Meghalaya

The Meghalaya Human Rights Commission (MHRC) has officially cleared East Khasi Hills Superintendent of Police (SP), Rituraj Ravi, of any wrongdoing in connection with the alleged forceful removal of social activist Bindas Syiem from her hunger strike protest near the State Secretariat last year.In a detailed order issued on July 25, the Commission stated that no clear evidence was found to prove that the police violated any human rights norms during the incident, which took place on the night of June 9, 2024. The order comes after nearly a year of investigation, during which the Commission examined multiple witness testimonies, complaint records, and available evidence. The case stemmed from a complaint filed by Enlang Sawian, who alleged that a group of heavily armed police officers led ...

SHILLONG: The Meghalaya assembly on Tuesday condoled the demise of the state’s former Governor Satyapal Malik, stating that he will be remembered for his integrity and courage to speak on matters of national importance. Malik died on Tuesday at a hospital in Delhi after a prolonged illness, his personal staff said. He was 79. He also held the positions of the governor of Goa, Bihar and Odisha, besides being a member of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha in his long political career.

SHILLONG: The Meghalaya High Court on Tuesday lauded the “peaceful and successful” implementation of the relocation of roadside vendors from Khyndailad area here. The court’s observation was based on a report submitted by Special Officer Subhasis Chakrawarty, who was appointed by it to supervise the process. "It appears from this report and the submission made before us that the exercise has been peaceful and successful," a bench headed by Chief Justice I P Mukerji said. Chief Justice IP Mukerji and Justice W Diengdoh, hearing multiple public interest litigations on Monday, examined the report submitted by Special Officer Subhasis Chakrawarty, a senior advocate appointed to oversee the eviction of unlicensed vendors and relocation of licensed ones to spaces provided by the Shillo...

The state government, via NHIDCL, is in the process of acquiring land for a planned four-lane high-speed corridor that will traverse the Ri-Bhoi district. This corridor, which is projected to cost Rs 22,864 crore, aims to link Umiam in Meghalaya with Silchar in Assam. The land acquisition procedure will necessitate the procurement of land from several villages, and any new construction or development initiatives must secure prior approval. Structures that are unauthorized will not qualify for compensation during the land acquisition or the execution of the project.

Doctors at the North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical Sciences (NEIGRIHMS), Shillong, have linked cigarette smoking to a heightened risk of spinal disc herniation—commonly known as slipped disc. The warning follows a successful spinal surgery recently conducted on a patient with a recurrent lumbar disc herniation. A team of specialists led by Dr. Bhaskar Borgohain, an accomplished spinal surgeon at NEIGRIHMS, performed a tubular microdiscectomy, a minimally invasive technique that effectively removed four sizable fragments of herniated disc pressing on the patient’s S1 nerve root. The surgery marked a critical intervention for the patient, who was suffering from severe lower back pain and limited mobility. “Scientific research indicates that toxic subst...

The Coordination Committee of Registered MeECL (Employees’) Associations and Unions (CCORMAU) has issued a warning regarding the initiation of protests should the management neglect to address their longstanding demands. The union intends to wait until the second week of September, coinciding with a significant conference of MeECL employees. Among the primary demands are the prompt filling of vacant positions, the implementation of the revised pay structure that has been due since January of this year, and the settlement of outstanding payments for Home Guard personnel assigned to critical MeECL facilities. The union has urged the Chief Minister, Power Minister, CMD, and Board members to treat this issue with the seriousness it deserves and to ensure that employees receive their rig...

Five people, including a pregnant woman and a toddler, were killed when their car plunged into a 70-foot-deep gorge near Rngain, about midway on the Shillong-Dawki road in Meghalaya's East Khasi Hills district, police said on Monday. The accident took place around 7 pm on Sunday near a dangerous section of the highway known for sharp bends coupled with dense fog causing low visibility, and ongoing construction. The vehicle was en route from Shillong to their home in Langkyrdem when the driver reportedly lost control and veered off the road.

The Meghalaya government has initiated the land acquisition process for the construction of the Rs 22,864-crore high-speed corridor from Umiam Lake near Shillong to Silchar in lower Assam, officials said on Tuesday. The greenfield four-lane highway, which will pass through the Ri-Bhoi district, will be built by the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL), they said. In a notification, Ri-Bhoi's Deputy Commissioner Abhilash Baranwal asked villagers not to undertake any new construction or development activity within the designated area of the proposed corridor without prior permission from his office.

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Monday expressed deep grief over the demise of former Jharkhand CM and veteran politician Shibu Soren. Shibu Soren, the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha founder, died in the morning at the age of 81 while undergoing treatment for kidney-related ailments at a hospital in Delhi. He is the father of Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren. "Deeply saddened by the passing of former Hon'ble Chief Minister of Jharkhand, Shri Shibu Soren ji. A towering figure in Indian politics, he was a revered leader and dedicated statesman who served the people with unwavering commitment. I join the nation in offering heartfelt condolences to his family and loved ones. May his soul rest in eternal peace," Sangma said in a post on social media.

Contagion (2011) is a film that illustrates the infectious capabilities of pathogens, emphasizing how infections can be transmitted through common items such as door knobs and water fountains. Each infection is assigned a value known as R0 (or R-nought), which reflects the number of individuals likely to contract the infection from an infected person. The R0 metric serves as an indicator of how an infection may propagate within a population. Infections circulate through various pathways and exhibit significant differences in their contagiousness. Certain infectious diseases, including pertussis, chickenpox, and COVID, possess elevated R0 values. Measles stands out as the most contagious disease, with an R0 value ranging from 12 to 18. Its resurgence on a global scale can be attribut...