The Statesman Kolkata - March 14, 2025

In this issue

March 14, 2025

Decline in inflation paves way for higher GDP growth

The decline in retail inflation to a level that is below the RBI's targeted level of 4 per cent is expected to pave the way for accelerating GDP growth ahead as it provides the central bank with more headroom to cut interest rates and expand liquidity to spur economic activity and create more jobs.

2 mins

ISRO undocks SpaDeX satellites

The Indian Space Research Organisation on Thursday announced the successful completion of its SpaDeX mission's space de-docking, marking a significant milestone in India's future in space exploration.

1 min

Language row: TN drops '₹' symbol from budget logo

NEP Controversy: Upping the Ante

1 min

Home Ministry Gives Nod to Prosecute Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain

In fresh trouble for former Delhi ministers Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain, facing allegations of wrongdoings in connection with the Education and PWD departments, the Ministry of Home Affairs has given its approval to proceed against them in corruption cases.

1 min

Central government seeks coordination with states to check illegal migration

Underlining that much needs to be done to curb illegal recruitment, the Central government has sought close coordination with all states to tackle the menace of illegal migration.

1 min

Missing Dhupguri girl found in BSF quarters, handed over to police

A minor girl from Dhupguri, who was reported missing, was found by the Border Security Force (BSF) in their quarters near Raninagar and handed over to the police on Wednesday morning.

1 min

4,024 'ghost voters' in Mathabhanga segment: TMC

Allegations of ghost, dead, and duplicate voters in West Bengal spark political tension, with TMC and BJP demanding action

2 mins

Eastern Himalaya Travel Association seeks resolution on transport issues

The Eastern Himalaya Travel & Tour Operators Association (EHTTOA), the largest travel platform in East and Northeast India, has submitted a representation to Milton Chandra Das, joint secretary of the State Transport Authority in Siliguri, highlighting critical issues affecting the transport sector in the Eastern Himalayas.

1 min

ER gears up for Holi festive crowd

In a bid to cater to the festive rush, the Eastern Railway has decided to take a host of steps.

1 min

City-based entrepreneur only Indian for Antarctica challenge

A city-based entrepreneur, Piyush Jaju, is all set to take on an extraordinary challenge this March by participating in the Antarctica Marathon.

1 min

Kingpin of fake passport racket aiding Bangladeshi infiltrators arrested in Kolkata

The West Bengal Police, on Thursday, arrested the kingpin of a racket engaged in arranging fake Indian passports for Bangladeshi infiltrators.

1 min

RG Kar Case: CJI-led SC Bench to Hear Suo Moto on 17 March

The Supreme Court will hear the R G Kar Medical College rape and murder case on 17 March, with the CBI set to file a supplementary charge sheet on evidence tampering. The court earlier protected protesting doctors from penalties.

1 min

Centuries-old Chatra Dol Tola temple attracts devotees during Holi

The sixth century Kashishwar Peeth, also well-known as Chatra Dol Tola temple in Serampore still upholds the traditional Dol Utsav celebration amidst hundreds of devotees from far and near.

1 min

Speaker Revokes Order Blocking House Documents for BJP MLAs

BJP legislators protested after the Speaker rejected discussion on Humayun Kabir's remark against Suvendu Adhikari

1 min

TMC resolution against Suvendu over controversial remarks

Trinamul Congress on Thursday brought a resolution against the Leader of Opposition (LoP) Suvendu Adhikari over his controversial remark on Muslim MLAs belonging to the state's ruling party.

1 min

Premier Hospital Charges Patient ₹50k+ For 49 Minutes Stay At CCU

It may sound absurd, but it actually happened. A premier private hospital, along the Diamond Harbour (DH) Road in the New Alipore area, charged Rs 50,030 for a 49-minute stay at its critical care unit (CCU) for treatment of a patient, Rs 1,800 for ambulance to shift her from one building to another in the same campus, Rs 11,875 for medical attention at the emergency ward, and Rs 50,000 as an advance deposit for her admission at the hospital.

2 mins

West Burdwan DM Meets CPSU Representatives on Dengue Control

The District Magistrate (DM) of West Burdwan, S Ponnambalam, has held a high-level meeting with representatives of central public sector units in Durgapur, Burnpur, and Asansol areas to combat the outbreak of dengue during the upcoming monsoon season in the district.

1 min

NTPC Employees Resume Work After Five-Day Protest Over DGM's Murder

After five days of protests over the shocking murder of NTPC Deputy General Manager (DGM) Kumar Gaurav in Hazaribagh, employees and officials have returned to work, bringing relief to the state's coal production sector.

