kolkata News
View News by News Source
TMC suspends MLA Humayun Kabir who proposed to build 'Babri Masjid' in Murshidabad
KOLKATA: West Bengal's ruling Trinamool Congress on Thursday suspended its Bharatpur MLA Humayun Kabir, who had triggered a storm with the proposal to build 'Babri Masjid' in Murshidabad district. Kabir, who has hogged the limelight over the last few years with his controversial statements on various matters, including the party's internal affairs, had announced that the foundation stone of the proposed mosque would be laid at Beldanga on December 6. Announcing his suspension, senior TMC leader Firhad Hakim said Kabir's conduct amounted to gross indiscipline at a time when the party was working to maintain peace and communal harmony in the state. Kabir was involved in communal politics, which the TMC is strictly against. TMC does not believe in communal politics. He will have no relation with the party from this moment. He is being suspended on the instructions of our top leadership, said Hakim, a senior minister in the Mamata Banerjee government. Asked about his reaction, Kabir said he will tender his resignation and form a new political outfit. Earlier, he had claimed that lakhs of people would join the December 6 programme, which may block the NH-12 that connects Kolkata in the south to Siliguri in the north. VIDEO | Berhampore: After being suspended from TMC, MLA Humayun Kabir says, I will announce a new party on December 22 and will field candidates on 135 Assembly seats (in West Bengal polls). I will fight against both the BJP and them (TMC). They can do whatever they want. pic.twitter.com/TLxHPKDGU4 Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) December 4, 2025 After his suspension from TMC, Humayun Kabir announced he will form a new political party on December 22 and contest 135 Assembly seats in the upcoming West Bengal polls, vowing to take on both the BJP and TMC. They can do whatever they want, he added.
Bengal SIR: 50 lakh names identified for likely exclusion from voters list
Kolkata: Around 50 lakh names in West Bengal have been identified for exclusion in the voters list as per the latest trend available during the digitisation of the enumeration forms in the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) by the Election Commission of India (ECI) that started from November 4. The same figure was a little Get the latest updates in Hyderabad City News , Technology , Entertainment , Sports , Politics and Top Stories on WhatsApp & Telegram by subscribing to our channels. You can also download our app for Android and iOS .
Chaos at Bengaluru Airport as IndiGo Cancels Over 100 Flights
Passengers left stranded as key routes including Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Pune and Goa disrupted
IndiGo, India's largest airline, is experiencing significant flight cancellations and delays. Lakhs of passengers are stranded across the country. The disruptions are primarily caused by a shortage of pilots and cabin crew. Flights have been cancelled daily, with some delays extending up to ten hours. Passengers at Delhi, Pune, and Kolkata airports report long waits and frustration.
Navy Day demo paints mighty picture in Kerala
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: As a MiG-29K fighter jet thundered off from INS Vikrant, there was pin-drop silence among the spectators who had gathered in their thousands along Shankhumukham and other beaches nearby. The might of Vikrant the countrys first indigenous aircraft carrier and the magnificent sight of the jet punching through the skies painted orange by the descending sun was awe-inspiring. The state capital was on Wednesday evening treated to an exhilarating demonstration of operational capabilities by the Indian Navy as part of its Navy Day celebrations. It was the first time that Kerala was playing host to the marquee event, which offers a glimpse into the multi-domain combat proficiency and battle-readiness of the Navy. Fighter aircraft MiG-29 taking off from aircraft carrier INS Vikrant during the celebrations The demonstration commenced after INS Kolkata gave a 21-gun salute to welcome President Droupadi Murmu, who was the chief guest on the day. As many as 19 warships, a submarine, four fast-interceptor craft, and 32 naval aircraft including fighters and helicopters took part in the event. The MH-60R helicopters, led by Captain Sidharth Rana, offered a grand salute to the President by flying at low altitude and dipping its nose in flight, setting the tone for a mesmerising evening that displayed Navys precision, power projection, co-ordination, and expertise. Apart from the President, Governor Rajendra Arlekar, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi were also in attendance. Warships INS Imphal, INS Udayagiri, INS Kolkata and INS Tamal closed the beach front and fired flares illuminating the skies. Three Chetak choppers were the next to take the stage and flew a banner formation in the flypast. Navys trainer jet, Hawk, performed a bomb-burst manoeuvre, while special forces simulated Visit, Board, Search and Seizure (VBSS) operations that deal with pirates. Another attraction was the combat freefall performed by Navy MARCOS commandos off a Dornier aircraft flying at 8,000ft. Using parachutes, they made pinpoint landings at the drop zone and one of the members walked on to the dais to present a memento to the President. Equally admired was the performance of the combat diving team, who ran a simulation of how vital infrastructure is targeted during war. Hawk advanced training jets, P-8I Neptune aircraft, Narang and Chetak choppers also stole the show. Navy Chief meets CM TPuram: Ahead of the Navy Day celebrations in the state capital, Chief of Indian Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi met Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday. Meeting him at the CMs chamber at secretariat, Dinesh Tripathi formally invited him to take part in the Navy Day celebrations. Following the meeting, CM posted on X that they exchanged regards and ideas for further strengthening our collaborations.
On December 4, 2025, gold prices in India range from Rs 13.059 per 1 gram for 24K gold and Rs 11,971 per 1 gram for 22K gold. Silver is priced at Rs 1,91,100 per kilogram. Check city-wise rates here.
Relentless Rains In Nellore, Tirupati Districts Turn National Highway Into River
Traffic on the Chennai-Kolkata National Highway (NH-16) has come to near standstill, as high floodwater is flowing dangerously across multiple stretches between Kakuturu and Venkatachalam and near Manubolu.
Indigo cancels over 200 flights due to crew shortage
NEW DELHI: Indigo airlines cancelled over 200 flights, and delayed countless others due to a crew shortage across airports in the country on Wednesday. This is the second consecutive day that Indigo is unable to operate a large number of flights. Sources said, the shortage is due to a massive recruitment drive by international airline Emirates at Delhi and Mumbai this week. However, Indigo attributed the significant disruption to multiple reasons including unforeseen operational challenges. Sources stated that there is a severe shortage of both cockpit and cabin crew. Flyers complained of these undesirable circumstances to the Ministry of Civil Aviation and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation. 67 flights were cancelled at Delhis Indira Gandhi International Airport alone. 13 flights departing from Hyderabad's Rajiv Gandhi International Airport were cancelled; over 70 flights from Mumbai and Bengaluru airports were cancelled till Wednesday evening. Furthermore, flights to Kolkata and Srinagar were also cancelled. Airline sources said that several Indigo crew have been making a beeline for Emirate's recruitment roadshow in Mumbai and Delhi the last two days. Aviation source said, The mismanagement on part of Indigo too is a major reason for the crisis they have been facing the last two days. The revised Flight Duty Time Limitations were implemented by all airlines from November 1. Why is Indigo alone facing an issue? It is because of poor management of the situation, nothing else. The new rostering rules included increased weekly rest for pilots, from 36 hours to 48 hours, and limiting night landings carried out by pilots to just two instead of six. Passengers rage Ashish K Singh posted about his delayed flight from Mumbai to Ahmedabad 6E 534 on X. Stranded for 1-2 hours. Passengers deserve better. This is not just a delay. Passengers are left struggling, including senior citizens and families. Another flyer Satish said, Indian Railways takes around eight hours from Tirupati to Hyderabad. The great Indigo takes five hours from Tirupati to Hyderabad. N Pradeep from Hyderabad posed, Indigo, experienced your gate changing circus and flight delays for over four hours with no responsible staff in Hyderabad SHUT DOWN your pathetic service. In a statement, Indigo said, We acknowledge that IndiGos operations have been significantly disrupted across the network for the past two days, and we sincerely apologize to our customers for the inconvenience caused. The airlines attributed the disruption to a multitude of unforeseen operational challenges including minor technology glitches, schedule changes linked to the winter season, adverse weather conditions, increased congestion in the aviation system and the implementation of updated crew rostering rules. To contain the disruption and restore stability, Indigo claimed to have initiated calibrated adjustments to their schedules. These measures will remain in place for the next 48 hours and will allow us to normalise our operations and progressively recover our punctuality across the network, it said.
KOLKATA: A Division Bench of the Calcutta HC rejected the verdict of (now retired) Justice Ganguly on cancelling the appointment of 32,000 primary teachers in State-run and State-aided primary schools across West Bengal. The Division Bench of Justice Tapobrata Chakraborty and Justice Reetobroto Kumar Mitra pronounced the verdict this afternoon. With todays verdict, the Mamata Banerjee government in the State heaved a sigh of relief. It comes at a crucial time when the Supreme Court invalidated appointments of around 26,000 teachers of government-sponsored and government-aided secondary and higher secondary schools across districts and cities, citing institutional corruption in recruitment tests organised by the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC). The verdict, ahead of the Bengal Assembly elections due next year, also comes as a major relief to the ruling Trinamool, hit by several corruption scandals, especially in the education sector. Expressing satisfaction with todays verdict, the chief minister, Mamata Banerjee, told reporters, I am happy with the court order and families of the teachers have been saved. The judges have handled the issue with humanity. Its not justified to move the court every now and then to cancel someones job. We give jobs, not take them away. The Bench said today, After being in service for nine years, if they are removed now, there could be an adverse impact on the families. Calcutta HC asks CBI to probe 'illegal' appointments of primary teachers in Bengal schools In 2023, Justice Ganguly, who is now a BJP MP from Tamluk in East Midnapore district, had cancelled the appointments of the 32,000 primary teachers for alleged manipulation of the recruitment process (Teachers Eligibility Test held in 2014). In his order, Justice Ganguly had asked the state government to execute a fresh recruitment process and complete it within three months. However, the division bench of Justice Subrata Talukdar and Justice Supratim Bhattacharya put an interim stay on the single bench order of cancelling the appointments and granted the State six months to complete the process of recruitment of a fresh panel. The state government moved the apex court against the Division Bench order. The apex court had upheld the stay on appointments to the 32,000 posts and sent back the case to the High Court for final hearing. Meanwhile, on 12 November, the Division Bench of Justice Tapobrata Chakraborty and Justice Reetobroto Kumar Mitra concluded the hearing in the matter. Trinamool leadership alleged that isolated incidents of mistakes, misdemeanours, negligence and crime were being projected as a complete collapse of the education system. A political issue is being created from these isolated instances. We object to that. The BJP, the CPM and a section of the Congress are involved in this, the leadership expressed.
