committed suicide had their educational qualification as ‘Matriculation’. ‘Higher the educational qualification, lesser the suicidal tendency’, observed Dr. Mene.

Organizing secretary, Dr. Rajiv Miso observed that official data on suicide in the tribe is largely underestimated. ‘Needless to say, the issue of suicide among the Idu Mishmi is entirely neglected both at the governmental and community level. Hence, this workshop is aimed to chalk out an Action Plan/Strategy/Viabilities in involving all the stakeholders like academic, administrators, police, NGOs, public representatives, panchayat members and including resource persons from various external agencies’.

Apart from large numbers of student, public and panchayat leaders, guest of honour for the occasion, Dr. Haniya Payee, State Nodal Officer,(Mental Health), member of district juvenile board, Kotige Mena and members of the NGO, Samaritans Mumbai were seen attending the programme.

DIBRUGARH, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 8

PAGE 4

Leopard captured at Teok Mani Shankar Aiyar, MP today released the book ‘The Visionary: The Life and Rise of Tarun Gogoi’

Leopard captured at Teok. Pic - Nirmalendu Pathok ET Correspondent Teok, Feb 7: One leopard was captured today evening

by Jorhat district forest officials at Boloma Nahat gaon, under Teok police station of Jorhat district. According to sources, the leopard had entered a hen house to catch the birds of a farmer named Rekha Phukon of the area last night.

As the birds in the hen house raised an alarm seeing the leopard, the family members woke up and informed the local villagers.

The villagers somehow managed to close the entrance of the hen house.

Luckily, the Jorhat forest officials took the subject seriously when informed by the family and they sent three numbers of forest officials to guard the family whole night.

And finally today evening the forest officials captured the leopard after tranquilizing the animal. The villagers thanked the forest officials for their pro-active role on the issue.

BJP rally at Bezara, Kamrup held ET Correspondent Rangia, Feb 7: At least 30 members of Congress joined the BJP in a massive rally held at Bezera Mini stadium on Sunday. The rally was presided over by Dilip Deka, President, Bezara Mandal committee.

The CM candidate, state president of BJP and union minister Sarbananda Sonowal, Ex- minister Dr.Himanta Biswa Sarma and MP Bijaya Chakraborty were present during the rally. In his speech, Sonowal told that BJP is working for

the common people of Assam and he is sure that BJP will easily form the next government with the help of the local people.

According to him Prime Minister Modi has given special attention and stressed for the development of North east specially Assam. He also criticized the state government for doing nothing for the poor people. Ex Minister Dr. Sarma also spoke on the occasion. He slammed CM Tarun Gogoi for his activity during his speech.

A Staff Reporter Guwahati, Feb 7: Mani Shankar Aiyar, MP today released the book ‘The Visionary: The Life and Rise of Tarun Gogoi’- a picture biography at a function at Rabindra Bhawan in the city.

Reminiscing his days with Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, Aiyar said he had the privilege to know him when he had joined the Prime Minister’s office as joint secretary to Rajiv Gandhi in 1985. “Tarun was at that stage the joint secretary in the AICC and the two of us were asked, to arrange the tours that Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi wished to undertake in the remote parts of India, in places like the jungles of Madhya Pradesh and the deserts of Rajasthan and the remote islands like Lakshwadeep,” he added.

Recalling the Assam agitation days when Rajiv Gandhi sat with the agitated students that eventually led to the signing of the Assam Accord, Aiyar said, “Once the Assam Accord was signed, Tarun had to move out of the AICC and go back to Assam. And although the electoral prospects were not favourable at that time, Tarun plunged headlong into it. As was expected, the student leaders riding on an emotional wave won the elections and formed the Government.”

Extolling the innate leadership qualities of Gogoi, Aiyar said, “He had played a pivotal role in boosting the morale of the Congress and worked in tandem with Hiteswar Saikia for reviving the party. The Congress won

giving him company through thick and thin and freeing him from the household chores.

Phookan hoped that the book will get a good response from the people, particularly the young generation who will feel inspired and motivated to do something good as citizens of the country. “I hope the young generation will take over from where we left off,” he added.

Mani Shankar Aiyar, MP today released the book ‘The Visionary: The Life and Rise of Tarun Gogoi’. Pic - UB Photos triumphantly in the elections of 1991.”

Eulogising Gogoi’s perseverance in working towards his goal, Aiyar said, “He has always stood for Assamese pride. But at the same time he understood Assam and its people, encompassing all communities, all the tribes, all the plains people, and adhered himself to the ethos of secularism in the building of contemporary Assam.

He recognizes the identity of every community and its importance in the larger Indian identity.”

Aiyar said Assam’s future is assured in the hands of Gogoi and he sees him becoming the Chief Minister for the next five years. “He is an undisputed leader of Assam for 15 years in a row

and also for the next five years,” he said, adding, “It is due to his efforts peace has returned back to the valley.”

The Rajya Sabha MP opined that Gogoi combined in himself the local with the global. “Here is a man who combined in himself the local with the global. From the town of Jorhat to the precincts of the Oxford University, his close association with political leaders and in the company of foreign leaders, academicians and artists, Tarun has been the cynosure of all eyes.”

Speaking on the occasion, retired Judge Supreme Court, Justice SN Phookan said Gogoi did not go back on his word. “Whenever

Tarun made any commitment, he would stick to it at any cost,” he said.

Phookan said that Gogoi is adhering all along to Rajdharma and carries out his functions as enshrined in the Constitution. “Tarun has been adhering to Rajdharma and that is why people have elected him for three consecutive terms,” he added.

The former judge of the Supreme Court also recalled Gogoi’s painstaking efforts in setting up the Law College in Jorhat. “Tarun was instrumental in setting up the Jorhat Law College.

And today this college has grown up leaps and bounds and has completed glorious 50 years.”

Echoing Aiyar, Phookan praised Dolly Gogoi, wife of the Chief Minister, for

Former President, Asom Sahiya Sabha, Kanaksen Deka, who presided over the function, said one of the greatest qualities of Gogoi was that he was not vindictive. “He has never been vindictive against those who have gone hammer and tongs in the print and electronic media. He has never put anyone behind bars nor did he gag the freedom of the press,” he said, adding, ‘It is during his tenure the State has witnessed the proliferation of newspapers and TV channels.”

Praising the administrative acumen of Gogoi, Deka said, “He is soft where he needs to be and acts tough when the going gets tough.

But he is not weak-kneed in his approach.”

Deka said steering a State plagued with myriad problems is not an easy task and Gogoi by remaining at the helm of affairs for long 15 years has exemplified his administrative acumen and dexterity. “It’s not an easy task to steer a State like Assam plagued with so many problems. But Gogoi has shown his administrative prowess by remaining at the helm of affairs for

long 15 years. And this is no mean achievement.”

Deka said that there was no denying the fact that during Gogoi’s tenure as Chief Minister, the State has witnessed changes. “New roads and bridges have come up and this must be acknowledged by his opponents and detractors alike,” he added.

He praised the Chief Minister for his decision to name the Assam Houses and Bhawans in the hallowed name of great saintsocial reformer Srimanta Sankaradeva.

Acknowledging the words of appreciation, Chief Minister Gogoi said he had gained in vast experience through his associations with political leaders, academicians, artists and common man. “I have gained in vast experience through my associations with a wide spectrum of people and getting to know firsthand the problems being faced by them. And this has stood me in good stead over the years,” he said.

Underscoring the need for a deep knowledge of the grassroots, Gogoi said, ‘You get to know the real picture when you come in touch with the people living in remote areas. And that’s why I tour extensively and do not bank only on what my officials give an account of.” Accepting challenges has become a part and parcel of his life, Gogoi said, “Contending with difficulties and overcoming it has become intrinsic part of my life. Confront with challenges and you can forge ahead.”

Golden Jubilee of VAT department of Delhi catches Jhargaon MV school huge consignment of iPhones

Golden Jubilee of Jhargaon MV school. Pic - Shajid Khan Shajid Khan Tangla,Feb7: The golden jubilee celebration of Jhargaon MV School concluded at Jhargaon in Udalguri district on Feb 7 with fanfare and gaiety.

The inauguration of the newly-constructed main gate of the school marked the beginning of the threeday celebration followed by

a number of events including a discussion on the topic Importance of Education on Life: It's importance on personality development . Dr. Keshab Chandra Dutta Retd. Principal Tangla College and veteran journalist was the appointed speaker of the event.

On Feb 7 an open session was held which presided

over by Ganesh Sarania.

The session was inagurated

by Dr. Ramchandra Deka Faculty Dept.of Assamese,Sipajhar College.

A souvenir was also launched on the ocassion by Anuradha Sharma Pujari journalist and author .Several distinguished people including Lmswrao Daimari EM BTC attended the open session.

New Delhi, Feb. 7 (ANI): The Trade and Taxes department of Delhi has caught a huge consignment of iPhones valued over Rs. two crore.

The consignment comprises of 600 iPhones of both 5S and 6S models.

It was brought to Delhi illegally without proper documents.

VAT Commissioner Sajjan Singh Yadav said that the consignment was being delivered by a renowned courier company.

The catch has also led to busting of racket of illegal import of high value electronic goods from other states in Delhi and their sale in

the national capital without payment of the VAT. Yadav said vigil has been stepped up at the entry points of the national capital to prevent entry of undeclared goods in the city.

Automatic number plate reader cameras have also been deployed at the entry points to check vehicles bringing undeclared goods.

VAT department of Delhi catches huge consignment of iPhones

Rangia CM cup Football ET Correspondent Rangia Feb 7: Rangia Singerpara HS School won the CM cup football tournament by 1-0 goal.

They defeated P B Balisatra Hplay groundS School. The cpmpetetion held at Rangia Higher Secondary School. All total 21 school team of Rangia Sub division participated in the tournament. The final was inaugurated by Circle officer Bimal Deka. From the teams joined in the tournament one football team will be constructed and the team will play in Zonal level in Guwahati.

Glimpses from the Buddharupa Danotsav held at Desangpani Buddha Vihar and Cultural Centre in Sivasagar district. Pix - Mritunjoy Das

He said on an average about 20 vehicles carrying undeclared goods are detained every day.

The Department has recovered more than Rs. 50 crore in the current fiscal so far from the tax evaders.

PAGE 5

REGION

DIBRUGARH, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 8

Ranchi boy death: Tripura has Sarkar, but no governance: Giriraj Singh Three teachers Agartala, Feb 7:Tripura the state, in a release. or the government is not INPT and IPFT, who has Sarkar, but no gover- BJP Tripura in-charge keen in tracing the ac- claim to be protagonists nance" and accused Sunil Deodhar, stating cused that are booked of tribals, have not taken detained Chief Minister Manik this in a release, said that under Protection of cognisance of this inci-

Police have detained three teachers in connection with the death of a 12-year-old boy whose body was found in Ranchi

Ranchi, Feb. 7 : Police have detained three teachers in connection with the death of a 12-year-old boy whose body was found in Ranchi's Sapphire International School on Sunday. Vinay Mahato, son of Man Bahal Mahato, a businessman living in Jagannathpur area here, was found lying unconscious with severe head injuries in the lobby of teachers' residential flats around 1 a.m. His father was informed about the incident around 3.30 am after which he lodged a

complaint in the Tupudana police station.

According to the doctor who conducted the postmortem, the boy was brutally beaten up because of which his liver suffered injuries. He also had severe injuries on his head and stomach.

Police are reportedly looking into the possibility of the boy having been subjected to sexual assault, as some incriminating materials were recovered from the flat in which the detained teachers were staying. (ANI)

AIDS prevention: Centre launches 'Project Sunrise' in Imphal

AIDS prevention Centre launches 'Project Sunrise' in Imphal

Imphal,Feb 7:Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare J.P. Nadda has launched Project Sunrise for prevention of AIDS in the eight North-Eastern states.Launching the project funded by the Centre for Disease Control of the United States, Nadda said, "the Project will be implemented in the North East, in addition to the existing projects of the National AIDS Control Organization (NACO)."

He said, "the AIDS prevention special programme for the NorthEast will be implemented in 20 districts of the eight states including four districts of Manipur- Imphal

East, Bishnupur, Ukhrul and Churachandpur."

The Centre is working towards bringing the people living with HIV/AIDS into the national mainstream. The new initiative will cover one lakh people living with HIV/AIDS giving them treatment and care facilities free of cost.NACO is going to directly transfer its funding to State AIDS Control Societies instead of the existing system of funding it through state governments.Manipur Health Minister Phunjathang Tonsing, Meghalaya Health Minister A.L. Hek and Director General of NACO N.S. Kang also attended the launching function.

(ANI)

Sarkar of failing to visit a tribal minor rape victim.He also slammed Sarkar for not submitting data on crime against women in the state."Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar may be known for his clean image and 'non-corrupt' tag, but he has failed miserably in providing good governance to the people," the Union Minister of State for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises was quoted as saying, during his visit to

Singh visited the 14year-old tribal rape victim at G B hospital accompanied by BJP state president Biplab Deb who provided the victim's family financial assistance of Rs 50,000 from the party."The tribal girl was raped in the North Eastern state of Tripura. On that evening the girl was returning home with her brother when two accused Sudhir Debbarma and Athens Debbarma attacked them in Chachu Bazar area in

Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act," Deodhar alleged.He said the Chief Minister can fly all the away to Hyderabad to show solidarity towards students in the Rohit Vemula case."But, he or none of his colleagues in the government and party had time to do the same towards the little rape victim and her family," he regretted.

Even leaders of local political parties like

dence, he alleged."Ironically, this is not the first incidence of such crime in Tripura.

The Chief Minister and the government are hiding facts about rising crimes in the state."During winter session of the Parliament, Haribhai Chaudhary, MoS Home Affairs, had revealed that Tripura was the only state that had not submitted any data on crimes against women," Deodhar added. (Agencies)

No infrastructure to tackle crime against women

Meghalaya police gets facelift, thanks to SAG

Kolkata,Feb 7:Facing the ignominy of topping the chart on crime against women, West Bengal is facing a big challenge to tackle the issue as it lacks basic infrastructure including protection officers.The state has only 21 women protection officers, all on contractual basis, for the entire state and that too without any support staff or basic infrastructure."It is true that we have only 21 women protection officers. We need more women protection officers. We do feel that infrastructure and support staff need to be increased.But that's a time bound process, which also needs clearance from finance department," Women Development and Social Welfare Minister Sashi Panja said.

