Rise in Tourist in Northeast India

New Delhi, Oct 18 : Eight northeastern states have seen a rise in tourist inflows, both domestic and foreign, between the period of 2007 to 2009, a tourism ministry statement said here.

According to the statement, in 2007, the states had received 47,26,218 domestic tourists and the number rose to 52,11,740 in 2008. It subsequently rose to 57,04,250 in 2009.

The number of foreign tourists visiting the states similarly rose from 43,058 in 2007 to 47,561 in 2008. This increased marginally - to 47,658 - last year.

The northeastern region of the country comprises Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura.

Except Nagaland, which saw a dip in the number of domestic tourist inflow over the period - 22,085 to 20,953, other seven states saw a rise in the inflows. However, foreign tourists registered a rise in Nagaland.

Manipur, Meghalaya and Mizoram saw a drop in the number of foreign tourists in the period.

The statement also said the home ministry has relaxaed the Protected Area Regime in Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim.

As per the relaxation, Protected Area Permit (PAP) can now be issued to foreign tourists visiting in a group of two or more, instead of the earlier mandate of four or more, for a maximum period of 30 days in Arunachal Pradesh.

In Sikkim, the PAP can be issued to visiting foreign tourists initially for 30 days which can be extended to 30 more days.

Threat to Scribes in Northeast India

Newspaper blackout in Manipur

By Rahul Karmakar

Guwahati, Oct 18 : Manipur on Monday went without newspapers as publishing houses observed an ‘information blackout’ to protest militant diktats on what to print and what not to. Dailies in Arunachal Pradesh, though, hit the stands by front-paging strong reactions to similar threats not necessarily from militants.

Some 15 dailies in English and local languages are published in Manipur everyday. All are invariably under pressure to print, usually ad verbatim, what militants want. Publishing counter-views, particularly from rival groups, is often considered a punishable crime. Some scribes get killed for it; others get shot in the leg as a warning.

The latest stand-off between media houses and militants followed the Kangleipak Communist Party’s (KCP) warning to editors not to provide space to its alleged breakaway faction KCP (Mobile Task Force). The threat invited a counter-threat from the KCP faction.

Caught between the KCP and its offshoot, the All Manipur Working Journalists’ Union decided to cease work on Sunday. “Consequently, no papers hit the stands today,” said a member of the Union. Condemning the “gag order”, the Union also sought an apology from the militant outfits.

The issue of “chaining the freedom of the press” also raged in Arunachal Pradesh capital Itanagar, but the publishing houses decided against depriving readers their due. However, the papers were full of disapproval of threats to local scribes for writing on “raging issues” such as the Rs 1,000 crore PDS scam.

Former Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Gegong Apang, one of the prime accused in the scam, got bail last week after about a month in jail.

“The threat to Tongam Rina, associate editor of The Arunachal Times, is vehemently condemned. Such act intended at curtailing the freedom of press and gagging the society needs to be crushed, lest it balloons beyond control,” said Damba Riba, a reader and vice-president of a local welfare group.

Northeast India Artistes Hold Audience Spellbound at Dill Haat

By Karam Roniya

On the sidelines of the recently held Commonwealth Games, an attempt was made to showcase India's rich and diverse cultural heritage to the world by artistes from various parts of northeast region of the country.

At Dilli Haat, a cultural dance show - 'Festival of India - Delhi Celebrates' displayed live performance by 30 Manipuri artistes, presented different Manipuri dances including 'Maibi Laiching Jagoi'. It symbolized the creation of life.

The month-long-festival presented diverse cultures of the country on one platform.

Manipuri martial art form Thang-Ta, Thougal Jagoi, Cheirol Stick dance), Pung Cholom and Basanta Raas captivated the audience full of local residents and tourists.

"We wanted everyone in Delhi to celebrate. Then it occured to us, these are not just the Games for Delhi but they belong very much to all the people of India. So, we thought, why not India also celebrates. We came up with the 37 versions of the logo-'India celebrates', 'Delhi celebrates', 'Manipur celebrates', 'Mizoram celebrates' etc," said Rina Ray, Managing Director of the Delhi Tourism and Transportation Corporation.

In a perfect example of 'unity in diversity' Priti Patel from Gujarat performed to the beat of Manipuri instruments at Sangeet Natak Academi in Delhi.

The act was based on famous Bengali poem "The field of the embroidered quilt".

