1. Assam lifts travel restrictions to Meghalaya, six days after border violence
Tags: State News
The Assam government on 27 November 2022 lifted travel restrictions to Meghalaya, six days after being imposed in the aftermath of violence in a disputed area along the inter-state border.
An advisory was issued by the Assam Police, asking people to avoid travelling to the neighbouring state following the incident on 22 November. Barricades were erected in Jorabat near Guwahati and Cachar district, the two main entry points to Meghalaya.
Violence had broken out at Mukroh village (Meghalaya) near the disputed border between the two states in West Karbi Anglong district in the early hours of 22 November, after a truck allegedly laden with illegally felled timber was intercepted by forest guards from Assam. Five tribal villagers from Meghalaya and a forest guard from Assam were killed due to the clashes.
Border dispute between Assam and Meghalaya
During the British colonial rule, undivided Assam included Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya and Mizoram. In 1972, Meghalaya was formed as per the Assam Reorganisation (Meghalaya) Act of 1969.
Background to the Assam Mizoram Boundary Dispute
- Assam and Mizoram share a 164.6 km long boundary.
- Mizoram was a district of Assam known as Lushai Hills during the British time. In 1972, Meghalaya was formed as per the Assam Reorganisation (Meghalaya) Act of 1969.
- The genesis of the dispute lies in the border demarcation during British times.
- In 1875 a notification was issued that differentiated the Lushai Hills from the plains of Cachar and in 1933 another notification was issued to demarcate the boundary between the Lushai Hills and Manipur.
Different Interpretation of Boundary
- According to Mizoram, the boundary shall be demarcated on the basis of 1875 notification, which is derived from the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation Act, 1873.
- However the Assam government believes that boundary shall be based on the 1933 notification ,
- Mizoram says that when in 1933 the boundary was demarcated, Mizo society was not consulted.
Attempt to resolve the Border Dispute
- To resolve the issue the chief ministers of Meghalaya Conrad Sangma and Himanta Biswa Sarma of Assam held several rounds of talks.
- Twelve disputed areas were identified – three areas contested between West Khasi Hills district in Meghalaya and Kamrup in Assam, two between RiBhoi in Meghalaya and Kamrup-Metro, and one between East Jaintia Hills in Meghalaya and Cachar in Assam.
- A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed on 29 March 2022 between the two chief ministers in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah. The MoU stated that out of 36.79 sq km of the disputed area, Assam would get full control of 18.46 sq km and Meghalaya of 18.33 sq km.
- The second phase of talks was supposed to take place by the end of November, but has been disturbed due to the recent clash.
2. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan attend Manipur's Sangai Festival as a chief guest
Tags: Festivals Person in news State News
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan attended Manipur's Sangai festival as a chief guest on 27 November 2022 under the 'Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat' initiative of the Government of India. Manipur’s biggest festival Sangai is being held from 21 -30 November 2022.Under the 'Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat' Manipur and Madhya Pradesh are partner states.
Artist of Madhya Pradesh will perform traditional dance form of Manipur’s like Mao tribe’s Naurata dance, Thai dance troupes etc. Before this, Imphal had participated in the Lokrang Mahotsav of Bhopal and now Bhopal is participating in Sangai Mahotsav of Imphal.
The theme of this festival is the 'Festival of Oneness.' Sangai is the state animal of Manipur, which is found only in Manipur.
Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat
The Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat programme was launched by the Prime Minister Modi on 31st October, 2015 on the occasion of the 140th birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
- The Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat programme is a unique initiative by the Government to promote the spirit of national integration and to strengthen the fabric of emotional bonds between the people of our country.
- Every State and UT in the country would be paired with another State/UT for a time period, during which they would carry out a structured engagement with one another in the spheres of language, literature, cuisine, festivals, cultural events, tourism etc.
3. Indian Navy and Royal Enfield organises motorcycling expedition across North east India
Tags: place in news National Defence
The Indian Navy Motor Bike team, ‘The Sea Riders, in partnership with Royal Enfield, the world’s oldest motorcycle brand, embarked on an motorcycle expedition, as part of ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav Celebrations’, commemorating the 75th year of independence, across the seven states of North East India from 25 Nov - 14 Dec 22. Royal Enfield is the owner of the famous brand ‘Bullet’.
