The deceased have been identified as Nitin Kumar and Chandrashekhar, both from Doda district in Jammu. They were labourers carrying a woman pilgrim on a palanquin—referred to locally as a dandi or kandi—when the landslide hit, causing them to fall into a gorge. State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) Commandant Arpan Yaduvanshi confirmed that the woman sustained only minor injuries and was safely rescued, along with others caught in the debris.

Three others sustained serious injuries in the incident. They have been identified as Sandeep Kumar and Nitin Manhas from Doda, and Akash Chitriya from Bhavnagar, Gujarat. All injured individuals were promptly rescued and admitted to a nearby hospital in Gaurikund for treatment.

Upon receiving reports of the landslide, local police stationed at the Jungle Chatti outpost, along with the district disaster management force and the SDRF, reached the site and launched immediate rescue operations. Rudraprayag Superintendent of Police Akshay Prahlad Konde confirmed that those who had fallen into the gorge were safely recovered and that the evacuation of remaining pilgrims was carried out in a secure and organized manner.

The affected area, Jungle Chatti, is known for frequent landslides, especially during the monsoon season. In 2024, a portion of the Gaurikund-Kedarnath trekking route at this same location had been washed away due to heavy rains.

Despite the latest incident, Rudraprayag police confirmed that the trekking route remains open and the Kedarnath Yatra is continuing without disruption. However, an advisory has been issued urging pilgrims to remain cautious while trekking, especially beyond Gaurikund later in the day. Authorities have also advised travellers to monitor weather updates closely, as rainfall is typically reported along the route during afternoon hours.

All safety and rescue measures are being actively enforced, and the administration remains vigilant to ensure the wellbeing of pilgrims undertaking the yatra.

Baby Chakraborty, KalimNews, June 16, 2025, Patna :  In a tragic road accident early Monday morning in Bihar’s Saran district, five people, including three women and a child, lost their lives and at least 18 others sustained injuries after a pick-up van overturned following a tyre burst. The incident occurred around 6 a.m. near the Nayagaon locality on National Highway-19, under the Nayagaon police station area, as confirmed by Saran Senior Superintendent of Police Kumar Ashish.

The vehicle, reportedly travelling at high speed, was carrying several passengers and bags of corn from Dighwara to Hajipur. As the van approached the Bajitpur four-lane stretch, one of its front tyres suddenly burst, causing the driver to lose control. The vehicle overturned, resulting in a horrific scene with victims trapped and corn scattered across the road.

Local residents and passersby rushed to the aid of the victims. The police, upon receiving an emergency alert via Dial 112, promptly reached the site and, with help from locals, transported the injured to Sonpur Sub-divisional Hospital. After initial treatment, all injured individuals were referred to Sadar Hospital in Hajipur for further medical care. Two of the injured are reported to be in critical condition.

Among the deceased are Anju Devi (48), Radhika Devi (50), Sonu Kumar (23), Rajlaxmi Kumari (15), and Shivam Kumar (7). Four of the victims died at the scene, while another succumbed to injuries during treatment at the hospital. The identities of the remaining injured are currently being verified by authorities.

The police have initiated an investigation into the cause of the accident. The driver of the pick-up van, who also sustained injuries, will be questioned once his condition stabilizes. Authorities have sent the deceased for post-mortem and are overseeing the treatment of the injured in coordination with the local administration.

The community remains in shock following the tragic incident, as officials work to piece together the circumstances leading to the crash and ensure appropriate assistance for the victims’ families.

Baby Chakraborty, KalimNews, June 15, 2025, Kolkata : The history of Indian politics is a saga of selfless sacrifice, strategic conflicts, and evolving democratic aspirations. From the fierce anti-colonial struggle to the formation of an independent nation, it was the relentless spirit of countless revolutionaries that laid the foundation for a sovereign India. The trauma of Partition, soaked in the blood of millions, marked the beginning of India’s complex political journey. At the heart of that formative phase lay the first great internal contention—within the Indian National Congress—between Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru over the post of the Prime Minister. Though Patel secured the majority support within the Congress Working Committee, Mahatma Gandhi intervened and eventually endorsed Nehru, who went on to become independent India’s first Prime Minister. This moment, debated and documented in contemporary publications, has often been cited as an early compromise on democratic process, though it laid the groundwork for what would become a long and dynamic parliamentary democracy.

Baby Chakraborty, KalimNews, June 5, 2025 | Kolkata: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has announced a major technological upgrade to its voter turnout reporting system, aiming to ensure faster, more accurate, and transparent updates on polling day. The initiative, which will be operational ahead of the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections, marks a shift toward real-time reporting through the use of a newly integrated digital system.

Under this revamped process, Presiding Officers (PROs) at each polling station will now enter approximate voter turnout data into the ECINET App every two hours on the day of polling. This replaces the earlier manual method, which involved Sector Officers collecting the data and forwarding it to Returning Officers (ROs) through phone calls or messaging apps, often causing delays of several hours. The updated digital platform will allow constituency-level data to be aggregated in real time and reflected every two hours through the Voter Turnout (VTR) App, improving public access to voting trends throughout the day.

