General Articles

Loktak’s challenges for survival

Dr Eliza KhwairakpamLoktak Lake is the only wetland in Manipur under the Ramsar Convention. Ramsar Convention is an inter-governmental treaty which provides the framework for National action plan and international cooperation for the conservation and wise..

The dual nature of conflict : War with Brains and War with Arms

Birendra LaishramWar, in its essence, can be categorized into two distinct types : the war with brain and the war with arms. The former involves strategies such as the distortion and fabrication of histories, and the use of religious narratives to garner ..

The impact of social media on young minds

Adison MoirangthemThe rapid expansion of social media platforms like Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat in the 21st century has reshaped how young people communicate, learn, and form their identity. As of the latest data from Wikipedia, th..

Educational institutions suffering from political interference

Priyanka SaurabhContd from last SaturdayThey should not be allowed to become the arena of politics. Universities should not become centres of nurturing political interests instead of educational reforms. Vice-Chancellors in Central Universities are appoin..

Guv Lakshman Acharya & coffee table book

Free ThinkerI was not expecting that the present Governor of Manipur will call me for a call-on just on the basis of my humble WhatsApp request. I am extremely  grateful to His Excellency Shri Lakshman Prasad Acharya, the Governor of Manipur & As..

Remembering Dr Abdul Ali Makakmayum and tracing genealogy

Makakmayum BaadshahDr Abdul Ali Makakmayum born in 1900 was the first Matriculate in 1920 from Calcutta University among the Meitei Pangals (Manipuri Muslims), the first graduate (medical science with his LMP degree from Berry White Medical College, Dibru..

Careers related to cities for sustainability

Ranjan K BaruahWe should know that over half of the global population currently resides in urban areas, a rate projected to reach 70 per cent by 2050. Approximately 1.1 billion people currently live in slums or slum-like conditions in cities, with 2 billi..

Stroke unstruck

Dr Rahul OinamStroke is a neurological disease caused by sudden interruption of blood supply to a part of the brain causing loss of some function of the brain. The word stroke is derived from the notion of the disease being apparently caused by a sudden &..

Working on Mushroom cultivation and harnessing their potentials

Dr W Mohendro Singh (AO, IBSD, Imphal)Contd from previous issueThe study identified 14 newly recorded mushroom species in India, including Acyanoboletus controversus, Agaricus purpurlesquameus and Xerocomus albotomentosus.The proximate composition analysi..

Is Ningol Chakkouba turning into a social contest ?

Ranjan YumnamAfter one’s own marriage, Ningol Chakkouba is perhaps the only unavoidable and the most important event for a Meitei. The reasons are apparent. Ningol Chakkouba celebrates and renews family bonds, and it is an occasion to partake in an ..

Do we study for a JOB ? Education and Employability : A retrospection

Haorokcham AnilIf we google what is education probably you will find the suggestion like education is to gain wisdom, knowledge and creativity for an individual, so do the higher education as nurturing higher order thinking and to develop competencies suc..

Working on Mushroom cultivation and harnessing their potentials

Dr W Mohendro Singh (AO, IBSD, Imphal)BRIC-Institute of Bioresources and Sustainable Development (BRIC- IBSD) is promoting bio resources of North Eastern Region (NER) for the development of bio economy. BRIC-IBSD is working on several aspects of Mushroom ..

Educational institutions suffering from political interference

Priyanka SaurabhIndian higher education, once a symbol of intellectual freedom, is facing the growing threat of political interference. This interference undermines autonomy and freedom – the foundations of academic excellence – and has a chil..

Skin detox tips to follow post Diwali

Shahnaz HusainThe festive season is getting over and it is time to hit the life back, isn’t it? Due to the festive preparations, we tend to ignore our bodies which takes a toll on our skin and hair and they start to lose their glow and shine. The ni..

International Drug Users Day

K Basanta Kumar (NEIHRN)The “International Drug Users Day” (IDUD in short) is observed every year on November 1 to celebrate and strive for the rights of drug users, including access to healthcare, harm reduction services, and fair treatment. ..

Han Kang : The Nobel Prize winner in Literature

Dr Elangbam Hemanta SinghContd from previous issueThis novel, The Greek Lessons, 2011; English translation, 2023 is a novel that portrays the lives of two lonely persons-the teacher and his dumb pupil.They are tied through the Greek language and all the p..

This Diwali think of the environment

Vijay Garg  Contd from previous issueEvery year the smog of Diwali firecrackers causes breathing problems. The accumulated smog also increases our troubles. So why not celebrate Diwali without crackers this time. If you have to run, choose eco-friend..

