Best printers for Home

Best Mixer Grinder

Best wired Earphones

Best 43 Inch TV in India

Best Wi Fi Routers

Best Home Theatre in India

Smart Watch under 5000

Best Laptops for Education

Best Laptop for Students

<ul><li>India inaugurated the Comprehensive Integrated Border Management System (CIBMS) to monitor the India-Bangladesh border in the Dhubri region of Assam.</li><li>It uses sensors to monitor the one of the largest riverine borders of India.</li><li>While ambitious, the CIBMS project has its fair share of problems.</li></ul>High-tech solutions, like India’s new ‘smart fence’ along the Assam-Bangladesh border that was <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/guwahati/61-km-unfenced-riverine-border-with-bdesh-sealed-with-tech-support/articleshow/68275869.cms">inaugurated</a> on Tuesday, aren’t something new. In fact, the same strategy is used along the Israel-Palestine border and the US-Mexico border. 
 
 <div type="ExtQuote" text="&quot;This project will help the BSF (Border Security Force) to detect any cross-border crimes and other illegal activities. It is a unique project taken by the Union government and hope it will implement other international borders also.&quot;" auname="Rajnath Singh, Union Home Minister at the inauguration of CIBMS in Dhubri, Assam"></div>




 The 61-km stretch of the India-Bangladesh border in the Dhubri, Assam district in eastern India will now be under the watch of India’s Comprehensive Integrated Border Management System (CIBMS) — a project that uses high-tech solutions to guard terrain and riverine borders round the clock. So, it should also be pointed out that CIBMS is more than a ‘smart fence’. A smart fence is essentially a barbed fence with electronic systems to help detect movement. But, the CIBMS isn’t a physical fence at all — it’s only sensors that can detect movement in water, land or air. The issue with Assam’s Dhubri region is that its a riverine — the longest riverine border in the country mostly made up of the Brahmaputra river but also a little bit of the Gadadhar river — so putting up a fence isn’t exactly an option. Currently, they’re only using reconnaissance boats in the area to protect the border. Hence ,the CIBMS solution. Possible speedbumps There are two issues with employing a project like the CIBMS. One, is the <a href="http://tenders.gov.in/viewtenddoc.asp?tid=del816186&amp;wno=1&amp;td=TD">dependency</a> on vendors. Whenever private vendors get involved in a project, transparency is key. But, with the CIBMS project there’s a lack of clarity as to how vendors are supplying the technology. TATA Power SED, on of the vendors, <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/can-cibms-alone-secure-the-indias-borders/articleshow/65722529.cms">states</a> that the technology for the CIBMS falls under the ‘Make in India’ program. And, the second major issue is the <a href="https://www.ciponline.org/images/uploads/1004_TBP.pdf">upskilling</a> of officers to actually run the system efficiently. Border guard forces are only posted to one location temporarily. So even if private firms are coming in to train the personel when the technology is deployed, the training won’t be useful when the existing officers get transferred and new ones come in. There’s also India’s <a href="http://www.indiandefencereview.com/spotlights/challenges-to-securing-indias-borders/">problems</a> with maintaining and operating the existing equipment that’s in place. Their optimum use has been hindered by the lack of infrastructure to support more complicated and energy consuming surveillance systems. There have been questions around the challenges facing power back-up of gensets and three-phase power supply. But, the upside is, the purpose of CIBMS is to eventually replace manual surveillance of international borders by electronic surveillance. This is the third CIBMS project to be inaugurated in India. Two similar projects were launched along the India-Pakistan border. It will take time to seal the entire border, but this project should help the <keyword id="166231" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Border-Security">Border Security</keyword> Force (BSF) deal with cross-border crimes and other illegal activities. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/a-free-swedish-flight-tracking-site-is-revealing-crucial-military-movements-along-the-kashmir-border/articleshow/68197192.cms">A free Swedish flight tracking site is revealing crucial military movements along the Kashmir border</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/isro-launches-satellite-to-keep-an-eye-on-pakistan-china-and-bangladesh/articleshow/67634701.cms">India responds to China-Pakistan satellite launch with its own border surveillance satellites</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/its-official-trump-declares-national-emergency-to-build-his-border-wall/articleshow/68014247.cms">IT'S OFFICIAL: Trump declares national emergency to build his border wall</a>

