July 20
JIC withdraws 'chakka jam' near Civil Secretariat
ITANAGAR, Jul 19: The Joint Interim Committee (JIC) for Stipend and Scholarship has
withdrawn its proposed 'chakka jam' near the Civil Secretariat on July 20 after detailed
deliberations with Chief Secretary In-
During the meeting, representatives from the JIC placed their demands before the
Chief Secretary in-
It was also assured that if there were any discrepancies noted in disbursement of
the scholarships, they would be resolved by 31st July, 2017. For this, the Chief
Secretary in-
On the request made by JIC in respect of enhancement of rates of scholarship for
2017-
The meeting was attended by Hage Kojeen, Commissioner Education, Sonam Chombey, Secretary to CM, Nabin Payeng, IGP, Prince Dhawan, DC Capital Complex, Dr A Koan, SP Capital Complex, Yumlam Kaha, Director SJETA, Techi Hanyir SDPO Itanagar and representatives from the JIC, lead by Hilang Nima.
The Department of SJETA and the JIC has been at loggerheads on the delay on stipend and scholarship issue. While the department made it clear that students cannot avail double benefits and can only opt for either scholarship or stipend, the JIC in a press conference in February this year had claimed that the students were availing both stipend/ scholarship over the last two years. However, the joint committee could not substantiate their claim at the time.
Besides immediate release of scholarship and stipends, and increase in the amounts, the JIC also sought that the government roll back its new stipend/ scholarship policy and come up with fixed dates to release stipend and scholarship to avoid confusion.
The department had also informed that it has started releasing the pending scholarships and stipends of students, but there are some technical snags, like incorrect bank account numbers, dormant accounts, besides other technical issues with the bank.
Earlier this month, the state government had released a total of Rs 28.50 crore from
its own sources to the Department of SJETA on June 27 last for releasing the pending
scholarship of the students. The Government of India had also released Rs 40.30 crore
as grants-
The department had made it very clear that due procedure to ensure that there is no duplication in receipt of scholarship must be followed in letter and spirit. The department had appealed that proper documentation should be complied with to ensure that the department is in position to release the scholarship to the students at the earliest possible.
Arunachal Secretariat first in the country to enable Wi-
ITANAGAR, Jul 19: The Arunachal Pradesh Civil Secretariat became the first Secretariat
in the country to be entirely under wireless coverage with the launch of Wi-
With this, the 'power center' of the state government has become wireless and in
the process achieved the distinction of becoming the first Secretariat in the country
to be entirely under wireless coverage, enabling end-
Pema congratulated the officials of state Information Technology and National Informatics
Center (NIC) for the milestone in record time of two weeks (besides the four months
in planning and designing) and expressed confidence that the set-
"With the civil secretariat going wireless I foresee seamless and smooth communications between ministries and departments and accelerated work delivery to the people," Pema remarked.
He said this was a positive step towards fulfilling the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a 'Digital India' and is a big contribution from Arunachal Pradesh by becoming the first to have a secretariat with this digitalized facility.
Reiterating his commitment to provide Wi-
He advised the IT department to coordinate with departments like Power, Home, etc
to select specific zones in and around the capital that can be turned to free Wi-
However, the Chief Minister cautioned against misuse of free access to Wi-
He also suggested sensitizing all officers and officials of the secretariat on the
latest facility and its advantages, besides informing visitors the process of accessing
free Wi-
Parliamentary Secretary for IT Phurpa Tsering termed the development as a 'game changer'
in the work set-
State Council for IT & e-
Earlier, Special Secretary IT Prince Dhawan, through a power point presentation,
explained that the new facility will provide seamless internet connectivity to secretariat
officials anytime anywhere within the secretariat premises and enable them to access
e-
Conceived in December 2016, the wireless LAN project comprises state-
While officials can get access through their official (NIC) email ids, visitors have
to access through the SWAGAT mode that generates an OTP for login in. The 157 access
points installed across the secretariat premises would allow round the clock Wi-
"Interestingly, the Delhi NIC unit that provides Wi-
So far, the Department of IT and Communications has implemented nine projects under
Digital Arunachal Mission of the state government within a span of one year. These,
besides the one launched today, are wi-
E/Siang AdiSU seeks arrests in one month
Staff Reporter
ITANAGAR, Jul 19: The East Siang unit of the Adi Students' Union (AdiSU) gave one month's time to the state police to arrest the culprits involved in the alleged murder of Ojing Taying, or warned of going done the path of democratic movements.
Addressing reporters on Wednesday, AdiSU East Siang unit General Secretary, Yon Taki said that the Union members have spoken to the Capital Superintendent of Police on Wednesday, who informed them that it would take six to seven months to solve the case as there are no concrete leads in the particular case.
Acknowledging that the case may take some time, Taki however, said that the cluelessness of the police even after almost 40 days of the incident is demoralizing. He said that stronger initiative has to be taken to apprehend those involved in the attack of Taying and his subsequent death.
Late Taying was attacked by unidentified miscreants on the night of June 6 last, and later succumb to his injuries.
Speaking to the Arunachal Times, the Capital SP said that he has not given a deadline to arrest the culprits, but investigations are on to arrest the alleged accused at the earliest.
Further, the Apex and district unit of AdiSU also demanded immediate arrest of Joint Commissioner of Tax and Excise Tani Jongkey, for allegedly sexually assaulting a minor.
Condemning the alleged act of the Joint Commissioner, AdiSU Apex General Secretary, Buteng Tayeng said that it was unfortunate that the accused is absconding and the police is not taking appropriate action.
The Union also claimed that the Women Police Station authorities are not being cooperative with the victim family, and urged for better understanding.
It also questioned on why the Tax and Excise Department has not taken any strict action against the erring officer.
"The alleged accused is reported to be in Guwahti, but police sources have failed to arrest him despite knowing well of his whereabouts", the Union claimed.
Also, strongly condemning the Home Department for keeping silent on the growing law and order problems, the AdiSU said that the Home Minister should resign under moral grounds for not taking an solid initiatives or even passing strong directives to keep a check on the growing crime rate in the state.
On this case, the SP informed that the alleged accused Jongkey had applied for bail, which has been rejected by the court on Tuesday. He assured that the accused would be arrested soon.
The Home Minister could not be contacted by this daily to obtain a statement on the issue.
RGU renews MoU with University of Missouri, USA
ITANAGAR, Jul 19: Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between Rajiv Gandhi University (RGU) and University of Missouri (MU), Columbia, USA way back in the year 2014, has been renewed for another term for furthering the collaborative research work as well as for research exchange programmes of faculty and students of both universities.
The renewed MoU has been signed on July 19 last, at Rono Hills by the Rajiv Gandhi
University Registrar in-
Faculty of Social Sciences and Professor Tana Showren, Coordinator of the Oral Tradition Research Project and Head of the Department of History representing Rajiv Gandhi University. Dr Garnett Stokes, Interim Chancellor, Dr James K Scott, Interim Vice Provost for International programs, Dr Patricia Okker, Interim Dean, College of Arts and Science, Dr John Zemke, Director, Centre for Oral Traditions and Dr Casey Forbis signed the MoU (Renewal) document representing the University of Missouri, Columbia, USA.
Association demands creation of VOs
ITANAGAR, Jul 19: The Arunachal Unemployed Veterinary Doctors' Association (AUVDA) demanded that the state government create 158 new posts of veterinary officers (VOs).
In a representation to Minister of Animal Husbandry, Veterinary and Dairy Development, Dr Mohesh Chai, the Association claimed that not a single veterinary officer post has been created since 1986 by the department, and rather, all recruitments of veterinary officers were being made against promotional and retirement vacancies, including vacancies due to death.
The Association further said that though the department had announced about creation of 14 new veterinary hospitals and 18 dispensaries, none of them are functional due to acute shortage of veterinary officers.
It also said that as per the National Commission of Agriculture (1976) Recommendation, there should be at least one veterinary doctor for every 5000 animals, and Arunachal needs a minimum of 282 veterinary doctors to adequately serve livestock.
The Association also claimed that the incumbent veterinary officers are overburdened with duties due to lack of manpower.
Further, it demanded for special consideration of age limit up to 40 years and five years more relaxation for APST candidates in the current recruitment process. The Association cited examples of several states which have age limit of 40 and 42. It asked the state government to invoke age limit consideration in the department recruitment rules so that deprived candidates may be absorb soon.
‘Singpho tribe affected by refugee problems’
[ Indrajit Tingwa ]
BORDUMSA, Jul 19: AAPSU General Secretary Tobom Dai said that since the Singpho tribe was one of the affected tribes of the refugee problem, the youths in particular need to fight for their rights.
He was speaking at the valedictory function of the 3rd Singpho Youth Conference at Bordumsa on Tuesday evening at the Singpho Heritage Centre.
Taking the opportunity of the conglomeration of Singpho youths from various places, Dai also called for cooperating and supporting the AAPSU, which has been spearheading the fight against the grant of citizenship to the refugees.
He also said that granting of citizenship and political rights to refugees is a threat to the existence of indigenous tribes.
Further, Changlang ZPC Jowkhong Singpho said the youths were filled with energy and talent and suggested that they channel it properly to bring positive changes in the society.
The valedictory function also witnessed colourful cultural presentations by delegates, who had assembled from various Singpho inhabited areas of Arunachal Pradesh and Assam.
Earlier in the morning, the organising committee also conducted a marathon race with the theme 'Go Green Bordumsa'.
The conference with the theme 'Empower Youths for Better Society' was organised by the Singpho Youth Organisation, where learned speakers were invited to give their advice and suggestions to the youths.
The presidents and office bearers of the All Tai Khamti Singpho Students Union, All Changlang District Students Union, and Yobin Welfare Association, besides senior public leaders and intellectuals also witnessed the programme.
Arunachal State Women's Football League to begin today
ITANAGAR, Jul 19: The Arunachal State Women's Football League is set to begin at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium in Naharlagun from July 20.
Organized under the aegis of the Arunachal Pradesh Football Association (APFA), the women's football tourney will have a total of seven women football clubs from different regions of the state battling for the league title, which will be played from July 20 to 31 next, according to an APFA release.
‘Prolonged strike may hamper implementation of RD schemes’
ITANAGAR, Jul 19: The indefinite pen and tool down strike launched by DRDA employees
of the state in protest against non-
Though there was no fresh initiative from the state government to redress the grievances of the agitating employees, few Panchayat leaders have expressed concern over the impasse.
They apprehended that a prolonged strike may severely affect the smooth implementation of various rural development programmes, like MGNREGA, IAY, PMAY (G), IWMPS, etc.
"DRDA has been functioning as a fund receiving and releasing centre for all rural development programmes at district level since its creation, besides the responsibilities of monitoring and supervising. The staff of such important office at district level should not be deprived from their service benefits," opined Chairman of Lower Dibang Valley DRDA, Sipi Elapra Linggi.
Linggi, who also is the ZPC of the district, appealed to the state government to look into the demands of the DRDA employees on priority and find a solution for smooth implementation of RD programmes.
The DRDA employees have been on pen/tool down strike since July 17, and are still continuing in all the districts of the state. The employees expressed their dissatisfaction over the irresponsible attitude of the state government and the Rural Development Department.
The state unit of the All India DRDA Staff Welfare Association criticised the state government for showing an apathetic attitude towards the DRDA employees.
"The DRDA employees are well aware that they are dealing with time-
The Association stated that despite the central government's directive to regularise the service of the DRDA employees by absorbing them in line departments and release of its due share for their salary, the state government did not respond to the demands of the employees.
The DRDA employees threatened to intensify the strike, if the authority continues to turn deaf ear to their demands.
Fund sought for road restoration
SAGALEE, Jul 19: The people of Sagalee area have sought funds from the Chief Minister for immediate restoration of flood damages infrastructures and road.
In a release, a group of PRI members, including former MLA Taba Hania have shot a letter to the Chief Minister stating that with the heavy downpour in the area, the road communication has been disrupted but no fund has been provided for restoration work.
"The PWD authorities are compelled to restore the road without fund provision due to constant pressure from the public", it added.
Two-
ITANAGAR, Jul 19: The Deputy Commissioner Itanagar Capital Complex Prince Dhawan
informed that the NH 415 from Itanagar to Naharlagun has been opened for two-
NEUFC launches residential youth academy to tap football talent
SHILLONG, Jul 19: John Abraham's football club, the North East United FC (NEUFC),
took its first major step towards nurturing football talent across the eight states
of North-
The Centre of Excellence (CoE), as it has been baptized, will operate out of Shillong and offer the handpicked children the best in terms of training, education and competition throughout the year.
"This is a dream come true," John Abraham said while making the announcement.
"When I bid for the team three years ago, my first goal was to start a residential academy for the talented kids out there. We will all do everything in our power to provide every talented child the opportunity to learn and eventually play for the NEUFC first team," he added.
The ambitious plan fell into place after NEUFC joined hands with Shillong United FC, formerly known as Royal Wahingdoh FC, to develop the region into a football power centre.
"We are delighted to start this developmental project with NEUFC," Dominic Tariang,
owner of Shillong United and Partner-
"We have already charted a well-
Dominic Tariang thanked John Abraham and the NEUFC for being such strong believers
in the football potential of the North-
"We have found a great partner in Dominic and Shillong United and we share our passion
and love for football in the North-
The two clubs will diligently pick the best students for the CoE and not only provide them training and education, but also competition throughout the year. Shillong United already has a solid base in the capital and will give the chosen ones opportunities to play and enhance their skills in the Shillong State League and other competitions.
The CoE will create teams in the Under-
First Women Football Summer Cup 2017
[ Indrajit Tingwa ]
KHARSANG, Jul 19: The KGBV Kharsang team emerged as the champions of the first Women Football Summer Cup 2017, defeating the team of Balinong in the final on July 19.
In the first half, both the teams could not register any goals. Midway into the second half, the KGBV Kharsang team scored a solitary goal which decided the results of the final.
The champion team received a trophy and cash award of Rs 10,000, while the runners-
Wanda Ronrang of the Balinong team received the prize for the highest scorer with three goals in four matches, while Ronnom Sangwal and Tailey Ngandam of team KGBV were adjudged the best goalkeeper and best player respectively.
Injan village team was adjudged as the 'Disciplined Team'. All other participating teams were also given consolation prizes.
The tourney which began on July 4 last, had 12 teams competing for the champion's title of the first of its kind tournament for women in Kharsang circle.
Addressing the gathering on the final day, Changlang ZPC Jowkhong Singpho said that there was a need for promoting a platform to encourage sports activities in the area. He also appreciated the Kharsang Sport Committee for taking the initiative of developing sports amongst women by organising the tournament.
Singpho, who is also president of the District Olympic Association, said that there is hidden talent amongst the girls in the area, which require a medium for their advancement.
Sponsor of the tournament, Kharsang ZPM, Korong Longri also expressed her happiness over the overwhelming response from the participants as well as the public. She asked all teams to prepare for the next edition of the tournament, which will be organised on a larger scale.
Kharsang CO, R K Ravi also said that such tournaments would have far-
Natural herbs hold the key to cancer treatment: Expert
ROING, Jul 19: Nature holds the key to treating and curing cancer as 80 percent of
anti-
Professor Anupam Bishayee, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Larkin University
(USA), who delivered the keynote address at a seminar on traditional medicinal plants
in prevention and treatment of cancer, organized by RIWATCH, Roing elaborated how
common plants Black Currant (Ribes nigrum L), Pomegranate (anar fruit) and Amoora
(Amoora rohitua) provide abundant anti-
According to him, more than 3000 plant species give valuable biochemical components.
Dr Bishayee said that imbalanced dietary practices, like fast foods contribute to 35 percent cancer deaths all over the world and 30 percent deaths are due to tobacco use.
He hoped the scientists and farmers of Arunachal Pradesh would take advantage of their rich biodiversity to make vital contributions to the battle against cancer.
"Since cancer is a complex disease, we need to introduce personalized approach for testing and using natural agents. This needs many new studies by many more new researchers", added Dr Bishayee.
Dr Nandini Dolepat from FRLHT Bangalore, Dr Bibhuti Kakoti from Dibrugarh University and Dr Bichitra Kr Doley from Assam Medical College were the other experts, who presented papers in the seminar, attended by participants from the health and agriculture departments, IG College, Tezu and community elders.
Associate Professor, Dr Kakoti elaborated the various methods of studying local herbs
that demonstrate anti-
He listed common plants from the NE region like Tagor (Ervatamia coronaria), studies of which yielded very promising results.
Lauding an Arunachalee female scholar, who did innovative M Tech studies on body
fluids of an insect, he appealed to Arunachalee students and teachers to take up
exploratory studies from their environment and hoped that RIWATCH would be an ideal
platform to identify new plants with disease-
Dr Doley elaborated on bio-
Dr Dolepat explained how a medicinal garden of selected herbs set up in a hospital,
hostel or home, would be valuable in treating various physiological and psycho-
The seminar was coordinated by Dr Ista Pulu, Medical Superintendent, Roing Hospital, and member RIWATCH.
Doorstep screening for TB symptoms
ITANAGAR, Jul 19: The second phase of the active tuberculosis (TB) case finding activities in the state is underway from July 17 and would continue till July 31 next.
Accordingly, three districts of East Kameng, Papum Pare and Lower Subansiri have been identified and selected, based on their TB case finding activity, TB burden and the number of drug resistant TB cases.
Teams led by district TB officers, comprising of health personnel from state Health
Services, Revised National TB Control Programme and ASHAs will pay house-
The department has made an appeal to everyone to lend a helping hand and spread the message to people at risk, to avail these services and make Arunachal Pradesh free of TB.
The Revised National TB Control Programme is being held under the Department of Health and Family Welfare, Arunachal Pradesh, in collaboration with the Central TB Division, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India.
AKDDSU calls for strict action against absentee govt officials
ITANAGAR, Jul 19: The All Kra Daadi District Student's Union (AKDDSU) has strongly appealed to the Deputy Commissioner of Kra Daadi to take strict action against absentee government officials of the district.
In a release, the AKDDSU informed that maximum officers of work departments, like PWD, RWD and PHED are permanently settled in the Capital Complex and have even established offices there. Due to this, ordinary citizens are facing lot of trouble, the Union added.
Further, the AKDDSU alleged that officers are misusing public money by establishing temporary camp offices in Capital Complex and paying heavy rents.
The Union has appealed to the government officials of Tali and Pipsorang circles to establish their camp offices at Palin instead of Ziro if they are facing communication issues.
Further, the AKDDSU also questioned the move to appoint ADC S Lowang as in-
LED bulbs, energy efficient fans at subsidized rates
ITANAGAR, Jul 19: LED bulbs, tubes and energy efficient fans have been made available at subsidized rates in various outlets opened in the offices of Deputy Directors and Project Officers of APEDA in various districts of the state as part of the GoI's UJALA (Unnat Jeevan by Affordable LEDs and Appliances for All) scheme which was launched in the state on July 17 last.
This was informed by the APEDA Director, Itanagar in a release on Wednesday.
The APEDA Director has further informed that those in the Capital Complex can collect the said items from the outlet opened near Urja Bhawan, Itanagar and in the office premise of the PO, APEDA, Doimukh.
Laptops donated to the Apnes
WAKRO, Jul 19: Laptops and stationery items were given to Apnes of Apna Vidya Bhavan by donors from Assam during a function organized at Anu Bhawan, Beena Enclave on Wednesday.
Speaking on the occasion, Colonel Prasanna Joshi of the 2 Mech encouraged the youths to remain fit and join the Indian Army to serve the nation. He also lauded the services rendered by the ASSET in improving education in rural areas.
DC urges people not to remain mute spectators to domestic violence
Correspondent
ROING, Jul 19: Lower Dibang Valley Deputy Commissioner, Deepak Shinde urged people not to remain mute spectators to domestic violence and to report any incident involving domestic violence to the police or appropriate authority.
Speaking at an awareness programme on child labour, POCSO Act and domestic violence here on Wednesday, the DC urged the people not to encourage the perpetrators of any kind of violence against women and children.
"Having knowledge of something and making use of that knowledge are two different things", he said, while urging people to report such incidents to agencies that deal with such cases.
Deputy Director of ICDS Savitri Khamti also encouraged victims of domestic violence to approach her office and file Domestic Incident Report (DIR) without any fear. She informed that DIRs helped solve at least 14 cases of domestic violence this year so far.
Advocate Bahe Mickrow highlighted the various provisions under POCSO Act, informing how the Act deals with appropriate punishments to the abusers even for the smallest unhealthy act against a child.
GS EMWEF Sumila Linggi highlighted various forms of domestic violence and the importance of creating awareness among the masses about their legal rights.
"Children belonging to families where domestic violence prevails become very abusive, violent and suicidal," she said.
Dr Manaya Mena spoke about ill effects of child labour and the importance of bringing an end to it.
Highlighting about her institution, Chairperson of Nani Maria Children's Home and Society (NMCHS), Desai Linggi appealed to the people to come forward and help them find children that are in need.
"We have now 17 children in our facility. I along with my husband have been taking care of these children on our own as there has been no financial assistance from the government since last two years", she informed.
There are also couple of differently-
Roing SP Sanjay Kumar Sain said that although the women of the state enjoy a far better status as compared to their counterparts in other parts of India, it is sad to see that domestic violence, which can be classified as the most disturbing act, prevails here.
He urged the people to report any case of violence or abuse against children and missing children to the police. He also briefed the people about the ongoing Operation Smile, an initiative of the Police Department to track missing children and child abuse.
The SP contributed Rs 10,000 to the Home's fund, and approved for installation of CCTV camera at the facility.
Later, both the DC and SP announced that they will adopt a child each from the Children's Home.
The programme was organized by Nani Maria Children's Home and Society (NMCHS), in collaboration with DD, ICDS.
North East may get separate zones
NEW DELHI, Jul 19: The Government on Wednesday said it is "pro-
The issue was raised in the Lok Sabha by BJD member B Mahtab who highlighted that there was a gap of nearly two hours in sunrise timings between the eastern and the western parts of the country.
"Sun rises at 4 am in Arunachal Pradesh while offices open at 10 AM. The Ministry of Science and Technology has also done a study on this in the past," Mahtab said.
He said some 2.7 billion units of electricity could be saved if there are two separate time zones and added that only the Centre can take a call on office timings.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar said the government has taken Mahtab's suggestion very "seriously".
"He has raised a very important and sensitive matter. The government is pro-
Recently, Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu reiterated northeastern states'
decades-
Leaders from the North East Region argue that a separate time zone would increase daylight savings and efficiency.
One of the arguments that the states advance is that the early sunrise means that by the time they start their day, almost half the day has passed. This means an early sunset which requires extra use of lights in both at homes, offices and public places.
"We get up as early as 4 am. Several daylight hours are wasted as government offices open only at 10 am and close at 4 pm," Pema said.
The demand for a separate time zone has been long standing and before the current CM, former Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi had also raised the same issue. (PTI)
PWD Capital begins restoration of colony roads
ITANAGAR, Jul 19: The PWD Capital Division A & B have begun restoration works of several colony roads, which were severely damaged by the recent landslides.
Days after the weather cleared, engineers of the PWD Capital Division A & B have
engaged several heavy machineries in different stretches of roads in Itanagar township.
On Wednesday, the department was seen working on the roads from ESS to C Sector via
the DDK road to the CM's private residence; road at C-
The engineers of the PWD said that the restoration would continue in different parts of Itanagar as many areas have been badly affected by severe landslide and downpour.
‘Restore water supply’
ITANAGAR, Jul 19: Informing that the denizens of the Capital Complex have been facing
much hardship due to non-
It has further appealed to the state government to immediately restore the blocked Sagalee to Seppa road soon. 'Sushee Company Pvt Ltd, which is entrusted with the road construction work has stopped work mid way following the recent landslide', the organization claimed.
Meeting on GST held
YUPIA, Jul 19: A meeting on implementation of Goods and Services Tax (GST) was held here on Wednesday in the DC's conference hall under the chairmanship of Deputy Commissioner Tai Kaye to take stock of implementation of GST in Papum Pare district.
DC Kaye, while interacting with the officers from Tax and Excise Department enquired about the progress of GST in Papum Pare district.
He said that GST is a totally new concept and all the officers responsible for its implementation must keep themselves well acquainted with its mechanism, besides educating stakeholders to make its implementation successful in the district.
He also directed the DIO NIC to assist the Tax and Excise Department in setting up a GST felicitation centre at the DC's office in Yupia to facilitate GST registration.
Meanwhile, officers from the Tax and Excise Department briefed the DC about the GST and its modalities. They added that all businesses can register themselves for the GST by logging on the portal www.gst.gov.in. (DIPRO)
Educational exchange prog between AUS and Maejo University, Thailand
CHIANG MAI (Thailand), Jul 19: The Arunachal University of Studies (AUS), Namsai and Maejo University, Chiang Mai, one of the oldest agricultural universities of Thailand, have mutually agreed for educational exchange programme on joint research on rice, fisheries and medicinal plants.
