State News

ITANAGAR : Rajiv Gandhi University (RGU) on Wednesday welcomed Dr Sivaraj, retired Professor of Chemistry, as the new Vice Chancellor of the university. A distinguished academic with decades of experience in higher education, research and academic administration, Dr Sivaraj brings extensive expertise in institutional leadership, research-driven innovation and academic development. The university expressed confidence that his commitment to academic excellence, student-centric education and institutional growth aligns with the core values of RGU and will further strengthen its pursuit of excellence in teaching, research, innovation, interdisciplinary learning and community engagement. The university said Dr Sivaraj’s leadership is expected to usher in a new phase of growth, collaboration and transformation while fostering an inclusive and vibrant academic environment. Welcoming the new Vice Chancellor, the RGU fraternity extended its best wishes for a successful and inspiring tenure, expressing hope that the university would achieve new milestones in academic excellence, national recognition and global relevance under his leadership.  

Mingkeng Osik PASIGHAT : The Adi Artistes Association (AAA) on Tuesday handed over financial assistance for families affected by the recent floods through East Siang Deputy Commissioner Tayi Taggu. The association contributed ₹10,000 for flood-affected families of Rotte village in Lower Siang district, ₹20,000 for Ledum village in East Siang district, and ₹50,000 for Possa village in Keyi Panyor district as part of its humanitarian initiative. AAA General Secretary and Voice of Adi-2026 Organising Chairman John Gao said the funds were raised through a public donation drive held on July 5 under the theme ‘Melodies of Relief’. The campaign was conducted by the top 20 contestants of Voice of Adi-2026 and members of the association at GTC, Komlighat and Pasighat Bazaar. Expressing gratitude to the public for their generous support, Gao said the association would continue to undertake humanitarian initiatives to assist people affected by natural disasters and other hardships. Receiving the contribution, East Siang Deputy Commissioner Tayi Taggu appreciated the association’s timely gesture and lauded its commitment towards supporting flood-affected families.      

NAMSAI : Retusa Women Farmer Producer Company Limited (Retusa WFPCL), promoted under the Arunachal State Rural Livelihoods Mission (ArSRLM), is strengthening rural livelihoods by creating market linkages and promoting women-led agricultural enterprises across eastern Arunachal Pradesh. The Farmer Producer Company (FPC) has been procuring key agricultural commodities, including buckwheat, ginger, mustard and large cardamom, enabling women farmers to access organised markets and secure better prices for their produce. During the last procurement season, Retusa WFPCL aggregated 46 metric tonnes (MT) of buckwheat from Lower Dibang Valley, 32 MT of ginger from Lower Dibang Valley, Namsai and Wakro, and 2.5 MT of large cardamom from Anjaw district, benefiting around 150 farmers from Anjaw, Namsai, Lohit and Lower Dibang Valley districts. The company also successfully supplied 25 MT of buckwheat to X5 Agrotech Farm Producer Company Limited, Hyderabad. Retusa WFPCL is headed by Chairperson Nang Onjini Namchoom, with Nang Kyatom Macheykun serving as Director. The company is led by Chief Executive Officer-in-Charge Mimar Basar and supported by a team comprising Procurement Manager Rajawan Mantaw, Area Procurement Officers Rebika Namchoom and Jumpi Noshi Lobom, and Finance Manager Dhananjay Kumar. The initiative is being implemented under the supervision of Arunachal State Rural Livelihoods Mission District Mission Management Unit Roing District Mission Manager Senong Namchoom. The initiative highlights the growing role of Farmer Producer Companies in strengthening agricultural value chains through aggregation, grading, quality assurance, logistics, financial management and market negotiations, thereby improving farmers’ bargaining power and enhancing their share of consumer prices.    

