Pritam Subba, the son of Mrs. Sarita Subba and Mr. Dhan Bahadur Subba of Jorebunglow is an alumnus of St. Roberts School (till 10) and St. Joseph’s, North Point (+2), Darjeeling. He graduated from IIM Calcutta.

Ngawang Phuntsok, the son of Mrs. Tashi Chokey and Mr. Wangdak Dorjee of Darjeeling town is an alumnus of Mount Hermon School. He graduated from IIM Ahmedabad.

Anupam Lama, the son of Late Gauri Lama and Mr Amrit Lama of Dow Hill, Kurseong, completed his ICSE from Victoria Boys High School and 12th from Army Public School, Sukna. He earned his B.E. in Civil Engineering from Jadavpur University, Kolkata in 2017. Anupam graduated from IIM Calcutta.

By graduating from the two top business schools in the country that are ranked among the top-25 in the world, they have shown that our youths have the ability to compete with the best in the world and outperform them.

IIM Ahmedabad and Calcutta along with IIM Bangalore (IIM ABC), the holy trinity of IIMs are amongst the most selective business schools in the world with an acceptance rate of just about 0.5%. Getting into them requires clearing CAT, having an excellent academic record and among more than 2 lakh applicants, only around 1300 make it to the top 3 IIMs. These institutions are also ranked amongst the best in the world with IIM A, C and B ranked the 20th, 21st, and 36th best colleges globally by Financial Times for their flagship 2 years program.

Given that there is so little awareness among our youths about such programs and career paths, it would also serve as a source of inspiration for many. Moreover, such achievements in the past have mostly gone unnoticed due to our collective ignorance and it’d be a breath of fresh air to see someone excel in the field of business and management studies. It’d be great to see more youths from the hills join these esteemed institutions and emerge as future business leaders.

These young graduates have been offered leadership roles at multinational corporations. It’s a matter of pride that two of our own made it through to the best institutions in the country and came out with flying colors.

[Rosy Fudong Lepcha for TheDC]

The post Darjeeling Lads Ngawang Phuntsok, Anupam Lama, and Pritam Subba Graduate from IIMs appeared first on The Darjeeling Chronicle.

Atharva Singh, makes Darjeeling proud by adding New Bird species to the bird list of India. The new species was recorded from high altitude forests of Arunachal Pradesh.

TheDC team send a warm “Shout Out” to Atharva Singh, a proud son of Darjeeling for etching his name in the annals of Birding in India and also for keeping the Darjeeling flag flying high

Atharva is a Ph.D scholar at the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) and a Research Scholar from Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS). His discovery has made our hills proud!!

A team of scientists from Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), Mumbai, while exploring the high-altitude coniferous forests of Arunachal Pradesh, has recorded a rare species of bird which has been identified as the Three-banded Rosefinch after detailed observations.

According to assistant director of BNHS, Dr. Girish Jathar, this species is a resident of Southern China and vagrant in Bhutan. Thus, this is the first confirmed report of Three-banded Rosefinch from Arunachal Pradesh, a new addition to the list of birds from India.

The bird was recorded on February 8, 2021, but the team some took time for confirmation. “We recently published this finding in the journal Indian Birds. Our team is conducting intensive surveys of finches across the Eastern Himalayas as a part of an ongoing study funded by Oracle,” said Dr. Jathar.

Dr. Jathar further said that during one of these surveys, BNHS researchers Atharva Singh and Himadri Shekar Mondal first photographed a male and a female individual of this species at Sela Pass, Arunachal Pradesh, at an altitude of 3,852 metre above the sea level. “This pair was seen with a flock of White-browed Rosefinch, a species commonly seen in this landscape,” he said.

The species belongs to the family of finch, Fringillidae, which are seed-eating passerine birds with a distinctively conical bill.

Atharva Singh, lead author of the published work, states that the Three-banded Rosefinch may be using the high altitude temperate coniferous forest of Arunachal Pradesh as a passage while migrating from China to Bhutan.“Thus, this landscape is a potential corridor for this species.