According to National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data of 2014, published in 2015, out of the 3,37,922 incidents of crime against women in the country, Bengal has the highest with 38,299 cases. Uttar Pradesh stood second with 38,467 cases.And in terms of rate

Union Minister Giriraj Singh Mohanpur. After locking the brother in one room, the accused tied the girl to a mobile tower and raped her," the release said."Shocked and ashamed by the incidence, the victim duo

No infrastructure to tackle crime against women of crime against women, Bengal stood second with 85.5 per cent with Rajasthan topping the chart with 91.4 per cent.While a decade has passed since the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act (PWDVA), 2005, was passed, but with lack of basic infrastructure and manpower, justice seems to be elusive for the women who are victims of d o m e s t i c violence.PWDVA was enacted primarily to deal with those assaulting or making life of women miserable, by such conduct even if it does not amount to physical ill-

treatment. The act also has provisions which provides the woman to seek relief such as protection, shelter and medical facilities, activists say.But due to lack of proper infrastructure, women who are victims of domestic violence find it tough to get justice due to procedural delays, they say.

Some of the women protection officers who spoke on condition of anonymity pointed out their helplessness due to huge pressure of cases."We receive so many cases per month.

And I have to tackle all the cases of the district singlehandedly. It takes a heavy toll on us. We are not even

consumed poison and tried to commit suicide.

They were later admitted in the government hospital and the girl is still critical.

"The accused are absconding and the police

provided with a peon in many cases to help us in our job," a woman protection officer said.Another officer said that recently they were provided with computers but without any proper Internet connection."We also have penalty to pay if there is negligence in duty. We are not even permanent staff and paid just a paltry amount of 12,000 per month and that too which is very irregular," Stuti Sarkar, a former woman protection officer of North 24 Parganas districtMost of the districts have only one woman protection officer, barring few such as Kolkata, which has two.State Women Commission chairperson Sunanda Mukherjee said, "The state should take steps to increase the status of women protection officers and increase their number," she said.The Opposition parties came down heavily on the Trinamool Congress (TMC) government on the lack of infrastructure in tackling domestic violence against women."It is a shame that the state has

a woman chief minister whose poll cry was 'Ma, Mati, Manush' (mother, earth and mankind). And women are most neglected and tortured in Bengal.

How can only 21 women protection officers tackle domestic violence of the entire state? The state is ignorant towards the plight of women," Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national spokesperson Meenakshi Lekhi said."This is what can be expected from a state government, which instead of taking action in rape cases tries to save the culprits. So in a state which had once topped the chart of rape incidents, it is expected the state will stay mum on the incidents of domestic violence too," said a CPI(M) leader.According to NCRB data in 2012, Bengal accounted for 12.7 per cent of all crimes committed against women, including rape, in the country.

Bengal reported 2,363 r a p e c a s e s i n 2 0 11 .

(Agencies)

Charlie's murder: 'We didn't expect such treatment,' says minorities' org Dimapur, Feb 7: Condemnations continue to come against the recent killing of a youth, Charlie Hangsing who was shot dead by unidentified gunmen in Dimapur on February 2.

The Indigenous Minority Tribes of Nagaland, an organization representing the communities of Kuki, Kachari, Garo and Karbi (Mikir) of

Nagaland, issued a press release on Saturday, February 7.The Indigenous Minority Tribes of Nagaland expressed shock and vehemence at the murder of Hangsing, said to be son of Paolal Hangsing, a retired IAS official. The minority communities said that they didn't "expect such apathetic attitudes towards our people" con-

sidering that they are peace loving citizens in Nagaland too.

"The cowardice and barbaric murder (of) Charlie Hangsing has deeply hurt the sentiment of Indigenous Minority Tribes of Nagaland. We don't expect such apathetic attitudes towards our people as we are peace loving citizens of Nagaland

having no enmity with any other Natives and Communities," the press release said.

The organization has demanded that the state government of Nagaland push the case. The organization has appealed to the state government to "expedite the case in apprehending the culprits involved in the heinous crime without delay, and

also appeals all the right thinking and peace loving citizens of Nagaland to condemn such cowardice act on innocent people.""We convey our heartfelt condolences and pray the almighty God give peace and comfort to the bereaved family to overcome the agony," the press release added.

(Agencies)

Shillong,Feb 7: The Centre's police modernization scheme could not do what South Asian Games (SAG) has done as far as fortifying the Meghalaya Police is concerned.The Rs 7.81 crore sanctioned by the Centre and being utilized by the police helped in improving its image in terms of getting the number of equipment related to security in addition to purchasing vehicles and twowheelers.The amount was also spent for purchasing surveillance equipments including scanning, screening and monitoring machines, apparatus for traffic personnel among others.

The traffic personnel, who were actively manning the traffic in parts of city, were seen wearing new vests and other apparatus thereby giving them new vigour.

Sources said that earlier when several crores of rupees were sanctioned to Meghalaya over the years under police modernization, the visibility of expenditure incurred was under a cloud compared to the purchase of equipment for surveillance at the stadiums and for improvement of traffic personnel. Other expenditures were for Petroleum, Oil and Lubricants (POL), and logistics as part of maintaining security at the venues of SAG.A senior government official said that the additional equipment purchased will help the state in using them during other important occasions.

To assist the Shillong police including those from battalions, home guard personnel and existing central forces, there are additional six companies of central para-military forces (600 persons) including Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), BSF and CRPF deployed in city for SAG duty.While CISF is looking after access to venues, one unit of NSG (100 men) with bomb disposal equipment is stationed in city to tackle any untoward incidents.

"The primary task of the NSG is to ensure safety and security during the games, and to prevent any form of terrorism related activities", a Home department official said. (Agencies)

Maha Bodhi Society celebrates 125 Years its Establishment On the occasion of 125 Years of the Maha Bodhi Society of India a weeklong programme was started at the Buddhagaya Centre of the Society. On the first day (27th January, 2016) of the inaugural ceremony, His Excellency Governor of Bihar graced the occasion as Chief Guest in which many people took part from different Buddhist countries.

Dignitaries like Commissioner Magadh Division, District Magistrate, and Vice Chancellor of Magadh University etc also attended the occasion.

The Ceremony started with lighting the Ceremonial lamps by the Distinguished Guests which was followed by the welcome song by Vidhyapeeth students. Afterwards, the Society's Joint Secretary, Venerable K. Medhankara Thero, welcomed heartily to the gathering in which

he expressed his thankfulness to all the participants for their kind presence at the programme. In his speech he briefed about the founder, Srimat Anagarika Dharmapala, a young Sri Lankan Buddhist who was in his late twenties when he came to Buddhagaya in the month of January, 1891 and in the same year he founded the society. He also appreciated the scholars for their articles for the issue of a Souvenir which was published on the occasion.

The Governor of Bihar said that he believed that the Buddhagaya Centre being the first Centre of the Maha Bodhi Society of India plays an important role in Buddhist activities here. And, it has become the bounden duty of this Centre to continue the aims and objects of the late Anagarika Dharmapala when estab-

lishing the Society. He wished the Society all success, saying that may it grow from strength to strength and continue to serve the Buddhist world for many more centuries and go ahead in its mission.

After the presentation of mementos the programme was concluded with vote of thanks by one of the governing body members of the Maha Bodhi Society.

Philatelic Exhibition An exhibition of more than 400 postal stamps on Buddha and Buddhism issued in 110 in different countries - collected by Souvik Roy of Calcutta was also organised at the Maha Bodhi Buddhagaya Centre premises. The collection also includes the postal stamp released by President Pranab Mukerjee on Anagarika Dhammapala, founder of

Maha Bodhi Society celebrates 125 Years its Establishment

the Maha Bodhi Society of India on his 150th Birth Anniversary in 2014.

A-14 minutes documentary on life and works of Anagarika Dhammapala was also being shown in this three-day yearly event.

Sacred Relics Exposition

The sacred relics of the Buddha and His two chief disciples have been kept for three days, which was started from 1st Feb to 3rd Feb., 2016 for public display at the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi Vihara in the premises of the Maha Bodhi Society of Buddhagaya Centre.

On the first day of the sacred relics exposition, hundreds of monks, nuns and devotees took out a colourful procession from Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi Vihara to Mahabodhi MahaVihara. Special prayers were offered at the sanctum sanctorum of the Maha Bodhi Mahavihara

after which the relics were kept back at Jaya Siri Maha Bodhi Vihara for public display from 8:00 am to 10:30 am.

Exposition of the sacred relics is a yearly event of Buddhagaya centre of the Maha Bodhi Society of India which is held in February 1st to 3rd. This year more than 25,000 devotees from Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Tibet, Nepal, Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, Sri Lanka and other countries turned out to have a glimpse at sacred relics.

On the last of exposition of the sacred relics, Tibetan spiritual leader His Holiness the 17th Karmapa visited the Jaya Sri Mahabodhi Vihar to see the sacred relics of the Buddha. After having seen the sacred relics, His Holiness chanted prayers for the world peace in which the resident monks of the Society also participated.

His Holiness helped to

place the caskets of the relics onto the floral decorated cars which were then taken for procession. The procession commenced from the Kalachakra Ground to the Great Budhda Statue. The procession was a big turnout in which participants from other Buddhist countries too took part with great enthusiasm and staunched devotion. A considerable number of school children enjoyed the chance to be part of the procession.

They came with different artistic preparations that were heaved with praises by onlookers. They included many school children from different schools from the vicinity of the Bodhagaya. On returning back from the Great Buddha statue, all the participants were presented with brand new Tshirts, calendar and water bottles by the Vietnamese devotees who solely sponsored the programme.

NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL

DIBRUGARH, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 8

PAGE 6

Confident that MCD strike will be called off soon: BJP New Delhi, Feb. 7: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) today expressed confidence that the indefinite strike by the MCD workers would certainly be called off as they were in talks with the protestors, reminding them of their obligations to the national capital."We are talking to the municipal workers regularly and all the three mayors from our party have spoken to the workers union and in the past few days we have seen the results of those discussions. The doctors, paramedical staff, engi-

neering staff and teachers have called off their strikes. Now, the sanitation workers are left," Delhi BJP president Satish Upadhyay told media.

Stating that the BJP was in constant talks with the MCD workers, Upadhyay further said that the agitators were being tried and convinced to resume their responsibilities as it was not fair in being an impediment to the cleanliness of the national capital."We are trying to convince them that cleanliness of Delhi is of

PM Modi visits IFR village in Vizag

Narendra Modi New Delhi,Feb 7:Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday visited the IFR village at the Andhra university engineering college grounds here, a senior official said.Visakhapatnam District Collector N Yuvraj said the Prime Minister, Andhra Pradesh Governor ESL Narasimhan and state Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu visited the IFR village and went around the stalls.

Vice Chairman and Man-

aging Director of Girijan Cooperative Corporation, Visakhapatnam, ASPS Ravi Prakash said all the delegates including the Prime Minister visited their stall and had a cup of coffee from the Araku valley.Modi will be the chief guest at the International City Parade to be held here tomorrow on the lines of the Republic Day Parade, as part of the ongoing International Fleet Review 2016.

(Agencies)

'Centre to open 15 more tool rooms to train youth' Kanpur, Feb 7:Union Minister Kalraj Mishra on Saturday said the Centre would open 15 more tool rooms throughout the country to provide technical training to the youths and help them get a job.A tool room is being set up in Himachal Pradesh, the Union Minister of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) said, adding 18 tool rooms are currently in operation in the country.Mishra who was here for the inauguration of 'Geeta Fair' said, a tool room is being set up at the compound of the now defunct Mayur Mill in Kanpur at a cost of Rs 100 core and would be in-

augurated this month.All the industries here including textile, leather, hosiery, would be involved to train the graduates of the city and help them build a source of income, he said adding it would also help the industries get trained personnel.

In the neighbouring district of Kannauj, the Centre is taking many steps like providing technical knowhow to help its traditional attar industry, the Union Minister said.The government has directed the PSUs to buy 20 per cent of its supplies from small industries, Mishra added. (Agencies)

WHO may find Delhi most polluted, but many Indian cities worse New Delhi, Feb 7:Even though Delhi is considered the most polluted city in the world by World Health Organisation (WHO), it is still better off than many other Indian cities, according to recent data published by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) on air pollution.The national capital stood sixth in terms of air pollution in January, with cities like Muzzaffarpur in Bihar and Varanasi showing worse air qualities.The data compares pollution levels of 24 cities on the basis of their Air Quality Index (AQI) with a colour code and a numerical value.

According to the CPCB data, Muzzaffarpur and Varanasi are coded as 'severe' in terms of air pollution during January with an AQI value of 409 each.

Delhi was 'very poor' at 362.The AQI is determined

on the basis of concentration of eight pollutants, including Particulate Matter 2.5, PM 10 (fine, respirable particles), sulphur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2) carbon monoxide (CO), ozone, ammonia and lead.In December, even as Delhi had 'poor' air quality with an AQI of 293, seven other cities were ahead of it and rated as 'very poor'.

These included Agra (342), Faridabad (345), Kanpur (347), Lucknow (353), Muzzaffarpur (400), Patna (373) and Varanasi (366).Similarly, in November the national capital ranked third with a score of 360, with Lucknow and Patna leading at 374 and 366 AQIs respectively.However, in September and October, Delhi was at the top of air pollution chart with 194 and 264 AQIs respectively.

(Agencies)

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday expressed confidence that the indefinite strike by the MCD workers would certainly be called off

utmost importance. What the Delhi Government does or does not do is not our concern, but we are asking the protestors to resume their work. We

are sure we will be able to convince them to fulfill their responsibilities," Upadhyay said.Asserting that the BJP supported the de-

mands by the MCD agitators and their anger towards the Delhi Government was justified, he added that it was not fair that their protest was becoming a hindrance towards the city's cleanliness.Earlier, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had announced releasing of funds worth Rs. 700 crore, including Rs. 551 crore loan for the East and North municipal corporations to solve the problem.However, the offer failed to pacify the workers and they have decided to continue with their strike. (ANI)

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) today expressed confidence that the indefinite strike by the MCD workers would certainly be called off as they were in talks with the protestors, reminding them of their obligations to the national capital.

