IPL 2024: Yash Comes In For Mayank As Lucknow Elect To Field First Against Kolkata
Lucknow Super Giants: Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) won the toss and elected to field first against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in Match 54 of the Indian Premier League at the Ekana Cricket Stadium here on Sunday. Yash Thakur comes in for injured Mayank Yadav for LSG, whereas for KKR Harshit Rana comes in for Vaibhav Arora. Lucknow Super Giants' captain K.L. Rahul said, We will bowl first. I'm not the best reader of a wicket, we just like chasing. The good thing is we have been able to adapt really well and quickly to the conditions, there have been quite a few brilliant individual performances as well. There's been a lot of talk about strike-rate, and T20 cricket has changed a lot in the last couple of years. He was injured in the last game, Yash Thakur comes in for Mayank Yadav. Kolkata Knight Riders captain Shreyas Iyer said, We would have bowled as well. Defending that total with five bowlers in the last game gives us a lot of confidence. There's a lot of self-belief in the team. We are going with the same team. Hopefully, we continue with the same form. He has been optimistic from game one and just that he wasn't able to execute. He (Venkatesh Iyer) got tremendous and character and was happy with the way he executed. It's important to stay in the present. Playing XIs: Kolkata Knight Riders: Philip Salt (wk), Sunil Narine, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Shreyas Iyer (c), Venkatesh Iyer, Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Ramandeep Singh, Mitchell Starc, Varun Chakaravarthy, Harshit Rana Substitutes: Anukul Roy, Manish Pandey, Vaibhav Arora, KS Bharat, Sherfane Rutherford Lucknow Super Giants: KL Rahul (wk/c), Marcus Stoinis, Deepak Hooda, Nicholas Pooran, Ashton Turner, Ayush Badoni, Krunal Pandya, Ravi Bishnoi, Naveen-ul-Haq, Mohsin Khan, Yash Thakur Substitutes: Arshin Kulkarni, Manimaran Siddharth, Krishnappa Gowtham, Yudhvir Singh, Devdutt Padikkal
Is SRK arriving in Lucknow for KRK's IPL? Cops WARN
Rumors circulated about Shah Rukh Khan attending Kolkata Knight Riders' IPL match in Lucknow. However, Lucknow police dismissed the speculation, urging against spreading false information. Kolkata Knight Riders, led by Shah Rukh Khan, are preparing to face Lucknow Super Giants at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium.
Kolkatas Adda still touches on electoral discourse and the way the State votes
Iconic Kolkata Coffee House is a hub of intellectual discourse shaping Bengals politics, past and present
LSG vs KKR Updates: Kolkata eye top spot against Mayank-less Lucknow
LSG vs KKR Updates Kolkata eye top spot against Mayankless Lucknow
Campaigning ends for third phase of polling in four Bengal LS seats
KOLKATA: Campaigning for four Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal - Maldaha Uttar, Maldaha Dakshin, Jangipur, and Murshidabad - going to polls in the third phase on May 7 came to an end at 6pm on Sunday, officials said. A total of 73,37,651 voters, including 36,12,395 women and 154 third-genders, are eligible to exercise their franchise in 7,360 polling stations. Out of the 57 candidates contesting in this phase, Jangipur has 14, Maldaha Uttar (15), Maldaha Dakshin (17) and Murshidabad (11), he said. Murshidabad will witness a key contest between senior CPI(M) leader Mohammed Salim, TMC's Abu Taher Khan and BJP nominee Gouri Shankar Ghosh. In Maldaha Uttar, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) has nominated former IPS officer Prasun Banerjee, while the Congress has awarded the ticket to veteran leader Mostaque Alam, and the BJP has selected Khagen Murmu as its candidate. In Maldaha Dakshin, the BJP has fielded Sreerupa Mitra Chaudhury, the Congress has nominated Isha Khan Choudhury, and the TMC has put forward Shahnawaz Ali Raihan. In Jangipur, Khalilur Rahaman from the TMC is competing against BJP's Dhananjay Ghosh and Congress' Khalilur Rahaman. Heavyweights such as Union Home Minister Amit Shah, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge campaigned for their respective party candidates.
Regardless Of Opposition Claims, Common Masses With Modi: Dr Jitendra
KOLKATA, May 5 : Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh said here today that regardless of the opposition claims, the common masses across the country are with Narendra Modi and it is the common man walking in the streets of this country who is calling for 400 plus mandate for Narendra Modi to become Prime Minister for the third time. Follow the Daily Excelsior channel on WhatsApp Addressing a BJP election meeting of the prestigious Howrah Lok Sabha constituency, Dr. Jitendra [] The post Regardless Of Opposition Claims, Common Masses With Modi: Dr Jitendra appeared first on Daily Excelsior .
Bengal Governor Asks Staff To Ignore Police Summons In Sex Harassment Case
West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose has issued a directive to all staff members of Raj Bhavan in Kolkata, instructing them to disregard any communication from the state police regarding the recent sexual harassment complaint filed against him.
LSG vs KKR Pitch Report: Key contenders, pitch report and stadium history
LSG vs KKR Pitch Report: Lucknow Super Giants prepare to battle Kolkata Knight Riders at Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium. LSG, aiming for IPL playoffs, encounters challenges from Sunrisers Hyderabad, Chennai Super Kings, Delhi Capitals, and adapts to varying pitch conditions.
Bengal Guv Asks Raj Bhavan Employees to Ignore Any Summons by Police on Woman's Complaint
The direction comes after Kolkata Police constituted an inquiry team to probe into the woman's allegation against the governor
KKR vs LSG Live Score, Kolkata Knight Riders vs Lucknow Super Giants | IPL Cricket 2024
Bengal Governor instructs Raj Bhavan staff to disregard police summons related to female complainant's allegations West Bengal Governor C V Ananda Bose on Sunday directed all staffers of Raj Bhavan to ignore any communication from the Kolkata Police in connection with a woman employee's complaint of molestation against him. The direction comes after Kolkata Police constituted an inquiry team to probe into the woman's allegation against the governor. Bose, in a post on X, said, ''It is clear that in view of Article 361 (2) and (3) of the Constitution of India, the state police cannot act in any manner whatsoever to inquire/investigate/set in motion any kind of proceedings against the hon'ble governor.'' He also asserted that no criminal proceedings whatsoever shall be instituted or continued against the President, or the governor of a state in any court during his or her term of office. ''No process for the arrest or imprisonment...shall issue from any court during his term of office,'' the governor said in the post, drafted as a communique to Raj Bhavan employees. It is clear that the state machinery cannot set in motion any sort of criminal proceedings, whatsoever, against the governor, he said on the microblogging site. ''The reports from the media indicate that the police propose to conduct an inquiry into the incident and that they would be examining the staff of Raj Bhavan. It is also reported that the investigating team intends to collect the CCTV footage from Raj Bhavan. ''The question that arises is whether the police can conduct an inquiry and collect evidence in view of the immunity enjoyed by the governor....,'' Bose said in the post. The Kolkata Police team, as part of its investigation, will speak to witnesses over the next few days and has requested Raj Bhavan to share the CCTV footage, if available, a senior officer said on Saturday. When asked how the police could initiate a probe despite the Constitutional immunity to the governor, another police officer said that it's a regular practice to start an investigation after getting a complaint, especially from a woman. Three Raj Bhavan officials and a policeman posted at the governor's house were summoned by officers of Hare Street Police Station in connection with its investigation. ''None of the Raj Bhavan officials turned up for enquiry, and only the policeman attended. We will request them to come to the Hare Street Police Station again on Monday. No other plan of enquiry till then,'' the police officer had said. A contractual woman employee of the Raj Bhavan on Friday lodged a written complaint with the Kolkata Police, alleging molestation by the governor. The governor had described the allegation as ''absurd drama'', and said that none would be able to deter him from his ''determined efforts to expose corruption and curb violence''. Bose had ordered a ban on the entry of police personnel to the Raj Bhavan ''in the guise of conducting unauthorised, illegitimate, sham and motivated investigations to placate political bosses during the election''.
IPL: SRH eye consistency in must-win clash against frail MI
Mumbai: A confident Sunrisers Hyderabad will look to produce a dominant show against a frail Mumbai Indians outfit and move up in the Indian Premier League points table when the two teams clash here on Monday. Placed fourth in the IPL points table with 12 points in 10 matches with six wins and four losses, SRH will be desperate to produce an all-round show and make improvements especially in their bowling department. The Pat Cummins-led side is in the midst of an intense battle between multiple teams who are bidding for spots in the final four, with Rajasthan Royals (16 points), Kolkata Knight Riders (14 points) and Lucknow Super Giants (12 points) placed above SRH. Chennai Super Kings (5th with 10 points) and a resurgent Delhi Capitals (6th with 10 points) are breathing down SRH's neck, a scenario that would force the 2016 winners to shrug off any rust and get ready for an intense mid-table battle. If a two-paced pitch at the Wankhede Stadium for the previous clash against KKR was an aberration, the free-flowing SRH batters would look to make merry and pile up a huge score as they have done several times this year. The pitches here generally are batting-friendly and short boundary lengths at this venue make scores in excess of 200 a norm, but the MI-KKR contest played out on a sluggish surface last Friday challenged the batters to dig deep. SRH would be high on confidence having pipped the table-toppers RR by just one run in their previous outing, a game in which their bowlers pulled off a thrilling win. Travis Head (396 runs), Abhishek Sharma (315) and Heinrich Klaasen (337) remain the enforcers in SRH's batting but South African Aiden Markram would be keen to make a big score of his own, having had a mixed run so far. Nitish Kumar Reddy (219 runs) has emerged as one of the most promising players for SRH in last few games which takes a significant amount of pressure off the key batters. T Natarajan's (15 wickets) accuracy would be handy for SRH as the left-arm pacer is chasing Mumbai Indians' Jasprit Bumrah (17) for the purple cap. Five-time winners Mumbai slipped to the bottom of the pool again when Royal Challengers Bengaluru trumped Gujarat Titans on Saturday night. With only three wins in 11 matches, MI's challenge is all but over and there is only pride and name left to play for by their own admission. However, all is not lost as MI's key India players for the upcoming T20 World Cup, Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya would remain in focus for their individual form. Rohit's all-out aggressive approach has not yielded many big scores whereas the world number 1 T20 batter Suryakumar would be eyeing consistency after a fine half-century against KKR a few nights ago. India vice-captain Pandya has being consistently on the receiving end due to his ordinary form with both bat and ball and also his on-field decisions as MI skipper. The all-rounder, however, would be keen to make amends and put an end to the criticism that he has been facing ever since this IPL edition got underway. Teams: Mumbai Indians: Hardik Pandya (c), Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Dewald Brevis, Jasprit Bumrah, Piyush Chawla, Gerald Coetzee, Tim David, Shreyas Gopal, Ishan Kishan (wk), Anshul Kamboj, Kumar Kartikeya, Akash Madhwal, Kwena Maphaka, Mohammad Nabi, Shams Mulani, Naman Dhir, Shivalik Sharma, Romario Shepherd, Arjun Tendulkar, Nuwan Thushara, Tilak Varma, Harvik Desai (wk), Nehal Wadhera, Luke Wood. Sunrisers Hyderabad: Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, Heinrich Klaasen (wk), Aiden Markram, Abdul Samad, Nitish Reddy, Shahbaz Ahmed, Pat Cummins (c), Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jaydev Unadkat, T Natarajan, Mayank Markande, Umran Malik, Anmolpreet Singh, Glenn Phillips (wk), Rahul Tripathi, Washington Sundar, Upendra Yadav (wk), Jhathavedh Subramanyan, Sanvir Singh, Vijayakanth Viyaskanth, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Marco Jansen, Akash Maharaj Singh, Mayank Agarwal. Match starts 7:30pm IST.