The expedition was flagged off by Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral R Hari Kumar, by Video Conferencing from South Point School at Guwahati. Fifteen Sea Riders rode out on Royal Enfield Meteor 350 cc bikes on their journey to cover a total distance of 3500 kms over a period of 24 days across the seven states of NE India.
The expedition is being conducted over two phases across seven states with each phase covering some of the toughest and most breath-taking terrains in North East India. The riders will traverse along the Indo-Bangladesh border, visiting historical Unakoti sculptures, , the only floating national park in the world Keibul Lamjao National Park (Manipur) and witness the famous Hornbill festival (Nagaland). The expedition will pass through Guwahati (Assam), Shillong (Meghalaya), Aizawl (Mizoram), Imphal (Manipur), and Kohima (Nagaland).
North Eastern States
States | Capitals |
Assam | Dispur |
Manipur | Imphal |
Mizoram | |
Meghalaya | |
Sikkim | Gangtok |
Arunachal Pradesh | Itanagar |
Nagaland | Kohima |
Tripura | Agartala |
4. Biggest Manipur festival Sangai commences in the state
Tags: Festivals State News
Union Minister for Tourism G Kishan Reddy inaugurated the biggest tourism festival of Manipur -Sangai festival on 21 November 2022 at Moirang Khunou in Bishnupur district of Manipur.
The 11th Sangai festival will be held from 21 -30 November 2022. The festival which started in 2010 is being held after a 2 year gap due to covid. It is being held in 13 venues across six districts.
The festival is called Sangai festival to highlight the uniqueness of the shy and gentle deer popularly known as the Sangai in the region. It is a rare species of deer which is also the state animal of Manipur.
The theme of the Sangai festival 2022 is :‘ Festival of Oneness’.
The indigenous sagol kangjei, a sport that has now evolved into the modern game of polo, will also be featured during the festival in its very own birthplace. The Men’s International Polo Tournament will be held in Imphal and the CM’s Sagol Kangjei Tournament in Kangla as part of the festival.
Other major festivals of Manipur
Gang-Ngai
Celebrated for five days in the month of December/January, Gang-Ngai is an important festival of the Kabui Nagas.
Lui-Ngai-Ni
It is a collective festival of the Nagas observed on the 15th day of February every year. This is a seed sowing festival after which tribes belonging to the Naga group begin their cultivation.
Yaoshang
Celebrated for five days commencing from the full moon day of Phalguna (February/March), Yaoshang is the premier festival of Manipur. The Thabal Chongba – a kind of Manipuri fold dance, where boys and girls hold hands together and sing and dance in a circle, is particularly associated with this festival. Yaoshang to Manipur is what Durga Puja is to Bengal, Diwali in north India and Bihu to Assam.
Cheiraoba: The Manipuri New Year
It is celebrated during the month of April. Villagers climb the nearest hilltops in belief that it will enable them to rise to greater heights in their worldly life.
Kang: The Ratha Yatra of Manipur
One of the greatest festivals of the Hindus of Manipur, this festival is celebrated for ten days in the month of July. Lord Jagannath leaves his temple in a car known as “Kang” in Manipur pulled by devotees who vie with one another for this honour.
Heikru Hitongba
Celebrated in the month of September, Heikru Hitongba is a boat race. Long narrow boats are used to accommodate a large number of rowers. An idol of Lord Vishnu is installed before the commencement of the race.
Ningol Chak-kouba: A social festival of the Manipuris
It is a remarkable social festival of the Meiteis. Married daughters of the family come to their parental house along with their children and enjoy a sumptuous feast. It is celebrated on the second day of the new moon in the month of Hiyangei (November) as per Manipur Calendar system.
Kut: Festival of Kuki- Chin- Mizo
It is an autumn festival of the different tribes of Kuki-Chin-Mizo groups of Manipur. It is a happy occasion for the villagers whose food stock is bountiful after a year of hard labour. It is observed on the 1st November every year.
Chumpha: Festival of Tangkhul Nagas
Celebrated for seven days in the month of December, the Chumpha Festival is a great festival of the Rangkhul Nagas. The festival is held after harvest.
5. Manipur tops the medal table as the 2nd edition of North East Olympic Games concludes in Shillong
Tags: place in news Sports
The 2nd Edition of the North East Olympics games concluded on 16 November 2022 at the Meghalaya’s capital Shillong. The week-long (10-16 November) Olympic Games was dominated by the North East sports powerhouse Manipur.
The Games was organised by the government of Meghalaya and the state Olympic Association under the aegis of Northeast Olympic Association.
Arunachal Pradesh was to host the second edition of the Games in 2019 but there was a change of plan following the Covid-19 pandemic and Shillong was named the host city.
The first North East Olympics games was held in Manipur in 2018 and the third edition will be held in Nagaland.
Final Medal position
Manipur emerged as the overall team champion with a total of 240 medals which included 88 gold medals, 75 silver and 77 bronze medals.
Assam took the second spot with a total of 203 medals which included 79 gold medals, 61 silver and 63 bronze medals.
Arunachal Pradesh got the third spot from the host State with a total of 112 medals which included 39 gold, 36 silver and 37 bronze medals.
Meghalaya was at the 4th spot followed by Nagaland at the 5th, Mizoram at 6th, Tripura at 7th and Sikkim was at the last position.
In this one week long edition of the sporting event, about 3000 participants from all around the North East states competed in 18 disciplines like football, shooting, basketball and others at 12 venues spread across Shillong.
6. President Murmu appoints DR CV Bose as the 22nd Governor of West Bengal
Tags: Person in news State News
The President of India Droupadi Murmu has appointed Dr CV Ananda Bose as the 22nd Governor of West Bengal on 17 November 2022. The post fell vacant after the previous governor Jagdeep Dhankhar was elected as the 14th Vice President of India.
The Governor of Manipur La Ganesan Iyer was given the additional charge of West Bengal on 18 July 2022 by the President.
About Dr CV Ananda Bose
Dr CV Ananda Bose is a retired IAS officer. He served as the Secretary to the Chief Minister of Kerala and has held the rank of secretary to the government of India, been a Vice chancellor. He is currently the Chairman of the Habitat Alliance, in consultative status with the UN.
A prolific writer and columnist, Dr. Bose has published 32 books in English, Malayalam and Hindi including novels, short stories, poems and essays.
State Governor
Article 153 of the constitution provides for a Governor for each state. However a person can be appointed as Governor for two or more States.
Appointment of the Governor
The President of India appoints the Governor (article 155) of a state .
Qualification to be a Governor
- A person to be eligible for appointment as Governor should be citizen of India
- has completed the age of 35 years
- He shall not be a member of the Legislature or Parliament;
- Shall not hold any office of profit.
Term of the Governor
The constitution also says that the term of the governor shall be of five years but the constitution also says that the Governor holds office at the pleasure of the President. It means that he /she can be dismissed from office whenever the President wants so.
The Governor is the head of the state executive and his role is similar to the President of India. The governor exercises his power on the aid and advice of the State Cabinet headed by the Chief Minister.
Chief Minister of West Bengal : Mamata Banerjee
7. Satyajit Ray Lifetime Achievement award will be given to Spanish film director Carlos Saura at 53rd IFFI
Tags: Festivals
Spanish film director and writer Carlos Saura will be honoured with the Satyajit Ray Lifetime Achievement Award 2022 at the upcoming 53rd edition of the International Film Festival of India in Goa.
Important facts
The 53rd edition of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) will be held in Goa from November 20 to 28, 2022.
This year 280 films from 79 countries will be screened here. 25 feature films and 20 non-feature films from India will be screened in the 'Indian Panorama', while 183 films will be part of international programming.
This year the feature film and non-feature segments will see the opening of 'HadinLentu' and 'The Show Must Go On' festivals.
France is the 'Spotlight' country this time and 8 of its films will be screened under the Country Focus package.
The 'Homage' section will include 15 Indian and 5 international films.
To promote films from Northeast India, 5 feature and 5 non-feature films will celebrate the golden jubilee of Manipuri cinema.
Other special attractions include the Shigmotsav (Spring Festival) on November 26 and the Goa Carnival on November 27, 2022.
CBC will organise an exhibition on the theme of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav.
