&w=3840&q=100)
After Singur, a new chapter unfolds in Tata Group-West Bengal saga
Ishita Ayan Dutt Kolkata
Listen to This Article
A picture is worth a thousand words, it is said. The frame capturing a beaming Tata Group Chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran as West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee greeted him with an uttariya (a traditional stole) at Nabanna, the state secretariat, was also rich in subtext.
The July 9 meeting marked the first formal engagement between a Tata Group Chairman and Banerjee, 14 years after she swept to power in 2011 on the back of a massive agitation against land acquisition that saw the dramatic exit of Tata Motors' Nano project from Singur and reshaped the state's political landscape.
After the
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
India Gazette
2 hours ago
- India Gazette
Unemployed SSC teachers launch protest march 'Nabanno Abhiyan' towards Bengal Secretariat
Howrah (West Bengal) [India], July 14 (ANI): Senior Secondary Commission (SSC) teachers who lost their jobs after the Calcutta High Court decisison in 2024, launched a protest march 'Nabanno Abhiyan' in Howrah towards the Bengal Secretariat under the banner of 'Jogya Shikshak Shikshika Adhikar Mancha'. They lost their jobs following a Supreme Court judgment which held that the whole appointment process was tainted. The teachers who lost their jobs staged several protest against the Mamata Banerjee's government demanding justice. Calcutta High Court in April, 2024 declared all appointments null and void in the selection of candidates in West Bengal government-sponsored and aided secondary and higher secondary schools through a 2016 recruitment process. The court further ordered that those who were recruited illegally will have to return their salary. All appointments by the SSC in the categories of teachers of classes 9, 10, 11 and 12 and group-C and D staffers through the State Level Selection Test-2016 (SLST) where irregularities were found have also been declared null and void. A bench of Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar found that the West Bengal SSC's selection process was based on large-scale manipulations and fraud. 'In our opinion, this is a case wherein the entire selection process has been vitiated and tainted beyond resolution. Manipulations and frauds on a large scale, coupled with the attempted cover-up, have dented the selection process beyond repair and partial redemption. The credibility and legitimacy of the selection are denuded,' the apex court bench stated in its judgement. The apex court found no reason to interfere with the High Court's direction that the services of 'tainted' candidates must be terminated and that they should be required to refund any salaries/payments received. 'Since their appointments were the result of fraud, this amounts to cheating. Therefore, we see no justification to alter this direction', the bench added. (ANI)
India Gazette
2 hours ago
- India Gazette
CM Mohan Yadav woos global investors for Madhya Pradesh in UAE
Dubai [UAE], July 14 (ANI): Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, currently on an official visit to the UAE as part of the MP Global Dialogue 2025, held a series of high-level meetings aimed at strengthening industrial cooperation and attracting global investment to the state. During a meeting with representatives of the Tata Group in Dubai, Yadav discussed avenues for investment across sectors including IT, renewable energy, automobile, and infrastructure. He highlighted Madhya Pradesh's investor-friendly policies and fast-track approval process, encouraging greater participation from global investors. In a separate engagement, the Chief Minister met with Sunil Manjrekar, President of the Global Maharashtrian Business Forum (GMBF). The discussion focused on promoting foreign investment in Madhya Pradesh, boosting exports, and integrating into global value chains. Yadav noted the potential of leveraging GMBF's international network of entrepreneurs, investors, and professionals. Furthering international outreach, Yadav held a one-on-one meeting with Humaid Mohamed Ben Salem, Secretary General of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) UAE. The meeting focused on enhancing economic ties and promoting bilateral investment opportunities. He underscored Madhya Pradesh's strategic location and strengths in infrastructure, manufacturing, logistics, and food processing. Speaking on the state's cultural and tourism potential, Yadav highlighted efforts to boost religious tourism. 'Baba Mahakal's procession is being taken out in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh and devotees eagerly wait for this time of the year. We have made new arrangements for Baba Mahakal's procession. The state government is committed to increasing religious tourism in the state,' he said. At the textile city in Dubai, Yadav noted the enthusiasm of Indian businessmen and global investors. 'I have arrived at the textile city in Dubai and a committee of Indian businessmen have taken land from the Dubai government and established a market here. The facilities here are very good. Investors in large numbers have expressed their desire to invest in Madhya Pradesh. Madhya Pradesh is moving forward in the field of textiles,' he added. On the second day of his visit, the Chief Minister engaged in multiple one-on-one discussions with investors. 'Since this morning, we have been meeting with different people. First, we met the people from the embassy and had a discussion with them about how the Indian govt and the MP govt can do business with foreign nations in a simpler manner and what are the possible areas. We have mining and have various types of industry set ups. There is a huge potential for a food park, we have discussed it too. We allocated time for every business-related task; we also had several one-on-one discussions and interacted with many good investors,' he said while speaking to ANI. He further emphasized the state's focus on civil aviation and emergency health services. 'We are also doing work on aviation in our state, and they are ready to support it with the guidance of the Indian government. Along with this, there are investment opportunities in different sectors which include energy sector, service sector, health and wellness and we have received some good suggestions as well. In the mining sector, which consists of gold mines, diamond mines, several types of cement industries and others in which investors showed their interest,' he said. Yadav also held a meeting with UAE's Minister of State for Foreign Trade, Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, to discuss investment under the India-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) and I2U2 collaboration. In a post on X, he said, 'Today, on the second day of the Dubai visit, I met with the UAE Minister of State for Foreign Trade, H.E. Dr. Thani Bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, and held extensive discussions on the immense investment opportunities in Madhya Pradesh under the India-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) and I2U2 collaboration.' 