"It is destiny that has taken me to Manipur. I'm not just involved in the Art, music or dance. But I'm involved with the people, their lives and their stories. I work with artists from the state. They are like my family," said Priti Patel, Director and artiste from Gujarat.

"Priti is promoting Manipuri artistes in Delhi and at other places. She is working with artists from Manipur and appreciates their talent," said Magangsana, a folk instrument musician from Manipur.

Dimapur-based North East Zone Cultural Centre also came forward to organize "Delhi-celebrates", an extravaganza that showcased northeastern dances during the Commonwealth Games.

There was Hozagiri dance from Tripura, Bihu from Assam and the bamboo dance from Mizoram.

Besides showcasing India's diversity, the event also helped bring people of different cultures closer to the each other.

"We are citizens of the same country but are unfamiliar to each other. Through these dance performances, we can bring people closer. No matter we stay at different places, but we have the same cultural heritage and affinity," said Bedana Hajong from Meghalaya.

"We have got a good response from the audience. We are happy and we'll try to perform even better in the future," said Ribimoni Bhuyan, an artiste from Assam.

As sportspersons from the northeastern States were in for a big praise from sports lovers across the country beyond Delhi during the recent Commonwealth Games, the artistes from different parts of the north east region also created a stir among art lovers with their performances.

Be it sports, safety or entertainment - northeast region contributed significantly and made the country proud during the Commonwealth Games which were held recently from Oct.3 to 14 in the national capital.

Coal India Plans to Expand Operations in Northeast India

Guwahati, Oct 18 : Coal India, which entered the capital market today with an initial public offering, plans to expand its operations in Northeast India by starting two open cast mines in upper Assam's Margherita of Tinsukia district.

The two mines were together expected to produce 1.5 to 1.6 million tonnes of coal annually, CIL''s Western Coal Fields director personnel O P Miglani told reporters here.

Stating the region contributed one million tonnes to CIL''s total coal production of 431 MT, Miglani said that the public sector company was also trying to renew its leases with Meghalaya government for enhancing the coal output.

The Northeast India coalfields with 3800 of the company's total 4.08 lakh workforce generated Rs 80 lakh business last year with a production growth of five per cent, he said.

On the environment concerns about open cast mining, Miglani said, "satellite survey of projects are being conducted so that the green coverage destroyed is created, heavy afforestation is done around the mines.

This was done for all the CIL mines resulting in decrease in temperature and increase in rainfall in the northern coalfields, he, said and added, open cast mining was done in small areas following all the safety measures, all the environment issues were taken up, water sprinklers were used and low decibel explosives used for mining.

The largest coal producer and reserve holder in the world with 276.81 billion ton geological resource had produced 431.26 MT in fiscal 2010, another CIL official director finance western Coal Fields R Mohan Das said.

With a projected production of 532.06 MT this year represented a growth rate of 8 per cent, he said, adding, coal met 52.4 percent of the country's energy needs with the power sector's consumption alone being 73 per cent.

Well positioned to capitalise on the high demand for coal in India, CIL's business strategy was to continue with increasing its production and capitalise on the significant demand-supply gap for CIL, Das said.

Meanwhile the CIL entered the capital market offering the Equity Shares at Rs 10 each at a price band fixed between Rs 225 and Rs 245 per share offering five per cent discount retail individual bidders and eligible CIL employees.

The offer for subscription opening today will close on October 21, he added.

Northeast India Militants Find a Haven in Bangalore

By Aravind Gowda

Nisha Daimary (centre) was arrested along with two accomplices Dedung Daimary and Johnny Dung in Bangalore last week.

Bangalore, Oct 18 : Last week when the BJP government in Karnataka was facing a serious crisis, the Bangalore police quietly nabbed a 21-year-old woman -- Nisha Daimary -- from a middle-class locality. Not many knew that she was a big catch for the Assam Police.

Nisha is the wife of Ranjan Daimary, chairman of banned National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB).

He was arrested in Bangladesh and later handed over to the Border Security Force in May this year.

Nisha, a top leader of the NDFB, was in-charge of mobilising funds for the militant organisation.

Police sources said Nisha used to make extortion calls to businessmen in Assam from Bangalore.

In the past six months, she had raised close to Rs 15 crore.

Nisha was arrested along with two accomplices -- Dedung Daimary, alias Khangur, and Johnny Dung -- and taken to Assam. With her arrest, the number of Northeast militants nabbed in Bangalore in the past two years has gone up to six.

