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Time of India
3 hours ago
- Time of India
On day 1, admission portal gets 71,949 appl from 28k students
Kolkata: The centralised admission portal for undergraduate admissions received 71,949 applications from 28,443 students by 6 pm on Wednesday. However, some parents and students complained about not being able to access the portal and other technical glitches, such as difficulties in registering themselves and problem in generating the one-time password (OTP) to create their student profiles. Education minister Bratya Basu posted on his X handle, "As on 6 pm today, 28,443 students have registered on the centralised online portal of the Higher Education Department. They have submitted a total of 71,949 applications. Notably, among the registered students, 251 are from other states." Under the admission portal, an applicant can apply for a maximum of 25 programmes/courses in one or multiple higher educational institutions across the state. The centralised admission portal started functioning from 10 am on Wednesday. A higher education department official said, "The portal functioned smoothly, and the response was good — 3,508 applicants registered by 11 am, an hour after the opening of the portal. The portal also logged over 3 lakh unique visitors on the first day, which increased from last year. The department received some calls from applicants, and we addressed their issues, but the issues were not severe. " A source pointed out that 3,382 students used the newly introduced chatbot 'Bina' to navigate through the process and answer their queries on a real-time basis. Rishabh Banerjee faced difficulty accessing the portal since 10 am and was finally able to register himself around 3 pm. "I was trying since 10.30 am. It was buffering. After the site opened, I read the instructions and went to the registration page. Navigating from one page to another was taking a lot of time. After filling in all the details, when I was going to submit, it started buffering, and an error message with 'site not live' appeared on the screen. I tried multiple times and was able to register around 3 pm," said Rishabh. Another student, Ritwik Saha, said, "I faced problem in getting the OTP on email. While I got an OTP on the phone, I had issues getting OTP on email. Later, the OTP that was supposed to be sent to email was sent to my phone number. After that, I was able to register and fill up forms and choose courses and colleges. It was smooth." City colleges are satisfied after the proceedings on first day. Asutosh College principal Manas Kabi said, "Till 4.30 pm, we received 1,397 applications, which is quite good." Lady Brabourne College principal Siuli Sarkar said, "The portal opened at 10 am. Initially, the pace was slow, but as the day progressed, it became smooth. We received 526 applications till 4.30 pm." Maulana Azad College principal Krishnendu Dutta said, "We received 726 applications till 4.30 pm, which is satisfactory." Principal of New Alipore College Jaydeep Sarangi said they received 275 applications till 5 pm.
Indian Express
9 hours ago
- General
- Indian Express
West Bengal govt begins UG admissions for state colleges: Here is what you need to know
The undergraduate admissions process began on the West Bengal government's online portal on Wednesday morning, for over nine lakh seats across 7,229 courses in 460 state and state-aided colleges. The first phase of the application process for the colleges, which are under 17 universities, will remain open until July 1. The merit list and initial seat allotment will be published on July 6, and candidates must confirm their admission by July 12. An upgrade round will follow, with revised allotments on July 17 and admissions closing on July 20. Physical verification of documents is scheduled from July 24 to 31. Classes for the 2025-26 academic session are set to begin on August 1. No application fee is required this year, and students from across the country are eligible to apply. Speaking at the portal's launch on Tuesday, state Education Minister Bratya Basu said, 'Last year, more than 4.4 lakh students were admitted through the portal. The system ensures a transparent, systematic, and user-friendly admission process. Students can choose their preferred courses and colleges on a single platform.' This year, the portal introduces 'Bina'—an AI-powered chatbot named after the instrument of goddess Saraswati—to assist applicants with basic queries. Additional support is available via a helpline (1800-102-8014) and the email address support@ To confirm admission, students must pay the course fee online. In the upgrade round, if allotted a higher-preference course with a different fee structure, only the difference must be paid. In cases where the new course has a lower fee, the excess amount will be refunded automatically. Basu urged applicants to use their own mobile numbers and email IDs for communication and to enter bank details carefully to avoid refund issues. Addressing the ongoing legal developments, he said the Calcutta High Court's interim order related to the OBC list would not affect the UG admission process. 'Should agricultural work stop because of predictions of drought or heavy rain? We will continue our work. If there is any instruction, we will take emergency measures,' he said. A senior official from the Higher Education Department also confirmed that the court order would not disrupt the admission process. 'We will study the court's order in detail, but the undergraduate admission process will go on,' the official said. Manas Kabi, principal of Asutosh College, told The Indian Express, 'The online centralised admission process began at 10 am today and is proceeding smoothly. Students are applying in large numbers.' On Tuesday, the Calcutta High Court ordered an interim stay on the preparation of a new list of Other Backward Classes (OBC) by including new castes in West Bengal's existing list. The division bench of Justices Rajasekhar Mantha and Tapabrata Chakraborty issued the stay till the next hearing, scheduled for July 31. The court also stayed the state government's decision to open a portal for submission of caste certificates for inclusion in the proposed new OBC list.
