News Analysis India

Tag: West Bengal news

  • Post-Poll Violence: No Reservation If Central Forces’ Stay In Bengal Extended, Home Ministry To HC |

    The Union Home Ministry on Tuesday informed the Calcutta High Court that it has no reservation if the deployment of central forces in West Bengal is extended if the situation demands in the light of allegations of post-poll violence in the state.

    The court directed the Centre and the West Bengal government to assess the situation following the charges of post-poll violence as made by petitioners and disclose all relevant facts relating to these on the next date of hearing on June 21.

    During the hearing, Additional Solicitor General Asok Chakrabarti, representing the Union Home Ministry, submitted before the court that it has no reservations about extending deployment of central forces in the state if the situation demands.

    The counsel for Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, one of the petitioners in two PILs, submitted that a report by the West Bengal government states that till June 12, a total of 107 FIRs have been lodged and that 18 of these are not related to post-poll violence, claiming that thus it admits that post-poll violence was indeed occurring in the state.

    The seven-phase Lok Sabha elections in West Bengal concluded on June 1 and results were declared on June 4.

    A division bench presided by Justice Harish Tandon directed that the matter be listed for hearing again on June 21, till which date the central forces have already been directed by the court to stay put in Bengal.

    It was alleged by Adhikari and lawyer Priyanka Tibrewal in their separate PILs that people belonging to a particular political party were being subjected to atrocities following the conclusion of the Lok Sabha election process.

    The division bench, also comprising Justice Hiranmay Bhattacharyya, said that its main concern is the safety and security of the citizens as serious allegations have been made by the petitioners in the PILs.

    Appearing for the state, Advocate General Kishore Dutta said that the state government was doing its job in maintaining law and order.

    Petitioner-lawyer Priyanka Tibrewal claimed that she has a list of 250 people who were ousted from their homes for their political beliefs and were staying in a dharamshala in Kolkata.

    She sought to submit a supplementary affidavit in this regard before the court on the next date of hearing.

  • Mamata Calls BJP’s Ram Temple Inauguration A Gimmick Show, Says ‘I Swear On Ishwar-Allah…’ |

    Kolkata: West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday slammed the BJP for putting up a “gimmick show” by inaugurating the Ram temple in Ayodhya before the Lok Sabha elections. The TMC chief stated that “she does not endorse festivities that leave out other communities”. Speaking at a public event in Joynagar in South 24 Parganas district, Banerjee said she does not support dividing people on the basis of religion.

    “I have no problem, but it is not right to ignore the people of other communities. I swear by all gods that as long as I live, I will never discriminate between Hindus, Muslims and other communities ,” the West Bengal CM added further.

    “They (BJP) come during the elections and divide on the basis of religion. Yet they do not pay the dues of Bengal. We do what we say, we give free ration, they ask us to put BJP’s logo in our schemes, why should I put it?

    Mamata urged the voters to get their added to the voter list and advised them to not get cut off from voter list or otherwise they (BJP will shout CAA, they will shout NRC.

    “Remember, those whose name is not in the voter list, join the voter list. They were asking me about the Ram temple, as if there is only one work and nothing else,” she added.

    The Ram temple in Ayodhya will be inaugurated on January 22, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and more than 6,000 people expected to attend the ‘Pran Pratistha’ ceremony.

  • Kolkata Diary: All that is happening in the ‘City of Joy’

    Express News Service
    Private hospitals’ help sought for ramping up vaccine drive

    The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) has sought the help of private hospitals to ramp up COVID-19 vaccination in the city and offered properties belonging to it for private units to organise off-site vaccination drives.

    The issues related to vaccination were discussed during a meeting with senior officials of private hospitals at the civic headquarters on Thursday. The hospitals were asked to place more orders for vaccines than what they are doing now so that more people can be brought under the vaccination net.

    The state government will help source COVID vaccines for private hospitals so that they do not have to slow down their vaccination pace because of any supply issues, said the officials.

