Meghalaya

President Droupadi Murmu, on September 23, presented the 71st National Film Awards in New Delhi, where filmmaker Dominic Megam Sangma’s Rimdogittanga was named Best Garo Film. Produced by Anna Films, Uncombed Buddha, and Joicy Studio, the feature explores rural life through folklore, fear, and prophecy, seen from the eyes of a 10-year-old boy. The award carries the Rajat Kamal and a cash prize of Rs 2 lakh for both director and producer. The ceremony also honoured actor Mohanlal with the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award for 2023. President Murmu praised him as an artist who has convincingly portrayed “the softest of emotions and the harshest of realities,” calling him a “Complete Actor.” Highlighting the growing space for women-centric cinema, the President commended filmmakers whose...

The Meghalaya government has ordered a fresh inspection of coal dump sites in Diengngan and Rajaju villages of South West Khasi Hills following a startling discrepancy in coal stock verification. Nearly 4,000 metric tonnes of coal, initially detected in an aerial survey, could not be accounted for during ground checks, prompting renewed scrutiny of the state’s coal management system. In an affidavit submitted to the Meghalaya High Court on Monday, the government said that a final report on the fresh inspection would be ready within a month. This direction follows a probe initiated by the district deputy commissioner, in compliance with a July 24 High Court order linked to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed in 2022, aimed at monitoring coal mining and transportation in the state. ...

The Meghalaya Education Department has intervened after reports surfaced that teachers and non-teaching staff in Samagra Shiksha schools and government-aided institutions were being denied loans by banks. According to the department, several public sector, private, and cooperative banks in the state have rejected applications from employees under the categories of SSA, Deficit, Adhoc and Grant-in-Aid schools. Rejections were often linked to irregular salary disbursements or the “contractual” label attached to their employment status. The government clarified that while salaries may not always follow a strict monthly cycle, they are assured and continue until retirement, 58 years for Samagra Shiksha teachers and 60 years for others. Officials also stressed that the term “contractual” do...

Deputy Chief Minister Sniawbhalang Dhar on Tuesday said the government will examine transport policies of Sikkim, Karnataka and Maharashtra before finalising its approach to deal with the row over vehicles from other states ferrying tourists into Meghalaya. He said officers of the Transport Department, in coordination with Chief Secretary Donald Phillips Wahlang, have been tasked with consulting their counterparts in the neighbouring states as well. Dhar, who holds the Transport portfolio, said the issue requires careful consideration before any final decision is taken. Speaking after a meeting with the All Khasi Meghalaya Tourist Taxi Association (AKMTTA), Dhar described the discussions as positive, noting agreement on the need for continued dialogue. He appealed to stakeholders to re...

The Hynniewtrep Integrated Territorial Organization (HITO) has launched a scathing attack on the National People’s Youth Front (NPYF), accusing it of “reckless distortion” over a recent Office Memorandum (OM) of the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), dated September 8, 2025. HITO alleged that the NPYF was deliberately misrepresenting the OM to reignite the uranium mining debate in Meghalaya. In a strongly worded statement, HITO reminded the public of the turbulent Wahkaji uranium mining episode that began in 2009, when the state Cabinet under late D.D. Lapang approved a lease of 422 hectares in South West Khasi Hills to the Uranium Corporation of India Ltd. (UCIL). The decision triggered widespread protests, arrests, injuries, and social unrest, before bein...

Battling kidney problems, Ibaihun Kurbah, a young and promising footballer from Meghalaya, succumbed to her illness at a hospital in Guwahati early on Monday. She was 20. Kurbah, popularly known as Iba, hailed from Mairang in Eastern West Khasi Hills and had represented Meghalaya in All India Football Federation (AIFF) tournaments. Known for her speed and determination, she had also been a state-level champion runner before switching to football. Her achievements also included winning the Best Athlete title at the State Level Chief Minister’s Inter School Athletics Meet in 2022 and being adjudged the U-14 Girls Best Athlete in 2017. Known for her dedication, discipline, and inspiring spirit, Ibaihun was seen as one of the promising faces of women’s football in Meghalaya. Her untimel...

Hundreds of adhoc teachers under the banner of the Federation of All School Teachers of Meghalaya (FASTOM) staged a protest rally on Monday, demanding the state government bring them under the deficit system. The rally, which began at Madan Malki and passed through Lower Lachumiere and Barik, culminated in a sit-in demonstration back at Malki. Protesters carried placards and chanted slogans pressing for pay parity, deficit pattern inclusion, and improved working conditions. FASTOM Vice President, Sanborn Jungai, said the primary demand is to shift school adhoc teachers into the deficit system, ensuring regular pay scales and wages. He recalled that last year, the government had cited lack of funds, but argued that if the state has the will, resources can be generated. He warned that...

The Hynñiewtrep Integrated Territorial Organisation (HITO) has issued an open letter to Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma, urging him to step aside in the second half of the government’s tenure and allow a leader from the Khasi-Jaiñtia region to take charge of the state’s top post. The appeal comes in the wake of the recent cabinet reshuffle, which Conrad described as part of an unwritten understanding reached in 2023 among coalition partners to ensure equitable distribution of ministerial positions midway through the term. While HITO acknowledged this arrangement, it argued that fairness should not be limited to the cabinet alone but must extend to the Chief Minister’s chair. The organisation pointed to a precedent from 1988 when leaders P.A. Sangma and B.B. Lyngdoh agreed to ...

The Centre’s decision to exempt uranium and other strategic minerals from mandatory public consultations has triggered strong opposition in Meghalaya, a state that holds some of India’s largest uranium reserves. On September 8, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) issued an Office Memorandum removing the requirement for public hearings under the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act for atomic, critical, and strategic minerals. The move has revived long-standing concerns in West Khasi Hills district, where uranium-rich areas like Domiasiat and Wahkaji have been at the centre of controversy for decades. Previous attempts by the Uranium Corporation of India Ltd (UCIL) to begin mining were abandoned due to sustained public protests over environment...

The Centre's recent Office Memorandum (OM) exempting uranium mining from mandatory public consultations has raised eyebrows in uranium-rich Meghalaya, where past attempts to extract the mineral have repeatedly run into local resistance. The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) on September 8 issued the OM, which excludes mining of atomic minerals, including uranium, as well as critical and strategic minerals under the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act from public hearings. Meghalaya is home to one of the country's largest uranium reserves, particularly in Domiasiat, Wahkaji and adjoining areas of West Khasi Hills district. Meghalaya’s West Khasi Hills district, particularly Domiasiat and Wahkaji, hosts some of the country’s largest uranium depos...