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Sikkim CM Congratulates NDA For Impressive Victory In Bihar

Gangtok, Nov 14 : Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang Golay has extended his warm The post Sikkim CM Congratulates NDA For Impressive Victory In Bihar appeared first on The Voice Of Sikkim .

Voice Of Sikkim 14 Nov 2025 9:31 pm

Sikkim CM Prem Singh Tamang stable, under observation: Hospital bulletin

GANGTOK: Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang, who was undergoing treatment at a hospital following nose bleeding and high blood pressure, was stable on Friday morning, a bulletin issued by the health facility said. Tamang was brought to the Central Referral Hospital on Thursday, following a minor episode of nose bleeding and elevated blood pressure, the bulletin said. He received immediate medical attention and his condition was promptly stabilised, it said. The chief minister is currently under observation and remains stable, the CRH Medical Superintendent said, adding that there is no cause for concern at this time. The hospital will continue to monitor his condition as per standard protocol, and he will be discharged soon, the bulletin added.

The New Indian Express 14 Nov 2025 11:49 am

Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang-Golay Stable After Brief Health Episode

Gangtok, Nov 13 : Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang-Golay experienced a brief episode of nosebleed The post Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang-Golay Stable After Brief Health Episode appeared first on The Voice Of Sikkim .

Voice Of Sikkim 14 Nov 2025 6:45 am

Sikkims Dr. Yashna Chettri Joins Indian Senior Womens Football Team as Physiotherapist

Gangtok, Nov 12 : The Sikkim Football Association (SFA) has proudly congratulated Dr. Yashna Chettri The post Sikkims Dr. Yashna Chettri Joins Indian Senior Womens Football Team as Physiotherapist appeared first on The Voice Of Sikkim .

Voice Of Sikkim 12 Nov 2025 2:00 pm

Spider Man Caught In Major Theft Case By Siliguri-Sikkim Police In West Bengal

Gyalshing/Gangtok, Nov 11 : In a major breakthrough, Gyalshing District Police have arrested a wanted The post Spider Man Caught In Major Theft Case By Siliguri-Sikkim Police In West Bengal appeared first on The Voice Of Sikkim .

Voice Of Sikkim 12 Nov 2025 5:54 am

As PM Modi visits Bhutan, Congress recalls Nehru's visit when he trekked to Paro

NEW DELHI: With Prime Minister Narendra Modi embarking on a trip to Bhutan, the Congress on Tuesday recalled India's first PM Jawaharlal Nehru's most unusual visit to that country that involved trekking for five days to reach Paro, and said that trip determined the course of the special relationship the two countries have had for almost seven decades. Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said this extraordinary visit by Nehru was under very difficult conditions by a prime minister about to turn 69. The Prime Minister is in Bhutan today. Sixty seven years ago, India's first Prime Minister had made a most unusual visit to Bhutan. Accompanied by Indira Gandhi and a few officials like Jagat Mehta, Nari Rustomji, and Apa Pant, Nehru first flew to Bagdogra and then drove via Gangtok to Nathu La on a road that had just been constructed, Ramesh recalled. At Nathu La, the delegation was met with a dozen yaks, several ponies, and a pack of over a hundred animals, he said. It then trekked for five days covering fifty kms to reach Paro on Sept 23, 1958. There were times when the altitude touched 15,500 feet. Nehru and his team spent five days in Paro having a number of official meetings and cultural engagements, Ramesh said on X. Thereafter they trekked back to Nathu La along the same route they had taken to reach Paro, the Congress leader said. The Prime Minister is in Bhutan today. Sixty seven years ago, India's first Prime Minister had made a most unusual visit to Bhutan. Accompanied by Indira Gandhi and a few officials like Jagat Mehta, Nari Rustomji, and Apa Pant, Nehru first flew to Bagdogra and then drove via pic.twitter.com/UdlmhzfOgq Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) November 11, 2025 This extraordinary visit under very difficult conditions by a Prime Minister about to turn sixty nine was to determine the course of the special relationship that Bhutan and India have had for almost seven decades, he said. Mehta, Rustomji, and Pant have all left behind delightful accounts of the trek that created diplomatic history, Ramesh said. The Congress general secretary shared a video clip on Nehru's visit to Bhutan as well as Mehta's account of the trip. In his account, Mehta says, In retrospect, the significance of Nehru's journey cannot be underestimated. It was the last time that any Indian dignitary went to Bhutan through Tibet but that only underlines its happenstance importance. In the encounters, a lesser personality than Nehru could not have blended transparent sympathy and understanding with non-domineering counsel. A more coercive diplomatic style might well have ended in polite nods but hesitant follow-up, and delayed the slow strengthening of connections to the South (India). If Prime Minister Nehru had not succeeded in confidence-building and encouraged the graduated opening of communications, it is possible that the road into Thimpu may not even have started for many years and correspondingly delaying its completion, and Bhutan would have perforce remained largely economically dependent on the Tibet connection. The process of internal development and political emancipation would have got stultified or not have preserved Bhutan's cultural and religious personality, says Mehta. Prime Minister Modi is visiting Bhutan on Tuesday to join the 70th birthday celebrations of the fourth king of the Himalayan nation Jigme Singye Wangchuck.

