The Statesman Kolkata - January 31, 2025

In this issue

January 31, 2025

Sebi cracks down on finfluencers to end illegal advisory businesses

In a major blow to the financial influencers (finfluencers), the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) has restricted their use of live stock market data in educational content.

1 min

Stampede-like scene at Kotla as Kohli fans flood Ranji match

Broken phones, lost slippers and shoes lying around the Feroz Shah Kotla before a pitch invader breached security to touch Virat Kohli's feet were some of the unprecedented scenes that summed up the iconic batter's return to domestic cricket after more than 12 years.

2 mins

Kejriwal suspects arrest in 2 days as ECI seeks explanation for Yamuna poisoning claims

AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday made a sharp attack on Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar, accusing him of acting in favour of the BJP in a \"desperate bid\" for a post-retirement job and stated that he suspects his arrest in the coming two days.

1 min

India to develop its own AI model in next 10 months, says Vaishnaw

India's large language model (LLM) is expected to be ready within the next 10 months, said the Minister of Electronics and IT Ashwini Vaishnaw on Thursday.

1 min

No survivors after US mid-air disaster

Jet with 64 on board collides with military chopper near Washington

1 min

India's Shubhanshu Shukla to serve as pilot after NASA approves Axiom-4 mission to ISS

ISRO astronaut and Indian Air Force (IAF) officer, Shubhanshu Shukla, will take on the role of pilot on the Axiom Mission 4, or Ax-4, that will fly to the International Space Station (ISS) from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida no earlier than Spring 2025, the US space agency said on Thursday.

1 min

Human rights officials urge CM for mental healthcare facility in north Bengal

Mr Roy of the human rights council in his letter has pointed out that vast regions of north Bengal have no such facility.

1 min

Trial Court Slaps Show-Cause Notice on CBI

A trial court has slapped a show-cause notice on the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for procedural lapses in passing on information to the court about the West Bengal government's nod for framing charges and trial process against former R.G. Kar principal Sandip Ghosh in the case related to financial irregularities in the institution.

1 min

Book on Sister Nivedita's letters published

A collection of Sister Nivedita's unpublished letters and writings in Bengali, titled Bhogini Nibeditar Aprakashito Potraboli ebong Ananyo Aprakashito Rochona was released at the Kolkata International Book Fair.

2 mins

Regulation of trains in Sealdah South section

In yet another mega infrastructure development works, including the replacement of the existing route relay interlocking system (RRI) by electronic interlocking system (EI) at Ballygunge and Kankurgachi, the Sealdah division has decided to regulate trains from the midnight of 1 February to 4 a.m. on 3 February in Sealdah South Section.

1 min

Mamata to meet MLAs on first day of Assembly

Chief minister Mamata Banerjee has convened a meeting of party legislators to be held at the Nauser Ali Hall at the state Legislature on 10 February, the day when the Budget session of the state Assembly will get underway.

1 min

Two Women From State Died In Kumbh Stampede

The victims are 65-year-old Basanti Poddar, a resident of Ashwini Nagar in Kolkata and Urmila Bhuniya from Godapialshal village in Midnapore

2 mins

Upcoming Budget Session of Bengal Assembly May End State Govt-Raj Bhavan Tussle

The tussle between the West Bengal government and the Raj Bhavan is expected to end during the upcoming Budget session of the Assembly, scheduled next month.

1 min

Abhishek writes on Sebaashray camps' success

Trinamul Congress national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee expressed satisfaction over the great success of the ongoing Sebaashray camps today.

1 min

HC asked state med council registrar to resign by today

The Calcutta High Court on Thursday directed Manas Chakraborty, registrar of the West Bengal Medical Council (WBMC), to resign from the post voluntarily by 5 p.m. on 31 January because he is holding the post illegally for more than five years even after his retirement in 2019.

1 min

Govt orders halt at IV fluid production unit at Baruipur

This is the second such company directed by the state government to stop production after the death of a mother

2 mins

People of Telangana Deserve Answer From Congress on Unkept Promises: K T Rama Rao

Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) working president K. T. Rama Rao on Thursday said that people of Telangana deserve an answer from the Congress leadership on broken promises.

1 min

GP Singh Takes Charge as CRPF's New Director General

Senior Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Gyanendra Pratap Singh, commonly known as GP Singh, took charge as the new Director General of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) on Thursday.

1 min

Satheesan rejects IUML leader's 'men, women not equal' statement

Opposition leader in Kerala Assembly, V D Satheesan on Thursday distanced himself from the remarks made by Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) state general secretary P M A Salam regarding gender equality.

