Nagaland Current Affairs Digest Oct-Dec 2024

Nagaland Current Affairs Digest Oct-Dec 2024

06 October 2024: Dr.Pritpal Kaur, IPS, selected for global list of 40 top cops under 40 Award

• She is among 40 police officers selected from around the world for the award and the only Indian Police Service (IPS) officer this year to be selected for the 40 global top cops under 40.
• She has been invited to Boston, Massachusetts, USA, to receive the award on October 22, 2024.
• She served as the first Superintendent of Police for Noklak district, a newly created border district in Nagaland.
• Dr. Pritpal Kaur has earlier received several awards, including the International Inspiration Women Award 2023, Skoch Gold Award 2023, DGP Disc Award, Women Power India Award 2023, and Global Women Leader Award 2024 by World Women Leadership Congress 2024.

09 October 2024 : UK auction house withdraws sale of ‘Horned Naga Human Skull‘ amid outcry

• The listing of a 19th-century Naga human skull originating from Nagaland for an auction sale in the United Kingdom sparked an outcry from Nagas, scholars and experts in India and overseas, prompting the art house to withdraw the item from its catalogue.
• The Swan auction house at Tetsworth, Oxfordshire, UK, had a series of skulls and other remains from around the world as part of ‘The Curious Collector Sale, Antiquarian Books, Manuscripts & Paintings‘.

• The news of the proposed auction of Naga human skull remains in the U.K sparked an outcry.
• The Forum for Naga Reconciliation (FNR) wrote to the art house and also alerted the chief minister Neiphiu Rio-led state government. Rio then wrote to the external affairs ministry to intervene and stop the auction on October 8.
• The sale of Indigenous human remains, particularly obtained during colonial rule, was strongly condemned as an ethical violation and inhumane.
• The Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford holds around 6,500 Naga artifacts collected during the British colonial period.
  

4 November 2024: Nagaland to implement NAtional Education policy (NEP) 2020 From 2025

• The Nagaland State Level Education Committee (SLEC) decided to implement the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 for both government and private schools in the state from the 2025 academic year.
• The decision was taken during the SLEC meeting under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, who is also the Minister-in-charge of School Education.
• The SLEC also approved to implement the 5+3+3+4 education system as per NEP 2020, for both government and private schools starting from the academic year 2025.

NEP (2020) 5+3+3+4 education system restructures school education into four stages: foundational (5 years), preparatory (3 years), middle (3 years), and secondary (4 years),
focusing on holistic, flexible, and multidisciplinary learning for students.

• The SLEC closed 17 Government Primary Schoold (GPS) with zero enrollments, including nine in the Peren district, two each in the Wokha and Zunheboto districts, and one each in Chumoukedima, Phek, Mon, and Tuensang districts.

4 November 2024: 16th Finance Commission team arrives in Nagaland on three day visit

• Four member team of the 16th Finance Commission comprised of Dr. Arvind Panagariya, Chairman, Ajay Narayan Jha, Member, Annie George Mathew, Member and Dr. Manoj Panda, Member arrived Dimapur, Nagaland on 4th November 2024. 
• Nagaland Government urged the 16th Finance Commission to allocate Rs. 40,000 crore to compensate the state’s capital deficit and foster a supportive environment for development over the next five years.
• Chief Minister stated to the Finance Commission that the state’s financial position deteriorated after the Government of India (GoI) stopped granting Additional Central Plan Assistance (ACA) in 1989-90 (under Ninth Finance Commission), that this led to a steady decline in developmental activities, which Nagaland struggles to maintain due to limited resources.
• Several critical projects for Nagaland was also highlighted which includes:
  • Foothill Road (Trans Nagaland Highway) : 364 kilometers along Nagaland’s border with Assam – passing through eight districts – Rs 9,000 crore fund requirement projected.
  • Ciethu Airport: Proposed airport in Kohima – Rs 865 crore  fund requirement projected..
  • New High Court complex: Rs 379 crore fund requirement projected to complete the new High Court complex in Kohima, which began in 2007.
  • Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER): Proposed during 2015-16 Union Budget, and 200 acres of land acquired in Sukhovi but still unrealized.
    
  • Maintenance of aging infra: Rs 7,884.8 crore projected to address urgent infrastructure upgrade (government buildings, schools, and hospitals ).

08 November 2024: NSCN-IM Issues statement citing possibility of Resuming armed Struggle

• In a 5 page statement signed by General Secretary of NSCN, Th Muivah, the NSCN-IM issued statement citing possibility of resuming its armed struggle and resort to a violent armed resistance against India.
• In the statement, Muivah mentioned that India may impose a political agreement that will not respect and honour the Framework Agreement of August 3, 2015 in letter and spirit.

05 December 2024: 18-year-old Anon Konyak crowned Miss Nagaland 2024

Miss Nagaland pageant is organized by the Beauty and Aesthetics Society of Nagaland (BASN), was held under the theme “Grace and Beauty – The Women in You.”

• Both Konyak and Shohe were granted direct entry into the Miss North East 2025 pageant.

19 December 2024: Union Home Ministry reimposes the Protected Area Regime (PAR) in Manipur, Nagaland, and Mizoram after 14 years

• The Union Home Ministry reimposed the Protected Area Regime (PAR) in Manipur, Nagaland, and Mizoram after a gap of 14 years due to security concerns from the influx of foreigners from neighboring countries.
• As per the Foreigners (Protected Areas) Order, 1958, foreigners must obtain Protected Area Permits (PAP) for entry into these states.