NORTH-EASTERN STATES

A research institute in Agartala, which is a part of the Centre-affiliated Bamboo and Cane Development Institute (BCDI), has recently made bamboo bats, taking a cue from a study conducted by scientists at the University of Cambridge, and presented samples to H G Cricket Company in Meerut and Virender Sehwag Cricket Academy in Delhi. Arun Sharma, the director of the Agartala-based North East Centre for Technology Application and Research (NECTAR), along with a team of BCDI officials, also met Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Deb to showcase the product the institute has manufactured.

TheTripuraforest department, to reduce man-animal conflicts, has decided to use GPS-enabled devices to track jumbos movement, said deputy chief wildlife wardenKGRoy.

A Bengaluru-based company has been entrusted with the task of fitting radio collars around the neck of elephants and work is expected to be completed by December. The radio collars will help us track the movement of the wild elephants. We can take measures to push them back to forests if found anywhere near human habitations.

Over 600 delegates from across the State, representing almost all the leading schools of Assam, have taken part in the two-day-long Inter NPS Model United Nations (MUN) being held in the premises of NPS International School in Guwahati on Friday. This event is considered as one of the largest MUNs in the North-east region of the country. NPS International School is organising such events over the years for holistic development of students. Inaugurating the event, Jitendra Nath Das, founder of NPS International School, spoke on the importance on organising such events for overall Growth of student community.

TheTea Association of India(TAI),BarakValley branch, has expressed concern over the collapse of Communication Network following natural calamities that led to the closure of rail and surface transport between the southernAssam valleyand Guwahati.

TAI Barak Valley branch secretary SorodinduBhattacharjee said the RAILWAY connectivity in the valley has been disrupted since mid-May. Surface transport between Barak and Guwahati has been repeatedly closed due to landslides in Rathacherra-Sonapore zone ofMeghalaya.

The annual Ambubachi Mela, one of eastern Indias leading religious congregations held at Kamakhya Temple atop Nilachal Hills here, has been cancelled because of threats posed by the Covid-19 pandemic for the second year running.

The mela is held from June 22 every year but the temple will remain closed till June 30.

Over 20 lakh visitors/tourists had attended the 2018 mela and about 25 lakh in 2019 from within India and outside but most from Bengal and Bihar. The place hold special significance for Hindus because Kamakhya Temple is one of the 51 shaktipeeths in the country. The temple remains closed during the four-day period because the goddess is believed to undergo her menstrual cycle.

Qualcommrecently announced the winners of the seventh edition of its Design in India Challenge, said to be Indias longest-running hardware startup incubation programme, launched in collaboration with Nasscom andStartup India. Out of 145 applicants this time, 12 startups were selected to receive incubation support in the areas of technology development, business model, and (IPR). Out of the 12, three were selected by a jury of Industry leaders as the winner and two runners up.

Keeping its pre-poll promise ahead of the last assembly , theTripuragovernment has announced that it will providesmartphonesto more 15,000 undergraduatestudentsunder the Mukhyamantri Yuva Yogajug Yojana.

Education ministerRatan Lal Nathsaid 15,000 final-year students will be selected from 40 educational institutions, including 22 government degree colleges and two universities, and each of them will receive Rs 5000 for buying a smartphone in the current financial year.
The scheme was introduced last year and 7,274 students had received the amount and Rs 3.67 crore was disbursed for this purpose.

This year, the budget allocation for the scheme has been increased to Rs 7.50 crore.

bodies in the northeast have hailed theUnion Budgetfor earmarking Rs 1,500 crore for development initiatives, which they said will enable livelihood activities for youths and Women in the region.

The Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC) has termed it an extremely Growth-centric budget that they felt every industry needed amid a pandemic and to achieve fast recovery of their respective businesses.

As almost 99% of all enterprises in the northeast come under the MSME category now, Abhijit Barooah, chairman, Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), northeast, was hopeful that the budget will give a push to the MSMEs.

Federation of Industry & Commerce of North Eastern Region (FINER) has hailed the Budget and said that FM presented a Capital Expenditure-led budget aimed at reviving the Covid-hit economy and creation of more jobs over the next two decades.

The Arunachal Pradesh government is focusing on strengthening digital and construction of roads during the current calendar year to improve connectivity and boost development in the northeastern state, Chief Minister Pema Khandu said. The authorities will emphasise on completion of two vital projects in 2022 Tali road in Kra Daadi district and Miao-Vijaynagar in Changlang, he said.

Tali and Vijaynagar are yet to be connected by roads. Under the digital connectivity programme, various core infrastructure projects, including National Optical Fibre Network, State Wide Area Network, Supervisory Development Centre and National Knowledge Network are in progress in the state,