Hardik Pandya Returns For SA T20I; Gill Picked With Subject To Fitness
Asia Cup Super Fours: The Board of Control for Cricket in Indias (BCCI) senior mens selection committee has picked Indias squad for the upcoming T20I series against South Africa. ODI and Test skipper Shubman Gill and all-rounder Hardik Pandya are set to mark their return from injuries, but the formers participation is subject to fitness clearance from the BCCI CoE (Centre of Excellence). Gill sustained a neck injury during the first Test between the two sides in Kolkata and was subsequently ruled out of the red-ball games as well as the ODI series. Pandya, meanwhile, picked up an injury during India's Asia Cup Super Fours contest against Sri Lanka and has been out of the international setup since then. The fifth T20I, to be played on December 19, will also mark the end of South Africas tour of India, which commenced on November 14 with a two-game Test series and was followed by the ongoing ODI series. Regular skipper Suryakumar Yadav will continue to lead the side, with Gill as his deputy. Most of the T20I squad remains the same as to the contingent that travelled to Australia for Indias most recent T20I series. However, Rinki Singh, who didnt get much of a chance in the previous tour, has been dropped. The T20I series will commence on December 9 in Cuttack, with action moving to New Chandigarh for the second T20I on December 11. The second T20I will also see two new stands being inaugurated by the Punjab Cricket Association at the venue in honour of India captain Harmanpreet Kaur and former all-rounder Yuvraj Singh. The third T20I will be hosted by the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala, while the fourth game will be played at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow. South Africas tour of India will conclude at the worlds largest ground - the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. The T20I series will commence on December 9 in Cuttack, with action moving to New Chandigarh for the second T20I on December 11. The second T20I will also see two new stands being inaugurated by the Punjab Cricket Association at the venue in honour of India captain Harmanpreet Kaur and former all-rounder Yuvraj Singh. Also Read: Live Cricket Score India squad for T20I series against SA: Suryakumar Yadav (C), Shubman Gill (VC)*, Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma (WK), Sanju Samson (WK), Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakaravarthy, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Washington Sundar Article Source: IANS
Uttar Pradesh: Cough syrup racket kingpin arrested at Kolkata airport
Bhola Prasad Jaiswal, alleged mastermind of a large cough syrup racket, was arrested at Kolkata airport and brought to Sonbhadra on transit remand
Fit-again Gill Picked For T20I Series Against South Africa
Gill, who is India's Test and ODI skipper, sustained the injury during the opening Test against the Proteas in Kolkata
BJP made Waqf Act, TMC won't allow anybody to touch properties: West Bengal CM
KOLKATA: In an apparent attempt to retain the Trinamool Congress' Muslim vote bank for ahead of the 2026 West Bengal Assembly polls, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday claimed that the BJP made the Waqf Act, not her party. We wont follow the Act and have opposed it in the state legislative assembly. The state government has filed a case in the Supreme Court. The case is still on and I wont allow anybody to touch the Waqf properties, Mamata said while addressing a party rally at Gazole in Malda district. Earlier this year, the Central Government amended several provisions of the Waqf Act, 1995. While some of these amendments remain under consideration before the Supreme Court, a senior official of the state government pointed out that here is no stay on the implementation of the Centre's proposed changes. The state is obliged to follow the directive within the given timeframe, he felt. Under the amended rules, mutawallis (caretakers of a waqf) of 8,063 Waqf estates in Bengal must register complete property details on the UMEED portal by 6 December, he elaborated. The Trinamool Congress supremos statement came hardly four days after her government directed district magistrates (DMs) across the state on Friday to upload details of Waqf properties to the Central Governments Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency and Development (UMEED) portal. The state minority affairs and madrasah education department sent the directive to the DMs in this regard at a time when some officials in the department felt that the exercise as a ime-bound compliance requirement set by the Centre. The Centre has asked the states to upload information on all undisputed Waqf properties by 6 December, prompting the state administration to start the data-entry process immediately, according to officials. The directive sent to DMs lists four primary issues. They have been asked to convene meetings with imams, muezzins (a person who proclaims the call to the daily prayer five times a day at a mosque) and madrasa teachers to explain the uploading procedure, an official said. The DMs have been told that only uncontested properties are to be entered in the portal, he said. All districts have been asked to set up facilitation centres wherever technical support is necessary, the official added. Bengal government order to upload details of the states waqf properties onto the UMEED portal has triggered a political controversy, the state having earlier said it would not implement the amended Waqf Act that came into force in April. Senior BJP leaders in the state held the chief minister responsible for the communal violence in Samserganj, Murshidabad, arising from a protest against the amendment in April this year. Will Mamata Banerjee apologise to Hindus in Mothabari (Malda) where 68 shops belonging to them were vandalised? leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari had said hours after the state governments directives to the DMs to upload the Waqf properties on UMEED portal on Friday. Bengal is home to around 82,000 waqf properties under nearly 8,000 waqf estates.
Australia Pacer Johnson Ruled Out Of Upcoming BBL Season Due To Back Injury
Big Bash League: Australias left-arm fast bowler Spencer Johnson has been ruled out of the upcoming Big Bash League (BBL) season due to a long-standing back injury. Johnson made his debut for the Brisbane Heat in 2023 and was player of the final in their championship win in 2024. Johnson, whos played five ODIs and eight T20Is for Australia, has been recovering from a back complaint that has prevented him from playing any cricket after turning out for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in IPL 2025. Now with Johnson being ruled out of playing in BBL, it also puts his chances of playing next years T20 World Cup in jeopardy. Ive had plenty of expert support from everyone involved in the process and I am very confident that I will be back and doing what I love as soon as possible. I know the Heat fans will be 100 percent behind the squad again this season and I will be cheering on with them from the sidelines, he said in a statement by the club on Wednesday. Terry Svenson, the Brisbane Heat CEO, said he wishes for Johnson a speedy recovery and would look forward to seeing him return for the club next year. Spencer continues to recover from a back injury and pleasingly, this is improving. However, the latest timeframe for his return to play does not enable him to participate in the BBL this season. Were all disappointed for Spencer but will provide him with ongoing support as he continues to recover. Hes fought back admirably from injury earlier in his career and I have no doubt he will again be dedicated to making a full recovery in the future, he said. Terry Svenson, the Brisbane Heat CEO, said he wishes for Johnson a speedy recovery and would look forward to seeing him return for the club next year. Spencer continues to recover from a back injury and pleasingly, this is improving. Also Read: Live Cricket Score Brisbane Heat squad: Shaheen Shah Afridi (Pakistan), Tom Alsop (England), Colin Munro (New Zealand), Xavier Bartlett, Max Bryant, Lachlan Hearne, Spencer Johnson, Usman Khawaja, Matt Kuhnemann, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan McSweeney, Michael Neser, Oli Patterson, Jimmy Peirson, Matthew Renshaw, Callum Vidler, Hugh Weibgen, Jack Wildermuth. Article Source: IANS
Have ensured that persons with disabilities lead life of dignity: Mamata
Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday said her government has strengthened institutional mechanisms to support persons with disabilities right from their birth through their entire lifecycle. Banerjee said the government has also created a robust social security network for PwDs through various schemes. On this International Day of Persons with Disabilities, we Get the latest updates in Hyderabad City News , Technology , Entertainment , Sports , Politics and Top Stories on WhatsApp & Telegram by subscribing to our channels. You can also download our app for Android and iOS .
Bengal SIR: 46 lakh names identified, likely to be excluded from voters list
Kolkata: Over 46 lakh names in West Bengal have already been identified for exclusion in the voters list as per the latest trend available during the digitisation of the enumeration forms in the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) by the Election Commission of India (ECI) that started from November 4. The total number of names Get the latest updates in Hyderabad City News , Technology , Entertainment , Sports , Politics and Top Stories on WhatsApp & Telegram by subscribing to our channels. You can also download our app for Android and iOS .
SMAT: J&K thrashes Chandigarh by 29 runs
Excelsior Sports Correspondent JAMMU, Dec 2: Jammu & Kashmir inched closer to a knockout berth in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy Elite Group B after securing a commanding 29-run victory over Chandigarh at the Jadavpur University Campus Ground, Kolkata. With this impressive win, J&K registered their third triumph in four matches, strengthening their position in the group standings. Opting to bowl first, Chandigarh were met with a fierce batting display by J&K, who posted a formidable 192 all out in [] The post SMAT: J&K thrashes Chandigarh by 29 runs appeared first on Daily Excelsior .
Ahmedabad Airport to allow imports, exports of jewellery parcels through personal carriage
Ahmedabad Airport now facilitates the import and export of gems and jewellery parcels for personal carriage. This new provision extends to other major airports including Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Jaipur. The Directorate General of Foreign Trade, an arm of the commerce ministry, announced this development. This move simplifies international trade for individuals carrying precious items.
Gills Availability In Focus As Selection Committee Set To Meet In Raipur For Picking T20I Squad
Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy: Vice-captain Shubman Gills fitness and availability for Indias upcoming T20I series against South Africa, starting on December 9, will be in focus when the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee convenes in Raipur on Wednesday, where the second ODI will be played, to finalise the 15-member squad. Gill suffered a neck injury in the Kolkata Test against South Africa, where he had to retire hurt for four. Since then, hes been out of action having flown to Mumbai after being ruled out of the Guwahati Test to meet Dr Abhay Nene, and then went back to his hometown Chandigarh for further rest and recovery. IANS understands that Gill has touched down at the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru on Tuesday for further rehab. The Indian team for the T20Is has to assemble on December 6, so the selectors have to select on Wednesday. As of now, Shubmans status for playing in the T20I series is 50-50. Theres a possibility that he could try batting and see how he feels before a decision is made for including him in the upcoming series, said a source familiar with the matter to IANS on Tuesday. If Gill is unable to feature, either Sanju Samson or Yashasvi Jaiswal could be a potential opening partner for the in-form Abhishek Sharma. Samson was part of the T20I series win in Australia, but featured in only two matches and batted just once at No. 3, while Jaiswal was not part of the squad. Agarkar & Co. is also expected to include seam-bowling all-rounder Hardik Pandya in the Suryakumar Yadav-led T20I team after making a successful return for Baroda in the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. If Gill is unable to feature, either Sanju Samson or Yashasvi Jaiswal could be a potential opening partner for the in-form Abhishek Sharma. Samson was part of the T20I series win in Australia, but featured in only two matches and batted just once at No. 3, while Jaiswal was not part of the squad. Also Read: Live Cricket Score Indias five-match T20I series against Aiden Markram-led South Africa will begin in Cuttack on December 9, and is followed by subsequent games in New Chandigarh (December 11), Dharamsala (December 14), Lucknow (December 17), and Ahmedabad (December 19). Article Source: IANS
Rebel TMC MLA Kabir stokes Babri row, vows mosque & Dec 6 blockade
Kolkata: A fresh political firestorm gripped West Bengal on Tuesday as estranged TMC MLA Humayun Kabir doubled down on building a mosque modelled on the Babri Masjid in Murshidabad district and warned that NH-34 would be under Muslim control on December 6, escalating a clash the ruling party is scrambling to contain. Kabir, the Beldanga Get the latest updates in Hyderabad City News , Technology , Entertainment , Sports , Politics and Top Stories on WhatsApp & Telegram by subscribing to our channels. You can also download our app for Android and iOS .
Japanese Film Festival 2025: Full city list from Hyderabad to Noida
The Japan Foundation is delighted to announce the return of the Japanese Film Festival (JFF) 202526, one of Indias most anticipated cultural events celebrating the richness, creativity, and cinematic brilliance of Japan. This year, the festival will travel across eight citiesHyderabad, Pune, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Kochi, Ahmedabad, Noida, and Kolkatabringing an exciting lineup of films to Get the latest updates in Hyderabad City News , Technology , Entertainment , Sports , Politics and Top Stories on WhatsApp & Telegram by subscribing to our channels. You can also download our app for Android and iOS .
For Kolkata fans, money doesnt matter when it comes to Messi
The football legend last came to the city in 2011 to captain Argentina in a friendly match against Venezuela at the Salt Lake City stadium, the same venue for an upcoming event that will include a celebrity match and a masterclass
Mamata presents report card ahead of polls, alleges Centre withheld Bengal's long-pending dues
KOLKATA: As the countdown for the assembly polls in West Bengal begins amid the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, Chief Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday alleged that the Centre has withheld the state's long-pending dues. Releasing the report card Unnayaner Panchali of her government during the past 14 years since 2011, Mamata told media at the state secretariat Nabanna, The central government has withheld our long-pending dues -- one lakh and eighty-seven thousand crore rupees. When will they pay? Elections are nearing but development works in Bengal cant be stopped. Hope, they will release the funds. She claimed, Bengal is a model across the country in terms of development schemes. We have launched different social security schemes in the state since we formed the government. We have created twelve lakh self-help groups in our state. On the issue of job creation, Mamata said, More than two crore jobs have already been generated in the state during the last 14 years and an additional one crore will be created in future. Six economic corridors are under construction. We have decreased unemployment by 40 percent in our state. There has been a massive investment of two lakh crore rupees since we formed the government. She said that West Bengal topped the country in MGNREGA, rural housing, and village road construction four times in a row before the Centre withheld money. The West Bengal government continued with its development activities despite the Centre not clearing the state's dues... we spent Rs 1 lakh crore on Khadya Sathi food security scheme covering 9 crore people and Rs 1,717 crore on Duare Ration for 7 crore people, she also claimed. For Lakshmi Bhandar, a populist scheme for women social security launched in 2021, she said, We are giving monthly Rs 1000 every woman and for those who belong to SC/ST category its Rs 1200. The scheme is lifelong for every woman. In all, two crore and twenty one lakh women get the social security benefits. She added, A woman who belongs to SC/ST category gets Rs 14400 every year. In Bihar, they (NDA government) have given a one-time fund of Rs 10000. She claimed that the state never drifted from its development path in spite of the Centre withholding its dues in crucial schemes involving rural upliftment. She also highlighted the setting up of a Jagannath temple in Digha and the Durga temple, which is undergoing construction on 15 acres of land in New Town. A Mahakaal Mandir (Shiva Temple) will also come in Siliguri in north Bengal, she said.
