The Statesman Kolkata - February 16, 2025

In this issue

February 16, 2025

Apex court to hear pleas concerning Places of Worship Act on 17 February

The Supreme Court will hear on Monday (17 February), a batch of cross-petitions questioning the validity of the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991, (POWA), and others seeking the effective and proper enforcement of the 1991 law, which prohibits the filing of a lawsuit to reclaim a place of worship or seek a change in its character from what prevailed on 15 August, 1947.

1 min

PM Modi reaffirms commitment to BTR development, empowerment of Bodo community

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday reiterated his commitment to the development of the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR), emphasising the government's sustained efforts to empower the Bodo community.

1 min

All that you value at home, you don't practice abroad: EAM Jaishankar schools West on democracy

External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar (EAM) delivered a sharp critique of Western attitudes towards democracy during the Munich Security Conference on Saturday.

1 min

New India Cooperative Bank GM arrested by EOW in ₹122 crore fraud case

The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Mumbai Police has arrested Hitesh Mehta, General Manager of New India Cooperative Bank, in connection with a Rs 122 crore financial fraud case.

1 min

CVC Orders Probe into 'Sheesh Mahal'

Probe was ordered after CPWD submitted a factual report on the matter

1 min

Assam CM Sarma Plans To Set Up SIT Into Elizabeth Gogoi's 'Pakistan Links'

Stepping up his attack on the allegations about the \"links\" of Elizabeth Gogoi, the British-born wife of Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi, with Pakistani intelligence agencies, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma (photo) on Saturday said that there is \"definite information\" that she visited Pakistan even after her marriage and a decision to form a Special Investigation Team would be taken at the meeting of the state Cabinet tomorrow.

2 mins

Serampore Girls' College Hosts Inter-College Sports

Serampore Girls' College hosted a three-day district-level inter-college state sports and games championship for Hooghly district under the aegis of the department of higher education.

1 min

Durgapur Girl Alleges Rape in Bankura, Lodges FIR

Hirapur police station has picked up the parents of one of the four accused boys who are accused of gang raping a girl from Durgapur on Valentine's Day in Bankura.

1 min

24 Senior Citizens Get Clear Vision After Surgery

After being referred from model Sebaashray camp at Falta, 24 senior citizens successfully underwent cataract surgeries at Vivekananda Mission Asram Netra Niramay Niketan, reclaiming their clarity of vision.

1 min

Opposition to tea land transfer policy gathers steam

The leaders fear the 30 per cent land transfer policy will further accelerate the conversion of tea estates into high-rise buildings, shopping malls, and real estate projects

2 mins

Damaged underground water pipe leads to massive water wastage

Gallons of drinking water have been wasted for over six months at Konnagar, Bata, along the GT Road.

1 min

Birbhum blast case: 10 years' imprisonment for 3 TMC leaders

An NIA Court has sentenced 10 years' imprisonment for a TMC leader and his two sons in a blast case and imposed a fine of Rs 10,000 for a case which took place in September 2019 in Gangpur village under Lokepur police station of Birbhum district.

1 min

Singer-composer Pratul Mukhopadhyay passes away

Noted singer, composer and lyricist Pratul Mukhopadhyay passed away at SSKM hospital this morning after a brief illness.

1 min

Brace for triple traffic blocks in Sealdah division on Sunday

Train commuters will face triple traffic blocks in Sealdah division this Sunday.

1 min

Chief minister hails medical milestone at SSKM

Chief minister Mamata Banerjee today hailed SSKM Hospital for creating a milestone by conducting 175 gallbladder surgeries successfully in the last five days and also extolled the efforts of the doctors concerned.

1 min

Police Probe Cases Of Cyber Fraud, ATM Loot

Within a span of hardly eight hours, two separate incidents of cyber fraud and money-loot at two ATM counters of a nationalised bank in Survey Park and Howrah respectively since Friday night once again exposed how safety and security systems at ATM counters are not properly monitored in the state.

1 min

Girl appears for Madhyamik exam after losing her father

Madhyamik candidate, a student of Pandua Hatani Higher Secondary School and a resident of Tarana village in Pandua appeared for her maths examination today, even after losing her father.

1 min

Bengal school jobs scam: CBI gets new list of 'high-profile names' who recommended candidates

During the raid and search operations atthe education department HQ last year, the agency found names of 324 candidates who got recommendations for jobs

1 min

980 Full-Grown Trees to be Trans-located in Deucha Pachami

The process to translocate around 980 trees to facilitate work at Deucha Pachami, the second largest coal block in the world, started on Friday.

1 min

CBSE Class 10, 12 board exams begin nationwide

The wait is over for millions of students as the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) board exams for Class 10 and 12 commenced on Saturday.

1 min

Revanth Invites Rahul For Rally In Telangana

While Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy today met Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi and invited him for a rally following the successful completion of the caste census, BJP leaders lashed out at him.