Little information is available on the ecology of this species,” said Himadri Mondal, who is the second author of this paper.

Dr. Jathar, who is leading the Climate Change and Himalaya Program at BNHS, mentions that the altitudinal record of this species sighting from India is higher than its previous known altitudinal records from China. Hence, it opens up interesting ecological research on the species in the future.

This new addition of birds for India by scientists from the BNHS highlights the importance of intensive surveys in the least studied landscapes like the Eastern Himalayas.

[With inputs from Times of India and The Hindu]

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We sat down for a short chat with him.

Name: Prasant Subba
Aama: Babita Subba
Baba: Sudarshan Subba
School: St Alphonsus H.S School
College: Kurseong College

TheDC: What inspired you to want to become a Body Builder?

Prasant: One of my biggest inspiration is my Dad (Sudarshan Subba’s) and Kaka (Mr Subarna Subba) who is also a Marathoner. As a kid, I used to look at their achievements like trophies, medal, mementos and as I grew older, I also wanted to achieve success in sports. I was really interested in playing games like football, volleyball, but I was really skinny, so later when I was in High school my dad brought me some weights, bars and guide book for bodybuilding, and from that moment I have been in this field.

TheDC: Were your family supportive of your decision?

Prasant: Yeah, they have always supported me, specially my mom she is the one who helps me to prepare my meals, diets, when I am exhausted after workouts. Without their support, I think I couldn’t have achieved those titles.

TheDC: How did you prepare? What were the hurdles, how did you overcome then?

Prasant: Preparation in bodybuilding is not a matter of joke, I do respect all sport but when it comes to bodybuilding we have to maintain discipline, hardwork, will power, consistency and dedication.

Hurdles there are lots, but if you want to achieve something you have to do it by your self because no one is gonna do them for you. Luckily for me, as a mentor, a Instructor and as a Brother – Mr. Sonam Tamang has provided me with all the support and help me reach where I am today.

TheDC: Where do you see yourself, five years from today?

Prasant: I am still preparing to get my best form, so in five years, I will try to participate in national and international bodybuilding championships as well.

TheDC: What suggestions would you give those who want to follow on your footsteps?

Prasant: I would like to suggest our youngsters that we have only 1 life, so don’t waste your time, step up for a healthy lifestyle and always respect your parents and make them proud.

We congratulate Prasant and wish him good luck for his future endeavours. We hope that his story will inspire thousands of our youths to pursue their vocation with sincerity and dedication.

Take a bow Prasant! You have earned it!!

[We thank our reader Vivek Raj Pradhan for helping us out with the interview]

The post Prasant Subba – Making the Hills Proud, One Muscle at a Time appeared first on The Darjeeling Chronicle.

His father was a blacksmith and his mother is a homemaker. They along with his step-sister, lived in a small rented mud house with a large room partitioned to serve as a kitchen and bedroom. Despite their own hardships, they had big dreams for Saral.

His story is a true example of how a little support can go a long way in helping children from underprivileged backgrounds to achieve their dreams.

Saral was then enrolled at the Vidya Jyoti Academy for his secondary level education. Unfortunately, his father passed away during his Class X. Inspite of this sad event, he went on to be the Class topper in CBSE Class X (Ten) board exams. His next two years (Senior secondary level) were spent at the Sri Sathya Sai Higher Secondary School at Prasanti Nilayam, Puttaparthi.

After finishing school, a tough admission procedure saw him gain admission at the coveted Bachelor of Commerce, Honours program at the Christ University Bengaluru. An ardent student, he was also part of the university social programs like Project Spandan and U-Gate (Indo-Korean Collaboration).

Besides studies, he is a good tabla player and has also been actively involved in the school as well as College Music & Cultural festivals. When back home for holidays, he can be found playing the tabla at Sai Mandir. He enjoys sports especially Badminton and also loves to cook!

