West Bengal has formally initiated the process of implementing the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), with the state government constituting a high-level committee to prepare a draft of the proposed legislation. The panel will be headed by former Supreme Court judge Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai.

A structural disaster unfolded at West Bengal’s premier referral healthcare facility on Thursday, June 25, 2026, when an intense afternoon downpour triggered catastrophic waterlogging across the lower levels of SSKM Hospital (IPGMER) in Kolkata. The immediate infrastructure failure severely compromised patient safety as highly contaminated drain water breached the Cardiology and Gynecology departments, submerging expensive, low-standing life-saving medical equipment and trapping hundreds of vulnerable individuals. Within an hour, patient wards were transformed into hazardous zones with saline bottles, disposable gloves, and medical supplies floating across the floors, forcing distressed patients to sit cramped with their legs pulled up on their beds to avoid direct contact with the septic influx. The operational crisis reached a flashpoint when rising water invaded the primary lift shafts, forcing engineers to isolate power to the elevators for safety reasons. Left with no mechanical transport, desperate family members were forced to physically lift and carry critical patients on stretchers through knee-deep sludge to access upper-floor intensive care units. While the hospital administration and the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) subsequently deployed heavy-duty suction pumps to slowly drain the facility by late evening, the operational breakdown has ignited fierce criticism regarding monsoon contingency infrastructure at the state’s flagship medical hub.

A fresh controversy has emerged in West Bengal after reports suggested that eggs may no longer be served in mid-day meals at several government and government-aided schools in Kolkata. The development comes after the state government decided to engage ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness) to provide cooked meals under the PM POSHAN scheme in schools under the Kolkata Municipal Corporation area.

A massive multi-agency rescue operation is underway in west Kolkata’s Taratala area after a three-storey, under-construction warehouse collapsed on Wednesday afternoon, killing at least five workers and injuring 20 others. Authorities fear that between 12 and 18 labourers remain trapped beneath the heavy wreckage.

In a major move to decentralize authority and bring civic administration closer to the people, the West Bengal government has announced the creation of five new districts and several urban civic bodies.

Kolkata is set to get a second airport as the West Bengal government announced an ambitious aviation infrastructure expansion plan in its 2026 budget.