FEATURE STORY
In a major revision to military recruitment rules, the Union Cabinet has lengthened the service period of Agniveers from four to six years, offering the 75% cohort previously slated for civilian discharge an additional two-year engagement and a subsequent route to regular military enrollment. Announced by CDS General N.S. Raja Subramani just ahead of the first batch’s retirement dates, the overhaul also reverses recruitment stages by putting written tests ahead of physical trials.
Celebrated British actor Sir Patrick Stewart has passed away at the age of 86. Rising from a childhood marked by domestic hardship and going completely bald by age 19, Stewart built a formidable career with the Royal Shakespeare Company before capturing global stardom as Captain Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek and Professor X in the X-Men franchise. Knighted in 2010, the Yorkshire-born legend proved that classical discipline and character can redefine modern popular culture.
Septuagenarian CPI(M) whole-timer Bipul Dasgupta has emerged as the face of peaceful resistance in West Bengal after standing ground with folded hands against a mob attempting to tear down a Left book stall in Nagerbazar during Durga Puja. The incident, set against a broader ideological row over the festival’s nomenclature, drew widespread condemnation from civil society as well as senior saffron figures including State Finance Minister Swapan Dasgupta and the RSS, prompting a large solidarity march from Kolkata’s College Street on October 29.
Political tensions in West Bengal escalated sharply after TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee alleged that BJP supporters attacked his Kalighat residence in Kolkata early Saturday, marking what he called the seventh attempt on his life in six months.
Dalal Street ushered in Samvat 2083 on an auspicious note as benchmark indices extended their winning streak to eight straight sessions during Sunday’s special Diwali Muhurat trading session. The BSE Sensex jumped over 400 points to touch an intra-day high of 81,442.11, while the Nifty 50 climbed past 25,130, propelled by strong retail participation in broader markets, over ₹38,971 crore in November FII inflows, softening crude prices, and blockbuster Q2 earnings led by Bharti Airtel, Titan, and ONGC.
India’s most expensive cinematic production—a mega-budget retelling of the beloved Hindu epic Ramayana—has divided film critics and cultural purists even as it draws packed crowds across theatres. While audiences have celebrated its ambitious visual scale and star-studded lineup, the film faces sharp pushback over colloquial language, creative departures from classical texts, and an over-reliance on visual effects at the expense of emotional depth.