‘Whatever Mary Kom does, she does perfectly with Complete Concentration’

She is a woman of substance, self made, dedicated to her chosen field, and a winner of glory for her country. Daughter, wife, mother of three, Mary Kom has always yet been her own person, with a dream that grows bigger with every success.

Husband and manager, Ouler Kom talks about his celebrity wife in the new home they are now building in Imphal, Manipur.

Firstpost: How did you meet Mary Kom? Ouler Kom: It was in early 2000s. I was in Delhi, on the instructions of my father who had asked me to sit for some of the UPSC exams, so I could get a chance at a good government job in the Civil Services. I was also studying at the same time, and was the President of student’s unions…both the Manipur Student Union and the NESU. Mary came to Delhi for the National Games, and as she was from my own community, I went as a student leader, with some office bearers to ask if she needed anything and how we could help. I gave her my phone number, and she promised to call if she needed our help.

More of the interview here

Electronic Waste Poses Eco Threat To Northeast India

By Naresh Mitra

Guwahati, Sep 9 : Ritusmin Deka bought a trendy laptop recently and discarded his older one as scrap with other unused electronic gadgets lying in his residence for years. What Ritusmin did not realize that the unused gadgets he disposed of has already added up to the piling electronic waste in the state.

Experts said the increasing penetration and use of electronic gadgets has subsequently led to rising volume of electronic waste, commonly known as E-waste in the northeast. They pointed out that smuggling of sub-standard electronic items from China, Myanmar and Bangladesh is also compounding the problem.

After a long meeting with officials of pollution control boards of NE states, Toxic Link, a New Delhi-based environmental NGO, on Friday said in the absence of a proper management mechanism in place, the rising volume of e-waste is set to pose a serious environmental threat to the region.

Though the NE states are yet to assess the exact quantum of E-waste generated in the region, Toxic Link associate director Satish Sinha said at a press conference here that preliminary estimates showed that Assam generates roughly 14,000 tons of E-waste, while Shillong (Meghalaya's capital city) generates approximately 446 tons annually. Sinha said Mizoram produces approximately 18 tons of E-waste.

"These assessments are not comprehensive and only approximate figures. Yet, these figures are indicators of rising E-waste in the northeast. At the meeting with pollution control board officials, we have discussed threadbare on how to make a proper roadmap for mitigating the environmental hazards through an appropriate E-waste management mechanism," said Sinha.

He added that at the national level, 8,00,000 tons of E-waste is generated annually and the trend is rising.

Toxic Link said the presence of toxic materials like lead, mercury, brominated flame retardants poses health and environmental hazards. Pollution control boards from six out of eight NE states, including Sikkim, took part in the E-waste management meeting.

"In 2011, the Union ministry of environment and forest issued E-waste management and handling rules. Yet, awareness on E-waste hazards in the northeast is still in its nascent stage. The meeting is only a beginning. The officials who participated at the meeting has assured to initiate measures for setting up proper collection centres of e-waste and creating public awareness," said Sinha.

Appealing to brands selling electronic gadgets to set up more collection centres for discarded electronic products in the region, Sinha said the meeting also decided to conduct proper assessment by respective state pollution control boards on the generation of E-waste.

Tripura Beats Kerala in Literacy

By Sujit Chakraborty

Agartala, Sep 9 : India's northeastern state of Tripura achieved the first position in literacy with 94.65 percent, beating Kerala (93.91 percent), Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar announced here Sunday.

"Tripura jumped to first position among the states of the country in literacy from the 12th position in the 2001 census and the fourth position in the 2011 census," Sarkar said at a function on the occasion of International Literacy Day.

Sarkar said that after Tripura attained 87.75 percent literacy in the 2011 census, a government survey was conducted by the eight district magistrates in August 2012 which found that only 131,634 people of the state's 37 lakh people, including those aged 50 and above, were illiterate.

"Over 8,254 voluntary literacy workers (VLW) have worked tremendously with full dedication under 8,152 adult literacy centres to make the leftover (131,634 people) unlettered people literate," the chief minister said.

Over 85 master trainers have supervised the work of the VLWs, who have worked at the village and habitation levels. Anganwadi workers under the social welfare department have also assisted the VLWs in their endeavour.

"The final evaluation of the neo-literate people was conducted across the state August 10-25 under the supervision of the (Kolkata-based) Indian Statistical Institution (ISI)," the chief minister said, adding that the state's literacy had now risen to 94.65 percent from the 87.75 percent in the 2011 census.

The state government felt, Sarkar said, that after the final report of the ISI, the state's literacy would cross 96 percent.

According to the 2011 census, literacy level is 93.91 percent in Kerala and 91.58 percent in Mizoram, among the most literate states in the country. The national literacy rate, according to the 2011 census, is 74.04 percent.

The Tripura success story is attributed to the involvement of local government bodies, including gram panchayats, NGOs and local clubs under the close supervision of the State Literacy Mission Authority (SLMA) headed by the chief minister.

