Chief minister N Biren has informed that the government would soon launch free coaching classes for technical education in order to promote technical education among the students and bring about a conducive environment in tune with the changing technological advancement in today’s world. The CM flagged off a team of 30 students of the state along with three faculty members on a five-day exposure tour to Nagpur, Maharashtra under the Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat – Yuva Sangam programme from the CM’s secretariat in the presence of Dr RK Ranjan union minister of state for education and external affairs Th Basanta kumar education minister and professor Krishnan Baskar director IIIT Manipur, Speaking on the occasion, Biren said that the state had created a vacuum in the higher education sector due to disturbances like bandhs, blockades and strikes in the past. But today, the government is putting efforts to bridge the gap by implementing schemes like the School Fagathansi and added that the government is going to start College Fagathansi to bring development in colleges. Speaking to the young students, who are taking part in the tour, Biren said that, “We need to know each other in order to achieve the goal of ‘One India, United India and Strong India’ as envisaged by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This is the main objective of the exposure tour”. He also mentioned about the free coaching classes for civil services aspirants and added that the new scheme is to promote technical education among the aspirants, who want to pursue higher studies in IITs, IIITs and NITs among others. Speaking on the occasion, Union Minister of state for education Dr RK Ranjan said the tour is a good opportunity for the young students and urged them to project their best behaviour, expose the very best of Manipur and to learn the best of the host state during the trip He said that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi is using the unity in diversity as a powerful plank to make a strong India and he has confidence in the youth of creating a united and strong India. A total of 30 students representing from various districts and institutions and three faculty members from NIT, Manipur, who will accompany the students, are travelling to Nagpur, Maharashtra as a first batch of the programme.  Around 1000 youths will participate in the pilot project of Yuva Sangam conceptualised by the ministry of education. Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) Manipur is coordinating the programme in association with NIT, Nagpur. During their visit, the students will have a multi-dimensional exposure under five broad areas of tourism, tradition, development, technology and people-to-people connect. It’s a youth exchange programme where 70 students with five faculties from Maharashtra would also be visiting Imphal on February 27 and tour several parts of the state till March 3. Source: YENDA News Agency 

‘We have to initiate another mass upsurge’, BNP Secretary General MIrza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir made this comment and said that we could achieve our independence in exchange of lakhs of lives in 1971. The democracy was established in the country through the mass upsurge during 1990. BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia led the mass upsurge. And now the time has come again. We have to initiate another mass upsurge strongly. The BNP leader was speaking at a discussion on the occasion of Shaheed Jehad Day at National Press Club on Sunday. Mirza Fakhrul said, students played the vital role for initiating every movement. In 1990 Aman Ullah Aman and other student leaders succeeded. In 1952 during the language movement students also succeeded. In 1971 students and youths were the winners. Now a day a devastating situation is prevailing. He said, Jehad gave his blood for democracy but that has been snatched away. The attainments were snatched away. The independence that we achieved in 1971 is not being enjoyed by us at the moment. Our independence and sovereignty are at stake. We have turned into a genuflected state. We have nothing at the moment, so the Sheikh Hasina government will not be given time further, he commented. Convener of Dhaka metropolitan north BNP Aman Ullah Aman presided over the discussion. BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman was connected virtually in the program. AH