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9 SMART WAYS TO KEEP YOUR MARRIAGE HEALTHY AT ANY AGE

ASSENG/2015/64205

Vol. II

Issue 140

Dibrugarh, Thursday, December 8, 2016

Price -

5.00

PAGE 11

Pages- 12

11 Ways Your Study Environment Affects Productivity (And How You Can Improve It)

Defiance in compliance

P9 P6 Stipend Policy soon to streamline disbursement of student’s stipends in Arunachal

P7

ET Bureau Itanagar, Dec 7

Of these, 58 are from Assam, 1 Meghalaya, 15 Arunachal Pradesh, 5 Mizoram, 1 Sikkim, 9 Tripura, 7 Nagaland and 2 Manipur.

"We have to maintain peace and for that we have to fight against terror and it will be your (police) responsibility to ensure terrorism are thwarted despite terrorists becoming more sophisticated, Sonowal said.

CM Sonowal calls for freeing NE from corruption, terrorism A Staff Reporter Umsaw, Dec 7

Reiterating that a smart and modern police force is of paramount importance to meet the present day challenges, Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal called for freeing the North Eastern region of the country from corruption, terrorism and foreign intruders to maintain peace and said that police have to be given highest standard of training to tackle threats like terrorism. "We should free the NE region from corruption, terrorism and foreign intruders, he said.

Speaking at the passing out parade ceremony of 42nd basic course batch at the North East Police Academy (NEPA) at Umiam, Meghalaya today, Chief Minister Sonowal today said that the trainees from the batch must accept their responsibility to become the guardians of the society with full vigor and must utilize their

acquired training for the benefit of the people.

While presenting medals to the best cadets of the academy Chief Minister said a police person trains hard for this moment and the people look upto the police force for protection of life and property and mainiting order in the society. This is the solemn duty of a police person to perform his duty with utmost diligence and honesty so that people’s belief in the system remains intact, Sonowal said.

“Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel had envisaged a uniform pattern of police training for the whole country that led to the birth of this magnificent Academy. You are products of his vision and his foresight.” Sonowal said.

The 42nd batch of basic training of NEPA consisted of 98 police officers out of which 58 were from Assam, 1 from Meghalaya, 15 from Arunachal

Pradesh, 5 from Mizoram, 1 from Sikkim, 9 from Tripura, 7 from Nagaland and 2 from Manipur.

The batch starting from January 2016 underwent rigorous training in both physical and mental aspects wherein they were made to learn the finer tenets of modern day policing and the role of police in the society.

Stating that the police officers would have to live upto the high expectations of the society, Sonowal said that they must overcome innumerable challenges and hurdles through courage, determination and honesty and must exhibit necessary resilience to serve the people with utmost dedication and commitment.

Saying that organized and white collar crimes are manifesting in unfathomable ways, Sonowal reiterated that modern police personnel must possess required knowledge of

new disciplines and technologies for successfully tackling such crimes. “World class training you received in this Academy would come in handy in fulfilling your future responsibilities” he added.

Saying that good governance is the people’s right, Chief Minister Sonowal stated that an honest and dedicated police force is one important element in an efficient administrative set up.

Urging the young officers to make all out efforts to change the image of the police Sonowal advised them to rise above parochial considerations and personal ambitions in performing their duty. “I have full faith on the capabilities of the police officers of Northeastern region and I believe they are very much driven to make this region a peaceful and developed part of the country.” Sonowal added.

ULFA link man involved in Tinsukia Padmini T.E. blast nabbed from Arunachal Laxman Sharma Digboi, Dec 7

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Going on a hot pursuit, the joint security forces comprising 11 Granadier of Indian Army based in Mahadevpur and Bordumsa based Assam Police in association with a team of Arunachal Police apprehended Bikash Gogoi (26) of Kailashpur village under Bordumsa Police in Tinsukia District of Upper Assam here last evening from Kathalguri village of Mahadevpur in Namsai District of Arunachal Pradesh. According to security sources, Bikash Gogoi acting as an active ULFA link man in

The ULFA link man Bikash Gogoi (26) of Kailashpur village under Bordumsa Police in Tinsukia District

Tinsukia District was involved in IED blast that was carried out near the residential gate of Vivek Agarwal, the proprietor of Padmini Tea Estate earlier on 27th April the day when Mekuri Rangman, the Zebra Unit Commander of ULFA was slain by security forces at Talpather in Bordumsa.

According to reliable sources, during interrogation, the accused admitted of his involvement in perpetrating the act of sabotage which was carried out directly by one hardcore Jitu Dohotiya. The apprehension of the said miscreant may be termed as ‘significant breakthrough’ for the security agencies carrying out the counter-insurgency

operation in the entire AssamArunachal vulnerable and militant infected belt on an intense format thus nabbing anti-social elements one after another after the incident of Pengaree ambush carried out by insurgent groups with the ban ULFA on led. Recovered from the procession of the apprehended accused included one German made .22 pisto; and ironically a toy pistol.

While Mr. Dohotiya the accused ULFA cadre carrying the IED blast was arrested and has been put behind bars.

Investigation with the nabbed accused was being carried out by security agencies in Mahadevpur till the filling of this report.

Contd. on Page 2

It was decided to form a Stipend Policy, to made Adhaar Registration of all the students’ compulsory, to examine all the Govt of India Schemes and Stipends that provides higher rates to tribal students and to propose strategies to be converged.

Deputy Chief Minister, Chowna Mein convened a meeting to streamline process of the disbursement of student’s stipends in his office today.

DA removes hoarding along National and State Highways at Pasighat A Staff Reporter Pasighat, Dec 7

In pursuance of the Supreme Court Committee on Road Safety’s direction to take effective steps to ensure that all hoardings and objects located within 100 meters from National and State Highways which

obstruct driving or distract the drivers, the district administration led by magistrate, John Modi, DTO (MV), Chakfa Wangsu, Traffic OC, T. Radeng, MVI, N. Ete with police forces and ALCs carried out a removal of hoardings closed to highways today.

While appealing the denizen of East Siang to remove hoardings immediately, especially to those individuals or department who have put up such hoardings as advertisement, DTO (MV), Wangsu and Magistrate, Modi said that, no hoardings will be allowed to remain within the 100 meters

from the highways.

The duo have also urged the general public to avoid installing such hoarding within the banned distance to avoid future complicacies.

The encroachments within the pedestrians path is also not allowed, said the officers.

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A Spanish tourist Jesus Gallo on a visit to Assam with his mother filed an FIR at the Dibrugarh police station on Wednesday after discovering on arrival that his wallet containing cash and important items was missing.

In the police report, Gallo mentioned that he was robbed at the Kolkata-based Hotel Shila International at around 2100 hours on Tuesday. The wallet contained his personal I-Card, Military I-Card, Driving License, 2 credit cards (BBVA Visa card, Santander Master card), 210 Euros and 4,000 in Indian currency. A resident of Las Palmas de Gran Cranaria in Spain, Gallo (passport no: BE483525) has been on a three-month tour to India along with his mother Jimenez.

On Wednesday morning, they arrived by flight from Kolkata to Dibrugarh to visit Majuli Island and the worldfamous Kaziranga National Park. Gallo said that they have planned the tour many years ago. He worked as defence personnel in Spain military service.

At the Dibrugarh police station Gallo said that he was unaware that his wallet was missing until he reached Dibrugarh. He also added that someone might have stolen it while they were checking out from the hotel.

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Altogether 98 trainees including 86 in the rank of Deputy SPs, 11 SubInspectors and 1 Assistant Sub Inspector were part of the officers who graduated from the academy after several months of intense training.

Deputy Chief Minister, Chowna Mein convened a meeting to streamline process of the disbursement of student’s stipends in his office today. Chairing over the meeting, DCM said that it has become pertinent to streamline the disbursement of stipend to check draining out of govt resources. He informed that the step is being taken in line with the streamlining of wages of the labourers that was done during the time of former Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu to link the payment of wages with Photo Identity.

DIBRUGARH, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8

P2 Aries If you're involved in an occupation similar to that of your mother or father, Aries, today you may question if the choice was yours or preordained. Did you take this career path of your own volition? If not, what is it that you should really be doing with your professional life? You feel rebellious and yearn for more independence. You might want to find more freedom within the confines of your existing career.

Taurus Most people form their opinions on the basis of what they're told by a few people who supposedly know what they're talking about. Certain ideas become fashionable. Today, Taurus, you have no patience for these tendencies. In fact, you're tempted to use vulgar language just to shock the pseudo-intellectuals out of their complacency. Alas, you can't do it. They will simply raise an eyebrow and turn away.

Gemini If you're involved with theater, dance, or painting, the day ahead will be a bright one for you, Gemini. You feel a strong desire to bring people together in pursuit of some artistic endeavor. Listen to your longings. You're likely to be a sharp talent scout, or at the very least, a person who is able to enhance other people's talents.

Cancer Today you can expect to have some disagreements with your partner or friend, Cancer. You may overreact. If you do, it's only because the climate of the last few days has made you feel more vulnerable than usual. It's your tendency when faced with tension to be the first to back down. Try not to do it this time. Sometimes self-sacrifice comes at too high a cost.

Leo Today you will be confrontational, Leo. This comes after several weeks of holding yourself back from openly criticizing other people. You have especially strong feelings concerning anything that touches activities outside of the family. An explosion is imminent and likely unavoidable. Go ahead and express yourself. You will all be best friends again tomorrow!

Modi's Cashless Policy endorse by Golaghatians Mina Nsgori Golaghat, Dec 07: Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s demonetization coupled with “Go-Cashless” Policy has been largely welcomed by the people of Golaghat.

“Government's policy of going cashless is a positive move and it can clean up the business environment in the long run,” asserted, a pharmaceutical dealer and social activist Rajendra Prasad Chandak. While some others, voiced reservation about security and safety issues in going for cashless transaction the general pulse

of the move has been positive.

According to the investment and financial consultant Ganesh Gupta demonetization is a welcome step but as per the safety measures are concerned, the government will have to work then it will be truly implemented.

“The mobile network will have to speed up so that people feel confident in using mobile for electronic transaction beyond surfing internet on phones,” opines Ganesh Gupta. According to Manoj Jain, a trader in wholesale clothes, “It would be easier for

everyone if the move materializes, merchants and traders will no longer have to stand in long queues in banks and even our clients will benefit out of it”.Petrol pump manager Manoj Jain fully endorsed the “go cashless” policy and believed that it will significantly improve customer's experience and convenience. However a small tea grower Basant Saikia said for the educated ones, this cashless policy will not be troublesome but for the poor and labourers it may be troublesome due to lack of awareness.

‘Take action against gutkha and tobacco traders or face agitation,’ warns Bora Mithun Baruah Margherita, Dec 7: Asom Jatiyotabadi Yuba Chatra Parishad Margherita Regional Committee has slammed and criticized Margherita Police and Margherita Administration for failing to control gutkha and other tobacco products at Margherita Region.

The menace of selling of tobacco products is spoiling the lives of students and youths in Margherita Region. Kanchan Bora General Secretary of AJYCP Margherita

Regional Committee alleged that Gutkha traders are constantly lobbying the Margherita Police and Margherita Administration and the gutkha traders often have secret dealings with Margherita Police and Margherita Administration.

Kanchan Bora said that Anup, Mona of Margherita and Gopal Thaporia,Ganga and Bishnu of Ledo are illegally selling gutkha and other tobacco products and many students and youths are falling prey to this menace. Taking

note of increasing sale of gutkha and other Tobacco products, drugs, illicit liquor, gambling and other anti-social activities, AJYCP Margherita Regional Committee warned Margherita Police and Margherita Administration to take strict action against the Gutkha traders and other anti-social activities within 72 hours. “Failure to do so, AJYCP Margherita Regional Committee shall intensify strong agitation after the given Deadline,” said Kanchan Bora.

Army felicitates youths at Dibrugarh

Virgo You must be wondering what in the world is going on? On the one hand, you have humanistic and harmonious thoughts about your family and work environment. On the other hand, you also have a deep desire to destroy everything in order to start fresh! You will have to choose. In any case, given the current climate and the fire inside you, any sort of compromise will prove difficult. Don't go overboard!

Libra You may be planning for the future, Libra, yet find yourself needing to make choices that will resonate far beyond the next few months. It's possible that you will have to consider sending your children to a new school, for example, or decide to move across the country. These are big decisions, to be sure, but trust that you won't be making them alone. Your loved ones have a say in these matters!

A Staff Reporter Dibrugarh, Dec. 7: Dibrugarh Army camp under the aegis of Dao Division has been conducting pre recruitment training for the youth of Assam to guide them to qualify the Army Recruitment Examination. As a consequence to the above endoavour, four youths Chandra Jyoti Phukhon son of Shri Komal Chandra Phukon from village – Tiloyi Natun Gaon, Hirak Jyoti son of Shri Bhaktibor from village - Dinjoy, Ganesh Garh son of Shri Bharat Garh from village Kecheru

Guri No 1 and Shaktiman Rai son of Shri Bil Bahadur Rai from village Pitha Pathar have been selected in the Mariani recruitment rally conducted during the month of Oct 2016 by ARO, Jorhat (Assam).

On their recruitment, a special felicitation function was organised at Dibrugarh Army Camp by the Army on 07 Dec 2016.

The parents of the selected boys appreciated this monumental goodwill gesture by the Army and requested to organise more such programmes to motivate youths to join the Indian Army.

Villagers still deprived of drinking water Mina Nsgori Golaghat, Dec 07: Several villages under Khumtai LAC in Golaghat are still facing the problem of fresh drinking water . The villagers of Khumtai , Natunmati along with several other villages are deprived of pure drinking water . A drinking water supply project was set up during the tenure of the previous government to provide water to the greater area but due to the negligence of the concerned authorities the project has not materialized yet. Now the question arises will this government which raised the slogan of “Change” take fruitful steps to fulfill the demand of the people by providing fresh drinking water.

Scorpio

Sagittarius

Capricorn Capricorn, no one has ever accused you of being overly diplomatic. In fact, since you have no compunction about saying what you think, your mouth regularly gets you into trouble. It's true that your verbal outbursts often relieve tension in tight situations, but there are times when kind words are a more effective way to get a point across. Why not try it?

Aquarius There's some likelihood you'll become irritated with someone close to you today, Aquarius.

Just who do they think they are, anyway? How insulting to put on such an act, especially considering how long you've known each other. Whatever you fight about, at the heart of it is your frustration and concern that your friendship may end.

Try not to overreact. Express yourself mildly.

Pisces Something's gotten into you today, Pisces. An iconoclastic imp inside you is determined to tear down every convention, especially in the art world. Why are you so furious with orthodoxy? Did you dream that an imitator stole one of your ideas and made a fortune with it? If you were an art critic, we would expect you to sing the praises of the vanguard.

Kids on red carpet, a fashion show, Little Angels 2016 was organised by JAS Event group at Duliajan Bihutoli today.Photo by Surajit Gogoi,Duliajan

CID Special Team makes a surprise visit to Golaghat Mina Nsgori Golaghat , Dec 7: Today a special team of the CID of Assam Police made a sudden visit in Golaghat.

The CID team visited Golaghat to investigate two cases of the year

2014. The first case was of burning several vehicles at Rangajan area during Assam - Nagaland border dispute in the year 2014. Another case was of Gold Loan Scam in the ICICI Bank Golaghat

Branch where a businessman took loan of several lacs by giving duplicate gold. The CID Team is investigating both the cases but the officials did not state anything before the media.

Wild Jumbo found dead in Dibrugarh

An elephant being dead (cause unknown) in GarudhariaPatra Gaon in Dibrugarh on Wednesday. Photo by Manoj Pandey

GRAND CLEANLINESS PROGRAM AT TEOK TOWN

You can expect to be volatile today, Scorpio! No one will dare contradict you or insinuate that you've taken your ideas from others. You have the potential to get really angry. Rather than say things you might later regret, write down your thoughts. And if you do feel the need to make a speech, do it in public.

Don't hesitate to speak up for what is right, Sagittarius, even if it means confronting someone with power. So be it. The slightest injustice can't be tolerated. When you voice your opinion, as you feel compelled to do, it makes others respect you. This has been a long time coming, and it does you a tremendous amount of good!

CHILDREN BEAUTY

As a part of the Swaach Bharat Mission, Teok Town Committee today organized a grand cleanliness program at various places of Teok Town in association with Jorhat District Administration and CRPF. Photo and news by Nirmalendu Pathok

A Staff Reporter Dibrugarh, Dec. 7: A female elephant was found dead at Madhupur Garudharia pator Gaon under Khowang Forest in Dibrugarh on Wednesday. It is suspected that the elephant was died in a fight with another elephant. In the past month two elephant’s calves were died in electrocution in the same area.

Dibrugarh Divisional Forest Officer Dilip Deka said that female elephant was died due to a fight with another elephant. He said that right now they cannot ascertain the real cause of her death because they are waiting for the autopsy report. He said that to check the elephant depredation their staffs are

working day and night and taking the help of crackers to drive away the elephant from the human habitation but the elephant again comes to the human habitation in search of food.

According to forest officials, a herd of 70 to 80 elephants come out from the nearby Dehing Medela reserve forest in search of food.

Since the last few days, a herd of around 50 to 60 wild elephants from the nearby Dehing Medela reserve forest has been rampaging paddy fields and granaries in the area. On November 19 and 23 two elephant calves were died in electrocution.

According to sources some

cultivators in the area have resorted to laying live electric wires in their paddy fields by tapping power directly from nearby high tension wires to protect their crops from wild elephants.

In 2005, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, USA sanctioned an amount of Rs 5.3 lakh under the Asian Elephant Welfare Fund for construction of a 3-strand electric power fence along the Dehing Medela Reserve Forest to check elephant depredation in the area.

According to wildlife experts, shrinking forest cover and encroachment upon elephant corridors have forced the animals to move out from their ecological space.

CM Sonowal calls for freeing NE from corruption, terrorism Contd. from Page 1

In the meeting, it was decided to form a Stipend Policy, to made Adhaar Registration of all the students’ compulsory, to examine all the Govt of India Schemes and Stipends that provides higher rates to tribal students and to propose strategies to be converged.

A committee of secretaries was constituted under the chairmanship of Commissioner of Education to formulate the Stipend Policy at the

earliest. Deputy Chief Minister asked to form the new Stipend Policy within the current financial year so that it can be implemented from the next session.

Joram Beda, Secretary (Planning) made a presentation on department-wise details of Stipend Holders, Requirements of Fund and Budgetary Allocations. He also highlighted about the Govt of India Stipend/ Scholarship Schemes through power point.

Among others present in the meeting were

Minister of Education and Libraries, Honchun Ngandam, Parliamentary Secretary of Education, Bamang Felix, Parliamentary Secretary of Planning, Chow Zingnu Namchoom, Commissioner (Textile), Marnya Ete, Secretary (Education), Bidol Tayeng and Directors of School Education, Higher Education, Health, Agriculture, Horticulture, Animal Husbandry & Veterinary, Fisheries, Textile & Handicraft, Social Justice Empowerment & Tribal Affairs and Skill Development.

DIBRUGARH, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8

P3

Chief Minister Pema Khandu inspects ongoing works on NIT and Govt Law College in Jote ET Bureau Itanagar, Dec 7 : Chief Minister Pema Khandu today inspected the ongoing work on the construction of the National Institute of Technology (NIT) at its permanent site in Jote.