22, 24 carat Gold prices down across Indian cities on December 2
RBI likely to cut repo rate by 25 bps in December: Report
Kolkata: The RBI could announce a 25-basis point repo rate cut in its upcoming December monetary policy meeting, driven by a sharp decline in inflation and strong growth momentum, a report by credit rating agency CareEdge said on Tuesday. It said inflation has eased to a decadal low of 0.3 per cent in October, well Get the latest updates in Hyderabad City News , Technology , Entertainment , Sports , Politics and Top Stories on WhatsApp & Telegram by subscribing to our channels. You can also download our app for Android and iOS .
India's yound batting sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi scored 108 runs off 61 balls, his third century in 16 professional T20 games. The left-hander hit seven boundaries and seven sixes at Kolkata's Eden Gardens, taking Bihar to 176 against Prithvi Shaw's Maharashtra.
Kolkata is experiencing a significant surge in demand for pneumonia and influenza vaccines. Respiratory infections are climbing as winter arrives. The elderly are leading this rush, prompting hospitals to increase vaccination slots. Health specialists note this trend began in mid-November. Early vaccination is a key preventive measure against winter-aggravated respiratory issues.
Number of expected deletion of names from voters list crosses 43 lakhs
KOLKATA, Dec 2: The Election Commission of India (ECI) expects that roughly 43.30 lakh names will be dropped from West Bengals draft voters list, scheduled for publication on December 16, based on the current pace of digitising enumeration forms submitted by booth-level officers (BLOs). Officials in the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), West Bengal, cautioned that this is an evolving estimate. Since the projection reflects the digitisation status only till Monday evening, the exclusion figure may rise as [] The post Number of expected deletion of names from voters list crosses 43 lakhs appeared first on Daily Excelsior .
Maxwell Pulls Out Of IPL 2026 Ahead Of Mini-auction
Indian Premier League: Australia all-rounder Glenn Maxwell has opted out of the 19th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) just a couple of weeks before the auction, stating that he made the decision with a lot of gratitude towards the league. Maxwell was released by the Punjab Kings and the cricketer was supposed to go under the hammer at the auction on December 16. However, he has now decided not to play the cash-rich event in India. After many unforgettable seasons in the IPL, Ive decided not to put my name into the auction this year. Its a big call, and one I make with a lot of gratitude for everything this league has given me, Maxwell wrote in a statement he put out on his Instagram. The IPL has helped shape me as a cricketer and as a person. Ive been lucky to play with world-class teammates, represent incredible franchises, and perform in front of fans whose passion is unmatched. The memories, the challenges, and the energy of India will stay with me forever. Thank you for all your support over the years, hopefully see you soon. Cheers Maxi, he added. Maxwell last represented PBKS in the 2025 edition and played under Shreyas Iyer's leadership, with his fellow Australian Ricky Ponting as head coach. He sustained a finger injury midway through the tournament, which eventually ruled him out of the season. The IPL has helped shape me as a cricketer and as a person. Ive been lucky to play with world-class teammates, represent incredible franchises, and perform in front of fans whose passion is unmatched. The memories, the challenges, and the energy of India will stay with me forever. Thank you for all your support over the years, hopefully see you soon. Cheers Maxi, he added. Also Read: Live Cricket Score While Russell retired from IPL and joined Kolkata Knight Riders coaching staff for the upcoming edition, Faf has opted to participate in the Pakistan Super League and take a break from IPL this season. Article Source: IANS
When an Earthquake Stopped Play: Cricket's Rare Tremor Interruptions
Few days back, the play on the third day of Ireland's second Test in Dacca, Bangladesh, was suddenly stopped, during the second ball of the 56th over of Ireland's first innings. Reason: A 5.7 magnitude earthquake in Dhaka around 10.38am local time. The impact of the earthquake was felt in Kolkata, several parts of West Bengal, and Assams Guwahati also, where the second India- South Africa Test was scheduled to play after a few days. The moment the earthquake struck the visitors were at 165 for 5 when play was suddenly interrupted, leaving players and officials visibly startled. Play was stopped but players stayed on the field at the Shere Bangla National Stadium. All others related to the teams also came on the ground while spectators ran for the safety cover. Play resumed after approximately four minutes. For many it was a new experience but not for the Ireland head coach Heinrich Malan who said, I've been involved in a couple of earthquakes from my time living in New Zealand. The match was going on. I was in the press box. It was a terrifying situation. The press box collapsed - it was a terrible situation, Ariful Islam Roney, a Bangladesh sports journalist present in the press box, revealed. This is probably the first-time play stopped in a Test match due to an earthquake but not the first-time earthquake that has found mention in cricket. In 2016 the earthquake hit North India and Gujarat Lions IPL side was in a hotel at Mohali for their match against Kings XI Punjab. The players were evacuated from their hotel. The tremors were felt around 3:58 pm, measuring 6.8 on the Richter Scale. The overseas players Dale Steyn, Aaron Finch and Andrew Tye shared their experience on social media. Tye spoke to Cricket Australia and revealed, I was sitting on the end of my bed fixing a cricket bat and it felt like the bed started to move. I was like what happened there and I looked around the room and certain things were shaking, so I thought it must be an earthquake. Christchurchs Hagley Oval is a permanent reminder of the earthquake that devastated Christchurch in 2011. The earthquake, which registered 6.3 on the Richter scale, resulted in the deaths of more than 100 people. Incidentally, the third day of the Test between New Zealand and Australia in 2016 (the second Test match played at this stadium), fell on the fifth anniversary of the earthquake and a minute's silence was observed during the lunch break at 12.51pm, the same time the earthquake struck. Another surprise is both the sides of the 2016 Test, also felt tremors on reaching Christchurch twice, before the start of the Test. The Hagley Oval became the city's major cricket venue only due to the damage to Lancaster Park, by earthquake. In 2022, an Under-19 World Cup clash between Zimbabwe and Ireland was briefly halted, due to a 5.2 magnitude earthquake at the Queens Park Oval, Port of Spain. The commentator Andrew Leonard shouted on the air, We are... I believe we are having an earthquake right now. In the box. We are indeed having an earthquake. It felt like not just a train going by behind us, but the whole Queen's Park Oval media centre rocked. Ireland spinner Matthew Humphreys was bowling the fifth bowl of the sixth over to Brian Bennett when the front-on camera showing the action began to shake furiously. Play was not interrupted, although the broadcaster's camera wobbled and the tremors were felt. Also Read: Live Cricket Score The best India earthquake story occurred during the first unofficial Test between Lord Tennyson's XI and India at Lahore in November 1937. On the second day of the four-day match, at the Bagh-e-Jinnah (Lawrence Gardens) ground, a tremor that lasted for approximately 90 seconds was felt. Its on record that a clock in the pavilion fell to the ground with a crash. Play was stopped for two minutes and after that match resumed. Lord Tennyson, standing in the slips, thought he had a sunstroke when the buildings around the ground started shaking.
RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat To Meet 1,200 Bengal Intellectuals As Part Centenary Outreach In Kolkata
Sources within the RSS said a list of about 1,200 invitees has been compiled featuring teachers, educationists, film directors, writers, and members of the cultural fraternity
No dead or untraceable voters found in 2,208 polling booths in West Bengal, ECI expresses concern
KOLKATA: In a startling revelation, the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls could not find any dead, duplicate or untraceable voters in 2,208 polling booths across West Bengal. The Election Commission of India (ECI) came to know about the matter after verifying the enumeration forms that have already been digitised. In the SIR exercise, Booth Level Officers (BLOs) distribute enumeration forms among voters during their door-to-door visits and collect them once they are filled. All enumeration forms from 2,208 booths were filled up and returned, suggesting that there were no dead, duplicate or untraceable voters in these booths. Expressing serious concern over the irregularities, the ECI on Monday sought reports from district magistrates (DMs), who also function as district electoral officers (DEOs), by Tuesday. The national poll panel has decided to keep special watch in these booths in districts of South 24 Parganas, Purulia, Murshidabad, Malda, Nadia, Bankura, Howrah, East Midnapore, Birbhum, North 24 Parganas, Jalpaiguri, Hooghly, South Dinajpur, West Midnapore, North Dinajpur, East Bardhaman, Alipurduar, Cooch Behar, Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Kolkata North, and West Bardhaman. The Commission sources said, South 24 Parganas district has the highest number, with 760 such booths without any dead, duplicate or untraceable voters. Purulia records the second-highest number at 228 such booths followed by Murshidabad with 226. Nearly 14 lakh SIR forms identified as 'uncollectable' so far in West Bengal The sources said that the Commission has asked DEOs to clarify whether the names of deceased voters still appear on the electoral rolls, as it is difficult to believe that not a single dead voter was reported from any of the 2,208 booths. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday asked officers, including bureaucrats and sub-divisional officers (SDO), not to panic. Dont get panicked with the exercise because I am with you. They (Commission) has appointed a retired IAS office who is disturbing you, she reportedly told senior officials during a virtual conference in connection with development works in the state. The ECI has appointed Subrata Gupta , a retired bureaucrat, as the special roll observer in Bengal to supervise the SIR process in the state. Besides Gupta, the commission has also appointed 12 other serving IAS officers of the Bengal cadre as roll observers in districts across the state. West Bengal SIR: Over 21 lakh dead voters recorded till December 1
After a smashing start to SMAT, TNPL star Rajkumar sets sights on the IPL
The pace-bowling all-rounder has attended the Kolkata Knight Riders, Delhi Capitals, and Chennai Super Kings trials for the upcoming IPL season
Bangladeshi couple in West Bengal gets Indian citizenship after 35 years
KOLKATA: A Bangladeshi couple have finally received Indian citizenship after spending 35 years in Nadia district of West Bengal. Laturam Sikdar and his wife Padma Sikdar have been staying at Kamgachhi Joypur under Nadias Taherpur police station area for the past 35 years. Laturam used to stay at Sanatanpur in Bangladesh while Padma was a resident of Panditpur, before coming to India. The couple had managed to get Aadhaar cards a few years after entering India, but could not include their names to voters list in the last Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in 2002 in the state. The couple is relieved after becoming citizens of India on Monday. We were in tremendous tension soon after dates of the SIR exercise were announced during the end of October. Sensing trouble we applied for citizenship at a CAA (Citizenship Amendment Act) camp on 10 October and got the certificates on 19 November, said Padma. We are very happy because we can cast our votes from now. We were born in Bangladesh but brought up in Nadia district. With launching of the SIR process in the state, we became panicked because our names were not listed in the 2002 SIR of electoral rolls. Following the Government of Indias previous announcement in connection with CAA and National Register of Citizens (NRC) guidelines we visited CAA camps and applied for citizenships, Laturam said. Minorities in Bangaladesh are brutally tortured by the Muslim fundamentalists in the country. It was unbearable to us and we left for India, he added. Partha Sarathi Chattyerjee, local BJP MLA from Ranaghat Uttar Paschim assembly constituency, told media, We had been assuring the couple not to get panicked. Finally, they got the citizenship cards and others can also get citizenship if they apply to the concerned authority seeking CAA cards following proper methods. BJP trying to implement CAA through SIR in border areas, alleges West Bengal CM at Bongaon rally
The Ministry of Civil Aviation on Monday disclosed that incidents of GPS spoofing and interference with flights have been reported at major airports in the country, including Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Amritsar, Hyderabad, Bangalore and Chennai. In a written reply to questions raised by YSRCP MP S Niranjan Reddy in the Rajya Sabha, Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu confirmed that GPS spoofing was reported in the vicinity of the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) in New Delhi. Some flights reported GPS spoofing in the vicinity of IGIA, New Delhi while using GPS based landing procedures, while approaching on RWY (runway) 10. Contingency procedures were used for GPS spoofed flights approaching to RWY 10. There were no effects on movements of flights, on other runway ends having conventional navigational aids being operational, the minister said. Global Positioning System (GPS)/ Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) spoofing and jamming refer to attempts to manipulate a user's navigation system by giving false signals. The minister stated that the Wireless Monitoring Organisation (WMO) has been directed to identify the source of the spoofing. Airports Authority of India (AAI) has also requested Wireless Monitoring Organisation (WMO) to possibly identify the source of interference/ spoofing. During the high-level meeting, WMO was directed to mobilise more resources to identify the source of spoofing based on approximate spoofing location details shared by DGCA and AAI, Naidu said in a written reply. WMO comes under the Department of Telecommunications. After being mandated by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to report instances of GPS jamming/ spoofing since November 2023, regular reports are being received from other major airports in the country. GNSS interference reports are being received from Kolkata, Amritsar, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Bangalore and Chennai airports, the minister said. Last month, DGCA asked airlines, pilots and air traffic controllers to report GPS spoofing incidents within 10 minutes of the occurrences, amid recent such incidents at the Delhi airport. In the written reply, Naidu said Minimum Operating Network (MON), consisting of Conventional (Ground-based) Navigation and Surveillance Infrastructure, are retained in accordance with global best practices. India is also participating in global platforms to keep itself abreast of the latest methodology and technology for the timely implementation of the same. To a query, Naidu said the global cybersecurity threats to the aviation sector are in the form of ransomware/ malware. To enhance cyber security against global threats, AAI is implementing advanced cyber security solutions for IT networks and infrastructure. These actions have been taken in accordance with the National Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Centre (NCIIPC) and Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) guidelines. Cyber security is ensured by continuous upgradation. As the nature and type of the threat changes, new protective measures are being taken, he added. (With inputs from PTI)
West Bengal SIR: Over 21 lakh dead voters recorded till December 1
KOLKATA: West Bengal has recorded more than 21 lakh dead voters so far till Monday afternoon, according to sources in the Election Commission of India (ECI). In North 24 Parganas district alone, more than 2.75 lakh dead voters have been identified in the state by the ECI. West Bardhaman and South 24 Parganas hold second and third positions respectively in term of dead voters identified by the Commission during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls so far in the state. West Bardhaman district has 1.57 lakh dead voters while it is 1.39 lakh so far till today, the Commission sources said. Sources requesting anonymity said that the more than 90 per cent digitalisation of enumeration forms have already been completed. The total number of dead voters in the state would be figured out after the complete digitalisation of uncollected enumeration forms is done by Booth Level Officers (BLOs) across the state. Uncollected forms include voters who are absent, permanently shifted, dead and duplicate. Many BLOs are yet to upload these forms, delaying the process of identifying dead voters, sources said. Following 'instructions' of local administrations, BLOs in several districts are seen reluctant to upload these forms, sources added. Considering the seriousness of the issue, Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Manoj Agarwal and special observer of electoral rolls Subrata Gupta have already held meetings with the district magistrates (DMs) functioning as district election observers (DEO) to streamline the process. Large number of BLOs are not marking enumeration forms (EFs) as ASDD (absent, shifted, dead and duplicate) voters, despite lapse of considerable period. The Election Commission of India (ECI) has come to know about the irregularities in connection with alleged reluctance of many BLOs, who are not regularly marking EFs as ASDD even after they identify cases like absent, shifted, dead and duplicate voters, during their door-to-door visits for the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls in the state. The Commission has also noted that the EFs identified as ASDD cases are being collected somewhere else without being marked/digitalised in the BLO App. The CEO office area at B B D Bag in the city today virtually turned into a war zone between agitating BLOs backed by the ruling party Trinamool Congress and rival BJP. The agitating BLOs and Trinamool Congress workers were seen shouting slogans like Suvendu Adhikari go back in front of the CEO office building since this afternoon. A BJP delegation led by Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, Leader of Opposition in the state Legislative Assembly, met Agarwal and submitted charter of demands to him. Suvendu alleged that I-PAC, Trinamool Congress poll strategic agency, along with BDOs has been forcing a section of BLOs to manipulate enumeration forms so that dead, shifted voters, Bangladeshi infiltrators can figure in the electoral rolls. His pre-scheduled visit to the CEO triggered loud protests by members of the agitating BLOs who have been demonstrating there over alleged excessive workload during the ongoing SIR exercise.
Bengal Booth Level Officers In Massive Protest Outside Poll Body Office
Grassroots poll officials in Bengal - at the centre of a row over mental health and working conditions during the revision of voter lists - staged a massive protest Monday afternoon outside the Chief Electoral Officer's Kolkata office.
Death of Humanity and Conscience
As the practice in modern India continues, so do deaths. The Calcutta High Court, in a recent judgment, highlighted this blot on the countrys conscience and governance, condemning the state government and the Kolkata Municipal Corporation and enhancing the fines to be paid as per law The post Death of Humanity and Conscience appeared first on India Legal .
ECI's decision to extend SIR schedules by one week is a move to satisfy BJP: TMC
KOLKATA: The Election Commission of Indias decision to extend the schedules of the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in 12 states, including West Bengal, has prompted ruling Trinamool Congress and opposition CPI-M and Congress to come together to criticise the Commission for its move. Coming down heavily on the Commission, the Bengal leadership of Trinamool Congress, CPI-M and Congress said that it should have considered the situation earlier because the SIR exercise was not at all possible within such a short timeline. But the BJPs Bengal unit has welcomed the national poll panels decision to extend the SIR timeline by one week. The ruling party in the state alleged that the BJP government at the Centre was instrumental in the decision. The Election Commission of India (ECI) extended the SIR schedules so that BJP can get some political advantages ahead of the assembly polls next year. The party has fixed a target number of voters from the electoral rolls during the ongoing exercise in the state. With the extension of schedules, the commission proved again that it works for BJP. But people of Bengal will again vote Trinamool Congress to power, Arup Chakraborty, spokesperson of the ruling party in the state, said. The saffron camp in the state has been claiming that more than one crore dead and bogus, including Bangladeshi infiltrators, will be deleted from the voters list following the SIR process. The Election Commission has no idea about the ground reality in Bengal because its run by bureaucracy. Todays notification issued by the national poll body once again proved that it has neither any planning nor the eligibility to conduct such a drive in the state, said Md Salim, CPI-M secretary, West Bengal. The Commission should have understood the situation in Bengal much earlier because the SIR exercise is not possible in such a short period of only three months in the state, which is vulnerable in terms of demography and population. The poll body is a paper tiger only, said Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, Congress leader and the partys former MP for five times from Behrampore in Murshidabad district. Welcoming the decision the Sukanta Majumder, union minister of state for education and a BJP MP from Balurghat, said, We have nothing to say against the move because its the prerogative of the Commission. It has extended the deadline considering the situation. It can also extend the timeline again after the Mamata Banerjee governments term ends next year. In that case, SIR will go on under the President Rule. With several deaths of Booth Level Officers (BLOs) due to work pressure and stress triggered by the SIR-related rigorous jobs, a section of BLOs backed by Trinamool Congress staged protests in front of the West Bengal Chief Electoral Officers chamber, demanding extension of the SIR timeline and compensation to the family members of their deceased colleagues. Today, the ECI has extended the schedule of the ongoing SIR of electoral rolls for 12 States and Union Territories by one week. Under the revised plan, the enumeration drive and polling-station rationalisationearlier expected to wrap up by 4 December will now continue until 11 December. The preparation of the control table and the draft roll will run from 12 to 15 December, with the draft roll to be published on 16 December. The old schedule had placed draft publication around 9th December across states. The period for filing claims and objections has also been aligned with the new dates. Instead of closing on 8th January, as originally planned, the window will now remain open until 15 January.
SRK on Russell's retirement: 'Any other jersey would indeed look weird'
Andre Russell has retired from the Indian Premier League. Kolkata Knight Riders co-owner Shah Rukh Khan shared a tribute. Russell will now serve as KKR's power coach. He had a significant career with the team. KKR aims for a better season and has a large purse for the upcoming auction.
Shah Rukh Khan Thanks His 'Knight In Shining Armour' Andre Russell As He Takes On A New Role In KKR
Shah Rukh Khan: With just two weeks remaining for the mini-auction for the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL), West Indies cricketer Andre Russell has announced his retirement from the tournament. Bollywood star and the owner of the Kolkata Knight Riders, Shah Rukh Khan, shared a heartfelt tribute on social media for the cricketer as he takes on a new role as KKR's power coach. Andre has become a part of Abhishek Nayar's new coaching setup, along with Shane Watson and Tim Southee. SRK shared that Andre will be passing on his experience and power game to the younger generation. Reacting to Andre's video announcing his retirement, King Khan wrote on the micro-blogging site, Thank you for the wonderful memories, Andre. Our Knight in shining armour!!! Your contribution to @KKRiders is one for the books(sic). Talking about the cricketer switching positions as the power coach in the team, Shah Rukh added, And heres to another chapter in your fantastic journey as a sportsman The power coach - passing down the wisdom, the muscle and of course the power down to our boys in purple and gold And yes, any other jersey would indeed look weird on you my man... Muscle Russell for life! Love u on behalf of the team and everyone who loves the sport!! In the video, Andre revealed that he has had several conversations with Shah Rukh before stepping into this new role. For those who do not know, Shah Rukh has been the owner of KKR since 2008. He is accompanied by actress Juhi Chawlas husband, Jay Mehta, who is also a partner in the team. In the video, Andre revealed that he has had several conversations with Shah Rukh before stepping into this new role. Also Read: Live Cricket Score The all-rounder cricketer announced his retirement from international cricket earlier this year. Article Source: IANS
KOLKATA: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, addressing after being conferred an Honorary Doctorate by the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Kolkata, said that the United States has set radically new terms of engagement by dealing with countries on a one-on-one basis. India has been actively pursuing self-reliance and making itself a manufacturing base for industries, he observed. Jaishankar said that India has made progress in infrastructure facilities --highways, railways, energy and ports, and it has helped the country narrow the gaps with leading Asian economies. The senior BJP leader also said that politics increasingly trumps economics in the present era, and in an uncertain world, it is important that the country continuously diversifies supply sources to guarantee its needs. His remarks came particularly against the backdrop when India and the US are continuing negotiations for a trade deal, specifically in light of the 50 per cent tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump on India, over three months ago. Besides, the union minister also raised issues related to China, saying, It long plays by its own rules and is doing so even now. India, Australia shoulder 'greater responsibility' amid global turbulence: EAM Jaishankar Noting that one-third of global production currently takes place in China, Jaishankar said that it has put the spotlight on the esilience and reliability of supply chains. We are now moving ahead, by any standards, he said, maintaining that the world is taking note of the advancements being made by India. With these considerations in mind, we are today endeavouring to forge new trade arrangements and promote fresh connectivity initiatives, the minister said. When it comes to trade, We will naturally be guided by our people-centric vision, just as our connectivity plans are by strategic as well as economic considerations, he said. He also said that as the government plans for a developed India by 2047, he goal of foreign policy is to steadily expand footprint beyond its current confines. He asserted that the solidarity that India has built with the Global South creates a base for it. Jaishankar said that when it comes to increasing comprehensive national power, India's role in diplomacy is active rather than passive. Promoting industrial growth and even incentivising it is a key economic priority, the minister said, maintaining that emphasis on 'Make in India' in the last decade speaks of a different mindset and greater ambition We are now in the world of chips and semiconductors, electric vehicles and batteries, drones and space, or that of nanotech and bioscience. Each of them offers an opportunity to leapfrog and establish unique capabilities, the minister added. EAM Jaishankar discusses bilateral partnership, regional developments with Bahraini counterpart
Father Of Alleged Cough Syrup Racket Kingpin Held At Kolkata Airport While Trying To Fly Abroad
Bhola Prasad was detained at Kolkata airport by Sonbhadra police as he attempted to board a flight to Thailand
In a major update in the National Herald case, the Delhi Police's EOW has filed a fresh FIR against Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, Sam Pitroda, and others for alleged criminal conspiracy and the fraudulent takeover of AJL. The FIR, based on an ED complaint, also names Kolkata-based shell firm Dotex for allegedly providing seed money. India Today's Arvind Ojha reports that the EOW may soon issue notices for questioning, adding to the ongoing ED probe into alleged money laundering involving assets worth over 2,000 crore.
