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ASSENG/2015/64205

Page 6

Vol. 1

Issue 272

Dibrugarh, Wednesday, March 9, 2016

Price -

5.00

Pages- 12

Page 12

5th Convocation at North Eastern Regional Institute of Science and Technology (NERIST), Nirjuli: Padma Bhushan Prof. Mrinal Miri, Chief Guest gives away the Gold Medals.

Four get serious for consuming poisonous Mushrooms Golaghat, Mar 8: Four people of a family got critical after consuming poisonous mushroom. According to the report a family from Daldali in Merapani had consumed mushrooms in their dinner last night.

After sometimes the family members fell sick and were admitted to Merapani Rural Hospital. Today they were admitted to KK Civil Hospital in Golaghat in a serious condition. A ten year old boy is also among the serious patients. (Correspondent)

Prince William and his wife to visit Assam on April 12 Guwahati, Mar 8: Duke of Cambridge Prince William and his wife Princess Kate Middleton will pay a twoday visit to Assam starting from April 12.

Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi has directed the state's Chief Secretary to take all steps so that the Britain's popular Royal couple go back with fond memories of the state and its rhino habitat Kaziranga National Park (KNP), a government release stated today.

The Chief Minister also wished that the state's historical connection with the British people through its oil and tea industry be showcased during the couple's visit to KNP. Gogoi noted that it was former Viceroy of India Lord Curzon who had declared the area which the present Kaziranga National Park occupied as a reserved forest to protect its treasure of flora and fauna. (Staff Reporter)

Apnes soon to have state of art academic building – Swami Anu See Page 5

Galo students Union demands Kalikho Asom Gana Parishad splits over alliance with BJP Pul to include Gojen Gadi in his cabinet A Staff Reporter Guwahati, Mar 8

A Staff Reporter Itanagar, Mar 8

The Galo Students Union (GSU) and the West Siang District Students’ Union (WSDSU) jointly welcome the appeal made by the Galo Welfare Society (GWS) to Hon’ble Chief Minister Shri Kalikho pul to induct a Galo leader in the Council of Ministers. While making the stand of the GSU clear, Kenge Lomi, General Secretary of GSU stated that the

union is completely non-political but stated that there shall be no compromise with the interests of the Galo Community in particular and the state in general.

At present, there are 7 Galo legislators in the state assembly. The GSU strongly demands the Hon’ble Chief Minister and the parties in power viz., PPA & BJP for induction of at least two legislators from the community in the state cabinet consider-

ing the seniority, experience, acceptability and the capacity to lead the Galos and the state.

While lending his support to the GWS’s demand, Bommar Riba, President of West Siang District Students’ Union opined that after carving out of Siang District, there are 6 legislators in the district at present.

Looking at the seniority aspect and administrative expe-

Assaulted SSA JE at Ziro seeks timely justice fuse bleeding when he fell on ground. Even his mobile phone of Samsung Galaxy J5 make was also damaged by Joram when Ering was trying to call DPO cum DDSE. In the evening itself Ering lodged an FIR vide ZPS C/ No. 19/16 U/S332/392/427 IPC.

Maksam Tayeng Pasighat, Mar 8

One Oni Ering working as Junior Engineer under Sarva Shiksa Abhiyan Zila Mission C/o D.P.O-cum- DDSE, Ziro has strongly pleaded for early arrest of his assailant one Joram Papon, S/o Joram Lalin, Village Deli Joram under Lower Subansiri District.

In a press statement here at Pasighat today Ering said that he was badly assaulted by Joram in the afternoon of 1st March while he was on duty inspecting a construction of a school building at Govt.

Primary School Deli Joram some 73 KM from Ziro.

Ering, a resident of Boying village under Pasighat while narrating his painful incident informed this reporter that he was assaulted by Joram without any provocation. When asked if they had any argument before the assault, Ering

Victim Er. Oni Ering, JE SSA, Ziro

added that Joram was asking him to pass the bill of 50% work besides enhancement of total estimate which was not within his power as the work was also not upto 50%.

He had just asked Joram to approach DPO cum DDSE for it as he can’t do what was not in his hand over which Joram got furious and started assaulting him by hitting and kicking him leading to pro-

An effort was made to get the statement of DPO cum DDSE Ziro Yumlam Tana over his action on assaulting the staff by a contractor building his school building, but he was not reachable.

However, SSP Ziro Tumme Amo informed this scribe that, his police had made a raid to Joram’s home in the very night, but he absconded and next day he got anticipatory bail from the court. But we are about to complete the getting of statement from DPO cum DDSE and Medical reports after which a charge sheet will be filed and he will be arrested, assured Amo.

rience, the union finds Basar MLA Gojen Gadi as the most suitable candidate to fill in the post of cabinet Minister.

During his stint as the PWD Minister cum Minister incharge of West Siang, he had brought numerous developments to the District in general without considering caste, creed and region. As such, both the GSU & WSDSU would strongly appeal to the Chief Minister to give due considerations to the demands placed by it.

NERCORMP Partner NGO monitors project activities at Diyun A Staff Reporter Diyun, Mar 8

In an effort to create public awareness about the need of nature and environment conservation, a 10-member army team embarked upon a 1,000-km bicycle expedition from Pangsau Pass in the India-Myanmar border on Tuesday.

The Secretary of AMYAA NGO R. K. Paul Chawang along with his team of Staff at Diyun paid field visits to the target villages to monitor and assess the ongoing project activities of NaRMGs and SHGs. The team visited and monitored the income generating activity of Tea Shop of Golden Bird SHG, hand pump drinking water supply project, banana cum areca nut plantation, village link road construction of Surjo Phour NaRMG at Srirampur Village and ring well, areca nut nursery plantation, village link road construction of Joddha and Ujjal NaRMGs of Rajnagar Village.

AMYAA is pleased with the progress of the project activities and encouraged both the groups to focus at achieving the targets by completing the projects on time so that they could apply for newer projects in the new financial year.

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The expedition organised as part of the Assam Rifles 181st raising day celebrations was flagged off by Brigadier DK Singh, commander of the 25 Sector Assam Rifles based at Lekhapani in Tinsukia dis-

trict in the presence of district officials and locals. The cycling event based on the theme "Cycle to recycle" will pass through several destinations in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Meghalaya before culminating in Shillong on March 16.

Brigadier Singh informed that the cycling team will visit the schools and colleges on the way and interact with students on various environmental issues. They will also meet the ex-servicemen from the Assam Rifles to find and mitigate their problems.

In 2001 assembly election it was BJP which had suffered a vertical split follow-

The cycling event based on the theme "Cycle to recycle" will pass through several destinations in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Meghalaya before culminating in Shillong on March 16.

The breakaway party, AGP (Anchalik) will contest in 45 seats, said the new party's leader and former youth wing president of AGP, Sunil Rajkonwar. "We wanted to go alone in the polls and we were opposed to an alliance with BJP but our top leadership refused to listen to the demands of the grass root workers." The regional party, which was born out of a sixyear-old anti-foreigners movement led by All Assam Students Union in 1985 had

formed government twice, 1985 to 1990 and from 1996 to 2001.

The party AGP had first split just six years after its formation in 1991. The party split for a second time in 2000. In 2005 the party split for the third time after its founding president and former chief minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta broke away from the party and formed Asom Gana Parishad (Progressive). Mahanta came back to the party fold in 2008.

7 found guilty for fake appointment in the Dept of health ET Correspondent Jorhat, Mar 8

1000-km cycling expedition from Pangsau Pass to Shillong A Staff Reporter Dibrugarh, Mar 8

Regional politics in Assam received its first dent ahead of the coming assembly election after the state's biggest regional party, Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) split on Tuesday. The split reportedly happened following differences over the alliance with BJP, which was announced last week.

ing its first alliance with AGP.

Seven employees of Joint Director Health and Family Welfare are placed under suspension for having alleged link in appointing 91 fake appointments in the office of Joint Director Health and Family Welfare, Jorhat, after taking several lakhs of rupees from the candidates.

In a letter bearing Reference No.HTC/SUSP/53/2016/2156, dated 5/3/16 stated that seven employees from the said office are Sushil Dutta-Head Assistant, Guna Govinda KalitaHead assistant, Prabhat saikia-

Lower division clerk, Lakhya Pegu-Upper division Assistant, Mala Phukan-Lower division assistant, Abdul Rahim-Upper division assistant of Malaria office Jorhat, Siddique AhmedRecently Retd Head assistant from Joint Director Health Office Jorhat.

It may be mentioned that earlier two members team from the Chief Minister’s vigilance cell had visited the office and underwent a marathon investigation but failed to find anyone guilty. But only after hue and cry made by various organizations such as Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuva Chatra Parishad’s pressurized Solanki Vishal Vasant, the Deputy

Commissioner of Jorhat who formed a 12 member enquiry committee headed by Babul Lekharu-senior additional Deputy Commissioner has taken an ultimate decision.

Later the committee sent detailed reports after investigating and found this seven employees of Joint Director Health office Jorhat guilty and in return the Director of Health and family Welfare, received the suspension order to suspend six employees from the said office immediately and instructed to take other disciplinary action to the retired head assistant, Siddique Ahmed.

Tarun Gogoi slams Arun Jaitley over his comment ‘reform or perish’ A Staff Reporter Guwahati, Mar 8

In a statement here on Tuesday, Gogoi said, “Arun Jaitley’s comment on the states to reform or perish is a clear reflection of NDA Government’s pro-capitalist agenda”. Gogoi further said, “If the landlocked region like North East is left to compete with bigger States like Gujarat and Maharashtra, a sense of disparity and sarcasm will overpower the Region because of its want of a matching business environment. Moreover, Jaitley’s statement is an indication of the NDA Government’s transition from cooperative federalism to competitive federalism”.

Chief Minister Gogoi said, “If Jaitley’s wish list is allowed to be materialised, it will lead to market economy and will prove to be doom for

the people of North East who are economically poor and backward”. Gogoi further said that Union Finance Minister’s comment would further widen the regional disparity and would result in sluggish growth. It would also disturb creation of jobs and give rise to resentment among the youths which has been one of the major causes of insurgency in the State.

Gogoi said that to bring Assam and other North Eastern States to growth trajectory and bolster its business environment, the erstwhile UPA Government introduced North East Industrial and Investment Promotion Policy (NEIIPP). However, the new dispensation at the Centre instead of pronouncing some new investment incentives suspended NEIIPP, thus serving a blow to the development of Assam and other Northeastern States.

Chief Minister Gogoi

stated, “Assam and other Northeastern States needs more incentives to set up more Central sector industries to give a boost to its local and natural resources.

However, Centre’s thrust on market economy will only unleash regional imbalances”.

Gogoi also said that competition is healthy only when there is level playing field for everybody. However, Arun Jaitley’s stand on States only reveals his myopic view which has the undercurrent of creating regional disparities and putting a spanner on the growth of the region as the poor states will remain poor.

Chief Minister Gogoi further said, “Union Finance Minister’s comment is tantamount to his insensitivity to the people of North East, as the Centre’s neglect to the region will only alienate the people of the region further.”

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ET CAPSULES

DIBRUGARH, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 9

PAGE 2

ASTRO FOR YOU Aries Today, you will meet with success, and you do it on your own merit, without any divine intervention. You may be a student of science or arts, but you will excel due to your deep knowledge of the subject. There are chances you may decide to study further.

Taurus You are hard working by nature but get highly frustrated when things do not end the way you had imagined. This may lead to anger against the system or the order in which things work. You will vent your frustration on your routine by longing for an alternate lifestyle, wishing and hoping for more relaxation and perhaps a spontaneous vacation.

Vodafone expands 3G services to more than 50 towns in Assam A Staff Reporter Guwahati, Mar 8: Vodafone India on Monday announced the expansion of its 3G services to more than 50 towns in Assam.

We will continue to expand in a phased manner to cover more geography across Assam & North East, thereby bringing in further investments in the region," Vodafone India Business Head - Assam & North East Circle - Alok Verma said in a statement.

Vodafone, as part of its 50 towns expansion plan on its own 3G network rollout, has now covered key areas in Assam like Guwahati, Tezpur, Jorhat, Silchar, Bongaigaon, Dibrugarh, Nagaon, Tinsukia, Barpeta, it added.

Changlang, Palin & Seppa in Arunachal Pradesh; Kohima & Dimapur in Nagaland; Jowai, Nongpoh, Tura, Shillong & Ladrimbai in Meghalaya; Aizawl in Mizoram; Agartala & Teliamura in Tripura and Imphal in Manipur.

Cancer Today, you will be keenly observing the games that people play. But your paranoia will work against you. Certain people are likely to use it to manipulate you and influence important decisions.

"We acquired 3G spectrum in March 2015 auctions and have made significant investments of Rs 500 crore in Assam & North East Circle to provide high speed mobile internet services to our valued customers.

Leo You need to keep your temper in check today. Your mood swings will leave you irritated, especially in the morning. You will be busy dealing with a lot of issues today, and this will add to your tensions.

AASU protests against SEBA in Rangia

Gemini Today, you are likely to over-react during a minor argument, and the tiff may blow out of proportion. Get a grip on your temper. You are a brave person and you’ll need a lot of it today, mostly for accepting your own mistakes.

Virgo Love will bite you today. It will bleed, and break it in two. The ship of career will sight port soon. Dinner in a candlelit ambience will only help raise your spirits.

Libra Today, you seem to have the Midas touch, so every task you take in your hands is bound to be a success. You may also want to take time out to spend with your loved ones and lavish them with attention. Also, don’t forget to hand out credit to others for their valuable inputs. It pays to be in people’s good books.

Scorpio Your balancing skills may be called to fore today, as some of the important decisions of your life may come calling for judgement today. Later in the day, sudden and unexpected profits are on the cards. In the workplace, reputation and rewards may come for previous efforts.

Sagittarius In your case, the progress will grow two folds today. You will accomplish all the tasks that you take up. Also, you will acknowledge all the people you have contributed in your success story.

Capricorn It takes years of hard work, optimism and unceasing support of loved ones to reach the pinnacle of success. But you will only have to be tactful. You will take matters more seriously today and will treat your subordinates as equals for achieving your targets.

Aquarius It’s time to have a riot with friends! You don’t always have to be goody two-shoes. Do something you’ve never done before and break a few of those self-made rules. Watch how you suddenly become irresistible to one and all.

Pisces Frustration born out of a sense of stagnation will make you aggressive today. And while you are not likely to be able to meet all your deadlines, you will still make enough of an impact for people to realise the importance of your presence.

Vodafone has so far activated over 1,000 3G cell sites across Assam, including over 300 sites in Guwahati, and continues to add more towers, the statement said.

In the NE Circle, Vodafone has also rolled out its own 3G network in Itanagar, Bomdila, Tawang, Along, Basar, Bhalukpong, Dirang,

"Initial response from subscribers who have experienced our superfast 3G services has been very positive and encouraging," Verma said.

ET Correspondent Rangia, Mar 8: The All Assam Student Union (AASU) today staged in dharna at Rangia in front of PWD Inspection Bunglow from 11am to 1pm against SEBA for destruction of thousands of answer scripts and question paper scam of Assam HS examination.

They also shouted slogans in against of state government and demanded for immediate inquiry and a strict punishment to the responsible officers.

Activists of All Assam Students' Union (AASU), Rangia staged sit-in-demonstration against Board of Secondary Education, Assam (SEBA) and Assam Higher Secondary Education Council (AHSEC) following recent burning of HSLC answer script and leakage of question paper in Rangia. Pic - UB Photos

Thousands throng in DEO and MCM committee to Doomdooma to hear the have close eye sermons of Babay Da on paid news items ET Correspondent Golaghat, Mar 8: A meeting was held where District Election Officer and the chairman of District Level Media Certification and Monitoring Committee, Anarul Haque emphasized on to have a close watch on the news items and advertisements relating to upcoming elections.

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 9-3-16 (WEDNESDAY) 5-35 A.M-Bhaktigeeti(Devotional Songs) 6-10 A.M-Swasthya Charcha (Health Programme) 6-15 A.M-Hindi Language Lesson 6-30 A.M-Vidyarthir Anusthan 6-50 A.M-Naam 7-15 A.M-Aajir Dinto (Morning Information Service) 7-30 A.M-Geetanjali(Assamese Modern Song) 8-35 A.M-Surar Panchoi(Composite Programme of Assamese Film Songs) 9-05 A.M- Antara (Composite Programme of Assamese Film Songs) 12-05 P.M-Surar Satsori (Request Programme of Assamese Songs) 1-10 P.M-Troops Programme 2-30 P.M-Western Music 3-45 P.M-Programme in Miju Mishmi 4-05 P.M-Programme in Khamti 4-25 P.M-Programme in Wancho 4-45 P.M-News for Arunachal Pradesh 5-00 P.M-Programme in Idu 5-20 P.M-Programme in Tangsa 5-40 P.M-Programme in Nocte 6-15 P.M-Ganya Raaijor Anusthan (Rural Programme) 9-30 P.M-Kramasha (Serial Novel Reading) 10-00 P.M-Question Hour in Parliament Sd-/H.O.P

Due to the upcoming assembly elections in the state of Assam the Golaghat District Administration have decided to keep a vigil eye on political advertisement and paid news.

ET Correspondent Doomdooma , Mar 8 : A programme was organized recently at Raidang playing field which falls Anarul Haque added that under Doomdooma pothe committee will keep a lice station in vigil eye on Paid News of Doomdooma where the Newspaper, Radio, TV great grandson of Yug Channels and also Social Purushotam sri sri Media. The political parties must have to take permis- Thakur Anukul Chandra sion for publishing or airing political advertisements from this Media Certification and Monitoring Committee. If any political party or individuals use Paid News to lure voters then committee will send reports to the Returning Official so that on its basis the Returning Official can send notice to the concerned party or individuals.

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN DAY

It is noteworthy that the

chief temple and office of the organization is located in Jharkhand in Devghar. There are more than crore followers of this organization all across the globe and a large temple of it is under construction at Shankar Dev Nagar Colony in Doomdooma

Spl correspondent.

Tinsukia, Mar 8: Agarwal Seva Samity (ASS), Tinsukia organized a free health checkup and diabetes camp for needy people at the premises of Kali Mandir at Golai no. 1 in Digboi, informed the Secretary of ASS, Surender Agarwal in a press release.

The release also mentioned that, altogether 251 people were checked by a team of doctors including Dr. Ramesh Agarwal and Dr. Priya Agarwal from Tinsukia. Free medicines were distributed to the needy patients and in future also the organisation will host such social work for the betterment of the community so that the needy people get benefited.

PBIB observes 'Shivaratri' with spiritual fervor in Lakhimpur ET Correspondent Lakhimpur, Mar 8: The Lakhimpur District Branch of P r a j a p i t a Brahmakumaris I s w a r i y a Biswavidyalaya (PBIB) observed the 'Shivaratri' or 'Shiva Jayanti' in its office premises with full spiritual fervor and a spiritual meeting was also held on this occasion and President of North Lakhimpur Press Club, Debendra Kumar Pandey, Secretary, Kumud Baruah, journalist Dwipen Borah and many other took part in the meeting as Special Guests.

Gagan Borah delivered the welcome address while Brahma kumari (BK) and Jon Behn elaborated the philosophy, aims and objectives of the institution.

DC of Dima Hasao conducts meeting regarding upcoming Assam Assembly Election ET Correspondent Haflong, Mar 8: The Dima Hasao Deputy Commissioner, Amarendra Barua held a meeting regarding the upcoming assembly elections, at his office on Tuesday. Along with him Superintendent of Police Dr. Dhananjay Parashuram Ghanawat also briefed about the security aspects during the election.

Despite various problems like previous liabilities, shortage of officials etc. the District Administration doing all possible endeavor to conduct the upcoming election in free, fair and smooth with cooperation from all section of the people on April 4.