Once polling ends, the final voter turnout data will be entered by the PROs before leaving the polling station, depending on network availability. In regions with limited connectivity, the data can be saved offline and uploaded later. This ensures the swift publication of final turnout percentages and addresses the common public concerns caused by delays in previous reporting mechanisms.

While the ECINET and VTR Apps streamline non-statutory public updates, the statutory requirement under Rule 49S of the Conduct of Elections Rules, 1961—mandating the submission of Form 17C by Presiding Officers to polling agents—remains unchanged. This form contains the official count of votes recorded at each station and continues to serve as the formal record for candidates and election officials.

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar has underlined the importance of timely public communication and transparency, particularly in the face of increasing concerns over the authenticity of electoral rolls and voter turnout figures. Allegations regarding inflated turnout data and the presence of fake voters—raised by opposition parties including Congress and Trinamool Congress during recent elections in Maharashtra and Haryana—have underscored the need for reform. In response, the Commission’s move to enhance the VTR system signals a proactive approach ahead of key electoral events in Bihar this year, and in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu in 2026.

The Election Commission reiterated that the upgraded system is not a replacement for statutory procedures but rather a tool to improve public engagement and confidence in the electoral process. With this development, the ECI continues its commitment to modernizing the voting experience while upholding democratic integrity.

Baby Chakraborty, KalimNews, May 31, 2025, Delhi:

Amid the prolonged conflict and ongoing President’s rule in Manipur, a significant political development unfolded on Friday as 23 BJP MLAs from the state convened in a crucial meeting and pledged to work together towards forming a popular government. The MLAs collectively resolved to set aside personal ambitions and prioritize the larger interests of the state and its people.

Manipur has been under President’s rule since February 13, with the state assembly in suspended animation. The unified stance taken by these BJP legislators is being viewed as a potentially pivotal moment in the ongoing efforts to restore democratic normalcy. Of the 37 BJP MLAs in the 60-member assembly, seven from the Kuki-Jo community did not participate in the meeting. Notably, both supporters and opponents of former Chief Minister N. Biren Singh were present, although Singh himself, along with Speaker Thokchom Satyabrata Singh—previously known as a vocal critic of Singh—did not sign the joint statement.

This development follows a separate meeting held on May 28, where 10 NDA MLAs met Manipur Governor Ajay Bhalla and claimed the support of 44 legislators to form a government.

In their post-meeting statement, the 23 BJP MLAs expressed a commitment to political consensus, stating, “As per the strong desire of the people, we have discussed the path to political consensus. We have decided to forego personal interests for the greater good of the state, the people, and the BJP and its allies.” The statement also conveyed a united belief in the urgency and possibility of a lasting resolution to the crisis, emphasizing the importance of an inclusive dialogue involving representatives from all communities in Manipur.

The MLAs backed the idea of establishing an impartial dialogue platform to build trust and consensus between the Meitei and Kuki-Jo communities. They also proposed the appointment of an unbiased peace envoy or a panel of respected individuals to facilitate the process, with the recommendation directed to the Governor and the central leadership.

The statement highlighted that resolving the crisis will require both political action and concrete security measures, including the recovery of looted weapons across regions and efforts to rebuild inter-community relations at the grassroots level.

Clashes between the Meitei and Kuki-Jo communities, which began on May 3, 2023, have led to over 250 deaths and displaced thousands of residents. Against this backdrop of prolonged unrest, the BJP MLAs’ renewed commitment is being perceived as a hopeful step towards reconciliation and the eventual formation of a representative government.

The coming days will reveal whether this expression of unity can indeed translate into meaningful progress and peace in the troubled northeastern state.

Baby Chakraborty, KalimNews, May 15, 2025, Delhi  : Subanna Ayyappan, the renowned Padma Shri awardee and former Director General of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), was found dead in the Cauvery river in Srirangapatna, Karnataka, on Saturday, three days after his disappearance. His body was recovered by local authorities after being spotted floating in the river, triggering a wave of confusion and speculation regarding the circumstances of his death.

According to police sources, the body was initially unidentifiable, and it wasn’t until Sunday that it was confirmed to be Ayyappan’s after his scooter was found nearby on the banks of the river. Ayyappan, a respected scientist who lived in Mysore with his wife and two daughters, had gone missing after leaving his home on May 7. His family was notified of his death on Sunday evening.

Initial investigations suggest the possibility of suicide, as police believe Ayyappan may have taken his own life. However, the Srirangapatna police have launched a thorough investigation to determine the exact cause of death. Local authorities are exploring all angles, including whether Ayyappan’s regular visits to a nearby ashram for meditation might have played a role in the incident. Family sources confirmed that Ayyappan frequently went to the ashram near the Cauvery river for spiritual reflection, and investigators are trying to ascertain if he had visited the site on the day he went missing.

The tragic news has sent shockwaves through the scientific community, with colleagues and friends mourning the loss of a distinguished figure who made significant contributions to Indian agriculture and research. As the investigation continues, questions remain about the circumstances surrounding his death, and authorities are working to uncover more details to bring clarity to the case.