riya Editor

The Assam government has established the Eighth Assam Pay Commission, led by retired IAS officer Subhash Chandra Das, to conduct an extensive review of the emolument structure and service conditions for state government employees. The Commission includes senior officials from various departments such as Personnel, Administrative Reforms, and Finance, totaling eight members. Its mandate is reform-oriented, surpassing typical pay revisions by integrating pay adjustments with structural reforms, fiscal sustainability, digital transformation, manpower optimization, and outcome-based governance. The Commission is tasked with examining the principles that determine the remuneration structure and working conditions of state employees, excluding those in the All-India…

Lok Speaker Om Birla has appointed Gaurav Gogoi, Jorhat MP and Assam Congress president, as the President of the India-Philippines Parliamentary Friendship Group, which has been established for the 18th Lok Sabha. This initiative is part of a broader strategy to enhance India's parliamentary engagement with over 60 countries, emphasizing the importance of dialogue and exchanges among legislatures to complement traditional diplomacy. The Parliamentary Friendship Groups, comprising Members of Parliament from various political backgrounds, aim to facilitate direct communication with global counterparts, sharing legislative experiences and fostering trust through ongoing interactions. Countries involved include Sri Lanka, Germany, New Zealand, and…

The Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati (IIT Guwahati) has advised strict adherence to depth-related precautions recommended by the National Institute of Hydrology (NIH) during the construction of the ₹500-crore Maa Kamakhya Access Corridor Project. This is to mitigate potential disruptions to crucial fracture-controlled groundwater pathways. The recommendations followed two petitions presented to the Gauhati High Court, prompting the government to commission a comprehensive geophysical and hydrological survey by the Roorkee-based NIH to evaluate the possible environmental repercussions of the project. IIT Guwahati subsequently reviewed the NIH report. The investigation of the proposed construction layout against identified fracture systems revealed interconnected…

HDFC Bank has inaugurated its first Tech & Digital Factory in Assam, located in Guwahati, enhancing the region's technological development and talent pool in areas such as AI, digital innovation, and cybersecurity. This is the bank’s fourth such facility in India, following those in Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Gurugram. The ceremony was attended by Assam's Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma, along with senior bank officials and dignitaries from the educational sector. The facility is designed to create career opportunities for skilled professionals in Assam and aims to leverage local technical talent for core technology advancements. Partnering with the Government of…

Priyanka Gandhi, General Secretary of the All-India Congress Committee (AICC) and Chairperson of the Screening Committee, visited Zubeen Kshetra in Sonapur, near Guwahati, this morning. Accompanied by Gaurav Gogoi, President of the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC), she paid tribute to the late Zubeen Garg, a beloved artiste, at his memorial site, Zubeen Kshetra. Following this, she moved to Rajiv Bhawan where she engaged in discussions with the three Working Presidents of the APCC. Furthermore, she shared perspectives with leaders from various committees and wings of the APCC. This visit marks the conclusion of her two-day itinerary in Assam.

Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology-Guwahati (IIT-G) have introduced a novel multilingual and scalable approach to identify and rectify Surface Name Errors (SNEs) on Wikipedia, thereby enhancing information reliability for both human users and AI systems. The method was highlighted at the India AI Impact Summit 2026. Wikipedia, a collaborative online encyclopedia, sometimes contains SNEs, which are inaccuracies in the surface names—text used to reference or link entities in article content. A study from the IIT-Guwahati team revealed that 3-6% of entity mentions are prone to such errors, which can undermine credibility and affect machine learning performance, given the…

As part of efforts to enhance the livelihoods of women living near wildlife protection areas, Aaranyak, in partnership with various authorities including Kaziranga National Park and the Laokhowa-Burhachapori Wildlife Sanctuary, provided equipment such as weaving sets and sewing machines to two women's groups at a ceremony on February 17. The event was attended by key officials including Rajib Hazarika, DFO of Nagaon Wildlife Division, and Arif Hussain from Aaranyak. Aaranyak's initiatives aim to improve income opportunities for women through skill development, with beneficiaries already trained in producing eco-friendly items from water hyacinth. The new equipment is expected to boost productivity…

SaveLIFE Foundation (SLF), in partnership with the CSR initiative of Škoda Auto Volkswagen India Private Limited (SAVWIPL), has initiated a comprehensive school zone safety project at LP School, Paschim Boragaon, located along the NH-27 corridor in Guwahati, which is recognized for its high-risk road conditions. This project aims to reduce critical hazards such as heavy traffic flow, unsafe pedestrian crossings, and chaotic boarding and alighting activities, particularly in a zone that has witnessed six road crash fatalities between 2023 and 2025. The school zone safety initiative, formally approved in November 2025, was developed based on thorough crash data analysis and…

In a significant archaeological breakthrough in Assam's Dima Hasao district, researchers have unearthed a substantial collection of artefacts at Embriusa village, specifically in the Dehangi area. The excavation, led by Dr. Shringdao Langthasa from the Archaeology Department of Dima Hasao, revealed various objects including handmade pottery shards, wheel-made pottery fragments, metal items such as a dao and arrowheads, as well as bangles, ornaments, a probable spearhead, charcoal remnants, bone fragments, and beads. These artefacts have been transferred to the District Museum in Haflong for further documentation and examination. This excavation was conducted in collaboration with the District Museum and under…