Members of Setana Sanmilita Pragatisil Nari Manch, Dibrugarh took out a rally in support of their various demands on the occasion of ‘International Women Day’ in Dibrugarh. Pic - UB Photos

, Babay Da gave diksha to thousands believers .

The people from all across upper Assam including thousands from Arunachal Pradesh' Namsai district participated in the programme.

ASS conducts free health checkup at Digboi

DC Baruah also stated the date of notification as for the first phase is on March 14, the last date of filling nomination is on March 18, the date of scrutiny of nomination on March 19, last date for withdrawal of

and south is Cachar. The district has now three subdivisions Haflong, Maibang and Diyungbra which are newly created sub-division.

Dima Hasao Deputy Commissioner, Amarendra Barua held a meeting regarding the upcoming assembly elections at Haflong candidature in March 21, counting of votes on May 19 and date before which election shall be completed is May 21 respectively.

Briefing about the election plan to media, DC also gave a gist about the de-

mography of Dima Hasao that the district was created on February 2, 1970 with total area of 4890sq km. On its East is Nagaland and Manipur, west is Meghalaya and Karbi Anglong, on the North is Nagaon and Karbi Anglong

DC Baruah also informed that there are total of 203 polling stations where identified as 53 numbers as hypersensitive, 61 numbers as sensitive, 89 as normal, 69 as urban and 134 as rural.

There are a total of 14 zones, 53 sectors, 20 AEROs, 20 BLOs supervisors, booth level agents with 203 no. representing of INC, 179 no. representing BJP, 14 zonal magistrates, 53 sector magistrates and 32 no. of shadow area.

Number of presiding stations is 244 and number of polling officers is 732.

He also further mentioned that, the voters can cast their votes by the EVM machines as per the guidelines issued by the Election commission of India.

DIBRUGARH, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 9

ET Special

PAGE 3

Arunachal and Assam celebrate International Women’s Day

Itanagar: In

Itanagar, Arunachal Mahila Congress Committee celebrated the 106th International Women’s Day today

Vivekananda hall of RK Mission here. Retired Director, SWCD Dept. Dishi Mihu Mallo attended as chief guest while Managing

edies in context of customary law, RGU Professor Bandana Upadhya on ‘gender profile and issues while PHQ Inspector Neeranjan

Arunachal Mahila Congress Committee celebrated ‘International Women’s Day’ at Rajiv Gandhi Bhawan in Itanagar. at Rajiv Gandhi Bhawan, Itanagar. On the eve of the IWD, the committee adopted the resolutions after taking consensus of the members present in the meeting for further course of action that there should be provision of 1 seat for women out of 3 MP seats (2 Lok Sabha and 1 Rajya Sabha) from Arunachal Pradesh.

In Itanagar, the International womens day celebrated today under the aegis of Arunachal Pradesh state commission for Women at

Khonsa : In Khonsa the International Women’s Day was celebrated today in an elabo-

Director, Niba Hospital, Naharlagun Dr Nirmali Taba attended as guest of honour.

Director WCD RT Riba presented various schemes available with the women & child development and women empowerment and its implementation so far.

Technical session also held in which speakers include District & Session judge cum Member secretary Arunachal Pradesh legal service authority Budhi Habung delivered lecture on ‘ legal right and remChanyok Rajkumai urged the women to be proud of their immense contribution in nation building over the years and ages. He ap-

International Women’s Day celebrated at Khonsa rated manner at Khonsa.

While addressing on the occasion, ADTH

Roing: In Roing, the

Self Help Group (SHG) members from 20 SHGs under the aegis of AMYAA NGO celebrated IWD at the Training Hall of AMYAA Mayu-II, Roing. Sipi Elapra, ZPC as Chief Guest encouraged every SHG to take up the functioning of the SHG seriously and get the benefits. She further requested R. K. Paul

Chawang, and team of AMYAA to follow-up the SHGs systematically by paying visits and organize meeting at village levels so that SHGs are helped

pealed to the womenfolk to be prepared to shoulder bigger responsibilities apart to progress through proper guidance.

K. Manyu BDO, Roing and Sipa Mena, ZPM (Iduli Block) extorted every participating woman to be proud of being women.

Suruti Linggi APO (DRDA) said girl child difficulty can be best understood by her mother. She admits by stating that in Idu Mishmi So-

ciety, the parents generally give greater priority to the welfare of male child than girl child. She pleaded every mother to give extra care to the education of their girl

Kalita speaks about the ‘crime against women’ Various speakers spoke on the occasion including Secretary MUSKAN Kobi Zirdo Bagra, Representative of APWWS, Arunachal Vivekandana Yuba Shakti Chairman Ramesh Jeka, APSCW Member Secretary Hegio Yami and others.

Earlier, a long march procession was organised from Mopin solung ground to RK MIsion helipad was held even in bad weather which attended by the volunteers of various organisation. from their daily household chores.

In her address DACO Sira Meto described the day as a mark of tribute to the women’s power and emphatically said that the world would be incomplete without women and their contributions.

DIPRO Denhang Bosai as a special guest stated that even by doing the simple household chores the women were doing a great service to the society and urged them to be good mothers and wives adding that they were the real home makers.

Earlier, in her welcome address Chairperson of the Khonsa Women’s Welfare Association Sontung Lowang Bangsia highlighted the significance of the day and role of women was not to challenge the dominance of men but to work hand in hand with their male counterparts with equal right and dignity.

The function was attended by distinguished invitees including Chakat Aboh, Madam CO, 1st AR, Madam Neri and a host of other distinguished women leaders of the district. child for girls have tougher life challenges than boys.

Celebrating together with joy the SHG members resolved to respect and give due care to EDUCATION of their GIRL CHILD.

Borduria: In

Borduria first ever International Womens Day was also celebrated at Borduria village under the aegis of Borduria Women Association (BWA) which was sponsored by Lowangdong Foundation in which 25 village women from Tirap District actively participated on the occasion.

While extending greetings to all the women who came from different Nocte villages of Tirap District, Principal RKSM Girls' School, Khonsa Vedatmaprana Mataji said Indian women need not fight for equality and approach government for empowerment because Indian women has been em-

Deomali: In Deomali, the IWD was also celebrated at Deomali with great enthusiasm and highlight.

Koloriang: In Koloriang, the International women’s Day was celebrated today. Speaking on the occasion as the Chief Guest, Yowa Topu, ADC (Hq) and I/C Deputy Commissioner, Kurung-Kumey District call upon the fairer section of the society to work hard, upgrade their skill, minimize their dependent on men folk. He said that if women are economically independent they can take independent decision and contribute more for the advancement of the society, country and the humanity.

powered by nature adding that Indian culture itself has proved women empowerment. She said Sarada Math and Sarada Mission is only the women organisation in the world which directly control and run by women without man involvements.

In her welcome address, Chasom Wangchadong, Chairperson BWA (Borduria Women Association) said womens living in remote villages and rural areas of Tirap District are still unaware about celebration of IWD though it has been celebrated in town and cities and they must be motivated to understand the importance of the celebration.

T.W Thungon, Deputy Director, ICDS, Koloriang explained the aim and objectives of different schemes available in her department.

Er. Chello Sanjay, AE, PHED, Koloriang threw light on the evolution of International Women Day and its background.

Bengia Raja, APO (Credit), DRDA spoke on the relevance of SHGs. Langbia Reema, Chairman of IWDCC’2016, Topu Basar Ete, Chairman-cum-CEO, GPTI, Toku Natung, Organizing Secretary and Yumlam Adam also spoke on the occasion. Games and Sports, cultural items including a Mega Dance were showcased on the occasion.

(DIPRO)

Members of All India Mahila Sanskritik Sangathan (AIMSS) shout slogans during a rally demanding salvation of various women problem in current society on the occasion of International Womenâ•™s Day in Jorhat. Pic - UB Photos

Jorhat: In Jorhat, On the occasion of UN International Women’s Day, Dr Pradip Kumar Neog, Director, Extension Education Institute (EEI),NERegion highlighted the United Nations-Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) which also emphasize gender mainstreaming. He said Gender Equality still needs to be stepped up for allround development while inaugurating the regional level five-days training programme on ‘Mainstreaming Gender and Gender Friendly Small Scale Agro-Based Enterprises’ organised by EEI at Assam Agricultural University (AAU), Jorhat. Dr. A. K. Bhattacharyya, Professor & Course Coordinator delivered the

Mangaldai

: Mangaldai, District Women Cell , Darrang and district head quarter observe the International Women’s Day here today, the Mangaldai Branch of SBI and the women cell of Mangaldai college teachers observed the with a difference organizing a free health check up camp for the disadvantaged rural women and an innovative wall magazine composition contest among the students of Mangaldai college.

The day long health camp in association with the Joint Director of Health Services, Darrang at Chamuapara

welcome address.

It may be mentioned that EEI (NE Region) is a Regional-level Training Institute at AAU, Jorhat under Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare, Government of India. (Ends) The ‘International Women’s Day was observed at the Assam Women’s University, Jorhat with a well charted out programme today.

The programme started in the morning with the formation of a human chain by the students and faculty members of Assam Women’s University on the theme of International Women’s Day 2016, ‘Planet 50:50 by 2030: Step it up for Gender Equality’. Then a procession was also taken out to

Golaghat:

Golaghat, along with the world, International Women's Day was observed today with a daylong programme by Hemo Prova Borborah Girls College in Golaghat which is one of the oldest and prestigious women education institutions in upper Assam.

International Women Day observed in Mangaldai

village has reportedly been recorded around 300 women patient who have been provided free consultation by specialist government doctors including Dr Prashanta Goswami , Dr Harajyoti Deka , Dr Gautam

Saikia , Dr Rohini Goswami and Dr Rinku Deka among others. The patients were also supplied with free medicines in the camp as stated by Basanta Kr Deka on behalf the organizers.

On the occasion of celebrating womanhood a meeting was organized by the IQAC and Women Cell of Hemo Prova Borborah College at Dhansiripar

sensitize people about the rights of women in Rowriah and Borbheta area.

A meeting, held in connection with this occasion, the Mentor of Assam Women’s University, Jorhat and Vice Chancellor of Assam Agricultural University Dr K M Bujarbaruah emphasized on the pivotal role a women’s university can play towards achieving a world of equality between men and women.

Mrs Monika Saikia, retired vice principal of Sivasagar Collage who was the speaker in the meeting spoke on the issue of domestic violence and the importance of The Domestic Violence Act 2005 as an important instrument towards fighting this burning issue.

Naamghar. The meeting was presided over by the Vice Principal of the college Manju Baruah where hundreds of rural women took part.

A leading writer and woman rights activist from Denmark attended the meeting as distinguished guest.

Later the students of the college conducted a street play conveying message of equal rights for women, economic liberty and challenges faced by women seeking equal rights and liberty.

Deptt. of ICDS in collaboration with WWA (Womens Welfare Association), Tawang at DC’s Conference Hall.

In Tawang, International Womens Day was celebrated in a befitting manner at Tawang Head Quarter today. A sensitization and awareness camp on

The day was also celebrated at Lhou Circle to mark the social, economic and political achievement of women.

Smt. Pema Dokar (Social Activist), Dr Nenghap Jongsam (SMO), Smt.Lobsang Lhamu (Best

PWDV (Protection of Women form Domestic Violence) Act 2005 and POCSO (Protection of Children from Domestic Violence) Act 2012 was organized by the

Lady teacher), Smt.Drema Tsomu(ASHA), Ani Dawa Tsomu (Nun) and Miss Choikey (Best Student of Lhou Circle) were felicitated during the occasion.

Women awareness musical rally being take out by musician Kishor Giri and others on the occasion of International Womenâ•™s Day in Guwahati. Pic - UB Photos

DIBRUGARH, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 9

PAGE 4

DC introduce prohibition Act in Lakhimpur on two-wheeler ET Correspondent Lakhimpur, Mar 8: Debeswar Malakar, the DC cum District Magistrate of Lakhimpur made prohibition under section 144 CrPC that no person shall be allowed to ride twowheeler without wearing helmet since the trend of road accident is seen increasing and many unfortunate deaths are occurring due to head injuries for non-wearing of protective headgears or helmet. Moreover, the authorities of Fuel filling stations are also directed not to issue fuel to the bike riders without wearing helmets.

According to sources, the administration further directed that, non-compliance of directions shall invite punitive action against the concerned Fuel Filling Stations including the cancellation of their license. It is also directed that the protective helmets should be conforming to the standards of Bureau of Indian Standards. The prohibition came into effect from today throughout the district and will remain in force until further order.

Feature film on Abo-Tani Tripura Governor praises Okke Mopin released samaritan role of Assam Rifles Agartala, Mar. 8 (ANI): A 12day National Integration Tour and a cycle rally to spread the message of cleanliness under the ‘Swatch Bharat’ drive were flagged off by Tripura Governor Tathagatha Roy. Both events have been organized by the 4 battalion Assam Rifles (AR) under 21 Sector AR on the eve of 181 rising day of AR, the oldest paramilitary force of the world, to be celebrated on March 23.

Aalo, Mar 8: The much awaited feature film on AboTani Okke Mopin, brought out

by Golden Jubilee Central Mopin Celebration Committee was released by Mari Riba, Superintendent of Police for public view on tickets at Gumin Kiin amid cheer and applause on March 7 last. The Film is directed by Mijum Lona and show will continue up to

Rangia army apprehends a cadre of NDFB(S) ET Correspondent Rangia Mar 8: Based on specific information, Army and Baksa Police launched a joint operation on March 7 and apprehended a cadre of NDFB(S) from village Alagjhar who have been identified as Namal Boro, ( 28) Son of Late Hangla Boro, of Village – Alagjhar, under PS Barama, District

– Baksa The apprehended linkman has been involved in extortion, arms smuggling and other nefarious and anti national activities.

One 7.65mm Pistol along with one magazine and two live rounds were recovered from the apprehended linkman. Namal Boro has been handed over to Police Station Barama on March 7.

Prajapita Brahmakumaris Iswariya Biswavidyalaya observes 'Shivaratri' with spiritual fervor in Lakhimpur ET Correspondent Lakhimpur; March 8: The Lakhimpur District Branch of Prajapita Brahmakumaris Iswariya Biswavidyalaya observed the 'Shivaratri' or 'Shiva Jayanti' in its office premises with full spiritual fervor. A spiritual meeting on this occasion was held there at 4pm and President in Charge of North Lakhimpur Press Club Debendra Kumar Pandey, Secretary Kumud Baruah, journalist Dwipen Borah, Ranjit Kakoti, Priyam Jyoti Phukan took part in the meeting as Special Guests.

Gagan Borah delivered the welcome address while Brahmakumari(BK) Jon

Behn elaborated the philosophy, aims and objectives of the institution. On the other hand, BK Nurmi Behn, the Chief Executive of the Branch explained the spiritual significance of the Maha Shivaratri. Debendra Kumar Pandey, Kumud Baruah and Ranjit Kakoti too, delivered speech on the occasion in the meeting which was anchored by Trinayan Dutta. Senior artists Binay Baruah and Kanchan Baruah sang a 'Bor Geet', Anima and Arati Behn sang spiritual song while Kumari Papori and Kashmiri performed Lord Shiva worshipping dance. Behn Deeptimala offered the vote of thanks in the program.

March 12 on ticket basis to all the viewers.

Riba appreciated the effort of the Organsing Committee for such a film which is based on our ancestor Abotani and origin of Mopin besides throwing light on culture and tribal ways of life.

The President and Secretary GJCMCC Ado Ado and

Henrik Basar disclosed that the film is an outcome of a long drawn effort involving huge financial expenditure with an objective to preserve and promote it for posterity. .

The film will come handy for the young generations about our ancestor and mythological aspects behind celebration of Mopin festival. (DIPRO)

Revoke 'arbitrary' appointment of Mission Director- NHM or face agitation: NIDA says Kohima, Mar 8: Nagaland In Service Doctors Association (NIDA) on Monday demanded that the appointment of Mission Director, National Health Mission (NHM) under the Department of Health & Family Welfare be revoked within ten days with effect from March 3 or face phase-wise agitation.

In a press statement, NIDA president Dr Kedozeto Punyu and general secretary Dr Vezokholu reiterated their earlier stand on the appointment criteria of Mission Director which it asserted should be held by the medical fraternity and in the line of senior-most and not otherwise.

Even if he or she declines to hold the post, it should be given to the next senior most in line, it said.

Alleging that the recent appointment of the new Mission Director was made 'arbitrarily' in spite of the repeated request by the Association, it said the policy of pick and choose can lead to demoralization, insincerity, indisci-

pline leading to collapse of health care system in the state.

The association asserted that it upholds the seniority criteria in appointment to avoid misunderstandings/ mistrust among its members so as to create conducive working atmosphere and fraternity relationships in the department.

Informing of the March 2 general body meeting, NIDA warned that if the appointment of the Mission Director was not revoked within the given timeframe, it will resort to phase-wise agitation starting with a mass casual leave on March 15, followed by total cease work of all administrative and managerial works including centrally sponsored schemes with effect from March 16 onwards-both at state and district level.

This will then be followed by total closure of all hospitals and health units, CMO office, MS office till the department revokes the appointment order, the association added. (Agencies)

Tale of two leaders who thought about youths Shillong, Mar 8: Similar thoughts were shared by leaders PA Sangma, who died on March 4 in Delhi and former President APJ Abdul Kalam, who passed away in the city on July 27 last year. Kalam had written a foreword to Sangma's book A life in Politics, which said that reading about Sangma will inspire young minds with the confidence that they can also climb to new heights in life by continuous acquisition of knowledge and ceaseless

work. In the book, while writing his acknowledgements, Sangma said," I have always believed in and admired the potential, talent, and strength of India's younger generation.

Sangma hoped that the new generations particularly young politicians will familiarize themselves with the economic problems and political issues confronting their respective states and Country as a whole. Earlier on March 4 in Meghalaya

Legislative Assembly, some state legislators had pointed out that the late leader Purno had inspired youths in the state and the country and focused on their empowerment as he had special love for the youths.

Incidentally, after the death of Kalam, the late Tura MP had urged Director of IIM Shillong, Dr. Amitabha De, to initiate steps to erect a life-size statue of Kalam on the IIM campus.

The former President had collapsed and died at IIM

Shillong on July 27 while he was interacting with the students. Sangma made the recommendation after a written suggestion was submitted by a well wisher Dr. George John based in Dehradun.

"The suggestion is worth consideration in the larger public interest, especially for the people of Meghalaya and I recommend the same with a request to initiate suitable steps in this regard," the Sangma had said in the letter addressed to the IIM Director. (Agencies)

Dish TV and VISIWARE enter into a strategic tie-up to offer “Playin ‘TV” A Staff Reporter Guwahati, Mar 8: In a bid to make TV the new playground, Dish TV, Asia Pacific’s largest direct-tohome (DTH) company has partnered with Visiware International, the world leader in interactive games for television, stated a official press statement. Both companies are proud to an-

nounce Playin'TV, Visiware's flagship international gaming channel broadcasted on over 40 networks worldwide that will now be made available on the Dish TV platform.

Visiware International and Dish TV started their partnership in 2007, with the launch of Minikids TV, a

range of edutainment interactive TV games targeting 2-5 year old children. Now, with Playin’TV, DishTV’s customers will have access to a rich international gaming experience with a selection of games for the whole family to enjoy; boys and girls between 8 to 12 years, teens between 13 to 20 years and for those over 20.

Compatible on all set top boxes and available 24/7 for an affordable monthly subscription, Playin’TV is easily accessible through Channel No. 521 and doesn’t require any additional equipment apart from the existing set top box and the remote control.

Twenty five special children (deaf and dumb) from the Ferrando School for Speech and Hearing (FSSH) along with four teachers and a team of 4 AR, will be visiting Delhi, Agra, Jaipur and Shillong as part of the Civic Action Project undertaken by Assam Rifles.

