"There is an increasing clash of interests between the State Government and the Sixth Schedule on which the Councils rest", the ARC report prepared by former Karnataka Chief Minister, Mr Veerappa Moily had said.

The Sixth Schedule Councils have been given more powers than the local governance bodies, in the rest of the country. While many areas under the Schedule have seen turmoil and violence, it is generally agreed that the autonomy paradigm prescribed under it has brought a degree of equilibrium within tribal societies particularly through formal dispute resolution under customary laws and through control of money-lending etc, the commission report said.

Meghalaya displays a peculiar situation as, despite the formation of the State, the whole of the State continues to be under the Sixth Schedule causing frequent conflicts with the State Government. But the state however, enjoys certain overriding powers over these bodies including the supremacy of State legislation vis a vis 'Council legislation under Para 12(A) of the Sixth Schedule ', the report said.

While the continuance of autonomous Councils in Meghalaya is said to have contributed to maintenance of inter-tribe equations, the arrangement has frequently resulted in conflicts with the State Government as was explained to the Commission during its visit to Meghalaya , it said.

It was argued by the State officials that the arrangement of the geographical area of the State overlapped with the jurisdiction of the councils and leads to conflicts in the North East. This is unprecedented in the region. It was also contended that in a predominantly tribal State like Meghalaya, district level legislative bodies were no longer necessary.

During the Commission's visit to Meghalaya, representatives of the Councils expressed dissatisfaction about their inter-face with the State Governments concerned. "There was a feeling that these autonomous bodies are treated as extensions of the Government, the report said.

Various provisions of the Schedule create an impression that the Governor under that Schedule is to act at his discretion. But the present position is that in almost all matters the Governor acts on the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers, the report said.

"The Commission is of the view that since the Sixth Schedule enjoys a wide autonomy even after Meghalaya was created out of the erstwhile State of Assam, this aspect needs to be examined by the Ministry of Home Affairs."

As one of the recommendations the Commission said that the Union Government, Government of Meghalaya and the Autonomous Councils in that State may review the existing pattern of relationship between the Councils and the State Government. They should evolve a satisfactory mechanism to resolve conflicts between the Councils and the State Government, it suggested.

Ministry of Home Affairs may, in consultation with the concerned State Governments and the Autonomous Councils, identify powers under the Sixth Schedule that Governors may exercise at their discretion without having to act on the 'aid and advice' of the Council of Ministers as envisaged in the Constitution. The recent impasse in the District Council of Garo Hills is a case in point.

"The Sixth Schedule may be suitably amended to enable the Union Government to appoint a common Commission for all autonomous districts for assessing their state of administration and making other recommendations," the report said.The Commission's report submitted to the Prime Minister, calls for serious introspection because it has certain vital observations.

It may be noted that the Sixth Schedule was legislated mainly to safeguard tribal customary laws and practices and to look after tribal interests at a time when all the most of the North Eastern states which are predominantly tribal in character were part of the larger state of Assam.

On Tuesday, the victim, a chemical engineer in the cement plant, narrated the story as to how she was molested by her boss, manager of the processing unit, 44-year-old Vikram Porwal.

After knowing about the ill behaviour of the manager, many junior local staff, mostly women, beat him up and lodged a complaint to the company authorities.

Initially, though, the company allegedly tried safeguard the erring manager, due to pressure from the workers police had to be called in and he was arrested later.

Some women staff alleged that despite several complaints of molestation attempts and misbehaviour against the manager in the past, the company authorities did not take any stern action against him so far.

Khiehriat police station registered a case in this connection.

Speaking to reporters here on Tuesday, Mr Shira said illegal toll gates were still rampant along NH-62 especially between Nangalbibra and Dainadubi, affecting the coal traders and truckers.

"The previous Congress-led government should be held solely responsible for creating this situation as they had given the permission for erection of such huge number of illegal toll gates," Mr Shira said.

He said, "This unreasonable license for erection of illegal toll gates only proves that some of the legislators in the previous government were benefiting from these toll gates".

"This government is in favour of dismantling all the illegal toll gates and the matter will be discussed very soon," he said.

Urban Affairs Parliamentary Secretary Marcuise N Marak alleged that police personnel were also involved in collection of money from the truckers all along the NH-62.