"It is clear that a number of militants from banned terror outfits in Northeast India have made Bangalore their safe hideout. There are thousands of students from Northeast studying in various colleges in Bangalore. It is easy for militants to assimilate among them," senior police officer S. K. Umesh, who played a crucial role in arresting Nisha, said.

In June 2008, four activists of the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) -- Johnny, Jipen Singh, Thallabbe and Megha Chandar -- were arrested in the Hennur locality of the city. In September 2008, two sympathisers of Manipur's People's Liberation Army (PLA) were picked up by the police.

On June 18, 2009, Roshan Ali alias Anees, leader of the People's United Liberation Front (PULF), a banned outfit in Manipur, was nabbed and on July 26, 2009, Jewel Garlosa, chief of the Dimah Halam Daogoh (Jewel faction), Assam, was arrested from a farmhouse in Bangalore. In late 2009, six members of another banned militant organisation - People's Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (PREPAK) of Manipur -- were nabbed by the Bangalore police.

According to the police, Bangalore has become the favorite destination of militants from Northeast for several reasons.

The city has the highest number of Northeast population in South India; unlike Hyderabad or Chennai, it is cosmopolitan in nature and scores high on hospitality; language is not a problem, and finding jobs for a cover is easy.

"Increasingly militants and separatists from Assam and Manipur are visiting Bangalore. We fear that some of these militant organisations could be building student cadre in Bangalore as a number of students from Northeast are studying in this city," a police intelligence wing officer pointed out.

When the police arrested Nisha, they found more than 50 SIM cards of various mobile service providers from different states. "They had a list of rich and famous people from Northeast states. We have also recovered a laptop containing details of their operations. Nisha underwent three-month training in guerilla warfare in Kaggar Soli, Bangladesh. She learnt how to use weapons and make bombs," Umesh said.

There are an estimated 11,500 youths, including students, from Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh in Bangalore. The arrests are likely to have a negative impact on the large student community from Northeast states in Bangalore.

"These arrests are shocking for us. We wanted to escape from militancy and settle down in a peaceful place. We never knew that we had terrorists among us. If such militants continue to live among us, all of us will become suspects," Isaac Raising from Nagaland, who is studying in Bangalore, said.

Nisha came to Bangalore via Kathmandu following the arrest of Ranjan.

According to the police, more information has to be shared by the military intelligence on possible suspects from Northeast states if Bangalore has to be on the guard.

Online CAT: Do's And Don'ts

By Sai Kumar

The most pressing question on the minds of students appearing for the examination is ‘How do I tackle the Online CAT?’

The most obvious aspect of the 'Online CAT' that concerns students is the emphasis on the word 'Online' rather than the the word CAT.

Well, the answer is to keep things simple and not to worry about the 'Online' format, instead concentrate on the 'content' of the paper.

CAT is more a test of elimination than a test of selection. The successful candidates often attribute their success to their approach -- a poised and calm mind, avoid errors and do not fall into the traps that the exam often surprises you with. This article will address the common errors that students make in the run-up to CAT.

Some of the common errors are as follows:

Error#1: Preparing only for select topics

One of the serious flaws in the approach over the years has been to narrow down the syllabus and prepare only for select topics based on questions that have appeared in the past few years of CAT. CAT has been an extremely unpredictable examination and is known to spring a surprise every year. There is a high probability that topics or areas that have not had much of a weightage in recent years might make a comeback. Therefore it is in the best interest of students to prepare for all topics.

Error#2: Speculating on the composition of the paper

CAT is known to ask questions from a wide assortment of test areas and therefore there is no point speculating as to what might happen this year. The IIMs have hinted that there will be 'around' 60 Qs across three sections: Verbal, Quantitative and Logic & Data Interpretation in CAT2010.

Error#3: Overdose of mocks

Most students believe that the best way to prepare is to take as many mocks as possible. Repeated mock tests only highlight the same weaknesses and if students are not analysing their mistakes and rectifying them, then there will not be any major improvement in their performance. Therefore, a thorough analysis of every mock test will yield far better results than taking a large number of such tests.

Error#4: Missing out on items to be carried to the examination centre

This year, students should carry their Admit Card, the CAT Voucher, a Valid Photo identity (any among Driver's License, Passport, PAN Card, Voter ID, College ID, Employee Identification Card or a notarised affidavit with photo, signature, date of birth and residential address) and a valid document as proof in case the student belongs to the SC/ST categories.

