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In Tribute: The Little Known Padma Shri IAS Hero Who Transformed Rural Nagaland
On the morning of 18 April 2021, India lost Achyut Madhav Gokhale, one of the country’s finest Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers, to COVID-19 in Pune. Suffice it to say, his loss was felt...
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Nagaland Women Band To Revive 99 Springs, Benefit 12000 Water-Starved Households
Nagaland, a mountainous state in Northeast India, has a peculiar topography that hosts unique and rich varieties of flora and fauna. The state is blessed with an average annual rainfall of 1,800 mm to...
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From 50K To 1 Million Falcons: Naga Man Wins ‘Green Oscar’ For Conservation...
As a child, Nuklu Phom loved spotting and naming birds of different species with his grandfather. However, by the time he became a teenager, these occurrences declined with the dwindling bird...
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Nagaland Startup Brings Tribal Jewellery In Vogue, Helps Artisans Earn Upto a...
When Nengneithem Hengna, the youngest child of a retired police officer/social worker and homemaker from Dimapur, opened a store in 2011 to give local artisans a platform to market their products...
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At 23, This British Woman Led 150 Naga Warriors Against the Japanese in 1942
How did a 20-something girl, often described as a cinema actress, come to India to escape taunts by her mother to get married and take part in combat as a ‘Naga Queen’? This was my question to Catriona...
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Must Listen: The Songs of These 4 Sisters Are One of Nagaland’s Finest Exports
The Tetseo Sisters rank among Nagaland’s greatest cultural exports. Celebrating songs of life, the richness of their natural surroundings, and storytelling through the language of Li or folk singing in...
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‘I Won’t Be Pushing My Kids to Write CSE’: IRS Officer Speaks on UPSC Exams
When Sashi Wapang Lanu cracked the renowned Union Public Service Commission-Civil Services (UPSC) exams in his third attempt, it was a one-way ticket to a much coveted permanent job in the Indian...
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His 30-Yr Effort To Grow Non-Native Fruits Has Helped 1000s Earn More The...
While the native fruits of Nagaland are persimmon, chestnut, walnut, hazelnut, plums, avocado, pears, peach, lemon and guava, among others, if you happen to visit Noklak near Assam, you are bound to...
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Nagaland Man Builds Stunning ‘Hobbit Home’, Gets Visitors From Across India
“In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to...
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How a Teacher Brought Electricity to a Remote Village After 44 Years
February 16 will always be etched as a historic date for residents of Nagaland’s Shinnyu village along the India-Myanmar border. The village in Mon district was finally electrified after 44 years and...
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A Tiny Naga Village Has Been Spearheading Women’s Rights & Sustainable...
“Every great idea, accomplishment, product or service started out the same…as a seed that needed to be planted, nourished and loved.” – Debbie LaChusa A small village in Nagaland’s Phek district,...
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This Kargil War Hero, a Maha Vir Chakra Awardee, Continues to Inspire the Nation
Subedar Imliakum Ao was awarded the Maha Vir Chakra for showing exemplary courage in the face of the enemy during the Kargil war of 1999. Promoted to the rank of Subedar on August 1, this highly...
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Flight of Freedom: Meet the Lady Who Saved Nagaland’s Amur Falcons
In October, one of nature’s greatest spectacles unfolds in the breathtakingly beautiful state of Nagaland. Thousands of Amur falcons congregate at the Doyang reservoir in Wokha district, having flown...
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How These Beautiful Nungshiba Dolls Have Become a Means of Empowerment For...
Astate defined by its lush mountainous terrain, picturesque village settlements and rich cultural heritage, Nagaland is also recognised for its finesse in fashion and handicrafts. In keeping with...
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TBI Blogs: Meet the Konyaks of Nagaland, Renowned as Headhunters, and for...
Many of India’s indigenous tribes and cultures in remote areas of the country still live following practices handed down from generation to generation. Traveller and blogger Neelima Vallangi talks...
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Bringing Legends Back Alive on Walls: How Kohima Is Being Transformed Through...
The hilly capital of Nagaland, Kohima is probably one of the most picturesque towns in the country with its serene environs and fresh, unpolluted air, where life takes an unhurried pace—something jaded...
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After 50 Years, How This IAS Officer Re-United a Woman and Her Family in...
A typical news story about India’s bureaucracy doesn’t necessarily evoke positive emotions, but there are exceptions, and the Better India is premised on the positives. This story is about IAS officer...
