National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD)

National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) is an apex development bank in India having headquarters based in Mumbai (Maharashtra) and other branches are all over the country. The Committee to Review Arrangements for Institutional Credit for Agriculture and Rural Development (CRAFICARD), set up by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) under the Chairmanship of Shri B. Sivaraman, conceived and recommended the establishment of the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD). It was established on 12 July 1982 by a special act by the parliament and its main focus was to uplift rural India by increasing the credit flow for elevation of agriculture & rural non farm sector and completed its 25 years on 12 July 2007. It has been accredited with "matters concerning policy, planning and operations in the field of credit for agriculture and other economic activities in rural areas in India". RBI sold its stake in NABARD to the Government of India, which now holds 99% stake. NABARD is active in developing financial inclusion policy and is a member of the Alliance for Financial Inclusion.

History

NABARD was established on the recommendations of Shivaraman Committee, (by act 61, 1981 of Parliament) on 12 July 1982 to implement the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development Act 1981. It replaced the Agricultural Credit Department (ACD) and Rural Planning and Credit Cell (RPCC) of Reserve Bank of India, and Agricultural Refinance and Development Corporation (ARDC). It is one of the premier agencies to provide credit in rural areas. Nabard is India's specialised bank.

Associated with NABARD

International associates of NABARD ranges from World Bank-affiliated organizations to global developmental agencies working in the field of agriculture and rural development. These organizations help NABARD by advising and giving monetary aid for the upliftment of the people in the rural areas and optimizing the agricultural process.

Role

NABARD is the apex institution in the country which looks after the development of the cottage industry, small industry and village industry, and other rural industries. NABARD also reaches out to allied economies and supports and promotes integrated development. And to help NABARD discharge its duty, it has been given certain roles as follows:

1.                Serves as an apex financing agency for the institutions providing investment and production credit for promoting the various developmental activities in rural areas

2.                Takes measures towards institution building for improving absorptive capacity of the credit delivery system, including monitoring, formulation of rehabilitation schemes, restructuring of credit institutions, training of personnel, etc.

3.                Co-ordinates the rural financing activities of all institutions engaged in developmental work at the field level and maintains liaison with Government of India, State Governments, Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and other national level institutions concerned with policy formulation

4.                Undertakes monitoring and evaluation of projects refinanced by it.

5.                NABARD refinances the financial institutions which finances the rural sector.

6.                The institutions which help the rural economy, NABARD helps develop.

7.                NABARD also keeps a check on its client institutes.

8.                It regulates the institution which provides financial help to the rural economy.

9.                It provides training facilities to the institutions working the field of rural upliftment.

10.            It regulates the cooperative banks and the RRB’s, and manages talent acquisition through IBPS CWE.

NABARD's refinance is available to State Co-operative Agriculture and Rural Development Banks (SCARDBs), State Co-operative Banks (SCBs), Regional Rural Banks (RRBs), Commercial Banks (CBs) and other financial institutions approved by RBI. While the ultimate beneficiaries of investment credit can be individuals, partnership concerns, companies, State-owned corporations or co-operative societies, production credit is generally given to individuals. NABARD has its head office at Mumbai, India.

NABARD operates throughout the country through its 28 Regional Offices and one Sub-office, located in the capitals of all the states/union territories. Each Regional Office[RO] has a Chief General Manager [CGMs] as its head, and the Head office has several Top executives like the Executive Directors[ED], Managing Directors[MD], and the Chairperson.It has 336 District Offices across the country, one Sub-office at [[Port Blair]] and one special cell at  Srinagar. It also has 6 training establishments.

NABARD is also known for its 'SHG Bank Linkage Programme' which encourages India's banks to lend to [[self-help group (finance)|self-help groups]] (SHGs). Because SHGs are composed mainly of poor women, this has evolved into an important Indian tool for microfinance. As of March 2006 22 lakh SHGs representing 3.3 crore members had to been linked to credit through this programme.

NABARD also has a portfolio of Natural Resource Management Programmes involving diverse fields like Watershed Development, Tribal Development and Farm Innovation through dedicated funds set up for the purpose.