The members of the tour, who for the first time are visiting outside the state, were very excited getting an opportunity for the first time of travelling by flight and train.

“They all want to experience the places outside our state and this will be their first experience of flying by air and travelling by train. They are visit-

ing places outside our state and meeting people and taken this as a great chance that Assam Riffles is proving them. This will bring them great learning in their mind and on return shall share it with others students who are at Ferrando,” said Sister Seni, Principal of FSSH. She added the tour will help in national integration as youth from the north-eastern region shall be able to know their nation better by visiting places and interaction with people outside the region.

“Of course, it is going to bring a new change in the minds of our students and as well as parents of our students because they never got a chance so far and this tour they are going to make outside the state is going to unite them in one way or another by interacting with the people outside. That will bring them wider knowledge of themselves and outside the world,” she added.

Governor Roy, after interacting with the students, appreciated the efforts taken by Assam Rifles for promoting such a noble cause.

He expressed that before coming here he like most of the people was not aware that the security forces and army other than protecting people and guarding the border from foreign invasion is involved in such civic action and which needs to be propagated to counter misconception spread against forces by a section of people and with vested interest.

“In fact, I had no idea that the Assam Rifles carries out social interaction with the people of the Northeast. ... But right after coming here I saw that they are bringing school children, showing them around the Raj Bhavan, they are getting the Governor to address them and this is news to me and this is wonderful one,” said Roy.

During their visit to Delhi, the students will get an opportunity to interact with President Pranab Mukherjee and meet high ranking Army officials.

“What I find missing is that this thing is not finding adequate publicity to the rest of India…today this is the age of information; this is the age when you need publicity and simply doing will not do. You

Training cum awareness programme on consumers’ rights held Yingkiong, Mar 8: The Department of Legal Metrology & Consumer Affairs, East/ Upper Siang District has organized day long training cum awareness programme with the traders of Yingkiong Market at Old Community Hall, Yingkiong on March 5 last.

Attending the programme as the Chief Guest, EAC Jumte Jini, suggested traders to respect the rights of consumers as granted under the Consumer Protection Act so as to foster healthy relationship.

Briefing about functioning of consumer court in Upper Siang district, he stated that since trader are also a consumers as they buy products or services offered by others, can approach the District Forum and get their grievances redressed as and when necessary.

Unlike other court, District Forum provides simple and inexpensive redressal to consumer grievances within maximum period of five months. However he cautioned them not to violate provisions of Legal Metrology laws to ensure delivery of right products with right quantity to the buyers at fair price.

Earlier K. P. Tago, Asstt.

Controller while briefing

objectives of the training stated that a seller should have the knowledge of the products or service that they are selling better than the purchaser about its use, quality, quantity, performance or price so that they could guide the purchaser.

If misguided, buyer will feel cheated and remain dissatisfied and the relation will be strained. As the shopkeeper is equally important in society at par with the profession like doctors, politician or Govt. servant, they should also have to maintain good relation with the consumer and foster mutual trust, he added.

While talking about MRP of packaged commodities, he stated that since MRP is inclusive of all taxes and commission payable to retailers and other expenses, no additional charges can be added over it on the pretext of transportation charge as is going on in some remote places.

Observing further that some traders are selling packaged items like wall or table clock, helmet, motor parts, electronic items, etc without the cover or wrapper and sells them at their own price, he termed it as unfair practice that amounts to violation of provisions of Packaged Commodities Rules. Such kind of prac-

tices should be discontinued immediately. Since manufacturer has given the MRP on the cover, no one has the right to hide or manipulate it, he added.

The training was given with demonstrations by relating provisions of Legal Metrology and packaged commodities rules and also on other subjects that concern to both seller and consumers.

Attending the programme as the Chief Guest, Hengo Basar, Project Director dwelt at length on importance of Legal Metrology and other consumer protection laws which are specifically designed to protect consumers. He urged participants to exercise their rights as consumer to protect themselves from unfair trade practices by taking help of Consumer court, District Forum, which have been set up decade ago in upper Siang District. He also suggested them to get maximum benefit from the programme which will help enhance shopping technique and in choosing the right products in future.

Basically, awareness campaign was given in the form of demonstration on various consumer interest products.

More than hundred shopkeepers attend the training.

(DIPRO)

also need to tell people you are doing what,” he added.

The tour is aimed at providing the students with an exposure to the rich cultural heritage of our country and an opportunity to visit various places as also interact with dignitaries.

Nishant Sharma, Commandant, 4 battalion of AR, said, “Focus of the tour which has been organized by the Assam Rifles is an attempt for national integration. We take these children of Tripura and show them the development and cultural heritage of India and also educate and aware them… Apart from that for these children we are organizing computer certified course so that tomorrow as adults they are not deaf and mute as they are so called today, they are capable and equipped young people of the nation who can generate their own employment.”

As a grand finale to the tour, the children on return to Shillong will be given an opportunity to attend the Assam Rifles Day Celebrations at HQ DG AR amidst numerous dignitaries of the Army, Assam Rifles, Civil Administration and the State of Meghalaya.

DC holds coordination meeting with HoDs ET Correspondent Roing, Mar 8: In a Coordination meeting with the HoDs in his office chamber today, Ravi Dhawan, IAS Deputy Commissioner of Lower Dibang Valley District said to make on field review of the works being executed by various departments on one-to-one basis as the deadline for many works falls on March 31.

He also warned that there shall be no civil deposits and asked the departments to strictly follow the Codal Formalities while incurring any financial expenditure.

DC further asked the Superintendent of Tax & Excise and Assistant Mineral Development Officer to make frequent inspection and checking to plug any kind of revenue leakages.

Meanwhile, Jotin Linggi, AMDO informed that some vehicles were seized on Monday evening for illegal extraction of minor minerals from the notified quarry sites and realized Rs 21,136 as penalty as per the provision under APMMCR 2002. It was also informed that the Department of Geology and Mining, Lower Dibang Valley District has realized total of Rs 1, 56,279/ - as penalty from the defaulters till date.

Unying Aaran festival celebrated with great pomp and gaiety in East Siang ET Correspondent Pasighat, Mar 8: The Unying Aaran festival of Adis which is celebrated in the month of March beginning from 7th day of the month every year is being celebrated with great pomp and gaiety across the villages of Adi belt that started from yesterday with the return of hunting troupe from jungles yesterday morning.

The Aaran festival also marks the beginning of New Year and the arrival of spring season, the season of joyousness and youthfulness where male elders performs ‘Bari’ songs and ‘Yakjong’ dance in villages by boys and girls through which stories of origin of the festival are narrated, besides praying for wellbeing of people both mate-

rially and spiritually.

Festival of Unying Aaran being celebrated by Adis of Siang Valley. Children are given birds and squirrel as gift during the festival when males of the family returns from jungle after hanting

The Aaran festival is basically performed after the return of hunting troupes from the jungles where male folks of the villages go for hunting duration of which varies from village to village. The festivity brings brotherhood among the villagers as hunted meats and rice beer “Aapong” are shared among each other during the festival.

Another interesting part of the festivity is that, men folk’ returning from hunting tour esquires each other of who hunted the bigger numbers of animals and invites each other in their houses to offer feast which is one of the most credible part of Adis due to which Adis has been said of having communal harmony from time immemorial.

REGION

DIBRUGARH, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 9

One held with 23,120 spasmo proxyvon capsules

One man from Imphal was arrested and charged with possession of restricted pharmaceutical drugs at the Khuzama

Dimapur, Mar 8: One man from Imphal was arrested and charged with possession of restricted pharmaceutical drugs at the Khuzama inter-state Excise (Narcotic Cell) check-post. The man, identified as Md. Mujibur (29 years), was found smuggling 23,120 capsules of spasmo proxyvon (SP).

The man was travelling in an Imphal-bound taxi when the vehicle was stopped for routine checking at Khuzama check-post. According to the Excise Narcotic Cell, frisking of the taxi revealed a cache of neatly packaged SP capsules, which was being smuggled by the man.

A mason by profession, the Narcotic Cell stated that the accused revealed during interrogation that he was en route Imphal from Kolkata via Dimapur. He had pro-

cured the drug at Kolkata for Rs. 50,000 to be disposed off in Imphal for Rs. 80,000.

As per his statement, it was his second try at drug trafficking following a successful first attempt using the same route. Mujibur, hailing from Khomidok Mamang Leikai, Imphal West was charged and booked under the Drugs & Cosmetics Act. Kolkata has become an accessible source-point for prescription pills where drugs like spasmo proxyvon and nitrazepam - the former a pain-reliever and the latter a sleep-inducing drug - are reported to be easily available. Law enforcement agencies in Nagaland have over the years intercepted several relatively small consignments of such drugs en route with Kolkata as the source-point. (Agencies)

'Nagaland and Mizoram have kept women away from legislatures' New Delhi, Mar 8: Though socially advanced with high literacy rates, the northeastern states of Nagaland and Mizoram have an unenviable record of women's representation in their legislatures, people in the know said on the occasion of the International Women's Day. A full-fledged state since 1963, Nagaland has yet to elect a woman to its legislative assembly.

Mizoram got statehood in 1986, but has since elected only two women to its legislature.

"We Nagas are known for our progressive approach. As a society we have a high literacy rate and English education.

Yet, the socio-political fabric favours men over

women -- to the extent that we are still waiting for our first female legislator," Thomas Ngullie, an independent MLA and a former state information minister, said.

"The scenario must change, but we are not sure when it will. On the International Women's Day, we must reflect on this," said Rose Merry, a Dimapur-based educationist. Mizoram has a better record, but only marginally. With 91.33 per cent literacy as per 2011 Census, the state's only female minister so far has been Lalhlimpui, who was elected to the assembly in 1987 and became a member of the cabinet of Chief Minister Laldenga, a former rebel leader.

Nagaland and Mizoram have kept women away from legislatures Since Lalhlimpui, there was a 27-year drought -broken in 2014 when 35year-old C. Lalawmpuii won the Hrangturzo assembly by-election as a Congress nominee.

One needs to mention though that Mizoram had got its first female lawmaker in 1984 when it

North East Region (SPUNER) at Nanakpura, New Delhi.

According to Robin Hibu, Joint Commissioner of Police Delhi, the GoI has already allotted 1.21 hectares of prime land at New

was still a Union Territory. The lady who made it first to the legislature was K. Thansiami, who was elected on a Mizoram People's Conference ticket.

Aizawl-based social worker R. Remruata said, "The social opposition to women getting an

upper hand is so vocal that in 2011 the Congress-ruled Mizoram government had opposed the Food Security Bill that sought to make woman the head of the family in the ration cards."

Both Mizoram and Nagaland are also perceived to have "male chauvanistic" life styles, he said. Addressing a workshop of Mizoram legislators in 2009, the first female speaker of Lok Sabha Meira Kumar had underlined that it was high time for the state to have woman MLAs. Nagas had by and large opposed the 33 per cent reservation for women in state legislatures in the 1990s when the demand for the quota bill was at

its peak. The Naga Students' Federation had written to the parliamentary select committee chairperson Geeta Mukherjee, saying the bill went against Naga tradition.

The Nagaland assembly had in 1997 passed a unanimous resolution moved by the then parliamentary affairs minister Zhove Lohe opposing the women's quota bill.

In the 1970s, however, after the Emergency, Rano Shaiza was elected as united opposition's lone Lok Sabha member from Nagaland, riding mostly on the anti-Indira Gandhi sentiment.

Shaiza, who died last year, continues to hold the record of Nagaland's first and only woman MP. (Agencies)

CM Ibobi flags off of Imphal- Indo-Bangla PMOs to launch power supply initiative, internet gateway Kangchup-Tamenglong road Agartala, Mar 8: Ex- Sanchar Nigam Limited create the infrastructure, Imphal, Mar 8: Manipur Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh here on Monday flagged off development of the Imphal-KangchupTamenglong road. The function was held at Kangchup Chiru in Imphal West.

Speaking at the flag-off, Ibobi stated that the 103.030 km-long road will be developed into a world class highway at the cost of Rs 1114.18 crore funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB). While stating that completion of work on the British era road will take

three and a half years, he urged upon all sections of the society to extend support and prevent causing any kind of hindrance.

Stressing on the importance of bringing about peace, Ibobi said that Manipur as a multi-ethnic state it is imperative that law and order is improved to bring about development. Tourism, he added can aid in that direction, while stating that it can materialize when there are attractive tourist destinations in the state.

Ibobi further expressed happiness that Imphal has

been selected under Smart City Mission of the Government of India and that it was recently adjudged as one of the cleanest cities in the country securing 15th position among 300 such cities.

He also informed that the state government will soon start construction of the Imphal Ring Road.

Today's function, among others, was attended by Deputy Chief Minister Gaikhangam and Works Minister Dr. Kh. Ratankumar Singh. (Agencies)

23.25 crore sanctioned for special unit for NER Dimapur, Mar 8: Ministry of Women & Child Development, Government of India (GoI) has sanctioned an amount of Rs 23. 25 crore from Nirbhaya fund for the much awaited Delhi Police Special Unit for

PAGE 5

Delhi in the month of November 2015 for the ambitious project which was proposed by Delhi Police. Hibu said SPUNER will not only be a police station but will also have provisions for auditorium,

counseling halls, mediation rooms, legal aid centre, research and library, self-defense training hall, anti eve teasing flying squad by karate trained Delhi police women commandos, information and so-

cial media centre, crèche for children, outdoor training lawn, latest selfhelp IT based cafeteria, underground parking, PCR standee, CCTV/ CCTNS centre, office of North East Nodal Officer etc. (Agencies)

port of 100 MW power from Palatana plant of South Tripura to Bangladesh and import of 10 Gbps internet bandwidth are scheduled to begin on March 23 after online joint inauguration

by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bangladesh counterpart Sheikh Hasina. Officials on Monday said that both the Prime Minister's office has cleared the schedule of inauguration of the projects through video conferencing from New Delhi and Dhaka where Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar will also join them from Agartala.

The ministry of power has approved transmission line between Suryamaninagar of Agartala and South Comilla grid of Bangladesh after multilevel checking in the network last month informed the ministry.

Similarly, Bharat

(BSNL) and Bangladesh Submarine Cable Company Limited (BSCCL) have jointly built India's third international internet gateway after Chennai and Mumbai and connected it to 10 Gbps bandwidth at Akhaura Checkpost of Agartala in January.

Completion of the projects in due time, the inauguration was delayed as both the prime ministers could not manage time to launch these here, said a senior official here, adding that finally the formal launching programme was decided through video conferencing. Union Communications and Information Technology Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on July 11 last year laid the foundation stone for the third international internet gateway (IIG) through Cox's Bazar in Bangladesh.

The Indian government has spent Rs 20 crore to

including laying of OFC, to avail the 10 gigabit bandwidth from Bangladesh. Moreover, India has to give around Rs 8 crore per year as rental fee to BSCCL to avail the telecommunication linkages to make Northeast India as gateway of South-East Asian nations via Bangladesh.

India is also building railway link between Agartala and Bangladesh and constructing a bridge in South Tripura to get access to Chittagong sea port. Tripura Power Minister Manik Dey said that 726 MW capacity gas based world biggest clean development mechanism power project came up in South Tripura only because Bangladesh allowed to use Ashuganj port for transporting over dimensional cargos for the project and the state emerged as one of the biggest power surplus state in India.(Agencies)

Apnes soon to have state of art academic building – Swami Anu Happy Friends from all over the country come together in reaching out to Arunachali children ET Correspondent Wakro, Mar 8: The Apnes will soon have a state of the art academic building as the project is proposed and approved by His Holiness Sri Sri Swami Anubhavanandaji. The saint in his previous visit felt that the Apna Vidya Bhavan should be supported with better infrastructure. Accordingly Anu Swamiji guided corporate and social leaders to contribute for the project. What makes the project special is that Swami Anu decided and ensured the participation of innumerable Happy Friends from all over the country in the noble initiative.

Bharat Desai (Baroda), Parul Desai (Navi Mumbai), Vinanti Desai (Bangalore), Tapasvi Desai (Baroda), S R Menon (Mumbai), A Nagananda (Mumbai), Ajit Awasare (Mumbai), S P Enterprises (Mumbai), Mihika Desai (Bangalore), Kamini Desai (Baroda), Shree Narayana Industrial Corporation (Baroda), Devendra Kothari (Baroda), Ansh Desai (Bangalore), Mahir Desai (Bangalore), Tejas Chavan (Navi Mumbai), Shakuntala Chavan (Navi Mumbai), Tushar Chavan (Mumbai), Parul Mathur (Mumbai), Suresh Narang (Mumbai), Chandrashekhar S Tulapurkar (Navi Mumbai), Membrane Systems (Mumbai), Lata Tambe (Mumbai), Minal Dighe (Mumbai), Riddhi Chavan (Navi Mumbai), Sunil S Deshpande (Mumbai), Vipul Sutaria (Mumbai), Aarti Shah (Mumbai), Suvarna Khedkar (Ranjangaon), Umesh Kolapkar (Mumbai), Rohit Ashtavadhani (Mumbai),

Madhav Vattikutti (Rajahmundry), Sulekha Salian (Navi Mumbai), Prakash Salian (Navi Mumbai), Indersingh Goraiya (Navi Mumbai), Moolraj Bhinde (Mumbai), Nalini Shetty (Navi Mumbai), Mahesh Shukla (Ahmedabad), Softsys Hosting Pvt Ltd (Baroda), Anjani Desai (Baroda), Ashutosh Desai (Baroda), Nita Satish Luhar (Baroda), Dr Thimappa Hegde (Bangalore), Prashant Y Shah (Mumbai), Y R Shah (Mumbai), Mansi Garg (Delhi), Neela Desai (Baroda), S J Gadhvi (Baroda), Dreams International (Surat), Hasmukh Doshi (Mumbai), Nimish Sharma (Ghaziabad), Gurudev Singh (Agra), Sharmila S Nahatta (Jaipur), Biswaroop Mukhopadhyaya (Bokaro), Dr Anil Mansukhani (Mumbai), Ratan Chaudhry (Jaipur) and Prabhu Mandhana (Jaipur) have happily contributed for the Apna Academic building.

Swami Sri Sri Anubhavananda appreciated all the contributors and lauded Bharat Desai saying “Bharat is god sent for the Apnes” The ASSET members thanked Bharatji for the excellent coordination. Deepa and Deven Singh volunteer to render all possible assistance to see that the Apnes get the sweet gift soon.

Swamiji along with GBs, panchayat leaders of the area, govt officials will lay the foundation of The Anusaran on the 9th March 2016 in presence of Happy folks Bharat J Desai, Mai, Nanaji, Umesh Kolapkar, Rohit Ashtavadhani, Dr Thimmapa Hegde, Kunaal Mullick, Nimish Sharma, Dr

Mala, Er Ginko Linggi, Er Lupalum Kri, Deepa, Deven and Virendra Singh. Apna Vidya Bhavan is a school located in the lush green town of Wakro in Lohit district of Arunachal Pradesh, which is home to the Mishmi tribe. The school was founded as per the desire and vision of His Holiness Swami Sri Sri Anubhavananda Saraswati.

Swamiji strongly felt the need for a good educational institution in the area, which will turn out to be the very foundation of a strong, self-reliant local community. Hence with this vision in mind, the school started functioning on the 16th February, 2003. The school is today managed by Anu Shiksha Seva Trust (ASSET).

Chairman of ASSET, an ardent follower of Swamiji recalls how Swamiji convinced him to start the school, He said, 'if you start the school for rural children I am with you, otherwise also I am with you.' It is this unconditional love Swamiji imbues that truly became the foundation for the school. The only instruction he ever gave to the founding members was that “Before we start serving people around, we must cultivate genuine respect in our mind and true love in our hearts for the ones we serve.”