He says that none of this would have been possible without the support he received from Unbound Futures Foundation – an NGO that helps underprivileged children in Bijanbari to get an education and prepares them for adulthood and independent living. You can read more about them at their website

Saral Sinchuri has recently joined EY (Ernst and Young, Global Delivery Services) as an Assurance Associate (Audit).  He wants to help others like him and hence spends his free time to mentor his juniors at Unbound Futures.

The post Bijanbari boy receives Best Student award at Christ University, Bengaluru appeared first on The Darjeeling Chronicle.

Program Coordinator and founder member of Radio Salesian, the first Nepali language broadcasting Community Radio in India, RJ Samir Chhetri, a native of Sonada has secured his place in the book of records.

The India Book of Records states, “RJ Samir is the first RJ of the first community radio run by a college in North Bengal and entire northeast India.”

“This recognition of RJ Samir is a matter of pride for our community radio and inspiration for younger radio journalists to make their mark,” says station director Fr. C.M. Paul.

Since the inception of Radio Salesian 90.8 FM in August 2016, RJ Samir has been its program coordinator of the first community radio run by the college broadcasting mainly in Nepali language.

Besides, training some 15 local Gorkha young men and women to be radio journalists working for the community of the Darjeeling Hills, RJ Samir has also trained 12 BA Mass  Communication students of Assam Don Bosco University Guwahati during the summer and winter breaks.

Samir started his career with Radio Misty in Gangtok and moved on to Kathmandu after which he worked with Radio Misty in Siliguri before joining Radio Salesian in August 2016.

He has also contributed towards our initiative to visualize some of our favourite Nepali language stories and folktales, through out TheDC Story Series हाम्रा कथाहरु

Radio Salesian is run by Salesian College Sonada established in Gorabari village in 1938.

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This collaboration, while making a contribution to Nepali music, also aims to revive the once-famous music industry of Darjeeling Hills. Considered to be the heart of Nepali Art, Culture, and Music at one time, Darjeeling today seems to have lost touch with its musical heritage and forgotten its glorious past.

The song is titled “Harek Sanjh ko maun suskerama” and slated to be released on YouTube later this week.

About the Collaborators

• YANKEE YOLMO: The VOICE of Nepal sensation, who recently came back from her musical tours at Nepal, UAE, Hongkong, & UK, 
• VEDANT BARAILY: Music composer and arranger is the frontman of Ginger feet Band, that has played at the MTV Xtreme Music Festival and featured as opening Band for Slash (Guns N Roses) ft Mikes Kennedy, NH7 Weekender Festival (opening for Mutemath), Orange festival Dambuk (Co-headliner with Yngwie Malmsteen). Vedant is an Engineer in Electrical & Electronics Engineering by profession and holds a Distinction grade (ATCL) in Western Classical guitar from Trinity College of Music, London. He has composed original instrumental pieces like “Daydreaming”, “Something is gotta give” and has recently scored the background music in Nepali film “Chayya”, which is yet to be released.
• Mrs PUSHPA RAI: Famous Nepali feminist, columnist, songwriter and a novelist, recipient of the prestigious Badri Narayan Purashkar. 
• DANIEL RAI:  Having worked as an official photographer for Vans, DC & Red Bull, and some of India’s top social media influencers like Komal Pandey and Dolly Singh, Rai recently headed the behind the scenes of the upcoming feature film “Broken Wings”. Daniel was recently felicitated by Ufirst magazine in photography and cinematography.
• NINAD VAJRA RAI: A commercial pilot by profession, Ninad is the Director of “Walling House Productions”.

Tell us about your experience from the journey as the participant of the VOICE (Nepal) to the recordings of “Harek Sajhako maun suskera ma…”

Yankee Yolmo: The Voice of Nepal, for me was much more than just singing a reality show. It was a platform that not only gave me exposure and showcased my talent, but also gave me recognition in the Nepali-speaking communities across the world. I am glad to have experienced such a once in a lifetime experience and grateful to all the amazing coaches who helped me in the journey to realize my potential.

All the coaches have mentored me to improve, not simply by encouraging, but also pointing out my flaws and pushing me hard to practice.  Through this show I also had the opportunity to meet many amazing artists and genuine people who gave me the encouragement to sing better every day, and the blessings  and best wishes of my close friends and family is my constant source of strength.

