Watch: Masked men carry TVs, printer out of Kolkata TMC office after vandalism claim
Kolkata entrepreneur takes homegrown karaoke app into latest SUV to make journeys more fun
NHAI toll plaza collection fraud: Enforcement Directorate raids businessmans house, office in Jammu
Jammu, Sep 2: Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday raided the residence and office of a prominent businessman in Jammu as part of searches conducted at around 14 locations across the country under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), in connection with an alleged toll collection fraud at National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) plazas. Besides Jammu, simultaneous searches were conducted at different locations in Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi-NCR and West Bengal. ED action, reportedly, was in cognizance of two FIRs registered with Police alleging use of unauthorised software applications for toll receipts generation and diverting collected money outside the official accounting mechanism. Though till late evening, ED did not issue any official statement on this account yet sources mentioned that as part of countrywide raids, ED sleuths, joined by central forces, searched the businessmans residence located at Green Belt, Gandhi Nagar and his office premises at Trikuta Nagar on Wednesday September 2, 2026), morning. During the raids, which began at around 9 am or so, the entry and exit points to both the places remained sealed. The ED officials analysed all available records with an objective of recovering digital and documentary evidence to trace the proceeds of crime and identify all beneficiaries. Reports suggested that the forensic examination and the NHAI records corroborated use of such unauthorised software. Sources pointed out that the ED officials were exhaustively analysing documentary, digital evidence and complex web of financial flows across several states, to reach to the bottom of the fraud. Legal proceedings by the ED and NHAI to follow with the progress in investigation to unravel this fraudulent scheme of operations, sources pointed out.
South Asias political landscape presents one of the most compelling narratives in contemporary democratic governance. Historically, the subcontinent stood at the forefront of female executive leadership, producing Sri Lankas Sirimavo Bandaranaikethe worlds first female prime minister in 1960 alongside iconic heads of government including Indira Gandhi, Benazir Bhutto, Sheikh Hasina, and Khaleda Zia. Today, as regional democracies actively strive toward the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 5 (SDG-5) for gender equality, a profound democratic transition is unfolding from the grassroots upward. This evolving landscape demonstrates that women are decisively moving beyond passive voting toward becoming central architects of governance, even as key institutional and socio-cultural barriers remain to be addressed. The foundation of this democratic expansion was laid through Indias landmark 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments in 1993, which mandated a minimum 33.3% reservation for women across rural Panchayati Raj Institutions and urban local bodies. Over the subsequent decades, more than twenty Indian states including Bihar, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, and West Bengal progressively elevated this threshold to a 50% reservation. Today, nearly 1.4 million women hold elected office in Panchayats across India. Ground-breaking empirical research by Nobel laureate Esther Duflo and Raghabendra Chattopadhyay confirms that female local leaders systematically steer public spending toward vital community priorities, particularly clean drinking water, sanitation, fuel access, and rural road connectivity. Moreover, continuous exposure to female leadership has actively dismantled entrenched societal stereotypes, while significantly elevating the educational and professional aspirations of adolescent girls in rural communities. At the ballot box, female engagement has shattered historic records. In Indias 2024 general elections, the traditional gender turnout gap was inverted, with female voter turnout reaching an unprecedented 65.8%, marginally surpassing male turnout at 65.6%. In states such as West Bengal, female turnout reached 83.33%. Women have emerged as an autonomous, decisive voting constituency, prompting state governments to introduce programmatic welfare initiatives, including direct benefit transfers, educational stipends, and subsidized cooking gas. Complementing this electoral mobilization, Indias enactment of the historic Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam (Womens Reservation Act) mandating 33% representation in the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assembliesmarks a transformative institutional step toward scaling grassroots democratic representation into national parliamentary chambers. Across the wider South Asian neighbourhood, positive milestones coexist with valuable institutional lessons. Nepal leads the region in parliamentary representation, with women holding 34.9% of seats in its Lower House and 38.6% in its Upper House due to progressive constitutional mandates. This positions Nepal as the only country in the region currently crossing Drude Dahlerups classic 30% critical mass threshold - the proportion theorised as necessary for women legislators to move past tokenism and exert collective policy influence. Crucially, empirical research by PRS Legislative Research robustly refutes the traditional myth regarding female winnability. In contested general elections, female candidates achieve win rates equivalent to or exceeding those of their male counterparts, while demonstrating identical diligence in parliamentary attendance and debate. Nevertheless, translating descriptive presence into substantive policy influence presents distinct operational hurdles. At the local level, newly elected representatives frequently encounter administrative and resource deficits. A large number of female Panchayat members receive limited formal training in budgetary allocation and bureaucratic procedures, while roughly half of rural administrative units lack adequate office facilities and digital connectivity. In the absence of institutional capacity-building, female leaders can face administrative sidelining or the challenge of proxy governance, wherein male relatives attempt to mediate council decisions. Similarly, in systems relying on indirect party-list quotas, such as in Bangladesh & Pakistan, female legislators often lack independent popular constituencies, leaving their legislative autonomy constrained by party hierarchies. Furthermore, the rising financial demands of electoral campaigning and the emergence of Violence Against Women in Politics (VAWP) remain serious deterrents. UN Women reports that 81.8% of surveyed female parliamentarians in the Asia-Pacific region experienced psychological harassment, while 44.4% faced explicit physical threats. In the digital sphere, cyber-VAWPranging from coordinated smear campaigns to weaponized artificial intelligence deepfakes poses an escalating threat to female public figures. Bridging the gap between electoral participation and substantive empowerment requires concerted structural support. Strengthening internal democracy and campaign financing within political parties, enforcing strict legal protections against physical and digital harassment, and institutionalising continuous governance academies for local representatives are essential steps forward. By reinforcing these institutional foundations, South Asia can harness its surging female electorate to foster enduring democratic leadership and fully achieve the promise of SDG-5. These are excerpts from a paper presented on 18 August 2026 at a National Conference on Gender Equality in the 21st Century: Perspectives and Pathways to SDG-5 held at Govt. Degree College for Women, M.A. Road Srinagar.
Bengal UCC likely to replace 13 marriage Acts with a single law
Revamp of Lansdowne Market: Minister Agnimitra Paul calls meet
HC refuses urgent SIR hearing for cop
KMC seals Trinamool ex-councillor office, demolishes illegal portions
Waterlogging, cave-in, rally choke city; EM Bypass to Alipore worst hit
After dumping 123.7 mm rain on Kolkata in 24 hours, low-pressure trough moves to Madhya Pradesh
Higher education department defers decentralised UG admissions
CSIRs set to host two-day conclave
Graffiti go off JU walls in late-night whitewash drive
HC grants interim bail to CPM neta
Dawoodi Bohras launch natl eye health event, 1st camp at Hwh school
Worms found crawling in khichuri served to children at West Bengal anganwadi
Worms found crawling in khichuri served to children at West Bengal anganwadi
Half-matched bone marrow transplant at NRS
Rs 4.7k cr project to rid Hwh of waterlogging
1 dead, 7 injured on flooded Hwh roads
NRR Accuses Congress Regime of Creating West Bengal-Like Situation in Telangana
The state BJP president accused the Congress government of trying to create West Bengal-like violent incidents in Telangana state.
Kol Families Reach Nepal, Submit DNA Samples
Nandan Exhibition To Showcase Uttam Kumars BTS Stills, Ads
Take On Silent Bullying On Campus & Beyond, Experts Urge Schools, Parents
Get fire act together in 30 days, Bengal minister tells hotels
Kolkatas oldest barowari Durga Puja runs into legal wrangle, poll, violence
KMC food dept heat on Chinatown restaurants
Bengal completes survey of 54.6L households for PMAY
Jadavpur University VCs plea to avoid personal attacks
BJP to go it alone in KMC, Hwh polls, says Samik, rules out alliance with NCPI
Civic polls: Seat reservation draft to be published by mid-Sept, says SEC
3-hour rescue saves elephant, calf in Alipurduar
Malda authorities prepare to deport 37 Bangladeshi citizens arrested in Karnataka
Camac Street billboard row: Derek questioned for over 4.5 hours by cops
Idols, ornaments stolen from Beleghata temple
At Balurghat, CM Suvendu Adhikari declares war on drugs
Darjeeling Railway loco shed collapse injures 8, joyrides halted
West Bengal minister outlines civic reforms and fire safety rules