1 min

Muft Bijli Yojana crosses milestone of 10 lakh installations: Govt

PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana (PMSGMBY), the world's largest domestic rooftop solar initiative, has achieved a historic milestone with 10 lakh homes now solar-powered, according to an official press note.

1 min

Cong walks out of MP Assembly in protest against transport scam

Demanding a fair investigation and stringent action on all those involved in the transport scam, the opposition Congress MLAs staged a protest in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly on Thursday.

2 mins

MP Assembly: Opposition Cong alleges shortage of doctors, paramedical staff

The opposition Congress in Madhya Pradesh on Thursday claimed severe shortage of doctors and paramedical staff in government health facilities of the state.

1 min

RJD to welcome NDA report card, but it should be honest

The RJD will welcome a report card of the NDA government's achievements of the past 20 years but it should be honest.

1 min

1973 delimitation led to rise in seats in Cong-ruled states: Nishikant Dubey slams Opposition

Amid the brewing storm over delimitation in Southern states, BJP MP Nishikant Dubey on Wednesday lashed out at the Opposition over its doublespeak and revealed that it was the Congress-ruled states which saw a rise in the number of seats after the exercise in 1973.

1 min

Maha CM Devendra Fadnavis backs Shaktipeeth Expressway despite Opposition's resistance

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has pushed for the construction of the Shaktipeeth Expressway linking Nagpur to Mumbai despite misgivings and opposition against the project even within the BJP as well as from farmers whose lands will be taken away for the project.

2 mins

Kerala CM condemns Sangh Parivar violence against Tushar Gandhi

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday condemned the alleged Sangh Parivar violence on Mahatma Gandhi's great-grandson Tushar Gandhi at Neyyattinkara, calling it \"an attack on the secularism and democracy of the country\".

1 min

Bengaluru traffic decongestion plan with double-decker flyovers, tunnel and buffer roads, elevated corridors

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister and Minister for Bengaluru Development, on Thursday, came up with a plan for decongesting traffic in the city, including building double-decker flyovers, tunnel roads, buffer roads, elevated corridors and other projects.

1 min

Kishan Reddy must fight in Union Cabinet for Telangana's rights: Revanth

Accusing the BJP of resorting to vendetta politics against Southern states over delimitation, Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy today demanded that Union ministers from Telangana, particularly G Kishan Reddy, voice their objections in the Union Cabinet.

2 mins

Siddaramaiah Deputes Deputy CM Shivakumar To Represent State And Party At Delimitation Meet In Chennai

Karnataka Chief Minister S Siddaramaiah has deputed his deputy, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, to represent the state and party at the delimitation meeting convened by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK supremo MK Stalin.

1 min

Three central agencies probing Ranya Rao gold smuggling case

The ED carried out searches at 8 places across K'taka as part of the investigations

1 min

Keel laying of second fleet support ship for Indian Navy held at L&T shipyard

The keel laying ceremony of the second Fleet Support Ship (FSS) for the Indian Navy was held at M/s L&T Shipyard, Kattupalli, marking a significant milestone in the nation's maritime defence capabilities.

1 min

BRS MLA Suspended for Remarks on Governor's Address During Telangana Budget Session

Former minister and BRS MLA G Jagadish Reddy was suspended from the Telangana Assembly for the remainder of the Budget session for his inappropriate remarks against Speaker Gaddam Prasad Rao during the debate on the Governor's address.

1 min

53 edn institutes closed down after Cong came to power in Himachal's Seraj constituency

The Congress government of Himachal Pradesh has either closed or merged 1,201 schools, while 17 colleges have been de-notified in the state over the last two years.

1 min

If someone wants to play Holi or offer Namaaz, they should be allowed: Jagdambika Pal

With the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) giving the green light for Holi celebrations at the non-resident students' club (NRSC) on March 13 and 14, following increasing pressure, BJP MP and Waqf Bill Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) Jagdambika Pal stepped in to voice support for cultural unity.

1 min

Punjab and UAE Explore Bilateral Trade Opportunities

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Thursday held a meeting with UAE Ambassador to India Abdulnasser Jamal Alshaali, and discussed avenues for strengthening bilateral trade, investment and cultural exchange between Punjab and the UAE.

1 min

Punjab Budget Session to take place from 21 to 28 March

The Governor's address will take place on 25 March followed by a discussion on the address

2 mins

BJP Stages Walkout From Himachal Assembly Demanding Investigation Into Transfer Of Funds To Women Self-Help Groups

The opposition BJP created a ruckus in the Himachal Pradesh Assembly on Thursday during the question hour.

2 mins

Rein on Musk?

In the early days of Donald Trump's second presidency, few figures have wielded as much influence as billionaire Elon Musk.

