Meghalaya

The Expert Committee on State Reservation Policy is in the process of compiling its report, Meghalaya Chief Secretary Donald P Wahlang said on Tuesday.“I am not privy to any information to know how long the committee will take to complete the report,” he said. He also said that the committee had a meeting last week in Delhi to discuss and deliberate on the findings of their tour across Meghalaya. Wahlang said the committee, which has already held meetings in Shillong, Jowai and Garo Hills, is mandated to review the state reservation policy by obtaining the views of all stakeholders. The committee is headed by Justice (retd) Mool Chand Garg as the chairman with Justice (retd) Dr Satish Chandra, Prof DV Kumar, Prof Chander Shekhar and Prof Subhadip Mukherjee as members. The 1972 job rese...

Meghalaya Chief Secretary DP Wahlang is scheduled to meet with the Secretary and Additional Secretary in charge of higher education next week to address the ongoing turmoil at North Eastern Hill University (NEHU). The meeting, set for January 13, comes in response to student protests demanding the removal of NEHU Vice Chancellor PS Shukla, who is accused of administrative irregularities. A two-member committee appointed by the Ministry of Education has completed its investigation into the allegations, but the findings have not been made public. Wahlang, speaking on Tuesday, stated, "I will brief the new higher education secretary and advise on necessary actions for NEHU. We hope to see a breakthrough soon."Although NEHU operates as a central university under federal jurisdiction, the s...

In a tragic incident, a fatal altercation between two individuals resulted in the death of one Jaha Uddin at Tura Bazar, Meghalaya, on Tuesday. At approximately 11:32 AM, the Tura Police Control Room (PCR) received information about a fight taking place in the bustling marketplace. A police team was immediately dispatched to the scene. Upon arrival, the officers discovered that Minurul Islam (24), a resident of Hajirhat, Sukchar, South Salmara, Assam, had allegedly attacked his uncle, (Late) Jaha Uddin, with a dao (a traditional machete-like weapon) at the Super Market Ground around 11:25 AM. The victim, originally from Singimari, Assam, was staying in a rented house at Risipara, Tura. Following the assault, Jaha Uddin sustained critical injuries and was rushed to Tura Civil Hospital (TCH...

Troops of BSF Meghalaya successfully thwarted a smuggling attempt on January 6, seizing contraband items worth Rs 34.15 lakh. The confiscated items included sugar, liquor, blankets, garlic, cosmetic, medicine, all intended for illegal smuggling into Bangladesh.Based on specific intelligence inputs, troops of BSF Meghalaya launched special operations in surrounding area of village Muktapur and Lynghat under West Jaintia Hills. During the operation, the troops detected unidentified individuals approaching the border to collect smuggled goods. When challenged, the smugglers fled into the forest taking advantage of darkness. A thorough search of the area resulted in discovery and seizure of concealed contrabands. The confiscated goods were subsequently handed over to the concern Custom...

There is no progress in any of the proposed railway projects in Meghalaya, unlike other landlocked tourist destinations such as Sikkim which are close to being put on the country’s railway map. The Byrnihat project has been stalled for years while plans to connect Shillong with railways have gone nowhere. Speaking to media persons on Monday, the CPRO of Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) told that there is no progress in the Meghalaya portion of the Tetelia-Byrnihat railway project as the Meghalaya government has not given permission yet. Around 2.5 km of the Tetelia-Byrnihat railway track falls in Meghalaya. Asked if the NFR would hold talks with pressure groups opposing the project due to fears of influx, the CPRO said the matter remains unresolved despite several meetings with state ...

Defending champions Rangdajied United will face 2019 winners Shillong Lajong in a thrilling quarterfinal clash to kick off the 4th Meghalaya State League (MSL) 2024 on January 9. The match will take place at the Wahiajer Sports Complex, with all quarterfinals scheduled to kick off at 1 pm. The highly anticipated tournament, paused in November for the state men's football team’s Santosh Trophy preparations, will resume with this marquee fixture. The tournament had seen Meghalaya exit in the quarterfinals of the national competition. Tournament Director Dr LL Mawsor confirmed the quarterfinal fixtures, with a double-header on January 11. Sutnga (East Jaintia Hills) and Ladthadlaboh (West Jaintia Hills) will battle it out in the Jaintia Hills Derby in Diengshynrum, Khliehriat. In Shillong...

In Kynrut village, West Khasi Hills District, a Bolero pickup transporting the choir from Kynrud Presbyterian Church crashed and fell into a deep gorge on Sunday, resulting in a horrific tragedy that left two people dead and numerous others injured. The choir group was en route to a church service at Nongrilong Presbyterian Church, located in Mawdem, under Mawthadraishan Constituency. Clement Nongsej, the Sordar of Kynrud, reported that news of the accident reached the village around 11 AM. The vehicle, carrying over 15 passengers, veered off the road at Kyllem village and fell nearly 100 meters into a gorge, allegedly due to brake failure. Emergency responders, along with villagers, acted promptly to rescue the injured, transporting them to medical facilities, including Kynrud PHC, Ma...

The Voice of the People Party on Sunday asked the state government to replace Education Minister Rakkam A Sangma for the sake of betterment of the education sector. VPP spokesperson Batskhem Myrboh said there is an urgent need for the government to change the Education minister who is often found to be "clueless" about the topics he is dealing with. "For example, what is the minister trying to achieve by introducing guidebooks for school students and teachers alike? Is he trying to apply a shortcut technique to increase the pass percentage? Learning is a process and it is measured by the learning outcome not by examination results. The result may not indicate good learning outcome if the method of imparting education is defective," the VPP leader said. He acknowledged the efforts made ...