Staff Reporter

Shillong, July 28: Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma today said it takes time for parents to be comfortable to send their children to schools by using the buses.

“It is a new process and they are used to dropping a child on their own. They need to see whether these buses are safe. I am sure once the comfort comes in and parents feel it is safe to send their children, I am sure more and more people will take this (school buses). Therefore, we have to give them time,” Sangma told reporters.

According to him, no parent would want to take any chance when it comes to the safety of their children.

On July 24, the Meghalaya High Court in its order had informed that the the petitioner Philip Khrawbok Shati has submitted that though the government has invested in buses with a lot of fanfare for school children to be ferried by them, the government has not taken steps to assure parents of the security of their wards.

As a consequence, according to the petitioner, there is lukewarm response from parents and guardians in such regard. The petitioner suggested that government representatives should visit individual schools and request for meeting the parents to make them aware and assure them of the safety of their wards, if they travel to school and back in government buses.

An App had been prepared by the government as recorded in one of the previous orders, but the main issue appears to be as to the reliability of both the driver and helper or helpers in every bus and how the children are going to be protected by such persons.

Though the school issue is one of the several in the context of the traffic congestion in this city , at least, if half the number of parents who use cars to ferry their children to and from school resort to the public mode of service as introduced by the government, traffic would have been substantially eased.

Staff Reporter

Shillong, July 28: Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma today informed that there are certain locations where the flyovers are coming up in Shillong.

Sangma told reporters that the stretch from Umshyrpi bridge up to Rhino Museum and also up to Anjalee point is being looked at for construction of a flyover.

“In other areas, we have to look at the availability of space as even for a flyover to come up we need space for pillars to come up as well as for sections of that part of the road to go up,” he said.

“Because of the congestion and because of the construction that have taken place in certain locations all locations are not feasible though they are desirable and hence wherever the feasibility is there definitely we will look into this aspect,” the CM added.

According to him, the need to construct flyovers has been proposed for a very long time by many people of the state.

Staff Reporter

Shillong, July 28: The state government has decided to implement a massive programme to decongest the state capital by construction of skywalks, parking lots and different utility systems on unused lands of different departments.

Informing this here today, Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma said that the preparation of the detailed project report (DPR) is in full swing.

“We expect the DPR and the master plan will be presented to the government in the month of October. We should be able to finalise things by December,” he added.

Sangma informed an exhaustive presentation before the government was also made recently with regards to the lands owned by different departments but are not being utilized in the most efficient manner.

“We have more or less come to a conclusion or a decision which of course details are being worked out that most of these lands will be given to urban affairs department and we will now construct different parking lots or different utility systems, different beautification, different commercial spaces, in many of these locations across the city and this will then facilitate the entire process  of us leading to a massive programme of decongestion of Shillong city which also include the process of the new secretariat which is in a very advance stage,” he said.

The CM also informed that the government has decided to have a skywalk from Barik to Khyndailad and from Khyndailad to other locations.

“All these are in the pipeline but I don’t want to share all details because we will come up with a full plan as we have gone very aggressively into this and soon will be sharing a master plan with all of you,” he added.

Staff Reporter

Shillong, July 28: Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma today said the Mahadev Khola incident was not in any way religiously or communally motivated.

“It was a standalone incident and not at all religiously or communally motivated but it just so happened that the two groups are from two different communities and hence, it is not right to connect those dots and then try to give it a communal or religious colour,” Sangma told reporters.

Police have arrested three persons and two juveniles for their alleged involvement in attacking and robbing a shopkeeper at Mahadev Khola on July 24.

Sangma informed that police have also studied the background of the individuals arrested and found that they are not related to any particular organization. “It was a standalone incident that happened between two groups and as per law whatever action needs to be taken will be taken,” he said.

The chief minister also appealed to everybody not to give such incidents a communal colour and said, “This is not correct as it leads to unnecessary tensions.”

Whether government will take action against misreporting by a national media on the incident, Sangma however said, “We have not gone into that level but I mean we do expect the news agency to be responsible to not give it a communal colour but if it goes beyond a certain point then we will take actions against agencies that do unnecessarily create this kind of a picture. As I said the agencies should do their homework first, find out the facts and only then come out with these kinds of things but I will reiterate there is no communal or religious angle to this incident.”

