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India Gazette
3 hours ago
- Climate
- India Gazette
Tripura floods: 1,300 families shifted to relief camps amid incessant rainfall
Agartala (Tripura) [India], June 1 (ANI): Around 1,300 families have taken shelter in government-run relief camps across West Tripura district following incessant rainfall over the past two days that has triggered severe flooding in several parts of the region. 'Incessant rainfall over the past two days has led to severe flooding across various parts of West Tripura district. As a result, nearly 1,300 families have been shifted to government shelter homes for safety. The state government is closely monitoring the flood-affected areas,' Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha said in a Facebook post on Sunday. The Chief Minister added that the district administration has deployed teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), civil volunteers, and other agencies to assist in rescue and relief operations. 'Several localities in Agartala have also experienced heavy waterlogging, prompting authorities to activate water pumps to drain out the accumulated water. Officials are urging residents in flood-hit areas to follow government advisories and relocate to designated safe zones,' the CM said. Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an alert for heavy to very heavy rainfall and thunderstorms across Tripura between June 1 and June 5, 2025. The forecast also warns of extremely heavy rainfall in isolated pockets, particularly in Dhalai and West Tripura districts. Thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and gusty winds (40-50 kmph) are also likely in some areas. The IMD has advised residents to take precautions, including avoiding areas prone to waterlogging and landslides, refraining from unnecessary travel, and adhering to traffic and weather advisories. According to officials, arrangements for food, shelter, medical care, and drinking water have been made at nearly 25 to 30 government shelters across the state. 'Food, drinking water, medical assistance, and all necessary amenities are being provided at the shelters,' they said. Tripura CM Manik Saha also visited flood-affected areas in Agartala and relief camps to review the ongoing relief efforts. 'According to eyewitnesses, teams comprising SDRF, NDRF, and Aapda Mitra volunteers are working tirelessly to ensure the safety and well-being of the affected population. Temporary shelters have been set up in schools across the district to accommodate those displaced by the floods,' the Chief Minister said. He added that Agartala Municipal Corporation Mayor Manipal is coordinating closely with the district authorities to expedite relief measures. 'We're doing everything possible to ensure everyone's safety and to provide the necessary aid,' he said during a visit to the affected areas. In addition, the India Meteorological Centre in Agartala has warned of potential impacts such as poor visibility due to intense rainfall, traffic congestion, flash floods, waterlogging, and the possibility of landslides or mudslides. People have been advised to stay away from vulnerable areas and take all necessary precautions. Elsewhere in the Northeast, heavy rainfall on Friday led to severe waterlogging in Guwahati, affecting areas such as Rukminigaon, Beltola Survey, Hatigaon, Geetanagar, Anil Nagar, Lakhimi Nagar, Jatia, Maligaon, and Panjabari. (ANI)
New Indian Express
3 hours ago
- Climate
- New Indian Express
1,300 families take shelter as floods swamp Tripura; waterlogging paralyses Agartala, IMD warns of more rain
AGARTALA: Around 1,300 families have taken shelter in government-run relief camps across West Tripura district following incessant rainfall over the past two days that has triggered severe flooding in several parts of the region. "Incessant rainfall over the past two days has led to severe flooding across various parts of West Tripura district. As a result, nearly 1,300 families have been shifted to government shelter homes for safety. The state government is closely monitoring the flood-affected areas," Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha said in a Facebook post on Sunday. The Chief Minister added that the district administration has deployed teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), civil volunteers, and other agencies to assist in rescue and relief operations. "Several localities in Agartala have also experienced heavy waterlogging, prompting authorities to activate water pumps to drain out the accumulated water. Officials are urging residents in flood-hit areas to follow government advisories and relocate to designated safe zones," the CM said.
