Author Archives: TARIQ ABDULLAH

CONVENING a meeting of his council of ministers, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has sought to set the government’s goal for 2047, the 100th year of Independence. This long haul also marks a century of Desi rule by India’s elected governments. The PM stressed the need for reform initiatives that would make people’s lives “more comfortable.” He said the next generation of reforms must receive more attention and achieve all-round growth. These should help the nation prosper. He also stressed that people’s lives should move at a smooth pace. Another call to the ministers was to avoid any pendency of work vis-à-vis their departments and initiatives. The occasion was the completion of two years of Modi’s third term in power. He has three years left to complete his total of 15 years. Ideally, this should be the time to take stock of what his government achieved for the nation and where it erred.

For one, the Modi years in Delhi were years of political stability. There have been no internal tumults other than in Manipur and the series of terrorist mayhem in places like Pulwama, Pahalgam, Pathankot, and Uri. India’s military responses to these were stronger than those of the past — though these, mainly Operation Sin-door, produced less than expected results. Yet, overall, the terrorism scenario is under control. Regarding the reforms, the PM stresses that at this late hour that there has been an abject failure across sectors. The implementation of the market reforms through GST, conceived by the Manmohan Singh government but taken forward by Modi, was one commendable step. Modi did not show the nerve to push through his government’s agricultural reforms. Faced with protests from vested interests, he abandoned these bills. Education reforms that his government attempted meant little other than its thrust on religion-linked matters. A sound education system is important for the new generation. Modi has also not shown the courage to introduce judicial and bureaucratic reforms. This is undercutting both social and economic progress. Fact is, other than the development of the highway sector or the like, nothing much has changed over the past 12 years. The lives of the large mass of ordinary people have not changed significantly, as is also evident in India’s per capita income rankings. Building more ports or airports are natural progressions.

The PM’s call to his ministers to ensure that work is not held up in government departments — and actions in that direction– should have happened from the very outset of his governance. The dragging of feet by politicians and bureaucracy on flimsy grounds is delaying the progression of many state and central projects. The much-touted Bullet Train project, for instance has not materialised. It was announced in 2014 but the pilot project itself between Ahmedabad and Mumbai has not been completed as yet. This is principally a system weakness. The old-fashioned styles of India are often juxtaposed with the jet-speed of project implementations in China or the UAE. This is because they have strong governance systems and accountability which is not visible in India.

By Our Reporter

SHILLONG, May 23: Khasi and Garo languages have been formally included in the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) Scheme of Studies, thus paving the way for affiliated schools to offer them as optional third-language subjects from the 2026-27 academic session.

The updated language list uploaded on the CBSE OA-SIS portal places Khasi and Garo at serial numbers 46 and 47, respectively, under the board’s revised three-language structure (R1-R2-R3), being implemented in line with the National Education Policy and the National Curriculum Framework. The develop-ment follows concerns raised in Meghalaya after the two languages were initially left out of the recognised subject framework under CBSE’s revised language policy. The state government had taken up the issue with CBSE authori-ties and sought their inclusion through formal communica-tion and discussions.

“On behalf of the people of Meghalaya, I express heartfelt gratitude to Hon’ble Union Education Minister @ dpradhanbjp Ji for his swift intervention in enabling the inclusion of Khasi and Garo languages in the CBSE R3 framework,” Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma posted on X. (Contd on P-7)

Shillong, often hailed as the “Rock Capital of India,” has a vibrant music scene deeply ingrained in its cultural fabric. From the legendary bands of the 70s and 80s to the contemporary indie artists, music has always been the heartbeat of this picturesque hill station. However, beneath the surface of its grand music festivals and established venues, there’s a persistent, almost nostalgic, undercurrent: the open mic night.

For many cities, open mic nights are a stepping stone, a place for budding artists to hone their craft before moving on to bigger stages. In Shillong, while they serve this purpose, they also seem to have become a permanent fixture, a beloved institution that refuses to fade into the background. It’s as if the city, despite its evolution and growth, holds onto the raw, unpolished charm of an open mic night with a fierce loyalty.