2 mins

Not just vehicles

Stopping well-maintained vehicles from running is neither just nor ethical, nor practical. Throwing away the hard-earned money of thousands of people is unwarranted since, as brought out, the vehicles are not the sole cause of pollution. To address the pollution crisis effectively, it is imperative to acknowledge and holistically tackle the myriad contributing factors

4 mins

Time to pause

The announcement of a proposed 30-day ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia, to be brokered by the United States, marks a pivotal moment in a war that has defied diplomatic solutions for over three years.

2 mins

More Than Numbers

The first time I truly understood Bangladesh's economic heartbeat, I wasn't reading a report or analyzing data. I was sitting in Old Dhaka, watching Shahana – a 32-year-old entrepreneur and mother – effortlessly multitask.

2 mins

New world order

SIR, This refers to the article \"Zelenskky flip leaves Europe in the cold\" (March 2).

1 min

Are days of the German car over?

The car industry is rarely out of the news, often under gloomy headlines related to tariffs, falling sales, low uptake of electric vehicles (EVs) and workers' strikes.

3 mins

Trump Is Buying Time In Order To Compete

A historian could have watched the 28 February 2025 Trump-Vance-Zelensky press briefing without recognizing that it was a 21st-century ritual execution of a Roman gladiator in front of a worldwide audience.

4 mins

Canada's incoming prime minister says he'll meet Trump if Canadian sovereignty is respected

Canada's incoming Prime Minister Mark Carney said Wednesday he's ready to meet with American President Donald Trump if he respects Canadian sovereignty and is open to talk about a common approach to trade.

1 min

An Emirati diplomat identified as having a letter from Trump meets with Iran's foreign minister

An Emirati diplomat earlier identified by Tehran as carrying a letter from American President Donald Trump seeking to jump-start talks over Iran's rapidly advancing nuclear programme met Wednesday with Iran's foreign minister in the Iranian capital.

1 min

US Environmental Protection Agency to roll back climate-related rules

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that it will roll back a series of rules from the Joe Biden administration aimed at reducing pollution and mitigating climate change, stepping back from green energy and electric car policies.

1 min

Rubio could face an unfriendly reception from close G7 allies over Trump's policies

American Secretary of State Marco Rubio may be walking into unusually unfriendly territory this week when he meets his counterparts from the Group of 7 industrialized democracies—strong American allies stunned by President Donald Trump's actions against them.

1 min

Greenland's election winners push back against Trump's wish to take control of the island

Greenland's likely new prime minister on Wednesday rejected American President Donald Trump's effort to take control of the island, saying Greenlanders must be allowed to decide their own future as it moves toward independence from Denmark.

1 min

Putin agrees 'in principle' with proposal for Ukraine ceasefire

Russian president said there are issues that need to be discussed & any truce should pave way to lasting peace

2 mins

They crossed the world to reach the USA; now deported under Trump, they're stuck in Panama

They crossed oceans to get to the USA, fleeing conflict, religious persecution, poverty and government crackdowns in countries such as Afghanistan, Somalia, Cameroon, China, Pakistan and Iran.

2 mins

Congo and M23 rebel group will hold peace talks on Tuesday

The government of Congo will hold peace talks next week in Angola with the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group that has captured key areas of Congo's mineral-rich east, mediator Angola announced Wednesday.

1 min

Taiwan's leader says tougher measures needed to counter stepped-up Chinese infiltration and spying

Taiwanese President William Lai Ching-te said Thursday tougher measures are needed to counter stepped-up Chinese infiltration, spying and other efforts to weaken the island's defenses and speed Beijing's goal of taking control of the self-governing island republic, a close American partner.

1 min

The torso of a Buddha statue has been found at Cambodia's Angkor temple complex

Archaeologists in Cambodia are celebrating an unexpected find at the country's centuries-old Angkor temple complex: the torso of a statue of Buddha that matches a head found nearly a century ago at the same site.

1 min

ICC Takes Custody of Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte in Crimes Against Humanity Case

The International Criminal Court took custody of former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday on a warrant accusing him of crimes against humanity for deadly anti-drugs crackdowns he oversaw while in office.

1 min

Syria Flashes Signs of Peril and Promise in a Week of Violence and Diplomacy

After Syria's longtime autocratic ruler was toppled late last year, the man who led rebel groups to victory immediately faced a new challenge: unifying the country after more than a decade of civil war.

1 min

Khawaja Asif Lambastes Oppn PTI for 'Politicising' Jaffar Express Hijacking

Operation to free the hostages was completed Wednesday night with 33 terrorists neutralised

2 mins

NCR office market records 61 per cent spike in net absorption, highest among top 7 cities

The National Capital Region (NCR) office market recorded a 61 per cent year-on-year increase in net absorption, the highest among the top 7 cities, to reach 9.5 million sq. ft. in 2024, a report by ANAROCK said.

