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ASSENG/2015/64205

PAGE 7

Vol. II

Issue 91

Dibrugarh, Monday, October 17, 2016

P2

P5

Dibrugarh Book Fair gets underway

Mumbai, Oct 16: Arnab Goswami, the editor-in-chief of news channel Times Now, will be provided ‘Y’ category security cover by the government over a threat from “Pakistan-based terrorist groups”.

Under the ‘Y’ category cover, Goswami will get round-the-clock protection from around 20 guards, including two personal security officers for close proximity security.

There are two types of protection provided by the government — positional and threat-based.

Under positional security, a dignitary is given security cover on the basis of position he or she holds — such as cabinet ministers and Supreme Court judges.

In the second category, a person is provided on the basis of a threatperception analysis by the Intelligence Bureau (IB).

“Goswami is being given security on the basis of a threat-perception analysis by the IB. We will go by the IB recommendation.

He faces threats from Pakistan-based terrorist groups due to his comments against them on Times Now,” said a home ministry official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity as he is not authorised to speak to the media.

The home ministry is likely to ask the Maharashtra police to handle Goswami’s security as he is based in Mumbai.

The government provides security under four categories — ‘Z Plus’ (around 40 guards with two escort vehicles), ‘Z’ (around 30 guards with one escort vehicle), ‘Y’ (around 20 guards) and ‘X’ (four guards).

The Centre has around 450 protectees under these categories. Out of them, around 275 people have been provided threat-based security cover. The state governments also have their own list of protectees.

Goswami is not the first journalist to get security cover from the Centre. Before him, journalists such as Zee News’s Sudhir Chaudhary (’X’ category), Samachar Plus’s Umesh Kumar (’Y’ category) and Ashwini Kumar Chopra (’Z Plus’ category) have been provided security by the government.

Chopra, who runs Hindi daily Punjab Kesari in Delhi and is a BJP Lok Sabha member, the security cover was provided around three decades ago following the killings of his father and grandfather by militants in Punjab. (Agencies)

PTI Benaulim, Oct 16

Dubbing Pakistan as "mothership" of global terrorism, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today pressed for "comprehensive" and "collective" action against the menace and its supporters, warning that any selective approach will be "counterproductive".

At the BRICS Summit here attended

by Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping and leaders of other member countries, Modi lambasted Pakistan without naming it, saying it not only shelters terrorists but also "nurtures a mindset" that "loudly proclaims that terrorism is justified for political gains".

He also appeared to be sending out a message to the Chinese President

5.00

whose country has blocked designation of Pak-based terror group JeM chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist by the UN as he said that those supporting terrorism have to be "punished, not rewarded".

Asking the BRICS nations, which also include Brazil and South Africa, to act together against the threat posed by terrorism, Modi said response to terrorism must be nothing less than comprehensive and that countries must act both "individually and collectively".

"In our own region, terrorism poses a grave threat to peace, security and development. Tragically its mothership is a country in India's neighbourhood. Terror modules around the world are linked to this mothership. This country shelters not just terrorists. It nurtures a mindset. A mindset that loudly proclaims that

terrorism is justified for political gains.

"It is a mindset that we strongly condemn. And, against which we as BRICS need to stand and act together.

BRICS must speak in one voice against this threat," he said at the Summit also attended by Brazilian President Michel Temer and South African President Jacob Zuma.

Underlining that "Criminality should be the only basis for punitive action against the individuals and organizations responsible for carrying out terrorist acts", the Prime Minister said "Terrorist funding, their weapons supply, training and political support must be systematically cut off."

He also called for early adoption of the draft Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism saying doing so will be an expression of "our resolve" to fight the menace. .

Rijiju lauds Border Road Organization ET Bureau Bomdila, Oct 16

Reiterating the central government’s commitment for development of border areas, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju this morning at Rupa, said that roads and telecommunication are of vital importance for development of any area.

PAGE 11 HOW TO GET INTO GRADUATE SCHOOL

3 dead bodies found in Margherita ET Correspondent Margherita, Oct 16

Tension Prevails at Margherita today when three dead bodies were found from two different locations one at Margherita Lamagaon Buri dehing river and another one near the Central Field Margherita.

The dead bodies which were found at Margherita

Buri dehing river has been identified as Raju Manjhi age 19 resident of 2 Number Dibong a Student of Margherita College and Renuka Gowala age 16 a Class 8 Student of Ketetong High school.

According to eye witnesses both the deceased Raju Manjhi and Renuka Gowala tied up with rope when their dead bodies were found.

Reportedly both were lovers and people are speculating the deaths to be due to suicide.

The identity of the male dead body which was recovered near the Central field couldn’t be drawn at the time of filing this news.

Margherita Police have brought all the three dead bodies at Margherita Police Station and further investigation is going on.

Lohit district conducts exam under CCTV surveillance ET Correspondent Tezu, Oct 16

Setting precedence for rest of Arunachal to emulate, the Lohit District Administration successfully conducted the examination for various vacant posts of ministerial and MultiTasking Staff (MTS) by installing multiple CCTV camera surveillance in the exam halls on Saturday last.

While CCTV cameras have been sparingly used in state level and few other

Stressing on the need to strengthen road networks in this strategically located state during a programme held at Rupa by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), Rijiju congratulated the BRO for their commitment and drive, and hailed them as the sentinels of the nation.

He lauded the efforts put in by all the ranks and file of the organization in completing the OKSRT road and the Rupa Bridge and hoped that the same work culture would be maintained.

Contd. on Page 4

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ARUNACHAL NEEDS PARADIGM SHIFT TO BOOST ITS ECONOMY

PM says Pak is 'mothership' of terror, wants collective action

Arnab Goswami to get security cover over threat from Pak-based terror groups

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departmental examinations, it is for the first time that such a step was taken during an examination for multi tasking staff and group C and D posts.

Multiple CCTV cameras were installed in 28 exam halls under the supervision of NIC Team Tezu.

Appreciating their efforts, Lohit DC Danish Ashraf said that the decision to install CCTV was aimed at ensuring fair play and to instill confidence among the candidates as well as the general public.

Out of the total 1722 candidates who were issued admit cards, 927 candidates appeared for the examination for 28 posts in various categories, including UDC (148), LDC (372), ALC Supervisors (05) and MTS (402).

The executive magistrates along with the IRBN personnel present in both the examination centres—Government Higher Secondary School and Government Upper Primary School—ensured smooth conduct of the examination.

Dibrugarh Book Fair gets underway Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju at Rupa.

Muklom Elite Society resolutes to uplift unemployed youths of the community Sensing the gravity of the current situation and insecure lives of the upcoming generations, Muklom Elite Society for which it has been constituted had resolved to take up social awareness programs from time to time to win over the hearts of the wayward youths in the district through proper counseling and awareness drives. The Society through its convenor Munglong Ngemu took this decision today in an executive

Celebrated writer and Editor of Sadin Anuradha Sharma Pujari inaugurating the Dibrugarh Grantha Mahotsav at the Chowkidinghee playground on Sunday. Pic - Manoj Pandey

meeting held at Inspection Bungalow, Kharsang under the chairmanship of a senior most political leader Samchom Ngemu, a former cabinet minister.

A Staff Reporter Dibrugarh, Oct 16

The Society also decided to tackle social menace such as drug abuse, mentoring of professional courses aspirants, upliftment of poorest of the poor and unemployed by guiding them in the right direction in life for many of the frustrated Contd. on Page 4

Executive Meeting of the Muklom Elite Society held in Kharsang

India loses 550 jobs every day in last 4 years PTI New Delhi, Oct 16

As many as 550 jobs have disappeared every day in last four years and if this trend continues, employment would shrink by 7 million by 2050 in the country, a study has claimed.

Farmers, petty retail vendors, contract labourers and construction workers are the most vulnerable sections facing never before livelihood threats in India today, the study by Delhi-based civil society group PRAHAR has said.

cmyk

As per the data released by Labour

As many as 550 jobs have disappeared every day in last four year, a study has claimed

picture. Instead of growing, livelihoods are being lost in India on a daily basis. As many as 550 jobs are lost in India every day (in last four year as per Labour Bureau data) which means that by 2050, jobs in India would have got reduced by 7 million, while population would have grown by 600 million," the statement said.

India created only 1.35 lakh jobs in 2015 in comparison to 4.19 lakh in 2013 and 9 lakh in 2011

The data clearly points to the fact that job creation in India is successively slowing down, which is very alarming, it pointed out.

Bureau early 2016, India created only 1.35 lakh jobs in 2015 in comparison to 4.19 lakh in 2013 and 9 lakh in 2011, the group said in a statement.

"A deeper analysis of the data reveals a rather scary

The data clearly points to the fact that job creation in India is successively slowing down Contd. on Page 4

The Dibrugarh Grantha Mahotsav-2016 got underway at the Chowkidinghee playground here today. The 12-day book fair organised by Khoj Asom was inaugurated by noted author Anuradha Sharma Pujari. On the inaugural day Soumyadeep Dutta's "Bajro Dragonor Dekhot" which is the first ever Assamese book on Bhutan was released in the presence of Indo-Bhutan

Friendship Association representatives. A souvenir to commemorate the occasion was released by Pramod Kalita, secretary of Assam Prakashan Parishad.

Ex- Asom Sahitya Sabha president Nagen Saikia, Dibrugarh University Vice Chancellor Alak Kumar Buragohain, Dibrugarh DC Laya Madduri and Sikkim Tourism department Advisor Supratim (Raj) Basu were present during the inaugural session.

Over 120 book sellers and publishers from across the country are participating in the book fair.

The event will feature interactive sessions with renowned literary figures, quiz competition as well as various cultural programmes. Several new books by established as well as upcoming and budding writers will be released in the book fair. The fair will be open to public on all days from 10am to 8.30pm till October 27, an organiser said.

Theravada Buddhist observes Satang Potwa, end of rain retreat Chow Bilaseng Namchoom Itanagar, Oct 16

Satang Potwa marked the end of the three months Rains Retreat of the Theravada Buddhist across State on Sunday. Satang Potwa is observed as an annual ritual that expresses the purity of the Vinaya, as recorded in the Mahavagga volume of the Vinaya Pitika (section IV) of the Pali Canon. It is a day of both historic significance and an opportunity to make merit, benefitting not only the members of the monastic sangha but also lay Buddhists, who are afforded the opportunity to welcome one

At Theravada Buddhist Temple Itanagar, the day was observed in a grand manner by performing various meritorious acts.

another with metta (lovingkindness and compassion) thereby enhancing harmony

within the community.

At Theravada Buddhist Temple Itanagar, the day was

observed in a grand manner by performing various meritorious acts. The lay devotees chanted prayers to pay homage to the Buddha, the Dhamma and the Sangha which was accompanied by offerings of food, flowers, incense and other items. The devotees also undertook the Five or Eight Precepts for the day from the Abbott Venerable Bhikkhu Ratnadeepa.

Delivering the Dhamma talk, the learned scholar Venerable Aryadhamma spoke on the significance of observing the Satang Potwa and offered prayers for World Peace.

Contd. on Page 4

cmyk

Lomhom Tangha Kharsang, Oct 16

NEWS

DIBRUGARH, MONDAY, OCTOBER 17

PAGE 2

Personal laws must be consti- 2 days special awareness tutionally compliant: Jaitley campaign on Beti Bachao Beti Padhao

PTI New Delhi, Oct 16: Amid the ongoing debate over 'Triple Talaq', Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Sunday said the government is of the clear view that personal laws should be constitutionally compliant and in conformity with norms of gender equality and the right to live with dignity.

In a Facebook post titled "Triple Talaq and the Government s Affidavit", he said that governments in the past have shied from taking a categorical stand that personal laws must comply with Fundamental Rights but the present one has taken a clear position on the issue.

"Personal laws have to be constitutionally compliant and the institution of Triple Talaq, therefore, will have to be judged on the yardstick of equality and the Right to Live with Dignity.

Needless to say that the same yardstick would be applicable to all other personal laws," he said.Observing that the constitutional validity of 'Triple Talaq' is distinct from the

Uniform Civil Code, he said as of today, the issue before the Supreme Court is only with regard to the constitutional validity of Triple Talaq.

In its affidavit in Supreme Court on October 7, the Law Ministry argued that polygamy and Triple Talaq should be done away with, and said that such practices "cannot be regarded as essential or integral part of the religion".

"The academic debate with regard to the Uniform Civil Code can go on before the Law Commission. The question to be answered is that assuming that each community has its separate personal law, should not

HOROSCOPE Aries

Taurus

Gemini

Cancer

Leo

Virgo

Libra

Scorpio

Sagittarius

Capricorn

Aquarius

Pisces

Do your best to keep up today, Aries. Things might move quickly. You may be raising your hand and waiting politely for someone to call on you.

This is one of those days in which other people will be so concerned about themselves that they probably won't notice you at all. If you want to take your turn, you should probably just stand up and be proactive.

This is a good time to take control of the situation, Taurus. You've done your preparation and now it's time to put it to good use. You're about to face your enemy eye to eye. Have confidence in your training. There's an extra alertness to you that helps you fight any battles. You have a strong awareness of the energy around you, so use this to your advantage.

Don't be surprised if the old-fashioned, practical solution doesn't make the grade today, Gemini. Probably the new devices and special electronic shortcuts will be the most impressive thing going. This is the classic case of the new, improved version replacing the old, slow one. You need to upgrade your system sooner or later, so you might as well do it now.

You may be able to zip through chores like lightning today, Cancer. There's an added swiftness to your step that helps in every one of your endeavors. You might want to engage in just about every activity except work. This is completely understandable. You will feel much better if you get your work done first and then socialize. That plan will produce the best results.

You're likely to go to extremes today on many levels, Leo. The problem is that you may encounter opposition everywhere you turn.

There's an incredible stubbornness to the day that is evident in everyone's mood, especially yours.

Keep in mind that if you want cooperation and resolution, you will need to compromise. Try to see other people's needs as well.

Grab hold of the day's boisterous energy and run with it, Virgo. This is a good time to kick up your heels and have fun. You might find that people are a bit more high-strung than usual, so you may need to use your ability to go with the flow. The more relaxed you are, the more relaxed others will be when they're around you.

You might be frustrated by the fact that people are doing things hastily today, Libra. You might have to accept the fast-paced energy of the day just so you can keep up. Don't worry if you engage in activities that aren't carefully planned beforehand. You will find spontaneous frivolity to be extremely rewarding on a day like this.

Expect the unexpected.

People may come into conflict with you today, Scorpio. More than likely, the issue at hand will have to do with others being a bit too focused on themselves, while you're more concerned with the collective. Try to be a bit more understanding as people demand more of your attention. There's an unmistakable passion in the air that will grant you more zest for life.

Jump-start the day with a smile, Sagittarius.

Your generosity and sincerity won't go unnoticed on a day like this. People will probably need more attention than usual, so take the time to attend to the emotions of those you love.

The key is to not let yourself get emotionally drained in the process. Fill yourself up with the lively, fun-loving energy of the day.

There could be an unexpected tension coming out of nowhere today, Capricorn. More than likely your emotions will be running at a high level. It could be that your aggressiveness and assertiveness start to annoy others.

People might snap suddenly. Don't be surprised if things come without much warning.

There is a fast-paced feeling to the day that will be hard to ignore.

Your slow and steady approach might be met with a bit of opposition today, Aquarius. People could be demanding of your time and energy.

It's one of those days in which the people behind you in line at a coffee shop might give you dirty looks if you take too long to make up your mind.

This is a terrific day for you, Pisces, and you will find that the fast pace of the day suits you well for what you need to get done. There's a general feeling of grandeur in the air that reminds you to take your time when getting dressed. Feel free to go all out today. Put on a lavish display wherever you go.

those personal laws be constitutionally compliant?"

Jaitley said.

He said there is a fundamental distinction between religious practices, rituals and civil rights.

"Religious functions associated with birth, adoption, succession, marriage, death, can all be conducted through rituals and customs as per existing religious practices.

"Should rights emanating from birth, adoption, succession, marriage, divorce etc. be guided by religion or by constitutional guarantees? Can there be inequality or compromise with human dignity in any of these matters?" Jaitley said.

ET Bureau Dibrugarh, 16 Oct: Enhancing the awareness on maternal and child health throughout the State, the Dibrugarh and Jorhat chapter of Directorate of field publicity, ministry of information and broadcasting will organise a two-day special awareness campaign on “RMNCH+A� (Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child health & Adolescent) with special emphasis on Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, complete immunisation, Population Stabilisation,

Rajinikanth, daughter visit Apollo Hospital PTI Chennai, Oct 16: Tamil film superstar Rajinikanth accompanied by his elder daughter, Aishwarya R Dhanush today visited Apollo Hospitals and enquired about Chief Minister Jayalalithaa's health.

"There was unprovoked firing from small arms on forward areas in Naushera sector of Rajouri district along the LoC

by Pakistani troops", PRO, Ministry of Defence, Jammu said.

The 68-year-old AIADMK supremo was admitted to hospital on September 22 after she complained of fever and dehydration.

Soon after Jayalalithaa was admitted, Rajinikanth in his official twitter handle had said, "I pray to God for your speedy recovery."

Meanwhile, reports said a team of specialists from Mount Elizabeth Hospital, Singapore, has arrived at the Hospital to examine Jayalalithaa. However, when contacted, sources at the Apollo Hospitals declined to confirm it.

The campaign will include awareness rally, awareness meeting, interaction programme with medical experts, quiz competition, health awareness cum medical camp, cultural programme, theme based dance-drama etc.

Lakshmi Puja celebration at Ashok Path in Dibrugarh.

Photo by manoj pandey

Pakistan violates ceasefire along LoC PTI Jammu, Oct 16: After a weeklong lull, Pakistani troops violated the ceasefire by firing from small arms on forward posts along the LoC in Rajouri district, drawing retaliation from Indian troops.

Rajinikanth and Aishwarya were at the hospital for about 20-25 minutes, hospital sources said, adding, they enquired about her health.

Anaemia among adolescent girls at Kanugaon village under Uttar Kamarbondha Panchayat of Kothalguri development Block, Golaghat on 19th and 20th October 2016 from 10 am onwards.

Indian troops guarding the LoC retaliated, he said, adding no one was injured in the ceasefire violation.

A senior Army officer said there have been over 25 ceasefire violations along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir after surgical strikes by Army troops in PoK to dismantle terror launching pads.

In the firing and shelling, five civilians and four armymen had sustained injuries in Poonch district. Nine Pakistani armymen were injured in retaliatory action by Indian troops along LoC. On October 8, Pakistani troops had fired on forward Indian posts along MendharKrishnagati sector in Pooch district resulting in injuries to one jawan.On October 5, Pakistani troops had violated the

ceasefire thrice and resorted to heavy firing and mortar shelling targeting several Indian posts and civilian areas in three sectors of Poonch and Rajouri districts.

Pakistani troops had on October 4 targeted 10 forward areas with mortar shelling and firing with five ceasefire violations on Indian posts and civilian areas along LoC in four areas of Jammu, Poonch and Rajouri districts.

They shelled mortar bombs and opened small and automatic weapons in Jhangar, Kalsian, Makri in Noushera sector of Rajouri district and Gigriyal, Platan, Damanu, Channi and Palanwala areas of Pallanwala sector of Jammu district and Balnoi, Krishnagati in Poonch district.

Top Maoist rebel group leader arrested PTI Ramgarh (Jharkhand), Oct 16: A self-styled area commander of Tritiya Prastuti Committee (TPC), a splinter group of CPIMaoist, was today arrested in Ranchi, a senior police officer said here.

functioning as self-styled area commander in Ramgarh, Hazaribag and Ranchi, was wanted in as many as 15 cases lodged in various police stations of three districts, SP, Ramgarh, M Tamilvanan said in a press meet here.

Dharmendra Jee alias Munilal Mahto of Hazaribag district, a hardcore Maoist leader

The arrested rebel, suffering from some ailments, was waiting for a doctor at a private clinic in Ranchi

when he was nabbed by Ramgarh police with the help of STF, Ranchi, Tamilvanan said.

Pakistani troops had on October 3 violated the ceasefire four times and restored to heavy firing and mortar shelling in Saujian, Shahpur-Kerni, Mandi and KG sectors in Poonch district.

