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ASSENG/2015/64205

Vol. II

PAGE 12

Issue 85

Dibrugarh, Saturday, October 8, 2016

First Binga Ete Memorial Football Tournament underway

Online registrations on for recruitment in Indian Army Aalo, 7 Oct: The online registrations for enrollment in Indian Army at Bogdo Battalion of 1 Bihar Regiment are on, and all eligible candidates are to turn up for registration for the Army Recruitment Rally to be held from December 1 to 6 next.

The eligibility criteria and essential documents are as per advertisements issued in newspapers earlier. These documents can also be obtained from the DC Office in Aalo during all working hours. (DIPRO)

Storm causes huge damage to Boleng Boleng, Oct 7: Boleng ADC T Mize has informed that a powerful storm occurred at Boleng on the evening of October 3 last at about 6 pm, in which several public and private properties were damaged, including agricultural and horticultural gardens.

School buildings of Government UPS Rengo (Boleng), Gandhi village (Boleng) and KGBV Boleng are also reported to be severely damaged.

Suspension bridge over the mighty Siang River, which is the only lifeline of Mopit villagers was also damaged.

Restoration work is underway and loss assessment is being conducted (DIPRO)

Railways proposing to roll out ‘Kaziranga Express’ for Assam Guwahati, Oct 7: There is a good news for those who are charmed by the northeast and want to explore its rich wildlife: The Ministry of Railways is working on a proposal to roll out a ‘Kaziranga Express’ for Assam.

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PAGE 10

WHAT DOES SPORT MEAN TO US

MEN: STOP MAKING THESE SAME DAMN 5 MISTAKES IN BED, PLEASE

Page - 6

Page - 9

Page - 4

ET CAPSULES

Price -

Consistent efforts from CM Khandu to make AAPSU dissolved, State Medical college operational this session election after 46 days ET Bureau Itanagar, Oct 7

Union Health & Family Welfare Minister J P Nadda issued strict instructions to Hospital Services Consultancy Corporation Limited (HSCC) to complete the validation process of DPR within 15 days by drawing members from CPWD and State PWD so that the 500 bed hospital project at Naharlagun doesn’t suffer. His directives came when Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu called on him here this afternoon.

CM informed the minister

MEDICAL GROWTH IN ARUNACHAL

Union Health & Family Welfare Minister J P Nadda issued strict instructions to (HSCC) to complete the validation process of DPR within 15 days so that Tomo Riba Institute of Health and Medical Science project can be quickened.

CM requested the Ministry to consider for infrastructure development for the 5 district hospitals which have been up-graded to Zonal General Hospitals.

Requested to the Ministry to direct the Nursing Council of India to recognize Nursing College and schools of the state

that the state is committed to start the academic session of Tomo Riba Institute of Health and Medical Science during 2017-18, as the people of Arunachal Pradesh are eyeing the institute as a status of pride.

CM requested union minister’s intervention for relaxation of MCI norms for recruitment of faculties so as to enable the state government to man the faculty posts, as far as feasible, with the present specialist doctors working in Arunachal Pradesh Govt.

Coming in fresh from his selection as the chairman of Conference Committee of the XXVth General Conferencecum-Election of All Arunachal Pradesh Students’ Union (AAPSU), Suraj Tayam strongly cautioned against indulgence in donations/ contribution in cash or kinds by any individual/group in the name of AAPSU.

Contd. on Page 2

Addressing the media persons at Arunachal Press Club today, the chairman of the

A Staff Reporter Itanagar, Oct 7

AAPSU Conference Committee, Tayam reiterated that, with the exception of the President Kamta Lapung and the general secretary Biru Nasi, all the former executive members of the AAPSU stands dissolved.

Also, informing that the AAPSU caretaker president and GS has constituted a new Conference Committee with Tayam himself as the chairman and Techi Doni as the vice chairman, he while reiterating the non-entertainment of any sort of donations or contributions in the name of

AAPSU, appealed all to bring up any such cases with any of the above mentioned AAPSU authorities or the law enforcing agencies.

Further, informing that the new Conference Committee members have been given only about 46 days time to oversee the matters of AAPSU conference-cum-election, Tayam also appealed on all the probable candidates of the upcoming AAPSU election to strictly abide by its norms and also maintain proper law and order in the run-up to the election.

IGG College of Tezu to Arunachal Boy, Taba to represent Jorhat Session get NAAC accreditation India in weightlifting championship Court rejects bail plea of Oil Official A Staff Reporter Itanagar, Oct 7

NAAC team during 3 days visit at Indra Gandhi Govt. College

Bishnu Rana Tezu, Oct 7 The National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) has visited for three days at Indra Gandhi Govt.

College to assess and accredit the college.

The Team comprises of Vice Chancellor & Professor Prithvish Nag Mahatma Gandhi Kashi Vidyapith Varanasi, Professor N Panchannatham Head Dept of Business Administration

Annamalai University Tamil Nadu and Dr Amrit Kumar Gogoi Principal Duliajan College Assam respectively made extensive studies and assessed the college for its accreditation.

The Indian Weightlifting Federation has chosen Kojum Taba (85 Kg body weight) for the Asian Weightlifting Championship and the Commonwealth Weightlifting Championship after his excellent performances during the selection trial conducted at the Sports Authority of India’s Netaji Subash National Institute of Sports, Patiala, recently.

They were given warm welcome by Dr T Taloh Principal and his team of Faculties on 6th Oct. The student in their traditional apparel performed dance in the welcome ceremony of the guests.

The commonwealth weightlifting championship of junior and senior for both men and women will be held in Penang, Malaysia from October 25 to 29 next, while the Asian Weightlifting Championship (30th Men & 23rd Women) will be held from November 8 to 16 November in Tokyo, Japan.

Contd. on Page 2

On 12 March, 2015, Taba

Bijoy Shankar Handique Jorhat, Oct 7

Arunachal boy Kojum Taba defeated the Rio-bound Olympian S Satish Kumar in the Clean & Jerk at the 67th Senior National Weightlifting Championship held at Jaipur, Rajasthan.

Serving as Junior Commission Officer in the Indian Army, this 19-year old lifter was adopted, trained and groomed by the Pune based Army Sports Institute.

Taba will be leaving from IGI Airport New Delhi for Penang, Malaysia on October

23 next and and a week after his arrival back to India, he will travel to Tokyo, Japan on November 7.

In 2012, Taba won the Commonwealth Youth Championships-Apia, Samoa; in 2014, he came in at third place in 2014 at the Asian Junior Championship, Bangsaen, Thailand and in 2015, he won the Commonwealth Junior Championships held at Pune, India.

Bail application for both Monica Boro Grade-II junior engineer and Mrinal Kakoty Grade -I junior engineer of Oil India Limited were rejected by Jorhat District Session Court here today.

Both the officials are based at Oil India Limited pumping station at Charigaon, Jorhat who were hold guilty by the court for abetting the suicide of Jayanta Neog, a deputy manager of Vodafone Private Limited who have taken the drastic step when he found his wife Monica Boro involved in extra marital affair with her junior collegue Mrinal Kakoty.

Monica Boro was sent to Jorhat Central jail on Wednesday while Mrinal

Kakoty was reported to be absconding since September 17 last from Oil campus, Charigaon when the victim’s brother, Prasanta Neog filed an FIR at Bhogdoi outpost against him and Monica Boro.

Today when Monica Boro’s brother pleaded for the bail for both Monica and Mrinal, the Jorhat District Session Court straight away rejected both their bail petition. They will now reportedly move the Guwahati High Court.

Meanwhile, a two member team of Oil India Limited from Guwahati headquarter office have reached Jorhat to investigate the death of Jayanta Neog and interrogated several eye witnesses.

The Police are yet to trace the whereabouts of Mrinal Kakoty.

FPSWA E/Siang threatens to discontinue PDS supply if margin money are not released

FPSWA members during emergency meeting at Solung Ground

The Fair Price Shop Welfare Association (FPSWA), East Siang District along with representative from FPSWA, Siang District held an emergency meeting of all fair price shop runners on Wednesday last at Solung Ground to discuss upon delay in releasing of margin money of fair price shops which are still pending from last six months.

cmyk

Informing about their meeting, Apaying Perme, President, FPSWA, East Siang said that, during last April a general meeting for implementation of National Food Security Act 2013 was held at DC office where all fair price shop runners and officials of DC Office attended. “We were told to continue the supply of PDS for three

months without margin money as discussion was going on then within government to enhance the margin money of fair price shop from Rs. 120/to Rs. 143/- per quintal. To this regard, we had also submitted a representation to DC for early release of the pending margin money after passing of three months, but no measures are seen taken from the government yet”, added Perme who was seemingly worried.

Owing to non fulfillment of their due margin money, the FPSWA East Siang and Siang District has threatened to discontinue the supply of PDS by this month, October while joining hands with the Arunachal Pradesh Fair Price Shop Dealers Welfare Association. Hence, they have appealed the state government to release the pending bill with enhanced margin money immediately.

cmyk

A Staff Reporter Pasighat, Oct 7

CITY Tinsukia, Dibrugarh

DIBRUGARH, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8

PAGE 2

NFR introduces DEMU train Speeding dumper hits service in Assam districts bicycle rider at Margherita coach," said Sharma.

This enables the DEMU train to have quick acceleration and retardation, making it ideal to ply as a shuttle between stations located at short distances.

He said that the local passenger services are ideally suited for DEMU for its inherent advantages.

ET Correspondent Doomdooma, Oct 7: The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) is to introduce Diesel Electric Multiple Unit (DEMU) train services on the DibrugarhTinsukia-Ledo-Dangri section from October 8.

The DEMU is a special train and very beneficial for transportation of local passengers.

It is being introduced for the first time in Assam and the whole of Northeast, said NFR Chief Public re-

lation officer Pranav Jyoti Sharma on Friday.

A multiple-unit train powered by on-board diesel engines, the DEMU requires no separate engine or locomotive, as they are incorporated into one of the carriages.

"A diesel engine powers an alternator and subsequently feeds the electric motors. Here every passenger-carrying coach has its own source of motive power fitted below the

"As the DEMU train can ply in both directions, it does not require any cumbersome reversal at terminal stations. The coaches are also better adopted with more seating capacity. There will be total eight coaches in the DEMU train," Sharma said.

A total of 12 DEMU trains will run daily on the stretch between Dibrugarh to Dangri section, he added.

ET Correspondent Margherita, Oct 7: On Monday night a serious accident took place at NH-38, Margherita near Coal Heritage Museum, Margherita where an iron loaded dumper bearing registration number AS-23BC-4498 hit a bicycle rider, resulting in kill-

ing the rider on the spot.

The deceased have been identified as Ishtaq Hussain son of Pir Mohammed a resident of Hill view Margherita.

As Puja festivity grips Dibrugarh, puja shoppers seen crowding the S3 shopping mall in the town on Friday.

Margherita Police captured the dumper and further investigation is going on.

Pic - Manoj Pandey

Army camp of Joypur conducts Extempore and Drawing Competition Bikul Bikash Gogoi Naharkatia, Oct 7: The Joypur Army camp of Dao Division organized Extempore and Drawing Competition as a part of Dusserra celebration at Naharkatia Model English School where a total of 45 students participated in the competition. A full pledged participation was seen with ardor and enthusiasm.

All the winners and participants were felicitated with various prizes and certificates to motivate the students.

Principal of Naharkatia Model English School thanked the Joypur Army Camp for organising the competitions successfully. Officers of Joypur Army Camp, Principal and teachers were present during the competition.

Glimpses of Durga Puja pandals in Jorhat.

HOROSCOPE Aries

Romantic relationships may not exactly be going as well as you'd like, Aries, but don't get discouraged. Hang in there and you will find that things eventually come around your way.

Pic- Nakib Ahmed.

You may need to strengthen your internal sense of confidence, since it's doubtful that you will get much support from interactions with the people around you.

Taurus

Gemini

Cancer

It could be that you're trying to communicate with someone in a matter regarding love and romance and it simply isn't working. You're apt to feel like you need a translator in order to get your message across. Both you and your partner need to share responsibility for making sure that the lines of communication remain open. Be practical yet sensitive in your approach.

This is a fantastic time for you for love and romance, Gemini, even if there's a bit of coolness between you and the person you care about. It's possible that there needs to be an element of distance now for you to really appreciate the good thing you have. If you aren't involved with someone now, you should find that you're in a good position to make a move toward someone you feel strongly about.

It's one thing to be a friend and it's another to feed someone's ego just to make him or her happy, Cancer. Make sure that you aren't telling someone lies just because you know that that is what he or she wants to hear.

A true friend is someone who is honest at all times, even if it means that you may temporarily hurt that person's feelings.

Leo

Virgo

Libra

Scorpio

Sagittarius

Capricorn

Aquarius

Pisces

It's critical that you not try to gain the love and appreciation of another by controlling their decisions, Leo. It's time to let the people around you set their own rules and boundaries. Give that special person space to decide what's best, then you can take action accordingly. It may be that you discover things about this person that you probably would never have known if you called all the shots.

You might need to put on the brakes today when it comes to love and romance, Virgo. Don't think that this means you have to break off any sort relationship that's in the works, but realize that you may need to take a more realistic approach to how you handle it. The problem is that you may be getting so caught up in the fantasy of things that you aren't tending to practicalities.

Things should be going quite well for you today, Libra, and you will find that aspects of your life that may have felt disconnected in the past are finally slipping into place.

Have faith that all your painstaking planning and organizing is finally going to pay off. This is especially true in love and romance. Spend intimate time with a close partner tonight.

Restriction and discipline might not be your forte, Scorpio, but realize that this may be exactly the type of thing that you need the most. Try not to expend your energy in too many directions. Focus and channel your efforts into the things you consider the most important. Make sure that most of your day is spent tending to these things. Have you hugged your loved ones lately?

Appreciate the good things you have today, Sagittarius. Don't let another day go by without really paying homage to the people who've helped you grow along the way.

Take a walk. Climb a tree or help a child build a tree house. Connect with your spiritual side that finds satisfaction in where you are now instead of always feeling a need to search for something bigger and better.

When it comes to matters of love and romance, you may need to tone things down a bit, Capricorn. An aggressive approach now may drive your loved one further away from you instead of drawing him or her closer. Remember that love is a two-way street.

Don't just do things the way you'd like to do them.

It's crucial that you consider your partner's thoughts and feelings every step of the way.

You may find that your love is incredibly magnetic now, Aquarius. All you need to do is be yourself and suddenly people flock your way. There are terrific opportunities for you to strengthen the bonds you have with the people you care about the most.

Solidify your relationship with soft romantic words and actions. There is an extra sensuality to your mood and actions now.

Consider taking a more conservative approach to your actions today, Pisces, as well as to the way you dress.

Others may be rather put off by something that comes across as too flashy.

Fashion is apt to be a significant concern for you now, which is fine. Don't underestimate the power of personal appearance.

SPORTS Durga Puja pandals in Sivsagar, Pic- Neelam Kakoty Mazumder

Lankashi beat Progoti

Consistent efforts from CM Khandu to make State Medical college operational this session Contd. from Page 1

He also pleaded to put a word to AIIMS and NEIGRIHMS to help the first medical college of the state operationalize.

While informing about 5 district hospitals been up-graded to Zonal General Hospitals, CM requested the Ministry to consider for infrastructure development and equipment procurement

for these zonal hospitals for which proposal has been prepared by the HSCC. He sought for a direction to Nursing Council of India from the ministry to recognize Nursing College and schools of the state so that the Diploma/Degree holders from these institutes could serve in the state and also seek placements outside the state in super speciality hospitals.

Nadda assured all out support to the state and said he would soon visit Arunachal Pradesh to organise a day long workshop on health related schemes.

CM was accompanied

by Health Minister Jomde Kena, Chief Secretary Shakuntala D Gamlin, Dr. R Doye Joint Director, Medical Education and Dr. D Bagra during the meeting.

IGG College of Tezu to get NAAC accreditation Contd. from Page 1

The college is in process of getting accreditation under NAAC which has already completed its 30 years of establishment which was set up in the year 1986 and if it gets the status of NAAC the college will grow in leap

and bound under UGC to make this college a model college. We have been working under thick and through to grant this college its due status, says the Principal who is also an alumni of the college.

Meanwhile, the National Assessment and

Sports Reporter Dibrugarh, Oct 7: Lankashi Tea estate Sports Club defeated Progoti Yuva Sangha by a solitary goal in the final match of the Makum A-division Zonal league organized by Makum Sports Association at Makum Jyoti Nagar playground today.

Priyam received a pass from the midfield and found the back of the net with ease.

Progoti Yuva Sangha got many chances but their boys failed to deliver. Priyam Maji of Lankashi was adjudged best player of the tournament. Rajib Sonari of Lankashi was adjudged best goalkeeper of the tournament and Suraj Tirkey of Bajali Sports Club was given highest scorer of the tournament.

Tinsukia district sports Association Jibon Barua, Referee board chairman N. Phukan, Football Secretary Simanta Moran and Makum Sports Association Vice president Anantha Phukan were present during the prize distribution ceremony.

Bikash Aich handed over the winning trophy to Lankshi Tea estate sports Club.

Lankashi Tea estate Sports Club and Progoti Yuva Sangha were qualified for Tinsukia district A- division league.

Accreditation Council (NAAC) is an The first half both the sides organization that toiled hard but could not assesses and accredits score a goal. Lankashi Tea institutions of higher estate strikes their first education in India. It is an blood in the 46th minute autonomous body funded through Priyam Maji. Assistant secretary of

by University Grants Commission of Government of India headquartered in Sports Correspondent Dibrugarh University In another match, Ranchi Bangalore.

Dibrugarh, Oct 7: Defend- Sports Board in association University beat Dibrugarh

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Manipur Win

ing champion Manipur University defeated Utkal University 5-1 in the final of the East Zone Inter - University Women Football Tournament 2016-17 organised by

with the Association of Indian Universities at Dibrugarh University playground here today. Altogether, 17 team take part in the tournament.

University 3-1. Dibrugarh University remained in the second position whereas Utkal University in third position. Manipur Uiversity bagged nine points.

Lankashi claims final trophy

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Sports Correspondent Dibrugarh, Oct 7: Lankashi Tea estate Sports Club defeated Progoti Yuva Sangha by a solitary goal in the final match of the Makum A-division Zonal league organized by Makum Sports Association at Makum Jyoti Nagar playground today.

The first half both the sides toiled hard but could not score a goal. Lankashi Tea estate strikes their first blood in the 46th minute through Priyam Maji.

Priyam received a pass from the midfield and found the back of the net with ease.

Progoti Yuva Sangha got many chances but their boys failed to deliver. Priyam Maji of Lankashi was adjudged best player of the tournament. Rajib Sonari of Lankashi was adjudged best goalkeeper of the tournament and Suraj Tirkey of Bajali Sports Club was given highest scorer of the tournament.

