On Republic Day, the Union government will honour two senior police officers for their pivotal roles in the high‑profile RG Kar rape‑murder investigation, a case that shook Kolkata and drew national scrutiny. The awards, announced by the Ministry of Home Affairs, recognize exemplary leadership and swift justice in a case that demanded meticulous forensic work and inter‑agency coordination. Background/Context The RG Kar case, which unfolded in late 2024, involved the brutal rape and murder of a young woman in a residential area of Kolkata. The suspect, Sanjay Roy, was apprehended within 24 hours of the incident, thanks to a coordinated effort between the Kolkata…
Author: Map of Netherlands
On Republic Day, the Union government will honour two senior police officers for their exemplary work in the high‑profile RG Kar rape‑murder investigation. The awards, part of the RG Kar probe police awards, recognize the dedication and swift action that led to the arrest of the accused and the conviction of the main perpetrator. Background and Context The RG Kar case, which shocked Kolkata and the nation, involved the brutal rape and murder of a young woman in 2025. The investigation, launched by the Kolkata Police’s detective department, was marked by rapid evidence gathering, forensic analysis, and inter‑agency coordination. Within days of the…
In a bold move to reshape doctoral training, IIT Kharagpur has unveiled a suite of IIT PhD reforms that promise to make research scholars future‑ready, reduce career uncertainty, and foster a more flexible, interdisciplinary academic environment. The reforms, announced on January 25, 2026, introduce rolling admissions, relaxed eligibility, expanded coursework options, and a new post‑doctoral fellowship, marking a significant shift from the institute’s traditionally rigid PhD model. Background / Context India’s higher‑education landscape is undergoing rapid transformation, driven by a growing demand for research that is globally competitive and industry‑relevant. PhD programmes, long seen as isolated, time‑consuming pursuits, have faced…
Kolkata voters are left in limbo as only two polling booths have released the Kolkata logical discrepancy list after the Election Commission’s deadline, sparking frustration and confusion across the city. Background/Context The Election Commission of India (EC) set a strict deadline for the publication of the logical discrepancy and unmapped lists, which identify voters whose details in the electoral roll do not match the information on record. These lists are crucial for voters to verify their status before the upcoming elections. In Kolkata, the deadline passed on Sunday, yet only the ward offices in Alipore (Ward 74) and Deshbandhu School…
In a rare moment, two melanistic leopards were captured on camera in the Kurseong forest, marking the first time such a sighting has been documented in the Indian wild. The black‑coated big cats, photographed side‑by‑side, have sparked excitement among wildlife enthusiasts and conservationists alike. Background / Context The Kurseong forest division, part of the North Bengal Wildlife Sanctuary, lies in the foothills of the Eastern Himalayas. Known for its rich biodiversity, the area has long been a hotspot for researchers studying forest ecology and species interactions. Over the past decade, the forest department has installed more than 20 camera traps…
Twin black leopards have been captured on camera in Kurseong, a first in the Indian wild. The rare footage, taken by a trap camera in the forest division of North Bengal, shows two melanistic leopards standing side by side, a sight that has stunned wildlife officials and conservationists alike. Background / Context Melanism, the genetic condition that gives animals a black coat, is uncommon in leopards. While black leopards have been documented in parts of Southeast Asia, sightings of two individuals together are virtually unheard of in India. Kurseong, located in the foothills of the Himalayas, is part of the…
In a quiet queue outside the Baranagar Narendranath Vidyalaya, 67‑year‑old Basabi Chakraborty stands with a September 1983 marriage certificate, ready to confront a bureaucratic hurdle that has turned her life into a courtroom drama. The late poet Bhaskar Chakraborty, who died in 2005, was born Bishnumoy Chakraborty but chose to write under the pseudonym Bhaskar. Now, a SIR hearing name mismatch notice has forced Basabi and her daughter Praiti to prove that the two names belong to the same person, a challenge that has rattled families across Kolkata. Background/Context In India, the Statutory Insolvency and Reorganisation (SIR) framework is designed to…
In a quiet queue at Baranagar Narendranath Vidyalaya, 67‑year‑old widow Basabi Chakraborty holds a September 1983 marriage certificate, hoping to resolve a name mismatch that has kept her and her daughter in limbo since her husband’s death. The document, signed by poet Joy Goswami, is the key evidence in a SIR hearing marriage certificate Kolkata case that could finally straighten out the legal identity of the late poet Bhaskar Chakraborty. Background / Context The State Income Tax (SIR) department in West Bengal routinely conducts hearings to verify the authenticity of income‑tax returns and related documents. When a taxpayer’s name on official records…
In a startling discovery that has captured the imagination of wildlife enthusiasts across India, a camera trap in the Kurseong forest division of North Bengal has captured a rare moment: two melanistic leopards—commonly known as black leopards—standing side by side in a single frame. This unprecedented sighting is believed to be the first time that two black leopards have been photographed together in the Indian wild. Background/Context The Kurseong forest, part of the larger Dooars region, is renowned for its rich biodiversity and dense evergreen cover. Over the past decade, conservationists have deployed more than 20 camera traps across the…
In a startling discovery that could reshape wildlife conservation in India, two melanistic leopards were captured on camera in the dense forests of Kurseong, West Bengal. The footage, released by the Forest Department, shows the black-coated big cats side by side, a sight that experts say may be the first of its kind in the Indian wild. Background/Context Melanism, the genetic condition that gives animals a darker coat, is relatively rare in leopards. While the species is widespread across Asia, black leopards are usually solitary and elusive. Kurseong, part of the Dooars region, has long been a hotspot for biodiversity,…