August 12
2016
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State bids final goodbye to Pul
Khandu Ministry fails to attend last rites
ANJAW, Aug 11: The mortal remains of former Chief Minister Kalikho Pul consigned to flames with full state honour at his native village at Walla, Hawaii in Anjaw on Thursday.
Thousands of people gathered to pay homage and bid final farewell to their beloved leader. The former Chief Minister allegedly took his life on Tuesday by hanging from a fan plunging the state in a shock.
Speaking on behalf of the bereaved family members before the funeral, MLA Tezu Mohesh Chai said that the early death of Kalikho Pul is not only a big loss for Anjaw but also for whole of the state and the country. His vision for the development of the state could be visibly seen at Hawaii which he has developed into a role model for other district headquarters in the state to follow.
PWD Minister, Govt of Assam, Parimal Shukla Baidya along with Assam MLA, Padma Hazarika reached Hawaii to pay homage to the departed leader, representing the Govt of Assam on behalf of the Chief Minister of Assam S.Sonowal.
Conveying their condolences, Baidya said that he was deeply shocked and saddened by the news of the death. He remembered Kalikho Pul as practical and visionary leader.
Facing flak from the citizens for driving the former Chief Minister to take his life, the Congress leadership in the state, Chief Minister Pema Khandu and his cabinet colleagues skipped the final rites at Walla.
Instead, two government officers Commissioner (GA/DA), Hage Kojeen and IGP, Nobin Payeng were appointed as official representatives.
The move is likely to further alienate the govt from the people of the state, who are already upset and demanding that a probe be conducted into the death.
Among others, MLAs Kameng Dolo, Jarkar Gamlin, Tamar Murtem, Tage Taki, Laisam Simai and Mutchu Mithi, BJP state president, Tapir Gao, PPA chairman, Kameng Ringu, PPA president, Kafa Bengia, Commissioner (GA/DA), Hage Kojeen and IGP, Nobin Payeng also shared their experiences and expressed solidarity and sympathy with the bereaved family.
Meanwhile, MoS Home, Kiren Rijiju would be reaching Anjaw on Friday to meet the family members of Kalikho Pul.
4 booklets ‘written’ by Kalikho Pul found
Itanagar, Aug 11: Four booklets reportedly written by former Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Kalikho Pul, who allegedly committed suicide on Tuesday last, have been found in his room and handed over to police.
"We have not read the booklets so it cannot be assumed as suicide note. There was no diary found from the spot as has been reported earlier. Police have already registered a case and it is under investigation," Additional District Magistrate (ADM) Talo Potom, who conducted the inquest, told reporters here today.
The four 60-page booklets, titled 'Mere Vichaar' (My Thoughts), allegedly signed by Pul, were found in the room where Pul was found dead, the ADM said.
Potom said he had sealed the documents and handed it over to police.
"I was only ordered to conduct inquest by the District Magistrate under Section 176 of the CrPc," he said.
The ADM said four mobile handsets and one tablet were also found and handed over to police.
Principal Secretary (Home) Satya Gopal said that an enquiry would be carried out.
Gopal said the medical board constituted by the state government has not submitted the post-mortem report yet. "They are duty bound to submit the report once it is finalised," he said. PTI
Thousands march for eternal peace of late Pul
Staff Reporter
ITANAGAR, Aug 11: As melancholy filled every nook and corner of the state, after tragic death of former Chief Minister Kalikho Pul inside CM bungalow on Tuesday morning, thousands of mourners took out a candle light march with theme 'One Arunachal" in memory of the beloved leader. It was organised by well-wishers and supporters of late Pul.
The candle light march started from Tennis Court, IG Park around 5:30 PM and culminated at Akashdeep. Two minutes silence was observed at Tennis Court as well as Akashdeep for eternal peace of late Pul.
Mourners including teenagers, children and few octogenarians marched silently holding banners adorned with pictures of late Pul. One of the banners read, "Noble works never fades" depicting works of late Chief Minister.
