Five more suspects have been taken into custody in the Beldanga violence case, bringing the total number of arrests to 36. Police officials confirmed that the latest arrests were made on Monday after a coordinated raid by district police and the Murshidabad cybercrime division. The new detainees—Noor Alam, Robiul Islam, Noor Alam Molla, Ladim Sheikh and Tufail Sheikh—were identified through CCTV footage and videos that circulated on social media, including Facebook Live streams. Background and Context Beldanga, a town in the Murshidabad district of West Bengal, has been the epicenter of a series of violent clashes that erupted on Sunday. The unrest, sparked by a disputed…
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In a decisive move to quell the escalating unrest in Murshidabad’s Beldanga region, the Calcutta High Court has ordered the deployment of central armed police forces and urged the use of intelligence inputs to prevent further violence. The bench, led by Chief Justice Sujoy Paul and Justice Partha Sarathi Sen, highlighted the repeated spurt in violence as “worrisome” and directed the district magistrate to restore peace and ensure no fresh incidents erupt. Background and Context Beldanga, a small town in Murshidabad district, has become a flashpoint for communal tensions after a local labourer was allegedly beaten to death in Jharkhand…
Mamata Banerjee is set to convene an administrative meeting in Singur on January 28, a move that could reshape the political landscape in West Bengal after a high‑profile rally by Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier this week. The Chief Minister’s decision to gather local leaders, farmers and party workers in the historic village is seen as a direct response to Modi’s promises and a strategic attempt to consolidate support ahead of the upcoming state elections. Background and Context Singur, once the epicenter of the 2000s land‑rights movement, has long been a symbol of resistance against large‑scale industrialisation. In 2008, the state…
In a decisive move that could reshape the political landscape of West Bengal, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is set to hold an administrative meeting in Singur on January 28. The gathering follows Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent rally in the same village, a site that once symbolised the state’s historic land‑rights struggle. The CM’s meeting is expected to distribute state‑scheme benefits, address industrial investment statistics, and counter Modi’s narrative, making it a focal point for both local farmers and national politics. Background/Context Singur, located in the Hooghly district, was the epicentre of the 2006 land‑movement that halted the construction of a…
In a striking shift that has sent ripples through India’s engineering job market, the bulk of international placement offers at IIT Kharagpur for the 2025‑26 season have come from Japan, Taiwan and the Middle East, leaving the United States and Europe far behind. The institute’s Career Development Centre reports that 15 of the 1,501 offers received in Phase 1 were overseas, with Japan alone contributing ten, while the highest international package tops out at ₹1.4 crore per annum. Background / Context For years, Indian engineering graduates have looked abroad for lucrative roles, with the United States and European firms traditionally commanding the…
In a striking shift that has sent ripples through India’s engineering corridors, the bulk of IIT Kharagpur placement offers this year have come from Japan, Taiwan and the Middle East, leaving the United States and Europe far behind. The 2025‑26 placement season saw 1,501 offers, with 15 from abroad, and the highest domestic package topping out at ₹2.5 crore per annum. Background / Context For decades, Indian engineering graduates have chased high‑paying roles overseas, especially in the United States and Europe. However, geopolitical tensions, tightening visa regimes and a global shift toward regional talent pools have altered the landscape. The Indian…
In a swift political maneuver, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has named Nitin Nabin as its new national president, and he has already flown to Kolkata to meet Bengal’s top leaders. The move comes as the party gears up for the upcoming state elections, with Nabin calling for a fresh narrative of change under the slogan “paltano dorkar, chai BJP sarkar.” The meeting, held just hours before his official announcement, signals a strategic push to reshape the BJP’s image in a state that has long been a battleground for national politics. Background/Context The BJP’s decision to appoint Nitin Nabin, a…
In a swift administrative move, the West Bengal government has removed Prasanta Barman from his post as Block Development Officer (BDO) in Rajganj, following the Supreme Court’s rejection of his anticipatory bail plea in a high‑profile murder case. The decision, announced on Tuesday, came within 24 hours of the court’s directive that Barman surrender to the Barasat court by Friday, a move that underscores the state’s stance on accountability amid a growing public demand for justice. Background/Context The case centers on the brutal murder of 48‑year‑old Swapan Kamila, a gold trader from Balasore, Odisha, who vanished on 28 October last…
On Tuesday, the mercury in Kolkata climbed to 26.9 °C, the first time the city’s maximum temperature has surpassed the normal mark in over five weeks. The sudden spike, though only half a degree above the seasonal average, signals a shift in the winter weather pattern that could affect daily life, health, and the local economy. Background/Context For the past month, Kolkata has endured a string of unusually cool days, with temperatures hovering around the 24‑25 °C range—well below the 25.4 °C average for this time of year. The city’s winter, typically mild, has been punctuated by persistent cold fronts that brought wind…
Barasat, West Bengal – In a comprehensive Nipah virus bat survey conducted by teams from the state health and forest departments in collaboration with the National Institute of Virology (NIV) Pune, no active Nipah virus was detected in any of the nine bats captured in the Barasat locality. However, antibodies were found in the blood of one bat, indicating a past infection but no current viral shedding. The findings come amid heightened concerns over a recent Nipah outbreak linked to a Barasat resident who died in December after exhibiting Nipah-like symptoms. Background and Context The Nipah virus, a zoonotic pathogen…