The Northeast Notebook

Schemes already cleared under the fresh funds include a multiple-slice CT scan machine and a state-of-the-art MRI equipment, that will go a long way in better detection and treatment of cancer in the region. The institute gets about 3,000 patients every month.

NE militants prefer IEDs
Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) are fast becoming the ‘‘most preferred device’’ for militant groups in the Northeast. This was the observation of a study conducted by experts in the Counter-Insurgency and Jungle Warfare School of the Indian Army located at Vairangte in Mizoram.

Experts also said that while terrorist groups in Jammu and Kashmir prefer solar sensors to trigger off IEDs, groups in the Northeast were currently using sound-sensor and laser-sensor devices.

Mr and Ms Northeast
Kohima, hometown of well-known model Esther Jamir, played host to the prestigious Miss Northeast beauty contest last week. The event attracted a host of contestants from all the eight states of the region.

While Raisa Deb Barma of Tripura romped home with the Miss Northeast award apart from winning the Face of the Year award, T Liankhansang of Manipur was judged the new Mr Northeast.

Tripura goes tough on tuitions
Tripura chief minister Manik Sarkar doesn’t believe that private tuitions can actually improve a student’s performance. As the Left Front government in Tripura imposed a ban on private tuitions, especially by teachers of government-run schools, last week as many as 156 teachers were issued showcause notices by the authorities. Tripura has over 32,000 teachers in 3,179 government schools.