And this is the sole guiding motto of ASSET. The patron saint Swami Anu, as he is addressed affectionately, stands true to his assurance. Right from choosing the Name of the school, the Apna Vidya Bhavan, to adding various facilities and infrastructure, his help is pouring ceaselessly and his ever soothing presence felt endlessly by the ASSET and

Sri Sri Swami Anubhavanandaji

community members.

Starting with just KG classes, a small building with a single room and a member's home serving as a hostel, the school now holds classes uptill 8th standard and has flourished with a double storied building and two hostel buildings. As the Apnes are receiving the delightful gift from Anu Swamiji and Happy friends, the Apnes and members of ASSET are fondly reminded of the kind support received from the local community, many organizations and well wishers like the Army, Arunachal Pradesh Police, Central Reserve Police Force, Border Roads Organization, Oil India Limited to count a few. The print media houses of Arunachal Pradesh and Assam have heartily supported the educational and social efforts of the school by dedicating prestigious space in their papers regularly. The Apnes and school management fondly remember J M Tangu, IAS, Gegong Apang, Dr Syeda Hameed, Dipti Bhalla, Kunal Verma, Jija Madhavan Hari

Singh, IPS, Lt Gen R K Swami, Shraddha Prakash, Brig Ajai Prakash, Meeta Bardalai, Maj Gen A K Bardalai, Gunjan, Binod Saharia, Vineeta, Manoj Jalan, Dolly Sachar, Lt Gen B S Sachar, Geeta Katoch, Maj Gen G S Katoch, Yamini Saini, Brig Jayesh Saini, Col P S Bindra, Brig Savneet Singh, Col G S Jamwal, Col Pramit Saxena, Col H S Chouhan, Col D N Mallick, Brig Manjeet Mehta, Latika Sahni, Maj Gen Vikal Sahni, Y D Thongchi, IAS, Robin Hibu, IPS, Kirli Padu, APPS, Col Vinod Kumar Painyuli, Col R K L Srivastava, Tapi Gao, Prashant Lokhande, IAS, K Rina, Er Saroj Pradhan, Babu Taloh, APPS, Isaac Pertin, IPS, Sukeshi Mein, C K Mein, IPS, Rajeev Takuk, APCS, R K Sharma, APCS, Tamiyo Tatak, APCS, and all leaders who stood by and supported the humble rural Wakro effort.

The school also has partnerships with many other social and educational causes, the prominent of them being the VT-AWIC libraries that has started a library movement in the Lohit district. The children regularly take part in library activities and have even joined a reading brigade that goes to other schools and encourages reading habits in rural children. The APNE Library in Wakro is truly a state-of-theart children's library that not many schools can boast to have access to.

The school also engages in other voluntary services like medical camps and environmental activities of ASSET, in meaningfully shouldering various social responsibilities.

Presently the Apnes are actively engaged with social leader Chinmay Panth in taking forward Clean and Green campaign in the area. The effort is receiving great response from people of all walks of life including the govt administration, Panchayat Raj Institutions of various levels, traders and members of general public.

Since the school believes in continuous self-assessment and updation, it holds regular teacher’s orientation programs (TOP) for which teachers of other schools are also invited.

Mr K K Rao, Principal Delhi Public school, Duliajan, Mr M N Chaturvedi a renowned mathematician, Sri Satyanarayanan Mundayoor, distinguished educationist cum social activist and Ms Anjali Dave and Revathi Shankar from Strategies and Solutions, Ahmedabad have been volunteering their services for the numerous TOPs organized so far . The school also receives the services of voluntary teachers from other parts of the country regularly.

Under the strong canopy of spiritual values and loving care of teachers and hostel staff, the children here are well taken care of. The students here are never coerced or burdened with the weight of academic rote. Every child is allowed to bloom at her own pace, taking her own time. With meditation and spiritual instruction, lessons in life-skills like cooking, gardening, knitting, weaving, the USP of this school is not gearing children for a rat-race to become great engineers or scientists. Rather what this school does is to nurture good human beings who learn to

value humanism above everything else.

The educators in this school are well aware that being in tribal communities, they must bear a critical awareness about what is passed off in the name of "education". "Education comes loaded with certain cultural values of the mainstream that subtly yet strongly undermines one's way of life. It sometimes makes the learners feel inferior in their own skin and lose confidence in their own culture. Thus education to them, becomes a passport to flee from their own tribal identity into the lure of false "modernity". The country is full of such cultural misfits, clones from the same mould. What ASSET intends is to tap from our education system just the knowledge and the scientific temperament it inculcates retaining, in all its originality the strongly rooted heritage and natural simplicity. That is the education programme.

Tomorrow's generation must be strengthened to guard their heritage, not empowered to abandon them. The school guided by Swami Anu, favors simplicity rather than smartness, wholesomeness rather than perfection".

“Vocational training to tribal youth in their young days of learning will do great good to their socio-economic structure.

While the modern day education stresses on producing more graduates for white collared jobs, emphasizing on an educational efforts to encourage learners to reconnect to Mother Earth through farming and other vocational training will certainly help produce productive human resources

and reduce the number of frustrated youth found wasting away precious human lives in hunting for jobs.” The school and ASSET is receiving the much needed guidance and support for this cause from social entrepreneurs Sujata and Chinmay Panth.

The school motto - “Grow Wise” is to inspire children not to pursue knowledge endlessly but be guided to live fruitfully and joyfully by being in Wisdom. The world is multi faced and life not a straight line so the Apnes are trained to accept and interact with the world properly with the guidance “Be fit to fit everywhere.”

In a delightful atmosphere with the Apnes rejoicing the coming of new gift from the saint and Happy Friends by singing and dancing the school management assured all present that the rural Wakro set up is committed to the teachings of H H Swami Sri Sri Anubhavanandaji expressing that it is joyful to follow his teachings and in trying to share the same with all around in the society life becomes meaningful. We respect and love the ones we serve as Swamiji desires and guides all with a clear direction in this regard. The ones who give us the opportunity to serve are our lords says Swami Anu. The ASSET will continue to render selflessly without desiring for name and fame because Anu Swamiji helps us with the enlightening words that a free bird soaring in the open sky does not leave a trail behind. The saint also help with the advice to mankind to live with a zero complaint level with the “Be Happy- Mauj Me Raho” mantra.

NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL

DIBRUGARH, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 9

PAGE 6

Government withdraws EPF tax proposal New Delhi, Mar 8: Facing all round attack, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Tuesday withdrew his Budget proposal to tax employees' provident fund (EPF) at withdrawal. Jaitley had in his Budget for 2016-17 proposed to tax withdrawal of 60 per cent of accumulations in the employee provident fund after April 1, 2016.

This was criticised by all employees unions as well as political parties.

"In view of representa-

tions received, the government would like to do a comprehensive review of this proposal and therefore I withdraw the proposal," Jaitley said in a suo motu statement in Lok Sabha. He however stated that 40 per cent exemption given to National Pension Scheme (NPS) subscriber at the time of withdrawal remains.

In his budget proposal, Jaitley had proposed that 40 per cent of the EPF withdrawals would be

Kerala: RSS activists attack police station, six cops injured Kollam, Mar. 8: Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) activists attacked a police station on Tuesday in Kerala's Kollam district, in which six cops were injured including a Circle Inspector.

Besides injuring the cops, the activists also destroyed three vehicles belonging to the police officials.

The incident took place at around 1 am when a group of local RSS activists gathered in front of the police station and began pelting stones de-

stroying parked officials vehicles and injuring the men on duty.

The attack on the police station came after the incident where three RSS activists tripling on a motor bike were stopped during night patrolling and one member had a tussle with a cop, for which they were booked and brought to the station. Investigations are underway and two local RSS activists have been taken into custody by the Kottarakara Police.

(ANI)

14 injured as commuter train derails in California

14 injured as commuter train derails in California

Sunol (California), Mar.8: A commuter trainderailed in Central Californialast night, injuring at least 14 people, authorities said. "It was dark, wet, it was raining. It was very chaotic. This is an absolute miracle that no one was killed, no passengers or first responders," said Ray Kelly, Alameda County Sheriff's Sgt, reported.

Kelly said that the crew had to fight the creek's fast-moving currents to pull riders from the partially submerged rail car. Four people were seriously hurt, while 10 others had minor injuries, he said.

According to reports, the Altamont Corridor Express (ACE) No. 10 commuter train was traveling from San Jose to Stockton when the first two cars went off the

tracks near Niles Canyon Road in Sunol, a rural area of Alameda County about 45 miles east of San Francisco. Altamont Corridor Express train's official Steve Walker said the first car was carrying six passengers and one crew member when it fell into Alameda Creek.

The passengers were checked by after evacuation and the uninjured riders were transported to the Alameda County Fair in Pleasanton.

Meanwhile, Altamont Corridor Express has sent its buses to take passengers to their destinations and will cancel all train service on the line Tuesday. The train was carrying 214 passengers from Silicon Valley to Stockton. (ANI)

Sonia Gandhi pushes for passage of women's quota bill New Delhi, Mar 8: Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday made a strong pitch for passage of the Women's Reservation Bill in Parliament even as she obliquely criticised the Narendra Modi government's dictum of maximum governance, saying it should come along with openness to listen to the views of others and for healthy debate.

Addressing Lok Sabha on the occasion of International Women's Day, Gandhi said the Women's Reservation Bill needs immediate attention.

"Maximum governance means more than accelerating economic growth; it is for allowing debate and listening to differing

points of view without inviting retribution," she said.

"Giving freedom to civil society to carry out campaigns on behalf of those whose voices are not heard," she added."Maximum governance means protecting azadi (freedom) and protecting the social fabric of the country," she said, in tacit reference to the government's crackdown on Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) student leader Kanhaiya Kumar and others who were booked for sedition.

"Surely, maximum governance means giving us women our long-awaited due, the Women's Reservation Bill," she said.

(Agencies)

schemes. This proposal was criticised by political parties and the unions which said it amounted to forcing employees to invest in pension annuity schemes.

"Employees should have the choice of where to invest.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley tax exempt and the remaining 60 per cent would also get the same

treatment provided the amount is invested in pension annuity

Theoretically such freedom is desirable, but it is important the government to achieve policy objective by instrumentality of taxation. In the

present form, the policy objective is not to get more revenue but to encourage people to join the pension scheme," Jaitley said explaining the rationale for the taxation proposal. The proposal would not have impacted 3.26 crore EPFO subscribers drawing statutory wage of upto Rs.15,000 per month. Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has a total subscriber base of 3.7 crore.

(PTI)

Int'l Women's Day: UP Govt. to felicitate acid attack survivors

UP Govt. to felicitate acid attack survivors

Lucknow, Mar. 8: With International Women's Day being celebrated across the world today, the acid attack survivors will be felicitated and provided financial assistance in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav will honour around 40 survivors with the Rani Laxmi Bai award at his official residence. Other women achievers and change makers will also be felicitated on the occasion.

Acid attack survivors from different parts of the state will be felicitated at the gathering.

Also among the awardees is Usha Congress spokesperson Sandeep Dikshit Vishwakarma of the Red Brigade, who has been tion debris. The three-day Delhi government, Delhi event with aim of 'making Development Authority working for the welfare life a celebration' will be and the foundation on an- of women, imparting self held from March 11-13 on other plea seeking stopthe west bank of Yamuna page of ongoing constructo celebrate 35 years of the tion work on the flood foundation. plains. Prime Minister However, the national Narendra Modi is schedGreen tribunal will today uled to inaugurate event hear the plea seeking can- on Friday. cellation of world cultural The Art of Living festival. A bench headed programme will have yoga

by NGT Chairperson and meditation sessions, Swatanter Kumar will peace prayers by Sanskrit hear the matter in which scholars and traditional the DDA, Uttar Pradesh cultural performances by and Delhi Governments artists from India and will make their submis- abroad. It was also aiming sions with regard to grant t create a world record by permission to the festival. creating a stage that is Earlier, the green panel spread across over 7 acres. had issued notices to the (ANI)

Art of Living show 'a slap on face of environmental laws': Congress New Delhi, Mar. 8 : The Congress Party on Tuesday slammed the cultural extravaganza being organized by spiritual guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar's Art of Living foundation on the Yamuna floodplains and said it is a slap on the face of environmental laws.

Congress spokesperson Sandeep Dikshit told ANI that the NGO responsible for organizing the event did not take the cognizance of the environmental loss the festival might cause. "This programme is organized by local NGO, from a very long time we had been protesting and saying that it is a slap on the face of environmental laws, Yamuna banks will be destroyed, Yamuna will get polluted, but nobody was listening," said Dikshit.

The Congress leader also crititicised the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP in the wake of the latest developments in this regard, saying the Delhi Government did not pay much heed to the nuances of the event so as to remain at the popular side of people's imagination. "Unfortunately, the DDA, Delhi Police, Delhi Government who all supported this

programme did not understand what was happening and because it's a popular programme with the religion involved, therefore, the Delhi Government does not want to be on the wrong side of peoples imagination. Always the environment is sacrificed at the altar of religion and populism," he added.

The Congress leader further said this event has embarrassed the President of India too because of which even he has pulled out of the cultural festival.

The President's office said on Monday that he would not be attending the event.

This came a day ahead of a court hearing, which would decide the fate of the controversial event planned on city's eco sensitive Yamuna Floodplain.

Congress spokesperson P.L Punia echoing similar sentiments said the venue of the event should be changed to avoid more harm to environment and the people.

Spiritual guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar's Art of Living foundation is drawing flanks for flattening the floodplain, destroying birds' nesting sites and choking the already polluted river with construc-

BJP-run states assess Kanyashree

Art of Living fest will cause irreparable damage to ecosystem: Complainant

Anand Arya New Delhi, Mar. 8: Anand Arya , the complainant who has raised objections to the three-day World Cultural Fest being organised by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar's Art of Living foundation, has said that the event would cause irreparable damage to the delicate ecosystem of Yamuna floodplains. "Our

only complaint is that, it (event) will cause serious damage to eco-system and bio-diversity in the area.

There should not be any temporary or permanent structure in that area," Arya told ANI here.

"Although recreation activity is permitted, but all these have to done according to the biodiversity and

the ecosystem. The ground water recharge that supports water for 40 percent of Delhi will be affected due to this event," he added. Expressing hope of a favourable decision, Arya said the area, which is 11percent of the floodplain of the state, cannot be ruined.

Sri Sri's Art of Living foundation says the event will feature yoga and meditation sessions, peace prayers and traditional cultural performances from around the world.

The foundation has denied there will be any permanent impact and says it has secured permission from all the necessary authorities to hold the event.

"We have used only ecofriendly material like wood, mud, cloth, and scaffolding towards building a temporary stage," the foundation said in a statement. The Army has spent more than a week build-

ing two bridges which will float on the River Yamuna for the event.

The three-day World Culture Festival, which is expected to draw 3.5 million people to the banks of the River Yamuna, is meant to start on Friday and will be opened by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. President Pranab Mukherjee, who had earlier agreed to attend the opening, along with the Prime Minister, conveyed that he will not be present.

Meanwhile, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has resumed a crucial hearing on pleas seeking cancellation of Sri Sri ravi Shankar's Art of Living three day festival on the Yamuna Floodplains. The Delhi Development Authority (DDA), Uttar Pradesh and Delhi Government will make their submissions with regard to grant of permission to the festival. (ANI)

ISIS planning terror attacks on Britain, says national head of counter-terrorism London, Mar. 8: Mark Rowley, the national head of counter-terrorism, has said theIslamic State wants to inflict an enormous and spectacularterrorist atrocity on Britain and may have trained people to carry out the attacks.

Speaking at a press conference, Rowley said the nature of the threat from ISIS, which he calls Daesh, was changing. "In recent months, we've seen

a broadening of that, much more plans to attack western lifestyle.

Going from that narrow focus on police and military as symbols of the state to something much broader. And you see a terrorist group which has big ambitions for enormous and spectacular attacks, not just the types that we've seen foiled to date," the Guardian quoted him as saying.

Rowley, a Metropolitan

defence training on a large scale.

Organisation Vatsalya, led by Dr Neelam Singh and a few gram pradhans will also be honoured on the occasion.

A special eating joint ''Cafe Sheroes'', to be run by acid attack survivors, will also be inaugurated in the city on Tuesday. In addition, Asha Jyoti Centres in 11 districts and 181 helpline will also be launched today along with the rescue vans associated with the centres.

Among the highlights of the day is a cycle rally in which women from across the state will participate. It will be flagged off by the Chief Minister from his residence and culminate at Lohia Park of Lucknow. (ANI)

Police Assistant Commissioner, asserted that they still want to kill soldiers or the police and now posed a real danger of attacking western lifestyle targets. The police in the region have stepped up vigilance since the Paris attacks in November last year in which many were killed.

He said that the ISIS targeted those people as recruits with mental illness, to such extend that that

one counter-terrorism unit was now working with a trained psychologist. He also pressed that the number of women and teenagers being drawn were increasing.

There were a record 339 arrests under counter-terrorism laws in 2015, 77 percent of which were British nationals, 14 percent were female and 13 percent were aged 20 and under, according to reports. (ANI)

BJP-run states assess Kanyashree Kolkata, Mar 8 :The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-run states of Goa and Jharkhand as well as Meghalaya have approached Bengal government for emulating Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's pet Kanyashree scheme for empowerment of girls in their states. This comes even as the Centre rejected the state government's Republic Day tableau based on Kanyashree theme last year.

Bureaucrats from the three states have sought details of the scheme from the state women and child development department and visited some areas in the state to assess its implementation.

Impressed by Kanyashree, the Goa chief secretary wrote to the state government in November expressing the state government's keenness to implement the scheme in Goa and sought help from the Bengal government.

Soon after the director of the women and child welfare department of Goa visited the state and held a meeting with state officials.

This was followed by successive visits of Meghalaya's director of social welfare and district programme officer of ICDS and Jharkhand's officials of the departments of social welfare and IT. "The details of the scheme and how to implement it have been designed by Banerjee herself and we have helped the three states with all necessary details for introducing it in their states", said state women and child development minister Sashi Panja. School girls enrolled under the

scheme and studying in classes VIII to XII receive an annual stipend of Rs.750.

A onetime grant amounting to Rs.25,000 is given to girls aged 18 years if they are unmarried and are attached to an educational institute.

The scheme, aimed at reducing drop-out rate in schools and checking child marriage, was introduced in October 2013 and presently has 31 lakh beneficiaries.

Kanyashree has been appreciated both nationally and internationally. The scheme was shortlisted among the best projects for final evaluation by the United Nations Committee of Experts in Public Administration (2014- 2015).

It was represented as one of the "best practices" in "Girl Summit 2014" organised by Department for International Development, UK and UNICEF in London.

Even the Ministry of Women and Child Development, Government of India, referred it as a good practice while designing the "Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao' scheme.

Some awards bagged by the scheme are the Manthan Award for Digital Inclusion for Development (South Asia and Asia Pacific) 2014 under the category EWomen and Empowerment, National E-governance Award (2014-2015) under the category of "Citizen Centric Services" by the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances, the Skoch SMART Governance Award, 2015 and Award of Appreciation at the CSI Nihilent e-Governance Awards 201415.(Agencies)

DIBRUGARH, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 9

PAGE 7

NEIGHBOURS

B'desh court upholds Jamaat leader's death sentence Families of Indian fishermen Bangladesh's stage protest against Sri Lanka

Dhaka, Mar 8 : Bangladesh's Supreme Court today upheld the death sentence of a top Islamist leader for war crimes during the country's independence struggle against Pakistan in 1971, paving the way for his execution. Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha announced the apex court's verdict to dismiss the appeal of Jamaat-e-Islami stalwart and media tycoon Mir Quasem Ali, who was convicted of murder and abduction during Bangladesh's liberation war."The sentence (death penalty) is maintained," Sinha announced in a

crowded courtroom.

The decision of the fivemember bench of the top court came 16 months after the country's International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) sentenced 63-yearold Ali to death for atrocities committed during the liberation war in 1971. He had challenged the verdict.He was convicted of running a militia torture cell, Al Badr, that carried out killings of several people.

