Joydeep Thakur is a Special Correspondent based in Kolkata. He focuses on science, environment, wildlife, agriculture and other related issues.
Articles by Joydeep Thakur
Oxygen plants commissioned but problems remain in making them operational
Officials in multiple states said the issues are expected to be resolved by the September end or the first week of October. The installation of the plants acquired renewed urgency after the second Covid-19 wave this summer triggered a shortage of life-saving medical oxygen
Published on Sep 01, 2021 12:07 PM IST
Ruchir Ranjan/Sudhir Kumar/Joydeep Thakur
Back-to-back cyclones prompt Bengal farmers to shift to salt tolerant paddy
Three cyclones - Bulbul in November 2019, Amphan in May 2020, and Yaas in May 2021 – have highlighted the state’s vulnerability to the climate crisis. Over the years, farmers living in the coastal belt of West Bengal have been gradually shifting to salt-resistant paddy
Updated on Aug 27, 2021 07:16 PM IST
Bengal records scanty Hilsa catch, eyes imports
Other fishermen’s associations in the three coastal districts of West Bengal echoed the sentiment -- the catch, once again, is poor.
Updated on Aug 24, 2021 01:53 AM IST
Joydeep Thakur, Hindustan Times, Kolkata
CBI, SIT to probe Bengal post-election violence: High court
The Calcutta high court on Thursday ordered separate probes by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and a Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the state police into alleged post-poll violence in West Bengal this year
Updated on Aug 19, 2021 11:49 PM IST
Joydeep Thakur and Tanmay Chatterjee, Kolkata
CBI, SIT to probe Bengal post-election violence: HC
The investigation of SIT will also be monitored by the court and overseen by a retired judge of the Supreme Court.
Updated on Aug 19, 2021 11:32 PM IST
Bengal avoids wastage of Covid vaccine but faces shortage of syringes now
West Bengal has received around 30 million doses of Covishield and Covaxin from the Centre. From each vial of Covishield, 10 doses can be retrieved, and the Centre provided syringes proportionally
Updated on Aug 18, 2021 10:30 AM IST
Afghan crisis: Granddaughter of Frontier Gandhi says world powers must intervene
Family members say Khan’s father, Khan Lala Jaan Khan, was adopted by Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan, better known as ‘Frontier Gandhi’, to continue the struggle for Pashtunistan from India.
Updated on Aug 17, 2021 10:44 PM IST
Isolated in deep Arunachal forest, White Bellied Heron inches towards extinction
The scientists said this is the first such study on the White–bellied heron to find out the reasons behind its depleting population.
Published on Aug 17, 2021 09:32 AM IST
Forced to live in isolation, white-bellied heron inches closer to extinction
It is estimated that less than 10 of these water birds are presently living in Arunachal Pradesh, which is its only habitat in India
Published on Aug 17, 2021 09:27 AM IST
Man abducted in Bengal for antique coins he never possessed
Police cited preliminary investigation and added two of the alleged abductors, Sheetal Agarwal and Shanawaz Mollah, were interested in the deal because they collect antique coins
Published on Aug 12, 2021 05:16 PM IST
Immune cells fail to communicate, cause cytokine storm in Covid patients: Study
Cytokine storm is an overreaction of the immune system and involves overproduction of cytokines. The findings of the team were published in the August 6 edition of The Journal of Immunology, a peer-reviewed journal published by The American Association of Immunologists
Updated on Aug 12, 2021 03:40 PM IST
Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee invited to attend peace conference in Rome
The invitation letter congratulated Banerjee for "significant election” victory and “for the important work for social justice, for the development of your own country, and therefore, for peace".
Published on Aug 11, 2021 09:44 PM IST
Joydeep Thakur, Kolkata
Discovery of new animal, plant species from India dip due to Covid-19 pandemic
Even though on an average the BSI discovers around 350 plant species, starting from flowering plants to ferns, fungi and algae, this year this has come down to around 250, a BSI scientist said. Around 180 are new to science, while the rest have never been reported from India earlier.
