assam

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday exposed a massive ₹100-crore illegal coal mining and laundering racket operating across Meghalaya and Assam, uncovering a syndicate that has been flouting the mining ban in Meghalaya for over a decade. As part of its investigation into illegal coal mining and unregulated coke plants, the ED conducted searches at 15 locations, including Jadigittim and Nongalbibra in Meghalaya and Jogighopa, Margherita, and Guwahati in Assam. The agency found rampant rat-hole mining in South Garo Hills, where 20 mines were operating under inhuman and unsafe conditions. The ED stated that an estimated 1,200 tonnes of coal are being illegally excavated daily. Trucks carrying the coal were escorted across state borders by a Meghalaya-Assam nexus, with documents fab...

The Supreme Court on Thursday upheld the decision of the Meghalaya government in 2014 to dissolve the controversial CMJ University on grounds of “mismanagement, maladministration, indiscipline and fraudulent intent” and nullified the Meghalaya High Court’s order for a review. A bench comprising justices PS Narasimha and Sandeep Mehta endorsed the state’s order and dismissed the Meghalaya High Court’s 2021 directive for a reconsideration of the dissolution.The apex court found merit in the recommendations made by the then Meghalaya Governor RS Mooshahary, who, as the University’s Visitor, had advised the removal of Chandra Mohan Jha as the chancellor and dissolution of the university, besides withdrawal of PhD, MPhil and BEd degrees that were conferred without regulatory approvals. The Sup...

Byrnihat, a town situated near the Assam-Meghalaya border, has consistently ranked among India's most polluted cities throughout 2024, and this situation has continued to prevail in 2025. The Central Pollution Control Board's (CPCB) air quality monitoring stations in Byrnihat have often recorded alarmingly high levels of particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10) throughout the previous year. These fine particles, when inhaled, can cause serious health problems as they penetrate deep into the lungs. As of Wednesday, January 8, the CPCB's findings state that the city recorded a PM2.5 level of 310, which placed it under the 'Very Poor' air quality category. Only Hapur from Uttar Pradesh was the other city to prevail within this category as well, albeit registering its PM2.5 level at a slightly ...