Delhi Police to use space tech for crime control New Delhi,Feb 7:The Delhi Police will soon start using space technology for live crime mapping and adopting a "predictive policing" mechanism being developed in partnership with the Indian Space Research Organisation."The Crime Mapping, Analytics and Predictive System (CMAPS) is being operationalised by Delhi Police in partnership with ISRO for effective use of space technology- based tools for ensuring internal security," a senior police official said on Sunday.He said the system would help in crime control and law and order and security

management through analysis of relevant data and patterns, leading to the optimisation of available resources.

The system will be complete with police officials being equipped with Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) devices connected to a central processor, which stores records of more than two lakh criminals.The system will enable real time access to vital information at the crime scene itself so the officials do not have to go back to police stations for filing reports, the senior official said, adding the system will be capable of converting every distress

call into a digital message with the location of the caller being flashed through global positioning system.At present crime mapping is a periodical process which is conducted manually by gathering electronic data at an interval of 15 days.

The reports are prepared by the Joint Commissioners and forwarded to Special Commissioner (Law and Order), who then briefs the police chief.With the new space technology-based system, the police will also be able to identify gangs in specific areas real time.The mechanism of "predictive policing" has been adopted by cities in

quite a few developed nations.For instance, if an official needs to know which area is witnessing a large number of chain snatching cases, the specific location can be quickly ascertained and police teams deployed there strategically so such crimes can be stopped.The specific prediction can also lead to arrest of criminals, the senior official said."The first version of CMAPS has been designed for standalone systems. This would be graduated to a web application during the second phase of the scheme," he said.

(Agencies)

OROP promise fulfilled to 'best of our understanding': Parrikar Visakhapatnam, Feb.7 : With the Union Government issuing the tables for implementation of the One Rank One Pension (OROP) scheme, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on Sunday said that the promises made by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been fulfilled to the best of their understanding."As far as OROP is concerned, it is the promise of BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi and to the best of our understanding of the issue, we have fulfilled it. It is an issue, which was not fulfilled for 43 years. It was an issue where assurances were given with an arrangement of Rs. 500 crores," Parrikar told the media here.

"As promised by the BJP

Manohar Parrikar and Prime Minister Narendra Modi before elections, we have already issued tables of various pensions as per the OROP scheme, involving approximately Rs.7,500 crores of funds of annual requirement and Rs.10,980 crores of arrears which would be paid in four installments," he said.The Defence Minister said that provisions have been made so as to ensure that even small issues are addressed."A common

formula cannot solve all the issues. So, if there are any issues left, they can be raised with the government, refer it to the one-man commission and then we can come out with a redressal of issue," he said.The Centre had on Wednesday issued the tables for implementation of the OROP scheme, thereby fulfilling the long-standing demand of the defence personnel after 42 year.The arrears from July 1, 2014

to December 31, 2015 would be approximately costing Rs. 10,900 crore.

Over 86 percent of the total expenditure on account of OROP will benefit the JCOs/ORs. The payment of arrears and revision of pension under OROP is to be made by the Pension Disbursing Authorities in four installments, except for family pensioners and pensioners in receipt of gallantry awards who will be paid arrears in one installment.The total increase in the Defence Budget for pensions is estimated to go up from Rs. 54,000 crore (BE 201516) to around Rs. 65,000 crore (proposed BE 201617), thereby increasing the Defence Pension outlay by about 20 percent.The OROP scheme is set to benefit over 18 lakh exservicemen and war widows. (ANI)

Abu Dhabi Crown Prince to visit India

Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan

U.A.E, Feb 7:The Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan will visit India this week to discuss ways to strengthen cooperation between the countries on "regional and international issues of mutual concern".Sheikh Mohamed, 54, who is also the Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, will begin

his three-day-long visit to India on Wednesday along with a high-profile delegation of ministers, businesspersons and economists, and will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi as well.

"While visiting India, Sheikh Mohamed will discuss with senior Indian official ways to strengthen cooperation and friendship between the two countries in the

light of continuous coordination and consultations regarding regional and international issues of mutual concern," the UAE's official news agency Wam reported yesterday.Prime Minister Modi has visited UAE in August last year after a gap of 34 years, marking the beginning of a new and comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries.During the visit, the oil-rich Gulf nation has announced to enhance its investments

in India to $75 billion (about Rs 5 lakh crore) including through a dedicated infrastructure fund.UAE is also the largest Arab investor country in India and accounts for 81.2 per cent of the total Arab investments in the country.The bilateral trade between the two countries is valued at around $60 billion, making the UAE, India's third-largest trading partner for the year 2014-15 after China and the US. (Agencies)

The Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan will visit India this week to discuss ways to strengthen cooperation between the countries on "regional and international issues of mutual concern

UP Govt. must ensure Ghulam Ali's concert is not sabotaged: BJP

Amid the Shiv Sena protests looming over Pakistani ghazal maestro Ghulam Ali's concert in Lucknow

New Delhi, Feb. 7 : Amid the Shiv Sena protests looming over Pakistani ghazal maestro Ghulam Ali's concert in Lucknow today, the Bharatiya Janata Party has called upon the state administration to ensure that the event is performed in a peaceful environment and no untoward incident takes place."It is the responsibility of the state administration to ensure that such event is performed in a peaceful environment and atmosphere and no such untoward incident takes place. As far as Shiv Sena is concerned, I think they should refrain and restrain from doing such activities," BJP leader Zafar Islam told ANI.Talking about Shiv Sena's vehement denial of any ties, political or cultural, between India and Pakistan, Islam added that there was nothing wrong in

strengthening cultural ties.

"While the political dialogue is on, the cultural activities between the two countries should also take place. Nothing wrong in strengthening cultural ties and no one should not politicize this," he added.Meanwhile, Shiv Sena's UP chief Anil Singh has been put under house arrest ahead of Ghulam Ali's concert.He has, however, asserted that protests against the singer would be carried out in the city."Our soldiers are dying and the UP Government wants to roll a red carpet for Ghulam Ali. On one hand our artists are not being given a visa by Pakistan and on the other hand we are welcoming their artists," Singh told ANI.Ghulam Ali arrived yesterday to perform on the culminating day of the Lucknow Mahotsava.

(ANI)

Rajnath reviews coastal security, other issues in Diu Daman and Diu, Feb 7 : Home Minister Rajnath Singh visited Daman and Diu to review coastal security, development and governance issues on February 4 and 5. Rajnath reviewed the Coastal Security apparatus, a Coastal Police station and an operational de-

tachment in Daman-Diu during his visit.

The Home Minster assured the people of Daman and Diu that the Central Government is fully committed to providing all necessary support to ensure that the true aspirations of the people are realised.

(ANI)

UN Security Council to hold emergency talks on N Korea Albany,Feb 7:The United Nations Security Council will hold an emergency meeting on Sunday in New York over North Korea's launch of a longrange rocket, diplomats said.The closed-door talks were requested by South Korea as well as council members Japan and the United States, which have both denounced the launch as a violation of UN Security Council resolutions.Tokyo and Washington called the consultations over the launch of a "so-called 'satellite' by North Korea in violation of relevant Security Council resolutions," in a letter to the Venezuela mission currently holding the council presidency.

The resolutions bar Pyongyang from any ballistic missile or nuclear activity.The unpredictable hermit state made good on

its threat to launch a satellite-bearing rocket, despite US and South Korean warnings, the South Korean military confirmed.

The launch took place as the international community was still struggling to reach consensus on how to respond to Pyongyang's detonation of what it claimed was a powerful thermonuclear bomb on January 6.The White House and its allies want to respond with a UN resolution that would slap more sanctions on the North.But they must first win the backing of UN veto power China, which has in the past shielded its neighbor and close ally.The North is already subject to numerous UN sanctions over previous rocket launches and three nuclear tests in 2006, 2009 and 2013. (Agencies)

The United Nations Security Council will hold an emergency meeting in New York over North Korea's launch of a long-range rocket,

DIBRUGARH, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 8

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NEIGHBOURS

Kashmir issue to remain on top of Pakistan's agenda PM seeks help from engineers for during dialogue with India, says Sartaj Aziz New Delhi, Feb 7: As India and Pakistan once again try to hold foreign secretary level talks and look for a date for the same, the latter is expected to increase pressure on the Kashmir issue, during the talks. The talks, which are ant to launch the recently announced comprehensive bilateral dialogue (CBD) process, can once again be expected to be caught in a stalemate situation as Pakistan continues to hold the issue on the top of its priority list.

China voices regret at North Korea rocket launch -Foreign Ministry Beijing, Feb 7 : China's Foreign Ministry today expressed regret at a rocket launch

by North Korea amid international condemnation, adding that it called on all sides to act cautiously and refrain from taking steps that might further raise tensions on the Korean peninsula."China expresses regret that North Korea, in spite of the pervasive opposition of the international community, insisted on using ballistic missile technology to carry out a launch," said ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying in a statement posted on the ministry's website.She added that dialogue is the only way to ensure lasting peace and stability in the region. North Korea launched a longrange rocket on Sunday carrying what it has said is a satellite.

(Agencies)

Lanka's opposition party protests on UN Human Rights Chief visit Colombo, Feb.7 : The National Freedom Front (NFF), Sri Lanka's opposition political party led by MP Wimal Weerawansa has organized a protest in Colombo against the visit of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein.UN Chief arrived in the island on a four day visit at the invitation of the Sri Lankan Government.

Hundreds of protesters carrying placards and shouting slogans gathered outside the UN complex in Colombo to protest the chief's visit which according to the protesters would affect the Sri Lankan military adversely,reported the Lanka Page.Protesters holding banners that read 'Al Hussein hands off - Sri Lanka', 'We condemn your report' and 'Don't send war heroes to the guillotine' marched to the UN office in Colombo from the Lipton Circus and staged a protest outside the UN office.NFF leader Weerawansa led the demonstrators and addressed the crowd gathered outside the UN complex.Al-Hussein has come here to take our war heroes to guillotine, but we won't allow that to happen, Wimal Weerawansa added.The police deployed additional troops to beef up the security to the UN complex.(ANI)

According to a report in the Times of India, Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's chief advisor on foreign affairs Sartaj Aziz announced on Saturday that the issue will remain on top of Pakistan's agenda for the talks. During the celebration of the 'Kashmir Solidarity Day', Sharif had stressed that peace in South Asia was difficult until the Kashmir issue was resolved. Radio Pakistan said that Sharif said that Islamabad can be expected to push the

tail. The situation once again stands at the brink of a deadlock as India is adamant to not include the Kashmir issue as a part of the dialogues, which it wants to be centred around discussions on terrorism on Pakistan's soil. sartaj aziz international community to fulfil its responsibility in the implementation of United Nations resolution on Kashmir Pakistan has made it

clear that no progress in the bilateral talks will be made until the Kashmir issue, amongst other outstanding issues, is discussed in de-

Although government has repeatedly stressed on the need for Pakistan to start cracking down on terror, it has also maintained the commitment towards peace process and dialogue on terrorism.

(Agencies)

During the celebration of the 'Kashmir Solidarity Day', Sharif had stressed that peace in South Asia was difficult until the Kashmir issue was resolved

Nepal requests Bangladesh to hold postponed meeting Kathmandu, Feb 7;Nepal has requested Bangladesh to hold the commerce secretarylevel meeting, which was postponed after Nepal notified the Bangladeshi side about its inability to manage time due to ongoing crises. The meeting originally scheduled for mid-October 2015 in Dhaka.

The two sides are expected to sign an agreement on providing easier market access to each other's products and remove barriers to trade.

As per an understanding reached earlier, Bangladesh will provide duty-free access to 108 Nepali products-most of which are agriculture-related-while Nepal will provide preferential treatment to 50 B a n g l a d e s h i goods.Commerce Secretary Naindra Upadhyaya said the request was made in the last week of January after the conclusion of the Bangladesh

Trade Fair in Kathmandu in third week of January.

"We have not received a feedback so far," he added.Nepal has also forwarded two draft memoranda of understanding (MoU) on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) and Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Measures, according to Upadhyaya.

Under the MoU, the two sides will give recognition to quality certificates of each others' products. The TBT-related MoU deals with quality certificates of manufactured products, while MoU on SPS deals with quality of agriculture products.

"The issues related to TBT and SPS measures have already been resolved, so the MoUs are ready for signing in the next meeting," Upadhyaya, adding the two sides are also most likely to sign an agreement on providing market access to goods.

With Bangladesh providing duty-free access to Nepali products, it had sought reciprocal measures from Nepal during the last joint secretarylevel meeting held in Kathmandu in April, 2015. But Nepal has asked the Bangladeshi side to implement previously-pledged concessions first.

"As Bangladesh agreed to offer duty-free access to Nepali products unilaterally, while Nepal offered preferential treatment, we have urged them to implement these concessions first," said Upadhyaya. "There has been a consensus on our position to a large extent," Upadhyaya added.Most of the Bangladeshi items to which Nepal wants to give preferential treatment are fish, medicines, potatoes and industrial goods. Bangladesh has also been asking dutyfree access to 64 products.Commerce

Ministry officials said Nepal has offered to reduce customs duty by 5 percentage points if the duty structure is higher than 15 percent, and by 3 percentage points if the duty level is below 15 percent.

Nepal has given similar preferential treatment to Chinese products as per an agreement signed with China's Tibet. Nepal is also considering offering duty-free access to certain Bangladeshi products in line with the South Asia Free Trade Area Agreement (Safta) within 2016. Ministry officials said it plans to sign an agreement with Bangladesh after settling pending issues at the joint secretary-level

meeting. During the last bilateral meeting, Bangladesh had agreed to simplify the process of granting visa on arrival to Nepalis at two border points, Banglabandha and Burimari. Although the facility is already in force, travellers have to undergo a lengthy documentation procedure.

Bangladesh had expressed its willingness to cut the paperwork during the last bilateral trade talks. The two sides had also agreed to seek India's cooperation to issue visa on arrival to Nepalis in Bangladesh if any Nepali reaches Bangladesh by land. The facility is currently applicable only for arrivals by air. (Agencies)

The two sides are expected to sign an agreement on providing easier market access to each other's products and remove barriers to trade

China electrifying market for 'green' cars with subsidies Beijing, Feb 7 : Government subsidies are fuelling a boom in electric vehicles in China, driving hopes for the industry's global future as the world's biggest car market offers economies of scale that could make the technology mainstream.Sales of electric cars, though Sales of electric cars in China have rocketed four-fold in a still modest, have rock- year as Beijing looks to cut down on dangerous air pollution eted four-fold n a year that shrouds urban areas. thanks in part to lavish government handouts - as favourable ripple effect plug-in hybrids.

