Shillong: The body of Shillong mountaineer who went missing since the Uttarakhand avalanche, was recovered on Saturday, family sources said.
Tiklu Jyrwa, was among many other mountainers who went missing after the avalanche hit them on Droupadi Ka Danda in Uttarkashi on October 4.
Condoling the death of the mountaineer, state Chief Minister Conrad Sangma tweeted, "We are in touch with the family and are facilitating the transportation of his mortal remains to Shillong. My prayers for his family and loved ones during their hour of grief. May the departed Rest In Peace." According to the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering, Uttarkashi, a total of 26 bodies of mountaineering team, comprising two instructors and 24 trainees, have been recovered so far.
Search and rescue operation is in progress for the remaining three trainees, a bulletin of the institute said.&nbsp;
—IANS

 The body of Shillong mountaineer who went missing since the Uttarakhand avalanche, was recovered on Saturday, family sources said.

Uttarakhand Avalance: Shillong Mountaineer's Body Recovered

Shillong (The Hawk): The administration of the East Khasi Hills District, under which the capital of Meghalaya falls, on Monday issued prohibitory orders in the city and surrounding areas, outlawing all types of gatherings and rallies, with the exception of religious processions. This action came days after violence at a Shillong rally.
Regarding the rally on October 28 and the following violence in Shillong, Deputy Commissioner Isawanda Laloo stated that it has been observed that the organisers have failed to adhere to any or all of the requirements set forth by this authority.
According to her notification, several assaults on commuters and vandalism of vehicles occurred at one such rally held in Shillong on October 28. This caused a fear psychosis among the general public, and it is known that other NGOs and groups are planning similar events such as "surprise rallies" in Shillong city, it said.
As a result, any assembly, rally, or procession with five or more participants is prohibited throughout the entire city of Shillong, including the Shillong Urban Agglomeration area. Any violations of the order will result in penalties under Section 188 of the IPC and any other applicable laws, according to the order.
Eyewitnesses claim that a group of Federation of Khasi, Jaintia, and Garo People (FKJGP) members, many of whom were disguised, attacked random bystanders with punches, kicks, and pushes, hurting numerous individuals—mostly non-tribals—and generating chaos and severe traffic jams in the region.
The FKJGP organised the event to draw attention to Meghalaya's growing unemployment issues.
(Inputs from Agencies)

The administration of the East Khasi Hills District, under which the capital of Meghalaya falls, on Monday issued prohibitory orders in the city and surrounding areas, outlawing all types of gatherings and rallies, with the exception of religious processions. This action came days after violence at a Shillong rally.

Shillong has imposed prohibitions following the violence at the event

Shillong (The Hawk): On Thursday, the Eastern Air Command's Shillong headquarters celebrated 63 years of operation.
The Eastern Air Command's Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Air Marshal S.P. Dharkar, performed a wreath-laying ceremony at the War Memorial here to commemorate the occasion, according to officials.
The Eastern Air Command was developed via conflict and was born in conflict. One of the more deadly branches of the Indian Air Force, it has responsibility over air operations across a huge region that spans the eight northeastern states, West Bengal, Bihar, and portions of Odisha and Jharkhand, encompassing an area of more than three lakh square kilometres.
Additionally, it has control over the 6,300 km long international border with Bangladesh, Myanmar, China, Nepal, and Bhutan.
The Eastern Air Command took part in the conflicts of 1962, 1965, and 1971. Over the years, it has made a significant contribution to the evacuation of people affected by natural disasters like earthquakes, landslides, and floods.
According to an officer, the Command has also undergone a number of new inductions to adapt to the altered security situation.
(Inputs from Agencies)

On Thursday, the Eastern Air Command's Shillong headquarters celebrated 63 years of operation. The Eastern Air Command's Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Air Marshal S.P. Dharkar, performed a wreath-laying ceremony at the War Memorial here to commemorate the occasion, according to officials.

