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NDTV
16-07-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
Reinstated By High Court, Manipur Education Officers Still Allegedly Kept Out Of Office
Imphal: The Manipur government has not reinstated two zonal education officers (ZEOs) despite an order by the Manipur High Court to do so, which could amount to contempt of court, an organisation representing the Thadou tribe said in a letter to Governor AK Bhalla. The matter is linked to the suspension of the ZEOs for giving no-objection certificates (NOCs) - without following due process - for schools in two districts to apply for CBSE affiliation in 2023 amid the disruption caused by the ethnic violence. The education officers had already apologised to the state government in writing, and had also pointed out that they were "compelled" to sign the NOCs under "duress" and "pressure" from "elected representatives, CSOs (civil society organisations), and student bodies to issue the NOCs". The Thadou Students' Association (TSA) said two months have passed since the high court quashed the suspensions of Churachandpur ZEO Jangkhohao Haokip and Kangpokpi ZEO Lhingtinneng Singsit. "... Yet the state government has failed to reinstate the two Thadou officers, thereby constituting not only an administrative failure but also a contempt of court. TSA strongly urges the government to immediately reinstate both officers to their respective posts, in full compliance with the high court's orders, along with the release of all consequential benefits due to them," the TSA said. The TSA said the two ZEOs are widely recognised for their honesty, neutrality and dedication to educational service. "Their suspension, evidently influenced by political interference, has now been rightly invalidated by the Hon'ble Court. Justice delayed is justice denied, and further inaction will only intensify public dissatisfaction, particularly among the students and youth of the Thadou community," the TSA said. Court documents and the order copy, accessed by NDTV, showed that the two education officers were suspended on January 12, 2024 by the secretariat education (school) under Rule 10(1)(a) of the Central Civil Services (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rules, 1965. Under this rule, the suspension is only for 90 days, unless it is extended on the recommendation of a review committee, and it lapses automatically after 90 days if there is no recommendation to extend it. "It has been submitted on behalf of the petitioner that in the present case, as the authorities have not extended the period of suspension by issuing necessary order, the impugned suspension order dated 12.01.2024 has become invalid by operation of law..." the lawyer appearing for the zonal education officer, Jangkhohao Haokip, told the high court. Accepting the submission, the court set aside the suspension and directed the state government "to reinstate the petitioner back in service forthwith with all the consequential benefits". A TSA source said they have filed a Right to Information (RTI) query to the education secretary (school) and the state public information officer seeking reasons for the delay in reinstating the zonal education officers, and who is responsible for the delay. Naorem Praveen Singh is the secretary of education (school). 'Education Officers Made Scapegoat' In the letter to the Governor, the TSA also demanded stringent action against 25 private schools in Kangpokpi and Churachandpur that "exploited political influence to secure CBSE recognition by coercing or manipulating the issue of no-objection certificates from the ZEO offices". The TSA said institutions found to have engaged in such unethical conduct must be investigated thoroughly and, if proven guilty, blacklisted from the Board of Secondary Education, Manipur and held accountable. Principals of the affected schools in Kangpokpi and Churachandpur had in December 2023 criticised what they called the authorities' "obtuse focus" on procedures when all that the students needed amid the ethnic clashes and other cataclysmic disruptions was academic continuity, whether CBSE or state board. "The situation in Manipur after May 3 was such that functioning under the state board was becoming impossible. We have to go to Imphal for exam coordination and other state board work. How would that be possible?" the principal of a Kangpokpi school had told NDTV on December 20, requesting anonymity. Other school principals in the hill district cited difficulty in coordinating with the education department at a time when battle lines have been clearly drawn on the basis of ethnicity and deep mistrust.
