National News
How West Bengal put brakes on growing fiscal deficit

With only a few days to go before the state budget, it would be interesting to watch how state financial advisor Amit Mitra put brakes on the growing fiscal deficit in the state.
Experts are of the opinion that the state financial condition was showing signs of recovery despite the outstanding liabilities but the financial burden caused by the social schemes announced by the state is having a negative impact on the financial health of the state.
The revenue deficit has been pegged at Rs 26,755.25 crore which is more than three per cent of the Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) limit. Going by the past trend, the figure is likely to increase further. The fiscal deficit shot up from Rs 52,350.01 crore in 2020-21 to Rs 60,863.96 crore in 2021-22. The upswing in deficit is expected, considering that both the state’s tax and non-tax revenues have plummeted during the pandemic.
The state’s own tax revenue dropped from Rs 60,669.37 crore in 2019-20 to Rs 59,886.59 crore in 2020-21 and its share in central taxes plunged from Rs 48,048.40 crore to Rs 44,737.01 crore during the same period. The period also witnessed a fall in non-tax revenue from Rs 3,212.90 crore to Rs 2,466.31 crore.
Given the pandemic-induced fall, the budget estimate of Rs 50,070.29 crore as state’s share in central taxes, Rs 75,415.74 crore as its own tax revenue and Rs 4,611.72 as its non-tax revenue, appear unrealistic, which means the current fiscal may end with a higher revenue deficit as well as an increased fiscal deficit.
With an estimated fiscal deficit of 4.03 per cent of its GSDP, West Bengal is among those few states that have crossed the three per cent threshold limit. In 2020-21, the percentage was 3.86 as against 2.94 per cent in 2019-20. Not only that, the GSDP growth rate at 2011-12 constant prices went up from 4.17 per cent in 2012-13 to 6.13 per cent in 2015-16, 7.2 per cent in 2016-17, and 6.41 per cent in 2018-19 but again plunged to 5.6 per cent in 20-21. However, it still consistently remained below the national average.
Interestingly enough, Bengal’s debt-GSDP ratio stood at its peak in 2010-11 at 41.9 per cent, according to a NITI Aayog-sponsored survey conducted by IIM Calcutta. This was the highest in the country. Since then, the ratio has gradually come down and stood at 34.75 per cent in 2018-19 but in the 2020-21 financial year it again shot upto 38.8 per cent indicating the pressure on the economy of the state.
A comparative study shows that the states with the highest debt-GSDP ratio in FY22 are Punjab (53.3 per cent), Rajasthan (39.8 per cent), West Bengal (38.8 per cent), Kerala (38.3 per cent) and Andhra Pradesh (37.6 per cent). All these states receive revenue deficit grants from the Centre.
Former chief economic advisor to the central government and BJP MLA Ashoke Lahiri said: “What is worrying us more is a constant increase in the primary deficit (fiscal deficit minus interest payment). Figures from RBI show that GSDP to primary deficit was 0.4 per cent in 2019-20. In a year that shot up to 1.4 per cent and in 2021-22 that is 1.9 per cent. This points to the fact that even if the interest burden is removed, the state continues to borrow more”.
The precarious financial condition of the state was evident from the sudden increase in market borrowing. The market borrowing of West Bengal so far in the fiscal year 2022 is 20 per cent higher on a year-on-year basis, according to a report by the CARE Ratings. Only Nagaland, up by 71 per cent, had a higher borrowing during the period than West Bengal.
Haryana (by 11 per cent), Sikkim (by 7 per cent), Jammu and Kashmir and Maharashtra (by 4 per cent each) and Rajasthan (by 3 per cent) are the few other states that have higher borrowings so far in the current fiscal than the comparable period of a year ago. In the case of other remaining states, it is lower than last year.
According to the statement issued by the Reserve Bank of India, the state is likely to borrow 12 times raising around Rs 20,000 crore from the market between the period of January 1 and March 31 making it obvious that the state government is struggling hard to negotiate the expenses caused by the social schemes launched by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
Interestingly enough, in the period between April 2020 and December 2020 when the state revenue plummeted to all time low because of the pandemic situation and the consequent lockdown, the state raised around Rs 35,000 crore from the market but during the current financial year between April 2021 to December 2021, it went for a market borrowing of Rs 52,500 crore. During the same period in 2019, the state borrowed Rs 28,000 crore via State Development Loan.
