Author Archives: TARIQ ABDULLAH

Roads, markets, tourism, livelihood projects among NEC push in state

By Our Reporter

SHILLONG, May 21: From road connectivity and urban infrastructure to organic farming and youth exchange programmes, Meghalaya received investments worth Rs 555.63 crore from the North Eastern Council (NEC) during the 2022-26 period under the 15th Finance Commission framework.

An official communique stated that the funding covered multiple sectors, including education, entrepreneurship, tourism, agriculture, healthcare and tribal livelihood initiatives across the state.

A substantial portion of the allocation, amounting to Rs 160.87 crore, was utilised under the Schemes of NEC (SoNEC), supporting the construction and upgrading of community assets such as school buildings, markets, bridges, tourism infrastructure and healthcare facilities in different districts.

The Council said the interventions were also aimed at boosting livelihood opportunities through projects linked to honey production, mushroom cultivation, Lakadong turmeric processing, livestock development and integrated farming systems.

Organic farming initiatives and programmes supporting rural producers and tribal communities were likewise taken up during the period.

Alongside economic development projects, the NEC stated that several initiatives focused on preservation of Meghalaya’s cultural identity and strengthening local community infrastructure. These included the development of cultural complexes, eco-tourism facilities and community halls.

(Contd on P-7)

By Our Reporter

SHILLONG, May 21: Leaders of the city and suburban taxi drivers’ association on Thursday met East Khasi Hills District Transport Officer (DTO) R. Hinge to seek a crackdown on illegal “offline” bike taxi services operating in Shillong.

The delegation raised concerns over the increasing number of two-wheelers being used commercially without authorisation, allegedly under the Rapido banner.

Association president Kmenlang Khonglah told reporters that these unauthorised operators are setting up stands at various locations, adversely affecting the livelihoods of local taxi drivers.

Khonglah stated that while the association understands the challenges faced by the public and unemployed youth, commercial bike services must operate within the law.

(Contd on P-7)

क्षेत्रीय शिक्षा संस्थान, भुवनेश्वर
REGIONAL INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION, BHUBANESWAR
(National Council of Educational Research & Training)
Sachivalaya Marg, Bhubaneswar – 751022
Advt. No: 547 Dated: 20.05.2026

Regional Institute of Education (RIE),
Bhubaneswar, constituent unit of NCERT, is
a premier teacher education institution
catering to the school education and teacher
preparation of Eastern Region of India. The
Institute is known for its quality teacher
education programmes, academic
excellence, research activities, extension
and integrated teacher education
programmes designed in accordance with
the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

This is to inform all candidates who have
appeared in the National Common Entrance
Test (NCET) 2026 conducted by the
National Testing Agency (NTA) for
admission into the following programmes for
the academic session 2026–27, that they
are required to regularly visit the official
website of Regional Institute of Education,
Bhubaneswar for registration and
submission of online application forms for
ITEP counselling after the declaration of
NCET results.

• ITEP B.Sc.B.Ed. (Middle)
• ITEP B.Sc.B.Ed. (Secondary)
• ITEP B.A.B.Ed. (Middle)
• ITEP B.A.B.Ed. (Secondary)

The online application portal for admission
into RIE Bhubaneswar will be made live
shortly.

Candidates are advised to keep visiting the
Institute website www.riebbs.ac.in
regularly for further updates, admission
guidelines, important dates and counselling-
related information.

I/c. PRINCIPAL

By Our Reporter

SHILLONG, May 21: Tourism Minister Timothy D Shira on Thursday informed that work on the proposed Shillong ropeway project was continuing and maintained that no adverse reports regarding the initiative had reached him so far.

Speaking to reporters, Shira said the ropeway project had been initiated before he assumed charge as minister and admitted that he had not personally visited the project site recently.

He, however, stated that from the information available to him, the process was still moving forward and there had been no indication that the project had stalled.

Highlighting ongoing tourism initiatives in Garo Hills and other parts of Meghalaya, he said the government was taking up several new projects aimed at strengthening tourism infrastructure and promoting local destinations.

According to him, a number of construction works have already been undertaken while additional projects are currently under process.

Although he did not provide detailed names of every project, Shira said some proposals had already received approvals while others were awaiting further clearances and administrative procedures.

News Capsule

The All India Online Common Entrance Examination (CEE) for recruitment of Agniveers and JCOs/OR in the Indian Army for the year 2026 is scheduled to be conducted from June 1 to 12. Informing this, the Director Recruiting (HQ), Meghalaya, said that admit card for the candidates appearing for online CEE have been uploaded on www.joinindianarmy.nic.in, which have to be availed before May 29. Candidates will be allowed to appear in the examination only if they produce their admit card. For further information, candidates can contact the Recruiting Office (Headquarters), Shillong, at 2504177, or via the mail [email protected].

