REGIONAL

IMPHAL : Manipur Chief Minister Y Khemchand Singh on Friday appealed to the people of the state to come forward for talks and not to resort to bandhs or blockades. Singh was speaking at the inauguration of a bridge at Akham Makha Leikai in Imphal West district. Addressing a gathering, Singh said, “Enforcing bandhs and blockades out of anger toward the government only leads to hardship, particularly for the daily wage earners.” He also said, “I have been to Jiribam twice. First, I visited the district by helicopter and second by road, during which members of Kuki, Paite, Hmar and Meiteis gathered together at the grassroots level and interacted. All are having cordial relations.” “The day after I returned from Jiribam, a bomb attack at Tronglaobi in Bishnupur district killed two small children in April cauing much grief to all of us. The incident caused disruptions to the economy of the state due to shutdowns and bandhs,” he said. Singh appealed, “To the people to come forward for talks to reach a mutual understanding whenever there is any frustration or anger towards the government, as bandhs cause hardships, particularly to families of daily wage earners.” Later, in a social media post, Singh said “I am pleased to inaugurate the RCC Bridge over the Nambul River at Akham Mayai Leikai in Lamsang Assembly Constituency today, in the esteemed presence of MLA Lamsang AC S Rajen Singh.” He also said, this vital infrastructure project will strengthen connectivity between key areas, facilitate the movement of people and goods, support local markets, and contribute to economic growth and inclusive development. “The government remains steadfast in its commitment to enhancing road connectivity and building quality infrastructure for the welfare and progress of the people of Manipur”, he added. (Source: PTI)    

GUWAHATI : Assam Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya on Friday outlined the new government’s vision for the state for the next five years in his first address in the 16th state Assembly amidst an opposition walkout, alleging failure of the dispensation to address core issues of the people. Barely five minutes into the Governor’s speech on the second day of the session, Congress and Raijor Dal MLAs trooped into the Well of the House. They demanded that the government address core issues like inflation rather than dwelling on achievements. The Congress legislators also displayed placards and raised slogans before staging a walkout. The two Raijor Dal MLAs, led by their leader, Akhil Gogoi, remained in the House initially and continued to speak even as the governor delivered his speech. After about 30 minutes, the two Raijor Dal MLAs also walked out, after submitting a paper with the points raised by them. The governor, in his speech, said the return of the BJP-led NDA government for a third successive time was a testimony to people’s support for the vision of the ruling dispensation. “This mandate reflects the people’s endorsement of peace, economic stability and inclusive development pursued over the past ten years. The achievements in restoring peace have been substantial and historic,” he said. He appealed to the people to exercise restraint in discretionary spending in line with the Prime Minister’s appeal for austerity. Acharya welcomed the government’s decision to introduce the proposed law regarding the Uniform Civil Code during the current session, maintaining that it will strengthen social harmony, justice, gender equality and a modern progressive society. (Source: PTI)    

AGARTALA : The Tripura government has cancelled the 26-day summer vacation in all the state-run colleges, including technical and professional institutions, an official said on Friday. The vacation was scheduled to commence on May 25. “In the interest of the students, summer vacation for 26 days for all colleges, technical and professional institutions under the department’s control, scheduled from May 26, is hereby withdrawn,” Higher Education Director Animesh Debbarma said in a notification. The colleges will remain open during the period for all academic activities like the admission process for session 2026-27, even semester examinations and administrative activities, it said. “Since the colleges will remain open and academic and administrative activities will be conducted during the summer vacation period, the faculty members and staff working in the colleges will receive 26 days of Earned Leave,” the notification said. According to Debbarma, the state government has already implemented the National Education Policy (NEP), which leaves little scope for summer vacation because the courses are now based on the semester system. “This is one of the major reasons for the cancellation of summer vacation”, he said. Currently, Tripura has 22 state-run general degree colleges. (Source: PTI)  