Rural innovation

NABARD role in rural development in India is phenomenal. National Bank For Agriculture & Rural Development (NABARD) is set up as an apex Development Bank by the Government of India with a mandate for facilitating credit flow for promotion and development of agriculture, cottage and village industries. The credit flow to agriculture activities sanctioned by NABARD reached Rs 1,57,480 crore in 2005-2006. The overall GDP is estimated to grow at 8.4 per cent. The Indian economy as a whole is poised for higher growth in the coming years. Role of NABARD in overall development of India in general and rural & agricultural in specific is highly pivotal.

Through assistance of Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, NABARD set up the Rural Infrastructure Development Fund. Under the RIDF scheme Rs. 51,283 crore have been sanctioned for 2,44,651 projects covering irrigation, rural roads and bridges, health and education, soil conservation, water schemes etc. Rural Innovation Fund is a fund designed to support innovative, risk friendly, unconventional experiments in these sectors that would have the potential to promote livelihood opportunities and employment in rural areas. The assistance is extended to Individuals, NGOs, Cooperatives, Self Help Group, and Panchayati Raj Institutions who have the expertise and willingness to implement innovative ideas for improving the quality of life in rural areas. Through member base of 25 crore, 600000 cooperatives are working in India at grass root level in almost every sector of economy. There are linkages between SHG and other type institutes with that of cooperatives.

The purpose of RIDF is to promote innovation in rural & agricultural sector through viable means. Effectiveness of the program depends upon many factors, but the type of organization to which the assistance is extended is crucial one in generating, executing ideas in optimum commercial way. Cooperative is member driven formal organization for socio-economic purpose, while SHG is informal one. NGO have more of social color while that of PRI is political one. Does the legal status of an institute influences effectiveness of the program? How & to what an extent? Cooperative type of organization is better (Financial efficiency & effectiveness) in functioning (agriculture & rural sector) compared to NGO, SHG & PRIs.

Recently in 2007-08, NABARD has started a new direct lending facility under 'Umbrella Programme for Natural Resource Management' (UPNRM). Under this facility financial support for natural resource management activities can be provided as a loan at reasonable rate of interest. Already 35 projects have been sanctioned involving loan amount of about Rs 1000 crore. The sanctioned projects include honey collection by tribals in Maharashtra, tussar value chain by a women producer company ('MASUTA'), eco-tourism in Karnataka etc.

Microfinance and NABARD

Thus the Reserve Bank of INDIA and NABARD has laid out certain guidelines in 06-07 for the commercial banks, Regional Rural Banks and Cooperative Banks to provide the data to RBI and es data regarding loans given by banks to the microfinance institutions.

NABARD a 100 % CSR company

NABARD has been instrumental in grounding rural,social innovations and social enterprises in the rural hinterlands. This endeavour is perhaps unparalleled in the country, it has in the process partnered with about 4000 partner organisations in grounding many of the interventions be it, SHG-Bank Linkage programme, tree-based tribal communities’ livelihoods initiative, watershed approach in soil and water conservation, increasing crop productivity initiatives through lead crop initiative or dissemination of information flow to agrarian communities through Farmer clubs.Despite all this, it pays huge taxes too, to the exchequer – figuring in the top 50 tax payers consistently. NABARD virtually ploughs back all the profits for development spending, in their unending search for solutions and answers. Thus the organisation had developed a huge amount of trust capital in its 3 decades of work with rural communities.

The Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (MDONER)

The Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region  (MDONER) is a Government of India ministry, established in September 2001, which functions as the nodal Department of the Central Government to deal with matters related to the socio-economic development of the eight States of Northeast India, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura and Sikkim. It acts as a facilitator between the Central Ministries/ Departments and the State Governments of the North Eastern Region including Sikkim in the economic development including removal of infrastructural bottlenecks, provision of basic minimum services, creating an environment for private investment and to remove impediments to lasting peace and security in the North Eastern Region including, Sikkim.

The current, Minister of Development of North Eastern Region is Vijay Kumar Singh (Minister of state, Independent Charge) since May 2014.

Functions and Responsibilities

The Department of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) was created in 2001 and was accorded the status of a full fledged ministry on May 2004. The ministry is mainly concerned with the creation of infrastructure for economic development of North-Eastern region.