The New Indian Express 11 Nov 2025 11:53 am

Four family members killed in Sikkim landslide; child survives

GANGTOK: Four members of a family lost their lives and one child was critically injured after a landslide, triggered by relentless rainfall, struck their home in Sikkims Gyalshing district late Thursday night, police said. The tragedy occurred in the Upper Rimbi area around midnight while the family was asleep. A senior police official confirmed that the landslide completely destroyed the residence. Gyalshing Superintendent of Police Tshering Sherpa said that Sikkim Police, Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) personnel and local residents responded swiftly to the scene and launched a rescue operation despite the continuous downpour. Three of the six family members died on the spot. Two injured women were rushed to the Gyalshing District Hospital, where one of them later succumbed to her injuries, Sherpa said. A seven-year-old boy was pulled out alive and has been admitted to the hospital for treatment. Despite difficult weather conditions, the rescue team acted promptly with the support of the local community. It has been a risky operation, but we have done our best to save lives. The operation is still underway, said SP Sherpa, who also expressed his gratitude to all those who assisted in the rescue efforts.

The New Indian Express 12 Sep 2025 10:59 am

Womens Safety Report : Fear runs deeper than nos

NEW DELHI: The NARI 2025 National Annual Report and Index on Womens Safety, released by the National Commission for Women, offers the telling reality of the urban safety landscape. The survey covered 12,770 women across 31 cities and yielded a national safety score of 65%, which implies that four in 10 women (40%) consider themselves unsafe despite government assurances. Around 60% of women reported feeling safe, while 40% admitted they felt not-so-safe or outright unsafe. The anxieties deepen among younger women: while public harassment was reported by 7% of all respondents in 2024, the figure rose to 14% for those under 24, indicating that students and young professionals are disproportionately targeted in educational and recreational spaces. The report shows low levels of faith in redressal mechanism. Only one in three victims of harassment filed a formal complaint, and confidence in the system is strikingly weak: 75% of women said they did not believe authorities would resolve their complaints. Even when incidents are reported, only 22% are formally registered, and action is taken in a mere 16% of those cases, highlighting a pervasive cycle of silence. Harassment hotspots reveal vulnerabilities, with 38% of cases occurring within neighbourhoods and 29% in public transport systems. Workplace safety presents a paradoxical picture. A large majority91%described their office environment as safe, but nearly half of the respondents admitted they were unaware whether their organisation had implemented the mandated Prevention of Sexual Harassment (POSH) mechanism. Among those who were aware, most found it effective, suggesting that awareness is as critical as legislation itself. The report stresses that womens safety cannot be reduced to physical protection alone but must include psychological, financial, and digital security that collectively shape womens access to mobility, opportunity, and dignity. It frames safety as a developmental issue rather than a law-and-order question. The sense of safety also varies with time and place. Women reported relative comfort in offices and campuses during the day, but confidence collapsed after dark, where poor street lighting and unreliable public transport left them exposed. City-level disparities are equally stark: Kohima, Visakhapatnam, and Bhubaneswar topped the index, followed closely by Aizawl, Gangtok, Itanagar, and Mumbai, where women expressed relatively higher perceptions of safety. In contrast, Patna, Jaipur, Faridabad, Delhi, Kolkata, Srinagar, and Ranchi occupied the bottom ranks. Ranchi recorded 44% feeling unsafe, while in Delhi and Faridabad the figure was around 42%. The numbers show a fractured urban landscape where geography shapes womens fears as much as governance.

The New Indian Express 29 Aug 2025 7:56 am

Kohima, Visakhapatnam, Bhubaneswar rated safest cities for women; Patna, Jaipur among lowest in NARI 2025 index

