Two days after a chunk of the Majerhat bridge, a key connector between south and southwestern Kolkata, collapsed, killing three persons and leaving more than 20 injured, the West Bengal government made a startling revelation. After a meeting with officials of different Departments, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said 20 bridges …

What happened? Public health officials had warned of the likelihood of outbreak of infectious diseases in the aftermath of the Kerala floods, and the State is battling a disease called leptospirosis, commonly known as ‘rat fever.’ Officials have confirmed 143 cases, with six deaths in the first four days of …

Diplomats praise new skills ofrural women A group of 45 women from 10 countries, ‘solar mamas’ who learnt the skills needed for the fabrication of solar panels, lights and photovoltaic circuits in a six-month-long training programme, were felicitated at a ‘graduation ceremony’ at the Barefoot College here on Saturday. Diplomats …

Ministry, board to break impasse Seven months after the Information and Broadcasting Ministry and the state broadcaster Prasar Bharati locked horns over DD Free Dish, there is hope that the Ministry and the board will soon reach a solution. DD Free Dish reaches 2.4 crore households, which get 80 TV …

Annual research, travel grants to go Citing “continued limitations posed by the budgetary provisions from the Department of Science and Technology (DST)” the New Delhi-based Indian National Science Academy (INSA) has decided to “dispense with” facilities given to researchers who had won the Young Scientist Award given by the Academy. …

Most of their names don’t feature in the NRC, says activist-lawyer Baruah The Supreme Court’s judgment on Article 377 decriminalising same sex relationships may have been celebrated across the country but not by the transgender community of Assam. Rather, it was a “difficult and glum day”, said Swati Bidhan Baruah, …

After their long battle, Supreme Court orders filing of chargesheets in 1,528 cases of extra-judicial killings under the contentious AFSPA September 8 was the grim anniversary of the imposition of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958, (AFSPA) in Manipur in 1980. Allegations of extra-judicial excesses and killings by security …

The pact gives both countries access to designated military facilities in specific areas The India-U.S. foundational agreement for mutual logistics support, the Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA), has been fully operationalised over the past few months, official sources said. Earlier this week, India concluded the third foundational agreement, Communications …

A photo journey through pockets of unimaginable destruction in flood-ravaged Kerala A once-in-a-century natural disaster throws up macabre scenes that become part of the collective memory of a population. The recent floods and landslips in Kerala have devastated the State so much that a considerable part of its hard-earned physical …

After PMO intervention, NITI Aayog approves guidelines The NITI Aayog has approved the supplementary nutrition guidelines, prepared by the Ministry for Women and Child Development, bypassing Minister for Women and Child Development Maneka Gandhi following intervention by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), according to a person familiar with the development. …