1 min

Sustainable & ethical route to growth is way forward for businesses

Sustainability and longevity backed by strong ethics should be the mantra for growth. Business growth cannot be elevated without sound management practices that focus on sustainability and ethics. That's what corporate India feels.

2 mins

Gold prices trade near record high levels amid tariff concerns

Gold prices traded near record high levels fuelled by demand for safe-haven assets amid tariff concerns.

1 min

Market Ends Lower, Nifty Slips Below 22,400

Shares of IndusInd Bank fell about 2 per cent, even as CLSA maintained an 'Outperform' rating on the stock. CLSA, meanwhile, cut its target price to Rs 900 from Rs 1,300 earlier.

2 mins

Tata Motors Launches Passenger Vehicle Portfolio in Sri Lanka

Tata Motors has officially announced the launch of its new range of Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) vehicles and Electric Vehicles (EV) passenger vehicles in Sri Lanka in partnership with DIMO, a Lankan auto wholesaler.

2 mins

SEBI to remove digital performance tracking from employee appraisals

Reports also indicated that Chairperson Pandey has been actively engaging with employees across departments to address their concerns.

1 min

Piyush Goyal Urges Creative Industry to Take India's Story Global, Identifies 4 Aspects

Union Minister for Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal on Thursday urged the creative industry to take India's story to the world and contribute further to its economic growth and emphasized the need to put 'trust and authenticity' at the center of their work and take responsibility and accountability for the output they generate.

1 min

UP mosques covered to protect from Holi colours

UP police onalert; drones are being used insensitive areas to monitor the law and order situation

2 mins

Shah Virtually Inaugurates Development Projects Worth ₹150 Cr in Ahmedabad

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday virtually inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for several development projects worth Rs 146 crore in Ahmedabad.

1 min

How India's youth is painting the town Sustainably and Socially

As spring arrives, so does the joyous chaos of Holia festival that turns streets into canvases of vibrant colours and merriment.

2 mins

Doctors stress on sleep health

To make the general public aware of the importance of sleep, the Calcutta Sleep Society hosted a press conference, in collaboration with the World Sleep Society.

2 mins

Embrace Womanhood

A week ago the world celebrated International Women's Day. But women's empowerment is not contained within a day alone. Here is a piece from one of our contributors who chose Holi, the day of colourful celebrations, to remind women that they should love themselves.

2 mins

Embracing Holi with a splash of vibrant fashion

For generations, Holi has been synonymous with white attire, a blank slate waiting to be splashed with the festival's riotous hues.

1 min

Sudirman Cup: India in Group D with Indonesia, Denmark, England

The Indian badminton team has been grouped alongside Indonesia, Denmark and England for the Badminton World Federation (BWF) Sudirman Cup Finals 2025 which will be held in Xiamen, China from 27 April to 4 May.

1 min

'Special feeling that I will never forget': Jyoti Singh on her senior debut at Pro League

\"Listening to the national anthem echo in the stadium when I made my debut was truly a special feeling that I will never forget,\" she said in a Hockey India release.

2 mins

India Dominate Medal Tally at World Para Athletics Grand Prix

Rinku Hooda stars with gold in the men's javelin event as Indian athletes prove their mettle

3 mins

Sports Ministry Puts Draft National Code Against Age Fraud in Sports in Public Domain, Invites Suggestions

The Union Sports Ministry on Thursday put in the public domain the Draft National Code Against Age Fraud in Sports (NCAAFS) 2025 for inviting suggestions from the general public and stakeholders, as part of the consultation process.

1 min

Indian Wells: Alcaraz enters quarters, Draper knocks out Fritz

Carlos Alcaraz breezed past Grigor Dimitrov 6-1, 6-1 and extended his Indian Wells winning streak to 15 matches.

2 mins

'Why would he retire?': AB de Villiers backs Rohit Sharma

Rohit Sharma has got the backing of South African batting great AB de Villiers, who feels there's no reason for the Indian to retire from 50-over cricket and went on to state that the India skipper could go down as one of the greatest ODI captains of all time.

1 min

KL Rahul excels with adaptability as finisher, achieves desired success

Oscillatory motion is characterized by the repetitive back-and-forth movement of an object about a fixed point, as exemplified by a clock pendulum. In a competition to find the most oscillatory player in the Indian team, KL Rahul would end up as the unanimous choice.

3 mins

Australia's star fast bowler Mitchell Starc praises depth of talent in Indian cricket

Praising India's depth of talent, Australia's star fast bowler Mitchell Starc feels it's the only nation that can have three different teams playing in three different formats on the same day and still be competitive.

3 mins

All England Open: Sindhu loses in opening round

Indian star bows out after suffering three-game defeat

1 min

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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.

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