REGIONAL

IMPHAL : Manipur Chief Minister Y Khemchand Singh on Wednesday called the formation of a high-level committee to assess demographic change a historic move, and said his government would extend full cooperation to the panel. Singh lauded the Centre for its decision to constitute the panel to study demographic change in the country due to “illegal immigration and other unnatural causes”. “The government of Manipur will extend full cooperation to the high-level committee,” the CM said in a statement. “Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s declaration of a high-powered demography mission on August 15, 2025, followed by the Union Cabinet’s approval on September 11, represents a historic and long-awaited intervention for the people of Manipur and other border states,” he said. Union Home Minister Amit Shah had said the committee would be chaired by retired Supreme Court judge Justice Prakash Prabhakar Naolekar and would also include the census commissioner, along with retired IAS officer Durga Shankar Mishra, ex-IPS officer Balaji Srivastava and Dr Shamika Ravi as members. Singh also appreciated Shah’s statement that infiltration and other reasons are causing “unnatural” demographic change, which poses a significant challenge to the present and future of any nation. Singh said that the people of Manipur are deeply grateful to Modi and Shah for their unwavering commitment to securing India’s borders and checking demographic imbalance. (Source: PTI)    

IMPHAL : The Manipur Congress on Wednesday alleged the BJP-led governments at the Centre and the state have been “silent spectators” when several people were abducted by armed groups, and many are still being held hostage. Interacting with reporters on the sidelines of an event to mark the 62nd death anniversary of Jawaharlal Nehru, state Congress president Okram Ibobi Singh alleged that “there is no rule of law in this tiny state”. “What immediate steps have been taken by the state and the central governments when the civilians were abducted? We strongly condemn it and demand that those held hostage be rescued immediately,” he said. The three-term former chief minister also asked, “Why are both the state and Centre being silent spectators? Is there any hidden agenda?” More than 38 people were abducted and held hostage by armed groups in Manipur’s Kangpokpi and Senapati districts on May 13, hours after three church leaders were killed in an ambush. Of them, 31 people have been released, including 12 Naga women and 16 Kukis. Six Naga men, however, continued to be held hostage, and their whereabouts are not yet known. Kuki Inpi Manipur, the apex body of the Kuki tribes in the state, claimed that 14 people from the community continued to be held hostage by Naga groups. Manipur police chief Rajiv Singh on Monday said talks were being held and operations were underway to find the missing persons. Four suspects were also apprehended by security forces from Kangpokpi district on Monday in connection with the abduction of the six Naga civilians. Singh also alleged that the BJP only focuses on elections throughout the year. “They are not concerned about the future of the country.” Speaking about Nehru, the country’s first prime minister, he said, “He tried to maintain good relations with all countries.” (Source: PTI)        

IMPHAL : Four persons were apprehended in Manipur’s Kangpokpi district for their suspected involvement in the abduction of six Naga civilians, who are allegedly still being held hostage, police said on Tuesday. A joint team of the Manipur Police, CRPF and Assam Rifles arrested the four men from the stretch between P Molding and Leilon Vaiphei inter-village road on Monday, they said. The arrested persons were identified as Thangkhomang Khongsai (51), Seikholet Khongsai (40), Lunminthang Dimngel (27) and Kamgoulal Khongsai (30). Police said the four are suspected to be active members of armed village volunteer groups operating in the district and may have been involved in anti-social activities such as extortion, criminal intimidation, and illegal possession of arms and ammunition. “The role of the apprehended individuals in the abduction of six persons is suspected and will be ascertained during the course of investigation,” a police statement said, adding that further investigation is underway. Several people were allegedly abducted and taken hostage by armed groups in Kangpokpi and Senapati districts on May 13, hours after three church leaders were killed in an ambush. Police said 31 people, 14 Nagas, 16 Kukis and one Meitei, have since been released. However, six Nagas are still missing. The Kuki Inpi Manipur, the apex body of the Kuki tribes in the state, claimed that 14 members of the community are also being held hostage by Naga groups. (Source: PTI)    

