Assam

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…

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…

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…

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…

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).…

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…

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…

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…

Union Home Minister Amit Shah opened the Jyoti-Bishnu Antarjatik Kala Mandir in Guwahati, the largest auditorium in the Northeast. This was a significant development for Assam's civic and cultural infrastructure. The auditorium complex, which was constructed at a cost of Rs 291 crore and spans 45 bighas, or roughly 14.85 acres, in the city's Khanapara neighborhood, can accommodate 5,000 people, according to officials. It is anticipated that the building will be the biggest auditorium in the Northeast. In addition to the main auditorium, the complex has a convention center, five VIP suites, multilevel parking that can accommodate about 450 cars,…

Demow Rural Hospital has successfully recorded zero snakebite-related deaths for five consecutive years (2021-2025), exemplifying effective healthcare management in rural settings. This achievement stems from the implementation of protocol-based treatment, extensive training of staff, and strong community involvement in addressing snakebite cases. Snakebites remain a significant public health issue in Assam, predominantly impacting rural and economically vulnerable groups. Traditionally, victims were sent to tertiary care centers due to fears regarding inadequate local resources. However, Demow Rural Hospital's experience indicates that prompt and consistent management of snakebite envenomation can be effectively managed at peripheral healthcare institutions. Since initiating snakebite treatment services…