Meghalaya

On today's 13th August 2026, The Jaiñtia National Council (JNC), Central Executive Committee, today submitted an urgent Memorandum to the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Meghalaya, seeking immediate government intervention into the proposed 217.394-hectare Lum Syrman Limestone Project of M/s Shree Cement Limited in East Jaiñtia Hills. Led by its Central Executive Committee General Secretary Shri Wanshwa Suting, the JNC has placed before the State Government serious concerns over the rights of landholders and farmers of "Sutnga and Nongkhlieh Elakas", particularly those whose customary, possession, cultivation and user rights are connected with the Lum Syrman area. The organisation has demanded that these rights must be "protected and preserved before any further irreversible step is allowed ...

Meghalaya has launched a state-wide initiative aimed at improving preparation for national-level competitive examinations, with the government announcing financial support for seven candidates from the state who cleared the UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination this year. The initiative, Ascent 2026, was organised by the Meghalaya Administrative Training Institute (MATI) at Mawdiangdiang in Shillong on August 12. The programme brought together civil service aspirants, administrators, educators, parents and experts to discuss ways to strengthen Meghalaya's performance in examinations such as the UPSC, JEE and NEET. Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma distributed CM-INSPIRE incentive cheques of Rs 50,000 each to seven UPSC Preliminary Examination qualifiers. Under the scheme, candida...

In a first for Meghalaya, citizens and tourists will soon be able to book cabs through an app being developed by the Tourism Department. The proposed Meghalaya Tourism Taxi Booking App aims to make tourist transport safer, more transparent and easier to access. Its Phase-I rollout will cover around 200 Prime Vehicle beneficiaries and other eligible tourist taxi operators, focusing primarily on long-distance services. The platform will connect tourists directly with registered tourist taxi operators, hotels, resorts and tour operators, with GPS-enabled operations and OTP-based verification. Notably, the Tourism Department will not charge any commission; the booking arrangement will remain directly between the customer and the driver. Commissioner and Secretary of Tourism R.M. Kurb...

Two young men were killed and eight others injured after lightning struck a football match in Mawsnaphvir village of Meghalaya’s West Khasi Hills district on Tuesday afternoon. According to police, the incident occurred at around 3 pm while a football tournament was underway in the village. The injured players were rushed to nearby hospitals for treatment. The deceased were identified as 18-year-old Mikson Khasiar and 19-year-old Cleverson Khasiar, both residents of Lawrapha village. The two, who were brothers, were reportedly playing for the Lawrapha team against Marskuin in a tournament being held under the banner of the Independence Cup. The lightning strike also left eight other people injured. They were taken to Civil Hospital in Nongstoin and St Joseph Hospital for medical ...

Meghalaya CM Launches Digital Learning Lab to Support UPSC Aspirants Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma attended Ascent 2026 at the Meghalaya Administrative Training Institute (MATI), a seminar aimed at strengthening the support system for UPSC and other competitive examination aspirants. During the event, Sangma distributed CM-Aspire financial assistance cheques to seven candidates who cleared the UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination. He said Meghalaya has no shortage of talented young people but needs stronger systems of guidance, training, mentorship and financial assistance to help them achieve their goals. The Chief Minister also inaugurated a Digital Learning Lab at MATI and interacted with students, aspirants, teachers and parents. Encouraging young aspirants to remain f...

The Meghalaya election authorities have identified 6,51,644 electors for further scrutiny as part of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, including 2,22,786 voters under the “No Mapping” category and 4,28,858 with discrepancies in their mapping with previous SIR records. The figures were reviewed by the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Meghalaya, during a virtual meeting with Deputy Commissioners/District Election Officers, Sub-Divisional Officers, Electoral Registration Officers and Assistant Electoral Registration Officers on August 11. The draft electoral roll for all 60 Assembly constituencies was published on August 5. The period for filing claims and objections will continue until September 4, while the notice and hearing process and disposal of claims and ob...

Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma met Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Union MoS for Ayush Prataprao Jadhav in New Delhi on Monday to discuss funding and health infrastructure for the state. Posting on X, Sangma said he had a very constructive meeting with Sitharaman. He raised two key issues: the cap on Externally Aided Projects for North Eastern states, and allowing states to retain exchange-rate gains from ongoing EAPs. “Grateful for her patient hearing, guidance, and continued support for Meghalaya and the North East,” he wrote. Later, the Chief Minister called on Prataprao Jadhav to discuss expanding the North Eastern Institute of Ayurveda and Homoeopathy in Shillong.\He said the expansion would help position Meghalaya as a regional hub for Ayush education, rese...

The Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) in Meghalaya on Monday, August 10, approved amendments to its election rules that will bar non-tribals from voting or contesting council elections and pave the way for a separate electoral roll for the Sixth Schedule body, officials said. The amendments to Rules 128 and 129 were approved by the council to establish a separate electoral roll specifically for GHADC elections, replacing the practice of using the electoral roll prepared for Assembly elections. The GHADC, established in 1952 under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, had for decades conducted its elections using the electoral roll prepared for Assembly polls, allowing people from different communities to participate in the council’s electoral process. Under the ame...

Amid tight security, hundreds of Hindu devotees on Sunday offered prayers at Mawjymbuin in Mawsynram, with the annual pilgrimage passing off peacefully and without any untoward incident. Nearly 200 devotees undertook a foot march from Mahadev Khola to Krem Mawjymbuin, setting off at around 3 am and trekking to the revered cave shrine in East Khasi Hills district. Several vehicles carrying devotees also travelled to Mawsynram to participate in the religious observance. The pilgrimage was conducted in compliance with the conditions laid down by the High Court of Meghalaya which had allowed Hindu devotees to perform puja at the site only by pouring water on the naturally formed stalagmite inside the cave. The court had barred devotees from carrying ritual items or conducting any ...

Meghalaya Pradesh Congress Committee on Monday organised a peaceful protest march in Shillong against the proposed amendments to the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA), with party workers carrying Congress flags and placards as they marched from the Fire Brigade Ground to Don Bosco Square. The protest march, which began at around 11 am, was organised to oppose the proposed FCRA Amendment Bill, which the Congress claims could have serious implications for churches, educational institutions, NGOs and other organisations receiving foreign contributions. Addressing the gathering, Congress leader Vincent H. Pala thanked those who participated in the peace rally and said the BJP had issued a whip and was likely to bring the Bill before Parliament ahead of its scheduled recess on A...