“I am currently training in the United States of America. I will give my best to win gold at this year's Asian and Commonwealth Games. Thanks again to BBC India for honouring me with the BBC Indian Sportswoman of The Year award," Chanu said in a media release.
Young India opener Shafali Verma was awarded the The ‘BBC Emerging Player' award.
Verma is the youngest female cricketer to have played for India.
The first Indian woman to have won a medal at the Olympics in 2000, former weightlifter Karnam Malleswari was presented the ‘BBC Lifetime Achievement' award.
Olympians and the Paralympians from the Tokyo Games were also honoured in this edition of BBC ISWOTY.
Tim Davie, BBC's Director General said, “It's wonderful to be here in Delhi in the BBC's centenary year, and to honour the talented Indian sportswomen who've achieved so much, often in the face of challenging circumstances.”
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Manipur bagged third position in NITI Ayog’s India Innovation Index, 2020, in the North East and Hill States category. The first and second position has been secured by Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, respectively, in the same category.
Sharing the news, Manipur chief minister N Biren Singh tweeted on Thursday, “Proud moment for us as Manipur bagged 3rd position in NITI Ayog’s India Innovation Index, 2020 in the NE & Hill States category. Under the leadership of Hon’ PM @narendramodi ji & HM @amitshah Ji, the State Govt. is leaving no stone unturned to fulfil the aspirations of people.”
In the India Innovation Index-2020, the states and union territories have been divided into 17 major states, 10 north-east and hill states and nine union territories and small states for effectively comparing their performance.
Karnataka retained its first position in the major states category. Maharashtra moved one position higher and stood at second spot while Tamil Nadu slid to third position.
Delhi stands at the first position while Chandigarh retained its second spot in the union territories and small states category.
It may be mentioned that NITI Aayog released the second edition of the India Innovation Index-2020 on Wednesday. The index demonstrates the government’s continued commitment towards transforming the country into an innovation-driven economy.
While releasing the Index in New Delhi, vice chairman of NITI Aayog Rajiv Kumar said the index illustrates that India is on the right path and the states are endeavouring to improve their innovative ecosystem.
He said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi always emphasises on innovation and technological frontiers as these can solve the challenges and fulfill the aspiration of people.
He urged on the need to improve the coordination mechanism between the various science and technology institutions of government and the private sector. He also asked to bring the India Innovation Index in sync with Global innovation index’s parameters.
Speaking at the event, Amitabh Kant, chief executive officer of NITI Aayog, said that innovation will play a key role in making the country self-reliant and heading towards the five trillion dollar economy. He said the innovation index will increase the competitive federalism among the states and union territories.
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“I don’t see my fasting as a punishment; it is my duty. Yet, I feel somewhat dissatisfied with the local people. I, too, am part of contemporary Manipuri society, so why should they isolate me; celebrate me and sing my glories but act but behave like I have passed away?” says the 43-year-old crusader, fighting against the imposition of the draconian Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA).
Irom talks about the her relationship with Desmond Coutinho, her British-origin Goa-based partner, to which friends, family and the Manipuri society in general seem to be opposed. “After nine years of struggle, I found a like-minded man, and we decided that we will get married if AFSPA is repealed,” she says. “But the people of my state were unkind to him, and blamed all the failures and misgivings of the movement on us. What they forget is that I’m not just a Meitei, not just a woman, I’m a human being,” she said.
In the court, Irom argued that she was falsely implicated in a case of suicide, and that violence alone cannot solve problems. “The Constitution can be amended to to suit the needs of our leaders. So, why can’t it be amended to suit the needs of the people,” she asks. “By imposing AFSPA, the government, politicians, NGOs and state agents are gathering a lot of dirty money.”
She urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to repeal AFSPA before he goes to the UN to ask for a permanent seat. “A lot of people were dissenting against Modi’s tactics of governance based on violence when he was the chief minister of Gujarat because it is so contradictory to the father of the nation, who was also from Gujarat,” she said.