GUWAHATI : Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday took oath as an MLA on the first day of the new assembly. Protem Speaker Chandra Mohan Patowary administered the oath to Sarma for the 16th Assam Legislative Assembly. Sarma took his oath in the Assamese language. Patowary said, “All the members can take an oath in any recognised language they wish to. They can submit their oath copies to the assembly office.” After the CM, the other MLAs have started taking oath in different languages such as Assamese, Bengali, Bodo and Sanskrit. The NDA, comprising the BJP, Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and Bodoland People’s Front (BPF), secured a sweeping mandate in the assembly polls, winning a record 102 seats in the 126-member House. The BJP alone bagged 82, while the AGP and BPF won 10 seats each. The Congress and Raijor Dal, who were part of a six-party opposition alliance, won 19 and two seats respectively. The AIUDF and Trinamool Congress fought as single entities and have two and one MLA, respectively. (Source: PTI)

PAPUNALLAH : Officers and officials of the Transport Department at the Arunachal Pradesh Civil Secretariat, Itanagar, held a condolence meeting on Thursday to mourn the untimely demise of Dusu Rika, a driver attached to the Secretariat, who passed away on May 7 at the Tomo Riba Institute of Health and Medical Sciences (TRIHMS), Naharlagun. Late Dusu Rika had served the state government for 12 years, two months and six days. During the meeting, the assembled officers and staff expressed deep sorrow over his sudden demise and observed a two-minute silence as a mark of respect. Prayers were also offered for eternal peace of the departed soul.

  YINGKIONG : A meeting on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls was held at the Deputy Commissioner’s conference hall here on Thursday under the chairmanship of Upper Siang Deputy Commissioner-cum-District Election Officer (DEO) Talo Jerang. Addressing the meeting, Talo Jerang highlighted the key features, objectives, process and schedule of the SIR exercise in Arunachal Pradesh. Emphasising the important role of political parties in ensuring successful conduct of the revision process, he advised party representatives to organise training programmes and appoint Booth Level Agents (BLAs) to assist Booth Level Officers (BLOs) during the exercise. He also called for active cooperation and coordination among all stakeholders, including Heads of Departments and political party representatives, to ensure a smooth, transparent and error-free revision process in Upper Siang district. Earlier, Additional Deputy Commissioner (Headquarters)-cum-Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) Natek Nonang briefed participants on the objectives of the meeting and the importance of the SIR exercise. The meeting was attended by Heads of Departments, administrative officers and representatives of various political parties. (DIPR)

KOHIMA : Eliona, an AI-native Climate and Disaster Intelligence Supercomputing Platform developed under the Nagaland State Disaster Management Authority (NSDMA), was officially launched on Thursday, marking a major technological step towards strengthening disaster preparedness, climate resilience and scientific governance in the state. The supercomputer was launched by Advisor for NSDMA and New & Renewable Energy, Z. Nyusietho Nyuthe, at the Nagaland Centre for Disaster Management and Atmospheric Research (NaCDAR) in Kohima. Giving an overview, Joint Chief Executive Officer of NSDMA under the Home Department, Dr Johnny Ruangmei said Eliona has been designed as a next-generation AI-accelerated high-performance computing infrastructure focused on climate intelligence, disaster analytics, geospatial risk computation and predictive disaster governance. According to the profile presentation, the platform will support weather and climate modelling, earth observation analytics, disaster simulations, AI and machine learning research, and decision intelligence systems. It integrates atmospheric science, geospatial intelligence, big data analytics, remote sensing and disaster governance frameworks. Eliona’s core mission is to transform disaster management “from reactive response to predictive intelligence” through AI-enhanced forecasting, real-time data assimilation, predictive hazard intelligence and simulation-driven governance. The platform is expected to enable near real-time weather prediction, climate anomaly detection, terrain-aware hazard modelling and disaster impact simulations. Speaking at the launch, Nyuthe said the establishment of Eliona marks a significant step in strengthening disaster preparedness, climate resilience, scientific research and technology-based governance in the state. He noted that Nagaland’s terrain, heavy rainfall, seismic sensitivity and exposure to landslides, flash floods and thunderstorms require robust systems for monitoring, analysis, early warning and timely response. He said Eliona would support advanced weather modelling, rainfall prediction, flood and landslide analysis, geospatial hazard mapping and climate risk assessment. Nyuthe added that the facility would also strengthen NSDMA initiatives including disaster risk financing, parametric insurance, urban resilience planning and community-based preparedness. Chief Secretary Sentiyanger Imchen said the system would support high-resolution weather modelling, hazard mapping, flood and landslide analysis, damage assessment and climate risk studies, while stressing the importance of prevention and mitigation through predictive modelling. Home Commissioner Abhijit Sinha termed Eliona a major advancement in disaster preparedness, early warning systems and evidence-based decision-making. He said the AI-enabled platform would help the state better understand changing weather patterns and contribute towards building a safer and more resilient Nagaland. (Source: PTI)    