On October 2, Pakistan resorted to firing and shelling from 1915 hours along LoC in forward areas in Pallanwala belt of Jammu district.

On October 1, Pakistani troops had shelled Indian posts and civilian areas with mortar bombs, RPGS and HMGS amid small arms firing along LoC in Pallanwala sector in Akhnoor tehsil of Jammu district.

On September 30, Pakistani troops restored to small arms firing along the LoC in Pallanwala, Chaprial, Samnam areas of Akhnoor sector of Jammu district.

Will propose Akhilesh's name for CM if SP voted to power: Shivpal PTI Ballia, Oct 16: A day after senior party leader Ramgopal Yadav suggested Akhilesh Yadav be made the chief ministerial candidate, Samajwadi Party state president on Sunday said he will himself propose Akhilesh's name for the post of chief minister if the party is voted to power again.

"Ramgopal is party's national general secretary.

He can write to party national president and give him advice. There is nothing wrong in it. I will myself propose name of Akhilesh as CM, if party is voted to power in 2017," Shivpal told reporters here.

Ramgopal, in a letter to Mulayam, on Saturday said he would be held responsible if the party's fortunes plunged in the forthcoming assembly elections.

"Akhilesh is undoubtedly the most popular leader of the state and under him Uttar Pradesh has seen unprecedented development works. If SP has to win the elections, Akhilesh must be made its CM face," the

letter said.

"You can take any decision, but if SP's tally fell below 100, you alone would be held responsible. The same people who worship you for raising Samajwadi Party and would hold you responsible for its decline also.

"History is ruthless. It spares no one," Ramgopal said in the letter while taking pot shots on his "advisors" stating that "they had no value in the eyes of people".

Shivpal was here to attend a workers meet in which leaders of Quami Ekta Dal also addressed the gathering.

In his address Shivpal came down heavily on bureaucrats alleging that after taking all the facilities they also take "commissions" for executing works.

"They (bureaucrats) use all their knowledge in sitting on files and delaying works," he said.

Asking party workers to remain prepared for polls, Shivpal said that "a notification regarding elections could be issued any time (by Election Commission)".

SPORTS

Chetia Gaon Surjoyadaya Sangha claims final trophy

He said Mahto was active in Mandu of Ramgarh, Charhi of Hazaribag and Ormanjhi and Sikidiri of Ranchi district and working under leadership of self-styled top commander of TPC Kabir Jee and Dayanand Jee.

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Screen-2 BEIIMAAN LOVE (A) 1ST show at 10:15 AM

GAANE KI ANNE (ASSAMESE) 2ND show at 12:30 PM SAAT UCHAKKEY (A) 3RD show at 03:10 PM GAANE KI ANNE (ASSAMESE) 4TH show at 05:45 PM BEIIMAAN LOVE (A) 5TH show at 08:25 PM

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Ticket Rates Rs. 100/ Rs. 150/Rs. 200/Rs.250/ Rs.300 MORNING SHOWS: Rs.80/Rs.130/Rs. 150/Rs.200/Rs.250

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Sports Correspondent Dibrugarh, Oct 16: Chabua Chetia Gaon Surjoyadaya Sangha annexed the title of the 10th Gold Cup Football Tournament defeating Chabua Coaching centre 2-0 at Chetia Gaon field in Chabua on Sunday.

The tournament was organised by Surjoyadaya Sangha Chetia Gaon under Chabua Sports Association.

Mintu Phukan of Chabua Chetia Gaon Surjoyadaya Sangha opened the account in the

17th minute through a penalty kick. In the second half, Chabua Chetia Gaon scored their second goal through Mintu Phukan in the 49th minute.

Chabua Coaching Centre missed many crucial chances. Mintu Phukan was adjudged man of the match while Bitupon Baruah of Mudoi Kriya Manch was awarded highest scorer of the tournament. Dignata Gogoi of Chabua Chetia Gaon was adjudged best goalkeeper of the final match. Triyanjyoti

Sangha was awarded best disciplined team.

President of Chabua Sports Association Mridul Rajkhowa, Secretary Biraj Chetia, Chabua Referee board president Dipak Baruah and other dignitaries were present during the prize distribution ceremony.

Altogether, 12 teams participated in the tournament.

Match Referees: Nirod Phukan, Tritha Phukan, Tushar Ranjan Chetia and Gren Chetia.

DIBRUGARH, MONDAY, OCTOBER 17

8 member of dacoit gang nabbed at Raha ET Bureau Raha, Oct 16: An eightmember gang of dacoits was nabbed by the Raha police in a joint operation with Rupohi police on Thursday night at Raha and from different places of Nagaon and Morigaon districts.

Police also seized looted materials worth several lakhs of rupees including 12 refrigerators and two washing machines from them. The dacoits were wanted in connection with several cases of loot, dacoity, thefts and attempts of murder in Nagaon and Morigaon districts.

The accused had been identified as Anuwar Hussain, Gulzar Hussain, Ikram Hussain, Abdul Wahid, Ziarul Haque, Sirazul Haque, Rafiqul Haque and Sarbesswar Konwar. A vehicle bearing numberAS O2-N-3139, used by them was also seized by the police.

AROUND THE

Congress stages blockade at Chhaygaon ET Bureau Mirza, Oct 16: Chhaygaon LAC Congress Committee on Friday staged a massive protest rally at Chhaygaon demanding immediate cancellation of the recent State Cabinet decision to withdraw the district status to South Kamrup, citing poor infrastructure facilities there.

The Congress protesters also organised a huge procession along the National Highway-37 and staged a dharna programme demanding withdrawal of the Cabinet decision.

Later, the Congress protesters blocked the NH-37 at the South Kamrup DC Office premises at Chhaygaon for over an hour, disrupting road communication. Later, they submitted a memorandum to the Governor and Chief Minister through the Deputy Commissioner of South Kamrup district demanding an immediate review of the Government’s decision.

status will never be accepted at any cost.

Addressing the protesters, the Leader of the Opposition in the State Assembly, Debabrata Saikia said that the opposition parties, including the Congress, have been supporting the propeople programmes of the present BJP-led Assam Government for the last four months. But he expressed surprise over the decision of the BJP-led State Government to withdraw the South Kamrup district status by trampling the wishes and sentiments of the people of South Kamrup.

He also strongly criticised

NCHISF warns HCC over delay in repairing and maintenance of Jatinga-Harangajao road Anup Biswas Haflong, Oct 16: The NC Hills Indigenous Students’ Forum (NCHISF) warns Hindusthan Construction Company (HCC) that if they fail to keep their promise in regards to the repair and maintenance of Jatinga to Harangajao portion of NH 54 E within October 31, the NCHISF would be compelled to launch indefinite NH 54 E blockade from November 1.

There have been agitations after agitations from the people of Dima Hasao demanding immediate completion of NH54 E which is the life line of entire southern Assam and the neighbouring states like Tripura, Manipur and Mizoram but the NHAI authority fails to stand upon people’s demands.

Moreover the standards of the construction works were also compromised causing immense inconvenience to the people of Dima Hasao and also the people of Sothern Assam.

The NCHISF organised NH 54 E blockade from Septem-

ber 14 prompted the Dima Hasao district administration to hold a meeting in presence of representatives of NHAI, construction companies and the NCHISF representatives and had come to the conclusion that the portion in question (Jatinga – Harangajao) which was earlier allotted to JKM company would be allotted to HCC as the works done by the HCC in Dima Hasao was satisfactory.

According to source, it has come to light that the HCC is contemplating to give the works to other contractors of no reputation as sub-contract which has compelled the people of Dima Hasao to smell deep rooted conspiracy

in regards to the construction of NH 54 E. Earlier also the feeder road from Jatinga to Haflong was at first given to Simplex and later was given to others as sub-contract as a result of which Jatinga to Haflong feeder road could not be completed even after several years.

Conscious citizens of Haflong expressing their surprise argued why the NHAI cannot take stern action against the defaulter companies who failed miserably to complete the works in time and left.

They also smell unholy nexus between the NHAI and the companies like NKC or JKM.

ET Bureau Guwahati, Oct 16: The introduction of two newly improved cross-bred pig varieties has renewed hope for entrepreneurs and farmers of making the state selfsufficient in meeting the demand for pork.

Despite having 38% of the total pig population in the country, the northeast has been unable to meet the growing demand for pork in the region, currently being met by imports from Punjab, Haryana, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, where pork is not too popular with meat-eaters. The non-availability of improved pig varieties that can meet the commercial demand has been cited as the reason behind this.

Director of the institute DK Sarma hailed the introduction of the two improved crossbred varieties as 'phenomenal' and said it could go a long way in fulfilling the demand-supply gap of pork in the northeast.

the Government’s reasoning for the decision citing poor infrastructure facilities in South Kamrup for which the district could not be established.

“The capital of Assam was transferred from Shillong to Assam (Guwahati) without having infrastructure facilities in Guwahati and that the Assembly sessions of the Assam Government were also held in Assam soon after the transfer of the capital despite Guwahati not having necessary infrastructure facilities,” said Saikia.

He added that withdrawal of South Kamrup district

As a large tribal population in northeast relies on pigrearing for livelihood, developing the two fastergrowing cross-bred pigs is a milestone for the institute, said the scientists involved in the project.

Deputy director general (animal science) at ICAR, New Delhi, H Rahman said the rural farmers of the state will benefit immensely by rearing the improved pig varieties that can adapt to local climatic conditions.

"The Rani variety has been developed by cross-breeding Hampshire with the indigenous Ghungroo and will have 50% inheritance from both. Rani can weigh nearly 75 kg at the slaughter age of eight months," said P Chakraborty, princi-

pal scientist at the ICARNRC on Pig. While Hampshire has a better growth rate, Ghungroo can produce more offsprings. This is why scientists cross-bred the two.

Another germ plasm Duroc was crossed with Rani to develop Asha, which will have 25% inheritance each from Ghungroo and Hampshire and 50% from Duroc.

Asha will be highly useful for entrepreneurs in the meat business as 80 kg lean pork can be obtained from it at the slaughter age of eight months.

Principal investigator of the project Santanu Banik said Rani can be propagated among breeder-farmers while Asha can be marketed among finisher-producers.

Talking to this correspondent, the Chhaygaon MLA, Rekibuddin Ahmed said that South Kamrup has a unique culture and heritage and the State Government should have recognised the cultural heritage of the people. But instead of recognising it, the Government has trampled upon the rights, sentiments, culture and heritage of the people of South Kamrup.

Ahmed further said that the agitational programme would continue until the goal of South Kamrup district is achieved.

Congress MLA from Boko LAC, Nandita Das also took part in the protest rally and severely criticised the State Government’s move.

Meanwhile, the South Kamrup AASU units have also declared a series of protest programmes in the days to come against the Government’s move.

57,000 doubtful documents for NRC detected ET Bureau Silchar, Oct 16: Cachar district has registered an impressive run rate of 4,290 documents verified in the past 25 days for the month of September.

North-East gets two new varieties of pig

Rani and Asha, the two varieties, were released on Saturday at the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) - National Research Centre (NRC) on Pig.

STATE

Out of the 10,21,500 documents which were sent for office verification a total of 5,91,600 documents were verified till September 27 registering 57.93 per cent of performance which is next to Barpeta and Nagaon. But the issue which has been a cause of concern for the officials of the district NRC cell is the piling number of doubtful documents obtained from the applications.

According to sources,

here, 57,000 documents have been detected as “NO” documents so far.

Sources said that the ‘NO’ documents have been classified in two categories viz., forged papers and records not available (RNA).

“A major chunk of the ‘NO’ documents have been tampered birth certificates, ration cards, postal passbooks etc. The documents will be sent for re-verification.

Moreover, it is also learnt that five cases each at Katigorah and Udharbond regarding tampered birth certificates, have been registered, sources said. (With inputs from agencies)

PAGE 3

Bus service to Kamakhya railway station demanded ET Bureau Guwahati, Oct 16: Welcoming the decision of the Assam State Transport Corporation (ASTC) to increase the frequency of its city bus services in the night hours, the Assam Rail Passengers’ Association (ARPA) has called upon the transport department to start city bus service to and from the Kamakhya Railway Station.

ARPA secretary Dipankar Sharma said absence of

The United Nations (UN) has chosen North East Region of India as the site for setting up its second global university that will facilitate study on conflicts resolution amongst other subjects. The UN University is being set up in NE India as per the tripartite agreement signed by the UN, Government of India and Federation of UN Associations in India. Students from all over the world will be eligible to study in this institution, according to Dr Aswini Sharma, secretary general of the UNESCO Association

here.

The UN has decided to set up the university either in Guwahati in Assam or Shillong in Meghalaya subject to availability of land.

“We have requested both the governments in Assam and Meghalaya to allot land measuring about 20 acres for setting up of the university.

The university will be set up wherever the land allotment is made earlier. Meghalaya government has shown keen interest in making allotment of land in Shillong at the earliest. The government of Assam was requested for land at Guwahati for the varsity by the UN first in February 2014 and again on August 3 this year,” the UNESCO official said.

railway passengers, especially those who commute to Guwahati from nearby places every day for job, educational or other reasons,” Sharma said.

“Across India you will find that there are city bus stations near major rail terminuses. Kamakhya is an exception. We had earlier also requested ASTC to start regular service to the station from other parts of the city and we want to reiterate the demand which, if fulfilled, will benefit thousands of

“And with the Maligaon road jam-packed during rush hours, it is difficult for those who want to catch city buses after alighting from trains to cross the road. So a city bus service from the entrance of the railway station would be very welcome,” Sharma said.

Session on CM’s rural development programme ET Bureau Guwahati, Oct 16: With the logistic support extended by ARIAS Society, a brainstorming session on the proposed Chief Minister Samagra Gramya Unnayan Yojana (CMSGUY) under the chairmanship of State Chief Secretary VK Pipersenia was recently organised at Assam Administrative Staff College here, stated an official release.

The Commissioner and Secretary (RK), Finance Department made a presentation on the contours of the proposed mega mission and nine sub-missions as declared by the Finance Minister in his budget speech on July 26, 2016. While pursuing the mission objectives of doubling the farm income, many of the goals of ‘Sustainable Development Goals’ of the United Nations would also be covered, he said.

The main objective of the mega mission CMSGUY (2016-17 to 2021-22) is to double farm income in Assam by 2021-22, the year to commemorate the 75th year of Independence. The focused interventions will be aimed through direct economic activities, infrastructure/logistics support including market linkages and community mobilisation/support.

The Finance Department

UN University race: it’s Assam vs. Meghalaya ET Bureau Guwahati, Oct 16: Shillong could be the site for the second UN University on the globe provided the government of Meghalaya expedites the process to allot 20 acres of land before Assam government for the university.

regular city bus service to and from the Kamakhya Railway Station has over the years caused great inconvenience to passengers.

The UN varsity, which will be second such global academic institution run by the UN, is expected to become functional from next year.

will be the servicing department of the mission. The CMSGUY society will be registered under the Finance Department, which would act as an overarching mega mission with the basic role of mentoring and funding agency to the submissions and would achieve the convergence and synergy of all activities to achieve the goal.

The CMSGUY governing council will be headed by the Chief Minister as chairman and the Finance Minister as vice chairman. The members will be the ministers of participating departments i.e., revenue, agriculture, fishery, animal husbandry & veterinary, science and technology, environment and forest, information technology, PWD, water resources, handloom and textile and sericulture, sports and youth welfare, health and family welfare (AYUSH), WPT&BC and other departments as decided by the chairman from time to time. There will also be an executive committee of the mission headed by the Finance Minister as chairman. The Chief Secretary may also act as cochairman or vice chairman.

Organisations like NDDB, NABARD, SLBC convener, ARIAS Society, IITG and IIIT-G will be partnering agencies, whose advice and support will be

sought by the governing council and EC of CMSGUY. Apart from the budgetary support, convergence of resources aimed at rural development and farm production such as MGNREGA and NABARD Infrastructure Development Agency will also be explored.

In order to double farm income, the focus should be on rural income generation, convergence of various departmental schemes, protection of land resources, improving irrigation facilities, coordination between existing mission and the new mission, skill development, special attention to Sixth Schedule councils, PRIs, ULBs, special emphasis on sericulture, bamboo, cane products, vegetables, spices, HYV seeds and emphasis on village-based culture and eco-tourism.

For effective implementation, the 9 sub-missions, i.e., Navaratna sub-missions were sequenced as follows: Land Management and Conservative Sub-Mission, Fishery Sub-Mission, Milk Sub-Mission, Organic Agriculture Sub-Mission, Sericulture, Khadi and Cottage Sub-Mission, Road and Broad Band Sub-Mission, Semi-Processing, Processing, Marketing Linkage Sub-Mission, Youth, Yoga and Sports Sub-Mission and e-gram Sub-Mission.

Two killed in a road mishap at NH-37 in Raha

The first such UN University is functioning at Tokyo in Japan.

The UN varsity in the North East would facilitate study of various courses of arts stream, social sciences, management, science and technology. It will admit students in graduate, post-graduate level besides research scholars.

As the UN University will admit students from various countries in the world, it will play an instrumental role in promoting the ethic mosaic of vastly pristine and picturesque North East India as a global tourist destination.

ET Bureau Raha, Oct 16: Two persons were killed and 3 persons were critically injured after a car rammed into a truck at the NH-37 in Raha,

Nagaon on Sunday. The deceased have been identified as Sanju Thapa and Gita Chetri who were travelling to Guwahati from Scooty.

Assam celebrates Lakshmi festival with full enthusiasm with motifs made with rice powder.

ET Bureau Guwahati, Oct 16: A festive mood prevailed in the city on Saturday as people welcomed Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and prosperity, to their homes.

Markets in Maligaon, Fancy Bazar, Machkhowa, Ulubari, Paltan Bazar, Ganeshguri andBeltola were flooded with idols of the goddess and traders did brisk business by selling sugarcane, coconuts, paddy and other puja items.

"Lakshmi Puja is being cel-

Devotees, who were on a fast since morning to pay obeisance to the goddess, queued up outside the Beltola Lakshmi Mandir which is known for grand puja celebrations. Other temples, too, were decorated on the occasion.

ebrated in our home since the pre-Independence era. It has become a tradition now," said Sujata Saikia, a

resident of the Dispur area.

People offered prayers to the goddess and decorated the courtyard of their houses

Since Friday evening, people thronged the markets to buy idols and other items necessary for puja. In the busy Bhangagarh mar-

ket, earthen lamps and other traditional items were in high demand. Shopping malls offered discounts on various food products and vegetables on the occasion.

Shops selling sweets also did good business.

People said the prices of fruits, flowers and other puja items, including vegetables, have skyrocketed in the festive season. "Despite price rise, people are buying items required for puja," said a vendor at the Bhangagarh market.

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ARUNACHAL

Nyirmen Alo festival offers glimpse of unity in diversity

The president of DPDTC, Pakjum Ete dwelt at length on the significance and mythological aspects of Nyirmen and said that it should transcend all barriers of class, community,

Organized by the National Health Mission, the objective of the training was to train team of TOTs in various skills, who will further train ASHAs and ASHA facilitators to deal with nature and man-made disasters in various lifesaving skills.

Dr D Padung, Nodal officer (NHM) advocated on giving priority to oneon-one teaching, as it is the most effective way of teaching and asked them to clear all their confusions and learn as much as from the training. sects and religion since the concept of emancipation of women is a universal issue.

In his key note address Mogi Ori, vice president of DPDTC presented the oral literature behind celebrating Nyirmen Alo festival and released the book entitled ‘Donyi Boi’.

Domo Ado secretary of DPDTC elaborated on celebration of Nyirmen Alo for the last few years and extended his gratitude to all for making it a big event in the district.

The popular Erap, performed by Galo men folk in marriage ceremonies was

also performed by Darka and Kugi women in men’s attire, while the poplar war dance, Ketup was performed in men’s attire by Mori women amid cheer and laughter.

The Assamese Bihu, folk dances by Tagin, Apatani, Adi and Libo-Ramo Bokar

also enthralled the audience.

Earlier, a huge procession of women walked through the streets of Aalo and culminated at Gumin Kiin.

Prizes for sports, cultural and best dressed traditional attires colony were give away on the occasion.

BJP District Committee of Dima Hasao organises cleanliness drive at Haflong Anup Biswas Haflong, Oct 16: To create awareness among the masses about the cleanliness, the Dima Hasao BJP District Committee organised a massive cleanliness drive at Haflong on Sunday.

