Department of Information and Public Relations

Press Release No. 119/11

ENTRANCE EXAMINATION TO CLASS VIII IN THE RASHTRIYA INDIAN MILITARY COLLEGE, DEHRADUN

Shillong, March 12, 2011: The Director of Higher and Technical Education, Meghalaya has informed that the Entrance Examination to Class VIII in the Rashtriya Indian Military College, Dehradun for January 2012 term will be conducted on 1st and 2nd June, 2011 at selected centres that will be notified later. Applications from boys only, whose parents hold a Permanent Resident Certificate of Meghalaya will be accepted on or before the 31st March, 2011 in the office of the Director of Higher and Technical Education, Shillong. The candidates should either be studying or passed Class VII from any recognized school. The candidates should not be less than 11 ½ years in age and they should not have attained the age of 13years as on 1st January, 2011 i.e. they should not be born earlier than 2nd January, 1999 and not later than 1st July, 2000.

Details on how to apply may be read in the press release of the RIMC or in the government website http:www.meghalaya.nic.in/scholarship-Advertisement.html or may be had from the office of the Director of Higher and Technical Education, College Branch, Room No.206-A, Additional Secretariat Building, Shillong.

Press Release No. 120/11

NATIONAL LEGAL SERVICES AUTHORITY SCHEME FOR MENTALLY ILL PERSONS ADOPTED

Shillong, March 14, 2011: In pursuance of the United Nations Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) 2008 which provides for equal recognition before laws and equal protection of law, where India is one of the signatory countries, the National Legal Services Authority, New Delhi has adopted a scheme namely, National Legal Services Authority (Legal Services to the mentally ill persons and persons with mental disabilities) Scheme 2010 under Section 4(b) of the Legal Services Authority Act, 1987. The Scheme has come into force with effect from 8th December, 2010 for providing legal services to persons with disabilities, particularly mentally ill persons and persons with mental disabilities. The Scheme lays down guidelines to be followed by State and District Legal Services Authority, Taluka Legal Services Committee, High Court and Supreme Court Legal Services Committees while rendering legal services to the mentally ill and persons with mental disabilities.

Press Release No. 122/11

DB TECH LAUNCHED BASE PROGRAMME

Shillong, March 14, 2011: Union Minister of State for Rural Development, Ms. Agatha K Sangma, inaugurated the Bosco Academy for Skills & Employment (BASE) on March 13, 2011 at the Don Bosco Secondary School Auditorium , Tura, West Garo Hills District.

Funded by the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) under Swarnajayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana (SGSY) and under the aegis of DB Tech, BASE aims at empowering youth from Below Poverty Line (BPL) in the age group of 18-35 years. Under this project, rural youth will be trained in employment linked courses and placed in entry level opportunities in various sectors besides providing required skills suiting the market requirements and placements of the trainees. The vocational training programme comprises of 3 months classroom training, on-the-job training, exposure visits and guest lectures. Fr. Raju Philip, SDB, Assistant Director, Don Bosco Tech, India, giving a snapshot of the project, said BASE targeted the downtrodden and the marginalized to bring qualitative change in their lives.

In her brief address, Ms. Agatha K Sangma mentioned that China’s economy is based on manufacturing industry that requires minimum skills but there is inclusive growth in the country, whereas India inspite of being service industry-based lacks inclusive growth because BPL youth cannot be employed due to inadequate skills. Therefore, skills need to be imparted for the country to grow. She said programmes like BASE are one of a kind programme in North East to ensure the youth, specially the BPL youth, to get into the mainstream. She urged the youth to take full advantage of the project.

Later, at the press briefing, the Union Minister of State and the DB Tech officials informed that initially trades like Hospitality, Marketing, Security Services and IT would be launched but hoped to diversify in future. In the first phase, 8 such centres would be initiated in Meghalaya. The skill development training is entirely free for a short term period of 3 months. Trainees would be counseled to help choose trades as per individual taste and preference.