There is still a lot more to achieve in my career as a singer, but I am always grateful that I choose The VOICE of Nepal as a stepping stone to realize my dreams as a singer.

The new song, Harek Sajha… is a stepping stone into the world as a singer with originals and pray that all the viewers will appreciate my work and bless me with warm acceptance. 

Where did you give live performance after the VOICE and how do we see Yankee after 5 years??

Yankee Yolmo: I had done several live shows before VON in various places like Sikkim, Siliguri, Kalimpong, but after the VON journey it was different experience performing in front of massive crowds. I went to many parts of Nepal – first at Taplejung, then UAE, Hongkong, & UK. There were more opportunities but because of Covid 19, the shows took the backseat. The last I gave an online Live performance was at the Park Studio, Darjeeling. 

Well to see me after 5 yrs down the line, I would say Music is my passion and will remain as an integral part of my life. So, you’ll be seeing Yankee Yolmo with more originals, music and just music.  

Your experience on shifting genre from Western to Nepali song. 

VEDANT: I have always wanted to explore Nepali Music since my early days. The harmonic panorama of great Nepali composers like Shri Gopal Yonzon, Shri Amber Gurung, etc and deliverance of giants like Swar Samrat Narayan Gopal and Smt. Aruna Lama to name a few, have always intrigued me musically and has had an immense impact on the way I hear things now.

I would not call it shifting heads totally but an opportunity for me to compose/ arrange Nepali song with such immaculate depth of lyrical writings has made me realize the essence and beauty of music being served as a universal language, challenging task yet beautiful.

Your mood as a composer with “Harek sajhko maun suskerama…” and justifying the lyrics of a prominent feminist writer??

VEDANT: It was a complete new experience for me to compose Boju’s (Mrs. Pushpa Rai) song, which has so much of depth and clarity in her thoughts. To justify the message through music in itself was a greater challenge that stood my way. I have tried my best to keep it upbeat to cater young listeners and also enhance harmonically to justify the lyrics.  The mood eventually got driven to a Jazz-funk genre, guess it’s a flavor of Nepali music. Hopefully I have been able to deliver.

How do you see Nepali Music Industry in Darjeeling in the next 5 years?

VEDANT: Well Nepali music has reached an evolutionary stage of experimentation, with a lot of influences open from the western world, we are now in a stage where a plethora of sounds can be introduced. The audience now is receptive to these changes and I guess now is the time to represent our literature and music globally.

Your experience as a DOP and the team behind the scenes in the song and message to young entrepreneurs who have taken Mass Communication as their major in Colleges?

DANIEL RAI: I personally wanted to shoot Harek Sanjh myself but I wanted to really understand my vision. I shared my ideas with Bibek Thapa (DOP), who is a graduate from Mass Com Dept, St. Josephs College, currently working with A Monk and the Warrior Production on the feature film “Broken Wings”, he completely understood my vision and I decided that he would be perfect to be my DOP. My editor Issac Thami, Negacy Angom (Student of Mass Com), Manish Chettri, Farman Khan assisted me behind the scenes of the song. 

The future is really bright and has always been for the students that have opted for Mass Communication. Most top class journalist, photographers, cinematographers, writers have made their mark in this world via their major but not only do the studies count but the physical aspect, the technicalities, the love and the craziness also goes a long way so my advice would be to love what you do, without sacrifice there is victory and without handwork there ain’t no glory.

Ninad Vajra Rai: The production house has recently published a novel “Farak Bato…” by Dr Remika Thapa, and is dedicated fully to contribute and promote Nepali literature through non-profit publication works. Ninad told our correspondent over the phone that Darjeeling was popular and known for music, Western or Nepali songs. Music was and is an integral part of our culture but due to lack of scope and paucity of funds it has taken the back seat.  We need to give a thought and come forward to revive this glory. Let few people like our production house come up with more songs and create platform to young talents, to encourage and tell the world that talents in Darjeeling are not dead and lastly would beseech all the viewers to share the song in maximum as a step to boost the morale of upcoming musicians.

