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ITANAGAR, AUG 20: Don Bosco College (DBC) Itanagar successfully concluded its two-day orientation programme 2026 on August 18 and 19, welcoming newly admitted first-year students from various departments. The programme was organised to familiarise students with the college’s values, academic environment, culture, opportunities and holistic approach to education. Sessions led by Vice Principal Ravi and Sr Agatha FMA provided students with insights into college life and encouraged them to approach their academic journey with confidence and enthusiasm. The two-day programme featured interactive sessions, team-building exercises and other activities aimed at promoting self-awareness, confidence, collaboration and meaningful interaction among students. The activities also encouraged participants to step beyond their comfort zones, recognise their strengths and build connections with their new peers. The programme concluded with lively ice-breaking activities that created a welcoming atmosphere and enabled students to interact freely and develop friendships. The orientation marked the beginning of their college journey, with an emphasis on learning, personal growth, collaboration and a positive campus experience.

ZIRO, AUG 20: The Lower Subansiri district administration convened a coordination meeting on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of Electoral Roll 2026 at the Golden Jubilee Conference Hall here on Thursday, with Deputy Commissioner Oli Perme and Electoral Roll Observer Vivek HP in attendance. Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) Radhe Tatung briefed participants on the operational roadmap for the SIR exercise, including field verification procedures and timelines. Assistant Electoral Registration Officer (AERO) Hibu Kapi moderated the meeting. Representatives of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Indian National Congress (INC) shared ground-level inputs and raised concerns regarding voter enrolment and verification procedures. Addressing the gathering, Electoral Roll Observer Vivek HP stressed the need for close coordination among departments and regular communication with political party agents to ensure a smooth and transparent revision process. The DC assured the participants that their suggestions would be duly considered to ensure transparency and accuracy in the electoral roll revision exercise. (DIPR)

ITANAGAR, AUG 20: The Department of Youth Affairs under the Government of Arunachal Pradesh concluded a three-day youth empowerment programme, Yuva Career Connect, here on Thursday, bringing together around 200 young participants and more than 20 resource persons and practitioners for hands-on workshops focused on practical skills, creative careers, entrepreneurship and livelihood opportunities. Held from August 18 to 20, the flagship initiative aimed to bridge the gap between acquiring a skill and understanding how it can translate into employment, self-employment, a profession or an entrepreneurial venture. The programme offered participants practical exposure to a diverse range of fields, with professionals, entrepreneurs, artists and home-grown brands sharing their expertise and experiences. Workshops covered acting and performance, filmmaking, photography, videography, video editing, colour grading, crochet, baking, beaded jewellery making, embroidery, creative crafts and accessories, Korean makeup and hairstyling, candle making, and tailoring and cutting. The Acting and Performance workshop was conducted in collaboration with Roots Art and Culture Trust, while Genesis 4 Production conducted the Hands-on Filmmaking and Visual Storytelling workshop. 3rd Eye Films led sessions on photography, videography, video editing, colour grading and filmmaking. Nungnu Craft Studio conducted the crochet workshop and OvenYums the baking workshop. House of Macnok conducted workshops on bead loom, beaded jewellery making and embroidery, while Thread Along led the creative crafts and accessories workshop. Yamtara International Beauty Institute conducted the Korean makeup and hairstyling workshop, GAMMI – Handpoured Soy Candles the candle-making workshop, and Rikyir Romin Fashion Institute the tailoring and cutting workshop. A key feature of the programme was its emphasis on learning by doing, enabling participants to work directly with tools, techniques and materials under the guidance of practitioners. Resource persons also shared their personal journeys of building careers, establishing businesses and developing brands, offering practical insights into the challenges and opportunities involved in turning skills and interests into sustainable livelihoods. The initiative also sought to encourage young people to look beyond conventional employment and explore diverse career pathways. By connecting participants directly with professionals and entrepreneurs, the programme demonstrated how skills developed with dedication and access to the right opportunities can become sources of income or the foundation of a business. At the conclusion of the programme, Special Secretary Department of Sports and Youth Affairs Akshat Kaushal IPS presented appreciation certificates to the resource persons in recognition of their contribution to Yuva Career Connect. The three-day programme provided young participants with opportunities to learn, experiment, interact with practitioners and explore potential career pathways while building connections with professionals from different sectors. The initiative seeks to create more such platforms where curiosity can lead to skills, skills to opportunities and opportunities to sustainable livelihoods.

