Back to school at 73

Lalringthara, a 73-year-old man in New Hruaikawn village in eastern Mizoram’s Champhai district, is a living proof that it is never too late to learn. The septuagenarian has just been enrolled in the village’s only middle school in the fifth standard to fulfil his lifetime desire to go back to school, according to a report in the Assam Tribune.

Vanlalkima, the headmaster (in-charge) of the government-run school, said Lalringthara has a great passion for learning. “He is always thirsty for knowledge, to learn something new. Last year, he had applied for admission. I told him to wait for the new session,” he said.

Born in 1945 at Khuangleng village near the Indo-Myanmar border, Lalringthara could not continue his education after Class II as his father passed away when he was just two years of age. Having no sibling, he had to help his mother in the jhum fields right from a tender age.

After moving from one place to another, Lalringthara finally settled at New Hruaikawn village in 1995. He has been working as chowkidar in the local Presbyterian Church to earn his living.

Lalringthara can read and write in the Mizo language. He has read the Old Testament 14 times and the New Testament 16 times.

Top cops suspended

The Manipur government has suspended four senior police officials, including an IPS officer, in connection with the case of missing weapons from 2nd Manipur Rifles armoury between 2014 and 2018, an official statement said, according to a report in the Assam Tribune. A statement by the joint secretary of the department of personnel, L Bikram Singh, said that the officers will not be allowed to leave the premises of the state police headquarters without the consent of higher authorities. Altogether, 56 auto 9 mm pistols along with 58 magazines could not be accounted for when the commandant of 2nd Manipur Rifles conducted a routine examination of the armoury, Chief Minister N Biren Singh told the media.

The missing arms belonged to a batch of 570 pistols received by the state police headquarters in 2014 for supply to 2nd Manipur Rifles. Two personnel of the 2nd Manipur Rifles have been arrested.

School enrolment

In Nagaland, 4, 40, 306 students have been enrolled in 2,835 educational institutions at the school level during 2016-17, says a report in the Dimapur-based Morung Express. Out of those, boys constitute a total of 2, 24, 390 and girls 2, 19, 916, according to the annual administrative report 2017-18 of school education presented in the 13th Nagaland Legislative Assembly session recently. Primary schools have the highest number of enrolment with 2, 28, 380, followed by middle school — 1, 31, 949, high school — 59,709 and higher secondary at 30, 268.

The enrolment in government schools stood at 1, 81, 358 whereas a total of 2, 58, 948 enrolled under private schools. There are 2,070 government schools in the state with 1,150 primary school, 626 middle schools, 253 high schools and 41 higher secondary. The number of central educational institutions in the state stands at 26 with 12 higher secondary schools, 13 high schools and one middle school.

There were also 736 private educational institutions in the state with 118 higher secondary, 303 high schools, 187 middle schools and 128 primary schools.

Meanwhile, there are three educational institutions under the tribal and social welfare department, which includes two high schools and one middle school.