Error#5: Blind guessing

It is has been observed in 'experimental' conditions that blind guessing almost always leads to a negative/low score, therefore avoid blind-guessing and marking answers indiscriminately. However, if you are able to eliminate two/three choices (out of the four or five) on proper reasoning, then, it is not advisable to leave out the question even if you do not know how to solve it.

Error#6: Unequal distribution of time across sections

The IIMs calls only those students who manage to clear the cut-offs in each section of CAT and also the overall cut-off. To meet this objective it is imperative that you spend equal amounts of time across all three sections to give yourself enough opportunity to clear the cut-off in every section.

Error#7: Not having a buffer time

This year the exam will be for 135 minutes and a good time allocation strategy would be 40 minutes across three sections with 15 minutes of buffer time. The buffer is required to cushion against bad performance in any one section or to tackle a section that is exceptionally difficult, or one where the student is not confident of clearing the cut-offs.

Error#8: Targeting a specific number of Qs to clear cut-offs

Targeting a pre-set number of questions to clear the cut-offs is not a great strategy, as the cut-offs are a function of the difficulty level of the section and the paper. Hence, one can decide to attempt a certain number of questions during the exam but not before.

(The author, Sai Kumar, is director of TIME Mumbai, a coaching centre for MBA aspirants)

Source: Business Standard

Humans Will Need Two Earths by 2030

London, Oct 18 : Humans are overusing the planet's resources and will need two Earths by 2030,a new report warns.

According to the Living Planet Report, human demands on natural resources have doubled in under 50 years and are now outstripping what the Earth can provide by more than half; and humanity carries on as it is in use of resources, globally it will need the capacity of two Earths by 2030.

The report said that wildlife in tropical countries is also under huge pressure, with populations of species falling by 60 per cent in three decades, the 'Daily Mail' reported.

And the report, from the WWF, the Zoological Society of London and the Global Footprint Network, said that British people are still consuming far more than the Earth can cope with.

If everyone lived such a lifestyle, humans would need 2.75 planets to survive, it warned.

The study's authors looked at 8,000 populations of 2,500 species and studied the change in land use and water consumption across the globe.

Britain comes 31st in a list of countries based on their 'ecological footprint' - the amount of land and sea each person needs to provide the food, clothes and other products they consume and to absorb the carbon dioxide they emit.

The country has fallen down the league table from having the 15th biggest footprint in the last report two years ago, but WWF attributes this to an increase in other countries' impact rather than a reduction in the UK's use of resources.

Source: Financial Express

Brus Don’t Want Repatriation: Mizo Students

Aizawl, Oct 18 : In the wake of one Bru organization opposing repatriation of Bru refugees from six relief camps in North Tripura, the Mizo Zirlai Pawl (MZP), Mizoram’s largest students body, has said the Bru refugees were not interested in coming back to Mizoram.

''Considering the problems created by the Brus each time when their repatriation was in the offing, it is obvious that they are more interested in staying in the relief camps and get the Centre's sympathy than returning to Mizoram to lead normal life,'' the MZP said in a statement yesterday.

Bru repatriation plans had been derailed when Bru militants gunned down a Mizo youth of Bungthuam village in western Mizoram on November 13 last year.

The MZPs statement came after a Bru Welfare Organisation, formed by the Bru refugees, expressed their opposition to the governments plans to repatriate them, demanding 'pre-conditions'.

In a statement on October 13, the Bru Welfare Organisation demanded that the government meets its charter of demands failing which the organisation would oppose the repatriation to the end.

''We may organise sit-in demonstration or indefinite hunger strike in New Delhi and Aizawl. We may also stage economic blockade against Mizoram if need be,'' the organisation said in a statement.

There was a split among the refugees in six relief camps into two-those who supported the repatriation and those who opposed it. Pro-repatriation leaders such as Elvis Chorky and Surjimani Reang were ousted from the chairmanship of Mizoram Bru Displaced Peoples Forum and Bru Co-ordination Committee respectively.

Calling this a 'do or die' movement, the Bru Welfare Organisation claimed that the repatriation talks between the Mizoram government and the illegitimate Mizoram Bru Displaced Peoples Forum or Bru Co-ordination Committee 'would not bring us anywhere.' '' We will fight it to the end,'' they vowed.