Main activities/functions of the DoNER.

·                    Non Lapsible Central Pool of Resources(NLCPR)

·                    North Eastern Council (NEC)

·                    Coordination with the Central Ministries and the State Govts. of the NE states.

·                    Capacity Building

·                    Advocacy and Publicity

·                    International Cooperation

·                    Enterprises of the Department

Organisations

The ministry has following organisations functioning under it:

·                    North Eastern Council (NEC)

·                    North Eastern Development Finance Corporation Ltd.(NEDFi)

·                    North Eastern Regional Agricultural Marketing Corporation Limited (NERAMAC)

·                    The Sikkim Mining Corporation Limited. (SMC)

·                    North Eastern Handlooms and Handicrafts Development Corporation (NEHHDC)

North Eastern Council

In 1971, the Indian Central government set up the North Eastern Council by an act of parliament. The seven States of the North East India viz. Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura, are the members of the council, with their chief ministers and governors representing them. The headquarters of the council is situated in Shillong, and functions under Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (Government of India).

The Council is an advisory body and may discuss any matter in which the north-eastern states have a common interest and advise the Central Government as to the action to be taken on any such matter. This was done so as to take care of economic and social planning of these states (since they were lagging from other states) and to take care of inter-state disputes.

The council has to its credit a lot of achievements mostly in electricity and education sector. The council has funded projects producing around 250 MW of electricity to reduce the region's dependency on West Bengal and Odisha. The council has also taken up major highway and bridge building projects and fund many engineering and medical colleges.

The funding of council mainly lies with the central government with small portions contributed by the state governments as well. The NEC act has been amended in 2002 to add Sikkim and restructure it as the regional planning body for the North Eastern Region.

Background

1.1 The North Eastern Region (NER) comprises eight States viz. Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura. The development concerns of these States are pursued through their respective Five Year and Annual Plans as well as those of the Union Ministries and Central Agencies. In addition, projects of inter-State nature in the Region are funded through by the North-Eastern Council (NEC), which has a separate additional budget for the purpose.

1.2 The North East has essentially depended on Central funding for development works. All the States in the NER are Special Category States whose Development Plans are centrally financed on the basis of 90% Grant and 10% Loan. Further, the Special Category States are allowed to use up to 20% of the Central Assistance for Non-plan expenditure.

1.3 Despite the fact that the per-capita plan outlays of the NE States have, over a period of time, been considerably higher than the national average, the States still rank significantly below the national average in so far as the development of infrastructure is concerned. In terms of per-capita State Domestic Product or other development indices, such as Power, Length of Roads or Hospital Beds, the North-East ranks well below the national average. Though the literacy levels are higher than the national average, vocational training and entrepreneurial skills remain weak areas.

1.4 As the benefits of economic development have yet to steadily accrue to the Region, efforts have been initiated in this direction in the recent past through various supportive measures. In October 1996, the then Prime Minister announced "New Initiatives for North Eastern Region" and stipulated that at least 10% of the Budget(s) of the Central Ministries/Department will be earmarked for the development of North Eastern States. A preliminary exercise undertaken by the Planning Commission in consultation with the various Ministries/Department revealed that the expenditure on the North East by some Union Ministries during 1997-98 fell short of the stipulated 10% of the GBS for that year. Planning Commission thereafter explored the possibility of creating a Central Pool of Resources for the North East out of the unspent amount of stipulated 10% of GBS to support infrastructure development projects in the North East.

1.5 A proposal was mooted by the Planning Commission to the Cabinet for constitution of such a Central Pool of Resources. The Cabinet approved the approach, in principle, on 15 December 1997, observing that the creation of the Central Resources Pool would require Parliamentary approval and would have to await constitution of the Twelfth Lok Sabha. The Central Pool therefore, could not be constituted in 1997-98.

1.6 Following the Lok Sabha elections earlier in the year 1998, the matter relating to creation of the Central Pool of Resources was pursued in consultation with the Ministry of Finance. The Prime Minister convened a Meeting of the Chief Ministers of the North Eastern States on 8 May 1998 when, inter alia, it was indicated that a Non-lapsable Central Pool of Resources for the funding of specific projects in these States would be created. The relevant paragraph from the Prime Minister's speech reads as under:

"We are examining the feasibility of creating a Central Pool of Resources (CPR) which, in turn, will give critical additional support for an accelerated implementation of projects in the entire region. This pool, created from the unspent balance of the allocated expenditure of 10% of the budgets of the concerned Central Ministries, could well amount to around Rs.1500 crore annually."