Beijing looks to cut down across the whole world," Growing public anger has on dangerous air pollution said Ernst and Young auto propelled Beijing to act, that shrouds urban areas. expert Jean-Francois with central government Belorgey."Pollution lev- subsidies of up to 55,000 The sector has been a con- els mean the government yuan (RM34,800) for trast with the rest of the has no other choice" than buyers of zero- or lowmarket for cars in China, to encourage the develop- emission vehicles, which where growth has slowed ment of new energy ve- are often matched by lomarkedly alongside the hicles, he added.Chinese cal authorities.The govwider economy.And ob- cities are regularly smoth- ernment says it wants five servers say if carmakers ered in a haze of particu- million "green" vehicles can crack China, with its lates, often far exceeding on the road by 2020 in the vast population and bur- global health country of more than one geoning middle class, the guidelines.While much of billion people. Drivers of rest of the planet could the pollution comes from such cars can also avoid follow. coal burning for industry, restrictions imposed on vehicle exhausts exacer- heavy smog days, when "If China gets moving on bate the problem.Only some cities limit vehicles electric cars then that 331,000 of the 24 million according to their licence would automatically new cars sold in China plate.They are also exlower prices and have a last year were electric or empt from lotteries for

plates several cities have set up in an attempt to cap on the total number of cars.Domestic firms have benefited, with Warren Buffett-backed Chinese firm BYD claiming to be the biggest electric vehicle maker in the world.China's Geely, which owns Volvo, is another major player, and says it wants to shift 90 per cent of its sales to hybrid and electric vehicles by 2020 with the government's blessing.

The subsidy incentives only apply to domestic brands, not foreign manufactured cars, and the government says it will gradually phase them out by 2020 to ensure the sector does not become dependent on handouts.Despite the handicap, foreign firms have also tried to cash in on the potential gold rush.The company opened its first Chinese factory last Monday in the central industrial hub of Wuhan and will start to

produce electric cars there as early as next year, in cooperation with local company Dongfeng.

"If we can succeed in China we can succeed elsewhere," says Renault CEO Carlos Ghosn, whose firm has already produced several models in Europe.US giant General Motors is making and selling its hybrid Cadillac CT6 in China, and exporting it to the United States, according to reports.

But as with other parts of the world, the market still remains on the margins because relatively high costs and a lack of charging stations has dampened public enthusiasm.Another problem is that China generates most of the electric power which would be used to charge the cars from coal burning -the biggest source of the country's smog.

(Agencies)

7% growth

Sheikh Hasina Dhaka, Feb 7: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has sought wholehearted support of everybody including engineers to set Bangladesh on 7% growth trajectory. Inaugurating the 56th national Convention of Engineers Institution, Bangladesh (IEB), the prime minister made the urge on Saturday.She also sought help from all achieving the sustainable development goals for the country's economic prosperity."We want to develop the country and the key of development is in your hand. Real development depends on your sincerity," said the premier.

Sheikh Hasina said all d e v e l o p m e n t programmes should be adopted under a wellthought-out plan and ev-

ery upazila should have a sound development plan so that we can develop roads, power supply system, sewerage management and other facilities protecting our valuable land and ecology."Development project should not be expanded only for increasing the cost of the project. Rather every project should be costeffective and planned that can provide better services to the people.

It's my expectation from you," she told the engineers.The prime minister urged the engineers working particularly in different public sector organisations to complete the government projects within the stipulated timeframe to ensure and reach the benefit of the projects to the people. (Agencies)

Koirala, Deuba locked in tight race for delegates Kathmandu,Feb 7: Final results of Nepali Congress's local level conventions are yet to be announced, but the trend shows the two factions, led by incumbent party President Sushil Koirala and senior leader Sher Bahadur Deuba, are locked in a tight race.The party is holding its local conventions to elect representatives for the General Convention (GC) scheduled for March 3 to 6. The GC will elect the party's top officials, including the president.

While both the factions have made claims of securing majority of delegates, party insiders and our district correspondents say it's going to be a tight game.

Morang district, which is a stronghold of the Koirala camp, is set to witness a tight competition, according to our correspondent.

In Nuwakot, another establishment-controlled district, the Deuba faction seems to have made significant progress.

"Compared to previous local level conventions, we now have an upper hand," said NC leader Prakash Sharan Mahat, a leader close to Deuba. But NC leader Ananda Prasad Dhungana, a leader close to Koirala, claims that more representatives from the establishment camp have won at the local level.

About 3,200 convention representatives will be elected from electoral constituencies, districts and sister organisations.

In Kavre district, the Deuba faction has increased its strength, but there is still domination of the establishment faction.

In Rolpa district, the establishment faction has won more seats in the GC representative election.

Similarly, in Gorkha district, there is domination of the establishment faction.

In Rautahat and Saptari districts, the electoral constituency level conventions have been disturbed due to disputes between the rival factions of the party.

In Kanchanpur, Deuba's home constituency, the Deuba faction continues to hold sway.

Meanwhile, some noted leaders of the party have been defeated in electoral constituency level conventions. Similarly, there were obstructions by Madhes-based parties in some districts of the Tarai. NC leader Dhungana said Madhesbased parties are intentionally obstructing the local level conventions.

Chairman of Nepal Trade Union Congress Khilanath Dahal has been defeated in the GC representative election in Okhaldhunga-1 constituency. (Agencies)

India, Sri Lanka bat for strengthening energy ties Colombo, Feb 7:India held discussions with Sri Lanka to strengthen bilateral relations in the p e t r o l e u m sector.Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan held a meeting with Anoma Gamage, deputy minister of petroleum resources development

of Sri Lanka.Pradhan discussed issues like expansion of activities of Lanka IOC, including in the retail business, bunkering and marketing of aviation turbine fuel (ATF) and cooking gas.

Lanka IOC is a subsidiary of Indian Oil Corporation Ltd. and one of the

major retail players in the Sri Lankan market and has been highly active there for several years.He reiterated the commitment made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to work with Sri Lanka to make Trincomalee a regional energy hub.He expressed India's interest in estab-

lishing refinery and bunkering operations in Sri Lanka."We assure you that India is committed to help Sri Lanka emerge as petroleum hub," Pradhan told the visiting minister.He expressed confidence that both Sri Lanka and India will work in a spirit of partnership in the hydrocar-

bon sector.

"We hope this visit will benefit our bilateral relationship and economy of Sri Lanka and benefit Lanka IOC," Gamange said.Officials from Sri Lanka's oil and gas sector as well as from India's petroleum ministry were also present at the meeting. (Agencies)

Koirala, Deuba locked in tight race for delegates

PAGE 8

DIBRUGARH, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 8

Netaji SC Bose files The mother of all scams in India After less than two weeks' time, when India remembered Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose on his 119th birth anniversary, few mysteries about him are solved to a certain extend. And by then, the mystery surrounding his disappearance and death is expected to clear up. Recently, a website run by senior Londonbased journalist Ashis Ray, which has been posting archival documentation on Netaji, revealed evidence related to the 1945 plane crash in Formosa (presentday Taiwan) that had purportedly resulted in his death.

Evidence suggests that Bose was indeed on the flight and was injured in the crash. But did he succumb to injuries sustained on 18 August 1945? Last year, on 14 October, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Netaji's family members and decided to declassify files related to him.Since then, the mystery surrounding his disappearance has come back into the limelight, with various claims and counter-claims about him being spotted as far away as Tashkent two decades later. But according to reports, the former Congress president was indeed on the Japanese Air Force bomber that crashed in Taipei. The Japanese aircraft took off from Tourane in Vietnam with Subhas Bose and 12 or 13 other passengers and crew. Subsequent to the crash, in September 1945, British authorities had sent intelligence teams to inquire about the whereabouts of Bose, and arrest him if he was alive. However, they concluded that he had died in the crash.

With the unveiling of 100 declassified documents on Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, it has once again been proved that Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose did really have some kind of a big secret within himself. Moreover the recent declassified documents have confirmed previous claims that the INA treasure was looted. Correspondence between Tokyo and New Delhi between 1951 to 1955 shows that the Nehru government was aware of the embezzlement of the treasure but seem to have chosen to look the other way. The documents are still not available in the public domain, but the NAI is expected to release around 25 digitized copies every month. There are 41 files on Subhas Chandra Bose, created between 1953 and 2000. Two - 'INA Treasure' and 'Death of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose: Appointment of an enquiry commission to go into the circumstances of death' - have been declassified, and can be accessed at the National Archives of India. Of the remaining 39 files, four are 'Top Secret', 20 'Secret', five 'Classified' and 10 'Unclassifed'. Those asking for the files to be declassified hope they will reveal the 'truth' behind Bose's death. At least three judicial commissions have probed the matter, but their reports were never accepted by the Centre. As the 'mystery' continued, demands for the files to be made public kept coming. An application filed by RTI activist Subhash Chandra Agrawal on September 14, 2013 asked whether it was true that there were some files related to Bose with the union government, and sought complete copies, along with the details of the matter. The application also sought copies of requests made by people to make the files public, and the action taken by the government on the requests. On November 27, Agrawal filed what's called a 'First Appeal' with the Appellate Authority in the PMO. Essentially, this is an appeal to a higher authority, another shot at getting the files.

Siachen Tragedy 10 soldiers buried in avalanche The ten soldiers belonging to the Madras Regiment had little chance to protect themselves as tonnes of snow covered them in no time, making it even tough for the rescuers to even retrieve their bodies despite the best efforts of both men and machine combined. The graveness of the situation can be gauged from the fact that the Army is even having difficulties in contacting the rescue team which had gone to trace the bodies.

While four soldiers were from Tamil Nadu, three of them were natives of Karnataka. The states of Kerala, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh lost a brave son each in the tragedy. The post is at 19,600 feet on the Actual Ground Position Line (AGPL) - the border with Pakistan at Siachen glacier - in the vicinity of Bana post. In April 1984, the Indian Army moved in to pre-empt a move by the Pakistan Army to occupy the glacier. Indian Army currently occupies the full Siachen glacier, while Pakistani forces are deployed at the lower heights of Saltoro ridge. Since the start of Operation Meghdoot, India has lost 33 officers, 54 JCOs and 782 jawans due to climatic conditions, and environmental and other factors at Siachen.

Last November, an officer of 3 Ladakh Scouts died after he was buried in an avalanche on the southern glacier. An Army officer who has done two stints at northern Siachen explained that avalanches usually take place due to accumulation of snow and are triggered by morning sunlight.

In other cases, when the slope of accumulated snow is between 60 to 80 degrees, the instability leads to an avalanche. The Siachen Glacier in the Karakorum range is known as the highest militarised zone in the world. Thousands of Indian and Pakistani troops contest an area at altitudes above 20,000 feet where they must deal with altitude sickness, high winds, frostbite and temperatures as low as minus 60 degrees Celsius. An estimated 8,000 troops have died on the glacier since 1984, almost all of them from avalanches, landslides, frostbite, altitude sickness or heart failure rather than combat.

Shall We Call It A Step Motherly Treatment Or A Good Samaritan Effort?

The Arunachal is the 28th tion in the state exchequer State of the sovereign of whereas the other half feels India. This tiny state mea- sorry for the state of afsuring approximately fairs. Some says the Presi83,735sqkm was finally dent Rule is the only solurecognised as the full tion for the impasse created fledged state on 20th by the Congress governFeb,1987 from the status of ment at the capital and Union terrio t h e r tory. This it as Lomhom Tangha sees tiny state is the intenvery much tionally important for the union of invited trouble. Ofcourse India in many respect the centre should intervene though left unattended for and clear up all the hurdles many decades. This state that lies on the way of deis very much fragile from its velopment but by and security point of view for large the centre should bordering China in the provide us our basic North, Burma in the west, needed infrastructures like Bhutan to the west and Green field airport, Four Assam and Nagaland to lane capital road, Trans the South. It is the 29th highway and various Hystate of the republic of In- dro power projects. On the dia and rank 27th in its other hand, there should population census. The legislate some laws to deal tiny state is housing nearly with the obstacle of devel20 small districts under its opment such as various roof. One can called it as a union organizations espesmall world in itself coex- cially in the state of isting together many mam- Arunachal Pradesh who moth tribes withstanding all resort to bandh calls once odds in unity in diversity. in every fifteen days.

The Arunachal Pradesh is one of the unlucky state They should be eradicated under republic of India once and for all that stands which had recently cel- as a blockage for developebrated 67th Republic Day ment by organizing various all over the state where the band calls. The Governor centre had imposed its in- should legislate strict law famous President rule on to curb such growing menthe same day that will be aces. The democracy remembered in the history doesn't mean that a person of the state in the wake of can do anything overlookinstability of the elected ing the constitutional government. Almost half of setup which are given to its the citizen had bid them as citizens for peaceful coexa welcoming step to win istence. The political instaover the unstable govern- bility in the state could not ment and rampant corrup- be overlooked either which

paved the way for imposition of President rule by the BJP government at the centre. Now the onus lies in how the citizens of Arunachal Pradesh will cooperate with the Governor in discharging the duties for the welfare of the people of Arunachal Pradesh. The highest twist and turns in the political turmoil in the state had been one of its worst in the history of Arunachal Pradesh. Even the infighting groups in the Congress regime hadn't left any stone unturned to save the coveted chair of Chief ministership under their party which finally slipped away from their hand unless Supreme Court have some leniency towards restoring the defunct government. However, off late there seems to be some ray of hope pouring in at the behest of AICC Vice President Mr. Rahul Gandhi trying to mediate upon the two warring faction of Congress party in the state of Arunachal pradesh and to end the imbroglio for once and for all by giving a go ahead sign to form the government but whom shall he invite to lead the party at the state capital is just a speculation? The position of the congress party is so fragile all over the country that they cannot afford to lose it in anyway in the state like Arunachal Pradesh, therefore the Congress Vice president is bound to bail

source: wikimedia the cat out no matter what it takes for it.

The Arunachal Pradesh is a state that requires utmost attention from the centre for its stabilty in terms of social, economical, educational and political domain to ensure security. The state does not have even a single medical institute inspite of repeated plea for the establishment to have one so that the poor students are benefitted.