The drive was led by the district BJP President, Deben Thaosen, Executive Member of N C Hills Autonomous Council, Samuel Changsan along with senior leaders of BJP and the well-wishers and was participated by the safai karmis of Haflong Town committee.

It is to be mentioned here that the safai karmis of Haflong Town committee were in strike

Training on Disaster management begins in Naharlagun A Staff Reporter NAHARLAGUN, 16 OCT : Two days training on disaster management for district ASHA nodal officer and district community mobilizers began today at Administrative Training Institute (ATI), Naharlagun.

ET Bureau Aalo, Oct 16 : The main day of Nyirmen Alo festival, organized by the DPDTC offered a glimpse of unity in diversity, as tribes like Galo, Adi, Bokar-LiboRamo, Tagin, Apatani and Assamese dwelling in Aalo town exhibited their rich cultures to be part of the celebration at Gumin Kiin on October 15 last.

Two minutes silence was also observed for the departed soul of late Tumpak Ete, the man behind reviving the Nyirmen Alo Festival.

Pogam Padu, a senior citizen of Kamdi Village, who attended the occasion as chief guest had words of appreciations for all the laughter induced traditional comics, dramas and dances.

Speaking on the occasion Hoksum Ori said that the institution of womanhood has been instrumental in shaping the tribal society since ages and stressed on globalizing it through mass participation in the near future.

PAGE 4

from last September 16 as they were not getting their salaries for months together as a result of which the Haflong town

had turned to a hell pit with huge of heaps of garbage in some prominent places of the town causing immense health

hazards.

The sweeping staff of Haflong Town Committee resumed duty from today morning as dis-

cussed and desired by the Chief Executive Member of N C Hills Autonomous Council Sri Debolal Gorlosa.

And he has released the ET share & as desired by him, all possible arrangement made to ensure their 4 months’ salary by Tuesday.

Talking to this correspondent EM Changsan who holds the charge of Medical said, ‘We should hold some awareness campaign to create awareness among the masses and also introduce few rules so that people would take this cleanliness drive seriously and if required, people who do not care for the cleanliness of the environment would be fined and would be realised seriously by the authority”.

Since the trainers will be

entrusted with responsibility to train the ASHAs, who will then disseminate the knowledge at block and village level, they were advised by Dr Padung to plan the training in most effective way so that the idea and information percolates in the right direction to mitigate disaster management and tackle any emergency.

Resources person Dr Mridul Deka, representative of the NGO ‘Doctors for You’, explained in detail on various types of disasters and emergency situations. He also gave details on how to be prepared to tackle disasters and provide timely service to mitigate the impact.

Other resources persons included Devajit Bora state facilitator RRC, Yaram Talem state trainer and Dagyir Esse state programme manager community process.

Sports

Dr T Ao Memorial North East Championship-2016: Arunachal lost to Sikkim by 4-0 A Staff Reporter Naharlagun, Oct 16 : In the second day of the 7th Dr T Ao North East Football Championship, host Arunachal lost to Sikkim by 4-0 in its first match, held today at Rajiv Gandhi Stadium, Naharlagun.

Sikkim, mostly consisting of junior players completely dominated the match from the start. They took the lead in the 28th minute through S C Bhutia Jey. Sikkim doubled their lead in the 32th minute, which was scored by Manos Rai. Disappointing the home fan in the second half, the Arunachal team played lackluster midfield game with few chances created in the D area.

With a solid midfield game, Sikkim’s Suraj Chetri scored the third goal in the 55th minute and completed the drubbing scoring their fourth goal in the 89th minute by Chandra Tamang Oerseyino.

Later, Vivek Bhutia was declared ‘Man of the Match’, who was awarded by noted writer Y D Thongchi.

Meanwhile, in the second match of the day, Meghalaya and defending champion Assam drew at 2-2 goals.

Meghalaya, who lost its first match started on a positive note against defending champion Assam and took the lead through D Khontia via a penalty kick awarded in the 38th minute.

They doubled their lead in the 70th minute, which was scored by D Mawphniang.

Assam fought back hard in the closing stage and scored two goals in the space of two minutes (in the 89th and 90+1 minute) of the match, which were scored by R Das and C Dindsang.

With this draw, Meghalaya still has a chance to qualify for the semi-final if Manipur beats Assam by a margin of six goals tomorrow.

Ronney Chell Khongrang was declared man of the match, the trophy for which was awarded by Techi Abraham, general secretary of the Arunachal Olympic Association.

Tourism Parliamentary Secretary P D Sona witnessed the match as special guest.

Tomorrow, the first match will be played by Sikkim and Nagaland at 12.30 PM, and the second match will be played by Manipur and Assam at 2 PM.

Muklom Elite Society India loses 550 jobs Theravada Buddhist resolutes to uplift unemployed every day in last 4 years observes Satang Potwa, It said that the labour end of rain retreat youths of the community intensity of small and medium enterprises is Contd. from Page 1

Contd. from Page 1

unemployed youths have been found to be diverted into wrong tracks like joining various antisocial underground groups, indulging in drugs addiction.

Though this NGO is a non political platform, Samchom Ngemu being a well experienced and senior most elder of the society was invited and made chairman of the meeting, who moderated the whole discourse well till the end. The various elders and leaders of the NGO has expressed their views on various agendas put forth by the Present president and General secretary of MioaKharsang MES unit Langhom Tangha, who is a Horticulture Development officer, and

Mr. Longdam Yanchang, who is an officer in the lone private sector oil company in the region respectively under mammoth gathering.

The various departmental officers such as Er. Latsam Khimhun, Executive engineer, power dept, Miao sub division, Er. Longsam Yanchang, Deputy Chief engineer, oil India limited, posted in Duliajan, Mr. Mungnong Ngemu, Administrative officer, Geo enpro petroleum limited, kharsang oil fields, Dr. Temik Khimhun, MO, Changlang headquater, Dr. Kamlang Ngemu, Dr. N. Ngemu, MO, Miao, Er. Pusam Tangha, DFO, Changlang headquaters, who is also a General secretary of parent MES, for changlang district, Mrs. Wihong Khimhun,

CDPO, Namsai, Mr. Hangkam Tungkhang, Range Officer, who is also a treasurer of the MES were present in the meeting besides various highly qualified individuals in different domains from the society.

After threadbare discourse on various issues based problems pertaining to Muklom ethnic clan among Tangsa tribe arrived at common agreeable resolutions and the meeting ended successfully followed by a community feast. Looking at the social disturbances across the region from all fronts, the Muklom Elite Society for which it was constituted year back had resolved to stand firmly with the vision of the MES to ensure that the society be helped to strive forward in all fronts in socio and economic development in the days to comes.

"This (rise in unemployment) is because sectors which are the largest contributor of jobs are worst-affected.

Agriculture contributes to 50 per cent of employment in India followed by SME sector which employs 40 per cent of the workforce of the country," the statement said.

The organised sector actually only contributes a minuscule less than 1 percentage of employment in India.

India has only about 30 million jobs in the organised sector and nearly 440 million in the unorganised sector.

According to the World Bank data, percentage of employment in agriculture out of total employment in India has come down to 50 per cent in 2013 from 60 per cent in 1994.

four times higher than that of large firms.

It further said that the multinationals are particularly capitalistic a fact vindicated during investment commitments of USD 225 million made for the next five years during the Make in India Week in February 2016.

However, what went unnoticed is that these investments would translate into creation of only 6 million jobs, it said.

"India needs to go back to the basics and protect sectors like farming, unorganized retail, micro and small enterprises which contribute to 99 per cent of current livelihoods in the country. These sectors need support from the Government not regulation. India needs smart villages and not smart cities in the 21st century," it added.

Contd. from Page 1

He deliberated on the importance of Tipitika and said that this is the collection of the teachings of the Buddha over 45 years in the Pali language which consist of Sutta Conventional teaching, Vinaya -disciplinary code and Abhidhamma-moral psychology.

Reading out verses from the second division of the Tipitika known as Sutta Pitika popularly known as the Sermon Basket, he highlighted on the importance of Sutta Pitika which consists chiefly of discourses delivered by the Buddha Himself on various occasions which includes Mangala Sutta (discourse on Blessings), Ratana Sutta (the jewel discourse), Metta Sutta (discourse on goodwill).

He further emphasized on observing the core ethical code of Buddhism known as the five precepts and said that these are the distillation of its ethical principles. The precepts are not rules or commandments, but principles of training, which are undertaken freely and need to be put into practice with intelligence and

sensitivity. This moral precept provides a wholesome foundation for personal and social growth. They are practical principles for a good life and the cultivation of virtues, he added.

The celebration of Satang Potwa is followed by the Kathina robe-offering ceremony for monks who observed the Rains retreat. The observance of Kathina robeoffering in the respective Buddhist temple of the lay devotees is determined by Abbott of the temple with consultation of the lay followers.

The day was also observed in a grand religious manner in Kongmukham (Golden Pagoda) Tengapani where Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein and Parliamentary Secretary Planning Chow Zingnu Namchoom were present. The Dhamma talk was presented by Abbott of Kongmukham, Venerable Bhikkhu Vimmilattissa.

Satang Potwa was also celebrated in Namsai, Piyong, Chongkham, Empong, Phaneng, Tezu and other Theravada Buddhist inhabitant places.

Eringso Romat died prematurely after brief illness

Eringso Romat

Bishnu Rana Tezu, Oct 16: Eringso Romat (40) an active social worker died after brief illness. He was suffering from Hepatitis B and Jaundice and was admitted in serious condition at the Downtown Nursing Home Guwahati. The relative informed that he was brought to Tezu private resident after little sign of recovery in his health but unfortunately his health started deteriorating and succumbed to his injury at Dibrugarh Nursing Home yesterday at 1 Am. His body has been kept at his private resident Tezu to pay last homage by his well-wishers, relative and friends. The last rite is going to be performed tomorrow in full Mishmi ritual. He is survived with his wife, a son (9) and a daughter (4).

Romat a young and dynamic in personality has been spearheading seriously against Drugs Abuse in the Mishmi Society. Under ‘Being Mishmi’ an NGO he held free 15 days of Badminton coaching at Hawai and series of Drugs De – Addiction camp at Hawai, Hayuliang and entire Anjaw district and recently covered at Government School of the Tezu Township.

We have lost young and vibrant personality from our Mishmi community which is irreparable lost for us”, laments S Ngadong GS ALL Lohit Gaonburah Welfare Association. Other mourns he was free from any addiction and was a gentle and charming personality. His death is great lost for us.

His premature demise is huge lost for Mishmi tribe and his noble initiative to voice against drugs will be always remembered in the society, grieves another.

Rijiju lauds BRO Contd. from Page 1

Appreciating the Shertukpens for their ingenuity and being deep rooted to their culture and tradition, Kiren opined that the other tribes of the state which have been a victim of the western culture onslaught should emulate them.

Earlier, he inaugurated the 74.75 meter PSC Box Girder Rupa Bridge constructed for 529.81 lacs and the 158 kilometers OKSRT (Orang-KalaktangShergaon-Rupa-Tenga) road in presence of the Additional DG BRO. Among others, the programme was attended

by CE (P) VARTAK, Deputy Commissioner Sonal Swaroop, Commander 14 BRTF, exminister DK Thongdok, former MLA Naresh Glow, HoDs, public and PRI leaders, BRO personnels and villagers of Rupa. (DIPRO)

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PAGE 5

NORTHEAST

Northeast culture to be showcased 6th general conference of Angamimiapfu at Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav Mechu Krotho (AMK) held at Kohima

Agencies Dimapur, Oct 16: Celebrating the spirit of timehonoured traditions, indigenous culture and wellknown diversity, the second Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav (RSM) is being organised by the Union Ministry of Culture from October 15 to October 24 in the national capital.

Calling upon all Northeastern people to participate, North East Cultural Centre Dimapur (NEZCC) director Lipokmar Tzudir said the second day of the festival is dedicated to showcase the Northeastern culture.

“October 16 is dedicated to showcase the Northeastern culture. I appeal to our Northeast community in Delhi to kindly come and

Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav make our presence felt here”, Tzudir said.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh will inaugurate the 10day Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav at Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts on Saturday.

The festival, with an intent

of ‘Ek Bharat Shresth Bharat’, ‘Hamaari Sanskriti, Hamaari Pahchaan’ and ‘Swach India’ will showcase India’s cultural heritage through performances, arts and cuisines from the seven zonal cultural centres under the ministry.

Agencies Kohima, Oct 16: Angamimiapfu Mechu Krotho (AMK), the apex Angami women organization, held its 6th general conference at the AMK building at Kohima on October 15, attended by all the committee members of the organization, and chairpersons and secretaries of all the four Angami regions, along with their representatives and other Angami women leaders.

Neidonuo Dzuvichu, former president of the organization and prominent woman leader was one of the speakers in the conference.

Neidonuo asked the Angami women to introspect and retrospect themselves as to how they have

played their roles as mothers of the family in particular and of the society in general.

Stressing that women’s role especially that of a mother was very important, she urged the women to lead an exemplary life so that their children would become assets to the society, adding “a gentleman at home is gentleman everywhere”.

On the occasion, Neidonuo expressed the need for women in decision making for the development of the state and society as well. She said that now was the right time to take all the good chances in the offing. “Now is the best hour”, she said, “yet making several provoking questions to the women

6th general conference of AMK held at Kohima adding they should be ready to give answers before taking firm decisions.

She said that self-making of costume among young Angami women should be

revived and preserved. She also proposed that a counseling centre with trained personnel be set up in Kohima. Deputy director of Horticulture, Chozule Kikhi

gave a detailed power point presentation on cultivation of various crops and fruits for empowering grassroot women through SHGs in recent years and covered production, processing and marketing.

The programme was chaired by president of AMK, Ruokuoheu and Kerilhouviu Kire, the first president of the Organization (AMK) invoked the blessing. Special songs were presented by Chakhromiapfu Mechu Krotho and Western Angami Women Organization, respectively. Reports were read out and presents given. The vote of thanks was delivered by Salhoutuonuo Kruse, advisor, AMK.

Teen dies after group clash in Mizo govt hopes for a BJP Tripura president alleges Tura Dist, administration orders successful peace talks attack by CPI (M) cadres magisterial inquiry with HPC (D) Agencies Shillong, Oct 16: A 16-yearold boy from Reserve Gittim locality of Tura died on Friday from his injuries sustained in a group clash at Rishipara locality of the same town the previous night.

Tura police acted swiftly and arrested three suspects who were allegedly involved in the brawl which took place late Thursday night. Local residents reportedly alerted Tura police about a brawl taking place in Rishipara. On reaching the spot police found three boys with injuries while the others had fled.

All three were taken to the police station and the Tura Civil Hospital for medical checkup.

The next morning two of the boys were handed over to their families but a third, Sengat N Sangma (16) of Reserve Gittim locality, was admitted to hospital for treatment of his injuries sustained in the attack at Rishipara the previous night.

On Friday night the teenager succumbed to his in-

juries at the hospital.

The mother of the deceased has filed an FIR and the Tura police have registered a murder case.

At the same time, quick action from the law enforcement department has led to the arrest of three persons alleged to be involved in the attack. The three accused– Dulal Rishi (41), Nipen Rishi (38) and Hemendra Rishi (35), all hailing from Rishipara have been put in police custody.

Meanwhile, West Garo Hills Deputy Commissioner Pravin Bakshi has informed that a magisterial inquiry has been ordered into the incident. The inquiry will be conducted by DD Shira, Additional District Magistrate.

Bakshi added that the situation is under close watch and prohibitory orders under Section 144 have been passed restricting movement with arms, obstruction to traffic, attempt to incite violence, unlawful assembly in place of incident, affected localities and police stations as well as public places.

The District Administration has also received inputs that many people are circulating rumours through messages and social media which is under watch and scrutiny.

“The incident is condemnable and the law is taking its own course. No culprits will be spared. However, inflammatory messages and their circulation is to be immediately verified and cross checked and brought to the notice of the authorities,” he said.

While making an appeal to maintain peace, urging people to be vigilant and neither believe in rumours nor circulate them, Bakshi warned that circulation of inflammatory and false messages inciting violence and creating tension will be dealt with strictly.

For verification of rumours, public have been asked to inform police control room at phone numbers 8730065429 (Airtel), 9855142486 (Aircel), 9436967547 (BSNL), 9089398451 (Idea) and fax number 03651 224000.

Mizoram Home Minister R Lalzirliana

PTI Aizawl, Oct 16: Mizoram Home Minister R Lalzirliana on Saturday expressed hope that the ongoing peace talks with the Hmar People's Convention (Democratic) would bring permanent peace in the state.

Lalzirliana said that the Mizoram government and the HPC (D) delegations had worked out the framework on agreement which would again be deliberated by

the HPC(D) leadership and would be laid on the negotiating table when both sides would meet for the third round of talks during the third week of December.

Lalzirliana said that the ongoing peace talks with the HPC(D) would bring permanent peace in the state.

The first round of talks was held on August 10 and the second round on October 5 and 6 in Aizawl.

Kalam Centre for Policy Research 1 killed in road accident and Analysis inaugurated Agencies Shillong, Oct 16: To commemorate the 85th birth anniversary of Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, Governor V. Shanmuganathan on Saturday inaugurated the Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Center for Policy Research and Analysis at RGIIM Campus, Shillong in the presence of Chief Minister Mukul Sangma, Naveen Verma, Secretary, DoNER, R. Muivah, Secretary, NEC, K. S. Kropha, Chief Secretary, Falguni Rajkumar, Chairman, BoG, IIM, Shillong, Prof Amitabha De, Director, RGIIM, Shillong among others.

In his inaugural address, the Governor said that the Centre will provide opportunities for the holistic development of northeastern region and also facilitate networking with other centers of excellence within the northeastern states. Stating that the potentiality and creativity of youths should not go into waste, he stressed on the need to put North East on top priority as far as developmental activities are concerned. The Governor also urged the Centre to focus on the creativity of the people especially in the bamboo and cane sector which is the potentiality of the region.

Mukul Sangma in his speech said that many policy decisions which are developed on the strength of the region based on the

research and analysis will be guided by this Centre.

Many a times, we end up rolling ambitious programmes but the way it is executed becomes a reason for dislocation of good programmes, therefore, the whole support system and the institution partners available around us must be exploited to the fullest for the benefit of the people in the region, he added.

Dwelling at length on the issues of the NE region’s disconnection from the other parts of the country, the Chief Minister said that institutions and centres of learning can bridge those gaps and create a new ways of connectivity.

He informed that the State Government will have all the possible collaborative exercise with IIM in the implementation of the various programmes and initiatives of the Government.

He also urged the institute to collaborate with scientific communities and look at the possibilities as to how the Government can leverage upon some of the programmes that has been implemented.

Meanwhile, Naveen Verma said that the Ministry is looking to connect the North East with the markets of its neighbouring countries but it needs research South East Asian, adding that the Ministry will be very happy to inform the Prime

Minister’s Office(PMO) about the setting up of the centre.

NEC Secretary, R Muivah who was also present on the occasion said that the setting up of the centre will greatly help in project formulation and its effective implementation of such projects in the region.

An MoU was also signed and exchanged between IIM, Shillong, DoNER and NEC. The Centre will serve as an expert facilitation point for the NE States in policy making, strategic planning and effective implementation of various developmental schemes for the sectors as mentioned in the scope besides undertaking research and analysis on developmental issues of the various NE states as identified jointly or separately by MDoNER, NEC, RGIIMS and the states individually or collectively.

It will also network with other institutions of excellence within the NE states in various subject areas relevant to the NE and establish an institutional network for collaborative research, analysis and consultancy to provide the best knowledge back up for strategic planning in the NE states.

The Governor and the Chief Minister along with the students of various schools also released balloons to mark the birth anniversary of Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam.

PTI Aizawl, Oct 16: A 62year-old woman was killed and two others, including a two-month baby, were injured when a car hit them at Damdiai, near here, police said on Sunday.

The car runs over the victims when they were sit-

ting near a house last night, Aizawl district SP Lalhuliana Fanai said. The old woman died on the spot.

The injured were hospitalised.

The driver was detained by local people at adjacent Sateek village and handed over to police.