Assistant secretary of Tinsukia district sports As-

sociation Jibon Barua, Referee board chairman N. Phukan, Football Secretary Simanta Moran and Makum Sports Association Vice president Anantha Phukan were present during the prize distribution ceremony.

Bikash Aich handed over the winning trophy to Lankshi Tea estate sports Club.

Lankashi Tea estate Sports Club and Progoti Yuva Sangha were qualified for Tinsukia district super division league.

DIBRUGARH, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8

AROUND THE

STATE

Assam to introduce mobile tracking to keep vigil on teacher attendance ET Bureau Guwahati, Oct 7: The Assam government has announced that it will introduce mobile tracking system by using GPS technology to keep tabs on attendance of teachers in 57,627 LP schools across the state on a day-to-day basis.

Education Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Thursday that if required GPS enabled mobile phones will be given to those teachers who don’t have mobile devices so that the mobile tracking system can be introduced from April next year. He added that if someone is found absent from duty, the mobile tracking system will keep the record, and action will be taken against the

Assam Education Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma

particular teacher.

On performance assessment, Sarma said, “From April 6 to 8, all LP schools in the state will be assessed for their overall performance. Gazetted officers and the Chief Minister will be involved in the assessment process of these schools. Such an initiative

has been successfully tried out in Gujarat. Assessment will be done like NAAC, and grade system will be introduced. It will be carried out twice a year.”

The State government has also decided to retransfer TET-passed teachers who willfully managed to take transfer to places of their choice. Sarma informed that cook-cum-helpers involved in the mid-day meal scheme, along with TETpassed teachers and other Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan employees would be brought under the Pradhan Mantri Jivan Yojana from April next year.

He also announced that the mid-day meal rice would be given directly to school managing committees from

now on and added that under the mid-day meal scheme, the state government will release monthly honorarium at the rate of Rs 1,000 per month for cookcum-helpers under MDMS to their personal bank accounts through RTGS/ NEFT directly from State Nodal Office, MDMS with effect from October 2016.

On the issue of free admission of BPL students in higher secondary first year and TDC first year for the 2016-17 session, Sarma said the government would reimburse tuition fees that the government educational institutions don’t take from BPL students. The state government will release Rs 43.56 crore for the purpose

by October 26, he added.

Railways proposing to roll out ‘Kaziranga Express’ for Assam PTI Guwahati, Oct 7: There is a good news for those who are charmed by the northeast and want to explore its rich wildlife: The Ministry of Railways is working on a proposal to roll out a ‘Kaziranga Express’ for Assam.

Minister of State for Railways Rajen Gohain, who is an MP from Assam, mooted the proposal for a ‘Kaziranga Express’ on the lines of ‘Tiger Express’ which was launched in June this year for Bandhavgarh and Kanha National Parks in Madhya Pradesh, a Ministry official said.

The Kaziranga National Park is a World Heritage Site and is known to host 70 per cent of the world’s one-horned rhinoceroses. It is also home to a large number of tigers, elephants, wild water buffaloes and

too, will have semi-luxury coaches and a dining car.

swamp deer.

Anurag Singh, MD, Assam Tourism Development Corporation (ATDC), said, “At present, the project is at a very nascent stage. We are working on an itinerary. We need to work on a model which we can sustain for a long time. Our report is likely to be finalised within this month.”

Park and tea gardens of Assam, a road trip to Shillong could be part of the itinerary, according to IRCTC, which will work along with ATDC to finalise the plan.

Tourists will be offered a complete package, which will include rail journey, food, hotel, local commute, jungle safari, among others.

Besides Kaziranga Wildlife Sanctuary, Kamakhya temple, Manas National

Like the ‘Tiger Express’ launched on World Environment Day, this train,

ATDC’s focus on a “sustainable model” is significant in the context of poor occupancy seen by ‘Tiger Express’ earlier this year, which had to ply with a little over 20 passengers, resulting in huge financial losses. A dedicated train for north-east is in line with Prime Minister’s promise of reducing isolation of north-eastern states through its pro-active ‘Act East Policy’.

Soon after taking charge as MoS, Gohain had told PTI, “I am from the northeast.

These states are hilly region. So, ensuring rail connectivity is a difficult task, but our government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi has promised to provide rail connectivity to all northeastern states by 2020 and we will work towards the goal.”

PAGE 3

CM inaugurates Assam's First Model Skill Development Centre A Staff Reporter Guwahati, Oct 7 : Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal inaugurated Assam’s first Model Skill Development Centre “Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendra” at Panjabari, Guwahati in a bid to transform the skill landscape of the State at a function held at the city on Friday.

It is an initiative of the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship and National Skill Development Corporation. The Centre will give training to the unemployed youths in 13 job roles. Speaking on the occasion, Chief Minister Sonowal said, “Of the total population of Assam, youths constitute 65 per cent and the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendras will help in transforming the skill landscape by roping in youth power for the development of Assam”. He said that Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Yojana has envisaged to touch every district,

sub-division and even the blocks to change the skill landscape of the State in the coming days.

Sonowal said, “One of the objectives of Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Yojana is to make India unique and great and transform the country into global skill capital of the world. We want to export human-resources by harnessing our youth forces by the right mix of dedication and sincerity with science and technology”.

Sonowal also said, “Our Government will make North East as an organic hub of the Region and we will set up small scale industries in the State in a move to tap the possibilities, potentialities and prosperities of Assam in sync with the nature. Skill Development Programme will take us to achieve the full potential of the State and reap the demographic dividends of Assam”.

Deputy Commissioner Bora said the order that comes into force with immediate effect has been issued following deep concern expressed by Government of Assam over reports of hoarding as well as resorting to selling goods at inflated prices, including es-

sential commodities and LPG by a section of unscrupulous traders.

and submit daily report to him vis-a-vis steps taken to contain price rise.

“Stern action will be initiated against such hoarders and black marketers out to fleece the common man by creating artificial scarcity of essential commodities through hoarding and black marketing,” he said, adding, “Criminal action will also be taken against any official found neglecting his/her duty or conniving with such unscrupulous elements.”

“I have specifically directed Assistant Director, Food, Civil Supply and Consumer Affairs to gear up administrative machinery and to conduct regular checking of price of essential commodities across the district till October 15,” he added.

District Development Commissioner, TT Daolagupu will coordinate and monitor the overall activities in Lala and Katlicherra Revenue Circles while Additional Deputy Commissioner (Revenue & Disaster Management), Amalendu Roy will do so in Hailakandi and Algapur Revenue Circles.

The Deputy Commissioner has also directed the Assistant Director, Food, Civil Supply and Consumer Affairs, Ganesh Choudhury to move around the district

4.13 and Rs 6.18 in upper primary.

On the other hand, the honorarium of the cook-cumhelper of midday meal scheme will be directly deposited in their bank accounts from now onwards.

“This is a big reformation which will benefit the cookcum-helper of midday meal scheme. We are also planning to provide social security to all those involved in the midday meal scheme, TET teachers and other employees. Very soon we will launch an insurance scheme for them,” said Sarma before mediapersons, adding that this social security scheme is likely to be effective from April 1 next year.

Sarma, further elaborating on the reformations that are to be brought in to the education sector, said that from April next year attendance of

teachers would be tracked through mobiles. He also warned that the salary bills of the teachers would be prepared based on this mobile tracking.

For bringing in accountability and improving the quality of education at the primary level, the education department is also contemplating borrowing the Gujarat model of Gunotsav.

Sarma said that assessment of schools will be conducted in the first week of April next year in line with the Gujarat model, which has proved very effective.

Sarma also announced that

by October 26 this year, an amount of around Rs 43.56 crore will be disbursed as compensation to all the colleges for the revenue loss incurred by giving free admission to students. (With inputs from agencies)

ET Correspondent Jorhat, Oct 7: Jorhat Traffic Police issued rules and restriction in the town on occasion of Durga Puja where from 11 am to 1am no vehicles will be allowed in JB Road from Shankar Cenima hall to BOC petrol pump, no entry for vehicles will be in Raja madam road, Dewal Road, Gar Ali, JPR, Balibat and no vehicles will be allowed in Thana road and Babu Patty.

“We are expecting much more crowd this year, so for the safety of the people we are issuing traffic rules”, said Utpal Dutta, in-charge of Jorhat Traffic Police.

“One can park his vehicles

in the left side of Mitha Pukhuri road, Babu Patty road and Elie Cenima hall road,” added Utpal Dutta.

Restriction is also announced during the puja by Jorhat Traffic Police. Black Glass helmet and pillion riding is strictly prohibited during puja. The police had also announced 144 section in the period.

Vehicle coming from Mariyani and Titabor towards Jorhat town through Gar Ali can go via Cinamora and club road to dos and Co. Point. On the other hand vehicles approaching towards town from east Jorhat can go through the bye pass to ISBT, added police.

ET Correspondent Guwahati, Oct 7: Prakhanda Team of RSS Margherita today immersed all those idols of various Hindu God and Goddess which were kept near the Margherita NH-38 road side for many months.

A Staff Reporter Guwahati, Oct 7: Deputy Commissioner, Hailakandi, Moloy Bora inaugurated the Jagoroni Puja Mandap on Kalibari Road in Hailakandi town late evening yesterday.

pollution load on the environment. The best three puja mandaps adhering to cleanliness and environmental related aspects will be adjudged by the district administration and prizes will be awarded.

Formally inaugurating the puja mandap by lighting a traditional lamp, Deputy Commissioner Bora hoped Goddess Durga will herald peace, progress and prosperity in Hailakandi district in particular and the State as a whole.

Meanwhile, the civil and police administrations have pulled out all stops to ensure a hassle free and peaceful observance of puja.

Traffic routes have been delineated for smooth flow of traffic with several entry, exit points and no parking zone in place.

Bora further hoped that the puja committees of the district would observe the puja in a disciplined and most importantly in a peaceful manner. The Deputy Commissioner stressed on maintaining cleanliness on all the days of puja festivity. This year the administration focuses on ‘eco-friendly’ puja to minimise the impact of

The Deputy Commissioner conveyed his heartiest greetings and best wishes to the members of the puja committee as Jagoroni Puja Mandap completes 50 glorious years. Earlier, Bora released a colourful souvenir brought out on the occasion.

BSF apprehends 1 cattle smuggler, 1 FICN racketeer at Dhubri

Many RSS members were present during the immersion of idols at Margherita Buri Dehing River.

For Majuli it’s not Durga Puja but Raas festival

A foreign tourist performing in Raas Festival Bijoy Shankar Handique Jorhat, Oct 7 : When the entire people of the state and most of the Eastern Part of India is celebrating Maha Saptami, the first day of Durga Puja tomorrow, the people of Majuli, the largest river island in the Brahmaputra will start preparing for their 15 days festival, called as Raas festival.

Majuli, popularly known as the cultural and Vaishnavite capital in the country is known for Sattras and Sattriya is busy preparing for the rehearsal of Raas festival

Moreover, the celebrations of the Durga Puja will instil cordiality and camaraderie among cross section of people living across Brahmaputra, Barak, Hills and Plains.

He also called upon the people of Assam to take a pledge to make Assam ‘foreigners’ free, corruption free, terrorism free and pollution free’ on the occasion of Durga Puja.

at Hailakandi town

State Govt to streamline midday meal scheme ET Bureau Guwahati, Oct 7: To streamline the National Programme of Nutritional Support to Primary Education or the midday meal scheme, the State government is coming up with a slew of measures which would be implemented from the next academic session.

Launching the initiative of releasing the monthly honorarium to the cook-cumhelper of midday meal scheme in their personal bank account today, Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced that the cost of cooking of midday meal will be sent directly to the schools from January next year.

It needs to be mentioned that the midday meal at present covers 57,627 schools and a total of 45,66,624 children.

The cook cost per child per day in lower primary is Rs

State Agriculture Minister Atul Bora also spoke on the occasion. It may be mentioned that by the end of this December six more Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendras will be set up in Darrang, Morigaon, Nagaon, Baksa, Chirang and Kamrup. The Skill Development Centre at the Organic Hub at Panjabari spread across an area of 12,000 feet where youths will be trained at different sectors. CEO of Assam State Agriculture Marketing Board P.N. Das, Director of Orion Edutech and a host of other dignitaries were present on the occasion.

A Staff Reporter Guwahati, Oct 7: Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal extended his Durga Puja Greetings to all on the occasion of Durga Puja. In a message today, Chief Minister Sonowal said, “On this joyous occasion of Durga Puja, I extend my greetings and good wishes to everybody. Durga Puja represents the triumph of truth over untruth, good over evil, justice over injustice”. He also said that Durga Puja will foster peace and tranquillity to all and sundry besides strengthening the age old bond of amity and unity.

Jorhat traffic police DC inaugurates announces rule and Jagoroni Puja Mandap regulation over Durga Puja

DC directs Circle Officers to RSS of Margherita immerses carry out special intensive drive idols at Buri Dehing A Staff Reporter Guwahati, Oct 7: With a view to checking hoarding and black marketing of essential commodities including LPG, Deputy Commissioner Hailakandi Moloy Bora has directed the Circle Officers to carry out special intensive drive with the help of Food, Civil Supply and Consumer Affairs officials and local police every day.

Chief Minister Sonowal also advocated for a synergistic approach between the government and corporate houses where in ‘government will provide skill development training to the youths and the corporate houses will absorb them in various vocations’.

CM Sonowal extends Puja greeting

which will start on October 15th and will continue for 15 days.

From the beginning of the rehearsal, the entire island become a festive mood and one can hear loud and cheerful sounds of Khul, Shangkha, flute in every nook and corner of the island till late at night.

By the last week of October people from various part of the globe starts pouring into the island to witness and celebrate the great Raas festival, said Pratap Baruah, main organizer of Raas festival in Kamalabari.

Last year, four foreign tourists among many from England and Germany took major part in Raas festival and played the role of Gobi, Daibaki and danced with the tune of flute and khul, informed Pratap Baruah.

This year too Kamalabari Natya Sanmillany, a sociocultural organization has been corresponding with a troop from England and Netherland, they are showing keen interest but both the teams yet to confirm their participation, said Jagat Hazarika –the president of the organization.

A Staff Reporter Guwahati, Oct 7: Troops of Guwahati Frontier of Border Security Force apprehended one Indian cattle smuggler and one Fake Indian Currency Notes (FICN) racketeer (BD National) today near the International Boundary under Dhubri District of Assam.

The apprehended cattle smuggler and FICN racketeer (BD National) have been identified namely as (a) Eyasir Hoque (19yrs) Indian National, S/o Samsher Ali, Vill & PO Digaltari, PS & Dist. Dhubri, Assam, apprehended by the troops of BOP Pattamari along with 1 cattle and 200 trousers cloth while smuggling them from India to Bangladesh, (b)Abul Hussain (BD National),

65 yrs, S/o Santosh Ali, Vill-Rolakata, PO: Yatrapur, PS: Kurigram, (Bangladesh) apprehended by the troops of BOP: MM Char along with FICN valuing Rs. 1500.

They have been handed over to local police for further legal action. Besides, BSF troops of Guwahati Frontier seized 346 cattle heads having an approx. value of Rs. 15,43,290/-and miscellaneous items of worth Rs.1,48,575/- during the intervening night of 6/7 Oct’ 2016.

BSF troops are always alert towards the issues of trans-border crimes and illegal infiltration and are making all endeavors to contain such trans-border crimes.

Stolen motorcycles recovered, 4 held ET Bureau Guwahati, Oct 7: Acting on a tip-off, Azara Police recovered seven stolen motorcycles and arrested four persons during the last 72 hours. BC Roy, OC of Azara PS, said two motorcycles were recovered from here.

Five more motorcycles were recovered from different places in Goalpara district following the interrogation of the ar-

rested persons, he added.

Four motorcycles bear registration numbers, while the rest do not have any number plates.

The four arrested – Bhaskarjyoti Roy (20), Sanjay Basumatari (32), Pallav Rabha (25) and Rahul Marak (20) – were produced in the c o u r t t o d a y, t h e O C said. (With inputs from agencies)

DIBRUGARH, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8

REST OF

ARUNACHAL

CM asks tele-communication's Minister to expand BSNL service to whole of Arunachal

He requested the Minister to consider for allowing flexibility to Arunachal

CFEL, RGU conducts workshop on Tangam (Adi) Language Documentation

CM also called for strengthening the BSNL and requested for expanding its reach to every nook and corner of the state.

While assuring all out support to the state, the Union Minister informed the CM that BSNL has plans of huge expansion in the state. He further revealed that under the first phase of Bharat net – a total of 863 gram panchayats of the state would be covered by March 2017.

Pradesh to quickly implement BharatNet (Phase 3) as per State Led Model with financial Assistance from Central Govt. besides, implementing Govt of

Andhra Pradesh model (With IP Based Aerial Model) customized as per feasibility within the topology of state. He also sought assistance from the ministry in exploring

utilization of Alternate Technologies like Wireless Radio and WIFI to connect low house hold GP’s or remote locations wherein Fiber/Electricity Distribution Network is

“Ministry is committed to carry out all the communication related works in the state on time bound manner” assured Sinha.

CM was accompanied by Chief Secretary Shakuntala D Gamlin during the call on.

'Walk for Wildlife' in Ziro

A Staff Reporter Rono Hills, 7 Oct: Centre for Endangered Languages (CFEL) under the aegis of Arunachal Institute of Tribal Studies (AITS), Rajiv Gandhi University (RGU), Doimukh initiated a four days intensive workshop on Tangam Language Documentation, today.

Scheduled till October 10 next, the workshop is aimed at the documentation of Tangam language which is a critically endangered dialect spoken by least populated community of Kugging Village, the last Adi village in Upper Siang district and lying at a distance of approximately 19 kms from the circle headquarter, Tuting.

Meanwhile, during the inaugural session of the workshop, the seven-member team from Tangam speaking community, who were earlier invited by the CFEL team for assisting in research and documentation process, interacted with RGU Vice Chancellor, Professor Tamo Mibang, Senior Research Fellow, CFEL and Co-ordinator of the workshop Rejhoney Borang and also the CFEL Research team.

The workshop is one among the series of workshop to be conducted by CFEL in collaboration with community members of endangered language groups of Arunachal Pradesh.

A Staff Reporter Itanagar, 7 Oct: All newly selected state office bearers of the Bharatiya Janata Party Yuva Morcha (BJYM) and district presidents were formally inducted as office bearers with handing over of appoint letters and felicitation

by BJP state vice president Dominic Tadar and state general secretary B R Wage.

ing principles of the founding figures of the party.

BJYM president Taring Tiri urged all the newly appointed office bearers to be sincere in their work and implored them to maintain discipline and regularly furnish activity report from the districts, so that the BJYM activities can be further dovetailed to meet the larger objectives of BJP.

