The Biju Phukan Recognition award, 2020 has been conferred in 32 categories at a function held on Monday at Hotel Gateway Grandeur. The award for Asomiya Pratidin and Pratidin Time has been received by Smitakshi Baruah and Rishi Baruah on behalf of the Sadin-Pratidin group. The award ceremony has been attended by renowned artists from the Assamese film fraternity.
Former APCC Spokesperson Kamal Kumar Medhi joined Raijor Dal on Monday at Mathgharia office. He also served as the General Secretary of Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS). Many other Congress leaders also joined Raijor Dal along with Kamal Kumar Medhi. Former General Secretary of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Assam Pradesh, Santanu Sen also joined the party. AGP workers from Bhawanipur constituency also joined the newly formed political party.
Satra Mukti Sangram Samiti (SMSS), the student arm of the Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) will begin fresh agitations against CAA in Assam from December 24 to 31. To organize the protest Dibrugarh University Students' Union General Secretary- Rahul Chetri and B Barooah College Students' Union General Secretary- Subrajit Baruah have joined CMSS.
The Meghalaya government has opened its doors for tourists after a gap of nine months due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With tourists already flocking at the entry points of Meghalaya, the Tourism Department has issued Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for all tourists visiting the state. The Umling Facilitation Centre in RiBhoi district has been inaugurated by the Meghalaya Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong along with State Minister H Dohling and other dignitaries. Tourists from different parts have already started to check in at the Facilitation Center.
All Assam Students Union (AASU) has staged a protest on Sunday night against the turbines which are likely to be used in Lower Subansiri Hydroelectric Power Project. The union members have been protesting for Subansiri Hydroelectric Power Project from a long time as they are concerned if the dam collapses in the future, districts of Lakhimpur, Dhemaji, Majuli, Sonitpur submerge due to heavy floods.
In a first, the 51st director general-level border coordination conference between the Border Security Force (BSF) and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) will be held in Guwahati from December 22 onwards. The four day bi-annual conference led by BSF's Director General Rakesh Asthana and BGB's Chief Major General Mohammad Shafeenul Islam would be conducted outside the national capital after fifty years.
A cache of arms and ammunition was seized by state police from Darrang's Dolgaon on Monday.As per reports, 3.3 rifles, 11 bullets, pipes, and magazines were found buried in a ground near Orang National Park. The police have suspected that some poachers may have buried for poaching of rhinos.
In a bid to eliminate militancy from Assam, the state police and security forces would be achieving another milestone as 63 militants will surrender and give up on arms in front of Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Monday in Guwahati. Out of the militants belonging to different outfits, 18 are from United Liberation Front of Asom (Independent), 32 are from United People's Revolutionary Front, and the rest are from the Dimasa National Liberation Army and People's Democratic Council of Karbi Longri.
In an unprecedented incident, eleven hand grenades were dropped by a drone flying in from Pakistan, which were recovered from a field near the International Border in Punjab. The box of hand grenades had been attached with a wooden frame and was lowered from the drone to the ground with a nylon rope. As per reports, a BSF personnel deployed at the Chakri border outpost in the Gurdaspur sector had noticed a Pakistani drone entering the Indian territory around 11.30 pm and they immediately fired multiple shots to bring it down but it soon disappeared.
Amid the farmers' protests in and around Delhi, the Kerala government has decided to pass a resolution to reject the farm laws after a cabinet meeting was held on Monday. A special assembly session will be called on December 23 to pass a resolution against the three agriculture laws. The Kerala government will approach Governor Arif Mohammad Khan to call a special assembly session. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala have reached a consensus in this regard and the resolution is likely to be passed unanimously.
In a surprising turn of events, Bengal BJP youth front president Saumitra Khan's wife, Sujata Mondal Khan, has joined the Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Monday citing that the state's main opposition party was filling its ranks with corrupt and ambitious leaders from other parties by promising them high posts. The 32-year old woman, who did not hold any important post in the BJP, alleged that she was not shown any respect in the BJP although she worked hard for it when the party was struggling.
Veteran Indian National Congress leader and former Union Minister of Health, Family Welfare and Civil Aviation and Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh Moti Lal Vora passed away on Monday afternoon. He was 93. He was eight-time parliamentarian — three times in Lok Sabha and five times in Rajya Sabha. He was the treasurer of the Congress party from 2000 to 2018. He also served as the chief minister from 1985 to 1988 and Governor of Uttar Pradesh from 1996 to 1998.
Actor Arjun Rampal on Monday appeared before the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) in Mumbai in connection with a drug-related case after actor Sushant Singh Rajput's death. Tweeting a photo of the actor, news agency ANI said, "Actor Arjun Rampal reaches Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) office in Mumbai, Maharashtra. He has summoned by the agency to appear before it for questioning in a drug case".
In the wake of the escalating case of coronavirus in the United Kingdom, the Indian Civil Aviation ministry has temporarily suspended flights services from UK. The suspension will come into effect on December 22 to 31. "Considering the prevailing situation in the UK, Indian govt has decided that all flights originating from the UK to India shall be temporarily suspended till 11:59 pm, 31st December. This suspension to start w.e.f. 11.59 pm, 22nd December," the ministry said in a statement.
During his visit to West Bengal, Union Home Minister Amit Shah asserted that rules for the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) will be after COVID-19 vaccination starts and the corona cycle breaks. In connection to the implementation of CAA and NRC, Shah said that the chronology has changed. "Let the first in the chronology — vaccination complete".