The News Mill
31 Bangladeshi Migrants Deported from Bengaluru to Malda
Kolkata, September 2: A group of 31 Bangladeshi migrants recently arrested by police in Bengaluru has been transported to Malda district in West Bengal. Currently, this group is being held at a temporary detention center near the Bangladesh border. Legal procedures for their return to Bangladesh have commenced, and they are expected to be handed ... Read more 31 Bangladeshi Migrants Deported from Bengaluru to Malda
31 Bangladeshi nationals arrested in Bengaluru brought to West Bengals Malda
The detainees have been temporarily lodged at a holding centre in Malda, which borders Bangladesh. Authorities have initiated the legal process for their return to Bangladesh, after which they are expected to be handed over to the Border Security Force (BSF) for the pushback process
Watch: 90-foot road caves in West Bengal amid heavy rain, triggers traffic jam
Watch foot road caves in West Bengal amid heavy rain triggers traffic jam
Kolkata High Court Grants Interim Bail to CPI(M) Leader in BarUIPur Violence Case
Kolkata, September 2: The Kolkata High Court has granted interim bail to CPI(M) leader Mohammad Lahek Ali. This decision was made by a single-judge bench on Wednesday. Ali was arrested in July by the West Bengal Polices STF in connection with violence that erupted following the rape and murder of a girl in BarUIPur, South ... Read more Kolkata High Court Grants Interim Bail to CPI(M) Leader in BarUIPur Violence Case
TMC alleges misuse of police in West Bengal against its members
TMC leader Sagarika Ghose alleged police misuse in West Bengal targeting party activists. She stated that FIRs are not being uploaded online as directed by the Supreme Court. Mandatory notices are also not being served to accused individuals under new laws. Ghose claimed old cases are being revived, calling it a conspiracy against TMC members. The party plans to challenge these alleged human rights violations internationally.
Dengue cases in West Bengal cross 4,000, seven dead; CM says situation under control
West Bengal CM Suvendu Adhikari also said that the State government will not hide figures of dengue and urged medical practitioners to mention dengue fever in prescriptions if the patients are infected with the vector borne disease
Bengali film About an Intimate Matter of a teacher's life goes to Busan fest
Calcutta HC grants interim bail to CPI(M) leader in Baruipur violence case
Calcutta HC grants interim bail to CPI(M) leader in Baruipur violence case Kolkata: A single-judge bench of the Calcutta High Court on Wednesday granted interim bail to CPI(M) leader Md Lahek Ali, who was arrested in July this year by the Special Task Force (STF) of West Bengal Police in connection with the massive unrest [] The post Calcutta HC grants interim bail to CPI(M) leader in Baruipur violence case appeared first on Mangalorean.com .
West Bengal Govt To Act On App Cab Issues: CNG Shortage, Fare Hike And EV Charging In Focus
West Bengal Transport Minister Arjun Singh took stock of a host of issues concerning app cab operators, including fare revision and CNG availability, officials said on Wednesday. At a meeting held here late on Tuesday, Singh also directed officials to initiate
Minister Dilip Ghosh Highlights Irregularities in West Bengals Hotel and Restaurant Sector
New Town, September 2: West Bengal Minister Dilip Ghosh expressed strong concerns on Wednesday regarding alleged irregularities in hotels and restaurants across the state. He addressed issues ranging from unlicensed operations to the destruction of temples in Pakistan, criticizing Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Abhishek Banerjee in the process. Ghosh stated that numerous establishments in ... Read more Minister Dilip Ghosh Highlights Irregularities in West Bengals Hotel and Restaurant Sector
Deported from Bluru, 31 Bangladeshi nationals reach Bengal holding centre for final procedures Bengaluru: As many as 31 Bangladeshi nationals who were detained from different parts of Bengaluru as part of an operation against suspected illegal immigrants were sent to West Bengal and handed over to the authorities in Malda on Wednesday morning for further [] The post Deported from Bluru, 31 Bangladeshi nationals reach Bengal holding centre for final procedures appeared first on Mangalorean.com .
Fines Begin, Cleanliness Drive Gets Tough in West Bengal
West Bengal has now stepped up enforcement against common forms of public nuisance. The post Fines Begin, Cleanliness Drive Gets Tough in West Bengal appeared first on Fusion - WeRIndia .
Fire department notice to Abhishek Banerjees Camac Street office over safety lapses
The West Bengal Fire Department issued a notice to Abhishek Banerjee's Camac Street office. This notice cited several alleged safety lapses and an expired fire safety certificate. An inspection found deficiencies including inadequate water and no designated fire exit. The department also questioned why the premises should not be sealed. Further action will be decided after reviewing submitted documents.