India is going to use sensors to protect its borders where it can’t put up fences

<ul class="summary-list"><li>In late August, Indian and Chinese troops clashed on their disputed border high in the Himalayas, another brawl in a summer of heightened tensions.</li><li>The latest clash killed one soldier and wounded another from <keyword id="3658" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="India">India</keyword>'s <keyword id="321996" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Special-Frontier-Force">Special Frontier Force</keyword>, a secretive unit made up largely of ethnic Tibetans, many of whom oppose <keyword id="1334" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="China">China</keyword>'s control of their home region.</li></ul>At the end of August, tensions between India and China flared with another <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/08/31/india-captures-chinese-camp-disputed-ladakh-violence-erupts/" target="_top">brawl</a> between their soldiers high in the Himalayas.The brawl around Pangong Tso lake in Ladakh, along the disputed border known as the Line of Actual Control, reportedly involved over 500 men and lasted about three hours.India claimed it was responding to a Chinese incursion and that an Indian special-operations battalion seized a Chinese camp in a stealth operation a few days later.<div type="image" title="India fighter jet Ladakh" height="1666" width="2500" msid="78038830" hostid="261"></div>This incident comes slightly more than two months after a <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1563892" target="_top">similar clash</a> in the same region killed 20 Indian soldiers and an unknown number of Chinese troops.No casualty figures have been released for the latest brawl, but one Indian commando was <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-india-china-tibet/tibetan-soldiers-death-near-tense-india-china-border-sheds-light-on-covert-unit-idUSKBN25T2JN" target="_top">killed</a> and another wounded when they ran into a minefield.Those soldiers were part of the Special Frontier Force (SFF), an Indian special-operations unit composed almost entirely of ethnic Tibetans.The episode thrust the secretive unit into the spotlight. Now, almost six decades after its founding, it's fulfilling what many members and other Tibetans in India feel is its main purpose: to challenge China.<h2>Establishment 22</h2><div type="image" title="India soldiers troops Special Frontier Force" height="1406" width="2100" msid="78038834" hostid="261"></div>The SFF, units of which are known to Indian soldiers as Vikas battalions, was established during India and China's 1962 border war. Losing that war made India realize that it needed dedicated mountain troops capable of conducting reconnaissance and strike operations at high altitudes.The best candidates came from India's large Tibetan refugee community, many of whom fled to India with their leader, the Dalai Lama, after a failed <a href="https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/rebellion-in-tibet" target="_top">u</a><a href="https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/rebellion-in-tibet" target="_top">prising</a> in <keyword id="6364076" type="LOCATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="tibet">Tibet</keyword> in 1959.The refugees were acclimated to the high altitudes and motivated to fight Chinese communist forces. Some were veterans of the uprising, and a few were previously <a href="https://www.historynet.com/cias-secret-war-in-tibet.htm" target="_top">trained</a> by the CIA in guerrilla warfare.The unit was created by India's domestic intelligence agency, the Intelligence Bureau, before being taken over by the Research and Analysis Wing, India's foreign intelligence agency.It was originally called "Establishment 22" before being renamed the SFF in 1967. The CIA assisted with training and equipment until the early 1970s.They were dedicated mountain troops and masters of patrolling and fighting in the unforgiving climate and altitudes of the Himalayas.