The Statesman Kolkata - March 12, 2025

In this issue

March 12, 2025

No commitment to US on reducing tariffs, talks still on: Government

The Government has informed the Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs that India has not made any commitment to reduce tariffs on goods imported from the USA.

1 min

Bharti Airtel Ties Up With Musk's SpaceX To Offer Satellite Internet Connectivity

Bharti Airtel officially announced on its X (Twitter) handle on Tuesday that it has signed an agreement with American billionaire Elon Musk's SpaceX to introduce Starlink's satellite internet services to India.

1 min

India Home To Six Of World's Most Polluted Cities Despite Drop In PM2.5

India saw a seven per cent decline in PM2.5 levels in 2024, but six of the world's ten most polluted cities were still in the country, according to the IQAir 2024 World Air Quality Report.

2 mins

Bill to streamline immigration laws introduced in Lok Sabha

A Bill seeking to consolidate and modernise existing laws dealing with foreigners, illegal immigrants and related matters was introduced in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday.

2 mins

Militants attack train in Pakistan, take over a hundred hostages

The targeted attack of a passenger train by militants of the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) at Mashkaf, Dhadar, Bolan, has now become a standoff between the security forces and the militants, who have taken over a hundred passengers as hostages.

1 min

Modi, Gokhool Vow to Deepen Close Ties

Mauritius is like a mini India, PM Modi tells the Indian community

2 mins

Ruckus in Rajya Sabha over Cong chief Kharge's 'unparliamentary' remarks

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday triggered an uproar in the Rajya Sabha over his 'unparliamentary' remarks, resulting in pandemonium in the House.

1 min

Pool car catches fire, 14 students escape unhurt

A pool car carrying 14 school children narrowly escaped a major tragedy when it caught fire in Siliguri on Tuesday.

1 min

Fresh subsidence incident sparks panic in West Burdwan's Khas Kajora area

A fresh incidence of subsidence has been reported from the Khas Kajora area of Andal in the West Burdwan district, causing further panic among residents.

1 min

CBI arrests Malda Medical College facility manager in corruption case

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested Abhijit Das, the facility manager (ward master) of Malda Medical College, on charges of financial corruption.

1 min

ER Asansol Division to run special train services for Holi travellers

The Asansol Division of Eastern Railway has announced special train services to handle the surge in passengers travelling between Asansol and Patna, as well as Asansol and Gorakhpur, during the Holi festivities.

1 min

8 Women Leaders From Diverse Fields Honoured

In the spirit of International Women's Day, eight prominent women leaders from various fields across South Bengal districts shared their experiences and struggles with students at 'Virasat - Women Who Lead', an initiative launched by a leading private institution here last evening.

1 min

Bista raises Bengal's tea land policy in Parliament

The Darjeeling MP argued that the policy violates several state and central laws

1 min

ER plans 2 AC EMU rakes

Local train commuters could soon enjoy more comfortable journeys in air-conditioned rakes.

1 min

West Bengal Emerges as a Top Destination for Foreign Tourists

For two consecutive years, the state of West Bengal has recorded the third-highest number of Foreign Tourist Visits (FTVs) in the country.

2 mins

Centre assures financial support under PMKSY Scheme to revive food processing business in Bengal

The Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MOFPI) has sanctioned an investment of 181 crore for West Bengal under the Centre's production-linked incentives (PLI) scheme.

1 min

BJP MLAs Stage Protest in Bengal Assembly After Speaker Denies Adjournment Motion

The Budget Session of the West Bengal Assembly witnessed high drama on Tuesday as BJP MLAs, led by Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, staged a walkout and protested against Speaker Biman Banerjee's decision to reject their adjournment motion on alleged communal tensions in the state.

1 min

AIMIM to contest 2026 polls in state

With eyes on the upcoming polls next year, the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) is gearing up to contest the 2026 West Bengal Assembly polls to fight in all 294 seats.

1 min

Bill to regulate private school fees in Bengal soon: Education Minister

The West Bengal government will soon bring a Bill to the state Assembly to regulate the fee structure in different private schools in the state.