In February, deputy commissioners of East Khasi Hills, West Khasi Hills, Jaintia Hills and Ri-Bhoi districts took drastic action to dismantle all the illegal toll gates along the national highway passing through the districts as per a Supreme Court order.

Central Government had made it compulsory for any department to take permission from Union Ministry of Road Transport and National Highway before erection of any toll gate on the national highways.

The toll gates that were dismantled included those of Forest department, Shillong Municipal Board, Jowai Municipal Board, Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council, Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council and other State Government departments.

Surprisingly, no district administration in all the three districts of Garo Hills dismantled any of the illegal toll gates even after several complaints from the Coal Merchant Association.

Nangalbibra Coal Merchants Association (NCMA) had submitted a memorandum to Chief Minister Dr Donkupar Roy in this connection.

NCMA general secretary Kennedy S Marak alleged that the toll gates collect Rs 100 to Rs 2,300 from the coal-laden trucks. Daily collection of each of these toll gates amounts to lakhs of rupees.

"A truck load of coal has to shell out anywhere between Rs 12,000 to Rs 16,000 per trip, excluding the illegal tax which is levied by police and home guards," Mr Marak said.

He also pointed out that the empty trucks have to ply through Damra, Mendipathar and Darugiri route to reach Nangalbibra.

On the route there are four illegal gates -- Mendipathar parking, pollution gate at Darenchi, Garo Hills Autonomous District Council gate and one newly erected gate (it is not known who is operating it), the NCMA general secretary said.

"We don't understand as to why on a particular route there is more than one weigh bridge and pollution check gate especially since pollution check is valid for six months to one year. Ironically, each time the trucks passed these check gates, they would undergo pollution checking," Mr Marak said.

He further stated that majority of the toll gates belong to State Transport department.

This move of the State government has a great significance as this would help Shillong regain its past glory as the educational hub of the region.

Chief Minister, Dr Donkupar Roy will head the Committee while Higher and Technical Education Minister Manas Chaudhuri will be the Vice- Chairman.

"The committee would review the draft education policy after which the draft would then be put on the official website of the department to allow the general public, particularly academicians, to give their views and suggestions on the policy," Mr Chaudhuri said while talking to reporters here on Tuesday.

Mr. Chaudhuri stated that the Committee has set a three-month timeframe to finalise the State Education Policy.

"In the recent past the standard of education in our State has plummeted. This is not an encouraging scenario especially since Shillong has enjoyed pride of place as the hub for quality education in the North East. " Mr Chaudhuri said

He said, "Between the 60s and 70s, this state capital was known for its high educational standards imparted by the few renowned missionary educational institutions like St. Edmund College, St Anthony's College, Loreto Convent and St. Mary's College".

Mr. Chaudhuri pointed out that the decline of quality education over the years has also created a situation where the number of students coming from outside Meghalaya to pursue their school and college education in Shillong has drop drastically.

Pointing to the unregulated private education institutions that have mushroomed over the decade, Mr Chaudhuri said they have done considerable damage as they have tossed quality education for sake of crass commercialization.

"The major factor that has led to the deterioration in the standard of education in Shillong was because the government did not have any policy or planning for the growth of education in the last thirty-six years" Mr Chaudhuri said adding that he has now inherited the mess, but that he would make all efforts to try and clear the mess.

He said the MPA government would put in place an education policy that would ensure growth of quality education.

"I am not in favour of the government controlling the system, but putting in place some sort of mechanism that would act as a deterrent to the unregulated private educational institutions" Mr Chaudhuri added.

SHILLONG: Parliamentary Secretary in charge of Elementary and Mass Education Ampareen Lyngdoh has said that the students dropout rate at the primary school level had come down to 20 per cent.

Replying to a motion moved by Opposition Congress member Dr Phlour W Khongji in the Assembly on Tuesday on the pathetic condition of primary schools in the State, Ms Lyngdoh said that the State Government was taking adequate steps to contain the dropout rate by addressing the problems at the grass roots level.