Former census director Dilip Acherjee, who has also held the post of school education department secretary in the state, told IANS: "In Tripura, increase of female literacy is better than their male counterparts."

"The literacy rate of females during the period of 2001 and 2011 census rose from 64.91 to 83.15 percent, with an increase of 18.24 percent, while in the case of men the increase was just 11.18 percent -- from 81 to 92.18 percent," Acherjee said. It was under Acherjee's supervision that the 2011 census was conducted in Tripura.

While Mizoram and Tripura are among the toppers in literacy in India, another northeastern state, Arunachal Pradesh (66.95 percent), is placed second-lowest in literacy in the country, just above Bihar, which recorded the least literacy of 63.82 percent.

Groupon India Starts Onion Sell Off

By Leo Mirani

All good ideas begin with a bulb.

Groupon’s India business, which had some lousy PR a few months ago after it accidentally published 300,000 passwords, is somewhat redeeming itself in the eyes of Indians right now with a special deal: 1 kg (2.2 lb) of onions for Rs 9 (14 US cents). That is a fraction of the market rate, which is hovering between Rs 60 and Rs 70 a kilo. More than 5,000 people signed up for the first day’s deal—which comes with free delivery across 78 cities—before it expired.

Not all 5,000 will get the deal. Groupon has promised to put onions up for sale at Rs 9/kg every day for seven days, but with a daily limit of  3,000 kg. If it’s buying them at a market rate of Rs 65, that works out to a loss of Rs 1.18 million or a little under $18,000 not including shipping costs. Even at average wholesale rates of Rs 30, that’s still a $6,700 outlay. But that is a small price to pay for what will certainly give thousands of Indian families a reason to keep returning to Groupon.

The onion is perhaps the most telling indicator of economic problems in India. A staple that forms the basis of most Indian food, it makes headlines every time prices shoot up, which they have done throughout August (see chart below). The price of a kilo of onions in India’s cities has more than doubled since the beginning of August, from less than Rs 30 (45 cents), adding to Indians’ woes about the crashing rupee and rising inflation.

Mother Arrested in China For Breastfeeding Baby While Driving A Moped

- Officers said she was weaving through traffic while holding son - Driving through the streets of Yuzhou, Chin, when pulled over
- She allegedly held on to son with one hand, and bike with other

By Amanda Williams

A woman has been stopped by police for aparently breastfeeding her baby while riding a moped.
The young mother was allegedly driving through the streets of Yuzhou, China when she was pulled over.

Officers said she was weaving through traffic while holding her 18-month-old son on her lap as he breastfed, and they pulled her over before she had an accident.

A woman has been stopped by police for breastfeeding her baby while riding a moped

Witnesses have claimed they saw the mother begin to breastfeed the child while keeping a hand on the handlebars.

'The Huffington Post reports that police were concerned she was risking her life, her son's life and the lives of all the other road users.

They added that if she carried on they would take her bike away.

In June 2008, Catherine Donkers, 29, was accused of child endangerment for trying to breastfeed her daughter while driving from Detroit to Pittsburgh. She was also apparently driving without a licence.

The young mother was allegedly driving through the streets of Yuzhou, China, in Hunan Province (pictured) when she was pulled over

In her defence she said using a mobile phone caused far more distraction than 'nursing a child' while driving.

And in 2009 a  drunken mother was breast-feeding her five-month-old baby at the wheel when she almost crashed into a police car.

The teenager was so drunk she could not provide a roadside breath test and was arrested at the scene in the Australian town of Alice Springs.

Nagaland Imports 220-cr Worth Animal Products

Kohima, Sep 6 : Nagaland being a high consumer of animal protein faced a shortfall of 37.34 per cent of such food compelling the State to import Rs 220.12 crore worth of animal products from other States during 2012-2013.

A report of the Nagaland Animal Husbandry department said that the State produced 62.66 per cent of the total requirement of animal products leaving a shortfall of 37.34 per cent.

This report was quoted by senior technical assistant Veterinary and Animal Husbandry, Kohima, Dr Zawhel Mekro during training for capacity building of beneficiaries under Rural Piggery Production 2012-13 in Kohima yesterday.

Advising the beneficiaries to be a producer, he said the department would be providing five pigs, fabricated structure, CIG sheet, food stuff, medicine, cash, balance food and other necessary things to each beneficiary as part of the RPP 2012-13.

After The Rains

By Anjana Palepu

Women pluck tea leaves at the Amchung garden in Assam. (Anupam Nath/AP/File photo)

Young Assamese dancers perform the Bihu, a folk dance from Assam, during Rongali Bihu celebrations, the festival which marks the Assamese new year and the onset of spring. (Anupam Nath/AP/File photo)

The seven sisters is the wettest region in the country, receiving over 432 mm of rainfall every year. So there is a lot of relief that the monsoon is ending, making this the ideal time for a visit.