"We organised this candle light march voluntarily, for the eternal peace of our beloved leader late Kalikho Pul" said Tadar Niglar, one of the organizers.
ROING: Over 700 people from all walks of life participated in the candle light march, organised by the All Idu Mishmi Students Union (AIMSU), in order to pay tribute to the former Chief Minister of AP, Late Kalikho Pul here today.
The march which originated from the Welcome to Roing Gate, ended at the Multipurpose Hall where the participants gathered to offer prayers for eternal peace of the departed soul.
Tawang: Various organizations including SMRF carried out a candle light march in Tawang on Wednesday in remembrance of Kalikho Pul.
The All Tai Ahom Students' Union (ATASU), Kamrup District Committee, on behalf of the people of Assam has expressed heartfelt condolences to the people of Arunachal Pradesh on the demise of former CM, Kalikho Pul.
In a condolence message, the ATASU Kamrup District Committee, General Secretary, Chao Basant Gogoi termed him as a people's CM and said that late Pul was the first CM who had taken the initiative to solve the inter-state border disputes in an amicable way.
The ATASU further prayed for the eternal peace of the departed soul.
Meanwhile, the Theravada Buddhist Society, Itanagar on Thursday offered prayers to pay homage to the departed soul of former Chief Minister Kalikho Pul on the auspicious occasion of Sitang Petwant at Theravada Buddha Kyong, Itanagar.
The head monk of the Monastery, Venerable Ratnadeepa chanted sacred verse from the Buddhist scriptures alongside many believers for the eternal peace to the departed soul.
Other organizations like United Movement Forum for Anti Corruption in Arunachal and G Sector Welfare Committee also deeply condoled the demise of Kalikho Pul.
Dorjee Khandu Memorial State Open Badminton Championship begins
Staff Reporter
ITANAGAR, Aug 11: The 4th Dorjee Khandu Memorial State Open Badminton Championship began without much fan fare at Raj Bhawan Badminton Stadium here on Thursday.
The inaugural programme remained a low key affair as the organizing committee has cancelled all customary programmes as a mark of respect to former chief minister Kalikho Pul, who passed away on Tuesday. A two minutes silence was observed in his respect before Arunachal State Badminton Association (ASBA) president Rotu Techi declared the championship open.
State's ace badminton player Laa Talar administered oath to the players.
In total, 240 players from various districts, clubs and associations from across the state are participating in the championship.
It was informed by the ASBA Secretary Bamang Tago that many of the players, including late Pul's son Abiso Pul, who have registered their names for the championship, have either returned back or preferred not to participate after the tragic incident of passing away of the former chief minister.
Tago also recalled the contribution of Pul in promotion and development of Badminton in the Arunachal Pradesh.
Meanwhile, the organizing committee has shortened the duration of the championship from four days to three days with closing ceremony being held on August 13.
Karatekas bring laurels to the state in National-level Karate Do Championship
ITANAGAR, Aug 11: State Karatekas hauled a total of 21 medals including 8 Gold, 5 Silver and 8 Bronze in the recently concluded 1st Wado National Karate Do Association Championship held at Vadodra, Gujarat from Aug 6 to 7 last.
The state Karate team was also declared the runners up of the overall Championship wherein, players from 12 states besides, Bangladesh had taken part.
The medal winners include; Mepung Tana (1 Gold), Gollo Dodum(1 Gold, 1 Silver), Niya Tao (1 Gold), Toko Taram (1 Gold, 1 Bronze), Diklo Lungte(1 Gold, 1 Bronze), Gollo John(1 Gold), Kabak Mallam(2 Gold), Gollo Tago (1 Silver), Tarh Bhai (1 Silver), Tao Aman (1 Silver), Begam D Lendo (1 Silver), Obit Lipir (2 Bronze), Lishi Taha (1 Bronze), Sajum Don (1 Bronze),Kino Kaching (1 Bronze) and Tao Amit (1 Bronze).
