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GUWAHATI: A tragic incident at Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) has raised serious concerns over neonatal care after three newborns reportedly fell from an overcrowded ICU bed, resulting in the death of one infant. The deceased, a baby girl, was the daughter of Smita Deka and Utpal Bordoloi. According to hospital sources, the infants were undergoing phototherapy treatment for jaundice when three babies were placed on a single ICU bed. Despite several vacant phototherapy machines being available, staff on duty allegedly kept them together, leading to the mishap. One infant sustained fatal head injuries and succumbed, while the other…

GUWAHATI: The Guwahati Police has summoned senior journalists Siddharth Varadarajan and Karan Thapar in connection with a case registered on sedition charges, according to the notices. The two journalists, both with digital media platform The Wire, have been asked to appear before the Crime Branch of Guwahati Police on August 22. The identical summonses stated: "It is revealed that there are reasonable grounds to question you to ascertain the facts and circumstances from you, in relation to the present investigation." However, no FIR or charges were provided to the accused scribes along with the summonses, an official of The Wire…

In an effort to promote important local attractions, Assam Tourism and Panchayat & Rural Development Minister Ranjeet Kumar Dass announced plans on Sunday to create a tourism circuit in Bongaigaon. The proposed circuit would include the Borjhora waterfalls, the Nakakati hill view, and the Kakoijana forest, which is well-known for its golden langurs. Speaking to the media, Dass also disclosed a plan to improve tourist management in the area by moving the Assam tourist Department office from Siliguri to Bongaigaon. Dass opened the Kamatapur Autonomous Council's new gate at North Salmara earlier in the day. He then called a review…

In a significant step towards more ecologically friendly train travel, the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) and the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati have partnered to replace traditional plastic bedroll bags on trains with biodegradable ones. The program was officially launched on August 15, which is India's Independence Day. Approximately 40,000 environmentally friendly bags were delivered by 25 trains that left from major ports in Assam, West Bengal, Bihar, Tripura, and Arunachal Pradesh. The in-house research team at IIT-Guwahati created the bags, which are completely compostable and made to break down swiftly without endangering the environment. Instead of using single-use…

The Nari Nagarik Manch, an apolitical women's collective in Assam, has strongly opposed the state government's plan to license firearms to "indigenous people" in areas that are considered vulnerable. The group warned that decades of peace could be undone by the action. Most of Assam has been peaceful since the conclusion of the militancy in 2009–2010. When weapons reached non-state actors, the Manch fear a recurrence of the bloodshed that occurred in Manipur. About 30 members decided to ask the President, Prime Minister, and Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma to cancel the idea. Through a PIL, they can also petition…