Presentation on biodiversity of New Zealand, N-E India
SHILLONG: The Department of Environment and Traditional Ecosystems at Martin Luther Christian University on Friday hosted a presentation made by Dr Debashish Dutta, a senior academic staff and Programme Coordinator from the School of Applied Sciences, Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology, New Zealand.
The presentation was aimed at giving an insight into the various ways of environment management in New Zealand and at the same time drawing a parallel between the island nation and the North East in this context.
Dutta made a presentation on the topic ‘Environmental Management and Unique Ecosystems of New Zealand’ and spoke at length on the native species of New Zealand with special reference to the supercontinent of the Paleozoic era, Gondowanaland.
Both India and New Zealand were parts of this supercontinent and hence there are a few similarities with regards to the ecosystems between the two countries, he said.
Drawing a parallel between the biodiversity in New Zealand and the North East, Dutta highlighted the threats being faced by birds, mammals and reptiles in New Zealand and how the Government there has undertaken eco-restoration.
The programme organised on the MLCU campus was attended by under-graduate and post-graduate students of the Department of Environment and Traditional Ecosystems and the Department of Travel and Tourism Management at MLCU.
IIM-Shillong to host 5th TEDx today
SHILLONG: The Indian Institute of Management, Shillong, will host the fifth edition of the TEDx on Saturday at Hotel Polo Towers.
Speakers from across the country will be present at the event that will be based on the theme ‘Alchemy of Choice’. It will underscore the transformative power of choice.
The list of speakers include Pankaj Bhadouria, winner of the first season of MasterChef India, Sheila Sri Prakash, acknowledged as one of the leading design thinkers of the age, Asha Bhat, winner of the Miss Supernational pageant in 2014, Deepika Narayan Bhardwaj, documentary filmmaker and men’s rights activist, Suhani Shah, psychosomatic counsellor and illusionist, Gaurav Jai Gupta, accredited with winning ELLE’s Young Creative Fashion Entrepreneurship Award in 2010, and Tilotama Varma, the first female Indian Police Officer from Uttar Pradesh.
NIFT to conduct annual festival on Feb 17-18
SHILLONG: National Institute of Fashion Technology, Shillong is conducting its annual festival “SPECTRUM” on February 17 and 18.
NIFT is the premier fashion institute of the country and its only centre in the North East is NIFT Shillong. NIFT Shillong aims to promote through “SPECTRUM” the idea of productivity and creativity. This year, the events focus on the theme of “Reducing, Reusing & Recycling” wastage and various contests will be held to promote the same. Different colleges of Shillong are participating in this programme.
Peter S. Dkhar, Deputy Commissioner, East Khasi Hills District, inaugurated the function and wished the students of NIFT Shillong. A newsletter namely FyI (For Your Information) of NIFT Shillong was unveiled by the chief guest on the occasion.
NEIGRIHMS gets second prize in Kayakalp Award 2016-17
SHILLONG: NEIGRIHMS was awarded the second prize in Kayakalp Award presented on February 15 in New Delhi as the second cleanest public health facility of India. It won a cash award of Rs 3 crore for maintenance of highest levels of cleanliness, hygiene,and infection control.
AIIMS, New Delhi bagged the first prize, followed by NEIGRIHMS and PGIMER, Chandigarh.
The Kayakalp award scheme was started in 2015. The award ceremony is conducted every year with an intent to improve the patients’ experience at hospitals.
GSU blames PHE for Baghmara water crisis
TURA: The Garo Students’ Union (GSU), Southern Zone, has raised concern over the prevailing water crisis in Baghmara.
The union has blamed the PHE Department for not maintaining the water pump set up at the Simsang under the Baghmara Urban Water Supply Scheme.
The pump is currently non-functional. If the pump was properly maintained, sufficient water could be supplied to every household in the town.
A visit to the PHE office by the Union members on Thursday could not bring the desired result as both the Executive Engineer and SDO were out of station.
However, the junior engineer there informed them that work was in progress to repair the damaged water pump which is likely to be completed by this month.
“It is condemnable that the PHE Department has continuously failed to provide adequate water supply in the district. We have also decided to write a letter to the PHE Minister. This problem cannot continue in Baghmara. Otherwise, we will have no option but to resort to agitation,” the union warned.
Committee for One Stop Crisis Centre in WGH
TURA: A management committee of the One Stop Crisis Centre under West Garo Hills was recently constituted following a notification by the Social Welfare Department in Shillong.
It will be headed by the Deputy Commissioner as Chairman along with the District Social Welfare Officer, West Garo Hills, as Member Secretary and Superintendent of Police, West Garo Hills, Secretary of District Legal Services Authority, West Garo Hills, President of the Tura Bar Association, District Medical and Health Officer, West Garo Hills, District Social Welfare Officer, West Garo Hills, Principal Secretary, Women Economic Development Society (WEDS), Tura, Col T.I Donald, Administrator, Bethany Society, West Garo Hills, the President of Mothers’ Union, West Garo Hills, and G.T.R Marak, Vice-Chairman, Meghalaya State Commission for Women (Special Member and Advisor) as members.