Arunachal Judge fails to answer elementary questions on law and procedure, SC stays appointment
NEW Delhi, Aug 11: The Supreme Court of India on Monday reportedly stayed the appointment of a candidate to the District Court as a Judge, after he failed to answer certain elementary questions on law and procedure. The Fast-Track Court Judge was put to test in a packed courtroom by the Chief Justice of India himself. According to the Times of India Report, the respondent had served as a Fast-track Court Judge in Arunachal Pradesh for 12 years on an ad hoc basis, and was hence eligible to be absorbed as a District Judge. His appointment was however rejected by the Administrative side of Gauhati High Court, after a performance evaluation. The Judge had also failed to secure 35% marks at the written exam for recruitment of District Judges in Arunachal Judicial Service.
The Judicial Officer was however directed to be appointed as a District Judge by the Gauhati High Court, taking into consideration his length of service. This decision was appealed before the Supreme Court by the Administrative side of the High Court through Advocate Sneha Kalita. Representing the High Court, Senior Advocate Vijay Hansaria told the Bench comprising Chief Justice T.S. Thakur, Justice A.M. Khanwilkar and Justice D.Y, Chandrachud that an earlier SC ruling had clarified that ad hoc Judges had no right to the post and that they would have to undergo written examination. Noting that the candidate himself was present in the Court, the CJI then posed questions to the Judge, asking him to differentiate between Section 304-I and 304-II of the Indian Penal Code. "You have been a judge for 12 years, so tell us in a suit for specific performance, what is the first thing that a judge would look for in the case?" the CJI further asked.
He also demanded to know the provision under which First Appeal is filed. Fumbling with the answers, the Judge told the Bench that he had been out of touch with law and procedure for the past three years, as he had been consumed with the struggle to be appointed as a District Judge. The Bench thereafter stayed the order of his appointment.
25 power projects are held up on want of environment clearance
NEW Delhi, Aug 11: 25 power projects in India are currently held up because of lack of environment clearance, Piyush Goyal, Minister of Power (independent Charge) told Lok Sabha.
Goyal said that as informed by ministry of environment, there are 15 hydro electric projects and 10 thermal power projects pending for environmental clearance.
Noticeably, among the states Arunachal Pradesh had the highest amount of hydroelectric projects pending. Out of the total, 9 projects are of Arunachal Pradesh. Some of the major projects are Etalin HEP Project (3097 MW) of Jindal Power, Naying HEP (1000 MW) Project and Kalai-II HEP Project (1200 MW).
Further, Himachal Pradesh had 3 projects pending which involved Sach-Khas HEP (260 MW) project of L& T Himachal Hydropower.
Other states among pending hydroelectric projects, were Uttarakhand with 2 projects and West Bengal having 1 project pending.
Goyal said,"The proposals are processed for EC as per the provisions under the EIA Notification.
These projects are accorded prior EC within the stipulated timeframe provided all the requisite documents are received from the project proponents and other stake holders in time."
Government of India is providing financial assistance to States including North Eastern Region (NER) under the Restructured Accelerated Power Development & Reforms (R-APDRP) Scheme subsumed in Integrated Power Development Scheme (IPDS) and "Deendayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana" (DDUGJY), launched by Ministry of Power on 3rd December, 2014, as per release.
In addition, Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) is providing financial assistance/grant to various power projects in NER under Non Lapsable Central Pool of Resources (NLCPR).
Assam PCC's statement politically motivated: BJP
ITANAGAR, Aug 11: Reacting to the statement given by the leader of opposition of Assam Assembly, Debabrata Saikia wherein, he held the BJP responsible for the alleged suicide of former Chief Minister Kalikho Pul, the Bharatiya Janata Party, Arunachal Pradesh on Thursday, termed it as un-called for and politically motivated.
Strongly condemning the statement, the party said that it is nothing but a desperate attempt to malign the popular image of the BJP. It is an evil design unleashed by the Congress for giving distorted political statement at this hour of the tragedy, it added.