Codeine empire busted: Fugitive dealers father arrested at Kolkata airport
Kolkata Police arrested Bhola Prasad, father of Shubham Jaiswal, in a major codeine trafficking probe. Sonbhadra Police shared intelligence that Prasad was attempting to flee the country. Jaiswal is suspected of leading a large cross-border narcotics network. The crackdown intensified after children died due to toxic cough syrup. Investigators are pursuing more arrests.
KKR Star Andre Russell Announces IPL Retirement, To Join Franchise As 'power Coach'
West Indies all-rounder and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) power hitter Andre Russell announced his retirement from the Indian Premier League (IPL) ahead of the mini auction slated for December 16 but added that he would join the three-time champions as the power coach. The Windies batter announced his decision via a video message he shared on his social media with a caption, Hanging up my IPL boots but not the swagger. What a ride its been in the IPL 12 seasons of memories and a whole lot of love from the KKR family. Ill still be smashing sixes and taking wickets in every other league around the world. And the best part? Im not leaving home youll see me in a new role, in KKRs Support Staff, as the POWER COACH of 2026. New chapter. Same energy. Forever a Knight. In 12 IPL season, Russell played 140 matches, scoring 2651 runs at a strike rate of 174.18 and took 123 wickets at an economy of 9.51 with a best bowling figure of 5 for 15. He made his IPL debut in 2012 with Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals) before moving to KKR in 2014. He then went to play 133 matches for the Kolkata-based franchise, winning two titles (2014 and 2024) along the way. I had some amazing times and great memories. Hitting sixes, winning games, MVP and all of those things. But sometimes you just have to know when to hang up the boots. When I made this decision, I just felt like 'Yes, this is the best decision.' I don't want to fade out. I want to leave a legacy, and it's best to retire when fans ask, 'Why? You still have some more in you; you still could go for a bit longer,' rather than say, 'Yeah, you should have done it years back.' We are part of the Instagram world, so when you're going through your feed, you keep seeing yourself in different jerseys and, you know, friends, team-mates sending you stuff and, like, 'You're looking good in this jersey. What do you think' and I'm like, 'Hmmm, I look weird in that jersey'. And it's just those thoughts that's been going through my head. I had a few sleepless nights. There have been a lot of conversations between me and Venky Mysore, and also Shah Rukh Khan, about another chapter in my IPL journey, and they have shown me respect and love, and they appreciate whatever I have been doing in the field, and to be in a setup where I'm familiar, that matters to me a lot. We are part of the Instagram world, so when you're going through your feed, you keep seeing yourself in different jerseys and, you know, friends, team-mates sending you stuff and, like, 'You're looking good in this jersey. What do you think' and I'm like, 'Hmmm, I look weird in that jersey'. And it's just those thoughts that's been going through my head. Also Read: Live Cricket Score Russell had been retained ahead of the mega auction before last season for Rs. 12 crore, but KKR released him after a poor outing in IPL 2025. He scored just 167 runs in 13 innings and picked up eight wickets. Article Source: IANS
Andre Russell retires from IPL: Returns to KKR in new role
Kolkata Knight Riders' explosive all-rounder Andre Russell is retiring from the IPL after a decade, transitioning to a Power Coach role for KKR from 2026. The 37-year-old cited a desire to leave a legacy and expressed deep attachment to the franchise. Russell's monumental IPL career includes two titles and numerous accolades, cementing his iconic status.
The analysis is based on the annual average Air Quality Index (AQI) data of 11 cities, including Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chandigarh, Chennai, Delhi, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai, Pune, Varanasi, and Vishakhapatnam. Read here to know details
Selection for 51st Jr. Natl Kabaddi Cship for girls from Dec 4
Excelsior Sports Correspondent JAMMU, Nov 29: J&K Amateur Kabaddi Association general secretary, Dr. Kuldeep Kumar Gupta here today informed that selection trials for 51st Junior National Kabaddi Championship in Girls section will be held from December 4 to 7, 2025. Dr. Gupta asked all the affiliated districts and clubs of J&K to send their registered players for trials to participate in 51st National Kabaddi Championship for girls which is going to be held at Kolkata from December 25 to 28, [] The post Selection for 51st Jr. Natl Kabaddi Cship for girls from Dec 4 appeared first on Daily Excelsior .
Khalid calls for faster ISL restart to arrest Indias decline
Kolkata, Nov 29: Indian football head coach Khalid Jamil on Saturday took full responsibility for the countrys embarrassing loss to Bangladesh and said the Indian Super League must start at the earliest to arrest the national teams alarming slide. India, winless in five straight Asian Cup qualifying matches, have slumped to 142 in the FIFA []
Indian airlines complete software upgrade for over 90 per cent of 338 affected A320 family planes
NEW DELHI: IndiGo, Air India and Air India Express on Saturday started carrying out software upgrade of A320 family planes to address a potential flight control issue, and requisite modifications have been done for over 90 per cent of the affected 338 aircraft, an exercise that also resulted in delays and some flight cancellations. According to the latest data from the aviation regulator DGCA, IndiGo and Air India did not cancel any flights, while Air India Express cancelled four flights due to the system modification process. Flight delays have been 60-90 minutes at various airports, sources said. On Friday, Airbus said intense solar radiation might corrupt data critical to flight controls in a significant number of A320 family aircraft and that the software changes required to fix the issue would lead to operational disruptions. As many as 338 A320 family aircraft operated by Indian airlines require the software upgrade to address a potential issue related to flight controls, and modifications have been carried out in over 80 per cent of the affected fleet, according to DGCA data. The software upgrades have been completed for 270 A320 family planes out of the total 338 aircraft, as per the data available with the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) till 5.30 pm on November 29. A total of 200 IndiGo planes have been affected, and software upgrades have been completed for 184 of them, while in the case of Air India, 113 aircraft have been impacted and upgrades have been done for 69 of them, DGCA data showed. In the case of Air India Express, 25 planes have been impacted, and software upgrades have been completed for 17 aircraft as of 5.30 pm, according to data. The sources said that so far over 90 per cent of the affected planes have undergone upgradation. Meanwhile, IndiGo said all 200 A320 fleet aircraft have now been fully updated and compliant as required. With the completion of this technical requirement, every aircraft now operates with the latest approved configuration, and we continue to monitor performance closely as part of our routine safety procedures, the airline said in a post on X at 11.02 pm. Travel Update We are pleased to share a completion update on the mandatory Airbus system enhancement across our A320-family fleet. All 200 aircraft have now been fully updated and compliant as required. This programme involved a carefully coordinated sequence of work, with our IndiGo (@IndiGo6E) November 29, 2025 The airline said that there was zero cancellation of flights due to the updation. In a post on X at 10.17 pm, Air India said it has successfully completed the reset on over 90 per cent of its operating A320 family aircraft that were impacted by EASA and Airbus' requirement for a software realignment. An official said Air India Express has completed the upgradation for 22 out of the 25 impacted aircraft. The software upgrades are being undertaken at the airlines' bases in Delhi, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, and Kolkata. Software upgrades on all affected planes are to be completed by 5.29 am on November 30. #UPDATE Air India has successfully completed the reset on over 90% of its operating A320 family aircraft that were impacted by EASA and Airbus requirement for a software realignment. We expect to cover the entire fleet within the timeline prescribed by EASA, with safety Air India (@airindia) November 29, 2025 The DGCA on Saturday issued an Airworthiness Directive to airlines asking Indian operators to carry out the requisite software upgrades immediately. This followed Airbus issuing an alert to operators globally and the European Aviation Safety Authority (EASA) coming out with an Emergency Airworthiness Directive regarding the potential issue. On Friday, EASA said Airbus asked airline operators to install a serviceable Elevator Aileron Computer (ELAC) in the impacted aircraft. ELAC is for flight controls. IndiGo, which operates over 2,300 flights daily, said that no flights have been cancelled as a result of the checks carried out on A320 family planes, but a few flights may experience minimal delays. There have been no cancellations due to the task, and there is no major impact on schedule integrity across its network. However, some flights may be slightly delayed or rescheduled, Air India said in the morning. Most of the nearly 6,000 affected aircraft worldwide need software upgrades, while some might require hardware realignment. There are over 8,100 A320 family planes in service worldwide. These include A319s, A320 ceos and neos, and A321 ceos and neos, data from aviation analytics company Cirium showed. Former pilot Ehsan Khalid told PTI Videos that ELACs are the brain and nervous system of the aircraft, and the software problem with one of the ELACs is significant. When the pilot moves the control forward, it will cause the aircraft to pitch down and when it is moved backward, then the plane pitches down. This particular movement is done by pilot control and if that happens on its own, then there is a problem, he said. On October 30, he said a JetBlue aircraft experienced an uncommanded pitch down for seven seconds, which caused the aircraft to lose 100 feet and injured more than 15 people. At 35,000 feet, neither a loss of 100 feet nor seven seconds is critical. But if you remember the Ahmedabad crash, it happened during take-off, and seven seconds would have been enough to cause a catastrophic end. So humanity has been lucky this time. The aircraft manufacturer has openly acknowledged a software problem and has said it will fix it, Khalid said. IndiGo, in a statement, said software upgrades have been completed for 160 of the 200 impacted A320 family planes. We are pleased to confirm that the required actions have already been completed on 160 aircraft by 12:00 IST, and inspections on the remaining aircraft are progressing well and will be completed within the timeline, the airline said. We have already completed the reset on over 40 per cent of our aircraft that are impacted by this, and are confident of covering the entire fleet within the timeline prescribed by EASA, Air India said in a post on X in the morning. On Friday, Airbus said an analysis of a recent event involving an A320 family aircraft has revealed that intense solar radiation may corrupt data critical to the functioning of flight controls. Airbus has consequently identified a significant number of A320 Family aircraft currently in service which may be impacted, it had said in a release. Airbus acknowledged that these recommendations will lead to operational disruptions for passengers and customers.
EC Likely To Hold Special SIR Camp For Sex Workers In Kolkata's Red-Light Areas On Dec 2-3
The decision came amid rising concerns in the city's red-light districts over difficulties in completing SIR enumeration forms: Reports
Mumbai: Drug pusher from Kolkata held with Rs 5 crore charas in Thane; Nepal link suspected
Crisil raises GDP growth forecast to seven per cent during current financial year
KOLKATA, Nov 29: Crisil has raised its forecast for the countrys GDP growth to 7 per cent from 6.5 per cent for the current financial year, following the first-half growth of 8 per cent that exceeded expectations. Chief economist of Crisil, Dharmakriti Joshi, said that Indias real GDP growth stood at 8.2 per cent in the second quarter, exceeding expectations. However, due to easing inflation, the nominal GDP growth was modest at 8.7 per cent. The first half growth of [] The post Crisil raises GDP growth forecast to seven per cent during current financial year appeared first on Daily Excelsior .
