2017 was an unusual year for Meghalaya as it made bold headlines for nearly all the wrong reasons.

Resignation of governor: A sitting governor was asked to quit in January after he was accused of misconduct and turning Raj Bhavan into a "young ladies' club". V. Shanmuganathan from Tamil Nadu had to resign from his gubernatorial office when Raj Bhavan staff sent petitions to the Centre against his alleged misdemeanours.

Arrest of sitting MLA: Julius K. Dorphang, a Meghalaya legislator, was arrested and booked under the Prevention of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act for his alleged sexual assault on a minor.

Jainsem row: A woman from Meghalaya's West Khasi Hills, Tailin Lyngdoh, dominated the headlines as she was allegedly shunted out of the Delhi Golf Club for wearing the traditional Khasi jainsem.

High court cases: High Court of Meghalaya dealt a severe blow to the state government on at least two major cases - the education scam and the appointment of parliamentary secretaries.

In November, the high court ordered fresh selection of teachers in certain centres of the state, imposed fine on "tainted" teachers and debarred them from government employment.

The high court also declared "invalid" the Meghalaya Parliamentary Secretaries (Appointment, Salaries, Allowances and Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 2005, that allowed the state government to appoint MLAs as parliamentary secretaries.

However, it left it to the governor to take a call.

The governor referred the matter to the Election Commission.

Cattle rattle: Meghalaya was also at the forefront to oppose the rules aimed at regulating cattle trade and cow slaughter by invoking the need to maintain the "federal and secular" character of the Constitution.

In a special session, the Meghalaya Assembly unanimously passed a government resolution asking the Centre to immediately withdraw the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Regulation of Livestock Markets) Rules, 2017.

Aadhaar opposition: Opposition to Aadhaar enrolment in view of the pending final ruling of the Supreme Court surfaced in Meghalaya with many people, who had already enrolled under Aadhaar, joining a campaign to opt out of the unique biometric system scheme.

Politics: The year witnessed major political developments. It was for the first time in recent history of the Meghalaya Assembly that nine sitting legislators quit before their term ended in order to join other parties for next year's Assembly polls

Law and order: With militant outfits like the Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA) lying low for more than a year now, the law and order improved in various parts of the state.

Looking ahead: The 10th Meghalaya Legislative Assembly will be constituted in March 2018 after the elections.