Further, the CM said that the Mahadev Khola incident has got nothing to do with the situation in Manipur. “We should avoid connecting what is happening in Manipur with this incident. It is absolutely not connected at all.”

Stating that the Manipur situation is very complex, Sangma said, “It is easy to bring religious colour to it but you need to understand that this is a situation where two communities are involved and of course in the process we have seen many people are affected but we should all try our best to find a way to find peace in Manipur I think that is important.”

Staff Reporter

Shillong, July 28: A joint press conference on the National Education Policy (NEP) was organised today in Shillong ahead of the third anniversary of NEP-2020 to highlight the benefits of its implementation.

It was hosted by Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti and Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan, the programme served as an opportunity to reflect on the transformative impact of the policy and discuss the institution’s progressive initiatives in alignment with the NEP-2020.

National Education Policy (NEP)-2020 has been an integration of Global with local; instilling among learners a deep-rooted pride in being Indian and developing knowledge, skills and values that make them truly global citizens, said Deputy Commissioner i/c Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti, Regional Office Shillong, Aditya Prakash Singh.

Addressing the gathering, Singh said that the NEP-2020 has laid the foundation for a forward-thinking approach that nurtures creativity, critical thinking, and practical skills, preparing our students to face the challenges of the 21st century.

“NEP of 1986 was followed for 34 years. Ever since NEP-2020 was implemented, the activities held, beyond curriculum and syllabus have multiplied manifolds in central government schools like KV, JNV and other CBSE schools compared to the previous NEP period,” he added.

It envisions a policy that aligns with the requirements of 21st century India, fostering self-reliance (Atmanirbhar Bharat), and integrating the global with the local, Singh concluded.

“NEP is promoting critical thinking rather than rote learning, focus on learning instead of studying, encouragement to scientific temperament”, added Principal KV EAC, Upper Shillong, Mon Bahadur Chetri.

He held that NEP advocates for the universal provisioning of quality early childhood development, care and education by 2030. ‘NEP further recommended that prior to age of 5, every child will move to a ‘Preparatory Class’ or ‘Balvatika’ i.e. before Grade-I with focus on developing cognitive, affective, and psychomotor abilities.”

Vice Principal of KV Happy Valley, K Ramesh said that NEP has shifted the traditional route of learning to experiential learning with an understanding of basic concepts.

He said that activities like Science and Social Science exhibitions, Children’s Science Congress, interaction with role models and others have paved the way for practical, field-based learning. All this has enhanced the pleasure and joy of learning among children.

All these programmes are supplemented with initiatives of NEP like the NIPUN initiative (National Initiative for Proficiency in Reading with Understanding and Numbers), students’ progress for intervention to bridge learning gaps, he added. NEP is helping explore the unique capabilities and innate talent of each student. All these are helping for the holistic development of the students and preparing children for life after school. There are provisions to learn regional languages, he added.

B D Ramteke, Assistant Commissioner, NVS Regional Office Shillong said that adequate faculty members and a better learning environment with technology integration, digital learning platforms like smart classes and other adequate infrastructure are provided by the Union Government to implement NEP. Teachers are provided adequate training with the help of workshops and others to improve the quality of teaching.

He underscored the NVS’s unwavering commitment to NEP 2020 principles. The focus on competency-based learning in core subjects like language, Science, and Maths has transformed the learning approach, promoting conceptual understanding over rote learning, he added.

Neelam Sharma, Principal, JNV, East Khasi Hills spoke about PM Shri – PM Schools for Rising India which is a centrally sponsored scheme intended to prepare schools of excellence. All categories of schools – Primary, Elementary, Secondary and Senior Secondary school will be selected under this initiative to be transformed as Exemplar Schools.

The Scheme is proposed to be implemented over a period of 5 years w.e.f. 2022-23 to 2026-27. A total of 6448 schools across 30 State/ UTs/ Institutions (i.e., Kendriya Vidyalayas and Navodaya Vidyalayas) will be covered in the first phase, she added.

A two-day Akhil Bharatiya Shiksha Samagam organised by the Ministries of Education and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship will be inaugurated tomorrow in New Delhi by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi on the occasion of the third anniversary of NEP-2020.

Staff Reporter

Shillong, July 28: Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma today said the government will take a call on whether to set up an independent probe into the July 24-mob attack at the CMO, Tura after getting a report from the state police.