BJP forms legal cell in Bengal to help genuine candidates among 25,753 job losers
BJP forms legal cell in Bengal to help genuine candidates among 25,753 job losers Kolkata: The West Bengal unit of BJP on Sunday announced the formation of a five-member legal cell to provide assistance to the genuine candidates among the 25,753 teaching and non-teaching staff in state-run schools whose jobs were cancelled recently on [] The post BJP forms legal cell in Bengal to help genuine candidates among 25,753 job losers appeared first on Mangalorean.com .
'Ek flying kiss hojaye phir?': Rana trolled by teammate - Watch
On the way to Lucknow, Kolkata Knight Riders' Nitish Rana teased teammate Harshit Rana with light-hearted banter, joking about giving flying kisses. Ek flying kiss hojaye phir? Nitish quipped. Harshit, chuckling, promptly declined. Their camaraderie shone as they shared a laugh, setting the tone for KKR's upcoming clash against Lucknow Super Giants.
Sandeshkhali incidents orchestrated by BJP: Mamata
Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday accused the BJP of orchestrating the incidents of Sandeshkhali, where allegations of sexual abuse against Trinamool Congress leaders have surfaced, to malign the state. The party on Saturday released a video on social media, claiming that the footage vindicated its stand that the BJP was behind Get the latest updates in Hyderabad City News , Technology , Entertainment , Sports , Politics and Top Stories on WhatsApp & Telegram by subscribing to our channels. You can also download our app for Android and iOS .
Modi charisma would help BJP increase number of seats in Bengal: Sukanta Majumdar
KOLKATA: BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar on Sunday expressed confidence that the saffron party would increase its share of seats in the state from the current 18. While taking part in the Express Dialogues, an initiative of this newspaper, Majumdar said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's charisma would help the party transform the losing seats into winning seats. He said that BJP's ground level workers strength in Bengal has increased considerably since 2014. Majumdar also claimed that BJP is the only alternative before the people of West Bengal. In 2024, the only alternative before the people of West Bengal is the BJP, he said, adding that for more than 40 years, starting with the Left Front government, the state has not seen any substantial development when it comes to industries and as a result there was no creation of jobs. The need of the hour is to create more jobs for the people. Now in Bengal I saw many graduates are plying e rickshaws in small towns in Bengal and if you interact with them you will come to know that there are no jobs, he said. #KolkataDialogues | 'Politics should not govern society, society should govern politics': West Bengal BJP President @DrSukantaBJP talks about unemployment, #PMModi 's schemes, industrial growth, and much more. pic.twitter.com/gOJl3Et3ku The New Indian Express (@NewIndianXpress) May 5, 2024 Majumdar said that Bengal needs rapid industrialisation and a clear cut industrial policy which the TMC government has failed to provide. He dubbed the TMC government as corrupt which was bent on misleading people. To a question relating to a TMC sting video showing a Sandeshkhali BJP functionary admitting that many of the charges, including that of rape, were levelled following instructions from BJP leaders including Suvendu Adhikari, Majumdar replied, It is not clear whether the video was fake or real. Gangadhar Kayl, the BJP leader allegedly in the video, swiftly responded by filing a complaint with the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), claiming manipulation through Artificial Intelligence (AI). To another query, he said all the demands of the Matua community and the Gorkhas will be fulfilled by the BJP government in due course of time.
LSG vs KKR, IPL 2024: Preview, Fantasy Picks, Pitch And Weather Reports
Lucknow Super Giants have won three out of their last four head-to-head clashes against Kolkata Knight Riders.
Hardik Looks Flattened, Drained: T20 WC Winning Captain On MI Skipper
Hardik Pandya once again walked out to loud boos around the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Friday during Mumbai Indians' yet another disappointing outing, which they lost by 24 runs to Kolkata Knight Riders.
Mercury finally on downward spiral
Kolkata's temperature decrease to 37.2C indicates a coming nor'wester. Increasing Bay of Bengal moisture incursions hint at May 5-10 rainfall amidst easing heatwave. Murshidabad, Birbhum may see 70-110mm rainfall.
How the West Bengal school job scam unfolded
KOLKATA: Days after the Calcutta High Court invalidated the fraudulent appointments of 25,753 teachers and non-teaching staff by the state's School Service Commission (SSC) in state-run and state-aided schools, SSC chairman Siddhartha Majumdar said the number of irregular hires was around 5,300 or 20.5%. In the affidavits the SSC filed before the high court bench, it quantified the illegal appointments as 4,327, which works out to 16.8%. When the order's challenge was heard in the Supreme Court on April 29, the figure on questionable appointments mentioned by the state government's counsel was 8,000 or 31%. So, what is the actual size of the fraud? Sources in the state government claim the illegal appointees paid bribes in the range of Rs 5-15 lakh. Going by the 8,000 figure mentioned in the SC, a back-of-the-envelope calculation would suggest a rip-off of at least Rs 400 crore (8,000 x 5,00,000). 19,000 school job losers likely to be eligible recruits: Bengal SSC A three-judge bench led by Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud refused to stay the high court order canceling all the appointments but asked if it was possible to segregate the valid and the invalid recruitments. The matter will come up before the bench on May 6 when the state government is expected to respond. What went against the Bengal government in the eyes of the high court bench was the complete lack of cooperation by its agencies and institutions like the SSC and the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education. Whatever has been unraveled so far is because of writ petitions by the aggrieved, the pesky judiciary and the Central probe agencies. Not all dodgy recruitments flagged by the courts have been acted upon by the SSC yet. In sum, the SSC is yet to take the trouble of cleaning up the recruitment process on its own to instill faith and confidence in the system. To most of the writ petitions on rank jumps and illegal appointments, its affidavits claimed they were inadvertent errors due to oversight. Unintentional errors in 16.8% or 20.5% or 31% of the recruitments, whichever figure you choose to go with, would mean some really careless chaps are handling hiring without oversight. Is there an internal system of accountability? West Bengal: Will HC order on teacher job scam have an impact? Around 4,000 teachers who lost their jobs because of the sweeping judgment despite figuring on the rank list demonstrated at the Shahid Minar Ground in Kolkata. Grain and chaff test The high court division bench of justice Debangsu Basak and Md. Shabbar Rashid was constituted following a direction from the Supreme Court. It heard 350 petitions and appeals before delivering its judgment. The judges knew their verdict was unusually harsh because thousands of candidates who had sailed through on merit were also rendered jobless. Cancelling all appointments is unacceptable if it is possible to separate the grain from the chaff, the Supreme Court has ruled on multiple occasions. But the high court bench said applying the grain and the chaff test in the present case was impossible because the entire selection process was tainted and compromised. For starters, the selection process involved a written test for four categories of candidates - Group C, Group D, assistant teachers for classes 9 and 10, and assistant teachers for classes 11 and 12. All candidates had to fill up Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) answer sheets for the written test in 2016. The SSC destroyed the original OMR sheets a year later after their mirror images were captured by an outsourced agency, M/s NYSA. The SSC claimed it had a copy of the mirror images. But a CBI probe could not find the mirror images in the SSC server. Yet, when RTI requests came up from candidates for copies of their OMR sheets, the SSC provided them, as the processing was done by NYSA. The CBI recovered from NYSA staffer Pankaj Bansal at UP's Ghaziabad three hard disks that had original scanned images of the OMR sheets and the evaluated marks. Their veracity is not disputed. NYSA, the company hired for scanning and evaluating the OMR sheets, outsourced the job to another company, Data Scantech. But SSC's chairman told the court he had no knowledge of Data Scantech's role in the selection process. Who authorised NYSA to engage Data Scantech is yet to be disclosed. Jobs were sold for lakhs of rupees: Shah slams Didi govt All OMR sheets were scanned at the SSC's office. That is again not disputed. How the SSC allowed Data Scantech to work out of its premises without authorisation for the physical scanning, raises serious questions about the integrity, sanctity and validity of the entire selection process, the bench observed. Besides, the choice of NYSA as the evaluator was opaque. NYSA was appointed without an open tender. The SSC did not disclose the parameters/qualifications required to participate in the bidding process despite the court's request. The conduct of the evaluator affects the validity of the evaluation process, the bench reasoned. The non-cooperative attitude of the SSC, the state and the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education added to the hassle. The entire selection process is shrouded in such mystery and in such layers that it is difficult to fathom the quantum of illegalities performed. That illegalities had vitiated the selection process of M/s. NYSA stands established, the bench observed. The plausible inference from the materials made available on record and the conduct of the relevant parties is that the entire machinery was devised for the purpose of effectuating a scam which will be hard to discover and even if discovered difficult to prove, it said. Fraud perpetrated and perpetuated is deep and pervasive. Any attempt to shift the proverbial grain from the chaff would be an unprofitable exercise, prolonging the agony and would put premium on dishonesty, the high court bench added. Around 4,000 teachers who lost their jobs because of the sweeping judgment despite figuring on the rank list demonstrated at the Shahid Minar Ground in Kolkata. Blank OMR sheets Some candidates had submitted blank OMR sheets, yet the evaluator's score showed they did sufficiently well in the test and were recruited. The CBI found ample evidence of OMR sheet manipulation besides fraudulent rank jumps of candidates. The exact number of such illegal beneficiaries is yet to be quantified but according to the SSC's own admission, as many as 45% of Group D appointments were questionable (see table). Political football Coming as the verdict did bang in the middle of the general elections, the job scam turned into political football. The corruption witnessed in school recruitment under the TMC's watch is deplorable. Numerous deserving and genuine candidates have suffered due to this scam. I have asked the Bengal BJP unit to create a separate legal cell and social media platform to provide help to genuine candidates and teachers. No matter even if the elections are on, the party would extend all help to the genuine candidates, Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently said. In her riposte, Trinamool Congress boss and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said, The BJP snatched away the jobs of school teachers in West Bengal. The party is now saying they will help those who lost their jobs. Now because of elections, the prime minister is making such remarks. It is the BJP which was part of the court case that took away the jobs. Now they are making false promises. Senior Trinamool leader Abhishek Banerjee said, Just as we've heard of match-fixing in cricket, what is happening now is 'fixing of orders', a collaboration between a certain section of the judiciary and the BJP to inflict suffering on people. The recent joining of an ex-judge to the BJP further validates our claims, he said. Bag panel In 2021, a different high court bench appointed a panel headed by retired Justice Ranjit Kumar Bag, former judge of the high court, to monitor and supervise the probe into the Group C and D recruitments. Its findings tally with those of the CBI. For example, it found that as many as 609 Group D vacancies were filled by preparing false recommendation letters. Of them were 318 candidates whose names did not figure in the Group D panel for selection or in the waiting list. In other words, they flunked the test. The dodgy candidates made their first move by seeking re-evaluation of their OMR answer sheets through the RTI Act. Then the rigged system took over. None of these candidates appeared for the mandatory personality test, nor were they part of the counseling process. Their false recommendation letters were sent from the SSC office using fictitious memo numbers of the Regional Commissions and by affixing scanned signatures of the Chairpersons of the Regional Commissions while keeping them in the dark after the expiry of the selection panel. How the scam broke Separate panels of the successful candidates in the four categories of jobs were published in 2017 and 2018. But candidates could only see their individual score and rank online after entering their roll number and date of birth. It didn't give them a sense of transparency. Some of them moved the high court seeking the full list of successful candidates together with their scores and ranking. The high court consented, forcing the reluctant SSC to publish the list on June 20, 2019 after hauling it up for contempt of court. But before releasing the full list, the SSC changed the ranks of the dodgy candidates despite the high court fiat to publish it as is. Can of worms The full list opened a can of worms as it showed candidates with lesser scores getting jobs over better performers. A section of the aggrieved candidates went to court. The rest is history. In August 2022, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested former education minister Partha Chatterjee and his close aide Arpita Mukherjee in the case. Several SSC officials, including Trinamool Congress MLA Manik Bhattacharya were also arrested. In its first chargesheet filed in September 2022, the ED said it traced cash, jewellery and immovable property worth Rs 103.10 crore linked to the duo. All the shady appointments were made by a five-member committee approved by Partha Chatterjee. The panel was tasked to supervise, monitor and guide the SSC on the recruitment process. Justice Gangopadhyay After the initial writ petitions were assigned to Calcutta high court judge Abhijit Gangopadhyay, the trickle of litigants soon turned into a torrent. In May 2022, Justice Gangopadhyay ordered a CBI probe into the job scam. The