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News18
2 days ago
- Sport
- News18
Arunachal Guv flags off woman Everesters seven-summit expedition
Agency: PTI Last Updated: Itanagar, Jul 28 (PTI) Arunachal Pradesh Governor Lt Gen (Retd) K T Parnaik on Monday flagged off celebrated woman Everester Kabak Yano's ambitious seven-summit mountaineering expedition, a mission to scale the highest peaks on all seven continents. The flag-off ceremony was held at Raj Bhavan as Yano embarked on one of the most formidable challenges in global mountaineering. In a symbolic gesture, Parnaik handed over a ceremonial ice axe bearing the Indian Tricolour and the Arunachal Pradesh state emblem to Yano, in the presence of state Sports Minister Kento Jini, who also extended financial support to support her mission. Describing the event as a celebration of courage and conviction, Parnaik lauded Yano's determination, calling her journey a representation of the indomitable spirit that dares to dream beyond boundaries. He noted that only a few people across the world have attempted the seven-summit expedition, and praised Yano for her bold commitment to join that elite league. 'Yano carries with her the blessings of the people of Arunachal, the dreams of a new generation, and the resilient, peaceful, and unstoppable spirit of our state," the governor said. He urged her to showcase to the world the strength, grace, and tenacity of a daughter of Arunachal. In a tribute to her earlier feat of summiting Mount Everest on May 21 last year, the governor presented her with the 'Land of Rising Sun' plaque, recognising her as a beacon of inspiration for the entire state. Yano is the fifth woman from the state and the first from the Nyishi community to summit Mount Everest. Sports Minister Kento Jini, in his address, commended the state government's efforts in promoting sports, particularly adventure sports, and highlighted the various incentives and policies designed to support athletes. He emphasised the government's progressive reservation policies for sportspersons, which create greater access to education and employment for talented youth. To inspire future generations, the governor had specially invited students from the Sangey Lhaden Sports Academy, cadets from the 1st Arunachal Pradesh NCC Battalion, and members of the Bharat Scouts and Guides to attend the ceremony. Also present at the occasion were Sports and Youth Affairs secretary Abu Tayeng, Sports director Tadar Apa, and other dignitaries, who extended their support and encouragement to Kabak Yano. PTI UPL UPL ACD view comments First Published: July 28, 2025, 19:00 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
News18
6 days ago
- Politics
- News18
Arunachal CM Khandu reaffirms commitment to indigenous faiths, traditions
Itanagar, Jul 24 (PTI) Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu has reaffirmed the government's unwavering commitment to preserving and promoting the indigenous faiths of the state, calling them the spiritual and cultural soul of the tribal communities. In a message shared on social media on Thursday, Khandu stressed that indigenous faiths are unlike major religions as they do not originate from scriptures but from land, memory, and lived traditions. 'They are not exported, they are rooted. They hold the soul of our people, our forests, mountains, rivers, and ancestors," he wrote on X. Reiterating the government's resolve to protect this ancestral wisdom, the chief minister said a number of initiatives are already underway across the state. Six indigenous gurukuls have been established for the Adi, Galo, Nyishi, and Tangsa tribes to strengthen traditional learning and value systems through community-led institutions, Khandu said. In addition, more than 3,000 registered indigenous priests are being provided with honorariums in recognition of their vital role in conducting rituals, preserving oral traditions, and serving as spiritual guides, the chief minister added. Complementing these efforts, 50 indigenous prayer centres have also been set up across the state to provide dedicated spaces for spiritual practice rooted in native faiths, he said. 'This isn't just about culture. It's about who we are. And it's about making sure we don't forget," Khandu said, underlining that the protection of indigenous faiths is essential to safeguarding the state's unique identity and heritage. PTI UPL UPL MNB (This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed - PTI) view comments First Published: July 24, 2025, 13:45 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
New Indian Express
29-06-2025
- Science
- New Indian Express
New flowering plant species discovered in Arunachal's East Kameng; named after state's largest tribe
GUWAHATI: Forest officials in Arunachal Pradesh have discovered a new flowering plant 'Begonia nyishiorum', endemic to the state's East Kameng district. An article on the discovery was published on June 23 in the journal Novon. Published by the Missouri Botanical Garden, Novon specialises in peer reviewed nomenclatural research and is widely regarded as a gold standard venue for announcing new plant species. The discovery was made during an expedition 'Documentation of rare flora and fauna of East Kameng district', conducted by the Seppa forest division from July last year to January this year. Divisional Forest Officer, Seppa, Abhinav Kumar told this newspaper Begonia nyishiorum remained a hidden secret all these years. 'Officers and staff members of the forest division and local Nyishi residents blazed fresh trekking lines by cutting through dense, untouched vegetation and camped in sub zero conditions at elevations above 2 600 metres, where several slopes lay under early winter snow. Amid this arduous survey to document the district's flora and fauna, the team noticed a cluster of begonias with unmistakable crimson fringed petioles—sparking detailed collection, photography, and subsequent taxonomic work,' said Kumar, also the co-lead author. Begonia nyishiorum grows in moist, shaded mountain slopes between 1,500 and 3,000 metres above sea level and is instantly recognisable by the dense crimson, fringed scales that sheath its light green petioles - an indumentum previously unseen in any Asian begonia. 'Each new species we document is another reminder that vast tracts of Arunachal's forest remain scientifically unexplored,' said Kumar, adding, 'Begonia nyishiorum spotlights why the Eastern Himalaya must be treated as a global priority for both research and conservation.' Talking about why this discovery matters, Kumar said currently known only from two forest sites in East Kameng, the species' petiole 'fringe' sets it apart from over 2,150 accepted begonias worldwide. He said the epithet nyishiorum honours the Nyishi community whose traditional stewardship protects these high elevation forests. According to Kumar, Arunachal adds more than ten plant species to science each year and this find underscored the state's role as a cradle of Himalayan speciation. Talking about the next steps, he said forest officials will map additional populations during the 2025-26 flowering season (September-December), conduct rapid ecological assessments to gauge habitat stability and potential anthropogenic pressure, and liaise with local Nyishi village councils to integrate traditional knowledge into long term monitoring.
