Latest news with #Borthakur
New Indian Express
10-08-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Assam eviction drives aimed at 'creating narrative' before assembly polls: Experts
On these recent evictions, eminent advocate Santanu Borthakur said: "If it is a forest land, then whosoever stays there for whatever longer period, it does not give them legal rights to settle there permanently. " However, targeting only one community, as seen in the recent cases in Golaghat is "absolutely discriminatory", he added. "The CM's recent comment that no eviction will take place against people from other communities is anti-Constitution and not permitted by law," Borthakur said. In Rengma, 1,500 Muslim families were evicted. The remaining families are from Bodo, Nepali, Manipuri and other communities, who have certificates from the Forest Rights Committee (FRC). According to Kaustubh Deka, an Assistant Professor of Political Science at Dibrugarh University, the eviction drive is a significant and sensitive moment for the state, and the whole episode highlights the critical bearing of the state's complex socio-political history. "The government must maintain a fair balance between three aspects. One, the allegation that genuine Indian citizens are being selectively targeted, needs to be addressed in all earnestness. Two, the rights given to people under progressive environmental legislations such as 'Forest Rights Act' need to be respected," he added. Also, care should be taken that the ongoing process doesn't trigger complications in Assam's already volatile border dispute scenario with many of its neighbouring states, Deka said. Talking about alleged encroachments in inter-state border areas in Rengma, advocate Borthakur said that normally in border areas, the government settles people in the buffer zones so that no encroachment takes place from the opposite side. "We can see such habitation in all border areas. Usually minorities, Gorkha and Bihari people, are settled in such locations," he added. Barua too supported his claim and said that in all the border areas with neighbouring states, usually people or communities originally from outside are settled. "The indigenous people usually do not live there. People from communities like Adivasis, Gorkhas and minorities live in such areas," he added. The reserve forests witnessing recent evictions are along Assam-Nagaland border, where people from the neighbouring state had allegedly attempted to occupy land. The evicted people claimed that their previous generation was settled in the forest by the Golap Borbora government in 1978-79 and the AGP government, which came to power in 1985. Borthakur said, "Without considering the historical background, carrying out an eviction is not appropriate. Legally, the government has the power, but the manner in which that power was exercised is not acceptable. It is inhuman and arbitrary." He also stressed that evicting people without rehabilitation is wrong. Echoing similar sentiments, Deka said, "This is against all democratic norms and practices. Utterly inhumane." Even the Supreme Court judgement says that even pavement dwellers can not be evicted without rehabilitation.
News18
08-08-2025
- News18
Assam Govt recognises Aaranyaks Wildlife Lab under BNSS for forensic role
Guwahati (Assam)[India],August 8(ANI): In a path-breaking move, the Government of Assam has recognized the pioneering Wildlife Genetics Laboratory (WGL) of Aaranyak and its Director Udayan Borthakur, for the purpose of utilizing the expertise in wildlife genetics and wildlife forensic analysis, pursuant to Section 329 (4) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), per the statement, in Assam, this marks the first recognition of a laboratory and an expert in the wildlife sector under the BNSS, 2023 for the purpose of assisting wildlife crime investigations and control through forensic evidence gathering using DNA sampling an order from the Governor of Assam on August 4, 2025, the Special Chief Secretary of the Government. of Assam, Environment, Forest and Climate Change Department has issued a notification recognising the laboratory and Borthakur under the relevant provision of the to the landmark achievement, Udayan Borthakur, the founder of WGL, Aaranyak, stated, 'We regard the Government's notification as a significant acknowledgement of our nearly two decades of work in this field. We also regard this notification as a significant responsibility that falls on our shoulders, and we are grateful of the Government of Assam for entrusting us with this critical responsibility." Borthakur said that the notification under Section 329 (4) of BNSS, 2023 will allow the lab and its biologist as scientific expert to support law enforcement agencies to gather evidences for forensic analysis in wildlife offences that will facilitate increased conviction rates in coming Kumar Talukdar, Secretary General and Executive Director, Aaranyak offers his sincere sense of gratitude to Assam Forest Department and the competent authority in Assam Government for bestowing faith and responsibilities to Wildlife Genetics facilities of Aaranyak that has been complimenting the efforts of the government to achieve conservation goals and shall continue to do so in years to come. WGL Aaranyak, founded in 2008, is northeast India's only conservation genetics and wildlife DNA forensics facility. Over the past decade, the lab has provided genetic analysis and on-ground DNA sampling support to 135 wildlife crime investigations by government authorities. In addition to forensic work, the lab has conducted over two dozen conservation genetic research projects on threatened wildlife species in India and overseas. (ANI)
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Business Standard
10-06-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
Equity MF inflows drop 21% MoM to Rs 19,103 crore in May 2025: AMFI data
Flows to the equity mutual fund (MF) schemes dropped 21.6 per cent month-on-month (MoM) in May 2025 to Rs 19,013.12 crore, according to data released by the Association of Mutual Funds in India (AMFI) on Tuesday. In March 2025, flows to equity MFs stood at Rs 25,082 crore, but had dropped to a 12-month low of Rs 24,269.26 crore in April 2025, reflecting cautious investor sentiment in the backdrop of geopolitical conflict between India and Pakistan, and uncertainty surrounding US tariffs, AMFI data showed. "The dip in large-cap and flexi-cap inflows reflects near-term caution, but attractive valuations in large-caps could lead to renewed interest. Mid- and small-cap flows have also eased slightly, though long-term investor appetite for these segments remains intact," said Suranjana Borthakur, Head of Distribution & Strategic Alliances, Mirae Asset Investment Managers (India). What's particularly encouraging is the rise in hybrid categories—especially arbitrage, BAFs, and multi-asset funds—indicating that investors are using these as strategic tools to stay invested while managing short-term volatility. "Arbitrage funds, in particular, are being seen as a safe space to temporarily park funds ahead of further deployment. Overall, investors appear to be making balanced and thoughtful allocation decisions across asset classes, aligned with their risk appetite and investment horizons,' Borthakur added. Smallcap funds are getting lower allocations due to valuation concerns, analysts said, sector funds, on the other hand, are still getting a positive traction. "Investors should be cautious while allocating being conscious of valuations in the popular sectors. If they pay attention to the PE ratios of the funds they are allocating to it will help rational capital allocation and lower chances of sectoral or thematic bubbles. The outflows from debt funds shows that investors are clear that there is better upside in equities than debt from a interest cutting cycle,' said Vikas Gupta, CEO & Chief Investment Strategist at OmniScience Capital.
