Blog - The Purbottar

08 Oct

Mamata declares aid for landslide victims and condemns Sikkim hydro projects for the Teesta flooding

Sonakshi SarkarSikkim

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday expressed serious concern over worsening floods in North Bengal, attributing the Teesta river’s overflow to hydel projects in neighbouring Sikkim. She said continuous rainfall, combined with obstructions from these projects, has aggravated flooding in districts such as Jalpaiguri and Cooch Behar. “The location of Bengal is like a boat. When floods occur in Sikkim or Nepal, the water naturally flows down to us,” Banerjee explained. “The dams and hydel structures in Sikkim are disrupting the river’s natural course, preventing normal water flow and causing it to overflow into our plains.” The Chief…

08 Oct

WTO Warns U.S. Tariffs Could Cut Goods Trade Expansion

Mohini BarmanInternational

The World Trade Organization (WTO) has issued a stark warning that global goods trade growth will decelerate significantly in 2026, falling to just 0.5%, largely due to escalating tariffs imposed by the U.S. under the Trump administration. The jump in U.S. tariff rates—now nearing 17%, the highest since the 1930s—has created broad policy uncertainty. Many countries have refrained from retaliatory measures thus far, helping cushion the immediate blow. Still, the WTO projects that 2025 trade growth in goods will fare better at 2.4%, boosted by pre-tariff stockpiling in the U.S., robust AI-sector demand, and increased trade among emerging markets. While…

08 Oct

UK PM Keir Starmer begins first India visit

Purbalee DuttaBreaking News

UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer arrived at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport earlier today. He was welcomed by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy Chief Ministers Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar, and Governor Acharya Devvrat. On a two-day official visit to India at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, this marks Starmer’s first visit to the country as UK Prime Minister. Over the next two days, he will hold discussions with PM Modi and take part in multiple business-focused meetings. According to the Ministry of External Affairs, the visit builds on the progress made during PM Modi’s…

08 Oct

Ather Energy hits 5,00,000 electric scooter milestone with Rizta rollout

Business BureauBusiness

Ather Energy Limited, a leading electric two-wheeler manufacturer in India, has crossed a landmark production milestone with the rollout of its 5,00,000th scooter from its Hosur facility in Tamil Nadu. The milestone vehicle was the company’s flagship family scooter, Rizta, which has quickly emerged as a key growth driver since its launch last year. Speaking on the achievement, Swapnil Jain, Co-founder and CTO of Ather Energy, said, “Crossing 5,00,000 scooters is a major milestone for Ather. This achievement reflects years of focused engineering, rigorous testing, and meticulous attention to quality, along with the dedication of our teams and the trust…

08 Oct

TVS Raider 125cc “Wicked” variant launched with boost mode, dual disc brakes and glide through technology

Business BureauBusiness

TVS Motor Company on Monday unveiled the most advanced variant of its popular TVS Raider, introducing several segment-first features that aim to redefine performance and safety in the 125cc motorcycle category. The new TVS Raider comes equipped with “Boost Mode” powered by iGO Assist technology, delivering best-in-class torque of 11.75 Nm @ 6,000 RPM. Riders can also enjoy enhanced braking confidence with First-in-Segment Dual Disc Brakes with ABS and effortless low-speed manoeuvrability thanks to Glide Through Technology (GTT). The bike’s updated tyre configuration—90/90-17 front and 110/80-17 rear—ensures superior grip and handling across varied terrains. Additional safety features include a Follow…

08 Oct

In the Dima Hasao district, the third edition of Orunodoi was introduced

Banasree SarkarAssam

Assam's premier Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) program, Orunodoi, celebrated its third edition with a series of virtual activities held at several sites in Dima Hasao. Nandita Gorlosa, the Assam Minister, graced the program in Kalibari, Lower Haflong. Sangeeta Devi, ACS, the Additional District Commissioner, and District Commissioner Munindra Nath Ngatey, ACS, joined her. During the occasion, a live broadcast of the Orunodoi 3.0 state-level launch was aired, allowing attendees to observe the statewide deployment of the game-changing program. During her speech, Minister Gorlosa praised the district government for their hard work in carrying out the Orunodoi plan and recognized the…

08 Oct

Among the five people detained in the Zubeen Garg death investigation is DSP Sandipan Garg

Sonakshi SarkarAssam

The investigation into the mysterious death of renowned singer Zubeen Garg took a significant turn on Wednesday as Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Sandipan Garg was arrested following his questioning by the Special Investigation Team (SIT). This brings the total number of arrests in the high-profile case to five. The arrest occurred shortly after DSP Garg arrived at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) office in connection with the ongoing probe. Authorities confirmed that he will be produced before the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) later today. DSP Garg, who is a cousin of the late singer, was reportedly aboard the yacht…

08 Oct

PM Modi felicitates ITI toppers, launches PM-SETU and 1,200 vocational skill labs

Business BureauBusiness

In a landmark event at Vigyan Bhawan, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi felicitated 46 All India toppers from Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) at the 4th Kaushal Deekshant Samaroh. The Prime Minister also launched PM-SETU (Pradhan Mantri Skilling and Employability Transformation through Upgraded ITIs), a ₹60,000 crore scheme aimed at modernizing 1,000 government ITIs across India, and virtually inaugurated 1,200 Vocational Skill Labs in 400 Navodaya Vidyalayas and 200 Eklavya Model Residential Schools. PM-SETU will operate on a hub-and-spoke model, with 200 hub ITIs linked to 800 spokes, offering industry-aligned courses, innovation centres, training of trainers, and placement support. Fifteen clusters…

07 Oct

Mahindra launches new Bolero range with bold design, modern tech and enhanced comfort

Business BureauBusiness

Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd., India’s leading SUV maker, on Monday unveiled the New Bolero range, featuring upgraded variants with contemporary styling, advanced technology, and improved ride comfort. The New Bolero is priced between ₹7.99 lakh and ₹9.69 lakh (ex-showroom), while the Bolero Neo range starts at ₹8.49 lakh and goes up to ₹9.99 lakh for the top-end N11 variant. The New Bolero comes with a bold grille, diamond-cut R15 alloy wheels, new Stealth Black color, leatherette upholstery, 17.8 cm touchscreen infotainment, and steering-mounted audio controls. Bolero Neo features a sleek grille with horizontal accents, dark metallic R16 wheels, new Lunar…

07 Oct

38 lakh families are now covered by Assam’s “Orunodoi” under the new phase

Banasree SarkarAssam

More than 38 lakh families in the state are now covered by the Assam government's flagship women-centric financial aid program, Orunodoi 3.0, which was introduced on October 7. During the official launch event in Guwahati, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma referred to Orunodoi 3.0 as the "largest anti-poverty initiative in Assam's history." Now, each beneficiary will get ₹1,250 a month, plus an extra ₹250 in subsidies for buying LPG cylinders. Instantly, more than 38 lakh ladies received Rs 1,250. Following the occasion, Sarma wrote on X, "Assam today expanded its flagship financial support scheme #Orunodoi3 to become the largest ever…