Preeti Singh - The Purbottar

30 Oct

Language Change in Primary Textbooks Sparks Debate in West Bengal

Preeti SinghKolkata

A widespread controversy has erupted over the replacement of certain commonly used words in school textbooks. In the draft revision of West Bengal's school curriculum, a proposal has been raised to remove widely used words like 'Pani', 'Abba' and 'Ammi'. The education department's policy-making committee has suggested replacing these words with 'Jal', 'Baba' and 'Maa' respectively. According to sources in education circles, the curriculum committee is preparing for a radical change in the language and vocabulary used in the state's schools. Currently, this proposed draft revision is under consideration by the curriculum review authority. In expert circles, there is discussion…

30 Oct

Conservation Geneticist Udayan Borthakur Elected Fellow of the Prestigious Linnean Society of London

Preeti SinghAssam, India, Latest

Udayan Borthakur, a noted conservation geneticist from Assam, has been elected a Fellow of the Linnean Society of London (FLS), one of the world's oldest and most respected scientific societies devoted to natural history, established in 1788. With more than two decades of experience in wildlife research, Borthakur founded the Wildlife Genetics Laboratory (WGL) at Aaranyak in 2008. The laboratory has been at the forefront of applying DNA technology to wildlife conservation and forensic investigations across Northeast India. His research has focused on several endangered and threatened species, including the greater one-horned rhinoceros, tiger, Asian elephant, leopard, and the White-bellied…

30 Oct

VC Nani Gopal Mahanta, Aaranyak Chief Bibhab Talukdar Present at Signing

Preeti SinghAssam

The Department of Communication and Journalism at Gauhati University on Thursday signed a Letter of Agreement (LoA) with the Public Relations and Communication Cell (PRCC) of Aaranyak to strengthen collaboration in communication, journalism, professional training and knowledge exchange. The agreement was formally signed at a function held in the department in the presence of Gauhati University Vice-Chancellor Prof. Nani Gopal Mahanta, Aaranyak Founder Secretary General and Executive Director Dr. Bibhab Kumar Talukdar, faculty members, noted journalist Mrinal Talukdar and other dignitaries. The initiative was spearheaded by Prof. Ankuran Dutta, Head of the Department of Communication and Journalism, and Bijay Sankar…

28 Oct

Satgaon Event Distributes Judo Uniforms to 10 Visually Impaired Students

Preeti SinghAssam, Sports

World Judo Day was celebrated in Guwahati on Wednesday through a series of programmes highlighting the values of inclusion, discipline and sportsmanship associated with the martial art. The day is observed globally on October 28 to mark the birth anniversary of Jigoro Kano, the founder of judo. The International Judo Federation (IJF) has been commemorating the occasion annually, with the 2026 theme being “Belonging”, aimed at fostering an environment where every judoka feels recognised, respected and welcomed. The celebrations in Guwahati began in the morning at Satgaon, where a special programme was organised for visually impaired judo students. The event…

28 Oct

Unresolved Cases of Mission Basundhara 2.0 and 3.0 to be Reviewed Under 4.0

Preeti SinghAssam

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who is on a two-day tour to Dibrugarh and Tinsukia districts, held two crucial meetings on various land-related issues concerning the indigenous people of several districts in Upper and northern AssamIn the first meeting held at the Chief Minister’s Secretariat in Dibrugarh, attended by the District Commissioners of Lakhimpur, Dhemaji, and Majuli, along with forest department officials and representatives of tribal organisations, discussions were held regarding the problems faced by tribal people concerning the revenue department.In the second meeting, held in the presence of representatives from various organisations of the Moran and Matak communities,…

28 Oct

10,715 Senior Citizens Assisted Under Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana in 2026-27

Preeti SinghAssam

Union Secretary, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Sudhansh Pant, reviewed the implementation of various schemes of the Ministry in Assam, covering drug demand reduction, Scheduled Caste (SC) development, senior citizen welfare, sanitation workers and rehabilitation of vulnerable groups.During the review, the Union Secretary emphasised the need for a coordinated, whole-of-government approach, stressing that the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment must play an effective nodal role in bringing together the departments and agencies responsible for implementation. He highlighted the importance of convergence under the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan, PM-AJAY and NAMASTE, and appreciated the progress made by Assam while…

27 Oct

Honoris Causa Degrees for Sudha Murty, Sajjan Jindal, Ashok Seth, Devajit Saikia and William Dalrymple

Preeti SinghAssam

The Assam Royal Global University (RGU) is set to celebrate a major milestone in its journey of academic excellence as it hosts its sixth convocation on October 30, 2026.The event will be presided over by Lakshman Prasad Acharya, Governor of Assam and the Visitor of RGU.Assam Education Minister Ranoj Pegu and Mizoram Education Minister Dr. Vanlalthlana will grace the Convocation ceremony as guests of honour.This announcement was made on Tuesday by Prof. A. K. Buragohain, Vice Chancellor; Prof. Amarjyoti Choudhury, Emeritus Professor at Dr. Bhupen Hazarika Centre for Creativity; Prof. Dhrubajyoti Borah, Advisor to the Chancellor and Author-in-Residence; Prof. Diganta…

27 Oct

Jharkhand’s Kumar Kushagra Named Replacement for 3rd T20

Preeti SinghSports

Indian cricket team wicket-keeper Ishan Kishan has been ruled out of the third T20 match to be held against New Zealand due to injury. Kishan has not fully recovered after suffering a leg muscle injury in the first match of the series held in Christchurch. The Board of Control for Cricket in India has confirmed that although he is progressing towards fitness, he is currently not fully fit to play the match. However, despite being injured, Kishan has maintained his position as the highest run-scorer for India in T20 International cricket in the current year. This year, he has scored…

26 Oct

Sarbananda Sonowal woos Korean firms for India’s shipyards,

Preeti SinghAssam

Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW), Sarbananda Sonowal, in Busan, South Korea, used a high-level ministerial roundtable on World Maritime Day and talks with South Korea's marine equipment industry to press one case: India wants maritime rules that every country can put into practice, and partners willing to build and grow with India.Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal spoke at the government roundtable at the World Maritime Day. Sonowal shared the stage with International Maritime Organisation (IMO), Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez; Nam Jaeheon, South Korea's Vice Minister of Oceans and Fisheries; Marianne Sivertsen Næss, Norway's Minister of Fisheries and Ocean Policy; and Marina Hadjimanolis, Cyprus' shipping…

26 Oct

Agarwood Cultivation to Bring Global Identity and Forex Earnings for Assam

Preeti SinghAssam

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma today flagged off an export consignment of agarwood chips from Guwahati to Dubai at a programme held at Dispur this evening.Under the Government’s One District One Product (ODOP) initiative, MJI Group has dispatched 123 kilograms of agarwood chips produced in Golaghat district for export to Dubai. Synchronizing with the programme, Chief Minister Sarma also presented cheques to three agarwood cultivators.Speaking on the occasion, Chief Minister Sarma said that Assam has approximately 12 crore agarwood trees, supporting the livelihoods of around 50,000 farmers engaged in agarwood cultivation. He said that Assam accounts for 81 per cent…