1 min

Burdwan civic body orders demolition of 8-storey building

The Burdwan Municipality today issued a demolition order for a newly-erected eight-storey commercial building on the junction of a crowded market zone in the town.

1 min

TMC Identifies Ghost Voters in West Burdwan

During a scrutiny of the voters' list in the Durgapur Subdivision of West Burdwan district, it was discovered that some voters possessed EPIC cards in two states or different voters had similar EPIC card numbers in different states.

1 min

Heated exchange in LS over Trinamul MP's 'who made you minister' remark

Chaos and sloganeering broke out after TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee's pointed charge at the Centre

1 min

No commitment to US on reducing tariffs, talks still on: Government

The govt's clarification came after US President Trump claimed that India has agreed to cut tariffs

2 mins

COAS General Dwivedi Inspires Youth to Drive India's Vision for Viksit Bharat 2047

General Upendra Dwivedi, the Chief of the Army Staff (COAS), has stated that the aspirations of a rising India rest on the knowledge, innovation, and determination of the youth of its country.

1 min

Working for recovery of Manipur's economy: FM

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday assured Parliament that the government was providing all assistance to violence-hit Manipur to speed up its economic recovery.

1 min

Notorious Jharkhand gangster killed in encounter

A notorious Jharkhand gangster was killed in a police encounter on Tuesday morning.

1 min

Fadnavis begins crackdown on places of worship violating noise limits

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis warned on Tuesday that strict action would be taken against those violating the prescribed noise limits for loudspeakers at places of worship and if rules are not followed, that particular place of worship will be disallowed the use of loudspeakers permanently.

2 mins

Opposition Corners Nitish Government Over Alarming Rise in Crime in Bihar

The alarming rise in crime in Bihar has given ammunition to the Opposition parties to attack Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who has been using every platform to raise the issue of the poor law and order situation during the Lalu-Rabri rule.

1 min

Naveen Patnaik to Oppose Proposed Delimitation Process: DMK Leader

BJD president and former chief minister Naveen Patnaik has expressed concerns over the proposed delimitation process, which is expected to disproportionately impact certain states.

1 min

'Make curiosity, originality, morality, farsightedness, spontaneity part of life'

President Droupadi Murmu on Tuesday graced the convocation ceremony of Central University of Punjab (CUP), Bathinda, and advised students to make five good things a part of their life - curiosity, originality, morality, farsightedness, and spontaneity.

1 min

Hampi gangrape: K'taka govt issues guidelines for homestay owners

The Karnataka government issued a circular on Tuesday outlining guidelines for owners of homestays and resorts operating in tourist destinations across the state to ensure the safety of tourists.

1 min

K'taka Govt Orders CID Probe Into Ranya Rao Gold Smuggling Case

Even as Central agencies are investigating and interrogating Kannada actress Ranya Rao and her accomplice in the gold smuggling case, the Karnataka government on Tuesday instituted a CID probe headed by a top official to go into the alleged misuse of protocol and official privileges by the starlet at Bangalore airport.

1 min

BJP attacked Cong guarantee schemes, but now following them: DK Shivakumar

The BJP and its top national leadership had criticised the Congress party and its guarantees that it implemented within days of assuming power, but today the BJP is following the Congress model of guarantees in Madhya Pradesh, Delhi and Maharashtra, asserted Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DSK Shivakumar in the assembly.

1 min

Will never accept Nagpur's disastrous project: Stalin

DMK MPs staged a demonstration wearing black outfits in the Parliament premises

2 mins

Power of women in leadership: driving innovation, growth and job creation

Diversity is more than just the right thing to do – it's good for business.

2 mins

Turmoil in Romania

Romania stands at a dangerous crossroads as its democracy faces mounting pressure from within and beyond its borders.

4 mins

Isolate America

The US has never been a reliable and responsible ally. History bears testimony that nations closely aligned with US interests may well face abandonment by the US, as Europe is currently learning at a great cost. Trump's unstable pronouncements and his erratic policies will have devastating consequences; any American economic downturn caused by his tariffs will pull down all allied countries into a steep, unstoppable slide

6 mins

A vision for the world

Chatham House, the Royal Institute of International Affairs, stands as one of the most influential think tanks in the world.

