Utpal Parashar
Utpal is an assistant editor based in Guwahati. He covers all eight states of North-East and was previously based in Kathmandu, Dehradun and Delhi with Hindustan Times .
Articles by Utpal Parashar
High level EC team on 3-day Assam visit to take stock of assembly polls
PUBLISHED ON JAN 18, 2021 09:42 PM IST
- The Election Commission team will hold meetings with the senior bureaucrats and police officers including state chief secretary and police chief to know about security arrangements.
Regional parties AJP, Raijor Dal inch closer to alliance for Assam assembly polls
PUBLISHED ON JAN 18, 2021 01:54 PM IST
On Sunday, RD officially sent a letter to AJP seeking an alliance to form a regional front against BJP and other national parties like the Congress
Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel on two-day visit to poll-bound Assam
UPDATED ON JAN 18, 2021 02:20 PM IST
- Bhupesh Baghel's meetings in Assam will be his first to review the Congress' poll preparedness for the assembly elections expected a few months later.
Don't get into efficacy debate, take vaccine without fear: Assam's first recipie
By Utpal Parashar, Guwahati
PUBLISHED ON JAN 16, 2021 12:17 PM IST
In Assam, around 190,000 doctors, nurses, hospital staff, lab technicians, and ambulance drivers would get vaccinated in the first vaccination stage followed by nearly 100,000 police and paramilitary personnel.
Assam village sets example, holds fake buffalo fight to uphold SC ban
By Utpal Parashar | Edited by Sparshita Saxena
UPDATED ON JAN 15, 2021 11:58 PM IST
- In 2016, the Supreme Court had placed a ban on animal fights during religious and cultural festivals.
Arunachal Pradesh to build memorial to honour hero who won Tawang for India
UPDATED ON JAN 15, 2021 08:47 PM IST
The foundation stone of the memorial will be laid on February 14, the day when Khathing is believed to have hoisted the Indian flag in Tawang in 1951.
12 senior doctors to be the first to get Covid-19 vaccine in Assam
By Utpal Parashar | Edited by Sohini Sarkar
PUBLISHED ON JAN 15, 2021 06:03 PM IST
In Assam, around 9 million or nearly 3% of the total population would be covered in the first phase. Around 190,000 doctors, nurses, hospital staff, lab technicians and ambulance drivers will get vaccinated in the first stage followed by nearly 100,000 police and paramilitary personnel.
Wild buffalo that killed two persons shot dead in Assam
By Utpal Parashar, Guwahati
PUBLISHED ON JAN 15, 2021 04:26 PM IST
- An irate mob had torched a forest range office and an official vehicle after a person named Jayanta Das was killed by the buffalo on Thursday. The animal attacked and killed another person named Sukur Ali on Friday morning.
Resort construction near Kaziranga National Park afoot despite SC ban
PUBLISHED ON JAN 13, 2021 11:42 PM IST
GUWAHATI: Construction is in full swing on a resort near Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve (KNPTR) in Assam in violation of a Supreme Court order banning building work on animal corridors
Resort comes up in animal corridor near Assam’s Kaziranga in violation of SC order
UPDATED ON JAN 13, 2021 02:02 PM IST
Despite the ban, work in Green Ashiyana Resort is taking place amid a blame game between the state forest department and local administration
Gauhati HC stays removal of Congress’ leader of opposition in Assam assembly
PUBLISHED ON JAN 12, 2021 09:48 PM IST
- Hearing a petition filed by Saikia challenging the notification, Justice Achintya Malla Bujor Barua stayed the move and issued notices to the secretary and principal secretary of Assam assembly returnable within two weeks.
Gauhati HC stays removal of Cong MLA as leader of opposition in Assam assembly
PUBLISHED ON JAN 12, 2021 09:14 PM IST
- The Assembly secretariat said that since the present strength of the Congress was not equal to the quorum fixed to constitute a sitting of the House, Debabrata Saikia's status as leader of opposition was withdrawn.
Assam prepares for Magh Bihu celebrations amid bird flu scare
By Utpal Parashar | Edited by Sohini Sarkar, Hindustan Times, Guwahati
PUBLISHED ON JAN 12, 2021 08:56 PM IST
- This year, due to bird flu the government has banned import of poultry including chicken and duck from other states through the western border. This is expected to lead to a surge in prices of mutton, chicken, fish, duck etc.
Will win over 100 seats: Nadda at Assam rally
PUBLISHED ON JAN 12, 2021 04:25 AM IST
Nadda addressed a “Vijay Sankalpa” (victory pledge) rally in Barak Valley’s Silchar, beginning the party’s campaign for the assembly elections, likely to be held in April-May.