The Hindu
04-06-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Aiming for an era of ‘biohappiness' in India
Recently, on a trip to Arunachal Pradesh, we were amazed by the diversity of greens in the diet — all freshly plucked from the forest and fields. Similarly, across rural and tribal areas of our country, one can find many varieties of millets, beans, legumes, tubers, wild fruits and green leafy vegetables, which the urban Indian is hardly aware of. The Nyishi and Apatani tribal communities in the State are knowledgeable about the nutritional and medicinal properties of many of these local plants. A senior government official however warned of the rapid rate at which agrobiodiversity was disappearing in northeast India, mirroring the global rise in the rate of species extinction. Traditional knowledge about the medicinal and nutritional properties of these foods, as well as the culinary practices of tribal communities are probably going extinct at the same pace. India's biodiversity India covers about 2% of global land area, but harbours nearly 8% of global biodiversity. It is ranked as one of 17 'megadiverse' countries of the world; contains sections of four of the 36 global biodiversity 'hotspots;' and is one of just eight centres of global food-crop diversity. Natural services from India's diverse forests are valued at over ₹130 trillion a year, and local ecosystem services sustain livelihoods of a vast majority of the rural population. However, continuous decline in our natural assets reduces India's GDP and hinders sustainable development. Yet, biodiversity and its potential to increase human well-being remain largely unexplored. Global food systems are dominated by three crops — rice, wheat, and maize — which provide over 50% of the world's plant-based calories. This concentration and loss of biodiversity comes at a heavy price, causing nutritional imbalances, and vulnerability to climate shocks. Non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and obesity are rising globally, and despite technological advances in agriculture that have enabled unprecedented gains in productivity, the benefits have not been equitably distributed, as the resilience of our food systems comes under threat. For long we have ignored locally grown crops such as small millets, buckwheat, amaranth, jackfruit, yams and tubers, and indigenous legumes that remain classified as Neglected and Underutilized Species (NUS) in favour of popular commercial crops. The NUS, also known as orphan crops, are now being referred to as opportunity crops because they are nutritionally dense, climate-resilient, and adapted to local environments. Crops and communities Orphan (or Opportunity) crops have always been embedded in local culinary traditions, often linked with cultural identity and ecological knowledge. The community of Kolli hills (Eastern Ghats of Tamil Nadu) preferred growing locally adapted millets. Over three decades, farmers have moved to cultivating cash crops such as cassava, coffee, and pepper, resulting in a decline of agrobiodiversity. The M.S Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF) has been working with agricultural communities here for over 20 years, to prevent the erosion of millet crop diversity in the region through participatory research and empowering farmers' groups. These interventions have enabled a community of farmers, especially women, to document traditional knowledge and best practices, while improving the vitality of the soil, diversifying crop production, improving local processing and value addition, leading to increasing income. India's action plan under the UN-declared International Year of Millets and Shree Anna Yojana was focused on strategies to enhance production and productivity, consumption, export, strengthening value chains, branding, creating awareness for health benefits and more. Many States have their own Millet Missions. In the Koraput district of Odisha, we have worked closely with the Odisha Millet Mission in supporting community-led millet revival from seed to consumption. While the focus nationally has been on ragi, jowar and bajra, the next step should be to expand the State missions to cover a variety of minor millets and to include them in the Public Distribution System. More than five decades ago, Professor M.S. Swaminathan envisioned an Evergreen Revolution — that is rooted not in chemical intensification but in restoring ecological balance and nutrition security. The future of food is diverse and nutritious. To bring these forgotten foods back to the table is also to put our cultural identity and ecological knowledge at the forefront of the climate crisis — for people, planet, and its posterity. An interdisciplinary science Today, a new biodiversity science is emerging across the globe, which India can leverage, given its Human Resources and scientific infrastructure. Furthermore, this interdisciplinary science will help us meet our most pressing challenges in sustainable use of India's unique biodiversity, for agriculture and food production, health and nutrition, climate change and disaster risk management, bio-economy, and providing a variety of jobs to meet the needs of 1.4 billion people. India could become a global leader in conservation and sustainable use of natural resources leading to better health and human well-being. Could we aim for an era of 'Biohappiness', as presciently envisioned by M.S. Swaminathan? Dr. Soumya Swaminathan is Chairperson of the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation. Dr. E.D. Israel Oliver King is Director, Biodiversity, M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation
