Imphal, June 7 (IANS) Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla on Saturday assessed the progress of the Integrated Teacher Education Programme (ITEP), a flagship initiative under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, officials said.

A Raj Bhavan official said that the ITEP is a four-year dual-major, holistic under-graduate program designed to prepare highly qualified teachers for all four stages of the new school structure.

Commissioner of Education (School) H. Gyan Prakash in the meeting provided an update on the ongoing implementation and key milestones of the programme in Manipur.

In a separate meeting, the Governor also reviewed the state’s progress under the National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NTEP), with a special focus on the TB Elimination Campaign.

The campaign is a key part of India’s mission to become a TB-free nation by 2025, a vision articulated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The review included a detailed discussion of the programme’s achievements to date, current challenges, and strategic actions required to accelerate progress.

Commissioner-cum-Secretary (Health), Sumant Singh, along with officials from the Health Department, made detailed presentations.

The official said that the family members of martyr Deepak Singh (BSF Jawan) called on the Governor at Raj Bhavan and shared their concerns and discussed various matters related to welfare and support.

Bhalla patiently heard them, acknowledged their concerns, and assured that necessary assistance would be extended from Raj Bhavan.

The Governor on Saturday released the first High-Yielding Variety (HYV) of Black Rice (Chakhao) — RC Manichakhao-1 — developed by the ICAR Research Complex for North Eastern Hill Region Region, Manipur Centre.

This marks a milestone in agricultural innovation for the state.

During the brief launch event, Dr. Konsam Sarika, Scientist at ICAR Manipur Centre, along with other officials, briefed the Governor on the science behind this new variety of Chakhao.

They explained that RC Manichakhao-1 effectively doubles the yield of traditional landraces, while also offering improved cooking quality and higher anthocyanin content.

–IANS

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