The concept of an open mic night is simple: anyone can sign up and perform. It’s a democratic stage, where seasoned musicians might share the spotlight with nervous newcomers, poets might recite their verses, and comedians might test out new material. In Shillong, these nights are predominantly dominated by musicians, reflecting the city’s deep-rooted passion for music.

Walk into a café or a pub on a Tuesday or Thursday evening, and you’re likely to stumble upon an open mic session. The air is thick with anticipation, the aroma of coffee or local brews, and the strumming of guitars. The audience is a mix of regulars, curious tourists, and supportive friends, all united by their love for live, unadulterated performances.

What makes Shillong’s open mic nights so enduring? Part of it lies in the city’s unique social dynamics. Shillong is a close-knit community, where word-of-mouth travels fast, and local talent is celebrated with genuine enthusiasm. These nights provide a platform for connection, a space where artists and audiences can interact on a personal level, fostering a sense of belonging and mutual appreciation.

Moreover, the city’s relatively smaller size means that the music scene, while vibrant, can sometimes feel insular. Open mic nights break down these barriers, offering an accessible entry point for anyone with a song to sing or a story to tell. They are a breeding ground for new talent, a place where artists can experiment without the pressure of a formal gig.

Many established Shillong artists credit open mic nights as their formative training ground. “I started out at an open mic night,” recalls a prominent local guitarist. “It was terrifying, but it taught me how to connect with an audience, how to handle stage fright, and most importantly, it gave me the confidence to pursue music seriously.”

The venues themselves play a crucial role. Cozy cafes with dim lighting, pubs with rustic interiors, and even community halls transform into intimate performance spaces. These settings enhance the raw, authentic feel of the open mic, making each performance feel personal and heartfelt.

However, the enduring popularity of open mic nights also raises a question: Is Shillong’s music scene perhaps too comfortable with this format? While it’s a fantastic platform for emerging artists, some argue that the city needs more diverse venues and opportunities for artists to graduate to larger stages and reach wider audiences.

“It’s great for starting out, but after a point, you need more,” says a local band manager. “We have incredible talent here, but sometimes it feels like we’re stuck in a loop of open mics. We need more dedicated performance spaces, more festivals that showcase local bands, and more opportunities to tour outside the state.”

Despite these concerns, the charm of Shillong’s open mic nights remains undeniable. They are a testament to the city’s unwavering love for music, a place where the spirit of rock and roll, in its most unadulterated form, continues to thrive. They are a reminder that sometimes, the most profound musical experiences happen not on grand stages, but in intimate settings, where passion trumps polish, and every voice finds its moment to shine.

As the sun sets over the rolling hills of Shillong, and the evening air fills with the melodies of a new performer taking the stage, one thing becomes clear: the “Rock Capital” may have grown, but it has never quite left its beloved open mic night. And perhaps, that’s exactly how it should be.

Seeking to arrest a historic decline in Meghalaya’s premier central university, the Ministry of Education has officially kickstarted the search for a new Vice-Chancellor for replace Prof. PS Shukla, whose tenure the NEHUTA has branded the “worst” in the institution’s 50-year history.

(PTI)

NEW DELHI, May 23: Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), the nation’s largest oil firm, on Saturday said there was no overall shortage of petrol and diesel in the country and described fuel outages reported at some retail outlets as “highly localised” and temporary, caused by regional demand-supply mismatches and shifting sales patterns.

The state-owned fuel retailer said higher demand at certain outlets was driven by a seasonal rise in diesel consumption during the harvesting season, migration of customers from private pumps where retail prices were relatively higher, and increased institutional purchases at public sector outlets as bulk fuel supplies were being priced in line with elevated international rates.

The company said petrol sales during May 1-22 rose 14 per cent year-on-year, while diesel sales increased around 18 per cent, reflecting “sustained and exceptionally high” growth in demand that it continued to meet across the country.

In a statement, IOC said it “wishes to reassure customers and the general public that there is no overall shortage of petrol and diesel in the country. The current situation being witnessed at certain retail outlets is highly localised and temporary in nature, arising due to local demand-supply imbalances and redistribution of sales patterns in select areas”.