West Bengal government challenged it in the Supreme Court, which directed a bigger bench of the Calcutta high court to address the matter. Later, the CBI got to probe the case and reveal the dirty secrets. It was Justice Gangopadhyay's dogged pursuit that helped unravel the scam. He ranted and raved against the Bag probe panel before he realised it was equally committed in ferreting out the truth, picked quarrels with brother judges and violated judicial discipline, but also successfully coaxed the government through various means to spill out the facts. Gangopadhayay resigned from service on March 5, joined the BJP two days later and was fielded from the Tamluk Lok Sabha seat in East Midnapore district. Reacting to the verdict, Gangopadhyay said, The real culprits are sitting in top positions of state administration and hiding behind their security bubble. If they have the courage and any shame left in them, they should quit their positions of power, shred their protective cover and face investigations. Supernumerary post Instead of going after the candidates who got jobs through the back door by fraud, what was appalling was the SSC seeking the court's permission to create a supernumerary post for them. Supernumerary posts are created for a limited period to accommodate government employees with retrospective effect when no regular post is available. As for the state government, it did not oppose the request. Documents placed on record suggested that the West Bengal government, at the level of the Cabinet, had approved creation of the supernumerary posts to accommodate these illegal appointees. The Principal Secretary shared with the Justice Gangopadhyay bench a Cabinet note and a Cabinet memo on creation of the supernumerary post. The high court in its sweeping verdict had also directed the CBI to probe the role of the West Bengal government officials in the scam and those involved in approving the creation of supernumerary posts for the illegal appointees. It gave the CBI the freedom to consider custodial interrogation of such individuals, if needed. However, the SC last week stayed the CBI probe order. The high court also said that those appointed outside the officially available 24,640 vacancies after the expiry of the official date of recruitment, and those who submitted blank OMR sheets but were hired, must return all their remuneration and benefits with 12% interest per annum within four weeks. It is shocking that at the level of the Cabinet of the state government, a decision is taken to protect employment obtained fraudulently in a selection process conducted by SSC for state-funded schools, knowing full well that such appointments were obtained beyond the panel and after expiry of the panel, at the bare minimum, the high court verdict said. Unless here is a deep connection between the persons perpetuating the fraud and the beneficiaries, efforts to create supernumerary posts to protect illegal appointments is inconceivable, the division bench observed. The division bench directed the SSC to initiate a fresh appointment process within a fortnight from the date of the results of the ongoing Lok Sabha elections. Illegalities in the selection process SSC appointed M/s NYSA for scanning and evaluating the OMR sheets by closed-door tender in violation of Articles 14 and 16 of the Constitution of India NYSA engaged another agency, Data Scantech, to scan the OMR sheets Scanning was done at the office of SSC. But SSC claims it never engaged Data Scantech to scan the OMR sheets or authorised NYSA to engage Data Scantech or any other agency SSC destroyed original OMR sheets; claimed scanned mirror images saved in its server CBI did not find any scanned mirror image of OMR sheets in the server of SSC OMR sheets had been destroyed without the scanned mirror images being preserved in the server of SSC But SSC provided scanned OMR sheets to RTI applicants from 2018 to 2023 claiming that such OMR sheets were from its database although CBI did not find any OMR sheets in the server of SSC Appointments higher than the declared vacancies had been given in all 4 categories Appointments given to persons who were not even in the panel who cleared the test Appointments given to persons who submitted blank OMR sheets Appointments given to persons after the expiry of the panel Persons placed lower in rank given appointment in preference to persons placed higher in the pecking order in the merit list Counseling held even after the expiry of the panel Total beneficiaries of the illegalities yet to be identified because of non-cooperation by the SSC, Board and State SSC had applied for permission to create supernumerary posts to accommodate the illegal appointees Recruitment rules governing the four categories never adhered to
SRH looking to exploit batter-friendly Wankhede vs MI
The Pat Cummins-led side is in the midst of an intense battle between multiple teams who are bidding for spots in the final four, with Rajasthan Royals (16 points), Kolkata Knight Riders (14 points) and Lucknow Super Giants (12 points) placed above SRH.
Lucknow Super Giants take on in-form Kolkata Knight Riders in key IPL 2024 clash
Lucknow Super Giants will look to consolidate their playoff chances when they take on Kolkata Knight Riders in an important Indian Premier League match today. Both teams find themselves in the top 4 and will be keen to earn full points. Lucknow Super Giants are currently placed 3rd with 12 points from 10 games. A [] The post Lucknow Super Giants take on in-form Kolkata Knight Riders in key IPL 2024 clash appeared first on Northlines .
Bengal polls: Rift within NDA triggers three-way contests in some seats
Bengal polls: Rift within NDA triggers three-way contests in some seats As the final five phases of polls draw closer, rift among INDIA bloc partners, Congress-Left combine and the TMC, who are fighting separately has intensified, triggering a fierce contest across half of the remaining 36 constituencies in West Bengal driven by local issues such as Sandeshkhali and the SSC scam. TMC's decision to contest independently in the state, rather than as part of the bloc, has led to a three-way contest, with the other contenders being the BJP and the Congress-Left alliance. Nevertheless, both TMC and Congress have asserted that they are part of the INDIA bloc at the national level and are authentic representatives of the opposition front in Bengal. Political analysts suggest that without a dominant national narrative like national security after the 2019 Pulwama attacks, local concerns such as corruption allegations, the cancellation of School Service Commission (SSC) jobs, incidents in Sandeshkhali and implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) are altering election dynamics. Maidul Islam, a political scientist at the Centre for Studies in Social Sciences, remarked, ''Till a few months ago, it seemed the elections in Bengal will be a bipolar contest between the TMC and BJP. But with issues like corruption and Sandeshkhali gaining prominence, the Left-Congress alliance is fast gaining traction in several seats and turning the polls into a three-cornered contest in at least 18-20 LS segments.'' He said besides the two and three seats in Malda and Murshidabad districts, where TMC and Congress secured two each and the BJP one in 2019, there are 13 seats spread across South Bengal, where the TMC and the Left-Congress alliance are engaging in intense competition. ''It's not that the Left-Congress will win many seats, but in segments where their vote share is above 10 per cent, there is a likelihood that they might influence the outcome, to the disadvantage of either the TMC or the BJP, if they manage to secure two per cent more votes,'' Islam added. According to sources in TMC and CPI(M), the electoral battleground extends beyond Malda and Murshidabad, encompassing Lok Sabha segments like Dum Dum, Srerampore, Arambagh, Hooghly, Howrah, Barrackpore, Bardhaman-Purba, Bardhaman-Durgapur, Bankura, Purulia, Tamluk, Kolkata North, and Jadavpur, all poised for a three-cornered fight. Notably, eight of these seats were won by TMC and the remaining by BJP in the 2019 parliamentary polls. ''The shift in dynamics presents the Congress-Left alliance as a significant player, and its emergence complicates the electoral narrative, transcending the conventional TMC versus BJP dichotomy,'' political analyst Subhomoy Moitra said. While the Left Front is contesting 30 seats, the Congress has fielded candidates in 12 out of 42 seats. ''We wanted an alliance with the Congress, but they were delaying the seat-sharing arrangements, so we decided to go alone. Now the Left-Congress alliance is helping the BJP by trying to eat into our votes,'' remarked TMC leader Santanu Sen. According to TMC leaders, the breakup of INDIA alliance in Bengal has both electoral advantages and disadvantages. ''After the Left and Congress alliance fell apart in West Bengal in 2019, it had led to a four-cornered contest with BJP bagging the entire chunk of the anti-TMC votes in the state,'' they said. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP bagged 18 seats and its vote share rose from 17 to 40 per cent. Meanwhile, despite a 3 per cent rise in vote share, the TMC lost 12 seats, dropping from 34 to 22. The Left drew a blank with a vote share decline from 24 per cent to 6 per cent, and the Congress lost two seats, shrinking its vote share from 9.5 per cent to 5 per cent and bagging just two seats. ''Local issues such as corruption and SSC scam are helping the Left-Congress in the state as there is anger among a section of people against the TMC and also against the BJP over the perception of a tacit understanding,'' a TMC leader said. Analysts observe that Mamata Banerjee's intensified criticism of Left and Congress, accusing them of aiding BJP, and the ensuing sharp responses from CPI(M) and Congress, alleging a secret pact between TMC and BJP, as indicative of the growing significance of Left-Congress alliance. Data from various local elections and by-polls conducted after 2021 assembly elections indicate a shift in anti-TMC votes as there has been a resurgence of Left-Congress combine. Incidentally, the BJP had witnessed a decline in its vote share as compared to the 2019 Lok Sabha and 38 per cent in 2021 assembly polls. In 2023, violence scarred panchayat polls which covered nearly 70 per cent of the states electorate, the TMC had bagged 51 per cent of votes whereas the BJP had bagged 22 per cent. The Left-Congress-ISF alliance had, however, bagged 23 per cent votes. The ISF this time, however, has decided to contest alone in 17 seats. Congress leader Suvankar Sarkar emphasized, ''People are disenchanted with the TMC and the BJP, as they are both sides of the same coin. People are coming out in large numbers to support the Left-Congress candidates.'' CPI(M) leader Sujan Chakraborty expressed confidence in the Left-Congress alliance's potential to deliver surprising results in the elections, claiming initial success in breaking bipolar politics in Bengal. BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar downplayed the significance of the rift in opposition alliance and the three-cornered fight in various seats. ''People know that BJP is only fighting TMC's misrule in Bengal. Those who want to vote against TMC, will vote for us only just like in the 2019 and 2021 polls,'' he said. Political scientist Biswanath Chakraborty suggested that TMC stands to gain the most from the three-cornered contest. In minority pockets, the Left-Congress alliance could dent TMC's vote base, potentially aiding BJP's prospects, he noted.
RCB, India Hopes Soar as Siraj Rediscovers Swing and Fire
RCB, India Hopes Soar as Siraj Rediscovers Swing and Fire The change in Mohammed Sirajs fortunes has played a critical role in Royal Challengers Bengalurus late surge in this IPL, and the pacers good run might also have put the Indian thinktank at ease ahead of next months T20 World Cup. In the latest show of his metamorphosis, Siraj wrecked Gujarat Titans with a two-wicket burst in the Power Play, grabbing the wickets of Shubman Gill and Wriddhiman Saha. Sirajs figures at that stage was a superb 2-0-9-2, and as someone who is marked to share the new ball with Jasprit Bumrah in the ICC showpiece, its certainly a shot in the arm for the national team as well. RCB assistant coach Adam Griffith, who has worked with Siraj for the last five years, placed that transformation to him ''swinging the ball again.'' ''He's the leader of our group. He's played a lot for India in the last few years and has done really well. It's not just him bowling well. It's his aggression, his body language, him taking the batters on to try and get wickets is such an important part of what we're trying to do. ''Having him up and going, swinging the ball again, bowling with good pace, and being aggressive is so important to us,'' said Griffith in the post-match press meet here on Saturday after RCB defeated GT by four wickets. The Royal Challengers bowling units performance a collective economy rate of 10.28 and 45 wickets was the worst in this season of IPL. In a way, it was Sirajs responsibility to inspire the rest of the pack as the leader and he did put his hand up. Perhaps, the nine-day break he was given between April 12 and 20 refreshed his mind and helped him regain his sharpness. The match he missed in the interim was the one in which Sunrisers Hyderabad racked in an IPL record of 287 for three in Bengaluru. Griffith explained the thought process behind giving some leisure time for Siraj. ''He's like any other player when they are fatigued. It's very important to give them that break. That's just as important as the training component, sometimes even more important. ''He is a rhythm bowler his run-up is so important to what he does. So, we want him fresh and running in hard, he said. Post his return from the break, Siraj played four matches against Kolkata Knight Riders, SRH and two against GT. While RCB lost by one-run against the Knight Riders in a high-scoring match, they won the other three. In those three matches, Siraj had figures of 4-0-20-0, 4-0-34-1 and 4-0-29-2. Griffith said Siraj has found a good balance between off-time and preparation. He knows his body really well. He knows what he needs to do to prepare and every now and then we might need to give him a little bit of a push in that direction. I've been with him now for five or so years, so I can tell when he's going well and when he needs a rest, he added. This version of Siraj was a throwback to IPL 2023 when he picked up 19 wickets and 10 of them were in the Power Play. The energy of Siraj seemed to have percolated to other bowlers too as the young Yash Dayal dished out a frugal and productive spell upfront 4-0-21-2. It meant that the Titans were restricted to the lowest Power Play score of this IPL season 23/3. Griffith said the RCB bowlers have collectively managed to hit a better line as they notched up three wins on the bounce. We've swung the ball all tournament upfront. We talked about bowling a lot straighter and attacking the stumps as much as we can to challenge the batters' defence and make them play aggressive shots if they want to come at us. That's the challenge for them to do and the boys put them exactly where we wanted them (against GT),'' he explained.