'Madhya Pradesh offers a suitable industrial base, policy support, and necessary infrastructure for UAE investments in sectors such as EV, textiles, pharma, smart manufacturing, renewable energy, and food processing. Additionally, there are vast opportunities for partnership in areas like mineral resources, tourism, healthcare, 'plug and play' industrial parks, and air cargo. This multidimensional collaboration based on CEPA and I2U2 will elevate India-UAE relations to new heights and prove significant in realizing the vision of a 'Developed Madhya Pradesh',' he added. Earlier in the day, the Chief Minister held a high-level bilateral meeting with Chairman of the Jain International Trade Organisation (JITO), Mukesh Vora. They reached a consensus on setting up the MP-JITO investment platform in Dubai to facilitate cooperation in advanced manufacturing, logistics, renewable energy, skill development, MSME promotion, and educational exchange. According to a post by the MP Chief Minister's Office on X, 'Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav, during his Dubai visit, held a high-level bilateral meeting with Mr. Mukesh Vora, Chairman of the JITO (Jain International Trade Organisation) group. The meeting extensively discussed the possibilities of investment and industrial cooperation in Madhya Pradesh. During this, consensus was reached on establishing the MP-JITO investment platform in Dubai, encouraging joint ventures in advanced manufacturing, logistics, and renewable energy sectors, as well as strengthening partnerships in the areas of skill development, MSME promotion, and educational exchange.' Yadav also met with Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of Emirates Airlines and the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, and Essa Sulaiman Ahmad, Senior Vice President of Commercial Operations for West Asia and the Indian Ocean at Emirates. Discussions focused on promoting direct flight services from Tier-2 cities like Indore and Bhopal, developing a regional cargo hub in Central India, and exploring aviation training and MRO infrastructure. In another meeting, Yadav discussed the 3.0 gigawatt solar cell project in Narmadapuram district with Vinay Thadani, CEO and Director of Grew Energy Private Limited. The project is expected to generate over 700 jobs and position Madhya Pradesh as a leader in the sustainable energy sector. 'The investment dialogue of Madhya Pradesh in Dubai began this morning with various important meetings and discussions... Detailed discussions were held with the Consul General of India and Embassy officials, focusing on making business abroad smoother and more effective. Considering the potential in areas such as mineral resources, industrial infrastructure, and food processing parks, extensive dialogues took place with various business representatives,' Yadav said. 'One-on-one meetings were held regarding potential investments in air ambulance, civil aviation, and MRO sectors, which received positive responses from Dubai's industrial community. Additionally, meaningful suggestions emerged in the fields of wellness, healthcare, energy, and services. Investors showed keen interest in gold and diamond mining, as well as other mineral-based sectors, which will give a new direction to the state's development,' he added. Yadav is scheduled to travel to Spain after concluding his visit to the UAE. The visit, from July 13 to 19, aims to bring global investment to Madhya Pradesh, encourage technology sharing, and create new job opportunities under the umbrella of 'Global Dialogue 2025.' (ANI)
Time of India
5 hours ago
- Time of India
West Bengal: Thousands of jobless 'untainted' teachers hold march
Kolkata: Thousands of jobless 'untainted' SSC teachers participated in a ' Nabanna Abhijan " (Nabanna March) on Monday, demanding segregation of 'tainted' and 'untainted' candidates and to meet West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at the state secretariat, Nabanna. A team of 20 persons, from the protesters, were allowed to meet Chief Secretary Manoj Pant to submit their demands and hold a meeting. The protesters were stopped by police, as they were approaching Nabanna by 10-foot iron barricades and three tier security arrangements. conduct sit-in protests after being stopped by police. After the meeting, the protesting 'untainted' candidates were not happy and claimed that the meeting was not satisfactory. The Education Secretary was also present at the meeting. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Dukung Orang Terkasih Menghadapi Limfoma: Mulai Di Sini Limfoma Klik Di Sini Undo The protest by the SSC candidates were organised under the banner, 'Joggo Shikshak Shikshika Adhikar Mancha — a platform of 'untainted' candidates, which wanted a meeting with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and demanded publication of segregated list of 'tainted' and untainted' candidates. Thousands of protesting candidates from various parts of the state had gathered and tried to head towards the state secretariat, leading to heated exchanges with police and scuffle. Live Events A large police deployment was made with police and Rapid Action Force (RAF), who were ready with tear gas and water cannons on standby. Drones were used for monitoring even as the police personnel formed a human barricade. 'The state government stands by the tainted but not us. We wanted a meeting with the Chief Minister. But Chief Secretary Manoj Pant was in the meeting,' a protestor said. Chinmoy Mondal, who also met the Chief Secretary today, said, 'After one and half years, why did we have to go for 'Nabanna Abhijan'? Why were no meetings held with us? You are instigating us…You are supporting the corrupt and tainted as you have taken money from the candidates.' 'The WBSSC should publish a list of untainted teachers by 12 am today. There is no question of taking the examination after ten years, another protester said. Mehboob said, 'Education Secretary was present. They tried to avoid publishing a list of eligible candidates. They are pushing the responsibility on us. We are not responsible for corruption. We have demanded to immediately publish the list.' HC reserves order on SSC weightage criteria A hearing on the petition challenging the new rules on "weightage criteria" by the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC) for fresh recruitment in the state-run schools, following direction by the Supreme Court, took place on Monday. The Supreme Court in April had rejected 25.753 school jobs. The division bench of Calcutta High, comprising Justice Soumen Sen and Justice Smita Das, kept the order on hold.
