State News

YUPIA :  Expressing concern over the academic performance of government schools despite an improvement in Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) examination results, Papum Pare Deputy Commissioner Lobsang Tsering on Tuesday called for a holistic approach to education, greater teacher accountability and stronger monitoring mechanisms to improve learning outcomes. The directions were issued during a review meeting convened by the Department of Education at the Deputy Commissioner’s conference hall in Yupia to assess the district’s CBSE performance and formulate strategies for the upcoming academic session. The meeting was attended by principals, headmasters, Block Education Officers (BEOs), Block Resource Centre Coordinators (BRCCs), Cluster Resource Centre Coordinators (CRCCs) and members of the District Task Force for Education. Addressing the gathering, Tsering said teachers must go beyond classroom instruction and focus on the overall development of students. Describing teachers as role models, he urged them to lead by example through discipline, dedication and integrity while promoting value-based education alongside academic excellence. He announced that administrative officers would regularly visit schools within their respective jurisdictions to interact with students, motivate them and build their confidence, adding that sustained engagement would yield positive long-term outcomes. Observing that government schools now have qualified teachers and adequate government support, the Deputy Commissioner stressed that the district’s CBSE performance required critical evaluation and collective efforts for further improvement. He called upon School Management Committees (SMCs), teachers’ associations and education officials to work in close coordination to raise academic standards and enhance student welfare. Presenting an overview of the district’s education sector, Papum Pare Deputy Director of School Education T T Tara said the district has 142 educational institutions, including 61 pre-primary, 66 primary, 58 middle, 12 secondary and six higher secondary schools. He informed that the district recorded a 41 per cent pass percentage in the Class X CBSE examination and 80 per cent in Class XII during the 2024-25 academic session, reflecting an improvement of 16 percentage points and eight percentage points, respectively, over the previous year. While appreciating the progress, Tara said the district must aim for significantly better academic outcomes through greater commitment and coordinated efforts by all stakeholders. He also urged teachers to introspect and adopt more effective, student-centric teaching methods to strengthen classroom learning. During the deliberations, participants identified weak foundational learning, irregular student attendance, inadequate parental support, shortage of subject teachers in some schools and excessive student involvement in social activities as major factors affecting academic performance. Teachers also recommended strengthening school monitoring by empowering BEOs, BRCCs and CRCCs to conduct regular inspections, monitor teacher and student attendance and report absenteeism to the Deputy Director of School Education for appropriate action. They said such measures would improve accountability, punctuality and discipline while fostering a more supportive learning environment through better teacher-student interaction. (DIPR)        

ITANAGAR : Flash floods and landslides affected more than 3,100 people across 14 villages in Lower Siang district, officials said on Tuesday. District Information and Public Relations Officer (DIPRO) Augusti Jamoh said the disaster has extensively damaged wet rice cultivation fields, private properties and public infrastructure across the Nari-Koyu assembly constituency. Road connectivity has been completely snapped in several villages, including Tabiripo Saku, Loglu, Rotte, Rame and Koyu Village, leaving nearly 500 households isolated. However, no loss of life or injuries has been reported so far, he said. The district administration, in coordination with the Army, ITBP, BRO, state police and local volunteers, has launched relief operations and is working on a war footing to restore road connectivity, he added. Kurung Kumey DIPRO David Koyu, a resident of the affected Rotte village, said a significant portion of the area was washed away, causing extensive damage to paddy fields, horticulture gardens and agricultural land, the primary source of livelihood for local residents. Several vehicles were swept away in the deluge, while a large number of livestock, including pigs and poultry, were also lost, he said. The disaster forced villagers to flee their homes and take shelter in nearby paddy huts, where many remained stranded. During the chaos, two houses were destroyed in a fire that broke out while the occupants were away, Koyu said. He said the village’s hanging bridge was washed away and approach roads and culverts extensively damaged, leaving Rotte completely cut off. The village’s water supply system was destroyed, while electricity poles and power lines were swept away. Locals and students’ organisations appealed to the government for the urgent restoration of road connectivity, construction of a temporary bridge, supply of food grains, and restoration of drinking water and electricity. A comprehensive assessment of the damage is also being carried out to facilitate compensation and rehabilitation for the affected families, officials said. (Source: PTI)          

YINGKIONG : The 20th meeting of the Narco Coordination (NCORD) Committee was held at the Deputy Commissioner’s conference hall here on Tuesday to review measures taken by various stakeholders and formulate strategies to strengthen Upper Siang district’s fight against drug abuse and illicit trafficking. Welcoming the participants, Upper Siang Deputy Superintendent of Police Gocham Sakter outlined the objectives of the meeting and called for stronger inter-departmental coordination and meaningful deliberations to ensure effective implementation of NCORD initiatives. Presiding over the meeting, Upper Siang Assistant Commissioner (Headquarters) Binti Libang urged members to implement the committee’s resolutions in letter and spirit and intensify coordinated efforts to make the district drug-free. She stressed the need for sustained awareness campaigns, preventive measures and collective responsibility to address the growing challenge of substance abuse. Sikiing Koje Charitable Society Yingkiong Chairperson Dr Mity Jopir advocated a multi-pronged approach to combat the drug menace, emphasising greater collaboration among community-based organisations (CBOs), non-governmental organisations (NGOs), the police and the district administration to build a strong community-led movement against substance abuse. Heads of various departments, including the Deputy Director of School Education (DDSE), District Health Officer (DHO), Sub-Divisional Officer (Telecom), Child Development Project Officer (CDPO), Yingkiong, District Information and Public Relations Officer (DIPRO), and representatives of the Adi Baane Kebang (ABK), Upper Siang Unit, shared their suggestions and experiences during the meeting. Participants stressed the need for a practical and coordinated approach to intensify public awareness, strengthen vigilance and curb the spread of drug and substance abuse across the district. The committee also took serious note of the poor telecommunications network in Katan circle and urged the Sub-Divisional Officer (Telecom) to ensure its early restoration, citing the communication difficulties faced by the public as well as the district administration and police. (DIPR)

Staff Reporter ITANAGAR : The Arunachal ST Bachao Andolan Committee (ASTBAC) on Monday said the state government has directed the High Power Committee (HPC) to undertake district-wise field verification as part of the review of Scheduled Tribe (ST) certificates and other related issues across Arunachal Pradesh. Addressing a press conference at the Arunachal Press Club here, ASTBAC general secretary Millo Ambo said the first meeting of the HPC was held on June 25, during which it was decided that the field verification exercise would commence on July 6, beginning with Namsai district. According to Ambo, the verification will cover the review of ST certificates, verification of Inner Line Permit (ILP) holders, identification of illegal immigrants and scrutiny of the offspring of non-Arunachal Pradesh Scheduled Tribe (APST) individuals. He said separate teams have been constituted to carry out the exercise in different districts. Appealing for public cooperation, Ambo said the verification concerns the interests of the entire state and called upon citizens to support the process to ensure it is conducted fairly and transparently. He further claimed that the committee had received complaints against several politicians and government officials, including Arunachal Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein, regarding their ST status. He urged those against whom complaints have been received to cooperate with the verification process and clarify their position. Ambo also appealed to Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein to step down until the allegations regarding his alleged non-APST status are clarified. He maintained that the verification would be carried out impartially and strictly in accordance with the law to facilitate a permanent resolution of long-pending ST-related issues. According to the committee, the HPC has been given one-and-a-half months to complete the verification exercise and submit its report to the state government.