"The dropout rate earlier was very high but it has come down to 20 per cent due to efforts by the Education department to contain the problem" Ms Lyngdoh said adding that the department had entrusted NEHU to carry out a survey and submit its findings on the cause of school drop out in the State and recommendations on how to stem this problem. Stating that the State was the first in the country in terms of access to Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), Ms Lyngdoh said that a major chunk of the Rs 72 crore Plan outlay for 2007-2008 had been earmarked for primary education sector. She also informed that the salary of primary school teachers had been enhanced from Rs 1800 to Rs 3000 per month. The lone woman legislator also said that the Education Policy was likely to be finalised in the next few months and that more views and suggestions were being sought from the public, NGOs, academicians and stakeholders. She also said that so far 34 organisations had submitted their views on the draft policy.

On the controversy regarding State Eligibility Test (SET) for primary school teachers, Ms Lyngdoh said that the test was required to improve the quality of education at the primary level. According to her, 5292 candidates passed the written test for SET conducted in December 2006 out of whom 3160 cleared the personal interview.

"There are 704 teaching vacancies in primary schools and these vacancies will be filled up by candidates who have passed the SET" Ms Lyngdoh said adding that a large number of existing primary school teachers would be removed as they had not undergone or cleared the SET examinations.

On the shortage of Science and Mathematics teachers in most schools in rural areas, the Parliamentary Secretary said that altogether there were 927 such teachers in the State while she also said that funds from North Eastern Council (NEC) would be used to appoint more Science and Mathematics teachers in schools.

Regarding the recent change of textbooks, Ms Lyngdoh said that the process was made after the implementation of national curriculum in 2005. She however said that the publication of textbooks had been entrusted to MBOSE which also engaged the service of private publishers.

"The textbooks are of good quality going by their content, design and color. There will be no further change of textbooks in the next five years" Ms Lyngdoh said. She also said that in order to ease the burden of young students, limited textbooks had been prescribed for study in order to make them enjoy education.

Earlier, Opposition members who took part in the debate on the motion including H Donkupar Roy Lyngdoh, Founder S Cajee, Lahkmen Rymbui, Ronnie V Lyngdoh, Frankenstein W Momin and Abu Taher Mandal criticised the failure of the State Government to pay attention to education especially primary schools while they also sought immediate steps to rectify the loopholes in the system.

SHILLONG: Deputy Chief Minister Timothy D Shira has informed that Centrally sponsored schemes had helped immensely in reducing poverty in the State and that as per the provisional survey conducted in 2002 there were 48.5 percent families living below the poverty line.

Replying to a motion moved by Opposition Congress member Dr Roytre C Laloo in the Assembly on Tuesday, Mr Shira who also holds the Community and Rural Development portfolio said that Rs 4427.96 lakh had been spent during 2007-2008 under the National Rural Employment Generation Scheme (NREGS) in the State.

Stating that there were 39 Community Development Blocks in the State, Mr Shira said that several Central schemes like SGRY, IAY, SRWP, JRY and others were being implemented in villages to raise the standard of living besides creating assets for the community. Mr Shira said that most of the Central schemes were being funded on a sharing basis with the Centre, its share being 75 per cent. Under IAY, Rs 5065.63 lakh had been spent in 2007-2008 for construction of low cost houses for poor families in rural areas, he added. The House also took up the motion moved by Dr Laloo on streamlining the functioning of the Social Welfare department.

Shillong: Out of the total of 5,782, altogether 3,428 villages have already been electrified in the State through the Rajiv Gandhi Gramin Vidyuti Kiran Yojana (RGGVK).

Talking to The Shillong Times recently, principal Secretary Power, BK Dev Verma said that the remaining 2,354 villages would be electrified by the end of the 11th Plan adding that Government was targeting to electrify 193 villages and 20,856 households in 2008-2009.

"The State government has already submitted seven Detailed Project Reports (DPR) amounting to Rs 289 crore to the Central government for electrification of the remaining villages in all the seven districts of the State" Mr Verma said.

He said that the Central government had released an amount of Rs 61.71 crore in March 2008 adding that the remaining Rs 228.29 crore would be released in a phased manner in the coming four years.

The highest number of villages electrified is in East Khasi Hills with 805 villages while the lowest number of villages electrified is in South Garo Hills with 222 villages.

The numbers of electrified villages in all the seven districts were East Khasi Hills (805 villages), Ri-Bhoi district (427 villages), Jaintia Hills (360 villages), West Khasi Hills (493 villages), East Garo Hills (359), West Garo Hills (762 villages) and South Garo Hills (222 villages).

