Rare tea variety from Assam fetches record Rs 75,000 per kg at auction

Snippets from the vibrant Northeast that capture politics, culture, society and more in the eight states.

The Manohari gold tea variety is a rare tea | ANI | Twitter

New Delhi: The aromatic, antioxidant-high Manohari Gold Tea from Assam was sold for a record price of Rs 75,000, the highest this year, by the Guwahati Tea Auction Centre earlier this week.

The tea, sold by Contemporary Brokers Private Limited, was purchased by Guwahati-based tea trader Vishnu Tea Company. The firm will sell it globally on their digital e-commerce website 9amtea.com.

The Manohari Gold Tea is manufactured from the finest second flush colonel tea buds that are hand-plucked only at dawn. The leaves are known to offer a full-bodied and bright yellow malty liquor.

Rajan Lohia, director of Manohari Tea Estate, said, “This year, 2.5 kg of handmade gold tea was produced, out of which 1.2 kg was sold at the auction and the remaining will be available at select outlets … as demand for one of the rarest teas in the world continue to grow.”

In 2018, Manohari Gold Tea fetched a price of Rs 39,001 per kg, a first in the history of tea auction in the country. In 2019 again, it was sold for a record price of Rs 50,000 per kg.

Internet to be suspended in 15 Arunachal districts for state civil service exam

Internet services in 15 districts of Arunachal Pradesh will remain suspended for nearly eight hours on 1 November during the Arunachal Pradesh Public Service Combined Competitive (Prelims) Examination (APPSCCE).

The decision was taken by the state government to “prevent transmission/sharing of exam-related information through telecom services”, read an order issued by Home Commissioner Kaling Tayeng this week.

Internet will remain suspended in Tawang, West Kameng, East Kameng, West Siang, Leparada, East Siang, Upper Siang, Lower Subansiri, Upper Subansiri, Lower Dibang Valley, Lohit, Tirap, Changlang, Itanagar Capital Region and Papum Pare districts from 8 am to 12 noon and from 12 noon to 4 pm.

The order was issued at the request of the Arunachal Pradesh Public Service Commission (APPSC) which conducts the APPSCCE. According to TheTelegraph, APPSC chairman Ni­po Nabam said they requested the st­a­te government to bl­ock Internet services in 17 examination centres under the 15 districts to rule out use of unfair means during the exam.

“Nowadays technology has become so advanced that frisking alone cannot detect the sophisticated gadgets that are in the market. These may be used to scan the question papers and send it online to experts who may revert with answers. To check the use of unfair means, we requested the home department to block the Internet services during the duration of the exam Sunday since we don’t have resources to install jammers,” Nabam said.

A total of 26,459 candidates have applied for the examination this year.

This winery uses discarded, surplus fruit harvest to make fine brews

The Lambu-Subu Food and Beverages Limited in Arunachal Pradesh’s Ziro valley has been taking care of discarded fruits by fermenting and making wines out of them.

Sold under the brand name Naara Aaba, the firm has also produced India’s first organic kiwi wine. It has now launched wines made from pears and plums, huge volumes of which are wasted each year.

Tanyang Nyipa, a resident of the state’s Lower Subansiri area, said, “Our family has sold about 12 quintal of pears to the winery … Lots of fruits were being spoiled with huge quantities, which eventually became food for pigs.”

Tage Rita, managing director of the firm, has said, “Fermenting the fruits and making a wine out of these surplus harvest is just one solution to the chronic and impending problem. Fruit wine could be a most valuable addition to the fruits and a livelihood opportunity for rural families.”

Healthcare firm empowering youth in Meghalaya to expand operations

The central government’s North East BPO Promotion Scheme (NEBPS) has enabled expansion of operations for S10 Healthcare Solutions, a healthcare services company, in Meghalaya’s capital city Shillong.

The NEBPS was notified by the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology under the Digital India Programme to foster an IT ecosystem in the Northeast through the establishment of BPO/ITES (Information Technology Enabled Services) operations. Software Technology Parks of India is the executing agency of NEBPS.

S10 Healthcare Solutions has so far employed over 100 local residents, especially women, in less than three years. It provides services of medical scribes and healthcare analysts for US-based healthcare professionals.

The firm’s Shillong centre also launched a social initiative named S10Empower that provides free soft skills and personality development training to youth in villages of Meghalaya and surrounding regions.

“Shillong has tremendous potential to emerge as a leading IT/ITES hub in Northeast due to availability of a literate talent pool and initiatives by the central and state governments. These factors will play a pivotal role in attracting corporates like us to establish a base here,” said Danny K. Rajee, head-business development, Northeast, S10 Healthcare Solutions.