Incidentally, when the 34-year rule of the Left Front came to an end in 2011 and Mamata Banerjee became the chief minister, the accumulated debt of the state was Rs 1.93 lakh crore. But, according to the state government’s budget figures, the accumulated debt is likely to go upto Rs 5.5 lakh crore by the end of the 2020-21 financial year.
The state government’s dying effort to negotiate the huge cost of non-planned expenditure came to the fore when recently chief minister Mamata Banerjee directed all the departments to cut down on unnecessary expenditure beyond the approved budget and not to take any new project without the approval of the state Chief Secretary or the finance department. The announcement was an obvious indication that the government is trying to negotiate the financial burden caused by the non-planned expenditure of the dole politics announced by the chief minister Mamata Banerjee before the election.
After coming to power for the third time- Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced two major schemes – ‘Lakshmir Bhandar’ and ‘Swastha Sathi’ for all – the schemes that demand a huge financial involvement. ‘Lakhmir Bhandar’ is a project where the state is supposed to give Rs 1,000 to the women belonging to SC/ST/OBC and Rs 500 to the women belonging to General caste. The government has allocated a budget of approximately budget of Rs 12,900 crore for around 1.8 crore women who have so far registered themselves for the scheme.
Initially the government had an estimate that nearly 2 crore beneficiaries will register for ‘Lakshmir Bhandar’ project but so far, the government has received an application of 1.63 crore of which 1.52 crore has been approved. Nearly 7 lakh applications have been cancelled. The government has spent more than Rs 800 crore for the project and going by the figure the finance department estimates that the state government will have to cough up another Rs 5,600 crore which might in turn lead to a staggering figure in a full financial year.
Countering the Centre’s Ayushman Bharat, the state launched its own scheme – ‘Sasthya Sathi Prokolpo’ where some citizens of the state were given an annual health coverage of five lakh rupees. After coming to power in 2021, the chief minister opened ‘Swastha Sathi’ for all the citizens of the state leading to a quantum leap in the expenditure. Even a year back when the estimated budget for this project was around Rs 925 crore, this year the allocation touched an astronomical figure of Rs 2,000 crore annually.
According to experts, with the decline of the revenue generation, multiple market borrowings have now become the essential compulsion of the West Bengal government now to meet its recurring expenses.
They are of the opinion that the state is struggling with the non-plan expenditure mostly to meet the promises made by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee during her election campaign.
National News
Government Cracks Down on OTT Platforms Over Obscene Content

New Delhi, July 25, 2025 — In a significant move targeting explicit digital content, the Government of India has taken steps to block several over-the-top (OTT) platforms accused of streaming obscene and vulgar material. Platforms such as ALTBalaji, ULLU, and a few others have come under the scanner for allegedly violating Indian content regulations and societal norms.
The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, acting on multiple complaints from citizens and civil society groups, initiated the ban after conducting an internal review. Authorities stated that certain shows and web series available on these platforms contained content that was “sexually explicit,” “vulgar,” and “not suitable for public viewing,” especially in households with children.
The decision has stirred a wider debate around content regulation and creative freedom in India’s rapidly growing digital entertainment sector. While officials maintain that the step was necessary to uphold decency standards and protect cultural values, critics warn of overreach and censorship.
A senior official said, “This is not about targeting creative freedom. This is about ensuring that OTT content does not cross legal and moral boundaries. There are clear guidelines, and platforms are expected to adhere to them.”
The platforms affected reportedly failed to comply with warnings issued earlier regarding their programming. Despite advisory notices and reminders to filter or restrict adult content, several web series continued to feature nudity, explicit scenes, and suggestive themes without proper age-gating or viewer discretion tools.