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A Woman from Nagaland is Cleaning Varanasi, One Ghat at a Time
Varanasi (or Benaras), the spiritual capital of India, hosts millions of tourists every year. A majority of these tourists visit the city to bathe in the Ganges. Ironically, the river that is...
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These Unsung Heroes of Nagaland Will Inspire You to Be a Better Person
Here is your chance to get to know some of the men and women who were honoured at the first edition of the Nagaland Red Carpet Social Awards for their contributions in the field of art, sports,...
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How to End India’s Oldest Insurgency? This Former Cop Has Some Answers
When the Centre, the Naga insurgent groups led by the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (Isak-Muivah), and local civil society organisations signed the Naga Peace Accord in August 2015, there was...
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Are US Elections The Right Format For Clean Candidates? Nagaland Finds Out
In a bid to democratise the electoral system, civil society and student body organisations in Nagaland have organised events where candidates from each party address a gathering of voters in towns,...
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Hope on the horizon? Nagaland CM Says Naga Peace Accord Talks Between Centre...
Neiphiu Rio, the Chief Minister of Nagaland, claims that the long-awaited Naga peace accord is in the “final stages” of deliberation and issues pertaining to Naga “autonomy” have been resolved, reports...
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Nagaland Villagers Did Something Unforgettable for This Mother-Baby Duo of...
Despite the godly reverence bestowed upon snakes by many religious communities in India, most of us would be scared out of our wits or become immobile with fear if a snake ever happens to cross our...
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FB Post Helps Locals Crowdfund Nagaland’s 1st Independent Public Library!
With the proliferation of social media and changing mediums of reading like the Kindle, libraries across major cities in India are fading away from public imagination. Making matters worse is the...
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Defying its Govt, Nagaland Comes Out in Support of its Beloved ‘People’s DGP’!
The story of an honest and upright cop taking on a corrupt system is something that mainstream Indian cinema has latched on to for years. What’s seemingly unfolding in Nagaland today reads like a...
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57-YO Naga Musician Invents World’s ‘Easiest’ Musical Instrument, Looks to...
In December 2004, Moa Subong, a 57-year-old musician from Nagaland, invented what he considers the “easiest musical instrument in the world” called the Bamhum. A wind instrument made of bamboo, the...
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Inspiring! How a Tiny Naga Village Became Tobacco, Plastic and Waste Free
Did you know about a village in Nagaland which is tobacco, plastic and waste free? Well, the village in question is the Sishunu village, located 11 km away from the state capital of Kohima. Today, the...
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Why Nagaland Came Out In Support Of The Super Cop Who Nabbed Abu Salem!
Rupin Sharma, a 1992-batch Indian Police Service officer of the Nagaland cadre, isn’t your average lawman. He led the Central Bureau of Investigation team that traced and extradited the notorious...
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Nagaland Floods: Another State Needs Our Aid, Here’s How You Can Help
After Kerala, it’s about time we turned our attention towards Nagaland, which, for the past month, has been witness to incessant rainfall causing severe floods and landslides all over the state. Thus...
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Spicing It Up: How One of World’s Hottest Chillies is Sustaining an Entire...
Since 2009, the Sirarakhong village in Manipur’s Ukhrul district has celebrated the Hatei Phanit festival, dedicated to its indigenous, organically-grown chilli called the Sirarakhong, which is slowly...
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From Kerala Orphanage to Cracking UPSC: The Incredible Story of IAS Mohammad...
He was born in the remote village of Edavannappara near Kondotty in Kerala’s Malappuram district. Growing up as a carefree child, he would often find innovative ways to skip school. His sole dream in...
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IPS Officer’s ‘Pathshala’ Shows Nagaland’s Kids a Whole New Side of The Police
In May 2018, the non-profit Common Cause and the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS) released a significant report titled the ‘Status of Policing in India 2018’. This articulated how...
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8-YO Naga Girl Dragged Grandma Out of River, Ran Across 7 Km of Jungle To...
Nearly four years ago in January 2015, eight-year-old Naga girl Mhonbeni Ezung became the youngest person to receive the National Bravery Award from Prime Minister Narendra Modi. What did the young...
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A Good Celebration: Naga Tribe’s 100% Biodegradable Festival Has Lessons For All
The Mon district, which lies in the northernmost reaches of Nagaland bordering Myanmar, is home to the Konyak Nagas. This is a tribe whose members once adorned distinctive facial tattoos and were...
