Department of Information and Public Relations

Press Release No. 210/23

INTERNATIONAL DAY FOR PERSON WITH DISABILITIES OBSERVED

The Office of the Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities in collaboration with the State Resource Centre on Disability Affairs today observed the International Day for Person with Disabilities at the State Central Library premises. The ‘EMPOWERFEST-2023’ was inaugurated by Social Welfare Minister Paul Lyngdoh in the presence of Shri Pravin Bakshi, Commissioner Secretary Social Welfare.

Speaking on the occasion, Social Welfare Minister Paul Lyngdoh stressed upon the need to create a society which gives equal opportunity to empower people with disabilities. He said that the government is vigorously working on proposals to enhance accessibility in public and private establishments.

On this occasion the Office of the Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities felicitated Director of Sanker Rehabilitation Centre, Dr. Sandi Syiem with the Champion of Mental Health Advocacy Award and Carmo Naronha from Bethany Society with the Leader of Equality Award.

The other awardees include Meghalaya Blind Women’s Football team with the Inclusive Sportsmanship Award, Rupari Nongrum with Inspirational Artist Award, St. Edmunds College with Trailblaizer in Accessibility Award, Sengrang G Momin with Inclusive Media Representation Award and Ibadalin with the Literacy Award.

Press Release No. 211/23

3RD MEGHALAYA FARMERS PARLIAMENT HELD

The 3rd Meghalaya Farmers’ Parliament was held here today at State Convention Centre, Shillong on the occasion of Farmers’ Day. The conference was inaugurated by the Chief Minister, Conrad K Sangma in the presence of Minister, Animal Husbandry and Veterinary, A L Hek and Minister, Agriculture and farmers’ Welfare, M Ampareen Lyngdoh among others.

Addressing the gathering, Chief Minister, Conrad K Sangma, said that the framers' parliament is an important program to celebrate and recognize the work of the farmers. This parliament is to acknowledge their work and support them and to send across a message that the government is there with them so that they can improve their livelihood in the farming sector, he said. He added that the farmers were already engaged in many farming activities and only a bit of support in terms of storage, transportation, financial aid and policies were needed to make farming remunerative and attractive.

The Chief Minister added that the Regeneration Meghalaya program, an agroforestry project, that he had launched earlier was just a part of a larger goal and objective. “Through this and similar innovative programs of different departments Meghalaya has already started to show the way,” he said. He also said that it is important to face and address the challenges that are there in the farming sector. “As we move forward we learn from our mistakes and from the challenges and we cannot ignore facts like there are multiple stakeholders and different activities taking place but we have to bring all this together and go with a specific program keeping the larger goal in mind,” he said. He hoped that the two days’ conference will provide a platform to the farmers to discuss issues, adopt better farming practices incorporating traditional practices, share success stories to boost farmers’ productivity while promoting sustainable agriculture.

He also added that for any program to be successful the community needs to be involved who will drive the program and ensure sustainability of the program and urged the partners of the Regeneration Meghalaya project to establish connect with the community at the grassroots for successful implementation of the program. “On this Farmers’ Day we recognize and honor the vital contributions made by the 4.5 lakh agricultural households in the development of our State,’’ he concluded.

The Chief Minister also distributed cheques to FOCUS and PES beneficiaries and to beneficiaries under the Piggery Mission. As a part of the Meghalaya Farmers’ Day 11 processing facilities and 4 cold storage facilities were remotely inaugurated by the Chief Minister.

Press Release No. 212/23

MEGHALAYA SIGNBANK MOBILE APP GETS COVETED TECH AWARD

Meghalaya Signbank Mobile App of the Office of the Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities, won the 8th eNorthEast Award 2023, in the category of Learning and Education. The prestigious award was conferred at the award ceremony jointly organized by the Council for Social and Digital Development (CSDD), Digital Empowerment Foundation (DEF), and North East Development Foundation in Guwahati on 25 November 2023. 

Meghalaya Signbank provides users with a complete library of Meghalaya Sign Language signs and gestures for successful communication. It covers everything from everyday sentences to expert vocabulary. The app's user-friendly interface allows users to search for and make signs in real-time, making it simple to express themselves spontaneously. The app facilitates real-time conversations with both deaf and hearing individuals, fostering inclusivity. Users can type text messages, and the app instantly converts them into finger spelling sign language, allowing for swift communication via text.Some of the features included are, when users write English/Khasi/Garo words, the matching sign appears in video format.The app includes signs from different regions within Meghalaya, showcasing the dialectical richness of the language. the Lexical entries are classified, making it simple to locate signs relating to specific topics. Cultural nuances are preserved by including socio-cultural phrases and local locale The signs are translated into Khasi and Garo, allowing users of multiple languages to use the program.

Meghalaya SignBank initiative was a collaborative effort initiated by the Office of the Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities, Meghalaya, in partnership with the National Informatics Center (NIC), Meghalaya, and Dr. Melissa G. Wallang, Assistant Professor of Linguistics at the North East Regional Institute of Education, a unit of NCERT, Shillong, and the Deaf community members and sign language experts of Meghalaya.