The video is slated to be public very soon and I would also like to thank Mr Deep Arora uncle (Forbidden Fruit) for all the help and arrangements and Mr Ajnish Rai for the wonderful translation of the lyrics and recording of the voice.

The recording was done at The Wild Wood Studio, Darjeeling and mixing at Mumbai.

The DC congratulates and wishes best of luck to Yankee and the entire team for their grand success. 

The interview was originally posted in Darjeeling Times.

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The COVID Lockdown

When the COVID pandemic set its foot in our country, our country was quick to get into a state of breathlessness and we locked ourselves up. Businesses were close, schools, colleges, offices were shut down, and we were gripped by the scare of Corona. The country is still in chaos and our ways around our lives have changed. But still, we have created a space to breathe even while being in the clutch of the deadly virus. We have learnt to live with it and accepted that the fear may be serious, but having the world and our lives to stop is way scarier. We have learnt to trade our fear with two squares of meal and pretend that things are normal. In fact, in the ‘new normal’, the increasing number of infections no longer scares us. With a mask over our face and a bottle of sanitizer in the pocket, life keeps moving on.

But, things weren’t the same when the pandemic hit us. When we think about the chaos prevailing during the initial weeks of lockdown, it still feels unreal and something that never happened. Migrant workers, students, and families who live along the margins were seriously affected. People had no choice but to look up and hope that someone would extend a helping hand so that they could be secure about their morsels of food for the next few days.

Amidst such crisis, one person emerged as a beacon and a leading light who made sure that help was extended to lacs of families in Delhi and across the country, mainly for those from Northeast, including Darjeeling and Sikkim. And yes, it couldn’t be anyone else leading the charge, but Robin Hibu IPS, Special Commissioner at Delhi Police, a faithful servant to the country, and a friend in need.

Helping Hands

As soon as the news about the distress caused by COVID lockdown to stranded people from Northeast in Delhi began to surface, Robin Hibu’s social initiative, ‘Helping Hands’, through the contributions of its members and donors immediately got into action. The ‘Helping Hands’ team set up a helpline so people could reach out to them for any help or assistance. Anyone from the Northeast, including Darjeeling region, could reach for help if they were in need of food, medicines, and other essentials.

Prior to this, the ‘Helping Hands’ team frequently organised various service drives like blood donation camps, free civil services coaching to the needy aspirants, and other social initiatives for people from the North East. But the real metal of the group was tested when the COVID lockdown started spreading the chaos and destruction.

Taking the lead, Robin Hibu used his one month salary to help people in need. Graually, this initiative went on to develop as one of the biggest initiatives undertaken Helping Hand. Various individuals and groups came together to lend their support in the noble endeavour.

Volunteers and Delhi Police personnel chipped in to support the initiative and took charge of running the helpline, mobilising support, and distributing relief materials. Yogchen Lama from Delhi Police, who originally is from Mirik in Darjeeling, and a member of Helping Hands, Deoraj Gurung from NECC, and Rajen Chhetry played a crucial role through the operation. The effort was also supported by people and organisation who believed in the idea. Various other organizations like the Northeast Chamber of Commerce and many other individuals, including Darjeeling MP Raju Bista pitched in to help in this noble initiative.

Slowly, the initiative started spreading outside Delhi and across other communities. Till now, the group has distributed ration to more than 1,60,000 families. Helping Hands was perhaps the first initiative to address the plight of the struggling families from the Northeast, Darjeeling, and Sikkim region when there was no one to help them.

The Man who understood the pain

The story of Robin Hibu is inspiring and the fact that he himself has made his way through poverty and struggle has allowed him to understand the pains and troubles of those in need. His memories of being educated by a single teacher till class 8 for all the subjects are never fading away. He would walk kilometres everyday to school and also help his family with the household chores. His willingness and determination to get himself out of the situation he was born in, inspired him to work hard relentlessly and he rose to be one of the brightest students in his entire district.

Later, he joined JNU for higher education from where he completed his MA in Sociology. It was during his stay in Delhi that he came across the situation that the North East people were facing. It was right then that he resolved that he would go on to take a stand against it. His commitment led him to work relentlessly for the IPS examination. He fulfilled his commitment when he was posted as the Nodal Officer of the Special Cell for North East People in Delhi. His passion to serve the people only went up exponentially since then and he has never looked back.

Not one to forget his roots, Hibu has also built a library and a small clinic at his village in Arunanchal Pradesh. The Mahatma Gandhi Library today has over 22,000 books donated by Rashtrapati Bhawan.

Robin Hibu’s crackdown against racist attacks and crimes against Northeast people, including the Gorkhas, in Delhi, as the Nodal officer of the Special Cell is well known to all. But even after being released of his responsibilities from the Cell after getting promoted, he didn’t step back from serving the people in his own capacity. In his attempt to share the burden of his fellow people, he convened some like minded people to a common platform where they could extend help to whoever may need. Thus, an organisation by the name “Helping Hand” was born under his initiative, supported by numerous volunteers of Northeast and the North East Chamber of Commerce.

Robin Hibu: The Gorkhey Heart

Robin Hibu, through his entire tenure, has never treated Gorkhas differently from the people of Northeast. It was him, who included the Gorkhas in the Special Cell for Northeast in Delhi, even when there were technical constraints. He has always loved and supported the Gorkhas as he has done to any other Northeast person. In an interview with TheDC, he spoke about his attachment to the Gorkhas and also expressed his concerns about the problems that they have been facing.

He said that his love for the Gorkhas was born way back during his school and college days, when he had found loving and loyal friends from the community. He expressed how he has been in touch with the Gorkhas for as long as he remembers and how closely he understands their problems. Not speaking politically, he stressed that the Gorkhas didn’t have any guardian figure in the Capital and that even though the community has produced many able and successful people, the community as a whole has no one to look forward to, at least in Delhi. This is where he thought he needed to fill the Vacuum. He understood the problems that the Gorkhas faced, so he also had to stand and fight for them.

In his own words, he says, “I have special care and love for the Gorkhas and that will remain till my last breath. I attend all the Gorkha events and try interacting with as many Gorkha youths as possible. In my last life, I must have been a Gorkha.”

He also stressed the importance of a Pan India Gorkha Organisation, the need for a Gorkha Bhawan in Delhi and also the need for preserving the culture and education. The efforts that Robin Hibu has put in his effort to fill the gap between what govt provides and what the community needs on his personal capacity and also through the group Helping Hands is beyond appreciation. He has truly emerged as a hero and a role model for the youth of today from our region. We wish more power and success in serving those in need.

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A boy from small town in Darjeeling, Sanjay Pradhan’s journey is that of perseverance, ambitions, and steadfast focus, which will inspire many other youths and students following te same path. This is his story…

Ama: Smt Lahamu Sherpa Pradhan
Baba: Late Bir Bahadur Pradhan
School: Saint Alphonsus School, Kurseong
Higher Secondary: Saint Alphonsus School, Kurseong.
Graduation: Darjeeling Govt. College [BSc, Chemistry (Hons)]
Address: Simana Road, Sukhia Pokhri, District Darjeeling

What got you interested in Civil Service?

Passion of WBCS was not from the beginning. After completion of Graduation, I started realizing that something needs to be seriously done. I started realizing the hardship arising out of the economic crisis in my life.  I then started engaging myself in Competitive examination. After two years of study, I managed to clear a few of competitive exams and in the meantime, I joined the Intelligence Department as Security Assistant. As I reached there, I started finding friends from various communities (particularly those from Bihari) who were then preparing for Civil Services. They were full of passion, dedication and were very sincere in their studies. Looking at them, I started realizing that if they fight and struggle for Civil Service, then, why should I not do the same. Now I started aiming to go for WBCS and continued my struggle.

How did you start preparation for WBCS?