15 ISIS insurgents killed in Afghan drone strike

Daily calls for better Pakistan-India ties

Kabul, Mar.8: At least 15 ISIS insurgents were killed in a foreign troops drone strike in eastern Nangarhar province last night.The strike took place in Achin district of the province."The Daesh center has been destroyed in the drone strike. There are no civilian casualties in the attack," TOLO News quoted Attaullah Khoghyani, a spokesman for Provincial Governor, as saying.

Achin district has in recent times witnessed a marked increase in D a e s h activity.However, the Afghan security forces recently launched a military operation to clear theinsurgents.

(ANI)

Sirisena aims to make Lanka 'a toxin free green island' Colombo, Mar. 8: Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena has said his government aims to uplift the economy of the country's farming community and introduce a better agricultural policy to free them from debit burden. Sirisena, who was speaking at the inauguration ceremony of the 'Toxin Free Nation' National Program, said the responsibility of the rulers who love the country and the people as well as scholars and intellectuals is to provide most appropriate things to the people.

The President pointed out that the initiatives of the previous governments to enhance the agriculture and the farming community was all nonsense. Sirisena further said the government's aim is to strengthen the economy of the farmers by introducing a better agricultural policy.The President said the threeyear national program to control use of agrochemicals in farming has been initiated with the intention of preventing the use of highly toxic agrochemicals in the farming sector, adding the program is created to take information about the farming lands in the country by using satellite technology. President Sirisena said the leadership of implementing the national program should be taken by the divisional leaders and the Agrarian Services Department.

(ANI)

The court found as valid most of the charges against him, including carrying out murders and tortures siding with the Pakistani troops in line

Islamabad, Mar 8: It is for the first time perhaps that militants crossing over from Pakistan into India have not generated negative publicity, said a Pakistani daily which noted that the relationship between the two countries is fraught with mistrust.An editorial "Benefits of co-operation" in The Nation said, "India has often alleged Pakistani intelligence agencies facilitate militants to cross the border so that they can carry out attacks in Indian cities -

B'desh court upholds Jamaat leader's death sentence

with the policy of Jamaat, which was opposed to Bangladesh's 1971 independence.

Ali headed a media corporation aligned with Jamaat before his arrest

a claim the agencies have always denied. ""Regardless of definitive proof, incidents of militants crossing borders, real or fictitious, always strain the relationship between the two neighbours. It is for the first time perhaps that militants crossing over from Pakistan into India hasn't generated negative publicity," it added.

On Monday, top officials in India claimed that Pakistan's National Security Advisor (NSA) Naseer Khan Janjua in-

in 2012.

He was the Al Badr's third most important functionary after Jamaate-Islami chief Motiur Rahman Nizami and Secretary General Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujahid.

formed his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval that a group of militants from the Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Muhammed cadres has crossed over into Gujarat on a mission to a major terror strike.The warning prompted Gujarat to put its security and officials on high alert and to take necessary precautions.The daily said that Pakistani officials have yet to confirm if the NSA did convey this warning and despite it, the danger still remains eminent until it is definitively

Political analysts said his funding helped the Jamaat secure a strong foothold in independent Bangladesh.

Officially, three million people were killed by the Pakistani army and their Bengali-speaking collaborators during the 1971 liberation war.Ali faces the gallows within months unless his case is reviewed by the same court or he is granted clemency by the president.Three senior Jamaat officials and a leader of the main opposition party have been executed since December 2013 for war crimes.

(Agencies)

tackled. But both National Security Advisors and their teams can take solace from the fact that a working relationship between the two can lead to sizable benefits.

"The present relationship between the two is fraught with mistrust and held back by the political opinion at home, but this incident should amply highlight the potential of extensive intelligence sharing," The Nation said."Not only can the militant threat be tackled from both angles - remov-

Supreme Court today upheld the death sentence of a top Islamist leader for war crimes during the country's independence struggle against Pakistan in 1971, paving the way for his execution

ing a major bone of contention between the two nations - regular interaction, sharing of information and mutual capacitybuilding will increase the trust between both governments - a key commodity severely lacking between the two neighbours," it said.The daily noted that if the militant threat is effectively countered, an argument can be made for increasing the interaction from just NSA to NSA, to a more departmental connection. (Agencies)

Families of Indian fishermen stage protest against Sri Lanka Colombo,Mar 8:Families and relatives of the 20 fishermen from Thoothukudi, India, who were arrested by Sri Lankan navy personnel on a charge of trespassing into the waters of the island nation on Saturday, thronged the C o l l e c t o r a t e Thoothukudi, seeking the intervention of the district administration to help secure the early release of the fishermen and their boats, The Hindu newspaper reported. They said that their livelihood would be at stake until the 20 fishermen were released from custody in Sri Lanka. P. Santhya Pacheik, owner of one of three confiscated boats, said that residents of Threspuram - a majority

of them country boat fishermen - were deeply saddened by their detention.Fishermen from Tamil Nadu were often being arrested by Sri Lankan navy on the charge of cross-border fishing.

The families of the fishermen said that the Central government should introduce a new law to allow free 'hook and line' and 'gill net' fishing in marine waters, which did not by any means affect the marine ecosystem.

The fishermen families submitted a petition to the district administration, and also met Superintendent of Police Ashwin M. Kotnis, seeking his help in this regard.(Agencies)

China says South China Sea among UN to look into alleged torture of staff member world's freest shipping lanes Beijing,Mar 8: The South China Sea is one of the world's freest and safest shipping lanes, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Tuesday, arguing that Beijing's control over the disputed waters was justified because it was the first to "discover" them.China has come under fire from the United States and its allies in recent months over its land reclamation activities in the South China Sea, through which $5 trillion in shipborne trade passes annually.The U.S. Navy has carried out freedom of navigation exercises, sailing near disputed is-

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi lands to underscore its rights to operate in the seas.Those patrols, and reports that China is deploying advanced missiles, fighters and radar equipment on islands

there, have led Washington and Beijing to trade accusations of militarising the region.The freedom of navigation does not equal the "freedom to run

amok", Wang told a press briefing on the sidelines of China's annual parliament meeting.

"In fact, based on the joint efforts of China and other regional countries, the South China Sea is currently one of the safest and freest shipping lanes in the world," Wang said."China was the earliest to explore, name, develop and administer various South China Sea islands. Our ancestors worked diligently here for generations," Wang said."History will prove who is the visitor and who is the genuine host," he said, adding that China would "consider inviting" foreign journalists to is-

lands under its control when the conditions are right.Beijing claims almost all of the South China Sea, but Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam have overlapping claims.U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter has warned of "specific consequences" if China takes "aggressive" action in the region.He has said the U.S. military was increasing deployments to the Asia-Pacific region and would spend $425 million through 2020 to pay for more exercises and training with countries in the region that were unnerved

by China's actions.

(Agencies)

ISIS threat in India emerges not from Pakistan, but Bangladesh and West Bengal New Delhi, Mar 8: For quite some time, India has been on guard regarding the menace called the ISIS. A spate of arrests was carried out recently across the country in an operation what the National Investigation Agency termed as the busting of a nationwide ISIS module.

Read more: NIA arrested 24 people for suspected links with ISIS .The investiga-

tions that are being conducted into the various ISIS related cases have one conclusion and that this threat emanates more from Bangladesh than Pakistan.

India Intelligence Bureau officials tell OneIndia that if the threat has to be countered, then the outfits based in Bangladesh are more worrisome in nature when compared to Pakistan. What is the government doing about it? The National Se-

curity Advisor Ajit Doval has appraised the Prime Minister about the situation.

It was following this input that the government had decided to undertake a major deradicalisation programme. Further Modi has been engaging with the Muslim community in large numbers to counter this threat.

India says that the ISIS threat will not emerge directly in India. It will come

in through groups such as the Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen, Bangladesh. The JMB which was responsible for the Burdwan blasts had openly pledged support to the ISIS and its leader Abu Bakr al-Bhagdadi. In the recent days the JMB has been carrying out attacks in Bangladesh in the name of the ISIS or the Caliphate.

India has taken this development very seriously. The effects of the JMB could be

witnessed in Bengal, Assam and Jharkhand as one got to witness during the probe into the Burdwan incident.

The Indian agencies say that the threat from the ISIS will be through the JMB and hence the Burdwan probe had become so important.

During the probe Indian investigators found details such as the bomb making units and also the routes taken by these operatives.

(Agencies)

My election is responsibility more than victory: Deuba Kathmandu, Mar 8:Newly elected President of Nepali Congress, Sher Bahadur Deuba, has said that his election to the post has put added responsibility on his shoulders.Talking to media persons at his residence in Budhanilkanta, Kathmandu, for the first time after his election to the post, Deuba said there is no question of winning and losing in the party's internal election.Saying that his party friends this time have entrusted responsibility upon him, newly elected

President Deuba said, "Responsibility has been given to me to make the party strong as well as take initiatives to resolve problems of the country."

He further said that he would move ahead by uniting all the parties in the country and added that internal democracy was practised from villages to centre level during the party's General Convention.

President Deuba thanked all who supported him and expressed happiness over

peaceful conclusion of the 13th General Convention."I am confident that those, who did not get victory in the election, would also support me. I will move ahead taking all including Ram Chandra Poudel and Krishna Prasad Sitaula together," he said. Responding to a query of media persons, he said that no discussion regarding the NC joining the incumbent government has been held so far.

Deuba said, "NC is a democratic party. My views alone don't count."

multi-party democracy, adding that it would be a monopoly if big parties in the country run the government.Also the former Prime Minister, Deuba, said, "The government can be dictator without a strong opposition.

Sher Bahadur Deuba He further said that the NC was of the opinion that there should be a strong opposition for maintaining check and balance in a

"Responding to another query, he expressed the view that problems would be resolved after holding discussion with dissenting parties on all issues including state delineation.

(Agencies)

in Sri Lanka

The un says it will look into allegations that one of its staff members was abducted and tortured when he served in sri lanka Colombo, Mar 8: The UN says it will look into allegations that one of its staff members was abducted and tortured when he served in Sri Lanka.Responding to a question posed by Innercity Press, Farhan Haq the Deputy Spokesman for UN SecretaryGeneral Ban Ki-moon said that the UN has a duty to all staff members to make sure that their basic rights are respected.

"If there's a report of a staff member being tortured, we would have to take that up. We'll need

to follow up on what happened with this particular case," he said.

Innercity Press reported that a UN staff member had made a witness statement to the team from the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, investigating Sri Lanka, in which he states that, during the time he was in Sri Lanka he was picked up by a "white van" and tortured.He has said that despite being a UN employee absolutely nothing was done for him since and he is now in exile in Chennai in Tamil Nadu. (Agencies)

87 freed Indians to return today from Pakistan New Delhi, Mar. 8 : Following the issuance of travel documents by the Indian High Commission in Islamabad, 87 Indians, including fishermen are set to return to India today after they were freed yesterday by Pakistan.The Indian na-

tionals were freed from the Landhi Jail in Karachi yesterday.

According to reports, around 457 Indians, mostly fishermen, still remain in prison after being arrested for territorial violation. (ANI)

PAGE 8

DIBRUGARH, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 9

Tourism in North East India Climate Change Could Cause Deaths in 2050 As of 2015, some 800 million people in the world are undernourished, meaning they cannot meet daily minimum dietary energy requirements, the UN's Food Photo: newdaypost and Agriculture Organization has said. With the global population set to increase from seven to nine billion by 2050, food production will have to expand even more rapidly if all the world's people are to have enough to eat. The effects of climate change on food production could cause 500,000 extra deaths by 2050 compared to a world without global warming, according to a study released Thursday. If greenhouse gas emissions continue at current rates, this would cut projected increases in food availability by about a third before mid-century, the study found. But global warming on track to boost temperatures three degrees Celsius (5.4 degrees Fahrenheit) by 2100, compared to preIndustrial-Era levels - is threatening to make that difficult or impossible, experts warn. Climate change effects are expected to reduce the quantity of food harvested, which could lead to higher food prices and reduced consumption," according the study, published in the medical journal The Lancet.

Even these grim projections may be overly optimistic, it warns, because they only count calories and fail to anticipate a likely worsening in the balance of future diets. These changes will have major consequences for health. The proportion of fruits and vegetables in diets, for example, will almost certainly decline in a climate-change-addled world, he said.

Low- and middle-income countries will probably be hit hardest, with almost three-quarters of all climaterelated deaths expected to occur in China and India under a so-called "business and usual" climate scenario. Even if the world's nations succeed in holding the rise in global temperature to 2C (3.6F), there would still be an additional 150,000 climate-related deaths due to changes in diet and calorie intake, the researchers found.. The study used agricultural economic models coupled with different projections for greenhouse gas emissions and development forecasts to evaluate the impacts on global food production, trade and consumption in 2050. Experts evaluating the research said it was worthwhile, but cautioned that such projections are uncertain. Also Year-to-year variability of food production will become greater, which will make global food markets more unpredictable.

Rural Health Care Success yet to bear fruit and see the daylight Rural Health care is one of biggest challenges facing the Health Ministry of India. With more than 70 percent population living in rural areas and low level of health facilities, mortality rates due to diseases are on a high. Healthcare is the right of every individual but lack of quality infrastructure, dearth of qualified medical functionaries, and non- access to basic medicines and medical facilities thwarts its reach to 60% of population in India. A majority of 700 million people lives in rural areas where the condition of medical facilities is deplorable. Considering the picture of grim facts there is a dire need of new practices and procedures to ensure that quality and timely healthcare reaches the deprived corners of the Indian villages. Though a lot of policies and programs are being run by the Government but the success and effectiveness of these programs is questionable due to gaps in the implementation. In rural India, where the number of Primary health care centers (PHCs) is limited, 8% of the centers do not have doctors or medical staff, 39% do not have lab technicians and 18% PHCs do not even have a pharmacist. India also accounts for the largest number of maternity deaths.

A majority of these are in rural areas where maternal health care is poor. Even in private sector, health care is often confined to family planning and antenatal care and do not extend to more critical services like labor and delivery, where proper medical care can save life in the case of complications.

Despite several growth-oriented policies and healthcare reforms adopted by the successive Governments of India, the widening disparities viz. economic, regional, social and gender are constantly posing challenges for the evolving health sector which is in its nascent stage of evolution.

About 75% of health infrastructure, medical or healthcare manpower and other allied resources are concentrated in urban areas, where only 27% of the total population of India resides.The key challenges in the healthcare sector are low quality of care, poor accountability, lack of awareness, and limited access to facilities. The health status of Indians, is still a matter for grave concern, especially that of the rural population. This is reflected in the life expectancy rate (63 years), infant mortality rate (129/1000 live births), maternal mortality rate (438/100 000 live births). However, some progress has been made with the passage of time in that direction. The mortality rates for women and children continue to remain high. Almost onethird of the total deaths amongst the children occur below 5 years of age. Efforts for raising the nutritional levels amongst the Indian masses have yet to bear fruit and see the daylight.

World Tourism Organization (WTO) defines 'Tourism' as a stay of at least one night, but less than a year, away from one's normal environment and thus includes business, conference, and other types of non-leisure travel, but not all forms of leisure or discretionary travel, for example not day trips or retirement to another country. TourPranjal ism is ranking the top ahead of all other categories of international trade. This is evident from the statistical information compiled from all over the world by WTO (World Tourism Organization). The number of international arrival shows an evolution from a mere 25 million in 1950 to 657million in 1999.The trend shows a tremendous increase both in the number of tourists and income in the coming years.

With respect to the income generated through tourism, in 1998, international tourism and international fare receipts (the receipts related to passenger transport of residents of other countries) together accounted for an estimated US$ 532 billion (WTO, Tourism Highlights, 2000). This growth of tourism activity clearly marks tourism as one of the most remarkable economic and social phenomena in the world.

Tourism activity in an economy can act as a catalyst for spatial redistribution of income within the region, expansion of local market for local produce, creation of income, employment and government revenue. While international tourism brings a large chunk of foreign currency into a country, domestic tourism redistributes do-

mestic currency in a country spatially within the boundaries of a country.

This is obviously in help to solve the problem of regional imbalance in the country in general and money earned in other regions is spent within the host region creating additional income, employment and revenue to local government.

Bezborah In such a way, it will create successive rounds of economic activity.

The Center, however, formulated and implemented many schemes for the development of the industry essentially to complement the States schemes. Tourism has been declared as an industry in 14 States viz., Meghalaya, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Haryana, Arunachal Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Manipur, Bihar, Tripura and Assam and the union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Dadra, Nagar Haveli and Lakshadweep, States like Punjab, West Bengal, Orissa and Rajasthan have declared 'Hotels' as industry. The governments of the States and Union Territories have also set up Directorate of Tourism Development.

Tourism is one of key sectors identified in the NE vision 2020 towards achieving an encompassing (inclusive) development of the region. The Ministry of Tourism calls the region a 'paradise unexplored'. Global tourism has been booming and future projections show that this trend will continue. The new generations of travelers who are 'money rich and time poor'

The Ministry of Tourism calls the Northeast region calls it a 'paradise unexplored'. (Photo: indiasnortheast) are increasingly looking for unique experiences. More and more people are looking at tourism as less of a journey and more of an experience - a phenomenon being called the emergence of the 'experience economy'. For these new and growing breed of tourists the Northeast with its variety and uniqueness holds immense attraction.

The rich natural beauty and its diversity, exotic cultural and ethnic mosaic, flora and fauna and the serenity of the virgin, unexplored ecosystems provide possibilities of a totally different experience for the tourists. The rationale for a trade led growth strategy for the Northeast integrated to the 'look east' policy has been well explained. The landlocked Northeast, it is explained, is ideally placed to link India with ASEAN both in a geographical and commercial sense. The Northeast also has strong cultural and historical linkages with the East, which could be exploited to forge economic cooperation.

For the new and growing breed of tourists the North-

eastern states with their variety and uniqueness holds immense attraction. For the last couple of years the tourist inflow in this region is increasing. From statistics, it is seen that the domestic tourist arrival in all the Northeastern states has been growing up. In case of foreign tourist arrivals it is observed that except Sikkim, Meghalaya and Mizoram, the other North Eastern states have been receiving growing number of foreign tourist in the last few years.

Yet while India's share in the world tourist influx is 44 per cent, the Northeastern region's share is a mere 1.2 percent of that.

There is a positive relationship between the developments of the components of tourism industry and economic development. Tourism destination incorporates a mix of interdependent elements such as attraction facilities, infrastructure, transportations and hospitality.

Tourism, as an industry, can be a backbone of a country's economy. Apart from foreign exchange earnings for the NE states, it can create

Pulse politics Any fluctuation in the price oxalyldiaminopropionic acid and availability of pulses (ODAP), which can cause becomes a political hot po- neurological disorder, tato in India for the simple neurolathyrism or paralysis reason that the country is the in the legs. largest producer and con- The government's move to sumer of this key source of lift the ban is based on the recommendation protein. But never before had pulses Jitendra of the Indian Council of Medievoked desperate responses from the govern- cal Research (ICMR), New ment. Late night on January Delhi, which in 2015 ap27, Prime Minister Narendra proved three varieties-Ratan, Modi called an emergency Mahateara and Prateek. meeting of the senior offi- "Traditional varieties concials of the Union Ministry tain over one per cent of of Agriculture and Farmers ODAP and can cause Welfare and the Union Min- neurolathyrism if consumed istry of Consumer Affairs, between 226 g and 330 g Food and Public Distribu- daily for over six months. tion to curb the rising price This toxicity level has been of pulses. A week earlier, in reduced to 0.072-0.078 per a bid to tide over the lower cent of ODAP in new variproduction of pulses in last eties," says H C Nanda, setwo rain-deficit years, the nior scientist with the Indira Krishi ministries had announced Gandhi that they would lift a five- Vishwavidyalay (IGKV), decade ban on a controver- Raipur. IGKV has developed sial pulse-grass pea or Prateek and Mahateara, khesari dal (Lathyrus while Ratan has been developed by the Indian Agriculsativus).