Union minister to grace culture fest in Manipur

PTI Agartala, Oct 16: Tripura BJP president Biplab Kumar Deb has alleged that he was attacked by ruling CPI(M) cadres at his rented residence here, following which two youths were arrested.

Duty officer of West Agartala police station said members of a local club were returning home in a mini truck last night after immersing Durga idol when they hit Deb's vehicle, which was parked in front his house at Krishnanagar locality.

The vehicle was slightly damaged in the collision and there was an altercation between the two sides when the driver protested.

Police rushed to the spot on receipt of the information and two youths were arrested in connection with it, he said.

Deb, however, alleged that the youths were CPI-M cadres and they attempted to enter his house after hitting his vehicle. He said the attackers also manhandled his personal security officer, who fired two rounds in the air to disperse the gathering.

The firing, he claimed, happened "a few minutes" before the police reached the spot.

"I also called up the district superintendent of police, who immediately rushed to the spot with additional forces," the BJP

leader said.

Terming the attack as "pre-planned", Deb said on Oct 11, a group of CPI-M cadres led by Shantanu Bhattacharya, a local committee member of CPI-M, had attacked him but he was rescued by Tripura State Rifles.

"Despite a written complaint to police the next day, no action was taken against the attack. Had there been any action on the incident, the last night's attack would not have happened," he said.

BJP National President Amit Shah and Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh have been informed of the incident, Deb added.

Pala hopeful NGOs will support railway project Agencies SAhillong, Oct 16: Shillong MP Vincent Pala, who has been pushing hard for expansion of railway line in Meghalaya, has expressed hope that once the necessary mechanism to check influx into the State is put in place, the NGOs/pressure groups would also welcome the railways.

Speaking to The Shillong Times, Pala expressed confidence that the KSU and other pressure groups would stop opposing railways once integrated the check gate is set up in the State.

Stating that Meghalaya needs railways, airports and better roads to progress, Pala said that in the absence of develop-

ment, brain drain from the State is inevitable.

According to Pala the initial work for the railway project till Khat Khyndai Mer in Ri Bhoi is on and land acquisition for the project is in the pipeline.

Replying to a query on the delay in granting of NOC to the project by KHADC, the Shillong MP sounded confident that all bottlenecks would be cleared soon.

Pala further said that he was asked to prioritize one railway project in the State by the Union Railway Minister and he has decided to push for Shillong railway project since the State capital has to be connected first.

He also said that the railway project in Jaintia Hills

can be taken up later if people reject the Shillong project.

After several delays, the work for the TeteliaByrnihat railway project has started. The deadline for the project is March 2018.

The survey work for the 108-km stretch of the proposed ShillongByrnihat railway project is almost over but the railways could not proceed with land acquisition due to the delay in issuing of NOC by the KHADC. The Railways is aiming to connect all the eight states in India’s North East by 2020 under its ‘Mission 2020’ which is to be implemented strictly within the stipulated timeframe.

PDF coalition in KHADC intact, meet reposes faith in CEM Union Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram Agencies Imphal, Oct 16: Union Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram will grace the upcoming state level Chagaa Ngee festival in Manipur on October 30.

The art and culture festival will be celebrated at Tamei Headquarter in Tamenglong district under the theme ‘To the roots’, sources said.

Organised by the Liangmai Naga Council, Manipur in

collaboration with the Liangmai Art & Culture Association, Chagaa Ngee will have splendid display of cultural and religious fervor and feasts.

The festival is extensively celebrated by the Liangmai community of the Zeliangrong tribe in Nagaland and Manipur every year in October to mark the reaping season in the agrarian society.

Agencies Shillong, Oct 16: Suspended KHADC chief P N Syiem on Saturday said that the Executive Committee of People’s Democratic Front (PDF) is intact and the majority of MDCs have reposed faith in him.

All the 16 MDCs including the five Congress members who had resigned had a meeting on Saturday. The MDCs have expressed faith under the leadership of Syiem.

“The meeting was called as we wanted to understand where we stand and the MDCs have expressed their confidence in me,”

he said.

Quoting rule 22 sub- rule1 of the District Council Rules, Syiem said that if MDCs want to remove the Executive Committee or the CEM, they have to move the vote of no confidence, but outside the House, the CEM cannot be removed.

Lapang.

Syiem, however, had said that it was his prerogative to call the parliamentary party meeting and not that of the party. Syiem also said that the five MDCs who are still with the Congress cannot remove him since they do not have the numbers.

Earlier on Saturday, in a hurriedly convened parliamentary party meeting by Congress working president James Lyngdoh, the five Congress MDCs elected Mansturdy Nongrem as the new leader in the presence of MPCC president DD

According to Syiem, the five Congress MDCs have not left the PDF coalition in KHADC and it is yet to be known whether they will also support his EC. He asserted that there is no change in the two-day autumn session starting from October 18.

EDITORIAL

DIBRUGARH, MONDAY, OCTOBER 17

Today's quote

“

The weak can never forgive.

Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.

–Mahatma Gandhi

The C in BRICS T

his weekend, as BRICS leaders meet in Goa for their eighth summit, India's foreign policy establishment needs to think hard about just what it hopes for from this most unusual of global alliances. The case for BRICS is a simple one. Born, in 2001, from the imagination of Goldman Sachs chief economist Jim O'Neill, the acronym reflected his understanding that Brazil, Russia, India and China - to which South Africa was later added would grow faster than the developed countries.

This, they have done. Brazil, Russia and India have caught up with the smallest G-7 economy, Italy, while China has become the second largest economy in the world. Yet, Europe and the United States are over-represented in global institutions like the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. BRICS economies played a key role in hauling the world out of the global financial crisis. They also have some solid achievements to their credit, like founding the New Development Bank.

Having said this, it is far from clear the BRICS countries are - or even can - speak with one voice on issues of significance. National Security Advisor Ajit Doval's speech to his BRICS counterparts on the need for joint global action against terrorism underlined one issue on which there are real divisions among the ranks: China will not abandon key ally Pakistan, while Russia is profoundly distrustful of the United States' intentions. There are other, deeper, fissures. Brazil, South Africa and India want expansion of the United Nations Security Council; China does not. China wants an expansion of free trade amongst the BRICS states; the three smaller economies do not. Even on relatively minor issues, like breaking with tradition and finding a non-European to lead the International Monetary Fund, BRICS states were unable forge a consensus.

Further problems lie ahead, for China's economic growth will, almost certainly, tend to reduce BRICS to a Beijing-led club. China's nominal GDP is now larger than that of the other club members combined. The New Development Bank has come into existence precisely because it fits into China's grand "One Belt, One Road" vision, helping to finance the welter of road and rail links that Beijing hopes will link its industries to markets in Central Asia and beyond. NDB lending will also provide a counterweight to Latin American and African states now pressured by the IMF and World Bank, but it is China that is best positioned to capitalise on that. In Goa, BRICS leaders will talk as equals - but there's little doubt the grouping can only move forward with China as its engine. Is this something that in fact serves India's interests, and, if so, what benefits does New Delhi seek to extract in return, is the question.

Bob Dylan's influence cuts across generations The 2016 Nobel Prize for Literature to American songwriter and singer Bob Dylan has cheered his fans across generations. His five-and-a-half decade-old career that enthused millions, truly deserves this honour. In many of his concerts in the past, he has been introduced as the "poet laureate of rock n' roll", and he lived up to this image. While awarding the prize to Dylan, the Nobel committee cited him admirably "for having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition".

Dylan's ability to incorporate other texts and table them in his own fashion reflects a new tradition. This situates him in an oral tradition that was very much evident in the writings of ancient Greek poets. Dylan's writings reminds one of the rich and resourceful texts of Greek legends like Homer and Sappho, whose writings were meant to be listened to. His songs remain as expansive and ambitious as they were five decades ago. He is the first American to win the literature prize since 1993, when Toni Morrison, a novelist, was honoured. Dylan has the distinction of becoming the first person to win a Grammy, the Oscar and the Nobel. Often in the past, the prize used to be given to unknown personalities who again slipped into anonymity after the euphoria died down. Also, it so happens that many of the laureates remain in their solitary path till the last moment of their life. But this time, the prize has been given to a person who is an iconic public figure and has a larger-than-life image across the globe. This makes him special.

Dylan's works have also created controversies in the past. However, he accepted the fact that life and art were more about interpretation than mere citation of facts. He moved forward and took the world by surprise. He heralded hope in the midst of crisis.

His works spanned from high to low, from black to white, encompasses the entire English language tradition, particularly the American. Now, Dylan is on the move to make a career by doing exactly the opposite his peers do. Normally, they skillfully present their best numbers and tour the world to sustain the tempo of their classic albums. For Dylan, it is entirely a new journey. He either re-interprets his back catalogue or twists it beyond repair. Besides, his contemporaries make an album by representing their bestloved classical numbers. But he brings in songs to the stage in a way as if they were created much before his existence. This is where he strikes a difference. Giving an award to a true legend like Dylan can set a new trend. The choice for Nobel in literature must reflect new realities.

Rising conflicts, protests and vulnerabilities demand new faces in the hall of Nobel fame, those that can generate hope around the world. Dylan sings in his own way, giving a dazzling effect to what he does. What he sang, 52 years ago, 'I am a poet, I know it, hope I don't blow it', has come true today. Dylanologists across the world had been demanding even a special Nobel award for him just because 'he is Bob Dylan'. But others, amid criticisms, have come to the agreement that he is a unique personality that stands apart. Without the Nobel Prize, Dylan was still a legend and would have been remembered for as long as mankind. The Nobel is another feather in his cap.

PAGE 6

Arunachal needs paradigm shift to boost its Economy say 'little T hey drops of water and little grains of sand make the mighty ocean and the vast desert.' The famous Lizzat Papad started by a group of few women in the South is today a multi-crore cooperative industry. They say that Dhirubai Ambani the founder of the Reliance Industries stepped out of his village in Gujurat to start a business in Bombay (now Mumbai) with only Rs.4 in his pocket. However, we the people of Arunachal don't seem to understand that 'slow and steady' wins the race.

We all want to become lakh patti or crore patti overnight. Is it possible?

No. Never. The few rich or moneyed people in the state show no interest in Agro-base industries which can generate lots of employment opportunities for the youth apart from the huge profit they would make.

Every moneyed man or woman in the state is overtly obsessed with the urge of becoming an MLA. Has the post of MLA become so lucrative that they are ready to cough off in crore?

For strange reason (s) the people and the planners are neglecting the life-sustaining and economy-boosters; the agriculture, horticulture and their allied sectors while indulging too much in asset or infrastructure creation.

Going by the priority lists, these sectors are languishing at the bottom whereas they should

have been on the top.

Roads, bridges, buildings are absolutely necessary but they can be built at anytime and by anybody.

But I always maintain that had the successive governments in the past paid adequate attention to cash crops like kiwi, large cardamom, king chilli, orange, ginger whose gestation period varies from 1-6 years then today Arunachal would have been an economically strong and vibrant state.

The farmers are earning very good returns from large cardamom, kiwi and king chilli. It is needless to mention that the farmers of Lohit, Anjaw and Lower Dibang Valley had suffered due to lack of proper marketing facilities vis-a-vis orange and ginger in the past. This should not happen to the farmers who have taken up the task of growing kiwi and large cardamom on commercial scale.

Marketing facilities and cold storages may be made available to them.

The ever hungry and cunning middle men from the plains must not be allowed to exploit the farmers like they have been doing all these years. Interestingly, kiwi, large cardamom, orange, pineapple, ginger, king chilli etc grow very well all over the state.

So, the government should intervene and if possible create co-operatives and auction centres to facilitate the farmers to sell their produce at good price. The greatest advantage of these cash crops is that even poor

ers to grow kiwi, large cardamom, king chili etc that have ready buyers and yield good returns.

The opportune time has come for the leaders too who have the wherewithal for a paradigm shift in the interest of their people.

The villagers who used to clear the path leading to the jhumland, rivers on community basis without spending a single penny have been so overtly molly-coddled by them and marginal famers can strike now. (leaders) that they have grow them unlike tea and started demanding govrubber that require huge The farmers them- ernment sanction for evland and recurring ex- selves have realized the ery little community penditure. futility of shifting culti- work they execute in the vation and are attracted village.

The government to cash crops having seen should encourage the their fellow farmers earnIn the past the villagers farmers by ing hand- used to make traditional providing some re- steps on the steep roads the techniDenhang Bosai t u r n s . that worked better than cal experThese de- CC steps and make log tise and the partments and bamboo bridges on seeds and saplings at the should seize the great op- community basis. These right time. It has been ex- portunity that has pre- steps and log bridges perienced that the seeds sented itself and egg on worked wonderfully and saplings are issued at the farmers to switch well. But today, they the wrong time and the over to cash crop farm- need sanctions. This is farmers cannot do any- ing. But the departments what spoon-feeding culthing. I am or for that alone can do precious ture can do. This practice matter all of us are sur- little. should be discouraged. prised by the fact that in The government both Instead of talking about spite of the change in GOI and state govern- huge dams, TAH etc let people's food habit, the ment should lavishly us set our village ecoagricultural cycle that fund these important de- nomic activities in order they practise even today partments. The farmers first because they are the is the same; the slash and should be trained from basis and the foundation burn method and farmers time to time and the of our economy. continue to sow and transfer of technology Let our farmers spread grow crops like kochu and expertise from the the hotness of king chilli and millet that today's concerned departments or hathi jolokia, or children no longer relish. to the farmers should be mithun jolokia or bhoot The departments like a continuous process. jolokia or raja jolokia or Agriculture and Horti- The elected people's rep- Naga jolokia or harang culture have been in ex- resentatives should stop jolokia to make the taste istence for ages. But concentrating on village of India. Let our farmers sadly, they have failed to CC steps, Culverts and grow so many kiwis that motivate and change the other unproductive it finds a place on every mindset of the farmers. schemes that the contrac- breakfast table in the This is a bitter truth. tors demand with a country. Let our farmers Now, the iron is hot and profit-making motive produce so much large these departments should and encourage the villag- cardamom that no Indian

is left without tasting its aroma. If our economy is strong then other developments will automatically follow suit.

With a young, energetic, visionary and enlightened Chief Minister in Pema Khand in the helms of affairs, we can dream and dream big.

Today, he is the hope of the farmers who see a real pragmatism in him.

Hope in the interest of the state's speedy development he will be ever ready for a paradigm shift if called for. Being young and educated he is pregnant with new ideas and innovative mindset.

The Agri-Horti and its allied sectors need more boost if the state has to develop and prosper in the true sense of the term.

The time has come to accord more importance to Agri-Horti sector after Health and Education.

We have wasted precious years merrily going through the stereotyped jhuming which has proved to be unproductive, destructive and environmentally disastrous.

Now, when the farmers are more than willing to go for cash crops to improve their economic status and the economy of the state, the government should volunteer to help them in whatever ways it can.

The Mother Nature has been more than kind to us by bestowing upon us all that we need; lush green forests, fertile land, perennial rivers, suitable and climate. But have we reciprocated by harnessing these wonderful gifts of Nature? I think not and I believe you will not disagree with me.

Time to end Poverty in all forms different interrelated factors that affect the lives Ranjan K Baruah of people living in poverty.

No one wants to live in poverty or in hunger.

Poverty is one of the worst forms of human rights violation for entire man kind. It is unfortunate for us that in spite of many progresses, there are people in poverty whether in Africa or in Asia. South Asia has many people living under the poverty line. There is no exception for India too.

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goal to "end poverty in all its forms everywhere" explicitly recognizes that poverty results not from the lack of just one thing but from many

This means we must go beyond seeing poverty merely as the lack of income or what is necessary for material wellbeing - such as food, housing, land, and other assets - in order to fully understand poverty in its multiple dimensions.

Like many other days and events, international day of poverty eradication is being observed on 17th October. The observance of the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty can be traced back to 17 October 1987.

On that day, over a hundred thousand people gathered at the Trocadéro in Paris , where the Universal Declaration of

A Pregnant Deer

In a forest, a pregnant deer is about to give birth.

She finds a remote grass field near a strong-flowing river.

This seems a safe place.

Suddenly labour pains begin.

At the same moment, dark clouds gather around

Human Rights was signed in 1948, to honour the victims of extreme poverty, violence and hunger. They proclaimed that poverty is a violation of human rights and affirmed the need to come together to ensure that these rights are respected. These convictions are inscribed in a commemorative stone unveiled on this day.

Since then, people of all backgrounds, beliefs and social origins have gathered every year on October 17th to renew their commitment and show their solidarity with the poor. Replicas of the commemorative stone have been unveiled around the world and serve as a gathering place to celebrate the Day. One such replica is located in the garden of United Nations Headquarters and is

the site of the annual commemoration organized by the United Nations Secretariat in New York .

above & lightning starts a forest fire.

She looks to her left & sees a hunter with his bow extended pointing at her.

To her right, she spots a hungry lion approaching her.

What can the pregnant deer do?

She is in labour!

What will happen?

Will the deer survive?

Will she give birth to a fawn?

Will the fawn survive?

Or will everything be burnt by the forest fire?

Will she perish to the hunters’ arrow?

Will she die a horrible

death at the hands of the hungry lion approaching her?

Through resolution 47/196 adopted on 22 December 1992, the General Assembly declared 17 October as the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty and invited all States to devote the Day to presenting and promoting, as appropriate in the national context, concrete activities with regard to the eradication of poverty and destitution. The resolution further invites intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations to assist States, at their request, in organizing national activities for the observance of the Day, and requests the Secre-

She is constrained by the fire on the one side & the flowing river on the other & boxed in by her natural predators.

What does she do?

She focuses on giving birth to a new life.

The sequence of events that follows are: - Lightning strikes & blinds the hunter.

- He releases the arrow which zips past the deer &

tary-General to take, within existing resources, the measures necessary to ensure the success of the Day's observance by the United Nations. The theme this year - selected in consultation with activists, civil society and nongovernmental organizations - highlights how important it is to recognize and address the humiliation and exclusion endured by many people living in poverty.

UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon on his messages said that "poverty is both a cause and consequence of marginalization and social exclusion. To fulfill the promise of the 2030 Agenda to leave no one behind, we must address the humiliation and exclusion of people

strikes the hungry lion.

- It starts to rain heavily, & the forest fire is slowly doused by the rain.

- The deer gives birth to a healthy fawn.

In our life too, there are moments of choice when we are confronted on all sides with n e g a t i v e thoughts and possibilities.

Some thoughts are so powerful that they overcome us & overwhelm us.

living in poverty." He also added that "humiliation and exclusion are powerful drivers of social unrest and, in extreme cases, the violent extremism that is troubling so many parts of our world. But, in most instances, people living in poverty respond to these societal ills with stoic resilience as they work to escape the degrading reality of their daily lives."

On this day let us all take up the pledge that we would fight against poverty and together work for a society free from hunger. Achieving sustainable future is on our hand and there cannot be any sustainable development when there is poverty in our society.

(With inputs from UN Publication) Maybe we can learn from the deer.

The priority of the deer, in that given moment, was simply to give birth to a baby.

The rest was not in her hands & any action or reaction that changed her focus would have likely resulted in death or disaster.

Ask yourself, Where is your focus?

Where is your faith and hope?

In the midst of any storm, do keep faith on the Creator always. He will never ever dissapoint you.

NEVER.

BUSINESS

PAGE 7

India, Russia to study building $25 bn pipeline

Quarterly earnings to dictate stock mkt trend this week

DIBRUGARH, MONDAY, OCTOBER 17

PTI Panaji, Oct 16: India and Russia have agreed to explore building the world's most expensive pipeline costing close to $25 billion to ferry natural gas from Siberia to the world's third biggest energy consuming nation.

The pipeline is to connect Russian gas grid to India through a 4,500 km to 6,000 km pipeline, officials said.

The shortest route will entail bringing the pipeline through Himalayas into Northern India, a route which poses several technical challenges.

Alternately, the pipeline can come via Central Asian nations, Iran and Pakistan into Western India. However, the route will be expensive when compared to the long discussed but shorter and

Image for representational purpose cheaper Iran-Pakistan-India pipeline. Tehran may suggest India take its gas through IPI rather than building such an expensive pipeline, they said.

The third and the longest alternative is to lay a pipeline through China and Myanmar into North East India bypass-

ing Bangladesh.

According to preliminary cost estimate prepared by state-owned Engineers India Ltd, which on Saturday signed an agreement with Russian gas monopoly Gazprom for studying the Russia-India pipeline, the longest route of 6,000 km

GST Council urged to slap 'sin tax' on tobacco products

Image for representational purpose IANS New Delhi, Oct 16: Consumer Voice, a voluntary action group, on Sunday urged the GST Council to levy the highest, "sin tax" of 40 per cent on all forms of tobacco products, including cigarettes, beedis and smokeless tobacco.

According to Consumer Voice, the step will help in discouraging the use of tobacco and its addiction, especially among the poor and the nation's youth.

The group said that a comprehensive economic reform like Goods and Services Tax (GST) offers the government a unique opportunity to tax tobacco uniformly at the highest GST rate of 40 per cent and save millions of Indians from dying prematurely of tobacco related diseases.

"It has been proven globally that the most direct and effective method for reducing tobacco consumption is to increase the price of tobacco products through tax increases," Consumer Voice said in a statement.

"Higher taxes are particularly effective in reducing tobacco use among vulnerable populations, such as youth, pregnant women, and low-income smokers," read the statement.

The group said that each year almost one million people die from tobacco-related diseases in India. Tobacco also causes 2-3 lakh new cases of oral and neck cancer every year in India, which has the world's sixth global burden of the disease.

"The total direct and indirect cost of diseases attributable to tobacco use was a staggering Rs.1.04 lakh crore ($17 billion) in 2011 or 1.16 per cent of the GDP. Tobacco-attributable direct medical costs alone are around 21 per cent of national health expenditure," the statement said.

"Indeed the costs of tobacco are far greater than what the Indian government/states gain in tobacco excise revenue (just 17 per cent of total health cost)," the group added.

"The GST regime should discourage consumption of that hazardous substances like cigarettes, beedis, pan masala, khaini and zarda through higher taxes.

Beedis should be taxed at the same level as all other tobacco products under GST, since lower GST rates on beedis will promote its use amongst our most vulnerable populations and keep them below the poverty line," said the statement quoting Ashim Sanyal, Chief Operating Officier, Consumer Voice.

While noting that the industry was opposing the recommendations to impose the "sin tax" rate of 40 per cent on tobacco, Consumer Voice said that tobacco taxation in India was way below global standards.

Indian consumer demand growing at 40% in festive season: Assocham IANS New Delhi, Oct 16: Indian consumer demand is currently seeing good growth of around 40 per cent in the ongoing festival season, as compared to 2015, on the back of an upturn in the economy and improving perception of better job prospects coupled with steady lowering of interest rates, industry chamber Assocham said on Sunday, citing a survey.

"Riding on the back of an uptick in the economy and improving perception for better job prospects, coupled with steady lowering of interest rates, consumer demand is witnessing a marked growth of as muchs 40 per cent in the ongoing festival season this year, as compared to 2015," the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India said in a release here.

"Rural demand is adding to the festive fervour, as a good monsoon has boosted confidence among farmers and farm labour. However, as noted in an earlier Assocham survey, the demand for

real estate and housing remains very low key," it said.

The uptick in demand is seen clearly in the sale of automobiles, including passenger cars, twowheelers, mobile handsets, consumer durables and fashion-wears. So far, the maximum push is seen in the eastern and western region while the northern region is expected to pick up in the run-up to Diwali," it added.

It noted that Kolkata and other major cities in the east have witnessed a splurge on Durga Puja shopping, while the western cities of Maharashtra and Gujarat have seen good sales during the Navratris.

According to the survey, estimates point to about 20 per cent increase in spending on groceries, a 52 per cent increase in low-cost apparels, and about 32 percent increase on lifestyle and fashion accessories in the next three months.

The survey covered consumers in age groups 24

to 34 and 35 to 45 in Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bangalore, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Chandigarh, Lucknow and Indore.

"The average amount spend on mobiles during the festive season is expected to range from Rs 15,000-Rs 35,500, up from Rs 10,000 - 15,000 for the last six months," the industry body said.

"Green shoots in the economy are giving a lot of confidence to consumer demand, which hopefully would lead to an appetite for fresh investment after a brief lag," said Assocham Secretary General D.S. Rawat.

The metro city consumers are increasingly taking to online shopping as top e-commerce companies roll out discounts, freebies and offers to boost sales.

Online retailers such as Amazon, PayTm, Jabong, ShopClues, Snapdeal, Flipkart and Quikr are doling out hefty discounts apart from cash-back offers and loyalty points, the statement added.

may cost close to $25 billion.

The cost of transporting gas may be $12 per million British thermal unit, according to EIL. The MoU signed in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin at the India-Russia Annual Summit on sidelines of the 8th BRICS Summit here, also envisages roping in ONGC Videsh Ltd, gas utility GAIL India Ltd and Petronet LNG Ltd for the study.

Sources said natural gas produced in East Siberian fields is to be pumped into Russian gas grid which would be connected to India through the cross-country pipeline network.

While the cost of transporting gas via the long discussed IPI pipeline is less than $1 per mmBtu, the same

for the Turkeministan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) pipeline is around $2 per mmBtu. According to industry experts, a realistic transportation cost would be $4 per mmBtu for the Russia-India gas pipeline. This excludes the transit fee to be paid to nations through which the pipeline will pass.

Russia is seeking to expand energy ties in Asia amid tensions with the West sparked

by Moscow s annexation of Crimea in 2014.

Indian companies have snapped up stakes in production assets in Siberian fields.

The MoU is being seen as an attempt to strengthen ties between the world's largest oil producer and the world's fastest growing fuel consumer.

Jet Airways to bring in Airbus A330 for Mumbai, Kolkata routes

PTI New Delhi, Oct 16: Quarterly earnings from bluechips Reliance Industries and Wipro would largely influence market trend this week in the absence of any major domestic triggers, say experts.

Other major companies scheduled to announce their earnings this week are UltraTech Cement, ACC, Hindustan Zinc, HCL Technologies and Cairn India.

"In absence of any major trigger, Q2 FY17 corporate earning of top blue-chip companies will dictate the market trend this week," said Vijay Singhania, Founder-Director, Trade Smart Online.

"On the global front, all eyes will be on the US presidential debate between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump on Wednesday," Singhania added.

Back home, state-owned OMCs will be in focus as these companies will un-

Image for representational purpose dertake fuel price revision during the middle of this month, he said.

"Since we know second quarter earning seasons have started, therefore we believe market to remain watchful for the companies reporting their earnings," said Abnish Kumar Sudhanshu, Director & Research Head, Amrapali Aadya Trading & Investments Pvt Ltd. Further, market may also get driven by global develop-

ments such as those related to US elections as well as development in the Eurozone, Sudhanshu noted.

Besides, investment trend by overseas investors, movement of rupee and crude oil would also be key for stock market sentiment.

Over the past week, the Sensex dropped 387.54 points, or 1.38 per cent, while NSE Nifty lost 114.20 points, or 1.31 per cent.

7 million jobs can disappear by 2050, says a study

Jet Airways to bring in Airbus A330 for Mumbai, Kolkata routes PTI New Delhi, Oct 16: Private carrier Jet Airways on Sunday said it would nearly double the capacity on its two key destinations -Mumbai and Kolkata -- from here, with the introduction of wide-body Airbus A330 aircraft from October 30.

At present, the Mumbaibased airline flies a Boeing 737, which has around 160 seats.

Besides, the airline would also have a direct flight to Kochi from New Delhi, a release said.

Jet Airways would also roll out two additional frequencies on its Delhi-Kolkata and Bengaluru-Kolkata routes, it said.

The introduction of widebody aircraft services on the busiest domestic routes would significantly enhance both connectivity and capacity, Jet Airways said.

Introducing the A330 will nearly double Jet Airways' capacity on the fast growing Delhi Kolkata, and Delhi - Mumbai routes, it said.

Deploying A330s on domestic flights will allow Jet Airways to offer its passen-

gers a considerably luxurious and comfortable flying experience equivalent to international standards, including its 'bed-in-the-sky' lie-flat beds in business class, it said.

According to the release, complementing connectivity between Mumbai, Delhi and Kolkata, will be a completely new non-stop flight 9W 911/912, that will connect Kochi with Delhi, aside from additional frequencies that will connect Bengaluru and Delhi with Kolkata.

Commenting on the roll of higher seating capacity planes on the two routes and launching of new flights, Jayaraj Shanmugam, Chief Commercial Officer, Jet Airways, said, "The Indian domestic sector is witnessing breakneck growth in demand ... The new flights and additional frequencies in our Winter Schedule further strengthen our robust domestic network, and offer our guests additional choice and flexibility to plan their travel.

"Deployment of wide body in domestic sectors provides us additional capacity on these key routes."

Coal import declines 6% to 16m tonne in September PTI New Delhi, Oct 16: Coal imports fell 6 per cent to 16.1 million tonnes in September over the same month last year owing to higher prices of the fossil fuel in the international market.

"Coal import (all types of coal) in September 2016 stood at 16.01 million tonnes (MT) (provisional) against 17.10 MT in September 2015," Vinaya Varma, the newly-appointed CEO of mjunction services, an online procurement and sales platform floated jointly by SAIL and Tata Steel, said.

He further said that higher prices in international markets appear to be discouraging Indian buyers from importing coal as they expect rates to soften and this is the primary reason for falling inward shipments in recent months, including September 2016, he said.

Varma further said that a sufficient stock of domestic coal is available in the country.

In addition, the demand for coal in India is not rising as per expectation as overall economy is not growing in the

way it was expected to grow, leading to lower-than-expected demand for steel and cement, consequently the lower demand for power and coal, he added.

In fact, the price of South African standard steam coal with 6000 Kcal/kg NAR calorific value has risen by nearly 30 per cent between July 1, 2016 and September 30, 2016 from USD 56.50 per tonne to USD 73.25 per tonne (FOB), while coking coal prices have jumped by nearly 132 per cent to USD 215 per tonne from USD 92.50 per tonne (FOB) during the same period, the mjunction services said.

Expressing concern over import of coal despite being surplus in the dry fuel, Coal and Power Minister Piyush Goyal had said earlier this month that Coal India has set a target to replace about 15 MT of imported coal with indigenous fuel in the next six months.

Helped by a record coal production by the world's largest coal miner Coal India, India reduced its import bill of the dry fuel by more than Rs 28,000 crore in the last fiscal.

PTI New Delhi, Oct 16: As many as 550 jobs have disappeared every day in last four years and if this trend continues, employment would shrink by 7 million by 2050 in the country, a study has claimed.

Farmers, petty retail vendors, contract labourers and construction workers are the most vulnerable sections facing never before livelihood threats in India today, the study by Delhibased civil society group PRAHAR has said.

As per the data released by Labour Bureau early 2016, India created only 1.35 lakh jobs in 2015 in comparison to 4.19 lakh in 2013 and 9 lakh in 2011, the group said in a statement.

"A deeper analysis of the data reveals a rather scary picture. Instead of growing, livelihoods are being lost in India on a daily basis. As many as 550 jobs are lost in India every day (in last four year as per Labour Bureau data) which means that by 2050, jobs in India would have got reduced by 7 million, while population would have grown by 600 million," the statement said.

The data clearly points to the fact that job creation in India is successively slowing down, which is very alarming, it pointed out.

"This (rise in unemploy-

Image for representational purpose ment) is because sectors which are the largest contributor of jobs are worstaffected.

Agriculture contributes to 50 per cent of employment in India followed by SME sector which employs 40 per cent of the workforce of the country," the statement said.

The organised sector actually only contributes a minuscule less than 1 percentage of employment in India.

India has only about 30 million jobs in the organised sector and nearly 440 million in the unorganised sector.

According to the World Bank data, percentage of employment in agriculture out of total employment in India has come down to 50 per cent in 2013 from 60 per cent in 1994.

It said that the labour intensity of small and medium enterprises is four times

higher than that of large firms.

It further said that the multinationals are particularly capitalistic a fact vindicated during investment commitments of $225 million made for the next five years during the Make in India Week in February 2016.

However, what went unnoticed is that these investments would translate into creation of only 6 million jobs, it said.

"India needs to go back to the basics and protect sectors like farming, unorganised retail, micro and small enterprises which contribute to 99 per cent of current livelihoods in the country. These sectors need support from the Government not regulation. India needs smart villages and not smart cities in the 21st century," it added.

B2B hiring grows 32%, B2C faces restructuring woes PTI Mumbai, Oct 16: With adoption of newer technologies, hiring in business-to-business (B2B) segment has picked up, but it has fallen considerably in business-toconsumer(B2C) space, including e-commerce, experts say.

"For the last six months, there has been a rise in hiring in the B2B segment as they are now more open to matching expectations of candidates in tune of market reality," Vijay Sharma, CEO and Cofounder, Belong, a talent solutions company, said here.

"Moreover, many B2B firms have a niche or specialised offering like analytics or product development that are seeing greater adoption from their customers," he added.

He said there has been 32 per cent increase in hiring in B2B companies in six months during November 2015 and April 2016 compared with MayOctober 2015.

On the other hand, the B2C category has witnessed a steady decline in hiring due to internal restructuring and consolidation the companies are going through.

"There has been a 61 per cent drop in hiring during November 2015 and April 2016 compared with May-October 2015 in the B2C segment as most companies are restructuring their teams internally. Having done aggressive hiring for the last year, they are now re-assessing their organisational structures to plan for future growth," he added.

"There is also consolidation happening in the B2C segment," he said.

Even as there has been a higher decline in hiring at junior levels in the B2C space, companies are going in for "strategic hiring" at leadership positions, he noted.

Echoing his point, GlobalHunt India MD Sunil Goel hoped there will not be much of a decline in the B2C market since the market is growing, but there are some segments like e-commerce and retail where hiring will come down by 50-60 per cent as against 2015.

Goel said there was over-hiring of resources by companies in race to increase valuation and cushioning of PE firms, which will now align towards right sizing.

"Also, at project or inception

stage, a number of resources are required. But once the industry or the business concept becomes stable, efficiency increases and manpower requirement goes down," he added.

B2B business provides industry-specific solutions and makes them simple, optimising their resources and manpower requirements, and makes companies efficient and structured as per the business vision and mission.

Michael Page India Associate Director Mohit Bharti predicted that hiring is likely to decline in the e-commerce and start-up sector and not in other B2C verticals.

"The e-commerce sector (as an industry) is predicted to grow.

However, hiring in this sector is expected to decline due to consolidation in the industry.

We expect hiring in the sector to go down by around 10-15 per cent," he added.

According to him, there has been a decline in jobs at the middle-junior level in the ecommerce segment, but at midsenior and executive level, the drop is minimal as organisations still need good talent to drive their growth and profitability graph.

INTERNATIONAL

DIBRUGARH, MONDAY, OCTOBER 17

Extreme vetting needed in wake of radical Islamic terror: Trump PTI Edison, Oct 16: Donald Trump has asserted that the US needs to be "very careful" about radical Islamic terror and "extreme vetting" must be done before allowing people in to the country, a controversial stand taken by the Republican presidential nominee that has made immigrants jittery.

Outlining his policy to tackle terrorism, the 70year-old billionaire said, "We have to be very, very careful (about radical Islamic terror). We have to have extreme vetting before we let people in...

We want people to come in to the country but they have to come in legally."

"Something is going on that's not positive force.

We are going to be looking very much at certain areas of the world.

We have to very careful with radical Islamic terror. We can be politically correct and say it doesn't matter but it does matter," he told NDTV when asked if he has given up his plan to ban all Muslims from entering the United States.

Trump also said he has

Donald Trump

great respect for Indians and Hindus, as he stepped up to address an event attended by the Indian American community in New Jersey.

"I have great respect for Hindus. I have so many friends that are Hindu.

They are great people, amazing entrepreneurs," Trump said.

Prodded further about India's diverse demographics, he said, "I'll be honest, I have great respect for India. I actually have (real estate) jobs going up in India...tremendously successful. It is an amazing country."

The event, organised by the Republican Hindu Coalition, saw Trump, reach out to Indian

American community.

Trump also spoke about the Indo-Pak conflict, saying, "There's a tremendous conflict between India and Pakistan.

Just recently you had (the Uri attack)... a lot of people killed... Hopefully everything is going to work out."

Speaking about his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton's email scandal and whether she should be sent to jail, Trump said, "What she did is absolutely unlawful....she sees her emails and she deletes them. That is pretty bad but there are other things. If you look at all the crimes committed, certainly she should be in trouble."

Kerry, Lavrov meet briefly before Syria talks

US Secretary of State John Kerry and Russia's foreign minister Sergei Lavrov

AFP Lausanne, Oct 16: US Secretary of State John Kerry and Russia's foreign minister Sergei Lavrov held face-to-face talks on Saturday for the first time since Washington halted their bilateral push for peace in Syria.

The pair met in a Lausanne hotel shortly before they were to take part in a broader gathering with regional players to relaunch international efforts to end the Syrian war, officials said.

After talking for 40 minutes, Kerry and Lavrov joined envoys from Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Egypt, Iran, Jordan and Qatar to seek ideas on how to end the conflict.

Previously, Russia and the United States had pursued a joint effort to impose a ceasefire, but this broke down when Syria's Bashar al-Assad launched an assault on rebel-held east Aleppo.

Kerry has since accused Russian-led forces of taking part in the regime's

bombing of hospitals and homes and has put an end to the bilateral track -while still remaining in close contact with Moscow.

Ahead of Saturday's talks, a senior US official travelling with Kerry told reporters that the plan was to bring the countries most deeply implicated in the conflict together to thrash out new ideas.

"The format through which we are pursuing solutions to this horrible conflict in Syria has evolved," he said.

"We are not pursuing this directly with the Russians bilaterally any more, but just because the format has evolved doesn't mean that the underlying objectives have changed."

Those objectives, he said, are for a steep reduction in violence, increased humanitarian access to besieged civilian communities and eventually for a political dialogue between the government and opposition.

Iraq drops leaflets over Mosul ahead of battle: army AFP Baghdad, Oct 16: Iraqi aircraft dropped "tens of thousands" of leaflets, some bearing safety instructions for Mosul residents, ahead of an operation to retake the city from jihadists, the military said.

Iraq has dropped leaflets over Mosul before, and has also done so as part of operations to retake other cities seized by the Islamic State group in 2014 and 2015.

Aircraft dropped "tens of thousands of newspapers and magazines on the centre of the city of Mosul carrying important news... to inform them of updates and facts and victories," said Iraq's Joint Operations Command, which distributed

images of some of the leaflets.

One image showed a leaflet containing safety instructions for Mosul residents, urging them to tape over windows to prevent the glass from shattering, to avoid the sites of air strikes for at least an hour after a place is bombed, and saying they should not drive if possible.

The launch of the operation is expected to be announced soon, but it will mark only the start of a battle that is likely to be the most difficult and complex yet in the war against IS. A coalition of heterogenous and sometimes rival Iraqi forces will have to fight their way through IS defences to reach the

city, in some cases over distances of dozens of kilometres.

Then they will likely seek to surround the city before launching an assault, marking the start of deadly street fighting with diehard jihadists in a city with a large civilian population.

The battle may spark a humanitarian crisis, with the United Nations warning that up to one million people may be displaced by the fighting as winter sets in.

Even the recapture of Mosul will not mark the end of the war against IS, which still holds other territory in Iraq and is likely to turn increasingly to insurgent tactics such as bombings and hit-andrun attacks as it loses more ground.

PAGE 8

Pak school chain bans Punjabi language; terms it 'foul' PTI Lahore, Oct 16: A group of private schools in Pakistan owned by former foreign minister Khurshid Mahmood Kasuri has banned Punjabi within and outside the campus after terming it a "foul language", drawing flak from millions of people.

The Beaconhouse School System (BSS) has recently issued a notification to parents, declaring Punjabi a 'foul language' for the children as well as parents.

"Foul language is not allowed within and outside the school premises, in the morning, during the school hours, and after home time," the fifth point

of the notification reads.

The notice explains the definition of 'foul language' as, "Foul language includes taunts, abuses, Punjabi and the hate speech".

A number of parents, prominent Punjabi language activists and literary organisations have demanded the school administration to immediately withdraw the notification and tender apology to those having Punjabi their mother language.