The kith and kins of rich and powerful do not have problem, they can accommodate their wards from the management quotas in other cities but the poorer sections have no way out than to succumb to their fate. In this world the only way to avail something by the poorer sections are to compete in the competitive exams with their cutting edge effort to be able to get what the influential class

have. The Modi Government is dreaming of setting up of hundred smart cities in the country which will have at least approximately five hundreds crores funds allocated per annum to run the same but he had not retrospect on some of the states where there is no air connectivity and railway connectivity yet. Almost the Northeasterners are yet to be connected well with those two communications. Of course the proposal for smart city isn't bad but the basic foundation must be laid which is the crux of the development in a states where there are requirements like Airport, Railways, 24Ă—7 Electrical power supply etc and Arunachal Pradesh is one of the most sidelined states under the republic of India.

There are hundreds of places that are worth visiting, the centre if inter-

ested can convert this state into a tourism circuits and can extract trillions of revenue by advocating proper guidelines taking the government of Arunachal into confident. Not only that there are many hydro resources all over the state which could have been harnessed through hydro power projects, had the centre give due attention in this sector but nothing propagates.

The Arunachal Pradesh is called the land of rising sun, and obviously the state have great resources for solar energy if it can be harnessed but nothing can be done unless Modi ji include us in Make in India banner .

What if the State like Arunachal Pradesh is given attention and funded well with proper scrutiny; it would have yield cent percent.

Real Estate Sector's Hopes from Union Budget 2016 The Union Budget is an self-use additionally pay eagerly-awaited annual rent. event which Indians fol- Instead of allowing home low closely, as the deci- buyers tax benefits postsions and allocations an- possession, the Union nounced by the Finance Budget should make a proMinistry have great perti- vision that allows these nence to both individuals from the time they start payand industries. The real ing interest on housing estate sector is sensitive loans. This will ease their to many of policies that are monetary burden considerannounced both for vari- ably and make increase the ous industries and indi- velocity of home loan disviduburseals. ments.

T h e Pranjal Kumar Phukan Simirelarly, if alty sector is just emerg- an under-construction ing from a prolonged and property is purchased from painful slowdown, and is capital gains, its construclooking for all and any tion must be completed signs of light at the end of within three years of its sale the tunnel. This fact to avail exemption. There makes Union Budget 2016 can be delays by developer all the more critical, and in such cases too. These the real estate industry deductions should be has many expectations brought at par and the confrom it. struction timeline should 1.Offer financial protec- be extended from the curtion from project delays to rent three years to five home buyers years.

The Union Budget 2. Provide more tax saving should pay specific heed on housing loan and house to this pressing need. On insurance premiums purchase of an under- The government should inconstruction property, crease the tax deduction buyers can only claim tax limit for housing loans, esbenefits of Rs. 2 lakh after pecially for buyers in metpossession if construc- ropolitan cities. The current tion is completed within limit of Rs 2 lakh is insigthree years. The benefits nificant given the ticket reduce to Rs. 30,000 if the sizes in cities like Mumbai, builder delays construc- where most houses are tion beyond this - and priced at Rs 1 crore and they pay higher interest. above. Also, tax concesFirst-time home buyers sions on house insurance purchasing properties for premiums could be intro-

Source: infoshine duced to encourage end users to insure their homes.

Similarly, the tax exemption limit should be increased by about Rs 1 lakh and be autoset to match inflationary trends in a financial year.

3. Raise house rent deduction limit Salaried persons get house rent allowance (HRA) as a component of their total salary, and can therefore claim a deduction. This deduction can be substantial in cases where the salary and its HRA component are higher. However, self-employed persons and those who draw lump sum pays without an HRA component can only claim a maximum deduction of Rs 2,000 a month under Section 80GG. The Budget can and should address this anomaly.

4. Provide more incentives to boost development and consumption of sustainable real estate The Budget should provide

clear and convincing benefits to buyers of green real estate in the country. Stakeholders of the residential real estate sector definitely require more encouragement to press the 'green' button. Most home buyers in India are averse to paying an extra premium for such projects, and the low demand means that developers are not sufficiently active in this segment. The Budget should provide a combination of incentives to boost the development and buyer interest in green real estate in the country.

5. Make additional allocation for infrastructure development in peripheral areas of metros Although the previous Budget prioritized affordable housing, the upcoming Budget should allocate an amount specifically for building infrastructure and improving connectivity in the peripheral areas of cities, especially the metros.

Without this, it will be difficult to provide affordable housing in the cities. Developers entering this segment should be allowed cheaper financing options, thereby also providing a shot in the arm for government's 'Housing for All by 2022' target.

6. Remove the DDT bottleneck in REITs Despite the announcement last year, there has not been a single REIT listing in India to date. The primary reason is the presence of Dividend Distribution Tax (DDT).

While the government has worked towards removing other bottlenecks, DDT has remained a key pending issue. Developers and other asset holders need the government to do away with it in the Budget 2016. Until this vital change is made, REITs - which can almost singlehandedly revive the Indian real estate sector - will remain pipped at the post. To aid the faster revival of the real estate sector as well as to provide a significant boost to the economy in general, the Budget must address this issue.

7. Provide clarity on GST implementation and e-commerce The Finance Minister should announce a specific date for the implementation of GST. This major reform will give the industry a very clear taxation structure and induce a major sea change for the logistics architecture,

since logistics will be driven by cost and not by a regulatory regime.

E-commerce is booming in India, but different states currently have varying definitions and laws on ecommerce. A common definition as well as law is needed to govern this sector and help companies operate more efficiently.

Such a move will help startup firm up their investment plans, as well.

8. Provide sops for the retail industry to induce vibrancy The retail industry wants also seeks the earliest implementation of GST. Also, e-commerce and offline players need a level playing field. Sops should be given to the retail industry to induce the kind of vibrancy evident in countries like Dubai and Singapore, which have shown successfully how one can tap the retail sector to attract tourists.

(Author is Regional General Secretary, CaSI Global- CSR & Sustainability certification body headquartered at New York, US. He is recipient of prestigious Peter F Drucker award for his outstanding contributions in the field of management from University of Swahili- A Fully accredited chartered Government University. He can be contacted at pranjal_xlri@yahoo.com).

Women's Entry Into Shani Singnapur Shrine

Source: static.abplive

Sir, Gone are the days, when almost every sphere of life was dominated by the man, our male forefathers, too, turned things to their advantages. Still in the present society, the women are exploited by the heinous dowry system, there are many families, where birth of girl - child is not accepted gracefully, girls cannot move freely, there are myriad cases of raping molestation, harassment on the road. To this long list of discrimination, the latest one is the controversy centering round the no entry of women in the Shani Singnapur Shrine in Maharastra's Ahmed Nagar District. Trupti Desai, spearheading the agitation against this discrimination surely deserves kudos. The movement under the banner of an NGO - Bhumata Ranragini Brigade started with such a momentum against the discrimination that the chief minister Devendra Fadnavis had to rush to intervene. Trupti Desai expressed her relief and happiness at the assurance from the chief Minister that he had taken note of their demand, also assuring them of help. Our prime minister's slogan of 'Beti Padhao, Beti Bachao' fails to impact these bigots. We are surprised to note that those who oppose vehemently against the movement of Trupti Desai are BJP or Shiv Sena workers. Of late, it is also observed that girls fare

better than their boys counterpart in many fields including academic stream. So, this discrimination against women should be done away with before long.

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

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DIBRUGARH, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 8

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Children under five account for 30 per cent of deaths due to food borne diseases globally: WHO Calls food borne diseases a 'global concern' In its first-ever global es- caused by 31 agents intimate of food borne dis- cluding bacteria, viruses, eases, the World Health parasites, toxins and Organization (WHO) has chemicals. found that children under The report, titled "WHO's five account for almost estimates of the global one-third (30 per cent) of burden of food borne disdeaths despite being only eases", is the first com9 per prehencent of Karnika Bahuguna sive study the gloon food b a l borne dispopulation. eases and effect of conThe report said that each taminated food on well year as many as 600 mil- being. lion, or almost 1 in 10 "Knowing which food people in the world, fall borne pathogens are ill after consuming con- causing the biggest probtaminated food. lems in which parts of the According to the WHO, world can generate tarout of these 600 million geted action by the pubpeople, 420,000 succumb lic, governments, and the to food borne diseases food industry," Margaret and 125,000 are children Chan, director-general of under the age of five WHO, was quoted as years. saying in a release.

Children who survive Stating that food borne some of the more serious diseases were a global food borne diseases, may concern, the report highsuffer from delayed lighted the WHO Africa physical and mental de- and South-East Asia Revelopment, impacting gions to have the highest their quality of life perma- incidence and highest nently, it said. death rates, including The report said that food among children under the borne diseases are mainly age of five years.

WHO South-East Asia Region The report said that the WHO's South-East Asia Region, comprising of Bangladesh, Bhutan, Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea), India, Indonesia, the Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Timor-Leste, has the second highest burden of food borne diseases per population, after the African Region.

However, in terms of absolute numbers, more people living in the WHO South-East Asia Region fall ill and die from food borne diseases every year than in any other WHO Region.

There are more than 150 million cases and 175,000 deaths a year due to food borne diseases in the region.

"Some 60 million children under the age of five fall ill and 50,000 die from food borne diseases in the South-East Asia Region every year," it added.

Globally, half of the people who are infected and die from either typhoid fever or Hepatitis A, reside in the SouthEast Asia Region.

Global diseases The report found that diarrhoeal diseases are responsible for more than half of the global burden of food borne diseases, causing 550 million people to fall ill and 230,000 deaths every year.

"Children are at particular risk of foodborne diarrhoeal diseases, with 220 million falling ill and 96,000 dying every year," it warned.

Diarrhoea is often caused by eating raw or undercooked meat, eggs, fresh produce and dairy products contaminated by norovirus, Campylobacter, non-typhoidal Salmonella and pathogenic E. coli.

Other major contributors to the global burden of food borne diseases are typhoid fever, Hepatitis A, Taenia solium (a tapeworm), and Aflatoxin

Florals for Prefall Florals look big for Prefall 2016. Be it Alice and Olivia or Naeem Khan designers have interpreted them in their own handwriting. Nicole Miller showcased them in boho 70s style, Orla Kiely presented them in a more streamlined format. Prabal Gurung presented them in abstract format.

Designers Ankur and Priyanka Modi of label AM:PM say, "Floral prints universally have a strong presence, be it a day dress, soft trousers or sweaters - all of them feature floral motifs or traditional garden floral all over placements and pattern clashing themes such as florals paired with nautical stripes and other designs. For an elegant evening look, you can opt for a classic dress silhou- hat and wavy locks for a boheette with a feminine floral de- mian look. If you like to do sign. If dresses aren't your cup things differently, we suggest of tea you can wearing flaunt the flothis trend ral trend in in the form Manish Mishra several ways. of a jacket For a casual or fitted day look, you can sport floral blazer to master your super printed pants and pair it with chic floral appearance." a t-shirt and a leather jacket for Designer Monisha Jaising says, a totally unique spin on the "Floral prints are a classic pattrend." tern in the history and world Priyanka adds, "Floral printed of fashion. It's one of those t-shits are so effortless and prints that will never get old, easy to rock this season. You regardless of the year or seacan team it with an over-sized son. With so many types of

Note: This article has been republished from Down To Earth.

Ever since homo became sapient, the human mind (predominantly men, actually) has conjured up various notions of what it means to be a man or a woman. Barring rare exceptions, most view them as distinct as chalk and cheese-basically, umpteen variations on "men are from Mars, women are from Venus" theme.

Science, especially brain research, too has bolstered this gender stereotype by asserting that male and female brains are hardwired to perform different skills -men think logically while women intuitively, for instance.

However, a recent Tel Aviv University survey of over 1,400 brain scans of both sexes found that while some elements are indeed peculiar to each, the dominant type, contrary to received wisdom, is a "mosaic" of various features, both unique to either sex as well as common in both. While those who espouse a rainbow position on sex and

gender might feel vindicated, it is doubtful if it would dethrone a prejudice that has been shaped over centuries and is deeply entrenched in popular psyche.

Majority of cultures and religious faiths view men and women as separate archetypes distinguished by specific qualities. Anything in between is seen an aberration worthy of paternalism at best and bigotry at worst.

Fluid imaginings such as the Chinese ying-yang, or the ardhanarishwara of ancient Hindus, which view the two genders as complimentary and inseparable, remain philosophical dinosaurs.

Ideas about sex and gender remained more or less binary in the west until the advent of the feminist movement in the 19th century. But even feminists, even as they fought to claim their legitimate rights, ended up sharpening the fault lines further.

Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung added new embellishments to the dogma of gender with their imaginative, but misplaced excursions into the male and female mind.

Science too stamped its imprimatur on the male-female dichotomy. Sociobiologists like E O Wilson argued that

Salmonlla bacteria. source:fliker tion; and insufficient food safety legislation or implementation of such legislation, it said.

Besides, causing cause short-term symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea, food borne diseases can also cause long-term illnesses, such as cancer, kidney or liver

failure, brain and neural disorders.

WHO said these diseases may be more serious in children, pregnant women, and those who are older or have a weakened immune system.

WHO says that food safety is a shared responsibility and the report's

findings underscore the global threat posed by food borne diseases.

There is a considerable requirement for education and training on the prevention of food borne diseases among food producers, suppliers, handlers and the general public, it said. Courtesy:DTE

Recycling the bin Several initiatives are demonstrating how the informal ewaste recycling sector can be formalised Savita Devi (name changed), a municipal solid waste worker in Ahmedabad city, used to earn Rs 1,500 per month.

When she joined an initiative of GIZ India in 2012, where she was trained to collect ewaste, her income rose to Rs 2,500 per month.

"We are now able to hire

floral prints to choose from, it's important to choose a pattern that works with your personal taste and style. Flower designs can range from dainty and delicate to big and bold, each kind carrying its own personality and character."

Monisha Jaising suggests A shift dress in dreamy tones offers a flattering, body-skimming cut.

Pair a floral flowing maxi dress with comfortable height-boosting stacked heels A pair of floral print jeans, paired with a plain top, is the

social behaviour is more an outcome of the calculus of genes-for example, the fact that women are good in the kitchen and men in the battlefield is a result of eons of natural selection. In recent decades, neuroscientists have added another layer to this gender dichotomy-they argue that gender is not just about what lies between the thighs, but also and especially about what lies between the ears. Science's current obsession with male and female brains is yet another play on the timeworn leitmotif.

