Sonakshi Sarkar

The Assam Cabinet has approved the appointment of Simu Das, a visually impaired cricketer from Nagaon who played a pivotal part in India’s recent Women’s T20 Blind World Cup victory, as a physical instructor under the Directorate of Sports and Youth Welfare. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced the decision after the Cabinet meeting held on December 18. The move is seen as a significant gesture by the State government to recognise sporting excellence among athletes with disabilities. Das earned national attention earlier this year when she delivered a match-winning performance in the World Cup final against Nepal in Colombo.…

A writ petition has been filed in the Gauhati High Court, challenging the citizenship status of Bijoy Malakar, the MLA representing Ratabari (SC), and seeking his disqualification from the Assam Legislative Assembly. The petition, registered under W.P.(C) No. 7368/2025, invokes Article 226 of the Constitution for the issuance of writs of quo warranto and mandamus regarding Malakar’s eligibility to hold public office. The petitioners, Braja Gopal Sinha and Bijoy Kumar Kanu from Sribhumi district, allege that Malakar and his parents entered Assam after the cut-off date of March 25, 1971, which, according to constitutional provisions, disqualifies him from Indian citizenship.…

The Assam Pollution Control Board (APCB) has launched a new initiative, the ‘Guwahati Clean Air Plan,’ in collaboration with iForest to combat air quality issues in Guwahati, following the limited success of a prior action plan from 2018. The new strategy was unveiled during the Advantage Assam 2.0 summit and is also developed with input from the Shakti Sustainable Energy Foundation. Pollution sources in Guwahati have been identified predominantly as road dust and vehicular emissions, with road dust from construction activities and roads contributing 37% to the estimated annual PM10 emissions of 1,071 tonnes. Industrial emissions contribute 25%, while transport…

Taking serious note of large-scale community fishing within Kaziranga National Park during the Magh Bihu celebrations, the Gauhati High Court has ordered the Assam government and relevant authorities to enforce prohibitory orders against illegal fishing in the protected area. This directive arose during the hearing of a public interest litigation (PIL) by environmental activist Rohit Choudhury, emphasizing that failure to protect Kaziranga would violate multiple laws, including the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, and the Forest Conservation Act, 1980. The court underscored the need for immediate measures to prevent ecological damage and required the authorities to report on actions taken to…

The first phase of the ‘Talent Hunt’ selection process for national spokespersons and media panellists of the All-India Congress Committee (AICC) took place on Thursday in Kamrup (Metro) and six other districts of Assam, featuring participation from over 300 candidates across six zones. The event in Guwahati, held at the Manavendra Sharma Complex, was organized by the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) under the media and communication department. Key attendees included former MP Ripun Bora, Ram Prasad Sharma, former MLA Mohan Basumatary, along with a senior editor and a Gauhati High Court advocate as jury members. In Jorhat, MLA Bhaskarjyoti…

For the past 15 days, rare and evocative scenes have unfolded at North Kamalabari Satra in Majuli. Under the shade of trees on the banks of the Brahmaputra, students of the National School of Drama (NSD), Tripura, have been learning Assam’s centuries-old mask-making tradition. Young theatre practitioners from Punjab, Delhi, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Tripura immersed themselves in this traditional art form under the guidance of Padma Shri awardee and master artisan Hem Chandra Goswami. Using bamboo, cane, clay and other natural materials, the students crafted masks deeply rooted in Assam’s rich cultural…

Two agri-entrepreneurs from the Kaziranga landscape, Neelam Dutta and Roopjyoti Gogoi, were awarded the Assam Green Ambassador Awards 2025 for their significant contributions to biodiversity conservation, sustainable agriculture, and community-led environmental stewardship. The awards were presented at the Assam LiFE for Nature Summit, organized by CMS VATAVARAN in collaboration with several environmental organizations, including the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) and UN Environment Programme (UNEP) India. The Assam Green Ambassador Awards recognize individuals who have dedicated at least five years to environmental and conservation efforts, with awardees selected for their documented long-term impact in areas such as…