Jaintia Hills has the lowest number of villages that are yet to be electrified with only 107 villages while West Garo Hills has the highest numbers with 707 villages.

The numbers of un-electrified villages in the all the seven districts were East Khasi Hills (115 villages), Ri-Bhoi district (116 villages), Jaintia Hills (107 villages), West Khasi Hills (431 villages), East Garo Hills (505 villages), West Garo Hills (707 villages) and South Garo Hills (373 villages).

Mr Verma informed that if taken as a percentage the number of villages being electrified in the State is still below the national average.

"The national average is 70 percent while the State average is only 59.30" Mr. Dev Verma said.

He however stated that the State would fall below the national average since it has not been able to implement the RGVKK for about three years after the decision of the Central government that the amount released through this scheme would be considered as a loan and the State government has to pay back the amount.

"Since we do not have the capacity to pay back to the Centre so we decided to stop implementation of the Scheme" Mr DevVerma said.

Mr Dev Verma further added it was after the decision of the Centre to provide this scheme with 90 percent grant and 10 percent loan that the State government decided to re-implement the scheme.

Shillong: The Meghalaya Commercial Trucks and Owners Operators Association (MCTOOA) would file a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the Gauhati High Court against illegal toll gates on national highways spread across the State.

"The association would file the PIL before Gauhati High Court very soon," MCTOOA president Alexander Shanpru said here on Monday while informing that FIRs have been filed against the Syiem of Hima Myriaw and Hima Mawiang for erecting toll gates at Markasa and Mawkohngei in West Khasi Hills respectively despite prohibitory order being imposed by the district administration.

Erection of toll gates have been prohibited by district administrations in the State, as per the directive of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. However, over 50 illegal toll gates are in existence in West Khasi Hills alone till date and numbers are as much higher in Garo hills as well, he said.

It may be noted that three out of seven districts - East Khasi, Ri-Bhoi and Jaintia Hills - had dismantled almost all the illegal toll gates.

The toll-gates belonged to different bodies including the Autonomous District Councils, Municipal Boards, Forest Department, Syiems (local chieftains), etc., were dismantled recently by district administrations after they failed to procure relevant documents from Ministry of Road Transport and Highway.

Mr Shanpru alleged that the toll gates erected in roadsides were acting as extortionists publicly demanding money from trucks plying on the road, causing much embarrassment to the truckers.

The association has also submitted a memorandum to Chief Minister Dr Donkupar Roy on Monday asking him to intervene on the matter at the earliest.

Earlier, a memorandum was also submitted to the Secretary of Road Transport and Highway, Government of India.

The arrested persons were identified as Shimborlin Rongrin, Biber Rongrin and Did Mawsor, all hailing from Umdang village near Shahlang, West Khasi Hills.

One country made SBML gun, black Maruti car were seized from.

Interestingly, the escaped self-styled boss was identified as Chembar Rongrin, a primary school teacher at Mawkhap, police said.

According to police, two truck drivers - Sansul Uddin and Phulkan Jamatia - had lodged a complaint at Shahlang out post on Sunday stating that five masked men travelling in a car with no registration number had looted Rs 14,000 and Rs 10,000 from each of them.

Based on information of these two persons, the Shahlang police rushed to the spot and managed to stop them at Mawkhap village.

Though, the culprits tried to escape, two of them --Shimborlin Rongrin and Biber Rongrin -- were nabbed from the spot while Did Mawsor was arrested later from Umdang village.

Others including the self-styled boss identified as Chembar Rongrin were still at large and efforts are on to trace them, police added.

Nepal’s Maoists led by Prachanda may make history by becoming the first such movement anywhere in the world to come to power through a free, fair and transparent constitutional parliamentary process. They have won 61 out of the 108 seats declared thus far, and were leading by similar proportions in the new 601-member constitutional legislative assembly of the country. In the 329-member interim parliament, they had some 84 seats after abandoning their decade-long civil war that caused some 13,000 deaths. It will be the end for Nepal’s 240-year-old monarchy. The leader of the Maoists may well become the first President of a new Nepalese Republic.