With Meitei-Kuki peace talks a non-starter, only solution is to go after Kuki terrorists

Jaideep Mazumdar A well-intentioned exercise earlier this month to kickstart peace talks between Meitei and Kukis, brokered by the Union Government, has turned out to be a non-starter.The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had invited members of the legislati..

Han Kang : The Nobel Prize winner in Literature

Dr Elangbam Hemanta SinghWho is Han Kang ? She was born in 1970 at Gwangju, South Korea. Her father, Han Seung-won, was a novelist. That, coupled with the encouragement in a literary atmosphere, promoted her to be an early book lover and encouraged the st..

Quality of milk in Imphal : A preliminary survey

Akoijam Meerabai and Dayanidhi Huidrom (Intellisome Food Testing and Research Centre)Contd from previous issueSampling and dataSamples were collected from different spots within Imphal during the period of September, 2024. Every possible measure was adopt..

This Diwali think of the environment

Vijay Garg  Contd from previous issueIt can increase our energy. At the same time, fragrance also reduces our stress significantly. It can also prove helpful in eliminating our feelings of fear. It is said that concentration can also be increased by ..

Urgent rollback of Kangpokpi dist key to restoring regional stability amid Kuki monopolization concerns

Dirinamai LiangchiAS ETHNIC tensions continue to simmer in Manipur, there is rising concern over the monopolization of Government power and bureaucracy by the Kuki community, particularly following the “communal” Congress Party’s decisio..

Be what you want to be

Babu Pukhrambam“Before trying to be a master of others, be sure you are the master of yourself”—Napaleon Hill.Nature gives you life, the body, the blood in your body, emerging thoughts in your brain and its vivacity, and all these are th..

Quality of milk in Imphal : A preliminary survey

Akoijam Meerabai and Dayanidhi Huidrom (Intellisome Food Testing and Research Centre)IntroductionThe current situation with milk in Manipur shows a significant difference between production and demand. In 2022-2023, the estimated milk production in the St..

This Diwali think of the environment

Vijay Garg  The toxic elements become heavy and fall to the ground, the air becomes light and we are able to breathe easily. Along with earthen lamps, you can also use lamps made from cow dung, which after burning can also be used as fertilizer for t..

Debates on Article 3 on status of Indian States, focusing on historical context of Manipur Historical context of Manipur and the Indian Constitution

Birendra LaishramManipur established it Constitution before joining India, making it the second region in South East Asia to do so after Sri Lanka (1931). Upon joining the Indian Union in 1949, Manipur was designated as a Part-C State, contrary to 8 Part-..

From Chess to AI to Neural Network to Chemistry Nobel Prize 2024

Prof Homendra NaoremContd from previous issueOf about 300 known amino acids, only 20 are found in human body. Since proteins are formed by polymerization of these 20 amino acids, there are huge number of proteins that can be formed by different combinatio..

Myanmar's elusive democracy and India's strategic stakes

Dipak KurmiContd from previous issueHowever, the project has been stalled due to ongoing armed conflicts in the Arakan and Chin states. In addition, India is exploring the possibility of a pragmatic trilateral highway connecting India, Myanmar, and Thaila..

This Diwali think of the environment

Vijay Garg  As Diwali is approaching, its preparations are increasing. But along with that, a concern is also deepening that how much will the level of pollution increase this time too? This concern of pollution cannot be dismissed, and sensible step..

Peace for all through legal ways

Lt Gen (Dr) Konsam Himalay Singh (Retd) On Oct 25, The Sangai Express carried a thought provoking article “Oh Manipur, My Manipur” by PC Lawmkunga, former Chief Secretary of Manipur Govt. The Hindu dated 24 Oct 24 also had a middle page impres..

From Chess to AI to Neural Network to Chemistry Nobel Prize 2024

Prof Homendra NaoremAs the festive season begins in India, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences announced on Octo- ber 9, 2024 that the Chemistry Nobel Prize 2024 will be shared by David Baker of University of Washington, Seattle, USA (half the prize mon..

Myanmar's elusive democracy and India's strategic stakes

Dipak KurmiThe pursuit of a free, fair, and participatory election in Myanmar, also known as Burma or Brahmadesh, seems almost like 'hoping against hope.' Since gaining independence in 1948, Myanmar has been mired in political turmoil, largely dictated by..

What is AI ? Definition, uses, and types

Coursera Staff Contd from last SaturdayIf the interrogator cannot reliably identify the human, then Turing says the machine can be said to be intelligent. To complicate matters, researchers and philosophers also can’t quite agree whether we’re..