Speaking with the institute officials and engineers of construction agency Hindustan Prefab Limited, the Chief Minister sought their suggestions on how the state government could help put the ongoing works on fast track.

The construction work for the institute began in 2012 with fund estimate of Rs 800 crore and was suppose to complete by 2015. Due to delay, the work cost escalated and a revised DPR was submitted.

However, since last 8 months, there have been no funds made available by the centre for the ongoing work, informed the officials. So far, all necessary works of site development is complete and the institute has operating classes of Mechanical Engineering department.

Also the officials informed that remoteness, poor road

connectivity, incomplete works on hostel buildings, medical facilities and several engineering blocks including absence of mobile and internet connectivity were few impediments for the institute to be fully functional. Due to such poor facilities, the students and the faculty members were facing great difficulties.

The Chief Minister assured that the matter will be taken up with the HRD Ministry in his next visit in New Delhi.

He also asked the institute officials to make detail report on the status of works to be presented to the ministry.

Observing that present road connecting Jote and Itanagar (40km) is a village road, the CM promised to build a 2-lane highway over it to provide easy access to state capital.

Putting road as his ‘top priority’, the Chief Minister urged cooperation of the people and requested them not to create hindrances on work in future by making inflated claims of compensation.

Also interacting with the land donors of the institute and

the villagers, the CM assured them that all benefits liable to them will be provided.

Health Minister Jomde Kena added that once the NIT is fully functional, the villagers will benefit a lot as land value will increase and scope for commercial activities will improve. He appreciated the

7th state level painting competition held at Naharlagun

A Staff Reporter Naharlagun, Dec 7 : The 7th State Level Painting Competition was organized by CGWB, SUO at the Municipal Council Office, Naharlagun today, where Chandana Das from Kendriya Vidyalaya No. 1, Naharlagun was adjudged as the winner and also given a cash award of Rs 5000.

First prize winner, Das will now participate in the National Level Painting Competition at New Delhi.

Darshana Das, also from Kendriya Vidyalaya No. 1, Naharlagun won second place and received Rs 3000, while Togam Riba from Ram Krishna Sarda Mission Girls School, Khonsa took away the third prize and received Rs 2000.

Consolation prize winners were also awarded cash prize of Rs 1000 each.

Earlier, school level painting competitions were held in different schools out of which, 50 best paintings were selected by an empowered committee of renowned national artists as jury members where 50 students participated in the state level painting completion with

the theme ‘Save Water-Save Earth’.

Chief Engineer of Water Resources Department, L Angu discussed the water availability scenario of Arunachal Pradesh in the global perspective.

He informed that internationally, a country can be categorized as water stressed when water availability is less than 1700m3 per capita per year and according to this norm India is a water-stressed country, whose per capita availability of water decreased from 1816 cubic meters as per 2001 census to 1545 cubic meters as per the 2011 census.

He pointed out that though per capita water availability of water in Arunachal Pradesh could be high, some portions of the state suffer from water scarcity. The problem of water scarcity is attributed to geology, geomorphology and most importantly management of water resources.

He observed that awareness among school children to preserve water would help replicate the situation of other water stressed states of India.

R K Kalita, Scientist and officer in-charge, CGWB, informed that Central Ground water Board had assessed the dynamic groundwater resources of Arunachal Pradesh and the net groundwater availability of the state is 3.39 billion cubic meter.

He also informed that the groundwater development of the state is less than one percent and there is ample scope for sustainable groundwater development.

V N Pandey, Superintending Engineer of Water Resources Department, said that though the state has vast water resources, the groundwater development is negligible, and opined that resources of the state need to be developed in a sustainable manner.

Sustainable development of groundwater is possible by employing suitable drilling technology based on subsurface condition.

He also emphasized on rooftop rainwater harvesting and urged the students to popularize and propagate the concept of water conservation.

B Ray, scientist of Central Ground Water Board, North Eastern Region, Guwahati, urged the students not to restrict their activities of water conservation only to paintings, and encouraged them to come forward to work in the water sector scientifically and to study earth sciences and hydrogeology.

He also requested the other dignitaries to work on starting a curriculum of earth science in colleges and universities of Arunachal Pradesh.

Congratulating the winners, jury member M Legu opined that art is a true medium to create awareness among people about different social problems.

land donors for donating land of 301 acre for NIT, which is of national importance.

Earlier, the Chief Minister also visited the government law college at Jote village accompanied by Secretary Sports Dani Salu. The PWD officials welcomed the CM

at the newly constructed college building where he inspected the court room, academic buildings, classrooms, faculty rooms etc. The officials informed that all construction work for the college is complete and only works for water and power connectivity remains.

Meeting on switching to cashless transaction held at Namsai DC’s office

ET Bureau Namsai, Dec 7: Keeping in line with directives from NITI Aayog, a meeting on introduction of Cashless transaction was conducted at Deputy Commissioner Office with participation from various Administrative Officers, HODs, Bank Managers and members from business community of Namsai. R K Sharma, Deputy Commissioner, Namsai while welcoming the participants highlighted the current scenario following government’s decision of demonetization and stressed on the importance of need for adoption of digi-

tal payments and transforming our economy into a cashless one.

A power point presentation on Digital Payments was made to equip the participants with information on various modes of cashless payment namely, cards, Point of Sale (PoS), e-wallet, UPI, USSD and Aadhaar enabled Payment System and also the procedure to avail such facilities. It was impressed upon the business community to open bank accounts against their enterprises, with net banking facility, and apply for PoS services at the earliest,

as this would be in their best interests. DDOs of revenue earning departments such as Power, PHED were advised to make available cashless payment facility for the convenience of the common public. Bank representatives from SBI and ICICI shared their knowledge on this topic and requested people to always link their mobile number with bank accounts. The District Administration urged the gathering to embrace this transformation as it would facilitate the creation of a transparent and corruptionfree economic environment.

Mahar Brigade of the Indian Army NSS volunteers of DEMGHSS conduct special set for the Siang Adventure Festival camp at Berung village ET Bureau Yingkiong, 7 DEC : The 3 Mahar Brigade of the Indian Army is all set to celebrate the Siang Adventure cum Cultural Festival 2016-2017 at Yingkiong in Upper Siang district.

Accordingly, there are various events lined up for the festival, including 5 KM cycling, 5 KM run, rowing and rafting, cultural competition, football, adventure challenge cup, and many more.

Addressing the coordination

meeting on Tuesday, Colonel Vidug Sharma sought the support of various departments.

He said that the festival primarily aims to create a strong bonding between the army and people of Upper Siang district with the spirit of adventure.

He also sought necessary support from the District Administration and participation from local population for success of the event.

Colonel Sharma also informed that 12 teams are participating in the Adventure Challenge

Cup, which is conducted once in two years by the Indian Army.

ADC Tapik Pertin directed the district heads of offices to extend all possible support and assistance during the course of celebration and also assured every possible help from the District Administration.

Joining with the nationwide movement of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, the army with officials and public also conducted a mass social service at market area and General Ground, Yingkiong today.

10th ONGC North-East Tamchon Football Tournament A Staff Reporter Pasighat, Dec 7: In 3 days long special camp of NSS Unit of D. Ering Memorial Government Hr. Sec. School, Pasighat held at Berung village from 5th-7th December, the NSS volunteers carried out a rigorous social service drive right from village approaching road to general ground and its vicinity where Berung Upper Primary School is going to celebrate its Golden Jubilee from next week.

In the special camp of NSS Unit led by programme officer, Boyem Jerang, around 120 student volunteers participated out of which 76 were girls. The volunteers carried out rigorous social service and all jungle and bushes around the celebration sites and approach road were cleared off. Besides, Principal, DEMGHSS, Papang Rukbo, ASM Berung, Kamin Darang, GPC, Nobin Taki, former GPC, Nalong Perme, Golden Jubilee Celebration Organizing Secy. Osup Taloh, Golden Jubilee V/Chairman, Er. Kaling Panggeng (AE,

PWD) and Kalen Komut, teaching staff all were also present during the days to boost up and oversee the good activities of the NSS volunteers.

In his short speech to volunteers, Principal, Papang Rukbo said NSS activities are meant for overall development of students’ career as only textbook knowledge is not sufficient to broaden the outlook of students. While appreciating the Programme Officer, Boyem Jerang, Rukbo added that, under his mentorship, the NSS section of DEMGHSS is progressing and many social services are being conducted in the villages in the last 2 years. While one Nalong Perme, former, Gram Panchayat Chairperson of the village said that, they are very thankful to the DEMGHSS with special mention to NSS Unit led by Jerang as the help came during the preparation of Golden Jubilee Celebration of the UPS, Berung which was established in the year 1966.

Todo United Football Club returned with the 2nd Runners-Up Trophy

A Staff Reporter Itanagar, Dec 7 : Todo United Football Club (TUFC) returned home from New Delhi after winning the 2nd runnersup trophy in the recently held 10th ONGC North-East Tamchon Football Tournament at Dr B R Ambedkar Stadium, New Delhi held from Novem-

ber 19 to December 2 last.

TUFC chairman Takam Dado Tallom said that though the team could not win the finals, he was happy that the players gave a tough fight to the other clubs.

TUFC played against Ukhrul Football Club from Manipur to win third place in the tour-

nament.

“The only loss was during the semi final against Hornbill Football Club from Nagaland, or we might have reached the final”, Tallom said.

Rinchin Dorjee Karma of Rupa, West Kameng was the highest scorer and scored seven goals in the series.

The story of a Progressive Kiwi Grower: Hage Halley Tara ET Bureau Ziro, Dec 7: Around eight kilometers from Hari village in Ziro, Lower Subansiri, into the wilderness, amidst dense forest, at an altitude of 5610 feet above sea level, lays the enchanting Himalayan Kiwi (Actinidia deliciosa) garden.

Hage Halley Tara is the proud owner of the sprawling eight hectare garden.

On a lazy afternoon, I and a few of my friends decided to visit this garden, which is the largest in the entire Ziro Valley.

After a spine breaking eight kilometer journey on a very bad forest road, the sight of the garden mystified us. Spread across both sides of the road, enclosed by a natural boundary of huge trees, the garden told us a story of a man, who single handedly converted this no man’s land into a sprawling kiwi garden.

Son of late Hage Hale of Hari Village, Tara quit his government job to pursue his love – farming. After a failed attempt at apple farming, he decided to

survey and technically improvise his farming methods.

An internet savvy farmer, he researched about kiwi cultivation on the internet. The reason for choosing to set up this garden, miles away from the town at one of the highest points of Ziro Valley is the outcome of this research, he modestly shared with us.

The fact that kiwis require sunshine and shade in equal proportions is taken care by the trees surrounding the garden, he further explains.

As he took us on a tour around his garden, he narrated his struggle, his dreams and ambitions, which left us captivated and overwhelmed.

In 2010, he started clearing the part of this dense jungle (ancestral property) and spent six months at a stretch in the jungle clearing the area and planted around 100 kiwi plants in the first year, with only the chirping of the birds and deer’s barking around to keep him company.

Unlike other farmers who use

Hage Halley Tara is the proud owner of the sprawling eight hectare garden.

the T-bar as support for the vines, he adopted the pergola system (the only kind in the entire state), which provides better space for the vines to spread out.

Today, after six years, his eight hectare garden proudly flaunts more than 2200 vines on his small hillocks of four varieties of kiwis- Monty, Hayward, Alison and Bruno.

“A kiwi vine starts fruiting after three years. So from 2010 to 2013 I have made daily trips to the hills that even the trees swing to the sound of my old Maruti 800 car”, he proudly beams.

Advocating for organic cultivation, he has set up a piggery in the garden to meet the manure requirements of the plants. He has also planted trees known as “Riime “scientifically known as Alnus Nepalenensis in between the vines which does nitrogen fixation.

As he lovingly plucked a ripened kiwi, he told us that he has regular health checkups for the vines. Religiously he tests the soil around weak vines with

his own soil testing kits and later supplements the manure requirements. A healthy vine can bear around 40-50 kgs of kiwi.

Based on their weights and the sugar content, they are graded as A, B and C. An A grade kiwi can cost 130 Rs/kg in the local market, he explained to us. As he went on and on about chilling period, rainy hour, dry period requirement for best tasting kiwis, I realized for this man farming is not just a livelihood, but it is his passion and he has a long way to go.

Besides kiwi plantations, he has an interesting method of keeping track of his mithuns (Bos Frontails), which are semi-wild animals. Every evening he leaves more than a handful of salt on Shie (stone slab) for these mithuns, who come to have their share of salt every evening.

Today, he, along with other kiwi growers of Ziro has a registered cooperative society and Hage Tara is the chief advisor.

For these growers the one ma-

jor concern is the marketing.

Although Tara has a website www.himalayankiwi.com, he too expressed concern over poor marketing facilities.

“Our kiwis are at par with the New Zealand kiwis in taste and quality. A good Kiwi could cost around 50 rupees per piece in the metros. But due to poor marketing facilities we are unable to fetch good price for our kiwis and also we can minimize loses but for the want of cold storage facility. But we kiwi growers along with other farming community are still trying to impress upon the government the dire requirement of a cold storage facility in Ziro Valley. Ziro can become agriculture and horticulture hub, as it’s bestowed with very fertile land,” he added.

For me and my friends it really was a wonderful experience as we stood beneath the vines with hundreds of kiwis dangling all over our heads and listening to this man’s story and yes a basketful of kiwis from the owner.

DIBRUGARH, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8

Govt. Condoles demise of justice K N Saikia ET Bureau Dispur, Dec 7: The Government of Assam has expressed profound grief at the sad demise of Justice K N Saikia, Retired Judge of the Supreme Court of India who breathed his last today. ?In a condolence message, the State Government prayed for eternal peace for the departed soul. ?Further, the State Government has decided to accord State Honour to late Justice Saikia during the latter’s funeral.

Ikramul Hussain appointed as Secretary to One Man Inquiry Committee ET Bureau Guwahati , Dec 7: The Government of Assam vide a Notification issued yesterday has appointed Ikramul Hussain, Joint Secretary, Personnel Department as the Secretary to the One Man Inquiry Committee headed by Rajiv Kumar Bora, Additional Chief Secretary, WPT and BC Department. ?It may be mentioned that the Committee was constituted to inquire into the circumstances leading to the death of two persons and injury to many including Police personnel and loss of public properties due to the violence which erupted during the eviction drive conducted by the Nagaon District Administration at Kaziranga National Park on September 19, 2016 as per order passed by the Gauhati High Court on October 9, 2015. ?The order has come into effect immediately and will remain in force until further orders.

KLNLF observes Martyrs’ Day Sushanta Roy Diphu, Dec 7: Karbi LongriNorth Cachar Hills Liberation Front (KLNLF) observed its 18th Martyrs’ Day yesterday at its Tarlangso designated Camp near Diphu. The program began with hoisting of the organizational flag by chairman P.Dilli. Home Secretary Phulok Teron lighted lamps in memory of the martyrs. A public meeting was also held in the after-noon which was chaired by KLNLF Chairman P.Dilli. Karbi Cultural Society president Chandra sing Kro was present in the program. Chairman P. Dilli appealed to the people to choose candidate wisely in the approaching KAAC election. Karbi Lammet Amei President Suren Kramsa was also present in the meeting.

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Industries & Commerce Minister rejects claims by APCC President ET Bureau Guwahati, Dec 7: Industries and Commerce Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary today rejected the comments made by APCC President and Rajya Sabha MP, Ripun Bora against Nagaon and Cachar Paper Mills which falls

under Hindustan Paper Corporation Ltd. The Minister said that such comments are false and baseless.

Industries and Commerce Minister Patowary who is in New Delhi said that, “I had a discussion with the

Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises of the Government of India today. The Ministry informed that the Centre is very keen and sincere in reviving the Nagaon and Cachar Paper Mills. The Cabinet Memorandum for revival of the two paper

mills is in under process and will be sent to the Prime Minister Office within 15 days for his consent to be placed and passed in the Cabinet.”

“Once the Cabinet approves it, the fund will be released for revival of the mills,” the Min-

CBI raids Tezpur Head Post office ET Correspondent Tezpur, Dec 7: A three member CBI team from New Delhi today raided the office of the Tezpur Head Post office searching for details on misappropriation of a huge amount of transaction. It is worth mentioning here that the Tezpur Head Post Office located at the heart of the town facilitates with services like Sorting, processing and delivering mail to the recipients.

The Head Post office that covers a total of 47 sub-post offices falling under Darrang Postal Division is funded by Government of

India. More importantly besides mail delivering to the recipients, it also deals with financial transactions including various savings schemes, Savings and Postal Life Insurance (PLI), Savings account, Recurring Deposit, Monthly Income Scheme, Monthly Public Provident Fund, Time Deposit, Senior Citizen Saving Scheme, National Savings Certificate, Kisan Vikas Patra and Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana.

However, for the few years sever anomalies against many accounts held by many customers have

been rift. Particularly, when the Core Banking System (CBS) was introduced in 2013 in this Office, the silent accounts revived automatically when some officials carelessly did some technical mistakes. Sources said that following this misdeed of the officials the silent accounts that were dead for many years were revived with certain fake figures thereby misleading to a complete disorder of the entire process. Moreover, the officials even withdrew money from such accounts in nexus with the all the officials including the super-

intendent.

However, the CBI team has been investigating thoroughly since morning till to the filling of this report during which all the officials and the employees have been questioned regarding the anomalies. “During the period of 2014-15, anomaly of Rs. 1.4 crore was occurred which has come to light during the investigation.” Sources said. It needs mentioning here that in connection with the anomalies already one employee of the office, Arup Das has been suspended.

HSDC opposes Good Governance Day; counters Uniform Civil Code Sushanta Roy Diphu Dec 7: The Hills State Demand Council (HSDC) has opposed the move of the central government to commence ‘Good Governance Day’ from December 25, on the propitious Christmas Day. The party while twisting the government budge on religious

line has stated that “Christmas is the greatest festival of Christians not only in India but all over the world.

The BJP is organizing this program to stay behind to its theory of “one nation, one culture, one language and one religion.

It is against secularism. The

framers of the Constitution of India have guaranteed the Right to Freedom of Religion to all its citizens of the country’’. The HSDC mentioned that the move of BJP to introduce Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in the country is also part of a larger conspiracy to suppress religious minorities, including Chris-

tians.

“The move is against the authority of the Church. The action of NDA government to introduce Uniform Civil Code in the country is against the rights and customs of the hill tribal people and small communities like Karbis, Dimasas, Kukis, Rengmas,’’.

Bangladeshi issue: Junior Railway Minister stirs up a hornet’s nest ET Bureau GUWAHATI: Junior Railway Minister Rajen Gohain has stirred up a hornet’s nest by equating the Ahoms with Bengali Hindu immigrants of Bangladesh living in Assam.

As protests in the state continue against the Centre’s move to amend the Citizenship Act in order to grant citizenship to the non-Muslim immigrants of Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan, Gohain asserted on Tuesday that even the Ahoms had migrated from Thailand but they played the lead role in building the greater Assamese society. He had categorically said that the Bengali Hindu immigrants would also contrib-

ute in a similar manner towards taking the state forward.

Gohain is an Ahom and the BJP’s Nagaon MP in central Assam. He has been representing the constituency for four terms on the trot.