Very few people in Nepal will shed tears for their monarch as he was responsible for degrading the Nayanhati Palace. The killing of the entire family of his brother the late king Birendra, if allegations are true, the present king Gyanendra, was responsible, leading to a national uprising against his regime by empowering the army to shoot on sight and clamping daytime curfew. The disruption stopped the chariot journey of one of the state’s most revered guardian deities, Seto Macchindranath. It was regarded as a bad omen and days later; the king’s regime unravelled with the new government pledging to hold an election and for the first time put the kingdom’s centuries old institution of monarchy to vote.

The ruling parties of yesteryear, PM Girija Prasad Koirala’s Nepali Congress (NC) and the Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist (UML), were lagging behind with 32 and 28 seats respectively, their base also eroded due to the emergence of regional parties from the Terai plains. The debutant ethnic parties from the Terai had bagged 24 seats so far, with former UML man Upendra Yadav’s Madhesi Janadhikar Forum winning 19 seats and former NC minister Mahanta Thakur’s Terai Madhes Loktantrik Party getting five more.

As Maoist chief Prachanda, who won from both Kathmandu and Rolpa, the red district where the Maoists had built their capital during their "people’s war", began consultations with his own party leaders and Koirala, the indications were that the former guerrillas would lead the new government. Though Prachanda was seeking a coalition government with the former ruling parties, the UML however, announced it would quit the cabinet.

Meanwhile, Maoist deputy chief Baburam Bhattarai, who won with the largest number of votes from Gorkha, the district once ruled by the king’s forefathers, said the king would have to quit his palace, and live like a common man.

Nepal’s Maoists, unlike their Indian counterparts, have shown immense creativity by giving up arms to seize the opportunity provided by institutional democracy to expand the scope of their politics. New Delhi, if it’s serious about tackling the Maoist problem, should highlight that achievement by engaging positively with the CPN(M). It might be almost another week before results of the election to Nepal’s Constituent Assembly (CA) are officially declared, but the massive lead the CPN(M) has established over outfits such as the Nepali Congress and the Communist Party of Nepal-United Marxist Leninist in over 200 seats for which results are available leaves no scope for doubt as to who would dominate the 601-member CA. It’s time New Delhi and Washington welcomed the entry of the Maoists into Nepal’s political mainstream. That the US should even now list the CPN(M) as a terrorist outfit is preposterous.

The assumption that Maoists politics is inimical to a republican polity has been belied by the CPN(M)’s comprehensive victory. Anything short of cooperative engagement by India with the Maoists now would reinforce perceptions of India’s big brother approach towards Nepal. Prachanda has said that Kathmandu would be equidistant from both India and China. New Delhi should do nothing to force the party to revise the line and gravitate towards Beijing. It should resist the temptation to meddle in Nepal’s affairs when the Maoist-led CA starts curtailing the ill-gotten privileges a section of the traditional Indian elite has till now enjoyed.

Such social transformation is essential if democracy has to become functional. India should discourage local political outfits seeking to support the Madhesi (people of Indian origin) movement in Nepal’s Terai. The CPN(M) should, on its part, realise that its integration with the anti-monarchy struggle has considerably weakened its agenda of social transformation, vis-à-vis a thoroughly stratified Madhesi society. That has facilitated the consolidation of a homogeneous Madhesi identity. Maoists must rectify that now.

New Delhi is now unexpectedly faced with a political situation in Nepal where ground realities have changed and the party in the dominant position has had an uncomfortable and earlier hostile relationship with India. Traditional allies, Nepali Congress and Communist Party of Nepal, have been reduced to a minority forcing India to immediately start rethinking its Nepal policy. This is not the scenario that foreign policy mandarins had expected or wanted. And they are now finding themselves in a bind.

However, Prachanda told Indian ambassador to Nepal Shiv Shankar Mukherjee that his party will continue to maintain a balanced relationship with India. But mere semantics have not assuaged the deep sense of unease that has crept into a relationship that has always been based on traditional ties.

The only solace for the UPA government, which expected a politically-balanced govern-ment in Nepal, is that all other players, both national and international, have also got it wrong. The US is now in a position where the dominant political party in Nepal is still on its terror list. China, Nepal watchers say, has been cultivating the Communist UML but that is likely to change. Nepal has shown that it is eager to cultivate China, evident from the way the interim government dealt with the Tibetan protests.

