July 26, 2026 12:45 pm
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ONLINE AGE

(Online version of the Arunachal Age newspaper)

Author name: OnlineAge

Latest News, Popular News, State News

International drug racket busted

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  GUWAHATI : The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has dismantled a major India‑Myanmar transnational drug trafficking syndicate with the arrest of a Myanmar‑based kingpin, marking the third such high‑profile arrest by the agency this year as part of its crackdown on cross‑border narcotics networks operating along the international border, officials said on Wednesday. According to an official statement, the arrested accused, Nengzatuan alias Tuanpi, a resident of Haichin in Myanmar’s Chin State, was apprehended from Churachandpur district in Manipur following months of intelligence gathering, technical surveillance, coordinated interstate operations and sustained investigations. The agency said the operation reflects its strategy of targeting the leadership of organised transnational drug trafficking syndicates rather than merely intercepting individual consignments. The investigation revealed that Nengzatuan was among the principal international suppliers operating from Chin State and controlled a trafficking network that smuggled methamphetamine and heroin through Manipur, Mizoram, Assam and Tripura before distributing the narcotics across different parts of India and Bangladesh. The NCB said the accused is wanted in multiple cases registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act by the agency and other drug law enforcement authorities. He is the principal accused in three NCB cases involving the seizure of around 28.22 kg of methamphetamine tablets and 1.278 kg of heroin, collectively valued at more than Rs 25 crore. He is also linked to seven other NDPS cases registered by the Churachandpur and Singngat police stations and the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI). According to the agency, the syndicate operated through a structured network comprising international suppliers, cross‑border couriers, transport coordinators, local facilitators, receivers and financial handlers. So far, the network has been linked to seizures of methamphetamine, heroin and proceeds of crime worth over Rs 53 crore, while financial investigations are continuing to identify additional assets and other members of the syndicate. The NCB said several intelligence‑led operations carried out in recent months resulted in the arrest of key operatives, including Abdullah Ahmed of Assam’s Silchar, who allegedly coordinated consignments entering the state, along with Lalthlamuong Pulamte, Nengultinkhum Hrangngul and Paominlen Munlo from Manipur. Their interrogation, backed by technical surveillance, digital evidence and financial investigation, ultimately led investigators to identify and apprehend Nengzatuan as the principal Myanmar‑based supplier directing the syndicate from across the international border. The latest arrest follows those of Lalhmingsanga in March and Thancintuang alias Chintuang alias Tluanga in May this year, underscoring the NCB’s continued offensive against organised cross‑border drug trafficking networks. (Source: IANS)

REGIONAL

Prolonged crisis causing financial, mental hardships to common people: Manipur CM

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IMPHAL : Manipur Chief Minister Y Khemchand Singh on Wednesday said the prolonged crisis in the state has caused financial and mental hardships to the people, as his government distributed welfare benefits worth over Rs 91.66 crore to more than 2.4 lakh beneficiaries. Speaking at a programme organised by the Social Welfare Department, Singh said the state had gone through difficult times over the past three years, disrupting the lives of its people. “The prolonged crisis has caused financial and mental hardships to the common people to a great extent,” he said. The chief minister said the government had taken several initiatives to address the financial difficulties faced by the people. “This has been done under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and under the guidance of Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman,” he said. Expressing confidence, Singh said he hoped that the distribution of these benefits would provide some relief to the people. He urged people from all communities to consider themselves as Manipuris and contribute towards building a better state. Chief Secretary Puneet Kumar Goel said many families had faced immense hardship in recent years. “Women, children, senior citizens, persons with disabilities, widows and internally displaced persons (IDPs) have faced the greatest burden,” he said. He further said it is the shared responsibility of all to ensure that they receive the care, protection, support, and opportunities they deserve and that today’s event reflects the government’s strong commitment to inclusive development, social justice, and the welfare of every section of society. During the programme, benefits were distributed to nearly 2,40,758 beneficiaries with a total fund outlay of Rs 91,66,50,772. The beneficiaries received assistance under 17 different schemes of the Social Welfare Department. Singh also formally launched the Integrated Monthly Pension Processing System to ensure faster, transparent, and more efficient pension services. (Source: PTI)  