Austrian film 'Elma and Oscar' directed by Dieter Berner will open the festival, while Christoph Zanussi's 'Perfect Number' will be the closing film here.
8. Manipur to celebrate Amur Falcon festival on 14 November
Tags: Environment Festivals State News
The 7th edition of the Amur Falcon Festival will be held in the Tamenglong district of Manipur on 14 November 2022. The festival has been organised since 2015 to spread awareness about protection and conservation of world’s longest flying migratory bird Amur falcon. The day-long festival is generally celebrated in the first or second week of November.
Amur Falcon (Falco amurensis)
The Amur falcon is the world’s longest travelling small raptors of the falcon family. Raptor means which hunts other animals or birds as prey.
Amur Falcon breeds in the central Siberia region of Russia, eastern China. They migrate to the North Eastern states of Manipur, Nagaland, and part of Assam during October. They stay in India for about two months and in the month of November they cross the Arabian Sea to fly non-stop to South Africa and Kenya covering a distance of around 22,00 Km. The Amur Falcons are protected under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
Nagaland falcon capital of world
Around a million Amur Falcon raptor stop at the Pangti village of the Wokha district in Nagaland during October -November month. This is the single largest congregation of the Amur Falcon bird in the world. Hence Nagaland is also known Falcon capital of the world
9. MoU to set up effective governance systems under DAY-NRLM
Tags: National National News
Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Gurugram-based Veddis Foundation to support setting up of effective governance systems under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana - National Rural Livelihood Mission (DAY-NRLM) on 10 November, 2022.
Important facts
The partnership with MoRD and Veddis Foundation is for three years and is a non-financial partnership.
The MoU was signed by Joint Secretary, Rural Livelihoods, Nita Kejrewal from MoRD and Murugan Vasudevan, CEO, Veddis Foundation in a meeting chaired by Secretary, Rural Development, Nagendra Nath Sinha.
As per the MoU, Vedis Foundation will set up a PMU in the Rural Livelihoods (RL) Division of the Ministry of Rural Development for the next five years.
The MoU will also strengthen the state's capabilities, establish innovative models and implement a national strategy for convergence of Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) and SHGs.
One of the initial focuses as part of the MoU is an annual report on the status of SRLMs in which the various SRLMs are expected to be evaluated on the basis of 'Governance Index'.
About Veddis Foundation
Vedis Foundation has set up Project Management Units-PMUs in the State Rural Livelihood Missions (SRLMs) of Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Manipur.
It will work on a 360-degree approach for effective implementation of the top level priorities of the government in Rajasthan in future.
Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana - National Rural Livelihood Mission (DAY-NRLM)
It was launched by the Ministry of Rural Development in June 2011.
It aims to reduce rural poverty by increasing livelihood opportunities through skill development and better access to financial services for rural poor households in the country.
With an annual budget outlay of over Rs 13,000 crore, the program covers 7.15 lakh villages in 723 districts, and covers over 8.6 crore rural households.
10. Union Cabinet approves naming Hollongi Airport as Donyi Polo Airport
Tags: Economy/Finance National News
The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on 2 November approved naming of greenfield airport at Hollongi, Itanagar, as ‘Donyi Polo Airport.
Important facts
A resolution was passed by the state government of Arunachal Pradesh to name this airport 'Donny Polo Airport, Itanagar'.
The 'Doni Polo' reflects the people's respect for the Sun (Doni) and the Moon (Polo), symbols of the state's traditions and rich cultural heritage.
The Government of India had given 'in-principle' approval for the development of Hollongi Greenfield Airport in January 2019.
The project is being developed by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) in collaboration with the Central Government and the State Government of Arunachal Pradesh at a cost of Rs 646 crore.
Hollongi Airport is the third airport in the state and the only airport in the capital city after Pasighat and Tezu airports.
Doni Polo Airport in Itanagar is the 16th airport in Northeast India.
Operational airports in the north-eastern region
Guwahati, Silchar, Dibrugarh, Jorhat, Tezpur, Lilabari, and Rupsi (Assam); Pasighat and Tezu (Arunachal Pradesh); Agartala (Tripura); Imphal (Manipur); Shillong (Meghalaya); Dimapur (Nagaland); Lengpui (Mizoram) and Pakyong (Sikkim).