Shillong's Eastern Air Command Headquarters completes 63 years of service

Shillong/Agartala (The Hawk): In addition to attending the North East Council's (NEC) golden jubilee celebration on Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also officially opened and laid the cornerstone for a number of projects during a public event in Shillong.The Northeastern Council (NEC), a regional planning organisation established in 1972 to carry out planning and developmental projects of eight northeastern states, celebrated its golden anniversary with the participation of the Union Home Minister Amit Shah, the Chief Ministers, and the Governors of eight northeastern states.At a public event held at Shillong's Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium (Polo Ground), the prime minister officially opened and set the cornerstone for a number of projects totaling more than Rs 2,450 crore.The Prime Minister will travel from Shillong to Agartala where he would address a crowd of people on Sunday at Swami Vivekananda Ground, declare open some projects, and lay the cornerstone for a few more projects totaling more than Rs 4,350 crore.Sushanta Chowdhury, the Minister of Information and Cultural Affairs of Tripura, announced that the Prime Minister would take a significant stride forward by launching the "Grih Pravesh" programme for Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana recipients (both urban and rural).Over two lakh recipients will receive these homes, which cost over Rs 3,400 crore to create.The Prime Minister will officially open the project to widen the Agartala bypass (Khayerpur - Amtali) NH-08, which would reduce traffic in the city of Agartala and improve road connectivity.Additionally, as part of PMGSY III (Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana), he will lay the cornerstones for 112 roads totaling more than 540 km in length and 32 roads totaling more than 230 km.Agartala Government Dental College and the State Institute of Hotel Management at Anandnagar, both on the outskirts of the capital city, will also be opened by Modi.The BJP-led administration in Agartala has sent out a circular requesting that all central and state government representatives attend the gathering.Over 72,000 people from all over the state, according to Sushanta Chowdhury, Minister of Information for Tripura, would join the public gathering.The Border Security Force guarding the borders with Bangladesh has also been placed on notice in light of the Prime Minister's visit, according to West Tripura's Superintendent of Police, Sankar Debnath.The Prime Minister will meet with the BJP MLAs at the state guest house before departing for Delhi to go over the election schedule for the Tripura Assembly elections, which are anticipated to take place in February of 2019.(Inputs from Agencies)

In addition to attending the North East Council's (NEC) golden jubilee celebration on Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also officially opened and laid the cornerstone for a number of projects during a public event in Shillong.

PM Modi visits the North East Council's golden jubilee celebrations in Shillong

Shillong: Ahead of the Meghalaya Assembly polls, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a roadshow in Shillong on Friday. The roadshow started at Central Library and concluded at the Police Bazar where he addressed a public rally. The roadshow received a massive response as people queued up on both sides of the road through which the Prime Minister's cavalcade passed.
The Prime Minister was also seen greeting people and waving at them. PM Modi also paid floral tributes to three freedom fighters of the state - U Tirot Sing, U Kiang Nangbah and Pa Togan Sangma in Shillong. Security was beefed up in Shillong in view of PM Modi's visit.
More than 1,000 security personnel including Meghalaya Police and Central Armed Police Forces were deployed in the route of the roadshow and Police Bazar point in Shillong. "Special security arrangements have been made in Shillong for the Prime Minister. More than 1000 security personnel have been deployed in the city," Assistant Superintendent of Police, Shillong Pawar Swapnil Vasantrao told ANI.&nbsp;
Later on Friday, PM Modi will address an election campaign rally at Alotgre Stadium in Tura in Garo Hills. Pertinent to mention, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had earlier sought permission for the Prime Minister's rally at PA Sangma Stadium in Tura. BJP alleged that permission to hold the rally at PA Sangma Stadium was denied by the National People's Party (NPP) government, citing the stadium was still under construction.
Later, the party got permission for Alotgre Stadium in Tura as an alternative arrangement for the PM's rally. This time BJP is contesting in all 60 seats. The Meghalaya assembly polls will be held on February 27 and the counting of votes will take place on March 2.
—ANI

Ahead of the Meghalaya Assembly polls, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a roadshow in Shillong on Friday.