First, I studied all NCERT books of all Subjects (Hist., Geo, Sc, Civics and others) which helped me to have some consolidated knowledge of different subjects. Then, I jumped onto some basic/foundation books like Loucent, Arihant. These books were helpful to me to have knowledge of General studies. But then, were these books just sufficient? No. Some indebt books were further required. I then purchased Tata Macgraw Hill and Pearson General Studies series for General Studies preparation and studied them. These books were really helpful in the Preliminary Examination as well as Mains Examination.

Besides, I used to subscribe magazines like Pratiyogita Darpan and read newspapers regularly for current affairs updates.

What was your optional subject in WBCS?

My optional subject in WBCS mains was Sociology. Though I was a student of Science, I chose sociology as my Optional subject. It was a tough time for me to grasp knowledge of Sociology. I started with foundation books like DC Bhattacharjee, then jumped onto IGNOU eso series and then studied other books available in the market. Whenever, I used to get time, I used to watch lectures of Subhas Mahapatra online. His lectures were worth mentioning that really helped me to understand sociology in true sense.What were the difficulties or challenges you faced while preparing?

In the midway of WBCS journey, I got married. After marriage, it was not an easy task for me to maintain consistency. I was not able to concentrate fully. Moreover, I being an employee did not have abundant time like other competitors. But under such difficult situation, my parents, wife and all family members stood in favour of me, encouraged me to carry out my preparation. I became more enthusiastic then and increased level of my preparation and my passion for WBCS.

How important is the support of parents and family?

See, WBCS is not a matter of joke. To materialize your goal for WBCS (exe), you need to have peace of mind. This is possible only if you have moral support of your family members.

Why did you choose WBCS as your career path?

Civil Service is an ideal platform by standing on which you can contribute more towards the society through your philanthropic works. The journey of Civil Service is also not easy. First of all, you need to compete to get the post and later, may have to face lots of obligations in varied forms. It is therefore adventurous and challenging. There are only few who opt to accept and adapt with the challenges and I think I am the one amongst them. Moreover, the post of executive is prestigious and everyone wishes to get the same.

What advise you give to the youngsters?

Well, the youngsters need to keep in mind that our representation in WBCS (exe) is declining slowly. In the 2018 result, I was the only passed candidate from our community in exe cadre. It means, the competition is going tougher day by day and we are not able to compete properly.

If you are seriously interested in WBCS, then I suggest you guys to study seriously. Before starting your preparation, few things need to be kept in mind. They are:

• You need to understand the nature of the Examination
• You need to go through past exam papers (both Prelims and mains)
• You need to devise a rational strategy to clear the exam like how many marks you need to score in each paper and what are the ways and means to score healthy enough marks to qualify.
• Collection of preferable Books and sincere dedication.

Remember, hard work, smart work, consistency and strategy is the important tools to pass any competitive Exam. We can take a simple example in this context, without adoption of Tulugama and Rumi tactice by Babur, the foundation of Mughal dynasty would have not been possible. Without adoption of new economic policy, improvement in our GDP would have not been possible. So, strategy is the key factor here.

I have a personal experience that, candidates often neglect the Language paper. Others concentrate even on language papers and score good marks and manage to clear the Exam. The reverse is the case with our community candidates. We are good in English, no doubt. But we do neglect Nepali paper and cannot score healthy marks. The result is that because of poor marks in Nepali, we fail to qualify. So, it is my appeal to all candidates to please focus on language papers also.

How much time you used to spend for preparation/?

To be honest, I used to spent 5-6 hours daily. In the morning, I used to study, General Studies for 2 hours. In the Office time, I used to read newspapers and then if I get the opportunity, I used to practice Maths and GI for 1 hour at least in the afternoon. In the evening, after reaching my home from Office, I used to study Optional subject.

What is your feeling about your success that you have cleared WBCS (exe) with 13^th rank and you are the only member from Gorkha community in the WBCS (exe) 2018 list in exe cadres?

