Page 5 - West Bengal

Bengal school job aspirants protest over fair recruitment process

A section of school job aspirants, who appeared for recent exams conducted by WBSSC, staged a demonstration in Salt Lake on the eastern fringes of Kolkata on Thursday, demanding fair recruitment in government-aided schools. They gathered at Karunamoyee Metro station and took out a one-km march to Bikash Bhavan, the state education department headquarters. The agitators, who appeared for the State Level Selection Test (SLST) conducted by the West Bengal School Service Commission on September 7 and 14, were demanding the abolition of the provision of awarding 10 extra marks to untainted teachers who lost their jobs following a Supreme Court order and have participated in the fresh exams. The Supreme Court ordered the sacking of 25,753 teaching and non-teaching staff at state-aided schools, describing the 2016 recruitment process as vitiated and tainted. The protesters claimed the 10-grace-marks provision would deprive new candidates and violate the norms that ensure a level playing .

Fewer than 7,000 clear West Bengal TET 2023 for over 13,000 teacher posts

The results of the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) 2023 were published by the West Bengal Board of Primary Education on Wednesday, with less than 7,000 candidates of the 2.73 lakh who appeared in the test qualifying in the examination. A total of 2,73,147 candidates had appeared in the TET examination held in December 2023 for filling up posts of 13,421 teachers for classes 1 to 5. Of the 2,73,147 candidates who appeared in the TET 2023 examination, a total of 6,754 or 2.47 per cent of candidates have qualified in the test, a senior official of the West Bengal Board of Primary Education said. "We will analyse the reasons behind the less than 3 per cent candidates qualifying in the TET and share with you our findings later on after the Pujas," the official said. The Board earlier posted the 'Final Answer Keys' to all question codes on its website. WBBPE Secretary Ranjan Kumar Jha said in the notice that all registered candidates who appeared on December 24, 2023, examination for ...

Kolkata rains: 7 dead, over 30 flights cancelled amid heavy downpour

As rain-battered Kolkata struggle with widespread flooding and electrocution, CM Mamata Banerjee slammed poor dredging of the Farakka barrage and lapses by a private power utility for the crisis

Low pressure to bring heavy rain to south Bengal this week, says IMD

A low-pressure area formed over the Bay of Bengal is likely to bring heavy rain in several districts in the southern part of West Bengal till September 24, the IMD said on Monday. Moderate rain is also likely to happen in the same region till September 27. The IMD said that heavy to very heavy rainfall (7-20 cm) is very likely to occur at one or two places over South 24 Parganas district and heavy rain (7-11 cm) will take place at one or two places over Purba and Paschim Medinipur, North 24 Parganas, Kolkata, Purba Bardhaman, Howrah and Hooghly districts of south Bengal till Tuesday morning. Heavy rainfall is likely to occur in Purba and Paschim Medinipur, South 24 Parganas, Jhargram and Bankura districts thereafter till Wednesday, it said. The IMD said that another low-pressure area is likely to form over the Bay of Bengal around September 25 and become a depression the next day. The Met office said that squally weather, with surface wind speed reaching 35 to 45 kmph gusting to

Amit Mitra flags US tariff concerns, outlines Bengal's economic plan

At MCCI's annual general meeting in Kolkata, Amit Mitra voiced concern over US tariffs while highlighting Bengal's growth strategy and central tax devolution issues

IMD predicts heavy rainfall in north Bengal districts till September 20

The IMD on Thursday forecast heavy rain in the northern part of West Bengal till September 20 owing to an upper air circulation over east Bihar and strong moisture incursion. In south Bengal, light to moderate rainfall is likely at many places with thunderstorms and lightning and at a few places in some districts till September 22, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) said. Heavy rain is likely in the sub-Himalayan districts of Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Jalpaiguri, Alipurduar and Cooch Behar till September 20, it said. Malda in north Bengal received the highest rainfall in 24 hours till 8.30 am on Thursday at 34 mm, followed by Alipurduar at 31 mm, the Met data said.

PM Modi inaugurates 16th Armed Forces Commanders' Conference in Kolkata

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the three-day Combined Commanders' Conference (CCC) of the armed forces at the Eastern Command headquarters here on Monday. The conference is the apex brainstorming forum of the armed forces, bringing together the nation's top civil and military leadership to exchange views at the conceptual and strategic levels, a Defence official said. Coming in the backdrop of Operation Sindoor, this year's meet will focus on reforms, transformation, change, and operational preparedness. The theme is 'Year of Reforms Transforming for the Future.' "The focus of the conference reflects the armed forces' commitment to institutional reforms, deeper integration and technological modernisation, while sustaining a high level of multi-domain operational readiness," the official added. The PM arrived here on Sunday evening from Assam and will leave the city in the afternoon for Purnea in Bihar. Operation Sindoor, which was conceived as a punitive and targete

Policybazaar reports 60% offline growth in West Bengal insurance sales

Insurance broker Policybazaar on Wednesday said its offline business in West Bengal was growing at 60 per cent and made up nearly 30 per cent of its total policy sales in the state. The company, which has a presence in at least 80 cities, opened 15 offices and point-of-sale outlets across the country last fiscal, an official said. "Offline sales are picking up fast for Policybazaar, and already account for about one-third of our business in Bengal. The growth will be around 60 per cent, and we expect to maintain the traction," said Gaurav Surana, Deputy Vice President (East) Life Insurance at Policybazaar. West Bengal has emerged as a key market for term insurance, contributing 26 per cent of the overall policy count in FY'25, he said. He said that the GST waiver on insurance will further boost growth. Surana said educated and salaried customers form the bulk of insurance buyers in West Bengal. "Graduates and above make up 80.1 per cent of policyholders in Bengal, higher than the

Mamata shifts stay to monitor Nepal situation amid network issues

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who is on a three-day administrative tour of north Bengal, shifted her place of stay from the Kanyashree bungalow to Uttarkanya due to mobile connectivity issues, a senior official said on Wednesday. "It is reported that there were network issues at the Kanyashree bungalow, which made it difficult for her to stay updated on the developments in Nepal. As a result, the CM shifted to Uttarkanya on Tuesday night to monitor the situation more closely," the official told PTI. Later, the Trinamool Congress posted a photo of the party supremo sitting in 'Uttarkanya' and monitoring the situation in the riot-hit neighbouring nation. Uttarkanya is a building in Siliguri which houses the temporary state secretariat for the North Bengal Development Department of West Bengal "The unfolding situation in our neighbouring country, Nepal, is a matter of deep concern. Placing the interests of the state above all else, our compassionate Chief Minister, remai

Hilsa prices to pinch pockets this Puja despite Bangladesh exports: Traders

The Md Yunus government in Bangladesh may have chosen to honour the commitment of culinary tradition and issue a notification to export hilsa to India ahead of the festive season, but fish importers in West Bengal aren't sure whether the move will broaden smiles of the average middle class waiting to savour the delight of Padmar Ilish' this Durga Puja. Fish traders on this side of the international border attribute dual factors of lower quantity of export from Bangladesh compared to previous years, as well as higher cost of imports, as reasons behind the high prices of 'rupali shosyo', which means 'silver crop'. Putting apprehensions of an export freeze on hilsa to rest, the Bangladesh government's notice on Monday stated that it has approved in-principle the conditional export of 1200 metric tonnes of hilsa to India this year, in keeping with its traditional Durga Puja gift to Bengalis in India. For this, the Md Yunus government has invited applications from interested exporters i

ED raids multiple sites in West Bengal over sand smuggling racket

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday launched a series of coordinated raids in various locations of West Bengal, including Kolkata, targeting individuals and businesses that were found to be allegedly involved in a sand smuggling racket, a senior official said. Raids are being carried out in several areas, including Behala, Regent Park, Bidhannagar, and Kalyani, in connection with the scam, he said. The ED officials conducting the raids were accompanied by a large number of personnel of the central security forces. At the centre of the operation was Sheikh Jahirul, a prominent figure in the racket in Jhargram district of West Bengal. ED sleuths were conducting searches at his sprawling residence near Subarnarekha River in Gopiballavpur, he added. "Searches are underway at Jahirul's residence, office and vehicles. He is accused of being heavily involved in the illegal sand extraction and trade business," the official said. Incidentally, Jahirul, who owns several sand mines, h

Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury urges toilet facilities on 9 Sealdah-Lalgola trains

Chowdhury said passengers, especially from Murshidabad, face severe hardships as EMU-MEMU trains lack toilets, calling it an "egregious act of inhumanity" by railway authorities

Bengal govt undertakes cleanup drive to scrap its 22,000 'aged' vehicles

In an initiative aimed at modernising its fleet, the West Bengal government has launched a massive cleanup drive to scrap its nearly 22,000 vehicles that are over 15 years old, a senior official said. The process, which is already underway, seeks to decommission the old vehicles used by various government departments, most notably police and transport, he said. The state government is emphasising replacing these old vehicles with electric ones, he said. "At least 698 vehicles from the police department, 481 from the transport sector, and 710 from various public sector undertakings have been earmarked for decommissioning," the official told PTI. "In addition, departments such as Public Works, Panchayat, and Public Health Engineering (PHE) have collectively listed over 19,000 vehicles for scrapping, bringing the total number close to 22,000," he added. The transport department has begun the identification of these 'aged' vehicles and initiated their removal from service, the officia

WB minister Chandranath Sinha surrenders before ED in school jobs scam case

West Bengal minister Chandranath Sinha on Saturday surrendered before an Enforcement Directorate (ED) court here in connection with its investigation into alleged irregularities in primary school recruitment, an official said. According to sources in the central agency, Sinha, who is West Bengal's minister in charge of micro, small and medium enterprises and textiles, appeared before the special ED court in Kolkata earlier in the day and formally surrendered in compliance with court orders. The ED sought his custody, but the court granted him an interim bail on a personal bond of Rs 10,000, subject to conditions, the official said. The court stated that although bail has been granted, Sinha will not be allowed to leave his assembly constituency or Kolkata for the time being. "He must cooperate with the investigation. These conditions must be followed until the hearings related to the case are concluded," the ED official said, quoting the court order. Sinha's legal counsel, when ..