<h2>A history of dedication and service</h2><div type="image" title="India army soldiers Special Frontier Force" height="1666" width="2500" msid="78038838" hostid="261"></div>The SFF was not created in time fight the Chinese in 1962, and although a central reason for its creation was to confront China, it was rarely put in a position to do so — possibly because the Indians worried its members, <a href="https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3100153/rare-spotlight-indias-mysterious-special-frontier-force-amid" target="_top">passionate</a> about countering China, might escalate tense situations.But the SFF has served in battle numerous times. During the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, 3,000 SFF commandos were <a href="https://www.thedailystar.net/wide-angle/phantoms-the-hills-168325" target="_top">dropped</a> behind Pakistani lines in Bangladesh, capturing strong points and preventing Pakistani soldiers from retreating into Burma. Fifty SFF commandos were killed and 190 wounded.They fought against Sikh insurgents in <a href="https://www.indiatoday.in/fyi/story/1984-operation-blue-star-amritsar-1251681-2018-06-06" target="_top">Operation Blue Star</a> and helped <a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/operation-meghdoot-34-years-ago-how-india-won-siachen-5135429/" target="_top">secure</a> Indian control of the Siachen Glacier in 1984 and then fought in the Kargil War in 1999.SFF commandos also secretly assisted the CIA in <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1978/04/13/cia-put-nuclear-spy-devices-in-himalayas/61cf72f2-dfdc-4586-a695-11a6d823a097/" target="_top">tra</a><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1978/04/13/cia-put-nuclear-spy-devices-in-himalayas/61cf72f2-dfdc-4586-a695-11a6d823a097/" target="_top">cking</a> China's nuclear weapons program by <a href="https://www.wired.com/2013/04/cia-himalayan-spies/" target="_top">helping</a> install and maintain advanced monitoring devices along the Sino-Indian border.Gurdip Singh Uban, the son of the SFF's first commander and a veteran of the Indian military who fought with the SFF, <a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/special-frontier-force-china-line-of-actual-control-lac-ladakh-jawaharlal-nehru/article32532182.ece" target="_top">recently described</a> them as "fearless" and said they "never, ever hesitate."<h2>A message to China</h2><div type="image" title="India army soldiers Special Frontier Force" height="1695" width="2500" msid="78038842" hostid="261"></div>The SFF reports directly to India's Cabinet secretariat and is not a part of the Indian military. Estimates put the unit's numbers between 3,000 to 5,000 troops.Indians and Nepalese fighters known as Gurkhas are now also in the SFF, but its identity is still distinctly Tibetan; the unit's insignia, for instance, is a Tibetan snow lion — the same kind found on the Tibetan flag.Because of their origin and mission, the unit has largely been kept secret. Indian officials asked the family of Tenzin Nyima, the 33-year veteran commando killed in the August clash, not to talk about his service.But recent events have given the unit renewed attention. Its members took the Chinese camp in late August, and <a href="https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/himachal/tibetans-give-warm-send-off-to-special-frontier-force-on-way-to-indo-china-border-136267" target="_top">video</a> has emerged of Tibetans in India giving warm send-offs to SFF soldiers heading to the border — part of a <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/31/world/asia/india-china-troops-border.html" target="_top">massive buildup</a> of forces by both India and China.<div type="image" title="India Special Frontier Force soldier funeral Tibet" height="1666" width="2500" msid="78038845" hostid="261"></div>The new focus has led to hopes that the SFF, and the Tibetan community in India as a whole, will get the recognition and attention they deserve. It has also stirred the emotions of some Tibetans living in India, who see a chance to face their archenemy."Most of us Tibetans join the unit because this is our only chance to fight the Chinese," one SFF veteran recently <a href="https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3100153/rare-spotlight-indias-mysterious-special-frontier-force-amid" target="_top">told</a> the South China Morning Post.Those factors give their deployment more than military significance, melding a long-standing territorial dispute with much deeper ethnic and political tensions that the Chinese Communist Party has suppressed at home for decades."China's position is very clear," a Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said earlier this month. "We firmly oppose any country providing convenience in any form for the 'Tibet independence' forces' separatist activities."