The BJP reiterated that the present political unrest faced by the people of state and the suicide by Late Kalikho Pul is the result of trust deficit among the ruling Congress legislatures in the state.
It squarely blamed the All India Congress Committee for the present political unrest saying that the AICC under Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi had completely failed to handle the entire situation.
'Instead of giving a proper decision for change of their leadership in the state, the AICC leadership has lingered for quite a long time, which led to factional rivalry and dissidence among the ruling Congress legislature at the cost of the state and its people', the party said adding that the BJP has got nothing to do with the internal rivalry of the ruling congress legislature in the state.
It has further demanded an impartial investigation into the death of the former CM by independent investigation agencies like CBI and NIA to unearth the truth at the earliest.
KCP cadre apprehended
KHONSA, Aug 11: A KCP cadre belonging to the joint group of KCP, KYKL and NSCN (K) was apprehended by Assam Rifles Khonsa Battalion from Khonsa on Aug 10.
On interrogation the cadre identified himself as Irungbam Lanjoy alias Piba of KCP group. It was also revealed that the members of the joint group of KCP, KYKL & NSCN (K) have infiltrated from Myanmar in Tirap district.
With the Independence Day nearing, the threats of underground activities have seen a rise in the region. The security forces have been put on high alert and have been conducting continuous operations.
Bandh passes off peacefully in L/Subansiri
ZIRO, Aug 11: The 12 hrs bandh called by All Lower Subansiri Students Union passed off peacefully on Thursday with few incidents of road blockade by felled trees in between Yazali and Yachuli.
The bandh was called for road maintenance and immediate execution of TAH from Potin to Bopi.
Meanwhile taking advantage of the bandh passing with no vehicle movement, SDO Old Ziro, Mokar Riba along with the Old Ziro Bazaar Committee members conducted a social service in the bazaar area. DIPRO
Pul's political juggernaut ends in tragic anti-climax - leaves unfulfilled dreams
[ Denhang Bosai ]
The dawn of 9th August-2016 is the most inauspicious day in the annals of Arunachal Pradesh that nobody would like to remember because it was on that fateful morning when one of the most loved and admired former Chief Ministers of the state Kalikho Pul was found dead in the official bungalow of the Chief Minister. He allegedly committed suicide by hanging from a ceiling fan that sent shockwaves across the country. Everybody was left open mouthed in despair, shock and disbelief. The news of Pul's sudden and unexpected death in such a tragic manner spread like wildfire across the state.
Everybody was wondering as to how a former Chief Minister Kalikho Pul who had the grit and tenacity to take his betenoire and nemesis by the horn could commit suicide, an act normally indulged in by cowards. No body believed this, not even his strongest critics. However, it is for the investigating agencies to ascertain the truth. If it was indeed a case of suicide then the people who still refuse to believe must be convinced beyond doubt by showing the clinching evidences in black and white. This is a case of unnatural death of a former Chief Minister which is shrouded in mystery.
So there should be no levity whatsoever on the part of the concerned authorities. Ours is a democratic government wherein the will and voice of the people are supreme. If the people so desire then the complex case may be handed over to the country's highest agency of investigation.
Kalikho Pul, a 5-time MLA from Haulyang Assembly Constituency in Anjaw district was a Minister under different Chief Ministers. He was one of the few Ministers who had a clear concept about the Finance department. This is exactly why he was made the Finance Minister by successive Chief Ministers. Late Pul was considered to be an able leader with a set goal and a clear roadmap for development. Anjaw district is today considered the most developed in terms of infrastructures including arteries of roads in the border areas.
During his brief stint as the Chief Minister albeit mired in controversy, Pul endeared himself to the common people by holding janata darbars and helping the sick and the needy practically. He travelled on foot to have a better grasp of the problems faced by the people in the interior areas. He worked day and night like a man possessed. Little wonder then, the common multitudes saw a Messiah in Pul, a man who had seen extreme poverty from very close quarters when he was a small orphan boy.