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Nagaland’s Gandhi: The Story of the Legend Who Fought All Odds To Bring Peace
Natwar Thakkar, popularly known as Natwar Bhai, remains one of the most fascinating personalities of post-Independence India. Inspired by Kaka Kalekar, the Gandhian social reformer, this social worker...
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Amazing Brother Pauses Dreams, Gives Intellectually Disabled Sister a Better...
For Huveta, a 40-year-old housefather at a juvenile observation home in Phek town, Nagaland, life revolves around guiding minors, who have been caught on the wrong side of the law, to better integrate...
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This Nagaland Lawyer Quit Her Dream Job to Build a Future for Over 1 Lakh...
This article has been sponsored by MG Motor India. For decades, the Northeastern states have been in the eye of a socio-politico-economic storm that has adversely affected social development,...
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Orphaned at 12, Naga Man Opens Schools, Rescues Kids From Sexual Abuse &...
By the age of 12, Subonenba Longkumer, a resident of Dimapur in Nagaland, had lost his parents and been separated from his siblings. What followed was a period of incredible struggle and confusion, but...
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After Drugs Killed His Brother, Man Helps Over 1000 Naga Youth Study & Get Jobs
With The Positive Collective, The Better India’s COVID-19 coverage is available to regional language publications for free. Write to editorial@thebetterindia.com for more details. How can you do...
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After Returning From the US, Naga Woman Now Earns Lakhs By Making Organic Soaps
Nagaland entrepreneur Akitoli Suu started adopting a natural way of living about eight years back in 2012. After studying and working abroad in the US and the UK as an expert on nutrition, she decided...
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Death of Brothers Inspires Naga Reformer to Uplift the Health of 73 Villages
In their lifetime, Chingmak Kejong, a former pastor turned social reformer, and his wife, Phutoli Shikhu, have done more for the people of Tuensang district in eastern Nagaland than politicians and...
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Free UPSC Coaching to Treating Addicts: Nagaland IPS Goes Above Duty to Save...
When Dr. Pritpal Kaur Batra, a 2016-batch officer of the Indian Police Service (IPS), was first posted in the remote eastern border district of Tuensang in Nagaland as a sub-divisional police officer...
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Naga Scientist’s Exotic Mushrooms Help Over 500 Farmers Raise Their Incomes
Shiitake mushroom—an edible, profitable and nutritious mushroom mostly grown in East Asia—has found a new home in the northeastern state of Nagaland. The pioneer behind this development is 37-year-old...
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Battling Drugs & Violence: 8 Nagaland Heroes Whose Actions Should Inspire All...
Since Nagaland became an official state of the Indian Union on 1 December 1963, its residents have undergone their fair share of social, economic and political turbulence. Despite the circumstances,...
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Once a Daily Wager, Nagaland Entrerenuer Now Runs 3 Businesses & Trains 400...
At the age of 16, many teenagers begin planning their lives out and choosing a career path to pursue their ambitions. During the same period in his life, Ruovilhoukho Chuzho had to make the tough...
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How Many People Would Quit Their Jobs & Then Save an Endangered Bird? This...
Every winter, thousands of majestic Amur falcons fill the Nagaland skies along the Doyang valley reservoir. The birds are native to South Russia and North China, and the International Union for...
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‘Youtube Taught me How to Raise Guppies; Now I Earn Rs 10,000/Month at Home’
Yarangjang Imchen lives in the far northeastern state of India, Nagaland. A graphic designer by profession, he owns a computer institute and works on projects in the IT sector. But a hobby sprouted in...
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Engineer Quits Job To Preserve Nagaland’s Delicacies In Pickles, Sells To 14...
What is a qualified engineer in Bengaluru doing taking the spicy flavours of Nagaland to the rest of India, as well as the world? Building a thriving pickle business is what. With his venture The...
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64-YO Hunter-Turned-Saviour Dedicates Life to Save 60+ Species of Rare Birds...
Rüvuotuo Belho (64) has lived in the same home, nestled in the lush green lands of Kohima in Nagaland, all his life. From a very young age, he would spend hours gazing at the wildlife and nature...
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Nagaland’s Biggest Rapper Moko Koza Chose Hip Hop Over MBBS To Speak for His...
Mvüko Koza, a Kohima-based multilingual recording artist and songwriter, who popularly goes by Moko Koza, has never been afraid to express his Naga identity and represent his people. Standing at the...
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