Understanding the endless difficulties and financial limitations faced by the media persons, voices have been raised for a group life & health insurance coverage for the media employees including working journalists engaged with various media outlets of the city. The members of Guwahati Press Club emphasize on a participatory groupinsurance scheme where the beneficiary-employees, owners of media houses and the State government can contribute equally.
Need not to mention that most of the media employees based in the city have no life & health insurance coverage. In regards to the health insurance coverage the statistics may go up to 80% (out of around 5000 media employees) who do not possess the facilities.
Moreover, the health care in present days becomes very expensive where the media employees often face hardship to undergo necessary treatments. The benefits, provided by the ESI hospitals, have much more limitations. So the financial constrains always prevent them from taking due medical attention, which finally deteriorates their heath conditions.
A raw statistics indicate that 60% of Guwahati based media employees do not have any individual or group life insurance coverage. Hence the death of a media employee, where he/she is the sole earner, always brings distressed news for the family.
It may be mentioned that a groupinsurancepolicyas defined by the IRDA’s groupinsurance guidelines can provide advantages of standardized coverage and very competitive premium rates. The policy will be issued in the name of a group and if one leaves the group he/she might entitle the continued coverage under an individual policy.
The proposed groupinsurance, to be operated by any recognized agency, would be open for everyone who wants to join the process. A beneficiary (media employee) will have to deposit his/her contribution directly to the agency, where as the owner/proprietors of both print & electronic media houses would pay according to the number of their beneficiary employees. The third part of the contribution would be provided by the government under its welfare scheme. The ultimate modalities of the group life & health insurance and also the assigned agency may be finalized with the consent of beneficiaries. Relevant feedbacks are welcome and can be submitted at the office of Guwahati Press Club on working days.
Press Emblem Campaign (PEC), the Geneva-based global media safety and rights body, has expressed concern over the continued press censorship in Myanmar, as the military junta authorities have recently revoked the licenses of three more independent news outlets. The junta’s information ministry had lately restricted the publication of Myaelatt Athan, Red News Agency, and Asia Citizens News Agency, citing different sections of the law.
Mentionable is that the South Asian nation of 55 million people witnessed a coup on 1 February 2021, when a democratically elected government led by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi was ousted by the then military chief Min Aung Hlaing. Since then, the junta has revoked...
A grassroots effort to resurrect Spirit Airlines has gone viral after being launched by Hunter Peterson, an aviation enthusiast who has spoken publicly about being autistic and his lifelong interest in airplanes.
The campaign, organized through LetsBuySpiritAir.com, calls for a “community-owned airline” model in which passengers, employees and supporters would collectively fund and govern a rebooted version of the bankrupt budget carrier. The proposal spread quickly across TikTok, Reddit and X, drawing millions of views under the hashtag #Spirit2.0.
Peterson, 24, a content creator, gained attention after posting a video last week in which he said, “I’m kind of autistic, and I...
Scientists conducting the 5th Khangri Glacier Expedition in Arunachal Pradesh’s Tawang district have reported alarming geomorphological changes in the Khangri Glacier, including the formation of a potentially dangerous proglacial lake that could trigger a Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) in the Mago Chu Basin.
The expedition was jointly conducted by the Centre for Earth Sciences and Himalayan Studies in collaboration with the National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research and North Eastern Regional Institute of Science and Technology. The scientific mission began on May 4 in the transboundary Mago Chu Basin, a critical headwater region of the larger Brahmaputra river system.
According...
Heavy pre-monsoon rainfall has caused multiple breaches, locally known as “rain cuts”, in the Ulfa dyke at Panigaon in Assam’s Lakhimpur district, raising fresh concerns of flooding in the region.
The 3.7-km-long agri-bund embankment—stretching from Jorkhat-Boniyagaon to Pub-Aamtola Nepaligaon under Pachim Telahi Gaon Panchayat—is popularly known as the Ulfa dyke. It was originally constructed in 1989 by members of the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) with community participation.
According to reports, continuous rainfall over recent weeks has led to the formation of more than 20 rain cuts along the embankment, significantly weakening its structure ahead of the...
A district-level convening of humanitarian organisations and civil society groups was held in Jorhat at the premises of the North-East Affected Area Development Society (NEADS), Dhekiakhowa, focusing on Community Feedback Mechanism (CFM) and flood preparedness.
Organised by NEADS in collaboration with the State Inter Agency Group and Roots to Branches Foundation, with support from UNICEF Assam, the meeting brought together civil society representatives, district authorities, and local humanitarian actors to strengthen coordination ahead of the flood season.
The session opened with a welcome address by Tirtha Prasad Saikia, who underscored the importance of community-centred approaches...
In a grim reminder of the city’s crumbling urban infrastructure, four lives were lost within 48 hours after heavy rains triggered widespread artificial flooding across Guwahati. What should have been a seasonal downpour instead exposed a deadly mix of neglected drains, poor planning, and administrative failure.
The first victim, Payel Nath Das (around 30), a Dharapur resident working at a jewellery shop on GS Road, met a tragic end on the night of April 19. At around 9:30 pm, while wading through knee-deep water at Maligaon Chariali, she slipped into an uncovered roadside drain concealed beneath floodwaters. Her body was recovered 150–250 metres away the next morning by SDRF personnel...
Voting for the Assam Assembly elections gathered steady momentum through the morning hours on April 9, with scenes from across the state reflecting a strong and participatory democratic exercise. By mid-morning, polling booths were already witnessing long queues, as men and women, young voters and the elderly alike, stepped out early to cast their votes. The initial hours after 9 AM saw a smooth and peaceful polling process, backed by visible security presence and efficient booth management.
In Guwahati, the day unfolded with a calm yet purposeful energy. Polling stations across the city saw a steady stream of voters, many arriving with family members, some even accompanied by children,...
Susovan Sonu Roy has steadily carved a place for himself across multiple creative fields—Bengali television, modelling, and films—building his career through persistence, training, and adaptability.
Born in Howrah, Susovan spent his formative years between Kolkata and Guwahati. His early life was marked by hardship after losing his father in an accident at a young age. Raised by his mother under challenging circumstances, he went on to complete his graduation in Commerce from Dum Dum Motijheel Rabindra Mahavidyalaya in 2016.
His entry into the performing arts began with dance. Driven by interest, he joined a dance institute where he trained in Western dance for nearly two years....
A major political controversy has erupted around Himanta Biswa Sarma after the Congress party levelled serious allegations regarding the alleged accumulation of vast wealth abroad by his family, particularly involving his wife Riniki Bhuyan Sarma.
According to a report by The Wire, Congress leader Pawan Khera claimed that assets worth nearly ₹52,000 crore have been stashed overseas, particularly in the United States, through a company allegedly linked to the Chief Minister’s family.
At a press conference in New Delhi, Khera alleged that Riniki Bhuyan Sarma holds multiple foreign passports and questioned the source of such large-scale wealth. He further demanded a probe and even called...
Guwahati, April 3, 2026: The Moung-Dun-Chun-Kham State Demand Committee and the Moung-Dun-Chun-Kham People’s Party on Friday held a press conference at the Dispur Press Club, reiterating their demand for permanent political rights and autonomy for the Tai-Ahom community in Assam.
Addressing the media, representatives of the organisations stated that despite the Tai-Ahom community’s historical and demographic significance, successive governments have failed to provide meaningful constitutional safeguards.
“At present, almost all indigenous communities of Assam… have been raising demands for autonomy or self-determination under the Indian Constitution,” the press release noted,...
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