Land of Jewels (Sana Leibak)

PM Inaugurates Indian Science Congress Following is the text of the Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh’s speech at the 96th Indian Science Congress in Shillong, Meghalaya: “I am truly delighted that this year the Indian Science Congress is meeting here in Shillong. The North Eastern Hill University has emerged as one of our premier central universities. It has become an important centre of excellence in this part of our country. I commend the organizers of the Congress for choosing NEHU for this year’s Science Congress. This North-eastern region of our country has a wealth of human and natural resources that can contribute immensely to the overall social, economic, cultural and technological development of India. It is the home of many valuable plants like Citrus and animals like the Yak and Mithun. The rice varieties from this region have contributed valuable genes that offer resistance to pests and diseases. The challenge lies in using modern science and technology to convert these b...

PM reaches Guwahati Guwahati, Jan 2: The Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh has arrived at Guwahati today. He is accompanied by three Union Ministers Mani Shankar Aiyar, Kapil Sibbal and Prithviraj Chouhan. They were received in the Borjhar Airport by the State Governor Shiv Charan Mathur and the Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi. On his arrival,the Prime Minister staightaway went to the Guwahati Medical College Hospital to take stock of the condition of those injured in last evening's serial blasts in the Guwahati city. Dr. Singh will go to Shillong in Meghalaya on Saturday morning. He will inaugurate the 96th Indian Science Congress at the North East Hill University in Shillong. This is for the first time that Indian Science Congress meet has been organized in the North Eastern part of the Country. More then four thousand scientists are taking part in the five day science congress . This year's topic is Science Education and attraction of talent for excellence in research.

The 96th Indian Science Congress is being held in North Eastern Hill University, NEHU, Shillong, 3-7 January 2009. The theme this year is "Science Education and Attraction of Talent for Excellence in Research". The event is to be inaugurated tomorrow by the Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh. Former President of India, Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam will be inaugurating the Children's Science Congress on the 5th of January, 2009. Dr. T. Ramasami, Secretary, Department of Science & Technology is the President of Indian Science Congress 2009. The event which is being held in the North East for the first time, will be attended by a galaxy of scientists form India and abroad who will interact with each other for common goal of scientific advancement for the good of the society. These interactions will take place in various sessions, seminars and symposia. Several public lectures have also been organised on the occasion. There will be a special programme with the focus on the north e...

PM announces ex-gratia for Assam blast victims New Delhi, Jan 2: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today announced an ex-gratia of Rs two lakh each to the next of kin of those killed in the serial bomb blasts at Guwahati in Assam. An amount of Rs one lakh each would be given to those seriously injured in yesterday's blasts, Prime Minister's Media Adviser said in a statement. The assistance would be given from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund. Expressing grief over the loss of lives in the blasts, the prime minister said yesterday that the government would root out terrorism taking the recent anti-terror measures to their logical conclusion. "The government will stay steadfast in its determination to root out terrorism and that the measures initiated recently in this direction will be taken to their logical conclusion," he had said. Source : Press Trust of India (PTI)

5 dead, 51 injured in serial blasts Guwahati, Jan 1: Three blasts took place in crowded areas of Guwahati today (Thursday), shortly before the arrival of Union Home Minister P Chidambaram. The Assam Chief Minister's Office confirmed that the low intensity blasts have left five persons dead and 51 others injured. The first bomb exploded in the Birubari area, injuring three persons. At least four people were injured when a suspected cycle bomb exploded at Bhootnath locality, which falls on the route Chidambaram was to take, shortly before his arrival. Three persons were injured in a blast outside a Big Bazar retail chain outlet at Bhangagarh, an upmarket commercial area near the Guwahati Medical College. Earlier, an Improvised Explosive Devise (IED) kept in a municipal corporation dustbin went off at around 3:00pm leaving three persons wounded. Assam DGP, GM Srivastava has said, “One person is in critical condition. We can confirm that the perpetrators are ULFA.” ''We had inf...

PM to inaugurate ISC session on Saturday Shillong, Jan 1: The age old heritage and bio-diversity of the northeastern region will be shining once again when the country hosts its Science Congress session in Shillong on January 3. According to Vice-chancellor of North East Hill University (NEHU) of Pramod Tandon, delegates would be coming from outside and they have their desire to visit places like Kaziranga National Park and Cherrapunjee during their stay. Tandon, who is the chairman of the celebration committee said over 4,000 participants from countries like US, China, Japan and Bangladesh are expected to attend the five-day meet that will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on January 3. According to him, the grand event would help the region explore its potential, promote its tourism and showcase it to the world. Source : Assam Times Another Story Spotlight on NE during ISC session Shillong: The spotlight would be on the rich cultural heritage and bio-diversity of the NE...