NDTV
08-07-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
Kuki Body's Diktat To MLAs In Manipur Illegal, Can Be Charged, Says Thadou Inpi Manipur
Imphal/Guwahati: A key organisation of the indigenous distinct tribe Thadou in Manipur has condemned a Kuki tribes' body for issuing a diktat to "Kuki-Zo" MLAs not to participate in forming government in the border state, whenever it happens. The Thadou Inpi Manipur (TIM), which says it is the main civil body representing the Thadou tribe, said the Kuki Inpi Manipur (KIM) can neither dictate to nor force leaders from the Thadou, Hmar, Paite, Vaiphei, Zou, or any other Zo kindred tribes to do their bidding. According to Thadou Inpi Manipur's senior members, Kuki Inpi Manipur is not effective in Kangpokpi district, the turf of MLAs Nemcha Kipgen and Haokholet Kipgen. "Moreover, their [Kuki Inpi Manipur's] influence doesn't count over Zomi MLAs such as Vungzagin Valte and LM Khaute, Zou tribe MLA Chinlunthang, and Hmar MLA Ngursanglur Sanate. So, under Kuki Inpi Manipur, the only MLAs left are Kimneo Haokip Hangshing, Paolienlal Haokip, and Letzamang Haokip, all belonging to Any Kuki Tribes," a senior functionary of Thadou Inpi Manipur said. "Thadou people reside all over Manipur, vote and contest in local, state, and national elections for MDCs, MLAs, and MPs. Presently, among the 10 Zo MLAs supporting the 'SA demand in Manipur', three hold Thadou ST certificates - Nemcha Kipgen, Letpao Haokip, and Haokholet Kipgen," the Thadou Inpi Manipur said in a statement on Tuesday. "If any of them wish to identify as Kuki, they should obtain an AKT certificate... However, no force has any right to disturb, harm, or intimidate any Thadou ST certificate holding MLAs in exercising his/her constitutional obligations such as part of formation of a popular government, as they are not Kuki but Thadou," TIM said, referring to 'Any Kuki Tribes', or AKT. The Kuki Inpi Manipur can be charged with "criminal intimidation, criminal conspiracy, unlawful restraint, obstruction of public functionaries, and sedition if their acts threaten public order or constitutional governance... and undermine the sovereignty, integrity, or democratic processes of India," TIM said. The "Kuki-Zo" nomenclature refers exclusively to individuals who subscribe to the Any Kuki Tribes (AKT) Scheduled Tribes (ST) category, while in contrast Thadou is a distinct indigenous tribe with its own constitutional recognition with a population of 2.16 lakh as per the 2011 Census and enumerated in the Census of India since 1881, consistently holding the highest population among tribal communities and ranking as the second-largest community after the Meitei in Manipur, the Thadou Inpi Manipur said. "Neither Kuki-Zo subscribers nor Kuki Inpi Manipur hold any authority over the Thadou people or Thadou Inpi Manipur," TIM said. TIM said it was formerly called the Thadou National Council [established in 1984] and the Thadou Tribe Council, and has "never been part of Kuki Inpi Manipur since its formation in 1993 along with its units like KSO, KKL, etc. The Thadou Conclave Delhi 2015 Declaration No. 6 explicitly disowned Kuki Inpi and its units. KIM applies only to AKT certificate holders, not Thadou in Manipur." On Saturday last, the Kuki Inpi Manipur in a statement had said "no Kuki-Zo MLA shall participate or take part in any manner in the formation of a new popular government" in Manipur. "Under no circumstances shall the Kuki-Zo people compromise our ancestral land, culture, identity, and political, social and economic rights," the Kuki Inpi Manipur said. The KIM marked a copy of the statement to other allied organisations of the Kuki tribes and also the two umbrella groups, Kuki National Organisation and United People's Front, which represent 25 insurgent groups that signed the suspension of operations (SoO) agreement with the Centre and the state government. Meitei leaders have alleged Kuki insurgent groups that signed the SoO agreement have been working to strengthen themselves over the years by taking advantage of the ceasefire, until a time came to engineer a violent attack for a separate land. While Kuki groups pointed at the ethnic clashes that began in May 2023 as the reason why they escalated their demand from an autonomous council to a separate administration, or a Union Territory with an assembly, Meitei leaders have pointed at decades-old evidence of Kuki groups working to form 'Kukiland' carved out of Manipur. The World Kuki-Zo Intellectual Council (WKZIC) in a memorandum to Manipur's new Governor on January 15 said the Kuki tribes have been demanding a state "since 1946-47." In the years before May 2023, Kuki protests, gatherings and panel discussions have mentioned the demand for a separate area carved out of Manipur.