Argaam
29-05-2025
- Business
- Argaam
FIPCO signs MoU to fully acquire Bina Holding
Filling and Packing Materials Manufacturing Co. (FIPCO) signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Bina Holding, under which both parties agreed to begin discussions for FIPCO's potential acquisition of 100% equity interest in Bina. In a statement to Tadawul, FIPCO said the MoU became effective upon signing and will remain in force for 180 days, subject to renewal by mutual agreement. The MoU aims to reach a final agreement on FIPCO's full acquisition of Bina, following discussions of preliminary mutual rights and obligations related to the proposed transaction. It also allows for financial and legal due diligence and the valuation of Bina's equity. The MoU outlines a general framework for the negotiation process and sets the obligations of each party in working toward a definitive agreement. It also includes customary provisions on confidentiality, exclusivity, and restrictions on certain material actions during the negotiation period. Completion of the transaction remains subject to several conditions, including obtaining necessary regulatory approvals in accordance with applicable laws and regulations. FIPCO confirmed it will undertake all required regulatory procedures related to related-party transactions, as stipulated by relevant laws. The transaction's execution is contingent upon the completion of financial and legal due diligence and final negotiations on the terms of a binding agreement. FIPCO will appoint an authorized financial advisor to oversee the due diligence process. The company noted that a related party is involved, as FIPCO Chairman Ahmed Abdulatif Albarrak also serves as CEO of Bina. FIPCO added that any material developments will be announced in due course.
Express Tribune
04-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
The Pilgrims review: bhullans, borders & broken belongings
Muhammad Asif Nawaz has varied interests. Besides writing for various magazines, he also, at times, engages in filmmaking and photography. He studied to be a doctor before joining the Pakistan Administrative Service and has served in Punjab, Balochistan, and Gilgit Baltistan. Nawaz also has a penchant for travelling and history. His debut novel, The Pilgrims, is a captivating book that delves into the complexities of friendship, identity, and belonging. The story revolves around four friends: Feroze, a feudal scion from Sukkur: Bina a strong-headed Sindhi doctor; Aariz, a poignant thinker; and Mehar, who is passionate about monuments and old buildings of old Lahore. They all belong to different backgrounds, and have different ways of thinking, personality traits, and how they take decisions of life matters, yet they are bound together by their shared experiences. Initially, there is some mystery about the characters, their relationship with each other, and why they are what they are. However, as we keep reading, the story moves back and forth between the past and present-day reality revealing their connection and secrets about each of the characters' life stories. We also get to know why Aariz is struggling with existential questions, the reason behind Bina's fierce activism, transformation of Mehar — a child of exceptional capabilities — into what she was as an adult, and why Feroze is trapped within the tentacles of his patriarchal lineage. At the beginning of the book, Feroze is confused about his own role after his father's demise and is terrified that he might become like his father. As he reminisces about his childhood, we learn that he was passionate about cricket and dreamt about becoming a cricketer but his father did not approve of it and forced him to abandon his dream. After his father's death the rules and laws with which he was brought up started relaxing their grip on Feroze; he wasn't really interested in politics anyways but couldn't tell his father. Now he tries to make up for the lost time and re-establish contact with Bina. Feroze and Bina have been brought up in Sukkur, playing together and developed feelings for each other. But they are not meant to be together. They had a falling in their friendship over a personal matter that had political overtones, as Bina thinks Feroze didn't help her when the young daughter of a distant relative is presumably kidnapped as a forced conversion case because of his father, Hashmatullah's views and lack of will in that respect. Bina, a defiant and rebellious person yet a capable doctor, 'had convinced herself that she was made to always be in motion, regardless of what came her way'. She has moved to Islamabad though she often visits Lahore where she studied and her native city Sukkur. Haunted by the ghosts of the past even after more than a decade, and even though she still has a soft corner for Feroze and agrees to meet him, Bina does not accept his proposal. Aariz, a mutual friend, had been close to his father, whom he fondly remembers as Old Papa, while growing up. He had lost his mother at birth; his stepmother remarried after his father's death but, unfortunately, he is abused by his stepfather. These traumatic experiences have left deep psychological scars on Aariz. After studying abroad, he moves to Dubai and frequently travelled around the world, but neither travel nor money could make up for the lack of love in his life; his main refuge were memories of Old Papa. He comes back to Pakistan after many years and is unsure about what awaits him. Aariz's memories of a deeply touching relationship with his father are in stark contrast with Feroze's relationship with his feudal father. Aariz and Feroze had become best friends at the school in Lahore, though there was not 'much in common between them, they were rather different as people, but commonality has never been a beacon of friendship.' However, they were brought up in entirely different ways. While Aariz had a very cordial relationship with his father, whom he remembers fondly as Old Papa, and as a child used to ask him a lot of questions about universe and cosmos, Feroze's father had taught him a few rules to 'survive in this country': 1) Might is right, 2) Who knows whom, 3) Give and take, 4) Push and pull; to add to these he learnt from him that 'You have got to do what you have got to do', and Feroze used them to his advantage. At medical college Bina had befriended Mehar who came from a low-income family. Midway through medical college she got married to a cruelly abusive husband; however, she was able to get out of the relationship when her husband, Ahmad, suddenly divorced her after seven years. She turned resilient after divorce. The reason for divorce is only revealed towards the end and in passing. She comes back to Old Lahore to live at her parental house with her brother. As happens, she had to face the stigma attached with a divorced woman in our society, people avoided her as if 'she was vermin', a bad influence. Mehar, who was born and brought up in Lahore, was obsessed with the old buildings and was considered an expert on them. She always believed that of the 13 gates of Lahore 'one gate would open for her to leave these narrow alleyways and cluttered lanes one day. Though basically a story of these four friends whose lives connect and disconnect, the book has myriad historical and mythological allusions and references, which gives depth and flavour to the book. Nawaz does not just make a reference to the historical events that affect the characters' lives he also explains the events such as the horrors of Partition, the Kashmir conflict. The dispute of Kashmir, Babri Masjid riots, discourse on minority rights, Sufi ideals, the shadows of colonialism, religious beliefs, and folk legends, all conspire to design the journeys or the 'pilgrimages', of the characters. The end is somewhat unpredictable; as the characters begin to settle — after rejecting Feroze, Bina married someone from her faith, and Aariz and Mehar married each other — I wondered whether the book would end like most love stories on a happy note. But then, unexpectedly, things changed. I would not reveal more so as to retain the interest. While most of the story is set in Old Lahore, a lot of action takes place in Sindh, where Feroze and Bina grew up. The old city is discussed through Mehar's eyes and the charm of the once-elite Mall Road is presented as seen by Aariz. The reader gets the feel of life in Sukkur in early chapters as well but its various landmarks are described in vivid details along with their history through Bina when she takes her friends on a tour of the city. There is an interplay of theme as the story moves with the book touching upon religious discord, class difference, partition, forced conversion, and cheating and dishonesty — some in detail and some in passing. In the aftermath of Partition, the destinies of many people changed; those who had everything lost all and those who came to this country empty handed became super rich, some though unfair means. Feroze's