AGARTALA, Dec 25 ? A labourer in jute mills at one time, sub-editor at the Ananda Bazar Patrika at another and an ardent Marxist, Nripen Chakraborty was involved in the Communist movement in India for six decades and became Chief Minister of Tripura for two terms.

Inspired by the Gandhian philosophy in his youth he took part in the Dandi March in 1930 and was in regular touch with the Abhay Ashram. A man of spartan habits and a lifelong bachelor, he became a party member in 1935 and joint secretary of the Bengal Provincial Communist Party along with Hirendranath Mukherjee in 1936. He also...

SHILLONG, Dec 25 ? The North Eastern Council (NEC) has undertaken evaluation-cum-impact studies on various projects by specialised agencies primarily to ascertain the effectiveness of the Central fundings, reports PTI.

NEC?s director of evaluation and monitoring R P Kharpuri told reporters here today that since inception, the Council has been formulating and sponsoring various development schemes and infrastructure projects in the region, but ?upon examination, it has been found that its implementations were not efficient and suffered shortcomings.?

The primary objective of commissioning such...

JORHAT, Dec 25 ?Synonymous with tea research since 1911, an ambitious catchment development study recently conducted by the Tocklai Experimental Station (TES) here may not only prove to be a boon for tea, but also boost rice cultuivation in the State.

?Taking help of geographic information system GIS), satellite mapping is effectively utilised for site-specific drainage improvement at locations which are vulnerable to water logging,? water technologist Dr Prashanta Kumar Bordoloi of the pioneer tea research organisation?s advisory cell told this newspaper.

?With roughly two lakh hectares in...

GUWAHATI, Dec 25 ? The All Bodo Students? Union (ABSU) has demanded that all Bodo mass organisations should be involved in the process of talks with militant outfit National Democratic Front of Boroland (NDFB). The ABSU also alleged that the Central and State Governments have so far failed to play a positive role to ensure the success of the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC).

Talking to The Assam Tribune, the ABSU president Rabiram Narzary expressed the view that the Government should not create a new problem while trying to solve one. He said that the BTC was created only last year following...

IMPHAL, Dec 24 ? The titular king of Manipur would be removed from his historical old palace and would be given accommodation in a new palatial multi-storey building as part of the ongoing Imphal city beautification drives, Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh told the state Assembly on Thursday.

A committee constituted under his chairmanship has served a notice to the titular king Leishemba Sanajaoba whether he likes to take accommodation adjacent to the old palace or somewhere he likes for which the State Government is ready for reconstruction of the old palace, the Chief Minister said. The king...