The Ahoms are a dominant community, both socially and politically, of eastern Assam and they ruled the state for 600 years. A number of former chief ministers, including Tarun Gogoi of the previous Congress government, belong to the community.

Taking strong exception to the BJP MP’s remarks, several frontal organisations of the Ahoms ventilated their ire on Wednesday by burning his ef-

figy with some of them threatening to prevent his entry into eastern Assam if he does not tender an apology.

“What he said is shameful and unacceptable. The MP should know that there was no race called Assamese before the arrival of the Ahoms in 1228 AD,” the influential All Tai Ahom Students’ Union (ATASU) president Nitul Buragohain told Express.

He warned that if Gohain repeated the statement, he would face “challenges” from the Ahoms as well as the Assamese people.

Bengali Hindu immigrants have a sizeable population in

the Nagaon constituency. The ATASU president alleged Gohain had made the statement to keep the immigrant voters in good humour.

“Ahead of polls, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his BJP had promised to protect the Assamese and their land, language and cultures. So, we would like to know if Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal endorses what the MP said,” he said.

As per the Assam Accord of 1985, which the All Assam Students’ Union had signed with the then Rajiv Gandhi government, the Bangladeshi immigrants, who entered Assam after March 25, 1971, would be detected and deported.

Northeast India Choral Competition brings togetherness in culture, music in Delhi Vangamla Salle K S (ANI) New Delhi, Dec. 7 : Music knows no boundaries, religion and caste. And music is all around us. Likewise, sound, rhythm, tune are no strange to the people of northeast region. Looking at the early stage and the history, music played an important role in the region.

Through music, stories of different time period can be identify and give the insightful stories of their way of living in olden days.

And now many youngsters from the northeast region are picking up the rhythm and strive for their passion in music.

Creating a platform for the music lovers, the fifth edition of the northeast India choral singing competition was recently held in the national

capital, wherein 12 northeast churches from Delhi participated.

The event based on the theme of ‘Togetherness in culture and music’, was organised by the Tangkhul Christian Charitable Trust.

The event was graced by world women boxing champion and member of Rajya Sabha, MC Mary Kom. “It’s quite nice to see the northeast community and society came and participate in choral competition and shared the platform. And, of course everyone is enjoying and showing their talents through performances. When I actually came and witnessed the live performances, I enjoyed a lot and really love the performances,” said MC Mary Kom, World Women Boxing Champion and Mem-

ber of Rajya Sabha.

The event aimed to bring together all the northeast churches onto a single platform and share the fellowship through culture and music.

“This is the 5th version of Northeast India Choral Competition. The basic purpose of organising this event is to bring together northeast churches and fellowships into one platform where we shared the fellowship through culture and music.

This will help us to strengthen our fellowship one another and strengthen the churches of northeast, so that we can interact to the mainstream society and bring us oneness in the nation,” added Dr. Yaruingam Awungshi, an organiser.

The competition saw huge music lovers from the region

as well as people from other parts of the country.

Twelve churches and fellowships based in Delhi competed for the most coveted title giving their best performances.

Attired with beautiful and colourful traditional costumes both men and women added glamour and glitters at the event.

Apart from the competition, the event also saw live performances from well known music bands from the region.

After giving excellent performances, Delhi Ao Baptist Church was adjudged the winner and awarded with a cash prize of Rs. 3 lakh.

“It was amazing actually and I really had a good time

practising for the last couple of weeks. And it gave me with an opportunity to mingle with my people from my community as well because cities like Delhi, everybody is busy with their own work, so we got an opportunity to gather together and worship together as well. So it was really amazing,” added Yaden, one of the participants.

“It was actually very great to be here especially the choir. It’s for sure that they’ve displayed an amazing talent, so I am so glad to be here,” said Venus from Philippines Such platforms help to identify the talents and skills of people and help the community and the society to understand the importance of oneness and togetherness of life.

ister added.

The Minister lastly added that in the interest of the industrial growth and employment generation in the State, politicians should not indulge in cheap politics by spreading negative and false statements.

Lakhimpur District Administration cancels two licence of Fair Price Shop ET Correspondent Lakhimpur, Nov 6: Debeswar Malakar, the Deputy Commissioner of Lakhimpur District cancelled the licence of two Fair Price(FP) Shop keepers of the district today.

They are Mina Borah of Sarabhani Nepalibari Gaon Under Bongalmora Gaon Panchayat Samabay Somity and Helaras Kangari of Tunijan under Laluk Gaon Panchayat Samabay Somtiy. Two cases, separately, were lodged against

them.

It is to be noted that K.Baruah, the Sub-Inspector of District Food and Civil Supply Department discovered some discrepancies in the FP Shop of Mina Borah. Similarly, another Sub-Inspector A. Kutum discovered such discrepancies in the FP Shop of Helaras Kangari. The Deputy Commissioner initiated the disciplinary move against the Shop Keepers on account of violating the public food distribution act.

Solar street lights and electricity supply back-up at Semkhor (Adopted) village ET Correspondent Haflong, Dec 7 : Haflong based 43 Assam Rifles under the aegis of Headquarters 22 Sector Assam Rifles installed Solar Street Lights and also established Electricity supply back-up for (solar street lights) at Semkhor (adopted) village.

43 Assam Rifles handed over the 06 Solar Street Lights and Electricity supply back-up (05 solar street lights) at Semkhor (adopted) village authorities, Dima Hasao District, Haflong in the presence of villagers and it was inaugurated by Smt Ranu Langthasa, Chairperson, North Cachar Hills Autonomous Council, Colonel Gagan Pandey, Commandant and other dignitaries from Haflong and Maibang on Tuesday. Assam Rifles assured the local populace that Assam Rifles will continue to work for the people in future. The village authority and villagers expressed their heartfelt gratitude to the 43 Assam Rifles

for extending the urgently needed assistance.

The gesture of 43 Assam Rifles under Assam Rifles Civic Action Programme will also help in further strengthening the bond between the locals and the Security Forces. Solar

Street Lights and Electricity supply back-up at Semkhor (adopted) village will go a long way in improving civic amenities for the villagers. The village authority also assured their whole hearted support to the Army/ Assam Riles in times to come.

Heinous murder of a minor leaves Morigaon on the edge Dalim Phoukon Morigaon, Dec, 7: Tense situation prevailed here in Morigaon district following a heinous murder of a seven year boy at Barangabari village on Monday. According to police source, one Bhupen Kakoti, a shop keeper of Barangabari village under Morigaon Police station brutally killed a seven year old boy, Shiba Mahanta

and his body was burnt by the killer at Batabari paddy field on Monday.

which was the main cause behind the dreaded murder of the minor boy.

The half burnt body and skull of the boy was recovered by the police on Tuesday. The police source said that the killer Bhupen Kakoti wanted to marry the widowed mother of the deceased boy. But, mother of the boy rejected his illegal proposal of the shop keeper

Police registered the murder case at Morigaon Police station and arrested Bhupen and interrogation is going on. Several organisations expressed serious concern over the murder and demanded exemplary punishment of the culprit.

Armed Forces Flag Day celebrated in Raj Bhawan ET Bureau Guwahati, Dec 7: Armed Forces Flag Day was celebrated at Raj Bhawan today. It is for the third time that the Armed Forces Flag Day was observed here.

Every year, 7th December is observed as the ‘Armed Forces Flag Day’ throughout the country since 1949 with an aim to honour the martyrs and the men in uniform who not only fought valiantly for the country’s honour and safety but laid their lives for the sake of the motherland.

Paying tributes to the brave and martyred soldiers for their selfless service for safeguarding the security and integrity of the Nation, Assam Governor Shri Purohit said that Armed Forces Flag Day is an occasion to generate funds for the welfare of the jawans of Indian Armed Forces and their dependents. Welcoming the ex-servicemen, war widows Governor Shri Purohit also extended his gratitude for their contribution to fortify the defence of the country. He also said

that the national flag is always held high because of the sacrifice and immense contributions of the soldiers of the nation.

Lauding the efforts of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi in giving special emphasis to fulfill all issues of the armed forces, the Governor said that the government has been all along sincere to solve all their issues empathetically. .

The flag day also plays an important role in collecting donations for ‘Armed Forces Flag Day Fund’ which is the lifeline for instituting welfare measures and rehabilitation of the EX-servicemen community.

The Kamrup (Metro) has collected Rs 7.20 lacs, which is the highest amongst the District and has won the coveted best collection trophy for the last two consecutive years. The Sonitpur is close behind with a collection of Rs 6.30 lacs.

The Rajya Sainik Board has been able to reach out and provide assistance to 41,506 Ex-Servicemen or

their dependants in last four years from all sources, as against just about 780 in 2008-09.

Chief Secretary V.K.Pipersenia, senior officers from Govt of Assam and senior Armed Forces personnel, representatives from the PSUs, gallantry award winners, war disabled, war widows, ex-defence service officers and host of other dignitaries were present on the occasion.

Commodore Kamalesh Chandra Choudhury, VSM (Retd), Director, Sainik Welfare, Govt of Assam Secretary State Managing Committee said, “The most important gift from the Honourable Governor and the Honourable Chief Minister to the Ex-servicemen community of Assam has been the ‘War Memorial’ and ‘Sainik Bhawan’ at Guwahati. These two magnificient structures have provided the due recognition and respect to the Martyrs and Veterans and are one of the best in the country.”

DIBRUGARH, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8

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Two decades on, tribals' repatriation 26 graduate from School to Mizoram from Tripura uncertain of Nursing in Kohima Agartala, Dec 07: Despite Supreme Court directions and the Union Home Ministry's initiative, the repatriation of tribal refugees from Tripura to Mizoram hangs in balance even after two decades.

The Mizoram government and refugee leaders put new conditions in a recent four-party meeting in New Delhi to resettle the tribals in the state after the repatriation.

About 31,300 Reang tribals, who locally call themselves "Bru", have been living in seven makeshift camps in North Tripura's Kanchanpur and Panisagar sub-divisions adjoining Mizoram since October 1997 after they fled their homes in western Mizoram following ethnic troubles in the state.

"We are ready to return to our homes in Mizoram, but the state government is reluctant to meet our basic demands like allotment of lands for cultivation," refugee leader Bruno Msha told IANS. "In the November 24 meeting in New Delhi, we categorically reiterated our demand to allot five hectares of land to each refugee family to cultivate after the repatriation. The Mizoram officials sum-

marily rejected this basic demand. If we do not have land how would we survive?" he asked.

The third high-level meeting held on November 24 at the Union Home Ministry in New Delhi discussed in depth the repatriation of the tribal refugees.

The ministry's Special Secretary, (Internal Security), Mahesh Kumar Singla, presided over the meeting where senior officials from the Tripura and Mizoram governments and refugee and other tribal leaders were present.

A 30-member team of Mizoram government officials last month conducted a survey in the refugee camps to identify the bona fide citizens of Mizoram among the refugees.

A Tripura Relief Department official said that in the New Delhi meeting, it was decided to issue birth certificates by the Tripura government to those children born in the relief camps during the past 19 years.

"We have received 700 applications from the refugees for birth certificates for the children. We have already started the

process and within 15 days would be able to issue the certificates," north Tripura District Magistrate and Collector Sandeep Namdeo Mahatme told IANS on the phone.

"Most of the tribal refugees are willing to go to their homes in Mizoram.

Some people are creating barriers in the repatriation process to serve their own interests."

The District Magistrate said Singla, along with other ministry officials, would visit the refugee camps this week to persuade the residents to return to Mizoram.

"We are confident that the refugees would go back to their homes from January as the Mizoram government is taking the initiative to take them back," Mahatme said.

Tripura Relief Department officials said that the Supreme Court last year had asked the Union Home Ministry and the Mizoram and Tripura governments to jointly work for the return of the tribal refugees to their homes in Mizoram.

The Home Ministry undertook serious efforts after the Supreme Court's directive.

Art and culture department gets computer sets for office

Parliamentary secretary of Art and Culture E. Eshak Konyak.

Kohima, Dec 07: Parliamentary secretary of Art and Culture E. Eshak Konyak handed over full set computers along with printers to the seven district cultural offices of Nagaland during a function held at directorate of Art and Culture Kohima on Tuesday.

Konyak in his address at the brief function urged the department staff to utilize the equipments provided for the benefit of the department. He highlighted the new initiative taken up for the departments and said that next year new building would come up

and extension of state museum. He lamented that though Art and Culture was one of the most important departments the government had often neglected the department.

He warned the employees who drew pay without going to office would invite curse as a Christian. He said that giving away necessary equipments to the district offices would encourage and be emulated by other departments too.

Director Art and Culture, Vevo Sapuh in his address advised the department staffs to utilize the provided equipments accord-

ing to the interest and benefit of the department. He reminded that department staff may keep changing but the equipments should be kept intact and maintained properly.

Curator nodal officer of Art and Culture, Shingnto Rengma on the sideline of the programme informed that the proposal for district cultural office at Kiphire, Longleng and Peren was awaiting the cabinet approval. He informed that Mokokchung and Zunheboto district opted for chairs instead of computer sets. (Agencies)

Date set for foundation stones of NH-37 bridges

The two bridges will be constructed by a company based outside the State with NHIDC as the implementing agency.

Imphal, Dec 07: Foundation stones for Barak and Makru bridges which would be constructed anew will be laid on December 11.

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) will provide necessary funds to the National Highway Infra-

structure Development Corporation (NHIDC) Limited.

The two bridges will be constructed by a company based outside the State with NHIDC as the implementing agency.

As per an agreement signed between NHIDC and the company, Barak

and Makru bridges would be constructed within three years.

The total estimated cost for the two bridges is Rs 103 crore.

Incidentally, the existing bailey bridges of Barak and Makru break down every now and then and the weights of loaded vehicles are restricted within certain limits if they are to cross the two bridges.

It is reported that the new Barak Bridge and Makru Bridge would be constructed with RCC. Meanwhile, BRO has informed that the bailey bridge over Barak river located along ImphalBarak road will remain closed for repairing work. All types of vehicles except those on medical emergency cannot ply on the bridge from December 8 till the completion of the repairing work. (Agencies)

Despite several initiatives by the Mizoram government to bring the refugees back, they have been reluctant to do so unless their demands for food and security are met.

The refugees' apex body, the Mizoram Bru Displaced People's Forum (MBDPF), has been insisting that three teams of their organisations be allowed to visit three Mizoram districts -- Mamit, Lunglei and Kolasib -- to study the situation where they would be rehabilitated.

"The MBDPF has submitted a 14-point demand to the MHA. The demands include allotment of five hectares of land to each tribal family, undertaking a special development plan for the backward tribals, provide adequate security to the repatriated refugees, one government job to each refugee family and creation of scope for livelihood in Mizoram," MBDPF general secretary Bruno Msha said.

The refugee leader said the Home Ministry agreed to give each refugee family housing assistance of Rs 38,500, cash assistance of Rs 41,500, free rations for two years, blankets and utensils, while Mizoram would reimburse their

transportation cost.

Mizoram Home Minister R. Lalzirliana said in Aizawl that the state government would not concede the demands of the MBDPF as a pre-condition of the refugees' repatriation.

"It would also be impossible for the state government to allot five hectares of land to each repatriated tribal family. The repatriated families also would have to wait for allocation of land for construction of houses and for farming in accordance with the guidelines of their respective village councils," the minister said.

Meanwhile, the Tripura government has been asking the Union and Mizoram governments to repatriate the refugees at the earliest as serious socio-economic and law-and-order problems have cropped up in the state.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, accompanied by his deputy, Kiren Rijiju, had visited the refugee camps in North Tripura in February last year and urged the Mizoram government and the refugees to end the stalemate. (Agencies)

Dr. L. Watikala and others along with the graduating students at NHAK Kohima, Dec 07: Naga Hospital Authority Kohima (NHAK) organized graduation day ceremony at DPT conference hall for the 26 nurses of School of Nursing NHAK, who had completed their course and attained graduation November last.

Principal director of Health and Family Welfare, Dr. L. Watikala in her address congratulated the students saying that inspite of the poor infrastructure the students have succeeded in graduating.

Watikala said nursing was a job oriented course and

asked the students not to look for government job alone but to venture in a bigger way.

She told them to respect their uniforms just as the profession was respectable and noble.

PD said love, compassionate, psychological treatment and smile were some keys elements to treat the patients and urged to keep up their pledge and to know their responsibilities as poor and needy people awaited them.

Medical superintendent, Dr. Thorse advised them

to dream big saying graduation was a gateway to new life and responsibilities. MS said nurse profession has become so lucrative and asked to look beyond the horizon keeping in mind that the world has become "Survival of the fittest".

Out of 26 students, two emerged in first division, 22 in second division and two in third position.

Officials of NHAK, H&FW, parents of the graduating students and others attended the graduation ceremony.

(Agencies)

UDP to secure PDF 1 hr shutdown observed to with win in by-polls demand ST status in Imphal Shillong, Dec 07: The United Democratic Party (UDP) which is contesting the upcoming KHADC bypolls, on Tuesday said the party's win in the by-polls would further stabilize the ruling PDF led by suspended Congress member PN Syiem.

Addressing a press conference here, Leader of Opposition and UDP chief Donkupar Roy appealed to the people to extend their support to the party's candidates for the six vacant seats in the KHADC to strengthen the PN Syiemled executive committee.

Stating that the party wants the incumbent CEM (Syiem) to continue till the

end of the term, Roy claimed that the party candidates have a greater chance compared to those fielded by the coalition partner KHNAM. It may be mentioned that KHNAM is contesting only from three seats Nongkrem, LabanMawprem and PariongMawthadraishan in the by-polls whereas the UDP has fielded candidates in all the seven vacant seats.

Roy also made it clear that the UDP is not interested in the CEM's post even if A large number of women vendors of the historic it wins majority of the Ima Keithel in Khwairamband market squatted on seats in the by-polls as it the road as part of the demonstration. is satisfied with the functioning of the incumbent Imphal, Dec 07: Life in sev- standing demand, there'll be KHADC chief. (Agencies) eral parts of Manipur valley more agitation," a protester was disrupted as people ob- said. served a one-hour total shut- Similar demonstrations were down to demand inclusion of staged at Johnstone Maning Meitei/Meetei in the Sched- Keithel three and four, uled Tribe category under the Panthoibi Keithel, Punshi Constitution.

Keithel, Gambhir Singh shopOrganised under the banner of ping complex, Tera Keithel, the Coordinating Body on Khumbong Keithel, Scheduled Tribe Demand Naoremthong Keithel, Committee Manipur, markets in Lamsang Keithel, Sangakpam Imphal and other valley dis- Keithel, Koirengei Keithel, tricts were closed. Traffic was Pheidingga Keithel, Pangei brought to a grinding halt on Lamlong Keithel, Lamlai roads, including highways. All Keithel, Nongada Keithel, normal activities were sus- Yaingang-pokpi Keithel, pended during the course of the Kongba Keithel, Yairipok one hour-long demonstration. Keithel, Konung Mamang A large number of women Keithel, Singjamei Keithel, vendors of the historic Ima Kakwa Keithel, Thoubal Keithel in Khwairamband Wangjing Keithel, Khongjom market squatted on the road Keithel, Pishum Keithel, as part of the demonstration. Samurou Keithel, Wangoi They also staged a rally within Keithel, Mayang Imphal 693 loaded trucks which are presently stranded at the bazar area shouting sev- Keithel, Wabagai Lamkhei Jiribam will be proceeding to Imphal eral slogans.