JEMEITHANG : Tawang Deputy Commissioner Namgyal Angmo on Wednesday attended the valedictory session of the three-day K–10 Future Skills Lab Teacher Training Programme at Government Secondary School, Jemeithang. She was accompanied by Lungla Additional Deputy Commissioner Tashi Dhondup and Tawang Deputy Director of School Education Hridar Phuntsok. The capacity-building programme, conducted by resource persons from Stempedia, was attended by nine teachers from schools under the Jemeithang cluster. It aimed to equip educators with practical skills in emerging technologies and activity-based teaching methodologies to enable the effective integration of innovation into classroom learning. The final day began with a review of concepts covered during the training, including programming, Artificial Intelligence (AI), robotics and hands-on learning activities. Teachers also received practical training on the Hand Pose Classifier in PictoBlox and its integration with the Quarky robotics controller through gesture-controlled robotics projects. The programme further featured practical sessions on Science and Mathematics kits to strengthen experiential learning, besides demonstrations on the Astronomy Zone and its educational applications to promote scientific curiosity among students. Addressing the participants, Angmo appreciated the enthusiasm shown by the teachers and underscored the importance of preparing students with future-ready skills. She urged educators to make optimum use of the Future Skills Lab infrastructure by integrating AI, robotics, coding, astronomy and activity-based pedagogy into regular classroom teaching to make learning more engaging and relevant for the 21st century. Tashi Dhondup and Hridar Phuntsok also encouraged teachers to effectively utilise the facilities created under the programme to foster creativity, critical thinking, problem-solving skills and scientific inquiry among students. The training concluded with participants demonstrating enhanced confidence in using Future Skills Lab resources to create technology-enabled and experiential learning environments. Later, the DC inspected ongoing Education Department infrastructure projects in the Jemeithang area. She also visited Government Upper Primary School, Gispu, to review the construction of the academic block and teachers’ quarters. (DIPR)

BOLENG : In a significant development for the proposed Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP), as many as 981 villagers from six villages signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Tuesday to facilitate preparation of the project’s Pre-Feasibility Report (PFR). The mass signing exercise was conducted at the Siang Deputy Commissioner’s office under the supervision of Siang Deputy Commissioner Tayi Taggu in the presence of district officials. Villagers arrived at the district headquarters throughout the day to complete the formalities. The signatories included 544 villagers from Riga, 88 from Parong, 68 from Sitang, 160 from Riew, 26 from Begging and 95 from Pangkang (Jorkong). The exercise is being regarded as one of the largest single-day MoU signing drives undertaken so far in connection with the proposed project, reflecting increasing community participation in the pre-feasibility process. According to officials, the growing response follows weeks of consultations and dialogue facilitated by the district administration with village councils, Gaon Burahs and local residents to ensure informed and voluntary participation in the developmental initiative. Officials further stated that the increasing number of MoUs signed across villages in the Siang region indicates wider acceptance of the consultative process being undertaken ahead of the finalisation of the Pre-Feasibility Report. The Siang Upper Multipurpose Project is one of the state’s major proposed infrastructure projects. The district administration said continued engagement with affected communities will remain a priority as the project progresses through the pre-feasibility stage.    

ITANAGAR : Education Minister PD Sona, accompanied by Education Commissioner Amjad Tak, called on Governor Lt Gen KT Parnaik (Retd) at Lok Bhavan on Tuesday and reviewed the overall educational scenario in the state, with particular focus on strengthening institutions of higher learning. The meeting included detailed discussions on improving academic, administrative and infrastructural standards at Jarbom Gamlin Government Law College (JGGLC), Jote. The Governor emphasised the need to address existing challenges through timely corrective measures and accelerated infrastructure development. Referring to his recent observations, he said the state’s only government law college carries a special responsibility and should be developed into a model institution for legal education. He expressed confidence that a strong and vibrant law college would produce competent legal professionals capable of making meaningful contributions to the state’s judicial system, governance and the rule of law. Sona assured the Governor that the department has already initiated corrective measures to address the issues concerning JGGLC. The Governor also expressed concern over issues affecting the North Eastern Regional Institute of Science and Technology (NERIST) and underscored the need for sustained efforts to strengthen the institution. He further advised the Education Department to explore the establishment of Common University Entrance Test (CUET) examination centres within Arunachal Pradesh to provide greater convenience and equal opportunities to students. Appreciating the department’s reform initiatives, the Governor commended the Education Minister for implementing the rationalised teacher transfer system through the Teachers’ Registry Portal. He said the initiative would promote transparency, accountability and equitable deployment of teachers across the state, ultimately strengthening the education system and improving learning outcomes.