Kolkata FF Fatafat Result today May 05, check Fatafat Result online
Kolkata FF Fatafat Result today May check Fatafat Result online
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As rivers eat away banks, parties look to turn erosion into a poll plank in Malda
River Ganga's course changes displace voters in Malda to Jharkhand. Erosion affects schools, residents, and triggers political actions. Farakka Barrage's impact on river course emphasized in political discourse.
Record-breaking election spending set to ignite rural demand, feel experts
Kolkata: Even as the 2024 Lok Sabha polls have started to unfold, anticipation remained high not only in the political landscape but also about the ripple effects on the economy, particularly in rural India, as experts described the elections as the most expensive one ever fought in the countrys history. With an expenditure of a Get the latest updates in Hyderabad City News , Technology , Entertainment , Sports , Politics and Top Stories on WhatsApp & Telegram by subscribing to our channels. You can also download our app for Android and iOS .
Trinamool trying to spread terror in Murshidabad: Adhir Chowdhury
Adhir Chowdhury accuses Trinamool of violence to influence polls, criticizes BJP's polarization tactics, and blames Modi for economic instability during the elections.
Didi dares PM Narendra Modi to debate her on 'basics of Hinduism'
CM Mamata Banerjee challenges PM Narendra Modi on Hinduism basics and vote jihad, criticizing BJP's exploitation of Matuas for elections. She promises land deeds to refugee families and criticizes the Bengal governor and BJP's nominee, Jagannath Sarkar.
Guarded LSG look to subdue dominant Kolkata Knight Riders
Lucknow Super Giants face Kolkata Knight Riders at Ekana stadium. KKR strive for Playoffs. LSG's struggles against MI highlighted. Key players like Rahul, Stoinis, Hooda shine. Mayank's absence affects team dynamics. KKR's bowlers, Chakaravarthy and Narine, in top form.
Tripunithura: Insensitivity threatens to wipe out historical, cultural bridge with past
KOCHI: The recent proposal to demolish the nearly 130-year-old iron bridge over the Padinjare puzha in Tripunithura to make way for a modern, wider structure has landed the public works department (PWD) in a rather murky puddle. Residents, experts and historians have voiced stiff opposition to the Rs 30-crore move, which they say is not only needless but also insensitive to the cultural and historical underpinnings that form the basis of the structure and its setting. Built in 1890, it is one of the earliest iron bridges in the country. It is older than the Howrah bridge in Kolkata, says Biley Menon, co-convenor of the Cochin chapter of Intach. In its erstwhile days, the bridge connected Kottakkakom, the stronghold of the Cochin royal family, with the rest of the kingdom. As one of the last few heritage structures to have survived intact from the 19th century, the bridge facilitates an invaluable avenue to understand the history of steel use in construction and the evolution of trade in the former Cochin state. To a question posed by TNIE, a PWD official cited three reasons for the controversial move to demolish the bridge and build a new one in its place: Structure is weak The department has come to this conclusion by misrepresenting a report prepared by a marine structural engineer, said a person in the know. According to the original report, which TNIE is in possession of, its author, M V Ramachandran, taking cognisance of the bridges cultural and historical significance, is crystal clear in recommending that it be preserved as a heritage structure by taking up necessary repairs and modifications. Given that the bridge was built for the passage of royal horse carriages, Ramachandran suggests that it only be used for the movement of light motor vehicles. With minimal cost and work, the bridge can stay for another 25-30 years, his note reads. Will facilitate boat services A PWD official said Kochi Metro Rail Ltd (KMRL) plans to operate boat services through the channel, and the new 5.5m high bridge will facilitate the plan. However, a study of KMRLs detailed project report (DPR) reveals that there are no proposals to use this section of the water body. There is a water metro route planned for Thykoodam, which will connect Vyttila. But the boats will take the Chambakara canal route. Not Padinjare puzha, said a KMRL official. To ease traffic congestion However, the bridge, nestled in a residential zone, only sees minimal traffic. It is primarily used by locals and devotees of nearby Sree Poornathrayeesa temple. Mostly pedestrians, cyclists and motorists. Also, the occasional auto rickshaw, said K Pradeep, a resident of Tripunithura. The infrastructure revamp suggestion of the PWD would have made more sense had this idea of a new bridge been part of a larger, comprehensive overhaul of the road network in the area. Sadly, thats not the case. Why build a Rs 30-crore bridge in a residential zone? asks Sandhya Das, another resident. There are better, wider roads in the vicinity, points out Biley, an architect and urban designer. The two-minute, 200m deviation that this iron bridge necessitates is simply the cost of living in an urban city. As per latest information, the PWD has began formed a committee for a social-impact study, which is slated to be turned in in 15 days. However, there are no historians, urban designers or residents on this committee. Like their initial report, this too is a whitewash. In any case, the project is unlikely to move ahead as it also entails acquiring 60 cents of land from Tripunithuras key heritage zones a tedious task indeed, says a person in the know. Whether the project will go ahead or not is another matter. The fact that it is on the table points to an indifference to preserving the heritage of Tripunithura, which has seen many buildings of significant cultural and historical value vanish in the past decade. Of the 55 that the Greater Cochin Development Authority (GCDA) had identified, only 14 remain.
Kochi airport to add six cities to its domestic network
KOCHI : As demand soars, Kochi airport is set to add services to six new domestic destinations this month. Cochin International Airport Ltd (CIAL) will revamp its summer schedule by adding Kolkata, Chandigarh, Varanasi, Raipur, Ranchi, and Lucknow to its network while enhancing its connectivity on established sectors. According to officials, the new routes will enhance connectivity. There has been a steady increase in domestic traffic. Passengers can take advantage of new routes and more flights to existing destinations, a CIAL official said. In 2023-24, CIAL handled a record total of 1.05 crore passengers. Our summer schedule listed 1,628 services every week. To this, we are set to add 60 services, which will begin operations in the first week of May. Air India Express will operate services to Kolkata; IndiGo will fly to Ranchi, Chandigarh, Varanasi, Raipur, and Lucknow; Air India Express will start its services to Pune, and Air Asia to Ranchi and Bagdogra, the official said. CIAL has also increased its daily flights to Bengaluru (20 services), Delhi (13), and Mumbai (10). Additionally, IndiGos Kozhikode-Kochi-Agatti-Kochi service which was kicked off on May 1 has received a good response. At present, Alliance Air operates 10 services a week to Agatti. Meanwhile, Air India has announced that it will increase the number of weekly services to London from three to four. There has been an increase in tourists flying to the East Asian region, including Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, and Ho Chi Minh City, said the official.
BJPs Kolkata Uttar LS candidate files complaint with EC against Trinamool candidate
BJPs Kolkata Uttar LS candidate files complaint with EC against Trinamool candidate Kolkata: Tapas Roy, the BJP candidate for West Bengals Kolkata-Uttar Lok Sabha seat, has filed a complaint with the Election Commission (EC) against Trinamool Congress candidate Sudip Bandopadhyay accusing the latter of running his party office occupying space within a renowned school [] The post BJPs Kolkata Uttar LS candidate files complaint with EC against Trinamool candidate appeared first on Mangalorean.com .
Kolkata skipper Shreyas feels its going to be challenging for his team to turn up fresh for LSG encounter tonight as they take field within 48 hours of dominant win over MI
Trinamool video claims sexual harassment cases an attempt to defame Bengal
KOLKATA : Amid the row over incidents in Sandeshkhali where allegations of sexual abuse against TMC leaders have surfaced, the TMC released a video on social media, claiming that allegations were a conspiracy by the BJP to defame West Bengal ahead of Lok Sabha polls. In the purported video, a man, who claimed to be a BJP mandal president in Sandeshkhali, was heard saying that Suvendu Adhikari, leader of the Opposition in the sssembly, is behind the whole conspiracy. The man alleged in the video that Adhikari had asked him and other BJP leaders of the area to instigate three-four local women to level allegations of rape against three TMC leaders, including Shahjahan Sheikh. This newspaper could not verify the authenticity of the video. The man was also heard saying that Nandigram MLA Adhikari himself had planted guns at a house in Sandeshkhali, which was later shown as the seizure by Central agencies. Adhikari could not be contacted for his comment. Chief minister Mamata Banerjee said the shocking Sandeshkhali sting shows how deep the rot is within the BJP. In their hatred for Bengals progressive thought and culture, the Bangla-Birodhis orchestrated a conspiracy to defame our state. Banerjee also said, History will witness how Bengal will rise in rage against Delhis conspiratorial regime and ensure their bishorjon (immersion). Responding to the allegations, BJP leader Shankudeb Panda, The TMC is insulting women in Sandeshkhali and Bengal. Its leaders are uploading such a doctored video as it found no other way to combat the charges.
Tamil Nadu polices face recognition portal hacked; FIR, personal information up for sale
CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu polices Facial Recognition Portal (frs.tnpolice.gov.in), a software used by the state police to track criminals and missing persons using facial recognition, has been compromised. The data samples have been made available for sale on the dark web and an analysis of the leaked samples indicate that 1.2 million lines of data including names of police officers, phone numbers, and FIR details have been accessed illegally. The data breach was brought to light by threat intelligence platform FalconFeeds.io. A group named Valerie, has claimed responsibility for the breach. A file comprising 55,000 lines of data regarding details of police officials, including IPS officers, a second file with 8.9 lakh lines of FIR data and another with 2,700 lines of data on police stations (mostly available in public domain) have been compromised. The FRS software was developed by CDAC (Centre for Development of Advanced Computing) Kolkata and the application is hosted on the server at TNSDC (ELCOT). Nandakishore Harikumar, founder of Technisanct, who also owns FalconFeeds.io told TNIE that the data can potentially be used for making scam phone calls and other illegal activities. Since details from FIRs including personal identification details (of accused and suspects) have been stolen, there is a possibility of scamming family members into making payments. For instance, calls claiming to be from a particular police station, along with personal identification details, may make family members believe in the genuineness of the call and may lead to transfer of payments to scamsters, Nandakishore said. The compromised FIR details includes FIR ID, number, police station, investigating officer, date of registration, status of case, names in the FIRs, age, gender, parentage and address. The data is available for sale in a hackers forum for $2 to $3. FalconFeeds.io stated that it is unclear whether the samples are part of a larger database or if the hacker has only accessed this specific set of information. We are analysing the full data set and will be providing more information soon, FalconFeeds said. Meanwhile, acknowledging the breach, a statement from the Office of the Director General of Police said, On preliminary enquiry, it is learnt that the password has been compromised in admin account. The admin account has limited rights like creation of id for users, queries search, and details of front end can only be viewed. The last security audit of the portal was carried out by TNeGA on March 13. As a preventive measure, the admin account has been deactivated. The unauthorised user can view only the front end data (creation of id for users, queries search) and hence the unauthorised user could not have accessed the backend data & main server data, the statement said. A complaint was lodged at Cyber Crime Police Station, Chennai, and information has been communicated to ELCOT, TNeGA, CDAC-Kolkata for necessary action, the statement said. The facial recognition system launched in 2021 was intended to be used by police officers on patrol or while inspecting vehicles to immediately retrieve the criminal antecedents of those being screened. The system had sparked concerns of privacy breach due to the alleged lack of transparency on nature of usage of data and storage and retention of photographs taken as part of the process.