The Hindu
04-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Top news of the day: July 4, 2025
Monsoon ravages: 43 dead in Himachal Pradesh in 2 weeks, 37 missing At least 43 people have been killed and 37 gone missing in Himachal Pradesh due to the ravages of weather — cloudburst, flash floods, landslide — since the onset of the monsoon last month, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said on Friday (July 4, 2025). Addressing the media in Shimla after a high-level review meeting with the deputy speaker and other ministers, the Himachal CM stated that the State is facing 'disaster like a war'. He also said, 'Till now, approximately 69 (43 deaths due to rain fury and 26 due to road accidents since June 20) people have lost their lives, 37 are missing, and 110 have been injured. The total damage has been estimated at around ₹700 crore'. Pune cops detain man in rape case of techie in Kondhwa area Two days after an unidentified man allegedly raped a 22-year-old IT professional after entering her flat in Pune city by posing as a courier delivery person, police on Friday (July 4, 2025) said they had detained a suspect. The suspect's past connections with the woman, if any, were being investigated, said a senior official. According to the police, the accused clicked a selfie using the woman's phone in which her back and a part of his face are seen, and left a message warning that he had taken her pictures and would release them on social media if she reported the incident. Manipur organisations urge Centre to end SoO agreements with Kuki groups Four Manipur organisations representing the Meitei, Naga, and Thadou communities have appealed to the Centre not to renew the Suspension of Operations agreements with Kuki extremist groups, citing alleged repeated violations of the conditions and a failure to maintain law and order. These organisations are the Indigenous Peoples' Forum Manipur, Meitei Alliance, Foothill Naga Coordination Committee, and Thadou Inpi Manipur. They submitted a joint memorandum to Home Minister Amit Shah on July 3, justifying their demand for scrapping the peace deals with the Kuki groups. A section of the Thadou tribe, represented by the TIM, resents being clubbed under the 'Kuki' nomenclature. DGCA warned Air India Express about delay on Airbus engine fix, forging records Aviation watchdog, Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), reprimanded Air India's budget carrier in March for not timely changing engine parts of an Airbus A320 as directed by the European Union's aviation safety agency, and falsifying records to show compliance, a government memo showed. In a statement, Air India Express told Reuters it acknowledged the error to DGCA and undertook 'remedial action and preventive measures'. The engine issue in the Air India Express' Airbus was raised on March 18, months before the crash. But the regulator has this year also warned parent Air India for breaching rules for flying three Airbus planes with overdue checks on escape slides and in June warned it about 'serious violations' of pilot duty timings. Supreme Court refuses plea to reconsider NEET-UG results, says lives and careers of students at stake The Supreme Court on Friday (July 4, 2025) refused a plea by a National Eligibility cum Entrance Test-Undergraduate (NEET-UG) 2025 exam candidate to 'correct' the final answer key in accordance with the authoritative National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) standards and declare results afresh. A Bench of Justices PS Narasimha and R. Mahadevan dismissed the plea made by Shivam Gandhi Raina, represented by senior advocate R. Balasubramanium and advocate Sriram Parakkat, for an interim stay on the commencement or continuation of the counselling process. 'We cannot tackle individual grievances like this,' Justice Narasimha remarked. National Herald case: ED case very strange, Sonia Gandhi argues in court Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, representing Congress leader Sonia Gandhi on Friday (July 4, 2025), argued that the Enforcement Directorate's National Herald case was 'truly a strange' one. Mr. Singhvi began his rebuttal after additional solicitor general S.V. Raju for ED on July 3 concluded his arguments on the point of cognisance of the chargesheet filed in the case. 'This is truly a strange case. More than strange. Unprecedented. This is an alleged case of money laundering, without any property, without use or projection of property,' Mr. Singhvi argued. Nipah virus: Kerala Health department sounds alert in three districts The Kerala Health department on Friday (July 4, 2025) issued an alert in three districts – Kozhikode, Malappuram and Palakkad – after two cases of the Nipah virus have been reported from Palakkad and Malappuram districts. Preliminary tests done at the Kozhikode Medical College Hospital and Malappuram have turned out to be positive for Nipah. An official statement from the Health department said directions have been issued to districts to immediately launch preventive and control measures as per the State Nipah protocol, without waiting for confirmation from NIV. Supreme Court agrees to examine T.N.'s plea against Madras HC stay on 9 Acts on V-C