West Bengal

A fire broke out early Wednesday in a five-story building housing several hotels in Kolkata, West Bengal. The blaze killed at least nine people and injured six others near the West Bengal Fire Department headquarters. An investigation was launched into the incident to determine the cause, with authorities citing potential short circuits or safety lapses.

A fire occurred in a hotel located in Kolkata, the capital of West Bengal state. The blaze resulted in at least nine deaths and injured six other people.

A deadly stampede occurred at Ashok Dham Temple in Bihar after a snapped electric wire sparked panic among devotees. Separately, a fire broke out at a four-story hotel housing pilgrims in Tarapith, West Bengal, resulting in the deaths of at least seven people and injuring several others.

In West Bengal, 90 lakh voters were excluded under the SIR, with 63% being Hindus and 34% Muslims. Muslims, who constitute 27% of the state’s population, had a higher deletion rate (34%), while high Hindu deletion rates were observed in Matua-dominated border constituencies.

Veteran Congress leader D.Y. Patil, a Padma Shri awardee, passed away at 92. He served as Governor of Tripura and Bihar and held additional charge of West Bengal.

A third suspect has been arrested in connection with a terror module linked to JeM in West Bengal. The National Investigation Agency is investigating cross-border communications between the suspects and their operatives.

A CAG report revealed significant challenges in West Bengal's Samagra Shiksha education program, including high dropout rates, a shortage of teachers, and funding gaps. The audit found a 28 to 42% transition loss between upper primary and higher secondary education levels.

Suvendu Adhikari inaugurated ISKCON’s kitchen in Kolkata to provide mid-day meals for 44,000 students in 500 schools. The initiative aims to expand to 2.5 lakh students within three months, as stated by the West Bengal Chief Minister.

A suspected JeM operative, Mondal, is alleged to have used Arpita Sarkar to establish contacts with influential political leaders in West Bengal and collect personal information about them, according to police. The Bengal STF investigation linked the case to a woman from Jharkhand.

India's 16th Census self-enumeration exercise began in West Bengal, with the first phase open from August 1 to August 15.

West Bengal is set to establish its first National Investigation Agency (NIA) police station, making it the 17th such station across the country.

India’s West Bengal state is reintroducing eggs into free school meals after the BJP government's decision to replace them with vegetarian options faced criticism from teachers, nutritionists, and parents over concerns about depriving children of protein.

India’s youth-led Cockroach movement, organized by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), accuses the government of breaking a promise not to act against student protesters. The CJP reports hundreds of students detained or harassed in Delhi, Assam, West Bengal, and Bihar, threatening to restart demonstrations.

West Bengal’s government is reducing the administrative and financial powers of elected panchayat pradhans to enhance transparency and combat corruption, amid escalating political tensions.

Closed tea gardens in West Bengal will reopen, and the Chief Minister has urged migrant workers to return due to insufficient local employment opportunities.

Two more individuals were arrested during violence at a West Bengal students’ rally. The Chief Justice of India (CJP) has appealed to the Chief Minister for the immediate release of the protesters.

CJP warns of fresh protests due to the Centre’s alleged breach of a promise, demanding a written agreement. The Centre is cracking down on protesters and volunteers across states, while Bihar has withdrawn FIRs against protesters, with no response from BJP-ruled West Bengal.

India's Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) demands the release of detained protesters and withdrawal of criminal cases following nationwide rallies over exam irregularities. The movement, sparked by satirical criticism of a court comment likening youth to 'cockroaches,' has expanded to address unemployment and governance issues, becoming a major challenge to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

A fresh weather system is expected to intensify into a deep depression over the next 24 hours and cross the North Odisha and West Bengal coasts on July 27, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). The system may bring isolated heavy rainfall to North Andhra Pradesh.

An explosion at Bommasandra PG in Bengaluru injured 10 migrant workers from West Bengal, suspected to be caused by an LPG gas leak during breakfast preparation.