Wage urged the youth leaders to work sincerely and contribute towards nation building, while Tadar appealed to the BJYM office bearers to work for the betterment of the society and party by following the guid-

He caution all the office bearers of prudent action if there is any dereliction of duty.

BJYM state general secretary Ram Tajo also spoke on the occasion.

Meanwhile, the BJYM members protested against the irresponsible statements made by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejiriwal and Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam on the surgical strike made by the Indian Army and for doubting the integrity of the defence force of the country.

The BJYM registered condemnation of Kejriwal and Nirupam by burning their effigies on the street near the BJP office.

The programme was also attended by Kenyir Ringu state vice president and Nalong Mize state media secretary.

SPORTS

4th Kipa Tai & Kipa Menya inter club badminton tournament ends Tana Nama won the singles titles, Kipa Nima and D Zirdo won the doubles titles

ET Bureau Ziro, 7 Oct: As part of the 62nd Wildlife Week celebrations, Hapoli Forest Division organized a ‘Walk for Wildlife’ today, to put focus on the importance of wildlife conservation.

The two-kilometer walk was flagged off by Deputy Commissioner Kemo Lollen from Abotani hall, Hapoli in the presence of S P Tage Habung and DFO Koj Rinyo and participants, which included HoDs, administrative officers, representatives of NGOs and biodiversity management committees, PRI members, police personnel, forest officials and school students.

Later, a prize distribution ceremony for various ac-

tivities conducted by the Forest Department as a part of the Wildlife Week celebrations was organized at Abotani Hall, where DC Lollen called for concerted efforts from all the stakeholders to protect and preserve wildlife.

Underscoring the need to maintain the delicate balance in the ecosystem, Lollen said, “Mother Nature can meet all our needs but not our greed. Judicious use of natural resources will ensure this balance is maintained”.

He also highlighted the social responsibility of the Forest department in educating and mobilizing the common masses for preservation of the flora and fauna, besides their protection.

Highlighting few nature

Swach Pakhwada Programme in Tezu

Bishnu Rana Tezu, 07 Oct: ‘Cleanliness is next to godliness’ is well realized by the Dept of Tourism Lohit district in association with All Mishmi Women Welfare Society and spearheaded the drive under the banner of Swach Pakhwada Programme at Shiva Mandir and St. Peter Church on 6th Oct 2016.

During the drive, The Dept

Arunachal BJP Yuva Morcha inducts new OBs

not feasible.

ET Bureau October 7 : Communication being the life line of development agenda of state Government, Chief Minister Pema Khandu, today had a detailed discussion with Union Minister of State for TeleCommunication Manoj Sinha on the way forward in removing the bottlenecks in telecommunication sector.

“To ensure that State of Arunachal Pradesh leapfrog from current status towards a fully developed state, we would like to utilize maximum use of IT for delivery of services across urban, semi urban and rural Arunachal Pradesh” CM asserted.

PAGE 4

& the Society has swept the entire litters and burned whereas some of them were lifted to DUDA Truck for its proper disposal.

The Swach Pakhwada Programme was being chosen at the Mandir premises to ensure neat and clean environment in view of the ensuing Durga Puja, said Catherina Dibro Boo DTO.

She invokes everyone to maintain a clean & hygienic surrounding to promote the beauty of the township.

Sibali Yun GS AMWWS and her member also joined including Rickshaw Pullers.

Puja Celebration Committee appreciated the proactive approach of the dept and the society to clean the pious premises.

based activities like butterfly meet, bird watching and eco camps, initiated by the NGOs, Lollen said that such activities not only increase tourist flow to Ziro, but also act as a catalyst to draw attention to the protection of ecosystem.

“Therefore, the forest and the tourism departments have to coordinate and collaborate to propel Ziro not only in the tourism sector but also as a biodiversity hotspot”, he added.

The DC also donated two sets of walkie-talkies and solar panels for Pange Reserve Forest from his personal funds.

On the occasion, SP Tage Habung called for stopping unscrupulous hunt-

ing of wild animals and birds, while DFO Koj Rinyo spoke about the purpose of the week long celebrations.

Rinyo informed that as a part of the week long celebrations slogan writing competitions for school children and an eco camp for 21 students was organized at Pange Reserve forest on October 2 and 3, in collaboration with Ngunu Ziro.

She further informed that on the 8th of this month, school children will be taken across plant nurseries and medicinal plantations gardens to receive firsthand knowledge of plant management.

Talle Wildlife Sanctuary RFO Reddi Bei also spoke on the occasion.

Federation of Self Help Groups formed by RK Mossang Memorial Society Lomhom Tangha Kharsang, 7 Oct: R.K. Mossang Memorial Society had so far formed 106 Self help Groups (SHGs) in Changlang and Tirap districts, with bank linkages. On 19th September 2016 a meeting of the SHG groups of Jairampur, Nampong and Manmao blocks President/Secretary of the SHG's was convened under the initiative of RKMM, Jairampur where three federations, one from each block were formed under the leadership of Tusham Longri, ZPM , Lemkhum Mossang, and Yonngmi Mossang. RKMM soci-

ety is committed to empower the SGH's across Tirap, Changlang and Longding districts on socio and economic domains and believed that they will succeed in their endeavour. According to the present trends, the poorest of the poor have not been able to tap the various resources from the centre as well as from state government due to lack of technical knowhow. With the formation of this SHG's federation, the needy sections of the societies are bound to be benefitted, said by the General Secretary of the RKMMS, Mr. Arup Kumar Choudhury.

A Staff reporter Naharlagun, 7 Oct: The 4th Kipa Tai & Kipa Menya Inter Club Badminton Tournament came to an end with Tana Nama winning the singles titles, while the pair of Kipa Nima and D Zirdo won the doubles titles here today at A-Sector Badminton Hall in Naharlagun.

Tana Nama beat Gungte Yangfo by 21-19, 21-16, while the pair of Kipa Nima and D Zirdo beat the pair of M F Bengia and Taring Bapu by 21-15 and 21-17.

The winners were awarded Rs 25, 000 each, while the runners-up and best player, disciplined players and best referee were also awarded

by Executive Engineer (PHED) Capital Division, Tadar Mangku.

Speaking on the occasion Mangku appreciated the team work of the participants and committee members headed by J Ette under the banner of Naharlagun Badminton Club, and requested the committee

members to include mixed doubles and women’s singles and women’s double, for which he assured to provide Rs 1 lakh as contribution.

Former MLA Kipa Babu, who is also the chief patron of the tournament, assured his continued support for the development of games and sports in the future.

Meanwhile, Kipa Kechak was awarded for best motivational player and Toko Tabia and M F Bengia were awarded as best referees.

First Binga Ete Memorial Football Tournament underway

Aalo, 7 Oct : A total of 17 teams are in the fray to win the First Binga Ete Memorial Football Tournament, sponsored by Science and Technology Secretary Gaken Ete, in memory of his father, and organized by DSA Aalo.

The tournament, which got off to a flying start at Aalo General Football today was inaugurated by West Siang Deputy Commissioner cum DSA Chairman Gamli Padu.

Padu exhorted the players

to take the game with sportsmanship spirit to locate true football talents and take it up as a profession.

He also informed that the government is trying to promote sports activities by increasing the quota to 10 percent for sportspersons.

Secretary Ete narrated the life and history of his father and appealed to the players to take it in the right spirit, while DSA Secretary Karik Lollen spelt out the objectives behind conducting such tournaments periodically to produce spots tal-

ent from the district.

In the opening encounter between JC Bene and Tadin FC, both the teams failed to score in the first half. However, in the dying minutes of the game, JC Bene scored the lone goal to seal the fate in its favour by a margin of 1-0.

On the occasion, the prizes by district administration to three most clean sectors and three most clean villages of Aalo East and West were also given away to the winners. (DIPRO)

BUSINESS

DIBRUGARH, SATURDAY, OCTOBER8

PAGE 5

Sensex pares losses, Economic relationship with China down 41 points probably world's most important: US Mumbai, Oct 7: Shares edged lower on Friday, tracking Asian markets ahead of a US jobs report due later in the day and the start of domestic quarterly earnings season, but indexes were still headed for their best weekly gains in nearly a month.

Analysts expect non-farm payrolls to have risen by 175,000 last month from 151,000 in August, according to media survey of economists - a pick-up that could put pressure on the U.S. Federal Reserve to raise interest rates.

Back home, investors were also girding themselves for the July-September quarter results, starting with software maker Infosys Ltd on October 14.

"There is no positive trigger and the earnings season has just started," said Saurabh Jain, assistant vice president of research at SMC Global Securities.

Industrials and metal were trading marginally higher.

The 30-share index was down 40.90 points or 0.15 per cent at 28,065.31 while the NSE Nifty was down 10.35 points or 0.12 per cent at 8,699.20.

Major losers were Asian Paints 2.07 per cent, fol-

Pic for representation purpose. lowed by Cipla 1.66 per cent, Infosys 1.29 per cent, HDFC 1.17 per cent, HUL 1.4 per cent and Bharti Airtel 1.04 per cent.

The Nifty IT Index extended losses for the third straight session.

Among the gainers, Tata Steel Ltd rose as much as 4 per cent, Tata Motors 2.4 per cent, Bajaj Auto 1.3 per cent, Lupin 0.97 per cent and Axis Bank 0.86 per cent.

Global markets Overseas, Asian stocks were trading lower as investors looked ahead to a key employment report.

Markets in China remained closed for the

Golden Week public holidays. US stocks closed near the flatline yesterday, as investors abstained from making big bets ahead of much-anticipated September jobs report.

Britain's FTSE 100 index is seen opening up at between 7,063-7,068 points, or 0.9-1.0 percent higher, according to financial bookmakers. The UK blue chip index closed down 0.5 percent at 6,999.96 points - still near its record intraday high of 7,122.74 points reached in April 2015 with budget airline easyJet sliding lower after issuing a profit warning.(PTI)

Washington, Oct 7: The US-China economic relationship is probably the world's most important financial association as it involves the two largest economies, US Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew has said.

Lew said the challenge for China to go forward is going to be to stick with the reform agenda that has been outlined both in the Third Plenum and most recently at the National People's Congress.

"The US-China economic relationship is probably the most important economic relationship in the world.

It's the two largest economies in the world," Lew told a Washington audience at a meeting held on the sidelines of the annual fall meeting of the IMF and the World Bank on Thursday.

"I think that the desire to be included in the Special Drawing Rights (SDR) basket at the IMF was a very helpful incentive for China to make reforms in

how it manages currency, how it manages its economy and I think it's important for China to have made those changes," he said.

Lew, however, cautioned against over-reading of the immediate impact of being in the SDR basket.

It would not be good for China, it would not be good for US-China relations, it would not be good for the global economy, Lew said.

He said the question of excess capacity is deeply troubling around the world wherever steel and aluminum are made.

"It is not the equivalent of becoming immediately a global reserve currency.

Nor does it reflect a completion of are form agenda. It's an important step along the way, it's recognition that China has made important policy changes and that they meet the standards of the IMF," Lew said.

He said it is important to reform the economy so that market forces play a much more dominant influence to deal with the problem of excess capacity so that China does not end up choking on things that there is not a market for.

Lew also said the US and China had engaged in

"Fundamentally, it's just not good for China, because China is not going to end up having the economic strength that it needs. I believe there's still room for China to manage what is the hardest transition from a heavily industrial to a much more consumer-driven economy in the second largesteconomy in the world," he said.

"They have space. But it's not infinite space. Sticking to the programme, implementing it even though it's disruptive and it is something that may be unpopular in parts of the country, is essential," Lew said. (PTI)

Tatas said Docomo is jumping the gun in legal matters instead of settling the case in India.

With this, the Tatas are fighting Docomo in New York, London Commercial Court and in Delhi high court.

A Tata Sons source said the group is losing Rs 2 crore a day and has already lost Rs 60 crore in interest for the amount ($1.17 billion) deposited with the Delhi High Court. "We asked for a standstill agreement in legal proceedings to settle the matter but Docomo did not do so," a Tata group official had said earlier.

But a source in Docomo's team recently said the Tatas have asked them to first withdraw cases filed in the Commercial Court in United Kingdom before they can initiate any settlement talks. Soon after winning a favourable arbitration award in June 2016, Docomo moved the Commercial Court in United Kingdom in July to enforce the award.

Docomo threatened to attach British properties owned by the Tatas and moved the Delhi High Court to enforce the arbitration award. "The Tata shave their brand name to protect globally and should not go back on agreements made earlier," said a source in Docomo.

When contacted, a Tata spokesman said: "Tata Sons has from the outset emphasised its commitment to honouring its contractual obligations to Docomo,

in accordance with the applicable law. Tata Sons maintains the same position with respect to the award. However, performance of the award requires the approval of the Reserve Bank of India, which to date has been denied on the basis of pre-existing regulations that are fully in the knowledge of Docomo."

Explaining the company was not authorised to proceed with payment "by the relevant Indian legal authority", the spokesman added, "Tata Sons has been advised that enforcement of the award would be contrary to Indian law and public policy."

Further, he said: "Tata Sons is resisting enforcement in India and will resist enforcement in any other jurisdiction Docomo files for enforcement. It bears emphasis that Tata Sons has already placed the full amount awarded to Docomo in the arbitration - US$ 1.17 billion, in cash - with the High Court of Delhi, where Docomo has previously filed for enforcement of the arbitral award and the entire issue is pending adjudication."

The tussle between the two relates to Docomo's exit price from Tata Teleservices under which the Tatas were to buy out Docomo's 26.5 per cent stake at 50 per cent of its 2009 acquisition price. But a change in foreign exchange law in 2013 bars any pre-determined valuation of shares. (Agencies)

Remittances to India to decline by five per cent in 2016: World Bank Washington, Oct 7: India, the world's largest remittance recipient in 2015, may receive a remittance of $65.5 billion this year, a drop of 5 per cent, the World Bank has said in a new report citing weak economic growth in remittances-source countries and cyclic low oil prices.

"In 2016, remittance flows are expected to decline by 5 per cent in India and 3.5 per cent in Bangladesh, whereas they are expected to grow by 5.1 per cent in Pakistan and 1.6 per cent in Sri Lanka," the World Bank said in a latest report on remittances.

Despite the drop, India is likely to top the list of countries receiving remittance.

The World Bank said in 2016, India is expected to receive a remittance of $65.5 billion, followed by China ($65.2 billion).

Pakistan positioned at number five is estimated to receive $20.3 billion in 2016.

The World Bank said remittances to South Asia is expected to decline by 2.3 per cent in 2016, following a 1.6 per cent decline in 2015.

This is attributed mainly due

to weak economic growth in remittances-source countries and cyclic low oil prices.

India retained its top spot in 2015, attracting about $69 billion in remittances, the World Bank had said.

Remittances from the GCC countries continued to decline due to lower oil prices and labour market 'nationalisation' policies in Saudi Arabia.

Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) is an alliance of six Middle Eastern countries-Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman.

It said against a backdrop of tepid global growth, remittance flows to low and middle income countries (LMICs) seem to have entered a "new normal" of slow growth.

In 2016, remittance flows to LMICs are projected to reach USD 442 billion, marking an increase of 0.8 per cent over 2015.

The modest recovery in 2016 is largely driven by the increase in remittance flows to Latin America and the Caribbean on the back of a stronger economy in the US; by contrast remit-

tance flows to all other developing regions either declined or recorded a deceleration in growth, the bank said.

The Bank said low oil prices continued to be a factor in reduced remittance flows from Russia and the GCC countries.

In addition, structural factors have also played a role in dampening remittances growth.

Anti-money laundering efforts have prompted banks to close down accounts of money transfer operators, diverting activity to informal channels, it added.

"Remittances continue to be an important component of the global economy, surpassing international aid. However this "new normal" of weak growth in remittances could present challenges for millions of families that rely heavily on these flows.

"This, in turn, can seriously impact the economies of many countries around the world bringing on a new set of challenges to economic growth," said Augusto Lopez-Claros, Director of the World Bank's Global Indicators Group. (PTI)

fierce debates about exchange rate policies for a decade.

"China has changed how it's managing its exchange rate, so that that's less of a hot issue today than it was five years ago. That's a good thing," he said, adding that this does not mean that the US has taken its "eye off the ball".

"We are going to continue to watch. The real test is

going to be when there's pressure for the RMB to appreciate - does China let it appreciate? They've certainly said all the right things. But, you know, the jury will be out until we see the macroeconomic circumstances that test that," Lew said.

It cannot be a good thing if excess capacity becomes the exchange rate issue of the next decade.

RBI sets rupee reference BRICS Contingent Reserve rate at 66.7875 against Arrangement operational: US dollar Finance Minister Arun Jaitley

Docomo sues Tatas in US court, seeks $1.17 billion in damages Mumbai, Oct 7: Opening yet another battle front against the Tatas, Japanese telecom major NTT Docomo has sued group holding firm, Tata Sons in an American court asking it to pay $1.17 billion in damages that it won in the London Court of Arbitration.

The suit has been filed in the US District Court's Southern District in New York. The Japanese court had earlier warned that it would get courts across the world to attach Tata Sons properties to make sure that the Tatas pay it the exit price that was decided when it invested in Tata Teleservices in 2009.

The Tatas have said Docomo cannot attach Tata properties in UK as Tata Sons, the holding company of the group, is a minority shareholder in Tata Steel and Tata Motors-JLR. A Tata source said NTT Docomo's hardliner approach and continuous litigation in Indian and United Kingdom courts is blocking any settlement with the Tatas over the former's exit from Tata Teleservices, the loss-making joint venture between the two companies.

The Tatas have argued that it wants to pay the amount to Docomo -- provided the Indian government clears the foreign exchange outflow. The Tatas have also moved the Delhi High Court seeking its approval to close the deal. The

US Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew said excess capacity in China is not good for the US and global economy

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Urjit Patel.

Mumbai, Oct 7: The Reserve Bank of India today fixed the reference rate of the rupee at 66.7875 against the US dollar and 74.2744 for the euro.

The corresponding rates were 66.6322 and 74.5814, respectively, yesterday.

According to an RBI

statement, the exchange rates for the pound and the yen against the rupee were 83.2373 and 64.30 per 100 yens, respectively, based on reference rates for the dollar and cross-currency quotes at noon.

The SDR-rupee figure will be based on this rate, the statement added.

(PTI)

Adani Transmission rating unaffected by asset purchase: Fitch "The agency expects ATL's financial profile to remain in line with its expectations in the medium term, although the headroom will be limited," the rating agency said in a statement.