appointments in universities The Supreme Court on Friday (July 4, 2025) agreed to examine a petition filed by the Tamil Nadu government against an interim order of the Madras High Court on May 21 staying nine Acts which vest with the State, and not the Governor, the authority to appoint Vice-Chancellors in State-run universities. The Bench observed that a transfer petition filed by the State, to shift the case from the Madras High Court to the top court, was already pending and scheduled to be listed soon after the summer vacations in mid July. Operation Sindoor was 'finest example' of commitment to defend 'Swaraj': Amit Shah Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday (July 4, 2025) said India's armed forces and the leadership are committed to defend `Swaraj' or sovereignty of the country, and it was demonstrated very well during Operation Sindoor. Speaking after the unveiling of an equestrian statue of Maratha statesman and general Peshwa Bajirao I at the National Defence Academy (NDA) in Pune, the BJP leader also said whenever he is plagued by negative thoughts, he thinks of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Bajirao. 'When it was time to put up a fight to establish a Swaraj, we did it. When fighting will be required to defend the Swaraj, our forces and leadership will definitely demonstrate it, and Operation Sindoor was its finest example,' he said. Russia hammers Ukraine with 550 missiles and Shahed drones overnight; 23 people injured in Kyiv Waves of drone and missile attacks targeted Kyiv overnight into Friday (July 4, 2025) in the largest aerial attack since Russia's war in Ukraine began, injuring 23 people and inflicting damage across multiple districts of the capital. Russia launched 550 drones and missiles across Ukraine overnight, the country's Air Force said. The majority were Shahed drones, while Russia used 11 missiles in the attack. Throughout the night, Associated Press journalists in Kyiv heard the constant buzzing of drones overhead and the sound of explosions and intense machine gun fire as Ukrainian forces tried to intercept the aerial assault. Kyiv was the primary target of the attack. At least 23 people were injured, with 14 hospitalised, according to Mayor Vitali Klitschko. Trump says he expects Hamas decision in 24 hours on 'final' peace proposal U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday (July 4, 2025) it would probably be known in 24 hours whether the Palestinian militant group Hamas has agreed to accept what he has called a 'final proposal' for an Israel-Hamas ceasefire in Gaza. The President also said he had spoken to Saudi Arabia about expanding the Abraham Accords, the deal on normalisation of ties that his administration negotiated between Israel and some Gulf countries during his first term. He was asked on Friday (July 4, 2025) if Hamas had agreed to the latest ceasefire deal framework and said, 'We'll see what happens; we are going to know over the next 24 hours.' Donald Trump says he is disappointed in Vladimir Putin U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters early on Friday (July 4, 2025) that he is disappointed in Russian President Vladimir Putin and does not think Mr. Putin will stop the war in Ukraine. Mr. Trump also said he will speak to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday (July 4, 2025). Earlier, Mr. Trump said that a phone call with Mr. Putin resulted in no progress at all on efforts to end the war in Ukraine. 'It was a pretty long call, we talked about a lot of things, including Iran, and we also talked about, as you know, the war with Ukraine. And I'm not happy about that,' Mr. Trump told reporters. North Korean crosses heavily fortified border to South Korea 'An unidentified North Korean man crossed the heavily fortified land border separating the two Koreas and is in South Korean custody,' the South Korea's military said on Friday (July 4, 2025). South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said the military identified and tracked the individual near the central-west section of the military demarcation line and conducted a 'guiding operation' before taking the person into custody on Thursday night (July 3, 2025.) According to the Joint Chiefs, a South Korean military team approached the unarmed North Korean man after detecting him and, after identifying themselves as South Korean troops, guided him safely out of the mine-strewn Demilitarised Zone that divides the two Koreas. Hunt for new Indian men's football coach begins as AIFF opens application process after Marquez's exit The All India Football Federation (AIFF) on Friday (July 4, 2025) began the process to find a new head coach for its under-fire men's national team, setting July 13 as the last date for interested applicants, who must have at least 10 years of experience and 'cultural sensitivity', among other qualifications. 'The 'Head Coach - Senior Men's National Team' will report to the AIFF Secretary General and is accountable for the performance of the team in all matches and competitions it participates in during the term of the coach's contract,' the AIFF stated on its website and added that the duration and remuneration for the new appointee will be decided later.
The Hindu
04-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
End peace deals with Kuki armed groups, Manipur organisations tell Centre
GUWAHATI: Four Manipur organisations representing the Meitei, Naga, and Thadou communities have appealed to the Centre not to renew the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreements with Kuki extremist groups, citing alleged repeated violations of the conditions and a failure to maintain law and order. These organisations are the Indigenous Peoples' Forum Manipur, Meitei Alliance, Foothill Naga Coordination Committee, and Thadou Inpi Manipur (TIM). They submitted a joint memorandum to Home Minister Amit Shah on July 3, justifying their demand for scrapping the peace deals with the Kuki groups. A section of the Thadou tribe, represented by the TIM, resents being clubbed under the 'Kuki' nomenclature. The four organisations claimed that some 25 groups under the Kuki National Organisation (KNO) and the United People's Front (UPF), which signed the SoO agreements in 2008, were responsible for inciting violence that began on May 3, 2023, in Churachandpur, including arson in Torbung and Kanvai. 'The preamble of the SoO agreements states that KNO and UPF will completely abjure the path of violence and will not engage in violent or unlawful activities like killing, injuries, kidnappings, ambush, extortions, intimidations, carrying of arms in public and imposing of 'tax' or 'fines'. Therefore, it establishes that the purpose of the SoO agreements is to maintain law and order, which is a State subject under the Constitution of India,' the joint memorandum read. It pointed out that the agreements have a provision allowing the Manipur government to terminate and take appropriate action against the KNO and UPF if they violate the ground rules of the SoO agreements, based on the recommendation of the Joint Monitoring Group (JMG). However, the JMG includes the very groups – KNO and UPF – responsible for violence and expected to recommend to the State government whether or not to take action against themselves, the organisations pointed out. They said the State government has been unable to take action against the groups under the KNO and UPF because of the 'flawed structure' of the SoO agreements, creating a 'conflict of interest' and rendering 'accountability impossible'. The quartet of organisations highlighted that the Manipur government withdrew from the SoO agreements with groups like the Kuki National Army and the Zomi Revolutionary Army in March 2023 and formally opposed their renewal in January 2024. Calling for peace and accountability, the memorandum suggested either an abrogation of the SoO agreements or a comprehensive overhaul of their structure. It also called for a re-election in the State to allow a popular government to decide on any future agreement and for the prosecution of any militants involved in violence, even if they are signatories to the SoO. The groups stressed that the SoO must not become a 'protector of violence', but a genuine mechanism for ensuring non-violence and restoring normalcy in Manipur.
India Today
03-07-2025
- Politics
- India Today
Civil groups in Manipur demand end to Suspension of Operations pact with Kuki militants
In a strong push for accountability and peace, four major civil society organisations representing the Meitei, Thadou, and Naga communities have jointly urged Union Home Minister Amit Shah to discontinue the Suspension of Operations (SoO) Agreements with armed Kuki militant groups. The organisations claim these groups are largely responsible for the ongoing instability in Manipur and have consistently violated the terms of the a joint memorandum submitted to the Home Minister on Thursday, the Indigenous Peoples' Forum Manipur, Thadou Inpi Manipur, Meitei Alliance, and the Foothills Naga Co-ordinating Committee alleged that the SoO-protected groups played a central role in triggering the ethnic violence that erupted on May 3, 2023, starting in Churachandpur. They pointed to the torching of homes in Torbung and Kanvai as early signs of the broader unrest instigated by these signatories asserted that militant organisations under the SoO framework continue to pose threats to the lives and security of all communities in the state. They highlighted that the Kuki National Organisation (KNO) and the United People's Front (UPF) originally entered into bilateral ceasefire arrangements with the Indian Army in 2005, which were converted into tripartite agreements involving the Government of India and the Manipur Government in 2008. Despite yearly renewals, the organisations claim the agreements have failed to ensure peace and have, instead, enabled lawlessness. According to the memorandum, the preamble of the SoO Agreement requires militant groups to renounce violence and illegal activities such as extortion, abductions, and the public display of arms. However, the civil bodies allege that these terms have been repeatedly breached, and the state government is unable to enforce accountability due to loopholes in the agreement's structure. One key concern raised was the role of the Joint Monitoring Group (JMG), which includes representatives from the same militant groups it is supposed to monitor—creating a situation where violators oversee their own organisations also pointed out that the Manipur Government had officially abrogated the SoO agreements with the Kuki National Army (KNA) and Zomi Revolutionary Army (ZRA) in March 2023, and later recommended against their renewal in January 2024. They insisted that unless recommended by the elected state government, the agreements should not be extended under any restore peace and normalcy, the civil society groups proposed several key recommendations: the immediate abrogation of the current SoO agreements, re-establishment of a popular elected government to enable legitimate consultation on such agreements, a comprehensive review and restructuring of the SoO framework, appointment of an independent and neutral arbitrator, and prosecution of militants involved in violence—removing their protection under the memorandum concluded by reaffirming that the SoO framework must not serve as a shield for those perpetrating unrest but should function strictly as a peacebuilding tool. As Manipur continues to recover from the aftermath of more than a year of conflict, the demand to rethink the SoO agreement underscores growing calls for structural reform and a return to democratic governance.- EndsMust Watch
