Kolkata Mayor asks to close down all rooftop restaurants in city, three days after a massive blaze claimed 14 lives

Firefighters at the printing press at Salt Lake, Sector-5 in Kolkata. May 2, 2025. | Photo Credit: Debasish Bhaduri The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) Mayor, Firhad Hakim, on Friday (May 2, 2025) ordered the closure of all rooftop restaurants in the city, following a notification issued the same day. The directive comes just three days…

Is India missing billions in its GDP?

When district-level economic activity is under-counted, it distorts our understanding of regional development and misguides the allocation of public resources | Photo Credit: MANOJ KUMAR Every policy, budget, and economic forecast rests on one foundational number — Gross Domestic Product (GDP). But what if that number is wrong? What if we’ve been underestimating the true size…

Domestic help’s daughter scores 91.84% in SSLC

Hemavathi, a 16-year-old from Doddalballapur and a student of Sparsha Trust, has scored 91.84% in the SSLC exam-1, overcoming several challenges. Her father passed away recently and her mother is a domestic help. “My teacher from school, Sonia ma’am, connected me to Sparsha Trust,” said Hemavathi, who has been receiving education and mentorship from the…

Pahalgam terror attack: EAM Jaishankar speaks to European Union counterpart Kaja Kallas

External Affairs Minister Jaishankar welcomed the EU’s “strong condemnation” of terrorism in all forms and manifestations. File | Photo Credit: Reuters The European Union (EU) on Friday (May 2, 2025) called on New Delhi and Islamabad to show “restraint” and pursue dialogue to defuse tensions amid speculation about India’s possible retaliation against Pakistan in view of…