West Bengal becomes first State in the country to rename Raj Bhavan as Lok Bhavan
KOLKATA: Implementing a Central Government notification, West Bengal Governor C V Ananda Bose on Saturday renamed the Raj Bhavan in Kolkata to 'Lok Bhavan'. The governor's office claimed that West Bengal is the first State in the country to change the name of the Raj Bhavan into Lok Bhavan. In a video posted by the office on X, Bose is seen replacing three letters L, O and K with R, A and J before Bhavan. The Union Home Ministry had issued a directive on the renaming of Raj Bhavan on November 25. On 27 March 2023, at the request of the Hon'ble Governor Dr C. V. Ananda Bose, the Hon'ble President Droupadi Murmu handed over the symbolic key of the then Raj Bhavan to the Hon'ble Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. It was in this historic moment that a new chapter began for Raj Bhavan Jan Raj Bhavan. , . . . , - Lok Bhavan, Kolkata, Social Media (@BengalGovernor) November 29, 2025 In pursuance of the communication from the Ministry of Home Affairs dated 25.11.2025, it is hereby notified that the name of the holdings of 'Raj Bhavan' in Kolkata, Flagstaff House and Darjeeling, has been modified and renamed as 'Lok Bhavan', a notification said. This notification comes into force with immediate effect, it also said. In a post on X, Bose said, The concept of the 'Jana Raj Bhavan' by the then Raj Bhavan, Kolkata, was prompted by the urge to make the establishment alive to the needs of the people, their aspirations, hopes, their problems and challenges. Simultaneously, the move was to shed its aura of 'awe and fear' and be open to people from all walks of life. The Raj Bhavan, now renamed as Lok Bhavan, serves as the governor's official residence and also houses his office. During the last three years, Raj Bhavan has initiated several constructive people-centric programmes. A key element of the Jana Raj Bhavan initiative was its proactive role in the service of people -- to be with them in their need. Whenever there was a situation of exigency -- be it violence, natural calamity, or even complaints of atrocities, in any corner of West Bengal, Jana Raj Bhavan reached out to people in need, he said. In tune with the transformational and inspirational leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi who has ensured the participation of people across all segments of society in the spectacular march towards Viksit Bharat, the Raj Bhavan and Raj Niwas across the country were uniformly decided to be renamed as Lok Bhavan and Lok Niwas respectively, as per a notification issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs on 25 November, 2025, Bose added.
Bengal: BLOs accuse EC of ignoring work-pressure concerns
Kolkata: Members of a BLO rights platform with Trinamool Congress leanings on Saturday staged a protest outside the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) here, demanding compensation for colleagues who allegedly fell ill or died during electoral roll-related duties and seeking planned scheduling of future assignments. During a demonstration that coincided with the arrival Get the latest updates in Hyderabad City News , Technology , Entertainment , Sports , Politics and Top Stories on WhatsApp & Telegram by subscribing to our channels. You can also download our app for Android and iOS .
A Kolkata tech worker's swift WhatsApp rejection from a recruiter sparked an online discussion about transparent hiring. The polite and direct dismissal, which encouraged the candidate to continue creating projects, was praised for its honesty and efficiency, saving applicants from prolonged uncertainty and ghosting.
KOLKATA: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has expressed serious concern over the alleged reluctance of many BLOs in West Bengal to mark cases such as absent, shifted, dead and duplicate in enumeration forms during their door-to-door visits for the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls. West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Manoj Agarwal and senior officials held a virtual conference with district magistrates (DMs), who also serve as district electoral officers (DROs), and electoral registration officers (EROs), seeking reports on forms without such markings. Subrata Gupta, retired IAS officer and newly appointed state special observer for electoral rolls revision, held a meeting with 12 other serving IAS officers assigned as observers in districts by the national poll body. Sources said the ECI has received numerous complaints against a section of BLOs. The poll body also noted that forms of voters identified as 'absent', 'shifted', 'dead' or 'duplicate' are being collected elsewhere without being marked or digitalised in the BLO App. DEOs and EROs have been directed to maintain strict vigilance and take appropriate action against the BLOs responsible. In the virtual conference, the CEO focused on data related to the assembly-wise number of forms collected by BLOs without 'absent', 'shifted', 'dead' or 'duplicate' markings and digitalisation. Meanwhile, a section of BLOs, backed by the ruling Trinamool Congress, staged a demonstration in front of the CEO office protesting the deaths of several colleagues, which they attributed to the unbearable workload, stress, and strain caused by ongoing SIR-related duties. They demanded compensation for the families of the deceased BLOs. The agitating BLOs, along with relatives of the deceased, attempted to meet Agarwal, but police prevented them from entering the CEO building at BBD Bagh in the heart of the city, resulting in a scuffle with deployed officers. On 26 November, expressing concern over the safety and security of Agarwal, other officers, and staff at the office, ECI secretary Surjeet Kumar Mishra wrote a strong letter to the Commissioner of Police, Kolkata, seeking an action-taken report (ATR) on the BLO protest inside the CEO chamber. A section of BLOs under the banner of BLO Adhikar Raksha Committee, backed by the ruling party, organised a march from Sealdah to the CEO office on Monday to protest against the excessive work pressure caused by the SIR duty. On Monday night, the group gheraoed the CEOs chamber and refused to leave. The following morning, the standoff continued. Additional CEO Dibyendu Das spoke with the 10-member representative team, asking them to wait in his chamber, but they declined, stating they would remain outside the CEOs office.
GRSE receives notice from NSE, BSE for non-compliance of corporate governance provisions
KOLKATA, Nov 29: Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Ltd (GRSE) on Saturday said it has received notices from both National Stock Exchange and BSE for non-compliance with several corporate governance provisions under the SEBI listing obligations during the quarter ended September 30, 2025. In a regulatory filing, the defence PSU said the exchanges have flagged violations of Regulations 17(1), 18(1) and 19(1)/19(2) relating to mandatory presence of independent directors, including a woman independent director, and constitution of audit committee and [] The post GRSE receives notice from NSE, BSE for non-compliance of corporate governance provisions appeared first on Daily Excelsior .
ECI directs Kolkata Police to relocate West Bengal CEO office following security breach
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has issued a fresh directive to Kolkata Police Commissioner Manoj Verma on Friday night, instructing him to ensure the immediate relocation of the West Bengal Chief Electoral Officers (CEO) office to a secure ...
KOLKATA: The Mamata Banerjee government in West Bengal has directed district magistrates (DMs) across the state to upload details of Waqf properties to the Central Governments Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency and Development (UMEED) portal. The state minority affairs and madrasa education department has sent the directive to the DMs at a time when some officials in the department felt that the exercise was a time-bound compliance requirement set by the Centre. The Centre has asked states to upload information on all undisputed Waqf properties by 6 December, prompting the state administration to begin the data-entry process immediately, according to officials. The directive sent to DMs lists four primary issues. They have been asked to convene meetings with imams, muezzins (those who give the call to prayer) and madrasa teachers to explain the uploading procedure, one of the officials said. The DMs have been told that only uncontested properties are to be entered in the portal, he added. All districts have been asked to set up facilitation centres wherever technical support is necessary, the official added. Earlier this year, the Central Government amended several provisions of the Waqf Act, 1995. While some of these amendments remain under consideration before the Supreme Court, a senior state government official pointed out that there is no stay on the implementation of the Centres proposed changes. The state is obliged to follow the directive within the given timeframe, he said. Under the amended rules, mutawallis (caretakers of a waqf) of 8,063 Waqf estates in Bengal must register complete property details on the UMEED portal by 6 December, he elaborated. The Bengal governments order to upload details of the states waqf properties onto the UMEED portal has triggered a political controversy, as the state had earlier said it would not implement the amended Waqf Act that came into force in April. Senior BJP leaders in the state held the chief minister responsible for the April communal violence in Samserganj, Murshidabad, which arose from a protest against the amendment. Will Mamata Banerjee apologise to Hindus in Mothabari (Malda) where 68 shops belonging to them were vandalised? Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari said on Friday. Haragobinda Das and Chandan Das (father and son slain in Samserganj) were killed because Mamata Banerjee instigated people against the Waqf Amendment Act. Can you compensate those families? he alleged. Bengal is home to around 82,000 waqf properties under nearly 8,000 waqf estates. Suvendu used the issue to appeal to Muslim voters. I want to tell the Muslim community that if you are really against the (amended) Waqf Act, boycott Mamata Banerjee. If you dont, it will be proved that your movement was never against the Waqf Amendment Act, it was against those poor Hindus. The BJP wants to sell off waqf properties to its crony private players like Adani and Ambani. Our stance against the (amended) Waqf Act has not changed, a senior ruling party leader said.
Software updates completed for over half of affected A320 family planes in India: DGCA data
NEW DELHI: As many as 338 A320 family aircraft operated by Indian airlines require the software upgrade to address a potential issue related to flight controls, and modifications have been carried out in more than half of the affected fleet, according to DGCA data. Sources told PTI that there are no flight cancellations, but there are delays in the range of 60-90 minutes for some flights as the software updates are being carried out for the affected planes. On Friday, Airbus said intense solar radiation might corrupt data critical to flight controls in a significant number of A320 family aircraft and that the software changes required to fix the issue would lead to operational disruptions. The software upgrades have been completed for 189 A320 family planes out of the total 338 aircraft, as per the data available with the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) till 10 am on November 29. The software upgrades on all the affected planes are to be completed by 5:29 am on November 30. DGCA on Saturday issued an Airworthiness Directive to airlines asking Indian operators to immediately carry out the requisite software upgrades. This followed Airbus issuing an alert to operators globally and European Aviation Safety Authority (EASA) coming out with an Emergency Airworthiness Directive regarding the potential issue. IndiGo, Air India and Air India Express operate A320 family planes, which include A320 ceos and neos, A321 ceos and neos. The affected aircraft need software upgrades or hardware realignment. A total of 200 IndiGo planes have been affected, and software upgrades have been completed for 143 of them, while in the case of Air India, 113 aircraft have been impacted and upgrades have been done for 42 of them, the DGCA data showed. In the case of Air India Express, 25 planes have been impacted, and the software upgrades have been completed for 4 of the aircraft, as per the data till 10 am. The software upgrades are being undertaken at the bases of the airlines in Delhi, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad and Kolkata. In a post on X at 10.13 am, Air India said that following EASA and Airbus directives for a mandatory software and hardware realignment on A320 family aircraft, our engineers have been working round-the-clock to complete the task at the earliest. We have already completed the reset on over 40 per cent of our aircraft that are impacted by this, and are confident of covering the entire fleet within the timeline prescribed by EASA, the airline said. Air India also said there have been no cancellations due to this task, and there is no major impact on schedule integrity across its network. However, some of our flights may be slightly delayed or rescheduled, it added. On Friday, EASA said Airbus asked airline operators to install a serviceable Elevator Aileron Computer (ELAC) in the impacted aircraft. Generally, ELAC is for flight controls. Airbus, on Friday, said an analysis of a recent event involving an A320 family aircraft has revealed that intense solar radiation may corrupt data critical to the functioning of flight controls. Airbus has consequently identified a significant number of A320 Family aircraft currently in-service which may be impacted, it had said in a release. Airbus had said it acknowledges these recommendations will lead to operational disruptions to passengers and customers.
ISI Kolkata students, staffers stage protest against bill threatening institutes autonomy
KOLKATA, Nov 28: A section of students, faculty members and staffers of the Indian Statistical Institute (ISI) Kolkata held a demonstration near its campus on Friday to protest against a draft bill to change the institutes status from an autonomous society to a statutory body under the central government. Around 1,000 protesters formed a human chain and held a public meeting at the Dunlop More, close to the B T Road campus in north Kolkata, the protesters said. Students, researchers, [] The post ISI Kolkata students, staffers stage protest against bill threatening institutes autonomy appeared first on Daily Excelsior .
