Blog - The Purbottar

17 Jun

Aditya Birla Sun Life Insurance unveils super term plan with health, income and life cover in one

Business BureauBusiness

Aditya Birla Sun Life Insurance Company Limited (ABSLI), a subsidiary of Aditya Birla Capital, has launched its all-in-one term insurance solution — ABSLI Super Term Plan — offering comprehensive life protection, health services, and income security under one policy. Designed to align with evolving customer needs, the plan underlines ABSLI’s focus on a holistic, goal-based protection approach. The Super Term Plan features three coverage options — Level Cover, Increasing Cover, and Level Cover with Return of Premium — allowing policyholders to customise benefits according to their life goals. Notably, it provides built-in health management tools throughout the term and the…

17 Jun

Government Targets 2,000 New Hotspots by End of 2025

Mohini BarmanInternational

South Africa’s Department of Communications has announced an ambitious plan to set up 2,000 free public Wi-Fi hotspots in under-served urban townships by 2025. The move aims to bridge the digital divide in areas like Soweto, Khayelitsha, and Umlazi. The initiative is being supported by local telecom companies and partially funded by the World Bank. Authorities say improved connectivity will boost access to online education, e-governance, and job opportunities. Similar digital inclusion strategies are being considered by governments in India, Sri Lanka, and Nepal, where rural-urban connectivity gaps persist. Stakeholders view this as a scalable model for the Global South.

17 Jun

Record-Breaking Heatwave Grips U.S. Midwest

Mohini BarmanInternational

Cities across the U.S. Midwest are experiencing an unprecedented early summer heatwave, with Chicago recording 41°C—the hottest June day since 1944. Health officials have issued red alerts in Illinois, Wisconsin, and Michigan, urging residents to stay indoors, hydrate, and check on vulnerable populations. Hospitals in Chicago and Detroit reported a 20% rise in heatstroke cases over the weekend. Local power grids are under pressure as air conditioning use surges. The U.S. National Weather Service attributes the heat to a stalled high-pressure system and links it to a longer trend of climate volatility. Meteorologists in South Asia are monitoring the pattern…

17 Jun

Sikkim University student Sunaina Subba dies after fall at hidden falls

Sonakshi SarkarSikkim

Sunaina Subba, a student of Sikkim University, died after accidentally slipping into a gorge at Hidden Falls, near Majuwa village in Yangang, on Sunday. Sunaina, a resident of Timburbong, Soreng, was studying in the Limboo Department of the university. The accident occurred while she was visiting the popular natural site, known for its scenic beauty but also rugged terrain. Following the mishap, a rescue team comprising the Yangang Police and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) was immediately mobilised. Despite their swift response, Sunaina was found lifeless and her body was recovered from the gorge. Her body was taken to…

17 Jun

Canara Robeco’s ‘Nivesh Bus Yatra’ rolls into West Bengal to boost mutual fund awareness

Business BureauBusiness

In a bid to spread awareness about mutual funds, Canara Robeco Asset Management Company Ltd., India’s second oldest asset management firm, is launching its ‘Nivesh Bus Yatra’ from June 16 across five cities in West Bengal. The 19-day initiative will begin in Kolkata and travel through Howrah, Durgapur, Asansol, and Siliguri, bringing investor education directly to communities. The campaign will serve as a mobile digital experience zone, offering videos and in-person sessions to demystify mutual fund investments for the general public. The bus will stop at major societies, markets, and public junctions in each city. “Informed investors make better financial…

17 Jun

Assam has seen 3 new COVID-19 infections

Banasree SarkarAssam

Assam has recorded three new COVID-19 infections in the past 24 hours, bringing the state's total number of active cases to 29, according to the most recent report from the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The data, which was released on Sunday, also revealed that the state had experienced 14 recoveries since January 2025, including one more recovery in the last day. In India, there are currently 7,383 active COVID-19 cases, and 10 more fatalities have been reported in the last 24 hours. According to health professionals, most of the infections that are now happening are minor in…

16 Jun

Zinc futures prices upgrade on high demand

editorBusiness, News

New Delhi, June 16: Zinc prices rose marginally to Rs 250.55 per kg in futures trade on Monday on strong spot demand. The price of zinc contract for July delivery rose 35 paise, or 0.14 per cent, to Rs 250.55 per kg on the Multi Commodity Exchange in a business turnover of 1,787 lots. Zinc prices rose in futures trade as participants increased their deal sizes following a pick-up in demand from consuming industries, market sources said.

16 Jun

Campus Activewear named title partner of Bengal Pro T20 League 2025 to boost regional sports and brand presence

Business BureauBusiness

Campus Activewear, one of India’s leading sports and athleisure footwear brands, has partnered with the Bengal Pro T20 League 2025 as the Title Partner for the upcoming season. The move highlights the brand’s commitment to empowering grassroots sports and reinforcing its connection with youth audiences across regional markets. With the league featuring both men's and women's formats, to be broadcast on Star Sports 3 and streamed on FanCode, Campus aims to translate its brand philosophy—“Move Your Way”—into meaningful action by investing in India’s emerging sporting talent. The partnership reflects Campus’s long-term vision of combining performance with aspiration while celebrating the…

16 Jun

Sikkim holds sacred puja after climb on holy mount Khangchendzonga

Sonakshi SarkarSikkim

Indigenous communities in Sikkim held a sacred purification ritual following a recent expedition to Mount Khangchendzonga—an act they view as a violation of their most sacred guardian deity. The emergency puja, conducted on June 15, was led by the Sikkim Bhutia Lepcha Apex Committee (SIBLAC), the Sikkim Indigenous Lepcha Tribal Association (SILTA), and concerned citizens across the state.The ritual, rooted in 8th-century Buddhist beliefs, sought forgiveness from the divine protectors of Sikkim for what the communities described as a spiritual desecration of Mount Khangchendzonga. Revered not as a mere mountain but as a “Ghajin” deity, Khangchendzonga holds immense religious and…

16 Jun

DGT and Shell India launch EV training program to power India’s green workforce

Business BureauBusiness

The Directorate General of Training (DGT), under the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, has partnered with Shell India to launch a nationwide training program focused on Electric Vehicles (EV) and Green Skills. Implemented by the Edunet Foundation across Delhi-NCR, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka, the initiative will equip thousands of ITI and NSTI students with industry-ready skills in electric mobility and renewable energy. Hon’ble Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Shri Jayant Chaudhary, hailed the initiative as “a generational opportunity” for India’s youth to lead the global green economy. “This program aligns skilling with…