In recent years, OTT platforms have grown in popularity, especially among younger audiences, with many bypassing traditional film and TV regulations. The government had previously introduced a self-regulation framework for digital content providers, but critics say enforcement has been lax, leading to the current clampdown.
Some media rights advocates and artists expressed concern over the lack of transparency in the banning process and called for an independent review mechanism. Others, however, welcomed the move, stating that unchecked access to graphic content could have a detrimental effect on social behavior and minors.
As of now, the banned platforms remain inaccessible in India. The Ministry has hinted at further actions if other OTT providers do not align their content with the prescribed code of ethics and IT rules.
This development marks a turning point in India’s digital media regulation and sets the stage for possible stricter content monitoring across streaming platforms in the future.
National News
2 Teachers Killed, 10 Injured In Van-Truck Collision In Chhattisgarh’s Korba

Korba: Two women teachers were killed and ten other persons injured after a van in which they were travelling collided with a trailer truck in Chhattisgarh’s Korba district on Thursday, police said.
About The Accident
The accident occurred in the morning near Tanakhar village when 11 staffers and two students of Eklavya Model Residential School, run by the tribal development department, in Pondi Uproda village were heading to their institute from Katghora town, a police official said.
As per preliminary information, the van driver attempted to overtake another vehicle and ended up colliding with a truck, coming from the opposite direction.
A total of 12 occupants of the van sustained injuries, he said.
The victims were taken to the Community Health Centre Katghora, from where the seriously injured persons were referred to different hospitals, he said.
Two teachers, identified as Anjana Sharma (30), a resident of Delhi, and Manju Sharma (32) of Haryana, succumbed to their wounds during treatment at a hospital, he said.
The two deceased were staying in rented houses in Katghora.
Five injured persons have been admitted to a hospital in Korba, two in Bilaspur, and three others, who sustained minor injuries, in Katghora, he said.
A case has been registered and a probe is underway, he added.
Maharashtra
Supreme Court Stays Bombay High Court’s Acquittal in 2006 Mumbai Train Blasts Case

New Delhi, July 24, 2025 — The Supreme Court of India has issued a stay on the Bombay High Court’s recent decision to acquit 12 men previously convicted in the 2006 Mumbai suburban train bombings. The apex court, however, clarified that the accused will not need to return to jail while the legal process continues.
The move comes days after the Maharashtra government filed a challenge against the High Court’s ruling, expressing serious concern over the acquittal of all 12 individuals who had been found guilty nearly a decade earlier. The Supreme Court agreed to examine the appeal and put the acquittal order on hold until further notice.
Background of the Case
On July 11, 2006, a series of coordinated bomb blasts targeted local trains on Mumbai’s Western Railway line during evening rush hour. The attacks resulted in the deaths of around 190 people and left over 800 injured. It was one of the deadliest terror strikes in India’s history.
In 2015, a special court convicted 12 men under anti-terror laws, sentencing five to death and the remaining to life imprisonment. However, the Bombay High Court overturned these convictions in July 2025, citing weak and unreliable evidence, inconsistencies in witness testimonies, and procedural lapses in the investigation.
Supreme Court’s Intervention
Responding to the state’s petition, the Supreme Court noted the seriousness of the matter and temporarily suspended the High Court’s decision. The court stated that although the acquittal order is stayed, the accused who had already been released will not be required to surrender at this stage.
Government’s Stand
The Maharashtra government described the High Court’s judgment as deeply concerning, arguing that the earlier trial had followed due process and that crucial evidence—such as confessions and material recovered—was improperly dismissed. The government urged the Supreme Court to uphold the original convictions in the interest of justice for the victims and their families.
What Lies Ahead
The Supreme Court is expected to conduct a detailed review of the High Court’s findings and the prosecution’s evidence. The final verdict could have a significant impact on how terrorism-related cases are investigated and prosecuted in the future, especially with respect to the handling of confessional statements, forensic evidence, and procedural safeguards.
The case continues to be a matter of national attention due to its historical gravity and implications for the justice system. Families of the victims, legal experts, and civil rights advocates are all watching closely as the country’s top court re-evaluates one of India’s most complex terror cases.
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