Meghalaya

On Wednesday, the Meghalaya High Court warned to intervene if the situation at North Eastern Hill University, where students have been participating in a nine-day hunger strike, is not resolved by authorities. Judge B Bhattacharjee and Chief Justice Indra Prasanna Mukherji set November 20 as the deadline for the Central government to take action. Student union-led protests calling for the dismissal of Vice Chancellor PS Shukla and other senior officials have placed the campus under complete lockdown. The court recognized that in order to solve the "acute problems" that the university was confronting, the state government had already made suggestions to central authorities. The bench allowed more time for settlement because NEHU is under central authority. Despite the worsening cond...

Voters showed up in large numbers early Wednesday as polling began for the Gambegre assembly by-election in Meghalaya’s West Garo Hills, with reports of enthusiastic turnout across the constituency. Chief Electoral Officer BDR Tiwari noted strong voter engagement, with long lines at many polling stations starting from 7 am. The election has garnered extra attention as Mehtab Chandee Sangma, wife of Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma, is contesting for the ruling National People's Party (NPP). She faces a competitive race against Congress’s Jingjang M Marak, Trinamool Congress’s Sadhiarani M Sangma, BJP’s Bernard N Marak, and independents Sengkrabirth Marak and Jerry A Sangma. To ensure a secure voting process, authorities have heightened security at 31 of the constituency's 51 polling s...

The Meghalaya government has declared a paid holiday on November 13 for residents of the 56-Gambegre (ST) Assembly Constituency, facilitating their participation in the upcoming bye-election for the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly. Announced by the Secretary of the General Administration Department, the paid holiday applies to employees across various sectors, including businesses, trades, industrial establishments, shops, and those covered under the Negotiable Instruments Act of 1881. The provision also extends to shift workers, daily wage earners, and casual workers. This decision aligns with Section 135B of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, which mandates holiday provisions for electoral participation. By ensuring voters have the time to cast their ballots, the state gov...

The Meghalaya Cricket Association has announced a 15-member squad to represent the state in the BCCI U-15 Women’s One Day Trophy, scheduled from November 21-29 in Odisha. Selected through extensive trials and age verification via the TW-3 bone test, the players are undergoing an intensive two-week training camp in Nongkhrah, Ri-Bhoi. Jennifer Fancon will captain the team, with Deijiana M Sangma as vice-captain. Key players include wicketkeeper Rafinia Ryntathiang and all-rounders Leeny Rai and Namesha A Marak, expected to add strength to the lineup. The team will leave for Odisha on November 18. Meghalaya U-15 Girls Squad:Jennifer Fancon (Captain), Deijiana M Sangma (Vice-Captain), Rafinia Ryntathiang (Wicketkeeper), Leeny Rai, Namesha A Marak, Sweetcymary Khongthang, Banchilla R Ma...

As protests at North-Eastern Hills University (NEHU) intensified, faculty members appealed to Meghalaya Governor CH Vijayashankar for intervention, marking the fourth day of an indefinite hunger strike led by students. The strike, coupled with campus protests, has disrupted operations for the university’s nearly 5,000 students.The students, staging a sit-in outside NEHU Vice-Chancellor PS Shukla’s office, are demanding the dismissal of Shukla, as well as the registrar and deputy registrar, citing alleged incompetence. Demonstrators escalated their protest by burning effigies of the officials. North Eastern Hill University Teachers’ Association (NEHUTA) President Prof. Lakhon Kma stated that faculty members met with Governor Vijayashankar, the university’s chief rector, to outline their...

The 2024 Inspector General’s Conference of Assam Rifles, held at the Directorate General Headquarters in Laitkor, Shillong, saw high-level discussions on equipping the force with advanced weapon systems and military technology to bolster security, especially along the Indo-Myanmar border. Chaired by Lieutenant General Vikas Lakhera, Director General of Assam Rifles, the conference brought together Formation Commanders, Battalion Commanders, and senior officers to chart a roadmap for upgrading the force's combat capabilities. Lt Gen Lakhera lauded the force for its professional dedication and urged continued vigilance and readiness against emerging security threats. A key agenda at the conference was the acquisition of new-generation equipment to enhance operational capabilities. Emphas...

The Central Library of North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU) is set to host a two-day book fair on November 6-7, 2024, at the university’s Multi-Use Convention Hall. The event, which will be inaugurated by NEHU Vice-Chancellor Prof. Prabha Shankar Shukla, aims to connect the academic community with the latest academic resources from 17 participating publishers, distributors, and booksellers. The fair will feature a wide array of print and electronic publications, providing faculty, students, and research scholars an opportunity to explore, purchase, and recommend books pertinent to their academic fields. Organised in alignment with the goals of the National Education Policy 2020, the event seeks to support curricular updates and offer up-to-date academic resources. Since its establis...

Today at the University of Science and Technology Meghalaya, a workshop on "Recent Achievements of ISRO in Space Physics" was led by Dr. T.K. Sundara Murthy, a distinguished scientist in India's space research program. The University's Physics Department hosted the session with the goal of inspiring upcoming scholars and educating students about ISRO's important contributions to the area. Along with Mrs. S Bharathi Murthy and Mr. Pranesh Debnath from Vyomika Space, Dr. Murthy gave a thorough history of ISRO, emphasizing important missions such as Chandrayaan and Gaganyaan. He described the organization's technological innovations and how they have affected space physics research. Throughout his more than four decades of devoted devotion to ISRO, Dr. Murthy has been instrumental in ...