Page 2 - Northeast

At least 1 killed as evicted people clash with security forces in Assam

At least one person was killed and several others were injured, including policemen, in a clash between evicted people and security personnel in Paikan reserve forest in Assam's Goalpara district on Thursday, officials said. He said forest guards and police personnel were attacked by alleged encroachers with sticks when they had gone to cordon off a part of the Paikan reserve forest, where an eviction drive was carried out on Saturday. The evicted people also hurled stones at the forest guards and police personnel there, the official said. The forest department wanted to dig a channel to ensure that no attempt is made for future encroachment. It was carried out peacefully yesterday. But when the team reached this morning, people in the area attacked them with stones and sticks, he said. In a retaliatory action, the police had to fire to control the situation, in which one person was killed and two others were injured, he said. Several policemen and forest personnel were injured in

Meghalaya CM seeks more funds for smaller NE states from finance commission

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma advocated for enhanced financial support to the smaller Northeastern states, citing their unique geographical, economic, and developmental challenges. Sangma took up the issue during his meeting with members of the 16th Finance Commission in New Delhi on Monday. "Our states face distinct issues related to terrain, infrastructure gaps, and limited revenue-generating capacities. We need special financial consideration to address these structural disadvantages," Sangma said at the meeting. He urged the finance commission to recommend higher fund devolution and more flexible schemes to help smaller states address critical sectors such as roads, healthcare, education, and tourism. Sangma also called for greater autonomy in the utilisation of centrally allocated funds, allowing states to design projects suited to their needs. The commission assured him that the submissions would be carefully examined. "North East States, while having their own u

Modi govt plans to invest ₹5,000 cr to develop Northeast waterways: Sonowal

He said that, over the past 11 years, the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW) has transformed India's maritime sector with record growth in cargo handling, capacity and coastal shipping

Northeast has more young population than rest of country: Meghalaya CM

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma has said that the northeast region has more young population than the rest of the country. Addressing the 5th Regional Catholic Youth Convention here on Friday he said, "The northeast is not just young it is younger than the rest of India". "This makes our youth not only our greatest strength but also our greatest challenge. How we nurture them will determine the destiny of Nagaland, Meghalaya, and the entire northeast," Sangma said. Emphasising the importance of purpose, goal-setting, and entrepreneurship among youth, he said that "without a goal, you could be working endlessly and achieving nothing." He said, "Reservation has made our youth complacent. We must compete not because we are guaranteed a seat, but because we can win it on merit." Calling for a cultural shift, Sangma urged the youth to believe in themselves and embrace entrepreneurship. "Why do we wait for others to start businesses in our states? Our youth should become the j

Two militants from banned outfits held in Manipur, firearms recovered

Security forces have arrested two members of proscribed outfits in Manipur and recovered firearms from their possession, police said on Thursday. One active cadre of the banned Kangleipak Communist Party (PWG) was apprehended on Tuesday from one of the floating huts in the Loktak Lake in Bishnupur district, a senior officer said. One 9 mm pistol and ammunition were recovered from his possession, he said. "The floating huts on the lake were used as a makeshift transit camp and hideout by militants", the officer said, adding that several household items which were used by cadres of outlawed organisations were recovered and the huts were dismantled. In a follow-up action, arms and ammunition were recovered from the Nachou Awang Leikai area in the district, the police said. One active cadre of the banned United National Liberation Front (P) was also arrested from his Soibam Leikai residence in Imphal East district, the officer said. Two 9 mm pistols and ammunition were also recovered

Manipur Police arrests four members of inter-state gang of arms dealers

Manipur Police arrested four members of an inter-state gang of arms dealers and seized arms and ammunition from their possession, an officer said on Wednesday. Police cracked down on an inter-state organised gang of arms smugglers and middlemen who were smuggling unauthorised arms across different states, operating clandestinely in greater Imphal area and arrested four persons including a member of UNLF (Pambei) on Tuesday, the officer said. Two 9 mm Smith & Wesson pistols, one 9 mm Sig Sauer pistol, one Glock 19 pistol with 2 magazines, one 7.65 mm JD Taurus pistol with magazine, one Falcon Cal 7.62 mm along with magazine, one M-20 Falcon pistol, one Keltec pistol .32 mm with 2 magazines, one Beretta pistol, one ?Glock pistol .32, 159 number of .32 mm live ammunition and four wireless sets were seized from their possession, he said. Meanwhile, in a separate operation, the police on Tuesday arrested three active cadres of UNLF(Pambei) from Babupara in Imphal West district. They ...

