This second tranche of citizenship certificates were issued on Wednesday, days before the final phase of voting for Lok Sabha polls on June 1.
Protests erupted in various parts of West Bengal on Sunday over alleged atrocities against Hindu minorities in Bangladesh. Demonstrations were held in Kolkata, Kanthi, Kakdwip, Sandeshkhali and Purulia, with protesters calling for the release of Hindu leader Chinmoy Krishna Das and boycotting Bangladeshi goods. They condemned the alleged targeting of Hindus in Bangladesh and the hate-driven narratives against India. The protests also saw the burning of Dhakai Jamdani sarees from Bangladesh.
Opposition parties in India, led by the Congress, have demanded a detailed discussion in Parliament on alleged discrepancies in voter lists. Rahul Gandhi raised the issue in the Lok Sabha, highlighting concerns about the integrity of the electoral process. The opposition alleges large-scale duplication of EPIC numbers, which they claim undermines voter integrity and the electoral process. They have also pointed out instances of inflated voter lists in states like Maharashtra and Haryana. The Election Commission has acknowledged discrepancies but maintains that these are not widespread and that corrective measures are being taken. The opposition, however, insists on a comprehensive discussion on the matter to ensure the integrity of elections in India.
In a rerun of the 'Reclaim the Night' campaign, hundreds of women took to the streets in Kolkata and other parts of West Bengal on Sunday night, demanding justice for the alleged rape and murder of a doctor in the state-run R G Kar Medical College and Hospital.
Demanding the resignation of the state's health secretary and director of health education, the striking medics said that they would also take out a rally to 'Swasthya Bhavan' - the headquarters of the health department in Salt Lake - on Tuesday noon.
The Election Commission of India has initiated the process to hold the vice presidential election following Jagdeep Dhankhar's resignation. The electoral college is being constituted, and the election schedule will be announced soon.
A 100-year-old freedom fighter from Goa, a Dhak player from West Bengal who trained 150 women in the male-dominated field, and India's first woman puppeteers are among 30 unsung heroes who were awarded Padma Shri on Republic Day. Libia Lobo Sardesai, who played an important role in Goa's freedom movement, cofounded an underground radio station -- 'Voz da Liberdabe (Voice of Freedom)' -- in a forested area in 1955 to rally people against the Portuguese rule. She has been awarded the Padma Shri by the President on the occasion of 76th Republic Day. Also among the awardees is Gokul Chandra Dey, a 57-year-old Dhak player from West Bengal who broke the gender stereotype by training 150 women in the male-dominated field. Dey also created a lightweight Dhak type, 1.5 kg less than the conventional instrument, and represented India at various international platforms and performed with Maestros like Pandit Ravi Shankar and Ustad Zakir Hussain. A vocal advocate of woman empowerment, 82-year-old Sally Holkar transformed once dying Maheshwari craft and founded Handloom school in Maheshwar, Madhya Pradesh, to give training in traditional weaving techniques. Born in America and Inspired by Rani Ahilyabai Holkar's legacy, she devoted five decades of her life to revitalise 300-year-old weaving legacy. She has also been awarded Padma Shri.
Jagdeep Dhankhar's sudden resignation as Vice President has led to speculation about underlying political tensions and disagreements with the ruling alliance.
The judgment will impact a sizeable number of people in the state, according to a lawyer involved in the matter.
An Indian delegation led by the BJP's Ravi Shankar Prasad will tour key European capitals to expose Pakistan's role in cross-border terrorism and State-sponsored extremism.
'If the INDIA bloc ever forms the government, they will be more than tempted to use such provisions to bring about regime change in BJP-ruled states.'
Senior police officials said they received a complaint and are looking into it.
The Calcutta high court on Tuesday directed that a resolution by the special college council members of R G Kar Medical College and Hospital to suspend 57 medics/students will not be effected, until and unless a decision is arrived at by the West Bengal government in this regard.
According to a parliamentary response by the Union health ministry in 2023, around 654,000 families in Delhi are eligible to enrol under the scheme.
'Militants are taking over the administration. Fundamentalists have been released from jail.'
Union Minister Chirag Paswan predicts Nitish Kumar will be Bihar CM again after elections, criticizes opposition for targeting the Army and questioning Operation Sindoor.
A woman died and four others were critical after the delivery of babies at a state-run hospital in West Bengal's Paschim Medinipur district allegedly due to the administration of expired intravenous fluid, prompting the health department to order an investigation, officials said on Saturday.
The collective West has always opposed strong leaders and economic development in India, asserts Colonel Anil A Athale (retd).
The situation remained tense but peaceful during the day, amid heavy police deployment in the area.
rediffGURU Nayagam PP, career counsellor and the founder of EduJob360, counsels students and aspiring professionals about how they can make the right career decision.