REGIONAL

Assam flood situation remains critical, 5.65 lakh affected, 21 more die

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GUWAHATI : Twenty-one more people lost their lives and nearly 5.65 lakh were affected by floods in Assam with incessant rain across several districts deteriorating the overall situation on Wednesday, officials said. According to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority’s (ASDMA) daily flood report issued at midnight on Tuesday, more than 5,64,600 people have been hit by the deluge in Biswanath, Charaideo, Dhemaji, Dibrugarh, Golaghat, Jorhat, Kamrup, Kamrup Metropolitan, Karbi Anglong, Nagaon, Sivasagar and Tinsukia districts. Thirteen people, including four women and two children, drowned in floodwaters in the Sivasagar district, followed by five, including two children, in Charaideo, two in Golaghat, and one woman in Jorhat in the last 24 hours, it added. With these fatalities, the total number of deaths in this year’s floods has increased to 31. The India Meteorological Department has issued a ‘yellow alert’ for Assam and predicted thunderstorms and heavy rains at isolated places over the next four days. The ‘yellow alert’ of the IMD stands for watch and be updated. IMD’s Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) in Guwahati said that the upper air cyclonic circulation over Central Assam and adjoining Nagaland between 1.5 and 3.1 km above mean sea level has become less marked. At present, the Brahmaputra river is flowing above the danger mark at Neamatighat, while its tributaries Buridihing at Khowang, and Dhansiri at Golaghat and Numaligarh are also above the danger level. On the other hand, the Dikhou river at Sivasagar and Disang river at Nanglamuraghat are flowing above the highest flood level, the ASDMA said. Sivasagar is the worst-hit district with nearly 3.6 lakh people affected, followed by Jorhat with almost 88,000 and Charaideo with more than 72,500 reeling under floodwaters. The flood situation has worsened significantly since Monday night, when nearly 3.63 lakh people were affected across 15 districts. The ASDMA said the administration has been operating 273 relief camps and relief distribution centres in 10 districts, taking care of 12,284 displaced people at present. Multiple agencies, like the Army, NDRF, SDRF, Fire & Emergency Service, police and civil agencies, have rescued more than 6,000 people from different parts of Charaideo, Golaghat, Jorhat and Sivasagar, the report added. The authority has distributed 5,011.07 quintals of rice, 956.53 quintals of dal, 265.18 quintals of salt and 20,115.42 litres of mustard oil among the flood victims during the last 24 hours. At present, 872 villages are under water, and 24,210.35 hectares of crop areas have been damaged across Assam, the ASDMA said. Embankments, roads, bridges and other infrastructure have been damaged by floodwaters in different districts of the state. On account of widespread flooding, 1,85,029 domestic animals and poultry are affected across the state. (Source: PTI)    

REGIONAL

Assam govt introduces amendment bill to ease land acquisition for specified purposes

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GUWAHATI : The Assam government on Wednesday introduced an amendment bill in the Assembly to exempt acquisition of land for specified purposes from certain provisions of the existing principal Act. ‘The Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (Assam Amendment) Bill, 2026’ was introduced in the House by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pijush Hazarika, on behalf of Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Keshab Mahanta. The bill seeks to amend section 10A of the existing Act and exempt acquisition of land for specified purposes from application of chapter II and III of the principal Act, which broadly deals with social impact assessment and safeguarding land meant for agricultural purposes. Land required for projects related to national security or defence, rural infrastructure projects including electrification, health and education, and affordable housing and housing for the poor has sought to be exempted. Moreover, land for industrial area or estate set up by the state government and its undertakings, industrial corridors set up by the state government and its undertakings, and infrastructure projects including under PPP mode where ownership of land vests with the state and planned urban development projects in and around airports will also be exempted. The state government will ensure that the bare minimum land required for the projects will be notified for exemption from the provisions of the principal Act, as per the proposed amendment bill. (Source: PTI)        

REGIONAL

Suspected militants blew up bailey bridge in Manipur’s Kamjong

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IMPHAL : Suspected militants blew up a bailey bridge over the Namban river in Manipur’s Kamjong district using explosives, officials said on Wednesday. The incident took place between Phange and Chatric villages in Naga-majority Kamjong district in the intervening night of Tuesday and Wednesday. The 130 ft bailey bridge was constructed under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), and served as a vital road link connecting several villages, including Chatric and neighbouring villages, with the district headquarters. The attackers also set ablaze a pick-up vehicle parked on the bank of the Namban Lok River. Preliminary investigations indicate that explosives were used to destroy the bridge, they said. Meanwhile, Tangkhul Naga body, Tangkhul Naga Long, in a statement said, “In the early hours of Wednesday, the 130-foot span bailey bridge constructed under PMGSY in the year 2016 collapsed at the midpoint caused by the impact of heavy bomb blast and had consequently cut off the key connectivity between Kamjong District headquarters and Sahamphung Sub-Divisional headquarters.” (Source: PTI)

