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Tuesday, March 31, 2009 | By: Shital Pradhan

Amitabh Bachchan's photo in a woman's voter card in Sikkim

In one of the strangest incident to had happened with electronic photo identity card (EPIC), a photograph of cine mega star Amitabh Bachchan had came along side the name of a lady Danka Bhutia.

Danka Bhutia had the EPIC No.
CDC0078557 . The incident had happened in Changey Shenti Block under 22 Namcheyboong constituency in East Sikkim.

pic: hamro prajashakti

Press Release from Sikkim University

Sikkim University condemns the act of violence and vandalism at the Sikkim University administrative complex by the leaders of the Student Representative Council of Sikkim Government, Tadong on the evening of 28th March, 2009. This act of violence was carried out by students who are not even students of Sikkim University. They are the second and third year students and are enrolled with the North Bengal University.

This act of violence was carried out late in the evening of 28th March, 2009, even after the first year (2nd semester) students of Sikkim University had accepted the solution generously proposed by Sikkim University to accommodate the students who had failed even after the large scale reevaluation that was carried out by the University. The failed students were allowed to carry on in the second semester and they have been given the benefit of “zero semester” (one time) as a special case. They have been allowed to write the 1st semester examination once again at the end of the course of Six semesters. This means these students who have failed in the first semester examination (July-December 2008) could complete their graduation by doing an extra semester (July-December 2011).

These failed students would have been out of the college system but for the provision of Zero Semester that was invoked by the Vice Chancellor as a one time concession.

The provision of Zero semester has been put in the University statutes and ordinances to help any student who is genuinely affected by any unforeseen situation like the loss of any kith and kin and any other critical medical contingencies.

This solution was brought about in the presence of the representatives of Government of Sikkim, the Principal and the Dean of Sikkim Government College, Tadong and senior police officials on 28th March, 2009 at The Sikkim Retreat, where the second meeting of the Executive Council of Sikkim University had just concluded. The first year students of Sikkim University who were on agitation had agreed to this solution.

It is pertinent to note that Sikkim University has been very accommodating to the demands of the first Semester students who have failed. In the previous round of meeting held on 21st February, 2009, Sikkim University conceded to all their demands including enlarging the scope of re-evaluation to cover mid-semester, term papers and end semester examinations. The fees for reevaluation had also been reduced.

No where is it seen that students go on a rampage demanding that the failed students be promoted wholesale to the next class.

Sikkim University feels that the only permanent solution to such a problem is that the students take their studies seriously, attend the classes regularly and write their examination with due preparations. Sikkim University has introduced a liberal system of continuous and total internal evaluation wherein the teaching, setting question papers and evaluations are all done by their respective teachers. This is a system which allows and encourages the students to grow in every aspect of students’ life. With the compulsory provision of writing term papers and presenting them in the class rooms SU aspires that all the students get equal opportunity to flourish and take a steady career path.

Sikkim University appeals to all the students, parents and civil society members to join it in the challenging mission of enhancing the quality of education in the State and in the formidable task of building this new institution of higher learning.

Sunday, March 29, 2009 | By: Shital Pradhan

In Sikkim book Tata Nano at....

BOOK TATA NANO BOOKING AGENTS

Bajla Motors Pvt. Ltd.
Tadong, N.H.-31-A,
Gangtok
Sikkim

tata-nano-booking.blogspot.com

Once upon a time there was....a River Teesta






I have grown up at Singtam watching the river Teesta....but sometimes when i see the dried river i feel sorry for myself. It is very sorry to say that she paid price for our GREED!!!
Saturday, March 28, 2009 | By: Shital Pradhan

Chogyal Palden Thondup Namgyal at TNA School

Chogyal Palden Thondup Namgyal at TNA School

photographs shared by Vicky Palzor Lepcha

Shaurya Chakra for BRO’s dozer operator from Sikkim

from Indianexpress

For the first time, the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) will be conferred eight Shaurya Chakras, the country’s third highest non-combatant gallantry award, posthumously for brave action by its personnel in Afghanistan, Sikkim, Meghalaya and Kashmir.

While the awards were announced on the Republic Day honours list, the medals will be conferred by President Pratibha Patil at an investiture ceremony on Thursday.

The list of awardees includes, for the first time in the five decade history of the organisation, a Bar to the Shaurya Chakra that will be given to BRO’s dozer operator Zalim Singh for having won the same award twice over. Zalim Singh was killed in April last year while clearing a strategic road in north Sikkim for a column of tanks.