Keithel, Keishamthong the Ibobi Government con- Keithel, Heirangoithong East Jiribam, Dec 07: 693 of Chandel district police "If to push aside and re- Keithel, Heirangoithong loaded trucks which are and Thoubal district po- tinues fuses to bother the long West Keithel, Kwakeithel, presently stranded at lice today.

Jiribam will be proceeding The vehicles which arto Imphal with tight secu- rived at the State capital rity tomorrow, our corre- from Moreh include Maruti Van, Tata Sumo, spondent reports.

The number of loaded Tata DI, Mini truck and trucks is likely to increase others.

Agartala, Dec 07: In a se- soon due to heavy bloodIt may be mentioned here ries of tragic incidents a little shed. While the girl's partomorrow, sources said.

Of the 693 trucks that will that a few days back, sus- girl was killed in a road mis- ents and relatives strongly proceed to Imphal tomor- pected economic block- hap at Jirania under West protested the police-TSR row, 130 are oil tankers, ade supporters (around Tripura district yesterday. jawans brought the situaion 84 are LPG trucks and 10 in number) burned Swapnil Das (3), a little girl under control. The death of to all in the Fire Brigade Swapnil has cast a pall of 479 trucks are loaded with down one Tata DI and dear Chowmuhuni area under gloom all over Jirania. necessary items like vandalized three vans Jirania and daughter of one In a separate incident a tribal pulses, grains and others. and two Tata Sumos in Swapan Das, had requested teen Kinmala Tripura (13) Mention may be made, between Bongyang and her father to take her to a was shot by unknown assome of the 771 empty Thamnapokpi under shop on his bicycle and buy sailants while harvesting trucks that left Imphal for Tengoupal police station her a packet of potato chips. 'jhum' crops in Nabakumar The father took his dear parra area under Bhagirath Jiribam, reached Jiribam on December 2. village under yesterday night while the On the other hand, daughter on the backside of ADC economic the bicycle which was Gandacherra subdivision remaining trucks arrived counter hard by a speeding yesterday in the morning. blockade supporters pushed in the morning today. truck . Swapnil was seriously The injured Kinmala was In the meantime, 209 ve- stopped passenger ve- injured and profusely bleed- taken to Gandacherra hoshicles which are stranded hicles and off loaded ing . She was taken to pital and is battling for life at Moreh due to the UNC goods at around 7 am emergecy section of GB but the police could not esimposed economic block- today near the BSNL of- hospital where doctors al- tablish the identity of those ade were escorted back fice at Jiribam today. legedly did not take proper who had fired upon her. care. The little girl fell dead In another incident , acting safely by a combined team (Agencies)

693 trucks set to move from Jiri today

Kwakeithel Lamdong Keithel, Thokchom Line Tiddim ground, Nambol Keithel, Ningthoukhong Keithel, Moirang Lamkhai Keithel, Moirang Keithel, Kumbi Keithel and other Keithels showed their support by staging demonstrations and raising slogans regarding the issue.

On September 18 last, a mammoth rally was carried out in Imphal to demand Scheduled Tribe (ST) status for the Meiteis, the majority group of Manipur, under the banner of the Coordinating Body on Scheduled Tribe Demand Committee Manipur.

The committee has pitched for the demand of protection of the Meitei community under the Constitution by enlisting it in the ST category under Article 341 (2).

It has maintained that the Meitei indigenous group has been left unprotected for a long time and hence it needs Constitutional safeguard by including it under the ST category.

The Coordinating Committee has been spearheading the campaign for inclusion of Meitei in the ST list. It maintains that the identity, culture and language of the Meitei group can be protected under the ST status.

A few Meitei based organisations have opposed the demand of ST status for the Meitei group which has maintained that Manipur existed as a princely state under the Meitei kings and therefore the campaign for inclusion of the Meiteis in the ST category should be discontinued. (Agencies)

Road mishap, bullet and suspected murder take away three lives of girls and women on information provided by local people, personnel of Bishalgarh police station recovered the floating and decomposed corpse of a youing woman Pratima Barman (30) from a pond in the Krishna Kishore Nagar area under the Bishalgarh police station. Police sources said that Pratima Barman had left her home in Ratan Nagar on November 30 for work but never returned home. Her family members had registered a missing diary and a search was on . But the dead body was found yesterday .

Sources said that the reason for death or wheter she had been raped would come to light only after post-mortem was conducted on the dead body. (Agencies)

EDITORIAL

DIBRUGARH, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8

Today's quote "If you want to test your memory, “try to recall what you were worrying about one year ago today." – E. Joseph Cossman

The heart of the problem There are good reasons why the 'Heart of Asia' conference, part of a 14-nation process begun in 2011 to facilitate the development and security of Afghanistan, is so named. The obvious one is geographical, as Afghanistan lies at the junction of Central, South and East Asia, and also of the ancient trading routes from China and India to Europe. Today it is also a focal point for the region's biggest challenge of terrorism; some of the far-reaching battles against alQaeda, Islamic State, etc. will be decided on the battlegrounds of Afghanistan. For India, putting terror centre stage at the Heart of Asia declaration in Amritsar was thus timely and necessary. In tandem, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and Prime Minister Narendra Modi focussed their concerns on crossborder terrorism emanating from Pakistan, something even Pakistan's traditional allies at the conference, including China, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Turkey, found difficult to counter. The case Mr. Ghani made was clear: progress and development in Afghanistan are meaningless and unsustainable without peace, and peace is contingent on Pakistan ending support to terror groups such the Haqqani network and Lashkare-Taiba. He dared Pakistan to use its proposed development grant to Afghanistan to fight terror on its own soil.

However, if every window for engagement with Pakistan is closed for India and Afghanistan, the two countries must closely consider what their next step will be. A lack of engagement may, in the short term, yield some pressure on Pakistan's leadership to act, as it did briefly after the Pathankot attack. But in the long run it may deplete the two countries of their limited leverage as Pakistan's neighbours. It may, for all the affirmations of mutual ties, also succeed in driving more obstacles to trade between India and Afghanistan. In the past year, the cornering of Pakistan by its South Asian neighbours has only yielded deeper ties for Islamabad with Beijing and Moscow, pushed Kabul closer to Central Asia, and moved New Delhi towards multilateral groupings to the east and south. As a result, the measures India and Afghanistan have envisaged in order to avoid Pakistan, such as land trade from the Chabahar port and a dedicated air corridor between Delhi and Kabul, may prove to be insufficient by the time they are put in place, even as Afghanistan is connected more closely via a rail line from China's Yiwu and Tehran. The Heart of Asia process thus remains critical to forging cooperation to realise Afghanistan's potential to be a vibrant Asian "hub".

India needs a law to protect interests of online consumers It's been four weeks since the Centre decided to demonetise high-value currency notes but the consumers' cash crunch has had a mixed impact on online businesses. According to a report by Redseers, a consulting firm, e-commerce has suffered heavily post demonetisation since most people still prefer cash on delivery of products.

Despite this setback, the future looks rosy for e-commerce in India. According to global payments firm Worldpay, the Indian e-commerce market is set to overtake the United States and become the second-largest in the world by 2034, going head-to-head with China for top position.

The report added that the e-commerce market is expected to grow "exponentially" with emerging markets leading the charge -- particularly India -- where the segment is predicted to mature by 28% per year from 2016 to 2020, thanks to massive surges in Internet penetration, a swelling millennial population and the rising uptake of mobile phones.

While this is good news, there is one area that the government needs to tackle on a war footing: India needs a separate law for e-commerce with a view to protecting the rights of web consumers in India.

According to a study (Consumer Rights in the New Economy: Amending the Consumer Protection Act, 1986)

by Akhileshwar Pathak of IIM-Ahmedabad, there has been a rise in the number of complaints by consumers against e-commerce firms because the buyer is not able to inspect or sample the goods or services, and also fraudulent payment services. Moreover, all kinds of substandard goods are being dumped in the country because India is a price-sensitive market.

Responding to the requirements of an Internet-backed economy, the European Union has come up with the 'Directive on the Protection of Consumers'.

Some of these consumer grievances have been tackled in the Consumer Protection Bill, 2015, which is pending in Parliament. The Bill covers transactions through all modes, including offline, online, through electronic means, teleshopping, or other multi-level marketing and also recommends adequate penalty for erring manufacturers and traders. By introducing demonetisation, the government has pushed more and more people to move online; it now must keep its part of the deal by passing the law and securing the interests of the consumers.

P6

Unite against corruption for development sonal gain.

Every year $1 trillion is Ranjan K Baruah paid in bribes while an estimated $2.6 trillion are stolen annually through We are familiar with the corruption - a sum equivaword corruption. In India, lent to more than 5 per we have been hearing this cent of the global GDP. In since childhood and shall developing countries, accontinue to hear till death. cording to the United NaSome people may be opti- tions Development mistic that corruption Programme, funds lost to would end from India but corruption are estimated at I would rather say that it 10 times the amount of would continue for years official development assisand years as it has become tance. something like way of life for many. What we can do Corruption is a serious is take part pro actively crime that can undermine against corruption and try social and economic deto minimize the same. velopment in all societies and no country, region or In simple, corruption is community is immune. It a form of dishonest or un- is a complex social, politiethical conduct by a per- cal and economic pheson entrusted with a posi- nomenon that affects all tion of authority, often to countries. Corruption unacquire personal benefit. dermines democratic instiCorruption may include tutions, slows economic many activities including development and contribbribery. Corruption oc- utes to governmental incurs when an office- stability. holder or other governmental employee acts in an On 31 October 2003, official capacity for per- the General Assembly

adopted the United Nations Convention against Corruption and requested that the Secretary-General designate the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) as secretariat for the Convention's Conference of States Parties (resolution 58/4). The Assembly also designated 9 December as International AntiCorruption Day, to raise awareness of corruption and of the role of the Convention in combating and preventing it. The Convention entered into force in December 2005. The theme for this year is 'united against corruption for development, peace and security'. The 2016 joint international campaign focuses on corruption as one of the biggest impediments to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Ban Ki-moon, United Nations Secretary-General on his message on the occasion said that "corruption strangles people,

communities and nations.

It weakens education and health, undermines electoral processes and reinforces injustices by perverting criminal justice systems and the rule of law. By diverting domestic and foreign funds, corruption wrecks economic and social development and increases poverty. It harms everyone, but the poor and vulnerable suffer most." "On International Anti-corruption Day, let us reaffirm our commitment to ending the deceit and dishonesty that threaten the 2030 Agenda and our efforts to achieve peace and prosperity for all on a healthy planet, " , he added .

Yury Fedetov, Executive Director of UNODC on his statement said that "The G20 estimates that 90 trillion US dollars in infrastructure investment is required between 2015 and 2030 to support global growth and development. To protect this investment corruption's de-

structive impact should not be ignored. There needs to be a wholehearted and determined contribution to global anticorruption efforts from the world's public and private sectors." On the International Anti-Corruption Day, Yury Fedetov invited all countries, intergovernmental organizations, and civil society to join the UNODC/UNDP campaign titled, "Corruption: An impediment to the Sustainable Development Goals."

We must end corruption now.

There is no doubt that fighting corruption is a global concern because corruption is found in both rich and poor countries, and evidence shows that it hurts poor people disproportionately. It contributes to instability, poverty and is a dominant factor driving fragile countries towards state failure. In India, we are aware the impact of corruption. It has been hampering the growth of the nation.

Corruption attacks the foundation of democratic institutions by distorting electoral processes, perverting the rule of law and creating bureaucratic quagmires whose only reason for existing is the soliciting of bribes. Governments, the private sector, non-governmental organizations, the media and citizens around the world are joining forces to fight this crime. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) are at the forefront of these efforts. Together we may bring some change but it depends upon us whether we are really committed to end corruption or by pass it by accepting it as way of life.

(With inputs from UN publication and published on the occasion of international anti corruption day and feedback may be sent to bkranjan@gmail.com)

Defiance in compliance Jayalalithaa did not break the traditional moulds, she slipped in and out of them. She believed that in order to show results, she needed to change herself even as she struggled to change the circumstances around her In many ways Jayalalithaa was atypical: a woman politician heading a patriarchal party, a Brahmin leading an offshoot of the Dravidian movement, a film world recluse directly interacting with her admirers. But she did not break the traditional moulds; instead, she slipped in and out of them.

At the individual level, she defied conventions and social norms both as an actor and as a politician, in her personal life as well as in her film and political careers. But, at the same time, as a person wielding public office, she did not undermine or even threaten extant power hierarchies; she merely worked her way around them. She did what she had to do to succeed or achieve results, but rarely, if ever, on her own terms.

Within her defiance of patriarchal structures or caste barriers in her rise to the top, she showed compliance, a respect for established institutions and existing hierarchies. In this, she was a quintessential conservative, and not "puratchi thalaivi", or "revolutionary leader", as she was hailed by her supporters. More than anyone else, she saw the limitations of the system, the barriers to change. She believed she had to work within the system in order

to show results; she needed to change herself even as she struggled to change the circumstances around her.

The unquestioned patriarch Much of the patriarchy within the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) remained untouched under her. The number of women inducted as ministers or elected as legislators saw no dramatic rise during the years she was at the helm. Like the AIADMK founder M.G. Ramachandran before her, she continued to rely on money bags, musclemen, and caste chieftains to deliver the votes. If there was another way of doing this, it was not clear to her.

Indeed, Jayalalithaa slowly assumed the role of the unquestioned patriarch in the organisation. She continued to call herself "anbu sahodari", a "dear sister", of her partymen, who, in turn addressed her as "Amma", or "mother". But she ruled with an iron fist, and made sure there was no scope for internal dissent, surrounded as she was, in the initial years, by former rivals. The assertion of her gender identity went handin-hand with the use of muscle and money power

patriarchs within the party were falling at her feet.

Demands of the system Even during the time of True, Jayalalithaa relied heavily on her proximity MGR the AIADMK was a to MGR as his leading lady very different creature in films to endear herself from its parent party, the Munnetra to party-persons as his po- Dravida litical heir. When MGR Kazhagam with its roots in died in 1987, she refused rationalism and the nonto move away from his Brahmin movement. body. She is on record MGR, an upper caste that she held back her de- Malayali, even briefly sire to commit sati as she flirted with the idea of dostood next to the body, be- ing away with reservation cause of the suffering she on the basis of caste in had to endure at the hands favour of income-based of political opponents criteria, but gave it up after an elecwithin the party. She Suresh Nambath toral setb a c k . made full use of her stature as Jayalalithaa never hid her "MGR's heroine" to climb Brahmin roots. Indeed, on up the party rungs, but one occasion, in an apparonce she rose to the top, ent response to taunts she was careful not to from the opposition give the impression that benches on her Brahmin she leaned on any man for roots, she told the Assemcounsel or support. M. bly: "Naan pappathi thaan Natarajan, the husband of (I am a Brahmin her friend V.N. Sasikala, woman)." But she never was banished from her wavered on the castehouse because he tried to based reservation system: wield influence within the she actually managed to party and outside by mis- win constitutional protection for a piece of legislausing her name. tion guaranteeing reservaWhen Jayalalithaa re- tion up to 69 per centin quired her male party lead- Tamil Nadu. ers to show their obeiShe was not uncomfortsance to her, she was not undermining the patriar- able with the Brahmin lachal structures in the bel, but her political comparty. Neither she nor the mitment to the welfare of men were 'unsexed' when backward castes and they bowed before her; Dalits was never in doubt. actually, she, as a woman, She recognised the imporderived additional author- tance of reservations as a ity from the very fact that political plank. Jayalalithaa within the organisation.

party

The law of the garbage truck One day I hopped in a taxi and we took off for the airport. We were driving in the right lane when suddenly a black car jumped out of a parking space right in front of us. My taxi driver slammed on his brakes, skidded, and missed the other car by just inches!

The driver of the other car whipped his head around and started yelling at us. My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. And I mean, he was really friendly.

So I asked, 'Why did you just do that? This guy almost ruined your car and sent us

to the hospital!' This is when my taxi driver taught me what I now call, 'The Law of

the Garbage Truck'. .

He explained that many people are like garbage trucks.

They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger, and full of disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it and sometimes they'll dump it on you. Don't take it personally, just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on. Don't take their garbage and spread it to other people at work, at home, or on the streets.

evidently saw no conflict in either retaining or defying her gender and caste identities as long as she could comply with the demands that the system made of her.

Her entry into politics from a career in films was not entirely accidental, but nor was it well-charted.

As a sought after actor in south Indian films in the 1970s, she kept to herself and a few close friends within the industry. Her reasonably long stint in films might have helped her political career, but she did not prepare herself for it. Having to deal with scheming and jealous politicians was an unexpected requirement. But she learnt quickly.

While her circle widened, she still stuck to her few close friends. Like under MGR, the AIADMK under her remained a loosely representative organisation that depended heavily on the personal charisma of the top leader for votes. This suited the celebrity in Jayalalithaa, as she liked to be insulated from having to deal directly with a large number of people. Not surprisingly, as Chief Minister, she found it easier to deal with bureaucrats than with her own party men.

Officials too found it less problematic dealing with her and her office than

with others. The interaction with party workers too was limited to occasional visits to the party office or election-time meetings.

Perhaps for the same reason, the AIADMK did not have a strong second line of leadership. If it had not been for the legal setbacks that unseated her twice in the last 15 years, the AIADMK would not have had an automatic choice as a successor in O. Panneerselvam.

Mapping the void Just as Jayalalithaa adapted to the nature of her party, the AIADMK too adapted to her nature.

It is for this reason that Sasikala Natarajan and the new Chief Minister Panneerselvam will find it difficult to hold the party together like she did.

In the hands of anyone else, the AIADMK machinery is a very different animal. Jayalalithaa herself took a long time to bring together the disparate elements of the AIADMK, which is a mass organisation without a streamlined cadre base.

Though the party is not as faction-ridden as it was when she took over, in the absence of an undisputed leader, it could come under new pressures. The true extent of the void she has left will be clear only in the years to come.

From star to 'iron lady' The death of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and AIADMK general secretary Jayalalithaa has left an irreplaceable void in Indian politics. With her remarkable style of leadership, she carved a niche for herself in contemporary politics. She could win the hearts of the masses with her populism and win the political wars against rivals with her iron grit. She sailed against the wind, surpassing all odds in a male-dominated world of politics and reaching the pinnacle of absolute power in the arena of Tamil politics. She will always be remembered for her never-say-die attitude.

Dwijen Konwar Jorhat, Assam

DIBRUGARH, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8

P7

9 Smart Ways to Keep Your Marriage Healthy at Any Age First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes decades of time together strewn with a minefield of potential relationship wreckers. It's a wonder that anyone ends up walking off into the sunset, hand-inwrinkled-hand, with a silverhaired mate. What do those geriatric lovebirds know that you don't?

want "till death do us part" to include chronic health issues like heart disease and diabetes, it's important to establish healthy eating habits early on. But warding off weight gain isn't as simple as whipping up a healthy meal together. Eating with anyone-from your spouse to coworker-can cause you to consume 33% more than you would solo.