1 min

Andhra Pradesh Launches WhatsApp Governance

Govt hopes to reduce frequent visits to govt offices by citizens for availing certain services

1 min

Dravidian ideology followers continue to mock Mahatma Gandhi: TN Guv

Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi on Thursday charged the followers of the Dravidian ideology with mocking the father of the nation, Mahatma Gandhi.

1 min

JPC on Waqf (Amendment) Bill submits its report to Lok Sabha Speaker

The Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) scrutinising the Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2024 submitted its final report on the Bill to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Thursday.

2 mins

Disclosure statements not strong enough to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt: SC

The Supreme Court has reiterated that disclosure statements are not \"so strong a piece of evidence sufficient on its own and without anything more\" to prove the guilt beyond reasonable doubt.

1 min

Uttarakhand Govt Denies Reports of Mandatory Religious Certificates for Live-in Relationship Registration Under UCC

The Uttarakhand government on Thursday denied reports that the Uniform Civil Code mandates clergy permission for registration of live-in relationship or marriages.

1 min

INSV Tarini passes through world's most remote point, Point Nemo, in historic voyage

In a groundbreaking achievement for maritime exploration, Lieutenant Commander Dilna K and Lieutenant Commander Roopa A, aboard the INSV Tarini, successfully passed through Point Nemo at 0030 hours (IST) today.

1 min

Thackeray-led Sena MP Sanjay Raut blames Centre, Yogi govt for Kumbh deaths

The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut blamed the central government and the Yogi government of Uttar Pradesh on Thursday, for the deaths of more than 30 people at the Prayagraj Mahakumbh Mela, where many children, elderly people and women have gone missing in a stampede on Wednesday morning.

2 mins

Modi govt has done nothing to address inequality: Chidambaram

Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Thursday asserted that the gap between rich and the poor is growing, and the BJP-led government at the Centre has done nothing to address this issue.

1 min

BPSC aspirants take to streets demanding re-examination

Thousands of students protesting over irregularities in the 70th Preliminary Test (PT) conducted by the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) thronged the streets in Patna on Thursday demanding re-examination.

1 min

Shah Asks Guj CM To Implement New Criminal Laws Across State By 30 April

Shah extensively discussed progress in implementation of BNS, BNSS, and BSA, replacing IPC, CrPC, Evidence Act

2 mins

Kumbh Tragedy

The tragic stampede at the Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj, which claimed several lives and injured many others, is another stark reminder of the urgent need for better crowd management strategies at India's mega religious gatherings.

2 mins

Are political parties relevant

Lately, there has been a surge in rightist nationalistic trends goaded by non-political dealers such as business tycoons, the mafia and 'bichauliya' (middlemen).

2 mins

What to expect

A course correction is imminent even though we do not expect any ideological shift from a government committed to neo-liberal economic policies. A tax relief to middle classes and low income groups can be a big relief to them but not a big burden on the government since the revenue coming from those with incomes below Rs.10 lakh is only 6.22 per cent. The government may be happy with the increased filing of returns - 8.09 crore in 2023-24 (against 6.48 crore in 2020), but it should not ignore the fact that 4.9 crore of them were nil income returns which only increased the burden of both the IT Department and the citizens

5 mins

DRC conflict

The escalating crisis in eastern Democratic Republic T ~ of Congo (DRC) is yet another grim chapter in a decades-long conflict that has claimed countless lives and displaced millions.

2 mins

Shifting sands in South Asia

China has become a topic of discussion in South Asia over the past few days.

4 mins

Will China's AI challenge impact US dominance?

The global artificial intelligence (AI) landscape has witnessed a new shift with the emergence of China's DeepSeek, a powerful AI model developed to counterbalance American AI giants like OpenAI, Google, and Meta.

3 mins

Bodoland on the path to progress

Assam government is mulling plans to boost the tourism industry by improving rail connectivity

3 mins

Senior UP govt officials inspect stampede site at Mahakumbh

Normalcy is fast returning to the Mahakumbh mela area on Thursday after yesterday's stampede in which 30 pilgrims were killed and 60 others were injured.

2 mins

Congo's Leader Calls for Massive Military Mobilization as Rwanda-Backed Rebels Expand Their Control

Congo's leader called on young people to massively enlist in the army to help fight Rwanda-backed rebels who were attempting to seize more territory in the country's east as a crucial meeting of neighbours asked the Congolese government to talk with the rebels.

1 min

Trump White House rescinds memo freezing federal money after widespread confusion

President Donald Trump's budget office on Wednesday rescinded a memo freezing spending on federal loans and grants, less than two days after it sparked widespread confusion and legal challenges across the country.