Editorial

A mission for talent retention

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The office memorandum issued by the Department of Space (DoS) in response to the mass resignation of scientists and engineers from the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) leaves many questions unanswered. While the Centre underplayed the order’s significance, ISRO has taken an opaque position on the matter. The chairman offered no clarity on how many people left, what led them to take such a step, or what measures the space agency plans to take in addressing this trend. According to the memo, voluntary retirement and requests for resignation from scientists and technical staff associated with Gaganyaan and other “important” missions may no longer be routinely accepted. Since “important” missions are left undefined, this restriction could apply to all projects undertaken by DoS institutions. The memo revokes a previous order that empowered institution directors and unit heads to approve these requests. It instead centralises all decisions at the ISRO headquarters. ISRO has not denied reports of 100-120 scientists and technical staff leaving the department over the past year. This coincides with the rise of a private sector boasting over 400 startups. Skyroot Aerospace’s successful launch of Vikram-1, India’s first privately developed space vehicle, underscores this upswing. A growing commercial industry offers better pay and greater work flexibility. The DoS should have anticipated this market dynamic when the sector was opened for private participation in 2020, and advised the government on a proactive talent retention strategy. This line of thinking was noticeably absent. India’s technological growth is also a story of professionals shifting from public institutions such as DRDO, ECIL, ISRO, and BARC into private companies. The DoS order adds a layer to this story. Neither the government nor ISRO has demonstrated a strong intent to resolve the challenges this shift poses. As private players expand their footprint in the business of space, their demand for trained talent was inevitable, and ISRO was always going to be the first and natural source. The agency, however, did not have a comprehensive strategy in place to retain its workforce in the face of competition from the private sector. The solution does not lie in restricting employees from leaving. A few years ago, the Indian Air Force (IAF) faced a similar situation when it tried to prevent pilots from exiting before completing their service period. Then, an IAF Chief took a more pragmatic position, as he recognised that demoralised personnel are of little value to the force. ISRO would do well to learn from that episode and introspect on its career frameworks. (Source: DH)  

Latest News, Popular News, State News

Arunachal publishes draft electoral roll; over 7.18 lakh electors participate

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ITANAGAR : The Office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Arunachal Pradesh on Tuesday published the Draft Electoral Roll under the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR), marking the beginning of the claims and objections phase aimed at ensuring an accurate and inclusive electoral roll. According to a statement issued by Joint Chief Electoral Officer Liken Koyu, 7,18,046 electors submitted their Enumeration Forms by July 14 out of the 8,87,505 registered electors recorded as on June 2, 2026. The remaining 1,69,459 Enumeration Forms (19.09 per cent) were classified as uncollectable due to various reasons, including deaths (25,573), untraceable or absent electors (54,678), permanently shifted voters (78,980), duplicate enrolments (4,947) and other reasons (5,281). The claims and objections period will remain open from July 21 to August 20, during which eligible citizens whose names were omitted during the enumeration phase can apply for inclusion in the electoral roll. The CEO’s office clarified that no name will be deleted from the draft electoral roll without due process, including prior notice and a reasoned order issued by the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) or Assistant Electoral Registration Officer (AERO). Young citizens who have attained, or will attain, 18 years of age on or before July 1, 2026, have been encouraged to enrol using Form 6 along with the prescribed declaration form. To facilitate voter services, special help desks and enrolment camps have been established across the state, while volunteers have been deployed to assist senior citizens, persons with disabilities (PwDs) and other vulnerable groups. The Draft Electoral Roll can be accessed through the Chief Electoral Officer’s website, the National Voters’ Service Portal, the ECINET mobile application, or through Booth Level Officers (BLOs), EROs, AEROs and District Election Officers (DEOs). Applications for new enrolment, correction or deletion can be submitted online or through the designated BLO using the prescribed forms. Earlier in the day, Arunachal Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer Pawan Kumar Sain convened a meeting with representatives of recognised political parties at the CEO’s office in Itanagar to brief them on the findings of the enumeration phase and hand over copies of the Draft Electoral Roll. During the meeting, Sain informed that all District Election Officers would hold similar meetings in their respective districts to share the draft rolls, explain the claims and objections process, provide details of appellate authorities and furnish weekly updates on claims and objections. He also said DEOs would issue separate press releases documenting the handover of draft electoral rolls to authorised representatives of political parties. The Election Commission has also appointed senior Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers as Electoral Roll Observers to oversee the Special Intensive Revision process across the state. The observers attended the meeting and interacted with representatives of political parties.    