New Delhi, Oct 7: Adani Transmission Ltd's (ATL) rating will not be affected by its planned acquisition of three transmission assets of Reliance Infrastructure for over Rs 2,000 crore, Fitch Ratings said today. "The agency expects ATL's financial profile to remain in line with its expectations in the medium term, although the headroom will be limited," the rating agency said in a statement. RInfra had said on Wednesday that it has signed a binding term sheet agreement to sell its power transmission assets to Adani group firm Adani Transmission (ATL) for over Rs 2,000 crore to cut debt. The global agency said that the three assets being acquired are regulated by the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission and benefit from a pay-

ment security mechanism. Under the mechanism, tariffs are collected by the central transmission utility and distributed in proportion to annual revenue requirement of each transmission licensee, which minimizes bilateral counterparty risk. ATL remains exposed to the financially weak power utilities that are owned by Maharashtra. These utilities account for around 60 percent of ATL's transmission asset-related revenues. However, the latest acquisition and the commissioning of new projects will over the time reduce ATL's exposure to Maharashtra's stateowned power utilities.

ATL expects to complete the transaction by 2017, subject to the necessary statutory and regulatory approvals. (PTI)

Washington, Oct 7: BRICS' contingent reserve arrangement (CRA) is now operational to deal with any short-term balance of payments pressures the grouping's member nations face, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has said. CRA, established in 2015 by BRICS member nations Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, is a framework for the provision of support through liquidity and precautionary instruments in response to actual or potential short-term balance of payments pressures.

In his address to the meeting of BRICS Finance Ministers and heads of central banks, Jaitley announced the "CRA is now operational" and the central banks of the grouping's members are "fully ready to carry out" the transactions, a media release said. Jaitley and his BRICS counterparts are in Washington to attend the annual fall meeting of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.

During Thursday's meeting, BRICS ministers welcomed the proposal to formalise the setting up of a network of central banks research units that will support the working of CRA. Jaitley also extended invitation to attend BRICS Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors meeting to be held in Goa later this month.

He chaired the Commonwealth Finance Ministers' Meeting, during which

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and his BRICS counterparts are in Washington to attend the annual fall meeting of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. two important issues - the 'Economics of Climate Change and Financing Climate Adaptation and Mitigation'; and 'International Taxation - a Commonwealth Conversation Around the Panama Papers' were discussed and deliberated.

In the presence of Jaitley, Standard Chartered Bank and Bank of Baroda signed an MoU on Commonwealth Small States Trade Finance Facility. This finance facility is expected to make available up to USD 100 million of incremental trade finance over a period of three years. As part of the voluntary contributions, India has pledged 1,022,100 pounds to Commonwealth Fund for technical cooperation, an official release said.

Later in the evening, the Finance Minister attended the G-20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Working Dinner, where discussions centred around the global outlook, key risks for the global and national economies and the

proposals made by the Global Forum and the Financial Action Task Force to improve implementation of the beneficial ownership standard. Jaitley also held separate bilateral meetings with British Secretary of State, US Treasury Secretary, Finance Minister of Bhutan, Finance Minister of Bangladesh, and CEO of Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC).

"The bilateral trade and investment ties were the focal point of each of these meetings for ensuring greater economic cooperation," the release said. On the sidelines of the Fund Bank meetings, Economic Affairs Secretary Shaktikanta Das participated in a panel discussion organised by Morgan Stanley to deliberate upon the 'Cyclical and Structural Progress in the Emerging Market Economies', wherein he spoke about the fiscal consolidation and economic reform path being undertaken in India.(PTI)

Ashok Leyland eyes over Rs 2,000 crore from defence business in 5 years The company has won 13 of the last 15 tenders New Delhi, Oct 7:Hinduja group flagship Ashok Leyland expects its defence business to log four-fold jump in revenues at over Rs 2,000 crore in next five years as it gears up to provide an entire range of mobility solutions, including missile carrying vehicles, to the armed forces.

"In defence, we have got tremendous growth. We have won 13 out of the last 15 tenders..We are today a Rs 500 crore company in defence and in five years we should be well above Rs 2,000 crore," Ashok Leyland MD Vinod Dasari told PTI.

The company aims to accomplish its revenue targets even as it remains entirely focused just on the mobility part, he added.

"We are not going to make guns; we are not going to make ammunition. Anything in armed forces that require movement we will move. This is an extension of our core competency. We are not going to diversify, mobility will be the focus," Dasari said.

The company has moved up the value chain from just the provider of 4X4 vehicles to the army and now provides a range of solutions, including products to move large mis-

siles.

"We have gone from just making 4X4 vehicles to 6X6 and 8X6. We make bridge launchers on 10X10. We have already won tenders for that, we have 12X12 that can carry a missile," Dasari said.

Ashok Leyland Defence Systems (ALDS), a division of Ashok Leyland, manufactures various products catering to all logistics requirements including troop/load carrying vehicle, light recovery vehicles, field artillery tractor and truck fire fighting, among others.

(PTI)

EDITORIAL

DIBRUGARH, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8

PAGE 6

Today's quote Life is a tragedy when seen in “close-up, but a comedy in longshot –– Charlie Chaplin

Farewell to NAM Non-alignment has not been in the vocabulary of PM Modi. But India does not have to denounce non-alignment to follow its present foreign policy T. P. SREENIVASAN

Stamping down on prejudice The revival of the HIV and AIDS (Prevention and Control) Bill, 2014, and the Union Cabinet's approval for provisions that make discrimination against people living with the virus punishable, are positive steps.

Such laws, however, can only deliver benefits within the overall constraints imposed by an underfunded public health system. Where the legislation can make some difference, with active monitoring by HIV/AIDS support groups, is in ensuring that acquiring the infection does not mean an end to education, employment, access to housing and healthcare due to discrimination. The success of the anti-discrimination aspects hinges on the readiness of governments to accept the inquiry findings of ombudsmen, to be appointed under the law, and provide relief. Since the new law is intended to both stop the spread of the disease and help those who have become infected get antiretroviral therapy as well as equal opportunity, it will take a high degree of commitment to provide effective drugs to all those in need. In August, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare put the number of people getting free treatment nationally at 9,65,000, of which 53,400 are children. This must be viewed against the most recent estimate last year, that 2.1 million people live with HIV in India, of whom 7,90,000 are women. Regional variations in access to diagnosis and treatment must be addressed.

The legislation and the structure of complaints redress that it proposes should provide some relief to thousands of families that face discrimination in admitting children to school, an infected individual getting a job, or treatment in hospital. Unlike many other diseases, however, HIV/AIDS has received global attention and funding, thus building up pressure on governments to come up with supportive policies.

Communities will now have the opportunity to ensure that the strongest element of the prospective law, assuring confidentiality of HIV status, is enforced. A breach could invite imprisonment and a fine. Yet, the proposals approved by the Cabinet fail on one important count: the insurance industry is allowed to use actuarial calculations to limit access to products to people with HIV. The Centre's initiative is palpably weak, since a universal system would not discriminate against people with any form of illness, and would fully embrace the goal of health and welfare for all. National AIDS Control Organisation data for 2015 indicate that while there is an overall decline in HIV prevalence among visitors to antenatal clinics, there was a rise in nine States. The government must get down to business and close such gaps.

Chief Minister in a hurry Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar will clearly leave no stone unturned in giving his prohibition policy a legislative punch. Within days of the Patna High Courtstriking a blow to the "total prohibition" regime in the State, the government notified the Bihar Prohibition and Excise Act, 2016, andapproached the Supreme Court to challenge the High Court order.

The haste throws some light on Mr. Kumar's political strategy, which is aimed at distinguishing himself in a crowded landscape. Prohibition was his main campaign outreach to women voters in the 2015 Assembly elections. Having won the votes of women in earlier elections on schemes such as bicycles for schoolgirls, prohibition gave his Janata Dal (United) an added moral aura - he was fighting a no-holdsbarred election against his former ally, the BJP, and he was fighting in alliance with Lalu Prasad's Rashtriya Janata Dal. In the event, he was returned to the Chief Minister's post, but with the RJD getting a greater number of MLAs than the JD(U). Mr. Kumar's natural claim to the big post draws from his personal credibility, seen to be more potent than his party's. This connect with a wide cross-section of the public, as a politician empathetic to aspirations for a dignified, socially and educationally empowered life, had him in the fray for a larger national role during his BJP-allied days, and so too in his current antiBJP politics.

The prohibition plank, with its Gandhian overtones and empathetic message to women, gives Mr. Kumar a chance to arrogate to himself the mantle of a moral campaigner nationally. In the immediate term, it allows him to set himself apart from the RJD's rougher politics, and change the subject soon after his government found itself emitting the wrong message on law and order, particularly when Mohammad Shahabuddin was briefly out on bail. By attempting to overcome the High Court order, Mr. Kumar may have underlined his assertiveness, but he has, in the process, missed the opportunity the court gave him to reconsider the harsh punishments outlined in the previous law, with all the questions they pose for civil liberties, as well as the very architecture of the legislation. The prohibition regime forces the deployment of the police to seal the State's border, and away from more mindful policing within, which was the change Mr. Kumar's long chief ministership promised. The punishment worked into the current law gives the police greater opportunity for rent-seeking. This may alienate the very constituencies that keep him in the running for a role larger than his party's electoral footprint.

A summit of the NonAligned Movement (NAM) without the Indian Prime Minister is like Hamlet without the Prince of Denmark and that is what wasenacted in Venezuela recently. The only other time when an Indian Prime Minister stayed home was in 1979, when the historic Havana summit took place.

Prime Minister Charan Singh's absence, however, had nothing to do with NAM; this time, the absence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi had a political message.

Sources close to the Prime Minister have taken pains to explain that his absence was deliberate as he did not find NAM to be important enough for him to spend a couple of days in distant Venezuela. Therefore, the explanation given by the head of the Indian delegation, Vice President Hamid Ansari, that the summit was not a conference of Prime Ministers and, therefore, Indian participation was adequate did not carry conviction.

Flawed assumptions about NAM Non-alignment has not been in the vocabulary of Prime Minister Modi. He has been on a quest for se-

lective alignments to suit his needs for India's development and security. His advisers have now begun to rationalise India's distancing from NAM. One argument is that NAM did not have any binding principles and that it was a marriage of convenience among disparate countries. This argument arises from the narrow, literary interpretation of non-alignment. Many commentators had felt, right from the beginning, that the word 'non-alignment' conveyed the wrong notion that it was not aligning with the power blocs and that the beall and end-all of non-alignment was to remain unaligned. But the quintessence of non-alignment was freedom of judgment and action and it remained valid, whether there was one bloc or two. Seen in that context, non-military alliances can also be within the ambit of non-alignment, which was subsequently characterised as 'strategic autonomy'. In other words, India does not have to denounce nonalignment to follow its present foreign policy.

Another argument being heard is that NAM countries did not come to our help on any of the critical occasions when India needed solidarity, such as the Chinese ag-

gression in 1962 or the Bangladesh war in 1971.

Even in the latest struggle against terror, NAM has not come to assist India in any way. But the whole philosophy of NAM is that it remains united on larger global issues, even if does not side with a member on a specific issue. India itself has followed this approach, whenever the members had problems with others either inside or outside the movement. NAM positions have always been the reflection of the lowest common denominator in any given situation.

That NAM has no ideal or ideology as a glue is a wrong assumption. Though the criteria for NAM mem-

bership are general, anticolonialism, anti-imperialism and anti-racism were essential attributes of NAM countries. There was a consensus on nuclear disarmament also till India broke ranks by keeping out of the Non-Proliferation Treaty.

The diversity reflected in both Singapore and Cuba being NAM members has been its strength. Therefore, Egypt signing the Camp David Accords with Israel in 1978 or India signing the Treaty of Peace, Friendship and Cooperation with the Soviet Union in 1971 did not result in any disruption of membership.

A heritage we can leverage

All said and done, the golden age in India's foreign policy was in the first 15 years after Independence, when NAM provided a constituency for India because of our non-violent victory over the British and the leadership it provided to the newly independent countries. Our problems were different from the small and impoverished nations that thronged the movement, but Jawaharlal Nehru's vision and statesmanship inspired them. We did not seek to resolve our problems through the machinery of dispute resolution in NAM, but actively assisted those who sought such assistance.

India led the NAM effort to resolve the Iran-Iraq dispute.

As expected, political issues continued to engage NAM and we benefitted from its activism occasionally. In fact, it was through NAM that we operated to counter the efforts to expand the UN Security Council by including just Germany and Japan as permanent members. NAM submitted its own proposal and ensured that no quick fix was permitted.

The question we need to ask is whether our continued involvement with NAM would stand in the way of our 21st century ambitions.

The very informal nature of NAM permits members to

operate individually. It also has the facility of members reserving their positions, as we did on the non-proliferation positions of NAM. Our new nearness to the U.S. is not a red rag in NAM and our ability to be helpful in formulating U.S. policies gives us an advantage. No NAM country may agree to isolate Pakistan, but the NAM forum will be an effective instrument to project our anti-terrorist sentiments.

NAM is particularly important in elections at the UN, including the possible identification of new permanent members of the Security Council. The NAM position may not be decisive, but in the normal process of consultations, every grouping will get its own weightage and it is convenient to have a lobby behind us. NAM today, like the Commonwealth has always been, is a heritage we need not discard.

The decision to say farewell to NAM is very much in keeping with the new transactional nature of the foreign policy we are developing. NAM was a part of our larger vision for the world, but today it is seen as inconsequential to our present preoccupations.

This transformation will not be lost on the world community.

What does sport mean to us Sport serves many purposes and helps us live a well examined life.

NIRMAL SHEKAR Recently, I picked up an old book from my modest collection and started reading it - Noam Chomsky's Understanding Power - all over again and was struck by a solitary paragraph that got me thinking.

"Well, in our society, we have things that you might use your intelligence on, like politics, but people really can't get involved in them in a very serious way - so what they do is they put their minds into other things, such as sports.

You're trained to be obedient; you don't have an interesting job; there's no work around for you that's creative; in the cultural environment you're a passive observer of usually pretty tawdry stuff; political and social life are out of your range, they're in the hands of the rich folk. So what's left? Well, one thing that's left is sports - so you put a lot of the intelligence and the thought and the self-

confidence into that. And I suppose that's also one of the basic functions it serves in the society in general it occupies the population, and keeps them from trying to get involved with things that really matter. In fact, I presume that's part of the reason why spectator sports are supported to the degree they are by the dominant institutions," writes the great linguist and cognitive scientist.

In the hectic, soul-numbing, nerve-shattering pace of post-modern life, when our very sanity is tested every single day, when we think that we have to or ought to have time for everything that we desire, or are forced to desire, what do we make of sport?

How do sports - playing them for a few, and watching them for many - help make our lives more meaningful? How do they contribute to the quality of our lived experience and em-

bellish it with many of our more desirable emotions?

For some, sport is the very reason life is worth living. For others, sport may be one of the principal reasons why we are not quite as enlightened as our potential might suggest we ought to be.

But there still may be a few of us who think that it is absurd to even raise the question of sport's meaning in our lives when the emotions triggered by sport are clearly the reasons for spending time although there may be a few young men who do little to improve productivity and even less to help us gain intellectual esteem.

These thoughts must occur to us from time to time; but few of us think that pausing to address the big question is anything other than downright stupid. After all, we never ask ourselves why we eat, or why we love our children, or even why we hate our enemies.

Recently, when a very senior retired army officer asked me what I did "with the rest of your [my] working life,'' I laughed. And this is perhaps a logical or typical reaction from someone who has made a living watching and writing on sports for four decades.

But if sports and their commendable reasons for sitting in the stadiums day in and day out are the exceptions to the rule, then it would much more be an appropriate answer to the question than what the lay fan(atic) may come up with.

Sport, after all, means many things to many people and it would be almost impossible to find 10 or 20 fans give you the same answers when we pose this question: Why the hell do we waste so much time on sport when there are so many more basic as well as life-changing issues to which we can devote our precious time to

during our short stay on this planet?

Fills a critical gap But it would be a fallacy to believe that millions and millions of sports fans are wasting their time. For sport fills a critical gap or two in our lives and the great Chomsky is far off the mark, although we must admit there is a wee bit of truth in some of what he has said.

Yet, consider the other bunch of the intellectuals who are die-hard sports lovers, and you would immediately admit that Chomsky is part of a minority even among outstanding achievers in the academia or literature.

"Everything I know about morality and the obligations of men, I owe it to football," wrote the great French existentialist philosopher and novelist Albert Camus.

Of course, if you are caught up in the middle of a few drunken football

hooligans in Britain or elsewhere in Europe on a bad night with the crowd surrounding you, all you might want to do is to run away from the sport that you have worshipped for a long time.

But to judge football's or any other major sports' from an evolutionary point of view, and capacity to teach us morality and our duties as civilised men from a single undesirable situation would be ridiculous.

It is only when you learn to enjoy sport at the intellectual level that you can aspire for a tiny bit of nobility and erudition of a Camus.

For sport serves many purposes - enjoyment through entertainment, soul-satisfaction, enlightenment, camaraderie, fighting spirit and, most of all, the ability to rise above the mediocre and ordinary - and helps us live a wellexamined life that Socrates advanced to his own peril.

The Beauty of Patience Every job is a challenging one. But we have to have patience and a cool head to succeed in real life. Here is the story of a salesman who achieved something which he never expected.

There was a salesman called Ramesh in Kerala, a state in the southern part of India.

He was honest, polite and hard working. It was the month of June (start of monsoon in Kerala) when he got his first assignment in his new office. He was given a list of prospects that he has to approach and sell the product.

Surprisingly he realized that the list is full of local Keralan laundry owners! He got scared and thought he won't be able to achieve the desired target. He approached his senior, Monty but got little help. So he went back to his desk, thought for a moment and accepted the challenge as he had no other option left!

The next morning he started approaching

the laundry owners and within 15 days he got some really nice responses. Almost 80% of them purchased his product but, in credit, and everyone promised to pay him off within the next 15 days. He was delighted as he knew that his job is almost done! And so was his senior Monty. But he didn't know that the next one month was going to be tougher than what he expected.

On the last week of June amidst heavy showers he started visiting the laundry owners' place to collect money. Upon visiting half of them he realized that he has collected not a single penny. And the same trend continued for the next 7 days. He was frustrated, demoralized, impatient and so was Monty.

Ramesh explained everything to Monty including the peculiar behavior he noted amongst the laundry owners - whenever he knocked the owners; they used to look at

the sky before asking him to come the next day. Listening this senior smiled once and said that he is 'on track' and will soon get some good results. He never realized for once what payment has to do with the sky!

After almost 14 days, on a bright sunny monday morning Ramesh started visiting the laundry owners once again.

Though it was the midst of monsoon season, it didn't rain heavily for the last three days.

Suddenly by noon Ramesh realized that he has collected the payments from almost 50% of the laundry owners which was almost unbelievable!

He worked hard throughout the day and by the day end he had completed 90% of his target for June and July. He was thrilled and so was his senior. By month end he went on to become the 'star performer' for the month of June, July and was handed

over the letter of confirmation by the management. It was like a roller coaster ride for him!

