Assam seeks Central support to set up skill dev centres
Guwahati: The Assam government has sought the Centre’s technical support to set up skill development training centres to help the youth to increase their employability quotient and find jobs outside the state. Industries and Commerce Minister Pradyut Bordoloi has written a letter to Union Skill Development and Youth Affairs Minister Sarbananda Sonowal to seek help from the Centre’s National Skill Development Corporation to set up such training centres in every development block in the state. As per a survey done by his ministry, eight lakh youths from the state were doing unskilled jobs outside Assam remitting to the state Rs 280 crore annually, Bordoloi told reporters here today. Of them, three lakh work as security guards while other professions include restaurant waiters and shop assistants. To upgrade their skill and raising their employability quotient the state government has launched a Multi- disciplinary Skill Development Programme identifying 50 vocations, the minister said. The block level training centres would help those looking for job opportunities to acquire skills for the IT sector, as security guards, in the hospitality business, etc., he said. The block development centres will serve the twin purpose of training the youths and increasing the inflow of remittances as they would then be better employed with higher salaries, Bordoloi said. Efforts would also be made with the private sector for employment of the trained youths, he added. (PTI)
Modi to visit Nagaland in December
Kohima: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has agreed to visit Nagaland during the Hornbill Festival in December. According to an official release on Monday Nagaland Governor P. B. Acharya made his maiden trip to Delhi as Governor of Nagaland when he called on the Prime Minister on Saturday and extended the invitation. It may be mentioned here that the week-long Nagaland Hornbill Festival, coinciding with the Nagaland Statehood on December one. Nagaland observed 50 years of statehood in 2013 at the Naga Heritage Village at Kisama, near Kohima, which was inaugurated by President Pranab Mukherjee. The release further said that in another meeting with the Vice Chancellor of Delhi University, Governor Acharya suggested that major tribal dialect and languages of all the North Eastern Region should be introduced in Delhi University. The Vice Chancellor, the release stated, has assured the Governor that this will be done and a preliminary report for the same would be sent to the office of the Governor soon. Governor Acharya also called on President Pranab Mukherjee and Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh earlier in the day. (UNI)
50 kg ganja seized
Aizawl: Mizoram Excise and Narcotics department officials seized 50 kg of ganja at a hamlet in the Mizoram-Manipur-Myanmar border, excise department sources said here on Monday. Two persons were also arrested during the raid at the Khuangphah hamlet yesterday. The two, Vanlalliana and Lalbiakthanga, were booked under relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985, the sources said. (PTI)
Dimapur tops in HIV positive cases in Nagaland
Kohima: District Programme Officer(DPO), Civil Hospital Mecievinuo Zhotso has revealed that Dimapur district topped in registering the highest number of HIV cases in Nagaland. Addressing an advocacy sensitisation programme yesterday for village council members, women groups and youth leaders of Dimapur constituency, Mr Zhotso said Dimapur topped with highest number of HIV positive cases whereas, Longleng was the least affected district in the state. As per the district Integrated Counselling and Testing Centre (ICTC) status, out of 14,461 people tested during the financial year 2013-14 in Dimapur, 862 were found to be HIV positive, making it district with the highest number of HIV positive people in the state. Speaking on the occasion,Medical Officer, ART of the civil hospital Dimapur said changing sexual behaviors of the people in the state (homosexuality) and tattooing with infected needles could be among the various reasons behind the upsurge in the number. (UNI)