5 mins

America Has Been Here Before

As promised, the second Trump administration has quickly rolled out a slew of policies and executive orders that the president says are all aimed at \"Making America Great Again.\"

5 mins

Confronting backlash against women's rights, 193 nations commit to accelerating gender equality

Confronting a rising backlash against women's rights, the U.N.'s 193 member nations made a commitment Monday to accelerate action on more than a dozen fronts to achieve gender equality.

1 min

Elon Musk eyes Social Security and benefit programmes for cuts while claiming widespread fraud

Elon Musk pushed debunked theories about Social Security on Monday while describing federal benefit programmes as rife with fraud, suggesting they will be a primary target in his crusade to reduce government spending.

1 min

Former President Rodrigo Duterte Arrested in the Philippines

Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte was arrested Tuesday on a warrant from the International Criminal Court accusing him of crimes against humanity over deadly anti-drugs crackdowns he oversaw while in office, the Philippine government said.

1 min

Ukraine-US Talks on Ending War With Russia Start in Saudi Arabia

Ukraine launched a massive drone attack while proposing a ceasefire and prisoner exchange in Saudi talks

2 mins

Pope Francis follows Vatican spiritual retreat as doctors say he's no longer in imminent danger

Pope Francis participated remotely in the Vatican's spiritual retreat Tuesday after getting good news from his doctors: They upgraded his prognosis and say he is no longer in imminent danger of death as a result of the double pneumonia that has kept him hospitalized for nearly a month in the longest and gravest threat to his 12-year papacy.

1 min

Trump Doubles Planned Tariffs on Canadian Steel, Aluminum to 50%

US President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he will double his planned tariffs on steel and aluminum from 25 to 50 per cent for Canada, escalating a trade war with the United States' northern neighbour and standing unmoved by recent stock market turmoil and rising recession risks.

1 min

Syria's government signs a breakthrough deal with Kurdish-led authorities in the north-east

Syria's interim government signed a deal Monday with the Kurdish-led authority that controls the country's northeast, including a ceasefire and the merging of the main US-backed force there into the Syrian army.

1 min

China Wraps Up Congress With No Clear Plan for Economic Revival

The Congress opened with the announcement of an economic growth target of 'about 5 percent' for this year

2 mins

Delhi-NCR pips Mumbai to emerge as top-selling housing market in 2024

Delhi-NCR has pipped Mumbai and Hyderabad to emerge as the top-selling housing market in 2024, owing to 66 per cent growth in sales value in Gurugram alone.

2 mins

Muladhara Energy teams up with Nordische Energy to tap fast-growing energy storage solution market in Europe

Bangalore-based Muladhara Energy Systems Pvt Ltd has teamed up with Nordische Energy Systems Pvt Ltd (NES), a new-age innovative startup in energy storage technology that was founded in 2022, to tap the large and growing storage battery market across Europe.

2 mins

Indian Pharmaceutical Exports Rank 11th Globally in Value Terms: Report

The Indian pharmaceutical exports ranked 11th globally in value terms in the year 2023 and accounted for 3 per cent of the total pharmaceutical exports, said Bain and Company in a research report.

1 min

Sensex could hit 105,000 mark by December 2025: Morgan Stanley

Analysts at Morgan Stanley expect the Sensex to hit the 105,000 mark by December 2025 as their bull-case scenario for the index.

1 min

IndusInd Bank shares crash 25 pc amid discrepancies in derivatives portfolio

Stock market turmoil deepened after IndusInd Bank shares nosedived 25 per cent, hitting a 52-week low of ₹674.55, losing approx. 16000 market cap in just 2 hours.

1 min

April to December Coal Imports Fall by 8.4 Per Cent Year-on-Year

The import of coal from April to December 2024 fell by 8.4 per cent, totaling 183.42 million tonnes (MT), according to the Coal Ministry statement on Tuesday.

