Serendipity : Musings of an Islander

What began as a demand for a Central University has transformed into a democratic awakening among students By Debkumar Bhadra The recent developments concerning higher education in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands may ultimately be remembered not merely as an institutional transition but as a defining moment in the democratic evolution of the islands themselves. The islands being a UT without legislation, have over the years functioned under a governance structure driven by bureaucratic decision-making headed by the Lt Governor. In such a framework, policy decisions emerge from administrative corridors with limited-to-no consultation with islanders, their elected representatives, including their lone Member of Parliament. This has created a perception that decisions affecting the lives and future of islanders are taken without adequate stakeholder engagement. The latest and most consequential of such decisions has been the establishment of the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose I...

All motorised vehicles are fitted with a registration plate (commonly called Number Plate) bearing registration mark, at the front and back, in specific size and colour combination depending upon the class of the vehicle. In India until June 30, 1989, the registration plate system adopted a scheme where the first 2 or 3 alphabets were the state code, followed by unique registration number (numeral upto 4 digits). Some of the older vehicles still carry this valid numbering scheme. In the early 2000, the number plate colour scheme was changed from white over black to black over white for private non-commercial vehicles, and from black over white to black over yellow for all other class of vehicles. Also in the revised system, first two letters of the registration mark represent the state in which the vehicle is registered and the next two digit (numerals) indicate the sequential number of the district. Third part is a 4 digit number unique to each plate. Once the 4 digit number reach...