Punjabi scholar and columnist Mushtaq Soofi said he had seen the notification on social media and found it "disgracing to millions of Punjabis who are living in Pakistan and Indian Punjab and also the

Former foreign minister Khurshid Mahmood Kasuri

Punjabi diaspora living across the globe".

Professor Dr Saeed Bhutta of the Punjab University's Oriental College said, "The Punjabi language has an age-old history starting off

from Baba Farid to Khwaja Farid. The school administration's step is a disgrace and ignorance of a certain class towards Punjabi heritage".

"Speaking the mother lan-

US Secretary of State John Kerry and Russia's foreign minister Sergei Lavrov AFP Nice, Oct 16: President Francois Hollande invoked the spirit of national unity on Sunday as he led tributes to 86 people killed in a jihadist truck attack in Nice on Bastille Day. Saturday's ceremonies in the Riviera resort city had been postponed until a day after the three-month anniversary because of storms in the region.

"What was attacked on July 14 was national unity," Hollande told hundreds of victims' relatives and officials invited to the ceremony.

"It is the monstrous aim of the terrorists, to attack some in order to terrify others, to unleash violence in order to sow division...

Well, I tell you, no, this evil enterprise will fail," he said.

"In some families, three generations were swept away," Hollande said, as he described "the entire nation's compassion and solidarity" for mourning relatives.

President Francois Hollande The July 14 attack saw a 31-year-old Tunisian extremist ram a 19-tonne truck into a crowd of 30,000 holiday revellers on the Promenade des Anglais seafront before police shot him dead.

More than 400 people were injured, some grievously.

The Islamic State (IS) group said the driver, Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel, was one of its followers.

The massacre marked a peak of brutality in a

string of jihadist attacks in France over the past two years that have ramped up security fears while stoking anti-immigrant sentiment ahead of presidential elections in 2017.

Hollande's Socialist government came under fire for alleged security lapses ahead of the attack in Nice, a bastion of the rightwing opposition.

Several politicians from the right attended the ceremony including former president Nicolas Sarkozy

and Alain Juppe, both candidates in the Republicans party's presidential primary next month, and farright National Front (FN) leader Marine Le Pen. Many families are still struggling to deal with their grief.

"Nice and all of France weeps for the 86 victims.

Our sadness is unending," said Cindy Pellegrini, a relative of the victims, who read a text in their memory at the start of the one-hour ceremony.

And some survivors of the attack are still trying to put their lives back together.

Vincent Delhommel Desmarest, who runs a restaurant on the Promenade des Anglais, is still haunted by the bloodbath and has yet to return to work.

"You don't sleep at night.

I saw the whole thing, the lorry bearing down, the mutilated, decapitated bodies, the guts," said Desmarest, leader of a victims' group.

guage is a guaranteed constitutional right. The 1973 Constitution allows the federating units to impart formal primary learning in mother tongue," Bhutta said.

Some parents said the government should take notice of 'demeaning a language which has been used by the saints over the last many centuries'.

"This means that our children should not speak to their grandparents only because their language is Punjabi," says Haleema whose daughter is studying in Grade-II in Beacon House School in Lahore.

Owned by Kasuri, BSS is a group of private academic institutions located in 30 cities in Pakistan.

5.2 quake rattles northwestern Greece AFP Athens, Oct 16: A 5.2magnitude earthquake struck the northwestern Greek city of Ioannina, the Athens Observatory's geodynamic institute said on Sunday, causing minor damage but no injuries.

The earthquake struck at 2014 GMT last night and was followed by numerous aftershocks.

Its epicentre was 330 kilometres northwest of Athens at a depth of just 17 kilometres, the institute said.

Local authorities said it was felt in the outlying area and the Ionian islands.

Some damage was reported to homes and churches in villages near Ioannina but there were no immediate requests for help.

Greece is one of Europe's most earthquake-prone countries.

Last year a 6.0-magnitude earthquake killed two people on the Ionian island of Lefkada and damaged roads and buildings.

Trump hints Clinton was Make Gen Sharif a drugged in last debate Field Marshal, says

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and his Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton IANS Washington, Oct 16: Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has hinted that his Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton, took drugs before their second debate last week and asked that the two of them be tested before their third and final debate.

"Athletes, they make them take a drug test.

We should take a drug test prior to the debate because I don't know what's going on with her," Trump said on Saturday at a rally in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

"At the beginning of her last debate (October 9 in St. Louis, Missouri), she was all pumped up at the

beginning. And at the end...she could barely reach her car," he said, adding that he was "willing" to undergo drug testing before their next debate on October 19 in Las Vegas.

The Republican candidate, who has stoked a number of rumours about Clinton's health and stamina in recent months, criticised his rival for not programming a campaign event for this Saturday, and claimed she is not prepping for their next debate but instead is resting up for the debate even though it's still five days away.

"I said forget debate prep. I mean, give me a break. Do you really think

that Hillary Clinton is debate-prepping for three or four days? Hillary Clinton is resting, OK?" the magnate said.

His campaign had said that when the Federal Bureau of Investigation was probing her handling of e-mails when she was secretary of state, "she said 39 times she couldn't remember anything", and maybe that was why she has to prep so much for the debate - she has a bad memory.

The magnate has stepped up his attacks not only against Clinton but also against several Republican leaders for failing to support him and against the media following the release of a 2005 video in which he is heard making sexist remarks, after which a number of woman came forward to accuse Trump of sexually abusing them some years ago.

"The election is being rigged by corrupt media pushing completely false allegations and outright lies in an effort to elect her president," Trump said with reference to Clinton.

But the Republican candidate vowed to defeat the "rigged" system, while also denying all the accusations of sexual harassment made over the last week by half a dozen women.

petition

Pakistan Army chief Gen Raheel Sharif IANS Islamabad, Oct 16: A petition has been filed in the Islamabad High Court seeking the status of Field Marshal for Pakistan Army chief Gen Raheel Sharif.

The petition was filed by two lawyers, Raja Samiul Haq Satti and Sardar Saleem Khan, and cites the Prime Minister and the Secretaries of defence and cabinet division as respondents, Dawn reported on Sunday.

The petition gave details about Gen Sharif and his family, including that his elder brother, Major Shabbir Sharif, was killed during the 1971 war with India.

According to the petition, Gen Sharif, whose three-

year term will be up on November 27, had launched the Zarb-e-Azab operation, which had countered the plans of terrorists and that the operation was still on.

The petition said that Gen Sharif had also monitored the ongoing China-Pakistan Economic Corridor project.

The petition argued that it was a universal and divine law that whosoever rendered services for the nation and humanity "in an extraordinary, exemplary and selfless manner" shall be elevated to the highest level of military hierarchy.

It requested the court to direct the respondents to elevate Gen Sharif to the rank of Field Marshal.

DIBRUGARH, MONDAY, OCTOBER 17

PAGE 9

EDUCATION

How to Get Into Graduate School Applying to graduate school can seem like a daunting task. Unlike in high school when guidance counselors were available to help you through the process, it feels as though there are so many confusing details of the graduate school process! This guide will help walk you through how to apply to graduate school and get in.

Preparing During Your Undergraduate Degree (Years 1-3) Pick the right classes This comes before getting good grades and may in fact be more important.

You should pick classes that will impress graduate schools. This means choosing classes that are relevant to your field of interest and that are high level or challenging. Ø Complete

required courses as early as possible. Undergraduate programs typically have "core" requirements within majors and some graduate programs (e.g. medical school) have strict undergraduate course requirements to get in. Getting the basic required courses done in

the beginning will avoid schedule conflicts later and allow you to take more advanced classes. Ø When choosing elec-

tives, try to create a theme. Even if you do not have an official minor or double major (either of which can be helpful!) it's good to have organization to your electives. You should be able to describe how the knowledge you gain in these classes will benefit you in graduate school. Some people advise choosing directly related subjects for electives (e.g. a computer science major might take courses in mathematics) while others advise taking something very different (e.g. a computer science major might take courses in English so that they stand out from the general applicant pool). The important thing is to have good reasoning for how these courses benefited you. Having a general theme will make it easier to do this.

Get to know your professors This is arguably the most important step. A good letter of recommendation can make all of the difference, and this is the step that people too often put off until it is too late. Cultivating a relationship with people in your field will help you immensely in the graduate school application process. Reaching out will likely also enrich your academic experience (and enhance your grade!).

You don't have to be that kid who is always raising their hand in class (no shame in that though) to

have a good relationship with a professor. Ø Go to each of your

professor's office hours at least once. If your professor doesn't have open office hours set-up, introduce yourself at some point after class. Make sure you have something to talk about-asking questions about the course material, possible directions or careers in your field, or the professor's research works great. It does not have to be a long of formal meeting, this is just so that they know your name and face. It also gives you an opportunity to assess if this is someone you want to maintain a relationship with. If not, you don't ever have to meet with them again. However, people are often surprised to find that professors appear and act differently in a one-onone meeting and are usually eager to interact with and help students.

ØGet involved in the de-

partment. University departments often host events or get togethers with other students and professors. Try out at least one. It's an easy way to help people remember who you are and for you

to make a good impression. Other ways to get involved could be as a tutor or a teaching assistant in the department. ØWhen you find a profes-

sor you like, continue to reach out to them. Ask them questions, discuss your intentions to pursue graduate school, ask them about research opportunities. And yes, a little sucking-up can be helpful. The more often you show up early, raise your hand, and go above and beyond on assignments, the more they will be able to write in your letters of reference later.

Work on your grades Getting excellent grades will obviously put you in a better position when applying to graduate school.

However, it is listed third because doing the above two steps is arguably more important, and both will typically improve your grades.

Try to obtain research positions or internships relevant to your field during your free time Often graduate schools are looking specifically for research experience. This is where your relationships with professors will come in handy. However, if you are unable to secure a research position at some point, try to get jobs or internships in relevant positions. Don't despair if you do not get a competitive job in your field. At the end of the day it is all about how you spin your experience. Make a note of skills you gained at jobs or times you showed good

qualities while working to use in your graduate school letter of intention.

Take your work seriouslyeven if it is in the wrong field. You never know when you will need a good reference!

Do at least one extracurricular activity The graduate admission process places less emphasis on the "wellrounded" candidate than the undergraduate admission process, but it is still good proof that you weren't spending all your free time partying. You may also be able to use it to bolster your resume and letter of intention.

Planning, Organizing and Taking Tests (Summer Before You Apply) Consider where to apply Deciding this early on will help you immensely in staying organized and not missing an opportunity just because of a missed deadline. A good rule of thumb for choosing schools is to have two back-up schools (schools you are almost certain you will get into), two "on target" school (schools where you think you are right at/in the middle of the admission criterion) and

two "reach schools" (competitive schools where, realistically, you might not make the cut).

If you'd rather take a year off to work or do research than go to a "lower-level" graduate school, you can save some money by not applying to back-up schools. Ø Keep in mind that the

applications and sending test scores are expensive!

At this point, it would probably be a good idea to ask your professors about the schools your are considering. They usually have a good idea of the quality of programs at other schools and what type of experience you will get there. They may know things not advertised by the school, like that they are only interested in people looking to

enter academia. They will also have a good sense of how students from your school do when applying to graduate school, and can help you make realistic choices.

Make a list of schools based on the variety of factors that are important to you Things to consider when making your decision: Ø Your interests. This is

especially important if you are looking to apply to a PhD or other research based program. Look into work that has been produced in recent years by the schools you are interested in, browse the professors' websites and their interests. If nothing the department is doing excites you, you should look elsewhere. Ø Financials. Does the school provide funding or support for your program? What is the cost of living where the school is located? Will there be dorms? Ø Size of the program. ØLength of the program. ØProgram structure. Is it all courses? Mostly research? Thesis optional?

Opportunities for work training? Ø Geographic location.

This is one of those things that people sometimes downplay too much but you should be honest with yourself about where you would and would not be willing to study. Maybe you need to stay on the West coast to be near a partner or maybe you are only willing to go to school in a city. If you program is only a year or so, it's more advisable to put less weight on this but for a longer program this could be a major factor in your happiness and therefore success. Besides your preferences, there may be reasons to go or avoid going abroad. For instance, in Canada and other countries it is common for masters students to receive funding-something unheard of in the US. On the other hand, completing a medical degree outside the country you intend to practice in can be extremely detrimental. Ø Researchers or professors who you may want to work with. Applicants often plan too far ahead with who they will or will not work with in graduate studies. The truth is, students often find that personalities end up clashing unexpectedly or their own interests change. However, knowing that there are at least 2 people doing research in an area of your interest at any school you are applying to is important. Ø Prestige or ranking of the school/department.

Too much emphasis is of-

ten put on this as rankings are typically variant and unreliable. Still, nobody was ever hurt by graduating from an Ivy League school.

Investigate grants or scholarships that require applications Many looking to apply to graduate school skip this step. Some because it seems like too much extra work on top of all the other graduate school application mayhem, some because the rejection rates are high for incoming students, some because they do not have a research proposal ready. However, even if you do not win an award, applying can be beneficial. On graduate school applications they always ask if you have applied for any scholarships. Typically, the school actually makes acceptance decisions before you hear back from these scholarships/grants. That means that all they really want to know is, did you put in some effort to get funding. Ø External funding can save the school or department money, making you more valuable. Many of the pieces of scholarship and grant applications are things that you need to prepare for graduate school applications (e.g. CV, personal statement, recommenders,transcript).

Even if you do not have a stellar research proposal, you will at least gain some experience in writing a proposal.

Decide who will be your recommenders This is where those relationships you built with your professors will come in handy. For most masters and PhD programs, having professors as your recommenders is ideal.

For some programs, such as business school, it may be more beneficial to have at least one work-related reference. The most important thing is that the recommenders bare people who actually know who you are. You might have got an A in Organic Chemistry, but if the professor doesn't even know your name, they can't write you a good recommendation. Ø Remember that the school you are applying to will get hundreds of applications-they can tell the generic ones from the ones with personality. It helps if your recommender is someone well known in the field-but only if they

school. After seeking advice on where and how to apply, asking for a letter is very simple. ØNever ask a someone for a recommendation in front of others, it can make them uncomfortable or put them on the spot. A polite way to ask for a recommendation is "Would you be willing to write me a strong recommendation?"

Phrasing it this way will give the person an option to decline if they don't really feel like they can write you a strong recommendation. A graduate school receiving a weak or generic letter of recommendation will be able to see right through it. Don't worry though, most people are happy to help students as they have likely been helped themselves! ØRecommenders will appreciate you being able to give them a list of schools and scholarships you will need for them to

know you and will put in the effort to help you! It is generally not advisable to ask a TA or other student for a recommendation (the graduate school will have no idea who they are!). If you know your TA well but not the professor, consider asking them to co-write a letter with the professor that is signed by both of them. The same thing applies for faculty members who do not hold professor positions-sadly the university you are applying to may not recognize them or give them credibility.

write recommendations for (though it's fine if this changes a little with time).

You should also ask if your referees would like anything from you. Sometimes they want a list of your accomplishments or interests to help make your letter more personal. Ø Offer to give any additional information they require. Giving your recommenders your resume and a list of things you think they did well in their class, at your job, etc. can help them write a stronger, more personal recommendation

Ask for your recommendations Doing this in the summer or September ensures that your recommenders will have plenty of time to write your letter, and you won't be asking them in October-December when many other students will likely ask. They will appreciate your politeness and advanced warning-just make sure to keep reminding them as the deadlines get closer. Some professors strongly prefer students to ask them in person though many don't care if they are asked over email. You should know your relationship with your recommenders will enough to gauge which is more appropriate. An easy and natural way to ask them is to ask for a meeting to discuss graduate

Applying (Fall Before Applying) Start brainstorming for your personal statement or letter of intent You may need more than one of these or different variants depending on the requirements for different schools (or grants/scholarships). Ø Make some bullet points for why you want to go to graduate school and why you are passionate about the field you are in. Ø Make a list of qualities that you think you have shown and that you believe graduate schools will be interested in. For instance, hard-working, goal-oriented, self-motivated, independent, passionate... Ø Make a list of things that you have done related to the field you wish to go

Get organized Put all of the deadlines for the schools and scholarships you are applying to in your calendar. This includes when test scores and transcripts must be sent by, when recommendations must be received, and when all final application materials are due. ØMake a list, organized by school/scholarship or required materials. There are many variations in application requirements between school from length and content of personal statement to`required test scores.

Take all required standardized tests Make sure that you are done with the GRE, MCAT, GMAT, LSAT, etc.

For some tests, such as the MCAT, it is recommended to actually take the test earlier, before your third year of university. For other exams, taking them by the end of the summer before you apply to graduate school will give you a small buffer zone where you may be able to retake the exam in early fall to get a better score in time. Keep in mind that seats in these exams sometimes fill up quickly-book well in advanced!

into. From courses, to jobs, this will also help when creating your resume/CV. Ø Make a list of your accomplishments. Now is not the time to be modest, think of every award you have won, every competitive position you have been given. Ø Make a list of any other activities or events that may interest an admissions committee.

Write your statement There are many possible ways to write a graduate school statement. Look online for some inspiration and to get a sense of the different styles. How you write your statement should depend on how you think you can write most strongly and portray yourself in the best light. You should emphasize the first two bullets above, while showcasing the other three. For instance, people often start with a "hook" or anecdote about why they are passionate about the field. Creating a "theme" to your statement by choosing one of the items from the list in the second bullet, will help make you memorable. Ø Write a first draft. Ø Edit it yourself. Printing out the statement and marking it up on paper is often more helpful than rereading it on your computer. Ø Have others read it. If your university has a writing center that you can seek help at, do! If not, consider switching statements with another friend who is applying to graduate school or asking someone else in the field to read your letter. Hearing someone's reaction to your statement can be invaluable. Ø Re-read your statement at least once a week until the deadline.

Reach out to professors at the universities you are applying to This is more important for programs that require you to be admitted with an advisor or lab group.

Some universities actually strongly discourage you from reaching out to individual professors. Look on the department's website for information for graduate school applicants to see if they have a policy on this. It is always a good idea to reach out to people you may want to work with in the future but if you aren't sure who to contact, the graduate chair is usually a safe bet. You should explain that you are applying to graduate school, that you are very excited about the opportunities available at their university, and think of a few questions to ask. ØIn many universities the acceptances are put to a vote by faculty, so having someone already familiar with your name is beneficial. If you need to be accepted to a research group for admittance to the program, more consideration and discussion will be necessary at this stage.

NATION

DIBRUGARH, MONDAY, OCTOBER 17

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‘Terrorist funding must Unity in diversity is specialty of India: Rajnath be systematically cut off’ New Delhi, Oct 16: Calling for a “comprehensive response” to terrorism, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said terrorist funding, their weapons supply, training and political support must be systematically cut off.

Addressing the BRICS plenary meeting here, Modi said that terrorism "has grown more lethal and adept at the use of technology".

"There must be no distinction based on artificial and self-serving grounds. Terrorist funding, their weapons supply, training and political support must be systematically cut off," Modi said.

"Our response to terrorism must, therefore, be nothing less than comprehensive.

And, we need to act both

Prime Minister Narendra Modi individually and collectively," he added.

Without mentioning Pakistan, the Prime Minister said that selective approaches to terrorist individuals and organisations would not only be futile but also counter-productive.

"In this respect, we need to deepen the security cooperation between our National Security Advisors."

He also called for early adoption of the draft India-initiated Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT) in the UN.

PTI New Delhi, Oct 16: Noting that unity in diversity is the speciality of India, Home Minister Rajnath Singh said it is the Indian culture that unites the country despite having so many diversities as he inaugurated a 10-day festival, 'Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav', here on Saturday.

"Whatever you have seen here (the fair venue) or going to see, you would easily reach to a conclusion that India is full of diversity whether it is language, behaviour, dress, lifestyle, food...in every way. But even after that India is one.

Unity in diversity is the speciality of India.

"And the work or strength that binds us together even in such diversity is the Indian culture. It is the force that keeps us as one in spite of so many diversities," he said in his address after in-

augurating the festival at the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) here.

Citing an example of 'unity in diversity', he said a person who is follower of Lord Krishna would find temple dedicated to Krishna all over the country from south to north and from east to west.

"Wherever you go, you would find a temple or place where you can pray Krishna whether it is Varanasi in north, Guruvayur in south, Dwarka in west, or (Jagannath Temple of) Puri in east. You go to any corner of the country, this makes you automatically connected to Bharat.

