Blog - The Purbottar

17 Aug

Turkish Airlines expands China network with new Chengdu service

Business BureauBusiness

Turkish Airlines is expanding its presence in China with the launch of scheduled flights to Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan Province, from November 11, 2026. Chengdu will become the airline’s fourth mainland Chinese destination after Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, strengthening its connectivity with one of the country’s major business and technology centres. The airline will operate three weekly Istanbul-Chengdu services using Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft, with 300 seats comprising 30 Business Class and 270 Economy Class seats. Flights from Istanbul will operate on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, while return services will run on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Chengdu, home to…

17 Aug

Elara project gains traction in India, with strong Northeast audience

Business BureauBusiness

Author and investigator Michael Evans’ Elara: How Losing Herself Became the Road Back Home is gaining visibility in India, with the Kindle edition reaching No. 11 in Amazon India’s True Accounts category and entering the Top 100 in Self Help. Evans said more than one million of his YouTube subscribers are in India, with Nagaland and Meghalaya contributing the largest share, while his global audience has crossed 3.6 million female subscribers. The growing Northeast connection has also shaped the Elara Mother Daughter Healing Project, with Meghalaya-based creators Anita Dorjee, Maya Chettri and Chandi Gorh, and Nagaland’s Vinikali Wotsa contributing perspectives…

17 Aug

Lenskart launches ‘Drishti Ki Daud’ to turn everyday steps into glasses for those in need

Business BureauBusiness

Lenskart has launched ‘Drishti Ki Daud—Run for Vision’, a nationwide virtual run on August 15 and 16 aimed at linking everyday fitness with a social campaign to improve access to vision care in India. Under the Independence Day initiative, Lenskart will donate prescription glasses through its non-profit arm, Lenskart Foundation, based on participants’ steps recorded through the Lenskart app. Participants completing 20,000 steps will unlock one pair of glasses, while 30,000, 40,000 and 50,000 steps will correspond to two, three and four pairs, respectively. The company said more than 350 million Indians cannot afford vision care. Participants can join through…

16 Aug

Tarique Rahman’s Proposed Delhi Visit Uncertain As Dhaka Demands Extradition Of Hasina

Preeti SinghBangladesh

Bangladesh has placed two conditions before creating what it describes as a conducive environment for Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s possible visit to New Delhi. Dhaka has urged India to expedite the extradition process of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina and hand over to Bangladesh the alleged killers of Inquilab Mancha spokesperson Sharif Osman Hadi. Bangladesh Foreign Ministry spokesperson AKM Shahidul Karim outlined the conditions during a briefing on Sunday. In a written statement, Karim said officials from Dhaka and New Delhi had been engaged in discussions for several weeks regarding a possible visit by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman to India.…

16 Aug

CRPF’s CoBRA Units Conduct 40,231 Ops Till June 2026, Neutralise 641 Maoists

Preeti SinghLatest

More than 40,000 operations conducted by the Central Reserve Police Force’s (CRPF) elite Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) units underline the scale of the security forces’ sustained campaign against Left Wing Extremism (LWE), with thousands of Maoists apprehended or surrendering and large quantities of weapons and explosives recovered. According to an assessment of the CRPF’s operational performance, the force’s counter-LWE strategy has increasingly shifted from individual encounters to sustained security campaigns aimed at weakening Maoist organisational networks, disrupting their logistical capabilities and preventing armed groups from regaining control of areas once cleared by security forces. Official cumulative figures cited…

15 Aug

“Create Responsible Leaders, Not Just Managers”: IIM Shillong Director On Independence Day

Preeti SinghMeghalaya

Indian Institute of Management Shillong celebrated India’s 80th Independence Day with patriotic fervour and a strong message on responsible leadership, inclusive growth and nation-building.The celebrations began with the hoisting of the National Tricolour by IIM Shillong Director Prof. (Dr.) Arun Mohan Sherry. The 100-foot-high national flag symbolised the institution’s aspirations and its commitment to contributing to India’s development. Members of the IIM Shillong fraternity joined in singing the National Anthem, reaffirming their shared sense of pride and unity.Addressing the gathering, Prof. Sherry urged young management professionals to emerge as responsible leaders who combine professional excellence with empathy, integrity and a…

14 Aug

GU Launches Research Study On Causal Factors Of July 19, 2026 Floods In Upper Assam

Preeti SinghAssam, Guwahati

Gauhati University has constituted a multidisciplinary research team to undertake a scientific study into the causal factors behind the July 19, 2026 floods and their cascading downstream impacts across parts of Upper Assam. The newly constituted research team will now focus on generating scientific evidence on the factors behind the July 19 floods and their downstream impacts. The team will be led by Prof. B.N. Goswami, Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar awardee, former Director of IITM, Pune, Professor of Excellence and ANRF PM Professor at Gauhati University, with Prof. Parag Phukon, Department of Geological Sciences and Prof. Ratul Mahanta, Department of Economics…

14 Aug

“Insult To Constitution”: Congress Protests In Guwahati Over ‘Purification’ At Kharge’s Haldwani Event

Preeti SinghAssam

The Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) staged a protest in Guwahati today against the "discriminatory and condemnable" act of the BJP, which allegedly performed a so-called "purification" with Gangajal at a rally venue in Haldwani, Uttarakhand, following a public meeting attended by All India Congress Committee (AICC) President Mallikarjun Kharge a few days ago.To express solidarity with the AICC President and demand the protection of constitutional values, a protest march (Padayatra) and Satyagraha were organised by the Guwahati City District Congress Committee from the Manabendra Sarma Complex in Dispur. The protest programme was attended by hundreds of party leaders and…

14 Aug

Rima Das’ ‘Not a Hero’ Wins Best Indie Film Award at Melbourne Festival

Paromita EditorAssam

Assam filmmaker Rima Das has added another international honour to her record, with her latest feature film Not a Hero winning the Best Indie Film Award at the 2026 Indian Film Festival of Melbourne. The award was announced during the festival, where Not a Hero also marked its Australian premiere. This is the second time Das has received the honour, after previously winning the same award in 2019 for Bulbul Can Sing. Das has maintained a strong association with the Melbourne festival, with all five of her feature films having been screened there. She also contributed as a director to…

14 Aug

Nf railway steps up security vigil ahead of i-day

Paromita EditorAssam

Ahead of the 80th Independence Day celebrations, the Railway Protection Force (RPF) of Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) has strengthened security arrangements across the zone to ensure the safety and security of passengers, trains and railway property. “Heightened vigil is being maintained at its railway stations, on-board trains and across railway premises, with RPF personnel undertaking extensive patrolling and surveillance. Additional attention is being accorded to sensitive and vulnerable locations to prevent any untoward incident and ensure a safe and secure travel environment during the Independence Day period,” NFR chief public relations officer, Kapinjal Kishore Sharma informed. As part of the…