2 mins

President Murmu expresses concern over rising cyber crimes

President Droupadi Murmu has voiced her concern over the alarming rise in cyber-crime, emphasizing that public awareness is the key to curbing this growing menace.

1 min

EPS Is 'Dubbing Voice' for BJP, Proving Secret Deal Between Them: MK Stalin

Reiterating his charge that the AIADMK and the BJP have a secret tie-up even after the former had quit the NDA, Chief Minister and ruling DMK president, MK Stalin, on Saturday accused AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) of being the dubbing voice for the saffron party.

1 min

BJP 'twisting facts' to paint Congress as villain in metro fare hike: Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah

The CM has requested the Metro Corporation to bring down the fare hike that has been very steep, but it seems not to be in a mood to oblige

3 mins

Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis Sets Up Committee on Valentine's Day to Draft Law Against 'Love Jihad'

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has set up a special seven-member committee headed by Director General of Police (DGP) Rashmi Shukla to frame a law against 'love jihad' and fraudulent or forced conversions, according to a government resolution (GR) issued in Mumbai on late Friday evening (14 February), which was Valentine's Day.

1 min

25 Schoolchildren Fall Sick Following Ammonia 'Leakage' in Kota Village

Around 25 schoolchildren fell sick with complaints of nausea and restlessness following leakage in the ammonia plant of the Chambal Fertilisers and Chemicals Limited (CFCL) at Gadepan in Sultanpur near here on Saturday.

1 min

PM Modi to Participate in Bharat Tex on Sunday

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will participate in Bharat Tex 2025 on Sunday at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi.

1 min

Panchayat Reorganisation: Rajasthan Govt Extends Deadline by 2 Months

The deadline to complete the official procedure for demarcation, delimitation, and the formation of panchayati raj bodies in Rajasthan, from the village to district level, has been extended until 25 March.

1 min

JMM's expansion drive puts Jharkhand Cong on edge

The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha's (JMM) organisational expansion strategy has unsettled the Congress leadership in the state.

1 min

Mehbooba hits out at govt after three J&K govt employees dismissed on terror charges

The Jammu and Kashmir administration, led by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, on Saturday ordered the termination of three government employees for their alleged involvement in terror-related activities.

1 min

High-level meeting held to review key issues affecting mega infra projects in Gujarat, Rajasthan

A high-level meeting was held to review key issues affecting mega infrastructure projects in Gujarat and Rajasthan and it focused on expediting issue resolution through enhanced inter-ministerial and state coordination facilitated by the Project Monitoring Group (PMG).

1 min

Army Chief Applauds Historic Defence Agreement Between India and US Following PM Modi's Visit

Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi has hailed the recent defence agreements signed between India and the United States after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent official visit to Washington.

1 min

J&K CM Omar Abdullah questions dismissal of 3 govt employees by LG

The Jammu and Kashmir administration led by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha had ordered the termination of the three for their alleged involvement in terror-related activities

2 mins

MAGA Tribalism

Portraying immigrants, particularly non-whites, as dangerous 'others', as 'animals' who 'infest' the country invokes primal fears that immigrants are a threat to American culture and security, thus encouraging Trump's base to conform to these views. This conformity, reinforced by the 'Trump Effect', emboldens MAGA followers to express racist and xenophobic ideas.

4 mins

Why do we need so many universities?

Despite having 171 universities, higher education in Bangladesh faces several challenges as the quality of education in many of these institutions remains substandard.

2 mins

A Just Peace?

The phone conversation between Presidents Donald Trump and President Vladimir Putin has set the ~ stage for a potential diplomatic breakthrough in the Ukraine war.

2 mins

A just peace?

The phone conversation between Presidents Donald Trump and President Vladimir Putin has set the stage for a potential diplomatic breakthrough in the Ukraine war.

4 mins

The gold standard in AI and reserve currencies

After the arrival of the Chinese AI tool DeepSeek in January, this month has seen a flurry of conferences on artificial intelligence (AI).

4 mins

Budget tightens grip on a citizen's wallet

The government's 2025 Union Budget promises growth, innovation, and self-reliance. But beneath the ambitious rhetoric, one persistent problem remains unaddressed - over-taxation.

2 mins

Skimmer Named Mascot of Bird Festival at Mahakumbh

All preparations are complete for the Climate Conference and Bird Festival at Mahakumbh-2025, being organised under the supervision of the Forest, Environment, and Climate Change Department of the Yogi Government.

1 min

Prashant Kishor raises Muslims' Concern Over Waqf Bill

Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor has criticised the Central government for presenting the Waqf Amendment Bill in the Parliament without taking the society into confidence.

1 min

Madhya Pradesh: Cong leader alleges rampant corruption in BJP govt

The Leader of Opposition in Madhya Pradesh State Assembly, Umang Singhar, on Saturday leveled several allegations against the ruling BJP and some of its ministers in Saurabh Sharma case, and said that a Congress delegation would try and meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi to apprise him too about the reality.