Speaking on the months-long protests against the Manipur Land Reforms Bill, Irom said that the root cause was the Constitution. “They want to amend the Constitution to allow the hilly people of the state to buy areas in the valley, but not allow the same rights to the people in the valley,” she said. “The condition will soon enough be comparable to Tripura, where the native people now have a minority status.”
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"No non-Manipuris have been driven out of Manipur in the violence. The media has reported it wrongly. It is true that a few people have left the state out of fear, but nobody was beaten or driven out," said Potshangban Sonamoni Singh, president of the association .
Supporting the implementation of ILP in Manipur, Singh said: "There is a need to regulate immigration in order to preserve the culture and ethnicity of Manipuris. Therefore, ILP is necessary. But no community can thrive alone. Meiteis, being Vaishnavites, are taught to live and prosper peacefully along with other communities. I support passing of all the three bills by the cabinet."
Earlier in 2011, the census revealed that the population of migrants, who are referred in Manipuri as Mayangs, had shot high by 400 per cent in the state.
The Manipur cabinet passed three bills - Protection of Manipur People's Bill, 2015, Manipur Shops and Establishments (Second Amendment) Bill, 2015 and Manipur Land Revenue and Land Reforms (Seventh Amendment) Bill.
The association has its headquarters in all the states of the Northeast, including one in Guwahati's Rajbari area.
Singh, on behalf of the association, urged protesters in Manipur to sit down with the government instead of spreading violence.
He added that the economic blockades had left several development projects pending and had ultimately resulted in the backwardness of the state.
"We should look into the greater interest of Manipur and help the government," he added.
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The Joint Committee on Inner Line Permit, which launched an intense agitation demanding implementation of inner-line permit (ILP) in the state, prompting the state government to pass the bill, rejected it, saying it does not have anything to protect the interests of indigenous people.
The joint committee, a conglomerate of citizens' organisations, has been agitating, demanding withdrawal of the bill and passing of another one with provisions, among others, of fixing 1951 as the base year for identification of outsiders and disallow outsiders to own lands in Manipur.
The bill, which was passed by the state Assembly on March 16, has made registration by visitors, tenants and migrant workers mandatory after entering Manipur.
For visitors and tenants, the responsibility of registration lies with hotel, lodge, guesthouse or other private accommodation owners and for migrant workers it is the responsibility of contractors, who engage them, to get their names registered.
"The chief minister has convened an all-political party meeting tomorrow to discuss the issue of the joint committee's demand. Each party has been asked to send two representatives each to the meeting. Discussion on the bill after passing it is meaningless," a BJP leader, who received the invitation, told The Telegraph. The leader further asked what is the point of having a meeting on the bill after the state Assembly send it for seeking the assent of governor K.K. Paul.
A state Assembly source confirmed that the Assembly secretariat sent the bill to Raj Bhavan immediately after passing it to get the governor's assent.
In the face of rejection by the joint committee and political parties, the chief minister maintained that the bill could be amended whenever it is required to overcome any shortcoming.
Despite suggestions by majority of the members cutting across party line, who took part in the discussion on the bill to refer it to the select committee of the Assembly, Ibobi Singh pushed through the bill, prompting five members, including all the four members of the Trinamul Congress, to stage a walkout in protest.
"The BJP is strongly opposed to the bill, which is friendlier to visitors and against the interest of indigenous people. The BJP state unit gives full support to the people's agitation over the bill," party spokesperson R.K. Shivachandra Singh said.
The BJP urged all non-Congress parties in the state to unite against the bill.
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This was disclosed by Democratic Students Alliance of Manipur (DESAM), after two private institutes out of the six, failed to issue admit card to the students of class-X and XII who would be appearing their exams starting from March 2. Around 1800 students were yet to receive admit card.
Volunteers of Democratic Students Alliance of Manipur (DESAM) Monday made a thorough inquiry over the matter and found out that schools were not recognized by CBSE, said DESAM president, Moirangthem Angamba.
Talking to media persons, Moirangthem also produced copies of DO letters, written by where some senior ministers of the state and bureaucrats to the authority of the CBSE seeking permission to allow the students to appear in the exams. The letters were written to the Regional Officer of the CBSE in Guwahati and chairperson of the CBSE in New Delhi. In the letter they have urged the authorities to allow the students to seat in the exams considering their future career, said Moirangthem.