The sale and storage of tural Research Institute khesari dal was banned in (IARI), New Delhi. The 1961 after studies showed it Food Safety and Standards contains a toxin, Authority of India (FSSAI)

will hold a public consultation on the new varieties before the ban is lifted.

"India produces 0.43 million tonnes of khesari dal on 0.56 million ha," says Ashutosh Sarker, coordinator at the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas, New Delhi. While most of it is grown in Maharashtra, where the government revoked the ban in 2008, farmers in arid areas of Bihar, Chhattisgarh, eastern Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh grow the crop for household consumption. Experts estimate that the production of khesari dal could increase by one million tonnes once the ban is lifted. While this can alleviate the shortage of pulses-India imports 4-5 million tonnes of pulses a year-scientists are divided over the government's move to lift the ban. When the government banned khesari dal in 1961, it had sparked off the first food controversy in India.

Why the discord Toxicity of khesari dal came

to notice in the 1950s and 1960s when the country was reeling from frequent droughts. "Khesari dal is a drought-resistant rabi crop that requires one-two rounds of irrigation and has a cropping period of 120 days, compared to other pulses that require around 150 days," says N P Singh, director of the Indian Institute of Pulses Research, Kanpur.

So, farmers grew it on a large scale to tide over the drought period. In fact in 1950-1960, khesari dal was grown on 1.3 million ha. "That was the period when neurolathyrism surfaced among low-income groups who consumed the pulse as a staple for two to three months due to scarcity of rice, wheat and other pulses," says Sarker. Outbreak of the disease prompted the Union government to ban khesari dal.

But scientific community remained divided over the ban as there was little evidence to show that neurolathyrism occurs among all those who consume khesari dal.

Based on the findings,

and income and employment for the States. It can be promoted in many ways in the country keeping in view of beautiful lakes, old historical monuments, traditions, customs, natural landscapes, rich cultural heritage, etc. The impact made by tourism therefore depends upon the volume and profile characteristics of the tourists (their length of stay, activity, mode of transport, travel arrangements, etc.).

In this respect, a number of authors have attempted to classify tourists according to their impact on the destinations. The characteristics of the resource (its natural features, level of development, political and social structure, etc.,) are equally important as it determines the degree of its contributions to tourism and tourism development.

Where the country is facing the problem of unemployment, tourism can open an avenue for generation of income and employment and reinforcing the growth of local entrepreneurship.

While monetary incentives are created for the local craft, the tourist hotels may

create a market for local produce. Existence of an infrastructure, hotel accommodations and other facilities germane to tourism is essentially required for the growth of tourism. Since resources are scarce, the opportunity cost of producing this utility should be taken into account.

Development of tourism needs proper development of certain common facilities. These facilities are common in the sense that they are available not only for tourism industries but they are also available for the use of local people. For instance, construction of highways and hotels, cater for tourism, can also provide an access to wider markets for many locally produced goods. In addition to this, many of the local people like farmers, craftsman, etc., if they are involved in the tourism industries their household incomes would increase to a large extent (The writer is a Professor in the Department of Commerce, Dibrugarh University and can be mailed at pranjalbezborah@yahoo.com)

ICMR conducted three brainstorming meetings in Delhi between 2013 and 2014. But there was no consensus among the participating scientists on the toxicity of khesari dal. Since then, several studies have been conducted to ascertain the health impact of indigenous khesari dal varieties, but they have provided conflicting evidence of its toxicity (see 'Flip-flop on khesari').

Decision in a hurry?

So what could be the reason behind the decision to lift the ban in the absence of a scientific consensus? Experts allege the move is politically motivated. Between June 2015 and January 2016, when the price of pulses, particularly tur dal (pigeon pea), soared by 125 per cent, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government felt the heat. It suffered a setback in the Bihar election. Now that the NDA is preparing for elections in five states in 2017, including Uttar Pradesh, the government's move to lift the ban may be to appease voters, especially the lower-income groups, for whom it is the cheapest source of protein. A kg of khesari dal can be bought for Rs 34 in Bihar, whereas tur dal costs Rs 180. "Khesari dal is mostly consumed by those

belonging to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes. Upper caste communities rarely eat it," says A Amrendra Reddy, agriculture economist at IARI. Reddy says lifting of the ban will come at a huge cost.

First, the new varieties are not free from toxins. Second, its lower price and resemblance to the costly tur dal could lead to widespread adulteration. "Already besan (gram flour) and tur dal are being adulterated with khesari dal," says S K Datta, former deputy director general of ICAR. Third, farmers could inadvertently mix new varieties with traditional ones having high ODAP levels. "And the toxin could enter food chain," says Bhaskar Goswami of Food and Agriculture Organization-India.

"The government's decision is neither in favour of farmers nor consumers," says agriculture expert Devinder Sharma. Instead of solely depending on khesari dal for increasing pulse production, Sharma suggests that the government should provide an assured price to farmers to promote cultivation of pulses. This can easily solve the pulse crises within two years, he adds.

Disrespecting the elders

Rahul Gandhi (Photo:static.indianexpress )

Sir, Showing respect to the elders by todays young generation is there, but very rare. Very often, we come across news about disrespect shown to the elders.

It is also noted with concern that the relation between the students and the teachers is also not what it was previously. Even in the examination hall, when a student is found to have adopted unfair mean, when caught, the teacher, on most of the occasions is humiliated later, sometimes even manhandled.

Even among the politicians, this sort of disrespect is not few and far between. Quite inexperienced and young, Rahul Gandhi loses no chance to mock some veteran politicians, not sparing Narendra Modi, the Prime - minister and Mulayam Singh Yadav, the Samajwadi's supremo. Mr. Gandhi in particular is very vocal against the Prime-minister. The way Modiji paid

in parliament Rahul Gandhi back in his own coin quoting Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Rajib Gandhi was simply superb and speaks volume of his eloquency. Further, Modiji reminds, how Rahul Gandhi showed his temerity disrespecting Mon Mohon Singh and his cabinet by rejecting an ordinance on convicted Politicians, how Mr. Gandhi tore apart a momentous Cabinet decision publicly. There are some incorrigible persons. The lesson taught to Rahul Gandhi by the P.M. perhaps, is not enough to drive home the point, Mr. Gandhi's activities during his last Assam visit is a case in point.

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, Dibrugarh786003 (Assam) Ph: 0373-2328944 Yours etc.

Web : Ashok Bordoloi Dibrugarh editor.easterntoday@gmail.com

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ed

Does the Indian start-up ecosystem prevent women from turning entrepreneurs?

With just nine per cent of (IAN), comes from the India's over 4,200 start- fact that traditionally, Inups being founded by dian women do not own women, is there an inher- assets which they can leent gender bias at play? verage as collaterals to Gargi Gupta examines the seek a loan. A woman may societal and economical need permission from hurdles that stand in the someone - a husband, a way of women becoming father, a son. "Secondly, entrepreneurs our bankers still look for Everyone's talking about a guarantee when backing start-ups woman entrethese days, Gargi Gupta p r e n e u r s , " about the likes says Ruparel. of Sachin Bansal "And finally, there is a (Flipkart), Deepinder sense of instability over Goyal (Zomato) and what will happen when the Bhavish Aggarwal (Ola) woman entrepreneur gets who've built large compa- married or has a child?" nies with multibillion dol- Beating the odds lar valuations in less than Anisha Singh was prega decade. But where are nant when she went to inthe women in the ranks of vestors with her idea for these success stories? The a website that aggregated disparity is obvious when discount coupons. It was you consider the recent 2009, and the idea of a discompilation of the "top 30 count marketplace was start-ups in India" by just taking off globally TechInAsia, a media plat- Groupon then had only form for start-ups, which just spread its activities to lists just two women - its second American city.

Shuchi Mukherjee of But Indian venture capitalLimeroad, an online re- ists weren't enthused and tailer of women's clothes Singh decided to bootstrap and accessories, at num- (she already had a very ber 18, and Richa Kar, successful e-educational founder-CEO of online lin- business she'd started in gerie retailer Zivame at the US). Then came a number 29. chance meeting with Is there then an inherent Sanjeev Bhikchandani and gender bias in the Indian Hitesh Oberoi of start-up ecosystem that InfoEdge, which resulted prevents women from in an invitation to pitch turning entrepreneur? once more and Singh had Yes and no, say women her first tranche of funds. start-up entrepreneurs Today, Mydala, her comwho've gone through the pany, has an annual sergrind. vice value of Rs4,000 There is the rise of role crore, operations in 209 models in women who've Indian cities, and last year risen to senior manage- sold 62 million coupons. ment levels in large com- Mehak Shahani, of wedpanies, and greater expo- ding services portal sure levels, all of which WedMeGood, feels that are fuelling start-up there should be higher repdreams. But the biggest resentation of women in obstacle, feels Padmaja venture capital firms. EsRuparel, president of In- pecially since, she says, dian Angel Network women are the primary

drivers, influencers and purchasers of India's ecommerce start-ups and "it takes a woman at the other end to better comprehend what your offering is".

Shanti Mohan, founder of LetsVenture, a Bangalorebased online platform that connects start-up founders with investors, has a different take. The notion of women not being able to raise funds because of their gender is a myth in the present professional and competitive ecosystem of angel investors and venture capital funds, she feels. "Don't blame it on being a woman. Perhaps, the reason is that their businesses are not scaleable. But even that is changing as we are seeing a lot of women investors."

Ruparel agrees: "An investor, a good investor, will not look below the neck when he's evaluating a proposal at a pitch session.

The only thing he is looking for is return on investment."

Ironically, Ruparel's own IAN has a glaring gender disparity of its 400 or so investors, only two are women!

Of society and conditioning The primary obstacle, of course, remains social conditioning. Something as silly as a flirtatious man who refuses to believe that a woman before him is the CEO of a company. It happened to Anu Acharya, a Hyderabad-based serial entrepreneur, and CEO of MapMyGenome, a startup which offers molecular diagnostic and personal genomic services. "This happened some years ago.

I was at the Ocimum Bio

Solution (another start-up that she had started) at a trade fair and this man came up to speak to me, saying he knew the CEO. I was amused because I was then the CEO. When he was leaving, we shook hands and he asked for my card - and I gave it to him. He didn't know how to react."

"Being an entrepreneur is hard work," adds Mohan, "with erratic hours, late evenings and impromptu meetings. The family sacrifices a lot. There's no gratification of a pay cheque at the end of the month, and real paybacks of a business only start flowing in with time.

Without a supportive family, it can be tough."

tune article last year, called the "world's most exclusive boy's club". Ironically, it was a woman, Aileen Lee, founder of venture capital firm Cowboy Ventures, who coined the term.

Image for representational purpose (Photo:picsflick)

It's a sentiment several women entrepreneurs echo. "Earlier, when I worked, I could take a day off if I wanted to.

Now it's very hard, even if it's a family function," says Shahani of WedMeGood, which she co-founded with her husband Anand in 2014. The Shahanis are not the only husband-wife founder pair around. There's also Pranshu Patni and husband Nishant of educational app Culture Alley, and Mu Sigma's Rajaram and Ambiga Dhiraj, who recently took over as CEO of the Unicorn start-up (i.e. a start-up with a valuation of $1 billion) to name just two.

very focused because they have to balance two careers - one at home and the other at work."

It's a hard task and limiting for an entrepreneur.

Mydala's Singh, for instance, says she was back at work within 10 days of giving birth. "I follow a simple rule. I leave office at 6.30 in the evening and follow a strict no-phones rule until 10 at night - I spend this time with my daughters (now six and 18 months old). Of course, I'm back online after they've gone to bed and take calls till late at night, starting again in the morning once they've left for school." Acharya of MapMyGenome adds that she'd never have been able to manage if she hadn't been living in a joint family set-up.

"As entrepreneurs, women have an advantage over men," feels Ruparel.

"They can multitask, they have emotional quotient which makes them natural leaders and they are

Bridging the gap Despite the budget's recent announcement that it was setting up a Rs500 crore fund to encourage entrepreneurship among women, India does not

fare well in a woman friendly business environment. India came a middling 18 among 31 countries featured in The 2015 Global Women Entrepreneur Leaders Scorecard.

According to a NASSCOM study last year, only nine per cent of India's more than 4,200 start-ups - the third highest in the world - have been founded by women. The good news is that that was a 50 per cent jump over the number of women entrepreneurs the year before. Perhaps what's needed is a platform such as Nasscom's Women Techship, a networking forum for women technology professionals, dedicated to women start-up entrepreneurs. Mydala's Singh says it's an idea whose time has come. "There are informal forums. I am, and I know other women founders are, always accessible on mail and at public talks. But I have been working on an institutional platform, such as

this one for some time and hope to announce something soon. Times have changed and people have come to accept working women. By the time my daughters grow up, I hope women working and setting up businesses will become the norm."

Start-ups elsewhere It's not just in India that women start-up entrepreneurs are at a disadvantage. Globally too, it's men and men-founded startups that hog the limelight and investor funds. According to a study by CrunchBase, a US-based data platform for startups, in 2009, 9.5% startups had at least one woman founder, but by 2014 that rate had almost doubled to 18%. In absolute numbers, the growth was more impressive from 117 in 2009 to 555 in 2014.

Even so, there're just a handful of womenfounded start-ups among the Unicorn which a For-

The list of womenlaunched and led Unicorns is headed by Elizabeth Holmes of healthcare start-up Theranos, which is into the business of diagnostic tests using a new kind of device. The company, founded in 2003, has a $9 billion valuation.

Is it a problem of mindset?

According to Ambica Saxena, who leads the women and leadership practice at YSC, a consultancy firm, working women feel they must work doubly hard to do half as well as men. "Entrepreneurship has a higher risk of failure and that is a chance they feel they cannot take," she says. Also, it's generally senior employees who've worked for some years, who take to entrepreneurship. Most women, who've risen to such a position, feel they have a lot more to lose by turning entrepreneur. Women also tend to build their careers around a narrow expertise, they are less likely to invest in the general commercial acumen needed to start an entreprise.

Sunil Shukla, director of the Entrepreneurial Development Institute of India, Gandhinagar, says: "Men are motivated to become entrepreneurs by their need to be super achievers, while for women, it is the desire for autonomy and independence."

Courtesy:dnaindia

Book Review: Swimmer among the stars How A Simple Medical Procedure Is Bringing Back Kanishk Tharoor puts his global outlook to This story resonated with good use in his debut me, particularly because offering, a collection of I can see how my mother short stories on the idea tongue is losing its popuof time and space, notes larity, charm and authenticity in today's times. Will Prerna Raturi my verBook : S w i m m e r Prerna Raturi n a c u l a r language's among the last speaker die, too, in stars Author: Kanishk the next few decades?

It's not just the idea of Tharoor Publisher: Aleph Book time and space that Tharoor plays with in this Company collection of short stories.

Pages: 208 Rs: 499 Kanishk Tharoor's debut short fiction collection Swimmer Among the Stars melts the idea of time and space into a fantastic journey over 12 tales. That's not all it has to offer, however. As your mind lulls itself into slotting one tale into a particular time period, the next one jumps at you from an entirely new era.

The first two stories, Elephant at Sea and The Fall of an Eyelash, for instance, are from the years we can relate to, but the next, A United Nations in Space calls out to you from the future. Its successor Swimmer Among the Stars, however, talks about the last speaker of a language and can be from any time in the human civilisation - the past, the present, or even the future, if more effort is not made to conserve ancient cultures. Why, it was only in 2010 that Boa Sr, the last speaker of an ancient language in the Andaman Islands, died at 85.

ters of fabulist, surrealist another, time and again. and magical short sto- Tharoor uses different ries." tools to deliver this message.

As a result, you will find it difficult to place The While The Fall of an EyeLoss of Muzaffar in lash forces you to underterms of place and time stand the poignant tale of unless you come through refugees, those such geographical hints such asTale of the Teahouse, as Hudson and Long Is- The Mirrors of Iskandar land City. Tharoor's treat- and Letters Home show ment of the story of the how, for centuries, excellent cook Muzaffar, civilisations have been who lives with an Italian razed as the land bears family in New York be- witness to bloodshed and life being born again.

Ironically, "Geography is never flesh, but stone, water, clay, names and vacant scratches of the plume" (Tale of the Teahouse).

At the same time, a story such as Icebreakers gives you an insight into human nature and how some situations warrant generosity and camaraderie - icebreakers, literally.

Cover page of Swimmer among the stars (Photo: pics.click)

As the blurb for the book rightly states: "‌tales emerge from a tradition that includes the creators of the Arabian Nights and Kathasaritasagara, Italo Calvino, and other ancient and modern mas-

fore 9/11, gives it a surreal tinge.

The other common theme running through the collection is that the entire human civilisation has suffered at the hands of one

Tharoor, whose criticisms, other short stories and journalistic pieces have already appeared in international and Indian publications, puts his global outlook and experience to good use in his debut offering. With poetic imagery, crisp language and attention to detail, this writer's neatly tied bunch of stories tie together some mythical tales, some that were inspired by real events, while others that sprung from the imagination of his mind.

It's for you to decide which one is what.

Courtesy:dnaindia

Smiles On The Faces Of Lakhs Of Indians

Unlike the usual merri- tractive children are seen ment around a child's by others as brighter, havbirth, Dinesh's birth ing more positive social brought disappointment behaviour and receive to his parents, they even more positive treatment considered 'discarding' than their less attractive the newborn to a garbage counterparts. Thus, selfdump. Dinesh perception had a severe Sakshi Jain of people cleft lip at the affected by time of his birth which in- cleft lip and palate stigated a sense of frus- anomaly get influenced tration in his father be- by the social perspective cause of his financial in- and the need to look atcapability to treat the un- tractive, thus hindering expected birth defect. their self-esteem and soCleft lip is a medical con- cial competence. Moredition involving a physical over, the attitudes, expecsplit or separation of the tations and degree of suptwo sides of the upper lip port shown by parents and appears as a narrow opening or gap in the skin of the upper lip. It often extends beyond the base of the nose and includes the bones of the upper jaw and/or upper gum.

Contrary to the general understanding of being a cosmetic problem, it is a serious birth defect leading to other problems like difficulty in feeding a child, higher chances of ear infection and hearing loss, dental problems and speech difficulties. It also leads to breathing and respiratory problems.

More than the medical complications, social, psychological and behavioural traumas affect people with cleft lips more.

In a world where social acceptance seems to depend on physical looks, people with cleft lips are judged as 'abnormal' and discriminated because of their birth defect. Research has shown that at-

and orthodontics helped them fully integrate with their peers.

In a country where more than half do not receive any treatment because of their lack of awareness about treatment or affordability issues, Smile Train India, started in 2000, aims to spread smile on every child's face through these surgeries to treat cleft lip and palate at no cost through a network of 170 hospitals in the country. Since its inception, it has sponsored over 450,000 surgeries Smile Train, one of the across the country. year-old woman Shubhawati, married off at the age of 15, from Ratanpura district in UP who suffered from this birth defect. Having being deprived of adequate medical care at the age of one, she spent her forty long years of her life in isolation being deprived of school education, social rejection during gatherings and functions and was subjected to distasteful remarks by people.

However, she kept praying for a 'normal smile'.

Image posted by Smile Train India on Facebook (Photo: cdn.youthkiawaaz)

also influence a child's perception of their cleft impairment.

In India, close to 35,000 children are born with cleft lip and palate every year and many of them are abandoned or killed.

Almost every child with the cleft undergoes social atrocities.

world's largest cleft organisation with partners and programmes in over 80 countries, brought the 'normal smile' on the face of Shubhawati and gave Dinesh a second chance in life through a 45minute surgery at no cost. In addition to free cleft surgery, support serSuch is the case of a 40- vices like speech therapy

Like Shubhawati and Dinesh, many more such cases need to be highlighted and many more smiles need to be spread.