IMPHAL : An Indian researcher based in Japan has named a newly discovered large structure of galaxies after Manipur’s Loktak Lake, seeking to “immortalise” the northeastern state’s identity in the cosmos. Dr Ronaldo Laishram, who led an international research team as a postdoctoral researcher at the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ), said the structure was studied using the Subaru Telescope in Hawaii and the James Webb Space Telescope. “The study, which began around October 2024 as part of a broader ongoing research programme, was published this month in the ‘Astrophysical Journal Letters’,” he told PTI over phone. Laishram said the idea of naming the structure after Loktak Lake came to him immediately after the discovery. “When I first discovered it, the first thing that came to my mind was to do something for my home Manipur. Loktak is the mirror and lifeline of Manipur. It is not just a lake – it is deeply woven into the identity, the stories, and the lives of our people. I wanted to place Manipur, and Loktak, in the story of the universe itself,” he said. The 29-year-old researcher from Khangabok in Thoubal district said he considered several names linked to Manipur’s cultural and historical identity before finalising Loktak. “I thought of several names associated with Manipur’s history and identity. Taoroinai, a mythical serpent deeply associated with Manipur’s cultural and religious legacy, also came to my mind. But, when I saw the four separate concentrations of galaxies all linked together into one larger system, Loktak felt like the most natural name,” he said. “There was also a moment years ago when I took an aerial photograph and saw Loktak from above. That image stayed with me, the way everything was connected. When I looked at this cosmic structure, that memory came back,” Laishram said. Describing the significance of the lake, Laishram said it is the largest freshwater lake in the northeast, and serves as a lifeline providing livelihoods to thousands of fishermen. “It also hosts the only floating national park in the country where Sangai, the brow-antlered deer, lives. By naming this discovery Loktak, I want to immortalise its name forever in the cosmos,” he said. He said the naming has generated curiosity among researchers abroad about the lake and Manipur. “That curiosity is exactly what I hoped for. Loktak deserves to be known,” the researcher said. Laishram said the findings of the discovery suggest that even 12.6 billion years ago, when the universe was about 1.2 billion years old, a galaxy’s surrounding environment influenced its growth. Galaxies in crowded regions were already evolving differently from those in quieter regions, offering fresh evidence that a galaxy’s environment affects its development, he said. Laishram is the son of Laishram Mahajon Singh and Laishram Sanahanbi Devi, and is the youngest among five siblings from Khangabok village in Thoubal district. A computer science and engineering graduate from JSS Science and Technology University (SJCE), Mysuru, he later completed his Master’s and PhD in astronomy and astrophysics at Tohoku University, Japan. Recalling his childhood fascination with astronomy, Laishram said he became curious about the night sky after spotting a bright object, while playing in a field in his village at the age of six. “Since then, I would regularly look at the night sky to watch the stars. That curiosity never left me, it only grew stronger with every question I could not answer,” he said. Laishram and his associates also launched the Manipur Astronomical Society in 2025 to bring together astronomy enthusiasts and researchers on a common platform. (Source: PTI)    

GUWAHATI : Asserting that the assembly election results were an affirmation of the BJP-led NDA’s commitment to work for peace and prosperity of the state, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday said his government will work to make Assam a Rs 10 lakh crore economy by 2028. Speaking during the debate on the Motion of Thanks to the Governor’s Address in the assembly, Sarma said that tabling the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Bill proved his government’s commitment to working for the rights of women belonging to the minority community. “The NDA’s number of seats not just reached 102, but the number of votes polled by its candidates also increased by 15 lakh this time. The BJP candidates secured over 81.92 lakh votes, AGP got 14 lakh, and BPF got 8 lakh, with the NDA crossing the 1 crore votes mark in total,” he said. “The NDA swept all Scheduled Tribe reserved seats and tea tribes-dominated ones, while winning all but one seats reserved for the Scheduled Caste,” he added. Sarma said the election results showed people rejected personal attacks and politicisation of singer Zubeen Garg’s death. He said he kept his promise of bringing the UCC bill in the first assembly session. “Tabling of the UCC bill proves our government’s commitment to work for the rights of women belonging to the minority community. I hope the opposition will support it,” he said. Sarma also lauded the decision of several Eidgah committees to refrain from cow sacrifice during Bakri Eid. Referring to the issue of price rise raised by several MLAs during the discussion, the CM said the government was seized of the matter, and measures were being taken to check it. (Source: PTI)  

GUWAHATI : Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday accused the Congress of being anti-women after the party staged a brief walkout in the Assembly during a discussion on a government resolution supporting 33 per cent reservation for women in Parliament and state legislatures. Sarma claimed that Congress MLAs had received instructions from the party’s central leadership not to remain present in the House when the resolution was adopted. He alleged that the grand old party had surrendered to the anti-women policies of its allies, such as the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), when they stalled the reservation bill from being passed in Parliament. Women and Child Welfare Minister Ajanta Neog on Monday moved the resolution that “in order to honour women’s power and ensure the holistic development and empowerment of women, one-third reservation for women in Parliament and in all legislative Assemblies should be implemented with immediate effect, after completing the process of delimitation”. Congress and Raijor Dal legislators briefly walked out when Sarma began speaking on the resolution, objecting to remarks made against the Congress by BJP MLA Bhuban Pegu during his speech. The Congress members, however, later returned to the House before the resolution was taken up. Participating in the discussion, Sarma said the women’s reservation bill was moved in Parliament several times over the past decades, and though the Congress had been in power, it had not ensured its passage. “Congress would say it supports women’s reservation and table the bill in Parliament. But when its allies SP and RJD created even a little ruckus against it, the Speaker would immediately put off the discussion,” he said. “When the BJP was the main opposition party, we had offered to support the bill, and it would have ensured that it was passed. But the Congress surrendered to the anti-women policy of the SP and the RJD,” the CM claimed. Sarma further claimed that the Congress again stalled reservation for women by not supporting the latest Constitutional amendment bill in April. According to him, the amendment bill would have benefited Assam by not only ensuring 33 per cent reservation for women but also increasing the number of Lok Sabha and Assembly constituencies in the state. The increase in constituencies would have meant greater representation for indigenous communities, Sarma said.   Criticising the Congress for the walk-out, he said, “I had received information in the morning itself that instructions have come from Delhi to ensure that Congress is not present in the House when the resolution is adopted.” “This stance of the Congress proves that they are anti-women and also do not want Lok Sabha and Assembly seats to increase in the state,” he added. Supporting the resolution, the chief minister said Assam has a legacy of honouring women power, from goddess Kamakhya to Ahom princess Joymoti to freedom fighter Kanaklata, and they have played a pivotal role in the state’s social discourse. He also cited the contribution of the 40 lakh women associated with self-help groups in the state, who are contributing to the economy. The resolution was later adopted by a voice vote. (Source: PTI)      

GUWAHATI : Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday said the state has been witnessing demographic change for a long time, and welcomed the Centre’s announcement of a committee to study the phenomenon across the country. Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday announced that the Centre has constituted a high-level committee under retired Supreme Court judge Justice Prakash Prabhakar Naolekar to assess demographic changes across India due to “illegal immigration and other unnatural causes”. Reacting to this, Sarma, in a post on X, said, “Illegal infiltration and unusual demographic change are not merely the concern of any single state but a serious issue linked to India’s national security, cultural identity, and social balance.” The formation of the high-level committee to address this challenge is a “visionary and decisive step”, he added. “Under the proactive leadership of the honorable @AmitShah ji, this committee will study the unusual demographic changes occurring across the country and present concrete solutions. This will further strengthen national security and enable serious addressing of the concerns of border areas,” Sarma said. He said that Assam has been facing the challenge of demographic change for a long time. “This initiative will prove extremely important for protecting our cultural heritage, tribal society, and the rights of indigenous people. We are confident that this committee will play a significant role in securing India’s future,” the CM said. Announcing the committee, Shah said infiltration and other reasons are causing “unnatural” demographic change, which poses a significant challenge to the present and future of any nation. Speaking from the ramparts of the Red Fort in his Independence Day speech last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced a high-powered demographic mission to tackle the problem. Modi had said there was a “pre-meditated conspiracy” to change the country’s demography through illegal infiltration. He had warned that when demographic changes take place, especially in the border areas, they create a national security crisis. (Source: PTI)        