Rattled by fake videos in poll season, city cops seek Xs help
Abhishek: People will boycott Raj Bhavan till Bose is guv
Bldgs dept reshuffle in16 boroughs
Garments unit damaged in Chinar Park fire
Clear no dues cert to poll nominees, EC tells chief secys
Notices fake, CISCE cautions kids, parents
Jail term over, 80-yr-old shifted to old-age home
Sandeshkhali sting: TMC gets a stick to beat BJP with
Lost deaf-mute boy reunited with dad
Civil society members appeal against NRC
3 dupe bizman into investing 25L, arrested
Weekend traffic diversions kick in at Dalhousie
Forest Fragrance in good shape
Pond-filling: KMC lens on Behala-Joka & Tolly belts
3 Bengal masters paintings fetch record price at e-auction
As stock market booms, malpractices of Harshad, Ketan era are back: Harsh Goenka
Billionaire businessman Harsh Goenka fears that a stock market scam is brewing that could be equated with the ones which were perpetrated by infamous market operators like Harshad Mehta and Ketan Parekh. Goenka alleged that this time the scam may have its origin in Kolkata. In a post on X, Goenka on Saturday alleged that businessmen, especially from Kolkata, are cooking up books to inflate profits which in turn is driving up stock prices.
Team set up to probe complaint against WB Guv
KOLKATA, May 4: Kolkata Police have constituted an inquiry team to probe a woman employees allegation of sexual molestation by Governor C V Ananda Bose, a senior officer said on Saturday. The team as part of its investigation will speak to witnesses over the next few days and has requested the Raj Bhavan to share the CCTV footage, the officer said. Under Article 361 of the Constitution, no criminal proceedings can be instituted against a Governor during his term in [] The post Team set up to probe complaint against WB Guv appeared first on Daily Excelsior .
Bipins brilliance denies Mohun Bagan once again, Mumbai bag second ISL title with 3-1 comeback win
KOLKATA, May 4: Bipin Singh came to haunt Mohun Bagan once again as a gritty Mumbai City FC rode on the midfielders strike to secure a stunning 3-1 comeback win and grab the ISL title for a second time in front of a partisan Salt Lake Stadium crowd here on Saturday. In front of 62,007-strong crowd, the home side roared into the lead with Jason Cummings (44th) strike at the stroke of half-time. But the Islanders levelled things up when [] The post Bipins brilliance denies Mohun Bagan once again, Mumbai bag second ISL title with 3-1 comeback win appeared first on Daily Excelsior .
West Bengal poll war hots up as TMC hits BJP with Sandeshkhali sting clip
Trinamool released Saturday a sting video showing a Sandeshkhali BJP functionary admitting that many of the charges, including rape in the area, were levelled following instructions allegedly from party seniors, including the LoP in Bengal assembly Suvendu Adhikari. BJP dismissed the clip as fake. The video focuses on Sandeshkhali Block-II BJP mandal president Gangadhar Koyal.
Plaint against guv: Kolkata cops seek Raj Bhavan CCTV footage
Calcutta Police seeks CCTV footage over harassment claims against Bengal governor. Mamata Banerjee-led TMC probe criticized. Governor vows action against truth deviators, rejects defamation suit. TMC activists protest in Kerala city.
Green revolution: Meet the next generation of Indian pitches
CHENNAI: Toss. Weather. Conditions. Pitch. Dew. Outfield. These are just some of the factors that have a significant say in the way a team approaches a match, irrespective of the format. Among the above, pitch takes prominence for how it behaves could dictate the pace at which play progresses. While cricket is still scratching the surface when it comes to data, significant technological advancements have been made in many other aspects, including the pitch. Whether it is drop-in or conventional, there are different types of pitches based on the soil used, and so on. Over the past decade or so, hybrid pitches, too, have come into practice, especially for the white-ball format. SISGrass, a UK-based synthetic turf manufacturer, has been a pioneer in the field not just in cricket but also in football, rugby and hockey. With over 650 hybrid pitches installed across the globe, including Dubai, where conditions are vastly different from England. And now, joining hands with Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA), they have installed four hybrid pitches on the square of the scenic venue at the foothills of the Dhauladhar Range and two pitches in the nets outside. While they are used just for practice at the moment, it is the first time a venue in the country has installed hybrid pitches. Now, what is a hybrid pitch and how is it different from a conventional surface? Paul Taylor, former England cricketer and International Sales Director, Cricket at SIS Grass, explains. There are different kinds of hybrid pitches. There is an artificial hybrid, a concrete base with a carpet on top and then a soil profile on top of that. There's a carpeted hybrid, which is a synthetic carpet. It's then filled with soil, and then grass grows within that soil. Then there's the stitched hybrid, which is what we do. It takes your existing natural turf pitch and we inject synthetic fibres into that surface. And the stitching is at 20*20m centres. It covers the whole pitch, and it extends beyond the stump lines by about a metre to make sure that the back foot contact for the bowlers is part of the system. The fundamental thing that is different about our pitch, is that it's still 95 percent a natural turf surface. There's only 5 percent of fibre injected into it, Taylor tells this daily. The stitching goes to a depth of 90mm but we can stitch deeper. In cricket, we only stitch to 90mm because that's all that's really needed. The fibre that we use is a polyethylene monofilament fibre. It's the latest technology in terms of how that's made. It's resilient and durable. It enhances performance. It doesn't fade in UV light and things like that. And it comes in different colours as well. We have a green fibre, a beige fibre, then a mixture of green and beige, so whatever the surface that we're stitching into, we can pick the suit, he adds. The 5 percent fibre is expected to keep the wear and tear in check; it also enables the grass to recover after a match. The fibres help the grass plant to become stronger. There's a natural air space around the fibre when it's injected, obviously, water will go down. And all the nutrients that are put onto cricket squares will also get down to the root. So the grass is a lot stronger, a lot more durable. You get up to three times the amount of cricket on one pitch that you would ordinarily get with a fully natural surface, says Taylor. However, when it comes to pitches, it is never one size fits all. The conditions in England, where SIS Grass began working in 2017, is very different from India, a country where different states will have different climatic conditions throughout the year. This is where the other factors like soil content and clay content come into play. It is different in different places. However, we have installed it in Australia, New Zealand, Dubai and so on. One of the things we noticed when we installed the pitches in the UK is that the moisture content within the soil profile needed to be about 40% to allow the injecting needles to inject the fibres. In India, because the clay content is a lot higher, I think in Dharamsala it was around 66%, the moisture content we had to get into the profile was anywhere between 60-80%. Again, it's all part of learning. We now know how to install in the north of the country, but installing it in Mumbai and installing in Kolkata could be very different. We can adapt how we install to suit the conditions, Taylor explains. The type of grass used too plays a crucial role based on the climatic conditions, even more so in a country like India where cricket is played all throughout the year. What we need to understand is the different types of grass. The squares over here tend to be Bermuda grass rather than Rye grass, which is what they are predominantly in the UK. So the outfield at Dharamsala is a Rye grass outfield and by the way, it looks beautiful. It's absolutely stunning when I was there last time. The issues they have had previously have been rectified. Credit to the ground staff for getting that back. The other thing that is worth mentioning is we actually have a system in that outfield called SISAir, which is a drainage system and an aeration system specifically designed to improve the outfield performance. That is now working well, it has made a big difference to the outfield. That's a first for India as well. So, Dharamsala is leading the way in terms of cricket technology, said Taylor. I think what we're looking to work out at the moment is in what parts of the country, and times of year that we can install these pitches. They only take one pitch, and will take about four hours to install. So it's quite a quick process as long as we've got the appropriate moisture content in that pitch. So the preparation of those pitches is the important thing from our side. If we can get the moisture content in, we can actually stitch the pitch in four hours. We're actually developing a new machine that's going to be able to stitch in three hours. That is the plan, which will be developed over the next few months. But the universal machine will stitch one pitch in four hours. So the installation at Dharamsala took about two weeks, and that's mainly through finding out about the conditions about the soil content, the moisture content, the clay content. So there's a little bit of research initially over the first three or four days before we actually start to work. The challenge, however, remains when it comes to red-ball cricket. At the moment, they have the ICC's approval for using hybrid surfaces in white-ball cricket but not in tests. However, they have gotten approval to use hybrid pitches in the 2024 England County season on a trial basis. The practice surfaces at the HPCA Stadium are put to use on Saturday as the Chennai Super Kings and Punjab Kings prepare for their return leg contest to be played on Sunday. But for SIS Grass, this is just the beginning. Mumbai and Ahmedabad are next in line but Taylor wants to take the technology to the masses. It's a product that we want to cascade throughout the cricketing network in India. So that's working with schools, local clubs, local communities and so on. Yes, it enhances the professional game. More importantly, from my perspective, it enhances the grassroots game as well. Because if we can get young players playing on the same sort of surfaces as the international players, that's got to be a bonus for development of the game in India, says Taylor. For HPCA, it is about embracing the new technology and having the best of the facilities at the venue, ensuring that the youngsters can give themselves the best chance to improve on their game. The pitches offer a consistent, smooth, even playing surface to the players, especially the youngsters, which will enhance their skills. This should be implemented in other grounds across the country so that players are well versed with playing on these grassy wickets, which are the future of the game, Avnish Parmar, HPCA Secretary, told this daily.
Kolkata: Mumbai City FC beat Mohun Bagan Super Giant 3-1 at the Salt Lake Stadium to emerge as the Indian Super League (ISL) 2023-24 Cup Winners at the final in Kolkata tonight. The Islanders came from behind after Jason Cummings handed the Mariners a lead late in the first half. Second-half strikes by Jorge Pereyra [] The post Mumbai City FC crowned ISL Cup Winners after remarkable 3-1 comeback win against Mohun Bagan Super Giant appeared first on Pragativadi | Odisha News, Breaking News Odisha, Latest Odisha News .
Police constitute team to probe womans complaint against Guv, to speak to witnesses
Kolkata: Kolkata Police have constituted an inquiry team to probe a woman employees allegation of molestation by Governor CV Ananda Bose, a senior officer said Saturday. The team, as part of its investigation, will speak to witnesses over the next few days and has requested Raj Bhavan to share the CCTV footage, if available. Under []
Bengal Pro T20 League: Look At IPL, You'll Realise How Important T20 Cricket Is, Says Sourav Ganguly
The Bengal Pro T20 League: Former India skipper Sourav Ganguly has highlighted how the Indian Premier League (IPL) has made an impact on the careers of the young budding cricketers in the country. Many players have been selected for the national team based on their performance in the IPL. Recently, the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) batter Shivam Dube was named in India's squad for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup following his exploits in the 2023 and the ongoing editions of IPL. Sourav Ganguly, while speaking at the unveiling of the Bengal Pro T20 League trophy here in Kolkata, said the upcoming T20 League is an important opportunity for the young players to shine. The Bengal Pro T20 League trophy was unveiled in the presence of Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) President Snehasish Ganguly, Sourav and former woman cricketer Jhulan Goswami. It is an opportunity for all the young players to showcase their talent on the big stage. That's how careers start and you take it as it goes. Look at the impact, IPL has and when you see a young player play for the country, you realise how important T20 cricket is. I thank all the franchise owners, who have showcased their interest in the sport, Sourav Ganguly was quoted as saying in a release on Saturday. Bengal Pro T20 League is the official franchise-based T20 league of the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB). Speaking about the same to the media, Sourav said, Its (T20 Leagues) happening in every state. We are probably 5-6 years late on this. Any way of playing the sport will always be very helpful. T20 is an important part of cricket these days and this will be a huge opportunity for everyone to perform. Servotech Power Systems Ltd has been recently onboarded as the franchise owner for one of the teams in the Bengal Pro T20 League. During the event, Servotech Power Systems Ltd Founder and Managing Director Raman Bhatia, Director Sarika Bhatia and Marketing Head Rishabh Bhatia were facilitated by Ganguly and Jhulan Goswami. The much-awaited inaugural edition of the Bengal Pro T20 League is set to kick off on June 11 in Kolkata as eight teams get ready to showcase their talent on the big stage.