Mint
09-05-2025
- Business
- Mint
Debt mutual fund inflows in April at 2-decade high as investors seek safer bets
Investors pumped money into debt mutual funds in April as they sought lower-risk options to ride out the market volatility and to rebalance their portfolios at the start of the financial year, taking net inflows into these funds to the highest in over two decades. Net inflows into debt-oriented open-ended mutual fund schemes were at ₹ 2.19 trillion in April—the highest since January 2005, from when this data is available. The net inflows marked a sharp reversal from March, when debt-oriented schemes witnessed outflows of ₹ 2.02 trillion. Within debt schemes, liquid funds saw the highest inflows of ₹ 1.18 trillion, followed by money market funds' ₹ 31,507 crore and ultra-short duration funds' ₹ 26,733 crore, data from the Association of Mutual Funds of India (AMFI) showed. According to Suranjana Borthakur, head of distribution and strategic alliances, Mirae Asset Investment Managers (India), investors are favouring debt schemes for their stability and liquidity, especially in an environment marked by geopolitical uncertainties and market fluctuations. 'The significant inflows into arbitrage funds at ₹ 11,790 crore, a 9-month high, further underscores this preference for low-risk options, as investors seek to park funds securely while awaiting clearer market signals,' said Borthakur. In the short term, investors are likely to continue favouring shorter-end debt schemes and arbitrage funds over equity schemes until the volatility triggered by the India-Pakistan conflict subsides, as these offer stability and lower risk, Borthakur added. Initially, the volatility in India's stock market was driven by concerns over US President Donald Trump's reciprocal tariff policies, which raised fears of increased capital flows to US dollar markets, experts said. 'However, the phase of Trump-related tariffs may be easing soon as bilateral discussions with major countries have started,' said Seemant Shukla, chief executive, Quantum AMC. India and the US are working to finalise the first phase of a bilateral trade agreement by September-November, which could soften the potential impact of Trump's new tariffs. On 6 May, India struck a landmark free trade agreement with the UK that promises to unlock major economic gains for India by eliminating tariffs on 99% of Indian exports to Britain, covering nearly 100% of the trade value. The escalating conflict between India and Pakistan, however, would have an impact on volatility and markets in the short run, said Shukla. Portfolio rebalancing also had a significant influence on investors turning to debt mutual funds. 'One of the key reasons for the sharp surge in debt mutual fund inflows in April is the beginning of the financial year, a period when corporates and institutions typically reallocate their portfolios,' said Gaurav Goyal, head–sales and marketing, Canara Robeco AMC, and the company's spokesperson on AMFI data. This has led to significant investments in liquid, overnight, money market, and ultra-short-term funds, he said. Net inflows into equity mutual fund schemes dropped to a one-year low of ₹ 24,269 crore in April, marking a 3.2% decline on a month-on-month basis. That was the fifth straight month of declining inflows into equity schemes. In times of heightened market volatility and geopolitical uncertainty, it is common for investors to shift toward conservative assets such as debt funds, said Feroze Azeez, joint-chief executive, Anand Rathi Wealth Ltd. However, he added that such trends are typically short-lived. 'Historical patterns suggest that the impact of geopolitical tensions on equity markets tends to be temporary. Over the long term, market performance is more strongly influenced by economic fundamentals and corporate earnings,' said Azeez. As the current wave of war-led uncertainty stabilizes, said Azeez, it is likely that investors will gradually reallocate towards equity schemes. Within equity schemes, net inflows were highest in flexicap schemes at ₹ 5,541 crore. This was followed by smallcap and midcap funds with net inflows of ₹ 3,999 crore and ₹ 3,313 crore, respectively. Monthly inflows into mutual funds via systematic investment plans surged to an all-time high of ₹ 26,632 crore in April. This was driven by a steady increase in the number of contributing accounts, which now total 83.8 million.
