Meghalaya

Security was beefed up along the India-Bangladesh border in Meghalaya in view of Independence Day, a BSF official said on Tuesday. 'Operation Alert' is being carried out in close coordination with the Meghalaya Police and other law enforcement agencies, he said. Additional troops have been deployed in the forward areas, he said. The operation includes intensified area domination, round-the-clock patrolling, surprise naka checks, and riverine patrols to plug border gaps, with a focus on countering cattle smuggling, contraband movement, and illegal crossings, he added. "Operation Alert reflects the force's commitment to safeguarding national security during the festive season and preventing any disruption by inimical forces," said OP Upadhyay, the inspector general of BSF's Meghalaya Fro...

The Central Silk Board’s Sub-Station for Pilot Cultivation (SSPC) in Kaliabari, Boko, in partnership with the District Sericulture Office of East Garo Hills, organised a one-day Muga Field Day on Monday at the muga farms in Williamnagar. The event aimed to strengthen traditional silk culture and promote sustainable livelihoods among local farmers. The programme was chaired by Shri Dharavath Saicharan, Scientist-B and In-charge of SSPC Kaliabari, who highlighted the long-term income potential of muga silk farming for the region’s farmers. District Sericulture Officer Smt. S. G. Momin and Sericulture Demonstrator Shri Charnenko Sangma encouraged farmers to adopt modern and improved rearing techniques to increase productivity and enhance the quality of muga silk. The event featured live d...

A man was critically injured after accidentally shooting himself in the head with a police officer's service pistol during a gathering at Jowai, the headquarters of Meghalaya's West Jaintia Hills district, police said on Monday. The incident took place between 4:30 pm and 5 pm on Sunday when the victim, identified as Wanda-O-Najiar, was out with friends, including Sub-Inspector Wewanroy Challan, Second Officer-in-Charge of Nartiang Police Station. Police said Najiar, who was chewing betel nut, took Challan's pistol and began fiddling with it when it went off, hitting him in the head. “There was no quarrel before the incident, and it was purely accidental,” Challan later told his senior officers. Najiar was initially taken to a government hospital in Jowai, then shifted to a private ...

Security forces have arrested a fifth Bangladeshi national accused of taking part in a violent midnight raid on Rongdangai village in Meghalaya’s South West Khasi Hills district. The arrest was made late Saturday during a coordinated search by the Meghalaya Police and the Border Security Force (BSF) in the dense Chibak forest area, officials confirmed on Sunday. The suspect is believed to be part of an armed gang of eight to nine men who illegally crossed the international border around midnight on August 7. The group allegedly stormed a local shop, assaulted the shopkeeper, and fled with cash and valuables before heading back towards Bangladesh. Alert residents, aided by nearby security personnel, pursued the fleeing men immediately after the attack. Four suspects were overpowered and...

The Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) in Meghalaya has issued a public health advisory, urging citizens to seek immediate medical attention at the first sign of Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) to prevent potential outbreaks in the state. The advisory, released late Friday night, comes in the wake of recent GBS cases reported in Pune, Maharashtra, which have raised alarms among health authorities nationwide. GBS is a rare but serious neurological disorder in which the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks the peripheral nerves. The condition often follows infections such as respiratory illnesses, gastroenteritis, dengue, or the Zika virus. Health officials warn that early detection is critical. Symptoms such as muscle weakness, tingling or numbness starting in the legs, d...

Drug use among Meghalaya's youth starts as early as 10, far younger than in Manipur or Nagaland, where the average initiation age is 22, a recent study has found. The qualitative study, published in the Indian Journal of Public Health (April-June 2025 edition), was conducted by researchers from the Indian Institute of Public Health, Shillong, and the Meghalaya AIDS Control Society. It surveyed 128 people enrolled in opioid substitution therapy across East Khasi Hills, West Jaintia Hills and East Jaintia Hills, along with 17 service providers.

Chairperson of the National Commission for Women (NCW), Vijay Rahatkar, has voiced deep concern over a disturbing rise in single motherhood, HIV cases among women, and incidents of domestic violence in Meghalaya. The alarming trends, she said, require urgent and coordinated action from the state’s law enforcement and administrative machinery. Rahatkar, who is on an official visit to the state, chaired a high-level review meeting with Chief Secretary Donald P. Wahlang, Director General of Police (DGP) Idashisha Nongrang, and other senior police officials. During the meeting, she directed the Meghalaya Police to set up dedicated women’s help desks in all of the state’s 70-plus police stations. She also urged that anti-human trafficking units be established in every district at the earliest,...

An organisation demanding introduction of the ILP regime in Meghalaya on Friday alleged that factories in Byrnihat are sheltering undocumented migrants from neighbouring Assam. The Federation of Khasi Jaintia and Garo People (FKJGP), which has long advocated for the implementation of the ILP in Meghalaya, said it carried out a surprise verification drive across several industrial units in Ri-Bhoi district. The drive, conducted on Friday, reportedly uncovered the presence of a large number of migrant workers lacking valid documents. “These factories are becoming safe havens for illegal immigrants from Assam. Many are working without identification, labour licences, or police verification, which is a clear violation of Meghalaya’s labour laws,” FKJGP president Dundee C Khongsit told repo...

National Commission for Women chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar on Friday expressed concern over the alleged rise in the number of single mothers, increasing HIV cases among women, and growing incidents of domestic violence in Meghalaya. During her review meeting with the chief secretary and senior police officers including DGP, Rahatkar directed the Meghalaya Police to establish women help desks in all 70-plus police stations and also set up anti-human trafficking units in every district, as part of a coordinated effort to strengthen responses to crimes against women. "I have reviewed how women in Shillong are benefiting from government schemes and how key laws are being enforced on the ground," she told reporters after the meeting. She highlighted a worrying trend flagged by the DGP — a...

Meghalaya’s vibrant weaving heritage took centre stage on Thursday as the state celebrated National Handloom Day with a proud focus on two of its most treasured traditional crafts—Ryndia and Khasi handloom—both of which have now been granted the prestigious Geographical Indication (GI) tag. The celebration, organised by the Department of Textiles, Government of Meghalaya, was held in Shillong and brought together weavers, artisans, officials, and cultural enthusiasts. The GI tag is a legal recognition that protects and promotes products with unique qualities tied to their place of origin. For Ryndia and Khasi handloom, this means national and international recognition for their cultural and historical value, as well as potential economic growth for the artisans who create them. Gove...