Department of Information and Public Relations

Press Release No. 279/22

CELEBRATION OF AZADI KA AMRIT MAHOTSAV BY GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF INDIA, NORTH EASTERN REGION

To commemorate 75 years of Indian independence, Government of India has initiated the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav for a period of 75 weeks from 12th March, 2021. This Mahotsav is dedicated to the people of India who took part in the eventful journey from 1947 and also to uphold and ignite the spirit of Aatmanirbhar Bharat. As a part of this great celebration, Geological Survey of India, North eastern Region has also organised various activities during this period in Regional Head Quarters as well as in the State Unit offices all over NER. The activities undertaken include, blood donations camps, plantation programmes and academia GSI interactions.

As a part of the celebrations for last one year, GSI offices at Shillong, Itanagar and Gangtok has organised blood donation camps with participation of a huge number of officers and employees. Plantation drives were organised at Shillong, Itanagar, Dimapur, Agartala, Guwahati and Gangtok by respective GSI offices. Three webinars on Geology of Himalaya, Seismic Micro and Macro Zonation and Engineering Geology and its application in infrastructure development of the nation were organised by the Regional Headquarters, Shillong whereas two other webinars on Landslide causes and its Mitigation measures were organized by State Unit Assam and Sikkim to create awareness among the general public and students on public good geoscience.

In addition, GSI Training Institute, Shillong has organised seventeen training and interactive programmes for university and college students of North Eastern Region where around 700 students and faculties have participated. On 15th July, 2022 to mark the iconic week celebration as part of the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, GSI, NER has undertaken various programmes for students of schools and colleges of Shillong. The programme was inaugurated by Sh G. K. Kesari, ADG and HoD, NER in presence of Prof. Devesh Walia, Head of the Dept of Geology, NEHU, Shillong. Seventy five balloons carrying the message of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav was released at the outset which was followed by field training for students of St. Anthony’s college, Shillong at Umium Hydro Electric Project. A museum and laboratory visit was organised for school students which was followed by a quiz competition. During the programme, one coffee table book on Geo-tourism hotspots of NE India was also released by the dignitaries.

Press Release No. 280/22

MEGHALAYA EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT MISSION CAN BE THE MODEL FOR THE WORLD, ACCORDING TO EXPERTS

A renowned expert in paediatrics and childhood development, Dr. Jack Shonkoff, has heralded Meghalaya Early Childhood Development Mission, as well as the drive of Meghalaya state leadership, as an inspiring initiative that can pave the way for other states and countries to follow. Dr. Shonkoff comments were made as part of a presentation to The Meghalaya State Capability Forum on July 13th. This event was attended by key policy makers and researchers to explore how the state can leverage the science of early childhood development to break the chain of intergenerational poverty. Shri. Conrad K. Sangma, Chief Minister of Meghalaya, chaired the event, with Dr Vinod K. Paul, a Paediatrician and Member of NITI Aayog, as the Guest of Honour. The event was organised by Meghalaya’s State Capability Enhancement Project .

The July 13th event had as its focus Meghalaya pioneering Early Childhood Development Mission. Recently launched under the Chief Minister leadership, the ECD Mission is providing 3 core components of care for young children and their families: healthy nutrition to ensure full growth of each child, mental stimulation to ensure each child proper cognitive development, and support groups and mentoring of parents. The ECD Mission has also extended coverage of supplementary nutrition to 1500 villages that have never before been covered under Government of India Integrated Childhood Development Scheme. By this one move, approximately 50,000 children and 10,000 parents are now receiving nutrition support, through Self help Groups. As such, the ECD Mission is both deploying the latest in scientific understanding for childhood development, while also building on the particular cultural strengths of Meghalaya namely, its strong community institutions.

Dr Jack Shonkoff, keynote speaker at the event, is the Director of the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University and a pioneering global researcher in the field. Dr Shonkoff spoke about the importance and potential gains from investing in the early childhood period when the brain goes through the highest rate of development. He presented the latest scientific evidence on how repeated exposure to stress can change the brain and lead to lasting detrimental impacts on a child ability to learn and their long term mental and physical health. As such, the early childhood period presents a critical window when there is a strong need for a supportive adult child relationship. Moreover, a sense of social security and supportive community environment also play an important role. He ended his presentation by emphasising on the need for setting the bar high, making strategic investments and learning from our failures. The state needs to be prepared for a long process of experimenting and learning to identify what works in the state.