Well, the truth is that even in so-called happy marriages, both partners probably fantasize some of the time-or even much of the time-about throwing in the towel. A Woman's Dayand AOL Living poll found that a shocking 72% of women surveyed have considered leaving their husbands at some point. But despite the occasional rocky patch, 71% expected to be with their husbands for the rest of their lives. So how do you make it to the finish line with your relationship intact?

Being aware of the potential fatty pitfalls of marital bliss may be enough to keep your portion sizes in check. Spend couple time checking out local farmers' markets on the weekends in an effort to consumer fresher, low-calorie fare. Or schedule an exercise date to work off some of your hearty, homemade dinners.

Each decade will have its own drama, be it child-rearing, layoffs, second careers, and middle-aged angst, along with a big helping of the in-sickness-and-inhealth stuff. Here's how to have a healthy relationship every step of the way.

2. Have a financial plan Nearly 40% of married people admit to lying to their spouse about a purchase, and money woes can quickly send your marriage south. In fact, money is the number-one reason couples fight, and relationships tend to suffer during poor economies. You should discuss and agree upon some hard financial ground rules, preferably before you tie the knot.

1. Watch your waistline Now that you're married, you can finally relax and skip the gym, right? Wrong.

Wedded couples tend to have fatter waistlines, which can spell trouble in terms of sexual attraction and general health. A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that your chances of becoming obese increase by 37% if your spouse becomes obese. So unless you

Don't fret if you're a spendthrift and your partner pinches pennies. "It's probably not a good thing to have the exact same philosophy about money, " says Ken Robbins, MD, a clinical professor of psychiatry at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. "But financial issues are best to resolve early on. You want to decide who is going to pay the bills, how much discretionary spending is rea-

account for 82% of recent job losses during this recession, meaning couples are making some hard choices when it comes to both their careers and their checking accounts.

If the traditional breadwinner is laid off, the stay-athome parent may need to head back into the workforce. Conversely, if you become a stay-at-home partner-due to choice or circumstance-expect to do more of the shopping, cleaning, and other chores that make a household run smoothly. A recent analysis of government data found that employed women spend significantly more time on child care and housework than employed men-and unemployed men. sonable, and how you're going to keep track of it all."

3. Figure out your family rules Couples spend the first 5 to 10 years of their marriage butting heads over how their family should work, says Dr. Robbins. "People often don't realize that they come into a marriage with an idea of how a family works based on their own familywhether they liked them or not," he adds. You can end up fighting over something as trivial as how you should hang your toilet paper, but those little issues can add up to big problems, particularly if children enter the picture. A 2004 study found that how a couple manages parenting responsibilities when the child is an infant is associated with the quality of their marriage twoand-a-half years later.

You and your partner may

have vastly different ideas about how a child should be cared for and what constitutes family together time.

If one of you is working, should the other partner get up with the baby at night, or should you take turns?

Is it important for you to sit down to dinner as a family every night? "You need to figure out how you can live together happily while each maintaining your own sense of self," says Dr. Robbins.

4. Make sex a priority-but not a chore While you should make sex a priority, you shouldn't pencil it in on your planner.

If you schedule sex, it becomes a responsibility-just like taking out the trash, says Andrew Goldstein, MD, an obstetrician and gynecologist at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, in Baltimore, and the coauthor of Reclaiming De-

sire. The average married couple has sex 58 times per year, or slightly more than once a week. And a recent eight-year study found that 90% of couples experienced a decrease in marital satisfaction after the birth of their first child. Yikes!

But it doesn't matter whether you're having sex five times a week or five times a year-as long as both of you are happy, says Dr. Goldstein. In fact, a 2008 study found that couples who reported any kind of marital intimacy-everything from holding hands to sexexhibited lower levels of a hormone produced by stress.

5. Be flexible Whatever financial and household arrangements you agreed to in your 20s or 30s, chances are they're going to change at some point in your marriage. Men

Having an open discussion of how household duties need to change can help couples weather some tough transitions. "Everyone has a role within the relationship and as long as there's a greater good, it's not a question about whether it's his money or her money," says Dr. Goldstein. "It's their money.

Your paycheck and your career are not the value of your worth."

6. Stay active as you age If you're like most American couples, you don't exercise or you stopped regularly exercising when you had children. Try to find new ways to stay active as a couple, whether it's hitting the tennis courts or hiking trails. One study found that couples who work out together are more likely to stick with an exercise program. And some experts suggest that couples who

exercise more frequently tend to have better sex lives.

Pick up a life sport that you can enjoy together for decades to come, like golf, tennis, or hiking. You don't need to be seriously sweating to reap the benefits of regular exercise. Experts say that moderate exercise is enough to help stave off heart disease and other ailments.

7. Gab (a little) to your friend In the last decade, researchers have noted a rise in "gray divorce," or couples over 50 who are calling it quits. While it's temptingand often prudent-to keep couple conversations behind closed doors, you may actually benefit from blabbing to a close friend.

"It's often helpful to talk to couple friends when these big issues come up," says Dr. Robbins. "Many couples live very privately and discuss these issues with the shades down, but relationship issues like this can often benefit from hearing how people that you trust dealt with a similar situation." Whether it's hearing how a friend dealt with her husband's infidelity or other big hurdles, a little empathy can put things in perspective. But keep your gabbing under control.

"Clearly it's never a good idea to say anything-even to a close friend-that you wouldn't want repeated back to your spouse in five years," warns Dr. Goldstein.

8. Rediscover each other as a couple, sans kids Forget empty nest syndrome-a 2008 study found that marital satisfaction ac-

tually improves once children leave home. Female participants reported spending equal amounts of time with their partners both while their children lived at home and after, but they noted that the quality of that together time was better once the kids were out of the picture. "Suddenly the tyranny of the children controlling the household is relieved," says Dr. Robbins.

"You don't have to have dinner at 6, you don't have to spend Saturdays at the soccer field, and you don't have to be so responsible all the time." Use this newfound freedom to bend the rules a bit and rediscover what you love about each other.

But if marital problems have already been bubbling, an empty nest can reveal serious tension. "All of a sudden the noise is gone," says Dr. Robbins. "If you didn't have much to talk about, it suddenly becomes more apparent once the kids are gone."

9. Be a conscious caregiver In the event of a serious illness, spouses who assume the role of caregiver often develop a sense of "caregiver burden" and may become ill themselves. So it's vital that both spouses ask for help when they need it. Getting out to see friends and socialize is particularly important for caregivers.

And realize that you both have limitations.

"The spouse who needs help typically feels guilty and frustrated. The spouse who has to help feels controlled by it," says Dr. Robbins. "While you can't fix those issues, you at least need to be open about them."

Five Most Unhealthy Indian Snacks Choosing a Colour Indian parents and grandparents often raise their eyebrows when their kids nag them for Burger, Pizza, Pasta and Frankies. However, the same parents do not mind feeding their kids with some Indian unhealthy snacks time and again - be it high on fats or Cholesterol. Here are 5 popular Indian snacks which are are very harmful to health.

2. Samosa Whether it is a Birthday party or Puja at our home, the plate looks a bit incomplete till there is a big samosa in it.

No matter how much you love these triangular devils, they are injurious to your health because each Samosa has 25g of fat, the same as that of a large slab of butter. Yikes!!

Sifting through decorating and design magazines is a favorite pastime of new homeowners. Each desires to outfit their new dream home with unique decor that is both elegant and inviting. There is flooring to install, furniture to pick out and arrange, and walls to be painted. However, before any of these tasks can be accomplished, a decision must be made: what is the color scheme?

Each room in your home has a different purpose and will most likely have a different color scheme. For example, a brilliant orange in the kids' playroom is not as appropriate in the spa-like master bath. In order to determine what colors should be applied to your living spaces, you must first have a basic knowledge of color:

1. Pakora In India, Pakora and tea strengthen relationships.

So, if the grumpy mother-inlaw is angry, the daughterin-law use Formula Pakora to calm her down, the

Maharashtrian neighbor with the help of Pakora wins the heart of other Gujarati neighbor, the bride-to-be impresses her would-be inlaws by making excellent pakoras. However, Pakora

though might build relationships has the capacity of destroying bodies. It is that sweet poison which increases bad Cholesterol, decreases good Cholesterol and makes one obese.

3. Pani Puri No matter by what name you may address Pani Puri as, or no matter how much ever you try to defend it, pani puris aka golgappas aka puchkas are unhealthy. The deep fried puris are not at all healthy (you never know if it was prepared in stored oil). In addition, the mixture of chutney too can cause a problem for you the next day in the morning.

ØPrimary Colors - Those three colors learned at a young age are the foundation of the color wheel - red, blue, and yellow. Ø Secondary Colors These are the colors that emerge once the Primary colors have been combined purple, orange, and green. ØTertiary Colors - The last

spokes of the color wheel are made when each of the Secondaries mixes with their neighboring Primary.

4. Fafda - Jalebi All types of farsaan is unhealthy as it involves deep frying either in stored oil or oil that has been repeatedly in use. However, fafda and Ghantiya tops the chart as it is made up of Besan (Gram Flour). Moreover, if Fafda is eaten in combination with Jalebi. That reminds me of loving Gujju aunty who says - Aaje Toh Fafda - Jalebi Khavaaj Pade!

5. Cholle Bhatture Take the name of Cholle Bhatture and all our mouth starts watering conjuring up images your favorite "thela" serving up this hot yummy snack. Of all the

snacks on this list cholle batture is highest in saturated fats and calories. If you were to eat two bhaturas and the cholle which is soaked in oil you would be packing in almost 1200 calories and 50 grams of fat. Acidity and

heart burn are the common side effects we forget about while digging into this treat.

Saturated fats ingested in such large quantities clog arteries as well as lead to diabetes and blood pressure.

Ø Cool Colors - Blues, greens, and purples make up the "cool" side of the color wheel. These colors are passive and recede into the background, often making rooms appear larger. Cool colors are ideal for home offices, bedrooms, and other living spaces that require peace and calm.

Greens are especially rejuvenating, so strategically placed houseplants can provide a splash of color while maintaining a room's balance. ØWarm Colors - Reds, yellows, and oranges make up the other half of the color wheel, invigorating living spaces.

These are active colors that appear to move toward you and transform rooms into in-

timate settings. These colors can be distracting, so it is best to use them in creative spaces like playrooms and kitchens.

Using them as accents for home offices can keep workspaces from being dreary while retaining productivity.

ØWhites & Neutralizers Although not considered part of the color wheel, do not overlook the important place whites and neutrals have in your home decorating. Whites promote an open feeling when used in large quantities. Utilized as accents, whites provide crisp frames that showcase other colors. For the walls, turn to soft, muted whites to prevent eyestrain caused by light reflecting off brilliant whites. Neutralizers are those soft hues of tan and cream that bridge rooms together. Cooperative and not distracting, neutralizers blend with all other colors to keep schemes cohesive.

Now that you are familiar with the color wheel, there are many ways to approach choosing a color scheme. Consider the following methods, focusing on which option works in your home:

ØMonochromatic - Single color schemes are not as boring as one may imagine. Using various shades from the same color family creates a harmonious color scheme that is easy on the eye and simple to utilize. ØAnalogous - To use analogous (similar) colors for a color scheme, begin by selecting your favorite color from the wheel. Then look at the neighbors on either side. If you like only one of the neighboring colors, look at what color is on its other side. When you find three to five consecutive wheel colors that appeal to you, then you have determined your color scheme.

Analogous colors are richer than monochromatic schemes, but no more difficult to create. Ø Complementary - Like choosing an analogous scheme, begin by selecting

your favorite color. Then look for the color directly opposite on the color wheel. These two colors are natural complements - one will be a warm color (red, yellow, orange hue) and the other cool (blue, purple, green). The favorite color should be dominant in your scheme while the complement serves as an accent. Though more difficult to balance, complementary colors create a very dynamic color scheme.

Ø Split Complementary Again, select your dominant (favorite) color then determine the two colors adjacent to its complementary. Using these three colors is slightly less rigid than the complementary scheme, but is just as vibrant. This scheme often works best when the warm color is dominant. ØTriadic - For a triadic approach, select three colors that are spaced equally in the color wheel. This scheme presents brilliant contrasting colors without being as dramatic as the complementary schemes.

Often applied in home decor, one color is used in larger amounts than the others.

While selecting one of the above to help determine a color scheme, keep in mind the things being moved into your new dream home. You want to be certain the new colors will not clash with already owned furniture and linens. If you want the color scheme to be something completely different from your old home, but new furniture is not in the budget, look for new slipcovers or do-it-yourself re-upholstery.

Remember that perceptions of color are linked to your emotions and experiences any color can match another, depending on the person selecting them. The most important part of the color selection process is determining what you love. Search through those design magazines, seek professional advice, and in the end, go with your gut. Now that you know the basics on selecting colors, that dream decor can soon be yours.

DIBRUGARH,THURSDAY,DECEMBER8

Ex-CM Chavan suggests introduction of Rs 200 notes Nagpur, Dec 7: Former Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan has suggested that currency notes of Rs 200 denomination should be introduced and said that there was no need to bring into circulation Rs 1,000 notes again.

Chavan aired this view during his speech in the Assembly, wherein the combined Opposition criticised the Modi government for putting common man, farmers, poor, vendors and rural population in great trouble due to demonetisation.

Initiating the debate, Chavan said the decision was taken with an eye on State Assembly elections in Punjab and Uttar Pradesh.

Launching further attack, he said surprisingly the Government was promoting foreign linked payment gateways.

"We should not encourage foreign linked payment gateways," said the Congress leader.

On restrictions imposed upon district cooperative banks, the Opposition demanded that Chief Minis-

Shiela Dikshit's son-in-law files contempt plea in HC

New Delhi, Dec 7: Syed Mohammed Imran, sonin-law of former Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, today moved the Delhi High Court seeking contempt action against his estranged wife and some cops alleging that he was arrested "casually" in a criminal case in contravention of the apex court guidelines.

Dikshit's daughter Latika has alleged that her estranged husband Imran took away papers of a Former Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan. land, owned by her at Nainital, despite having ter Devendra Fadnavis use Ridiculing the idea of been told not to do so. his good offices to con- cashless economy, An FIR under penal province the Central govern- Chavan said no where in visions relating to cheatment and Union Finance the world such kind of ing, dishonest misapproMinister to solve the issue economy has been fully priation of property and as transactions at these implemented. theft has been lodged Banks have come to a Talking about the coop- against Imran. grinding halt. erative bank's crisis, the Referring an apex court "The rural economy is on former Chief Minister the verge of collapse," said, "If some have comChavan said, and ques- mitted irregularities in tioned the wisdom behind implementation, they the decision. should be penalised. Their He wanted to know if the banking licences should be BJP and Chief Minister cancelled but beneficiaries Fadnavis can say on oath of the cooperative sector that black money was not should not suffer." used in the Lok Sabha Chavan said the then RBI elections in 2014. Did they Governor Raghuram use debit and credit cards Rajan had warned against for electioneering?, he the demonetisation. . asked.

(PTI)

verdict, Imran said that the police needed to follow the "checklist/guidelines which have been laid down by it against casual arrests in cases under Section 498A (harassment to woman by her husband and her in-laws) of the IPC as also under cases where punishment is for seven years or less".

The plea, which came up for hearing before Justice Manmohan, alleged that Imran was "vexatiously and illegally" arrested and detained by Delhi Police without following proper procedure and this "malafide act" of the cops was at the behest of his wife, who belongs to an "influential political family".

Advocates P Banerjee and

Kejriwal likens Jung to Hitler over DCW appointment

Oppn uproar on demonetisation rocks RS, proceedings disrupted New Delhi, Dec 07: The issue of demonetisation of old 500 and 1000 rupee notes continued to rock the Rajya Sabha today virtually washing out its proceedings, even as the government dared the Opposition to resume discussion on the issue rather than disrupting the House.

Both the Zero Hour and the Question Hour were disrupted as members of the Treasury and Opposition benches resorted to sloganeering over the issue leading Deputy Chairman P J Kurien to adjourn the proceedings till noon. Similar scenes were witnessed at noon forcing Chairman Hamid Ansari to adjourn the House again till 1400 hours.

While Congress wanted to know who was responsible for the death of at least 84 persons in hardships caused due to the "unplanned" demonetisation, other opposition parties including SP and BSP wanted Prime Minister Narendra Modi to apologise for putting the common man to hardship.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley blamed the Opposition for using the tactics of disruption on a daily basis rather than resuming the discussion started on the first day of the winter session on November 16 and which is yet to conclude.

The government, he said, had not wasted even a minute to agree to a debate on the issue.

It also agreed to the rule under which the debate is to be conducted as well as to the demand that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will participate in it, Jaitley said.

But instead of participating and concluding the debate, the Opposition has been using the Zero Hour to raise the issue for "getting footage on TV rather than listening to substantive facts on the issue. ... If the Opposition has the guts, the debate should resume," the

Leader of the House said.

Immediately thereafter, BJP members started raising slogans like "himmat hai to charcha karo (If you have guts, discuss the matter)."

Jaitley also raised a point of order saying how can the Chair allow an issue on which substantial portion of debate has happened, to be raised during Zero Hour again.

Kurien agreed with the Leader of the House and asked the Opposition benches if they were ready for a discussion.

As Treasury benches continued to shout slogans seeking resumption of discussion, the Opposition members raised slogans daring Modi to come to the House and listen to the debate. As the din continued, Kurien adjourned the proceedings till noon.

Earlier, Leader of the Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad said 84 persons have died in hardships caused due to the demonetisation issue in last one month.

Azad said the list includes 40 persons in 15 states dying standing in queues in front of banks and ATMs in the last one month and five bank employees in four states losing their lives due to stress. People have committed suicide as they could not arrange for currency for their daughters' wedding, he said.

"Who is responsible for the death of 84 persons," he asked and added that "the (demonetisation) scheme was brought without planning and preparation" that has led to severe cash shortage as alternate currency was not available.

As people scrambled to lay hand on valid currency, large scale job losses have been reported as fallout of demonetisation, the senior Congress leader said.

Azad said Revenue Secretary Hasmukh Adhia yesterday stated that all the currency that

was demonetised was supposed to come back to the formal banking system, implying there was no blackmoney or unaccounted wealth in the economy.

"If all money was to come back, why was this high-handed decision taken," he asked.

Also, RBI has for the last 10 days stopped giving out deposits and exchange of old and debunked currency, he said wanting to know the reason why the central bank has stopped the practice.

RBI, he said, should provide an update on the issue every day.

Azad also cited a reply to a question in Rajya Sabha earlier this week where it was stated that banks have enough currency. If that is so, why their queues in front of are banks and ATMs, he asked.

"Please don't play with the sentiments of the people by making emotional statements," he said referring the emotional speeches made by Modi on the demonetisation issue.

Naresh Agarwal (SP) said Prime Minister should apologise for the hardships caused to the people, come to House to listen and reply to the debate on demonetisation.

Mayawati (BSP) said Modi had said that the hardships would be resolved in 50 days but it has been one month and there is no end to the sufferings.

Entire opposition is willing to listen to the Prime Minister provided that he comes to the House, she said, adding that Modi should apologise for the hardships caused.

Kurien then asked how opposition can discuss the issue without resuming the debate. He also directed the BJP members not to raise slogans. But with neither side relenting, he adjourned the proceedings till noon. (PTI)

New Delhi, Dec 07: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday condoled the demise of satirist Cho Ramaswamy, remembering him as a multidimensional personality, tower-

ing intellectual, and a great nationalist.

