New Delhi: When I. Sodangsoba Jamir, a 33-year-old, returned to Nagaland from Delhi during the Covid-19 lockdown in June last year, he realised that voltage fluctuation was still a big problem in his home state.
Jamir had worked in the marketing sector for 15 years in the national capital before the pandemic-induced lockdown forced him to return home.
He began thinking about people in the remote districts, especially in villages of Nagaland, who suffered due to frequent voltages fluctuations. While the normal voltage was between 220-240 volt, Jamir told The Morung Express that the supply was below normal in Dimapur. At his home in Aoyimti, it was only 183 volt, which was “way too less”, he added.
This prompted him to start Native Enterprises, a firm that makes LED lights which can handle frequent voltage fluctuations below or above the normal range. This means, said Jamir, “the lights will not go dim”. The lights are sold under the brand name ‘sangwa’ which means light in the Ao language of the state.
Tripura District Magistrate sets up libraries in 169 gram panchayats
Vishwasree B., the District Magistrate (DM) and Collector in Tripura’s Sepahijala, has helped set up libraries across 169 gram panchayats to encourage reading habit among children.
“During the field visit, we expect that developmental works are happening in various panchayats. I came across many buildings and many rooms which were lying unutilised. They needed some amount of maintenance and small repairs,” she told EastMojo.
“There was a requirement for students and youngsters to have a place for interaction and study. So, we started renovating the unused rooms as well the unused Panchayat building and converted them into panchayat level library,” the DM, a 2014 Tripura cadre officer, added.
She also said that these libraries have not been set up by the administration or any office but by the panchayat body, in collaboration with the public.
Naga musician features alongside Taylor Swift, Miley Cyrus in Apple’s ‘100 Best Songs of 2020’
Naga musician Imcha Imchen’s original composition ‘Spare My Heart’ has featured in ‘The 100 Best Songs of 2020’ by Apple Music. The list also features the likes of Taylor Swift, Miley Cyrus, Dua Lipa and others.
“I am determined to work even harder to reach my goal and land a spot in The Grammys and make Nagaland proud,” Imchen was quoted as saying.
A multilingual singer and songwriter, Imchen initially experimented with covers as well as originals before releasing his debut album called ‘Moving On’ at the age of 18. Imchen said that he has been influenced by Bruno Mars, Bazzi, Shawn Mendes, Elvis Presley, and Frank Sinatra. He is currently based out of Mumbai and has a contract with the Springboard Records.
These ‘green commandos’ are helping farmers get ‘adopted’ by families
A team of 2,500 farmers in Assam has been revolutionising the state’s agriculture through a unique initiative called the SPREAD NE.
Led by Samir Bordoloi, SPREAD NE aims to halt the process of rurbanisation (rural to urban migration) by bringing together a group of young people to empower rural farmers. Over 150 school students and 326 ‘green commandos’ have been trained to educate farmers on sustainable farming methods and scientific techniques.
SPREAD NE also helps farmers get ‘adopted’ by families living in cities or towns. This simply means that families can buy produce exclusively from their ‘adopted’ farmer. The process also ensures that the farmers have a fixed customer base and income. The surplus produce is later sold in the market. Around 40 farmers have been ‘adopted’ via this initiative.
Also read: This Arunachal MLA teaches English to poor students during his ‘off time’