    Formula to evaluate Class 12 students ready

    In lieu of Class 12 examinations in the 2020-21 academic year, the Bengal higher secondary council has decided to evaluate students by giving 40 per cent weightage to their performance in Class 10 board exams and 60 per cent in class 11 annual exams.

    The state education department decided to scrap Higher Secondary 2021 exams because of the surge in COVID cases.

    Instead, it has decided that combined weightage of the two exams (Class 10 and Class 11) will be added to 30-mark practicals (for lab-based subjects) or 20-mark project work (for non-lab subjects) and this will be considered the “principal basis of evaluation” to arrive at the final marks of Class 12 candidate.

    While factoring in the secondary exam marks, students’ performance in the best four subjects (carrying 400 marks) will be considered.

    Candidates to write XLAT from home on July 18

    St Xavier’s University, New Town, which had postponed the Xavier Law Admission Test (XLAT) in April because of the COVID-19 pandemic, has scheduled the test for July 18. Aspirants can write the tests online from home.

    The computer-based test that would have required visiting examination centres was to be held in nine cities, including Kolkata, on April 25. Now, the test will be internet-based. If an aspirant has poor connectivity at home, he or she can go to the campus and use the university’s facilities to write the test, said the varsity officials.

    Action recommended against three city hospitals

    The West Bengal Clinical Establishment Regulatory Commission on Friday recommended legal action against three private hospitals in Kolkata. A probe found that the three hospitals, with common ownership, lacked adequate infrastructure and had presented inflated bills to patients and were operating with healthcare personnel who were not qualified.

    One of the complainants told the commission that he had deposited Rs 1 lakh during admission and when the patient was discharg- ed after a day, he was refunded only Rs 20,000. The patient was charged `80,000 for one day’s treatment.

  • Kolkata diary: Bringing news from the ‘City of Joy’

    Express News Service
    Private hospitals asked to procure jabs from makers

    The state health department has informed the private hospitals in the state that they will have to procure the vaccines from the manufacturers starting from next month. At present, the state government supplies vaccines to private hospitals. This arrangement will come to an end on April 30. Private hospitals now pay Rs 150 a vial. Each vial has 10 doses.

    From May 1, the private hospitals have to shell out more. The Serum Institute of India, which manufactures Covishield, announced that private hospitals have to pay Rs 600 for each dose. Bharat Biotech, which produces Covaxin, has priced its vaccine at Rs 1,200 a dose for private hospitals and Rs 600 for government hospitals.

    Probe into IIT-Kharagpur professor over alleged casteist remark

    The National Commission for Scheduled Castes has taken suo-motu cognizance of alleged casteist remarks made by a professor of IIT-Kharagpur during an online class. The Commission has asked the institute to submit a report on the action taken against the professor within 15 days.

    The class on preparatory English, during which the remarks were made, was attended by a number of students from the SC community. A notice was sent to IIT Kharagpur director, VK Tewari, by the Commission’s Director of administration, Ajit Kumar Sahu.

    The notice says, “Her remarks have hurt the sentiments of many Indians, specifically the SC community.” Sources in the institute said an investigation has been launched.

    St Xavier’s College to wrap up online classes early

    In light of the Covid situation, St Xavier’s College has decided to wrap up classes on May 10, instead of May 29 as originally planned. According to a notice issued by Father Diminic Savio, the principal of the college, “The last day of class for B. Ed semester two is being brought forward to 10th May instead of 29th May.”

    The notice was issued a day after the college put off holding online semester exams given the increasing gravity of the pandemic. The students had complained that they were struggling to prepare for the exams in light of the situation.

    Kolkata’s South Point High School sets up COVID-19 helpline

    The management of Kolkata’s South Point High School has started a “COVID helpline” where parents or staff members can ask for information on the availability of hospital beds, oxygen cylinders, blood plasma donors, etc.

    The school will then post the question to the 25,000 users of the school app. According to a notice issued by the school to all parents and staff members, information could be sought on the availability of medical facilities like hospital beds, ambulances, oxygen, medicines, blood/plasma donors, nursing care services, food supply, and isolation/quarantine centers.