No RBI Approval Needed For Bank Branches in Northeast India

Agartala, Dec 30 : The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has relaxed norms for setting up bank branches in northeast India and no prior approval of the apex regulatory body is required in this regard, a senior Tripura minister said Thursday. The clarification came during a meeting between RBI Governor D. Subbarao and Tripura's Finance Minister Badal Choudhury in Mumbai Wednesday. Worry was expressed over...

2010 Saw Another Change of Guard in Meghalaya

By Rituraj Borthakur Shillong, Dec 30 : Synonymous with political instability, Meghalaya saw yet another change of guard in 2010, a year which also saw the vexed inter-state boundary dispute raise its ugly head and stepped-up activities of some rebel groups. Mukul Sangma took over the reins from D D Lapang to become the youngest chief minister of the state on April 20, coinciding with...

Mizo Girl Beaten in Guwahati For Asking Directions

Visitor attacked for asking directions to guesthouse, BJP suspends functionary By Barnali Handique Guwahati, Dec 30 : Three women, one of them the vice-president of the BJP’s city district unit, were arrested today for assaulting a Mizo girl yesterday morning. The three, Juri Das (the BJP office-bearer who also runs a city-based NGO), Monimala Das and Mini Das, were later released on bail, a...

Myanmar Soldiers Train in Mizoram

Aizawl, Dec 30 : A 20-member team of the Myanmar army, led by a colonel, recently underwent training on various facets of counter-insurgency operations at the Counter Insurgency and Jungle Warfare School in Vairangte village in north Mizoram. The counter-insurgency school is a 42-year-old elite training institute where army and paramilitary personnel are provided rigorous training in various guerrilla...

Mizoram Gets Power From Tripura For Festive Days

Aizawl, Dec 29 : Mizoram was drawing additional 15 MW of power from neighbouring Tripura during the Christmas and New Year festivals, state power and electricity department officials said here on Monday. The additional was being drawn during the peak hours every day (from 4 PM to 10 PM) from the Tripura State Electricity Board to ensure undisrupted power supply during the festive days. “Usually...

India Journalists Worried about Paid News, Media Monopolies

The Press Council of India's chair commented on paid news and media monopolies. (Credit: Press Council of India, screenshot detail) At a recent seminar, the Press Council of India called paid news "dangerous for the survival of democracy," Economic Times reported. The council reportedly investigated the "big newspaper houses" and found that "many" had participated in paid news, press council...

Rebel Group in Bangladesh Prevented Christmas Worship

Los Angeles, Dec 29 : One of the two main political parties of the indigenous people in Bangladesh’s southeastern hill tracts prevented Christians from celebrating Christmas, sources said. The United People’s Democratic Front (UPDF), which has demanded that Christian converts return to Buddhism, threatened tribal Christians of at least seven churches in Khagrachari district, some 300 kilometers (180...

I Will Hang Up My Gloves After The Olympics: Mary Kom

By Rupam Jain Boxer M C Mary Kom looks back on 2010 and voices her game plan for 2011. This year saw you creating history, but you also had to settle for bronze at the Asiad... That's right. I am happy with the bronze but not satisfied with myself. What went wrong? Did the change of weight (from 46-48 to 51) cause the loss? No, the change in weight is not to be blamed....