Meghalaya Polls: PM Modi Holds Roadshow In Shillong

Shillong News: The North East MPs' Forum (NEMF) has urged the Central government to introduce a scholarship scheme worth Rs 10 crore per year for students of the northeastern region who are keen to appear in the UPSC examinations.

Secretary General of NEMF Vincent H. Pala in a letter to Union DoNER (Development of North Eastern Region) Minister G. Kishan Reddy said that the representation from northeastern states in IAS, IPS, and other central civil services are very low, except a few successful candidates from Manipur and Assam. Pala mentioned in the letter that this gap is growing considerably every year.

He said that despite all state governments' best efforts, in the year 2017 Union Public Service Commission examination had only 24 successful candidates from northeast, which is the highest ever from the region, "though it was very low".

Since then, the results have consistently declined instead of increasing, the letter said.

Pala in his letter said that, in total, 13 in 2018, 11 in 2019 and 9 in 2020 were successful in the UPSC exams from the region.

"There are many bright students from the northeast, comprising eight states, but they are not able to succeed because of lack of guidance and facilities.

"Therefore, there is an immediate need for intervention by DoNER Ministry to identify the deserving and needy civil service aspirants to undergo coaching in Delhi or at state capitals," the NEMF said.

It said that to overcome this problem, "introduce a scholarship scheme with an amount worth Rs 10 crore per year", added that this proposed fund can be evenly distributed with each of the 8 northeastern states, including Sikkim.

In this scheme, a coaching institute of national repute with good success rate from northeast and having presence in the region should be identified immediately, the NEMF stated. IANS

NEMF has urged the Central government to introduce a scholarship scheme worth Rs 10 crore per year for students of the northeastern region who are keen to appear in the UPSC examinations.

Minister urged to introduce scholarship scheme for UPSC aspirants in NE

Shillong: Meghalaya has adopted Artificial Intelligence enabled robotic technology to keep it's beautiful tourist hotspot Umiam lake clean, as the lake at an altitude of about 4,900 feet is also a major hub for water sports and boating in hill town Shillong.  The AI-integrated robotic boat is able to collect huge quantities of garbage in reasonable time from Umiam Lake, that was formed when a dam was built over the Umiam river in the early sixties as part of a hydel power project.
Under the Meghalaya government's Smart Village initiative, the AI- enabled robotic boat was recently deployed in collaboration with a global non-profit organisation called Smart Village Movement (SVM), and Hong Kong-based technology firm Clearbot after a week-long demonstration.  Tulenam Laloo, Fellow at the Haas School of Business, UC Berkeley, and Director of Operations for the initiative in Meghalaya, highlighted that "this technology was first tested in Bali (Indonesia) and tried to transfer such capabilities to Meghalaya, a growing tourist destination today, to solve waste collection in a famous.  "Such models will create standard processes to handle waste in a timely manner making operations more efficient than conventional ones. These technologies must be leveraged to a great extent to address the growing menace of waste in general but particularly help scale such operations to similar locations and bring back a thriving ecology and magnificent touristic experiences," Laloo told IANS.
Ramkumar, a senior IAS official and nodal officer of the Smart Village Movement in Meghalaya said that innovation is not just by accident, it is the concerted effort of people who really want to bring change.  "Everyone has capabilities to create change at their own level. We were excited to see this pilot taking shape and witness a milestone in waste management. This initiative aligns with our commitment to foster a cleaner and more sustainable environment through technology-driven solutions," he said.  Siddhant Gupta, founder of Clearbot shared, "At Clearbot, we're excited to join forces with the Smart Village Movement to revitalise local waterways in Meghalaya."  This partnership exemplifies the commitment to innovative solutions for environmental rejuvenation. Through this pilot, we aim to demonstrate how technology-driven clean-up initiatives can contribute to holistic rural development, aligning with the Movement's vision for a sustainable future, Gupta said.
"The robot is unmanned, battery-powered that could collect plastic waste on the shoreline or in waterways. The batteries are charged via solar panels at the on-land docking station and the boat can either be set to run autonomously or guided by remote operator."  The technology presents an economical method for effectively removing debris, oil, operating on electric power. With the capacity to gather as much as 15 litres of oil and 200 kilograms of floating refuse daily, these models need to be explored in our state, said Pynshai Marpna, one of the robotic boat project officials.  The Meghalaya Smart Village Movement (SVM) is a collaborative process facilitated by the SVM with the UC Berkeley-Haas Center of Growth Markets to create a Smart Village ecosystem.  In partnership with Government, Academia, Corporations, and Rural Communities, they foster independence and sustainable rural development in Indian villages and other emerging markets.
The SVM aims to empower rural people through digital technologies and open innovation platforms to access global markets, Laloo pointed out.  Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma highly appreciated the AI-integrated robotic boat project, which is likely to be executed in other lakes, ponds and water bodies in Meghalaya.  Commenting on X, formerly known as Twitter, the Chief Minister said: "In a landmark step towards advancing waste management practices, an innovative demonstration featuring an AI-Integrated marine robotic boat for floating waste collection took place at Kyndong Rella in the Mawdun Area of Umiam Lake.  The initiative was spearheaded by the Meghalaya government under its Smart Village Movement in collaboration with technology partner Clearbot.
—IANS