Mamata Banerjee called for unity under the INDIA bloc against the BJP in West Bengal during a Martyrs' Day rally, while ruling out the return of TMC rebels. Her remarks were interpreted as an appeal to TMC's INDIA bloc partners, despite an uneasy relationship in the state.

West Bengal observed Martyr’s Day on July 21, 2026, with rallies held in Central Kolkata. Political leaders such as Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari and former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee attended the event.

Tamil Nadu first used Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) in all 234 Assembly segments during the 2001 Assembly elections. Similar EVM deployments occurred simultaneously in Kerala, Puducherry, and West Bengal.

The Chief Minister announced that Bengali will be used in all official state communication from September 1. This follows a request from Union Home Minister Amit Shah to promote Bengali in West Bengal on the 125th birth anniversary of Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee.

Trinamool Congress MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, along with 19 other party Lok Sabha MPs, merged with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI). The faction plans to observe Martyrs’ Day at Rajghat.

Amit Shah inspected indigenous border security technology in West Bengal. This visit marks his first trip to the state after the Suvendu Adhikari government assumed control.

At least five people were injured in a blast at a sponge iron factory in West Bengal. Rescue operations were hindered by extremely high temperatures around the furnace following the explosion.

A train collided with a school van in Murshidabad, West Bengal, resulting in at least three deaths, two of whom are minors. Injured survivors have been admitted to Murshidabad Medical College and Hospital.

The July 21 Martyrs’ Day rally in West Bengal, traditionally associated with Mamata Banerjee for over three decades, is now a point of competition between rival Trinamool Congress factions and the Congress party, as they vie to claim its political legacy.

The Enforcement Directorate conducted searches at 13 locations linked to an alleged terror-funding and illegal infiltration case. The case is tied to an FIR registered by the Anti-Terror Squad of Uttar Pradesh, with searches carried out in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, West Bengal, and Maharashtra.

An 11-year-old girl was kidnapped, raped, and killed in eastern India, highlighting the country's persistent sexual violence crisis. Over 80 rapes are reported daily in India, with many cases unreported due to victim shaming, while systemic issues like patriarchy and judicial delays perpetuate impunity for perpetrators.

Congress invited Mamata to a July 21 event in Kolkata, asking her to acknowledge quitting the party was a mistake. The July 21, 1993 movement was organized by Youth Congress, and its link to Congress cannot be erased, according to West Bengal Congress president Subhankar Sarkar.

The Centre has allocated ₹1,000 crore to West Bengal under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana for constructing 2,400 km of rural roads. Additionally, the government has sanctioned the building of one lakh houses in the state, as announced by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari.

The BJP government in West Bengal has removed eggs from school meals, replacing them with vegetarian food provided by the Hare Krishna movement, sparking political debate over nutrition and cultural practices. Critics accuse the government of promoting vegetarianism, while former chief minister Mamata Banerjee's party argues the change contradicts local culture.

UN special rapporteurs have raised concerns over India's alleged deletion of 52 million voters, particularly Muslims, in 12 states and union territories. They warn the process may violate human rights law, citing disproportionate targeting of minorities and discriminatory rhetoric linking deletions to 'illegal Bangladeshi immigrants'.

West Bengal's government is cautiously advancing industrialization amid challenges in land acquisition. The Chief Minister announced plans for the government to purchase land for industrial purposes.

A protest emerged over saffron paint in the Academy of Fine Arts security room, with theatre artists writing to the BJP Bengal chief. Since the BJP's May 2023 takeover of West Bengal, government buildings and civic structures, including parts of State secretariat Nabanna, have undergone color changes.

The Supreme Court rejected claims from over 360 West Bengal madrasas seeking state salary recognition. The case centered on whether the petitioners' madrasas were validly recognized.

West Bengal will observe August 16 as 'Ayushman Divas' instead of the previous 'Khela Hobey Divas' introduced by the TMC government, as announced by the state's Chief Minister. The CM stated details of the new program will be released soon.

Assam's Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced a 'ruthless' anti-drugs drive, including a state-level drugs disposal campaign. He cited improved inter-State coordination following the installation of a BJP government in West Bengal.