Juyal, Veer star as UP rout J&K by 109 runs
KOLKATA, Nov 28:Aryan Juyal struck his second successive fifty while Prashant Veer produced an fine all-round effort as Uttar Pradesh outclassed Jammu and Kashmir by 109 runs in their Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy match here on Friday. This was Uttar Pradeshs second win on the trot as they went to the top of Group B standings with eight points. Fresh from a match-winning 93 not out against Goa, the promising wicketkeeper-batter Juyal was in his elements again, smashing three sixes [] The post Juyal, Veer star as UP rout J&K by 109 runs appeared first on Daily Excelsior .
ECI shifts West Bengal CEO office; AITC team meets CEC
The commission directed the Kolkata police commissioner to ensure security to the existing and the new offices, ECI sources said.
ECI rejects AITCs allegations on SIR as baseless, urges party to avoid misinformation
NEW DELHI: The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Friday said that during its meeting with an All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) delegation, the full panel gave a point-wise rebuttal to all apprehensions and termed each baseless allegation made by the party as unfounded. A senior ECI official, while speaking to TNIE , said Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, along with Election Commissioners S S Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, also requested the AITC delegation to give claims and objections after December 9, when the draft list is shared with them. Till then, they should not interfere with the independent functioning of Booth Level Officers (BLOs), Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) and District Election Officers (DEOs), who are State government employees on deputation to election-related work, the official said. The Commission also told the AITC delegation not to influence or fallethreaten BLOs regarding dead, shifted and duplicate voters, he said. The delegation was informed that only Indian citizens are entitled to vote as per Article 326 of the Constitution of India and that foreigners cannot be allowed to vote. According to the official, the Commission clearly asserted during the meeting that the preparation of electoral rolls, as well as the conduct of elections in India, are carried out strictly as per the Constitution and electoral law, and that the AITC should abide by the same. As the AITC is the ruling party in West Bengal, the official said the delegation was told that it was very strange that the enhanced honorarium approved by ECI has not yet been disbursed by the State government and this should be done without any further delay. While noting that political rhetoric was the partys prerogative, the ECI urged the delegation that its leaders should refrain from spreading misinformation relating to election procedures, the official said. Meanwhile, the ECI has written to the West Bengal Director General of Police and the Kolkata Police Commissioner to ensure that BLOs are not pressurised or threatened by political party workers. The official added that even though the AITC opposed the move, the ECI has directed all DEOs to ensure new polling stations in slums, high-rise buildings and gated residential colonies as is being done across India based on the instructions. Based on recent incidents relating to the breach of security at the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), West Bengal, the ECI has issued directions to shift the office to a security-appropriate location and directed the Kolkata Police Commissioner to ensure complete security of the existing as well as the new office of the CEO, the official said.
Those Who Bowl At 150 Kph Are Kings, But I Am Also Working On Slower Balls, Yorkers: Umran Malik
Kolkata, Nov 28: Express pacer Umran Malik has started dreaming of wearing India colours again after returning from an injury lay-off, and for that he banks on his inherent ability to breach 150 kmph barrier and the new add-ons like slower balls and a sharper yorker. Malik has been away from the Indian team since July 2023 for multiple reasons after taking 24 wickets across 10 ODIs and 8 T20Is, but the setbacks have not affected his spirit. Let me [] The post Those Who Bowl At 150 Kph Are Kings, But I Am Also Working On Slower Balls, Yorkers: Umran Malik appeared first on Daily Excelsior .
Delhi inflation rate lower than other metros: Government report
NEW DELHI: The inflation rate in Delhi remained substantially lower than in other metro cities and the national average last year, especially in the fuel and light group, according to a government report. The report prepared by the Directorate of Economics and Statistics of the Delhi government, however, showed that the inflation rate rose in the food & beverages and housing sectors. The report assessed the Consumer Price Index (Industrial Workers IW) between Delhi and 14 other metros. These were Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Indore, Faridabad, Ghaziabad, Bhopal, Chandigarh, Varanasi, Amritsar and Lucknow. The report said that during 2024-25, CPI (IW), Kolkata, recorded the highest increase (3.6 per cent) while it was (3.4 per cent) at the All India level, followed by Mumbai (3.0 per cent), Delhi (1.8 per cent), and no change was observed in the case of Chennai. Among the selected cities assessed by the report, Delhi had the third lowest Consumer Price Index (IW) for the 2024 calendar year and the fifth lowest Consumer Price Index (IW) for the financial year 2024-25 out of the selected 15 major cities, while Lucknow and Chandigarh had the maximum Consumer Price Index (IW). A Consumer Price Index (CPI) is designed to measure changes over time in the general level of retail prices of selected goods and services that households purchase for consumption. In 2020, 2021, 2023, and 2024, Delhi had lower inflation rates than All India. However, in 2022, Delhi had a higher inflation rate than All India. Last year, the inflation rate in Delhi was 1.7 per cent, and at the national level, it was 3.8 per cent. Inflation in Delhi, as measured by the CPI (IW), has ranged from 1.7 per cent to 8 per cent from 2020 to 2024. The price rise was recorded at 1.7 per cent in 2024, compared to 3.7 per cent in 2023. In the food and beverages group, an inflation rate of 5.6 per cent was observed in 2024, compared with 4.6 per cent in 2023. In the paan, supari, tobacco and intoxicant group, no variation was recorded in 2024, whereas the inflation rate was 3.7 per cent in 2023. However, the report observed that the inflation rate stood at 1.3 per cent in 2024, down from 5.1 per cent the previous year. In the housing group, an inflation rate of 3.1 per cent was observed in 2024, compared with 2.2 per cent in 2023. In the fuel and light group, a negative inflation rate of 20.1 per cent was observed in 2024, compared with 3.7 per cent in 2023. The miscellaneous group consists of items falling under the categories of medicines, medical services, education services, stationery, recreation, transport and communication, personal care effects, household requisites and other services -- hair cutting, tailoring, etc. In the miscellaneous group, Delhi recorded an inflation rate of 0.1 per cent, compared with 3.5 per cent in 2023.
Looking Forward To Messi's Visit To Hyderabad: Revanth Reddy
Lionel Messi confirmed that Hyderabad was added to the tour alongside Kolkata, Mumbai, and Delhi as part of his GOAT India Tour 2025
Shree Cements premiumisation drive not tied to targets, 80 MT capacity by FY29 on track: Chairman
KOLKATA, Nov 28: Shree Cement Ltd is betting big on value over volume to drive its premium product mix while embarking on a massive capacity expansion initiative to reach 80 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) by FY29, its chairman H M Bangur said. In an interview with PTI, he emphasised that the evolving consumers demand is at the heart of this dual strategy. The company is consciously moving away from the low-margin to the high-value segment to cater to society [] The post Shree Cements premiumisation drive not tied to targets, 80 MT capacity by FY29 on track: Chairman appeared first on Daily Excelsior .
Bandhan Bank to sell Rs 6932 crore of bad loans
Bandhan Bank is offloading bad loans worth Rs 6,932 crore to improve its balance sheet, focusing on micro and agriculture loans. The Kolkata-based lender is selling non-performing loans exceeding 180 days overdue and auctioning written-off loans to address significant stress in its asset quality, which has impacted profitability.
After 14 long years, Lionel Messi is returning to India this December for the 'GOAT India Tour 2025', with grand events lined up in Kolkata, Mumbai, and Delhi. Read here to know why Satadru Dutta, the man behind Messi's GOAT Tour 2025, has invited him to come to India again.
Bangladeshi youth used deceased mans 2002 SIR form to enter West Bengal's voters list
KOLKATA: A Bangladeshi national was arrested on Wednesday night by the West Bengal police on the charge of enrolling his name in the voters list by forging the enumeration form of a deceased person whose name had figured in the electoral rolls during the last Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in 2002 in the state. The incident took place at Mathurdangi under Ward 20 in Dankuni, Hooghly district, and prompted locals to hand over the Bangladeshi national to the nearby police station. Dankuni is hardly 30 km from the state secretariat, Nabanna. Mahasin Khan, a local resident whose name had appeared in the electoral rolls during the SIR in 2002, died in 2015. The Bangladeshi youth, Nadim, managed to buy Mahasins enumeration form, filled it and submitted it to the concerned Election Commission office in the area. He filled the form using Mahasins name. Maidul Khan, deceased Mahasins brother, came to know about the matter and raised an alarm among his neighbours, who caught Nadim on Wednesday night. Later in the night, the agitating neighbours informed the Dankuni police station. Maidul alleged that Nadim bought the form by paying several thousands of rupees and pasted his own photograph on it. Nadim has been residing in the area for the past 15 years and managed to get a voter ID card by paying Rs 4,000. Police sources said he has been arrested and will be produced before the court, where police custody will be sought for interrogation. Police have started a case to investigate how he bought the enumeration form and filled it using the name of the deceased person. Sources also said that some other people might have links with the accused. H Shabnam, chairman of the ruling Trinamool Congress-led Dankuni Municipality, was not available for comment.
'Worst airline experience': Mohammad Siraj asks public not to fly Air India Express; fans respond
NEW DELHI: Indian pacer Mohammad Siraj described the cancellation of his Air India Express flight after a four-hour wait as his worst airline experience. Siraj was flying to Hyderabad after the second Test match against South Africa in Guwahati. He asked the public not to fly by the airline. Coming just a day after India's worst Test run defeat by 408 runs ensured the cricketer was at the receiving end of angry fans. Air India Express flight IX 2884, from Guwahati to Hyderabad, was supposed to take off at 7.25 pm, said Siraj in his post on X on Wednesday night. However, there has been no communication from the airline and after repeatedly following up, they have just delayed the flight with no proper reasoning. This has been really frustrating and this is the basic ask by every passenger, the post read. Air India flight no IX 2884 from Guwahati to Hyderabad was supposed to take off at 7.25 however there has been no communication from the airline and after repeatedly following up, they have just delayed the flight with no proper reasoning. This has been really frustrating and Mohammed Siraj (@mdsirajofficial) November 26, 2025 Flight delayed by 4 hours and still no update has left us stranded. Worst airline experience. I really would not advise anyone to take this flight if they cant take a stand, he wrote, tagging Air Indias X account. Conveying its sincere apologies to the bowler, Air India Express responded saying, We regret to inform you that the flight has been cancelled due to unforeseen operational reasons. Our team at the airport is actively assisting all guests with the necessary arrangements. We understand how difficult this situation is, and we truly appreciate your patience and understanding. Please be assured that our team will continue to keep you updated and extend all possible support. We sincerely apologise for the inconvenience caused, Mr Siraj. We regret to inform you that the flight has been cancelled due to unforeseen operational reasons. Our team at the airport is actively assisting all guests with the necessary arrangements. We understand how difficult Air India Express (@AirIndiaX) November 26, 2025 Meanwhile, cricket fans upset over the humiliating loss to South Africa which resulted in a series whitewash vented their ire to his post, which included many humorous and sarcastic responses. Writer Bobby Mathew said, I love Air India Express. They showed true Indian Cricket fan frustration by cancelling your flight itself! Saying...TAKE THIS, MY BOY! What Fans Couldn't do, Air India Express did it! THANKS, @AirIndiaX US-based Anshu Rajan posted: The way you guys performed in the Test series against SA you deserve every bit of frustration because as a viewer we had the same feeling watching the team surrendering like a coward. Another X user added to it, saying, This is how Air India is showing its stance on poor performance in the test series. A Pakistan-based handle retorted: Air India is still performing better than you. Don't complain bhai. Just get used to it. Like we are getting used to your awesome performances. Taking a dig at standardised responses put out by airlines over any issue, a user wrote, Ask him also please share your PNR and contact details with us in the DM, and we'll assist you accordingly. A response which went viral was the handle of a former sports enthusiast who took a dig at Coach Gautam Gambhir's team selection that has invited strong criticism. @paglait posted: Bro, flight is delayed because Gambhir is arguing with the staff and wants Harshit Rana to be the pilot. Rana plays for Delhi in domestic cricket and Kolkata Knight Riders in the Premier League. Another user humorously posted, DSP Siraj sir, Please arrest some Air India staff for their callousness. A few also pointed out that due to Siraj's celebrity status, the airline chose to respond immediately while the commoner never gets replies. A fan account of Author Arundhati Roy wrote, This is the situation with almost all the domestic flights in all the airlines. Indigo passengers suffered on Wednesday evening and night with a few flights delayed up to 6 hours.
