Sonakshi Sarkar

In a major step towards regulating assisted reproduction and ensuring ethical fertility treatments in Assam, five hospitals in the state have been officially certified to operate surrogacy clinics. The certificates were handed over by Assam Health Minister Ashok Singhal on May 23, marking a significant milestone in the implementation of the Surrogacy (Regulation) Act and the Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) Act, both enacted in 2021. The certified institutions include some of Assam’s leading medical centers: GMCH Fertility & IVF Center, Apollo Fertility Guwahati, Down Town Hospital Ltd. Guwahati, Institute of Human Reproduction Guwahati, and Swasti Hospital in Rangia, Kamrup. These…

A recent decision by the Assam Excise Department to issue a liquor licence to a bar and restaurant near Gauhati University has sparked a wave of protests from the university administration and local residents, who allege it violates existing laws meant to protect educational zones. The licence in question was granted to Smti Kaberi Das for her establishment, M/S Angel Bar & Restaurant, located in Pandu Sadilapur under Ward No. 01 of Guwahati. The bar, situated along the NH-37 Bypass in Jalukbari, has been allowed to operate under Rule 116 of the Assam Excise Rules, 2016 (as amended). The premises…

In a major push to revamp the state's law enforcement system, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday unveiled a sweeping set of reforms aimed at boosting the efficiency, transparency, and accountability of the police force. The announcement was made during a high-level Superintendents of Police (SPs) conference held at the Lachit Borphukan Police Academy in Dergaon, Golaghat district. At the heart of the reforms is a significant overhaul of Assam’s prosecution system. Chief Minister Sarma revealed that the government will strengthen the office of the Director of Prosecution, a move aimed at speeding up criminal investigations and improving…

In a significant development in Assam’s counter-insurgency legal framework, 35 former cadres of the banned National Democratic Front of Boroland (NDFB), including one of its most senior leaders M. Batha, were transferred from Guwahati Central Jail to Kokrajhar District Jail on Tuesday afternoon. The move marks a crucial step in the judicial handling of multiple high-profile cases tied to the insurgent group. The transfer follows the official handover of four ongoing cases by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to the jurisdiction of the Sessions Court in Kokrajhar. These cases — registered under Special NIA Case Nos. 01/2025, 06/2015, 01/2016, and…

The Indian Armed Forces have launched an intensive series of live-fire drills at the Dollungmukh Firing Range in Assam’s Lakhimpur district. Nestled within the Dulung Reserve Forest, near the sensitive Arunachal Pradesh border, the high-intensity military exercises began on May 20 and are set to continue through August 31. The operations, which include real-time bombing, rocket launches, and aerial assaults, mark a significant escalation in the use of this strategically located firing range. For the first time, the Dollungmukh area is hosting full-spectrum aerial and rocket warfare simulations—an expansion from its earlier, more limited use by the Indian Air Force,…

The political rivalry between Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma intensified on Sunday, May 18, after explosive allegations and scathing rebuttals lit up social media, turning the political arena into a battleground of sharp accusations and personal attacks. The latest flare-up in the ongoing feud came after CM Sarma made a sensational claim alleging that Gogoi had visited Pakistan at the invitation of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), not as part of any official engagement but under questionable circumstances allegedly arranged by Pakistan’s Home Department. “He went there to receive training,” Sarma alleged during a public…