A secretive unit India sent to its disputed border with China is more than just a military challenge to Beijing

Even as Shiv Sena has threatened Pakistani athletes of dire consequences if they come to India, Indian government has opened new gates for Pakistani sportspersons to come and play for <keyword id="103311" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="12th-South-Asian-Games">12th South Asian Games</keyword>, to be held in Guwahati and Shillong. 
 
For the games to be held in February next year, Pakistani sportspersons would be able to enter India through Kolkata and Guwahati airports. At present, Pakistanis can either enter India by foot from Wagah-Attari border or use the air route to enter Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai. However, all these are at considerable distances from Guwahati and Shillong, which is why arrangements have been done to welcome Pakistanis athletes from Kolkata and Guwahati airports. 
 
12th South Asian Games would be the first major sporting event after India hosted the 19th Commonwealth Games in 2010 which would see a good number of Pakistani athletes in India. "Since Guwahati and Kolkata airports are near to the venue of South Asian Games, they have been added to the designated check posts for Pakistani Passport holders and non-validated pass (NVP) holders during the period of South Asian Games," says an order issued by the Home Ministry. 
 
"By allowing them to enter from Kolkata and Guwahati, we intend to cause no inconvenience the Pakistani sportspersons as they can make a quick and short journey to the sports stadium," a senior government official told ET. 
 
This step was required for the safety of Pakistani contingent after their government raised concern over it. A team from Pakistan is also expected to come to India, in January, to ensure the safety measures. After 26/11 Mumbai attacks which were masterminded by some Pakistani nationals, there have been a lot of protests about Pakistanis coming to Mumbai, which is why the Indian government thinks that it would be safer for them to step foot directly in Kolkata and Guwahati. 
 
The sporting event would also see Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Nepal and Afghanistan participating. 
 
<a href="https://c2.staticflickr.com/4/3862/14759654889_7ac0c07e29_b.jpg">Image source</a>

2 More Indian airports that will now accept Pakistani Airlines

Iconic Indian pediatrician, <keyword id="5722920" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="dilip-mahalanabis" source="Orion">Dilip Mahalanabis</keyword>, who pioneered the use of oral rehydration theory for treatment of diarrhoeal diseases and development of <keyword id="6561144" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="ors" source="Orion">ORS</keyword>, died at city-based hospital in <keyword id="6354925" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="kolkata" source="Orion">Kolkata</keyword> on Sunday. He was 88. His family sources said that he was admitted to a private hospital in Kolkata a couple of weeks back with a number of age-related ailments including lung problems. However, all the efforts of the doctors to revive his health conditions failed and ultimately, he died on Sunday. Oral rehydration theory is an alternative to intravenous rehydration theory for prevention and treatment of dehydration from diarrhoea in an emergency situation when intravenous therapy is not available. As per the estimates of the <keyword id="43588" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="world-health-organization" source="Orion">World Health Organization</keyword> (WHO), oral rehydration theory is estimated to have saved over 60 million lives. He was awarded the Pollin Prize in 2002 and <keyword id="15276484" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="prince-mahidol-award" source="Orion">Prince Mahidol Award</keyword> in 2006. He was elected as a foreign member of the <keyword id="449075" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="royal-swedish-academy-of-sciences" source="Orion">Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences</keyword> in 1994. However, there was hardly any recognition from the Union government for his contribution in a field of medicine that saved millions of lives. To recall, Bangladesh came under the grip of cholera during the liberation war there in 1971. Mahalanabis was then serving as a doctor in a refugee camp at the Indo-Bangladesh border area at Bangaon in West Bengal. To protect the people at the camp from cholera and diarrhoea, he prepared an oral solution mixing salt and sugar in water. This solution worked as a miracle in preventing these two fatal diseases and the solution later became famous as ORS. Mahalanabis completed his degree in MBBS from Calcutta Medical College and Hospital in 1958. Later, he secured his Diploma in Child Health from London. A pall of gloom has set in among the medical fraternity in the state following his demise.

