Assam - The Purbottar

02 Jan

For Udasin Bhakats, Assam launches monthly aid scheme

Banasree SarkarAssam

Himanta Biswa Sarma, the chief minister of Assam, introduced a financial aid program for Udasin Bhakats, giving celibate Vaishnavite monks affiliated with Satras around the state Rs 1,500 each month. The plan has now been formally put into action after being included in the state budget last year. Speaking about the launch program here, Sarma promised that any beneficiaries who could have been overlooked will be included and that the help would be directly credited to the bank accounts of qualified Udasin Bhakats. A total of 620 Udasin Bhakats will gain from the program. With 474 monks, Majuli has the…

02 Jan

Assam Begins Land Acquisition for Umiam–Silchar Corridor Project

Sonakshi SarkarAssam

Land acquisition for the Umiam (Barapani)-Silchar high-speed corridor project in Assam is underway, with Chief Secretary Ravi Kota announcing that 85% of the needed land is in Meghalaya, and its acquisition will be handled by the Meghalaya government. The remaining 15% in Assam is already being acquired. The National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) has completed project planning, and environmental clearance is anticipated within four to five weeks. Tenders for the construction are expected to be issued by February 28, with completion projected within 48 months. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma highlighted that the express highway will…

02 Jan

India’s First Vande Bharat Sleeper to Connect Kamakhya–Howrah, Promising Faster Overnight Travel

Sonakshi SarkarAssam

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to inaugurate India’s first Vande Bharat Sleeper train service soon, connecting Kamakhya in Guwahati with Howrah in West Bengal. The launch is likely to take place in the second week of January, marking another important step in the modernisation of Indian Railways. According to official documents, the new service will operate under the Northeast Frontier Railway and will run as a fully air-conditioned overnight premium train. The Vande Bharat Sleeper will cover a distance of 966 kilometres between Kamakhya and Howrah in about 14 hours and 30 minutes. As per the tentative schedule, the…

02 Jan

Centre Appoints New Pro-VC at Tezpur University, Orders High-Level Enquiry into Governance Crisis

Sonakshi SarkarAssam

The Ministry of Education has appointed Professor Amrendra Kumar Das of IIT Guwahati as the new Pro-Vice-Chancellor of Tezpur University, even as it constituted a high-level committee to probe the ongoing crisis and allegations concerning the institution’s functioning. An official communication issued by the Department of Higher Education confirmed that Prof. Das, currently serving in the Department of Design at IIT Guwahati, has taken charge as Pro-Vice-Chancellor with immediate effect. His service terms will be governed by the Tezpur University Act, Statutes, and Ordinances, and the appointment has been approved by the competent authority. Simultaneously, the Ministry issued an Office…

31 Dec

ASSAM POLICE ADVISES ON ROAD SAFETY DURING PICNIC SEASON

SonaliAssam

Assam Police has issued Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) to ensure road safety and prevent accidents during the ongoing picnic season. In an advisory issued to enforcement agencies and the general public, the state police force urged citizens to prioritise road safety to ensure a safe and enjoyable picnic season, stressing that strict compliance with safety norms is essential to prevent loss of human life. Accordingly, enforcement agencies have been directed to take strict action against over-speeding by picnic-bound vehicles through speed monitoring and penal measures. A zero-tolerance policy against drunk driving will be enforced through regular breath-analyser tests, with strict…

31 Dec

Couple Burnt Alive By Villagers In Karbi Anglong On Witchcraft Suspicion

Sonakshi SarkarAssam

In a shocking incident, a couple in a village in Assam’s Karbi Anglong district was reportedly attacked by a group of assailants with weapons and burnt alive in their house after suspecting them to be involved in witchcraft, police said. According to media reports, the assailants first attacked the couple with sharp weapons inside their house and thereafter burnt their house at Number one Beloguri Munda village in Howraghat area on Tuesday night.The couple were reportedly inside the house when it was gutted. The victims were accused by villagers of practicing witchcraft and allegedly bringing misfortune to the surrounding area.The…

31 Dec

Guwahati Schools to Remain Shut Till January 6 Amid Severe Cold Conditions

Sonakshi SarkarAssam

Guwahati is currently experiencing a spell of very cold weather, and because of this, all government and provincialised schools in the Kamrup (Metropolitan) district will remain closed for one week starting from December 31, 2025. The decision has been taken by the district education authorities to ensure the safety and well-being of school students during the severe cold conditions being reported across the city. Officials said the order was issued on December 30 after the district administration reviewed the weather situation. The advisory came from the Office of the District Elementary Education Officer-cum-District Mission Coordinator under Samagra Shiksha, Kamrup (Metro).…

31 Dec

Assam CM inaugurates new campus of Bhattadev University

Banasree SarkarAssam

An important turning point in the state's higher education system was reached when Assam Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma opened the new Bhattadev University campus in Medhikuchi. The university campus, which spans 120 bighas of land, was built under a project valued at Rs 52.99 crore. Senior authorities and local representatives, including Education Minister Ranoj Pegu, Cabinet Minister Ranjeet Kumar Dass, Barpeta MP Phani Bhushan Choudhury, and Bhawanipur MLA Phanidhar Talukdar, attended the inaugural ceremony. Bhattadev University is being envisioned as a "Global Smart University," with a strong focus on technology-driven teaching, research, and innovation, according to teaching Minister…

30 Dec

Assam Police Bust Indian Module of Radical Bangladeshi Outfit, 11 Arrested

Sonakshi SarkarAssam

Basing operations on credible intelligence, the Special Task Force (STF) of Assam Police executed multiple raids in Assam and Tripura, resulting in the arrest of 11 members of the radical Islamic module called Imam Mahmuder Kafila (IMK), linked to a Bangladesh-based terrorist group. The arrests occurred across Barpeta, Chirang, Baksa, and Darrang districts in Assam on December 29 and 30. The suspects include individuals aged between 22 to 46, mainly from Barpeta and Baksa districts, as well as Tripura. The STF’s actions were influenced by careful monitoring of jihadi activities in North East India, particularly in light of recent developments…

30 Dec

Gaurav Gogoi calls for decisive action against the sand mafia and connects government support to the Molai Kathoni arson

Sonakshi SarkarAssam

Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president and Lok Sabha MP Gaurav Gogoi has alleged that the arson incident at Molai Kathoni, the forest created by noted environmentalist Jadav Payeng, could not have taken place without backing from people in power. He said no miscreant would dare to harm such an important forest area unless they were confident of protection from the government. Molai Kathoni is a well-known man-made forest that grew over several decades on a sandbar of the Brahmaputra River. It was developed through the personal effort of Jadav Payeng, who is often referred to as the “Forest Man…