1.7 This commitment of the Government was also reflected in the Speech of the Finance Minister while presenting the Union Budget for the year, 1998-99. The relevant paragraphs from the Budget Speech are reproduced below:

"Furthermore, it has been decided that a non-lapsable Central Resources Pool will be created for deposit of funds from all Ministries where the plan expenditure on the North Eastern Region is less than 10 per cent of the total plan allocation of the Ministry. The difference between 10 per cent of the allocation and the actual expenditure incurred on the North Eastern Region will be transferred to the Central Pool, which will be used for funding specific programmes for economic and social upliftment of the North Eastern States."

1.8 Further, as part of the budget proposals 1998-99, it was announced that: "It has been decided that all Central Ministries/Departments should earmark at least 10% of their budget for specific programme of development in the North Eastern Region. To the extent of shortfall in the utilization of this provision by any Ministry/Department (except some exempted ones) according to this norm, the amount would be transferred to a new Reserve Fund in the Public Account titled 'Central Resource Pool for development of North Eastern Region'. Presently, a token provision of Rs.1 crore is being made for transfer to the fund. In Budget 1997-98, such short provision was assessed to be about Rs.1,600 crore. A similar exercise for analyzing the provisions in Central Plan specific to the North Eastern Region in Budget 1998-99 would be carried out and the Resources Pool would be enhanced at Revised Estimates stage to the extent of shortfall from the 10% norm."

1.9 The Union Budget 1998-99 was voted and passed by Parliament. With that, the Non-lapsable Central Pool of Resources was constituted with approval of Parliament.

Objectives: 1.10 In the conference of Governors and Chief Ministers of the North Eastern States and Sikkim held in January 2000 at Shillong the Prime Minister stated the objectives of the Non-lapsable Central Pool of Resources. The relevant paragraph from Prime Minister's Speech is: "My Government has also created a pool of non-lapsable funds for the North-East and Sikkim. This pool, meant for funding development projects in these States, will fill the resource gap in creation of new infrastructure, which is a top priority concern of the Union Government.…" 1.11 The broad objective of the Non-lapsable Central Pool of Resources scheme is to ensure speedy development of infrastructure in the North Eastern Region by increasing the flow of budgetary financing for new infrastructure projects/schemes in the Region. Both physical and social infrastructure sectors such as Irrigation and Flood Control, Power, Roads and Bridges, Education, Health, Water Supply and Sanitation - are considered for providing support under the Central Pool, with projects in physical infrastructure sector receiving priority. 1.12 Funds from the Central Pool can be released for State sector as well as Central sector projects/schemes. However the funds available under the Central Pool are not meant to supplement the normal Plan programmes either of the State Governments or Union Ministries/ Departments/ Agencies. Institutional arrangement to Administer the NLCPR Funds. 1.13 During the year, the institutional arrangements for administering the Non-lapsable Central Pool has been streamlined. The guidelines to administer the Pool have been revised. The Committee to administer the Non-Lapsable Central Pool of Resources has been reconstituted. The reconstituted Committee is headed by Secretary, Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region and has representation from Ministries of Finance, Home Affairs and Planning Commission. Financial Advisor to the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region has been included as a member. Representatives of Union Ministry/Departments, whose proposals are to be considered in a particular sitting for funding under NLCPR, are also invited. 1.14 For identification of projects under Non-Lapsable Central Pool of Resources, States are asked to submit, before the beginning of the financial year, a prioritized list of projects with a short write up on each project. The earlier practice of receiving projects throughout the year directly from the various state departments concerned has been stopped. Now the Planning and Development Department of the state concerned is the nodal department for NLCPR and that department is DoNER's interface with all other departments of the state. The priority accorded by the state to the projects in the 'priority list' is only a suggestive and the Committee scrutinizes the projects in the lists in order to identify and finally retain the suitable projects for detailed examination. In examining the priority, the committee is, inter-alia, guided by considerations such as: (a) Projects of economic infrastructure is given priority; (b) In the social sector, priority to drinking water supply and other health and sanitation projects; (c) Projects in Autonomous district Council (VIth Schedule of the Constitution) is given priority; (d) Past performance of a state in implementing projects in the particular sectors to which the projects belong is also considered; (e) The overall utilisation and absorption of funds by a particular state in the past years also guide the overall quantum of projects to be undertaken for that state in a year. 1.15 Detailed Project Report(s) for such retained projects are then prepared by the state concerned. These project proposals are thereafter examined in consultation with the concerned Central Ministry/Department. The recommendations/views, thus received are place before the Committee to administer the Non-Lapsable Central Pool, which considers the proposal and accords approval. 1.16 After approval of the Committee, funds are sanctioned and released by the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region on submission of an implementation schedule. Subsequent releases are made only after receipt of Utilisation Certificate of earlier releases.

Expanding On The Ethics Of Secularism

The concept of secularism concerns justice and fair play free of religious interventions which have repeatedly been a source of divisiveness, oppression and conflict. In India secularism is confined to mean concern for religious minorities and nothing else. Our constitutional provision on secularism is not a static doctrine but a dynamic principle for practice. Hence we need to assimilate the expanding ethics of secularism as an effective mechanism for maintenance of a wholesome socio-political system as well as our own inner development.

The Western concept of secularism predominantly based on justice and entirely divorced from religion is not suitable in Indian context where people are intensely religious by nature. Our ethics of secularism is essentially shaped from within the framework of rules and precepts of prevalent religions for unanimous acceptability.

Atheistic secularists 

Every religion prescribes ethics for followers in the context of contemporary necessity, not necessarily having universal applicability beyond time and locality. Religious secularists should rise above the same in case it is antagonistic to the spirit of secularism. The atheist secularists also must not say like Dostoevsky, “If God is dead, everything is permitted.” Every secularist must be governed by collective conscience, contemporary necessity and impeccable honesty.

 It is often presumed that ethics and values associated with secularism are universal, comprising of truth, non-violence, non-stealing, fair play and sexual restraint to the permissible extent. These cannot be considered to be enough for practice of effective secularism amidst growing socio-ethical challenges faced by us today. 

No monopoly over wisdom

The cardinal principle followed by any secular society is spontaneous acceptance of religious diversity and mutual respect for people of different religions and contributing to different faiths including atheism. In a shared society no one has monopoly over wisdom. Hence diversity of faith and practice need to be respected and not merely tolerated with superiority complex and inward pity as is usually done. This is the hallmark of secular ethics and any compromise on this weakens secular credentials.

 Secularism is not compatible with casteism or communalism. It has to be based on the principle of equality.  Religions as practised have tended to be divisive and sectarian to a large extent. But secularism cannot afford to be divisive, not even to those who do not subscribe to secularism.

Empathy and humanism

Indulgence in corruption or illegal gratification by misuse of power is essentially unjust and divisive. Acquiring wealth through corruption to get  higher rank and privilege defeats the core principle of secularism. Those who are corrupt cannot claim to be secular. They are divisive and are enemies of secularism.

 Secular people must be empathetic and philanthropic. They should think and act for common welfare over and above narrow personal gains. They must be  empathic to all and be humanistic. Since interdependence is the law of nature environmental protection and maintenance of ecological balance should also be a matter of concern.

Secularism involves rising above religions for justice and fair play but not abandoning the eternal human quest for truth. Introspection and meditation through any path is admissible to secularists.  Freedom from bondage of religious ties should enable pursuit of wisdom and well-being of all.

 Mere religious secularism without acceptance of dynamic ethical principles associated with it sounds empty and is self-deceptive.  We must adopt true secular values and ethics for a brighter democracy and better tomorrow in individual and social life.

World Environment Day

World Environment Day is celebrated each year on 5th June. The United Nations established in 1972 to mark the opening of the Stockholm Conference on Human Environment.

World Environment Day (WED) is hosted every year by a different city and celebrated with an international exhibition through the week of June 5.