1 min

BJP Sweeps Chhattisgarh Urban Body Elections

Saffron party wins all 10 municipal corporations; Congress wiped out in historic verdict

1 min

UP Govt's 'Digital Lost and Found Centres' Unite Over 20,000 With Families at Mahakumbh

Mahakumbh 2025 has set a historic milestone with its grandeur and an unprecedented gathering of over 50 crore devotees.

1 min

New Kashmir no longer story of conflict: Vice President Dhankhar

Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Saturday said that 'New Kashmir' is no longer a story of conflict but a story of trust being restored and faith being rewarded.

1 min

Mahakumbh symbolises India's spiritual faith

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla visited the Mahakumbh on Saturday and took a holy dip in Triveni Sangam.

1 min

Assam's climate in crisis: Rising temperatures and erratic rainfall pose major challenges by 2040

The climate of Assam is poised for significant changes by 2040, a shift that could severely impact the state's economy, ecosystems, and public health.

1 min

US VP JD Vance Meets German Far-Right Leader

U.S. Vice President JD Vance met the leader of a German far-right party during a visit to Munich on Friday, nine days before a German election and after lecturing European leaders about the state of democracy.

1 min

Chaos and looting as Rwanda-backed rebels push toward eastern Congo's second major city

Panic swept through eastern Congo's second largest city on Saturday as residents fled by the thousands, scrambling to escape the looming advance of Rwanda-backed rebels.

1 min

Anger, Chaos and Confusion Take Hold as Federal Workers Face Mass Layoffs

Workers across the country responded with anger and confusion Friday as they grappled with the Trump administration's aggressive effort to shrink the size of the federal workforce by ordering agencies to lay off probationary employees who have yet to qualify for civil service protections.

1 min

Gabbard says she will work to bolster US-India ties

Tulsi Gabbard, the US Director of National Intelligence, wrote in a post on X that she looked forward to strengthening the US-India ties.

1 min

Zelenskyy, Scholz Take Strong Stands as New Line From Washington Under Trump Jolts Europe

Two top European leaders stiffened their spines Saturday over unsettling new policies from Washington under President Donald Trump, as Ukraine's president urged creation of an \"armed forces of Europe\" and the leader of Germany denounced meddling in its election after U.S. Vice President JD Vance met with a German far-right leader.

1 min

Hamas Frees 3 Israeli Hostages for 369 Palestinian Prisoners

A tense dispute had threatened to sink the ongoing truce that began nearly four weeks ago

2 mins

India's Forex Reserves Surge for 3rd Straight Week

India's foreign exchange reserves increased by $7.6 billion to stood at $638 billion as of 7 February, according to latest data by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).

1 min

National Games: 17-day sports extravaganza in Uttarakhand boosts CM Dhami's political standing

The successful organisation of the 38th National Games in Uttarakhand has resulted in political gains for Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami.

2 mins

Pride, points at stake as old rivals East Bengal, Mohammedan SC gear up for high-voltage clash

An old rivalry will be renewed in new settings when struggling East Bengal FC take on even more out-of-depth first-timers Mohammedan SC in the Indian Super League (ISL) 2024-25 at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan (VYBK) here on Sunday.

3 mins

ISL: Chennaiyin FC stun Punjab FC with late winner to stay in hunt for playoffs spot

Former champions ride superb strike by Daniel Chima Chukwu to remain distant contenders for a top-six finish

3 mins

Selfless Rohit Sharma Led Team India's ODI Revolution: Ashwin

Hailing Rohit Sharma's selfless approach in one-day internationals, World Cup-winning former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin said he's a big fan of the skipper, who he believes has set an example for the rest of the team in the 50-over format.

2 mins

Jannik Sinner accepts 3-month ban for doping after settlement with WADA

World number one tennis star accepts punishment over two positive doping tests from last year

1 min

Sandalwood saga

To celebrate India's ancient sandalwood legacy, Krishnarajlyengar visits Mumbai's 97 year-old Heritage Sandalwood store.

4 mins

Dignity for the deportees

A deluge of responses from our precious readers is always a delight.

2 mins

The Sand Castle: A takeoff on Robinson Crusoe

There are times when Netflix drops some exciting films and series. The latest, which I quite liked, though I would not call it original, is The Sand Castle, a Lebanese story, helmed by Matty Brown—well known for his shorts like Tangents, Mother’s Love, and Distraction.

2 mins

Kolkata student wins top spot in Oxford Big Read Global Challenge 2024

Two winners from India among three categories

3 mins

Bada Naam Karenge: Veteran filmmaker Sooraj Barjatya on venturing the OTT terrain

The series Bada Naam Karenge bears your stamp in almost every frame, although you are not the official director.

2 mins

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