The pioneer of ORS Dilip Mahalanabis passes away at 88 in Kolkata

Japan has announced a $221 million China exit subsidy for Japanese companies to shift their base to India and other regions. In April, amidst the coronavirus pandemic, outgoing <keyword id="1204728" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Japanese-Prime-Minister-Shinzo-Abe">Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe</keyword> proposed building an economy that is less dependent on one country -- China, so that the nation can avoid supply chain disruptions. In mid-July, Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry unveiled the first group of Japanese companies to subsidise shifting manufacturing out of China to Southeast Asia or Japan in a bid to build a more resilient supply chain. Ahead of the India-Japan summit, the Japanese government has announced it would add India and Bangladesh to a list of ASEAN countries to qualify for subsidies for Japanese manufacturers moving out of China. The move comes following a recent virtual meeting between the trade ministers of India, Japan and Australia to advance cooperation on building trusted supply chain resilience in the Indo-Pacific to reduce dependence on China, which is a major trade partner with all three countries. The SCRI (Supply Chains Resilience Initiative) is aimed to build an alternative supply chain, away from China. Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal explained, "diversification of supply chain is critical for managing the risks associated with the supply of inputs, including disciplining price volatility. We could provide the core pathway for linking value chains in the region by creating a network of reliable, long-term supplies and appropriate capacities". He further stated that the initiative could not have come at a more opportune time in the post-Covid-19 scenario when there is a likelihood of churning of supply chains in the Indo-Pacific region. He said that in May 2020, Prime Minister Modi had stressed that it is the need of the hour that India should play a big role in the supply chains. The Japanese government's supplementary budget earmarked 23.5 billion yen ($221 million) for businesses that wish to move their production to Southeast Asian nations from China. The country's manufacturers can now receive subsidies for pilot programmes and feasibility studies. The Japanese government's programme aims to ensure a steady supply chain of products like medical supplies and electrical components in case of any emergency. Currently, Japanese companies' supply chain relies heavily on China. The issue came to light during the Covid-19 pandemic when supplies from China were cut off. In the second round of applications, projects would contribute to the ASEAN-Japan supply chain, assuming that relocation will occur to India and Bangladesh. Feasibility studies on decentralising manufacturing plans were also carried out along with the experimental introduction of facilities. The first round of subsidies, which was announced in July, granted around 10 billion yen to 30 companies relocating their production sites to Southeast Asia. Another 57 firms are also receiving support for moving manufacturing facilities to Japan. Exodus of Manufacturing: Impact on China The movement of production capacity from China will increase unemployment in the communist country as jobs move away. The US-China trade tensions have already cost about two million industrial jobs in China. Its border aggression with India has seen the latter severe its trade and business ties giving China a major economic blow. China wants to move up the value chain and produce more high-tech goods as it has repeatedly indicated, for which it needs FDI and more open trade. China is beginning to miss out on these two factors as a result of the US-China trade war, tensions with neighbours on account of aggressive behaviour and suspension of human rights in Hong Kong. In the medium to long-term, China could see a larger negative effect on productivity. A reduction in productivity growth will hurt China's potential growth rate, which increasingly relies on technological innovation, rather than, for example, labour force growth. Finally, global value chains from China will be disrupted with countries like India, Bangladesh and the southeast Asian region taking away the giant's business. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/its-not-just-india-chinese-intelligence-has-its-eye-on-more-than-2-4-million-individuals-across-the-us-japan-canada-australia-and-the-uk/articleshow/78101034.cms">It's not just India — Chinese intelligence has its eye on more than 2.4 million individuals across the US, Japan, Canada, Australia, and the UK</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/defense/news/india-china-border-tension-will-be-in-focus-as-the-parliaments-monsoon-session-begins-today/articleshow/78098575.cms">India-China border tension will be in focus as the Parliament's Monsoon session begins today</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/banks/news/all-eyes-on-parliaments-monsoon-session-the-banking-regulation-amendment-bill-2020-may-not-be-on-the-docket-for-long/articleshow/78101791.cms">All eyes on Parliament's Monsoon session — the Banking Regulation (Amendment) Bill 2020 may not be on the docket for long</a>