Well, there is a huge difference between individual and community success. Individual success cannot lead to utmost happiness. I shall consider myself more successful if I could bring one or more WBCS (exe) on my personal efforts. I have a plan to launch a channel and online portal to help those who are the aspirants of WBCS. Officially I have started a Facebook page viz, eurekaalearnings but I haven’t started the work on it. But I promise that I will lend my helping hands to all aspirants through this page in the coming days.

Whether affiliation to Coaching centers is essential for success?

Well, Coaching Centres can provide you directions about how to carry out preparation. But I personally feel that materials provided by them are not just sufficient to succeed. You need to study extra books and develop thorough knowledges.

What is your suggestion to those who are trying their best but have not managed to get through?

They should not worry. They should incessantly keep on giving best of their efforts. Remember, God help those who are sincere, hardworking and dedicated. Your hard work will definitely pay off.

We congratulate Sanjay for his success, and we hope that he will continue to work for the betterment of our country and community in the coming days.

[Interviewed by: Suman Pradhan for TheDC]

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Change does not happen overnight, but if we all start making conscious decisions to cut out disposable plastics from our lives, it is not very far away.

Now, it is high time that every organisation in different fields should think of going zero waste and reduce plastic footprint to help mother nature fight against climate change. As a small step toward creating awareness on the issue, the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Hockey Association organised a friendly match under the theme of Gender Equity.

The event was to set an example for the younger generation to realize their responsibilities and carry on the legacy and the values they had instilled in each player. The best part of the programme was to see people’s enthusiasm for building a clean environment.

The committee had requested each participant to bring their own Mugs, Plates and water in reusable water bottles and it was very inspiring to see kids eating out of their own plates. We had also arranged biodegradable Malas (garlands) and Taparas (leaf plates) for the guests.

It is our humble request to every event organizing committee, bet it sports or any kind of public and private celebrations, to avoid using single-use plastic. In today’s time, it has become critical to inculcate such habits into our children then we can show them the right path for the future.”

Kamlesh Rai head coach of St Teresa’s Higher Secondary School, Darjeeling said “the new members of Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Hockey Association also felicitated the senior members of the association today in appreciation of service and contribution for upliftment of hockey in Darjeeling.”

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While numerous schools, colleges and environmental NGOs do participate on World Environment Day, majority tend to forget it for the rest of the year.

But unlike others, Congress Primary School staff and students have remained consistent, and their dedication is showing – literally.

Instead of doing random tree planting, or cleaning activity, many years ago, Congress Primary School decided to adopt a small plot of land, near Tiger Hill. Even though Tiger Hill lies in the heart of Sinchel Wildlife Sanctuary, heavy tourist footfall has resulted in massive environmental degradation. Congress Primary School sought to change that.

But, like with all things bureaucratic, getting a plot to adopt was difficult, since it’s a Govt land; and even though all they wanted to do was to re-green their adopted plot, the authorities were not too enthused. But perseverance of their teachers and staff paid off and the Jorebunglow Range Office, and Sinchel Devisthaan Mandir Committee helped the school to adopt a plot.

For many years now, they have planted saplings in their adopted plot, and thanks to their constant love, and care, the saplings are now turning into fine young trees.

The most important aspect of their adopted plot is that, all the trees planted here are native hill species – Gurans, Chanp, Buk, Katus, Kaulo etc

Yesterday, on World Environment Day, the school teachers, students, and volunteers from Scavangers and Inner Wheel Club of Darjeeling once again went to plant new saplings, and take care of those already planted.

It is this consistency, which sets Congress Primary School apart from all the amazing acts of care for environment expressed yesterday. While most may plant and forget, they have learned to nurture and care for what has been planted.

The best part about their whole exercise is that, they do so unassumingly, and not resting on planting alone, on they way back, they picked up garbage littered by locals and tourists on the road. This level of care is simply inspirational.

We Congratulate all the teachers, students – past and present, and everyone associated with this amazing initiative. We hope that your efforts will inspire other schools, institutions and individuals to do the same, and to adopt one place and to take care of it for generations. If all of us can avow to take care of one place each, we are sure our Darjeeling will look glorious and gorgeous once again.

Take a bow Congress Primary School !! You guys have earned it !!

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