This straitjacketed view of gender was defied by many feminist scholars and philosophers, who understood gender not as stemming from within but rather as something constructed from without, a view expressed famously as "one is not born, but rather becomes, a woman" in the French philosopher Simone de Beauvoir's book The Second Sex. This is not to say there are no differences between male and female brains. The observation that women are more prone to depression than men or that men are more likely to suffer from schizophrenia may have as

in the informal sector has long been neglected and ignored, though they are considered key economic actors, who feed the recycling market. They lack formal recognition, safe livelihoods and dignity. Worse, they are exposed to dangerous toxics that can damage to human health.

DISHA worked with middle level collectors of e-waste and also tied up with an authorised recycler in Tamil Nadu. In the last 18 months, about two tonnes of dis-carded mobile phones and its parts have been collected and channelised to the authorised recycling unit.

Now, ragpickers get im-

larger authorised recyclers. "To make a business case, the producers, manufacturers, re-cyclers and the government need to encourage decen-tralised set ups of e-waste collection points run by companies, civil society-led organisations or cooperatives to formalise in-formal

simplest and one of the cutest / feminine way to stay on trend.

Another one of the creative ways to wear floral print is by incorporating it in your tops.

There are tons of brands that make floral print tops and you can take the tops and pair them with solid bottoms.

Adding floral print blazers to any outfit is just another one of the fabulous ways to wear floral print.

Floral footwear can truly dress up, or dress down, a look depending on the shoe.

Cortesy:Trans world Feature

How even science cannot escape the gender stereotypes that society has created Rakesh Kalshian

(produced by mould on grain that is stored inappropriately), according to WHO. Certain diseases, such as those caused by non-typhoidal Salmonella, are a public health concern across all regions of the world, in high- and lowincome countries alike, it said.

Campylobacter is an important pathogen in highincome countries.

High risk in low income countries Diseases such as typhoid fever, food borne cholera, and those caused by pathogenic E. coli, are much more common to low-income countries, the report said.

The risk of food borne diseases is most severe in low- and middle-income countries, according to the report. The risk is linked to preparation of food with unsafe water; poor hygiene and inadequate conditions in food production and storage coupled with lower literacy levels and educa-

much if not more to do with social conditioning as with structural idiosyncrasies in the brain. However, the trouble is that even though studies often match sex difference in the brain to gender stereotypes, anyone who confidently claims that men and women think, feel and act the way they do because of dissimilar neural architecture is guilty of poetic licence.

This is because our brains and minds are dunked deep in a thick social soup, which may often edit the neural blueprint. Likewise, there are aspects of our behaviour that are not always amenable to a constructivist explanation.

Nevertheless, the implication of the present study that our "gendered" brains are more like a mosaic than a chessboard should be welcomed.

However, we can't deny that the gender stereotype is deeply ingrained in our psyche-the struggle of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender groups against social and legal discrimination is a case in point. Any attempt at subverting the delusions of gender should begin with a progressive fashioning of young minds.

Source: treadingmyownpath private tutors to educate our children," says a ragpicker. The initiative has also led to the channe-lisation of ewaste to authorised dismantling and recycling units. The project is run

by SEWA-Gitanjali Cooperatives, which is a joint collaboration with Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) India and Microsoft Corporation.

India generated around 1.7 million tonnes of ewaste in 2014, says a UN report. E-waste is a complex waste stream as it contains rare and valuable components and materials worth recovering. But it contains toxic materials which can harm human health and the environment. A study done by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) in Moradabad's informal ewaste recycling units revealed heavy metal contamination in water and soil samples. The contribution of waste workers

Reinventing the cycle The Ahmedabad initiative has been able to channelise about 4,950 kg of e-waste each year.

"Women workers need to devote only two hours weekly, compared to earlier days when they used to spend the entire day sorting and collecting waste," says Varsha Ben of SEWA. The success of e-waste management and handling lies in the integration of in-formal sector into the formalisation loop. In Kolkata, non-profit DISHA has initiated the process of formalising informal units so that after dismantling, the waste can be sent to the authorised recyclers.

"This has helped secure the livelihood of workers," says Sasan-ka Dev, secretary of DISHA. E-waste recycling-from the household to the dismantling unit-is a three to four tiers process. At present, apex traders control e-waste trading in the informal business market.

mediate monetary returns, and prices on products are fixed, which otherwise would have been the apex trader's decision.

In Pune, a public-private partnership, under the EU Switch Asia-WEEE recycle project, has integrated 192 informal small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Here, the Pune Municipal Corporation fulfilled its responsibility, under the e-waste rules, by providing support in the form of land to set up a collection facility.

In Bengaluru, SAAHAS, a non-profit, pro-vided support to establish four SMEs, who have established linkages with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to han-dle 40 tonnes of ewaste. The initiative is achieving sustainability through the establishment of business cyclesSMEs are buy-ing ewaste and re-selling it to

workers," says Rachna Arora, senior technical adviser, GIZ. Though the E-waste Rules, 2011, and the draft E-waste Rules, 2015, lay the responsi-bility of managing e-waste on the producers and manufacturers, under the principle of Extended Producer Respon-sibility, manufacturers are not implementing it, as the existing rules lack the scope for bringing the informal sector into the loop of formalisation (see 'The impediments...').

These initiatives have shown how the informal e-waste sector can be streamlined and formalised. But more importantly, these initiatives have recognised the role of waste workers, creating new livelihoods, improved working conditions for women and enhanced social and educational status for their child r e n .

Courtesy:DTE(Dopwn to Earth)

DIBRUGARH, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 8

BUSINESS

Hyundai moves cars via sea Mumbai, Feb 7: Hyundai Motor Company is now using ships to move its cars across domestic markets to save on costs and reduce carbon footprint. As many as 800 cars were loaded on to the M.V. IDM Symex, a roll-on-roll-off (RoRo) vessel, at the Chennai Port .

The cargo will be unloaded at Pipavav Port in Gujarat, Chennai Port Deputy Chairman Cyril C. George said. Though Hyundai had been using Chennai Port for exporting cars, this is the first time it is transporting its cargo through the sea for domestic market.

Trade sources said it takes normally three to four days for the car manufacturer to move vehicles from the production centres near Chennai to Gujarat region through trailers. However, shipping them is seen as eco-friendly and low-cost as the Centre had promised

to provide incentive of Rs.3,000 per car to those using coastal route. Mr. George said: "It is yet another initiative of the Mission Resurge - Chennai Port. It is also in line with the Shipping Ministry's policy of encouraging coastal shipping, reducing carbon foot print and also addressing the traffic congestion issue at the port. It is also the first time that cars are being moved from the east coast to west coast." After flagging off the maiden service, Chennai Port Trust officials are also talking to other OEMs such as Nissan and Ford to start using the coast for transporting cargo. "To encourage the OEMs to use our services, we have announced a flat wharfage rate of Rs.500 per small car and Rs.2,000 for big cars.

Also the wharfage for

ArcelorMittal to elevate $3 bn Mumbai, Feb 7: ArcelorMittal, the world's largest steelmaker, unveiled plans to raise $3 billion from a share issue to reduce debt, as it continues to suffer from the Chinese industry's overcapacity which it says has driven down world prices. ArcelorMittal's share price has dropped 60 per cent in the past 12 months, cutting the group's market value to just •6.2 billion ($6.94 billion). The company, twice the size of its nearest rival, reported on Friday that its core profit (EBITDA) dropped by 32 per cent last year to $5.2 billion and warned the result this year would only be "in excess of" $4.5 billion as it sees little improvement in overall global demand

for steel this year. Chief Executive Lakshmi Mittal said that 2015 had been a very difficult year for the steel and mining industries even with some higher demand in Europe and the United States, where the company does the bulk of its business, due to Chinese exports depressing prices. "Although demand in our core markets remained strong, prices deteriorated significantly during the year as a result of excess capacity in China," Mr. Mittal said.

China, which makes half the world's steel, exported a record 112 million tonnes last year, equivalent to total North American output, upsetting trade partners who argue it is dumping on world markets.(Agencies)

AstraZeneca Q3 net revenue at Rs. 8.67 crore

Source: static.dnaindia Mumbai, Feb 7: Drug firm AstraZeneca Pharma India reported a standalone net profit of Rs. 8.67 crore for the third quarter ended December 31. The company had posted a net loss of Rs. 13.40 crore for the corresponding period of the previous fiscal, AstraZeneca Pharma India said in a filing to BSE. Standalone total income of the company stood at Rs. 144.58 crore for the quarter. It

was Rs. 108.20 crore for the year ago period. In a separate filing, AstraZeneca Pharma India said its board has approved the reappointment of Sanjay Murdeshwar as Managing Director of the company for a period of three years, to be effective from May 2. "The board noted the resignation of Justin Ooi as Director of the company, effective January 11, 2016," it added. (Agencies)

RoRo vessels using coastal route has been reduced by 40 per cent of normal tariff. This decision was taken within a day," said Chennai Port Chairman M.A. Bhaskarachar. Kamarajar Port, which recently overtook Chennai Port in car exports, is also thinking in a similar direction. "Usually, coal, fertilizers, iron ore, petroleum products and cement are moved from one port to another.

Now, we are asking the OEMs to move cars from southern ports to western ports. This will result in removing sizeable number of trailers off road, reduce carbon footprint and fuel consumption," Mr. Bhaskarachar said. Vessel owner Symex Maritime Inc. has been granted permission by the Directorate General of Shipping to carry out coastal run for

HYUNDAI GOES GREEN

Clean energy sector expects 44% rise

Trade sources said it takes normally three to four days for the car manufacturer to move vehicles from the production centres near Chennai to Gujarat region through trailers. However, shipping them is seen as eco-friendly and low-cost as the Centre had promised to provide incentive of Rs.3,000 per car to those using coastal route.

Hyundai Motor Company is now using ships to move its cars across domestic markets to save on costs and reduce carbon footprint.

Though Hyundai had been using Chennai Port for exporting cars, this is the first time it is transporting its cargo through the sea for domestic market.

PAGE 10

Source: thehindu

It is also in line with the Shipping Ministry's policy of encouraging coastal shipping, reducing carbon foot print.

Source: presentermedia

Mumbai, Feb 7: New capacity addition in the clean five years. IDM Symex return trip to Chennai. Port and from sPipavav energy sector continues to will be used to transport "This is not the first time Port to dealers' destination. maintain momentum as cars manufactured mainly that Chennai Port is using Though the Centre has the first nine-month period

by Hyundai and other coastal movement. It promised to provide some of this fiscal recorded 44 manufacturers. To make it made similar attempts incentive, it is to be seen per cent growth compared viable, Symex is in discus- some two years back. But how much is going to be with the year-ago period. sion with exporters and it was a flop. Here too, passed to the car manufac- Solar continues to be the importers to ship other Hyundai used trailers to turers," a trader said. fast-growing segment and has overtaken bio-power commodities during the move vehicles to Chennai (Agencies) in total capacity. Wind power sector has crossed the milestone of 25,000 MW in total capacity. The renewable energy sector product portfolio and strat- added 3,030 MW of new egy for market entry, which capacity during first three will be announced in due quarters of this fiscal comcourse. It was, however, pared with 2,104 MW in made clear by Ashutosh the same period of the preBishnoi, Managing Director vious fiscal, according to and CEO that the focus of the Union Ministry of New the business will remain in and Renewable Energy the same markets where (MNRE). Of the new caMahindra Finance is currently focused. He said, "The semi-urban and rural markets will remain the priority for the Source: newkerala Mahindra Mutual Fund. We believe that investors in these through best in class cus- and build the mutual fund markets have an even greater Mumbai, Feb 7: Finance tomer service. We believe market in smaller towns and savings potential than urban Minister Arun Jaitley said the business would be rural India." "Investments markets, but they do not have India remained one of the greatly benefited by the products are a subject of 'ad- either the access or aware- fastest-growing econoMahindra Brand and vised sales' and require the ness of market related finan- mies in the world despite through Mahindra Eco Sys- support of trained advisors. cial instruments such as mu- the global economy retem," added Iyer. V. Ravi, Ex- We believe there is a great tual funds. So our task will be maining uncertain. There ecutive Director, Mahindra opportunity to convert to create access and aware- was still potential for InFinance and the Chairman of physical assets, which are ness. With the proven suc- dia to grow at a faster Mahindra Asset Manage- generally illiquid into pro- cess and strength of the rela- pace, he added. "All the ment said, "Our investment ductive, financial assets," tionships that Mahindra Fi- major economic in the mutual fund business added Ravi. The Mahindra nance already has we believe organisations, including is intended to be long term Asset Management Com- that we are well poised to take IMF, have predicted low in nature. We will adopt a pany is in the process of this business forward in same growth for the world developmental approach putting together its team, markets". economy in the coming year," Mr. Jaitley said on Friday. "These developments have implications on India's economy as our exports are also affected.

Maller, Senior Vice PresiHowever, the silver lining dent - Sales & Marketing is low international comand Aftermarket, VECV modity and oil prices told. As light and medium which, in turn, have bus categories continue to helped in a better macrowitness demand surge, economic situation in the the equal joint venture becountry," he said while tween Volvo and Eicher making the opening reMotors is aggressively fomarks at the first meeting cusing on various STUs of the consultative comthat are on the verge of mittee of the Finance Minplacing orders to expand istry. Regarding the fiscal and modernise their fleet. deficit, Mr. Jaitley said that Source: rack.2.mshcdn "We have made a breakthe government was on through in Karnataka for track to meet the 3.9 per from April as the school coach with 28 passenger 800-odd buses. We have LoI (letter of intent) for segment continues to berths. It comes with in- cent of GDP target set for 600-odd buses from grow. "We are producing dividual LED screens, the financial year. "This Maharashtra State Road about 17 buses a day and smoke detector and rear was the first time that the Transport Corporation during school season, we view camera, among oth- real expenditure amount and in Kerala, we are in the will ramp it up to 40 a day. ers. "Our hybrid bus was higher than the budprocess of executing 100- We will also start mak- comes with the current get proposal. This year we odd buses after supplying ing big buses viz heavy theme of green mobility. have spent more but still our first order that sup- duty buses, for the do- Trials are happening and we will very well manage plied 20 vehicles last year," mestic market," said Mr. it would be ready for our deficit targets," he he said. In view of the Maller. The company has market launch by next said. Mr. Jaitley said that growing demand, the just unveiled its Skyline year. Our sleeper during 2016-17, the govcompany plans to ramp up Pro School Bus which is coaches will be ready by ernment had to make proits bus capacity at Baggad fitted with a hybrid sys- Q1 of 2017. However, vision for around Rs. 1.10 Plant (Madhya Pradesh). tem that promises maxi- we are awaiting regula- lakh crore to meet the liThe company expects its mum safety in its class. tions as there are no abilities on account of 10x 2 school bus to be VECV also unveiled its proper norms for such implementation of Seventh Pay Commission recomvolume driver starting new Skyline AC sleeper buses." (Agencies)

SEBI grants license to Mahindra Mutual Fund ANI New Delhi, Feb 7: Mahindra Finance's wholly owned subsidiary, Mahindra Asset Management Company Private Limited, received a license to manage the Mahindra Mutual Fund.

