Paromita Editor

The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Guwahati, achieved a historic milestone with the successful initiation of its Cardiac Surgery Programme.For the first time, the institute successfully performed two open-heart surgeries in a single day, on a seven-year-old child and a 47-year-old woman from Assam, both suffering from congenital heart defects involving a hole in the heart.The surgeries were successfully conducted on Tuesday under the leadership of Professor Colonel Dr. Ashok Puranik, Executive Director, AIIMS Guwahati.“The landmark initiative was made possible through the collective efforts of the Department of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery under the leadership of Prof Vineet…

An elephant calf, estimated to be 4-6 weeks old, was found trapped in a muddy trench at Seconee Tea Estate near Kaziranga, Assam, on Wednesday morning. The herd had reportedly attempted to help the calf, but their efforts were unsuccessful. After discovering the calf in distress, compassionate tea garden workers and villagers immediately alerted the Kaziranga National Park authorities. A team from the Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation (CWRC), led by Dr. Bhaskar Choudhury, CWRC Centre Manager and lead veterinarian at WTI, also arrived at the site to assist with the rescue operation. The calf was carefully lifted out…

A wild elephant was spotted roaming in Assam’s Numaligarh area with a tractor tyre lodged tightly around its neck, triggering concern among local residents. The elephant was reportedly seen moving through a tea garden in the Bakial area with the tyre stuck around its neck. Locals suspect that the animal may have become trapped in the tyre while moving through the area in search of food. Photographs of the elephant, captured by local residents, have brought attention to the unusual incident and raised concerns over the increasing interaction between wildlife and human settlements. Wild elephants frequently venture into areas close…

Aaranyak, a leading biodiversity conservation organisation in Northeast India, on Wednesday celebrated its 38th Foundation Day, marking the completion of 37 years of conservation, research and community-oriented work. The Foundation Day was observed at Aaranyak’s headquarters in Guwahati as well as at its field stations across Assam, including the Kaziranga, Manas, Dibrugarh and Udalguri landscapes. Aaranyak began its journey on September 9, 1989, as a neighbourhood nature club in Beltola, Guwahati, under the leadership of a group of young environmental enthusiasts led by its present Secretary General, Dr Bibhab Kumar Talukdar. Over the past 37 years, the organisation has grown…

As part of the state government’s continuous efforts to modernise, strengthen and make Assam’s agriculture sector self-reliant, Minister for Agriculture and Irrigation Pijush Hazarika chaired a crucial review meeting on potato value chain development and multi-stakeholder collaboration at the District Library Auditorium in Nalbari on Tuesday. The meeting featured detailed discussions on boosting crop productivity, enhancing cold storage facilities, strengthening processing infrastructure, and creating robust market linkages to establish a well-structured value chain. Interacting directly with the attending farmers, Minister Hazarika assessed their expectations and addressed the operational challenges faced in potato cultivation. Representatives from PepsiCo were also present at…

The by-election to Nagaon Lok Sabha constituency will be held on October 6, while the counting of votes will take place on October 9, the Election Commission of India (ECI) announced on Monday. According to the ECI notification, the last date for filing nominations is September 16 while scrutiny of the nominations will take place on September 17. The last date of withdrawal of candidatures is September 19. The election process is scheduled to be completed by October 11. The apex poll body’s announcement comes amid heightened political activity, with parties gearing up for the contest. The by-election was necessitated…

Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma today attended the birth centenary celebrations of Bharat Ratna Dr. Bhupen Hazarika at Dr. Bhupen Hazarika Samanway Tirtha at Jalukbari in Guwahati and paid floral tributes at the memorial and statue of the legendary artist.On the occasion, Dr. Sarma virtually laid the foundation stone of the proposed Dr. Bhupen Hazarika Museum at Srimanta Sankaradeva Kalakshetra and launched an ‘Instareel’ competition to take the life, works and enduring contributions of Dr. Hazarika to the younger generation through contemporary digital media.Addressing the gathering, Dr. Sarma said history has witnessed the emergence of rare personalities whose lives…

A significant press conference was held today at the headquarters of the Assam Pradesh Trinamool Congress in Panjabari, Guwahati, to discuss the party’s electoral strategy and candidate selection for the upcoming Nagaon Lok Sabha constituency by-election. The press conference was addressed by MLA and State Convenor of the Assam Pradesh Trinamool Congress, Sherman Ali Ahmed. During the conference, he formally announced that the party high command has nominated Abdul Salam, former Vice-Principal of Dhing College and a prominent educationist, as the Trinamool Congress candidate for the Nagaon Lok Sabha by-election. Elaborating on the principles behind the candidate-selection process and the…

A 25-year-old female wild elephant was rescued and treated by a specialised veterinary team after her trunk became trapped in a deadly wire snare at Assam’s Raimona National Park along the Indo-Bhutan border. The injured elephant was first spotted on September 1 near the Daogen Gonthong anti-poaching camp under the Sanfan Range of the Kachugaon Forest Division. She was accompanied by her calf at the time. Forest guards stationed at the camp closely tracked the elephant’s movements over the following days to ensure that an intervention could be carried out safely. The elephant was sighted again near the camp on…