BJP confusing Matua voters through CAA notification: Mamata Banerjee
BJP confusing Matua voters through CAA notification: Mamata Banerjee Kolkata: The BJP and the Central government are trying to confuse the Matua population concentrated mainly in West Bengal by notifying the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee claimed on Saturday. The Centre and Prime Minister Narendra Modi are confusing our Matua brothers. The [] The post BJP confusing Matua voters through CAA notification: Mamata Banerjee appeared first on Mangalorean.com .
Mumbai City lifts ISL Cup, beats Mohun Bagan
Mumbai City FC has become the winner of Indian Super League 2024.In a thrilling match, at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata, Mumbai City beat Mohun Bagan 3-1.It was kind of a revenge for the Mumbai team as last month the Mariners edged past the Islanders 3-1 to dethrone Mumbai City FC and get crowned the ISL Champions. Back in 2020-21, the Mariners lost to Mumbai City FC 2-1 in the ISL final, and Antonio Lopez Habas was at the receiving end of that result. Three years back, Mohun Bagan had squandered a 1-0 lead to to suffer a 1-2 defeat against the same team at the ISL final held in Margao, which was played behind closed doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
TMC shares video accusing Suvendu of 'orchestrating' Sandeshkhali incidents, BJP calls it 'fake'
KOLKATA: The Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Saturday released a video via social media, alleging that the incidents in Sandheshkhali were a BJP conspiracy to malign West Bengal before the Lok Sabha polls. In the purported video, a man who identifies himself as the BJP mandal president in Sandeshkhali is heard saying that Suvendu Adhikari, the leader of the opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, is behind the whole conspiracy. The man in the video alleges that Adhikari directed him and other BJP leaders in the area to instigate three to four local women to make rape allegations against three TMC leaders, including Shahjahan Sheikh . In the video, the man claimed that Adhikari himself had planted guns at a house in Sandeshkhali, which was subsequently portrayed as a seizure by central agencies. Notably, the authenticity of the video posted by the TMC has not been verified. Sharing the video via X, the TMC wrote: From mass rape to arms seizure, every claim was bought and staged by none other than Suvendu Adhikari and accused the BJP of leaving o stone unturned to malign Bengal. And quoting the party's post, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee wrote: The shocking Sandeshkhali sting shows how deep the rot is within the BJP. In their hatred for Bengal's progressive thought & culture, the Bangla-Birodhis orchestrated a conspiracy to defame our state on every possible level. Never before in the history of India has a ruling party in Delhi tried to malign an entire state and its people. The shocking Sandeshkhali sting shows how deep the rot is within the BJP. In their hatred for Bengal's progressive thought & culture, the Bangla-Birodhis orchestrated a conspiracy to defame our state on every possible level. Never before in the history of India has a ruling https://t.co/50QUParP16 Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) May 4, 2024 The cat is out of the bag. The sinister plot of Modi-Shah, central agencies and their allies stands exposed, the TMC said, apparently referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. Senior TMC leader Abhisekh Banerjee claimed on Saturday that the video vindicated the TMC's stand that the saffron party was behind the incidents. In the press conference, Banerjee, who is considered number two in the TMC, alleged that to create grounds for the imposition of Article 355 in Bengal, Adhikari orchestrated the entire incident in Sandeshkhali. Banerjee asserted that the honour of Bengali women were compromised by such allegations in Sandeshkhali, which he believes are aimed at maligning the state. I never thought the politics of Bengal would stoop so low to get votes. We have been saying from day one that a shameless attempt was made to malign Bengal ahead of the elections, he said. Shri @abhishekaitc vehemently criticised the Godi Media's spineless sensationalism, turning manufactured narratives into a spectacle to tarnish Bengal's image. He condemned the Judiciary for its biased favoritism towards the BJP! #SandeshkhaliExposed pic.twitter.com/h2AGmZTetJ All India Trinamool Congress (@AITCofficial) May 4, 2024 He demanded that the BJP's top leadership apologise for maligning Bengal about Sandeshkhali within 48 hours. The TMC national general secretary also wondered what Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who had mentioned Sandeshkhali incidents several times during his election rallies, will say now. In his election rallies across the state, PM Modi has continued to criticise the TMC over what he claimed to be apathy towards the victims in Sandeshkhali, where allegations of sexual abuse surfaced against the party's leaders, including Shahjahan Sheikh. Responding to the TMC's allegations, Adhikari said, It is a fake and doctored video. It seems that the TMC sensed defeat (in the election) and is trying to divert attention. There have been hundreds of complaints by women of Sandeshkhali. BJP spokesman Shankudeb Panda said the TMC was unable to combat the swelling public anger over the Sandeskhlai incident. The TMC is insulting women in Sandeshkhali and Bengal. Its leaders are uploading such a doctored video as it found no other way to combat the charges, he said. (With additional inputs for PTI)
IPL-17 | Mayank likely to miss rest of season: head coach Langer
Speaking on the eve of his sides clash against Kolkata Knight Riders, Langer said Mayank suffered a muscle tear during his sides last game against Mumbai Indians.
Battleground Bengal: Can BJP Breach Mamata Banerjee's Fortress?
One of the most interesting states in this national election is Bengal, where an intense electoral battle is on between the BJP and Mamata Bannerjee's Trinamool Congress. Who has the edge in the state and what are the big issues here? NDTV's Sanjay Pugalia and a panel of experts look at multiple aspects of the election in this special battleground episode from Kolkata.
Travel tips: Darbhanga is a historical city of Bihar, know the top 5 tourist places here.
Darbhanga is the 5th largest city of Bihar, its literal meaning is 'Dwar Bang' or 'Dari Bang' i.e. 'Door of Bengal'. This is a perfect place for tourism. Trains run from here to every corner of India including Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata. Apart from this, there is also an airport here which makes it an easy gateway for tourists. Let us know which are the top tourist destinations of Darbhanga. Darbhanga Fort is also called Ram Bagh Fort because it is located in the area of Rambagh Palace which is spread over 85 acres. This huge fort was constructed between 1934 and 1947. Kusheshwarsthan Bird Sanctuary is made up of approximately 14 submerged villages, whose area is 7019.75 acres, many species of birds can be seen here. Also, many Siberian migratory birds come here during the winter season because the temperature in their native country becomes very low. Whenever you come to Darbhanga, you must visit Chandradhari Museum, it was constructed in the year 1957, then it was called Mithila Museum. Many things of history have been preserved here. Ahalya Sthan of Darbhanga district is an important religious place. It was constructed during the rule of Maharaj Chhatra Singh and Maharaj Rudra Singh. Devotees come here from far and wide to have darshan. Lakshmeshwar Vilas Palace was built in the year 1882 by Maharaja Lakshmeshwar Singh of Darbhanga. Today this magnificent building is used as the administrative building of Kameshwar Singh Darbhanga Sanskrit University. (PC: Zee news)
Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari: Lucknow Super Giants are reconciled to probably playing the rest of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 without young tearaway pacer Mayank Yadav. Even if there is a possibility of getting him back, it would be a huge test for the pacer, said LSG head coach Justin Langer ahead of their upcoming clash with Kolkata Knight Riders at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium. Yadav had returned for the match against Mumbai Indians at the same venue on April 30 but pulled after bowling 3.1 overs, returning to the dugout as his injury flared up again. Langer said there were no updates on Mayank Yadav on Saturday but felt his injury was the usual one that young fast bowlers have to suffer early in their careers. No updates. He had a scan. He has got a small tear in a similar area where the last one was. So, it is very unfortunate. We saw the impact he had made, said Langer in the pre-match press conference on Saturday. He came back into the game, but we can also see there's been a lot of discussion about fast bowlers, and he spoke to (Jasprit) Bumrah after the game and he reassured him that he's going to be a fast bowler, said the former Australia coach. Part of his journey as a young fast bowler, he's going to get injuries, and in my experience every young fast bowler, probably until they get to 24-26, are going to experience different injuries and also most unfortunate is he's got huge potential, he added. Langer dispelled the notion that Yadav had made a pre-mature return against Mumbai Indians, which led to his injury aggravating. He did his rehabilitation, (it) was excellent. He went into the game, had a couple of balls before the game, he was completely pain-free, so I was very sad for him and it's disappointing for LSG as well, said the LSG coach. He said even if there are chances of Mayank Yadav returning to the squad, it would be a big test for him. Already might have to play the rest of the tournament without him. You can fly him, hopefully for the playoffs but it will be a real test as well. It would probably be difficult for him to get up for the backend of the tournament, said Langer. LSG are currently placed third in the third position with 12 points from 10 matches and is in a tight contest with Sunrisers Hyderabad, Chennai Super Kings and Delhi Capitals in the race for the playoff spots behind the top two -- Rajasthan Royals (16) and Kolkata Knight Riders (14).
Modi Raised Indias Global Stature By Providing Stable Govt: Dr Jitendra
KOLKATA, May 4 : Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh said here today that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has raised Indias global stature by providing a stable government and that is the reason today, all the leading countries of the world look forward to engage with India because of the continuity in its progressive and futuristic policy provided by Prime Minister Modi in the last 10 years. Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp Channel In a media interaction in the middle [] The post Modi Raised Indias Global Stature By Providing Stable Govt: Dr Jitendra appeared first on Daily Excelsior .
'Badtameezi mat kariye': KL Rahul's 'Lucknowi andaaz'
Lucknow Super Giants must bring their best performance to overcome a strong Kolkata Knight Riders team when the two playoff-bound squads face off on Sunday. KKR's recent all-around victory over Mumbai Indians by 24 runs boosted them to second place with 14 points, putting them one step closer to securing a playoff spot. This heightens the pressure on KL Rahul's LSG to navigate the challenge posed by Shreyas Iyer's team.
Kolkata Police seeks CCTV footage from Raj Bhavan in sexual harassment plaint against Bengal Guv
Kolkata, May 4: A special probe team constituted to conduct an enquiry into the sexual harassment complaint against West Bengal Governor, CV Ananda Bose, has sought CCTV footage of the Raj Bhavan. The Kolkata Police sought the footage from the officer-in-charge of the police outpost within the Governors House on Saturday. A senior police officer [] The post Kolkata Police seeks CCTV footage from Raj Bhavan in sexual harassment plaint against Bengal Guv appeared first on The Shillong Times .
In Kolkata, women want to vote for more jobs, lower cost of living
Job opportunities and spiralling expenses override all other concerns in the City of Joy, no matter what election speeches and the noise on social media may be about
Rohit Sharma's hug to young Rinku Singh wins hearts
Venkatesh Iyer's stellar half-century surpassed a comparable performance from Suryakumar Yadav, while Mitchell Starc's four-wicket haul propelled Kolkata Knight Riders to a 24-run victory over Mumbai Indians in a low-scoring IPL 2024 match. This win marked KKR's first at the Wankhede Stadium since 2012 and their second at the historic venue.
Rohit registers unwanted record, becomes batter with...
Rohit Sharma's batting woes continued in the IPL 2024 as he endured yet another disappointing outing while leading the Mumbai Indians against the Kolkata Knight Riders at the iconic Wankhede Stadium on Friday.