Meghalaya has adopted Artificial Intelligence enabled robotic technology to keep it's beautiful tourist hotspot Umiam lake clean, as the lake at an altitude of about 4,900 feet is also a major hub for water sports and boating in hill town Shillong.

Meghalaya uses AI-enabled tech to clean up tourist hotspot Umiam lake

Shillong: A high alert has been sounded across Khasi and Jaintia hills in Meghalaya in view of the 'volatile situation' arising out of the recent killing of two persons, officials said.
Last week, the two persons were found dead in Ichamati area near the India-Bangladesh international boundary in East Khasi Hills district, after the Khasi Students' Union (KSU) staged an anti-CAA protest in the border town.  On Tuesday, two KSU members were picked up from their homes in Sohra town and later arrested for their alleged involvement in the murders, SP Rituraj Ravi said.
Protesting the police action, a large crowd led by the KSU agitated in front of the local police station on Wednesday, demanding that its cadre not be 'hunted like militants'.  In another development, a police vehicle was destroyed after unidentified persons lobbed a petrol bomb at Mawlai police station in Shillong, Ravi said, adding, no one has been arrested so far.  In view of the incidents, Deputy Inspector General of Police DNR Marak issued an alert to the SPs of seven districts in the eastern range, which included state capital Shillong.  "There is a high likelihood that the NGOs may resort to more agitations and may target police stations/police vehicles, government properties/buildings and vehicles and also target non-tribals," Marak said in the order.  He said the influential KSU is observing April 4 as 'Khasi Awakening Day', but permission has been denied for the same at Khliehriat in East Jaintia Hills district.  Asking the SPs to take precautionary measures such as advising deputy commissioners to issue prohibitory orders under Section 144 CrPC, Marak said that the NGOs 'may resort' to impromptu agitation on Thursday in any of the district headquarters.  "You are therefore directed to take all necessary precautions to prevent criminal elements from taking advantage of the day and the recent incidents whereby they may attempt to target government installations and non-tribals under your jurisdiction," he stated.
—PTI

High alert in Meghalaya over rising tensions in Khasi, Jaintia hills after killings and protests. Police brace for further unrest.

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Uttarakhand Avalance: Shillong Mountaineer's Body Recovered

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Uttarakhand Avalance: Shillong Mountaineer's Body Recovered

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