Indian Express
10 hours ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Demand for inclusion of Kokborok and Bhojpuri in Eighth Schedule of Constitution: A must-know for UPSC Exam
Take a look at the essential events, concepts, terms, quotes, or phenomena every day and brush up your knowledge. Here's your knowledge nugget for today on the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution. (Relevance: The Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution is an important topic for UPSC CSE. Previously, the commission has asked questions on it; for instance, in the 2024 prelims, a question was asked on the languages included in the Eighth Schedule through the Constitution (71st Amendment) Act, 1992. Thus, knowing about the Eight Schedule from a broader perspective becomes essential.) Recently, in a letter to Tripura Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha, the Kokborok Sahitya Parishad sought the inclusion of the Kokborok language in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution. The tribal literary body stated that the script for the Kokborok language can either be Bengali or Devanagari. Notably, earlier on International Mother Tongue Day (February 21), at Delhi's Jantar Mantar, Dr Santosh Patel and a group of supporters gathered to demand the inclusion of Bhojpuri in the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution. Spoken by millions of people across several countries, Bhojpuri holds constitutional status in both Mauritius and Nepal, but it remains constitutionally unrecognised in India. In the context of rising demands for inclusion of various languages in the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution, let's understand what this schedule is all about and other important aspects related to it. 1. The Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of India lists the languages officially recognised by the Government of India. Articles 344(1) and 351 of the Constitution contain provisions relating to the Eighth Schedule. 2. Article 344 (1) provides for the constitution of a Commission by the President on expiration of five years from the commencement of the Constitution and thereafter at the expiration of ten years from such commencement, which shall consist of a Chairman and such other members representing the different languages specified in the Eighth Schedule to make recommendations to the President for the progressive use of Hindi for official purposes of the Union. 3. Article 351 of the Constitution provides that it shall be the duty of the Union to promote the spread of the Hindi language to develop it so that it may serve as a medium of expression for all the elements of the composite culture of India and to secure its enrichment by assimilating without interfering with its genius, the forms, style and expressions used in Hindustani and in the other languages of India specified in the Eighth Schedule, and by drawing, wherever necessary or desirable, for its vocabulary, primarily, on Sanskrit and secondarily on other languages. 4. As of May 2025, 22 languages have been classified under the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution. Initially, however, the Eighth Schedule included 14 languages: Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri, Malayalam, Marathi, Oriya (renamed to Odia in 2011), Punjabi, Sanskrit, Tamil, Telugu, and Urdu. 5. These 14 languages were selected from among the hundreds identified by George A Grierson in his Linguistic Survey of India which catalogued over 700 linguistic varieties across the subcontinent as early as 1927. 6. Over time, the Schedule expanded beyond the original 14 languages to include Bodo, Dogri, Konkani, Maithili, Manipuri, Nepali, Santhali, and Sindhi, bringing the total to 22. 7. Sindhi was added through the 21st Amendment Act of 1967; Konkani, Manipuri, and Nepali were added by the 71st Amendment Act of 1992; and Bodo, Dogri, Maithili, and Santhali were included through the 92nd Amendment Act of 2003. 8. Interestingly, English — despite its widespread use and role in official spheres — has never been part of the Eighth Schedule. 1. The Constituent Assembly did not lay down any formal criteria for the inclusion of languages in the Eighth Schedule. However, from time to time, efforts have been made by various committees to define clearer criteria for inclusion. 2. The Ashok Pahwa Committee (1996) proposed that a language could be included in the Eighth Schedule if: (i) it was an official language in at least one state; (ii) a significant portion of a state's population spoke it; (iii) it was an independent language rather than a dialect or derivative of one already listed; (iv) it had recognition from the Sahitya Akademi; and (v) it possessed a well-defined and developed literary tradition. 3. Later, the Sitakant Mohapatra Committee (2003) added more specific benchmarks. It recommended that a language must have at least 5 million speakers, based on census data from the previous three decades, to qualify as being spoken by a substantial population. The language should also serve as a medium of instruction at least up to the secondary level, preferably extending to the university level. Additionally, its script—whether indigenous, borrowed from a dominant regional language, or using Devanagari—should have been in established use for at least 50 years. 