Following the presentation from Dr Shonkoff, the Chief Minister, Mr. Conrad Sangma, addressed the event by first drawing attention to the fact that Meghalaya fares poorly on Sustainable Development Goals but the state leadership is committed to become a top state in the country in its human and economic development. He captured the need for investing in ECD by discussing that Meghalaya low pass percentage in Std X exams has its roots in deficient care and support for children in the early years. He shared that Meghalaya has great strength in terms of community institutions, which played a critical role in COVID management, and these institutions can lead Meghalaya push for holistic early childhood development. The CM agreed with Dr. Shonkoff’s statement, We dont get results in days and months. We need to be consistent. He also highlighted that policies and principles that work elsewhere would not necessarily suit the local context, therefore we need to tailor them to address our needs.

Dr Vinod K. Paul of NITI Aayog also emphasised on the importance of early Childhood and how science and evidence should drive policies. He acknowledged the efforts that Meghalaya is making by prioritising investment in ECD. Mr Sampath Kumar, Development Commissioner, concluded the event by noting the importance of building the state of Meghalaya as the cognitive capital in the country. Representatives from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, NITI Aayog, the Chief Secretary of Meghalaya, key officials of States such as Assam, Telangana, and Tamil Nadu, and Deputy Commissioners from different districts of Meghalaya also participated in the event. Attendees and speakers alike applauded the efforts and vision of the Government of Meghalaya, under the Chief Minister leadership, in launching the Early Childhood Development Mission. All expressed excitement to participate and support the roll out of this important initiative, as well as hope for the model it can set for the world.

Press Release No. 281/22

CHIEF MINISTER LAUNCHES INTEGRATED WEB PORTAL FOR STATE PUBLIC SERVICES

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma today, launched the Integrated Web Portal of the Meghalaya State Public Services Delivery Commission at Yojana Bhawan which was also attended by Commissioner, Chief Commissioner of Meghalaya State Public Services M S Rao and State Informatics Officer, T Dkhar.

Speaking during the launch, Chief Minister, Conrad K Sangma, said that the government has been taking a large number of steps to ensure that the entire concept of citizen centric governance is being done at every department. A lot of times the basic concept of delivering efficiently and fast is diverted because most of times focus is more on achieving targets and implementing schemes, following guidelines and rules that we forget that we are here to serve the people, he said. He added that the Integrated Web Portal is a step towards achieving citizen centric governance and improving the overall delivery mechanism. He added that the 188 services should be made available at the earliest on the portal and urged the departments at all levels to follow the timelines so that there is no delay.

It may be mentioned here that the Meghalaya Right to Public Services Act 2020 is an act to provide for the delivery of notified public services to the citizens in the State within the stipulated time limit including the liabilities of the government servants in case of default. The portal is designed to provide maximum convenience to citizens.

It is an integrated web portal and a dashboard for officials and the Commission to enable monitoring of status of all applications at each stage. The portal is mobile enabled for the convenience of the citizens. A citizen having poor network connectivity can avail the services of the portal in Common Service Centers.

Press Release No. 282/22

MADANRTING TO RECEIVE BENEFITS OF MGNREGS

Madanrting became the first census town in Meghalaya to receive the benefits of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme. To mark the occasion Shri. Lambor Malngiang, MLA and MDC, Nongkrem Constituency unveiled the foundation stone in a function held today at Madanrting. The programme was organized by the Dorbar Shnong Madanrting.

In his address, Shri. Malngiang informed the gathering that the fruition of the scheme came after relentless pursuit for its implementation both at the state and central level. Adding that the scheme which aims to enhance livelihood security in rural areas by providing at least 100 days of wage employment in a financial year will go a long way in securing the future of the people of the area. Besides providing economic security and creating rural assets, the scheme will enable families to save money as they will be able to work closer to their homes, he stated. Informing that the convergence of schemes like Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana and Swachh Bharat Mission, beneficiaries will now receive aid for affordable housing, access to clean drinking water and construction of toilets. Stressing on the support that the schemes provides for women and also for the creation of self help groups, Shri. Malngiang urged the people of the area to come forward and avail the benefits of the MGNREGS which will go a long way in changing the landscape of Madanrting, he asserted.

Smti. I Laloo, Deputy Commissioner, East Khasi Hills in her brief address informed that 29 census towns in the East Khasi Hills District will be included under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act. Terming the occasion as a landmark achievement, she said that MNREGA is a community owned scheme and the success of the scheme largely depends on people’s participation. Informing that there are around 260 types of work that can be done under the scheme, she reiterated on the importance of people using the scheme to find solutions to address problems caused due to urban growth. She expressed hope that MNREGA will evoke a Self Help Group movement in the area which will go a long way in the economic empowerment of women.