NEW DELHI: Kohima, Visakhapatnam, Bhubaneswar, Aizawl, Gangtok, Itanagar and Mumbai have emerged as the safest cities in the country for women, while Patna, Jaipur, Faridabad, Delhi, Kolkata, Srinagar and Ranchi were ranked the lowest, according to the National Annual Report & Index on Women's Safety (NARI) 2025. The nationwide index released on Thursday, based on a survey of 12,770 women across 31 cities, placed the national safety score at 65 per cent, categorising cities as much above, above, at, elow or much below this benchmark. Kohima and other top-ranked cities were associated with stronger gender equity, civic participation, policing and women-friendly infrastructure. At the other end of the spectrum, cities like Patna and Jaipur fared poorly due to weak institutional responsiveness, patriarchal norms and gaps in urban infrastructure. Kohima, Vishakhapatnam, Bhubaneswar, Aizawl, Gangtok, Itanagar, Mumbai lead national safety rankings, often correlating with higher gender equity, infrastructure, policing, or civic participation while Ranchi, Srinagar, Kolkata, Delhi, Faridabad, Patna, and Jaipur scored lowest, correlating with poorer infrastructure, patriarchal norms, or weaker institutional responsiveness, the report said. Overall, six in ten women surveyed felt safe in their city, but 40 per cent still considered themselves ot so safe or unsafe. The study revealed sharp drops in perceptions of safety at night, particularly in public transport and recreational spaces. Educational institutions (86 per cent safe) especially in daylight, but safety perceptions fall sharply at night or off-campus. About 91 per cent of women reported safety, yet about half were unclear if their workplace had a POSH (Prevention of Sexual Harassment) policy; those with such policies generally rated them as effective. Only one-fourth of women said they trusted authorities to act effectively on safety complaints. While 69 per cent said current safety efforts were somewhat adequate, over 30 per cent noted significant gaps or failures; only 65 per cent perceived real improvement over the years 2023-2024. Seven per cent of women said they experienced harassment in public spaces in 2024, with the figure doubling to 14 per cent among those under 24. Neighbourhoods (38 per cent) and public transport (29 per cent) were most often flagged as harassment hotspots. Yet, only one in three victims came forward to report the incidents. The report stressed that official crime data alone cannot reflect women's lived reality. Two out of three women do not report harassment, meaning NCRB misses the bulk of incidents, the study said, calling for integration of crime data with perception-based surveys like NARI. Launching the report, National Commission for Women (NCW) chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar said safety cannot be seen merely as a law-and-order issue but as one that affects every aspect of a woman's life whether it is her education, health, work opportunities and freedom of movement. She added that when women feel unsafe, hey limit themselves, and women limiting themselves is not only for their own development, but also for the development of the country. She emphasised that a safe environment was crucial for building a developed and inclusive India, pointing to four dimensions of women's security of physical, psychological, financial and digital nature. It is our responsibility to protect women not just from crimes on the streets but also from cybercrimes, economic discrimination and mental harassment, Rahatkar noted. Highlighting positive measures, she praised the growing presence of women police officers and female drivers in public transport as effective confidence-building steps. In many Union Territories, 33 per cent of police personnel are now women, and this has made a decisive difference in building trust, she said. She also lauded initiatives such as women's helplines, CCTV coverage in smart cities, and improved safety networks at railway stations and bus depots. At the same time, Rahatkar urged society at large to share responsibility. We often blame the system, but we must also ask what we have done. Whether it is using helplines, supporting awareness drives, or simply keeping public toilets clean, society's role is equally important, she said. The NARI index has been conceived by The NorthCap University and Jindal Global Law School and is published by the Group of Intellectuals and Academicians (GIA).

The New Indian Express 28 Aug 2025 4:01 pm

Kailash Manasarovar Yatra via Nathu La concludes with return of 48 pilgrims

GANGTOK, Aug 25: The Kailash Manasarovar Yatra via Nathu La Pass in Sikkim ended with the return of the 10th batch of 48 tourists from the pilgrimage site, officials said on Monday. On their return on Sunday, the 48 pilgrims were received by Sikkim Tourism Development Corporation (STDC) officials, and a valedictory function was held [] The post Kailash Manasarovar Yatra via Nathu La concludes with return of 48 pilgrims appeared first on Northlines .

The Northlines 25 Aug 2025 12:29 pm

Kailash Manasarovar Yatra 2025 Via Sikkim Route Ends With Return Of 48 Pilgrims: Officials

GANGTOK, Aug 25: The Kailash Manasarovar Yatra via Nathu La Pass in Sikkim ended with the return of the 10th batch of 48 tourists from the pilgrimage site, officials said on Monday. On their return on Sunday, the 48 pilgrims were received by Sikkim Tourism Development Corporation (STDC) officials, and a valedictory function was held to mark the successful conclusion of the Kailash Manasarovar pilgrimage for 2025. STDC chairman Lukendra Rasaily said the smooth conduct of the tour by around [] The post Kailash Manasarovar Yatra 2025 Via Sikkim Route Ends With Return Of 48 Pilgrims: Officials appeared first on Daily Excelsior .

Daily Excelsior 25 Aug 2025 10:35 am

ED arrests Karnataka Congress MLA in 'illegal' betting case

K C Veerendra, a Karnataka Congress MLA, faces arrest by the Enforcement Directorate. The arrest occurred in Sikkim related to an alleged illegal betting scheme. Authorities seized significant assets during raids across multiple states. The seized items included cash, gold, silver, and vehicles. Veerendra was in Gangtok for a casino leasing venture.