By Our Reporter

SHILLONG, May 21: The Meghalaya Pradesh Youth Congress (MPYC) has urged the state government to provide financial compensation and accommodation support to students appearing for the NEET UG 2026 re-examination on June 21.

In a memorandum submitted to Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma through the Deputy Commissioner of North Garo Hills on Thursday, MPYC president Timjim K Momin highlighted the hardships faced by students following the cancellation of the initial examination.

Momin stated that the cancellation has caused emotional distress and financial strain for families across the state. He pointed out that students from remote districts, such as North Garo Hills, face additional challenges due to poor transport connectivity and a lack of affordable lodging near examination centres.

The MPYC president noted that many students had already spent significant amounts on travel and stay for the original exam. The re-examination, he argued, imposes another round of costs that many economically weaker families cannot afford. He added that some students are reportedly considering skipping the exam due to these repeated expenses.

Urging the government to intervene, the MPYC demanded reimbursement for travel and lodging expenses, as well as state-sponsored accommodation for students travelling from rural and remote areas to the centres.

By Our Reporter

SHILLONG, May 22: The United Democratic Party (UDP) has signalled its intention to contest the upcoming Shillong Lok Sabha by-election independently, with a final decision on its candidate expected within the next two days.

This will set the stage for a multi-cornered contest for the yet-to-be-announced polls among VPP’s Batskhem Myrboh, NPP’s D.R.L. Nonglait, Congress’s Vincent H. Pala and possibly the UDP and the BJP.

UDP president and Cabinet Minister Metbah Lyngdoh said the party has already initiated the process of selecting a candidate and internal discussions are under way. He acknowledged that the 2024 Lok Sabha election was the “worst performed year” for the UDP and the Regional Democratic Alliance (RDA), but (Contd on P-7)

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MUMBAI, May 22: The Reserve Bank on Friday announced a record dividend of Rs 2.87 lakh crore to the government for the year-ended March 2026, providing a financial boost for the exchequer amid rising import bills and supply chain disruptions due to the West Asia conflict.

The dividend is 6.7 per cent higher than Rs 2.69 lakh crore for the 2024-25 fiscal year.

In a statement, the RBI said its net income, before risk provision and transfer to statutory funds, aggregated Rs 3.96 lakh crore in FY26 as against Rs 3.13 lakh crore in FY25.

“The balance sheet of the Bank expanded by 20.61 per cent to Rs 91,97,121.08 crore as on March 31, 2026,” the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) said.

The RBI’s Central Board of Directors, at its meeting, reviewed the global and domestic economic scenario, including risks to the outlook, and also approved the dividend.

According to the statement, the revised Economic Capital Framework (ECF) provides flexibility to maintain the Contingent Risk Buffer (CRB) between the range of 4.5 per cent and 7.5 per cent of the size of the balance sheet. “Taking into consideration the current macroeconomic factors, financial performance of the Bank and maintenance of appropriate risk buffers, the Central Board decided to transfer Rs 1,09,379.64 crore towards the CRB for FY 2025-26 as against Rs 44,861.70 crore in the previous year,” it said. (PTI)

MUMBAI, May 22: The domestic benchmark indi- ces ended higher on Friday, supported by a sharp appre- ciation in the Indian rupee against the US dollar and gains in banking and financial services stocks.

The Nifty rose 64.60 points, or 0.27 per cent, to close at 23,719.30, while the Sensex gained 231.99 points, or 0.31 per cent, to settle at 75,415.35.

Commenting on Nifty technical outlook, experts said that on the downside, immediate support is placed at 23,600, below which the index may drift towards 23,400.

“A breach below 23,400 could trigger a sharper cor- rection in the market. On the higher side, a decisive move above 23,800 may induce a fresh directional upmove in the short term,” an analyst stated.

“A decisive breakout from this range is essential for the next leg of rally or correc- tion to unfold,” an analyst added.

Investor sentiment re- ceived a boost after the In- dian currency appreciated sharply during the trading session.

The rupee strengthened by 51 paise to touch an intra-day high of 95.69 against the US dollar. However, it later pared some gains and settled at 96.20 per dollar.

Among the top gainers on the Nifty index were Trent, Shriram Finance, and Axis Bank, as financial and bank- ing counters remained in fo- cus throughout the session.

In the broader market segment, the Nifty MidCap ended 0.14 per cent higher, while the Nifty SmallCap slipped 0.15 per cent.

Sector-wise, the Nifty Private Bank, Nifty Financial Services, and Nifty Bank outperformed the broader market.

On the other hand, the Nifty Pharma, Nifty Health- care, and Nifty Media ended the session in the red.

“Market is in a buy-on- dips and sell-on-rallies pat- tern. A sustained uptrend will likely require geopolitical stability and softer oil prices, which would strengthen mac- ro conditions and improve FII sentiment, especially as corporates head into a weak Q1 FY27,” a market expert mentioned. (IANS)