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ITANAGAR, SEP 15: Governor K T Parnaik on Tuesday called for greater youth participation in the fight against substance abuse, saying declamation and painting competitions can help young people understand social issues and encourage them to become partners in building a drug-free society. After inaugurating declamation and painting competitions under the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan at the Lok Bhavan here, he said such platforms not only create awareness about the harmful effects of drugs but also help develop public speaking skills and encourage young minds to think critically about issues affecting their communities. The governor said the fight against substance abuse required collective efforts and active involvement of young people. A total of 31 students from higher educational institutions across the state participated in the declamation competition. The painting competition also saw participation of 35 school students. The programme aimed to use creative expression and informed dialogue to spread awareness about substance abuse and reinforce the message that combating the menace requires sustained collective commitment.    

ITANAGAR, SEP 15: Minister for Rural Works Department (RWD), Tourism and Education Pasang Dorjee Sona on Tuesday called for better coordination between engineers, executing agencies and planning authorities to ensure strong and quality infrastructure in the state. Addressing the 59th Engineers’ Day celebration at the Banquet Hall here, Sona acknowledged the contribution of engineers to infrastructure development and nation-building and urged them to leverage knowledge, innovation and technical expertise to shape the state’s future. The celebration, organised by the Arunachal Pradesh Engineering Service Association (APESA), marked the birth anniversary of Bharat Ratna Sir Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya. Sona stressed the need for greater understanding and coordination between executing agencies and departments, saying such collaboration was essential for delivering strong and quality infrastructure. Commissioner Land Management and Power AK Singh outlined the need for clean power initiatives and optimised land management systems in Arunachal Pradesh. He stressed digitisation of land archives and development of resilient energy networks across rural circles. He also called for greater cross-departmental coordination among engineering wings to expedite pending public projects. APESA President TK Tara, Vice President Tayum Tok Camdir and retired Chief Engineer PWD Kenjum Ete, among others, addressed the gathering. NERIST Associate Professor (Mechanical Engineering) Dr Nabam Teyi and NIT Dean (Research and Consultancy) Prof Dr Utpal Kumar Saha were the resource persons. They spoke on “Engineering Excellence for a Sustainable and Technologically Sovereign India.”    

SRINAGAR (J&K), SEP 15: The Confederation of Service Associations of Arunachal Pradesh (CoSAAP) has urged the All-India State Government Employees Federation (AISGEF) to formally endorse and pursue special incentives, allowances and other service-related demands for government employees serving in Arunachal Pradesh and the North-Eastern Region before the 8th Central Pay Commission (8th CPC) and the Government of India. The demands were placed during the two-day National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of AISGEF being held in Srinagar from September 12, with representatives of employees’ associations, federations and unions from 22 states participating. CoSAAP President Likha Tech and Secretary General Leena Taggu represented the organisation and highlighted the distinctive geographical, administrative, socio-economic and service-related challenges faced by government employees in the Northeast. The proposals were placed through the North Eastern States Government Employees and Teachers’ United Forum (NESGETUF), an initiative of CoSAAP. Representatives of employee organisations from Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Mizoram, Manipur, Sikkim and Tripura supported the proposals. CoSAAP sought a substantial enhancement and extension of Special Duty Allowance (SDA), proposing a minimum rate of 20–25 per cent of basic pay for eligible state government employees serving in the Northeast. It also sought a dedicated Border Area Allowance of 10–15 per cent of basic pay for employees posted in notified international-border areas, besides a separate allowance for those serving in highly remote, inaccessible and difficult areas. The organisation said the region’s difficult terrain, limited connectivity, scattered habitations, challenging climatic conditions, high transportation and logistics costs and inadequate access to healthcare, education and other infrastructure make postings particularly difficult. It said these factors could affect the attraction and retention of specialised manpower, administrative continuity and effective public service delivery. CoSAAP also urged AISGEF to pursue, as a priority, a field visit by the Chairperson and members of the 8th CPC to the Northeast, particularly remote, difficult and international-border areas of Arunachal Pradesh. If visits to extremely remote locations are not feasible, it suggested that the Commission visit the capitals of all eight North-Eastern states and consult state governments, employee organisations and other stakeholders. According to CoSAAP, such visits would provide first-hand understanding of difficult terrain, inadequate road, air and communication connectivity, high logistics costs, limited healthcare and educational facilities, shortage of specialised manpower, inadequate government accommodation, climatic challenges and security sensitivities associated with international-border postings. The organisation further proposed that eligibility for border and remote-area benefits be determined through objective criteria such as geographical remoteness, terrain, connectivity, distance from headquarters, availability of healthcare and educational facilities, climatic conditions and security sensitivity. CoSAAP stressed that the strategic importance of the Northeast, particularly its international boundaries with China, Bhutan, Myanmar and Bangladesh, warranted special consideration in employee incentive policies. It called for eligible border districts, subdivisions, circles and other administrative areas to be identified and notified on the basis of objective geographical and administrative criteria rather than merely district nomenclature.   AISGEF accepts proposal Considering the nature of the issues raised by CoSAAP, the AISGEF National Executive Committee unanimously resolved to place and pursue the proposals before the Government of India and the Chairperson and members of the 8th CPC. CoSAAP also sought broader employee-related reforms, including comprehensive pension reform with assured retirement security, consideration of restoration of the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) and a minimum fitment factor of 3.25 or higher, as deemed appropriate by the 8th CPC. It specifically urged AISGEF to pursue the scrapping of the National Pension System (NPS) and restoration of the OPS. CoSAAP maintained that the working conditions of government employees in the Northeast, particularly Arunachal Pradesh, should not be assessed solely through statistical or documentary data. It said the ground realities of employees posted in remote and border areas needed to be taken into account while framing the 8th CPC recommendations. On the sidelines of the NEC meeting, the CoSAAP leadership also urged delegates to condemn all forms of racial discrimination and prejudice. It called upon employees’ organisations to take a proactive and collective stand against discrimination faced by people from the Northeast in different parts of the country and stressed that the dignity, equality and constitutional rights of every citizen must be respected irrespective of region, ethnicity, appearance, language or cultural identity. CoSAAP welcomed the AISGEF resolution and expressed hope that the federation would continue to pursue the demands collectively in the larger interest of government employees of the Northeast, particularly Arunachal Pradesh.    