At least 4 PREPAK (PRO) militants arrested in Manipur, firearms seized

Four militants belonging to the proscribed outfit PREPAK (PRO) were arrested in Manipur's Imphal East district and a cache of arms and ammunition was seized from their possession, police said on Monday. The arrested militants were identified as Thingbaijam Philip Singh, Lourembam Kumar Meitei, Laishram Haridas and Yumnam Akash Singh. They were arrested from different places in the district on Sunday, a police statement said. Based on inputs provided by the arrested militants, a search operation was launched in the foothills of Kalika in the district and a cache of arms and ammunition was seized, it said. The cache contained four self-loading rifles and 10 magazines, one light machine gun, one .303 modified sniper and two magazines, 82 cartridges, five hand grenades and nine detonators, the statement added.

5 Meitei members held in Manipur for attacking policemen, kidnapping man

Five members of the Meitei outfit Arambai Tenggol were arrested in connection with the alleged assault on two Manipur Police personnel in Bishnupur district and the kidnapping of a man in Imphal West, a senior officer said on Monday. Three members of the organisation were arrested on Sunday in connection with the kidnapping of Chesam Abdul Kadar of Paobitek Mayai Leikai area in Imphal West district, he said. The accused were produced before a court in the district and remanded to seven days of police custody, the officer said. A search operation is underway to arrest others involved in the kidnapping of the person, he said. Another member of the Meitei outfit was arrested on June 12 in connection with "the assault on a senior police officer and a police personnel". The two policemen were injured on June 9 while they were trying to disperse protesters who had come out to support the bandh called by Arambai Tenggol at Nambol Bazar in Bishnupur district. One more member of the ...

Meghalaya murder: Police to recreate crime scene with arrested wife, aides

A special investigation team of the Meghalaya Police brought here around midnight arrested Sonam Raghuvanshi, one of the five accused in the murder of her Indore-based businessman husband Raja Raghuvanshi, and would reconstruct the crime scene in Sohra, a senior officer said on Wednesday. The four others, who were also arrested from Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh in connection with the murder, are expected to arrive here shortly, and they will be produced before a local court, he said. Sonam was taken to a hospital here for a medical examination and will be produced before a court during the day as the SIT will seek her police custody to complete the investigation, he said. "The SIT team that brought Sonam arrived shortly before midnight. She was taken to a hospital here to ascertain whether she was pregnant or not. She will be produced before a court here," a senior police officer told PTI. The SIT will seek "police custody of all the arrested persons, and will reconstruct the .

Arunachal to close 386 govt schools with zero enrolment this year

The Arunachal Pradesh government has ordered the closure of 386 government schools across the state that have recorded zero student enrolment in the current academic year. The order, issued by the state's Education department on Monday, follows a detailed analysis of data from the Unified District Information System for Education (UDISE), which identified a significant number of schools that have remained non-functional, in some cases for several years. The decision is aimed at rationalising educational infrastructure and making better use of teaching staff and facilities. The closure affect schools in almost every district, including remote and border regions such as Kurung Kumey, Tawang, Anjaw, Changlang, and Upper Subansiri. The list includes primary, upper primary, middle, and secondary government schools that have had no student enrolment this year and, in some instances, for multiple academic sessions. According to the official notification, West Kameng district reported the

Northeast floods worsen; 36 dead, over 550,000 affected across states

Three army personnel killed, nine missing after a landslide swept away a military camp in Mangan district of Sikkim; over 1,600 tourists stranded in Lachung and Chungthang evacuated

Union Home secy, Manipur Guv discuss border fencing, law & order situation

Union Home secretary Govind Mohan called on Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla and discussed with him border fencing, relief measures for internally displaced persons and the overall law and order situation in the state, an official statement said. The meeting between the Union Home secretary and the Manipur governor took place on Monday in which Intelligence Bureau Director Tapan Kumar Deka, Manipur chief secretary, Security Advisor to Manipur government and senior officials were present, it said. "The meetings focused on key issues concerning the state including relief and rehabilitation efforts for internally displaced persons (IDPs), border fencing and the overall law and order situation" it said. During the meeting, the ongoing relief measures for IDPs in both the hills and the valley were reviewed and a detailed assessment was made of the current facilities being provided to displaced persons, the status of rehabilitation efforts, and the long-term plan for their permanent ...