Vice-chancellor of Sikkim University, Prof. Mahendra P. Lama, who was an international observer for the elections, said this could be a good opportunity for India to update its relationship with Nepal. "Our framework of relationship had become obsolete, unrealistic and was ineffective for India and Nepal. Our response is not there. It is a traditional response." He added that China, unlike India, has continuously changed its strategy in Nepal.

But pitfalls for India are evident. India shares a long and porous border with Nepal and needs a friendly government in place. There is also the security dimension which includes impact on the Maoist movement in India. The links between Maoists and Indian extremists exists. Maoists may not have maintained ties with Indian counterparts but they have neither severed ties.

On the economic front, the Indian private sector involvement in Nepal had been showing signs of revival, with three Indian companies bagging hydel projects through bidding. However, the Left takeover and changes in policy could be unhelpful for industry.

Maoists have been demanding a renegotiation of the Nepal-India friendship treaty. They have continued, till recently, to indulge in inflammatory rhetoric, including demanding self determination for Kashmir and northeast, much to the alarm of the Indian establishment.

Critics say UPA government has continued to make the wrong moves in Nepal. "It (the government) has taken wrong steps. The Chinese presence has already increased. There are security implications that the present government has not understood from day one. It is a sad commentary on India’s foreign policy.

But clearly the backtracking has already started. External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee said that Maoists have successfully taken part in the democratic process in Nepal, and India would accept the mandate of the people and would work with the party in power. Indian Embassy officials in Kathmandu feel that the Maoists would have to cut down the rhetoric once in power and get down to drafting a Constitution for Nepal. But it is India, which is surrounded by unstable and hostile neighbours, has a large stake in Nepal and will have to ensure that all the leverage it has does not disappear. INAV

To bring our ailing higher education system in sync with the requirements of a knowledge economy, the National Knowledge Commission (NKC) in its report to the government has made some recommendations, which if implemented, will have a far-reaching impact on our economy. The Commission has also come up with a National Knowledge Index system to measure India’s progress on all key knowledge indicators including innovation. The innovation system is proposed to be measured by successful industrial applications of R&D outputs and a host of other indicators such as R&D expenditure, research publications and patent statistics.

Although R&D efforts are a relatively mature measure of input to innovation, transfer of the new and complex knowledge, generated through these efforts from the lab to the industry is a highly intricate process and perhaps poses the biggest challenge for reliable measurement of innovation. In most cases, conversion of an invention to innovation based on extremely sophisticated domain expertise critically depends on the involvement of the inventor in the transfer process of the discovery. Information on many mission critical nuances of the invention is never documented and is stored in tacit form, necessitating initial participation of the concerned researcher in the industrial application process. This partly explains why often firms even after paying a hefty price for a patent fail to extract any value from its usage.

Besides the lack of participation of concerned researchers in the knowledge transfer process, organisational rigidities, lack of entrepreneurship at the executive level and financial constraints frequently lead to non-commercialisation of breakthrough discoveries of R&D labs, both in the public and private sectors. However, this normally works as a blessing for hordes of technology-savvy entre-preneurs who continuously sniff for knowledge spill over from the labs and network with relevant experts to bring innovative products to the market without making much investment in R&D. According to a survey of US manufacturing companies, the positive correlation between R&D investments and innovative products for large companies is less than half of such correlation for small firms, indicating the fact that small entrepreneurial firms are able to access and make good use of the new knowledge of trickling out from the research labs of big organisations.

Considering the fact that the Indian private sector predominantly relies on technology procurement for new product offerings, to make India innovation-driven we need to urgently increase the knowledge flow from our vast network of publicly funded R&D labs located in universities, technological institutes and national research laboratories. They account for nearly 80 per cent of India’s R&D expenditure. Hence, NKC’s effort to promote innovation accounting in our higher education system is a well-timed move.

Given that conversion of invention to innovation depends upon the participation of the involved scientists in the conversion process, there has to be sufficient motivation for a scientist working in a typical academic institution to participate in the commercialisation process. To maximise the chances of industrial application of R&D outputs, the academic institutions can consider introducing a flexible system which allows researchers to offer their specialised knowledge to the industry and best appropriate the value of their human capital.

