On November 21, the North Eastern Police Academy (NEPA) conducted a passing out parade for 377 officers, including Deputy Superintendents of Police and Sub-Inspectors of Police. The officers, part of the 52nd basic course batch that commenced training on November 15 last year, were reviewed by the Chief Minister of Assam, Himanta Biswa Sarma.

The graduating officers, predominantly from Assam (331), also included 21 from Tripura, nine from Arunachal Pradesh, and eight each from Mizoram and Nagaland. Among the graduates were 101 female officers.

During the passing out parade, Chief Minister Sarma emphasized the need for synergy in the fight against drug trafficking and insurgency. He commended the officers for completing their training and urged them to serve the nation, particularly focusing on the welfare of the poor and needy.

The training curriculum included indoor and outdoor subjects, covering Police Science, Legal Studies, Social Science, Drill, Weapons Training, Physical Efficiency, Police Operations, and Tactics. The outdoor training featured activities such as tactics and jungle camps, including Cordon and Search Operations, Field Craft, Ambush and Counter Ambush, Raid, seizure, and practical exercises in insurgent areas.

Apart from basic training, the officers will be awarded a postgraduate diploma in Police Administration and Investigation by Sardar Patel University of Police, Security, and Criminal Justice, Jodhpur.

Chief Minister Sarma distributed trophies and medals to the officers for their outstanding performance during the training period. He reiterated the importance of the officers' commitment to national service and their role in upholding law and order. NEPA, since its inception, has trained 5,022 basic course trainees, contributing significantly to law enforcement in the region.

In India’s gossip-capital Kolkata, a very interesting story of a Bengali Babu losing door-key in a nearby dark bush yet searching it under the scant light of a lamp-post had been running for decades together.

Why is that man searching the key at a place where he did not lose it?

The story’s plot which we will evolve gradually runs fit in the case of Assam and the famous Destiny Address that Pundit Jawaharlal Nehru made on August 15, 1947.

On that day, two nations India and Pakistan were born.

The continuous influx of migrants into Meghalaya, has created an awareness for bringing about control measures to check influx, the fear being that the demographic map of the state would sooner or later change, which would defeat the very purpose in the creation of Meghalaya as a separate state in protecting the varied interests of the indigenous people and that their numbers would also gradually decline, if the present rate of influx is not checked.

This opinion has been voiced through various social, non-governmental organisations, student bodies and others who are represented in the High Level Committee, which is presently taking up the matter. Earlier, a committee under the former leader Bindo M.Lanong, had decided to recommend to the state government, both the inner line permit and the three-tier card system, as mooted out during the deliberations of the committee.  The three card identity system which was mooted out in the meeting of the Higher Level Committee comprised three categories of card holders- that is permanent, semi-permanent and temporary identity card system. As this system is a new idea altogether, the details of such a system have to be chalked out in the first place, concerning its effectiveness or otherwise.

 What is ILP?

As in sports, Manipur does it again, leading the Northeast region in film preservation as well as it overtakes Assam and Meghalaya after Manipur State Film Development Society, MSFDS, established a Film Archive & Museum named after the first Manipuri film Director, Sapam Nodiya Chand.

In 2011, Assam became the first Northeast state to have its own State Archive under the department of cultural affairs, Government of Assam under the initiative of the Assam State Film (Finance and Development) Corporation (ASFFDC), with a capacity to store 1000 celluloid films. Currently it preserves 65 Assamese films in its film vault, along with a few Manipuri celluloid films. Then in 2019, Meghalaya joined the elite group that cares for film heritage through a collaboration between Sasakawa Peace Foundation, Japan, Meghalaya Tourism and St. Anthony’s College, department of Mass Media decided to set up the ‘Northeast India AV Archive’ an audio-visual public archive. With inventories such as documentary films, newsreels, interviews, amateur footage, sound recordings and photographs from all over the eight Northeastern states, the Archive offers online as well as offline access to the public.

The Union Budget is round the corner. The middle class people are obviously sandwiched in the middle between the elite and poor and downtrodden people, similar to the plight of the middle-level manager, who is expected to be accountable to his superior, as well as getting the work done from his subordinates with proven leadership quality.  Hence, it was not surprising when the Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman revealed that she is from the middle class, and hence, has no hesitation in identifying with them.

Discover the amazing tastes of Thai Cuisine

Thailand is considered a ‘Paradise’ not only for its breathtaking beauty and inspiring culture but also for its culinary brilliance. From the dynamic lifestyle of Bangkok to the serene seaside towns in the South and tranquil villages along the Mekong River, Thai cuisine is a rich and diverse as its culture. Uniquely crafted to appeal to all tastes, Thai food combines the best of flavours, textures, colours, and presentation. Add this to the country’s wealth of ancient cooking secrets and Thai hospitality, one finds a culinary treasure trove that offers an enriching and memorable dining experience.

Uttar Pradesh is all set to get the benefit of G20 Summit, going to be held in February.  Brand UP is the theme to showcase the sate. In a meeting to review preparations for hosting G20 events over the next one-year, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said, that the event should be used as a platform to introduce 'Brand UP' to the world.