Blog - The Purbottar

12 Jan

Indian Idol 3 Champion Prashant Tamang Dies at 43; Sikkim Chief Minister Expresses Deep Grief

Sonakshi SarkarSikkim

Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang on January 11 expressed deep sorrow over the death of renowned singer and actor Prashant Tamang, describing him as a rare example of talent, humility and hard work whose life journey will continue to inspire people across the country. Prashant Tamang, who shot to national fame after winning Indian Idol Season 3, passed away in New Delhi following a cardiac arrest. He was 43. His sudden death has sent a wave of grief across Sikkim and among his fans nationwide. Before stepping into the world of music and films, Tamang served as a constable…

12 Jan

IIT Bombay launches five-month certificate programme in Generative AI

Business BureauBusiness

Indian Institute of Technology Bombay has announced the launch of a Certificate in Generative AI, aimed at equipping professionals with hands-on skills to design and deploy real-world GenAI applications. The five-month, online certificate programme will be offered by the Technocraft Centre for Applied Artificial Intelligence in collaboration with Great Learning as the edtech partner, with registrations now open for the 2026 intake. Designed and delivered by IIT Bombay faculty, the programme follows a practical, LLM-first approach across five modules. It covers fundamentals of artificial intelligence, large language models, prompt engineering, model adaptation using proprietary data, and the development of copilots…

12 Jan

Pre-Magh Bihu Event Highlights Purabi Dairy’s Growing Presence Across Assam

Sonakshi SarkarAssam

Purabi Dairy, the biggest dairy cooperative in Northeast India, celebrated pre-Magh Bihu on Monday at its Guwahati dairy processing factory, commemorating a year of robust expansion, increased farmer involvement, and growing presence throughout Assam's dairy landscape.Speaking to reporters at the event, representatives of the West Assam Milk Producers’ Cooperative Union Ltd (WAMUL) emphasized that Purabi Dairy has been steadily expanding its cooperative network and experiencing a notable increase in milk production and procurement over the past year.The number of Dairy Cooperative Societies (DCS) under Purabi has grown over the course of the year, and Upper Assam's cooperative dairy system has…

12 Jan

Groww Mutual Fund launches Groww Small Cap Fund

Business BureauBusiness

Groww Mutual Fund has announced the launch of the Groww Small Cap Fund, an open-ended equity scheme predominantly investing in small cap stocks. The New Fund Offer (NFO) will be open from January 08 to January 22, 2026. The scheme seeks to generate long-term capital appreciation by investing in high-quality, scalable small cap companies through a disciplined bottom-up investment approach, guided by Groww Mutual Fund’s QGaRP framework—Quality and Growth at a Reasonable Price. India’s economy is undergoing a broad-based transformation, with strengthening physical, financial, and technological capacity reshaping the opportunity set for businesses across the size spectrum. Rising infrastructure spending,…

12 Jan

Ai+ expands wearables portfolio with NovaWatch smartwatch series

Business BureauBusiness

Ai+ Smartphone on Tuesday unveiled NovaWatch, a new smartwatch lineup aimed at strengthening its connected devices portfolio across health, safety and personal style. Scheduled to launch nationwide in Q1 2026, the series reflects the brand’s push to blend practical utility with fashion-forward design for a connected generation. The NovaWatch range includes Active, Wearbuds, Kids Geo Fencing 4G Watch, and an industry-first Rotatecam 4G LTE Watch with a rotating camera. Each model is designed for a specific use case, spanning everyday health tracking, family safety and style-led personal expression. While Active focuses on essential wellness metrics in an easy-to-use format, Wearbuds…

12 Jan

‘Intent Matters’: Sivasagar MLA Akhil Gogoi Reacts Sharply to Controversial Statement by New Congress Entrant Rezaul Sarkar

Sonakshi SarkarAssam

Sivasagar MLA Akhil Gogoi on Sunday reacted strongly to a controversial remark allegedly made by Rezaul Karim Sarkar, warning that any deliberate attempt to provoke social or political tension would be firmly opposed. Gogoi’s reaction came after Sarkar, who formally joined the Indian National Congress earlier in the day, was quoted as saying that he would “turn Sivasagar into Dhubri and Dhubri into Sivasagar.” The remark triggered sharp political reactions, particularly in Upper Assam, where Sivasagar holds strong cultural and historical importance. Speaking to the media, Akhil Gogoi said that the nature of the statement needed to be clearly understood.…

12 Jan

Land and Forest Rights at Core as Congress ST Study Group Submits Report Ahead of Assam Elections 2026

Sonakshi SarkarAssam

The Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) has said that tribal communities across Assam are facing serious livelihood insecurity and growing economic hardship due to long-standing issues related to land and forest rights. The party said these concerns will be given priority in its manifesto for the Assam Assembly Elections 2026, expected to be held in March–April next year. The observations were made in a detailed report prepared by the Congress Core Scheduled Tribe (ST) Study Group and submitted to APCC president Gaurav Gogoi, according to a party press release issued on Sunday. The Study Group was headed by APCC general…

12 Jan

Homes filled with festive preparations ahead of Magh Bihu

Banasree SarkarAssam, North East

Assamese homes are once again enveloped in the coziness of holiday preparations as Magh Bihu draws near. Families are busy preparing traditional dishes like laru and pitha in the kitchens starting early in the morning. These traditional recipes, which are made with rice flour, coconut, jaggery, and sesame, showcase Assam's rich cultural legacy and close ties to the harvest season. While exchanging experiences of previous Bihu festivities, elders mentor younger family members and impart traditional techniques. Homes are filled with the aroma of freshly made Bihu sweets, which evokes happiness and memories. In addition to food, Magh Bihu, also called…

12 Jan

Hindustan Zinc, Silox India deepen ties to push low-carbon manufacturing with EcoZen

Business BureauBusiness

Hindustan Zinc Limited and Silox India have strengthened their long-term partnership as Silox India adopts Hindustan Zinc’s low-carbon zinc brand, EcoZen, across its manufacturing operations, marking a key step toward industrial decarbonisation in India. Under the collaboration, Silox India will integrate EcoZen into its zinc-based chemical production, helping lower embedded carbon emissions while maintaining global performance and quality standards. EcoZen is Asia’s first low-carbon zinc produced entirely using renewable energy, with a verified carbon footprint of under one tonne of CO₂ per tonne of zinc—around 75 per cent lower than the global industry average. In downstream applications such as galvanising,…

12 Jan

84% of Indian professionals feel unprepared for 2026 job market as AI reshapes hiring: LinkedIn study

Business BureauBusiness

A large majority of professionals in India are feeling unprepared to search for a new job in 2026, even as most are actively looking for one, according to new research released by LinkedIn. The study found that 84 per cent of Indian professionals feel unready for the job market, while 72 per cent say they are planning to change roles this year. The report highlights growing anxiety caused by intense competition, fast-changing skill demands and the increasing use of artificial intelligence in hiring. Around 76 per cent of job seekers said finding a new role has become tougher in the…