Two Shaurya Chakras have been awarded to men of the road construction project in Afghanistan — Superintendent Mahendra Pratap Singh and mason C Govindaswamy who died in a suicide bomb attack by Taliban militants .

Assistant Executive Engineer Santosh Kumar Singh and driver Jaikrit Singh Rawat, who were gunned down in an ambush by militants in the Kashmir valley in June last year, are also recipients of the award.

Other awardees include driver Surinder Pal who was martyred in an attack by militants in Meghalaya, supervisor M. Sundaram, deployed on the Kailash Mansarovar route and dozer operator Budhu Khan who was hit by debris while clearing a strategic road.

Friday, March 27, 2009 | By: Shital Pradhan

Aritar: Sikkim's own water sport fascination


"Aritar is located in East Sikkim, Under Rongli sub division. Aritar is 3 to 4 hours drive from Gangtok and 2 hours drive from Rongpo. Aritar Lake (a.k.a Lampokhari) is a newly developed tourist destination, where, for the first time in Sikkim, the boating facilities have been introduced. There are newly constructed viewpoints, cafeteria, lodges etc for the tourists. Tourists can also choose to trek from Aritar to Rachela, which is about 6 hours route, from where in season tourists can see rhododendrons bloom everywhere. There are many other places of Interests other than just Aritar Lake, such as old British built banglow, Aritar Gumpa, Mankhim, Nirmal Dham etc."-- sikkimonline.info

At Aritar Lake

Lampokhari : Initially one of the oldest natural lake in Sikkim and recently artificially constructed to facilitate boating for the tourists. At an altitude of 4600 ft it is the only lake with boating facility in Sikkim.







At Mankim


Mangkhim, a Temple of the Rai sect of Hindu origin is located at a height of 6500 ft at Maity Village (Kheselakha) . Hattipailay is another virgin village where the visitors can see elephant foot prints on rock.

Thursday, March 26, 2009 | By: Shital Pradhan

Rare Photograph of Sir Thutob Namgyal, King of Sikkim

Left to Right: D.E.Holland, Ugyen Wangchuck, John Claude White, Thutop Namgyel and his consort Yeshe Drolma.

Standing from left to right: Bhutanese guard, Capt. Henry Hyslop, Ugyen Dorje, Lobsang Choden, Jerung Dewan, Burmiak Kazi, Bhutanese guard, Sikkimese guard. (Photo by unidentified photographer, print from Fondation Alexandra David Neel, Digne)


This historic photograph was clicked when the King and Queen of Sikkim was invited at Calcutta Durbar during the occasion of the visit of the Prince and Princes of Wales in 1905.

For those who wanted more information on Sir Thutob Namgyal, he was the first person from Sikkim to be knighted by the Queen of England with the "Sir" title. He is the same person under whose name the the famous hospital at Gangtok is situated. STNM stands for Sir Thutob Namgyal Memorial Hospital was build in 1917.

photo: bhutan2008.bt
ted to the Calcutta Durbar in 1905 on the occasion of the
visit of the Prince and Princess of Wales
Wednesday, March 25, 2009 | By: Shital Pradhan

Chandra Dramatic Club at Rhenock

My 80 plus grandfather still manages to hold on his profession of clicking photographs at Rongli, a small hamlet in East Sikkim. He had been pursuing this job for the last 50 years and little did i knew in my childhood that the bundles of old photographs that he had in one of the polythene bags kept at roof of the house would be of importance some decades later. I feel very sorry for myself that as a child along with my other cousin brothers we would take those photograph and cut them along the edges, just for fun. In that way i must have destroyed many valuable old moments.

Ever since my love with Sikkim history grew i had always given soft hands to those old photographs shot in and around Sikkim. Some few years back while surfing down the room of my grandfather i found couple of old photographs of my interest. One of them is the one i am publishing now, this photograph is clicked at Rhenock at Chandra Nursery. The banner in the photograph shows Chandra Dramatic Club, Rhenock which has caught my fantasy. I had gone through the old people in Rhenock and Rongli but i never heard anyone talk about that Dramatic Club. So i believe the club must had been formed during the Dushera festival or at Dipawali festival. In this part of the regions during this two festivals there are traditions of observing festivals with coulourful environment.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009 | By: Shital Pradhan