Yet he wondered what the sky has to do with the payment! Why the laundry owners used to look at the sky and tell him to come the next day? To solve this mystery he went to a laundry owner and asked the same question. The owner laughed at him and said, "Son this is the month of monsoon and we have to wash the clothes, dry them off, iron them before handing them off to the customers. Now if the sun doesn't shine how can we dry our clothes, earn enough to pay you?".

Ramesh recollected his memories and smiled at the owner and realized that it was his patience and endurance that kept him going and ultimately helped him achieves the pinnacle of success. It's his zeal, motivation and due diligence that converted into fruitful results.

REST OF

PAGE 7

NORTHEAST Chopper service for Durga Sikkim wants 'peace bonus'; CM says it has no air, rail links Puja revellers in Tripura

DIBRUGARH, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8

IANS Agartala, Oct 7: The Tripura government will operate a helicopter service for Durga Puja revellers and sightseers to enable them to get an aerial view of tourist spots and puja celebrations in Agartala, a minister said here on Friday.

The chopper service, run by state-owned Tripura Road Transport Corporation (TRTC), will be a 30minute trip for each sortie in and around the state's capital city.

For sightseeing and witnessing Durga Puja, the per head fare for an adult is Rs.1,500 and for children below 12 years it is Rs.1,300, Tripura Transport Minister Manik Dey said.

He said: "The joy rides

Image for representational purpose would be conducted in eight-seater double-engine choppers of Pawan Hans Helicopters Ltd. The rides would be conducted for four days from October 8".

The government has subsidised the fare.

Dey, who also holds the power portfolio, said that to maintain uninterrupted

electricity supply during the puja period, Mizoram would provide 20 MW of power to Tripura.

"Despite huge demand of power (300 MW) during Durga Puja festivity, Tripura would maintain supply of 100 MW of power to Bangladesh as this is the national commitment," he added.

CBI submits report on MPS recruitment scam Agencies Shillong, Oct 7: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday submitted in the High Court of Meghalaya a ‘sealed envelope’ containing the report on the alleged manipulation in the recruitment of MPS officers.

The CBI probe was ordered following a petition filed by one of the candidates, Millon Ch Momin, into the alleged manipulation in the recruitment to fill 34 posts of Meghalaya Police Service Officer under the Home (Police) Department.

Momin, after clearing the physical efficiency test, the preliminary written examination and the subsequent mains written examination conducted from September 8-16, 2014, did not find a place on the list of successful candidates.

During the hearing on Thursday, the court when enquired as to whether the report was containing the

opinion of the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) on the image taken from the hard disc of the computer, the counsel read out the communication dated October 5 from the Central Forensic Science Laboratory that looking into the volume of data to be scrutinised would take about 45 days.

“It appears from the submissions as made that the said FSL was apprised of the orders passed by the Supreme Court as also by this court only by way of communication sent on October 4,” the court order said.

Justice Dinesh Maheshwari in the order said the court had already taken note of the order of the Supreme Court dated September 20 expecting this appeal to be disposed of within a period of four weeks from the date of communication of the order.

The court further observed that on September

28, when the order passed by the Supreme Court was placed before the court, they had indicated the requirement of earliest disposal of this appeal.

“Any laxity or delay on the part of anybody/agency could only prima facie be taken to be standing at conflict with the orders passed by the Supreme Court and this court,” the order added.

The court while refraining from making any comment on the matter, however, preferred giving some more time to the agencies concerned while reiterating that this appeal is expected to be decided in any case, within four weeks from September 28.

This appeal is to be listed for hearing on October 24 and the counsel for the CBI was permitted to file the sealed envelope before the Registrar General who will produce it before the court on the next date of hearing.

Controversy over new site for Tura medical college Agencies Shillong, Oct 7: The proposed Tura medical college may face inordinate delays as the Bolwarigre and Darengre A’kings have objected to the alleged illegal sale of their land by the neighbouring Doldegri Nokma to the State government.

The new site at Doldegre in West Garo Hills was chosen for the college after the Centre rejected the land chosen four years ago where the foundation stone was laid.

The Nokmas of Darenggre and Bolwarigre have lodged a complaint and approached the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) demanding that the sale of the 400 bighas be cancelled. They alleged that the land, which

had been cleared for jhumming, was sold by the Doldegre Nokma without their consent.

In a letter to the GHADC chief executive member, Denang T Sangma, Darenggre Nokma P.B Marak brought it to the notice of the council that an injunction notice had been given to both Doldegre and Bolwarigre villages by the Land and Revenue Department of GHADC prohibiting encroachment.

“But the Nokma of Doldegre disregarded the order of the district council court and encroached on the area of Bolwarigre and sold plots of land causing heavy economic loss to the Bolwarigre,” the complaint to the district council stated.

The villagers of Bolwarigre have not been allowed to

cultivate the land. “This must be compensated by the Doldegre Nokma and if any patta is issued it will have to be cancelled,” said the Bolwarigre Nokma.

Darengre and Doldegre are joint A’king lands and thus have joint Nokmas. The Nokma of Doldegre alone does not have the power to sell any land that is in joint custody unless the A’king of Darenggre also agreed.

The Bolwarigre A’king comes into the scene since the allegation is that the Doldegre Nokma sold their plots as well as those belonging to the Darenggre A’king.

With the controversy now getting entangled in a possible legal battle there is scepticism that the proposed medical college would not take off any time soon.

Call for alternate plan to improve small cities Agencies Shillong, Oct 7: The Urban and Municipal Affairs Minister, Ronnie Lyngdoh, has called for a different approach to have a livable city instead of the current ‘Smart City project’ of the Centre which is applicable to all the states irrespective of population, economy and other issues.

“Prime Minister Modi is a salesman, but the same concept may not be applicable to all the states in the coun-

try,” Lyngdoh told reporters on Thursday when asked about the status of Smart City project for Shillong.

Stating that there should be an alternate plan for states which do not have much resource base, Lyngdoh said small states in the country, including those in the North East, have various constraints like lack of investment from private players unlike other states elsewhere in the country.

“As per the Smart City project, the Centre will pro-

vide a maximum of Rs 500 crore whereas the rest will have to be managed by the respective state government,” Lyngdoh said.

According to Lyngdoh, the financial constraints on the part of small states, lack of private investment and negligible consumer base are the hurdles to fulfil the criteria of the ambitious Smart City project.

“Despite the constraints, we will submit our plan for the project to the Centre,” he added.

Director General of Tripura Police K. Nagaraj said vigil along the IndiaBangladesh border and in trouble torn areas has been tightened with the deployment of additional Border Security Force and other central and state security personnel.

Paramilitary forces Assam Rifles, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), along with Tripura State Rifles, have intensified their counter-insurgency operations in the terroristprone and hilly areas of the northeastern state to foil any attempt at disturbing the festivities, the police chief added.

CCTVs and metal detectors have been installed near the puja pandals (marquees) and other sensitive locations while over 7,500 security personnel

and quick reaction teams besides bomb and dog squads have been deployed across Tripura.

Police pickets have been set up in important and strategic locations and mobile and foot patrolling has been initiated along with intelligence networks.

"In view of the escalation of border troubles along India-Pakistan boundaries, extra alertness is set in motion during the Durga Puja festival.

However,there is no specific security threat yet," Nagaraj said.

According to the DGP, maintaining last year's numbers, around 2,510 community and about 100 family Durga Pujas, including 1,495 in rural and interior areas, are being organised in Tripura.

200-yr-old Durga Puja is major attraction in Tripura

Image for representational purpose PTI Agartala, Oct 7: A Durga Puja, introduced by the erstwhile King of Tripura Krishna Kishore Manikya Bahadur in early 19th century, continues to be the major attraction for the people of the state.

The goddess has two arms at the Durgabari Temple here where the 200-year-old puja is currently organised and funded by the state's Communist government.

The district magistrate of West Tripura is the main sevayat of the puja.

When Tripura signed the instrument of accession with the Government of India on October 15, 1949, it was agreed that the daily work at the Durgabari temple, Tripureswari Kali Temple at Udaipur in Gomati district and some other temples would be funded and looked after by the state government.

History has it that the queen of Krishna Kishore

fainted after seeing the goddess with ten arms, Panna Lal Roy, who studied history and heritage of the state, said.

Thereafter, on the advice of priests, Goddess Durga has only two hands visible while the remaining eight are hidden at her back at the Durgabari temple which stands before the 114year-old Ujjayanta Palace, considered to be the eastern India's largest one.

The octogenarian Chief Priest of the Durgabari temple, Dulal Bhattacharya, who is paid an honorarium of Rs.6,000 per month by the government and is engaged in performing the puja for the last 60 years, said, "The idols of Durgabari that lead the Dashami procession are the first to be immersed at Dashamighat here with the state police band playing the national song."

PTI Gangtok, Oct 7: Demanding a "peace bonus", Sikkim Chief Minister Pawan Kumar Chamling on Friday appealed to the Centre to undertake more development initiatives in the Northeast, saying his state is yet to be connected by air and rail networks and condition of roads are pathetic.

Chamling sought "peace bonus" from the central government for remaining the most peaceful state in the country.

"There is no insurgency, no militancy, no violence in Sikkim. Our state is the most peaceful in the country. We should be given a peace bonus by the Central government," he told reporters here.

In 2000, the Central government had given a "peace bonus" of Rs.182.45 crore to Mizoram for being the most peaceful state in the Northeast after decades of

Sikkim Chief Minister Pawan Kumar Chamling insurgency.

The chief minister said construction of an airport in Sikkim has been going on for years while no progress has been made in implementing the plans for connecting the Himalayan state with trains.

"Our only lifeline is road.

But condition of roads are very pathetic. We urge the central government to take more development

GNLA and ASAK are known to operate frequently in the Chokpot region and there are instances of petty criminal gangs also targeting civilians.

The ASAK outfit was behind last week’s large scale abduction of nine Assam traders near Silkigre village. They were released on Wednesday morning.

Also, last month, a small time criminal gang murdered a teenage boy and his two friends from Tura after luring them to Kherapara village from where they were abducted.

The gang took away three lakh rupees from the family of the victims promising to release them unharmed even though all three had already been murdered in cold blood.

The chief minister said Sikkim has tremendous potential to be the "Switzerland of India" and a "Ram Rajya" as it is blessed with tremendous beauty and natural resources but it needs help from the central government.

Ruckus over ‘anomalies’ in recruitment Agencies Shillong, Oct 7: The applicants for the post of demonstrator refused to take part in the physical test conducted by the district selection committee of West Khasi Hills on Thursday alleging anomalies in the interview phase.

More than 200 youths gathered at the office of the deputy commissioner and shot a letter to the secretary of the selection committee demanding repeat of the physical examination.

Sylvestar Dkhar, one of the candidates for the job, alleged that the district selection committee did not conduct the interview properly. He also alleged that in other districts and blocks, women were allowed to apply for the post but in West Khasi Hills, women candidates were refused.

“There are only four vacancies for the demonstrator’s post and more than 4,000 had applied. But without clearing the written test results, the committee announced the physical test, which is against the rule, because only those candidates who cleared the written test can take part in the physical test,” he said.

The physical examination is the final qualification step for recruitment.

Sylvestar also said the committee should have sent letters to successful applicants or published in newspapers about the physical test for more than a week. “Instead, they published about the test only one day in a local newspaper, which is totally misconduct. Only 200 of the 4,000 candidates could come on Thursday,” he added.

The candidates also alleged that the physical test was just a formality since the committee did not check even the admit cards.

When told about the allegations, the secretary of the district selection committee, B. Ranee, rebutted the claims saying it was at the committee’s discretion whether to conduct the written test first or the physical test.

She also said in the advertisement published in the newspaper, “the committee did not mention specifically that the post will be applied only to male, but anyone could apply”.

“The DSC has the records of all candidates who applied for the job and they cannot fake their identity whether with or without admit cards,” she added.

Manipur Congress vice president resigns

Grocery store owner abducted in SGH Agencies Shillong, Oct 7: Armed men went to the home of a grocery store owner at Sangknigre village of South Garo Hills and abducted him at gunpoint on Wednesday evening.

Trader Nirmal Saha had been doing business in Sangknigre for the past many years and had also settled down in that village. On Wednesday evening, approximately 6:30 PM, three armed men carrying pistols barged into his home and ordered him to accompany them. They did not disclose their identity and despite protests from his wife and family members forcibly took him away towards the forest.

Sangknigre village lies close to West Garo Hills district and is approximately 27 kms from Tura town.

Armed groups like the

initiatives in Sikkim as well as other Northeastern states," he said.

Vice President of the Congress's Manipur unit Nongthombam Biren

IANS Imphal, Oct 7: Vice President of the Congress's Manipur unit Nongthombam Biren resigned from the state assembly and the primary membership of the party on Thursday.

He blamed the ruling Congress for not solving major problems and driving a wedge between the people of the valley and the hills in the Northeastern state.

He parried a question as to whether he will be joining any other party like

the BJP which has become popular in the past few months.

He is the second Congress MLA to resign from the party.

Earlier, veteran Congress leader Yumkham Erabot also resigned and joined the BJP. Meanwhile, BJP sources said that the present understanding is that over 14 Congress MLAs shall resign and join the BJP in a short time.

Congress state unit President T.N. Haokip declined to comment saying that it is mere speculation

and baseless.

Biren said: "People have gained the impression that there is no governance now. It is a world record that the bodies of nine tribals have been in the morgue for more than a year. An agreement should have been ironed out and the bodies given a decent burial."

The nine tribals died while protesting against three anti-migrant bills passed in the Manipur Assembly on August 31, last year.

The bills were passed after months of mass movement to protect the indigenous populace from the illegal immigrants in the state, including those from neighbouring Myanmar.

The bills have been strongly opposed by tribals, particularly Nagas and Kukis, who mainly inhabit the hill districts of Manipur.

Biren said that of late Chief Minister Okram Ibobi and his close associates have become unpopular.

This is one of the reasons for his resignation, he admitted.

DIBRUGARH, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8

INTERNATIONAL

PAGE 8

Bomb hits train in southwestern White House refuses to endorse Pakistan, killing at least 3 petition on Khalistan No one has claimed responsibility for the attack, but separatist groups in the province have claimed similar attacks in the past.

Quetta, Oct 7: A Pakistani railways official says a bomb has exploded on a passenger train in the country's southwest, killing at least three people and wounding 10. The official, Tufail Ahmad, said the bomb went off on Friday near the village of Mach in Balochistan province. He says the train was heading to the garrison city of Rawalpindi from Quetta, the provincial capital.

For over a decade, Balochistan has been the scene of a low-intensity insurgency by ethnic Baluch separatists who want autonomy or outright independence.

Ahmad says the casualties were taken to nearby hospitals and that some of the wounded passengers are listed as being in critical condition. No one has

claimed responsibility for the attack, but separatist groups in the province have claimed similar attacks in the past.

For over a decade,

Balochistan has been the scene of a low-intensity insurgency by ethnic Baloch separatists who want autonomy or outright independence.(PTI)

Washington, Oct 7: The White Housetoday refused to comment on apetition seeking support forKhalistan and invoked President Barack Obama's comments during his last year's trip to New Delhi that India will succeed so long as it is not splintered along religious lines.

"While we appreciate your participation on this platform, we cannot comment here on the specific policy issue raised in your petition," the White House said responding to a separatist Sikhpetition which had garnered more than 100,000 signatures.

Responding to a petition created on July 10 by an

individual, identified with the initials of GP, within the stipulated 60 days, the White House said the US President Obama has made it a priority to promote and protect religious freedom for all people, both at home and abroad.

In an address to the people of India in 2015, Obama had reaffirmed the universal right for those who practice faith to do so as they choose and without fear of persecution, the White House response said, and quoted from his remarks then.

"The peace we seek in the world begins in human hearts. And it finds its glorious expression when we

Pic for representation purpose. look beyond any differences in religion or tribe, and rejoice in the beauty of every soul. And nowhere is that more important than India," Obama had said.

"Nowhere is it going to be

more necessary for that foundational value to be upheld. India will succeed so long as it is not splintered along the lines of religious faith - so long as it's not splintered along any lines - and is unified as one

Activity at North Korea Five of six Indians nuclear site fuels test fears make cut in Korea

Incheon, Oct 7: On a day when the sun peeped out from behind the clouds only occasionally, five of six Indian golfers made the halfway cut at the AsiaPacific Amateur Championships at the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club here.

Rayhan Thomas, playing in one of the late groups in the afternoon, was caught in the drizzle without an umbrella, with the wind adding to it, but stayed the best Indian at tied 17th following a round of one-over 73.

Behind Thomas were Rigel Fernandes (76-71), Kshitij Naveed Kaul (7473) and Yuvraj Sandhu (72-75) in tied 25th, while Viraj Madappa (76-72), who was five-under for

his last five holes, was T31.

Priyanshu Singh (79-76) was the lone one to miss the cut, which fell at nineover.

Australian roommates Brett Coletta (67-67) and last year's runner-up Cameron Davis (65-70) occupied the top two spots at 10-under and nine-under, while a third Aussie, Curtis Luck (7069) was tied fourth at five-under alongside Thai KK Limbhasut and Japanese Yuwa Kosaihira.

Junya Kameshiro, also from Japan, is third at seven-under.

The two best recoveries on the Indian side came from Fernandes and Madappa (76-72), both of

whom were lying Tied50th after the first round.

Fernandes, returning to Asia-Pacific Amateur after a gap of two years, was in trouble at two-over through four holes at which point he was sixover for the tournament.

But then from 18th, his ninth hole, to the seventh, he found three birdies and finished at one-under 71 and moved to T-25.

Madappa, playing his fourth Asia-Pacific, was staring down the barrel at five-over for the day and nine-over total, through 13 holes in the second round.

Suddenly Madappa found his approach shots landing within 10-15 foot range and even better, he holed them. (PTI)

Relationship with India, Pakistan not a zero-sum game: Pentagon

Referring to the meetings between US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter and Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, the Pentagon Secretary said this is a growing relationship, and the one which US thinks is very important to the region.

Washington, Oct 7: America's relationship with India and Pakistan is not a "zero-sum game", and the US has separate security interests with both the countries, the Pentagon said on Friday. "We don't view these relationships as a zero-sum situation," Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook said at a news conference when

asked about the ongoing military exercise between Pakistan and Russia.

"We have a relationship with India. We have a relationship with Pakistan, longstanding relationship.

"And there are security interests that we share with Pakistan that we also have separate security interests we have with India. We'll continue to look

at the relationships in that light," he added. "So, that's the way we view this. It is not a zero-sum situation. We'll continue to have ongoing conversations, military conversations with the Pakistanis, particularly on the subject of counterterrorism, where we have a shared security interest. We will continue to foster a strengthening defence relationship with India," Cook said.

Referring to the series of meetings that US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter has had with Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, he said this is an important relationship, a growing relationship, and the one which US thinks is very important to the region.