Such health issues need proper attention and categorization rather than relegating it as a cosmetic defect and building social stereotypes around it.

Courtesy: Youth ki awazz

DIBRUGARH, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 9

BUSINESS

Price of entire range of Nissan models by up to 3.5% Bengaluru, Mar 8: Japanese carmaker Nissan has hiked prices of its entire range in India by up to 4 percent on account of new levies announced in Union Budget 2016-17.

"The increase in prices is in the range of 1-3.5 percent across models," said a company spokesperson.

Elaborating further, the spokesperson said the company has raised prices of Datsun models by 1 percent and that of diesel models, including Terrano and mid-sized sedan Sunny, by 3.25-3.5 percent. Nissan Motor India, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Nissan Motor Co, sells a range of vehicles from entry-level model Micra Active to SUV Terrano priced between

Rs 4.47 lakh and Rs 13.20 lakh. Datsun range of vehicles include the entrylevel small-car Datsun Go and multi-purpose vehicle Datsun Go Plus which are priced between Rs 3.23 lakh and Rs 4.78 lakh (all prices ex-showroom Delhi). Already, a host of automakers including Maruti Suzuki India and Tata Motors have announced increase in vehicle prices.

Steel imports of India's dropped for a fourth straight month in February

India to get first IKEA store open at Hyderabad in 2017

Nagpur, Mar 8: India's steel imports dropped for a fourth straight month in February, provisional government data showed, as duties and a floor price on steel products helped reduce overseas purchases hurting the sector. The Indian government imposed a 20 percent safeguard import duty for 200 days on some steel products in September 2015 and last month set a floor price on imports to deter countries such as China from undercutting local mills, the first such move in more than 15 years. India, the third-largest steel producer in the world, shipped in 912,000 tonnes of the alloy last month, 7.3 percent lower than the corresponding month a year earlier, data from the Joint Plant Committee of the steel ministry showed. However, imports rose 20.5 percent in the 11 months to February compared with the same period last year, the data showed. Imports edged down 0.1 percent compared to January. Domestic steel makers including JSW Steel, Tata Steel and Kalyani Steels have lobbied the government for more protectionist measures as margins have taken a hit due to an onslaught of cheap imports from China, as well as Russia, Japan and South Korea. Consumption of steel, in the only major market where steel demand is growing, rose 4.3 percent between April 2015 and February 2016, largely driven by imports.

Steel exports by Asia's third-largest economy fell 25.6 percent at a time when the U.S. has named India among countries that violated anti-dumping law on cold rolled flat products and slapped a tax.

(Agencies)

Patanjali murabba comes under scanner Lucknow, Mar 8: Baba Ramdev's Patanjali Ayurved has been making headlines since the time of its inception especially its noodle brands but the brand has come under the scanner of Food Security officials yet again. According to a news daily, officials of the Food Safety and Drug Administration department of Lucknow came across a two 1-kg package of Aawla Murabba that is manufactured by Patanjali Ayurveda which mentioned the date of manufacturing the products as October 20, 2016 while its expiry date has been mentioned as October 19, 2017.

The product has already reached the market shelves in Lucknow's retail store. The FSDA officials told the new daily that since the product is an ayurvedic medicine, hence it does not qualify as a food product. The officials have collected the samples from five different shops of the city to ascertain the quality of the food products. The sealed sample of the murabba is being sent to the laboratory for testing and information has been sent to the director of ayurvedic services in Uttarakhand. According to the daily, Dr Shiv Kumar Verma, drug inspector (headquarter), directorate of Ayurveda, UP said, "Furnishing wrong information about the product ultra vires the provisions of the Drug & Cosmetic Act." (Agencies)

Last week Hyundai, Mahindra and Honda Cars announced price hikes of up to Rs 82,906 across their entire product range.

Earlier, Maruti Suzuki had hiked prices of its vehicles across models in the range of Rs 1,441 to Rs 34,494 in order to offset the im-

Hyderabad, Mar 8: Swedish furniture retailing giant IKEA will open its first store in India at Hyderabad in the second half of 2017 even as it scouts for more sites in Delhi-NCR, Mumbai and Bengaluru. The company, which received government approval in 2013 for its Rs 10,500 crore proposal to open retail stores under 100% FDI, plans to open 25 stores by 2025 in nine Indian cities. "We will open our first store in Hyderabad in later half of 2017.

Digging for construction of our first store in India started this week," said IKEA Asia Pacific Retail President Mikael Palmquist. IKEA's first store in Hyderabad will be a massive 4 lakh square feet in size and will include all features of a glo-

ILL-EFFECTS OF BUDGET Japanese carmaker Nissan has hiked prices of its entire range in India by up to 4 percent on account of new levies announced in Union Budget 2016-17.

The company has raised prices of Datsun models by 1 percent and that of diesel models, including Terrano and mid-sized sedan Sunny, by 3.25-3.5 percent. pact of infrastructure cess proposed in Budget 2016-17.

German luxury carmaker Mercedes-Benz and Tata

Nissan Motor India, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Nissan Motor Co, sells a range of vehicles from entry-level model Micra Active to SUV Terrano priced between Rs 4.47 lakh and Rs 13.20 lakh.

Last week Hyundai, Mahindra and Honda Cars announced price hikes of up to Rs 82,906 across their entire product range.

Datsun range of vehicles include the entry-level small-car Datsun Go and multi-purpose vehicle Datsun Go Plus which are priced between Rs 3.23 lakh and Rs 4.78 lakh (all prices ex-showroom Delhi).

Already, a host of automakers including Maruti Suzuki India and Tata Motors have announced increase in vehicle prices.

Motors have also announced to raise prices of their entire product portfolios. While Mercedes has announced to hike prices by up to Rs 5 lakh

from March 15, Tata Motors has raised prices of passenger vehicles in the range of Rs 2,000 and Rs 35,000. The government has decided to impose 2.5

phase of growth, we plan to open stores in Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore.

We are searching for land in these cities. We want to open more than one stores in locations where our stores come up." The company said that it will showcase its products from its global portfolio in India based on the taste and requirements of the regions where its stores are located.

IKEA Asia Pacific Retail President, Mikael Palmquist. (Photo:president.jp) bal IKEA store, including restaurant and play and development area, he added. In July last year, the company had announced purchase of 13 acre land close to the IT hub in Hyderabad's HITEC city. Bullish on the Indian market, Palmquist said IKEA expects its stores in

the country to be among "the most visited stores in the world" and hence the company has prepared for it by planning bigger restaurants and more seating capacity to suit high visitation stores. Elaborating on IKEA's expansion plans in India, he said: "After Hyderabad, in the first

On the pace of expansion in India, Palmquist said compared to China where it has been there for 15 years and opening at a rate of 3 stores a year only now, here IKEA will be looking at a much faster growth. "In India I want us to be there earlier, within five years, we should have capability to open three stores a year to hit the 25 (stores)," he

per cent cess on diesel vehicles of length not exceeding 4 meter and engine capacity not exceeding 1,500cc while higher engine capacity and SUVs and bigger sedans were slapped with a cess of 4 percent on the value of the car.

These are over and above a cess of 1 percent on petrol/ LPG/CNG driven vehicles of length not exceedin g 4 m e t e r a n d engine capacity not exceeding 1,200cc.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley also proposed to collect tax at source at the rate of 1 percent on purchase of luxury cars exceeding value of Rs 10 lakh. (Agencies)

added. In November last year IKEA had sought relaxation from the government for five years over mandatory 30% local sourcing norms from opening of its first store in India rather than first investment. The company said it needs some time "to build a sustainable and long-term sourcing solutions" to source raw material, find local entrepreneurs and to create industrial set ups.

"If we were to open our first store today, our sourcing from India would be less than 5 per cent.

Main challenges in meeting sourcing norms is availability of raw material and identifying right entrepreneurs we can work with." At present, IKEA sources products worth Euro 300 million for its global operations from India. (Agencies)

Nearly 86% rise in FDI in India's services sector Mumbai, Mar 8: With the government taking steps to improve ease of doing business and attract foreign investment, FDI inflows into the services sector grew by 85.5% to $4.25 billion (nearly Rs 28,573.81 crore) in AprilDecember period. The sector, which includes banking, insurance, outsourcing, research and development (R&D), courier and technology testing, had received foreign direct investment (FDI) worth $2.29 billion (nearly Rs 15,396.24 crore) during April-December 2014, according to the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP).

The services sector contributes over 60% to India's gross domestic

Image for representational purpose only.

(Photo:indiatribune) product (GDP). FDI in the sector accounts for 17% of the country's total foreign investment inflows.

The other sectors where inflows have recorded growth are computer software and hardware ($5.3 billion or nearly Rs

35,633.23 crore), trading ($2.71 billion or nearly Rs 18,220.01 crore), automobile ($1.78 billion or nearly Rs 11,967.39 crore) and chemicals ($1.19 billion or nearly Rs 8,000.67 crore). In step with growth in FDI in im-

portant sectors like services, overall foreign inflows in the country rose by 37% to $39.32 billion (nearly Rs 2.64 lakh crore) during the first nine months of 2015-16. The amount was $28.78 billion (nearly Rs 1.93 lakh crore) in the year-ago period. An official said with the government further liberalising foreign investment policies for the services sector in the Budget 2016, more inflows would come. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has proposed significant liberalisation of FDI norms in a host of sectors including insurance, pension, asset reconstruction companies (ARCs) and stock exchanges. In the insurance and pension sectors, for-

eign investment will be allowed through automatic route for up to 49% subject to the guidelines on Indian management and control, to be verified by the regulators. Earlier, foreign investment up to 26% was allowed through automatic route. Foreign investment is considered crucial for India, which needs around $1 trillion (nearly Rs 67.23 lakh crore) for overhauling its infrastructure sector such as ports, airports and highways to boost growth. A strong inflow of foreign investments will help improve the country's balance of payments situation and strengthen the rupee value against other global currencies, especially the US dollar. (Agencies)

TECHNOLOGY Samsung Galaxy S7, S7 edge unveiled in India today Pune, Mar 8: Samsung's new flagship smartphones Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge has hit the Indian market on today, as the company looks to bolster sales to buck the slowdown in smartphone industry growth. The South Korean tech giant has, so far, not revealed the prices. However, according to the tech w e b s i t e www.igalaxys7.com, Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge will be available in India with a reported price of Rs 53,000 and Rs 60,000, respectively.

With Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge, Samsung has introduced the first dual-pixel camera on a smartphone, which delivers brighter and sharper images, even in low light. The 5.1-inch Galaxy S7 and 5.5-inch Galaxy S7 edge are constructed with 3D glass and metal and are water and dust resistance. The hybrid sim card tray allows

users to insert a microSD card for up to 200GB of additional storage and in some select countries, the tray can be used with dual sim cards. The device's new

Always-On Display gives users a simplified, zero touch experience to check about a missed call or SMS. The Samsung Galaxy S7 runs on an Octa core

SMART SMARTPHONES Samsung's new flagship smartphones Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge has hit the Indian market, as the company looks to bolster sales to buck the slowdown in smartphone industry growth.

Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge will be available in India with a reported price of Rs 53,000 and Rs 60,000, respectively.

With Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge, Samsung has introduced the first dual-pixel camera on a smartphone, which delivers brighter and sharper images, even in low light.

The 5.1-inch Galaxy S7 and 5.5-inch Galaxy S7 edge are constructed with 3D glass and metal and are water and dust resistance.

The hybrid sim card tray allows users to insert a microSD card for up to 200GB of additional storage and in some select countries, the tray can be used with dual sim cards.

Samsung's new flagship smartphones Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge. (Photo: igalaxys7)

(2.3GHz Quad + 1.6GHz Quad), 64 bit processor and has a 4GB RAM. Both phones run on Android 6.0 (Marshmallow) operating system. India is an important market for handset makers as it is witnessing strong sales growth rates at a time when global sales are waning.

According to research firm IDC, the global smartphone market saw shipment growing 10.1 percent to 1.43 bil-

lion units in 2015 from 1.30 million units in 2014. Shipments in India grew 28.8 percent in 2015 to 103.6 million units over the previous year, making it one of the world's fastest growing markets globally. Samsung is a leader in both global and Indian market. At the end of December 2015 quarter, it had a global market share of 21.4%, while in India it had 26.8 percent share.

(Agencies)

PAGE 10

Offers fares as low as Rs 1,099 offered by AirAsia on select routes

AirAsia's Group Chief Commercial Officer Siegtraund Teh. (Photo: amazonaws)

New Delhi, Mar 8: Announcing good news for the air travelers, no frills carrier AirAsia will offer tickets at discounted rates starting from Rs 1,099 on select domestic and international routes. The discounted prices would be applicable on tickets booked online from March 7-13 for travel between October 1, 2016 and May 22, 2017. It would be available on select AirAsia and AirAsia X destinations.

"The promotional fares start from Rs 1,099 on domestic destinations such as Bengaluru, Visakhapatnam, Guwahati, Kochi, Imphal, Goa and Delhi connected

by AirAsia India," the airline said in a release today.

Under the offer, fares would start from Rs 2,999 to Kuala Lumpur from Kochi, Chennai or Hyderabad connected by its group airline AirAsia Berhad. Besides, tickets would be available at Rs 3,999 to Bangkok from Chennai and Bengaluru connected by Thai AirAsia. "We are pleased to bring back the Big Sale to India... We have introduced many new and undiscovered routes throughout the region," AirAsia's Group Chief Commercial Officer Siegtraund Teh said.

(Agencies)

Passing the GST bill can help Govt. to gain votes in 2016: Morgan Stanley

Finance Minister of India, Arun Jaitley. (Photo: livemint) New Delhi: The government is likely to gain the votes it needs to pass the Goods and Services Tax (GST) bill this year which could have far reaching macroeconomic and earnings implications, says a Morgan Stanley report. "The government could gain the votes it needs in 2016 to pass a Goods and Services Tax (GST) bill," Morgan Stanley said in a research note. In recent time, investor expectations regarding the passage of the GST bill, have waned due to a logjam in the Upper House.

However, according to the global financial services major, support for GST bill is rising in the Rajya Sabha. "The key to the bill's passage is a reduction in the number of Upper House members opposing the bill. That number currently stands at 91 and it needs to fall to 82 for the bill to clear - we forecast that to happen by July 2016," the report noted.

The report further noted that "once the bill clears Parliament, getting the bill passed by more than half of the states should

not prove challenging, as the BJP and its allies are currently in power in 12 of 29 states, and a few beyond the 12 are supportive of the bill". The GST bill will have significant implications on the stock market. As per the research report, six of the ten sectors would benefit from a GST implementation. Sectors like consumption, logistics, house building materials, and industrial manufacturing would likely experience a positive impact.

Meanwhile, cigarettes (if included in the GST) and oil & gas could see a negative impact, while the remaining sectors would likely see a neutral impact, the report noted. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley recently said that the government will reach out to the Congress in the current session of Parliament to resolve the deadlock over the GST bill. Jaitley had said the proposed Goods and Services Tax (GST) is the need of the hour and it has the capability to strengthen the Indian economy. (Agencies)

SBI among 4 new foreign banks allowed to operate in Myanmar ANI State Bank of India is among the four new foreign banks that have been given preliminary approval to open 100 per centowned branches in Myanmar, the latest move by the Southeast Asian nation to woo investment to the country long ruled by the military and hit

by Western sanctions. The other three new banks that have been given initial approval by the Central Bank of Myanmar are Vietnam's Bank for Investment and Development, Taiwan's E.SUN Commercial Bank and South Korea's Shinhan Bank. "After due consideration, the Licensing Committee has decided to grant preliminary approval to prepare for commencement of banking operations in Myanmar to four Foreign Banks," the apex bank said. The Central Bank of Myanmar said the preliminary approval is valid for 12 months during which the successful applicants will have to fulfill commitments made, take all necessary measures to ensure functional banking operation

from day one of business and will have to comply with requirements laid down by the Central bank of Myanmar.

"Upon fulfillment of the abovestated requirements the Central Bank of Myanmar will grant the final license (to the winners) to operate in Myanmar," the announcement said. This is the second time Myanmar has allowed foreign banks to open 100-per centowned branches inside the country in more than five decades following permits to nine foreign banks in October last year to operate in the country.

In April last year, Japan's Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ became the first foreign bank in decades to open a branch in Myanmar.

Myanmar's powerful military nationalised all banks when it seized power in 1962. Since 2011, authorities have launched political and economic reforms, prompting the West to lift most of the sanctions. The State Bank of India is India's largest bank and it has branches in major world capitals and leading cities.

DIBRUGARH, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 9

Features

PAGE 11

HORTICULTURE Story behind Sikkim being an organic state How the state pushed out agrochemical products and became the first allorganic Indian state Squatting on the kitchen floor at her home in Sikkim's Assam Lingzey village, 90-year-old Benu Maya Upreti does not quite understand what the recent fuss over organic farming is all about. The heat from a simmering oven is keeping her warm; sunlight streams in through the kitchen door, which opens out to the family's farm, pure and unblemished.

In the seven decades that she helped her husband, Tula Ram, cultivate the land and ruled over the family kitchen, chemical fertilizers and pesticides were not allowed on their 100-acre land, and by extension, the food they eat.

The Upreti family has been self-sufficient, needing only to buy salt, kerosene, sugar and spices from the market. Their 15 children have grown up healthy, and when Upreti was diagnosed two decades back as diabetic, she brought it under control within a few years and stopped the medication.

Standing close to a crop of peas, Tula Ram proudly announces that he has done even better.

"I have never even needed an Aspirin," says the nonagenarian. He is tall, still strong, a workaholic who still occasionally works in the fields, now divided among their children.

"There was a time when chemical fertilizers were being used by neighbouring farmers.

They initially saw an increase in production, but soon their land became dry and fallow. We took that as a lesson," says Tula Ram. "We have only known of natural agents like cattle waste and biomass to nourish our land.

Without knowing, our methods have traditionally been organic."

About 45km from the Upretis' leafy village, Gangtok, the capital of Sikkim, is abuzz with its new-found status as the first Indian state to fully practise organic farming, the culmination of an initiative that began in 2003.

That year, chief minister Pawan Chamling made an announcement on this in the state legislative assembly and a resolution was passed to bring all the agricultural land under organic management. It has taken 13 years to do it.

At the time, even though Sikkim was using a mere 8-12kg per hectare of chemical fertilizers and pesticides compared to the national average of 90kg per hectare, it wasn't an easy task to wean away farmers from their dependence on the agrochemical industry. It takes three years for chemically treated land to turn organic, and the Sikkim government has spent Rs.8,400 per hectare to get the land gradually certified as organic by the

certification agencies accredited to the Union ministry of commerce and industry. The state's 64,000 farmers had no choice, but the government took on the financial burden of conversion and announced a minimum support price for select vegetable crops to encourage organic cultivation.

Though farmers had to be convinced about the benefits of going organic, there were no instances reported of large-scale resistance to the change.

Going by the large number of banners, festoons and billboards advertising organic food festivals, flower shows, seminars and workshops that colour Gangtok and its surrounding areas, it seems to be a change that is taking root.

A few kilometres away from Ranipool town in the East Sikkim district, the 2-acre farm of D.N. Sapkota, chairman of the government's agriculture and horticulture board, is waiting to burst into a lush, organic green. As the dry and misty winter wraps Sikkim in a final spell of cold, natural agents are at work on the farm.

First, the earthworms.

Thousands of them. They squirm through the fingers as the 70-year-old farmer picks through a mound of earth on a large bed. It's no ordinary earth, but one that will eventually turn into the all-im-

portant vermicompost-a mixture of vegetable waste, crop residue, biomass and leaves, etc., with the earthworms playing an active role in breaking down the organic matter to create a nutrient-rich organic fertilizer to replenish the soil. At Sapkota's farm, and elsewhere in Sikkim, these creatures are the wriggly heroes of the state's organic farming drive.