PALIN, AUG 19: Palin Police have solved a missing-person case that turned out to be an alleged fake kidnapping plot, with a man reportedly staging his own abduction and demanding ransom from his family. The case began with Missing Report (MMR) No. 63 filed at Borghat Police Station under Tezpur, Assam, after Pradeep Bhattarai was reported missing from Guwahati on August 2. On August 14, his brother, who works in Dubai, received a ransom call from an unknown number claiming that Pradeep had been kidnapped and demanding payment through UPI for his release. Another ransom call was made on August 15. The calls were traced to Palin in Kra Daadi district and subsequently to a construction site within the township. Acting on the information, a Palin Police team led by Sub-Inspector Kaling Pait conducted a recce and raided the site on August 16, recovering Pradeep and another construction worker, Lucky Kanta Payang. During interrogation, Pradeep reportedly disclosed that he had travelled from Guwahati by train and reached Naharlagun on August 8. He was subsequently told about employment as a construction worker in Kra Daadi and reached Palin on August 10, where he began working at a construction site. Police said Pradeep admitted to using Payang’s mobile phone to make ransom calls to his brother in Dubai, falsely claiming that he had been kidnapped. He allegedly altered his voice during the calls and demanded money through UPI. Both men were detained and subsequently handed over to the Assam Police team from Borghat Police Station on August 17 after completion of the required legal formalities. The case highlights the importance of verifying ransom claims and promptly reporting suspicious communications to law enforcement agencies.      

Staff Reporter ITANAGAR, AUG 19: The Department of Youth Affairs, Government of Arunachal Pradesh, is set to organise the third edition of Battle of Minds (BoMs), a statewide quiz initiative aimed at promoting knowledge, critical thinking, confidence and healthy competition among the youth. Addressing reporters in a press conference held at the Arunachal Press Club (APC) here on Wednesday, the Public Relation (PR) in-charge of the event Meme Mangfi said the competition is open to young people between 15 and 21 years of age, with registration remaining open till August 25. It urged eligible youth from across the state to participate in the initiative. Mangfi informed that the first edition of Battle of Minds witnessed participation of 106 youngsters, while the second edition saw participation of more than 686 youth from across Arunachal Pradesh. With the third edition, the department aims to more than double the participation and provide a larger platform for young people to compete, learn and showcase their talent. The preliminary rounds will be conducted through three routes covering various districts of the State, she added Mangfi also informed that route 1 will commence from Tawang on September 1, with the quiz to be held at Government Higher Secondary School (GHSS), Tawang. The team will move to Bomdila on September 3, followed by Bebo, Seppa, on September 6; Ziro on September 8; Palin on September 10; and Daporijo on September 12. Route 2 will begin at Likabali on September 1, followed by Basar on September 3, Aalo on September 6, Boleng on September 8, Mirsam Village, Pasighat, on September 10, and Roing on September 12, she added. Route 3 will commence from Longding on September 2, followed by Khonsa on September 4, Jairampur on September 6, Tezu on September 8, and Namsai on September 10, she maintained. Further, Mangfi informed that the grand finale of Battle of Minds 3.0 will be held at Dorjee Khandu Convention Hall, Itanagar, on September 21. The final round will feature top-performing participants from the preliminary rounds held across the State The department has announced cash prizes of ₹1 lakh for the winner, ₹80,000 for the first runner-up and ₹50,000 for the second runner-up, she added. The Department of Youth Affairs appealed to eligible youth between 15 and 21 years to register within the stipulated deadline and participate in the third edition, which it said seeks to celebrate knowledge, curiosity, confidence and youthful talent across Arunachal Pradesh.      