"Cho Ramaswamy was insightful, frank & brilliant. Pained by his demise.

Condolences to his family & countless readers of

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

New Delhi, Dec 7: Miffed over the appointment of Dilraj Kaur as the member secretary of DCW, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today hit out at Lt Governor Najeeb Jung, likening him to "Hitler".

"LG is acting like Hitler, following in footsteps of his masters Mr Modi n Amit Shah...Najeeb Jung has sold his soul to the Prime Minister," Kejriwal said in a series of tweets.

The appointment of member secretary to the DCW (Delhi Commission for

Women) recently emerged as yet another flashpoint between Kejriwal and Jung.

Kejriwal had termed as "unconstitutional" the earlier appointment of Alka Diwan to the same post, saying Jung had overlooked the name suggested by the government.

DCW chief Swati Maliwal had alleged that the appointment of Diwan led to the stalling of the functioning of the Commission and was subverting its autonomy. (PTI)

Neeraj Kumar, appearing for Imran, argued in the court that a false and fabricated FIR was lodged against their client without application of mind and checking the genuineness of his wife's complaint regarding matrimonial dispute and that he was wrongfully confined in custody for 15 days.

The counsel said the contents of the FIR "ex-facie" showed that the allegations in the complaint pertained to matrimonial dispute but the FIR was lodged under other penal provisions.

The FIR does not disclose commission of any offence under IPC sections 420 (cheating), 403 (dishonest misappropriation of property) and 380 (theft) read with section

66 of the IT Act, which have been invoked by the police, he said.

"The allegations in the FIR are in the nature of matrimonial dispute. The respondents ought not to have registered in a routine manner and in fact should have forwarded the complaint for approval of the DCP/Additional DCP, before registering an FIR," the plea said, adding that the "police officers have bypassed the law".

To this, the court asked Imran's counsel to show the law which says that if a section is not added at the time of lodging of an FIR, fresh sections cannot be invoked later on.

"According to me, the Criminal Procedure Code

says that the magistrate can add sections on his own. Even at the stage of appeal, a charge can be added," the judge said and posted the matter for further hearing to December 15.

Imran was arrested on November 10 from Bangalore and brought here on transit remand, and was granted bail by a court here on November 24.

Latika and Imran had got married in 1996, but were living separately for the last 10 months.

In her complaint filed in June, Latika had alleged that Imran's attitude had changed towards her and had become aggressive and rude after her mother lost in the Delhi Assembly polls. (PTI)

Indo-Pak relations sluggish but no impact on bilateral agreements: V K Singh New Delhi, Dec 07: The government on Wednesday told the Lok Sabha that the India-Pakistan relationship has become "sluggish" but added that there has been no impact on bilateral arrangements, including on exchange of fishermen and prisoners caught on either side.

Responding to a question related to Indian fishermen being arrested by Pakistan, Minister of State for External Affairs V K Singh said, "The relationship between the two countries (India and Pakistan) has become sluggish. But that has had no impact on such bilateral agreements."

The minister added that mechanisms have been put in place to ensure release of fishermen caught by either side.

In addition, an India-Pakistan Judicial Committee on Prisoners, consisting of retired judges from the higher judiciary of both countries, was constituted in 2008 to look into humanitarian aspects of the

Minister of State for External Affairs V K Singh. matter.

The committee was also to recommend measures to ensure humane treatment and expeditious release of fishermen and prisoners, who have completed their prison term.

"The last visit of the Committee to India was in 2013. It is now Pakistan's turn to organise the next visit of the Committee and the government awaits further steps by Pakistan in this regard," he said.

Singh said there are 516

Indians languishing in Pakistani jails, which includes 55 fishermen while, as of July 2016, there are 270 Pakistani civil prisoners and 37 Pakistani fishermen in Indian jails.

"During 2013, 2014 and 2015, three Indian civil prisoners and eight Indian fishermen have died in the custody of Pakistani authorities. In addition, one Indian civil prisoner and two Indian fishermen have died in 2016 so far," Singh added. (PTI)

Neither Speaker, nor Parliamentary Affairs ED summons AirAsia officials Minister running Lok Sabha, says LK Advani under FEMA over Rs12-cr

transaction with HNR Trading Two days after Cyrus Mistry was removed as the Chairman of Tata Sons on October 24, he alleged Rs 22 crore worth fraudulent transactions at AirAsia India.

BJP veteran LK Advani.

New Delhi, Dec 07: With noisy protests continuing to stall Parliamentfor the third week, BJP veteran LK Advani on Wednesday expressed deep distress over the way the Lok Thuglak," he said in a Sabhaproceedings were tweet.

Ramaswamy founded and being conducted, saying edited the political magazine neither the Speaker nor the Parliamentary Affairs Min'Thuglak'.

The Prime Minister noted that ister was running the Ramaswamy was respected House. and admired by many.

A visibly agitated Advani "Cho Ramaswamy was a was heard expressing his multidimensional personal- unhappiness to Parliamenity, towering intellectual, tary Affairs Minister great nationalist & fearless voice who was respected Ananth Kumarover the continuing protests in the and admired," he said.

"Above all, Cho House at a time when Ramaswamy was a dear some opposition members friend. I have been to his had even come to the side annual readers meeting of Treasury benches raiswhich were an unprec- ing slogans in the Well. edented editor reader in- "Neither the Speaker nor terface," he said. the Parliamentary Affairs Ramaswamy, a veteran Minister is running the journalist and former Rajya Sabha member, died House," he was heard rein Chennai following ill- marking just before the House was adjourned 15 ness. (Agencies)

Pained by demise of dear friend Cho Ramaswamy: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

P8

NATION

minutes ahead of the lunch recess, amid sloganshouting by Congress and TMC members.

"I am going to tell the Speaker that she is not running the House ... I am going to say it publicly.

Both sides are a party to this," he said as Kumar was seen pacifying the senior parliamentarian. He also pointed to the media gallery, apparently suggesting that his comments will be reported.

As the House was adjourned, the 89-year-old leader asked a Lok Sabha official till what time it has been adjourned. When told that it was till 1400 hours, he snapped, "Why not sine die?"

Earlier too, Advani was seen expressing his displeasure over the situation in the House to Kumar.

(Agencies)

AirAsia India is a joint venture company between Tata group, which own 51 per cent stake, and Malaysia's AirAsia Berhad.

Mumbai, Dec 07: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has summoned officials of AirAsia under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) over its Rs 12 crore transaction with Singaporebased HNR Trading, said official sources Wednesday.

"The summons were issued last week. The agency has registered a case under FEMA to probe payment of over Rs 12 crore to Singapore-based HNR Trading," said a source.

The probe agency has alleged that the payment was made to HNR Trading for consultancy services but there is no "proper" agreement for the transaction and the nature of the service provided is not known. "We have not received any official communication yet. If and when we do, the company will take appropriate steps," said the official

spokesperson of AirAsia.

Two days after Cyrus Mistry was removed as the Chairman of Tata Sons on October 24, he alleged Rs 22 crore worth fraudulent transactions at AirAsia India.

AirAsia India is a joint venture between Tata which own 51 per cent stake, and Malaysia's AirAsia Berhad.

Mistry in an email to Tata Sons Board raised "ethical concerns" in AirAsia India and alleged that forensic investigation revealed fraudulent transactions of Rs 22 crore involving non-existent entities in India and Singapore.

"Board members and trustees are also aware that in the case of AirAsia, ethical concerns have been raised with respect to certain transactions as well as the overall prevailing culture within the organization. A recent forensic investigation revealed

fraudulent transactions of Rs. 22 crores involving nonexistent parties in India and Singapore.

Executive Trustee, Mr.Venkatraman, who is on the board of Air Asia and also a shareholder in the company, considered these transactions as nonmaterial and did not encourage further study. It was only at the insistence of the independent directors, one of whom immediately submitted his resignation, that the board decided to belatedly file a first information report," said Mistry in his email.

Subsequently, the Civil Aviation Ministry said it is keeping a close watch on developments related to the purported disclosures made by ousted Tata Group chairman Cyrus Mistry about AirAsia India, and will act if something actionable is brought to its notice.

(Agencies)

EDUCATION

DIBRUGARH, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8

PAGE 9

11 Ways Your Study Environment Affects Productivity (And How You Can Improve It) Having the right place to study is as important as having good study skills.

Your study environment can be a big factor in how successfully you'll learn and retain information and be able to apply it in your assessments and on the job.

At an online university, you often have much more control over your study environment than a traditional student stuck in a classroom or campus library might have.

Here are 11 ways your surroundings impact your studying and how you can make your study settings more conducive to learning.

1. Music A lot of us listen to music while we read, write, and research. But does music help or hurt studying? The answer depends on the individual. But research has shown that studying with headphones on tends to decrease memory and information retention, while background music can be a study aid.

The solution: Background music, especially familiar music you've heard often before, is much easier to "tune out" than other environmental noises like people talking or construction work outside. Listening to familiar background music that isn't too loud or distracting can help drown out other, more distracting environmental noise and can create associations that actually help you remember what you're studying better.

But take out those ear buds.

2. Background noise-too much, or too little Many students, especially those who are easily distracted or who have trouble keeping their attention focused, will find that it doesn't take much noise to pull them out of their reading and into their surroundings. And it's not just about volume - the din of a coffee shop may provide so much noise that it helps screen out other distractions, but a leaky faucet with its intermittent drips may

drive you insane and cause you to reread the same sentence four or five times.

The solution: First, get to know yourself. Do you do better in silence, or are you the kind of student who thrives amid the buzz of background noise? Try a few settings, and pay attention to how each study session goes. Give the library a go one day, and see how that hushed environment works out. The next day, try a coffee shop or the park.

After each session, write down some notes about how the studying went and how well you were able to understand and retain what you were studying. Once you know how your brain handles noise, pick study locations that match your sound profile.

3. Smells How many times have you popped dinner in the oven and, during the down time while it cooked, tried to sneak in a chapter or two of reading? Problem is, tonight you're making a delicious curry-and those smells keep pulling focus away from your ebook and to your stomach. A distraction doesn't have to be unpleasant to be a problem.

The solution: Pick up and move. If the guy next to you at the library is wearing your favorite cologne, or you just can't stop thinking about the pastries they just put on the counter at the coffee shop, head to a new spot and resume your studying there. You can't always control environmental factors; sometimes, you simply have to give in and change environments.

4. Lighting It's almost impossible to stay focused on your studies while straining your eyes to read in dim lighting, or squinting and getting a headache under harsh artificial lights. Adequate and appropriate lighting is a must for successful studying.

The solution: Pay special attention to lighting when you sit down to study. Is

the light adequate now, and is it likely to stay that way?

Is it just an hour until sundown? Maybe this isn't the best time to study on the back porch, even though the lighting is just fine now.

Light coverage of your study materials should be even and consistent-no shadows, no glare. Shielded full-spectrum fluorescent lights are said to help you be calmer, steadier, and less easily distracted. Or if it's midday and bright and clear outside, the natural light you get from studying outdoors or next to a large window can be incomparable.

Just be sure that the activity-passersby, traffic, your neighbor's rambunctious pet-isn't going to distract you.

5. Temperature and humidity For a short time, you may be able to stay focused in hot or humid places, but after a while, these circumstances can become unbearable. Similarly, if you're too cold, that quickly becomes all you can think about, and studying suffers.

The solution: When you can control your environment-you have access to a thermostat, for example-set the temperature to a comfortable, constant level. But if you have to study at a li-

brary or public place where you can't control the temperature, try to have a sweater or glass of ice water handy.

6. Something more fun or interesting Facebook. Email. Your smart phone. Even a yoyo, a ball, or a simple stapler sitting on your desk in your bedroom. Especially when you're studying something you find boring or difficult, it doesn't take much to have you fidgeting, Facebooking, or focusing your attention on the first thing that strikes your fancy and seems even slightly more interesting than that next chapter.

The solution: Once again, knowing yourself is critical.

Are you a compulsive email checker? Do you find yourself browsing Instagram or checking tweets without even thinking about it, even though you just checked them three minutes ago?

Remove the distractions.

Turn off your phone and tuck it away in your bag or dresser drawer. Log out of Facebook. Clear off your desk so only the necessary study supplies are within reach. And perhaps most importantly, schedule time for breaks. If you give yourself 10 minutes of Facebook

time for each major task you finish, chapter you read, or other reasonable milestone, you won't be as tempted to stop mid-sentence and go check out your news feed.

7. Comfort-too much, or too little Sitting on your bed in your pajamas while logging into your course of study may be a unique perk of earning your degree online , but if you're not careful, next thing you know you may be waking up from an unplanned nap, your laptop battery light blinking and whatever you were reading before dozing off a complete blur. Of course, the converse is true, too-if the chair you're sitting in is hard and straight-backed and just plain uncomfortable, you'll be squirming a lot more than you'll be learning.

The solution: Be aware of how you're feeling. If you're a little sleepy, avoid that overstuffed arm chair and opt for the desk in your den instead. Find a spot that's comfortable, but not too comfortable, and make it your go-to study location.

8. Associations with other activities It's always been your favorite restaurant-the one with the quiet little corner

booth where you could sit by yourself for hours, reading over dinner and totally immersing yourself in your studies. But then, you brought your date here last weekend, and it turned out to be a really promising first date. Now, as your eyes skim over the words, your brain is remembering the conversations you had and the feelings you felt last time you sat in this booth.

Meanwhile, the kitchen table makes you crave dinner, and studying in the office after your shift ends just reminds you of all the work you didn't finish during work hours. For many of us, locations carry associations, and if our brain relates a certain place to a specific activity or incident, trying to turn it into a study spot just isn't going to work.

The solution: If your mind tends to wander when you're studying in a place that has non-schoolwork associations, try to come up with a space that's solely devoted to study. If your house has a den or office, set up a study corner and use it only for school tasks.

Maybe the library has a quiet study room that you can use for the purpose (and no other purpose).

9. The clock

When studying, the clock can be your best friend or your worst enemy. Keeping an eye on the time can give you a sense of urgency and remind you that you've got one hour left of study time so you have to make the most of it. Or it can be that thing you keep glancing at, wondering, "Has it really only been 15 minutes?" or thinking, "My favorite TV show starts in just six hours!"

The solution: Use the clock to your advantage. Set time-related goals: Before you start an assignment or task, write down what time you plan to finish. Allow it to put a little pressure-just a little-on you, keeping you on task because you really, really want to achieve that goal. With time, you can even slightly increase your goals, aiming to get through a chapter in 50 minutes today instead of your previous goal of an hour. Don't overdo it, but use the clock to keep you moving forward.

10. Other people Study groups can be super-helpful-or super-frustrating. The sound of your kids playing in the next room can allow you to study while making sure that they're playing safely and being nice to each other-or, it can drive you crazy to hear their giggling chatter and wish you were there to play with them (or break up the occasional bickering).

Conversations among your fellow patrons in the coffee shop can be just the white noise you need to get focused, or the loudmouth at the table next to you can end up forcing you to eavesdrop on his story about an annoying coworker-even though you're not remotely interested.

The solution: If you like to study in groups, come prepared. Show up with a clear agenda of what you want to accomplish, questions you want to discuss, help you might need. Avoid wasting time with chit-chat or without a clear direction for your study group.

Meanwhile, if you study around family, coworkers, or strangers, let them know you're studying and can't be disturbed. Use your "Do not disturb" door hanger from your student success kit, or create your own.

Teach your older kids about the importance of quiet time for Mom or Dad to study, and enlist their help to keep the smaller kids occupied and cared for. Make baby's naptime your study time. If studying in public, opt either for a quiet table in the corner or a spot right in the middle of it all, where there's so much noise and buzz that you won't get distracted by one conversation. And if all else fails, pick up and move away from distracting people when necessary.

11. Feng shui Even the physical arrangement of furniture and the layout of a room can affect your ability to study. In a cramped, crowded room, you may feel restricted and stuck-maybe even a little claustrophobic-and definitely not relaxed and ready to learn. If it's hard for you to get to the resources you need-your calculator is on a cluttered desk on the other side of a couch that's too big for the room, or the kitchen sink is blocked by an ironing board left out, preventing you from easily refilling your glass of wateryou can get frustrated or opt to go without resources that would greatly improve your effectiveness.

The solution: Take some time to create a clean, organized, neat work space for studying, and then endeavor to keep it that way.

Let your family know that your desk is yours, and their clutter doesn't belong there. If space is limited and you study in a room where you also do other chores, completely finish and clean up from one chore before leaving it behind, to avoid the crowding and chaos of laundry baskets/ironing board/dirty dishes. Remember that a cluttered learning environment clutters the mind.

10 tips for job interview success you need to prepare.

Job search techniques change, the labour market changes and job descriptions change. But what more or less stays the same is the job interview. It's your chance to sell yourself. The first 30 seconds of a job interview are the most important - so if you want to be a cut above the rest you need to be on the ball.

Rob Yeung, a business psychologist, maintains that an interview is all about the three Ps. "You need to prepare, you need to practise, and then, on the day, you need to perform."

Here are 10 tips for interview success.

1. First impressions terviewer subconsciously makes decisions about count whether they like you or Greet your interviewer not and whether you will with a smile and firm fit into the team." handshake. Give eye contact. Try to make small 2. Be prepared talk during the walk from the reception area to the Re-read your CV and the interview room. Liz job advert just before the Anderson, a human re- interview. Do your resources manager says, search thoroughly: Look "You have to sell yourself at the company web site before you can sell any- or obtain literature. You thing else and the first 30 may be asked about the seconds are when the in- salary you are after so

make sure you research hire you? that as well.

Most job adverts will list 3. Don't waffle qualities they're looking Answer questions prop- for - a team worker, a erly - even if you need a good communicator - so few moments' silence to it's up to you to think of collect your thoughts. examples of how you can Anderson advises, "It's demonstrate these skills. better to say you need a Be ready to talk about minute to think about your your knowledge, experianswer rather than speak ence, abilities and skills. instantly and regret it af- Have at least three strong terwards." points about yourself that you can relate to the 4. Why should they company and job on of-

fer.

5. Be positive Your interviewer will be thinking about what it would be like to work with you, so the last thing they'll want to hear is you talking about your boss or current colleagues behind their back. Interviewers like to see someone who enjoys a challenge and is enthusiastic.

9. Clarify anything you are unsure of

7. Expect the unexIf you are not certain pected what are meant by a parYour interviewer may try ticular question, ask for to catch you off guard: clarification. At the end, A survey by ask the interviewer if OfficeAngels has re- there is anything else he vealed that 90 per cent or she needs to know of employers ask 'killer' about. Do not be afraid questions in interviews. to ask when you are It is impossible to plan likely to hear if you have for every difficult ques- been successful or not. tion, such as "How would your colleagues describe 10. Remember your you?" but try to appear manners relaxed and in control.

Ask the interviewer to It is better to choose repeat the question if than to be chosen. Tell necessary but do not the interviewer why you evade it. Hopefully you are interested in the comwill not befall the fate of pany and job opportunity. those job candidates at Ask them for a business B&Q who were asked card and follow it up by 6. Remember your to dance to "Blame it on sending a "thank-you" email or letter, saying how body language the Boogie"! much you enjoyed meeting them and how interIt is not what you say, but 8. Develop rapport ested you are. Take the how you say it. During the interview, do not fold Show energy, a sense of opportunity to detail the your arms and lean back humour and smile. Jean key advantages you or look to the floor! Sit Smith, a social anthro- bring. upright and try to main- pologist says: "It's infec- By following the three tain good eye contact. tious, being positive and Ps - prepare, practise Use your hands and lean enthusiastic." Ask your and perform, you can forward when making a interviewer questions turn yourself into a canpoint. Many people can- about themselves and didate who would not not think and control their any issues the business look out of place on "The Apprentice." body language at the is facing. same time, which is why

DIBRUGARH, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8

P10

INTERNATIONAL

25 Dead In Indonesian Earthquake: Officials PIA plane with 47 aboard Meureudu (Indonesia), Dec 07: At least 25 people died and hundreds were injured after a strong earthquake struck off Aceh province on Indonesia's Sumatra island on Wednesday, local officials said.

The shallow 6.5-magnitude quake struck Pidie Jaya district at dawn, as some in the predominantly Muslim region prepared for morning prayers.

Mosques and shops were flattened in the small town of Meureudu, where the force of the quake sent people fleeing from their homes. No tsunami alert was issued.

The head of the local disaster agency, Puteh Manaf, said the sole hospital in the district had been overwhelmed by the number of injured.

"The data we have now is that 25 people have been killed and hundreds are estimated to have suffered injuries," he told AFP. Local district secretary

A collapsed mosque minaret is seen after an earthquake struck Indonesia.

Iskandar Ali also confirmed the figure, citing preliminary data that showed at least 25 had died in the quake.

Rescue operations were under way to find those believed trapped beneath the rubble, with heavy machinery being used to shift the debris.

A witness said local residents were wandering the streets, unable to return to their damaged homes and fearing aftershocks.

Images from the scene showed homes levelled, mosque spires toppled and cars crushed under rubble.

Meureudu resident Hasbi Jaya, 37, said his family was asleep when the powerful quake struck.

"We immediately ran outside the house but it crumbled. Everything from the roof to the floor collapsed, and was destroyed," he told AFP. "I looked around and all

my neighbours' houses were also completely destroyed."

The local hospital was struggling to cope, with the injured being treated on the ground outside the front of the building.

Patients were also being sent to a neighbouring district with greater facilities, said deputy district chief Said Mulyadi.

He said at least seven children were among the dead, and many more had suffered broken bones and other injuries.

"There are many shophouses have caved in, and many (people) are alive but trapped," he told AFP. Seismologists said the earthquake was felt across much of Aceh province, which was devastated by the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.

At least five aftershocks followed the quake, said Eridawati, local head of the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics

Agency.

The US Geological Survey upgraded the magnitude to 6.5 from an initial reading of 6.4 and issued a yellow alert for expected fatalities and damage.

Indonesia experiences frequent seismic and volcanic activity due to its position on the Pacific "Ring of Fire", where tectonic plates collide.

Aceh lies on the northern tip of Sumatra island, which is particularly prone to quakes.

In June, a 6.5-magnitude quake struck off the west of Sumatra, damaging scores of buildings and injuring eight people.

A huge undersea earthquake in the Indian Ocean in 2004 triggered a tsunami that engulfed parts of Aceh.

The tsunami killed more than 170,000 people in Indonesia and tens of thousands more in other countries around the Indian Ocean.(AFP)

India pledges aid to UN relief 60 feared drowned agency for Palestinian refugees in Yemen after boat India made a confirmed pledge of 1.25 million dollars disappears in annual contribution to UNRWA.

First Secretary in India's Permanent Mission to the UN, Mahesh Kumar reiterated India support for the just cause of Palestine and solidarity with the Palestinian people.

New Delhi, Dec 07: India, on Wednesday, pledged an aid of USD 1.25 million to the UN relief agency for Palestinian refugees as it voiced concern over the fragile situation and ongoing conflicts in the Middle east region that is aggravating problems of refugees.

A total of 20 donors today announced contributions, or their intention to contribute, to the 2017 budget of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).

India made a confirmed

Iran back under nuclear deal limit, says UN Vienna, Dec 07: The UN's atomic watchdog has verified that Iran has exported enough nuclear-grade heavy water to come back into line with last year's landmark deal with the West, a diplomatic source said today.

The International Atomic Energy Agency has told member states that it has "verified that 11 metric tonnes of nucleargrade heavy water have arrived at its destination," the source told AFP. This brings Iran's stock of heavy water back below the 130-tonne level set out in the nuclear accord with world powers that came into force in January, the watchdog told its members. Heavy water is not itself radioactive, but is used in certain types of reactor. Plutonium for use in nuclear weapons can be extracted from the spent fuel of such reactors.

In its latest update last month on Iran's compliance with the accord, the IAEA said that Iran's heavy water stock had crept above the 130-tonne mark by 100 kilos.

Iran then said on November 22 that it would ship 11 tonnes to Oman. It also disputes that the 130-tonne level is an upper limit in the 2015 agreement.

Of far greater concern to the international community is Iran's uranium enrichment facilities and its uranium stockpile, which were drastically reduced under the deal.

The IAEA report last month confirmed that Tehran remains in compliance in this area.

(AFP)

pledge of 1.25 million dollars in annual contribution to the agency.

First Secretary in India's Permanent Mission to the UN, Mahesh Kumar said during a meeting of the agency's Ad Hoc Committee on December 5 that "regrettably" an amicable solution to the Palestinian issue has not been found and as a result the refugee population's expectation to lead a normal life is also not fulfilled.

"The current fragile situation and the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East region has compounded

the problem of refugees," he said. Kumar noted that UNRWA, which has provided critical assistance to Palestinian refugees, is facing unprecedented financial and operational challenges. He reiterated India's support for the just cause of Palestine and solidarity with the Palestinian people.

UNRWA has been providing health, education, relief and social services, and emergency humanitarian assistance to some 5.3 million Palestinian refugees across its five fields of operation - Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip for 65 years.

In September, the agency had reported a funding gap of USD 74 million, threatening its ability to maintain vital operations through the end of 2016.

After an urgent call to close the gap, UN Member States made contributions and the funding gap was now down to USD 37 million. (PTI)

Google hits renewable energy goal in quest to pare pollution San Francisco, Dec 07: Google is crossing a milestone in its quest to reduce pollution caused by its digital services that devour massive amounts of electricity.

The Internet Company believes that beginning next year; it will have amassed enough renewable energy to meet all of its electricity needs throughout the world.

That's significant, given Google's ravenous appetite for electricity to power its offices and the huge data centers that process requests on its dominant search engine, store Gmail, YouTube video clips and photos for more than a billion people.

Google says its 13 data centers and offices consume about 5.7 terawatt hours of electricity annually, nearly the same amount as San Francisco, where more than 800,000 people live and tens of thousands of others come to work and visit.

The accomplishment announced today doesn't

mean Google will be able to power its operations solely on wind and solar power. That's not possible because of the complicated way that power grids and regulations are set up around the U.S. and the rest of the world.

Google instead believes it is now in a position to offset every megawatt hour of electricity supplied by a power plant running on fossil fuels with renewable energy that the Mountain View, California, company has purchased through a variety of contracts. About 95 per cent of Google's renewable energy deals come from wind power farms, with the remainder from solar power.

Nearly 20 other technology companies also have pledged to secure enough renewable energy to power their worldwide operations, said Gary Cook, senior energy campaigner for the environmental group Greenpeace.

(PTI)

Yemen, Dec 07: The Yemeni government says 60 nationals are feared drowned in the Arabian Sea, after their vessel went missing for days.

In a statement, the internationally recognised government said yesterday the vessel disappeared some 25 miles (40 kilometres) from the remote Socotra island five days ago. It was heading from the southern province of Hadramawt, carrying women and children among others.

Another statement by the governor of Hadramawt Ahmed ben-Break said that two were rescued and that the search is still ongoing.

HIGHLIGHTS 60 Yemeni nationals feared drowned in Arabian Sea. The vessel disappeared some 25 miles from Socotra Island.

Governor of Hadramawt said two were rescued and search is ongoing.

The government has urged the Saudi-led coalition which is backing the government in its fight against the Houthi rebels for help.

Flights between Yemeni cities and the island were suspended since March 2015 when the Saudi-led coalition began its campaign, by closing the air space of Yemen. (Agencies)

Iran denies 'baseless' Saudi espionage charges Tehran, Dec 07: Iran today denied Saudi charges of espionage as "baseless" after a court in the Sunni kingdom announced death sentences for 15 people it said had spied for Tehran.

"Saudi Arabia must not seek to bring baseless accusations against Iran with the intention of political gains and increasing tensions in the region," foreign ministry spokesman Bahram Ghasemi said.

"Iran has had no activity against international law and diplomatic principles in Saudi Arabia," he said, quoted by state news agency IRNA. He said Riyadh had not passed on "any information to the Islamic Republic of Iran regarding the alleged Iranian person" reportedly among the accused.

"Iran's principle policy toward Persian Gulf countries is mutual respect, good neighbourliness, and no interference in domestic affairs of other countries," said Ghasemi.

A Saudi court earlier today condemned 15 people to death for spy-

ing for the Sunni kingdom's regional rival Iran, local media and a source close to the case said.

The source told AFP that most of the 15 Saudis were members of the kingdom's Shiite minority.

Their trial opened in February, a month after Riyadh cut diplomatic ties with Tehran over the burning of the Saudi embassy and a consulate by Iranian demonstrators protesting the kingdom's execution of Shiite cleric Nimr alNimr.

The 15 were among a group of 32 people tried over the espionage allegations, Alriyadh newspaper said.

Some of the defendants were accused of meeting Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the supreme leader of predominantly Shiite Iran.

Two of the group were acquitted while the rest received jail sentences of between six months and 25 years.

Apart from one Iranian and an Afghan, all of the defendants were Saudis. The source said that one of the two acquitted was a foreigner.

(PTI)

crashes near Abbottabad

Islamabad, Dec 7 : A Pakistan International Airlines plane with 47 people on board has crashed near a hilly area near the garrison town of Abbottabad while it was on its way to the capital, media reports said.

The ATR plane PK-661 with 47 people crashed near Havelian while en route to Islamabad from Chitral in KhyberPakhtunkhwa province.

The national carrier's flight departed from Chitral at 3:30 PM (local time) and disappeared

from the air control radar soon after take off, the Express Tribune reported.

According to military's media wing, army troops and helicopters have been dispatched to the crash site for rescue efforts.(PTI)

Indian origin UK MP calls on India to end demonetisation stress for NRIs

Virendra Sharma

London, Dec 07: Virendra Sharma, one of Britain's senior-most Indian-origin MP, has called on the Indian government to end the uncertainty surrounding demonetisa tion of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes for NRIs and PIOs. The 69-year-old Labour party MP has received several calls and letters on the issue from his constituents in the heavily Indian-origin area of Ealing, Southall, in southwest London.

"Still a month after the announcement of the demonetisation of Rs 500

and Rs 1,000 notes millions of NRIs is living with uncertainty. The stress and strain of not knowing whether families will lose money," Sharma said.

"Thousands of families have a small amount of currency at home, to save exchanging money at the airport. These are the people that are accidentally being punished. Having a few thousands rupees does not make you a money launderer, and still they are suffering," he added.

The India-born MP wants the Indian Government to

authorise Indian banks with operations in the UK to open accounts for deposits of Indian Rupees.

"This money should then be held and made available for withdrawal only in India. This would protect the economy, but still offer freedom to many thousands of Indian citizens and NRIs not based in India," he said.

The demonetisation move has rattled many BritishIndians, who make up 2.5 per cent of the population of England and Wales according to a 2011 UK government census.

Britain's longest-serving Indian-origin lawmaker Keith Vaz has already appealed to the Narendra Modi government to extend the deadline for foreign nationals by at least six months.

He has also written to Bank of England Governor Mark Carney requesting him to allow British Indians to exchange their banknotes in the UK. (PTI)

Syria says it seized nearly 75 percent of eastern Aleppo Beirut, Dec 07: Syrian government forces and allied militias captured Aleppo's centrally located al-Shaar neighborhood from rebels on Tuesday, securing nearly three quarters of the besieged enclave less than two weeks after launching a ground offensive, according to the Syrian military.

The Syrian government and its ally Russia meanwhile rejected a cease-fire for the war-torn city, keeping up the military offensive amid rebel retreats and massive displacement.

Rebels withdrew from alShaar under heavy bombardment by pro-government forces to the Marjeh and Maadi neighborhoods, local media activist Mahmoud Raslan told The Associated Press. Several gunmen were killed.

"Morale has hit rock bottom," he said from inside the city's remaining rebel-held enclave.

The SANA state news agency said the government captured the entire neighborhood as well as the neighborhoods of al-Qatarji and Karm al-Dada.

A map provided by the Syria army showed a quickly shrinking opposition enclave- a pointed leafshaped territory in the center, abutting already government-controlled Aleppo districts. The army media said the new gains bring the area controlled by the government in eastern Aleppo to about 73 percent of its original size, which is estimated to be about 45 square kilometers (17 square miles.)

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group also reported the gains.

Al-Shaar was home to at least four hospitals available

A Syrian man walks by posters of Syrian President Bashar Assad with Arabic that read 'Homeland, honor, fidelity.

to residents trapped by the government's siege of the eastern part of the city. But those hospitals, along the rest of the neighborhood, were bombed by the government's attacks and evacuated. Broad swaths of the city's eastern quarters are in ruins.

Ibrahim al-Haj, a civil defense member, said he was in the neighborhood shortly before it fell to the government. "It is totally destroyed," he said, adding that if he had stayed a minute longer he would have been captured. He said the previously densely populated district had largely been deserted since the government forces first moved in on the eastern districts last weekend.

A government intense aerial offensive had preceded the ground troops' advances.

Rebel defenses are collapsing under the weight of twin offensives by pro-government forces.

Rebels and pro-government forces fought streetto-street in the city's southern Saif al-Dawleh and al-Zabadiyeh neighborhoods, according to footage provided by Syrian military media and au-

dio provided by local teacher and media activist Abdelkafi Alhamdo.

The Syrian government and its ally Russia on Tuesday issued stark warnings to rebels in besieged eastern neighborhoods of Aleppo, with Moscow's top diplomat saying the rebels will be wiped out unless they stop fighting and leave the city.

Damascus also said it rejects any cease-fire for Aleppo that does not include the departure of all rebels from the eastern part of the city and that it won't allow the rebels to use a truce as a chance to "regroup."

The tough rhetoric comes a day after Russia and China blocked a draft resolution at the U.N. Security Council demanding a seven-day truce in Aleppo to evacuate the sick and wounded and to provide humanitarian aid workers time to get food and medicine into the city.

Russia, a main backer of the Syrian government, is supporting the government's offensive in Aleppo and has repeatedly blocked action in the Security Council over Syria. (Agencies)

DIBRUGARH, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8

Gold falters, slumps Rs 200 on lacklustre demand, global cues Gold prices suffered more losses for the third straight day, tumbling by another Rs 200 to Rs 28,600 per 10 grams today, mostly on account of slack demand from jewellers along with weak global cues.

New Delhi, Dec 07: Gold prices suffered more losses for the third straight day, tumbling by another Rs 200 to Rs 28,600 per 10 grams today, mostly on account of slack demand from jewellers along with weak global cues.

Silver also remained under selling pressure and cracked below the Rs 41,000-mark by falling Rs 250 to Rs 40,850 per kg.

Market analysts said tepid demand from jewellers and retailers at the domestic spot market and a weak trend in the global market weighed heavy on the precious metals.

Globally, gold fell 0.15 per cent to $1,167.50 an ounce and silver by 0.27 per cent to $16.65 an ounce in Singapore.

Trading volume remained thin in view of the prevail-

Globally, gold fell 0.15 per cent to ,167.50 an ounce and silver by 0.27 per cent to .65 an ounce in Singapore.

ing cash crunch following demonetisation of highvalue notes, they said.

In the national capital, gold of 99.9 per cent and 99.5 per cent purity drifted down by Rs 200 each to Rs 28,600 and Rs 28,450 per 10 grams, respectively.

The precious metal had lost Rs 450 over the past two days.

Sovereign too declined by

Rs 100 to Rs 24,200 per piece of eight grams.

In a similar fashion, silver ready moved down by Rs 250 to Rs 40,850 per kg and weekly-based delivery

by Rs 280 to Rs 40,920 per kg.

Silver coins plunged by Rs 1,000 to Rs 73,000 for buying and Rs 74,000 for selling of 100 pieces.

(PTI)

Govt seeks Parliament nod for Rs 59,978 cr additional expenditure Finance Minister Arun Jaitley sought Rs 550 cr for meeting security-related expenses in Jammu and Kashmir New Delhi, Dec 07: Government on Wednesday sought the approval of the Lok Sabha for gross additional expenditure of Rs 59,978.29 crore as part of the second batch of supplementary demands for grants for the current financial year.

Presenting a statement showing the supplementary demands for grants in the House, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said that out of the total Rs 59,978.29 crore, the net cash outgo would aggregate to Rs 35,171.92 crore.

The rest would be matched by savings of the ministries and departments or by enhanced receipts or recoveries aggregating to Rs 24,805.34 crore.

As per the document

tabled in the House, Rs 3,096.28 crore has been sought for transfer of Krishi Kalyan Cess to Krishi Kalyan Kosh and meeting additional requirement towards general component, special component of schedule Caste and tribal sub-plan under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojna of the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.

The demands for grants also include Rs 861.65 crore for equity investment in Air India and carrying out accounting adjustments for conversion of loan, outstanding against Pawan Hans Helicopters Limited, into equity.

Jaitley also sought approval of the House for Rs 1,000 crore for meeting additional expenditure of

RBI keeps rate unchanged at 6.25 per cent Rupee firmly on recovery

Image for Representation purpose.

Mumbai, Dec 7: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Wednesday kept its key lending rates unchanged and lowered the country's growth forecast citing global and local uncertainties.

The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the RBI during its second bimonthly monetary policy review - the fifth of the fiscal kept the repurchase rate, or the short-term lending rate it charges on borrowings by commercial banks, unchanged to 6.25 per cent.

The reverse repurchase rate automatically remained unchanged at 5.75 per cent.

The government constituted the new policy panel with the primary mandate of ensuring retail inflation of 4 per cent, plus or minus two percentage points.

The panel said in a statement that Wednesday's decision was consistent with an accommodative

stance, with the objective of achieving the inflation target.

All six members of the panel, chaired by RBI Governor Urjit Patel, voted in favour of the monetary policy decisions - the minutes of which will be released on December 21.

According to the panel, its decision to keep the key lending rates unchanged was taken after considering various global and local factors such as a likely hike in US interest rates and lower growth due to the demonetisation drive.

The key policy rate was last reduced in October. At that time the central bank had cut its key lending rate by 25 basis points in the fourth monetary policy review during the current fiscal.

Besides, the RBI lowered the country's growth forecast for 2016-17 to 7.1 per cent from 7.6 per cent.

The panel pointed out that GVA (gross value added) growth for 2016-17 has

been revised downwards after incorporating the expected loss of growth momentum in the third quarter (Q3) and waning effects of demonetisation in Q4 alongside the boost to consumption demand from higher agricultural output and the implementation of the 7th CPC (Central Pay Commission) award.