World Environment Day is used by the United Nations to encourage awareness of the environment and to garner political attention and public action. The first WED held at Stockholm was the first time political, social and economic problems of the global environment were discussed at great length in view of taking some definitive action.

World Environment Day is celebrated in many ways. Street rallies, parades, street plays create awareness about world environment.

In many cities contests like poster contests, essay contests, poetry contests, slogan contests and debates are held to celebrate this event further. The main objective always is to get the people involved with the environment.

Some cities have art exhibitions with art made from recycled materials. Some get celebrities to endorse the campaign. Banners are put all across the street promoting the message of World Environment Day.

Tree planting drives are also held in some cities. Awards are given out to those neighborhoods that have made a significant effort to take care of the environment.

Broadcast of public service announcements on TV and radio help to renew people’s efforts to saving the environment. Conferences are held to educate people about the efforts that can be made to preserve the environment.

The WED’s agenda is to give importance to environmental issues. It hopes to empower people to become active agents promoting the cause of the environment.

Change can happen only if it is affected at the community level; hence programs are held on World Environment Day that creates community consciousness.

Heads of Government and Ministers of Environment deliver speeches’ advising the people of what has already been achieved and what still needs to be achieved. Some even go a step further and set up permanent government bodies that will look specifically into environmental issues.

Each World Environment Day has a special topic that related to the environment that it addresses. The topic for World Environment Day for 2007 was “Melting Ice – a Hot Topic?” It discussed the affects the climate change was having on the polar ecosystems and communities and the resulting global impacts of these changes.

The topic for WED 2006 was Deserts and Desertification and the slogan was “Don’t desert dry lands” which accentuated the relevance of protecting the dry lands which are home to one third of the worlds people, those that are more defenseless.

World Environment Day is a day for us to inspect the state of our environment. It calls for us to stop in our tracks one day in the year and examine our surroundings. It asks us to pledge, in a small way at least, to do something for the environment.

The young and the old from all strata can contribute to the saving of the environment. Not everyone needs to make hefty contributions to world environment organizations. The little things, the ones that really matter are things like recycling our waste, using paper and products made of wood discriminately and these can be done by anybody and everybody.

Children can also contribute to this cause by not wasting water, by switching off the lights and fans in the house when not in use. There is something each of us can do to preserve the environment. So let us all pledge to do something, at least one thing, before the next World Environment Day.

Anil Sarkar conferred Ambedkar award-2014

Veteran leader and vice-chairman of state’s planning board, Anil Sarkar has been awarded the “ Dr B R Ambedkar socio cultural award-2014” for his contribution to the field of literature, cultural activities and for organizing Dalit movements in Tripura on Jun 02, 2014.

The department for Welfare of Scheduled Caste and OBC today organized the programme of Dr B R Ambedkar memorial award-2014 at Agartala Town Hall.

Earlier, on Sunday afternoon Anil Sarkar during a discussion meet on Dr B R Ambedkar at Agartala Town Hall for celebrating the 124th birth anniversary of Ambedkar said that ‘Ambedkar had tried to form a democratic society free from class divisions and oppression’. He pioneered the process of Dalit emancipation through his revolutionary ideas and thoughts and we can pay real regard to him only by living his ideals, thoughts and concepts’ said Sarkar.

During the award giving ceremony, social worker Sachindra Biswas has been awarded with the “Vidyasagar Socio cultural award-2014” and five successfully qualified candidates of TCS/TPS examination-2013 Rupan Das, Rupanjan Das, Amit Ghosh, Himadri Prasad Das and Kamal Bikash Majumder have been awarded with the “Dr B R Ambedkar Smriti Medha Sammanana-2014”.

Apart from this, seven meritorious SC and OBC students who won merit positions from rank 1st to 10th in Mdhayamik and Higher Secondary examinations during the year 2013 have been awarded with the “Dr B R Ambedkar Swarnapadak-2014” awards.

The “Dr B R Ambedkar memorial award-2013” were also given to hundreds of SC and OBC students across the state from classes Madhayamik to higher secondary level and the students of lower classes who passed their respective final examinations in first division during the year 2013.

During the award giving ceremony, SC Welfare Minister Ratan Bhowmik, OBC Welfare Minister Bijita Nath along with other dignitaries were present in the programme.