ITANAGAR, AUG 19: Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Wednesday urged photographers to continue capturing everyday moments, traditions, people and places, saying their work preserves memories that can be cherished by generations to come. In a message on World Photography Day, Khandu said photographs have the power to preserve not only faces and places but also traditions and ways of life, allowing them to be carried forward to generations that may never witness them directly. “To all the photographers out there, keep clicking,” Khandu said in a post on X, encouraging those behind the lens to continue documenting the world around them. He said ordinary moments that often go unnoticed in the present can become some of the most treasured memories in the future. “One day, the ordinary moments we barely notice today may become the memories we cherish most,” the chief minister said. Khandu highlighted the wider significance of photography, saying a photograph can preserve “a face, a place, a tradition, a way of life” and carry them forward to future generations. He also observed that photography enables people to look at the world from different perspectives. “To everyone who finds joy in capturing life through a lens, keep going, keep creating, and keep telling stories,” Khandu said, extending his greetings to photographers on the occasion. Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein also extended his greetings to photographers on the occasion and appreciated their contribution to documenting the beauty and diversity of Arunachal Pradesh. “On World Photography Day, I extend my warm wishes to all photographers who capture the beauty, diversity and spirit of our people and places through their lenses,” Mein said in a social media post. He called for continued support and appreciation for photographers whose work documents the state’s journey and brings its people, landscapes and cultural richness to a wider audience. “Let us continue to celebrate and support the talented photographers who beautifully document our journey,” Mein said. World Photography Day is observed every year on August 19 to recognise the art, craft and significance of photography and its role in documenting people, cultures, events and changing societies. (Source: PTI)      

ITANAGAR, AUG 19: The Gauhati High Court has struck down a provision of an Arunachal Pradesh law that empowered the minister in-charge of Urban Local Bodies to hear appeals against decisions of the State Election Commissioner in municipal defection cases, holding that such an arrangement fails to ensure an independent and impartial adjudicatory forum. A division bench of Justices Kardak Ete and Budi Habung, however, upheld the provision allowing the Chief Secretary to function as the appellate authority under the Arunachal Pradesh Urban Local Bodies (Disqualification on Grounds of Defection) Act, 2014. The judgment, pronounced on August 18, came on a writ petition filed by three elected councillors of the Pasighat Municipal Council – Ponung Radeng Saring, Yalop Nyigang Yomso and Rebeka Panyang. The petitioners had challenged the constitutional validity of sub-sections (1) and (2) of Section 6 of the Act after the Chief Secretary issued a notice on December 11, 2024, asking them to appear in Appeal No. 01/2024. They, however, did not challenge the notice or the proceedings arising from it. Under Section 6, an appeal against a decision of the State Election Commissioner in matters of disqualification on grounds of defection lies before the Chief Secretary. The proviso stipulated that if the Chief Secretary was also functioning as the State Election Commissioner, the appeal would lie before the minister in-charge of Urban Local Bodies. The court drew a distinction between the two appellate authorities, observing that the Chief Secretary, while exercising jurisdiction under the Act, acts under a statutory mandate and is required to decide the appeal in accordance with the law and principles of natural justice. The minister in-charge, on the other hand, is a member of the elected political executive and is responsible for administration of the department concerned, the bench noted. It said conferring jurisdiction over cases involving disqualification of elected representatives on a member of the political executive creates a “reasonable apprehension” regarding the institutional impartiality of the appellate forum. The court said the issue was not whether a particular minister would necessarily act unfairly or misuse the power, but concerned the institutional design of the appellate mechanism. “An adjudicatory mechanism must not only be fair in fact but must also be structured in a manner which inspires confidence in its independence and impartiality,” the bench observed. Noting that defection proceedings could directly affect the continuance of elected representatives in office and the composition of elected local bodies, the court said the appellate forum must assure parties that disputes would be decided on statutory provisions and material before it rather than political or administrative considerations. Applying the doctrine of severability, the court held that the constitutional infirmity was confined to the proviso empowering the minister and that the remaining appellate mechanism could operate independently. It accordingly declared unconstitutional and struck down the proviso to Section 6(1) to the extent that it provided for an appeal before the minister in-charge of Urban Local Bodies. The bench upheld the remaining portion of Section 6(1), providing for an appeal before the Chief Secretary, as well as Section 6(2), which prescribes the procedure for the appellate authority. The court also rejected the broader contention that a decision of the State Election Commissioner could only be subjected to judicial review and not to a statutory appeal. It held that judicial review under Articles 226 and 227 of the Constitution and a statutory appeal operate in different fields, and the existence of an appellate remedy does not exclude or dilute the constitutional jurisdiction of the High Court. Senior advocate T T Tara, assisted by G Bam, appeared for the petitioners, while Advocate General I Chowdhury represented the state respondents. The state had argued that the legislature was competent under Entry 5 of List II of the Seventh Schedule to enact laws concerning local government and that an executive authority could exercise quasi-judicial functions when empowered by statute. The court clarified that it had not examined the legality or merits of Appeal No. 01/2024 or the December 2024 notice issued by the Chief Secretary. The writ petition was consequently partly allowed, with the challenge to Sections 6(1) and 6(2) rejected except for the proviso giving appellate power to the minister. (Source: NewsFY)    