"And will continue to be one that the Secretary (Carter) will be looking to develop in the months and years ahead," Cook said. (PTI)

Brazil's Lula probed for membership in corruption ring Brasilia, Oct 7 : Brazil's expresident Luiz Ignacio Lula da Silva will be probed for alleged membership in a crime ring organising the mass looting of the state oil company Petrobras, the Supreme Court has said.

Justice Teori Zavascki yesterday authorised the inclusion of Lula, who already faces other related corruption charges, in a group of politicians suspected of organizing an embezzlement ring at Petrobras.

Prosecutors had previously named Lula, 70, as the mastermind of the huge corruption scheme in which a network of executives, politicians and big contractors plundered Brazil's flagship national company.

The probe into the scheme

has already seen a Who's Who of Brazilians investigated, charged or convicted, shaking the country's elite to the core.

However, no concrete evidence has been presented so far of Lula's role as the ringleader.

The leftist former president has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing, saying his multiple legal problems related to the Petrobras scheme are a campaign to knock him out of contention for returning to power in the 2018 presidential election.

On Wednesday, he was charged separately with having taken a bribe in relation to a sweetheart deal obtained by a nephew from construction colossus Odebrecht for a hydroelec-

tric project in Angola.

Lula was earlier charged with taking bribes from OAS, another construction company that, like Odebrecht, has been heavily linked to the Petrobras scheme.

Lula served from 2003-2010 and left office with sky-high ratings and international approval for his work lifting tens of millions of Brazilians from poverty while presiding over an economic boom.

He remains one of the most popular potential candidates for 2018, opinion polls show.

However, the Workers' Party, which he founded, was trounced in municipal elections on Sunday and Lula's legacy severely tainted by corruption scandals and the steep decline of the economy. (Agencies)

Seoul, Oct 7: Analysis of recent satellite images of North Korea's nuclear test site shows activity at all three of its tunnel complexes, fuelling speculation of another test ahead of a key political anniversary next week.

North Korea has already conducted two nuclear tests this year - in January and September - and experts say it is capable of carrying out a third as soon as the order is given.

Past nuclear tests, and missile launches, have often coincided with special political dates.

The September test took place on the anniversary of North Korea's founding as a state, and the country will celebrate a similar milestone on Monday with the 71st anniversary of the founding of the ruling Workers' Party.

In a posting on its closelywatched 38 North website on Friday, the US-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins University said satellite images dated October 1 showed continuing activ-

A television screen shows an image of Kim Jong-un during a South Korean news broadcast on a North Korean nuclear test. ity across the Punggye-ri test site in the northeast of the country.

"Activity at the North Portal where the September 9 test occurred, may be for a number of purposes including collecting posttest data, sealing the portal or preparing for another test," the post said.

It also highlighted movement around the West Portal, as well as the South Portal where excavation

stopped in 2012.

"The purpose of this activity is also unclear, although the (South) portal is assumed to be capable of supporting a nuclear test once a decision is made to move forward," it said.

North Korea has been hit by five sets of United Nations sanctions since it first tested a nuclear device in 2006, but has insisted it will continue.

The yield from

September's test was estimated at 10 kilotons the largest so far and almost twice as much as the device detonated in January.

South Korea's Yonhap news agency on Friday quoted an unidentified foreign ministry official who raised the prospect of another test to mark the Workers' Party anniversary next week.

"We believe that the North is ready to carry out a nuclear test and all it needs is political determination," the official said.

"Chances are high that the North will conduct its sixth nuclear detonation or test-fire a ballistic missile ahead of the anniversary of its ruling Workers' Party and the Security Consultative Meeting (SCM) scheduled in the US later this month," the official said.

"Starting today, the military will maintain heightened vigilance against any provocations by the North," he said. (Agencies)

nation," Obama said in his address in January, 2015.

The White House said the US has monitored and publicly reported on human rights issues, including the atrocities committed against members of the Sikh community during the 1984 violence in India.

"For example, the State Department's Official Country Reports on Human Rights Practices covered the violence and its aftermath in considerable detail.

"We will continue to report on important human rights concerns, and State Department reports are available to the public," it said. (PTI)

Turkey police detain suspected PKK militant over attack AFP Istanbul, Oct 7 : Turkish police have detained a suspected militant from the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) who is believed to have perpetrated a motorbike bombing near an Istanbul police station, the state-run Anadolu news agency reported today.

The woman suspect was captured along with two other people in Aksaray province in central Turkey, carrying a fake passport, Anadolu said.

The latest capture brings the total number of arrests up to six in connection with Thursday's bombing in the Yenibosna district of Istanbul, close to the city's main international airport.

At least 10 people were wounded when a bomb which authorities said was attached to a motorbike exploded.

Television pictures showed several cars wrecked and shards of glass scattering the ground after the blast.

No group has claimed the attack yet.

The PKK, listed as a terror group by Turkey and its Western allies, has resumed deadly attacks since the collapse of a fragile truce in 2015.

Over 40,000 people have been killed since the PKK first took up arms in 1984.

Thursday's strike was the first bomb attack in Istanbul since the failed July 15 coup seeking to oust the government from power.

US disappointed with the way Russia, Donald Trump no China exercise veto power in UNSC longer supports ban on India has been strongly pushing for reform of the UN Security Council and getting its permanent membership.

The White House press secretary said as it relates to the situation in Syria, the US' most urgent concern is with the way Russia has used their veto authority on the Security Council at the UN. Washington, Oct 7: India has been strongly pushing for reform of the UN Security Council and getting its permanent membership.

He said as it relates to the situation in Syria, the US' most urgent concern is with the way Russia has used their veto authority on the Security Council at the UN. "The United States has been disappointed at the way in which Russia and to a certain extent China have wielded their veto authority on the UN Security Council to blunt international efforts to limit the violence inside of Syria," the White House spokesman said.

"We have been disappointed that they have used that veto to protect (Syrian President Bashar al) Assad. There have also been movements at the United Nations Security Council to raise concerns about the conduct of individuals in that conflict and to ensure that they are met with some accountability. Those accountability measures have been blocked by the Russians," Earnest said.

There are other examples of the US being able to work effectively outside the auspices of the UN to implement sanctions in a coordinated fashion to maximise the impact of those sanctions, he said.

The situation in Ukraine is the best example where the US has been able to work effectively with its European allies to impose tough sanctions against Russia, Earnest said.

The US is disappointed with the way Russia and to some extent China have been exercising their veto power in the UN Security Council to blunt global efforts for peace in Syria, the White House has said as it underscored the need to reform the powerful wing of the world body.

"We have been deeply concerned by the way Russia has used its veto power on the UN Security Council to prevent as much action from the UN as we would like to see," White House Press Secretary Josh earnest said.

"I know there has been a broader and, in some ways, more esoteric discussion about proposed reforms of the UN Security Council and the way that it works. I know there have been some proposals to enlarge it.

Our friends in India are certainly interested in benefitting from reforms like that," Earnest told reporters at his daily news conference yesterday.

(PTI)

Muslim: Mike Pence

Washington, Oct 7: Donald Trump no longer wants to impose a total ban on Muslims entering the US, his running mate Mike Pence has said, indicating a disavow of one of its most provocative policy proposals by the Republican presidential nominee. "It is not Donald Trump's position now," Pence told CNN in an interview on Thursday when asked about Trump's stated policy of banning Muslims from entering the country.

"Donald Trump has‌ talked about putting the security of the American people first‌ And he's made it clear our position is, we're going to suspend immigration from countries compromised by terrorism," Pence argued.

Pence said Trump has underscored on the need to suspend immigration from countries and territories that have been compromised by terrorism.

"I understand why you want to play the oldies, you want to talk about the where the campaign began or what statements were made, but the American people are focused on the policies that Donald Trump is articulating every day across this country," 57-year-old Pence said.

Later at an election rally in Pennsylvania, Pence slammed the Obama Administration for making alleged cash payment to Iranians as ransom, which has been denied by the US Government.

"This administration and Hillary Clinton, with Clinton's assent, signed an agreement that essentially puts off USD 150 billion to the Iranian, the radical Mullahs in Iran. And all we did was delay their

nuclear ambitions. The worst of it to me was the very day that the Iranians released four American hostages from captivity in Tehran, we delivered USD 400 million in cash on a pallet as ransom," he said.

"Let me make you a promise.

When Donald Trump becomes president of the US, we won't be paying ransom to terrorists. They will be paying the price if they detain American citizens or threaten our people," he added. The US, he said, can't have four more years of Obama Administration.

"We cannot have four more years apologising to our enemies and abandoning our friends. For America to be safe, for the world to be safe, America needs to be strong.

And when Donald Trump becomes president of the United States, we will lead with American strength on the world stage once again," he said.

Meanwhile, the 70-year-old reality TV star denied allegations that a town hall, held yesterday, was not his preparation for the next debate with his Democratic rival Clinton.

"This isn't practice, this has nothing to do with Sunday," Trump said in an apparent response to the criticism against him. Trump's performance in the first debate against Clinton was widely panned. "We're just here because we just wanted to be here. And I want to be with the American people, I want to be with the people from New Hampshire, and she (Clinton) wants to rest," he lashed out at Clinton. The next debate in town hall-style presidential format is scheduled to held on Sunday. (PTI)

EDUCATION

DIBRUGARH, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8

PAGE 9

Top Universities of India Indian Institute of Technology Bombay Indian Institute of Technology Madras Established in 1959, Indian Institute of Technology Madras is a non-profit public higher education institution located in the the urban setting of the metropolis of Chennai (population range of over 5,000,000 inhabitants), Tamil Nadu. Officially accredited/recognized by the Department of Higher Education of the Ministry of Human Resources Development, India, Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IITM) is a coeducational higher education institution. Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IITM) offers courses and programs leading to officialy recognized higher education degrees such as bachelor degrees, master degrees, doctorate degrees in several areas of study. This 57 years old HE institution has a selective admission policy based on entrance examinations. International applicants are eligible to apply for enrollment. IITM also provides several academic and non-academic facilities and services to students including a library, sport facilities and/or activities, study abroad and exchange programs, as well as administrative services.

Founded in 1958, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay is a nonprofit public higher education institution located in the the suburban setting of the metropolis of Mumbai (population range of over 5,000,000 inhabitants), Maharashtra. Officially accredited/ recognized by the Department of Higher Education of the Ministry of Human Resources Development, India, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT Bombay) is a small (enrollment range: 4,000-4,999 students) coeducational higher education institution. Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT Bombay) offers courses and programs leading to officialy recognized higher education degrees such as bachelor degrees, master degrees, doctorate degrees in several areas of study. This 58 years old HE institution has a selective

admission policy based on entrance examinations. International students are welcome to apply for enrollment. IIT Bombay also provides several academic and non-academic facilities and services to students including a library, housing, sport facilities and/or activities, study abroad and exchange programs, online courses and distance learning opportunities, as well as administrative services.

Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur

Established in 1959, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur is a non-profit public higher education institution located in the the urban setting of the large city of Kanpur (population range of 1,000,0005,000,000 inhabitants), Uttar Pradesh. Officially accredited/recognized by the Department of Higher Education of the Ministry of Human Resources De-

Established in 1984, VIT University is a non-profit private higher education institution located in the urban setting of the small city of Vellore (population range of 250,000-499,999 inhabitants), Tamil Nadu. This institution has also branch campuses in the following location(s): Chennai. Officially accredited/recognized by the University Grants Commission, India, VIT University (VIT) is a large (enrollment range: 15,000-19,999 students) coeducational higher education institution. VIT University (VIT) offers courses and programs leading to officialy recognized higher education degrees such as bachelor degrees, master degrees, doctorate degrees in several areas of study. This 32 years old HE institution has a selective admission policy based on entrance examinations and students' past academic record and grades. The admission rate range is 5060% making this Indian higher education organization a averagely selective institution. International applicants are eligible to apply for enrollment. VIT also provides several academic and non-academic facilities and services to students including a library, housing, sport facilities and/or activities, financial aids and/or scholarships, study abroad and exchange programs, as well as administrative services.

University of Delhi

Established in 1922, University of Delhi is a non-profit public higher education institution located in the the urban setting of the metropolis of New Delhi (population range of over 5,000,000 inhabitants), NCT of Delhi. Officially accredited/recognized by the University Grants Commission, India, University of Delhi (DU) is a very large (enrollment range: over45,000 students) coeducational higher education institution. University of Delhi (DU) offers courses and programs leading to officialy recognized higher education degrees such as undergraduate certificates/diplomas, bachelor degrees, master degrees, doctorate degrees in several areas of study. International applicants are eligible to apply for enrollment. DU also provides several academic and non-academic facilities and services to students including a library, housing, sport facilities and/or activities, study abroad and exchange programs, as well as administrative services.

velopment, India, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IIT Kanpur) is a small (enrollment range: 3,000-3,999 students) coeducational higher education institution. Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IIT Kanpur) offers courses and programs leading to officialy recognized higher education degrees such as undergraduate certificates/diplomas, bachelor degrees, master degrees, doctorate degrees in several areas of study. This 57 years old HE institution has a selective admission policy based on entrance examinations. The admission rate range is 010% making this Indian higher education organization a most selective institution. International applicants are eligible to apply for enrollment. IIT Kanpur also provides several academic and non-academic facilities and services to students including a library, housing, sport facilities and/or activities, financial aids and/or scholarships, as well as administrative services.

Anna University

VIT University Founded in 1978, Anna University is a non-profit public higher education institution located in the the urban setting of the metropolis of Chennai (population range of over 5,000,000 inhabitants), Tamil Nadu. Officially accredited/recognized by the University Grants Commission, India, Anna University (AU Chennai) is a large (enrollment range: 10,00014,999 students) coeducational higher education institution. Anna University (AU Chennai) offers courses and programs leading to officialy recognized higher education degrees such as undergraduate certificates/diplomas, bachelor degrees, master degrees, doctorate degrees in several areas of study. This 38 years old HE institution has a selective admission policy based on students' past academic record and grades. International students are welcome to apply for enrollment. AU Chennai also provides several academic and nonacademic facilities and services to students including a library, housing, sport facilities and/ or activities, financial aids and/or scholarships, study abroad and exchange programs, online courses and distance learning opportunities, as well as administrative services.

Indian Institute of Technology Delhi

Amity University

Established in 1961, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi is a non-profit public higher education institution located in the the urban setting of the metropolis of New Delhi (population range of over 5,000,000 inhabitants), NCT of Delhi. Officially accredited/recognized by the Department

Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur Founded in 1995, Amity University is a non-profit private higher education institution located in the large town of Noida (population range of 50,000-249,999 inhabitants), Uttar Pradesh. This institution has also branch campuses in the following location(s): Gwalior, Jaipur. Officially accredited/recognized by the University Grants Commission, India, Amity University (AUH) is a large (enrollment range: 25,00029,999 students) coeducational higher education institution. Amity University (AUH) offers courses and programs leading to officialy recognized higher education degrees such as bachelor degrees, master degrees, doctorate degrees in several areas of study. This 21 years old HE institution has a selective admission policy based on entrance examinations and students' past academic record and grades. AUH also provides several academic and non-academic facilities and services to students including a library, housing, sport facilities and/or activities, financial aids and/or scholarships, study abroad and exchange programs, online courses and distance learning opportunities, as well as administrative services.

SRM University

Founded in 1984, SRM University is a private higher education institution located in the the suburban setting of the metropolis of Chennai (population range of over 5,000,000 inhabitants), Tamil Nadu. Officially accredited/recognized by the University Grants Commission, India, SRM University (SRMU) is a coeducational higher education institution. SRM University (SRMU) offers courses and programs leading to officialy recognized higher education degrees such as bachelor degrees, master degrees, doctorate degrees in several areas of study. International students are welcome to apply for enrollment. SRMU also provides several academic and non-academic facilities and services to students including a library, online courses and distance learning opportunities, as well as administrative services.

Established in 1882, Panjab University is a nonprofit public higher education institution located in the the urban setting of the large city of Chandigarh (population range of 1,000,0005,000,000 inhabitants). Officially accredited/recognized by the University Grants Commission, India, Panjab University (PU) is a very large (enrollment range: over-45,000 students) coeducational higher education institution. Panjab University (PU) offers courses and programs leading to officialy recognized higher education degrees such as undergraduate certificates/diplomas, bachelor degrees, master degrees,

of Higher Education of the Ministry of Human Resources Development, India, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IITD) is a coeducational higher education institution. Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IITD) offers courses and programs leading to officialy recognized higher education degrees such as bachelor degrees, master degrees, doctorate degrees in several areas of study. This 55 years old HE institution has a selective admission policy based on entrance examinations. International applicants are eligible to apply for enrollment. IITD also provides several academic and non-academic facilities and services to students including a library, sport facilities and/or activities, as well as administrative services.

Panjab University doctorate degrees in several areas of study. International applicants are eligible to apply for enrollment. PU also provides several academic and nonacademic facilities and ser-

vices to students including a library, sport facilities and/or activities, online courses and distance learning opportunities, as well as administrative services.

Founded in 1951, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur is a non-profit public higher education institution located in the the rural setting of the small city of Kharagpur (population range of 250,000-499,999 inhabitants), West Bengal. Officially accredited/recognized by the Department of Higher Education of the Ministry of Human Resources Development, India, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur (IIT Kharagpur) is a coeducational higher education institution. Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur (IIT Founded in 1948, Savitribai Phule Pune University is a non-profit public higher education institution located in the the urban setting of the metropolis of Pune (population range of over 5,000,000 inhabitants), Maharashtra. Officially accredited/recognized by the University Grants Commission, India, Savitribai Phule Pune University is a coeducational higher education institution. Savitribai Phule Pune University offers courses and programs leading to officialy recognized higher education degrees such as undergraduate certificates/ diplomas, bachelor degrees, master degrees,

Kharagpur) offers courses and programs leading to officialy recognized higher education degrees such as bachelor degrees, master degrees, doctorate degrees in several areas of study.

This 65 years old HE institution has a selective admission policy based on entrance examinations. IIT Kharagpur also provides several academic and nonacademic facilities and services to students including a library, sport facilities and/or activities, study abroad and exchange programs, as well as administrative services.

Savitribai Phule Pune University

doctorate degrees in several areas of study.

International students are welcome to apply for enrollment. Savitribai Phule Pune University also pro-

vides several academic and non-academic facilities and services to students including a library, sport facilities and/or activities, as well as administrative services.

DIBRUGARH, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8

NATION

India to seal border with Pakistan

by Dec, 2018: Rajnath

Shah slams Rahul's remarks, says will take issue to people

Jaisalmer, Oct 7: India will completely seal the border with Pakistan by December, 2018 by using all effective means including technological solutions, Home Minister Rajnath Singh said here today.

Speaking to media after reviewing the security situation on border with ministers and officials of four states, Singh said India is planning to seal the entire border with Pakistan

by December 2018 and a proper monitoring mechanism would be in place at the central and state government levels for it.