India, Bangladesh set up border markets

Work for the setting up of the second of the four proposed 'border haats' (bazaars) along the India-Bangladesh border in Tripura began on Wednesday the 21^st May, 2014.

The work for the first 'border haat' is on in southern Tripura's bordering town Sabroom, 135 km south from Agartala.

Work for infrastructural development of the second border haat has begun on Wednesday at Kasba (25 km west of Agartala) along the India-Bangladesh border. Both India and Bangladesh have allotted some portion of lands for the border haats.

Senior district administration officials of Tripura's Sepahijala district and Bangladesh's Kasba district were present at a ceremony organized for the purpose.

India and Bangladesh have agreed to set up border haats along their border in Tripura, Assam, Mizoram and Meghalaya to boost local trade and economy.

One was set up at Meghalaya's border with Bangladesh in 2012.

The official said: "The Tripura government has proposed to set up four 'Border Haats' along the border with Bangladesh. Both Indian and Bangladesh government have also agreed to this proposal."

India's commerce ministry has been providing Rs. 2-3 crore to develop infrastructure in these border haats.

The haats are to be set up within five km of the international border.

They will sell local agricultural and horticultural products, spices, minor forest products (excluding timber), fresh and dry fish, dairy and poultry products, cottage industry items, wooden furniture, handloom and handicraft items.

Trading in these bazaars would be held once or twice a week, and a spending cap of $50 will be imposed per head.

No local tax will be imposed on the trading. Both Indian and Bangladeshi currencies will be accepted, the official said.

Four north eastern states - Tripura, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Assam - share a 1,880 km border with Bangladesh, while Mizoram, Manipur, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh share a 1,640 km unfenced border with Myanmar.

NOTA VOTES IN LS ELECTION

Around 1.2 percent votes of the total electorate base in Tripura Lok Sabha election went to the NOTA option this year, the CEO said. 10,921 votes were cast in the NOTA button in East Tripura constituency, 12,699 votes were cast for NOTA in the West Tripura seat.

Dynamic Naresh Jamatya to replace Jiten in LF cabinet

Young and dynamic Naresh Jamatya who is known for his flair for and skill in all aspects of information technology is all set to replace minister for forest, rural development and industry Jiten Chowdhury in the left front cabinet. Jiten has been elected to the Loksabha from East Tripura constituency and the ministerial slot he held since 1993 fell vacant. According to information emanating from the CP (M) party a final decision has been taken by the party's highest body to include Naresh Jamatya in the cabinet in place of the slot vacated by Jiten Chowdhury.

An MLA for two consecutive terms since 2008 Naresh Jamatya has always been known to be a tech-savvy man with creative ideas. As a student he had studied engineering in Tripura before joining active politics as a member of the CPI(M). Even while being active in politics Janatya has been a contributor of articles in the CPI (M) party organ 'Daily Desher Katha'. He had won his first election as MLA from the Bagma assembly constituency of south Tripura in 2008 and was re-elected in 2013. After Jiten Chowdhury who is also tech-savvy, Naresh Jamatya is regarded as a highly tech-savvy man with deep knowledge of and skill in information technology. He is expected to be sworn in soon.

13-year-old Andhra teen becomes youngest woman to scale Everest

In a historic feat for Indian mountaineering, 13-year-old Malavath Purna on Saturday the 24th May, 2014 became the youngest female climber to scale the Mount Everest.

Purna was accompanied by Sadhanapalli Anand Kumar (16), a Class IX student from the Khammam district of Andhra Pradesh, and completed the feat this morning.

Anand and Purna are both students of Andhra Pradesh Social Welfare Educational Society.

They climbed Everest at 06 : 00 am after a 52-day long expedition.

Purna created a record by becoming by youngest girl to climb the Everest.

The duos were selected among about 150 children who were initially chosen for adventure sports as part of the society's initiative to promote excellence in the students of the society.

Twenty of them were sent to a prestigious mountaineering Institute in Darjeeling for training and nine among them were sent on expedition to Indo-China border earlier.

The two students with a higher degree of toughness and endurance were sent to the Everest Expedition in April.
The two students were now returning to the base camp.