The agreement came after a meeting of the heads of both the Universities at Maejo University on Wednesday.
Under the programme, the students of both the universities will be permitted vertical mobility to pursue the programme in one of the institutions on joint research of rice, fisheries and medicinal plants.
The universities also agreed upon improvement of curriculum and internship exchange programme in various Masters Degree courses offered by the AUS in the field of entomology, agronomy, olericulture, plant pathology and soil science under Agriculture Sciences.
Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein, who is leading the team, underscored the importance of more coordination between Arunachal Pradesh and Thailand in education and agricultural fields. He said that Arunachal Pradesh has vast lands and tremendous scope for development in agriculture and allied sectors.
By agreeing into area of cooperation between the two universities, our students can now be able to learn innovative ways of agricultural methods adopted by the people of Thailand, Mein said.
Describing the agreement between the two universities as the most appropriate, Mein, however, said just signing MoU will not serve the desired purpose. There should be serious follow up action for tangible results, he said.
President of AUS, Dr Ashwani Lochan said such collaboration and cooperation between the two universities would greatly benefit the student community and faculty members of both the countries.
Dr Kodchapom Siripoleakit, Vice-
Thanapat Choompolsil, Vice-
The delegation also visited the School of Renewable Energy, Orchid Research & Development Centre and Farm, etc of the Maejo University.
Administration continues drive against slaughter house
ITANAGAR, Jul 19: Continuing the drive to check illegal meat vendors along the National
Highway, EAC Itanagar Jiken Bomjen, along with the OC Itanagar on Wednesday caught
six people running illegal slaughter houses along the NH-
The slaughter houses were being operated at Gohpur, Chandranagar and 6 Kilo.
Although the vendors were given enough time to relocate to other feasible locations, they were reportedly found operating along the National Highway in spite of the prohibition order.
An FIR has also been lodged at Itanagar Police Station against the defaulters, informed the EAC. (DIPRO)
Bicycle race to Mark Kargil Vijay Diwas
AALO, Jul 19: The Aalo Military Station is organising a bicycle race as part of the Kargil Vijay Diwas celebration on July 26.
The open to all 30 km race will start at Aalo General Ground and pass through Pobdi turning point before reaching the finishing point of Richpal Chowk. (DIPRO)
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Hydro issue back to haunt state
The hydropower issue is back to haunt government of Arunachal. Save Mon Region Forum
(SMRF) which is spearheading the fight against mega dam construction in Tawang district
has issued seven-
There is every possibility that this may lead to next round of confrontation between
state government and locales who are opposing the mega dam project. In May 2016,
two protestors were killed at Tawang when local staged protest against arrest of
anti-
___________________
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The sun rises in the east
Dear Editor,
India stretches from 68°7' East in Gujarat to 97°25’ East in Arunachal Pradesh and measures about 3000 km from its east end to its west end. The time difference between these extreme points is approximately 2 hours leading to differences in time of sunrise and sunset.
By following the IST, a common man in North east India has to wait for two extra hours to send a letter from the local post office as these government offices are accessible only after 10 AM. By the time government offices or educational institutions open, many daylight hours are already lost in this region thus giving West India the upper edge.
The same logic can be applied in case of sunset. As the twilight hits NE earlier compared to the western side, it leads to lesser duration of working hours during daytime and more consumption of energy due to the plentiful use of artificial lights. This problem gets even more noticeable during winters as the sun sets approximately around 4 PM in many parts of NE.
The ventilation of the idea of a separate time zone for NE India started around 2 decades back, when the government established a small committee in 2001 under the Ministry of Science and Technology to examine the strengths and weaknesses of multiple time zones in India. Kapil Sibal, who was the then head of the ministry, disregarded this issue and asked to stick with the IST. Most recently, Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh, Pema Khandu, has also advocated the idea of a separate time zone for NE.
In 2006, the Planning Commission (now NITI Ayog) recommended the introduction of another time zone for more efficiency. Former Chief Minister of Assam, Tarun Gogoi, argued about the unproductivity and inefficiency of Assam due to less daylight in the region and dynamically demanded for the enactment of the bagaan time zone into its state official time. But all these efforts went in vain owing to indifference of the Union government.
