KSU accuses Mehta of evading demands, shifting onus on Centre
SHILLONG, May 30: The Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) on Friday voiced strong disapproval of the approach taken by NEIGRIHMS Director Prof. Nalin Mehta towards its demands and accused him of deflecting responsibilities to the Union Health Ministry. Speaking to media persons, KSU general secretary Donald V. Thabah said that several of the union’s demands could have been addressed directly by the NEIGRIHMS Governing Council. “It is unfortunate that the current director is attempting to shift everything to the ministry,” he said. One of the key issues, according to Thabah, is the implementation of the 80:20 recruitment ratio—a decision he believes the Governing Council could have easily taken without involving the ministry. Thabah also revealed that the KSU plans to meet Cabinet Minister Paul Lyngdoh to discuss the next steps in taking up the matter with the Health Ministry. In response to a query, Thabah confirmed that they had recently received a letter from NEIGRIHMS regarding their demands. “We are not entirely satisfied with the response, as many of our concerns remain unresolved,” he said. However, he acknowledged some progress, noting that NEIGRIHMS has agreed to reallocate seven vacant Nursing Officer posts—initially reserved under the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) category—to a different category. Thabah further revealed that a vacant record clerk post, originally reserved for EWS and identified as a backlog vacancy, has now been converted to the Scheduled Tribe (ST) category. Earlier, the KSU general secretary had maintained that NEIGRIHMS should not consider such cases as fresh vacancies, referencing Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) guidelines that state that unfilled EWS posts should not be carried forward to future recruitment cycles.
Hope dims as search ops in Umngi river go in vain
MAWKYRWAT, May 30: Following continuous heavy rainfall since Thursday night and the Umngi river rising above the danger level, hopes have dimmed for the recovery of the body of a youth who fell into the river while fishing near Lawblei village in South West Khasi Hills district. On Thursday, locals spotted a dead body floating and lodged between two rocks in the Umngi river, a few kilometers downstream from the incident site. Despite their efforts to retrieve it, strong currents and dangerous terrain made the task impossible. Even a team from the Fire & Emergency Services (F&ES), Mawkyrwat, was unable to assist due to the hazardous conditions. Speaking to The Shillong Times, local residents said they were initially hopeful after spotting the body and learning that a Search & Rescue Team (SRT) from Shillong had arrived to help. However, heavy rains continued to lash East Khasi Hills and South West Khasi Hills since last night, dashing any hopes of recovery. “Today, we had hoped to recover the body. But when we reached the spot where we last saw it, it was no longer there. The river has risen above the danger level and continues to swell. It has now reached the level we usually see only during the peak monsoon months of June and July,” said one local resident, adding that they have now lost all hope of recovery, as no one knows how far the river may have carried the body. It may be recalled that on May 25, Sainkupar Lyngkhoi (22), from Lawblei village—located 15 km from Mawkyrwat—was presumed drowned after he slipped and fell into the Umngi river while fishing at a spot known as Shar-Shar, approximately 2 km downstream from the Umngi bridge along the Mawkyrwat-Shillong road.
Free stipendiary coaching programmes
Shillong, May 30: Free one-year stipendiary training programmes for eligible Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) candidates have been launched to prepare candidates for clerical-grade competitive exams. The training starts on July 1. This was announced by the National Career Service Centre for SC/STs, Jowai, under the Ministry of Labour and Employment. Three courses will be offered under this initiative — One-Year Special Coaching in Shorthand, One-Year ‘O’ Level Computer Training, and Computer Hardware Maintenance (CHM). Selected candidates will receive free study materials and a monthly stipend of Rs 1,000. Eligibility criteria include SC/ST status, registration with an Employment Exchange, minimum qualification of Higher Secondary (+2), aged between 18 and 30 years as of July 1, and an annual family income below Rs 3 lakh. Interested candidates can apply online at www.ncs.gov.in or offline at the centre by June 15. Only one-course choice will be allotted based on eligibility and availability. Applications must include self-attested copies of educational certificates, caste and income certificates, Aadhaar card, and Employment Exchange registration card. No TA/DA will be provided for written tests or document verification.