He also mooted setting up a border security grid for which suggestions have been invited from all the concerned stakeholders including the states which share border with Pakistan.

"It is a new concept. We will be framing guidelines after getting suggestions from all stake holders," Singh said.

The Home Minister said that the government was determined to completely seal the borders with Pakistan by December 2018

Rajnath Singh and added "this project will be periodically monitored

by Home Secretary at the central level, BSF from the security forces perspective and Chief Secretaries at the state level."

He said under the action plan of sealing the border, technology will also be used. "Like we have riverine and Sir Creek area in Gujarat, there we will make maximum use of technology for effective sealing of border.

Singh chaired the meeting attended by Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje, Deputy Chief Min-

ister of Punjab Sukhbir Singh Badal, Gujarat and Rajasthan's Home Ministers Pradeepsinh Jadeja and Gulab Chand Kataria respectively and Jammu and Kashmir Chief Secretary Brij Raj Sharma, an official said.

Senior BSF officials were present at the meeting here which reviewed security arrangements on the border in the wake of tension between India and Pakistan after surgical strike by army on terror camps across the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir. (PTI)

3 Nigerians held for duping student on pretext of job abroad Hyderabad, Octr 7: Three Nigerians, who allegedly cheated a student from the city on the pretext of providing him a job in Sydney and made him pay Rs 5.6 lakh as visa processing fee, were arrested from Bengaluru today.

Daniel Also Eltus, Chankgoz Ofbeena and Okafor Elvis, all natives of Imo state in Nigeria, were arrested fromBengaluru and on interrogation they confessed to cheating many people on the pretext of job, loan and other online advance fee frauds, Commissioner of Police

(Rachakonda) Mahesh M Bhagwath said.

They were arrested after a student from Ghatkesar area here in a complaint to Cyber Crime Wing of Rachakonda Commissioner ate said that he received phone calls and emails from Daniel, who offered him job as a farmhouse supervisor at his farm in Sydney.

"When the victim expressed his interest to work in Sydney, Daniel introduced Chankgoz to him for visa processing.

Both the accused made the student deposit money in

various bank accounts provided by Okafor," Bhagwath said.

The three Nigerians do not have valid visas and passports and were staying in India for more than two years. Police seized two laptops, seven mobile phones among other gadgets from them, he said.

During initial investigation, it was found that their laptops had fake job offer templates, concoted travel documents, e-mail correspondence with victims, hundreds of resumes of unemployed youth, the Commissioner added.

(PTI)

Naked body of noted perfume Home Minister specialist found in Goa home; reviews security with Border police suspect murder States Jaisalmer, Oct 7: Amid rising tension in Indo-Pak ties, Union MinisterRajnath Singh today reviewed the security situation with Home Ministers and senior officials of four states that border Pakistan.

Pic for representation purpose.

Panaji, Oct 7: The naked body of a renowned woman perfume specialist was found at her residence in a village near here, with police suspecting that she was raped and murdered.

"We received information about the incident late last night. We found her body in naked condition while the flat was burgled," Police Inspector Rajesh Kumar, who is investigating the case, said.

Monica Ghurde (39), the famed perfume specialist, was living in a rented three-bedroom flat in Sangolda village, about 10 km from here, since July after shifting from the adjoining Porvorim village, police said. Sangolda is about 5 km from Calangute beach, a popular tourist destination.

Her hands and legs were

found tied to a bed, they said.

"The house is burgled but we can't ascertain what things are stolen from the flat as she was living alone," Kumar said.

The building's watchman, who has been questioned, also has no information about anyone entering her flat, Kumar added.

"We have sent the body for postmortem. Only after the postmortem report is received we will be able to know the exact cause of death," he said, adding that suspicion of rape has not been ruled out and that marks on her neck indicate that she may have been strangulated.

Police have detained several village residents in connection with the case.(PTI)

Singh chaired the meeting attended by Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje, Deputy Chief Minister of PunjabSukhbir Singh Badal, Gujarat's Minister of State for Home Pradeepsinh Jadeja and Jammu and Kashmir Chief Secretary Brij Raj Sharma, an official said.

Senior BSF officials were present at the meeting here which reviewed security arrangements on the border in the wake of tension between India and Pakistan after surgical strike by army on terror camps across the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir.

The Union Home Minister will also tour border areas ofRajasthan and visit outposts to assess the situation along the Indo-Pak border.

Elaborate security arrangements have been made, Barmer Collector Matadeen Sharma said.(PTI)

New Delhi, Oct 7: Asserting that BJP will go to the people over the issue of surgical strikes, BJP President Amit Shah today lashed out at Rahul Gandhi over his 'dalali' barb at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, accusing him of "crossing all limits" and "insulting" the army's bravery.

He said Congress was expressing Pakistan's despair instead of joining people's enthusiasm over surgical strikes.

Even as he insisted that the strikes should not be politicised, he made it clear that BJP will go to people over the issue to "boost the army's morale" and that the strikes underline the Modi government's zero tolerance policy against terrorism as well as its strong political will to take hard decisions.

With assembly elections due in several states, including Uttar Pradesh, the issue can come handy for the party.

Addressing a press conference, Shah also took potshots at Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal saying he was the first one to cast doubts over the occurrence of surgical strikes and was trending on Twitter in Pakistan. "#PakStandsWithKejriwal was a top trend in Pakistan. It itself shows who are benefiting from his efforts," he said.

He then went on to launch a blistering attack on the Congress vice president.

"By making 'khoon ki dalali' remarks, Rahul Gandhi has crossed all limits. It was an extreme. By choosing such words, he insulted the bravery of our soldiers and 125 crore people of India."

Raking up a number of alleged scams under the UPA government, he said wryly that 'dalali' word is on Gandhi's mind as his party's government did 'dalali' in Bofors, Embraer, 2G and coal block allocation deals but the strikes were not an occasion for using such a term.

Suggesting that those casting doubts on the authenticity of surgical strikes are "anti-India" leaders, he said, "The whole country, BJP and its government are standing firmly behind the army.

We do not believe in the comments of anti-India leaders. We believe in the army's bullets."

Rejecting the charge that BJP was using these strikes for political benefits, he said none of the top party leaders made any statement and it was the DGMO and not the Defence Minister who addressed a press conference to announce the army's cross- border attacks.

If a local level politician says or does something, it should not be seen as the party's stand, he said, adding that the whole country is happy and enthused by the development and so are BJP workers.

"The question is why you (Congress) are not happy, enthusiastic and proud of this. It shows there is some fundamental flaw in you.... Instead of joining people in their happiness, Congress party is expressing Pakistan's despair."

Asked if his party will make it an issue in the state elections, Shah treaded cautiously saying, "We do not want to politicise it but we will definitely take it to the people because boost-

Kejriwal criticises Rahul's remarks, opposes politicking Kejriwal had sparked a controversy after he urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to "expose" Pakistan's propaganda on surgical strikes.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

New Delhi, Oct 7: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday criticised Rahul Gandhi over his 'dalali' remarks on surgical strikes and urged political parties to cast aside their differences and rally behind the Prime Minister.

Mr. Kejriwal, who was himself in the line of fire over his remarks on the surgical strikes, said the armed forces are to be credited for valiantly carrying out the operation and demolishing terror launch pads across the LoC and that there should not be any politics over this issue.

"Our soldiers valiantly carried out surgical strikes and demolished terror addresses. I have previously done so and want to congratulate the army once again for this. I strongly criticise Rahul Gandhi's

remarks wherein he said army's sacrifices and bravery was 'khoon ki dalali' "I condemn the use of such words. I have told in the House as well as in a video message that right now there is tension at the border. The entire country should stand behind the army keeping aside political differences and support the Prime Minister's steps pertaining to security. There should not be any politics over this issue," Mr. Kejriwal said.

Incidentally, Mr. Kejriwal had sparked a controversy after he urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to "expose" Pakistan's propaganda on surgical strikes.

BJP had said the AAP chief's comments amounted to seeking proof and were an insult to the army.(PTI)

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Amit Shah. ing the army's morale is the duty of every responsible political party.

"These surgical strikes announce the Modi government's zero tolerance policy against terrorism... The achievement is of the army. The strong political will is of Prime Minister Narendra Modi."

Gandhi's comments have angered the people, he said.

Dismissing claims of Congress leaders that such surgical strikes have happened earlier too, Shah said "for the first time since independence soldiers crossed the LoC to destroy launch pads of terrorists".

Former army officers have said it never happened earlier, he added.

Targeting Gandhi, Shah said Congress and he in particular dislike Modi and recalled expressions like 'maut ke saudagar' (death merchant) and 'zahar ki kheti' (sowing poison) used by his mother and Congress chief Sonia Gandhi against Modi.

BJP won two-third majority in Gujarat after 'maut ke saudagar' remarks and

got a majority after 'zahar ki kheti' comments, he said, wondering what will be the fallout of 'khoon ki dalali' barb.

Hitting back at Congress, he said if one reads the 1971 newspapers following the Indo-Pak war, which led to Pakistan's military defeat and creation of Bangladesh, one will know the comments made by its leaders. Indira Gandhi was the then Prime Minister.

"His party condemns all attempts to give political colour to the surgical strikes. Casting doubts over it is most unfortunate," he insisted.

He also dismissed Gandhi's tweets today in which he fully supported surgical strikes, saying nobody believes him.

"Dalali is done on products. Can it be done on soldiers' blood? Can it have a price? They destroyed the launchpads of those terror groups whose operatives your government (UPA) tried to save through a legal process," he alleged, without elaborating.

The kind of commotion

seen in Pakistan and its government's decision to call a Special Session indicate what happened, he said to a question over Pakistan's claim that no such strikes occurred.

The Modi government, he said, has made it clear that incidents like beheading of Hemraj, an army solider killed in 2013 by Pak terrorists, will not happen now.

Rahul Gandhi, he said in a dig, should concentrate on "potato factory", a reference to his comments to farmers that they want "potato factories" but as an opposition leader he cannot take a decision.

Shah also appeared to dismiss demands for releasing video evidence, saying "who is seeking them".

BJP has said any such demand compromises national security.

Congress should make it clear if Rahul Gandhi's comments are the party's views or those expressed by its leaders in the allparty meeting after the strikes in which they had supported the government, Shah said. "The Congress president too should make a clarification."

Asked about Modi's decision to travel to Lucknow on Dussehra as prime ministers have traditionally stayed in the national capital on the occasion, he said the Prime Minister can go to any part of country.

"His health is also good," he said.

He also praised the media for highlighting the army's competence and bravery and said investigative stories in this regard have ended the suspicion some people were trying to create over the strikes. (PTI)

Bangladesh has 'zero tolerance' for militants: Bangla Water Minister Aizawl, Oct 7: Bangladesh Minister of State for Water Resources Muhammad Nazrul Islam on Friday said his country has a "zero tolerance" policy for dealing with militants and does not allow its territory to be used for insurgent camps. The Minister, who was here to attend a two-day international seminar, told PTI that the Sheikh Hasina government is taking serious steps against insurgents and terrorist groups that tried to use Bangladeshi territory as a "safe haven".

"Our forces have removed a number of insurgent camps from Bangladesh and leaders of the terrorist groups, including Assam's ULFA, were arrested and handed over to India," he said. India and Bangladesh have agreed on issues like dealing with insurgents by signing an

agreement for not allowing their territories for militant camps, he said.

"Information sharing is extremely important for dealing with the insurgent outfits operating in the border areas," he said. Islam said Bangladesh has trade links to Tripura, Assam and Meghalaya, but Dhaka wants "better connectivity" which will facilitate business ties with other northeastern states, including Mizoram.

"Our Prime Minister wants maximum connectivity with our neighbours so that trade can benefit all countries concerned," he said. Connectivity through waterways to the region, he said, would boost trade of both the countries. Describing bilateral trade as "extremely imbalanced", Islam said trade volume worth around USD 7.5 billion was "hugely in favour of

India, Bangladesh exports to India was around USD 900 million".

He said if the other northeastern states of India were as open to trade with Bangladesh as Tripura, there would be a "tremendous scope" for business in the region. With Bangladesh engaging in mega projects, the neighbouring country requires huge amount of construction materials, industrial chemicals and fuel like natural gas, which could be easily imported from the northeastern region following improvement of connectivity, he said.

Similarly, the land-locked northeast region of India can have the shortest sea route through Chittagong port via the Brahmaputra, Barak and Karnaphuli after completion of the mega port projects being undertaken by Bangladesh, he said. (PTI)

Youth awaits bride from across border amid Indo-Pak tensions Jodhpur, Oct 7: A crossborder wedding has run into the headwinds of rising tensions between India and Pakistan. Jodhpur resident Naresh Tewani and Karachi-based Priya Bachchani, who are planning to tie the knot exactly a month from now, are now facing anxious moments as the Indian embassy in Pakistan has not granted visas to the bride's family and relatives. According to the groom, despite having applied for visas in the prescribed time and format, no one from the bride's side has been issued the documents so far. Seeing no headway in the process, Tewani has reached out to

External Affairs minister Sushma Swaraj on Twitter for help.

"The applications for visas for the family of the bride were filed well in time about 3 months back. We assumed that the documents would be issued in time," said Tewani.

The groom's family says wedding preparations have come to a standstill as all their efforts are being directed towards ensuring that the bride's family gets the documents.

"The minister has been quite responsive to tweets by people in trouble and they have received aid from her. Seeing her willingness to resolve the troubles of

those in need, we have knocked on her twitter account," Tewani said.

The groom's father Kanhaiya Lal said Priya's family in Karachi has also been constantly in touch with elected representatives from their community, but nothing encouraging has happened so far. "It was my long-cherished dream to have a Pakistani bride for my son since my visit to Pakistan in 2001, considering the resemblance in culture and traditions between the two countries. But given the circumstances, I think that the realisation of this dream might take longer," he rued. (PTI)

DIBRUGARH, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8

LIFE & STYLE 7 Incredible Cashew Nut Benefits: From Heart Health to Gorgeous Hair A popular ingredient finding its way into many Indian gravies, cashew - a plant originating from Brazil, is a nut high in minerals. Brought to India by traders, the cashew tree grows up to exceptional heights having a rather irregular trunk. Hanging from the branches are large juicy apples at the bottom of which are attached the cashew nut. Made available round the year, the nut has a great shelf life if stored properly.

The nut and the fruit, both have multiple uses. The nut, often known as the poor man's plantation although now it is sold for steep prices, is used to make delectable and rich curries and also roasted and eaten dry. Back when nomads had no idea how to consume the fruit, the nut was discarded while the fruit was given more importance. A book written by SP Malhotra, World Edible Nuts Economy, points out, "Natives also knew of many medicinal uses for the apple juice, bark and caustic seed oil that were later exploited by the Europeans."

Prevents Blood Disease

Heart Health

The consumption of cashews on a regular basis and limited manner may help in avoiding blood diseases. Cashew nuts are rich in copper, which plays an important role in the elimination of free radicals from the body. Copper deficiency can lead to iron deficiencies such as anemia. Hence our diet should contain recommended quantity of copper. Andcashew nuts are a good source.

The National Centre for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) in its case study points out that nuts are likely to be beneficial for health, keeping a check on various ailments, such as heart disease. Studies consistently show that nut intake has a cholesterol-lowering effect, in the context of healthy diets, and there is emerging evidence of beneficial effects on oxidative stress, inflammation, and vascular reactivity. Cashews help lower LDL and increase the carrying capacity for HDL. HDL is responsible to absorb the cholesterol from the heart and take it to the liver where it can be broken down.

Good for the Skin Derived from the cashew seeds, "cashew oil does wonders for your skin," says Gargi Sharma, Manager Weight Management, Aayna. Cashew nut oil is

rich in selenium, zinc, magnesium, iron and phosphorous. Also, they are great sources of phytochemicals, proteins and antioxidants.

The high percentage of selenium in cashews is not only good for your skin but "helps prevent cancer as well," says nutritionist Anju Sood.

According to studies, cashew nuts have a great percentage of dietary fibers. The two essential dietary fibres required by our body are, oleic acid and palmitic acid.

"These fibersare not produced by our body hence they need to be consumed externally," says nutritionist Anju Sood. Cashew nuts are good sources of these fibers.

Dietary fibers helpdigest food better, however excessive consumption may cause bloating and significant intestinal gas production. Consumption of nuts like cashews has been related to decreased incidences of several digestive diseases.

In the urban environment matched with its excessive pollution, our eyes often suffer from various infections. Cashews contains a powerful antioxidant pigment called Zea Xanthin. This pigment is readily and directly absorbed by our

1. You assume that women don't have the same sex drive as men.

Don't believe for a minute that women don't like sex or want sex as much as men.

While there are certainly individual differences with both genders, women love sex and want sex; they just don't want bad sex. So if your girlfriend or wife is turning you down, the first thing to ask is how can you make it better for her, not how can you get her to take better care of satisfying your sexual needs.

2. You head right for her genitals and skip foreplay.

A woman enjoys the pleasure of her entire body being touched and caressed.

She enjoys being kissed and seduced. She especially enjoys feeling the anticipation

retina, says nutritionist Anju Sood. This then forms a protective layer over our retina which prevents the harmful UV rays. Dr Anshul Jaibahrat Bhatnagar says small quantities of Zea Xanthin helps prevent age related macular degeneration in elderly and hence helps maintain eye health.

Weight Loss In comparison to diets excluding the intake of nuts, people consuming nuts on a moderate and regular basis lose weight faster. Based on the evidence from epidemiological and controlled clinical studies, nut consumption is not associated with higher body weight.

The study done by the Journal of Nutrition states that the epidemiological evidence indicates consistently that nut consumers have a lower BMI than non-consumers. With respect to clinical studies, the evidence is nearly uniform that their inclusion in the dietleads to little or no weight gain.

Moreover, nuts like cashews are "packed with Omega 3fatty acids that contribute to giving a boost to the metabolic process to burn excess fat," says Delhi-based nutritionist Shilpa Arora. Nuts are a great snack for those who are looking to lose weight as they are nutritious and tend to keep you full for a longer time. "Nuts should always be eaten raw and unsalted, so they are beneficial for weight lossefforts," adds Shilpa.

Experts say that the consumption of cashews as well as the application of cashew oil on your scalp ensures healthy hair. "Copper present in cashew nut oil helps in the production of skin and hair pigment called melanin," says nutritionist Gargi Sharma. It also enhances hair colour and can provide a silky-smooth texture due to the presence of linoleum and oleic acids.

are the top five mistakes men make in bed and what they can do differently:

Hypertension, or high blood pressure in everyday language, manifests itself in many forms. It's invisible until it triggers a host of other problems like heart failure, vision loss and aneurysms, among others.

High blood pressure is largely considered to be a "lifestyle" ailment that can be prevented by a healthy diet, exercise, avoidance of tobacco and limited alcohol consumption. However, many people find it hard to make such adjustments.