He worked as a carpenter, school chowkidar and other odd and lowly jobs when he was a small boy. Having heard of his painful childhood and having witnessed his humane touch and compassionate gesture when he was the Chief Executive of the government, the common people started believing that Pul was the man they had been looking for to address their everyday problems and predicaments. They had no hesitation in calling him the 'people's Chief Minister.' They were not wrong because if hardwork with love and passion for the common people is the yardstick to gauge the performance of a leader then Pul undoubtedly was one of the tallest leaders.
He genuinely wanted to bring about a drastic change in the style of functioning of the government to usher in unprecedented development in the land-locked state. But the cruel fate had another plan for him. The judgment from the Hon'ble Supreme Court unseated him one fine morning paving the way for the young Pema Khandu to take his seat as the Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh. At that critical juncture when Pul was confidently preparing to face the vote of confidence in the Arunachal Pradesh State Legislative Assembly, many ignorant people criticized him for defecting to the Congress from PPA along with his supporters, least knowing about the fact that the double-edged sharp sword was hanging over the heads of these hapless PPA MLAs. Had they not merged with the Congress enmasse they could have faced disqualification.
So, it was a legal compulsion for Pul and Co. to join their parent party the Congress albeit unwillingly. In the hindsight we can say many things like in the aftermath of a football or cricket match; you should have played like this and like that. The same is the case with the sudden demise of Pul that hit the people of Arunachal Pradesh and the country like a bolt from the blue. However, the elected leaders irrespective of which camp they belong to, are themselves responsible for the political mess that the state is in today. The biggest mistake on the part of the people's representatives is the way they involved the Apex Court by filing petitions after petitions.
They momentarily appeared to forget that the Executive and Judiciary are two totally different entities. But a time came in our state when the Apex Court virtually ruled the state's affairs leaving the elected leaders powerless like toothless tigers and lame ducks. This is certainly not a healthy sign for democracy. In a truly functional democracy the Judiciary has a limited role. I find it absolutely out of place to delve into the sad political events and episodes in our state that had taken a great toll in terms of not only hampering the development of the state as a whole but also in terms of clipping the wings of many promising careers of promising leaders thanks to their misdemeanour and infighting.
The people are in the know of everything because all these while our leaders have been washing their dirty linen in public. Kalikho Pul who rose on the horizon like the bright sun of hope is no more in our midst. He was a ray of hope for the poor and the marginalized people of the state nay he was like a silver-lining in the otherwise dark clouds hovering over the skies of Arunachal Pradesh. Pul has left behind a legacy, a legacy of striving for the people of the state with unquestionable honesty and unwavering resolve.
He has left behind many unfulfilled dreams which he dreamt for the state. The onus is on our elected leaders to fulfil those unaccomplished dreams of Pul. The cruel death comes unannounced and sans warning. They say that God's ways are inscrutable and what was destined to happen has happened. Something that has been done by the Divine Providence cannot be undone. It is not in good taste and is unethical to fight over someone's sad demise. We all are still in a state of shock and disbelief. Let us repose our unflinching faith in the law of the land. There is absolutely no scope for indulging in blame-game. We live under the ambit of law and nobody is above the law.
We were pained to witness the ugly, uncalled for and unwarranted acts of violence perpetrated by some people, especially in the state capital Itanagar. Ours is a poor state with no industry worth its name or resources of its own and the few infrastructures that the government and a few individuals have created have been done with great difficulties. We cannot afford to destroy them in our temporary state of madness and anger. It will be a great disservice to Pul and an insult to him if we indulge in senseless violence.
The time has come for our leaders to realize their onerous onus towards their people who pitchforked and catapulted them to positions of unlimited powers in a democratic set up. They have been elected to address the problems of the people with a great degree of seriousness not to overthrow governments and Chief Ministers. They must remember the glorious words of Abraham Lincoln; "Democracy is of the people, by the people and for the people." Today, the pertinent question everybody in the state poses, is, democracy is of the people; fine, by the people; absolutely fine but is it really for the people in Arunachal Pradesh?
The success of a democracy doesn't mean personal aggrandizement of a few people, building houses and shopping complexes by a counted few privileged individuals but overall development of the state. The common people should have full three square meals a day, they should be able to educate their children and have access to basic healthcare facilities. Other developments will follow suit. Our leaders must not belie the hopes and aspirations of the common men. They are elected to serve the people in the best possible ways. The state has witnessed enough of dissidence movements, power struggles and Court cases. The time has come for the elected leaders to return to their respective constituencies and finish the unfinished works.
Precious months and years have been wasted by indulging in politicking and political turmoil throwing the development activities out of gear. The leaders and the people will have to compensate for the lost time by working doubly hard. The people, especially the youth of the state are a frustrated lot. I dare say that our state is in the safe hands of young Chief Minister Pema Khandu, the illustrious son of the illustrious father late Dorjee Khandu, former Chief Minister. Let us not distract the attention of Pema Khandu by indulging in activities which are detrimental to development and progress.
Let the Ministers and MLAs cooperate with him fully and assist him to take the state to greater height of development. I can see a spark in Khandu's eyes. He is young, educated, experienced and has all the requisite wherewithal to take the state forward. If our elected MLAs continue to indulge in power struggles and dissidence then the voters will not forgive them. The poor voters are dead tired of witnessing political upheavels in the state. Enough is enough is in everybody's lips.
The most unfortunate demise of Pul, arguably one of the most loved and iconic leaders of the state should not slow down the pace of development. The law of the land will take its own course. We have full faith in the law of the land. This is the time for all of us to come together and work together with a single-minded determination to make Arunachal Pradesh strong, vibrant and elf-reliant, free from the obnoxious smoke of hatred, jealousy, communal divide and political differences. Together we can build our state strong to give it a pride of place in the country.
Cracking Competitive Exams
[ Arindam Garg ]
We are in the age of competitive examinations. One of the distinguishing characteristics of the higher education scenario in recent times has been the dominance of competitive examinations. Competitive examinations are not only used for entrance examinations in University and College admissions but also for a variety of civil services and other professional jobs. In India entry into civil services, banking, railways, SSC etc is through competitive examinations. Many of these competitive examinations are online as well.
Those of you who are seriously preparing for some competitive examinations must be anxious about how difficult the exam would turn out to be, what surprises will be in store and what would be the difficulty level. It is but natural. As we prepare for these examinations there will be a lot of questions that come to our mind on these examinations. But what is important is that we should not speculate and get distracted but to concentrate on an in depth preparation. The best way to do this is to follow the T3 strategy:
Step 1: Theory
Developing the conceptual base required to tackle the areas of competence in Competitive examinations
Step 2: Technique
Getting acquainted with the various patterns of questions that have appeared in the past in the particular competitive examination you are preparing for, in order to understand the anatomy of tricky logics.
Step 3: Task
Defining yardsticks of performance in a phased manner of increasing difficulty, and achieving them. Practice, practice and practice in a simulated test environment. For e.g. in case you are preparing for an online examination like the CAT (for MBA) it should be in computer labs.
One of the important aspects of the practice tests is to analyse your performance and then plan for the future.You need to see the time taken to solve it. The more you practice the more familiarity you will develop. You will develop a feel for the type of questions asked and understand your abilities better. The objective is to maximize your strengths and minimize your weaknesses. Aim for balanced attempts across all types of questions. Try to score well in all sections. Exercise your judgment on which question types to ignore and which to attempt based on your experience. For example, if you see a question on functions, which you generally find difficult, it is wiser to quietly move ahead to the next one.
As you keep taking Mock tests, your judgments about choice of question types will become refined and your ability to balance score across types and sections will improve. Take these tests with the intention of refining and polishing your ability rather than competing with fellow candidates. If you focus on sharpening your abilities now, the result will take care of itself on the final day. Above all, know your limits. Attempting to increase one's attempts and score works only to a certain extent and stretching oneself to attain more than one can usually leads to stress.
Managing stress is the other challenge. Regular preparation requiring a high degree of concentration and taking exams can be extremely stressful, provoking levels of anxiety that are highly uncomfortable; sometimes causing insomnia, loss of appetite, confusion, and headache, all of which can affect one's ability to study. But just how much tension do we need to handle an exam effectively? Too much tension can spoil our performance.
One of the root causes of stress is a fear of failure related to the examination. We worry that we will not do well and this, in itself, can cause such stress that we do not perform at our best on the day of the exam. Added to this is the fear of failure that is largely defined in the context of our social environment. A host of factors such as the family environment, parental expectations, peer pressure, social rejection and personal aspirations play a crucial role in causing worry. We feel that we are being judged as people and are not just being tested on the subject matter of the examination. We fear that we will be disgraced if we fail in meeting our and other people's expectations.
Acknowledging the above reality, it is necessary to prepare one-self psychologically and physically to reduce anxiety before an exam.
Psychological Preparation
The race of life is different from the race of academics. With a sense of perspective, a flexible attitude and an open mind, do this:
* Visualize where you see yourself at the end of the race and set your goal.
* There are always many paths that will lead you to your destination. It is just that you may not have sufficient knowledge. Know the alternative career paths that can take you to your finishing line. Meet people who can advise you.
* Analyse your skill-set, abilities and personality characteristics and find out the current opportunities that you can take as a first step along each of these paths.
* Career options having been analysed, the examination in question does not become a matter of life and death.
Physical Preparation
A competitive examination needs mental alertness and sharp reflexes. Therefore, to stay at peak functioning level, your lifestyle needs to change.
* Try to balance work, study and your time off.
* Try to take some exercise everyday. This helps you to "switch-off" mentally, relax body tension and feel more alert.
* Get adequate sleep. About seven to eight hours is essential.
* Certain muscular relaxation and breathing techniques are particularly useful for relieving stress.
* Stop negative thoughts immediately. e.g. "others seem well organised, while I'm struggling", and challenge this, e.g. "I have succeeded in exams in the past".
Competitive examinations are all tough and require consistent preparation, strategy and lots of perseverance. Given the fact that these are always designed to test the nerves of a student, it is extremely important to be on an even keel. It is necessary to keep in mind the principle that it is important to keep working and striving rather than thinking of the result. I leave you all with three important words: 'Believe in yourself.' (Arindam Garg, Associate Professor & Head, Department of Management, Rajiv Gandhi University)
Rajya Sabha passes Bill to raise maternity leave to 26 weeks
NEW DELHI, Aug 11: Cutting across party lines, elders in Rajya Sabha passed a Bill that provides for 26 weeks maternity leave, even as some members sought norms for paternity leave so that parents can share the responsibility of raising children.
The Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Bill, 2016, which was moved for consideration and passage by Labour Minister Bandaru Dattatreya, was passed by a voice vote.
The measure also seeks to increase maternity benefit from 12 to 26 weeks for two surviving children that would benefit about 1.8 million women in the organised sector.
"The very purpose of this Bill is to increase the working women force because in the work force, participation of women is decreasing day by day," Dattatreya said.
He said the law is applicable to all establishments employing 10 or more persons.
Citing the maternity leave rules prevalent in various countries, Dattatreya said post the enactment of the Bill, India will jump to the third position in terms of the number of weeks (26) for maternity leave, behind Norway (44) and Canada (50). PTI
Orientation seminar held for trainees
HYDERABAD, Aug 11: A day-long orientation seminar was organized by the Don Bosco Youth Centre (DBYC) in collaboration with O2 Skills Academy, Yacharam for the 132 skill trainees of O2 Skills Academy here on Thursday.
The orientation seminar aimed at reaching out to the Arunachalee and North East skill trainees at various vocational training providers and concentrated on topics such as goal-oriented behaviour, maintaining personal time table, acquiring good habits, rooting out addiction and being a north easterner in Hyderabad.