Meanwhile, DESAM has urged the authorities responsible to cancel the registration and No Objection Certificate of the “wrongdoing” institutions- Central Institute of Science, Keishampat; Galaxy Higher Secondary School, Tiddim Road; Akash Institute of Science, Sangaiprou; Ramkrishna Higher Secondary School, Ghari and ASEAN Co-educational School, Moirangthem Angamba which were unrecognized. These schools were affiliated to MM Higher Secondary, Wangkhei and Little Rose Higher Secondary School, Canchipur.
Guardians of the students whose admit cards are yet to be issued by the school authority have alleged the school authorities of not processing the filled up forms submitted by the students to the concern authority.
The dully filled up forms of their students were not dispatched to the concern CBSE office till date, guardian of Akash Institute of Arts, Kwakeithel Thokchom Leikai of Imphal alleged.
Properties of the Akash Institute of Arts at Kwakeithel Thokchom Leikai, was destroyed by some miscreants last night, the same day in which students have vandalized another school, Ramkrishna Higher Secondary School.
“We are extremely worried as the wards are yet to receive admit card,” one of the guardians said while maintaining that they were convinced by the school authority that the admit card will be issued on or before February 25.
However, another guardian said that they have learnt from reliable sources that the dully filled forms of the students were not sent to the CBSE authority but were keeping in the almirah of the school.
Meanwhile, the guardians drew the attention of the state chief minister to issue necessary instruction to the concern authority so as to ensure their students appear the exams.
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Both Sanjita and Mirabai were neck and neck in snatch, lifting 78kg each but the former broke away in clean and jerk, lifting 102kg. Mirabai had to settle for silver, lifting 95kg in clean and jerk and 173kg in total. Sanjita’s combined effort of 180kg was 7kg more than her gold-winning effort in Glasgow.
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The Prime Minister will be the chief guest at the closing ceremony, the biggest tourism festival named after 'Sangai', the rare brow-antlered deer, available only in Keibul Lamjao national park in state's Bishenpur district, sources said.
During his hour-long stay here, Modi is likely to lay the foundation stone for a sports university in the state, sources said.
After the function, he will fly to Nagaland where he would inaugurate Hornbill Festival.
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In a press conference held at his office at the Old Assembly Complex in Imphal, Thoiba Singh said that the import of rice from Myanmar will be undertaken through the State Trading Corporation of India Limited, New Delhi. This corporation has already floated the tender for transportation of rice to Manipur from Myanmar, but did not succeed as operators were not interested in transporting beyond the international border to Manipur.
“Now we will re-float the tender, which will be delivered the stock in the Indian side of the international border,” he added.
The total capacity of the five FCI godowns in the State is 42,090 MT, which can accommodate stocks for nearly two months.
The individual capacities of the five godowns are – 13,090 MT (Sangaiprou), 5,000 MT each in Senapati, Ukhrul and Jiribam, and 4,000 MT at Koirengei (hired from State). Godowns will also be opened in Churachanpur (2,500 MT), Thoubal (2,500 MT), Imphal East at Sawongbung (10,000 MT), Tamenglong (5,000 MT), Bishenpur (5,000MT), Chandel (2,500 MT) and at Imphal (10,000 MT) under the PEG Scheme.
After completing all these godowns, the total quantity of the stocks will be increased to nearly 70,000 MT and it can keep supply for three-four months. But most of the construction works have been stuck up due to land acquisition activities, he claimed.
In another development, necessary animal quarantine centres will be set up in Manipur’s border towns of Moreh in Chandel district, Kasom Khullen in Uklhrul and Behiang in Churachandpur – all located along the Indo-Myanmar border. The step has been taken to check and monitor the import of livestock from Myanmar, said Manipur’s Veterinary and Animal Husbandry Minister Govindas Konthoujam while addressing a free animal health campaign and rabbit distribution function at the State veterinary office complex in Imphal last afternoon. The Central government has also agreed to open the quarantine centres.
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