Updated on Aug 09, 2021 02:20 AM IST
Joydeep Thakur, Hindustan Times, Kolkata
Bengal extends Covid-19 restrictions till August 15
The restrictions were earlier extended up to July 30 as the Kolkata Metro was allowed to run on weekdays with 50% capacity
Published on Jul 29, 2021 12:29 PM IST
TMC delegation to leave for Tripura to meet I-PAC team ‘confined’ by police
At least 23 members of I-PAC were on Monday asked to stay inside a hotel in Agartala till their Covid-19 test reports arrive, the Tripura police have said
Updated on Jul 28, 2021 10:00 AM IST
Bengal govt rejects NHRC report on post-poll violence
In June, a five-judge bench of the court directed the NHRC to constitute a committee to examine all cases of alleged human rights violation during the violence after the March-April assembly polls
Published on Jul 27, 2021 05:16 PM IST
Man impersonating as ED officer arrested for trying to dupe TMC MP in Kolkata
Roy was arrested late on Thursday from a bus terminus in Kolkata on Sen’s complaint. The mobile phone, which the accused used to call Sen, was also seized
Published on Jul 16, 2021 01:52 PM IST
TMC plans to take its Martyr’s Day event beyond Bengal
TMC observes July 21 as Martyr’s Day every year in remembrance of the 13 people who were killed at a Youth Congress rally. Chief minister Mamata Banerjee was then the leader of the West Bengal Youth Congress
Published on Jul 15, 2021 02:03 PM IST
Calcutta HC to hear Mamata Banerjee’s plea against Nandigram loss today
The West Bengal CM moved the high court alleging voting irregularities in her narrow loss by 1,956 votes to her protégé-turned-adversary Suvendu Adhikari. It was her first electoral loss in 32 years
Published on Jul 14, 2021 08:43 AM IST
Covid negative report, vaccination mandatory for Bengal tourist destinations
The move comes following the Indian Council of Medical Research and Union health ministry’s warnings against complacency amid the waning second Covid-19 wave
Updated on Jul 13, 2021 11:55 AM IST
Calcutta HC judge recuses from hearing Banerjee’s plea, imposes ₹5 lakh fine
In her petition, Banerjee has alleged voting irregularities in her narrow loss by 1,956 votes to her protégé-turned-adversary Suvendu Adhikari from Nandigram, her first electoral loss in 32 years.
Published on Jul 08, 2021 02:55 AM IST
Joydeep Thakur, Kolkata
Calcutta HC judge recuses from hearing Banerjee’s plea against Nandigram loss, imposes ₹5 lakh fine
Justice Kausik Chanda also fined the West Bengal chief minister ₹5 lakh over the manner in which the recusal was sought
Updated on Jul 08, 2021 12:24 AM IST
TMC leader tries to enter Solicitor General’s house to ‘find gaps’ in his statement
Kunal Ghosh tried to enter the Solicitor General of India’s residence in New Delhi without a prior appointment to “find gaps” in the latter’s statement last week denying meeting BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari at the law officer’s house
Updated on Jul 06, 2021 06:05 PM IST
Most buses remain off the roads in Bengal despite easing of Covid-19 curbs
The government allowed government and private buses to ply from July 1 with 50% of the seating capacity as private and government offices, shops and markets began reopening
Published on Jul 06, 2021 12:44 PM IST
TMC releases Guv’s photo with man held in connection with fake vaccine racket
The ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) in West Bengal on Thursday released two pictures including the one showing a security guard arrested in connection with the fake vaccination racket purportedly with governor Jagdeep Dhankhar, his wife and two other women.
Published on Jul 02, 2021 05:06 PM IST
Centre seeks report on fake vaccination racket busted in Bengal
On June 25, Suvendu Adhikari, the leader of the opposition in the West Bengal assembly, wrote to Union health minister Harsh Vardhan seeking a probe by a central agency into the racket.
Updated on Jun 30, 2021 03:08 PM IST
Bengal to launch credit scheme for students to pursue higher studies
There will be a credit limit of ₹10 lakh under the scheme at the interest rate of 4% with the provision of easy repayment
Published on Jun 30, 2021 10:53 AM IST
‘Like saying I went to moon’: Bengal Guv rebuts Mamata on Jain hawala case link
West Bengal governor Jagdeep Dhankhar said he did not expect a leader of Mamata Banerjee’s “stature to create sensation, engage in misinformation and misrepresentation”.
Updated on Jun 28, 2021 09:40 PM IST
BJP attacks TMC over fake Covid vaccination, demands probe by central agency
Subhas Sarkar, a BJP Member of Parliament, said Debanjan Deb, who is accused of organising the camps, has been spotted with multiple TMC leaders
Published on Jun 25, 2021 06:16 PM IST
Coastal districts in Bengal on high alert ahead of full moon tide
Chief minister Mamata Banerjee held a meeting on Wednesday to take stock of the situation and alert the district officials
Published on Jun 24, 2021 10:07 AM IST