Meghalaya

In a significant administrative overhaul, Ri-Bhoi Deputy Commissioner Abhilash Baranwal has been appointed the new DC of East Khasi Hills, replacing incumbent Rosetta Mary Kurbah, who has been transferred as Commissioner and Secretary, Home (Police) and Tourism. A notification issued on Tuesday outlined sweeping changes across the bureaucracy. Harish Chandra Chaudhary has been relieved as Additional Chief Secretary, Fisheries. Sampath Kumar now takes additional charge as Principal Resident Commissioner at Meghalaya House, New Delhi, while being relieved from his prior role as Resident Commissioner. M.R. Synrem will manage Secretariat Administration, Health & Family Welfare, and also serve as Additional Development Commissioner in New Delhi. Sanjay Goyal is the new Resident Commi...

The State Cabinet has approved amendments to excise and distillery rules to raise the special duty on liquor imported from outside the state. “The state cabinet has approved the amendment of Rule 375 of the Assam Excise Rules, 1945 as adopted by Meghalaya for levy of special duty on bottles of origin, and amendment of Rule 41(a) of the Assam Distillery Rules, 1945 as adopted and amended by Meghalaya,” Cabinet Minister and MDA spokesperson Wailadmiki Shylla told reporters after the cabinet meeting. The revision increases the import duty on alcohol brought into the state from Rs 25 to Rs 30 per bulk litre. “This is the revision of the import of alcohol from outside the state. Usually it was Rs 25 per bulk litre and now we have increased it to Rs 30 per bulk litre,” he said. On r...

The Rongara-Siju MLA and former Cabinet Minister Rakkam A Sangma has welcomed the issuance of the tender for the long-awaited Chokpot–Siju–Karukol road project in Garo Hills, estimated at around Rs 130 crore, calling it a major boost to connectivity and development in the region. In a video statement on Tuesday, Sangma described the project as a “historic step” under the leadership of Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma. “This vital investment will greatly benefit our people by improving access to essential services while also unlocking the immense tourism potential of areas like Wari Chora, thereby creating new livelihood opportunities and giving a strong boost to the local economy,” he said. Lauding the Conrad Sangma-led government and the concerned departments for taking up the lon...

In a significant development, the State Government and the National Cadet Corps (NCC) Northeastern Region are planning to expand the reach of the National Cadet Corps across the state, with particular focus on schools and colleges located in remote and rural areas. The proposal was highlighted during the NCC North Region Annual Awards held at the Rhino Eastern Auditorium on Tuesday. At present, the NCC's presence in Meghalaya remains largely concentrated in educational institutions in urban centers. Both the state government and the NCC believe that extending the organization's footprint to rural areas would create broader opportunities for young people by promoting leadership, discipline, community service and national integration. Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Wailadmi...

The Jaiñtia National Council (JNC) Khliehriat Circle has today filed a strong formal objection letter with the Deputy Commissioner & Principal Census Officer, East Jaiñtia Hills District, demanding the "immediate halt to the deployment of government school teachers" for Census 2027 House Listing Operations — a practice the organization has condemned as a "direct constitutional violation" against the tribal children of the district. The Council led by Shri. Diamon Bareh Working President of the Khliehriat Circle and Shri. Symboh Baiar Sumer General Secretary Khliehriat Circle along with members, while addressing the issue shri Diamon Bareh stated that: The Violation: Law is Being Ignored- Section 27 of the "Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009", while perm...

Four organizations representing Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) in Meghalaya have joined forces to form the Meghalaya Disability People Organization (MDPO). This unified state-level body was established to amplify the voices of the disabled community and address what they describe as a systemic failure by the state government to uphold the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPWD) Act 2016 and the Constitution of India. MDPO President Jitendra Dkhar highlighted a disturbing trend where PwD categories are reportedly "disappearing" from recruitment processes handled by the Meghalaya Public Service Commission (MPSC) and District Selection Committees. Dkhar emphasized that this is not a technical oversight but a direct erasure of the legal status of disabled individuals. The organization...

Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Monday congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on the BJP’s electoral performance in Assam and West Bengal, calling it a “landslide victory” and a reflection of public trust. In a series of posts on X, Sangma first extended greetings to the Prime Minister. "Congratulations to Hon’ble PM, @narendramodi ji on his party’s landslide victory in Assam and West Bengal,” he wrote. “This resounding mandate reflects the people’s trust in his visionary leadership and commitment to development, progress, and good governance.” He also congratulated Union Home Minister Amit Shah. “Congratulations to Hon’ble Home Minister, Sh. @AmitShah ji and his party for securing the people’s strong endors...

The Meghalaya Government has introduced a centralized provident fund scheme to extend pension and social security benefits to over 30,000 employees working in non-government schools and colleges, officials said on May 4. The scheme, titled Meghalaya Non-Government School and College Employees Centralized Provident Fund Scheme, 2026, aims to bring a broad range of education sector employees under a single, professionally managed system. Beneficiaries include deficit teachers and lecturers, ad hoc teachers, SSA and RMSA teachers, Hindi and Science Grant teachers, pre-primary teachers, and non-teaching staff. Calling it a major reform, the Education Department said the initiative “represents a significant and progressive reform” as it extends structured provident fund and pension bene...

The wait is finally over for thousands of students in Meghalaya. The Meghalaya Board of School Education, or MBOSE, has officially declared the results for the 2026 Higher Secondary School Leaving Certificate examinations. With high pass percentages and a significant shift in the merit list geography, this year’s results tell a story of hard work and expanding academic excellence across the state. The atmosphere across Meghalaya turned one of celebration as the HSSLC results were made public. Following the examinations held between February and March, the state has recorded impressive success rates. The Vocational stream led the state with a stellar 95.23% pass rate, while the Arts, Commerce, and Science streams recorded 88.63%, 87.49%, and 83.70% respectively. Chief Minister Conrad...

Tension is mounting in Meghalaya as college and deficit schoolteachers have stepped up their protest against the government’s controversial CPF Scheme 2026, calling it unfair, unclear and financially damaging for thousands of educators. Staging what they describe as a peaceful protest during lunch breaks, teachers said the demonstration is a strong message to the government that they reject the newly notified scheme and demand immediate intervention. Protesting teachers said they are continuing classes as usual and gathering only briefly to register their opposition, insisting the movement is peaceful but deeply serious. According to them, the government had already drafted a pension-related proposal in 2023 and had accepted several suggestions made by college teachers for the bene...