Page 13 - West Bengal

Over 500K apply for 35,726 teacher posts in Bengal, says WBSSC chief

Over 5 lakh candidates have so far applied for 35,726 assistant teacher posts in state-run and state-aided schools in West Bengal, a senior official said on Thursday. An online application portal was launched on June 16 to facilitate the process, with the original July 14 deadline getting extended to July 21. The number of applicants is 5 lakh-plus already. We are expecting the figure to go up," Chairman of the West Bengal School Service Commission Siddhartha Majumdar told PTI. On May 30, the WBSSC had issued a notification for recruitment of 35,726 assistant teachers in Classes 9-12 in state-aided and state-run schools, in adherence to a Supreme Court directive. The top court had asked the state government to file a compliance affidavit on the initiation of the recruitment process on or before May 31. In April, the Supreme Court had scrapped the entire 2016 State Level Selection Test (SLST) recruitment panel, and annulled 25,753 appointments of teachers of Classes 9-12 as well as

West Bengal protest, Jio Black Rock gets Sebi’s approval, Israel's strike on Syria & more

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee led a protest in Kolkata against the alleged harassment of Bengali-speaking people in BJP-ruled states.

HC asks Centre to place litigation papers about Delhi HC deportations

The Calcutta High Court on Wednesday directed the Centre to place before it all records regarding litigations before the Delhi HC over the deportation of a few persons found to be illegally residing in the national capital. The court also verbally asked the central government's lawyer to "ascertain" whether there is any truth in the allegation that Bengali-speaking people were being questioned over their nationality in different places in the country after the West Bengal government's counsel raised the issue. However, no order was issued by the court on this matter. A division bench, presided by Justice Tapabrata Chakraborty, took up two habeas corpus petitions, alleging illegal detention of some people from West Bengal. The court directed the Centre to file an affidavit with regard to the petitioners' averment that they were already deported and that the issue was being litigated before the Delhi High Court. A habeas corpus petition is a legal remedy seeking direction to produce

Mamata to lead protest on harassment of Bengali speakers in other states

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will lead a protest march in Kolkata on Wednesday over alleged harassment of Bengali-speaking people in BJP-ruled states. The march will begin at College Square around 1 pm and conclude at Dharmatala in the heart of the city. Senior leaders of the party, including TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, will join the march. With less than a year left for the assembly elections in West Bengal, the TMC is raising its pitch over what it alleges is a systematic pattern of linguistic profiling, unlawful detentions, and attempts to brand Bengali speakers as "illegal immigrants". "This is not a routine political event," state minister Chandrima Bhattacharya said. "This is a battle to defend Bengal's honour, language and identity. If someone calls a Bengali a Bangladeshi, we will not take it lying down," she said. The TMC usually refrains from holding major public events in the run-up to its annual Shahid Dibas rally on July 21. But th

India offers help to restore Satyajit Ray's ancestral home in Bangladesh

The Indian government has offered to help restore the noted filmmaker's ancestral home in Mymensingh, Bangladesh, urging its preservation as a cultural landmark instead of being demolished

Mamata blames DVC water release for Bengal floods, cites Centre's neglect

West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee blames DVC for repeated floods due to excess water release and accuses the Centre of neglecting Bengal's flood management and relief needs

WBJEE result 2025: West Bengal Joint Entrance Exam result to be out soon

The WBJEE (West Bengal Joint Entrance Examination) 2025 was held on April 27, 2025. The WBJEE 2025 result announcement date has not yet been made official but is likely to be out soon

SC urges self-regulation, stresses value of free speech on social media

The Supreme Court on Monday said citizens must know the value of freedom of speech and expression and observe self regulation as it mulled guidelines to regulate offensive posts on social media. A bench comprising Justices B V Nagarathna and K V Viswanathan was hearing a plea of one Wazahat Khan booked in FIRs in several states, including West Bengal, for his objectionable posts on X against a Hindu deity. On June 23, the top court granted him interim protection from coercive action till July 14. Khan had filed a complaint against another social media influencer Sharmistha Panoli for allegedly making communal remarks in a video. Offensive comments should not be made in response to similar posts, his lawyer said in court. The citizens must know the value of the fundamental right of freedom of speech and expression. The State can step in case of violations Nobody wants the State to step in (sic), Justice Nagarathna said. The judge continued, All this divisive tendency on social med

Back to the future? Investment has remained a hurdle for West Bengal

Mr Chandrasekaran and Ms Banerjee reportedly discussed private-public partnerships in the context of economic growth in the state

Security cordon around Bengal secretariat as eligible teachers plan protest

Tight security arrangements have been made around West Bengal state secretariat 'Nabanna' in Howrah on Monday as "eligible teachers", whose jobs were annulled following a Supreme Court order, planned a protest march demanding their reinstatement, a senior police officer said. Although the route march of the 'Joggya Sikkhak Sikkhika Adhikar Mancha' (Deserving Teachers' Rights Forum) has not been finalised yet, Howrah City Police deployed senior officers at crucial junctions to maintain law and order, with a specific focus on major entry points to Nabanna. "We are focused on preventing any major disruption to daily life and keeping the situation under control. To stop any such attempt, iron barricades have been placed at four strategic locations in Howrah to halt the protesters from advancing toward the state secretariat," the officer said. Towering metal barriers have been erected at Bangabashi Crossing on GT Road, Ramkrishnapur Ghat Gate on Foreshore Road, Kazipara Crossing, and ...

7-year-old among 3 dead as heavy rain floods parts of Ghatal in West Bengal

Six Gram Panchayats of Ghatal block and 13 wards of Ghatal municipality have been inundated, affecting the lives of several people in the region

After Singur, a new chapter unfolds in Tata Group-West Bengal saga

A meeting between Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Tata Group Chairman N Chandrasekaran has rekindled hopes of fresh investments by the group in the state that goes to polls next year

NGT seeks response to Ganga Action Plan execution gaps in West Bengal

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed that deficiencies in the implementation of the Ganga Action Plan in West Bengal be specified by the state, NMCG and CPCB by way of affidavit. The NGT, while reviewing the status of Ganga pollution control measures in West Bengal, noted that partial action has been taken in the state to control the flow of polluting materials into the river, but untreated sewage continues to flow into it from several drains. Noting that several sewage treatment plants are either non-functional or not meeting the standards, the principal bench of the NGT, headed by chairman Justice Prakash Shrivastava, held that there are gaps in data, project execution and water quality. The NGT directed that the deficiencies and gaps noticed from disclosure made in reports of the state and the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) be "responded to" by way of affidavit by the chief secretary of West Bengal, the director general of National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG)

CM Omar Abdullah says tourism bouncing back in J&K post Pahalgam attack

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday said that there is an air of optimism about the revival of tourism in the Union Territory after the Pahalgam terror attack that left 26 people, mostly visitors, dead. Speaking at a travel and tourism event here, Abdullah said there is hope for a new beginning in J&K with tourism "bouncing back" after the terror attack. "2025 is not an easy year for us. The year can be divided into two parts - before and after the Pahalgam attack. We all see that tourism is bouncing back in J&K. There is a message of hope," Abdullah said. People of West Bengal are with J&K, he said, adding that the relationship between the two regions transcends over time in the context of "trust and affection". "West Bengal stood with J&K both politically and economically. We offer adventure and destination tourism. On the ground, there is an air of hope of a new beginning," the chief minister said. Abdullah assured that all necessary steps ...

Comeback after Singur: Tata Chairman Chandrasekaran calls on Mamata

The meeting marks the first between Tata Group's chairman and Mamata Banerjee, signalling renewed engagement and deeper investment intent in West Bengal

Trade union strike: Normal life remains unaffected; sporadic violence in WB

The trade unions claimed that the strike was successful, and a large number of workers abstained from work, impacting postal, banking, insurance, and mining sectors

Mamata seeks Niti Aayog's apology on misrepresented West Bengal map

The West Bengal CM said that the issue raised legitimate concerns about the rigor and reliability of Niti Aayog's work

Trade union strike: Daily life unaffected, sporadic violence in West Bengal

Normal life was not impacted in most parts of the country due to a nationwide strike called by several trade unions to protest against labour policies of the central government, though some sporadic incidents of violence were reported from West Bengal. However, the trade unions claimed that the strike was successful, and a large number of workers abstained from work, impacting the postal, banking, insurance, and mining sectors. Although the agitation remained by and large peaceful, reports of violence were received from pockets of West Bengal after Left-wing activists clashed with police and TMC supporters in various districts. In a statement, a forum of 10 trade unions said there was a bandh-like situation in many areas of the country, like Puducherry, Assam, Bihar, Jharkhand, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Kerala, West Bengal, Odisha, Karnataka, Goa, Meghalaya, and Manipur etc. Reports of partial bandhs were also received in many segments of Rajasthan, Haryana, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh,

Mamata slams NITI Aayog for map error showing Bihar as West Bengal

The error, found in the "Summary Report for the State of West Bengal" published on NITI Aayog's website, incorrectly depicted the territory of Bihar in place of West Bengal

Bharat Bandh: Services hit in Kerala, protesters lathicharged in Bengal

Trade unions have called a nationwide strike on July 9, protesting new labour codes, privatisation, inflation, job losses, and the Centre's alleged anti-worker policies