Of the 132 skill trainees 93 are from Arunachal and the rest from Meghalaya who will all be placed into O2 Spa outlets at various airports and hotels such as Marriott, Radisson Blue, Novotel etc.
Editorial
Long pending demand
The new education minister Honchun Ngandam has given ray of hope to the unemployed youths of state by stating that in future recruitment of teacher will be conducted by Arunachal Pradesh Public Service Commission. He said education department will hand over responsibility of conducting teacher recruitment to APPSC at the earliest. This move will fulfill the long pending demand of the unemployed youths of state.
In recent past the education department has made messed out of teacher recruitment process. Allegation of corruption and nepotism constantly crops up whenever exam is held for teacher job. This has badly affected the education sector. The lack of quality teacher put serious threat to the future of state. Most of the teachers recruited by education department are posted in various government schools. Majority of children hailing from poor economic background depends on government school for education. Therefore when quality teacher is not selected it directly affects future of these children. Also the corruption in teacher recruitment hurts the employment opportunities of those bright students hailing from poor background. For long the unemployed youths of Arunachal has been demanding to state governemnt to hand over teacher recruitment process to public service commission. Education minister should ensure that it is done at the earliest. Ngandam should not succum to the lobby of the officials of education department who is believed to be against this move.
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Readers’ Forum
Real meaning of democracy
Dear Editor,
I am a person who understands the definition of democracy –By the people, For the people and To the people but here in our state, election is not democratic as it is about power and money.even our representative forget the true essence of democracy, for this reason I have been hating the politics from my childhood.
But the recent incident has moved me from inside and it saddened me, when mob vandalized the public property and abused some ministers and MLAs for his death. We forget that we elected them and that’s why we are equally responsible for it.
Again it further saddened me, when I saw some post in social media where some people were trying to communalize the incident and making abusive and derogatory remarks.
I appreciate Anjali Siga for her article “Hope Shattered” which clearly shows the mind set of today’s youth.
It states “We should not think about clan and tribe while voting and should not limit our roles in democracy”. This statement is a direct slap on the face of communal people.
In my opinion, he was not a chicken hearted person; he took such a big step because he wanted to teach us a lesson about democracy. He already ignited a spark inside me and I think same thing happened to the hundreds of youth of Arunachal Pradesh. This incident reminded me a statement said by great Scholar Plato “One of the penalties of refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors”.
So am going to participate actively in next coming election, not by contesting, not by campaigning and not by any unwanted means but just pressing NOTA button and tell them the meaning of real democracy.
Yours,
Abo, Itanagar
Re-
Dear Editor,
Through the columns of your esteemed daily, I would like to request the Director Secondary School, Government of Arunachal Pradesh regarding wrong set of question papers for political science paper –(II ) for PGT and TGT in the recently conducted written examination and its gross anomalies and errors being made by the department.
We regret to inform that, the department had issued a syllabus on concern paper but
during the exam it was found that all the questions of paper-
It has also been found that many of questions were given with wrong answer options and repeating the questions more than once.
To maintain free and fair exam, the OMR sheet should be used in objective paper but they did issue OMR sheet.
And, our utmost dismay is that exam was conducted in very low standard. Hence, I
as one of the appeared candidate request to concern authority to conduct re-
Yours,
Aspirant candidate,
Itanagar
Recognize depression
Dear Editor,
This is with reference to the report, "KaliKho Pul found dead" (A Times, August 10, 2016). The news that depression has taken the life of KaliKho Pul, former Chief Minster of Arunachal Pradesh, is really shocking. Tentacles of depression are spreading more rapidly in this modern life which is divorced from nature. I have found that the books of the Mother (Mirra Alfassa) like The Sunlit Path, Rays of Light and White Roses are great antidote to depression. However, we need to recognize depression as a disease and treat it with the help of the sun, the sky, trees, soothing music, books, hobbies, tonic of silence, social work as well as medicine if necessary.
Yours,
Sujit De, Kolkata