"This is the speciality of India. Indian culture keeps India united and integrated," he said.

Singh said it is India which has given the phrase 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam'

Home Minister Rajnath Singh (the world is one family) to the world.

He said people of other countries measure the greatness of the ruler on the parameters of the geographical area and military power but in India, it is measured on the basis of sacrifice and character.

Tourism Minister Mahesh Sharma said the 10-day event will bring together

people from across the country who would showcase India's cultural heritage through performances, arts and cuisines.

"While the event will connect youth to various facets of our rich and vibrant culture, it also gave people from different regions a chance to showcase their talent, artworks and delica-

cies at a larger-than-life podium," he said.

The second edition of the cultural festival will culminate on October 24.

The festival will showcase the rich cultural heritage of the country through handicrafts, cuisine, painting, sculpture, photography, documentation and performing arts like folk, tribal, classical and contemporary.

The seven zonal cultural centres have been given slots to present their arts during the festival which would showcase an amalgamation of 'Ek Bharat, Srestha Bharat', 'Hamaari Sanskriti, Hamaari Pahchaan' and 'Swachh India'.

Nagaland Governor Padamanabha Acharya was also present at the event.

A coffee table book, 'Mandu', and a DVD on 'vandalism' were released on the occasion.

Modi govt spent Rs.36 cr on BRICS Summit: Rift in Mulayam clan to publicity to mark two years India, Bhutan hold cost SP: Dikshit bilateral talks

IANS New Delhi, Oct 16: The BJP-led union government may have attacked the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Delhi for its spending on advertisements, but it spent more than Rs.36 crore on publicity and advertisements for organising the one-day "Ek Nayi Subah" show in Delhi to mark two years of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government.

This information was revealed in response to an RTI query.

The amount for the six-hour event in Delhi was spent on print and electronic media advertisements.

The RTI reply received from the Directorate of Advertising and Visual Publicity (DAVP), Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, revealed that the amount spent by the centre on publicity was Rs.36,64,88,085.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led NDA government had organised a gala event at India Gate on May 29 to mark its two years in office.

The expenditure incurred on advertisements in print media was Rs.35.59 crore while in the electronic media it was Rs.1.06.

Meanwhile, another RTI re-

ply received from Doordarshan Kendra revealed that the total expenditure incurred by it on the "Ek Nayi Subah" show was Rs.92 lakh.

The RTI reply revealed that the advertisements were given to all the leading national dailies apart from other English, Hindi and regional dailies across the country.

During the "Ek Nayi Subah" event, the central government showcased its achievements and Bollywood's leading names, including Amitabh Bachchan, espoused social causes at the show which lasted over six hours.

A range of initiatives, including the 'Swachh Bharat' campaign, the 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao', 'Pradhan Mantrai Ujjwala Yojana', 'Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana' and 'Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana' were highlighted. Also showcased were moves to boost farmers' income, enhance connectivity, step up investment and enhance jobs and improve rail, road and air infrastructure, and provide electricity to all villages.

The central government and ruling party had come down heavily on the AAP

government in Delhi for spending what they said was a huge amount of public money on advertisements and publicity.

The Delhi government had allocated Rs.526 crore for pubicity and information for the 2015-16 financial year.

This allocation was later reduced to Rs.100 crore in the revised estimates.

The panel set up by the Information and Broadcasting Ministry on content regulation of government advertisements charged the AAP government with violating Supreme Court guidelines and had ordered it to "reimburse to the state exchequer" the entire amount that it had spent on its advertisements.

A Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report had stated that the AAP government's expenditure on advertisement and publicity had gone up three times from the previous government's Rs.25.25 crore in 2013-14 to Rs.81.23 crore in 2015-16.

The report also stated that Directorate of Information and Publicity (DIP) expenditure was Rs.11.12 crore in 2014-15 and Rs.25.25 crore in 2013-14.

Chidambaram poser Kejriwal to Centre over its urges Amit stand on Cauvery Shah not to scuttle his rally

Former Union minister and Congress leader P Chidambaram PTI Tiruchirappalli, Oct 16: With the Cauvery issue continuing to hold political centre-stage, former Union minister and Congress leader P Chidambaram on Saturday sought to know if the BJP-led Centre was "tilting" towards Karnataka to capture power in that state.

He said if the Central government, "which is required to be neutral", was "tilting" towards Karnataka, it showed its hankering and "hope" for power in the neighbouring state.

"They (BJP) believe that they will be able to capture power in Karnataka in the next election (2018 Assembly polls)," he said at a gathering of party workers and supporters who were on a fast, protesting against the Centre's stand on formation of Cauvery Management Board.

He said though it was usual for one state to accuse another "the question is if the Centre

is carrying out its responsibility or not. The Centre is skirting its responsibility."

The former Union minister said that by doing so, the BJPled government was trying to get "political mileage".

Attacking the Tamil Nadu BJP, he said it would not be able to capture power in the state.

Besides Chidambaram, other Congress leaders present were former Union minister Dhanushkodi Adithan, former TNCC presidents K V Thangkabalu, Kumari Ananthan and Congress leaders 'Karate' Thyagarajan, former party MPs and MLAs. TNCC president S Tirunavukarasar, who spoke on the occasion, said the Centre should act effectively on the Cauvery water dispute and form Cauvery Water Management Board.

Steps should be taken to provide relief to farmers affected by lack of water for their crops, he said.

IANS Surat, Oct 16: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal urged BJP President Amit Shah not to disrupt his rally due here on Sunday evening.

"I have learnt that Amit Shah is trying various methods to scuttle the rally," the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader told the media here.

"He is sending his people to different places (where I go) to stage protests," Kejriwal added.

"I appeal to Amit Shah that today's rally is not my rally. It is a rally of the Gujarat people and I request him not to put any impediments."

Asked about the arrival of a Delhi Police team here to arrest Delhi legislator Gulab Singh, the party incharge of Gujarat, Kejriwal said it showed the BJP was scared of the AAP. He said Delhi Police had arrested 13 AAP legislators in the national capital so far on various charges.

Meanwhile, AAP legislator Gulab Singh reached a police station here to offer himself for arrest.

Kejriwal is due to address an AAP rally in Surat along with party leader Kumar Vishwas.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi with his Bhutanese counterpart Tshering Tobgay.

New Delhi, Oct 16: Prime Minister Narendra Modi held bilateral talks with his Bhutanese counterpart Tshering Tobgay ahead of the BRICSBimstec Outreach Summit with the focus on strengthening the “deep bond” between the countries.

"Always a delight meeting you PM @tsheringtobgay. Glad to have discussed the full spectrum of India-Bhutan ties during our talks," Modi stated in a tweet.

“More opportunities to strengthen a deep bond with Bhutan. PM @narendramodi meets PM @tsheringtobgay before start of #BRICS events,” Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Vikas Swarup

tweeted.

The meeting took place on the sidelines of the 8th BRICS Summit in Goa. PM Modi also met Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena which was his first engagement for the day.

As host of this year's BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) Summit, India, as is the practice, can invite neighbouring countries to join in for an outreach summit.

Following last month's cross-border terror attack on an Indian Army camp at Uri in Jammu and Kashmir that claimed the lives of 19 Indian soldiers, India chose to invite countries belonging to the Bimstec grouping over those of Saarc.

PTI New Delhi, Oct 16: The widening rift in Mulayam Singh Yadav's family will cost the ruling Samajwadi Party dearly in the upcoming assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh and some of its senior leaders are in touch with Congress to join it, Congress Chief Ministerial candidate Sheila Dikshit said on Sunday.

Dikshit, a three-time Chief Minister of Delhi, said the cracks in SP will benefit Congress as those unhappy with goings on in that party do not have much choice but to come to Congress' fold.

Confident of an impressive performance by Congress in the Assembly polls in the politically crucial state where the party has been out of power for 27 years, she said some of the SP MLAs and mid-level leaders were also in touch with Congress.

"There are a lot people wanting to come to the Congress, certainly because they cannot go to BJP or BSP," she said in an interview.

Asked whether some senior leaders of SP are in touch with the Congress, 78-yearold Dikshit said they are a

Congress Chief Ministerial candidate Sheila Dikshit mixture of senior, mid-level and local leaders.

"Those who are disappointed with the reputation that SP has picked up are definitely looking for alternative and the alternative is Congress," she said adding "a lot" of SP MLAs are also trying to get in touch with Congress.

"Many of them are in touch already. Openly they are not doing it now," she said.

The SP has been grappling with internal rift mainly due to differences between party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav's brother Shivpal Yadav and his son, Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav. The elections in the state are due early next year.

Amid the feud, Mulayam on Friday had said the SP's

Uddhav to visit Modi's constituency Varanasi

CPI-M seeks Modi's intervention for peace in Kannur IANS Kannur, Oct 16: The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) in Kerala on Sunday requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi's intervention for peace in the Kannur district.

"The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) is being guided by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Amit Shah and hence Prime Minister Modi has to intervene to bring an end to the violence in the district," said state CPI-M Secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan.

Interacting with the media here, Balakrishnan said Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan was willing to call a peace meeting, if the RSS requested for it.

Since the Vijayan gov-

ernment assumed office in May, seven murders have taken place in this district -- of four BJP activists and three CPI-M workers.

Last week alone, two killings took place.

"Vijayan is the Chief Minister of the state and it is he who has the authority and powers and should take the lead calling for a meeting that could bring about peace in the district," said senior BJP leader M.T. Ramesh.

"We have time and again said that we will certainly do our role if such talks are initiated," he told reporters, reacting to Balakrishnan's statement.

Meanwhile, Loknath Behra, Kerala Police chief, said that investigations into the killings and violence are going on.

chief ministerial candidate will be decided by party legislators after the 2017 assembly elections, if the party manages to form government again. The announcement is seen as a setback to Akhilesh who was recently removed as president of SP's state president.

"Of course it (rift in SP) will help. It will be harmful for them because it is the party in power. All the scandals and differences are not going to help them," said Dikshit.

About Congress' preparations for the polls, the veteran Congress leader said the party has been revived to a great extent across the state and people's expectations from it have now grown significantly.

Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray PTI New Delhi, Oct 16: His ties with saffron ally BJP under strain, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray will visit Prime Minister Narendra Modi's constituency Varanasi soon, amid clear indications that the party would contest next year's assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh.

Though Uddhav will visit the holy city apparently to perform Ganga Aarti, the move is being seen as an attempt at testing the political waters in the key Hindi heartland state before taking the electoral plunge.

Sena leader Sanjay Raut confirmed Uddhav will visit Varanasi but did not disclose when.

According to sources in the party, the second largest NDA constituent after BJP, it plans to contest around 200 out of the 403 seats in the state, a move which could adversely affect BJP's prospects in the election in which it is likely to try and exploit to the hilt patriotic sentiments in the aftermath of the cross-LoC surgical strikes.

Significantly, Congress chief Sonia Gandhi too had launched her party's campaign from Varanasi by staging a massive road show on August two.

Raut, a Rajya Sabha MP, who looks after Shiv Sena's affairs in the state, told PTI that leaders from all the major parties includng BJP, BSP, SP and

Congress were in touch with the party which is taking "keen interest" in the elections this time.

Raut dismissed suggestions that Shiv Sena was focusing on Uttar Pradesh as a tit-fortat after local BJP leaders in Mumbai threatened to go it alone in the Municipal elections in the megapolis.

Shiv Sena has been controlling the resource-rich Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) since long with BJP support.

"Should the Sena not expand its base?" Raut retorted when asked whether or not his party's plans could upset BJP's applecart in the crucial cow belt state. BJP and Shiv Sena share power both at the Centre and in Maharashtra.

He said if BJP felt that way, it should align with his party.

The Sena, he said, also planned to join hands in Goa with rebel RSS leader Subhash Velingkar, whose party Goa Suraksha Manch has decided to take on the BJP in the next elections. Assembly polls in Goa are also scheduled next year.

The Sena, sources in the party said, plans to contest around 20 of the 40 seats in Goa, test political waters in Modi's home state Gujarat in the assembly polls, and field candidates in Delhi civic elections. Goa is ruled by the BJP, which also controls Municipal Corporations in Delhi.

WOMEN How to grow carrots

DIBRUGARH, MONDAY, OCTOBER 17

rots then a final spacing of 5cm will be sufficient.

Caring for your carrots Watering should be kept to a minimum once seedlings have emerged - only water when the soil is dry. Make sure your carrot plants are kept weed-free to reduce competition for light, nutrients and water. If the shoulders of your carrots poke through the soil then they can be earthed up slightly to prevent them turning green.

Carrots are an easy and rewarding crop to grow, great for encouraging children to eat their vegetables! With so many varieties of this popular vegetable available, carrots can be grown in beds, containers and even window boxes making them suitable for gardens of any size. The taste of a homegrown carrot is far superior to supermarket produce - try growing your own carrots and see for yourself!

When to grow carrots Carrots are normally sown outdoors between March and July and harvested throughout the summer and autumn. Early varieties such as ‘Nantes 2’ can be sown as early as February under cloches or in greenhouse borders. Growing carrots under cloches helps warm the soil and speeds up germination, which is particularly useful if you live in cold regions or want to make an early start.

Where to grow carrots Carrots grow best in light,

Cabbage is a coolweather crop. Start seeds indoors 4 to 6 weeks before the last frost in spring. Sow seed outdoors when the soil can be worked in spring.

Place transplants in the garden when they are 3 to 4 inches tall as early as 3 to 4 weeks before the last frost in spring. In mildwinter regions, start seed in late summer for a winter or spring harvest.

Description. Cabbage is a hardy biennial grown as a cool-weather annual that can tolerate frost but not heat. Cabbage grows an enlarged terminal bud of broad, overlapping leaves called a head atop a short, stubby stem.

Heads can be round, flat, or pointed. Leaves can be smooth or crinkled in shades of green or reddish-purple and the head can be round, flat or pointed. Cabbage varieties can come to harvest early in the season, midseason, or late season.

Exposed to severe frost, too little moisture, or too much heat cabbage will not form a head but instead bolt and go directly to seed. Cabbage heads– which are mostly water– will expand and split if the weather grows too warm as the heads take up water more quickly than the moisture can transpire from tightly wrapped leaves.

fertile soil in a sunny position. Heavy or stony soils can cause stunted or forked carrots. If you have clay soil , try growing varieties such as ‘Parmex’ and ‘Carson’, which have short roots, or alternatively grow your carrots in containers (see below for more information about how to grow carrots in containers). For the best crops add plenty of organic matter to your soil before growing. Carrots dislike freshly manured soil so seed beds are best prepared in the autumn before sowing. You can also grow carrots in a greenhouse throughout the winter for a spring crop.

Carrots are unsuitable for growing in a greenhouse during the spring and summer months as they prefer cool conditions.

How to sow carrots Before sowing carrots, remove any weeds and dig your soil to a fine tilth, breaking up any large lumps. Make drills in the soil with a trowel or by laying an old broom handle or bamboo cane across the ground and gently pushing

soil rich in organic matter that is well-drained.

Cabbage grows best where the soil pH is between 6.5 and 7.5. Add plenty of well-aged compost to planting beds before planting. In regions where the soil is sandy or where there is heavy rain, supplement the soil with nitrogen.

Planting time. Cabbage grows best in regions where there is a long, cool growing season with tem-

peratures between 45° and 75°F. Cabbage can tolerate frost and briefly temperatures as low as 20°F. Cabbage will bolt and go to seed in temperatures greater than 80°F. Start seeds indoors 4 to 6 weeks before the last frost in spring. Sow seed outdoors when the soil can be worked in spring. Place transplants in the garden when they are 3 to 4 Yield. Plant 4 to 8 inches tall as early as 3 to plants for each house- 4 weeks before the last hold member. frost in spring. In coolsummer regions, plant Site. Grow cabbage in cabbage in late spring for

down. Aim for a depth of 1cm (½in), leaving about 30cm (12in) between each drill. Sprinkle your carrot seed thinly along the drill sowing too thickly will make the seedlings difficult to thin out later on! Gently draw soil from the edges of the drill back over your seeds so they are well covered. Water the area well with a fine-rose watering can to minimise seed disturbance. Keep the soil moist until germination, which should take about 10-20 days.

Thinning carrots Once your carrot seedlings are large enough to handle they will need thinning out to allow each carrot room to grow properly. This is best done in stages so that you have spare seedlings should slugs attack! For the first thinning aim to leave one seedling every 2-4cm, pulling out any in-between.

About four weeks later you can further thin your carrots to a final spacing of 10cm (4in) - the thinnings taste delicious in salads. If you’re growing finger or baby car-

Growing carrots in containers Carrots are just as happy growing in containers as they are in the ground - ideal for patios and balconies! It’s best to choose a container at least 20cm (8in) deep to allow the roots to grow.

Choose small or early varieties of carrot such as‘Parmex’, ‘Mini Finger', ‘Mokum’ or Chantenay types such as ‘Supreme Chantenay Red Cored’. Any compost can be used when growing carrots on the patio, including multi-purpose and soil-based composts (John Innes). You’ll need to feed your carrots throughout the season to ensure good growth - a balanced liquid feed can be used every two weeks or alternatively use a slow-release fertiliser. Make sure the compost doesn’t dry out, especially during hot weather. It is possible to try growing carrots indoors but this is not normally recommended. Carrots are a cool season crop, preferring low outdoor temperatures and high natural light levels in order to flourish.

Harvest Early varieties such as ‘Nantes 2’ can be harvested from 9 weeks after sowing and maincrop varieties such as ‘Autumn King 2’ can be harvested from 11 weeks.

These times may vary according to the growing conditions so it’s worth pulling a few ‘test’ carrots to see how they’re doing! Carrots can be stored for up to four months if placed in boxes of

How to Grow Cabbage a fall harvest. In mildwinter regions, start seed in late summer for a winter or spring harvest. Cabbage comes to harvest in 80 to 180 days from seed and in 60 to 105 days

from transplants depending upon the variety.

Planting and spacing.

Sow cabbage seeds ½ inch deep spaced 1 inch apart; thin plants to 18 to 24 inches apart. Transplant cabbage to the garden when plants are 4 to 6 weeks old with 4 to 5 true leaves. Set leggy or crooked stemmed plants deeply, up to their first true leaves. Space seedlings 18 to 24 inches apart in rows 24 to 36 inches apart. Plant succession crops every two weeks or

plant seeds and transplant at the same time or plant early and midseason varieties at the same time so that they come to harvest at different times.

Water and feeding. Cabbage requires regular, even watering. Uneven watering can result in stunted or cracked heads.

As plants reach maturity, cut back on watering to avoid splitting heads. Fertilize cabbage when plants are established with a high nitrogen fertilizer such as 10-3-3.

Companion plants.

Beets, celery, fragrant herbs, onions, potatoes.

Avoid pole beans, strawberries, tomatoes.

PAGE 11

slightly damp sand and kept in a cool, dry and frost-free place. Maincrop varieties such as ‘Bangor’ are better for storing than small early varieties.

Carrot fly Unfortunately carrot fly are a common pest which can quickly spoil your crop. The larvae of these flies burrow into the carrots leaving brown tunnels as they go. If badly infested, the carrots can become susceptible to rots and are often inedible.

Some chemical sprays are effective against the adult fly, but there are no chemicals approved for use by the amateur gardener against the damaging larval stage.

However, there are a few cultural practices that can help: Ø Use resistant varieties of carrot such as ‘Flyaway’ or ‘Resistafly’. For the best results grow these alongside non-resistant varieties - the carrot fly will be attracted to the non-resistant varieties, leaving the resistant varieties clean Ø Sow seed very thinly to prevent the need for thinning out at a later stage. Female carrot flies are attracted by the smell of freshly pulled carrots and crushed foliage. Ø Thin your carrots in the evening when the flies are less active. Dispose of the thinnings quickly to prevent the carrot scent lingering. Ø Surround crops with a barrier at least 60cm high, using fleece or clear plastic sheeting. Carrot fly are reportedly weak fliers and will be unable to penetrate the barrier. Alternatively cover the whole crop with horticultural fleece orEnviromesh, pegging down the edges securely with anchor pegs Ø Practise crop rotation.

Carrot fly can over-winter as pupae in the soil, reemerging to infect your young crop in the spring.

