REGIONAL

NEW DELHI : President Droupadi Murmu on Tuesday said the artisans from North-East India are a shining example of the country’s living heritage and urged them to pass on these invaluable traditions to the younger generation. The president was interacting with a group of artisans and weavers from the North Eastern states, who had called on her, at the Rashtrapati Bhavan here. The artisans and weavers were those who helped in crafting the invitation kit and showcasing the diverse artistic and cultural heritage of the North Eastern region of India during the ‘At Home’ reception held on January 26, a statement issued by the President’s office said. For example, artisans from Nagaland made baskets by using banana fibre and bamboo, weavers from Assam made stoles, artisans from Manipur made black pottery, and artisans from Sikkim made products by using natural fibre, it said. During the interaction, artisans and weavers shared their experience of working for the ‘At Home’ Reception at Rashtrapati Bhavan and expressed gratitude for providing them a platform to showcase their talents. President Murmu said that they are the shining example of the living heritage of the nation and urged them to pass on these invaluable traditions to the younger generation. In her interaction with the artisans and weavers from Assam, Nagaland, Mizoram, Manipur, Tripura, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim, Murmu said that the North-East has an abundance of natural beauty. She emphasised the need to provide support for artisans and weavers so that their artistic knowledge reaches as many people as possible and they can become self-reliant. The president commended the artisans and weavers for preserving and protecting the cultural heritage. After the meeting, the artisans and weavers took a guided tour of Rashtrapati Bhavan, including Amrit Udyan. (Source: PTI)      

KOHIMA : Nagaland Social Welfare Secretary Liawabang Jamir on Tuesday stressed the need to implement the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act and Adoption Regulations in a manner that is “legally airtight, yet distinctively Naga”, while respecting the state’s customary laws and traditional systems of care. He was speaking at the State Consultative Meet on the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, Juvenile Justice Model Rules, 2016, and Adoption Regulations, 2022 organised by Mission Vatsalya under the Department of Social Welfare in Kohima. The programme was attended by Child Welfare Committees (CWCs), Juvenile Justice Boards (JJBs), Child Care Institutions run by government and NGOs, police, media, district administrations, Health and Family Welfare officials, and the Nagaland State Commission for Protection of Child Rights. In his address, Jamir said that while the Juvenile Justice Act and Adoption Regulations constitute a progressive legal framework, their success depends on how effectively they adapt to Nagaland’s realities, including customary laws, community governance, and geographical challenges. He pointed out that the formal legal framework assumed seamless digital connectivity, standardised police systems, and institutional care structures, whereas Nagaland’s realities included customary adoption practices rooted in clan and village traditions, along with deep digital divides in remote districts. “What makes Nagaland unique within the Indian Union is the constitutional recognition granted under Article 371A, which safeguards Naga customary laws, social practices, and traditional institutions,” he said. Jamir said Nagaland’s traditional support systems through families, clans, village councils, churches, and tribal institutions had protected vulnerable children for generations and remained one of the strongest pillars of Naga society. However, he cautioned that customary adoptions carried out informally often left children legally vulnerable in matters relating to identity, inheritance, education, welfare entitlements, and long-term security. “Our task is not to dilute the law, nor to disregard our customs, but to implement these provisions in a manner that is practical, culturally sensitive, and responsive to the realities of Nagaland,” he said. Calling for stronger interdepartmental coordination, he urged the Social Welfare Department, judiciary, police, medical fraternity, district administrations, and traditional tribal institutions to work together rather than in silos. Jamir also urged stakeholders to provide “structural, localised and actionable suggestions” to bridge the gap between statutory mandates and ground realities. Quoting officials of the State Adoption Resource Agency (SARA), he said, “Adoption is an act of love, but the process must come from law.” Director of Social Welfare Tosheli Zhimomi said the consultation aimed to strengthen child protection systems and improve coordination among departments and stakeholders. Senior Consultant, Ministry of Women and Child Development, Government of India, Junaid Ul Islam said that Nagaland was the first state to begin consultations on proposed amendments to the Juvenile Justice Act and related rules and regulations. He said the Centre was seeking suggestions from states for reforms to the Juvenile Justice Act, Model Rules, and Adoption Regulations to make the system more effective and responsive. (Source: PTI)    

GUWAHATI : An investor awareness campaign across 84 towns in the North East, aimed at addressing the region’s low participation in the securities market through focused financial education, is being launched by the CDSL Investor Protection Fund (IPF) Trust, a statement said here on Tuesday. The move would enable individuals to participate in the securities market in a safe and informed manner. The campaign will be held in seven states — Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh, Tripura and Sikkim. The initiative of the CDSL IPF Trust is designed to bridge the awareness gap by taking essential investment knowledge directly to communities in local languages and through formats that are simple, accessible and relevant, the statement said. The CDSL IPF Trust is an independent trust established by the Central Depository Services (India) Ltd (CDSL) to compensate investors for financial losses arising from fraud, negligence or unauthorised transfers by a Depository Participant, and to fund investor education. The campaign will deploy mobile awareness vans starting from Guwahati, equipped with LED screens, multilingual audio-visual content, and interactive sessions on investor rights, safe investing practices, and demat accounts. To deepen engagement, the outreach will also include street plays, mobile theatre integrations and youth-focused engagement formats, using familiar community platforms to simplify financial concepts and encourage informed decision-making, the statement said. Speaking on the initiative, Nayana Ovalekar, chief regulatory officer, CDSL, said, “We see the North East as a priority region where stronger investor awareness can help safeguard individuals and support informed participation. While access to financial services has improved, understanding of market-linked investments remains limited.” “Through this campaign, we are taking investor education directly to communities in formats and languages that are relatable and easy to understand. Our focus is simple – equip individuals with the knowledge to invest safely and confidently,” Ovalekar added. Despite progress in financial inclusion, participation in the securities market across North East remains low, the statement said. As per the SEBI Kantar Report, Sikkim records the highest household penetration in the region at 10.1 per cent, followed by Arunachal Pradesh at 7.9 per cent, and Assam at 6.5 per cent, while states such as Meghalaya (4.2 per cent) and Nagaland (3.4 per cent) lag further behind. In comparison, the national average household penetration stands at 9.5 per cent, highlighting a clear gap in investor awareness and participation across the region. Through this campaign, CDSL IPF aims to bridge this gap by delivering consistent, accessible and practical investor education, enabling more individuals to participate in India’s financial markets with confidence, the statement said. (Source: PTI)              