Sangma suggests railway, bus links with Dhaka: New Delhi, May 4: Dhaka has been cold to New Delhi’s request for transit facilities to the Northeast, but leaders in the region hope the ice will melt soon. Lured by the success of the Calcutta-Dhaka Moitree Express, Meghalaya wants transport links, including railway connectivity, with Bangladesh. The chairman of state Planning Board, P.A. Sangma, hopes to open negotiations with Bangladesh for a bus service between Tura, the headquarters of West Garo Hills, and Dhaka. He is also pitching for a railway link from Baghmara, the headquarters of South Garo Hills, to the nearest railway line in Bangladesh, which is 17km away. “Only that much needs to be constructed by us. I have written to external affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee expressing my wish to visit the neighbouring country,” the former Lok Sabha Speaker, who hails from Tura, said. Meghalaya chief minister Donkupar Roy urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh last week for a transport link...

Laishram Monika Fetches Weightlifting Olympic Berth : New Delhi, Apr 30: With one silver and two bronze to their kitty in the ongoing Asian weightlifting championship in Kanazawa in Japan, Indian women have booked one berth for Beijing Olympics. Laishram Monika Devi has fetched three medals for India in the women’s 69kg event in the final Olympic qualifying event which concludes on Thursday. Khuga Dam to be Opened by PM in June : Imphal, Apr 30: The construction of Khuga dam is expected to conclude next month and the dam is likely to be inaugurated by the first week of June by the Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh. In this connection the chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh along with other ministers of the state visited the dam site to conduct an inspection on Wednesday morning. Plan to Arm People Against Militants Discussed : Imphal, Apr 30: The Manipur government is considering drafting a model or system to empower the local people against attacks and extortion etc. apparently in the af...

To commission Kula Multipurpose Project: Imphal, Apr 20: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh may visit the state around May-end or June to commission the Kula multipurpose project, the foundation stone of which he laid as the deputy chairman of the Planning Commission nearly 24 years ago. "Okram Ibobi Singh, who is in Delhi to attend the chief ministers’ conference, met Singh yesterday and invited him to commission the project. The Prime Minister said he would be happy to commission it," a source in Delhi said on Sunday. Being constructed at Mata village across the Khuga, about 10km from Churachandpur district headquarters, the project was conceived in the seventies. Once functional, the project will irrigate 15,000 hectares of agriculture land, provide five million gallons of drinking water daily and generate 1.5MW of power. The Planning Commission approved the project at Rs 15 crore in July 1980. Then deputy chairman of the Planning Commission, Singh laid the foundation stone of ...

Five member team heads for Delhi: Imphal, Dec 16: To exert pressure on Delimitation Commission of India, Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and AICC president Sonia Gandhi in connection with the demand to exempt Manipur from the ongoing delimitation process and to promulgate an ordinance in this regard, a specially selected 5-member delegation of the all political parties left Imphal for Delhi on Sunday. The five-member delegation of the all political parties specially selected for the purpose comprise of MPP president Dr L Chandramani, Legislature Wing leader of the party O Joy, party MLA Dr Ng Bijoy, BJP State unit president Dr Haobam Borbabu and former Minister of CPI Dr M Nara. After an earlier delegation of the all political parties had gone to the national capital to urge the Central leaders not to go ahead with the delimitation exercise in Manipur on the basis of the controversial Census report of 2001, the five-member delegation which left Imphal on Sunday would carry on lobbying...

Chauhan likely to visit Imphal on Sunday; ‘rebels’ to return home: Imphal, Dec 6: The campaign to replace Okram Ibobi as chief minister by the rebel Congress MLAs who are now camping in New Delhi continues unabated despite the unexpected turn of events in which 10 opposition MLAs including the six sponsored by United Naga Council, UNC, professedly coming out in support of the chief minister. The rebels have in fact, seemingly succeeded in advancing another pawn on the political chessboard, predicted to cause another serious threat to the chief minister`s defence. At 11.15am this morning (Thursday), the man projected as a possible replacement for Ibobi, Th Debendra, met the Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh at his office room at the Parliament House. Although the details of what transpired are not known, the meeting presumably had to do with the campaign to remove Ibobi as Congress Legislature Party, CLP leader. Interestingly, the rebel MLAs also met with the PM at 3.30pm again in his r...

Rebels meet PM on shake-up: Imphal, Dec 6 : The rebel Congress MLAs who have been camping at Delhi for more than a month in their campaign to remove O Ibobi from the post of Chief Ministership, called on the Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh on Thursday for an Ordinance so as to stall the delimitation exercise besides sustaining their oust-Ibobi move. Law and Legislative Affairs Minister Th Debendra who is being projected by the dissident group as their leader and Rajya Sabha MP Rishang Keishing called on Dr Manmohan Singh at about 12.30 pm and apprised the Prime Minister of the prevailing political imbroglio within the CLP. The two senior Congress leaders reportedly told the Prime Minister that replacing O Ibobi with another leader as Chief Minister of Manipur will be able to end the protracted political impasse. Acknowledging the stance of the dissident group and considering the reports culled from different quarters, Dr Manmohan Singh entrusted the party's North East in-charge P...