Versatile visa interview for Bharat

Free ThinkerDay before yesterday I received a recording of a mock visa-interview of two foreigners’ seemingly Englishmen by the Indian High Commission, perhaps in London. They wanted to visit Bharat on a tourist visa. The question answer session of ..

The need to treat violence as public health problem

K Srinath ReddyAmong the major threats to human health and wellbeing, violence is seldom listed. It is regarded mostly as a law and order problem when it occurs within a country or war when it is a conflict between countries. Terrorism, whose origins may ..

Komagata Maru

S BalakrishnanAt this time when the Indo-Canadian relation is at its low ebb due to Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a Sikh separatist leader living in Canada, it would be relevant to look back into the “Komagata Maru” incident of 1914; because it&nbs..

Lady Justice holds Constitution and is no longer blind

Birendra LaishramContd from previous issueIt seems that the choice of the Indian saree in the new statue celebrates the Nation’s diverse identities. It invites dialogue on law and culture, suggesting justice should resonate with the values of the pe..

Preserving audiovisual heritage as career

Ranjan K BaruahWe learn from our past and the best way to preserve the past and heritage is through various documents or equipment. One of the easiest ways to store and share with others includes audiovisuals or AV. Audiovisual archives tell us stories ab..

Manipur, oh My Manipur

PC LawmkungaMy world of serenity got shattered by a savage internecine conflict between the two major communities in Manipur which till recently co-existed in peace and brotherhood. The fact that these two communities which are engaged in this war of attr..

Trends of Education among the Meitei Pangals

Dr Makakmayum BaadshahModern educational trends started in India when Warren Hastings, the first Governor-General of the East India Company established the Calcutta Moho- medan College (also known as Calcutta Madrassa or Aliah Madrassa) in October 1780 an..

Lady Justice holds Constitution and is no longer blind

Birendra LaishramI was delighted to learn that the blindfolded eye of Lady Justice had been opened and that she now holds a book on the Indian Constitution in her left hand instead of a sword and the balancing scale in the right hand. I envisioned a time ..

What is AI ? Definition, uses, and types

Coursera Staff Contd from previous issueHowever, the most famous approach to identifying whether a machine is intelligent or not is known as the Turing Test or Imitation Game, an experiment that was first outlined by influential mathematician, computer sc..

Skincare tips to get your Diwali glow

Shahnaz HusainDiwali is just around the corner ! What better time than now to make sure you shine your brightest. The run-up to Diwali is just a few days away and our preparations in terms of gifts, diyas and sweets are already rolling.The days running up..

BRIC-IBSD Promoting bioresources of NER for development of phytopharmaceuticals developing Bioeconomy

Dr W Mohendro Singh (Senior Administrative Officer, BRIC-IBSD, Imphal)BRIC-Institute of Bioresources and Sustainable Development (BRIC -IBSD) is promoting biore-sources of North Eastern Region (NER) for the development of bioeconomy. BRIC-IBSD is synergis..

What is AI ? Definition, uses, and types

Coursera Staff Contd from previous issueWhat is artificial general intelligence (AGI)? Artificial general intelligence (AGI) refers to a theoretical state in which computer systems will be able to achieve or exceed human intelligence. In other words, AGI ..

Understanding the theories of Internally Displaced Persons

Birendra LaishramWhen a community survive with the sole objective to establish a designated area that is exclusively reserved for its own members, this significant process is typically possible on the ability of its leaders to effectively exert influence ..

Amphibians are most affected species due to climate change

Dr N Munal MeiteiIn our tradition, it is believed that if there are more and more croaking of the toads and frogs, there will be rainfall. Though not much rich in bigger amphibians such as the crocodiles etc, Manipur is very rich in amphi-fauna. But as ti..

Who are the Rongmeis ? Unveiling the Rongmei tribal civilization

Mark Legend GangmeiContd from previous issueThis warrior ethos, combined with their strategic use of weaponry, allowed them to maintain their autonomy and protect their way of life. The Rongmei developed a strong martial tradition to safeguard their commu..

What is AI ? Definition, uses, and types

Coursera Staff Contd from previous issueAutomating tasks that don't require human intervention saves money and time, and can reduce the risk of human error. Here are a couple of ways AI could be employed in different industries:Finance industry. Fraud det..

A crisis for the Meitei community’s survival and identity

Dipak KurmiThe Meitei community, a significant indigenous group primarily residing in the North Eastern State of Manipur, India, finds itself mired in a complex web of socio-political, educational, and cultural challenges. These difficulties are exacerbat..