Ramesh Iyer, the Financial Services sector President of the Mahindra Group and the Managing Director of Mahindra Finance said, "In keeping with our Mission of Transforming rural Lives, we believe that the Mutual Fund business would enable us to provide investment options to the rural customers that enable them to improve the quality of their lives by creative innovative products that are tailored to their needs." "Our customer base of nearly 4million and over 1200 branches of Mahindra Finance will play a critical role in ensuring success in the mutual fund business

Commodity prices may help spur growth pace: FM

Volvo-Eicher JV gaze at more gains in bus segment New Delhi, Feb 7: VE Commercial Vehicles (VECV), a 50:50 joint venture between Volvo and Eicher, seeks to sustain the gains it made in market share in the bus segment by boosting its presence across school, staff commuting and STU (State Transport Undertaking) segments. The company's market share in the 5tonne and above bus segment grew to 14 per cent in Q4 of 2015 from 10.9 per cent in the year-ago period. For 2015, the share increased to 15.2 per cent from 14.9 per cent.

"We had a good year in 2015 and we gained market share in bus segment.

While we continue to gain share in school segment, our strong growth segment, we have been gaining in staff transportation market. We will see strong sales in STUs. Also, we have been increasing our presence in the route permit segment," Shyam

pacity added so far during this fiscal, wind and solar segments contributed 1,645 MW (1,333 MW in the year-ago period) and 1,120 MW (431 MW) respectively. Small hydro power and biopower contributed 122 MW (187 MW) and 132 MW (152 MW) respectively.As of December 31, 2015, total grid-installed renewable power capacity in the country stood at 38,822 MW. Total installed capacity of wind power stood at 25,088 MW. Solar was the second major segment with cumulative capacity of 4,879 MW. Bio-power occupied the third position with a total installed capacity of 4,551 MW. (Agencies)

mendations and One Rank One Pension (OROP) Scheme. One major suggestion by the Committee regarding taxation was to raise the tax exemption limit for middle and salaried class from Rs.2.5 lakh to Rs. 4 lakh. In addition, greater emphasis is to be laid on widening the tax base and punishing tax evaders. The Committee also suggested that the threshold limit for mandatory PAN card requirement for transaction be raised to Rs.5 lakh and above from the current limit of Rs.2 lakh and above. Further, it was suggested that the service tax exemption limit be raised from Rs.10 lakh to Rs.25 lakh. Other important suggestions made by the Committee included more allocations for agriculture sector and the setting-up of an Indian Council for Veterinary Research (ICVR) to boost to milk production. Another suggestion was to bring in more clarity to and awareness about the government's new crop insurance schemes. Regarding the environment, the Committee suggested that the forthcoming budget give relief to industries to set-up sewage and effluent treatment plants.

Other suggestions included more allocations for drip irrigation systems to save water. Some members also suggested that greater focus be given on providing employment opportunities in rural areas.

(Agencies)

Rajasthan government MIP imposed on 173 steel items by Government enhances start-ups Jaipur, Feb 7: The Rajasthan Government on Saturday organised a one-day start-up fest at Udaipur, promoting entrepreneurship and giving a boost to start-ups in the state. The event was a sequel to the state's first start-up fest, held in Jaipur in October last year, where the government unveiled its maiden start-up policy. The event, organised by Rajasthan State Industrial Development and Investment Corporation (RIICO) along with its incubation centre Startup Oasis, saw participation from 100 start-ups, 30 start-up mentors and 15 venture capital investors. Startup Oasis,

since its establishment in 2013, has catered to start-ups across the State. Speaking at the event, Veenu Gupta, Principal Secretary Industries with the Rajasthan Government and Managing Director of RIICO, said, "Since 2013, Startup Oasis has trained, through their workshops, more than 1,000 students, supported more than 100 start-ups and incubated 58 start-ups." However, within months of unveiling the policy, the establishment of start-ups and their execution in Rajasthan have become fast-paced, Chintan Bakshi, COO of Startup Oasis, said. While the event

witnessed pitches of startups from young entrepreneurs, few pitches that were awarded and provided initial financial support from the state government included one on wearable NFC (Near Field Communication) devices for infants which can track their vaccination record, another on rural ecommerce method for a rural supply chain system, one on developing an app for virtual farming which is linked to real farm products and an idea on wireless stethoscope through which doctors could diagnose a patient in remote areas.

(Agencies)

New Delhi, Feb 7: The government has imposed a minimum import price (MIP) ranging from $341 to $752 per tonne on 173 steel products to provide relief to local steel makers hurt by an increase in cheap imports of these items. A notification of the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) said, "MIP is introduced against 173 HS Codes (iron and steel products)."

The MIP conditions are valid for six months from the date of the notification (February five) or until further orders, whichever is earlier, it said. However, the MIP will not be applicable on imports under the advance authorisation

scheme and high-grade pipes used for pipeline transportation systems in the petroleum and natural gas industry. The notification said imports/shipment contracts (under Letter of Credit) entered into before February five are also exempted from the MIP conditions. However, the user industry objected to this decision. Engineering goods exporters' body EEPC India said the MIP will lead to further erosion in engineering exports. It sought from the government a compensatory mechanism to make up for the increased raw material price which the distressed exporters, mostly in the SME segments, will

be made to bear following the protection given to the large steel manufacturers. "The MIP will raise the cost of raw materials for engineering products by about 6-10 per cent. This will severely hurt engineering exports that have already declined by 15 per cent in the first nine months of this fiscal," Mr. T. S. Bhasin, Chairman of EEPC India said. The Advance Authorisation route is not used by the MSME sector and unless a price reimbursement mechanism is worked out for engineering exporters, there will be no revival of exports in the next six months, he said. Indian Stainless Steel Develop-

ment Association welcomed the move but said stainless steel products

should also have been given the benefit of the MIP. (Agencies)

MIP NORMS Ø The government has imposed a minimum import price (MIP) ranging from $341 to $752 per tonne on 173 steel products to provide relief to local steel makers Ø The MIP conditions are valid for six months from the date of the notification (February five) or until further orders, whichever is earlier Ø MIP will not be applicable on imports under the advance authorisation scheme and high-grade pipes used for pipeline transportation systems in the petroleum and natural gas industry. Ø MIP will raise the cost of raw materials for engineering products by about 6-10 per cent.

DIBRUGARH, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 8

Features

PAGE 11

ENVIRONMENT 'Jurassic butterflies' discovered IU paleobotanist David Dilcher is a co-author on a study out today in the Proceedings of the Royal Society: B that identifies a Jurassic age insect whose behavior and appearance closely mimic a butterfly -- but whose emergence on Earth predates the butterfly by about 40 million years.

Dilcher -- who made international headlines last year for his role in discovering the mythical "first flower" -- said these proverbial "first butterflies" survived in a similar manner as their modern sister insects by visiting plants with "flower-like" reproductive organs producing nectar and pollen.

The butterfly-like insects, which went on to evolve into a different form of insect from the

modern butterfly, is an extinct "lacewing" of the genus kalligrammatid called Oregramma illecebrosa. Another genus of this insect -- of the order Neuroptera -- survives into our modern era, and are commonly known as fishflies, owlflies or snakeflies.

The discovery of the insect was made possible by the examination of well-preserved fossils recently recovered from ancient lake deposits in northeastern China and eastern Kazakhstan. The study was led by Conrad Labandeira, a curator at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History, and Dong Ren of Capital Normal University in Beijing, China, where the fossils are housed.

"Poor preservation of

lacewing fossils had always stymied attempts to conduct a detailed morphological and ecological examination of the kalligrammatid," Dilcher said. "Upon examining these new fossils, however, we've unraveled a surprisingly wide array of physical and ecological similarities between the fossil species and modern butterflies, which shared a common ancestor 320 million years ago. " The species are an example of convergent evolution, Dilcher explains, where two distantly related animals develop similar characteristics independently.

As a paleobotanist, Dilcher contributed to the study by describing these ecological similarities, including the insect's relationship to a

type of fossilized plant found in the same region of China as the insect fossils. An extinct order of seed plants called bennettitales, these plants first appeared about 250 million years ago during the Triassic period, surviving for nearly 200 million years until the end of the late Cretaceous period.

Based on their examination, which drew in part upon microscopically small clues such as the fossilized remains of food and pollen trapped in the mouthparts of the insects, Dilcher and colleagues concluded kalligrammatid fed upon bennettitales using a long tongue to probe nectar deep within the plant. The insects also possessed hairy legs that allowed for carrying pollen from the male flower-like repro-

ductive organs of one plant to the flower-like female reproductive organs of another.

Eventually, this system of pollination by longtongued lacewings traveling between plants with exposed reproductive parts -- called gymnosperms -- gave way to more familiar system of insect pollinators and modern flowers, or angiosperms, in which the reproductive parts of the plants are contained with a protective seed.

However, another evolutionary innovation found in the ancient lacewing fossils' wings remained remarkably unchanged over the course of millennia: so-called "eye spots."

This unique pattern on the wings, arising over 200 million years ago, is nearly identical to markings on the modern owl

Source: charityowl butterfly. To this day, owl butterflies use these circular marks as a defense mechanism against predators, which mistake the spots as the eyes of a larger, more threatening

animal.

Evolution is a great innovator, Dilcher said. But at the same time: "if it worked once, why not try it again."

This work was supported

in part by the National Basic Research Program of China, National Science Foundation of China, National Institutes of Health and Swedish National Space Board. (Agencies)

New tarantula named Topography shapes after Johnny Cash biodiversity

A new species of tarantula named after the famous singer-songwriter Johnny Cash is one of fourteen new spiders discovered in the southwestern United States. While these charismatic spiders have captured the attention of people around the world, and have been made famous by Hollywood, little was actually known about them. The new descriptions nearly double the number of species known from the region. Biologists at Auburn University and Millsaps College have described these hairy, large-bodied spiders in the open-access journal ZooKeys.

"We often hear about how new species are being discovered from remote corners of the Earth, but what is remarkable is that these spiders are in our own backyard," says Dr. Chris Hamilton, lead author of the study. "With the Earth in the midst of a sixth mass extinction, it is astonishing how little we know about our planet's biodiversity, even for charismatic groups such as tarantulas."

Tarantulas within the genus Aphonopelma are among the most unique species of spider in the United States. One aspect of this distinctiveness that is particularly in-

triguing is the extreme size differences that can be found between species. Some species are quite impressive, reaching six inches (15 centimeters) or more in leg span, while others can fit on the face of an American quarter-dollar coin.

Within the United States, Aphonopelma are found in twelve states across the southern third of the country, ranging west of the Mississippi River to California. These spiders are conspicuous during the warmer months when adult males abandon their burrows in search of mates, yet very little was known about these spiders prior to the study.

Dr. Hamilton notes that more than fifty different species of tarantulas had been previously reported from the United States, but that many of them were poorly defined and actually belonged to the same species.

To gain a better understanding of the diversity and distributions of these spiders, the research team spent more than a decade searching for tarantulas throughout scorching deserts, frigid mountains, and other locations in the American Southwest, sometimes literally in someone's backyard. They studied nearly 3,000 specimens, undertaking the most

Source: ichef-1.bbci

comprehensive taxonomic study ever performed on a group of tarantulas.

Because most species of tarantula in the United States are very similar in appearance and cannot be distinguished from each other using anatomical features alone, the research team implemented a modern and "integrative" approach to taxonomy by employing anatomical, behavioural, distributional, and genetic data. Their results indicate there are 29 species in the United States, 14 of which are new to science.

Of the new species, one has been named A p h o n o p e l m a johnnycashi after the influential American singer-songwriter Johnny Cash. Dr. Hamilton coined the name because the species is found in California near Folsom Prison (famous for Cash's song "Folsom Prison Blues") and because mature males are generally solid black in coloration (paying homage to Cash's distinctive style of dress where he has been referred to as the "Man in black") (see Image 2).

While the researchers found that most species are abundant and have relatively large distributions, they also noted that

some have highly restricted distributions and may require conservation efforts in the not-so-distant future, as they lose their habitats due to climate change and human encroachment.

"Two of the new species are confined to single mountain ranges in southeastern Arizona, one of the United States' biodiversity hotspots," says Brent Hendrixson, a co-author of the study.

"These fragile habitats are threatened by increased urbanization, recreation, and climate change. There is also some concern that these spiders will become popular in the pet trade due to their rarity, so we need to consider the impact that collectors may have on populations as well."

In addition to spider specimens collected by the research team, the study used a tremendous number of specimens gathered from museum collections across the United States, including the Auburn University Museum of Natural History (AUMNH). Project senior author Dr. Jason Bond, director of the AUMNH, notes that studies like these highlight the critical role that museum collections play in understanding our planet's biodiversity. The AUMNH, located in Auburn, Alabama, possesses the second largest collection of Aphonopelma in the world, behind the American Museum of Natural History in New York.

Tarantulas have gained notoriety for their imposing appearance and perceived threat to humans, but Dr. Hamilton notes that the fear is largely unfounded and that the species in the United States do not readily bite, are not dangerous, and are really just "teddy bears with eight legs."

Courtesy: sciencedaily

A warming climate is likely to drive species to higher, cooler altitudes. A new study highlights a less obvious, yet crucial way in which their new habitat could differ from the one they leave behind.

Mountains are home to many living species, with biodiversity typically peaking at mid-altitudes.

Scientists have long struggled to explain why this is the case, invoking factors such as low temperatures at high eleva-

spatial properties.