Bengal CEO holds internal talks ahead of Election Commission meet in Delhi

In the run-up to a crucial meeting with Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar next week, West Bengal CEO Manoj Kumar Agarwal is set to hold internal discussions with officials concerned on the state's electoral preparedness on Saturday and Monday, a source in the poll panel said. The Election Commission of India (ECI) has "shown interest in replicating" Bihar's special intensive revision of electoral rolls in other states and the proactive steps are being viewed as "introductions to electoral readiness", he said. "The execution of the special intensive revision (SIR) in Bihar has garnered nationwide attention, with other states reportedly looking to learn from its approach. "Ahead of the Delhi meeting, the CEO's office is organising two rounds of consultations focused on the SIR and electoral preparedness. The first of these meetings will be an internal review on Saturday and then a comprehensive statewide assessment on Monday," the source told PTI. During these sessions, ...

WBSSC publishes notice to fill 35,726 teaching posts in state schools

West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC) on Friday published a notification to fill 35,726 teaching posts in state-run secondary and higher secondary schools across the state. An official said the notice, now available on the official WBSSC website, accounts for the 17 per cent OBC quota as per the state government's reservation policy, in addition to posts for general category candidates. Of the 35,726 teaching posts - 12,514 are for classes 11-12 and 23,212 for classes 9-10, he said. The notice follows the Supreme Court's recent stay on a Calcutta High Court order, which had challenged the implementation of the state's OBC policy in school teacher appointments.

Mulling options to appoint tainted teachers to Group C, D posts: CM Mamata

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday said her government was exploring legal options to appoint tainted teachers of the 2016 SSC exam to Group C and D posts. Speaking at a programme to observe Teachers' Day here, she also said the state government has initiated the recruitment process of untainted candidates of the 2016 school teacher recruitment test. "I am consulting legal experts on options of appointing tainted' teachers to Group C and D posts. For those who have been teaching for years now, but have been marked ineligible', I am trying to seek a legal solution... Maybe, they could be recruited in Group C and D posts," Banerjee said. "We look at things not through a political prism, but from a human perspective," she said.

Governors cannot examine legislative competence of bills: WB tells SC

The West Bengal government on Wednesday told the Supreme Court that the governor cannot examine the legislative competence of a bill passed by the assembly. A five-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice BR Gavai was told by senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for West Bengal, that since Independence there is hardly any example where the President has withheld a bill passed by Parliament because it is the will of the people. Advancing his argument before a bench also comprising Justices Surya Kant, Vikram Nath, PS Narasimha and AS Chandurkar, on the seventh day of hearing on the Presidential reference on whether the court could impose timelines for governors and President to deal with bills passed by state assemblies, Sibal submitted that legislative competence of a bill has to be tested in courts. "A legislation can be challenged in a court of law by citizens or by somebody else. It's in the rarest and rare case that a Governor says I cannot give assent to the bills and

WBSSC assures SC no tainted candidates will be allowed in fresh SLST exams

The West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC) has started finalising the list of tainted candidates from the 2016 State Level Selection Test (SLST), abiding by the Supreme Court's directive, and assured that none of them will be allowed to appear in the fresh recruitment exams, an official said on Friday. A senior SSC official said the commission's legal team has already submitted an undertaking to the apex court promising to submit the list of "tainted" candidates within a week. "Our lawyers have already given undertaking to the apex court about submitting the list of 'tainted' teachers within a week, relating to the 2016 teacher recruitment test. The process is in full swing. This much we can tell you," he told PTI on Friday evening. Dismissing concerns about tainted individuals being issued admit cards for the upcoming SLST exams scheduled on September 7 and 14, the official added, "Our lawyers assured the apex court on record that not a single tainted candidate will be allow

US tariff shock to hit Bengal's leather, marine, and engineering exports

The additional 25 per cent tariff imposed by US President Donald Trump on India is set to deliver a major blow to West Bengal's export-driven economy, with the state's labour-intensive leather, engineering and marine sectors expecting losses ahead of the festive season, stakeholders said. The increased levies on Indian products for the country's purchases of Russian oil came into effect on Wednesday, bringing the total amount of tariff imposed on New Delhi to 50 per cent. Exporters said shipments and even production are "currently on hold", amid geopolitical headwinds, intensified by the US tariffs. According to trade estimates, the move will impact at least Rs 45,000 crore worth of Indian exports, with Bengal among the "hardest-hit" states. Labour-intensive industries are under severe pressure. In marine exports, the maximum of Bengal's annual shipments may collapse," Yogesh Gupta, regional chairman (east) of the Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) and a leading marin