In a striking reversal of the usual winter slump, Kolkata restaurant footfall surged to record highs in January, with diners flocking to eateries across the city for festive celebrations that began with Saraswati Puja and are set to continue through Republic Day. Background and Context For years, the cold months of December and January have been a quiet period for Kolkata’s hospitality sector, as families stay indoors and the city’s nightlife takes a backseat to the scorching summer heat. However, the recent festive calendar has flipped that trend on its head. The city’s culinary scene has been buoyed by a…
Author: Map of Netherlands
In a landmark move aimed at bolstering breast cancer awareness and treatment adherence, the Institute of Breast Disease (IBD) in Kolkata has unveiled two new mobile applications—ME App and ChemoCare—designed to empower women across the city and beyond. The launch, attended by Dr Swapan Saren, Director of Health Services for West Bengal, marks a significant step toward integrating technology with frontline cancer care. Background/Context Breast cancer remains the most common malignancy among Indian women, with an estimated 1.2 million new cases each year. Early detection and consistent treatment are critical for improving survival rates, yet many patients in Kolkata and surrounding districts face…
Kolkata has unveiled two pioneering breast cancer mobile apps that promise to transform early detection and treatment adherence for women across the state. The Institute of Breast Disease (IBD) launched the ME App and ChemoCare on January 23, 2026, in a ceremony attended by Dr Swapan Saren, Director of Health Services, West Bengal, and Principal Secretary (Education) Binod Kumar. The move follows a national push to harness digital health tools for cancer care. Background / Context India’s breast cancer burden has surged, with the National Cancer Registry reporting an estimated 1.2 million new cases in 2025 alone. Early detection remains the single most effective…
Two Bengali migrant workers were found dead in separate incidents in Andhra Pradesh and Kerala within the past 24 hours, sparking a wave of concern across the country about the safety of migrant labourers. The first case involved 32‑year‑old Manjur Alam Laskar, who had been working in Andhra Pradesh for nearly a decade before returning home and then going back to the state. The second case concerns 29‑year‑old Alamgir Alam, who disappeared after leaving his family in Malda and was later discovered dead beside a railway track near a Chennai station. Background / Context Migrant workers from West Bengal have long been a…
Coal India Limited (CIL) has announced a decisive shift toward silo-based coal loading to boost the quality of domestic coal supplies. The move, aimed at enhancing consistency and transparency in coal dispatches, will see the company ramp up mechanised loading at its subsidiary plants, integrating automated samplers to eliminate human error. Background/Context India’s power sector relies heavily on coal, with CIL supplying roughly 70% of the country’s coal demand. In recent years, concerns over fluctuating coal quality have prompted scrutiny from power utilities and regulators. The Fuel Supply Agreement (FSA) mandates impartial quality assessment, requiring independent third‑party sampling agencies (TPSAs)…
A BJP worker’s shop and home were set ablaze in the Nandanpur village of Bankura district on Wednesday night, sparking a fresh wave of political tension ahead of the state assembly elections. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has already blamed the Trinamool Congress (TMC) for the attack, alleging that TMC-backed miscreants targeted the party worker with the intent to kill him and his family. Background/Context Bankura, a district that has seen a surge in political violence over the past year, is now once again in the spotlight. The BJP and TMC have been locked in a bitter rivalry as the…
In a chilling incident that has sent shockwaves through West Bengal’s political landscape, a BJP worker’s home and pharmacy in Nandanpur village, Bankura district, were attacked on Wednesday night. The assault, which left the premises charred and the victim’s family in danger, has been immediately blamed by the BJP on the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC), heightening tensions ahead of the state’s assembly elections. Background/Context West Bengal’s 2026 assembly elections are set to be a battleground between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Trinamool Congress (TMC). The BJP, seeking to expand its foothold in the eastern state, has been aggressively…
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested a 70‑year‑old witness in the 2007 Nandigram gang‑rape case on Thursday, only to grant her bail the same day. The move has ignited a fresh political row in West Bengal, with opposition parties accusing the agency of political interference and the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) decrying the arrest as “inhumane” and “politically motivated.” Background and Context The Nandigram gang‑rape case, which first came to light in 2007, remains one of the most controversial criminal investigations in the state. The alleged crime involved a group of men who allegedly assaulted a young woman in…
The Calcutta High Court has ordered a fresh review of the premature release of a 51‑year‑old convict who has spent 32 years behind bars for the murder of his former employer. In a landmark decision, the bench directed the judicial department to reconsider the case within three weeks, challenging the earlier refusal that cited the risk of further offences. Background and Context In 1995, Babulal Jadab, also known as Babulal Yadav, and his brother Kailash were convicted of murdering their former employer on Sarat Bose Road. Both received life sentences, a verdict upheld on appeal in 2007. Over the decades,…
In a swift operation that unfolded on the evening of January 22, Kolkata Police and the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) thwarted an illegal attempt to fill a pond in the Chakgaria neighbourhood. Residents had alerted authorities to a group of men allegedly dumping construction debris into a water body that had long served as a vital ecological asset for the local community. The police, acting on the tip, conducted a joint inspection on December 30 and filed a First Information Report (FIR) on Wednesday, marking a decisive step against illegal pond filling Kolkata. Background and Context Kolkata, a city grappling…