NAHARLAGUN, SEP 15: Three cadets of 1 Arunachal Pradesh Battalion NCC returned to the state on Tuesday after successfully participating in the prestigious All India Thal Sainik Camp (AITSC) 2026 in New Delhi. The cadets—Cadet Kalpana Giri and Cadet Ringso Paniya of Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya (JNV), Gumto, and Sergeant Nam Ngupok of Rajiv Gandhi University (RGU)—represented Arunachal Pradesh at the national-level camp. They were accompanied by BHM Sonu Kumar. The selection marks a significant achievement for the battalion, with the number of cadets selected for AITSC rising from one last year to three this year. The increase reflects the improving performance and standards of the unit’s cadets. The AITSC selection process involves multiple stages of screening, selection and rigorous training, with cadets competing at various levels before earning a place at the national camp. The returning cadets were accorded a warm welcome at Naharlagun Railway Station by officers, staff and fellow cadets of 1 Arunachal Pradesh Battalion NCC. The gathering celebrated their achievement and acknowledged their dedication, discipline and perseverance. The performance of the three cadets has brought recognition to the battalion and their respective institutions and is being viewed as an achievement for Arunachal Pradesh. Their success is also expected to inspire other NCC cadets in the state to pursue excellence and aim for higher levels of achievement.    

KHONSA, SEP 15: Arunachal Pradesh State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (APSCPCR) Member Ngurang Achung inspected various child welfare, education, nutrition and healthcare institutions in and around Khonsa on Tuesday, the second day of his visit to Tirap district. Achung began the visit at the Child Care Institution (CCI), Khonsa, run by the Missionaries of Charity, where he inspected the facilities and interacted with the Sisters managing the institution. He enquired about the care, protection, education and overall well-being of the children and reviewed the facilities and arrangements in place. He later visited PM SHRI Government Higher Secondary School, Khonsa, and inspected classrooms, toilets, hostels and laboratories. Interacting with teachers and students, he took stock of the challenges faced by the school and stressed the need for adequate, safe and child-friendly infrastructure to provide a conducive learning environment. Achung also visited several Anganwadi Centres and interacted with Anganwadi Workers on the delivery of services to children, pregnant women and lactating mothers. He participated in the ongoing 9th Rashtriya Poshan Maah programme organised by the Child Development Project Officer (CDPO), Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) Project, Khonsa, Chate Lowangcha. The programme highlighted the importance of proper nutrition, healthy practices, early childhood care and community participation in addressing nutritional challenges. At Zonal Hospital, Khonsa, Achung reviewed healthcare facilities and interacted with Medical Superintendent Dr Tumli Basar. He stressed the need for a child-friendly and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act-compliant environment and urged the hospital authorities to arrange a separate room for POCSO-related cases to ensure privacy, dignity, safety and sensitive handling of child victims. The visit provided an opportunity to assess ground-level facilities and identify gaps in child protection, institutional care, education, nutrition and healthcare. Achung stressed coordinated efforts among departments and stakeholders to ensure the safety, protection, development and well-being of children in the district.