Opportunity to associate full-time or part-time with firms that are keen to commercialise the inventions of the researchers, or launch own start-ups without any adverse effect on academic careers, should be created for the academia. A study of the US biotechnology firms revealed that 70 per cent of the academic founders maintained full-time employment with their institutions. Thus the academic founders of the firms enjoyed the option of having the cake and eating it too by maintaining their employment with the academic institutions.

The opportunity available for the faculty to associate with industry and work on commercial applications of their research findings perhaps is the prime reason for high rate of innovation in the US economy. The career development path of a faculty appears quite attractive since there is scope for direct operational involvement with the industry without any adverse impact on academic appointment. Moreover, the natural desire of researchers to realise the economic potential of their specialised knowledge creates widespread spill over of knowledge from the research labs to industry, leading to the formation of clusters of academic spin-offs in the vicinity of the R&D labs. Such clusters can be found around many foreign universities and technology institutions. Physical proximity creates convenience for the faculty to associate with firms operating from the cluster.

Currently there are a number of technology incubators operating from the campuses of a few Indian academic institutions with substantial financial support from the department of science and technology. These incubators indeed have the potential to become catalysts for the formation of technology clusters. However, there seems to be no conceptual clarity regarding the ways and means to make these incubators effective. Incubators established in pure management institutions without any regular R&D activities are trying to create companies focusing on product innovation. Other incubators that are operating from some technology institutions including a few IITs are also failing abysmally to create hi-tech ventures in any significant numbers since the system does not provide enough motivation to faculty members. There are even technology institutions that are spending scarce resources to attract people from faraway places for incubation in the campus instead of motivating their own faculty and students to create academic spin-offs. To make matter worse, almost none of our universities and technology institutes have any technology transfer office to facilitate the registration of intellectual property and its transfer to the industry.

The former President of India A.P.J. Kalam, in his address to the Indian Science Congress in January 2007, asked for a Rs. 500-crore investment for 100 hi-tech PURA (Providing Urban amenities in Rural Areas) clusters with the active participation of educational institutes. But this is impossible unless fundamental changes are made in our higher education system to create an ecosystem for encouraging academic to participate in the innovation process. INAV

Madam,

I would like to bring to the notice of all local Cable News Channels viz: PCN, RI KHASI, MEDIA PLUS etc, to show a little more discretion towards the airing of graphic images concerning accidents, murders and such like which occur often in and around the city. News channels should not use such methods to create "Shock Value" to viewers. They should be more tactful in handling such sensitive subjects and consider the feelings of relatives of the victims concerned and not show 'close-ups' of mutilated bodies.

It would be advisable if local cable news channels take a leaf out of the book of other International Cable Channels where they rarely show faces of victims or their uncovered bodies or show them (the victims) at a disadvantage, along with a 'warning' that "The scenes may contain graphic images which may offend sensitive viewers. Viewers discretion is advised".

Last but not the least, perhaps it would be more in tune to air instead 'Close-ups' of the 'Most Wanted' as often as possible especially those who are 'Wanted' for crime against 'Women' and 'Children'.

Yours etc.,
J.E.L. Lawai
Shillong

Madam,

The recent news Caption "Tusker kills man" (ST dated 15/03/08) reminded me of the frequent attack, killing and destroying of vegetations by wild elephants. If you go back to the news which came out from time to time, almost every year wild elephants attack, kill and destroy the vegetations of farmers especially in Garo Hills. In the month of Feb, 2006 the news caption "Man Animal conflict-villagers at the receiving end"(ST dated 08/02/06). If you turn back to the news, the NCP Legislator, Mr. John Manner Marak had raised the issue in the State Assembly and pointed out that if an elephant was killed there would be imprisonment for years, but if an elephant kills human beings not much compensation is paid. This shows that the life of villagers is very cheap when compared to animals. To receive the compensation amount the victim's relatives have to wait for years for the money to be released by the department concerned (Forest Department ). Mr Marak alleged that only Rs.200/- was usually given to the victim's relatives. It is also very sad to learn that Mr Nautiyal a responsible person holding the top post of the Forest Department to have passed such a remarks saying "It is not possible to do away with man-animal conflicts as this has been happening since time immemorial. Again in June 2006, the news caption "Wild elephants go on rampage in West Garo Hills"(ST Dated 16/06/2006). Again in January 2008, while reading the news captioned "Tuskers kill mother and son (ST dated 04/01/2008), one can only imagine the bitterness of the family members when the bodies of mother and son was mutilated beyond recognition and only the hands and legs remained. Lastly, it was only this month that an elephants killed a man ("Tusker kills man'" ST dated 15.03.08).

