BRAIN JAM
Brain Jam rocks Career at Shillong SMU
Shillong
I t was probably the life-time oppotuni-
ty for many inquisitive knowledge
hunters in Shillong who had the chance
of meeting one of the most prolific quiz
masters in the country -- Barry O’Brian
-- and go back with jammed brain.
Thanks to Brain Jam extravaganza.
The People behind this Brain Jam
were Aroop Khanna and Banlumlang
Blah who tried to inculcate reading hab-
its amongst the youth, which seems to
be vanishing in today’s world.
“We would start quiz programmes
at school and college levels very soon,”
they said.
“These days we hardly see children
reading. They are most of the time ei-
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ther in front of the TV or surfing on in-
Crooked Deals’ represented by Tarun Bharatiya and Ban walked ternet,” said Aroop. Similar views were
away with the winner’s prize. also echoed by Meghalaya’s Minister
for Youth Affairs Paul Lyngdoh and
Alethea Lyngwa.
Finally, the entire programme was
‘PPP’ represented by summed up by Trevor Lyngwa, the
Barry and Dominic Head of Marketing (Northeast) Air Cell,
Rymbai lift the runners- who, while addressing the huge gath-
up trophy as Paul Lyn- ering at the State Central Library, said
gdoh, the Meghalaya that the time has come for knowledge
Minister for Sports and based infotainment. “Sooner we realise
Youth Affairs looks on. and promote it, better it would be for the
generations to come.” We in the TNT
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definitely agree with this notion.
A spiring battle against HIV/AIDS. She is the first person in the
Meghalaya Minister for
Higher and Technical Ed-
ucation, Manas Choud-
hari, and the Maharaja of
Tripura sharing a knife to
cut the cake that marks
the inaugrating of Brain
Jam. Arup Khanna, the
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organiser of the event in
Guwahati, and Banlum- Quiz Master Barry O’Brien sharing
lang Blah, the organiser a lighter moment with Trevor Lyn-
of the event looks on. gwa as Alethea looks on.
28 August 08
IN BRIEF
In keeping with its motto of “CA-
New power equation!
The Meghalaya government has
scrapped the power deal that it had
REERS PAR EXCELLENCE”, the with various companies for lack of
Sikkim Manipal University, Shil- what they called “transparency”.
long Centre has done the state of The Government spokesper-
Meghalaya proud by achieving the son and Minister of Power, Conrad
Excellence Award from Mr. Anil Sangma, said three of the hydel
Kumble, Captain-Indian Test Team, power projects above 100 mega-
at the Conclave held at Manipal re- watts had to be scrapped because
cently. the State Power Policy norms and
Sikkim Manipal University, the International Committee Bid-
Shillong Centre has gone from ding (ICB) route has been breached.
strength to strength over the past 3 “The agreement with the power de-
years, growing both in infrastruc- velopers who are supposed to tap
ture and number of students in the the hydel power from Kynshi river
Departments of Business Admin- basin stage 1 and 2 and the Umgot
istration, Information Technology, river basin was not transparent.”
Computer Applications, Mass Com- Athena and Jay Pee group are the
munication & Journalism, Bio Tech- two power developers, which were
nology, Bio Informatics and Fashion offered three mega power projects
Designing. With a good placement in the state by the then Congress-
record with prestigious companies led Meghalaya Democratic Alliance
A Shillong Centre director Gagan
Jain receiving Excellence Award
from Indian Test Team captain
like Wipro, ICICI, HDFC etc. Sik-
kim Manipal University, Shillong
Centre, continues to draw students
(MDA) in December last year.
The State Cabinet on July 24
decided to go for fresh agreements
from all the North Eastern States, with the companies, which had been
Anil Kumble.
Bhutan, Nepal and Bangladesh. allotted with five projects. (NNN)
Positive action against AIDS
Wasbir Hussain is a widely read journalist from Assam who
is also a renowned writer. Hussain’s latest book Positive in
Rhino Land: Battle against HIV/AIDS, published by Word-
weaves India, was launched by Assam Chief Minister, Tarun
Gogoi, in Guwahati this month.
Book launch functions are normally dull affairs, but the
presence of a smiling Jahnabi Goswami among a select bunch
of serious intellectuals, and Satyakee DCom Bhuyan’s enter-
taining announcements added flavour to the function.
Jahnabi Goswami is a HIV-positive person, who has
earned a world-wide reputation for her courageous and in-
Northeast to openly declare her HIV positive status and now
lives in a house provided by the Chief Minister after her fam-
ily discarded her.
The book is priced at Rs 295 and speakers at the function
felt that a vernacular version of the English book is highly
recommended.
UB Photos
A press communiqué from Hussain states that the HIV
/AIDS scenario in Assam, particularly the level of awareness
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among the people, have undergone a sea change from August
1990 when the first AIDS case was reported in the state. Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi
Hussain was inspired by Jahnabi Goswami to write this releasing the book at a function in
book and the book is based on filed studies, interviews with Guwahati.
sex workers, NGO stalwarts and government officials. (DS)
August 08 29