"The outlook for GVA growth for 2016-17 has turned uncertain after the unexpected loss of momentum by 50 basis points in Q2 and the effects of the withdrawal of SBNs (specified bank notes) which are still playing out," the MPC said.

The central bank said that the downside risks in the near term could come through two major channels - short-run disruptions in economic activity in cash-intensive sectors and aggregate demand compression associated with adverse wealth effects.

"The impact of the first channel should, however, ebb with the progressive increase in the circulation of new currency notes and greater usage of noncash based payment instruments in the economy," the statement said.

"While the impact of the second channel is likely to be limited. In October 2016, GVA growth in H2 was projected at 7.7 per cent and for the full year at 7.6 per cent." (IANS)

Demonetisation: ED enquiry operations at 50 banks across country New Delhi, Dec 07: Stepping up action to check financial crimes post demonetisation, the ED on Wednesday launched an 'enquiry of records' operation at over 50 bank branches across the country to detect money laundering and hawala dealing instances through these channels. Officials said multiple teams of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) swooped early morning at over 50 branches of at least ten banks, both in the private and public sector, along with banking auditors to "scrutinise" transaction records and account statements, armed with vital inputs gathered from financial snoop agencies.

They said ED teams have launched the operations at branches located in major

cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Chennai and others based on records of transaction of these branches where the maximum amount of old notes have been deposited or huge cash has been deposited in bank accounts in one go or in a staggered fashion giving rise to suspicion of suspect deposits.

Officials said the sleuths and auditors are "looking at the banking transaction records post November 8" and instructions have been issued to these teams to ensure that regular operations and customer dealings are not affected due to this.

The ED, tasked with enforcing two important laws to check financial crimes-Prevention of Money Laundering Act

P11

BUSINESS

(PMLA) and Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA)-has sourced Suspicious Transaction Reports (STRs) and Cash Transaction Reports (CTRs) of the banks under scanner from various financial intelligence agencies and has launched the operation to check possible financial irregularities, instances of money laundering and hawala dealings.

The agency had recently arrested two Axis Bank employees working at a branch in Delhi while probing a similar instance under PMLA. ED, last week, had also conducted searches at 40 locations across the country in order to check black money held with currency exchanges, hawala dealers and others. (PTI)

path, gains 12 paise

Image for Representation purpose.

Mumbai, Dec 07: The rupee continued to tread the recovery path for the second day today, climbing 12 paise to 67.78 against the dollar on increased selling of the American currency by exporters and banks ahead of RBI policy meet scheduled later in the day.

Forex dealers said that besides sustained selling of the greenback by banks and exporters, the dollar's weakness against some currencies overseas

backed up the rupee at the Inter-bank Foreign Exchange.

Yesterday, the local currency had staged a strong recovery by gaining 31 paise to close at 67.90 its highest level in three weeks - on heavy dollar selling and rising expectations of a rate cut by RBI. Meanwhile, the benchmark BSE Sensex was up 77.17 points, or 0.29 per cent, at 26,469.93 in early trade. (PTI)

Demonetisation to impact activities in cashintensive sectors

Image for Representation purpose.

Mumbai, Dec 07:Demonetisation could result in short-run disruptions in economic activity in cash-intensive sectors like retail trade, hotels, restaurants and transportation, and the unorganised sector, RBI said today. The withdrawal of old Rs 500 and 1,000 notes "could result in a possible temporary reduction in inflation of the order of 10-15 basis points in Q3 (October-December period", the central bank said in the Fifth Bi-monthly Monetary Policy Statement Resolution of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC). RBI, however, kept retail inflation target of 5 per cent for the fourth quarter of the fiscal and the medium-term target of 4 per cent within a band of +/- 2 per cent while supporting growth.

MPC, RBI said, felt that the assessment is clouded by the still unfolding effects of the withdrawal of specified bank notes (SBNs). "The outlook for GVA (gross value added)

growth for 2016-17 has turned uncertain after the unexpected loss of momentum by 50 basis points in Q2 and the effects of the withdrawal of SBNs (Rs 500/1,000 notes) which are still playing out," the policy document said. Downside risks in the near term could travel through two major channels.

One is "short-run disruptions in economic activity in cash-intensive sectors such as retail trade, hotels and restaurants and transportation, and in the unorganised sector". The second channel is aggregate demand compression associated with adverse wealth effects.

"The impact of the first channel should, however, ebb with the progressive increase in the circulation of new currency notes and greater usage of non-cash based payment instruments in the economy while the impact of the second channel is likely to be limited," RBI said. (PTI)

Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.

Coast Guard Organisation towards the acquisition of ships, aricraft, fleet and land.

The demand for grants also include Rs 2,500 crore for Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation and Rs 210 crore for implementation of GST

and project Saksham.

Approval has been sought for meeting expenditure for clearing pending claims for maintenance of Prime Minister's aircraft (Rs 193 crore), Cyber Security Research and Development Scheme of National Se-

curity Council Secretariat (Rs 50 crore), and Grants-in-General to National Authority Chemical Weapons Convention Help Desks (Rs 1.01 crore).

As per the document laid by the Finance Minister, Rs 550 crore has been sought for meeting expenditure under grantsin- aid towards security related expenditure of Jammu and Kashmir.

Lok Sabha approval has also been sought for Rs 4,000 crore expenditure to providing additional fund to MGNREGS. Besides, Jaitley also sought approval for token provisions for enabling re-appropriation of savings in cases invloving new service or new instrument of service. (PTI)

RBI Keeps Interest Rates Unchanged, Lowers Growth Forecast in First Monetary Policy Review After Demonetisation New Delhi, Dec 07: The Reserve Bank of India has kept its benchmark interest rate unchanged, going against the expectations of a rate cut to boost the economy. It also cut its growth forecast for fiscal year 2016-17 from 7.6 per cent to 7.1 per cent.

The Reserve Bank of India left its benchmark repurchase rate unchanged at 6.25%. The RBI said that the decision was made on the basis of "an assessment of the current and evolving macroeconomic situation" at its meeting on Wednesday.

The central bank also lowered its growth forecast for the current financial year 2016-17 to 7.1% from 7.6%.

"Incorporating the expected loss of growth momentum in Q3 and Q4 alongside the boost to consumption from higher agricultural output and the implementation of the 7th pay commission award, GVA growth for 2016-17 is revised down from 7.6 per cent to 7.1 per cent."

The repurchase rate is the interest rate at which the RBI lends money to commercial banks, which in turn lend to individuals and companies for things like home loans, car loans and education loans. A cut in the interest rate makes

A man walks in front of RBI building. loans cheaper and boosts lending, which increases economic transactions.

The central bank said that the downside risks in the near term could come through short-run disruptions in economic activity in cash-intensive sectors and aggregate demand compression associated with adverse wealth effects.

"The impact of the first channel should, however, ebb with the progressive increase in the circulation of new currency notes and greater usage of non-cash based payment instruments in the economy," the statement said.

"While the impact of the second channel is likely to be limited. In October 2016, GVA growth in H2 was projected at 7.7 per cent and for the full year

at 7.6 per cent."

Addressing the media post the decision, RBI deputy governor RS Gandhi defended the demonetisation and said that the decision was not taken in haste.

"The decision was taken with due deliberations.

Four lakh crore higher denomination notes have been supplied so far. The RBI has printed more currency notes post demonetisation than in the last 3 years," Gandhi said.

The Central Bank also said that some 19 billion notes have been given to public and the withdrawal limit will be revised if a need arises.

"Public need not worry about availability and should freely use the currency," RBI governor Urijit Patel said post the announcement. (PTI)

Apple in talks with government to open stores in India New Delhi, Dec 07: Apple Inc officials have met Commerce Ministry top brass amid its plans to open stores in India without initially having to source components locally.

According to PTI sources, the meeting chaired by Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) Secretary Ramesh Abhishek lasted for almost an hour with senior officials from Apple discussing details of the new Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) rules in single-brand retail and the company's retail expansion plans.

Apple officials are believed to have sought clarity on the changes in mandatory domestic sourcing norms

for single brand retail brought in earlier this year.

However, no official word on the meeting was received from either side.

In June this year, government had relaxed FDI norms by giving a threeyear exemption from local sourcing to foreign players in single-brand retail and a five-year relaxation for 'state-of-the-art' and 'cutting-edge' technology.

India is one of the fastest growing markets for the Cupertino-based company. In the first three quarters of this fiscal year, Apple's iPhone sales in India were up 51 per cent year-on-year.

In May this year, Apple's CEO Tim Cook had visited India and met Prime

Minister Narendra Modi as well as key industry leaders like Sunil Bharti Mittal and veteran banker Chanda Kocchar.

Apple had also announced setting up of a design and development accelerator to support Indian developers creating innovative applications for iOS and opened a new office in Hyderabad to accelerate maps development.

Cook during his May visit, had discussed issues including manufacturing and setting up retail stores in the country with Modi.

The FDI rules for single brand retail call for mandatory sourcing of at least 30 per cent inputs from domestic companies.

(PTI)

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DIBRUGARH, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8

P12 DPS, Digboi wins 1 gold, 2 silver in Tinsukia Railway Inter-DPS National Athletics -2016 bags twelve points

Sangeeta Moran won gold in Long Jump, while Pratiksha Barua and Tammana Hussain of DPS Digboi bagged silver in 200 and 1500m run respectively.

Sangeeta Moran in action Laxman Sharma Digboi, Dec 7 : Students of Delhi Public School, Digboi added feathers to its cap by bagging 1 gold medal, 2 silver in different disciplines in the in the Inter-DPS National Athletic Meet 2016 held at DPS Allahabad.

Sangeeta Moran won gold in Long Jump, while Pratiksha Barua and

Tammana Hussain of DPS thirty two schools under the Digboi bagged silver in 200 society. Earlier the athletics and 1500m run respectively. meet was inaugurated by Dr. DR Saini, Director Delhi With 25 points to its Public Society. “Our overall points tally, DPS students faced tough Digboi landed in the fourth competition from other position in the overall participants, we are deeply points overhaul. The three satisfied and proud of our day Girls Open Meet students,” asserted, Bhima athletics meet had Bist Chatterjee who witnessed participation of escorted the team DPS

Digboi.

Talking to The Eastern Today, Principal DPS Digboi, Rakesh Singh Chowdhary told that the school has always stressed on holistic education maintaining a balance between education and co-curricular activities.

Deeply satisfied with the performance of the students, he later said, ‘we

were pretty confident of our students, we are looking forward to improve and better our performance next year”.

The Gold medalist, Sangeeta Moran is the daughter of Pradip Moran and Mrinali Moran a resident of Dwarmara Singpho Basti in Pengaree.

12th annual sports event of GHSS Telam begins

Sports Reporter Dibrugarh, Dec. 7: Tinsukia Railway Divisional Sports Club defeated Saptrashi by 13 runs in the A-division cricket league tournament organized by Tinsukia district Sports Association at Tinsukia district Sports Association stadium today.

Electing to bat, TRDSC piled up 170 before being all out in 34.4 overs. B.M. Rao top scored with 56

off 67 balls, hitting seven boundaries and one maximum while Bimal Goswami contributed 33 off 27 balls with three boundaries and one six.

Abhilash Gogoi scored 30 off 41 balls.

For Saptrashi, Shekhar Gowala bagged three for 21 in 4.4 overs while Bikash Chetri took two for 20 in 7 overs.

In reply, Saptrashi were all out for 157 in 33.2

overs. Piyush Bansal top scored with 64 off 73 balls with eight boundaries to the ropes while Bikash Chetri contributed 17 off 37 deliveries.

Abhilash Gogoi and Bijen Dutta took two wickets a piece by giving away 12 and 46 runs respectively.

Tinsukia Railway topped the table with twelve points winning the four matches in a row.

Jalukpara register 6 wkts victory Sports Reporter Dibrugarh, Dec. 7: Jalukpara Boys Club registered a six wickets victory against Jeoti Moral Sangha in the senior division cricket league tournament organized by Dibrugarh District Sports Association at DDSA stadium here today.

Opting to bat first, JBC scored 126 in 29.2 overs before being bowled out.

Gaurav Buragohain scored 35 off 41 balls,

hgitting four boundaries and one six while Narendra Das remained unbeaten on 19 off 26 deliveries with two fours.

Pragyan Sharma chipped in with 19 runs.

For JMS, Vatsal Bawri scalped three for 26 in 4.2 overs. Wasim Ahmed and Harun Kazi took two wickets a piece conceding 29 and 19 runs respectively.

In run chase, JBC scored 127 losing four wickets

in 23.2 overs. Harun Kazi smashed 35 off 38 balls, laced with five boundaries to the ropes and Monu Nirmal remained unbeaten on 21. Wasim Ahmed remained unbeaten on 15 runs.

David Gogoi took two for 16 in 4 overs for JBC. Harun Kazi was adjudged man of the match. Tomorrow, Cricket Club of Dibrugarh will play Duliajan Cricket Academy.

MCC not in favour of Tendulkar's suggestion of two pitches A Staff Reporter Pasighat, Dec 7: The 12th annual sports event of Govt. Hr. Sec. School, Telam with participation of 104 girls and 160 boys from Class XI-XII in various field of competitions like football, volleyball, races, high jump, long jump etc besides literary and cultural activities started on Tuesday at

GHSS Telam school ground in which DDSE, East Siang, Jongge Yirang attended as Chief Guest.

While advising the students during his speech, Yirang said that, student should abstain themselves from indulging into drugs and IMFL addiction which is rapidly ruining the lives

of many youth in the state today. He also laid emphasis on importance of games and sports in the career of students as the holistic approach toward it will give them an alternative career option too. He also said that, sport is today turning out to be an industry and a service provider. Yirang also advised and requested the

teaching communities to give proper counselling to students for opportunities in various vocational courses too, like para-medical and other allied courses.

Yirang also informed that, the district level Subroto Cup Mukherjee Football is being organized within this December.

According to DDSE sources, GHSS Telam under the leadership of Principal, Kaling Ratan, V/P Toli Doye is making the inter class sports event successful and meaningful. DDSE Yirang was accompanied by Takut Dabi, HM attached to DDSE and JE Education, Tajing Taloh.

Confident India ready to wrap up series against England Hameed's loss due to a finger fracture sustained in Mohali is a big blow to England who will be hoping that the South Africaborn Jennings will step into the other youngster's shoes seamlessly and perform well the difficult role of opening the batting with skipper Alastair Cook.

India, too, have had injury concerns but as head coach Anil Kumble pointed out at a media conference yesterday, the newcomers had slipped in and performed well to contribute to the hosts' domination of the rubber after having played second fiddle to the tourists in the series opener at Rajkot.

India's top-order batting has been shored up by the sublime form exhibited by No 3 Cheteshwar Pujara and captain Virat Kohli and any subsequent wobble has been arrested by the lower order batsmen led by Ravichandran Ashwin.

Parthiv Patel, who was recalled to the team after an eight-year gap, took on the unenviable job of opening the batting against the top-class England new-ball attack led by the redoubtable James Anderson with elan in Mohali, making 42 and 67 respectively.

Indian Cricket team PTI Mumbai, Dec. 7: A dominant India will be eyeing to clinch the five-Test series against England with yet another comprehensive victory when the two teams square off in the fourth match of the series starting tomorrow.

With an unassailable 2-0 lead after three Tests, the confidence of the Virat Kohli-led team is sky high and they would like to

regain the Anthony de Mello Trophy which they had lost to Alastair Cook's side back in 2012.

Even if England manage a draw, India will win the series after the visitors' hat-trick of wins2011 in England, 2012 in India and 2014 in England again.

In their last two Test meetings at the Wankhede, Englandhad prevailed over India and the 2012 Test match will always

be remembered as one where Kevin Pietersenplayed perhaps one of the finest knocks by an overseas batsman on Indian soil.

Tomorrow's Test match gives India a chance to exact revenge for the two earlier defeats and also make the Chennai Test inconsequential.

The tourists suffered a heavy

loss in Mohali and are now expected to come hard at the hosts after spending a week away from the sub-continent - in Dubai licking their wounds and recharging their batteries.

In the interim, England had also replaced two injured Asian-origin players - impressive teenage opener Haseeb Hameed and left arm spinner Zafar Ansari - with two uncapped players - Keaton Jennings and Liam Dawson.

With the return to fitness after a forearm injury of KL Rahul, who did not play the third game of the series, the pint-sized wicket keeper is expected to bat in the middle-order.

The lone change that is likely to happen is replacement of Karun Nair, who made his debut in Mohali, making way for Rahul, as the rest of the combination is unlikely to be tinkered with unless there's a last-minute injury.

PTI Mumbai, Dec. 7: The radical suggestion of cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar to use two pitches in Ranji Trophy matches to enable Indian players get used to differing playing surfaces has not found favour with the MCC's World Cricket Committee which felt it devalued the game.

"First class cricket is about playing competitive (cricket), challenging yourself. It (playing on two pitches) will be like lessening the importance of first class cricket. That is what the committee felt," said Marylebone Cricket Club's World Cricket Committee member and former Pakistan captain Rameez Raja at a media conference after the panel's two-day meeting here.

Committee chairman and former England skipper Mike Brearley echoed the same view.

"We talked about that too.

We talked about the conflict between using firstclass matches as training and the fact that they are proper games of cricket in a proper competition, proper feeling that you're in a real match. Those two things can be in conflict," said Brearley.

"I personally think the committee would have probably said the same,

Sachin Tendulkar that we felt that (the idea of Tendulkar) went too far in turning first class cricket into mere practice matches for international cricket," he added.

Both Raja and Brearley were reacting to the idea put forth by Tendulkar at a recent event in New Delhi.

Tendulkar had suggested that every Ranji Trophy game should be played on two different pitches to prepare a better Test team for overseas assignments.

He also wanted two balls (a kookaburra and a SG ball) to be used in two innings of a match which he reasoned would take a curator preparing de-

signer pitches out of the equation and also would nullify the toss factor.

"Let us have the first innings on a green top with kookaburra balls which would give openers a challenge. Even bowlers will have something. Our spinners will also learn how to bowl with kookaburra on green tops," Tendulkar had said.

"Now let there be a pitch adjacent to the green top which would be a rank turner. Now the second innings will be played on that track with the SG Test ball which would also help our batsmen play against quality spin bowling," he had said.

Dempo FC pull out from I-League PTI Panaji, Dec. 7: Dempo FC today pulled out from the I-League for the upcoming season in protest against AIFF's proposed roadmap to restructure domestic football, dealing another body blow to the sport in India.

Earlier, Salgaocar FC and Sporting Dempo FC pulled out from the league.

All the three Goan club owners - Shivanand

Salgaocar, Shrinivas Dempo and Peter Vaz, had taken a united stand on 23rd June, 2016 to oppose the restructuring that makes Indian Super League(ISL) a top-tier league and relegates ILeague to the second division or 'League One' as it will be called.

With the deadline for submiting the participation agreement ending today, Dempo wrote to

the AIFF that they too have pulled out from the I-League.

The five-time champions, Dempo's pull-out leaves the AIFF with a major headache as the I-League now has only seven clubs - East Bengal, Mohun Bagan, Bengaluru FC, DSK Shivajians, Mumbai FC, Shillong Lajong and Aizawl FC, who were reinstated after being relegated last season.

Tele : 0373-2327517

Editor: Prahlad Hammey

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