So how long will the Government or the Forest Department use the same words "It is not possible to do away with man- animal conflicts?" Or it will do something to save the life of poor Garo villagers? In this modem age there are many ideas and possibilities to keep animals from attacking the villagers, vegetations etc. without damaging the life of animals. Mr Nautiyal's statement seems to suggest that the lives of Garo people is not worth much.

Turning back to 2004, during the State Forest Ministers Conference held in New Delhi, Meghalaya had demanded Rs.500 crore Central grant for upkeep of forests "(ST dated 10/08/04). From the detailed breakup scheme-wise, a scheme for protection of villagers and their vegetation from wild elephants and other animals finds no mention. This shows that the government and its representatives, Ministers and Officers do not have the vision and interest to save the precious life of villagers and their agricultural fields. Does the CCF not have any idea about Solar Electric Power Fence, specially created by a Swedish Firm for preventing man- animal conflicts. Who do we blame for the delay in providing safety to villagers?

Yours etc.,
R.L. Lyngdoh
Shillong-4

Bloods samples of six death chicks were sent to Bhopal based High Security Animal Disease Laboratory for testing on April 16 last and the report confirmed infection of H5N1 virus, Principal Secretary of Animal Resource Development Department U Venkateswarlu said on Thursday.

He said that steps were being taken to quarantine Mohanpur and its adjacent villages, close to neighbouring Bangladesh to prevent spread of the virus.

Personnel of Rapid Reaction Team have already rushed to the spot to Mohanpur and the adjacent areas, he said adding that a meeting will be held with representatives of local bodies to prepare a strategy for culling.

Mr Venkateswarlu further said that culling is expected to begin on Thursday. About a week ago, Tripura Government declared Kamalpur subdivision as bird flu free area after after altogether 40,288 chicks and birds were culled between April 8 to April 14.

The decision of the Central Government was discussed thoroughly in the fourth conference of the North Eastern Education Ministers' Committee here on Tuesday and the committee was of the view that it would strongly opposed the move in the days to come, Chairman of the Committee Dr R Lalthangliana said.

"We can't simply support the move of the Central Government keeping in mind of the fate of the SSA in the north eastern states," he said, adding if it is implemented, the programme will suffer setback.

According to Lalthangliana, if the move is implemented, around 3000 operation black board teachers in north east will be jobless while the number is 277 in Mizoram.

He also said that the regional committee has adopted seven resolutions to ensure overall development of the education sector in the country's backward region.

He said that the committee was of the view that some existing guidelines of the SSA should be changed immediately to get maximum benefit from the national flagship programme.

According to the Chairman, hill transportation subsidy should be enhanced substantially for NE states keeping in view of its geographical bottlenecks. Besides, there is an urgent need to increase allocation for construction work.

"There is a need to allocate more funds for reconstruction of unsafe school building as the region falls under seismic Zone V," he said.

Admitting that insurgency has been hampering overall development of education in the NE region, he said there is need to provide more educational and employment opportunities in NE states.

Besides, Lalthangliana and Tripura's Education Minister Tapan Chakraborty, three Education Ministers - Nyewang Konyak (Nagaland), MM Gurung (Sikkim) and L Jeyanta Kumar were present in the region body meeting.

Secretary, Meghalaya's Parliamentary Affairs and Technical Education James K Sangma also attended the meeting.

Chief organizer of the Edufest Kaushik Baruah informed that the response has encouraging, both from the educational institute's side and the participant's.

The Edufest offers free counselling as well as provides avenues to educational branches ranging from bio-mechanics to engineering, from various branches of medical study to the animation course.

More than 3,000 students have taken part in the Edufest. A smaller version of the Edufest have also been organised at Aizwal and Shillong. (UNI)