GUWAHATI : The Assam government on Monday tabled a Bill on the Uniform Civil Code, seeking to ban polygamy and make registration of live-in relationships compulsory. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Atul Bora tabled ‘The Uniform Civil Code, Assam, 2026 Bill’ in the assembly on behalf of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. The opposition parties, including Congress, Raijor Dal and Trinamool Congress, opposed the move and demanded wider consultation with all the stakeholders before its introduction. “The Bill aims to consolidate and simplify laws governing marriage, divorce, succession, and live-in relationships,” Sarma said in the ‘Statement of Object and Reasons’ in the Bill. For marriage, the Bill sets 21 years and 18 years as minimum ages for men and women respectively, and prohibits polygamy, he added. “For the first time, Bill provides a legal framework for live-in relationships. By requiring registration, the law ensures that the rights of partners — and any children born from such unions — are formally recognised and protected,” the CM said in the Bill. The Bill, however, said that it will not be applicable to any of the Scheduled Tribes residing in Assam. (Source: PTI)    

GUWAHATI : Bhutan Prime Minister Dasho Tshering Tobgay arrived in Assam on Monday and is expected to meet the governor later in the day. State Cabinet minister Atul Bora received the Bhutan prime minister at the state guest house here and later said that he expected the visit would open new avenues of goodwill, cooperation and cultural exchange between Assam and Bhutan. “I had the honour of according a warm and heartfelt welcome to Hon’ble Prime Minister of Bhutan, His Excellency Dasho Tshering Tobgay, at State Guest House Number One, Koinadhora, Guwahati,” Bora said in a post on X. He said that under Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Assam continues to strengthen its historic ties and friendly relations with neighbouring Bhutan in the spirit of regional cooperation, mutual respect and shared prosperity. “Assam and Bhutan share an age-old relationship rooted in mutual trust, harmony and deep socio-cultural ties. Our enduring friendship has been strengthened over generations through close people-to-people connections, shared traditions and longstanding cooperation across diverse sectors,” Bora said. “I firmly believe that the visit of the prime minister of Bhutan to Assam will further deepen the special bond between Assam and Bhutan, while opening new avenues of goodwill, cooperation and cultural exchange for the greater benefit of our people,” the minister added. Assam police chief Harmeet Singh, General Administration Department secretary Narsing Pawar and other senior officials of the state government also accompanied Bora in receiving the Bhutan prime minister. A Lok Bhavan spokesperson said the visiting dignitary is scheduled to call on Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya later on Monday. A detailed itinerary of Tobgay’s visit has not been shared yet. (Source: PTI)    

GUWAHATI : The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) on Monday raised concern over the fiscal sustainability of the Assam government in its report for the 2024-25 fiscal, pointing at the increasing debt load, high committed expenditure and limited capital investment in the state. In the report on state finances for 2024-25 tabled in the Assembly, the CAG also said that the delay in submission of utilisation certificates, pending accounts of departmental undertakings and autonomous bodies, is affecting financial reporting. It said the state’s economy showed moderate growth during the 2024-25 fiscal year, with Gross State Domestic Product registering a growth of 13.07 per cent as against the 2023-24 financial year. The state contributed 1.95 per cent to the country’s GDP, with the figure on an increasing trend over the past five years. During 2024-25, the state’s revenue receipts grew by 5.87 per cent, driven primarily by growth in the state’s share in union taxes and duties, higher tax collections, notably under SGST. However, non-tax revenue of the state declined by 9.34 per cent, and grants from the Centre also decreased during the period, the CAG report said. The state’s expenditure was dominated by a moderate growth of revenue spending (6.10 per cent). The CAG report said that during the previous five years, despite increasing pressure from committed expenditure, the state was able to maintain a consistent level of fiscal flexibility, though with limited scope for expansion in discretionary and developmental expenditures. Capital expenditure during the previous five years remained “volatile and below budgeted levels (except for 2021-22), reflecting constraints in infrastructure investment”, the report said. Subsidies during 2024-25 increased sharply (124.63 per cent), mainly due to power subsidies, the CAG noted. “As a result, the state was not able to arrest the revenue and fiscal deficits within the target levels of the State FRBM Act, thereby rendering little room for fiscal consolidation,” the report said. “Though outstanding liabilities remained within the numerical targets, this needs to be seen in the context of growing outstanding off-budget borrowings and contingent liabilities through guarantees,” it added. The increasing debt load, high committed expenditure and limited capital investment raise concerns about fiscal sustainability, the report said, stressing revenue augmentation, better expenditure control and structural reforms to ensure long-term fiscal health. The CAG said transparency should be enhanced in off-budget borrowings, ensuring timely accounting and reports, and steps should be taken for more judicious budget provisioning. (Source: PTI)