4. Notably, despite these efforts, no official standard has been adopted for selecting languages for the Eight schedule. The Ministry of Home Affairs confirms this position: 'As the evolution of dialects and languages is dynamic, influenced by socio-eco-political developments, it is difficult to fix any criterion for languages, whether to distinguish them from dialects, or for inclusion in the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of India.' The benefits of being listed in the Eighth Schedule are both symbolic and practical. Such as: (i) Languages listed in the Eighth Schedule are eligible for translation services in Parliament if spoken by any member, (ii) They are included as options in the Indian language paper for the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) examinations, (iii) Receive developmental funds from the central government, as language falls under the Concurrent List. 1. Last year, 'Classical Language' status was granted to Marathi, Pali, Prakrit, Assamese, and Bengali, and it brought the total number of officially designated classical languages to 11. Previously, only six languages held the 'Classical' status: Tamil (2004), Sanskrit (2005), Kannada (2008), Telugu (2008), Malayalam (2013), and Odia (2014). (Notably, among all the classical languages, Prakrit and Pali are the two classical languages that are not mentioned in the eighth schedule of the Indian Constitution.) 2. Classical languages are considered the custodians of India's ancient and profound cultural heritage. They preserve the rich history, literature, and traditions of their respective communities. The government grants this status to languages to honor and safeguard the linguistic milestones of India's diverse cultural landscape. 3. In October 2004, the Centre decided to create a new category of languages as 'classical languages'. On October 12, 2004, Tamil became the first Indian language to receive 'classical' status due to its high antiquity and rich literary tradition. (1) The Constitution (71st Amendment) Act, 1992 amends the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution to include which of the following languages? (UPSC 2024) 1. Konkani 2. Manipuri 3. Nepali 4. Maithili Select the correct answer using the code given below: (a) 1, 2 and 3 (b) 1, 2 and 4 (c) 1, 3 and 4 (d) 2, 3 and 4 (2) The Ashok Pahwa Committee (1996) and Sitakant Mohapatra Committee (2003) were associated with: (a) Reforms in the Lok Sabha (b) Caste Census (c) Eighth Schedule (d) Delimitation (3) Consider the following languages: 1. Manipuri 2. Bodo 3. Kashmiri What is the correct chronological order of these languages as they were included in the eighth schedule of the Constitution of India? (a) 3—2—1 (b) 1—2—3 (c) 2—1—3 (d) 3—1—2 (Sources: Knowledge Nugget of the day: Classical languages, The Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution: how language inclusion creates exclusion) Subscribe to our UPSC newsletter. Stay updated with the latest UPSC articles by joining our Telegram channel – Indian Express UPSC Hub, and follow us on Instagram and X. 🚨 Click Here to read the UPSC Essentials magazine for May 2025. Share your views and suggestions in the comment box or at Roshni Yadav is a Deputy Copy Editor with The Indian Express. She is an alumna of the University of Delhi and Jawaharlal Nehru University, where she pursued her graduation and post-graduation in Political Science. She has over five years of work experience in ed-tech and media. At The Indian Express, she writes for the UPSC section. Her interests lie in national and international affairs, governance, economy, and social issues. You can contact her via email: ... Read More
India Gazette
10 hours ago
- Business
- India Gazette
Tripura CM Manik Saha announces $85.4M ADB-funded industrial push
Agartala (Tripura) [India], June 1 (ANI): In a move to attract more investment to Tripura, Chief Minister Manik Saha announced that significant developments are underway to strengthen the state's industrial infrastructure through an $85.4 million loan from the Asian Development Bank (ADB), said a release. According to the release, he said that the funding is being utilised to develop power, roads, plug-and-play infrastructure, warehousing facilities, and more. CM Saha said this while addressing delegates at a Stakeholder Consultation under the initiative of the High-Level Task Force on Investment Promotion in the North Eastern Region. 'With the mandate of formulating a strategic roadmap to position the Northeast as a preferred investment destination, we are organising this Stakeholder Consultation in collaboration with the Ministry of DoNER. I warmly welcome all participants to today's consultation. I believe that the insights and suggestions of all stakeholders will greatly aid us in shaping our strategy report,' he said. CM Saha shared that the High-Level Task Force has already held two meetings, during which the esteemed members provided valuable suggestions and feedback. 