Many factors determine the number species that can co-exist on a patch of land. Large areas with similar properties typically host more species than small ones. And their biodiversity can be increased further if many similar habitats are connected. In mountainous terrain, other factors come into play, such as temperature, biological productivity, and exposition. By transposing the findings from flat land to mountainous terrain, a

the study. "Given that habitat area and connectivity foster biodiversity, whereas isolation favors the dominance of few species, we hypothesized that topography itself could be playing a key role in regulating how biodiversity varies with elevation."

Biodiversity is often studied on idealized cone-shaped mountains, where similar habitats are assumed to be found at similar altitudes. In this case, habitats get

Source: sciencedaily tions or human disturbance further down. According to new research, mid-altitudes host the largest number of species because the size and the connectedness of similar habitats are greatest there. One implication of their findings, presented in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, is that moving to higher elevations to adapt to a warming climate could drive species into habitats with a whole different set of

team of researchers from across Switzerland has found a new way to explain the observation that biodiversity in mountainous terrain tends to peak at mid-altitudes.

"In mountainous terrain, peaks and valleys are isolated habitats, like islands in the ocean, whereas mid-elevation sites form well-connected patches," explains Enrico Bertuzzo, a researcher at the Ecohydrology Lab at EPFL and first author of

smaller with increasing altitude, and their species richness is predicted to decrease, leading biodiversity to peak at foot of the cone and steadily decrease with elevation.

Instead, Bertuzzo and his coauthors took a more laborious approach. "Rather than simplifying mountainous terrain to perfect cones or regular hills, our starting point was to consider it in all of its

complexity," explains Florian Altermatt from the Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies at the University of Zurich.

To test their intuition that the very structure a landscape can shape biodiversity patterns, Bertuzzo and his coauthors let loose a large number of virtual species on a mountainous terrain in a computer simulation.

Each virtual species was assigned an optimal altitude at which it could thrive, and these altitudes were distributed uniformly across all the elevations considered.

When the researchers let the virtual species compete for habitats on landscapes modeled on reallife ones, their simulations confirmed their intuition: topography alone was enough to explain biodiversity patterns observed in nature.

"Other factors, like temperature, productivity, etc., are obviously also important, but they inevitably act on top of the unavoidable effect provided by the landscape structure," says Altermatt.

These findings are of particular relevance in a warming world. "Understanding the relation between elevation and biodiversity is crucial to predict how the distribution of species will change in response to climate change," says Bertuzzo. "Warmer temperatures will cause species' niches to shift upwards. The same ecological community will therefore move up the mountain, where it will find a different spatial composition, both in terms of available area and connectivity. Our findings underscore the importance of considering these factors to predict future changes."

(Agencies)

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DIBRUGARH, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 8

PAGE 12

India to renew rivalry with Sri Gold rush continues for India; swimmers, wrestlers shine Lanka to maintain top T20 spot ANI Dubai, Feb 7 : India will lock horns against Sri Lanka in a three-match Twenty20 International series starting in Pune on Wednesday with the number-one ranking on the T20I Championship table up for grabs.

India, which vaulted seven places to first after sweeping aside Australia last week, needs to win the series against Sri Lanka to retain the coveted position. In contrast, Sri Lanka will also aim to win the series, which will help it leapfrog India and the West Indies into the top spot.

With the 2016 World Twenty20 starting in less than four weeks, this series is extremely crucial for both sides. India and Sri Lanka will not only aim to find the winning combination and momentum, but also target entering the tournament as the number-one ranked side, which will serve as an additional confidencebooster.

Following this series, In-

PTI Guwahati, Feb 7: There was no stopping the Indian juggernaut in the 12th South Asian Games with the country's swimmers, wrestlers and weightlifters continuing their demolition of competition to fetch a bulk of the gold medals and complete a second successive day of supremacy here.

India stood heads and shoulders above competition to top the medals tally with a count of 42, which included 27 gold, 12 silver and 3 bronze medals.

The second spot continued to be held by Sri Lanka with a total of 37 medals (8 gold, 17 silver, 12 bronze).

India team. A file photo dia and Sri Lanka will feature in the Asia Cup Twenty20 tournament in Bangladesh before launching their ICC World Twenty20 campaigns on 15 and 17 March respectively. Sri Lanka will defend the title it won in Bangladesh in 2014 in the tournament to be staged from 8 March to 3 April, while India will try to repeat its ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 glory when it lifted the

most prestigious trophy in the sport in front of its fans in Mumbai.

Meanwhile, India has rested number-one ranked T20I batsman Virat Kohli, which means his teammate Suresh Raina will start as the highest-ranked batsman in 13th position.

Other batsmen featuring inside the top 20 include Tillakaratne Dilshan (14th), Rohit Sharma (17th) and Yuvraj Singh (20th).

India captain MS Dhoni is 38th, 108 points behind Yuvraj, while Shikhar Dhawan is 87th and Ajinkya Rahane 89th.

Among bowlers, India's Ravichandran Ashwin will start in second place, 81 points behind numberone ranked Sunil Narine of the West Indies, while Lasith Malinga is sixth, Nuwan Kulasekara is 10th and Ravindra Jadeja is 18th.

Wenger says whole country wants BCCI to convene SGM Leicester to win Premier League before responding to SC ANI London, Feb 7 : Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has admitted that the entire nation is relishing the prospect of Leicester City lifting the Premier League title this season.

Leicester continued their superb form as they moved five points ahead of second-placed Tottenham with a stunning 3-1 win over Manchester City at Etihad Stadium on Saturday.

Delighted at the unexpected success enjoyed by Claudio Ranieri's side, Wenger said the whole country is behind Leicester apart from fans of Arsenal, City and Tottenham, the Mirror reported.

Citing Leicester as a 'fan-

Arsene Wenger

tastic example' for the league, the Frenchman said the club shows that the football was about the quality of work rather than just about spending money.

Star players Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez costed the Midlands club a mere 1.35million pounds in transfer fees.

Arsenal will take on surprise pace-setters Leicester at the Emirates next Sunday.

Dean Jones backs discarded Ajmal for Pakistan comeback

Saeed Ajmal ANI Karachi, Feb 7 : Former Australian cricketer Dean Jones, who is currently mentoring Islamabad United in the Pakistan Super League, has showered praise on Saeed Ajmal and described the out-of favour off-spinner as a `big plus` for the Pakistan cricket, following his impressive bowling display in the lucrative T20 tournament.

Despite losing the match against a star-studded Peshawar Zalmi by 24

runs, Islamabad's spinner Ajmal, who returned from his five-month ban for chucking last year, was at his absolute best.

Reflecting on Ajmal's performance, Jones said that the 28-year-old displayed a class bowling performance, insisting that the bowler was well aware of the pace and the variety of deliveries to bowl, the Dawn reported.

Jones further said that Ajmal performed terrifically and that it was his experience that had helped him to make a brilliant comeback.

Ajmal was ranked as the number one bowler in ODIs and was also as impressive in Test format before being suspended for exceeding the 15-degree elbow flex limit set by the International Cricket Council .

PTI Mumbai, Feb 7 : Cornered by the Supreme Court's latest missive to "fall in line" with the recommendations of the Justice R M Lodha Committee, the BCCI today decided to convene a Special General Meeting before responding to the apex court.

BCCI President Shashank Manohar, himself a lawyer by profession, attended the meeting of its legal panel here comprising P S Raman (Tamil Nadu, chairman), D V S S Somayajulu (Andhra) and Abhay Apte (Maharashtra), along with treasurer Anirudh Chaudhary.

It is learnt, that in the meeting, it was decided that an SGM would be convened at the earliest to get the views of the BCCI's various affiliates before it responds to the Supreme Court on the issue.

As per the BCCI's Memorandum of Rules and Regulations 21 days' notice has to be given to convene an SGM, but the President has the discretionary powers to direct

the secretary to convene an SGM "at shorter notice in which case as a notice of at least 10 days shall be given."

The apex court had said on February 4 that the recommendations are "straight, rational and understandable" and "deserve respect" and "there is no reason to disagree with the committee" which has the most "illuminated and respected members of the legal community".

While four weeks time was granted to the BCCI to respond to the implementation of the recommendations, the court had made it clear that there should not be any difficulty in accepting the recommendations.

The remarks by a bench headed by Chief Justice T S Thakur came after senior advocate Shekhar Naphade, representing BCCI, said there was a need to consult the 30odd members of the Board on the recommendations and in view of its legal committee's meeting today, four weeks be allowed to respond.

The bulk of the medals today came through the swimmers, who scooped 10 in all -- including 4 gold , 5 silver and 1 bronze.

The wrestlers added 4 gold and a silver, while the weightlifters snared 3 gold medals.

The swimmers, who had fetched 3 gold, 5 silver and 3 bronze medals yesterday, once again created a splash with Sandeep Sejwal picking his second gold of the Games.

Record time of 1:03.14 bettering his own mark of 1:05.01 which he had set in 2010.

Weightlifter Saraswati Rout of India reacts after winning gold in 58 kg category in the 12th South Asian Games As many as five Games record were created out of the seven events today with the Indians accounting for three of them, including Sejwal's.

However, India suffered a reverse as well with ace swimmer Veerdhawal Khade losing the men's 50m freestyle golf to promising Sri Lankan teenager Matthew Abeysinghe, who grabbed his third gold of the Games, the most by any swimmer so far.

Abeysinghe won in a Games Record time of of 23:33 to emerge as the fastest swimmer of Games, eclipsing Khade's 2010 Dhaka edition mark of 23.75 secs. Khade also bettered his own Dhaka mark with an effort of 23.54 secs but had to be content with the silver.

On the other hand, Sejwal, who won a gold in 200m breaststroke yesterday, added another yellow metal in 100m breastroke in a new Games

Another Indian, Puneet Rana took the silver in 1:03.80 while Kiran Jasinghe of Sri Lanka got the bronze.

In men's 1500m freestyle, Kerala swimmer Sajan Prakash won his first international gold in 15:55.30 ahead of compatriot Saurabh Sangvekar who took the silver in 16:13.2.

Mohd. Mahfizur Rahman of Bangladesh was third in 17:12.0.

In women's 400m individual medley, India also finished one-two with Sayani Ghosh winning the gold in 05:14.51 while Shraddha Sudhir bagged the silver in 05:23.32. J Silva of Sri Lanka was third in 05:44.20.

M Arvind gave India the fourth gold by winning the men's 200m backstroke event.

In women's 200m backstroke, Manna Patel took a silver in 2 minutes and 22.06 seconds behind Kimiko Raheem of Sri Lanka who won the gold in Games Record time of 2:18.09.

Mithali Raj steers Indian eves to consolation ODI win over Aussies ANI Hobart, Feb 7 : Captain Mithali Raj and Smriti Mandhana struck half-centuries as the Indian women cricket team claimed a fivewicket consolation win over Australia in the third and final one-day international at Hobart on Sunday.

Indian eves chased down Australia's 231 for seven in the 47th over, with Raj remaining the top scorer for her side with a composed 89-run knock.

Mandhana, who scored her maiden ODI century in the previous game, laid foundation by scoring 55 before Raj consoli-

Yasir Shah given three-month ban over doping breach ANI Karachi, Feb.7 : Pakistan legspinner Yasir Shah has been handed a three-month suspension by the International Cricket Council (ICC) after being tested positive for a banned substance in December.

The 29-year-old was provisionally suspended by the ICC on December 27 after the `A` sample he had provided in an in-competition test, which was conducted on 13 November 2015, was found to contain the presence of chlortalidone, a Prohibited Substance which appears in Section 5 of the WADA Prohibited List, the Dawn reported.

Earlier in January, the Pakistan Cricket Board ( PCB) had also appealed against Yasir's provisional ban, saying that the spinner had mistakenly taken his wife's blood-pressure medicine.

Yasir, who would be available to play again from March 27, holds the record of fastest Pakistan bowler to reach the milestone of 50 wickets.

dated the innings. The tourists lost five wickets in their victorious chase as Poonam Raut and Jhulan Goswami remained unbeaten to help their team cross the victory margin.

Earlier, Indian bowlers produced a disciplined performance to prevent the hosts from posting a massive target with medium pacer Shikha Pandey scalping three wickets and one run-out.

After losing the series 2-1 against Australia, India will now take on Sri Lanka in a three-match ODI series in Ranchi this month.

indiawomencricketteam. A file photo

When Steyn conceded defeat to venomous Black Mamba

spearhead Dale ANI Johannesburg, Feb 7 : Following a close encounter with a deadly snake, South African pace spearhead Dale Steyn has revealed that he has learnt his lesson and requested his fans to avoid getting in a similar situation to the one he found himself in.

Travelling with a friend in the Kruger National Park, the 32-year-old stopped his car in order to help what he initially thought was an injured brown house snake.

However, the mercurial paceman immediately stepped back when he realised that he was dealing with one of the

planet's deadliest snakes, Black Mamba.

"So this poor guy was hit by a car, we stopped to move him out the road thinking it was a brown house snake," Steyn wrote on his Instagram account.

"Got a little too close and then realized what we were actually dealing with! Mr Black Mamba!

"This post is not to show how brave we were, it's to show that if you don't know what you dealing with then best you leave it alone! Lesson learnt! #wildouthere #blackmamba."

Steyn is currently recovering from a shoulder injury and is expecting to be fit again for the World Twenty20 in India next month.

De Villiers insists triumphant England `not unbeatable` ANI Johannesburg, Feb 7 : South Africa captain AB de Villiers has insisted that buoyant England side are 'not unbeatable' despite trailing 0-2 against the tourists in the five-match one-day international series.

Alex Hales laid the foundation and then Jos Buttler, who scored a match-winning century in the opening game, played another key innings to give England victory by five wickets

with 22 balls to spare in the second ODI at St. George's Park on Saturday.

"England are a good side. They are playing some good cricket at the moment, they look confident but they are not unbeatable," de Villiers was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.

The swashbuckling batsman also rued his side's failure to accelerate innings towards the end and convert good starts into big totals. However,

AB de Villiers

he remains upbeat about their chances of staging fightback in the current series.

"We had a couple of opportunities in both the games we played and I know it sounds like I am singing the same song from the Test matches but it's true, it's a matter of getting it right and taking our opportunities.

In Bloemfontein we had a chance to get it right, I knew that rain was going to come and we didn't get the timing

right. Today again, we had the opportunity to take them down and unfortunately it didn't happen that way," the captain added.

After winning the preceding Test series, England now have the chance to seal the series in the third match at SuperSport Park on Tuesday and hand South Africa their first home defeat in both Tests and ODIs against the same opposition in 14 years.

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