Japan offers $221 million as 'China-exit' subsidy for Japanese companies

New Delhi, Mar 6 () Tripura capital Agartala and West Bengal's Ghojadanga have been designated by the government as authorised land immigration check posts to enter or exit India.Both Agartala and Ghojadanga are located along the Indo-Bangladesh border.In a notification, the Home Ministry said senior immigration officers, under the Bureau of Immigration, have also been appointed for Agartala and Ghojadanga with effect from March 2."In pursuance of sub-rule (b) of rule 3 of the Passport (Entry into India) Rules, 1950, the central government hereby designates Agartala land check post of West Tripura district of Tripura state as an authorised land immigration check post for entry into/exit from India with valid travel documents for all classes of passengers," the home ministry said.A similar notification was also issued with regard to Ghojadanga land check post, located in North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal. ACB NSD

Agartala, WB's Ghojadanga designated as authorised land immigration posts

(Eds: Updates with Amit Shah comments) Bhubaneswar, Feb 28 () Immediate revision of coal royalty and a special economic package for speedy development of the region were among the major demands raised at the 24th Eastern Zonal Council meet with Union Home minister Amit Shah. Shah later stated that 40 issues were resolved with mutual coordination during deliberations on Friday. The meeting, Chaired by Shah and attended by Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and his West Bengal and Bihar counterparts - Mamata Banerjee and Nitish Kumar -respectively, was skipped by Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren. Soren had deputed state's Finance minister Rameshwar Oraon for the meeting. Though no reason for Soren's absence was cited, it was perhaps because of the commencement of the month-long budget session of the Jharkhand Assembly, sources said. Shah said as per the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, eastern region needs more focus to fast track its development and hoped this meeting would be decisive and fruitful in resolving the issues listed on the agenda. Shah said besides the issues listed on the agenda, he would also like to add and discuss issues relating to law and order and administrative reforms so that this Council meeting is helpful in giving further pace to development, an official release said. After the end of the meet, Shah, Banerjee and Kumar had a meal together at the lunch hosted by Patnaik at his residence. Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan joined them. While there was no official word on what was talked about during the meal, the picture of Shah and Mamata sharing a lunch led to talks in the political circles about a possible scale down in their attacks on each other. Expressing satisfaction at usefulness of Zonal Council mechanism, the Home minister said more than 70 per cent issues have been resolved based on the recent meetings of the Zonal Councils and remaining issues are also under resolution. "Out of the 48 items discussed today, 40 were resolved in the meeting with mutual coordination,' Shah said. However, it was not clear as to which eight issues remained unresolved. Among the issues discussed at the EZC meet were related to Phulbari Dam under the agreement of 1978 signed by the states of Bihar and West Bengal on Upper Mahananda Water Scheme, Extension of Nuapada-Gunupur-Therubali Rail Link Project in Odisha. Use of state government land by Coal companies of GOI, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY)-land transfer by CPSU, Prevention of cattle smuggling/illegal transportation of cattle to Indo-Bangladesh Border, lack of telecom and bank connectivity in Odisha, revision of royalty on coal and inadequate funding and delayed land related issues of petroleum projects also figured at the meet. Patnaik, who is the vice-chairman of the council and host, batted for the entire east zone and demanded special economic package for the region, saying the states lag in many sectors despite being endowed with natural and mineral resources. He also urged Odisha be declared a "Special Focus State" in view of frequent natural disasters faced by the state and its vulnerability to natural calamity. All the participant states demanded that coal royalty, which has not been revised since 2012, be hiked forthwith. All the four eastern states - Odisha, West Bengal, Bihar and Jharkhand are coal bearing areas. Lamenting delay in revision in coal royalty, Patnaik said there is an urgent need to revise royalty on coal and also to share proceeds of clean energy cess with the state government. He said the entire eastern region lags in teledensity, railway density and banking density and, therefore, needs to be given a special economic package for speeding up Infrastructural Development of the zone. Emphasising that this zone contributes maximum to the mineral wealth of the country and in turn manufacturing and energy security, he said the fruits of this wealth should boost economic growth of this region and its people. "Our Regions have some of the largest scheduled areas of the country. I reiterate my demand for inclusion of Ho, Bhumij and Mundari languages in the Eighth Schedule of Constitution, the Chief Minister said. Mamata Banerjee told reporters she highlighted West Bengal issues at the EZC meet where she expressed concern that her state did not get required assistance during natural calamities like cyclone Fani and Bulbul. She also said Bengal has been neglected in many matter and the state should get its due share in the central pool. "We have not got Rs 50,000 crore from the Centre," she added. Banerjee said she also raised issues related to her state like delay in GST compensation payment, anf lower share in the devolution. Nitish Kumar reiterated the demand for grant of special category status to Bihar. Kumar also urged West Bengal and Jharkhand, sharing border with Bihar, to initiate strong measures to stop smuggling of liquor into the state, where prohibition is in force since 2016. During the meeting, Shah also exhorted various central government departments to expedite decisions that are pending with the Union ministries. He also laid stress on expanding banking services to ensure that the benefits are available even in the remotest areas, according to official sources. While concluding, he mentioned the long pending issues need to be resolved by regular discussions and not only during the Zonal Council meetings. He also requested the States to ensure sharing of data on regular basis. AAM SKN SNS MRMR