Kolkata Police Constitute Team to Probe Woman's Complaint Against Bengal Guv; To Speak to Witnesses
Under Article 361 of the Constitution, no criminal proceedings can be instituted against a Governor during his term in office
IPL 2024: Hardik Pandya Looked Like A Man Under Pressure, Says Graeme Smith
Kolkata Knight Riders: Former South Africa captain Graeme Smith said Mumbai Indians skipper Hardik Pandya has looked like a man under pressure in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 after the five-time champions suffered a 24-run loss to Kolkata Knight Riders at the Wankhede Stadium on Friday evening. This is also their eighth defeat in 11 matches of this season so far, leaving MI in ninth position and more importantly, their playoffs chances are now hanging by a slim thread. Hardik has really struggled; he's looked like a man under pressure. That's created a little turmoil in the air, who knows how that's affected the people. But even the batting lineup, they look like they're confused. Tilak Varma and Naman Dhir were fighting in the middle order, Dhir was batting at three, and Hardik moving all over the place. They should have had Tilak at 3, Sky at 4, and Hardik batting at 5 throughout the season, with David at 6. Then, figure out your bowling units. All over and all around, they've been a very confused team this season and it's been hugely disappointing from one of the mega franchises of the IPL. A lot of people in the MI fanbase and camp will be very sore after this, said Smith to JioCinema. Apart from a leadership role, Hardik is enduring a horrid time in IPL 2024 with both bat and ball. With the bat, he has amassed only 198 runs, averaging just 19.8, while picking only eight wickets at an economy rate of 11. Shane Watson, the former Australia all-rounder, was left baffled over certain on-field decisions from the MI camp. To keep bowling Naman Dhir when it was so critical (KKR were at 57-5), it was a big mistake from the leadership of the Mumbai Indians, whether it was Hardik Pandya making the decisions or information coming from the sideline. Bumrah had bowled only one over at that stage, so (they needed to) get him in the game again to try and break the partnership of Venkatesh Iyer and Manish Pandey, but they didn't. They just let them cruise and build momentum in the partnership. Before you know it, they hadn't played a shot in anger and that built the partnership to a point where it was too late when he came in. There were a lot of baffling decisions from the Mumbai Indians' leadership, which is going to be hard to explain, he said. Amidst all the gloom for MI, Suryakumar Yadav rose to be the bright light via his 35-ball 56. With Sky at the crease, you always believe you have a chance. He was head and shoulders above every other batter in the MI lineup, nobody looked at all comfortable with the conditions, the pressure, or with their games. Sky came right with excellent stroke play, the usual hitting the ball in awkward areas. He played spin well, he played seam well, front-end or back-foot. While he was there, the whole fanbase of MI thought they had a chance, concluded Smith. Mumbai Indians will next take on fourth-placed Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Wankhede Stadium on Monday.
NCLT sees 43% jump in debt resolution cases
Kolkata, Amid several bottlenecks, the Insolvency Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) declared 2023-24 as a landmark year, with the National Company Law Tribunal achieving a significant 43 per cent increase in resolutions, jumping from 189 cases last year to 270 this year. The IBBI is expected to submit a report to the government over the next 2-3 months for including mediation in the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC), which is currently under discussion and scrutiny. The regulator is also working on prepackaged insolvency for large corporate cases, which is only allowed in MSME cases as of now. For the first time in a year, the number of outputs has increased from the number of inputs, reducing the pendency across India, said Sudhaker Shukla, an IBBI whole-time member, while addressing the CII organised 7th Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code conclave. He said that despite bottlenecks in the last seven years, resolution of 3.5 lakh crore was achieved, and 27,000 applications worth Rs 10 lakh crore were withdrawn, making the IBC a powerful tool for debt resolution in the country. Shukla stated that the law has evolved over time and that the interventions to improve it have been remarkable. In 2023-24, around 12 amendments and 86 interventions have been made in the IBBI within a single year. This portrays that we are responding to market requirements to bridge the gaps, he said. He further added that a sectoral approach has been adopted to address unique problems for a speedy resolution, like in real estate. We are trying to follow the sandbox approach. The recent amendments were made on real estate where project-wise resolution was made, keeping the allotted houses from liquidation was a big step forward in a sectoral approach, Shukla said. Speaking about the demand for mediation and prepacks for insolvency for large accounts, Shukla said it was currently under scrutiny and in the next 2-3 months, it will be submitted to the government. He further said prepacks for large accounts were also under consideration as they aim for speedy resolution. Prepackaged insolvency involves negotiating and agreeing on a resolution plan between the debtor and its creditors before going into formal bankruptcy. P Santhosh, Managing Director of NARCL, the government-backed bad bank, asserted that a delay in resolution will deteriorate the quality of the asset, making revival difficult. There are multiple factors contributing to this delay, and to avoid it, coordination with financial creditors is crucial. The concept of Prepack insolvency is yet to be adopted. However, many practitioners have discussed that this is one of the tools that can be extended to larger corporate disputes. Initially, there could be a promoter-led resolution plan, which can be improved over time, he said. B Sankar, the Deputy Managing Director (stressed assets) of State Bank of India, highlighted that the success of insolvency resolution depends on collaboration between creditors, distressed companies (often with suspended directors/promoters), and insolvency professionals. The conclave participants from insolvency professionals enriched themselves from NCLT Kolkata judicial members Rohit Kapoor, Balraj Joshi and Bidisha Banerjee who shared their inputs for speedy resolutions.
TMC's Kunal Ghosh Meets Derek O'Brien, Signaling Reconciliation
TMC's Kunal Ghosh Meets Derek O'Brien, Signaling Reconciliation TMC leader Kunal Ghosh, who was removed as the party's state general secretary, met Rajya Sabha MP Derek O'Brien on Saturday, in signs of rapprochement. Ghosh, accompanied by state Education Minister Bratya Basu, went to O'Brien's residence in Ballygunge in the afternoon. The meeting lasted for around one and a half hours. The TMC had on Wednesday removed him as the state general secretary and star campaigner after he shared the stage with BJP's Kolkata Uttar candidate Tapas Ray. The statement announcing the party's action was issued by O'Brien, the TMC's leader in Rajya Sabha. Following the meeting, Basu said, ''Discussions were held to strengthen the organisation and fight the BJP unitedly. There is no bad blood.'' ''The wound has been healed,'' he added. While Ghosh stayed silent when Basu was speaking to reporters, O'Brien could not be reached for comment. Ghosh, a former journalist who has had a chequered relationship with the TMC over the last decade, is considered close to Abhishek Banerjee, the party's national general secretary and heir apparent. He has been vocal against TMC's Kolkata Uttar candidate Sudip Badopadhyay ever since he was re-nominated. His views were echoed by Ray who eventually gave up his assembly membership from Baranagar, and joined the BJP which gave him a ticket against Bandopadhyay.
Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium: Experts have always opined not to change a winning combination and Punjab Kings will follow the wisdom handed down the ages when they take on defending champions Chennai Super Kings in Match 53 of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium here on Sunday afternoon. On an upswing after two wins on the trot, Punjab Kings will face the five-time champions CSK for the second time within a few days as they attempt to move up from the seventh position they currently occupy in the standings and get into a position to challenge for a place in the Playoffs. Sunday's match is their first game at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium, Dharamsala this season and PBKS spin bowling coach Sunil Joshi explained why his side enjoys travelling to Dharamsala for the IPL games. The ground in Dharamsala is one of the best grounds in the cricket world because of the location and the surface we get to play here. It's a fantastic ground, Joshi said at the pre-match press conference on Saturday. Punjab defeated Kolkata Knight Riders, chasing down the world T20 record total of 262 last week. Earlier this week, PBKS picked a big win over the Chennai Super Kings, chasing 163 with 7 wickets in hand and 13 balls to spare. Entering the contest with a positive mindset and on the back of two solid victories, Joshi said that his side will stick with the same playing combination. No, we do not think we will be making any changes. Because we want to keep up the winning squad, he said. The former Indian left-arm spinner further gave an update on skipper Shikhar Dhawan's injury status and also praised Sam Curran for taking over the leadership role effectively in Dhawan's absence. Dhawan's rehabilitation is on track. He is doing well. He is not available for the next game. Hopefully, he will be back for the final two games, Joshi said. Shikhar was also injured last year. He was playing well but Sam had to come up as captain because of his injury. Sam has come up as a leader yet again and he has stepped up with the team, he added. The tournament has reached a stage where all the teams are fighting to grab the top four spots and confirm a spot in the playoffs. Joshi insisted his side is focused on getting the right results and is not too focused on the points table calculations. The team conversations that we have had, our approach is to put in the best effort and to play to win the game. The table calculations will come on their own. We do not see that part very closely. What we look at is what are the areas we can do better, what we have not done over the past few games, what best we can do and how we can improve as a team. That is the conversation we have with the players, he said. Our plan of action is to keep winning. The challenge is always with the bat and ball. It's a good surface. I keep telling players to hold their horses and execute their skill, he signed off.
KOLKATA: Kolkata Police have constituted an inquiry team to probe a woman employee's allegation of sexual molestation by Governor C V Ananda Bose, a senior officer said on Saturday. The team as part of its investigation will speak to probable witnesses over the next few days and has requested the Raj Bhavan to share the CCTV footage, the officer said. Under Article 361 of the Constitution, no criminal proceedings can be instituted against a Governor during his term in office. We have formed an inquiry team which will be speaking to some probable witnesses over the next few days in this matter. We have also requested the Raj Bhavan to share the CCTV footage, in case they are available, the officer said. Woman accuses West Bengal Governor Ananda Bose of sexual harassment When asked how the police could initiate a probe despite Constitutional immunity to the Governor, another senior police officer said that it's a regular practice to start an investigation after getting any complaint, especially from a woman. We have to investigate any complaint lodged by anybody. This is a regular practice and we are just following that. And if needed we may visit the spot (Raj Bhavan), he said. A contractual woman employee of the Raj Bhavan on Friday lodged a written complaint with the Kolkata Police alleging sexual molestation by the West Bengal Governor in the Raj Bhavan. The Raj Bhavan has already issued a statement saying that Bose has ordered a ban on the entry of cops to the Raj Bhavan in the guise of conducting unauthorised, illegitimate, sham and motivated investigations to placate political bosses during the election.
NCLT registers 43pc jump in debt resolution cases: IBBI
KOLKATA, May 4: Amid several bottlenecks, the Insolvency Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) declared 2023-24 as a landmark year, with the National Company Law Tribunal achieving a significant 43 per cent increase in resolutions, jumping from 189 cases last year to 270 this year. The IBBI is expected to submit a report to the government over the next 2-3 months for including mediation in the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC), which is currently under discussion and scrutiny. The regulator is [] The post NCLT registers 43pc jump in debt resolution cases: IBBI appeared first on Daily Excelsior .
Pandya 'Baffling, KKR Had No Right To Win': Ex-IPL Champion Shreds MI
Australia's World Cup-winner allrounder Shane Watson said that the Kolkata-based franchise didn't deserve to win the match as they lost the first five wickets very quickly
'KKR had no right to win...': Ex-Aussie all-rounder
After the clash between Mumbai Indians and Kolkata Knight Riders, Australia's World Cup-winner allrounder Shane Watson said that the Kolkata-based franchise didn't deserve to win the match as they lost the first five wickets very quickly.
Mumbai Indians can still qualify for playoffs - Here is how
Mumbai Indians, led by Hardik Pandya, struggle in IPL 2024, placed ninth with six points. With only three wins from eleven matches and a negative net run rate, their playoff chances are slim. To qualify, they must win remaining games against Sunrisers Hyderabad, Kolkata Knight Riders, and Lucknow Super Giants. However, their fate also relies on other teams' results.
Suhana Khan Celebrates Kolkata Knight Riders Victory With Her Dream Team AbRam, Ananya, Shanaya
Suhana Khan also shared a series of posts on her stories about KKRs win against MI at the Wankhede Stadium.