ED raids multiple States in fraud NHAI toll plaza collection case
They said about 14 premises in Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Jammu and Kashmir, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi-NCR and West Bengal were brought under the searches
West Bengal minister criticises Abhishek Banerjee over Camac Street incident
The News Mill
'SSC job loss, divorce proceedings': What preceded Mamata Banerjees niece Brishti Mukherjees death
Prominent Janmashtami event in Kolkatas Port area turns Hindu-only after six decades
If MP faces egg-pelting, what happens to others in rival parties: HC on harassment faced by Mahua
Mahua Moitra Faces Protests During Event in Nadia, West Bengal
Kolkata, September 2: Mahua Moitra, a Member of Parliament from the Trinamool Congress, encountered protests while attending a workers conference in Nadia district on Tuesday. Demonstrators surrounded her vehicle with black flags, leading to heightened tensions in the Chapra area. Despite being inside her car, Moitra was unable to leave the site due to the ... Read more Mahua Moitra Faces Protests During Event in Nadia, West Bengal
Kolkata, Howrah civic polls to be completed by Dec 7: SEC
Relief for some, despair for most as kin seek answers
Chief minister visits Presidency Jail after Aftab Ansari cell bust
CM: Criticise me, party, not country or religious belief
Centre, state to assess eco risks of Hills, says Suvendu
Centre, state to assess ecological risks of Hills, says Suvendu
CM Suvendu Adhikari reviews impact of health schemes
Suvendu flags realty fraud at consumer protection event
3-day workshop for inclusive education
Thief snatches gold chain from 75-yr-old Bansdroni woman, flees
4,000 dengue cases in state so far against 7,600 last yr, 1 death: CM
Govt begins fines for littering & plastic ban violations
Uttam Kumar centenary celebrations to target veterans and GenZ alike
20 of 31 flyer experience parameters improve at city airport, shows survey
City logs 94 mm rain, highest 24-hour spell this monsoon
Waterlogging, traffic snarls make city sweat
NT puja, banned for 2 years, returns to life
Pumping stn work on course, Amherst St relief likely by Sept
Trinamool worker tortured in custody over signboard dispute, says Abhishek Banerjee
Abhishek Banerjee said the BJP government in West Bengal was living in a pools paradise by attempting to crush the Trinamool; he said that people have the final say in a democracy
Rain havoc across India: 11 dead, rivers swell, roads flooded
Torrential rains have caused widespread devastation across several Indian states, leading to at least 11 deaths in Assam and Uttarakhand, pushing rivers above danger levels, and disrupting daily life with landslides, floods, and school closures. States like Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi, West Bengal, and Jammu and Kashmir are also grappling with the monsoon fury, while Meghalaya faces an unusual rainfall deficit.
Protesters smear saffron paint on newspaper office gates
FIR against Cong workers for rally clash
Woman molested inside moving auto on Hazra-Kidderpore route
Restrict wall graffiti to designated areas, appeals VC
Abhishek questioned by cops for 5.5 hrs over billboard showdown at Camac St office
JU erases Maoist graffito by students
PILs being used as weapon: HC questions intent behind plea against Mamata
Votes being added, deleted to make BJP win, says Congress citing Maharashtra, Delhi SIR
Congress said that in West Bengal, 91% of the voter names struck off in the SIR had to be reinstated after appeals
Who Was Bristi Mukherjee? Mamata Banerjee
A 28-year-old niece of Trinamool Congress chief and former West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, Bristi Mukherjee was found dead at her family home in Birbhum's Rampurhat area on Tuesday. Now Police has started investigation into the matter and they await post-mortem
Ex-TMC Contai unit chief held for cheating contractor
Mamata Banerjees Niece Found Dead In Birbhum Home, Post-Mortem Underway To Establish Cause
Bristi Mukherjee Ghatak, the 28-year-old niece of former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, was found dead at her home in Rampurhat, Birbhum, on Tuesday. Police recovered her body from a second-floor room and sent it for post-mortem examination. The exact cause of death has not yet been established. Her family said she had been undergoing treatment for depression, while divorce proceedings were reportedly underway. Mukherjee had also faced allegations linked to the West Bengal school recruitment case. Her death comes days after former MLA Asish Banerjee was found hanging in Rampurhat. Watch
StarManch Introduces a First-of-Its-Kind In-Car Karaoke Experience
Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], September 1: StarManch, an Indian homegrown karaoke and social music platform, has entered the connected-mobility space through its integration with the newly launched MG Hector Tomahawk. The development takes StarManch beyond smartphones and introduces a first-of-its-kind interactive karaoke experience within the vehicle's entertainment ecosystem.
3,829 women reported missing in Tripura in three years: CM