7.64 crore enumeration forms distributed in Bengal during SIR exercise so far: EC official
KOLKATA: An estimated 7.64 crore enumeration forms have been distributed among voters till November 27, the 24th day of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal, an Election Commission official said on Thursday. The exercise, for updating electoral rolls ahead of the 2026 assembly polls in the state, began on November []
Amid Fear Over Voter Revision, Kolkata Sex Workers To Get Assistance Camp
Caught in rising fear and uncertainty over the ongoing SIR of electoral rolls, sex workers in Kolkata's Sonagachi area are likely to get a special assistance camp, as the Election Commission prepares to address their unique documentation challenges.
WBSSC releases fresh list of 1,806 tainted teachers after Calcutta HC directive
KOLKATA: After being pulled up by the Calcutta High Court (HC), the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC) on Thursday released a fresh comprehensive list of 1,806 tainted teachers who had been recruited earlier through the State Level Selection Test (SLST) conducted in 2016. The WBSSC, which recruits assistant teachers for these schools through SLST, uploaded the list containing the names of the tainted candidates and their parents, the subjects they taught, their SLST roll numbers, and dates of birth, as directed by the High Court. However, the updated list did not specify the schools where these tainted teachers had worked for nearly a decade. The court had instructed the Commission to republish the names of the undeserving teachers along with detailed identification information. When asked if these candidates were among those who appeared for the fresh recruitment test held on 7 and 14 September 2025, some WBSSC officials denied the possibility. We had earlier uploaded the same list of tainted teachers. But this time, as directed by the High Court, we have included the additional details to ensure full transparency, one of the officials said, requesting anonymity. The development comes against the backdrop of the Supreme Courts earlier order invalidating the appointments of 25,753 teaching and non-teaching staff selected through the 2016 SLST, ruling that the entire recruitment exercise was tainted and vitiated beyond redemption. Giving a clean chit to the WBSSC, state education minister Bratya Basu told reporters, The School Service Commission has done the job with transparency and impartiality. Our target is to complete the fresh recruitment process by 31 December, the deadline set by the apex court. Coming down heavily on the opposition BJP, CPI(M) and Congress, the minister said it was the oppositions duty to stop the recruitment initiatives taken by the Mamata Banerjee government, but our duty is to recruit teachers. On 17 April, the Supreme Court allowed the sacked but untainted teachers to continue in their posts till 31 December, by which time the fresh recruitment must be completed, offering relief to both the teachers and the Bengal government. Earlier, on 3 April, the apex court had cancelled en masse the appointments of 25,753 teaching and non-teaching school staff recruited through the 2016 SLST, saying the entire process had been vitiated. The teachers, all appointed as assistant teachers for Classes IX to XII, were among those affected.
J&K defeats Maharashtra by 5 wickets
Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy Excelsior Sports Correspondent JAMMU, Nov 26: Jammu and Kashmir senior mens cricket team began their Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy campaign in style, producing a clinical performance to crush a strong Maharashtra side by five wickets at Eden Gardens, Kolkata today. Put into bat, Maharashtras batting lineup, featuring stars like Prithvi Shaw, skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad, and Rahul Tripathi, struggled against J&Ks disciplined bowling attack. The visitors were restricted to a modest 130 runs in 19.5 [] The post J&K defeats Maharashtra by 5 wickets appeared first on Daily Excelsior .
EC seeks report in 48 hours on breach at Bengal CEO office
The Election Commission of India has demanded an action taken report from Kolkata's Police Commissioner regarding a serious security breach during BLO protests on November 24. Three senior EC officials from New Delhi have been appointed to assist the West Bengal CEO in overseeing the ongoing SIR work, marking their first deployment in the state.
Kolkata Law College Rape Survivor's Father Threatened To Withdraw Case
The father of the survivor in the Kasba Law College gangrape case has lodged a police complaint alleging that unidentified men on a two-wheeler threatened him and asked him to withdraw the case.
West Bengal CM says SIR exercise is putting BLOs under stress, expresses solidarity with them
KOLKATA: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday, once again, slammed the Election Commission of India (ECI) over the plights of Booth Level Officers (BLOs) engaged in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls exercise in the State. Mamata, while delivering her speech in a state government programme to commemorate the Constitution Day on Red Road in the city today, said, BLOs have died in Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Bengal. The ongoing SIR exercise in nine states and three Union Territories has landed a large number of BLOs, the main workforce in the electoral rolls revision drive, in stress and strain. 'How many more need to die for SIR?': Mamata attacks EC after another BLO dies by suicide in Bengal They had to wait for 48 hours at the CEO's office to get themselves heard. Why so much arrogance? BLOs are dying. Wont they speak out? How can a work that requires three years be completed in two months? the Chief Minister asked. Her crusade against the ECI remained unabated as the national poll panel wrote a strong letter to Manoj Agarwal, Commissioner of Police, Kolkata, expressing serious concern with the safety and security of the state CEO, Manoj Agarwal, other senior officers and staff in his office at B B D Bag. A section of agitating BLOs backed by her party, Trinamool Congress, gheraoed Agarwals chamber for about 30 hours since Monday afternoon, protesting against the inhuman workload generated by the SIR-related duties like distributions and collections of enumeration forms during door-to-door visits. ECI expresses concern over security of officers, staff at Bengal CEO's office; seeks action taken report Trinamool Congress is attributing many of the Bengal deaths to suicides driven by SIR-related stress. On Tuesday, an assistant teacher in Uttar Pradeshs Jaunpur district, serving as a BLO in Khempur gram panchayat, died by suicide. Last week, Mamata wrote to the chief election commissioner, Gyanesh Kumar, urging him to stop the SIR exercise in Bengal. She had claimed that 28 lives, including three BLOs, have already been lost in the State due to work pressure and stress caused by the SIR drive. Now, we must protect the valuable guidance that the Constitution provides, especially when democracy is at stake, when secularism is in an endangered situation, when federalism is being bulldozed, at this critical time, Mamata wrote on her X. On this sacred day, we reaffirm our commitment to the core democratic values enshrined in our Constitution. Voting rights are being snatched. Communal and social divisions are being encouraged. All rights are being snatched. We have to fight against this together, she said. Nearly 14 lakh SIR forms identified as 'uncollectable' so far in West Bengal BJP trying to implement CAA through SIR in border areas, alleges West Bengal CM at Bongaon rally
Stating that it has taken a serious view of the incident, the ECI directed the police to take all possible measures to ensure the safety and security of officers and staff posted in the office of the CEO, at their residences and while commuting to and fro
KOLKATA: Expressing serious concern over the safety and security of the West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), other officers and staff, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has sought an action taken report (ATR) from Manoj Verma, Commissioner of Police (CP), Kolkata, within 48 hours. Surjeet Kumar Mishra, ECI secretary, on Wednesday, has written a letter to Verma, stating, an action taken report may be sent to the commission within 48 hours of receipt of this letter. The national poll body is concerned about the protest programme inside the CEO Manoj Agarwals office at B D Bag for about 30 hours since Monday afternoon. A section of Booth Level Officers (BLOs) under the banner of BLO Adhikar Raksha Committee, backed by the ruling Trinamool Congress in the State, organised a march between Sealdah and the CEO office on Monday, protesting against the excessive work pressure triggered by the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls duty. On Monday night, they had gheraoed the CEOs chamber and refused to move. The following morning, the standoff continued. SIR row: ECI to appoint observers to keep watch on section of BLOs in West Bengal after alleged negligence Additional CEO Dibyendu Das spoke to the 10-member representatives and asked them to wait in his chamber, but they declined, saying they would remain outside the CEOs office. The secretary in its letter to Verma has strongly criticised the protest programme, saying, I am directed to state that it has come to the notice of the Election Commission of India that on 24.11.2025, a serious security breach has occurred at the office of the Chief Electoral Officer, West Bengal, which has also been widely reported in the Media. The existing security in the office of the CEO appeared to be inadequate to handle the situation, which could lead to a threat to the safety and security of the Chief Electoral Officer, Additional Chief Electoral Officers, Joint Chief Electoral Officers, Deputy Chief Electoral Officers and staff working in the office of the Chief Electoral Officer. Mamata slams ECI after one more BLO dies by suicide in West Bengal; alleges 'unbearable SIR pressure' The commission has taken a serious view of the incident and directs that the Police authorities should take all possible measures to ensure the safety and security of officers and staff posted in the office of the CEO, at their residences and while commuting to and fro. The commission further directs that adequate security classification shall be done on account of the sensitivity involved due to SIR activities and forthcoming elections in the state, and ensure that no untoward incident occurs again, the letter stated. The Opposition parties, BJP and CPI-M, alleged that hardly 50 BLOs were seen in the protest programme at the CEO office, and the rest were from the Trinamool Congress-backed state government employees union. On Tuesday morning, police were deployed in large numbers to cordon off the area, stopping anyone other than staff from entering the building. Barricades were tied together with ropes, and officers checked the IDs of every person entering. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central Division) Indira Mukherjee also visited the spot but declined to comment on the matter. Despite the sit-in, several BLOs continued uploading enumeration forms digitally from the dharna spot. ECI may introduce AI-based voter list verification in West Bengal amid intensive revision
Kolkata Surgeons Perform Rare Kidney Transplant On Bhutanese Man With Same Disorder As Donor Father
Both Tilak Gurung and his donor father suffer from Factor VII deficiency, an extremely rare genetic bleeding disorder that makes major surgery life-threatening
Kolkata Chartered Accountant Murdered In Hotel Room By Dating App Partner
The police investigation into the murder of a chartered accountant in a Kolkata hotel has revealed that the young man was allegedly killed after he refused to pay Rs 20,000 demanded by his partner from a dating app.
EC seeks report from Kolkata Police over protest by BLOs at CEOs office
Kolkata: The Election Commission on Wednesday wrote to Kolkata Police Commissioner Manoj Kumar Verma over the protest by a section of BLOs at the West Bengal CEOs office, calling it a serious security breach, and sought an action taken report within 48 hours. In the letter, EC secretary Sujeet Kumar Mishra said the existing security Get the latest updates in Hyderabad City News , Technology , Entertainment , Sports , Politics and Top Stories on WhatsApp & Telegram by subscribing to our channels. You can also download our app for Android and iOS .
Serious security breach: EC writes to Kolkata Police amid BLO protest; seeks 48-hour action report
The Election Commission of India has expressed serious concern over the safety of poll officials in West Bengal following a security breach at the Chief Electoral Officer's office. The ECI has directed Kolkata Police to ensure immediate safety measures for officials at their offices, residences, and during travel, citing the sensitivity of upcoming elections.
Bavuma Brings Up 'Bauna' Row When Asked About Coach's 'Grovel' Comment
Referring to the auna comment made by Jasprit Bumrah to describe the South Africa skipper's height during the first Test in Kolkata, Temba Bavuma said: In this series certain guys have also...
ECI Seeks Urgent Security Upgrade At Bengal CEO Office After Security Breach
The Election Commission of India asked Kolkata Police to upgrade security at the West Bengal CEO office after a major breach and submit an action report.
South Africa clinches first test series win in India since 2000-01
GUWAHATI, India, November 26, 2025 (AP) Hansie Cronje was the South Africa captain in 2000-01 and Sachin Tendulkar led India the last time South Africa won a test series in India. On Wednesday, South Africa clinched its second series win in 25 years in India by beating the hosts by 408 runs. World Test Championship winner South Africa won the opening test at Kolkata by 30 runs. Off-spinner Simon Harmer took a career-best 6-37 and India crashed to be 140 all out in its second innings and lose the two-match series 2-0. In 2000-01, the Cronje-led South Africans also