1 min

A Russian Drone Strikes an Apartment Building in Ukraine, Killing at Least 4

A Russian drone blasted a hole in an apartment building in north-eastern Ukraine during a night-time attack, killing at least four people and injuring nine others, officials said Thursday.

1 min

While signing Laken Riley Act, Trump says he'll send 'worst criminal aliens' to Guantanamo

President Donald Trump on Wednesday signed the Laken Riley Act into law, giving federal authorities broader power to deport immigrants in the U.S. illegally who have been accused of crimes.

1 min

Israel Balks at Prisoner Release After Hostage Handover Chaos

Hamas frees 8 hostages, including female Israeli soldier, 5 Thai nationals; Israel to release 110 prisoners

2 mins

Air pollution is an insidious threat to cardiovascular health, contributing to global public health crisis

With more than four decades of experience, he is known as an expert in performing Angioplasties, Mitral Balloon Dilations, Peripheral Vascular and Carotid Interventions.

6 mins

Bank of Baroda Posts 5.6 pc Rise in Q3 Profit

State-run Bank of Baroda (BoB) on Thursday reported a 5.6 per cent year-on-year (YoY) increase in its net profit for the third quarter of the financial year 2024-25 (Q3 FY25).

1 min

Adani Ports & SEZ's Q3 FY25 profit after tax up by 14 pc YoY to ₹2,520 cr

Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone's (APSEZ) consolidated net profit rose by 14.12 per cent to Rs 2,520.26 crore based on a 15.07 per cent increase in revenue from operations to Rs 7,963.55 crore in Q3 FY25 over Q3 FY24, according to a company statement issued here on Thursday.

2 mins

Toyota Sells 10.8 Mn Vehicles in 2024

Toyota Motor remained the world's top-selling automaker for a fifth straight year in 2024, selling 10.8 million vehicles.

1 min

Economic Survey to be presented today, setting tone for Budget 2025

The Narendra Modi-led NDA government is set to table the Economic Survey in the Parliament on Friday afternoon.

2 mins

Stock Markets Extend Gains for Third Session

Optimism prevailed ahead of the Union Budget & the RBI monetary policy meeting

2 mins

Angad, Arshdeep in senior India hockey squad

Hockey India on Thursday announced a32-membermen's squad ahead of the Bhubaneswar leg of the FIH Pro League 2024-25, which will be held at the Kalinga Hockey Stadium.

1 min

Niko Kovac Appointed New Borussia Dortmund Manager

Borussia Dortmund have appointed Niko Kovac as their new head coach, the Bundesliga club announced on Wednesday.

1 min

Mumbai City FC, East Bengal aim to stay alive for playoffs

Having struggled throughout this season, both teams are struggling to qualify for the knockouts

2 mins

Galle Test: Khawaja, Smith along with Inglis power Australia to domination vs Sri Lanka

A maiden double hundred by Usman Khawaja and terrific centuries from Steve Smith and Josh Inglis helped Australia end the second day of the first Test against Sri Lanka on a high, posting their highest-ever total in Asia at Galle on Wednesday.

2 mins

Lucy rallies Australia U19 eves for World Cup push

Australia captain Lucy Hamilton believes her team's unexpected defeat to Sri Lanka in their final Super Six match in Bangi on Wednesday could serve as a turning point, inspiring them to go all the way at the ICC Women's U19 T20 World Cup 2025, according to International Cricket Council (ICC).

2 mins

Davis Cup 2025: Team India Confident ahead of Togo Clash

Backed by strong preparations over the previous week, including acclimatization, singles and doubles-specific training, and team cohesion building, Team India is confident of delivering a robust performance in their Davis Cup 2025 World Group I Playoffs tie against Togo at the DLTA Complex in New Delhi on 1 and 2 February.

2 mins

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The Statesman Kolkata Newspaper Description:

The Statesman Kolkata is a daily broadsheet newspaper published by The Statesman Net Pvt Ltd in Kolkata, India. It was founded in 1875 and is one of the oldest and most respected newspapers in India. The newspaper is known for its in-depth reporting, investigative journalism, and editorial independence.

The Statesman Kolkata covers a wide range of topics, including politics, business, economy, society, culture, and sports. It also has a strong focus on local news and events. The newspaper is known for its critical and independent reporting on the government and the powerful.

The Statesman Kolkata is a valuable resource for anyone who wants to stay informed about the latest news and developments in India, and especially in West Bengal. It is also a great way to get in-depth analysis and commentary on current affairs.