The elections in two eastern Indian states were keenly observed in Bangladesh for two major contentious issues, writes Prakash Bhandari from Dhaka.
Lambasting the Bharatiya Janata Party for allegedly bringing up the issues of NRC, CAA and Uniform Civil Code ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday asserted she would not allow anyone to take away the citizenship of people during her lifetime.
Intelligence Bureau (IB) officer Manish Ranjan, who was killed in the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam, had planned to take his parents to the Vaishno Devi shrine after returning from this vacation, one of his friends recounted. Ranjan, a section officer with the IB posted in Hyderabad, was among the 26 people killed in the terror attack on Tuesday. The attack was condemned by leaders and administrative officers, with many vowing to bring the perpetrators to justice.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday pledged to protect the rights of 'eligible candidates' who lost their jobs after a recent Supreme Court verdict, evoking mixed responses from the affected teachers, thousands of whom turned up to hear the leader speak but remained dangling between hope and despair after she finished.
Refusing to stop streaming live proceedings in the suo motu case related to the incident, the apex court said it was a matter of public interest and the public must know what is transpiring in the courtroom.
The cyclone ravaged adjacent coasts of the state and Bangladesh between Sagar Island and Khepupara, near the southwest of Mongla in the neighbouring country, after its landfall process began at 8.30 pm on Sunday.
Speaking in the assembly after tabling the Aparajita Woman and Child Bill (West Bengal Criminal Laws and Amendment) Bill 2024, Banerjee said the Bill aims at quick investigation, fast justice delivery and enhanced punishment of the guilty.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday accused NIA officials of attacking villagers in Purba Medinipur district, the BJP hit back at her saying that the attack on the NIA officials is Sandeshkhalli 2.0 orchestrated by the state.
The Supreme Court on Thursday criticised Kolkata Police for their 'extremely disturbing' delay in registering the case of a woman doctor who was raped and killed at RG Kar Hospital, while also urging the agitating doctors to return to work amid the fourteenth day of disruptions in healthcare services in Bengal's state-run hospitals.
'As we read and assess what is going on around us in the India of 2025, it is instructive to do this through the lens of 75 years ago and the events that led to the formation of the BJP as we know it,' recalls Aakar Patel.
The border forces of India and Bangladesh will hold their bi-annual talks next week in New Delhi, with issues such as border fence construction and attacks on BSF personnel and civilians by Bangladeshi miscreants figuring among the discussion points. The 55th Director General-Level Border Coordination Conference between BSF and the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) will be organised at the Border Security Force (BSF) headquarters in New Delhi between February 17-20. The conference will be the first top-level meeting between the two sides after the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government in August last year. Discussions will be held on prevention of attacks on BSF personnel and Indian civilians by Bangladesh-based miscreants/nationals, how to prevent trans-border crimes, construction of a single-row fence, action against Indian Insurgent Groups in Bangladesh, issues related to border infrastructure, joint efforts for effective implementation of the Coordinated Border Management Plan, Confidence Building Measures and other issues.
With the summer approaching sooner than scheduled, Maharashtra, Telangana, Odisha, and West Bengal have already started experiencing heat waves with temperatures soaring above 40°C.
The juggernaut of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance, which triumphed in three of the four east and north-eastern states that went for assembly bypolls on Saturday, was halted yet again in West Bengal where Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress registered a six-on-six clean sweep.
Agitating junior doctors in West Bengal continued their fast-unto-death for the third consecutive day on Monday, demanding justice for the rape and murder of a woman medic of the RG Kar hospital and workplace safety even as the state government remained silent to address their issues.
A civic volunteer, identified as Chandan Das (31), died on the spot when he allegedly touched a live wire in Bud Bud in Purba Bardhaman district. The incident happened when he was out with a police team, they said.
The ED officers are conducting raids at 15 places in the state during the day and Sajahan's house is one of them, an officer said.
The Central government has also sent a communication to Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar, seeking a detailed report on law and order situation and the steps being taken by the state government in maintaining peace and tranquility after Thursday's attack on Nadda's convoy, government officials said in New Delhi.
The JSW Group has expressed interest to develop a 900 MW pumped storage hydel power project and a state of the art rolling shop for steel in West Bengal, company chairman Sajjan Jindal said on Wednesday. He announced the projects while addressing the inaugural session of the Bengal Global Business Summit, organised by the state government, in Kolkata. "We are keenly pursuing a 900 MW hydro pumped storage project. "This will bring clean energy to the state and we hope to receive this prestigious project through a nomination from the state government," Jindal said.
In its response, the Ministry of Defence issued a statement saying tableaux proposals from states and Union territories and central ministries or departments are evaluated by an 'expert committee' comprising eminent persons in the fields of art, culture, painting, sculpture, music, architecture and choreography among others.
Malik had served as the 18th governor of Goa between November 3, 2019, and August 18, 2020.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances