Bengal
With just a day left for the opening of the 49th International Kolkata Book Fair, the Boimela prangon in saltlake awaits to attract crowd from all across the globe. The usual winter afternoon calm is broken by the sound of hammering, and the smell of fresh paint as workers are determined to complete the preparations on time.
The Supreme Court on Monday (January 19, 2026) criticised the Election Commission for the “stress and strain” caused, through its ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise, to the ordinary people of the State of West Bengal, where 1.36 crore people, almost 20% of the population, have received notices from the poll body to explain “logical discrepancies” in their names and family backgrounds
Ruling dispensation Trinamool Congress and principal Opposition outfit BJP are shouting of reaping political advantage before Assembly election even though dust is yet to settle on a Enforcement Directorate (ED) raid at two offices of I-PAC in Kolkata recently. With chief minister and TMC supremo, Mamata Banerjee storming into the office of I-PAC, her party’s political consultant and emerging with a green file and a lap top stated to be containing TMC poll game plan, senior TMC leaders are claiming political advantage while her action is being looked upon as an instance of obstructing governmental investigation by the saffron camp.
The government of West Bengal has made a crucial move towards streamlining the process for issuing Scheduled Caste (SC) certificates. In a recent assembly of the West Bengal Scheduled Castes Advisory Council, led by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, it was resolved to ease the requirements for applicants who cannot provide their parents’ caste certificates. Presently, applicants must present the caste certificates of two blood relatives, but the government plans to amend this to just one blood relative’s certificate.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has recorded statements from former Trinamool Congress (TMC) Lok Sabha member and Bengali actress Mimi Chakraborty as part of its investigation into an alleged illegal betting app, 1xBet. This probe falls under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
The second SLST (School Level Selection Test) administered by the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC) to hire assistant teachers to teach children in classes 11 and 12 in state-aided schools became a historic event in state education system and administration history when 93 percent of the students came to take the test.
The puja committee of the Dakshindari Youth Club in Kolkata has made a courageous move this year with their Durga Puja theme, ‘Dahan’, which means “being burned” or the aftermath of burn injuries. This theme honors survivors of acid attacks and seeks to increase awareness of this horrific crime.
In a gesture of goodwill, the interim government of Bangladesh has declared its intention to supply 1,200 tonnes of hilsa fish to India in anticipation of the upcoming Durga Puja festivities this month. An official release, issued on Monday (September 8, 2025), stated that the decision had been made “in principle” and called for fish exporters to submit their applications by September 11.
The West Bengal Assembly on Thursday (September 4, 2025) witnessed unprecedented protests during the debate on a resolution condemning ill-treatment of Bengali migrants in other parts of the country. Five legislators, including the party’s chief whip Sankar Ghosh, were suspended for disrupting proceedings of the House.
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