Care. Cabbage heads will split when they grow too fast and take up too much water. To prevent this damage, twist heads a quarter turn to separate some roots and interrupt water uptake a week in advance of harvest. If heads are small at harvest, add nitrogen to the soil next season and plant earlier.

Diseases. Yellow virus, clubroot fungus, and black rot may infect cabbage. Black rot, also called black leg, can survive in the soil for up to 3 years. To avoid disease this disease, rotate crops on a three-year cycle and purchase only seeds that have been hot water treated. Remove and destroy diseased plants immediately.

Harvest. Cabbage will be ready for harvest in 80 to 180 days from seed depending on the variety or in 60 to 105 days from transplants. Cut cabbage when heads are firm and the base of the head is 4 to 10 inches across. Harvest before the weather becomes too warm. Cut heads leaving out leaves behind attached to the stem. Small heads will grow from the stalks for later harvest.

Storing and preserving. Cabbage will keep in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 weeks or longer. Cabbage also can be dried and frozen or cured in brine as sauerkraut. Cabbage seeds can be sprouted.

All About Growing Beans There's a lot to take into account when growing beans — what type to plant, when to plant, how to plant, pest control, and harvesting and storage — and we've compiled it all right here.

Dependable and easy to cultivate, beans produce rewarding crops in a wide range of climates.

Growing beans during the warm summer months may produce crisp green pods, protein-rich beans, or both, depending on variety.

lunatus) stand up to humid heat and heavy insect pressure, which makes them a fine bean for warm climates.

Growth period: 75 days bush, 85 days pole.

Yard-long beans, or asparagus beans (Vigna sesquipedalis), are grown for their long, slender pods, which are harvested at 12 to 18 inches long. Pods may be green, burgundy, or streaked. Growth period: 80 days.

Tepary beans (Phaseolus acutifolius), a type of dry

plantings at three-week intervals until midsummer.

How to Plant Beans Prepare the planting bed by using a garden fork to loosen the soil. Mix in a 1-inch layer of mature compost. Plant seeds 1 inch deep and 2 to 4 inches apart. Thin bush beans to 4 inches apart; thin pole beans to 6 inches apart. Wide double rows (two parallel rows of beans planted 12 to 14 inches apart) are the most space-efficient way to grow beans.

Bean Types to Try Snap beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) — the most popular garden beans — include bush and pole varieties, which vary in shape, size, and color.

Tender filet beans are a type of green snap bean with stringless, slender, delicate pods. They are grown just like other snap beans. Growth period: 50-55 days bush, 50-67 days pole.

Dry soup beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) grow like snap beans, but the immature pods stay tender for only a few days as the plants hurry to produce mature seeds.

They are very easy to dry. Growth period: 55 days green, 85 days dry.

Scarlet runner beans (Phaseolus coccineus) produce showy clusters of red blossoms that attract hummingbirds and bumblebees. You can eat the young pods like snap beans, or let the pods dry and harvest the mature beans. Growth period: 60 days green, 90 days dry.

bean, were developed by the native people of the Southwest, so they’re well-adapted to desert conditions. They come in various colors.

When to Plant Beans

Bean seeds germinate best when soil temperatures range between 60 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. In spring, sow seeds in fertile, well-worked soil starting on or after your last frost date.

When growing fast-maturing bush snap beans, Lima beans (Phaseolus make additional

Harvesting and Storing Beans Harvest green beans when they are young and tender, and use two hands when picking to keep from breaking the brittle plants. Most bush beans will produce a second or third flush of beans after the first one is picked. Harvest pole beans at least twice a week to keep the plants productive. The mature beans of all snap bean varieties usually make good soup beans.

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DIBRUGARH, MONDAY, OCTOBER 17

PAGE 12 RANJI TROPHY Easwaran shines brightly as Bengal start with 3 points vs UP PTI Jaipur, Oct 16 : Young Abhimanyu Easwaran scored his second century of the match as Bengal logged home three points against Uttar Pradesh by virtue of their first innings lead in a drawn Ranji Trophy group league encounter, here today.

After securing a vital 56-run first innings lead, Bengal employed a safety-first approach declaring at 274 for six in 76 overs leaving UP with an improbable target of 331.

The two captains shook hands when UP scored 70 for no loss in 20 overs. UP got a point from the game.

Just like the first day, the final day also belonged righthanded opener Easwaran carried his bat through the innings with an unbeaten 110 following his 142 in the first innings.

This was his third first-class hundred and batted for a period of more five and quarter hours, facing 209 balls. There were 11 boundaries in his innings.

He added 115 for the first wicket with left-hander Sayan Sekhar Mondal (51), who is enjoying his new role, hitting his fourth half-century in his 13th first-class match.

He also added 145 runs for the fifth wicket with Shreevats Goswami, who raced his way to a 91-ball100, punishing a jaded UP attack with 17 boundaries and a six. This is Goswami's second hundred in 31 games.

There was a mini-collapse in the Bengal second innings triggered by Kuldeep Yadav (4/107) as UP were reduced to 115 for no loss to 129 for five.

However Shreevats showed his attacking instincts as Easwaran again held anchore at one end to ensure safety for Bengal.

Brief Scores: Bengal 466 and 274/6 decl (Abhimanyu Easwaran 110 no, Shreevats Goswami 100 no, Sayan Sekhar Mondal 51, Kuldeep Yadav 4/107) Uttar Pradesh 410 & 70/0.

Match Drawn.

Points: Bengal 3; Uttar Pradesh 1.

Atletico de Kolkata and FC Goa share points as match ends 1-1: As it happened Kolkata, Oct 16 : The match turned put to be much closer than expected. Atletico de Kolkata took the early lead with a brilliant volley from Doutie. The first half was then all about Goa trying to work out something and failing and Kolkata wasting opportunities to go even further up.

Those misses looked even costlier when they were reduced to 10 men with Stephen Pearson getting a red card. FC Goa could not take advantage of the situation and ended up going one man down themselves when Sanjay Balmuchu was sent off. But they could provoke a penalty with the referee deciding to penalise Kolkata skipper Borja Fernandez inside the box.

Joffre stepped up to take the spot kick and made no mistake with it. In the end, the two teams had to settle for a point each.

Atletico de Kolkata are unlikely to let go of the chance to compound the woes of their fierce rivals as they take on FC Goa in a fourth round encounter of the Hero Indian Super League at Rabindra Sarobar Stadium, Kolkata, on Sunday.

Atletico de Kolkata are chugging along nicely in the Hero ISL with five points in their first three matches but their rivals from Goa are at the bot-

Atletico de Kolkata took an early lead against FC Goa. tom of the table, unable to win in three attempts. Goa’s start this year has been the worst in three years and Atletico de Kolkata, who enjoy an unbeaten record against FC Goa in previous six matches, will try to capitalise on both their form and psychology advantage, to add to their points tally.

“I am sure it will be a tough match,” Atletico de Kolkata chief coach Jose Molina warned during the pre-match media briefing, knowing well Goa will do everything in their capacity to get points on board.

“FC Goa have not won as yet and they will fight to register a win. It’s not a problem for

us. I am confident on my players, but at the same time I don’t want to be over confident. We are playing at home and we have to try to win. All of us, which includes me and the players, will give our best to win,” said the Spanish coach.

Atletico de Kolkata though unbeaten till now, has two draw and only one win in their kitty.

The inaugural year champions shared the spoils with Chennaiyin FC in the opening match at their new home ground Rabindra Sarobar on 2nd Oct, then pocketed all points from Kerala Blasters and drew against Mumbai City FC in their last match.

FC Goa, on the otherhand, have had the worst start to their cam-

paign in the ISL, losing against NorthEast United FC, FC Pune City and defending champions Chennaiyin FC. Chief coach Zico, knows from past experience in the ISL that all is still not lost for his club and the players.

“If we win two games we will be at par with ATK. So nothing is lost yet. In this tournament it does not matter if you finish first or fourth. What matters is making the play-offs.

We are focussed on that. ATK are a nice side and we will do our best to neutralise their power,” said Zico.

The FC Goa line-up has not had a settled look and chief Zico will have to make quite a few big decisions. The choice of a goalkeeper will be uppermost on his mind as Laxmikant Kattimani has not been as impressive as last season in the first three matches and Subhasish Roy Choudhury is struggling with his fitness.

Sukhadev Patil is the third goalkeeper, signed as part of Goa’s developmental player quota, and it remains to be seen if Zico is willing to consider him.

“All the matches that we have to play are tough games. We must have the strength to rectify the situation, especially against Atletico de Kolkata which is a strong team,” said Zico.

La Liga: Zidane delighted with Real intensity after thrashing Real Betis ET Bureau Barcelona, 16 Oct: Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane praised his side’s attitude after they put a four-game winless run behind them by thrashing Real Betis 6-1 in a relentless display away from home on Saturday.

Real were missing captain Sergio Ramos and influential midfielders Luka Modric, Casemiro and James Rodriguez but raced into the lead in the fourth minute when Raphael Varane nodded in Toni Kroos’s cross from a freekick.

“The players are talented and intelligent, and they knew they had to begin the game in the way they did. When we play with that intensity from the start it’s very difficult for our opponents,” Zidane told

Real Madrid's French coach Zinedine Zidane during the La Liga match against Real Betis. a news conference.

“Now we have to remain consistent and this game was a great display, a reference point. It’s not easy to play

like this away from home.”

German international Kroos, who signed a new contract with the club until 2022 on Wednesday, compensated for the absence of his usual midfield partners with a powerful display and also teed up Karim Benzema for Real’s second.

Spain international Isco made the most of the opportunity his side’s injury crisis afforded him by scoring Real’s fourth and fifth goals either side of the break.

First he finished off a frenetic counter attack, tapping Pepe’s pass into the net after an arrowed cross from Cristiano Ronaldo, and just after the hour mark he sent a majestic curled effort into the far top corner.

“He played very well and I’m very happy with his goals and his overall work. I’m delighted

with his display,” added Zidane.

“When you love football and you see your team score a goal like our fourth, with very few touches and with the speed of the transition, you just want to watch it again and enjoy it, and that’s what I’m going to do.”

Leftback Marcelo got on the scoresheet to mark his return from three weeks out through injury, and talisman Ronaldo grabbed the final goal to round off a happy night for Real after a difficult month.

“I’m very happy, after four draws we needed a display like this,” added Zidane.

“I’m happy that Cristiano scored. I don’t think he was anxious, he just always wants to score and that’s normal. The important thing is that he transmits important energy to the rest of the team.”

Kabaddi World Cup 2016

Analysis: India’s key players finding form biggest positive as hosts trounce Argentina Landslide victories haven't been strangers to the 2016 Kabaddi World Cup, but India's 54-point win over Argentina was still quite the exception. The biggest margin of victory in the tournament, was also one where the most tackle points were scored by a team.

The tally of 24 tackle points is impressive, but the ruthlessness with which the hosts disposed off the Argentine raiders on Saturday was quite significant.

It started from the first minute.

Surjeet, India's cover defender who rose to prominence in the two latest editions of the Pro Kabaddi League, had a low key World Cup till he tackled Argentina's Mariano Pascual.

A strong block halted Pascual's attempted retreat at the very spot of the tackle and the man from the Services set the tone for himself and his team.

Within no time Argentina suffered an all-out and Surjeet had racked up five points in his first five tackles. That was perhaps the quickest high five in the competition and the Argentine raiders had their nerves jiggling. The 26-year-old hadn't fired all cylinders before Saturday and it was only through the Manjeet Chhillar that India were consistently getting points from it's cover defenders. Surjeet had shown glimpses of mirroring Manjeet's performance in the

Key men of the Indian team found form during their 74-20 win over Argentina previous matches, but only managed to do so successfully against Argentina.

An in-form Manjeet-Surjeet combination in the cover positions could be crucial for India with the corner defenders still not able to score points in a heap.

Talking of the corners, Sandeep Narwal and Dharmaraj Cheralathan scored just two tackle points out of the 24 that India scored. However Surender Nada, who came in place of Cheralathan in the second half, notched up seven tackle points alone. This performance followed a high five in his last appearance. It

would be very tough for coach Balwant Singh to look beyond Surender for the next match against England. His ability to produce lethal ankle-holds coupled with excellent form would give India the necessary bite required at the left corner position.

However, the star of the home side's World Cup campaign so far has been Ajay Thakur. The Himachal Pradesh raider's quality and pedigree was undoubted, but his recent form meant there were a few raised eyebrows when the 30-yearold was selected in the final squad. But Thakur has rolled back the years and repaid his

coach's faith in style. He is now the World Cup's third most successful raider with 30 raid points and India's most potent weapon in the raiding department.

Gifted with a long reach, Thakur has an advantage that he's used to great effect, but it's the raider's sharp turns, quick changes in directions and swift retreats that have turned him into an almost unplayable raider. He looks like the Ajay Thakur of old and kabaddi fans from yesteryear will tell you how fatal it could prove to be for India's future opponents.

The Argentina game also saw the return of the poster boy, Rahul Chaudhari. Coming into the tournament as India's chief raider, after a sluggish performance against South Korea he was forced to make way for Pardeep Narwal. But with Pardeep having bit of an off day on Saturday, Rahul got a chance and grabbed it with both hands. After replacing Thakur in the second half, Rahul was unstoppable. He raided points away from the Argentines at will and bagged a super ten within no time.

Ending the game with 11 raid points seemed much more like Rahul Chaudhari, but it was the ease with which he scored them that was of particular significance for the Anup Kumar-led outfit. Fans of

Rahul Chaudhari will tell you that when he's on song, empty raids go out of the game. The 23-year-old tries to score points in every raid irrespective of how the game is poised and that's how he enjoys his game. Against Argentina, Rahul was raiding with a smile on his face and that could be enough to drive the smiles away from the faces of England and Iran, who will be India's most immediate opponents.

Meraj Sheykh, Iran's captain who spent three seasons with Rahul at the Telugu Titans would know best the dangers an in-form Rahul Chaudhari poses.

But for coach Balwant Singh it was yet another box ticked, yet another key man back in form and yet another step towards assembling a ruthlessly efficient winning machine that could take the world by storm come the semifinals.

India have become better with every passing game since being shocked by South Korea and have learnt to take every game seriously. With all the complacency thrown out of the window after the opening day upset, the defending champions handed Argentina a kabaddi lesson that was watched on by their potential semifinal opponents Iran who could be pardoned for feeling a bit nervous, if not a tad scared.

Virat Kohli plays a shot against New Zealand

Virat Kohli guides India to a 6wicket win over New Zealand Dharamsala, 16 Oct:Bowlers set up India's comprehensive six-wicket win over New Zealand in the first one-day international as batting mainstay Virat Kohli anchored the hosts' chase in the low-scoring encounter in Dharamsala on Sunday. This was supposed to be the start of a different ball game but New Zealand's top-order, with the exception of an unfussy halfcentury from Tom Latham, came a cropper once again as India's seamers, led by an inspiring performance on debut

by Hardik Pandya (3 for 31), bowled the the visitors out for 190 on what was a sprightly at times, two-paced otherwise, wicket at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Stadium in Dharamsala. Virat Kohli then stroked his way to an unbeaten 85 to help the hosts chase the total down in a canter, with over 16 overs and six wickets to spare, thus giving India an early 1-0 lead in the five-match One-Day International series.

Once India had reduced New Zealand to a sub-200 total, chasing was never going to be too much of an issue, what with the dew settling in the evening. But Ajinkya Rahane and Rohit Sharma made quick ground in the early overs, ensuring that they were never behind the eight-ball even in a low-scoring chase. Rahane, after an initial bat mishap, countered the short-ball strategy with a succession of pull shots as any hopes of a New Zealand fight withered away. Twenty four of his first 26 runs came in boundaries and India had raced away to 37 after six overs.

Rohit went into a shell after some initial bravado of his own and that proved to be his undoing. Doug Bracewell trapped him in front of the stumps following a missed heave. When Rahane departed a couple of overs later, India were not clear of the woods.

But the nature of scoring had given the middle-order a wide margin for error. Not that they needed any, with Kohli around. There are very few botched chases in his limitedovers CV. Fresh off a Test match double hundred, Kohli hardly put a foot wrong as he set about orchestrating the chase. A single here, a double there and the required target was reduced to double figures. Pandey fell after a 40-run stand, flick-pulling an innocuous delivery from Ish Sodhi straight to short mid-wicket. All along, at the other end, the ball continued to display suspicious levels of obsession with the middle of Kohli's bat. Cover drives oozed off his bat and large chunks of the target kept getting removed.

It was the seamers' bowling discipline that had shackled the New Zealand innings on a surface that offered significant pace and carry. Both Pandya and Umesh prospered by bowling the teasing off-stump channel. The 23-year-old Pandya got the early breakthrough before even half the fans had found their seats in the stadium.

New Zealand didn't help their case as loose shots arrived in generous amounts to leave them tottering at 65 for 7.

Kedar Jadhav was brought in to bowl his part-time off-spinners ahead of both Amit Mishra and Axar Patel. He had a huge LBW should off James Neesham turned down in his first over but had his man in the next with a simple caught and bowled. Mitchell Santner was another first-baller and suddenly Dhoni's punt was on a hat-trick. Doug Bracewell played the hat-trick ball out and then proceeded to bring much-needed calm to the innings, which appeared to be playing on fast-forward mode.

Bracewell added 41 for the

Brief Scores: New Zealand 190 in 43.5 overs (Tom Latham 79*, Tim Southee 55; Hardik Pandya 3-31, Amit Mishra 3-49) lost to India 194/4 in 33.1 overs (Virat Kohli 85*, Ajinjya Rahane 33; Doug Bracewell 1-44) by six wickets

India lead the fivematch series 1-0.

Hardik Pandya is the Man of the Match for his spell of 3/31 eighth wicket with Latham, who had remained untroubled all along the procession. The left-hander had no difficulties negotiating either Patel or Mishra as the scoreboard eventually began to tick along.

The crowd, eager for a contest, cheered on vociferously for the first time post the second drinks interval as Southee clubbed successive boundaries off the unfortunate Jaspirt Bumrah. He continued to make merry by stepping out to both the frontline spinners and hitting them over their heads for sixes. Umesh came back for another spell but was handed a similar treatment. Southee had raced to a 40-ball halfcentury and along with a steady Latham for company, pushed New Zealand's total past 170. Greed ended the 71-run association as in an attempt to launch another Mishra delivery, Southee miscued his shot and was caught at cover.

Mishra finished off with three wickets of his own with the dismissal of No. 11 Ish Sodhi with Latham left stranded after a stunning show of restraint and discipline.

Murray wins Shanghai Masters, closes in on Djokovic’s No. 1 ranking

Murray won seven points in a row in the first set tiebreaker and broke Bautista three times in the second set. (AFP) ET Bureau Sanghai, 16 Oct: Andy Murray demolished Roberto Bautista 7-6 (1), 6-1 on Sunday as he won the Shanghai Masters without dropping a set and cut down the rankings gap on world number one Novak Djokovic.

The Wimbledon and Olympic champion won seven points in a row in the first-set tiebreaker and broke Bautista three times in the second set to lift his third

Shanghai title.

Second-ranked Murray has now won 20 straight sets in a 10-match winning streak, marching to back-to-back titles in China including last week’s China Open victory in Beijing.

Murray also cuts the gap on Djokovic, who was shocked by Spain’s Bautista in the semis, to 915 points as he zeroes in on the Serb’s top ranking.

“The last few months I’ve played very well in all of the

tournaments and obviously I’m happy to be back in the final again here,” the 2010 and 2011 winner told the crowd.

Murray’s first serve of the match was a thumping ace and he took a grip on the first set at 3-3 when Bautista netted a backhand to lose the first break point of the match.

But Murray, serving at 5-4, lost three set points and got in a tangle on a drop shot to hand Bautista his first break point, which he converted with a strong forehand.

The Briton slammed three consecutive aces for 6-6 and he dominated the tiebreak, winning seven points in a row and taking the set with a sizzling backhand return.

A string of Bautista errors put Murray a break up at the start of set two, but to his obvious frustration he gave it straight back with a miscued forehand.

But Bautista twice double faulted to go a break down before handing over yet another break, making victory a formality for Murray who buried his first championship point.

With his 41st tournament victory and sixth this year, Murray joins Stefan Edberg in joint 15th place on the list of Open-era title winners.

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