Kia Carens Diesel MT replaces my Ertiga: Booking & ownership review
BHPian kaustavguha recently shared this with other enthusiasts. Hello everyone, this is my first ever review/ report on Team BHP so kindly bear with me and correct me where I have made mistakes. I have tried to divide the post into various sections to make It easier to navigate. The needWe were proud owners of a 2016 Maruti Suzuki Ertiga ZXI+ which was serving us well, we bought it in February of 2016 just after the facelift for the 1st generation Ertiga was launched, back then our running was quite low because I was still doing my masters and did not need a car to commute to college and my father doesn't drive and did not want to hire a driver to commute to work hence we picked the petrol version(Maruti still sold diesels back then.)Fast Forward to 2020, COVID-19 happened, and both my father and started commuting to work together in the Ertiga after the lockdown was relaxed for obvious fears of travelling by public transport.I am a 1st generation driver in my family so using a car for daily commutes was never something we ever thought of until the pandemic.Our workplace is roughly 50 kms from home and we were clocking close to 2000 kms a month!For the 1st 4 years of the Ertiga, it had run 19 k kms, and the year after it had run close to 25 k kms just in 1 year!The need for a diesel/ car with better mileage began in early 2022 when the Ertiga clocked 45 k kms.The searchAs in most Indian families, no matter how old you are, you need the blessings of your parents before taking any big decision and in June of 2022, we began our search after my parents and better half agreed to a new car.Our requirements were simple, a comfortable 7-seater, preferably diesel within 20 Lakhs.The test drives Mahindra XUV 700The first car that came to my mind was the new XUV 700, in my opinion, it was a really good-looking car with a spacious interior and a premium up-market feel; I went to the Mahindra dealer closest to home and was promptly offered a test drive of the diesel automatic.The drive was really good, the AC was really good (quite an important deciding factor as I live in Kolkata), the boot space was really good with the last row folded down and the car had a great road presence. When asked when I get the car, the SA said that there is a minimum of 6 months waiting for the diesel auto but the wait could be more. Quite disheartened by the wait, I decided to explore some other options.Hyundai AlcazarWent to the Hyundai showroom, and asked for the TD of the Alcazar, the SA said that the diesel TD car was unavailable and I did not want to TD the petrol one because I had no intentions of buying a petrol; however I sat in the display vehicle in the showroom and I have to say, the interiors feel like that from a segment above, but the 3rd row is quite cramped, there isn't much space, although we will rarely need it, I still wanted a spacious 3rd row, after some thought decided to drop the Alcazar.Kia CarensRight next to the Hyundai Showroom is Eastern KIA, this time I took my wife along with me so that I could come to a conclusion.Had already talked to an SA over the phone and he said that the TD cars would be available.After reaching the showroom, we were shown a Diesel Manual Carens, at that point in time I was not even considering the automatic.Drove the car for a good 15 kms and the SA kept explaining the different features to my wife and me throughout the drive and he never asked me to cut the TD short.Returned to the showroom and asked about the waiting period for the Luxury Plus 7-Seater Diesel Manual, the SA said on the booking form it would be 24 weeks but we may be able to get one within 8 weeks.Went home and after a discussion with my parents we decided to book the car, the following Saturday we went to the showroom, showed the car to my parents and the SA offered another TD, we happily went on another TD and now everyone was on board. Came back to the showroom and booked a Carens Luxury Plus 7-Seater Diesel Manual in Imperial Blue. The slight hiccupWe had booked the car in the last week of June and in the 1st week of September our SA called me and asked me to come for PDI, overjoyed I went to the showroom the very next day but I saw that Kia had started providing one smart key along with the cars and the second key would be provided within 6 months, I found this to be unacceptable, in some unfortunate incident if the smart key is lost or damaged, the car can only be unlocked with the second key, but it cannot be started; I told the SA I have no issues in waiting but I want both the keys along with the car; the SA agreed after some back and forth with the GM.The DeliveryIn early November I got a call from the SA and he said that a Carens Luxury Plus 7-Seater Diesel Automatic in Imperial Blue was available and I could have it immediately, I was a bit confused as I had never driven an automatic before, but I also wanted the car and the price difference wasn't that much of a concern, so I asked for a TD of the automatic.After the TD I really wanted the automatic, the convenience it provided in city traffic and it was very smooth in the shifts (it is a torque converter).We finalised the car after PDI and the registration-related formalities were done and the 28th of November 2022 was decided as the D-Day.We arrived at 3 PM at the showroom, and after a quick second PDI, checked all the documents and the accessories requested; we went for the delivery. The LikesVery spacious for a family of 4, being a large individual, space was a priority.The A/C is an absolute chiller; even for the 3rd row occupants thanks to the roof-mounted A/C Vents.The 2nd row type C charging ports.The ventilated seats.The upmarket and premium feel of the interiors, the piano black dash looks like that from a segment above.The torque converter AT box is smooth.The DislikesAt 20 Lakhs+ OTR a 360-degree camera would have been nice.The headlights are good for the city but on the highways, they feel quite dim.A fabulous infotainment system but no wireless Android Auto/ Apple Car Play?At that time the UV Cut glasses were not being offered, a necessity in the era sun-film ban.The gauge cluster is a bit basic for a car at this price.Despite the dislikes, the Carens fit our requirements and budget the best, hence no other cars were given a second thought. The booking and delivery experience was really good at Eastern Kia Newtown, Kolkata; they were courteous and attended to most of my requests.On the day of delivery took a nice pen for the SA and his team leas and a box of sweets for the dealership. The cost break-up:Variant: Kia Carens Luxury Plus Diesel Automatic 7-SeaterEx-Showroom Kolkata 17,99,900.00Road Tax. 1,79,990.00Registration 740.00Insurance 62,605.00Accessories 7,496.0Extended Warranty 26,532.00 (4th and 5th Year, Unlimited km)Fastag 500.00Total 20,77,763.00 No discounts were being offered at all, the showroom provided me with the 3D Mats complementary. I opted for the lifetime road tax, in West Bengal you can choose to pay the road tax at 5-year intervals or lifetime as it made more sense to me. I opted for the Extended Warranty for unlimited kms 4th and 5th year as Kia is still new to the Indian market and I just wanted that peace of mind; unlimited kms because my running right now is quite high; 2000-2500 kms per month, mostly on the highway. The safetyThe car has a lot of safety features as standard like ABS, EBD, Hill Hold, Hill Decent control, and 6 Airbags.It did score a 3-star safety rating which is a bit concerning but I always take GNCAP ratings with a pinch of salt.The Features This is probably the best part, the feature list goes on and on, I will try to list the most prominent ones:Ventilated seats, work really really well.Apple Car play is really difficult to imagine the infotainment without it.The 10.8-inch infotainment system is really smooth.The Bose sound system, for someone like me, who isn't an audiophile is very good.The ambient lights look soothing at night and the brightness and colour can be controlled.The Keyless entry makes everything a lot more convenient.Charging ports in every row.The reverse camera is of very high definition and the adaptive guidelines make life a lot easier.The front parking sensors are a lifesaver on narrow streets, although a 360-degree camera is missed!The front cup holders are cooled and in summer they are quite efficient in keeping a bottle of water cool.The driver's seat is adjustable for everything except the lumbar support.The Steering wheel is tilt and telescopic adjustable.Being an automatic the gear knob is nice and chunky, and the different positions are clearly demarcated and easy to understand.The driving modes do make a difference between throttle response and gear shifts quite noticeably between normal sport and eco.Kia Connect sends and alarm to your phone if you forget to lock your car or if a door boot or bonnet is open.With Kia Connect you can remotely do a lot of functions but most importantly lock, unlock, and start your car along with the A/C.The Automatic headlights and wipers work like a charm, and once you get used to it, it is difficult to remember to turn off the lights.The looksI think the car looks very good for an MPV, especially in imperial blue(when clean).The DRL is large and very bright and they double up as indicators that in LED looks cool!The tail lights have a connected design which makes the car look very premium.Overall a very upmarket look for an MPVThe built quality is good there are no creeks or squeaks anywhere in the car, and nothing shakes or rattles(as of now).The panel gaps are very consistent and the paint finish seems to be very good.The car comes with 16-inch alloys which IMO looks good in with the car, the MRF Wanderers are pretty good although for the next tire change, I will probably go for the Bridgestone B390s.The InteriorThe interior is very well put together the leather-wrapped steering wheel, and the piano black finish on the dash all look really good.The front seats provide good adjustment, anyone could be comfortable in this; under-thigh support is also good.The 2nd row is also adjustable and has very good knee and headroom; it is wide enough for 3 adults of average built.The cream colour seats go very well with the navy dash and door cards.The soft-touch part of the doors feels very good.The 2nd and 3rd row both have adjustable recline which is a major plus.Lots of bottle holders and cubbies for your cell phones etc.The 2nd row curtains are a good size and prove a good shield from the sun.It is very easy to find a comfortable driving position and there are not many blind spots. The boot is extremely spacious with the 3rd row folded down but with it up, a few mid-sized bags will fit. The PerformanceWith 250 nm of torque and a smooth auto box, it pulls and pulls, you will reach the speed limit before the engine runs out of power.The torque converter auto box is really smooth, at 80 kmph the engine is at 1700 rpm which is very fuel efficient.If you need to overtake and you floor the accelerator the gearbox shifts down pretty quickly.If you put it in sport mode the car will hold gears longer and also the throttle feels more responsive.The brakes have a good bite to the pedal and the braking performance is also good.The engine is super silent for a diesel, most petrol bunk attendants mistake it for petrol.I have driven the car for 30 k kms at the time of writing this and most of that has been on the highway.The car is reasonably easy to manoeuver in city traffic but on narrow streets, it gets a bit tricky.The NVH levels are good, you hardly hear any road noises or wind noises.The all important kitna deti hain?The mileage in city traffic is 12 kmpl and on the highways, if driven conservatively it will return 16 kmpl.This is with my driving style.The ride quality is very good, feels a lot better than the Ertiga.It absorbs small bumps on the road very well, you will only feel the sharper ones.The serviceFor all the service and body work I went to Eastern Kia.At the 1k kms service it is just a basic checkup and wash, which took around 2 hours, the SA asked me if I had any issues with the vehicle, but I did not.The bill came out to zero and the car was washed very well.At the 10k kms service the usual work like engine oil, oil filter, air filter, ac filter was changed, I asked the SA to get the wheel alignment and balancing done as well. The labour was free on this service.The service took around 4 hours and pick up and drop was available but I decided to go in myself.The bill was Rs. 4,514.At the 20k kms service the same things were done and the SA recommended AC evaporator cleaning, I was skeptical at first but decided to get it done, and it did improve cooling, the route that I travel on has a lot of dust so I thought of getting it done. The labour was free on this service as well.I also got the wiper blades changed.The bill was Rs. 6,814At around 28 k kms there was a whistling noise coming from one of the front wheels, took it to the service centre and the front brake pads had nothing left in them and a small rock had got stuck between the brake pad and disc causing lines on the disc, the SA recommended to change the discs and the brake pads and I agreed.The bill came out to Rs. 16,789.At the 30 k kms I got all the wiper blades changed, the wheel alignment, wheel balancing, and the AC evaporator cleaned as mentioned earlier; this was in addition to the usual service jobs.The bill was Rs. 15,253Overall I am happy with the service experience.The Body Shop ExperienceUnfortunately, in November of 2023, I had a slight graze with another car near home, and the rear right door was dented, sent the car for bodywork and there was a bit of delay due to the Diwali holidays but the work was done flawlessly and the insurance company paid for everything, I only paid the mandatory deductible.A few days after I got the car back, at a signal a Tata ace smashed against the left-side ORVM and broke it completely, thankfully no one was injured. This time as it was just the mirror, I did not want to go through insurance for this because it meant leaving the car with the service center again for 3-5 days, I asked the SA to paint the ORVM cover and let me know when it is ready to be fitted, and 2 days later I went in for around 10 mins and the job was done.Overall I am very happy with the car and would recommended it to anyone looking for a 7-seater in this price range.Thank you so much for reading, if you have any questions please do ask! A few pictures of the delivery and the blessings of the almighty at Adyapeath. Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.
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