It said only a “very small number” of outlets in its network of more than 42,000 fuel stations had witnessed supply disruptions, while stocks and supplies at the majority of pumps remained normal and adequate.

The higher demand being witnessed at some locations is attributable to “seasonal increase in diesel demand during the ongoing harvesting period, temporary shift of customers from certain private retail outlets, owing to relatively higher retail prices at some private pumps, and increased migration of institutional and commercial demand to PSU retail outlets, as bulk and institutional supplies are currently priced significantly higher in line with prevailing international market prices”.

IOC added that state-owned oil marketing firms continued to maintain sufficient fuel inventories nation-wide and were taking steps to address isolated disruptions and ensure uninterrupted supplies.

“Despite this sustained and exceptionally high growth in demand, IndianOil continues to consistently meet customer requirements across the country.” It also urged consumers to avoid panic buying, reiterating its commitment to maintaining seamless fuel availability across the country.

“IndianOil, along with other oil marketing companies (OMCs), continues to maintain adequate overall stocks and supplies of petrol and diesel across the country,” the statement said.

“The company is closely monitoring the situation and taking adequate measures to address these isolated situations and ensure uninterrupted fuel supplies to consumers.” IOC said it remains committed to maintaining seamless fuel availability across the country and requests customers to avoid unnecessary panic buying.

By Our Reporter

SHILLONG, May 23: A Meghalaya youth, allegedly abused in Jammu and Kashmir, was reunited with his family on Saturday after a distress call to the 1971 CM Connect helpline made the state government coordinate his rescue through an interstate operation.

Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma received Genal R Marak of the East Khasi Hills district’s Lumturi village at Guwahati Airport.

According to an official release, Marak was working at a restaurant in Srinagar for the past three years under allegedly exploitative and abusive conditions.

The release stated that he left Meghalaya at the age of 16 in search of employment after arriving in Shillong, where he later came in contact with an individual who reportedly took him to Kashmir for work at the restaurant. During his employment there, he was allegedly denied wages and subjected to both physical and mental abuse by the restaurant owner and his son.

The government said the turning point in Marak’s ordeal came on April 24 after a distress call was received through the 1971 CM Connect helpline. According to the release, Marak contemplated taking his own life if help had not reached him in time.

Following the complaint, officials from Meghalaya coordinated with law enforcement authorities

NEW DELHI, May 23: India and Boeing on Saturday held discussions on strengthening cooperation in aviation and aerospace manufacturing, focusing on opportunities in maintenance, repair and over-haul (MRO), skilling, supply chain development, innova-tion and expanding India’s role as a global manufacturing and engineering hub under the Make in India initiative.

Taking to the social media platform X, Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal, said that the de-liberations took place between him and a delegation led by Jeff Shockey, Executive Vice President, Government Op-erations, Global Public Policy & Corporate Strategy at Boeing.

“Held constructive dis-cussions with Jeff Shockey, Executive Vice President, Government Operations, Global Public Policy & Corporate Strategy at Boeing, and the accompanying delega-tion on advancing India-US cooperation in aviation and aerospace manufacturing,” he wrote.

The talks underscored efforts to deepen India-US collaboration in the aviation sector and enhance India’s po-sition in the global aerospace value chain.

“Deliberations focused on MRO opportunities, skilling, supply chains, innovation and India’s growing role as a trusted global manufacturing & engineering hub under the Make in India vision,” ac-cording to him.

Earlier in May, the United States approved two possible Foreign Military Sales to India worth a combined $428.2 million, covering sustainment support for Apache helicop-ters and M777A2 ultra-light howitzers.

The proposed assistance includes ancillary items, spare parts, repair and return services, training, technical assistance, field service rep-resentatives, depot capability and broader logistics and pro-gram support. The principal contractor for the package is BAE Systems.