'We have agreed upon a six-month action plan to formulate a comprehensive roadmap for investment promotion in the region. Work has already begun to devise both long-term and short-term strategies to attract investment across various promising sectors. With investment promotion agencies now active in almost all states, policy decisions related to investments are expected to be more efficient and streamlined,' Dr. Saha stated. Referring to the recent Rising Northeast Investor Summit 2025 held on May 23 and 24, Dr. Saha said the summit resulted in significant investment commitments. 'For Tripura alone, 64 Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) worth Rs 15,823 crore were signed during the summit. Prior to this, with joint efforts alongside the Ministry of DoNER, Tripura had signed 184 MoUs with an investment potential exceeding Rs 15,000 crore through roadshows, investment summits, and business conclaves. To date, over 25% of those MoUs have been grounded. I am confident that such consistent collaborative efforts will yield positive outcomes in the near future. The Northeast has several state-specific niche sectors that can be leveraged for economic development. Each state has unique resources and comparative advantages that can be capitalised upon,' he added. CM Saha emphasised that Tripura is fully committed to contributing proactively to the formulation of progressive, inclusive, and outcome-oriented roadmaps to achieve the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat and Viksit Bharat. 'We have successfully implemented all 387 business reforms mandated under the Business Reforms Action Plan 2024. I would also like to inform you that we are one of the first states to pass the Tripura Jan Vishwas Ordinance 2025, which decriminalizes provisions in various state acts and rules and repeals obsolete laws. Under the guidance of the Task Force on Deregulation set up by the Cabinet Secretariat, we are working to reduce compliance burdens in state laws, as well as in regulations of local bodies, industrial corporations, and utility providers,' he said. The Chief Minister also announced amendments to the Tripura Industrial Investment Promotion Incentives Scheme 2022, introducing additional customised incentives for mega projects. 'Significant developments are underway to boost the state's industrial infrastructure through the $85.4 million ADB loan. The Tripura Industrial Development Corporation (TIDC) is executing a robust expansion plan, including the development of over 1,500 acres of new industrial zones, the creation of sector-specific industrial parks, and the development of land parcels along key transport corridors to meet investor demands,' Dr. Saha stated. Industries and Commerce Minister Santana Chakma, TIDC Chairman Nabadal Banik, Industries and Commerce Secretary Kiran Gitte, Director Dr. Shailesh Kumar Yadav, secretaries from other northeastern states, directors, and other senior officials were also present at the event. (ANI)
Indian Express
2 days ago
- Climate
- Indian Express
Over 200 people shifted to relief camps, 93 houses damaged as heavy showers, thunderstorms hit Tripura
Over 200 people were rendered homeless and at least 93 houses were damaged as thunderstorms and heavy showers lashed different parts of Tripura in the past 24 hours, the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC) said Friday evening. As per an SEOC release, among the 93 houses, 26 were severely damaged and 67 were partly damaged. A total of 207 people from 57 families were shifted to four relief camps in Khowai and West Tripura districts. So far, there are no reports of human deaths or injury owing to the showers. However, a female elephant died at the Mungiakami Rural Development block in Khowai district. Several roads at Longtraivalley in Dhalai district, Jirania and Mohanpur in West Tripura district, Jampuijala in Sepahijala district, and Karbook, Silacherri, Gomati and Sabroom in South Tripura district were blocked after trees fell during thunderstorms. However, as per the latest reports, all major rivers in the state, including Gomati, Muhuri, and Feni, are flowing below the danger mark. 'Considering the experience from last year, we have already formed rescue teams. As per a report of the Drinking Water and Sanitation department, the water level is still below the danger mark in the Bishalgarh subdivision. If there is more rainfall, then it may cross the danger level. But we want to assure the people that the administration is prepared fully for the situation,' said a district official in Sepahijala. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha said, 'I have already spoken to disaster management officials. I have asked them to keep a watch on all places in the state. Last time, we made arrangements for flood victims. If the situation deteriorates, we shall surely take more initiatives.' The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned of heavy to very heavy rainfall (7-20 cm) in some places, and extremely heavy rainfall at a few places in North Tripura and Unakoti districts. Squally wind with a speed of 40-50 kmph and gusting up to 60 kmph is also likely in the state over the next 24 hours. The floods last year cost 38 lives apart from affecting over 17 lakh people, and causing estimated damages worth Rs 15,000 crore. Over two lakh people were shifted to 889 relief camps across the state as flood waters submerged large tracts in all eight districts.