1 min

Market Ends Flat Amid Volatility Over US Tariffs

At close, the Sensex was down 12.85 points or 0.02 percent at 74,102.32

2 mins

Mizoram proposes official-level talks with Assam to resolve decades-old border dispute

In a bid to resolve the long-standing boundary dispute between Assam and Mizoram, the Mizoram government has proposed initiating official-level talks with Assam in early April.

1 min

UP minister's controversial Holi remark stirs hornets nest

Uttar Pradesh Minister of State for Labour and Employment Raghuraj Singh triggered a controversy on Tuesday by suggesting that those who wish to avoid colours on Holi should wear a \"tarpaulin hijab\" or stay at their homes.

1 min

Indian Railways to implement Mahakumbh crowd management strategies for Holi, other festivals

Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Mahakumbh-2025 witnessed a historic gathering, with 66 crore devotees taking a holy dip over 45 days.

1 min

Arunachal Pradesh Unveils Budget for 2025-26, Emphasising Social Empowerment and Infrastructure Development

Arunachal Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein, who also holds the finance, planning, and investment portfolios, presented the state budget for the fiscal year 2025-26 with a total outlay of Rs 39,842.23 crore.

1 min

ICU patient creates ruckus in Ratlam hospital, accuses doctors of fleecing family

A patient admitted to the ICU of a private hospital in Ratlam city of Madhya Pradesh created a ruckus and left the hospital with a sharp-edged device in hand, abusing and accusing the hospital authorities of trying to fleece his family by falsely claiming he was in a 'coma'.

1 min

Muslim Cleric Slams Demand for Separate Facilities for Muslims in Ballia Hospital

Maulana Shahabuddin Rajvi Barelvi, president of the All India Muslim Jamaat, reacted sharply to a statement by BJP MLA Ketki Singh that Ballia Medical College should have separate facilities for Muslim patients.

1 min

CAA Implementation in Assam: Only Two Granted Citizenship Amid Ongoing Border Challenges

Assam government has granted Indian citizenship under the Citizenship Amendment Act to two individuals out of the 39 applications so far.

1 min

Prayagraj Transformed From a Mafia Stronghold to a Model City

The chief minister also honoured sanitation workers, showering them with flowers at the event

1 min

Quantum Navigation Set to Transform How We Travel

Quantum technology is no longer confined to the lab—it's making its way into our everyday lives.

3 mins

Increasing temp fuelled electricity demand by 41 per cent

India's electricity demand has grown significantly over recent years due to urbanisation, economic growth, and industrial activity.

3 mins

Deepika, Araijeet Honoured to be Nominated for Hockey India Annual Awards

Rising hockey stars Deepika and Araijeet Singh Hundal have expressed their delight after being nominated for the prestigious Hockey India 7th Annual Awards 2024.

1 min

Setback for Indian shuttlers in world rankings

Indian badminton biggest names—Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, Chirag Shetty, and Lakshya Sen—suffered a significant blow, falling out of the top 10 in their respective categories in the latest world rankings released by the Badminton World Federation (BWF) on Tuesday.

2 mins

ISL: Hyderabad FC, Kerala Blasters FC Aim for Positive End to Season

Having struggled for most of the current edition, both teams will fancy a good show in the last game of the league stage

2 mins

All-England badminton: Prannoy loses to Popov in opening round

India's former World No. 6, H.S. Prannoy crashed out of the prestigious All-England Badminton Championship, losing to Toma Junior Popov of France in straight games in a first-round clash in Birmingham on Tuesday.

2 mins

How does Team India's 2023-25 run in white-ball cricket rank amongst best-ever in the history of the game?

India's run from the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup, which ended with a heartbreaking loss to Australia in the final after an unprecedented 10-match win streak, till the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 has been one of the finest runs by a team in white-ball cricket, 23 wins in 24 matches, one loss and two trophies won.

3 mins

Indian cricket's future is in very, very safe hands: Rohit Sharma

After guiding India to a third ICC Champions Trophy title win in Dubai on Sunday, India skipper Rohit Sharma spoke highly of the youngsters in the side, saying they are keen to take on responsibility and to excel.

2 mins

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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.