SHILLONG : Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Thursday said Meghalaya has emerged as one of the country’s fastest-growing states with a 15.3 per cent five-year nominal GDP growth and a fourfold rise in capital investments since 2018. He cited a report, Client Associates State of Indian States 2026, and said it highlighted Meghalaya among the country’s top-performing economies, recording a 97 per cent rise in gross state domestic product (GSDP) between FY’21 and FY’26. “Pleased to share that Meghalaya has emerged as one of India’s fastest-growing states, reaffirming the strength of our collective vision and hard work,” Sangma said in a statement. This achievement reflects the government’s sustained focus on infrastructure, connectivity, tourism, power, livelihoods, entrepreneurship and governance reforms, he said. “Most importantly, it is a testament to the resilience, aspirations and efforts of the people of Meghalaya,” the chief minister said. (Source: PTI)    

AGARTALA : Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha on Thursday exhorted the police to focus on technology-driven methods to detect crimes swiftly and ensure speedy justice. Addressing the passing-out parade of 476 police constables at an academy in west Tripura, he said the state government has been making efforts to bring in modernisation in the force. “From maintaining law and order to crowd control to handling cyber crimes and investigation, the police have different roles to play. Therefore, it must focus on technology-driven policing, displaying the highest degree of professionalism and integrity,” Saha said. The CM said the government has already initiated the process to strengthen the state police by inducting constables and officers of different ranks. “The Tripura government has begun the process to recruit 218 sub-inspectors and approved a proposal for the appointment of 916 constables,” Saha said. He also asserted that the police have been given a free hand to control law and order across the state. Saha also highlighted his government’s initiative to increase the participation of women in the force. “It is heartening to know that 318 out of these 476 police constables are females. This shows the government’s commitment towards women empowerment,” he said. (Source: PTI)    

TURA : Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Thursday said the state has created over 3.6 lakh livelihood opportunities between FY’19 and FY’25 through investments in skills, entrepreneurship and market linkages. Addressing a programme – Skillerate 2026 – here, Sangma said Meghalaya’s “biggest strength is its youth”, and stressed the need to create sustainable livelihood opportunities through skill development and entrepreneurship support. The chief minister distributed start-up tools and work orders worth over Rs 16.59 crore. During the programme, 34 work orders were issued under the Skills Meghalaya and Supporting Human Capital Development in Meghalaya (SHCDM) for training 4,830 people. Start-up tools worth Rs 44.72 lakh were distributed to 798 beneficiaries across multiple trades and livelihood sectors, including plumbing, automotive servicing, gardening, farming systems, mobile phone repair and mushroom cultivation. “Training alone is not enough. A skilled youth must also have access to tools, handholding, market linkages and opportunities,” Sangma said. The government realised that many trained individuals were unable to start independent work because they lacked basic tools and equipment, he said. “This programme is not only about distributing toolkits. It is about creating dignity, confidence and livelihood opportunities for our youths,” he said. Highlighting Meghalaya’s economic progress, Sangma said the state is now recognised as one of the fastest-growing economies in the country, but stressed that growth must remain inclusive. “Economic growth alone is not enough if the benefits do not reach every household, every farmer and every entrepreneur,” he said. The chief minister also announced that the government aims to train 30,000 candidates during FY’27, while focusing on improving placement outcomes and future-ready skills. Labour, Employment and Skill Development Minister Methodius Dkhar, who attended the programme as the guest of honour, said skill development serves as a bridge between a person’s potential and purpose in life. (Source: PTI)