However, scientists and researchers from the National Institute of Advanced Studies
have m insisted on advancing IST by half an hour. They justified their stand with
data-
The British Raj adopted 3 different time zones; a Bombay time zone, a Calcutta time zone and a tea garden time or the baagaantime which was followed by the tea plantation workers in India. This chai baagaan time was one hour ahead of the IST which helped the workers do their work according to the sunlight. Present day workers still follow this routine for better productivity and efficiency.
If the USA having an end to end area of approximately 4300 km can have 4 different time zones, why cannot India have at least 3 different time zones?
The Guwahati High Court recently dismissed a petition which sought a direction from the central government to approve a separate time zone for North East. The High Court said that two time zones can cause unimaginable chaos, considering the country’s demographic size. India is a country where trains change tracks by manual switching. Different time zones could cause major confusion in communications between train operators and lead to accidents. However, these limitations are not sempiternal and can easily be taken care of.
But why won’t India introduce a new time zone? Apart from the above official challenges,
there are powerful psychological reasons behind this reluctance. In official phraseology,
NE is still regarded as a troubled region. Every state in the region has suffered
from violent insurgency and brutal counterinsurgency since independence. Some insurgent
groups, seeking full secession from India, are still active. Beijing, which already
claims Arunachal Pradesh as its own, is repeatedly prodded by ultra-
In such circumstances, the grant of a different time zone for the area, as the academic Lawrence Liang has observed, is viewed by New Delhi as the first temporal step towards conceding spatial autonomy. Indian nationalists naturally saw the place differently. Their decision to enforce IST made sense in the immediate aftermath of partition and independence when India’s future as a united entity was uncertain. Today however, to deny 45 million Indians in the North East more daylight saving time is to place the insecurities of India’s founders above the urgent needs of India’s citizens.
As anyone vaguely familiar with the North East knows, the principal cause of unrest
in the region is its economic backwardness. A new time zone will go a long way towards
addressing this problem. It will save daylight, boost productivity and conserve electricity.
A prosperous north-
The time distance between the North East and the mainland of the country is also responsible for the difference in development index between the north east and the rest of the country. All the highly developed cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Bangaluru, Ahmedabad etc are located west of the IST thus enjoying more daylight. This might be one of the reasons for lesser industrial developments in NE region otherwise known for its rich and vast natural resource base. With the diminishing problem of connectivity and insurgency, lesser daylight hours is one of the reasons for MNCs and industries to avoid setting of offices in NE. The basic deterrent of the industrialist to invest in this region is the lack of power supply and huge expenses to run factory after sunset. This basic demand can be fulfilled by diverting the already saved energy for the industrial needs. So with the creation of different time zones, we not only welcome the idea of saving precious time but also help us address the problem of underdevelopment and health security in NE.
The advantages are many; from the increase in productivity to the increase in efficiency
and decrease in energy consumption. But it can somewhat provide NE recognition in
mainland India and also around the national media. As we all know this region was
neglected ever since independence in various fields. This small yet meaningful approach
can provide recognition and the autonomy that the people of NE craved for since independence.
Further linked with the increase in infrastructural projects in this region and NE
being the pioneer in India’s Act East Policy, the formulation of another time zone
in this region can prove to be pivotal in binding the people of NE together with
the rest of the nation and hence enhancing the unity of our nation. Apart from the
socio-
As Darwin once said, “a man who dares to waste one hour of time has not discovered the value of time”, we will similarly fail to understand the value and the importance of having more than one time zone if we do not take a chance by investing in it.
Yours,
Anuran Medhi
Kirori Mal College,
DU
Layan Kaushik,
IIT Roorkee
Delayed exam result
Dear Editor,
I am an aspiring candidate who attended the written examination for the post of Junior Engineer (SSA), Zilla Mission, Lower Subansiri.
The written exam was conducted on 19th February 2017. It has been nearly five months since the conduct of the written examination. But the result is mysteriously being delayed without any reason.
On enquiry about the matter, the DC cum DPO and DDSE are found to be lacking in coordination, leading to delay in announcement of the result. The candidates are being victimized here. Every aspirant had attended the examination after tremendous amount of time and energy. And it is our right to know the status of our hard work.
And in this regard, I request the concern department to stop playing with the sentiments of the aspiring candidates and the unemployed youths in particular.
This trend should not be encouraged. And I hope, this grievance is heard and initiative is taken immediately.
Yours,
Aspiring Candidate
Ziro
___________________
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