DoT May Soon Order Solar-Powered Tower Deployments in Northeast

New Delhi, Sep 18 : The telecom department (DoT) will shortly mandate deployment of solar powered towers to boost mobile coverage in the Northeast, especially in mountainous regions close to the Chinese border.

DoT's plans to explore alternate energy sources to run mobile towers in the Northeast follows a recent study by the telecom regulator, which revealed major gaps in telecom coverage in Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Manipur and Meghalaya.

According to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India ( Trai) report, Arunachal Pradesh has the highest coverage gap (55.9 per cent), followed by Meghalaya (38.1 per cent), Mizoram (32.3 per cent) and Manipur (24.3 per cent).

A senior DoT official said plans were afoot to "use solar powered telecom towers" in the remote corners of the Northeast that still remained outside the mobile loop.

'Go green' has been a popular theme in government circles, especially after DoT unveiled stiff green targets for telcos more than two years ago.

The green telecom policy requires mobile operators to reduce diesel consumption and run 50 per cent of their towers in rural areas and 20 per cent in urban areas on hybrid power by next year. And by 2020, will need to run 75 per cent and 33 per cent of their towers in rural and urban zones respectively on hybrid supplies, which have been defined as a mix of grid power and renewable energy based on solar, wind, biomass or fuel cells.

But telco appetite for green energy technologies remains low, given the huge capex required to set up solar energy capacity. As a result, DoT has lately been pressing the finance ministry to provide viability gap funding (VGF) to telecom operators and tower companies to help them meet their green energy targets mandated by the government.

The DoT official, quoted above, conceded that going solar would be expensive for telco as "the cost would be roughly Rs 10 lakh per site".

It also proposes to involve Renewable Energy Service Providing Companies (Rescos) in driving the go-green thrust.

It is a different matter that the Resco model has failed to deliver so far. Last year, tower operators under the Tower And Infrastructure Providers Association (Taipa) banner had floated a request-for-proposal inviting clean energy equipment suppliers to form Rescos that would set up independent clean energy generating stations for selling power exclusively to tower operators or mobile phone companies directly.

Though talks were held with 70-odd applicants, only two companies were finally engaged as Rescos for a pilot involving the greening of some 1100 tower sites.

As a result, barely 1 per cent of India's near 5 lakh telecom towers run on green energy solutions now. Recently, DoT mandated deployment of green energy technologies for powering upcoming mobile networks in naxal hit regions across nine states. Bharat Sanchar Nigam has been mandated to roll out the networks. The near Rs 3560 crore venture would be fully subsidised by the Universal Services Obligation Fund (USOF), an independent DoT arm that finances rural network infrastructure rollouts.

Lalmalsawma Appointed as Mizoram Chief Secretary

Aizawl, Sep 17 : Lalmalsawma was today appointed by the Union Home Ministry to take over as chief secretary of Mizoram from November one, 2014.

The present incumbent L. Tochhawng would retire from service from that date.

The order, issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs was sent to the state chief secretary and the principal secretary to the chief minister.

Lalmalsawma is the 1983 batch (AGMU cadre) Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer who had served in the state in different capacities.

Aizawl Named ‘Permanent Venue’ of bi-annual Mumbai International Film Festival

Aizawl, Sep 16 : The Films Division under the I&B Ministry has announced that Mizoram capital Aizawl, which has no permanent theatre screening movies or any film-making infrastructure to speak of, will be a permanent venue for the bi-annual Mumbai International Film Festival.

Speaking at the inaugural function of the week-long “MIFF in Mizoram” at Aizawl on Monday, Films Division Director General V S Kundu said, “There will be two permanent venues for the MIFF. Every year we will take the MIFF to four venues where we will also conduct workshops for local film-makers. Two among these will be permanent venues. Aizawl will be one such permanent venue.”

“Mizo people have a natural tendency for audio-visual arts, especially in music and aesthetics. The MIFF will seek to help build a vibrant Mizo film industry. We need to start cultivating the skill-set of Mizo youth… to make the right films,” Kundu said.

The Films Division has in the last few weeks been screening award-winning MIFF films in various states including Arunachal Pradesh and Tripura. In Aizawl, the “MIFF in Mizoram” is scheduled to screen 25 films, including four made abroad, over six days and conduct daily workshops for film-makers.

“The state should develop infrastructural support for films, such as a film library where film-makers can watch films. The challenge is that Mizoram does not have a permanent commercial theatre, so in that regard perhaps informal cinema screening places can be built,” Kundu added.

Mizoram Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla, who inaugurated the film festival, said, “I must admit that we have no infrastructure whatsoever for films. Equally I must admit our youths have also not received any encouragement. But the credit goes to them that many have made some good films on their own, and without any training.”

“I am very grateful to Union I&B Minister Prakash Javadekar for helping organize this program,” Lal Thanhawla said of the “MIFF in Mizoram”.

Two feature films from Mizoram had featured in the MIFF earlier this year. Both were made by local independent film-makers.

While “Khawnglung Run” gained popularity in the state through screenings at community halls, “Chengrang Lanu” was helped along by the state’s Information and Public Relations Department, which has asked the Finance Commission for funds to set up a film-city in the state.
- See more at: http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/aizawl-named-permanent-venue-of-bi-annual-mumbai-international-film-festival/#sthash.QN0XMmIT.dpuf

Meghalaya Boy Wins Bronze in World Kickboxing Championship

Shillong, Sep 16 : Edward Mawthoh, a junior from Meghalaya, has bagged a bronze medal at the World Kickboxing Championship 2014 held in Italy recently.