grandfather came to Pakistan as a destitute having lost all he had and barely able to save their lives and was given shelter by Shreeshant's father, but through deceit his son and Feroze's father, Hashmatullah, acquired all of Shreeshant's property and became a feudal lord with immense wealth and power. When the young daughter of Bina's relative disappears, and then declares that she married of her free will — a classic case of forced conversion and marriage which is rampant in Sindh — Bina asks Feroze to ask his father to use his influence to have her recovered, he toed the official and convenient line that two adults married of their will and there is nothing wrong in it, refusing to accept that the girl was a minor. In Hashmatullah's character (we are introduced to him after his death through Feroze) one can see a glimpse of our politicians. 'Hashmatullah's posture changed with the hour. While denouncing democracy landed him in the good books of the dictator, Hashmat was also the first to jump the ship as the dictatorship's hold thinned out. He would then retreat to canvassing for votes on the lone conviction that democracy was the only thing the country needed, … He would one day be affirming the faith in the secular character of Sindh, while opting to be in bed with the extremist forces on another.' Nawaz's interest in travelling and history and his depth of knowledge is evident as he makes references such as the Hinglaj pilgrimage in Balochistan, Bhullan — the blind dolphin of Indus that makes an appearance in the childhood memory of Bina and Feroze, the two characters from Sindh—and the ancient archaeological site of Lakhanjodaro (in Sukkur district). Nawaz is equally well-versed in Western mythology the rich heritage of the East. This is witnessed best through Aariz, who in an article he is writing, in a stream of thought he creates an interconnected web of references, moving from Zeus to Ravana to Helen of Troy to Persiphone to Moses to Krishna to Achilles to Mansoor Al-Hallaj to Guru Nanak to Buddha, and many others. At the same time, it also signifies the depth and complexity of Aariz's thinking; 'after a certain while he realised that most places, like most places, are just the same. It's an eternal camouflage everything has shrouded itself in.' The book is a light read except for a few chapters, which delve into mysticism and history. Along with the main story, the interplay of a wide variety of themes and references to history, mythology, geography, culture, religions, and philosophy makes the book a treat for people who have multi-disciplinary interests. Rizwana Naqvi is a freelance journalist and tweets @naqviriz; she can be reached at naqvi59rizwana@ All facts and information are the sole responsibility of the author
CBS News
26-02-2025
- Climate
- CBS News
3 tropical cyclones churn in the South Pacific in unusual occurrence
Three tropical cyclones are spinning in the South Pacific, an occurrence that scientists say is unusual. Tropical cyclones Rae, Seru and Alfred are all churning as the region is in the peak of a season that starts in November and ends in April. The storms are called cyclones when they happen in the Southwest Pacific and hurricanes when they form in the North Atlantic, but are essentially the same phenomenon. "It's not incredibly unusual to have three hurricanes simultaneously in the month of September in the North Atlantic," said Brian Tang, an atmospheric science professor at University at Albany. "Certainly it is a very busy period for the South Pacific and three tropical cyclones is a lot to happen at once, but not unprecedented." The last time three such storms occurred in the South Pacific was January 2021 when Lucas, Ana and Bina were churning simultaneously, though it's not clear if Bina officially reached Category 1 status, Tang said. Rae formed Friday north of Fiji and brought whipping winds and heavy rain that damaged fruit trees, according to local reports. Alfred developed in the Coral Sea on Monday and is expected to bring flooding rains to the northeast Australia state of Queensland this weekend. Seru became a cyclone on Tuesday and is expected to track near the island nation of Vanuatu but remain offshore. "The atmosphere is chaotic. There's a lot of natural fluctuation in it … we need to be open to the possibility that factors that are beyond our ability to predict might have led to these three cyclones at the same time," said Gabriel Vecchi, a climate scientist at Princeton University.
