Meghalaya

Opposition leader Mukul Sangma has lamented the state government’s lack of interest in resolving the ongoing crisis at the North Eastern Hill University. “There is no visible endeavour to resolve the NEHU problem even though it is having a bearing on the higher education environment,” he told reporters on Friday. Pointing out that it is the government’s responsibility to resolve the crisis going on for months, he said the state and central governments must find a way out of the mess that has earned the university a bad name. The state government has maintained that it has a limited scope to intervene and resolve the crisis since the NEHU is a central university. Amid the crisis, two senior officials from the Ministry of Education visited the university’s Shillong campus. Additional Sec...

In a major step towards global employment for local healthcare workers, Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Thursday launched a specialised German language training programme for 20 nurses from the state. The programme is part of a broader overseas placement initiative designed to help Meghalaya’s nurses secure jobs in Germany’s healthcare sector, which is facing acute staff shortages.“This is more than just learning a new language — it is a gateway to global careers,” said Sangma, stressing the long-term benefits for both individuals and the state economy. Germany, like Japan where Meghalaya has earlier sent nurses, has been actively hiring international medical staff to meet rising demands in hospitals and care homes. The initiative builds on the success of previous internati...

After almost 18 years of darkness, power is now finally flowing through the lines of Pahamjula hamlet in Jirang constituency. The residents of the isolated town had to survive for eighteen years without electricity after their transformer failed in 2007. In order to address the long-standing problem, Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma and local MLA Sostheness Sohtun visited the area on May 22. Now that the transformer has been fixed, homes that had been dependent on other sources of electricity for almost 18 years can now have power again. The CM's visit revealed "the joy this has brought to them" as he personally observed the community's relief at getting their power back. Once the problem was officially brought to the state government's attention, the village's remote location...

In a significant move to address ongoing administrative turmoil, the Union Ministry of Education has dispatched a high-level team to North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU), Shillong, to conduct an urgent review of its operations. Additional Secretary Sunil Kumar Barnwal and Director Subrat Kumar Pradhan from the Department of Higher Education will lead the review, according to a letter from Under Secretary D.K. Himanshu. Coordination has been made with Meghalaya Chief Secretary D.P. Wahlang and DGP Idashisha Nongrang for necessary security and protocol arrangements. The review comes as NEHU grapples with prolonged internal disputes and operational paralysis that have raised serious concerns at the central level. Amid the crisis, NEHU's Academic Council met on May 21 for the first time in...

After Iewduh, pressure groups have now turned their attention to Ri-Bhoi where they are carrying out daylight extortion in the name of donation. A host of groups, including some known names and some questionable organisations, have been running an extortion racket in various parts of Ri-Bhoi seeking donations either in cash or supply of fuel for their vehicles. Several sets of donation/extortion slips were forwarded to media outlets bearing the names of groups like Ri-Bhoi Youth Welfare Organisation, Ri Khasi People Youth Foundation, Hynniewtrep National Youth Council, Hynniewtrep People’s Federation, Hynniewtrep People Council, Hynniewtrep United Movement, Hynniewtrep United National Federation, Ri Khasi Movement, and Corporation of Khasi People with acknowledgement of receipt of cash...

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma, on May 21, inaugurated the 1.130 km Hubert Rosario Road leading to the Hubert Acupressure Centre Spein, Mookaswan in West Jaintia Hills District. The event also marked the inauguration of the Alternative Health Festival. Taking to his official X handle, CM Sangma informed that the road is named in honour of Archbishop Hubert D'Rosario, who dedicated his life to leading the faithful closer to God.

A fresh controversy has erupted at North Eastern Hill University (NEHU) as Vice Chancellor Prof Prabha Shankar Shukla declared an Academic Council meeting called by Pro Vice Chancellor Prof Sherwin Sungoh for May 21 as invalid. Prof Shukla stated that Prof Sungoh has no legal authority under the NEHU Act and Statutes to convene such meetings and warned that appropriate action would be taken if the meeting proceeds. “Unauthorized meetings and any decisions taken therein could seriously jeopardise academic operations and the conferment of degrees,” the VC cautioned. The row began when the Joint Registrar failed to issue a notice for the adjourned Academic Council meeting as directed by Prof Shukla. Subsequently, Registrar Col Omkar Singh (Retd) scheduled the meeting for May 23. Howeve...

The Meghalaya government has instructed the deputy commissioners of all districts to crack down on illegal immigrants in the state, especially Bangladeshis and Rohingya people. Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong on Tuesday said the state government has asked the respective district administrations to arrest illegal immigrants from any location where they are suspected to be taking shelter. He pointed out that the district task force has been activated in all districts as per the Meghalaya Residents Safety and Security Act. The MHA issued the directive in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 lives. The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has set a 30-day deadline for states and Union Territories to verify the credentials of persons suspected to be illegal...

The Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) has objected to the Ri-Bhoi district administration’s decision to shut down its toll gate at Umdihar without any prior notice or consultation. Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong made it clear on Tuesday that there is no way out, and illegal toll gates have to be shut down. Earlier, the KHADC’s Executive Member in charge of Development, Powell Sohkhlet, told reporters that the district administration should have first sought clarification from the Council before proceeding with the closure. “This action is not only arbitrary but also disrespectful to the Council, which is an autonomous body recognised under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution of India,” he said. “We are not NGOs or pressure groups collecting money illegally. Our...

Meghalaya is set to enter a new era in technical education as Shillong Engineering College, the state’s first government engineering college, prepares to begin its first academic session. Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma visited the campus on Monday to review the preparations and expressed his excitement in a tweet, calling it “the beginning of a new chapter for technical education in our state.” He highlighted the college’s potential to empower local youth and strengthen the state’s capacity in engineering and technology. “This institution will bring new opportunities for our students and contribute to Meghalaya’s growth in the higher education sector,” the Chief Minister said. Earlier in the day, CM Sangma also conducted an inspection of Ïewduh (Bara Bazar), one of Shillong’s busiest ...