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Khandu urges govt employees to prioritise public service

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ITANAGAR : Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Tuesday called upon the government employees to uphold the highest standards of public service, stating that efficient governance and dedicated employees are the key drivers of development. Interacting with the newly elected Central Executive Committee (CEC) of the Confederation of Service Associations of Arunachal Pradesh (CoSAAP), led by president Likha Tech and secretary general Leena Taggu, the Chief Minister stressed that officers and employees should spend maximum time in their offices, remain accessible to the public and ensure efficient delivery of government services. “Strong institutions, efficient governance and dedicated employees are how Arunachal Pradesh moves forward. Public service comes first. When government employees perform efficiently, the State grows. When the State grows, the nation grows,” Khandu said. The CoSAAP delegation called on the Chief Minister to formally introduce its newly elected executive members and to follow up on a memorandum adopted during the association’s Annual General Conference at Pasighat. The delegation raised several issues affecting government employees, including the scrapping of the National Pension System (NPS) and restoration of the Old Pension Scheme (OPS), implementation of the 8th Central Pay Commission (CPC), review of an Office Memorandum issued on May 21, 2025, construction of a CoSAAP Office-cum-Bhawan, the APCS lateral entry issue, and the grant of Leave Travel Concession (LTC). Responding to the demands, Khandu assured the delegation that he would personally take up the issue of restoring the Old Pension Scheme with the Government of India. He also reiterated that the Arunachal Pradesh Government would implement the recommendations of the 8th Central Pay Commission after they are accepted by the Centre and officially notified. The delegation was informed that the review of the May 21, 2025 Office Memorandum is already underway, while the proposal for Leave Travel Concession is being examined by the Finance Department. On the APCS lateral entry issue, the Chief Minister’s Office informed CoSAAP that since the matter is sub judice, the viva voce process has been kept in abeyance pending an appropriate resolution. Khandu also assured the association that the request for financial assistance for construction of a CoSAAP Office-cum-Bhawan would be considered sympathetically. Expressing satisfaction over the meeting, CoSAAP thanked the Chief Minister for his positive response and assurances, while expressing hope that the pending issues concerning government employees would be addressed at the earliest.      

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APCC alleges assault on democracy over detention of Rahul Gandhi, other opposition leaders

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ITANAGAR : The Arunachal Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) on Tuesday strongly condemned the detention of Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and several senior Congress leaders, terming the action “illegal, arbitrary and undemocratic” and alleging that it amounted to a direct assault on democracy and constitutional values. In a statement issued by APCC General Secretary-cum-Spokesperson Kon Jirjo Jotham, the party alleged that the BJP-led Union Government had resorted to intimidation, arbitrary detention and misuse of law enforcement agencies to suppress peaceful democratic dissent instead of engaging in dialogue over issues concerning students and the nation. It claimed that the detention of opposition leaders reflected an “authoritarian and dictatorial mindset” and demonstrated intolerance towards democratic protests and dissent. The APCC further alleged that the government was attempting to silence those demanding accountability over repeated examination irregularities instead of addressing the concerns of students. It maintained that arrests and police action could not conceal administrative failures or suppress the voice of the people. Expressing solidarity with Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, detained Congress leaders, student organisations and party workers, the APCC demanded the immediate and unconditional release of all those detained, resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the alleged examination irregularities, a comprehensive discussion in Parliament on examination-related issues and institutional accountability, withdrawal of all FIRs and criminal cases registered against students in connection with the Delhi protest, and an end to the alleged misuse of police and investigative agencies against opposition parties and democratic voices. The APCC also appealed to democratic forces, civil society organisations, student bodies and citizens to unite in defence of the Constitution and democratic freedoms. Reaffirming its commitment to peaceful and constitutional methods of protest, the party said it would continue raising issues concerning the country’s youth and defending democratic values. Meanwhile, the APCC staged a protest near the Raj Bhavan area in Itanagar on Tuesday evening against the detention of the Leader of Opposition during the protest in New Delhi. The demonstration was led by APCC President and former minister Bosiram Siram and witnessed the participation of Congress leaders and party workers. The protesters condemned the detention, expressed solidarity with the detained leaders, demanded their immediate release and raised slogans against the action taken by the authorities in New Delhi.      

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Khandu commends APPSC for transparent recruitment process

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ITANAGAR : Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Tuesday lauded the Arunachal Pradesh Public Service Commission (APPSC) for conducting recruitment examinations in a transparent, fair and credible manner, saying the growing public confidence in the selection process is a positive sign for the state. In a statement shared on social media, Khandu said the Commission’s commitment to maintaining integrity in recruitment has been so encouraging that even candidates who were not selected have expressed confidence in the fairness of the examination process. “The commitment of the Arunachal Pradesh Public Service Commission (APPSC) towards conducting recruitment exams in a transparent, fair, and credible manner is encouraging, as even those who were unable to make it through are expressing confidence in the recruitment process,” the Chief Minister said. He appreciated the efforts of the APPSC and all officials associated with the recruitment process for upholding the highest standards of integrity and credibility. Khandu said such transparency and fairness would strengthen public trust in the recruitment system and further reinforce merit-based selection in government services across Arunachal Pradesh. (Source: UNI)