About 154 species of birds were spotted during the third Sundarban Bird Festival. Aimed at the promotion of avifauna, the estimation exercise was held from January 22 to January 26, during which birders recorded 51 species of migratory birds and 103 species of resident birds.

Forty birders across six teams spotted 31,926 birds during the exercise. About 100 bird species were recorded in the core area of the Sundarban Tiger Reserve, 90 species were spotted in the buffer zone, and 129 species outside the protected area. I

In the Matla forests of the Sundarbans, 108 species of birds were recorded, Kalas recorded 95 species, and Sajnekhali recorded 64 species (the lowest). In the National Park West area, 81 species were recorded, the National Park East area recorded 70 species, and the Basirhat area recorded 73 bird species.

The offices of the Superintendent of Police and the Circle Officer of Sirathu were awarded the ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management Certificate for meeting international standards and excellent performance, a senior officer said Sunday.

In a post on X in Hindi, the Kaushambi Police on Sunday said, "The Superintendent of Police office and the Circle Officer, Sirathu, office were awarded the ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management Certificate for meeting international standards and excellent performance."

Kaushambi Superintendent of Police Brijesh Kumar Srivastava said the SP office has been recognised for meeting international standards for administration, surveillance, maintaining law and order, timely redressal of public grievances and prevention and investigation of crime.

Indian Grandmaster Iniyan Panneerselvam has clinched the 9th Johor International Open chess tournament title in Malaysia with a dominating performance. Iniyan defeated Vietnamese GM Nguyen Van Huy in the final round in an impressive performance. The 22-year-old Grandmaster from Erode in Tamil Nadu accumulated 8.5 points in nine rounds of the tournament. He outperformed four International Masters and one Grandmaster, finishing 1.5 points ahead of his closest competitor in a field of 84 participants from 8 countries.

In the Women’s Hockey India League (HIL), Odisha Warriors lifted the inaugural edition title after they registered a hard-fought 2-1 victory over JSW Soorma Hockey Club in the Final at the Marang Gomke Jaipal Singh Munda Astro Turf Hockey Stadium in Ranchi yesterday. Rutuja Dadaso Pisal gave the Warriors the lead in the second quarter but Penny Squibb equalised for Soorma soon after. However, Rutuja found the back of the net again as the game came to a close and sealed the victory for the Warriors. She was also named Player of the Match.

In the award ceremony, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren presented the trophy to Odisha Warrior’s skipper Neha Goyal. In a social media post, Mr Soren congratulated and extended his best wishes to all other teams and their players who displayed their wonderful game in the HIL. Other award winners from the season include Jyoti of JSW Soorma Hockey Club as Player of the Tournament, Yibbi Jansen of Odisha Warriors and Charlotte Englebert of JSW Soorma Hockey Club as Top Scorer of the Tournament, Savita Punia of JSW Soorma Hockey Club as Best Goalkeeper of the Tournament and Sonam of JSW Soorma Hockey Club as Upcoming Player of the Tournament.

Today in Men’s HIL, Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers will take on Delhi SG Pipers at Rourkela from 6 PM, followed by another clash between JSW Soorma Hockey Club and Vedanta Kalinga Lancers from 08:15 PM at Rourkela itself.

Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) is looking to launch a “when-listed” platform for trading of shares of companies that have finished their initial public offering (IPO) and are yet to be listed on stock exchanges, its Chairperson Madhabi Puri Buch said on Tuesday.

The new platform, when launched, will help reduce trading of shares in the grey market prior to the listing. The regulator is also working with both the exchanges to set up a “when-listed” platform. Buch said

“We are actively considering “when-listed” trading. Today, we are at T+3 (trading plus three working days) from the closure of the issue to listing but even in those three days there is a lot of (grey market). So, we feel that if investors want to do that (grey market trading), why not give them an opportunity (to trade) in a proper regulated way?” Buch said at the 13th AIBI annual convention.

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) is planning to introduce a “when-listed” platform, which will allow trading companies’ shares in a period between allotment of shares post the closure of the initial public offering (IPO) bidding process and the official listing on stock exchanges.

According to Sebi Chairperson Madhabi Puri Buch, it will facilitate the trading of such unlisted shares in a regulated manner.

As many as 100 villages located in the forested regions of Odisha are set to receive funds directly in their own bank accounts to carry out forest protection, management and convergence works in respective community lands.

The Project Appraisal Committee (PAC) of Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs has approved Community Forest Resource (CFR) plans for 100 villages in phase I under Forest Right Act while the Odisha government has proposed to implement it in 400 villages.

“The State has sought funds of ₹64 crore for 400 CFR plans. It was advised by the PAC that CFR plans for 100 villages may be taken in phase-I. Depending on the learnings from these, the CFR projects for other 300 villages may be placed in subsequent years,” the proceeding of PAC meeting stated.

The European Commission intends to propose a ban on the use of PFAS, or “forever chemicals”, in consumer products, with exemptions for essential industrial uses, the European Union’s environment chief told Reuters.

PFAS, or Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances, do not break down in the environment, raising concerns about the consequences of them building up in ecosystems, drinking water and the human body.

They are used in thousands of items, from cosmetics and non-stick pans to aircraft and wind turbines, due to their resistance to extreme temperatures and corrosion.

The Supreme Court today (January 21) proposed to modify its earlier decision which said that ad hoc judges can be appointed in High Courts only when vacancy is 20% or more of the total sanctioned strength of the High Court. The special bench of CJI Sanjiv Khanna and Justices BR Gavai and Suryakant was hearing the matter relating to the pending appointment of Ad Hoc Judges in various High...

The first three-day International Pashmina Festival cum Exhibition organised by Nepal Pashmina Industries Association and the Confederation of Nepalese Industries has drawn the attention of consumers towards delicate, lightweight and warm natural fibre obtained from Chyangra or Pashmina goat. Nepal is one of the prominent producers of authentic Pashmina, often branded as “Chyangra Pashmina” to emphasise its high quality and originality. The production involves traditional weaving methods passed down for generations. In Nepal, genuine Pashmina is often branded as Chyangra Pashmina with a government-certified label.

The wool is combed by hand from the undercoat of Pashmina goats during their natural shedding season. The wool is cleaned of impurities and hand-spun into fine threads. Expert artisans use traditional handlooms to create the fabric. Natural dyes are used to colour the fabric, and intricate embroidery is often added for embellishment. The exhibition, which will run until January 25 showcases Over 150 domestic stalls, with more than 40 stalls showcasing pure Nepali Pashmina.