GUWAHATI : Assam Chief Secretary Ravi Kota on Monday said he has reviewed World Bank-aided projects, worth Rs 16,648 crore, with officials of the lender. The projects span critical sectors including transport connectivity, river basin management, healthcare, school education, governance reforms and resilient infrastructure development, Kota said. The chief secretary said in an X post that he met with a delegation from the World Bank as per the directives of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. The delegation was led by Johannes Zutt, Regional Vice President of the World Bank. “The meeting reviewed the progress of ongoing World Bank-assisted projects in Assam and deliberated upon future areas of collaboration aligned with the State Government’s developmental priorities,” he added. At present, Assam is implementing seven major World Bank-assisted externally aided projects with a cumulative outlay of approximately Rs 16,648 crore, of which the World Bank has lent nearly Rs 13,320 crore, Kota said. The official said that in the meeting, they highlighted Assam’s focus on resilient infrastructure, digital governance reforms and citizen-centric service delivery, and emphasised the transformative impact of governance and technology-driven initiatives. The Assam government requested the World Bank to consider greater flexibility in minimum project size norms for governance, institutional reform and digital transformation projects, he added. “Also sought enhanced engagement of the International Finance Corporation (IFC) for supporting Public Private Partnership (PPP) initiatives and infrastructure asset monetisation through technical and transaction advisory support for development of bankable PPP models across key sectors,” Kota said. The World Bank delegation appreciated the state’s implementation progress and reassured flexibility in designing future operations aligned with timelines and outcomes, and emphasised the need to identify sectors where PPP models can be effectively financed, he added. Kota said they discussed sustainable maintenance and lifecycle management of infrastructure assets created under externally aided projects. The Assam government requested support for the creation of an Asset Management Fund, strengthening of institutional mechanisms and development of a digital Asset Management Information System for monitoring and maintenance of public infrastructure,” Kota said in the post. He said that the World Bank delegation appreciated the progress of ongoing projects in Assam and reaffirmed its continued support towards the state’s developmental priorities. (Source: PTI)      

IMPHAL : Security forces launched operations in Manipur’s Kangpokpi district to rescue those who are still being held hostage by armed groups, police said on Monday. Area domination exercises and search operations are also being carried out in different parts of the hill district to rescue “all missing persons and arrest those responsible for holding hostages”, a senior officer said. Thirty-one of around 38 people belonging to the Kuki and Naga communities, who were held hostage by armed groups in Kangpokpi and Senapati districts, were released on May 14 and 15. These people were taken to undisclosed locations after suspected militants shot dead three church leaders and injured four others in Kangpokpi on May 13, while a civilian was gunned down and his wife was wounded in Noney district. “In continuation of the operations to rescue the missing persons, combing and search operations were carried out by security forces in the hill ranges to the north west of Leilon Vaiphei and Kharam Vaiphei villages in Kangpokpi district,” the police statement said. Twelve Naga women from Konsakhul village in Kangpokpi and four men and ten women of the Kuki community in Senapati district were among those who were handed over to the security forces. Earlier, the police had said as a result of “concerted efforts” of the administration, security forces, political leaders and civil society organisations, the “majority of the detained civilians, belonging to different communities, have been released safely”. Meanwhile, the United Naga Council, the apex body of the Naga tribes in the state, has been staging inter-district blockades on the national highway 2 and 37 from Sunday night, demanding the release of six Naga men who are suspected to be in the captivity of militants. Kuki Inpi Manipur, the apex body of the Kuki tribes in the state, also claimed that 14 members of the community were still missing and being held hostage by various groups in Senapati district. (Source: PTI)    

GUWAHATI : Supplies of all types of petroleum products, including petrol, diesel and LPG, are fully normal across Assam, the Oil Ministry said on Monday. It requested the public to continue with normal consumption patterns and refrain from panic buying. The state-level coordinator for the oil industry in Assam-cum-executive director and state head of Indian Oil, has informed that the availability of essential petroleum products, including petrol, diesel and Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), remains normal and uninterrupted across Assam, the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas said in a statement. “Public Sector oil marketing companies — Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOCL), Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL), and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL) — are maintaining adequate fuel stocks across all supply locations, and the overall supply position in the region continues to remain stable,” it added. “The public is requested to remain assured and continue with normal consumption patterns and refrain from panic buying. Consumers are advised to rely only on official communications from oil marketing companies for accurate and verified information regarding fuel availability,” the statement said The entire fuel supply chain, from terminals and depots to retail outlets, is operating efficiently and without any disruption, it added. “Fuel stocks are being continuously monitored, and replenishment activities are progressing smoothly across all locations in the state,” the official release said. LPG supplies to domestic consumers are being prioritised and remain normal across the state. “The situation is being closely monitored to ensure uninterrupted delivery to all consumers,” it added. The oil industry is maintaining close coordination on logistics, stock movement and retail operations to ensure seamless availability of fuel across the region. (Source: DH)