Different from the rest of the country, it is home to the biggest tribal population after Africa, with 168 tribes, many allowing you a peek into their world. While much of the region is still unexplored, rustic homestays allow you to break bread with the locals, while unusual adventures will see you going back for more. If you are planning a holiday, experts suggest you pack light and do not carry too many valuables as you may have to travel to remote areas by foot. Some attractions you cannot afford to miss:

Discover via taste traveling to the seven states can also be a culinary journey, with each state having a distinct style of cooking and local spices cooked in mustard oil. The Assamese staple diet is fish and rice with a range of pithas (rice powder cakes with sugar or jaggery) as dessert. Though chicken is considered taboo, duck eggs and a variety of fresh water fish are regularly consumed, cooked in little spice and oil.

Traditional Manipuri dining is a ‘sit-down’ affair with banana-leaf plates. Kabok is a traditional speciality — fried rice with vegetables and some basic spices. Iromba, another speciality, is a combination of fish, vegetables and bamboo shoots fermented and served on the side. You might want to treat the harmless looking Manipuri chilli with caution — it rates nine on the Scoville scale! In Meghalaya, the cuisine includes a lot of pork. Jodah is a spicy rice and pork dish eaten at any time of the day.

Kyat is the local brew of this region and adds zing to all celebrations.

Meanwhile, Sikkim has its own unique dietary culture with an infusion of Tibetan specialties like momos and thupka.

Don’t say no to their local millet beer – Tchang, usually served in  bamboo mugs. Wrestling and boat races each tribe is like a chiefdom, independent of each other, with different customs and rituals. The change of the seasons is celebrated across the seven states.

The most famous event is the Hornbill festival of Nagaland in December, where all Naga tribes participate. With over sixty per cent of the state directly dependent on agriculture, the festival is named after the Indian Hornbill, a large and colourful forest bird, that makes an appearance in tribal folklore. You can partake in cultural performances, sporting events and food fairs, in addition to the famous Naga wrestling. Book well in advance, as the accommodation in rustic homestays are in demand.

Assam celebrates Bihu every April, a selection of three different festivals where you can witness the traditional Assamese dance and share their local feast. The Boat Race festival in Assam, usual ly in September, is covered by tourists across the world. Historical evidence has suggested that boat races, a common feature during the reign of the Mughal empires, was revived in 1965.

Green escape, the world’s most eco friendly village, Mawlynnong in Meghalaya leads the way for earth lovers. Being the first village in the world to impose a complete ban on plastic, it has been voted as the cleanest village in Asia, complete with dustbins made of bamboo. Imphal boasts of a woman-only market where in addition to the local produce, you can shop for handicrafts and handlooms characteristic of that region. Architects, listen up. In the Kohima district of Nagaland, this is an open air museum features traditional style Nagaland buildings.

Guwahati Features in Top 15 Online Shopping Destinations

By Bikash Singh

Guwahati, Sep 6 : Northeast India is fast taking to online shopping. The size of online shopping industry of the region is between Rs 75 Crore to Rs 100 Crore.

Myntra.com fashion portal, conducted a study recently that highlighted the growing prominence of online shopping among the youth in Guwahati. This study ranked Guwahati 11th among the top 15 cities in India for online shopping. In the top bracket were Delhi NCR, Bangalore and Mumbai.

The portal which has done a business of Rs 400 Crore in last fiscal year is eyeing a turnover of Rs 800 Crore. Northeast India accounts for Rs 10 Crore of the company's business and company is targeting around Rs 25 Crore business in this fiscal year from the region.

With the growing size of e-commerce business, Assam government is working on the law to tax the online shopping transactions.

Ashutosh Lawania, Co-founder, Myntra who was in Guwahati on Thursday said, "There has been a steady increase in the number of online shoppers from Dibrugarh, Jorhat, Sibsagar and Tinsukia in Assam in the past few months. The study also revealed that Myntra.com receives around 350 - 400 orders per day from Assam."

Lawania added, "Youngsters today are extremely fashion conscious and tech savvy here. Assam has always been known to be loyal markets. In Assam, men prefer to shop for smart casuals and footwear while women prefer to shop for western and ethnic wear online."

He said the study stated that over 68% of shoppers on Myntra are men while women account for 32%. The average age of these shoppers is 25 years. "Myntra also recently opened its delivery centre in Guwahati and offers services to over 50 different locations using third party couriers. Other states covered in this region are Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura and Arunachal Pradesh."

The e-commerce trade of India is US$2 billion while size of this business in China is $190 billion. Lawania added, "By 2020 India will be around $80 billion market. There are 150 million internet users in India."

Lawania said that portal gets around 12000 orders every day whereas the number of hits to the portal every day is 5 lakh. "The conversion rate is two to three percent while in Western countries it is 5 percent. Earlier around 55 percent of the business use to come from metro cities now the trend is non metro cities is generating 55 percent of the business while metros are generating 45 percent."

He added, "We are exploring the possibility of putting the niche designs of Rajasthan in the portal and we will explore if similar thing can be done here. We will tie up with boutiques."