Will win over 100 seats: Nadda at Assam rally
PUBLISHED ON JAN 11, 2021 11:56 PM IST
GUWAHATI:
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president JP Nadda on Monday expressed confidence that the party would return to power in Assam, predicting that it would win over 100 of the 126 assembly seats in upcoming elections
BJP will protect Assam’s culture, language, identity, says Nadda in Silchar rally
PUBLISHED ON JAN 11, 2021 04:56 PM IST
Nadda was addressing a Vijay Sankalpa (Victory Pledge) rally at police parade ground in Barak Valley’s Silchar ahead of the next assembly polls in the state likely to be held in April-May
Nadda's Assam poll campaign to begin at Silchar, like Modi's 2019 campaign
By Utpal Parashar | Edited by Abhinav Sahay, Guwahati
UPDATED ON JAN 10, 2021 01:33 PM IST
- The BJP president won’t be holding any official talks with Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and the United People’s Party Liberal (UPPL), the two regional parties with which it is expected to enter into a pre-poll alliance.
Gauhati High Court rejects anti-CAA activist Akhil Gogoi’s bail plea
By Utpal Parashar | Hindustan Times, Guwahati
UPDATED ON JAN 07, 2021 12:52 PM IST
The decision by a division bench of the court has dashed hopes of his supporters across Assam who had been hoping that he would get released soon to take part in the upcoming assembly polls in the state.
Congress MLA loses status of leader of opposition in Assam assembly
By Utpal Parashar | Hindustan Times, Guwahati
PUBLISHED ON JAN 05, 2021 07:50 PM IST
The Speaker of the Assam legislative assembly withdrew the recognition of Debabrata Saikia as Leader of the Opposition after two Congress MLAs quit to join the ruling BJP reducing the grand old party’s number of lawmakers to 20, one less than the 21 needed to have one-sixth of the total members of the assembly.
Assam: Underground passage on Indo-Bangla border sparks fears of infiltration, smuggling
By Utpal Parashar | Hindustan Times, Guwahati
UPDATED ON JAN 04, 2021 04:08 PM IST
On December 28, police received a complaint that two persons from Karimganj had been abducted and taken to Bangladesh. During the investigation, police detected the underground passage
Assam to conduct class 10 and 12 board exams in May, results in July
By Utpal Parashar | Hindustan Times, Guwahati
UPDATED ON JAN 02, 2021 09:06 PM IST
State education minister Himanta Biswa Sarma tweeted that the High School Leaving Certificate (HSLC) exam (or Class 10 board exams) for the current year will start from May 11.
Assam transgenders release video, seek mainstreaming, inclusion in festivities
By Utpal Parashar | Hindustan Times, Guwahati
UPDATED ON JAN 03, 2021 08:04 AM IST
The video released by the community hopes to get transgender people included in the festivities during the harvesting festival.
Assam professor dies of burn injuries; one acquaintance arrested
By Utpal Parashar | Guwahati, Hindustan Times
PUBLISHED ON JAN 02, 2021 12:14 PM IST
The victim, who was in her 30s, had sustained severe burn injuries on the night of December 30 at her residence and was rushed to Guwahati for treatment
Gauhati HC orders floor test of BTC executive council before Dec 26
By Utpal Parashar | Hindustan Times, Guwahati
UPDATED ON DEC 22, 2020 10:42 PM IST
The HC order by Justice Suman Shyam came 10 days after results of the polls to the council were announced following a petition filed by Hagrama Mohilary, the former chief executive member (CEM) of BTC and president of Bodoland Peoples’ Front (BPF) challenging formation of the executive council.
Assam cabinet approves Bill to make Bodo associate official language of state
By Utpal Parashar | Hindustan Times, Guwahati
UPDATED ON DEC 22, 2020 09:02 PM IST
The Bill is expected to be tabled in the next assembly session scheduled later this month. It would be the last session of the assembly before the polls expected in March-April next year.
Two employees of oil drilling company abducted in Arunachal Pradesh
By Utpal Parashar | Hindustan Times, Guwahati
PUBLISHED ON DEC 22, 2020 08:59 AM IST
According to reports, the miscreants had come looking for another employee of the company. But since he was on leave, they took away Gogoi and Kumar
63 insurgents give up arms in Assam, CM Sonowal welcomes them
By Utpal Parashar | Hindustan Times, Guwahati
UPDATED ON DEC 22, 2020 08:34 AM IST
This was the third major laying down of arms ceremony by rebels in Assam this year.
Man gets death penalty for rape-murder of 5-year-old girl in Assam
By Utpal Parashar | Hindustan Times, Guwahati
UPDATED ON DEC 22, 2020 08:03 AM IST
The body of the girl, which was buried near a pond, was later recovered following the arrest of the accused.
Three years after he went missing from West Bengal, special child reunited with parents in Assam
By Utpal Parashar | Hindustan Times, Guwahati
PUBLISHED ON DEC 21, 2020 08:54 AM IST
He was soon placed by the district child welfare committee in care of Destination, a Guwahati-based NGO that works with special children
Assam’s silent revolution to revive volleyball
By Utpal Parashar | Hindustan Times, Guwahati
UPDATED ON DEC 20, 2020 06:26 PM IST
The brainchild of a former national captain, a volleyball league comprising 50 teams of boys and girls below 16 years is now underway across Assam.