EZC meet:Shah says 40 issues resolved with mutual coordination

GUWAHATI: More than 76 lakh voters from six constituencies — five in <keyword id="6354915" type="CITY" weightage="40" keywordseo="Assam">Assam</keyword> and one in Tripura — kick off the country's nine-phase general elections today, as weeks of hectic campaigning came to an end on Saturday evening. 
 
In the first phase, voters in five constituencies in Assam — Lakhimpur, Tezpur, Kaliabor, Jorhat and Dibrugarh — will elect their MPs. A total of 1,221 polling stations will be in operation, out of which 8,588 are hypersensitive and will see a higher deployment of security forces. In Tripura West constituency, state chief electoral officer Ashutosh Jindal said a three-tier security arrangement has been made across the state for peaceful election. The Indo-Bangladesh international border in Tripura has been sealed to prevent any cross-border infiltration during the election process. 
 The <keyword id="40807" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="Election-Commission">Election Commission</keyword> has pressed a team of engineers from Electronics Corporation of India Limited and Bharat Electronics Limited for foolproof re-checking of all EVMs after several were found to be malfunctioning. One EVM in Jorhat left authorities flummoxed last week after every button which was pressed registered a vote in favour of BJP. The machine has been replaced. Three more such EVMs were found in Jorhat on Friday. 
 
"We have ordered re-checking of all EVMs to detect any malfunction. Defective pieces will not be sent for polling," state chief electoral officer Vijyandra said. 
 
"We are all ready for polls," Assam additional chief electoral officer R C Jain told TOI. "The 1,221 hypersensitive polling stations will have static forces deployed. The other polling stations will be covered by mobile patrol parties. 
 
 
 
The ECI has also categorized 2,710 polling stations as 'critical' as these have a record of polling over 90% votes, with 75% going in favour of one candidate. These stations also have a history of poll-related violence, with a high gap between the number of voters having their photo identity card and the number of absentees. 
 
In Tripura, Jindal said the duration of polling has been extended by an hour, ie from 7am to 5pm. The timings apply across the northeast, except in Manipur and Nagaland. 
 
Assam will vote in two more phases. Three constituencies will vote on April 12 and the remaining six will vote on April 24. Polling for the East Tripura (ST Reserve) seat will be held on April 12.

You Searched For "Indo Bangladesh border" and got 8 results

India is going to use sensors to protect its borders where it can’t put up fences

Prabhjote Gill

A secretive unit India sent to its disputed border with China is more than just a military challenge to Beijing

Benjamin Brimelow

2 More Indian airports that will now accept Pakistani Airlines

BI India Bureau

The pioneer of ORS Dilip Mahalanabis passes away at 88 in Kolkata

IANS

Japan offers $221 million as 'China-exit' subsidy for Japanese companies

IANS

Agartala, WB's Ghojadanga designated as authorised land immigration posts

PTI

EZC meet:Shah says 40 issues resolved with mutual coordination

PTI

Voting Begins In First Phase Of Lok Sabha Polls In Assam, Tripura

Times Of India

Popular Keywords

Buying Guides