Assam, Meghalaya to install boundary pillars at 5 sites by August 15

CM Sarma stated that the meeting focused on the inter-state border dispute, artificial flooding in Guwahati, and the proposed construction of a multipurpose project at Kulsi along the Assam-Meghalaya

Over 1,500 rescued in Manipur as Army, Assam Rifles tackle flood crisis

Visuals from the ground showed officials using boats and even carrying stranded residents on their backs to ensure safe evacuation

PM to attend Sikkim's statehood celebrations today, launch several projects

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the golden jubilee celebrations of Sikkim's statehood at Paljor Stadium here on Thursday, officials said. This will be Modi's second visit to the Himalayan state as the prime minister. "PM will attend a programme - Sikkim@50: Where progress meets purpose and nature nurtures growth - on Thursday morning," the officials said. Enjoying protectorate status under the Union of India after the country's Independence in 1947, Sikkim became an Indian state on May 16, 1975, following a referendum. Hoardings and banners with welcome messages to the prime minister have been put up in the state's capital, Gangtok, and its surrounding areas. During his two-hour visit, the PM will release a commemorative coin, souvenir and stamp to mark the completion of 50 years of Sikkim as a state, the officials said. The PM will inaugurate and lay the foundation stone for several projects, including a 500-bed district hospital worth over Rs 750 crore in Namchi, a ...

10 cadres killed, huge cache recovered near Indo-Myanmar border in Manipur

The soldiers' response, demonstrating exceptional composure and combat readiness, were precise, measured, and calibrated

India enriched enormously by integration of Sikkim, says Jairam Ramesh

On the 50th anniversary of Sikkim's statehood, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Friday said India has been enriched enormously by the integration of Sikkim and the state has a number of impressive achievements to its credit. The Congress general secretary in-charge communications said the 36th Constitution Amendment Bill was passed by the Lok Sabha on April 23, 1975, and by the Rajya Sabha three days later. Subsequently after the President's assent, the 36th Amendment was enacted and on May 16, 1975--exactly fifty years ago--Sikkim became the 22nd state of India with special provisions for it and its people enshrined in Article 371-F of the Constitution, he recalled. "The Republic of India has been enriched enormously by the integration of Sikkim. The state has a number of impressive achievements to its credit," Ramesh said. P.N. Dhar's book called Indira Gandhi, the 'Emergency' and Indian Democracy (2001) is the topmost insider's account of how the merger happened, he said. "My

Operations continue after 10 militants gunned down in Manipur's Chandel

At least 10 militants were killed in a gunfight with an Assam Rifles unit in Manipur's Chandel district on Wednesday, officials said. The operation is still in progress, they said. The Army's Eastern Command said in a post on X, "Acting on specific intelligence on movement of armed cadres near the New Samtal village, Khengjoy tehsil, Chandel district, close to the Indo-Myanmar border, Assam Rifles unit under Spear Corps launched an operation on May 14. "During the operation, the troops were fired upon by suspected cadres to which they quickly reacted, redeployed and retaliated in a calibrated and measured manner. In the ensuing firefight, 10 cadres were neutralised and a sizeable quantity of arms and ammunition were recovered.

Security forces conduct joint ops in Manipur, arrest cadres, recover arms

The operations took place in coordination with Manipur Police, CRPF, BSF, and ITBP and led to the apprehension of 17 cadres from the hill and valley-based groups

Northeast has tremendous capabilities, launch pad for global South: Scindia

India's northeastern states -- growing at between 11-12 per cent -- present "tremendous opportunity" as launch pad for all of global South, Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia has said underlining its historic and "fundamental" significance in the economies and trade networks of the entire South-East Asian region. Scindia, who is Minister for Development of the North Eastern Region (MDoNER) and of Communications, has been actively driving initiatives to enhance connectivity, infrastructure and ecosystems across the northeast, positioning the region as India's next economic powerhouse, integrating all the eight states into a unified growth vision. Earlier this week, the minister met top honchos of India Inc., including Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani, Aditya Birla Group Chairman Kumar Mangalam Birla as well as Tata Sons' Chairman N Chandrasekaran in Mumbai, ahead of the Rising Northeast Investment Summit 2025 scheduled to be held in New Delhi this month. Discussions focuse