The Economic Times 23 Aug 2025 2:02 pm

CBSE to establish six new regional, sub-regional offices to enhance governance

NEW DELHI: The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has announced the establishment of six new Regional Offices, Centres of Excellence (CoEs), and Sub-Regional Offices to streamline its operations and improve governance of affiliated schools across the country. According to a notification issued by CBSE Secretary Himanshu Gupta, the decision was taken following the approval of the Finance Committee in December 2024, which was later ratified by the Governing Body and cleared by the Ministry of Education. The new offices are being set up in Gurugram, Lucknow, Raipur, Ranchi, Agartala, Itanagar and Gangtok. These will become fully functional between August and September 2025. Gurugram (Haryana) will cover 12 southern districts of Haryana, including Faridabad, Gurugram, Palwal and Sonipat, and is expected to function from 1 September 2025. Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) will oversee 30 districts, including Ayodhya, Etawah, Kanpur, Rae Bareli and Unnao, and will also become functional from 1 September 2025. Raipur (Chhattisgarh) will have jurisdiction across Chhattisgarh and became functional on 22 August 2025. Ranchi (Jharkhand) will cover Jharkhand and also became functional on 22 August 2025. Among the Sub-Regional Offices, Agartala (Tripura) will begin functioning from 15 September 2025. Itanagar (Arunachal Pradesh) became functional on 22 August 2025, along with Gangtok (Sikkim), which also started operations on the same date. The notification stated that all schools affiliated with CBSE will now fall under the jurisdictions of these newly established offices. This move will help strengthen administrative reach, ensure better coordination with schools, and enhance educational support services across these regions, the CBSE said.

The New Indian Express 22 Aug 2025 3:42 pm

Sikkim University Student Sparks Row With 'Nepali' Remark, Taken Into Custody

A major controversy has erupted on the campus of Sikkim University in Gangtok over alleged derogatory remarks against the Nepali community and language by a student from Uttar Pradesh in a department WhatsApp group.

NDTV 20 Aug 2025 12:35 am

After 7 years, red panda cubs born in Sikkim zoo

The captive red panda population at the Himalayan Zoological Park near Gangtok was nearly decimated by two outbreaks of canine distemper, a highly contagious and potentially fatal viral disease

The Hindu 2 Aug 2025 2:45 am

Is arrested model-actress Shanta a Bangladeshi spy? Police investigates

KOLKATA: Activities of Bangladeshi model and actress Shanta Pal, who has been arrested in Kolkata, are reminiscent of the activities of Jyoti Malhotra, who was arrested on suspicion of being a Pakistani spy, police sources said. Shanta lived a luxurious life as Jyoti. She too travelled to many places in India, including the Nathula Pass, near the China border in Sikkim which raised suspicion about her, a Kolkata Police official said. Jyoti Malhotra is accused of spying for Pakistan. Is Shanta doing the same for Bangladesh? We have been trying to ascertain this in the investigation, the official added. According to police sources, Shanta Pal, a Bangladeshi citizen, came to India in 2023. Since then, she has been staying here. Both her visa and passport have expired. Bangladeshi model-actress held in Kolkata with Indian documents According to police sources, after questioning Shanta and searching her social media pages, it was found that she had become a consultant for others to obtain visas to India. After the upheaval in Bangladesh last year, when the situation between India and Bangladesh made it difficult for Bangladeshi citizens to get Indian tourist visas, Shanta had advised many of them to apply for medical visas. The investigators are checking how many people took her help to get Indian medical visas. Shanta, who has been residing in India, also used to live a colourful life. According to police sources, the Bangladeshi model-actress travelled from Digha in West Bengal to Gangtok in Sikkim and posted pictures and videos on social media. She even reached the Nathula Pass near the China border to create a travel vlog. According to police sources, Shanta was promoting her tourism business through a social media page called Asan Travels Kolkata and Bangladesh. Additionally, investigators are also investigating if she took a loan from an Indian state-owned bank to open a hotel, based on her Facebook post. On Wednesday, the Kolkata Police arrested Shanta in a fraud case from the Bikramgarh area in south Kolkata. She lived there in a rented flat with her parents and husband. The police recovered an Indian voter card, PAN card, and Aadhaar cards of two addresses, one in Kolkata and the other in Burdwan, issued in her name. The police have also recovered a Bangladeshi passport and Bangladesh Airways employee card from her possession. She used to work as a cabin crew for Bangladesh Airways. An admit card for Bangladesh's secondary examination has also been found.

The New Indian Express 1 Aug 2025 5:21 pm