Second, Sapkota's collection of cattle, the indigenous Siri cows among them yielding as much as 12 litres of milk every day. But this is not the only reason they are there.

Cow dung is an important and traditional natural manure, and the urine, post-fermentation, is an effective pesticideSapkota explains the role of Madhyam, a brand of organic composter supplied free by the Sikkim government, in facilitating the creation of compost. Cow urine is collected through a circuit of drains and pipes which empty into a large tank.

There, it goes through a fermentation process before being used on crops as a pesticide.

Third, Sapkota has tried another natural method, growing crops like onion and fenugreek alongside each other, so the repellent smell of each wards off diseases and insects.

He underlines one of the tenets of the organic food movement-nothing is

wasted, nothing is killed.

"It's all about repelling and not killing. An insect may well be an enemy of your crop, but it could be a friend of someone. In organic cultivation, every creature has a role in the sustainability of the world."

There isn't a speck of urea in sight.

These days, Sapkota, having "trained and initiated hundreds of Sikkimese farmers and self-help groups in organic cultivation science without charging a penny", is content in the knowledge that he has contributed to a healthier and ecologically sustainable life in his state.

Born into a family of farmers, Sapkota dwells on how cultivation practices have changed from his grandfather's timemainly, he says, processes like vermicomposting and the use of composters like Madhyam.

Critics of the agrochemical industry list the pitfalls: groundwater contamination, agricultural land going dry in a few years, the killing of all beneficial micro-organisms in the soil, and the shrinking of genetic diversity. But in the case of organic and traditional farming, there will be multiplication of organisms in the soil and improvement in soil health.

When soil health improves, everything will improve. The vision behind Sikkim going or-

Organic cultivation in Sikkim. Photo: yourstory ganic is far-sighted.

While criticism of the organic food movement largely centres around the issues of food security, premium pricing, elitism, and even its inability to control diseases, the organic farming initiative in Sikkim, a biodiversity hot spot, revives the memory of Sir Albert Howard.

Today, along with Rudolf Steiner and Eve Balfour, Howard is widely recognized as one of the founders of organic agriculture in the world. And in India, states like Nagaland, Meghalaya and Uttarakhand too have embraced organic cultivation.

Take, for instance, 29year-old Binita Chamling. Brought up in the world of organic tea, since her father is a senior employee at Sikkim's only tea garden, Temi, Binita studied biotechnology in Bengaluru and later moved to the UK to complete her master's in biotechnology and business enterprise. In the UK, she would gift acquaintances

packets of organic Temi tea; people were surprised by the quality of the product as well as its place of origin in the Himalayas. "I would love to talk about Sikkim. I'm passionate about the place and its people. The organic farming initiative going on here perfectly fits into my plans," says Binita.

Having helped the Sikkim government market some of the state's organic products in the UK, and wanting to do more, Binita shifted back to Sikkim in 2014 to start Organic Sikkim, a company she helms with one of the sons of the chief minister. Today, Organic Sikkim has an outlet in south Delhi for the state's products (at present under renovation) but is grappling with logistical issues: infrastructure for the transportation of perishable commodities; supply; branding. "There has to be a lot of hard work involved. With only around 75,000 hectares, Sikkim cannot feed

the world, but we can certainly maximize our output. Our company is strong on marketing, but lacking in production so far," says Binita.

The government has helped set up exclusive organic food stalls at the bustling Lal Bazaar in Gangtok, but the 20-30% premium for the local organic produce keeps away many people and gives rise to contentions that the organic food movement caters only to a niche, well-heeled customer base. One of the ideas behind the Sikkim Organic Mission is to get premium prices for farmers, where they earn more than they would if they produced food the non-organic way. But the government and the agencies involved now have the customer in mind too: They are trying to bring down the prices by sourcing commodities directly, streamlining processes and clearing infrastructure and logistical hurdles.

(Agencies)

ART AND CULTURE

ART AND CULTURE

Festivals of Meghalaya

Traditional Thangka Paintings of Sikkim

Meghalaya celebrates performs a ceremony in harvest. The festival is ity. Later when the The Garo post harvest festivals throughout the which a goat is sacrificed celebrated across the people suffered due to a festival Wangala marks year. Apart from Christ- to appease Lei Shyllong, Jaintia Hills but the big- famine the deity asked the end of the agriculmas and Durga Puja, the god of Shillong peak gest celebration takes them to have a commu- tural year. It is an offerthere are various ethnic and also to the ancestors place at Jowai. nity festival after the ing of thanksgiving to season. the sun god of fertility. festivals that are cel- of the ruling clan. Once Behdienkhlam is cel- sowing ebrated in the the reli- ebrated by the non- Behdienkhlam is being A nagara, is beaten to state. Dance Paulami Dutta gious ritu- Christian 'Pnars' who be- celebrated since then. call the people to join in als are lieve in "Niamtre". forms an intethe festivities. gral part of life in over, the dance rituals Apart from the various Meghalaya and these fes- begin. Unmarried girls in According to folklore, traditional rituals, Wangala is celebrated tivals are celebrated with traditional finery dance Jowai was once the home young men put their ar- in November. Men and pomp and grandeur. barefoot. The men dance of five Deities. The Dei- tistic skills to good use women dance merrily with swords and white ties wished that God and make beautifully and the beating drums, Ka Shad Suk Mynsiem yak-hair and traditional would create human set- colored 'rots' that are trumpets and flutes add This is the annual spring dance. Ka Shad Suk Mynsiem is performed to celebrate harvesting and sowing. Both male and female dancers take part in the festival. Whilethe female have to be unmarried, there is no such restriction for the male dancers. Elaborate and rich costumes are a part of the festival. Shad Suk Mynsiem is also known as the dance of contentment. This annual thanksgiving dance is celebrated in the month of April at the Wecking grounds near Shillong and also other parts of Nongkrem Dance of Meghalaya. Photo: greenerpasturesind Meghalaya.

Nongkrem Dance The Nongkrem dance festival is held in October or November. The dance is performed to appease Goddess Ka Blei Synshar seeking prosperity. The Syiem or King along with the high priest

musical instruments play in the background.

Behdienkhlam Behdienkhlam is an important festival of the Jaintias and they pray for property and good health and blessings for a good

tlers for the place. When the Mongolian tribe reached the place, the Deities were happy.

The eldest of them began a dance. The settlers were sacred, but the deity assured them of safety and prosper-

30-40 feet tall structures of bamboo. It is adorned with colored paper and groups try to outdo each other in making the tallest and the most beautiful 'rot'.

Wangala

to the gaiety. Dancers are in their traditional finery. The highlight of the dance festival is the moment when a hundred drums and three hundred dancers take the field and dance to celebrate.

Sikkim, the small landlocked state located in north eastern India, has amazed travelers with its natural beauty, wildlife and rich Buddhist heritage. It lures plenty of tourists every year who explore the national parks, Arnab sanctuaries and trekking routes. However, the art and craft of Sikkim is no less enticing. The tribes of Sikkim adhere to their rituals, customs and religious ways despite influx of western culture. The Monasteries of Sikkim play a pivotal role behind creation and sustenance of art and crafts in the state.

The Thangka paintings of Sikkim: In almost all monasteries in Sikkim, you will find religious scrolls with pictures hanging on the walls. These paintings are deemed as highly auspicious by the Sikkimese people and hold much significance for them.

The Thangka paintings are worshipped at key Buddhist ceremonies.

The life events of various deities are depicted in these sacred paintings. They often have images of Lord Buddha, Goddess Saraswati, God Chana Dorji and Guru Padmasambhava. With time, several prominent Hindu deities have made foray into Thankga paintings. Mostly, you will find a major deity depicted at center of the painting who is encircled by deities of

lesser significance.

A lot of Thangkas depict the Wheel of Life. In this wheel, the cock represents lust, snake denotes anger and pig stands for ignorance. The wheel's black denotes Ghosh portion evil deeds while the white portion stands for positive aspects of human life.

Overall, the intricacy of drawing determines value of such paintings. Generally, it takes more than a month for a Thangka to be completed. Of course, larger ones may require more time for completion.

Nuances of the Thankas: The traditional Thangka paintings are made by skilled religious artisans.

Paper and cloth canvases are used to create these.

Gold thread and rich silk are

Future of the art: The art of Thangka painting witnessed a decline over time owing to rapid urbanization, lack of interest, and influx of western culture in the region. However, the redeeming thing is some present generation Thangka painters have resorted to using technology to pre-

also used for tapestry.

These artisans are well versed in Tibetan language.

Mostly vegetable dyes and stone colors are used to create the paintings. The different colors used in these paintings also have significance. For exampleBlue suggests depth and orange denotes spirituality.

serve the art and get more people interested. Through internet based teaching, students from other states and even countries have started learning this age old craft.

However, the artists strongly feel the art can be preserved better with government aid and funding.

Courtesy: Nelive.

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India name probables for World Pandya wants to emulate Yuvraj's cup preliminary qualifiers 2011 heroics in World T20 PTI New Delhi, Mar 8: Star striker Sunil Chhetri is among a 28-strong Indian probable squad announced today for the 2018 soccer World Cup preliminary qualifying round matches against Iran and Turkmenistan.

While India travel to Tehran to play Iran on March 24, they will host Turkmenistan in Kochi on March 29 in the Qualification Round 2 games.

The team will have a camp in the capital from March 16 prior to the departure to Tehran on March 21.

Constantine sounded "excited," when asked about the camp.

"The boys would be as-

Star striker, Sunil Chhetri sembling on March 16 and we will be practicing at the Ambedkar Stadium.

However, as both Mohun Bagan and Bengaluru FC

Virat Kohli makes it 'bigger' on International Women's Day ANI New Delhi, Mar 8: Every woman in this world is over-loaded with wishes from everywhere as March 8 is marked as International Women's Day to celebrate their existence.

Virat Kohli, like every other person took to his Twitter handle to share his thoughts on this day, but what makes his post special is his wit and humour.

"Sorry for the jerks, the cat-callers, the stalkers.

Don't let them ruin it for the rest of us. Happy Women's Day," he

posted.

The cricket-star slammed the men with negative outlook subtly keeping up his wooing-attitude.

He even added a snap of his with 'SORRY' written on it.

Bollywood actor Arjun Kapoor too shared a touching video yesterday where he, in a black-andwhite, serious tone was seen telling his experience with women.

In the video, the 'Gundey' actor was seen confessing that he owes his life to the two women he has always been with- his mother and sister.

Virat Kohli

are involved in the AFC Cup, the boys from the two Clubs won't be able to be with us on the 16th," Constantine said.

"As Mohun Bagan play a Home match in the AFC Cup (on March 16), they will report to the Camp the next day while the boys from Bengaluru FC will report to the Camp as soon as they are back from their away match," he added.

Constantine said the side would look to carry the form which helped it win the SAFF Cup. "It's important that we sustain the momentum which we achieved by winning the SAFF Suzuki Cup. Playing in Tehran will be a difficult game for us," he stated.

"Without disrespecting Turkmenistan, we want to get the maximum we can from our Home match," he said.

ANI Kolkata, Mar 8 : Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya has expressed that he is aiming to replicate Yuvraj Singh's 2011 World Cup heroics in the World Twenty20, which starts from Tuesday.

ANI Dharamsala, March 8: ICC World T20 director M.V. Sridhar on Tuesday revealed that the Pakistan security team has assessed the security measures taken in Dharamsala, adding that they have been categorically assured by the district administration that ample security would be provided to the players during the much-awaited clash against India on March 19.

Sridhar revealed that the PCB security team, which assessed the security measures taken in India for the safety of their players, had inspected the venue and also had a discussion with the BCCI and tournament officials.

"The PCB delegations visited Dharamsala yesterday. There they have seen the entire premises. They have engaged with us (BCCI) and the tournament officials and the local officials of the HPCA (Himachal Pradesh Cricket

Association) also. After that, we have had the conversation with the district administrative officials, which includes the District Commissioner and the Inspector General of Police. We have met all of them and they have given their feedback," he told the media here.

The tournament director said that both the district administration and the police have assured to take appropriate measures for the security of any team which visits the state, adding that the information in this regard had been clearly communicated to the Pakistani delegation.

"The outcome is that the district administration has very clearly categorically stated that they are committed to giving complete security, not only for India vs Pakistan match, but for all the matches which are going to be held in Dharamsala. That's the commitment given by both sides-

22-year-old Pandya, who made his international debut against Australia in January, has been grabbing attention with his stunning all-round performances in the recent matches.

"My aim is to do what Yuvraj Singh did for India in 2011. I want to contribute with both bat and ball in the World T20," Pandya told reporters here ahead of the first warm-up match against West Indies on Thursday.

Yuvraj was declared as the Player of the tournament

PCB assured of adequate security to squad during World T20 in India

M.V Sridhar

as India lifted their second World Cup title in 2011.

He had accumulated a staggering 362 runs and claimed 15 wickets in the 50-overs pinnacle event.

the administration and the police security side. So, that has been clearly communicated to the Pakistani delegation," Sridhar insisted.

Sridhar said that he was optimistic that the World T20 match between India and Pakistan would be held in the scheduled venue Dharamsala.

"I am more than hopeful on behalf of the BCCI and on the behalf of the tournament that whatever the actual status on the ground has been communicated to the PCB team. And now the decision is with them.

Obviously, they will also consult their own government, High Commission, based on that they will come back to us," he added.

A two-member PCB security delegation comprising senior director of the Federal Investigation Agency Usman Anwar and Col. Azam from the Ministry of Interior arrived in India yesterday to assess the situation ahead of the Dharamsala T20.

Earlier, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh had hinted that the centre was ready to provide paramilitary forces after Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh expressed his inability to provide security after the ex-servicemen and families of slain army officials opposed to the match involving Pakistan in the wake of the recent Pathankot terror attacks.

The Pakistan security team will now submit their report to the PCB and Pakistani Interior Minister Chaudhary Nisar Ali Khan before the cricket team is cleared to travel to India.

India will head into the World T20 as the number one-ranked team and will play their opening match against New Zealand on March 15.

Hardik Pandya

Angelo Mathews to captain Sri Lanka in WT20, Lasith Malinga also included PTI Colombo, Mar 8: Allrounder Angelo Mathews on Tuesday replaced Lasith Malinga as captain of the Sri Lankan cricket team for the ICC World Twenty20 in India but the injury-ravaged pacer managed to retain his place in the side.

The team was picked by the new selection committee headed by the former skipper Aravinda de Silva which also includes Kumar Sangakkara.

Malinga was asked by the management to resign as captain after a spate of injuries which relegated him to a non-playing captain.The pacer eventually stepped down on Monday owing to slow recovery from a knee injury, which forced him to miss most of

Angelo Mathews replaced Lasith Malinga as Sri Lanka captain ahead of the World T20 the recent Asia Cup. Ironically, it was Malinga who was captain when Sri Lanka won the last World T20 held in Bangladesh in 2014.

Fast bowler Suranga Lakmal returned to the side along with the left-handed batsman,

Lahiru Thirmanna.

Both were not part of the recent Asia Cup when Sri Lanka were beaten by India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.

Their only win coming against associate team the UAE.

Messi-Ronaldo fan war: Murder accused sent to four-day police custody

Messi and Ronaldo ANI Mumbai, March 8: Nigerian man Nwabu Chukwuma, who

was charged for murdering his friend after an argument over whetherLionel Messi or

Cristiano Ronaldowas the best footballer, has been sent to a fourday police custody by the Vasai Court on Tuesday.

The 22-year-old was arrested and charged with murder after he killed his friend Obinna Michael Durumchukwa on his 34th birthday following the debate about the Barcelona and Real Madrid stars spiralled out of control.

Police inspector Kiran Kabadi revealed that Durumchukwa hurled a glass at Chukwuma which missed and hit the wall.

Chukwuma then picked up a shard of the glass and slit his friend's throat in rage.

Maria Sharapova confirms failed drug test, sanction uncertain PTI Los Angeles, Mar 8: Five-time Grand Slam tennis champion Maria Sharapova said Monday she failed a dope test at the Australian Open, and isn't sure what punishment she'll face for her "huge mistake."

The former world number one from Russia said a change in the World Anti-Doping Agency's banned list for 2016 led to an inadvertent violation, which has left her "provisionally suspended" by the International Tennis Federation.

Sharapova tested positive for Meldonium, a drug she said she had been taking since 2006 but one that was added to the banned list this year.

"I did fail the test and I take full responsibility for it," a sombre Sharapova said at a press

conference at a downtown Los Angeles hotel.

"I made a huge mistake. I let my fans down. I let my sport down that I've been playing since the age of four that I love so deeply," added Sharapova, her voice wavering.

"I know that with this, I face consequences and I don't want to end my career this way -- and I really hope I will be given another chance to play this game."The ITF confirmed in a statement that the former world number one from Russia had tested positive on January 26 and had accepted the finding when she was notified on March 2.

"Ms. Sharapova will be provisionally suspended with effect from 12 March, pending determination of the case," the ITF said.

Sharapova said she was cooperating with the ITF

and did not yet know the extent of the sanctions she would face.

Her attorney, John Haggerty, said the positive test could carry a ban of up to four years, but that mitigating circumstances could see a lesser penalty.

Shamil Tarpishchev, head of the Russian tennis federation, promptly said he believed Sharapova would still have a chance to play at the Rio Olympics in August.

"I believe it's rubbish, nothing else," TASS news agency quoted Tarpishchev as saying.

"The athletes take the medicines, which their physiotherapists or doctors recommend them to take. I believe Sharapova will nevertheless play at the Olympics.

"However, we need to wait and see how the things will go

Maria Sharapova on."Sharapova, 28, burst onto the international scene as she giggled and grunted her way to the Wimbledon crown in 2004.

She won the US Open in 2006, the Australian Open in 2008 and the French Open in 2012 and 2014.

Her ferocity on the court, business acumen and glamorous looks have all

combined to make her a marketing juggernaut and the overseer of such successful ventures as her Sugarpova line of candy.She has 35 WTA singles titles and more than $36 million in career earnings, and is currently ranked seventh in the world.

"I am very saddened to hear this news about

Maria," WTA chief executive Steve Simon said in a statement.

"Maria is a leader and I have always known her to be a woman of great integrity. Nevertheless, as Maria acknowledged, it is every player's responsibility to know what they put in their body and to know if it is permissible."

Sharapova said she originally began taking Meldonium for a variety of worrying symptoms, including a tendency to become ill often, an irregular EKG heart test and a family history of diabetes.

Meldonium is used to treat heart trouble, including angina and heart failure.

It was added to the banned list beginning this year, with the World Anti-Doping Agency saying there was evidence it has been used by athletes with the

intention of enhancing performance.

Several sports figures have tested positive for it this year, including Russian ice dancer Ekaterina Bobrova, whose positive test was revealed earlier on Monday.

WADA issued a statement saying officials were aware of Sharapova's case, but would not comment further until the ITF had ruled.

Sharapova has struggled with injuries during her career and has played just three tournaments since Wimbledon last year.

She pulled out of the 2015 US Open with a leg injury and withdrew from the tournament starting this week in Indian Wells, California with a left forearm injury.

Her most recent match was her Australian Open quarter-final loss to longtime rival Serena Will-

iams.

The short-notice press conference promising a "major announcement" had sparked speculation that she might be preparing to announce her retirement.

"I know many of you thought I would be retiring today, but if I was ever going to announce my retirement it would probably not be in a downtown LA hotel with this ugly carpet," Sharapova said, trying with little success to inject a lighter tone into the proceedings.

Asked if the doctor who prescribed the drug should have been aware it was now banned, Sharapova refused to shift the blame.

"I have to take full responsibility for it," she said. "At the end of day, everything you do is about you."

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