Meghalaya

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma has criticised the Congress over a “shirtless protest” at the AI Impact Summit in Delhi, calling it “unfortunate” and inappropriate for a global platform meant to showcase India’s progress. “Recent drama by the Congress party by having a shirtless protest in the AI summit was unfortunate. In such occasion leaders and political parties must stand together to project the nation. It’s not a platform to play politics … it’s the image of the country and as an Indian that comes first (s.i.c),” Sangma said in a post on X. Delhi's Tis Hazari court has described the protest by four Indian Youth Congress (IYC) workers as a "blatant assault on public order" that jeopardised India's diplomatic image. Judicial Magistrate Ravi granted police five days' custod...

The Assistant High Commissioner of Bangladesh in Guwahati, Mr. Zikrul Hasan Fahad, led a consular visit to Shillong, Meghalaya, India, from 18 to 20 February 2026. The visit aimed to verify the status of 70 Bangladeshi nationals in Shillong District Prison and 12 children at Shillong Special Homes for Boys and Girls. During the visit, Mr. Fahad met with District and Sessions Judge Ms. D.R. Kharbteng to request expedited trial proceedings for the detained nationals to facilitate their repatriation. He also arranged WhatsApp communication for detainees to connect with their families. Following verification, 18 detainees, whose sentences had been completed, received Travel Permits for repatriation to Bangladesh. Immigration formalities will be conducted by Indian authorities prior to their r...

Members of the Federation of Khasi Jaintia and Garo People (FKJGP) on Saturday reportedly closed several banks and private company offices in different parts of Shillong, including Nongmengsong, Pynthor, Nongthymmai, Police Bazar and Upper Shillong, as a mark of respect during the funeral of Shillong Lok Sabha MP Ricky Andrew J Syngkon. The FKJGP members moved across various localities requesting banks and private establishments to suspend operations, stating that some institutions had not observed closure on the day of the funeral rites of the late parliamentarian, who passed away on Thursday following a massive heart attack. Earlier, Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma had announced that the State Government would declare a holiday on Saturday in all districts falling under the Shillong ...

The Meghalaya Cricket Association’s senior women’s selection committee today named its 15-member squad for the BCCI’s U-23 Women’s One Day Trophy 2025-26 plate group, which will be held next month. The team will be captained by Monica L Phawa, with Suriti Kumari Ray the vice-captain. Both are experienced campaigners and have already represented the senior Meghalaya team as well. All of Meghalaya’s matches will take place in Chandigarh. Meghalaya will first play Sikkim on 3rd March and the other states in the plate group are Mizoram, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur. The preparatory camp for the tournament will run from 23rd to 27th February at the MCA Ground in Polo, Shillong. Players and support staff from outside Shillong (including standbys) should report in Shillong on the e...

The funeral of Shillong Lok Sabha MP Ricky Andrew J Syngkon, who passed away on the evening of February 19, will be held on Saturday, February 21, with friends, family, well-wishers and political leaders from across party lines expected to attend. The Meghalaya government has declared a holiday in the Khasi-Jaintia Hills in honour of the departed leader. The 54-year-old MP reportedly suffered a massive heart attack while playing futsal. He was initially rushed to Mawiong Community Health Centre (CHC) and later referred to Dr H Gordon Roberts Hospital in Jaiaw for further treatment. According to hospital authorities, Syngkon was brought in at 7:40 PM and was declared dead at 8:42 PM Doctors stated that he had no pulse on arrival and described it as a massive cardiac arrest.

Meghalaya has placed frontline health workers at the heart of India’s artificial intelligence (AI) ambitions, with the State Health Systems Resource Centre (SHSRC) Meghalaya presenting its “people-first” digital strategy at the AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi. Representing the state on a national platform, SHSRC Meghalaya joined global partners including the Gates Foundation India, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Evidence for Digital Transformation (EDiT), University of Cape Town, and the World Health Organization South-East Asia to make a strong case: digital competency — not just technology — must form the foundation of any AI-driven health reform. Opening the session, Valerie Laloo, State Nodal Officer, SHSRC, emphasised that the real strength of a health syst...

The Meghalaya's East Khasi Hills district administration has ordered comprehensive fire safety audits across all categories of establishments, officials said on Friday. The directive was issued by Deputy Commissioner Rosetta Mary Kurbah, who said the audits will cover residential, commercial, educational and office buildings across the district. The decision comes amid concerns over repeated fire mishaps in the state, with Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Lahkmen Rymbui informing the assembly recently that 104 families have been affected by such accidents in the last five years. The directive was issued by Deputy Commissioner Rosetta Mary Kurbah, who stated that the audits will cover residential, commercial, educational and official buildings to ensure compliance with fire safe...

The Meghalaya Assembly today suspended all scheduled business, as legislators, led by Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma, paid tributes to Shillong MP Ricky A J Syngkon, who passed away on Thursday.Speaker Thomas A Sangma said the House would take up only obituary references during the day, as a mark of respect to the Voice of the People Party (VPP) leader.A revised calendar of sittings will be circulated later, he said. The Meghalaya budget for 2026-27 was scheduled to be presented in the Assembly on Friday.Syngkon, 54, reportedly collapsed while playing futsal on the outskits of the city, and doctors at a private hospital declared him dead around 8:45 pm on Thursday.The CM described Syngkon's death as a profound loss for Meghalaya."It is with a very deep sense of sorrow that I stand here to...

The Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) has rejected a resolution seeking to declare November 1 as a state holiday to commemorate the death anniversary of JJM Nicholas Roy, a key architect of the Sixth Schedule to the Indian Constitution. MDC Ricky Shullai moved the resolution, highlighting Roy’s contributions to the constitutional safeguards and autonomy of tribal areas. However, the resolution was rejected when most MDCs rose to oppose it. Chief Executive Member Winston Tony Lyngdoh stated that declaring a state holiday was unnecessary, instead urging everyone to honor Roy’s legacy by following his footsteps. “It is not necessary to declare a state holiday in memory of (L) JJM Nicholas Roy, but instead, let us follow his footsteps to honour and remember him,” Lyngdoh s...

Taking a stern view of the illegal coal mining tragedy in East Jaintia Hills, the Meghalaya High Court on Thursday directed the incumbent District Superintendent of Police (SP), Pankaj Rasgania, and his predecessor, Vikash Kumar, to appear personally before the court next week. The directive was issued by a division bench comprising Justice Wanlura Diengdoh and Justice Hamarsan Singh Thangkhiew during the hearing of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) concerning the catastrophic blast at an illegal mine in the Thangsku area. While the incumbent SP, Pankaj Rasgania—who took charge only last week—was present during Thursday’s proceedings, the court insisted on the presence of the former SP, Vikash Kumar, to provide clarity on the timeline of illegal activities leading up to the inciden...