ITANAGAR, AUG 19: The Arunachal Publishers & Broadcasters Guild (APBG) on Wednesday urged the state government to remove or transfer state CAMPA chief executive officer Vineet Kumar Jawal, IFS, within seven days, citing an alleged conflict of interest arising from a departmental enquiry into CAMPA works implemented during his earlier tenure as a Divisional Forest Officer. In a representation addressed to the chief secretary, APBG president Chopa Cheda said Jawal’s continuation as CEO of the State Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) raised questions of “administrative propriety and public confidence” as allegations relating to works executed during his tenure as DFO of Khellong Forest Division were under scrutiny. According to the representation, complaints had been raised over implementation of NPV and compensatory afforestation works under the State CAMPA APO 2020-21 at several locations in Pakke Kessang district. The Guild said State CAMPA had taken cognisance of the complaint in August 2024, describing it as “very serious in nature” and directed the Chief Conservator of Forests, WAC, Banderdewa, to conduct a fact-finding enquiry and identify officials responsible if lapses were detected. The original complaint alleged irregularities involving around Rs 89.89 lakh and claimed that plantation activities had been shown as implemented and paid for despite villagers allegedly being unaware of such works. The Guild stressed that the claims remained allegations subject to determination by the competent enquiry. Citing an official field inspection report dated April 22, 2025, Cheda said no plantation was found at Taal Chiya, while natural vegetation but no sign of artificial plantation was recorded at Sakum. Plantation grounding could also not be established at several other locations, including Rupung Geka, Bodha Geka and Fenye Happa, according to the representation. The Guild further claimed that around 213 hectares of AR/ANR plantation works under Namorah Range were sanctioned under CAMPA AOP 2020-21 at an outlay of approximately Rs 85 lakh, while material cited in the representation allegedly recorded zero physical execution. The Guild said it was not seeking to prejudge the guilt or innocence of the officer but questioned whether a person whose earlier role in CAMPA works was reportedly under examination should continue to head the institution administering the schemes and records connected with the scrutiny. Besides seeking Jawal’s removal or transfer within seven days, the Guild demanded preservation of all relevant records, an independent and time-bound enquiry, fixing of responsibility wherever lapses are established and publication of the enquiry outcome and action taken. It warned that in the absence of a satisfactory response within the stipulated period, it would consider “appropriate democratic and lawful courses of action” and approach competent authorities. CEO Jawal could not be contacted for his comments on the matter.