Mawthoh competed in the 48kg category of the Under-16 full contact sports, which was held from September 6-14 at Rimini, where he bagged a bronze, Meghalaya Association of Kickboxing Organisations (MAKO) secretary Larry P Warjri said.

Mawthoh lost to Roman Synyaev of Russia who went on to bag gold at the championship.

He is one of the six cadets sent from the state to compete in the world stage, the official said.

Mentored by MAKO coach Donny Ranee, Mawthoh is a promising player, who had earlier also won a number of medals and trophies for Meghalaya at different regional and national level championships.

Ranee led the 18-member Indian contingent, five of whom were from Meghalaya, to the Championship.

Feelin' That Homecoming Spirit, in Our City

CHENNAI: Naga students gathered to share their vibrant culture and tradition at the 36th Fresher’s Day organised by the Naga Students Union Chennai (NSUC) recently. 

The event was held at Holy Trinity Church hall, Vepery, and had Lakme Fashion Week model and former Mister International India 2012 Opang Jamar Metsubo as their special guest. “Never stop believing that you can do it. Take every step and every failure as a push towards success,” said Opang, who was in the city for the first time for the event.

The chief guest for the meet, T K Rajendran, Assistant Director General of Police (Law and Order), referred to the Naga students as ambassadors of North East and gave his well wishes to the new entrants to the city.

The programme was followed by a fashion expo and music show, presented by the members of NSUC. The union limned their culture and traditions through dance, fashion show and folk songs performed by various tribes of Naga community.

The performances included Zeliangrong cultural folk dance and Tangkhul cultural show. Besides that, the students also organised Mr and Miss Fresher, Maram folk song and Poumai presentation. Celebrity hairstylist Rachel B Singh, actor and model Sahithya Jagannathan and Opang were the jury members for the competition. Losii Frances from Rajiv Gandhi College won the Mr Fresher title and Akumsenla Kichu from Madras University won the Miss Fresher title. Zeliangrong tribe bagged first place in the cultural show, followed by Tangkhul and Maram tribes.There are around 6,000 Naga students in the State who are bound together through the union.

“Through this unification we share a cultural bond away from our homes,” said R Shing Timothy, vice-president of NSUC. The association aims to help new entrants in the city to get accommodation, find jobs and get admitted to good educational institutions. Most Naga students prefer Chennai for education, citing the good colleges here. Most of them are enrolled in colleges like MCC, Loyola, MGR and Bharath University.

The only challenge they face here is adapting to humidity and food. But, the city has two restaurants — North East Kitchen and Naga Reju — serving home-cooked Pork in bamboo shoot, fried rice, king chilly with chicken and Kimchi as side dish,  in authentic North-Eastern style.

Seven From Mizoram Held Under Anti-Conversion Law in MP

By Milind Ghatwai

Bhopal, Sep 15 : Seven persons, including two women, from Mizoram were arrested under Madhya Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act for allegedly offering money to a labourer to convert to Christianity in Badwah, Khargone district, late on Friday.

In a complaint, Sunil Prajapati, 42, said he was offered Rs one lakh to convert and was told that he would find peace in Christianity. While the Badwah police claimed that Sunil was the complainant, another version said local activists of the VHP and Bajrang Dal took up the matter with the police.

In-charge of Badwah Police Station V S Parihar told The Sunday Express that besides the seven accused from Mizoram, the police were also looking for three local persons who helped the missionaries in their attempt to convert more people.

Parihar said the accused were active in the region for nearly a month and a half and the local people were under an impression that they were teachers in a Christian school. The police are yet to approach the authorities of the educational institution to verify if they were indeed teachers. He said those arrested were sent to judicial custody on Saturday.

Decline in Chayote's Harvest Due To Inadequate Rainfall

Aizawl, Sep 15 : 'Chayote' growers in Mizoram have been facing problems due to sharp decline in the harvest of the horticultural product, owing to inadequate rainfall during monsoon.

'Chayote' (locally called Iskut) growers, mainly from Sihphir, Lungdai, and surrounding villages near Aizawl, used to get good harvest in normal rains and this horticulture produce is exported outside the state.

Mizoram Iskut Growers Association (MIGA), in a press statement said that this was the worst year for chayote cultivators since last 30 years.

"Mizoram used to harvest 60,000 to one lakh quintals per year during the past 30 years while the harvest was expected to be hardly 7,000 quintals this year," the statement said.

The MIGA expressed the hope that the government, including the Centre would extend help.

Educational Institutions To Reopen in Manipur

Imphal, Sep 15 : The Manipur government has decided to reopen all educational institutions from Monday following an agreement with the Joint Committee on Inner Line Permit System (JCILPS).

This decision was taken yesterday after the JCILPS agreed in a meeting with the government to lift the "indefinite public curfew", imposed since September 11 by students wing of the Committee to press implementation of inner line permit system in Manipur, an official release said.

Educational institutions were closed in the state since September 11 following the "indefinite public curfew" launched by JCILPS.

The Manipur government to reopen all educational institutions on an agreement with the Joint Committee on Inner Line Permit System.

During the meeting between Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh and representatives of JCILPS last night, the government also agreed to release all the arrested members of the JCILPS including women volunteers.

A spokesperson of the JCILPS said if the government failed to release the arrested persons including top JCILPS members without any condition till September 19, the committee would reimpose "public curfew" which restricted movement of non-Manipuris particularly migrant labourers who do not have valid documents.

JCILPS, supported by various social organisations and students bodies, launched the agitation for implementation of the inner line permit system in the state because the number of outsiders including migrant labourers had "outnumbered the tribal population in the state", the spokesperson said.

As a precautionary measures, more than 150 non-Manipuris particularly labourers in Imphal west, Imphal east and Bishenpur districts were being kept at Dharamsala relief camp.