“We will wait for the initial reports that will come from the police department and only then will we be able to decide on how to move forward,” Sangma told reporters when responding to a query on the TMC’s demand for an independent probe into the incident.

“Yes, if it is necessary as if you look at the whole situation – if the NGOs were saying that these were not their people then who are these people – so obviously there has to be some kind of a system to find out who these people are and what are their intentions. Therefore, yes, initially prima facie it looks like a very kind of a very complicated situation which may require further investigation. But at this point in time I would say let the police do its job and we will see how we will move forward,” he added.

Sangma also informed that he would wait for security clearance before calling the protesting groups for discussion on the issues relating to their demand for winter capital and backlog policy, since the issue has completely taken a different turn after the incident.

Further, the chief minister has maintained that the arrest against more than 40 persons was done purely based on evidence through video footage of the mob attack incident and not based on political affiliation.

“I want to make it very clear, we are not going by political parties or we are not even trying to say that this is the political party or that political party. All we are saying that everything will be based on evidence,” he said while adding “No matter what party an individual may belong to, no matter what organization they may belong to or whatever background the person maybe from if the person based on proof and evidence was involved in instigating and was involved in any way in the incident that time, action will be taken against those individuals. So it is not political or party but it is purely on the basis of evidence.”

Strongly condemning the incident, Sangma said that the state had witnessed so many people staging peaceful dharnas or fasting but never have they gone ahead attacking CMO, government officials and police. “This kind of culture is not there and therefore it is a serious matter from that angel,” he added. He also felt sorry for the police personnel, who were injured while trying to protect the CM and everybody in the CMO, Tura from the unruly mob, who were pelting stones at them.

On police intelligence indicating that the mob attack was pre-planned and a conspiracy to murder him, the chief minister however said, “That of course only DGP can tell you and only the enquiry that is going to come in will then finally give the clear picture of what it was.”

He also stated that the incident was unprecedented in one way and said, “When the CM is going with the intention to really solve the problems, we are going with the intention of doing good to the people and all the different development works that we are doing. There could be people who hate us but obviously this kind of action cannot be justified in any way and it is wrong for anybody to think that they can take the law in their hands in this manner and get away with it.”

On the TMC’s demanding immediate suspension of the DGP and SP, West Garo Hills for endangering the life of the CM and others, Sangma however said, “Let me be very clear it was the police who defended me not harming me. They were right in the front protecting me and the people inside including the NGOs and the people who were trying to harm are the people outside. The police were doing their duty and they are doing it very well. They swiftly acted, they put themselves in front and they got injured. So I think it is completely incorrect, especially coming from a former chief minister who should understand the role and responsibility of the police, who are sacrificing and endangering their lives, I think condemning them is not the right thing to do and it is not fair at all.”

Further, the chief minister said, “I don’t think it is entirely fair to conclude and say intelligence failure took place. Yes, there were some lapses as it was a complicated situation, intelligence did come in, I was told not to go there but this was after I made a commitment that I will go there and hence, if I backtrack on my statement and not gone there then it would again be construed in a different manner. Hence, it is important to meet the people and go there in spite of police and security agencies requesting me not to go.”

Meanwhile, Sangma also informed that he had a talk with the DGP with regard to the security assessment.

“I had met him (DGP in Tura). They (police) had mentioned it (security assessment) to me but I have not gone into details of that. As I said, that is a procedure that follows in its own independent manner and there is a security level where the government and the department they sit and assess the security of different individuals, that will follow and that is not for me to comment,” he stated.

Staff Reporter

Shillong, July 20: A fine amounting to Rs 7.68 lakh was realized from 755 cases registered against vehicles and two-wheelers with modified exhaust pipes of high decibels by the Shillong Traffic Police during the month of July.

The action was taken after such vehicles are creating disturbances by emitting loud noise and therefore have become a social nuisance, East Khasi Hills SP Sylvester Nongtnger said in a statement issued today.

He also informed that following the checking, 17 vehicles were detected with modified exhaust pipes and action has been taken as per law.

Meanwhile, The Shillong Traffic Police also appealed to all vehicle owners, who have retrofitted their exhaust pipes to kindly get them removed and replace them with original ones. The drive against modified exhaust pipes including other MV Act violations will continue and stringent action will be taken against violators, the SP warned.