It's easier to make healthy lifestyle changes a part of your life early on. Read on to learn why it's worth protecting yourself today against hypertension.

1. Hypertension has contributed to a loss of INR 4,300 crore in income among working adults in India, according to a report.

2. High blood pressure is a silent killer. One-third of Indians suffer from it,

Sure, you probably have beer to thank for helping you meet your girlfriend, spurring some of your greatest stories, and bringing out your worst dance moves. But it turns out there are tons of other awesome, scientifically proven reasons to love a good brew.

Healthy and Shiny Hair

On behalf of all womankind: Stop.

There are a lot of misconceptions about sex and sexuality, particularly when it comes to women. Understandably, men might be confused.

Unfortunately, many men end up misinformed about how to please their female partners. As therapist with more than 25 years of experience, I know that many women endure unsatisfying sex lives without speaking up. And in fairness to all the great men out there, if women don't start talking, how are men supposed to know what to do?

Sure, there are many great lovers out there and there are no rules that apply to everyone. Still, there are some basic ground rules that apply to most women.

So in the spirit of helping couples have better sex and better relationships, here

5 Facts that show you should protect yourself against hypertension today

but two-thirds of them are not aware of it.

3. Around 38% of Indians with high blood pressure are aged between 1845, underlining an increasing trend among the working population.

4. According to the Indian Council of Medical Research, 29% of strokes can be attributed to hypertension, and the disease is most common in Mumbai, Delhi and Chennai.

5. Modern medicine means life expectancy in

India has risen. Since you're likely to live longer, you may develop high blood pressure, which in turn increases the risk of heart disease, stroke and kidney disease, among other critical illnesses.

The cost of surviving these diseases is high, so it's important to guard yourself financially against complications caused by hypertension.

(Source: NCBI and Indian Council of Medical Research)

10 Reasons to Have a Beer Right Now

Protects the Eye Source of Dietary Fibres

PAGE 11

of finally arriving "down there." Take the time to work your way slowly down a woman's entire body.

By the time you reach her clitoris, she will be in heaven. Don't rush foreplay.

Make sure you enjoy the journey as well; a woman knows when her man loves and appreciates every inch of her body. Nothing turns on a woman more than knowing her man is turned on by touching, caressing and kissing her everywhere.

3. You treat her clitoris like a male organ.

A woman's body is different from that of a man.

Don't try to treat her genitals like you treat your own.

Find out what kinds of touch feel best. Take your time so she does not feel rushed. Don't move on to intercourse too quickly.

Most women enjoy or-

gasms via clitoral stimulation before vaginal penetration. Of course, that doesn't mean a woman can't enjoy another orgasm during intercourse. But remember: every woman is different; some have vaginal orgasms and some don't.

4. You begin and end foreplay as quickly as possible.

Foreplay goes on 24/7 for a woman. The more attentive you are to her overall needs, the more connected she feels. The more connected she feels, the more responsive she will be to sexual advances.

If your mate is tired from a long day and you're in the mood for sex, run a nice hot bath for her, put the kids to bed and that tired "leave me alone" mood will shift. Nurturing your woman is the best aphrodisiac you can find. Be a great partner to

your mate and your mate will be a great lover in return.

5. You only have sex your way.

Most men take the lead in sexual encounters. And for some, even when a woman does take the initiative to do sex differently (her way), she's redirected to how he wants it. Sometimes this can be a match and sometimes it isn't. Don't assume that just because you saw a woman moan on a porn site that this is what your woman will enjoy.

Women don't want to feel like they have to look and act like porn stars. Women tend to have their own preferences on how they like to have sex. Make sure you find out what pleases your mate. And let her run the show from time to time.

Make sure her needs are being met.

KEEP YOUR TICKER TICKING. Wine usually gets all the credit as the booze that helps cut back your cardiovascular disease risk, but beer may be just as heart-healthy of a beverage.

Italian researchers found that moderate beer drinkers had a 42 percent lower risk of heart disease compared to non-drinkers. For maximum protection, keep your consumption to one pint-at around 5 percent alcohol by volume-a day, the researchers say.

THINK LIKE A GENIUS. Knocking back a beer or two won't make you smarter, but it could boost your creativity, according to a study in the journal Consciousness and Cognition.

When 40 men watched a movie while completing verbal puzzles, beer-buzzed guys with a blood alcohol content of .075 solved the problems a few seconds faster than their sober counterparts.

PREVENT TYPE 2 DIABETES. Dutch researchers analyzed 38,000 male health professionals and found that when men who weren't big boozers began drinking mod-

erately over 4 years, they were significantly less likely to be diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.

Increased alcohol consumption over time didn't lower the risk in men who already had a couple drinks a day, so moderation is the key word here.

BE KIND TO YOUR KIDNEYS. Cheers to never having to pass a kidney stone again-or if you're lucky, ever. Researchers in Finland found that each bottle of beer a man drinks daily lowers his risk of developing kidney stones by 40 percent.

RECOVER FASTER. Move over, Gatorade-a heady brew could also aid in workout recovery, according to a Spanish study.

Researchers asked students to exercise until their body temperature reached 104 degrees, and then had them rehydrate with beer or water.

As it turns out, people who had a post-workout pint were slightly more hydrated than those who had H2O. GET AN INSTANT CONFIDENCE BOOST. Beer goggles? Try beer mirror. British researchers found the more drinks people consumed, the more attractive they found themselves.

SEE CLEARER. A Guinness a day could keep the eye doctor away.

Canadian researchers found that one daily beer-especially a lager or stout-increases antioxidant activity that can

stop cataracts from forming in the eyes.

LOWER YOUR BLOOD PRESSURE. High blood pressure can be responsible for a range of health problems, but beer can lower your risk for hypertension, research suggests.

In one study, Harvard researchers found that moderate beer drinkers are less likely to develop high blood pressure than those who sip wine or cocktails FIGHT OFF INFECTION. Having one or two drinks a day might boost your immune system and fight infections, according to an Oregon Health & Science University study.

Scientists vaccinated monkeys against smallpox, and then gave some of the primates access to alcohol while others could drink sugar water. The monkeys who drank moderately had better vaccine responses than those who consumed the sweet stuff.

PREVENT A FRACTURE. Nasty breaks from drunken debauchery aside, a couple beers a day could actually strengthen your bones, according to a study at Tufts University.

Guys who stuck to one or two brews had up to 4.5 percent greater bone density than non-drinkers-but more than two beers was associated with up to 5.2 percent lower density, according to the study.

Men: STOP Making These Same Damn 5 Mistakes in Bed, Please

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DIBRUGARH, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8

PAGE 12

Mumbai end NorthEast’s perfect record with a 1-0 win at home Mumbai, Oct 7: Mumbai City FC beat NorthEast United FC 1-0 in front of over 6,000 fans at the Mumbai Football Arena on Friday. It was their first game in their new home for the third edition of the Hero Indian Super League and they capped it off in style with a Diego Forlan penalty early in the second half.

Both sides cancelled each other out in the opening exchanges with the first attempt on goal coming in the 11th minute of the game courtesy of a NorthEast free-kick that Romaric put just wide of goal. Matias Defederico had Mumbai’s first shot at goal two minutes later but his effort from distance failed to test Subrata Paul in the Highlanders goal.

Romaric forced Mumbai’s shot-stopper Roberto Volpato into the first save of the game shortly after with a stinging volley from the edge of the 18-yard box.

Paul made his first save for

Diego Forlan scored the lone goal of the match through penalty shoot. the visitors in the 19th minute after Aiborlang Khongjee unleashed a powerful shot from distance that was creeping into the Indian keeper’s far post.

Romaric had another go at goal in the 21st minute with a first-time volley from range, which Volpato saved comfortably. The Highland-

ers came close to making the breakthrough in the 34th minute after a quick counter put Emiliano Alfaro in a goal-scoring position. Sehnaj Singh, however, raced back at full tilt to put in a last-ditch tackle on Alfaro to deny the Uruguayan.

The best chances of the

half came in the last five minutes with Nicolas Velez threading in delightful passes for Katsumi Yusa first and then Alfaro. Yusa blazed his shot over the crossbar in a one-on-one situation, while Alfaro’s goal-bound effort took a deflection off Lucian Goian and went behind for a corner as the sides went in at the break level-pegging with the score at 0-0.

The hosts began the second period on the front foot with Defederico creating some room for himself inside NorthEast’s penalty area before dragging a leftfooted attempt on goal narrowly wide of the target in the 50th minute.

Mumbai took the lead five minutes later from the penalty spot after Reagan Singh fouled Pronay Halder in the box. The home side’s marquee man Forlan stepped up to the spot and smashed the ball into the roof of the net to make it 1-0 for Mumbai.

NorthEast raised their game

in the last twenty minutes of the match in search of an equaliser. Velez played Alfaro through on goal with another incisive pass in the 74th minute. The Uruguayan striker’s shot, however, was easily dealt with

by Volpato in goal. Alfaro donned the role of provider three minutes later but Yusa’s attempt on goal was again never going to trouble Volpato.

Substitute Holicharan Narzary’s shot from range 10 minutes from full-time narrowly flew wide of the target as the home support breathed a sigh of relief. The Highlanders’ last chance to equalise fell to Robin Gurung after the ball broke favourably for him on the edge of the penalty box.

His shot though was blocked by an army of players in Mumbai’s box as Alexandre Guimaraes’ men scraped their second consecutive 1-0 win this season. (Agencies)

I learnt how to control Williamson optimistic sessions as captain: Kohli of playing in final Test Asked about the mantra for the team's successful run, Kohli said it had committed less number of mistakes.

Indore, Oct 7: Still on a Gambhir opening the inlearning curve as India's nings with Murali Vijay Test skipper, Virat Kohli after being in the reserves on Friday said controlling in the second Test at sessions which don't ex- Kolkata. actly go the team's way Dhawan, also a leftis among the most cru- handed opener from cial captaincy lessons Delhi, got hit on his finthat he has learnt so far ger in the second innings in his tenure. of the second Test while "One thing that stands batting and was subseout in the learning pro- quently ruled out of the cess is how to confinal Test here. trol a session Kohli said that all those which is not gowho have come in to fill ing your way. in for the injured How to stop the players have runs and keep the done pressure (on the well. opposition) "What w h e n you hapare not pened taking t o wickShikhar e t s ? w a s That's not a very imporfitness tant and issue, but a something which I Virat Kohli blow on the have experienced as thumb. We have captain," Kohli said had injuries, but on the eve of the the good thing is third and final Test we were able to against New recognise them Zealand in Indore. early and given "It's a very importhem rest. It's a tant time in a Test long season match, not to go too ahead and the negative while (at good thing others the same time) conhave stepped in trolling the runs (of and taking it as an the opposition). It's a opportunity (to do thin line, and it's imwell). portant not to go "It's very important one-dimensional to manage the when things are not work load, espegoing your way." cially for the fast India have already taken bowlers. For ODI an unassailable 2-0 lead matches, they have been in the three-Test series given rest. It is a long but Kohli confirmed that Test season ahead and it the team was not going gives opportunity to othto experiment with a ers to prove themselves," make shift opener and in- said Kohli. stead give Gautam Praising Mohammed Gambhir a chance to res- Shami for his hard work urrect his career after after returning to the two years. team following a long injury induced rest, Kohli "That's a natural change said the Bengal pacer because of injury to was a very important cog Shikhar (Dhawan), natu- in the Indian bowling atral because he is the third tack. opener in the team," said "Shami has come on well.

Kohli on the chances of He's worked very hard

on his fitness as well. In the five-six overs (spell) he runs in, gets bit of momentum. He can take wickets on any wicket.

That's the sort of skills he has. He is a strike bowler and whenever he comes on to bowl he makes something happen. As a captain he is a very important bowler for us," insisted Kohli.

Speaking about his own batting form, the skipper said he had stopped worrying about such things.

"It's not a concern. I don't think over such things, focus on going on to field, make runs and help the team. I have stopped worrying about such things."

He described the track prepared for the game, the first ever Test here at the Holkar Stadium, as a good wicket.

"It's the first Test in Indore. It's a good stadium and the pitch looks good, it's a normal Indore pitch. We can plan well. The weather is a bit doubtful (threats of rain), but we cannot control it. There will be good carry for bowlers and if they bowl well they will get wickets and batsmen can play strokes too. It's a good Test match wicket," he said.

Asked about the mantra for the team's successful run, Kohli said it had committed less number of mistakes.

"We have made less number of mistakes and that's why we have been winning matches. The weaknesses are discussed in house and it's not fair to make them public. But we keep discussing them within the team on a regular basis," Kohli concluded.(PTI)

New Zealand captain Kane Williamson Indore, Oct 7: Hoping to be fully fit for the the series-ending third and final Test against India, New Zealand captain Kane Williamson today said that although the conditions have been tough his team should have put up a better show.

"I am feeling better now.

I am certainly very hopeful of playing tomorrow.

I can say I am getting better each day," said Williamson whose viral infection-induced absence weakened the visitors' batting significantly in the second game at Kolkata.

"We should have put up a better performance although we know it's a challenge in India. At the same time we need to play our best cricket. If we can put up our best we can get a result in our favour in this part of the world," said New Zealand's top batsman who made 75 and 25 in the series opener at Kanpur before missing the second game in Kolkata.

Williamson, who is hopeful of able to choose from a full squad for the series finale, felt the team should have crossed the 300 mark in the first innings of both the lost games.

"In the last two games we could have pushed that first innings total to nearer 300, the 240- 250

score needed to be 300350," he said.

New Zealand made 262 and 236 at Kanpur and followed them with even smaller totals of 204 and 197 at the Eden Gardens.

"The 300 mark in the first or second innings seems to be pretty effective and batsmen who have got to 80, or about that score, seem to have made significant contributions," he said while reflecting on the small totals scored so far by both the teams.

"So far we have seen two pretty different kinds of cricket surfaces. It's not easy in this part of the world. They are working hard. The conditions are different," he explained.

He conceded that Indian pace bowlers Mohammed Shami and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who misses the last game due to injury picked up in the Kolkata game, outshone his own pace attack by using the old ball effectively.

"I certainly know both are very good bowlers. In the last game the seam bowlers made a bigger impact. We did not know coming here that reverse swing would be quite effective. They exploited reverse swing better than us.

"In this part of the world they exploit the conditions better than anyone.

We certainly hope we can turn it around in this game," he added. (PTI)

Brazil's Neymar celebrates after scoring against Bolivia during their 2018 World Cup qualifier.

2018 World Cup qualifier: Neymar dazzles as Brazil thrash Bolivia Natal, Oct 7 : Neymar scored one goal and set up two more as Brazil turned on the style with a 5-0 thrashing of Bolivia in South America's 2018 World Cup qualifying competition on Thursday.

Barcelona superstar Neymar's 49th international goal in his 73rd appearance took him one clear of Zico on Brazil's all-time topscorer's list.

Still only 24, Neymar should reach Pele's alltime record of 77 goals from 91 games with something to spare if he continues to score at his present rate.

The Brazilian talisman was eventually substituted midway through the second half at the Estadio das Dunas in Natal, leaving the field to a loud ovation for his role in another impressive Brazilian win.

Brazil's victory left them comfortably on course to secure their place at the 2018 finals in Russia.

The Brazilians are now second in the standings with 18 points from nine games.

It was also a third consecutive victory from three games for new manager Tite, who was appointed after the sacking of Dunga in June.

A sparkling first half performance effectively secured the points for Brazil, with Neymar,Philippe Coutinho, Filipe Luis and Gabriel Jesus all finding the net to put the hosts 4-0 up at half-time.

Coutinho's Liverpool team-mate Roberto Firmino made it 5-0 with a 75th-minute header.

Neymar fired Brazil into the lead on 10 minutes, working a wonderful one-two with Manchester City teenager Gabriel to slice open the Bolivian defence before tapping into an empty net.

Coutinho doubled the Brazilian lead on 25 minutes after another superb passing move, with Dani Alves and Giuliano combining down the right to set up the Liverpool playmaker for a closerange finish.

Neymar then set up Brazil's third with a surging run that drew four

HIGHLIGHTS Neymar scored one goal and set up two more as Brazil thrash Bolivia 5-0.

Neymar's 49th international goal took him one clear of Zico on Brazil's all-time topscorer's list.

Brazil's victory left them comfortably on course to secure their place at the 2018 finals in Russia.

Bolivian defenders before he threaded a pass through to Luis who drilled home his shot from just inside the penalty area.

Gabriel then put the seal on a mesmerising opening 45 minutes with Brazil's fourth goal.

Once again, Neymar was the architect, bursting clear as Brazil broke out of defence swiftly before picking out Gabriel who lifted a delicate chip above the on-rushing Bolivia goalkeeper Carlos Lampe.

Brazil face a trip to winless Venezuela in their qualifier on Tuesday.

(PTI)

Indian-origin SA Olympian arrested on women's boat to Gaza Johannesburg Oct 7: Indian-origin South African Olympian is among 13 other women leaders from various countries were briefly arrested by Israeli authorities while they were attempting to break Israel's blockade of the Gaza strip in Palestine.

According to a spokesperson for the group on Women's Boat to Gaza (WBG), Zeenat Adam, the Israeli navy intercepted the Women's Boat to Gaza (WBG) in international waters outside Israeli territory.

Leigh-Ann Naidoo had been a part of a group trying to oppose the blockade on Gaza. She is a political activist and an academic at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg.

The women include, former Nobel peace laureate Mairead Maguire from Northern Ireland, Malaysian doctor Fauziah Hasan and retired US army colonel Ann Wright,

all of whom have allegedly not been allowed access to either lawyers or their consulates.

Naidoo's family told media here yesterday that they were deeply concerned for her safety as diplomatic staff from the South African missions in Ramallah and Tel Aviv attempted to gain access.

South African foreign ministry official Nelson Kgwete said his department was aware of the matter and the consulate in Tel Aviv had requested access to Naidoo.

Naidoo has received support from the African National Congress (ANC), which has decried her arrest as "unlawful" and called for her immediate release.

"This arrest is yet another insult to South Africans and an act of hostility, we therefore request, in line with ANC policy and the position stated by president Jacob Zuma in a recent address, that government review its diplo-

matic relations with Israel," the ANC's Western Cape branch, where Naidoo hails from, said in a statement.

"We repeat our ANC2014 statement on Gaza: "Gaza is the world's largest open air prison with over 1.5 million Palestinians caged inand cut off from the rest of the world," it said.

"The Gaza Strip isthe world's most densely populated piece of land on this earth making theIsraeli bombing of the Palestinian Gaza Strip all the more horrendous. The collectivepunishment and illegal siege of the Palestinian people of Gaza mustimmediately end," the statement said.

According to media reports, the Department of International Relations (Dirco) has confirmed that Leigh-Ann Naidoo has been released by Israeli authorities.

It is believed the activist is currently on her way home. (PTI)

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