In a separate notification, Washington approved a $198.2 million deal linked to AH-64E Apache helicopters. The pack-age includes sustainment sup-port services, engineering and technical assistance, logistics support, training, technical data and publications. Boeing and Lockheed Martin have been named as principal con-tractors for the Apache-related support. (Agencies)

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Agencies

(IANS)

NEW DELHI, May 23: The cumulative petrol and diesel revision of just under Rs 5 a litre in three days this month is the “smallest material upward move-ment” of any major economy outside the directly subsidising Gulf producers, and the states that tax fuel most heavily are governed by the political op-position, according to data.

For example, states with the highest pump prices concentrate in the Congress-ruled and INDIA-bloc south (Telangana, Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu) and in a single NDA-allied outlier (Andhra Pradesh, where the TDP state government levies an excep-tionally high VAT plus per-litre addition).

States with the lowest pump prices concentrate in the BJP-ruled north and west: Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Haryana, Goa, Assam. Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh are BJP-led but carry a higher VAT or recent cess.

Three states have petrol above Rs 112 a litre after the latest revisions are Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Kerala. Telangana and Kerala are governed by parties of the INDIA bloc. These three states levy the highest VAT rates in the country.

Andhra Pradesh charges 31 per cent VAT plus Rs 4 a litre plus a road development cess, taking the effective rate close to 35 per cent. Telangana takes petrol close to Rs 116. Kerala adds a social security cess on top of its base VAT.

Meanwhile, six states have petrol at or below Rs 102 a litre are Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Haryana, Goa, and Assam. All six are governed by the BJP.

The same opposition leaderships that ask the central government to cut excise duty for the relief of the consumer have at no point cut the value added tax their own state governments levy on the same litre of fuel, according to sources.

When the central excise duty was cut on March 27, 2026, by 10 rupees a litre on petrol and diesel, the BJP-ruled states passed the full cut through to the pump. The framing that the central government overtaxes fuel collapses against the state-level data. The states that tax fuel is hardest are not the Centre; they are the political opponents of the Centre.

At peak Brent of around $126 a barrel during the Hormuz disruption, the Government of India was absorbing approximately Rs 24 a litre on petrol and Rs 30 a litre on diesel.

Through the seventy-six days from the closure of the Strait of Hormuz on February 28 to the OMC revisions of 15, 19, and 23 May, India held petrol and diesel prices essentially unchanged while the rest of the world raised prices by 10, 20, 50, and in some cases 90 per cent.

(IANS)

NEW DELHI, May 23: Agreements signed between India and the United Arab Emirates during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visits deepen strategic-economic partnership across energy storage, long-term fuel supplies, defence cooperation and artificial intelligence, a report said.

The report from India Narrative said the agreement builds India’s energy resilience, maritime security, digital ecosystems, and emerging artificial intelligence capabilities. It includes a $5 billion investment commitment through the National Investment and Infrastructure Fund of India and the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority and an arrangement to store up to 30 million barrels of crude oil possibly in Fujairah as part of India’s strategic petroleum reserves.

At the domestic level, $5 billion investment commitment facilitates long-term capital accumulation in critical sectors that require sustained and patient investment.

Analysts said the crude storage agreement possibly holding Indian strategic oil in Fujairah outside the Strait of Hormuz reduces chances of supply disruption and strengthens India’s buffer against supply shocks.

By Our Reporter

SHILLONG, May 23: Exposing the collapse of recent border peace talks, the Hill Farmers’ Union (HFU) has petitioned the Meghalaya Human Rights Commission (MHRC) over the state’s failure to protect Lapangap farmers from continued harassment, stone-pelting, and “shifting” demands by Karbi groups backed by Assam Police.

The move signals a breakdown in trust toward the West Jaintia Hills district administration and police. The HFU alleges that despite multiple “peace meetings,” farmers remain barred from their fields, threatening the economic survival of the border community.

HFU general secretary A Kharsyntiew stated that a May 5 agreement—which was supposed to allow farmers back to their lands by May 8—was ignored. Instead, when villagers attempted to resume cultivation, they were met with stone-pelting from Karbi groups while Assam Police personnel actively stopped them from working.

“The situation has moved beyond the scope of district-level authorities,” Kharsyntiew said, noting that local officials appear unable to enforce order or provide safety.

The union also highlighted a pattern of shifting demands from the Karbi side. (Contd on P-7)