Kolkata:On the evening of 12th May 2023, leading NGO, The Bengal, celebrated ‘Rabindra Jayanti’ with more than 300 senior citizen members of Pronam at the Body Guard Lines auditorium in Kolkata. A cultural program, celebrating the philosophy and literary works of Kavi Guru Rabindranath Tagore, was organized to mark his 162nd Birth Anniversary.

The thoughts of Tagore guides us in all aspects of our life. His poetry emphasizes the importance of respecting the beauty of nature in all its forms, valuing sustainability, and recognizing humanity as the only religion that unites us all. Gurudev once said, “I slept and dreamt that Life was Joy. I awoke and saw Life was Service. I acted and behold Service was Joy.”

At the Rabindra Jayanti cultural programme, danseuse Ms Priti Patel, a Board member of The Bengal and an exponent of Manipuri dance, in her opening speech lauded The Bengal’s ongoing efforts to assist senior citizens through Project Pronam; and their dedication to promote Bengal’s literary heritage through cultural events like Rabindra Jayanti. Ms Patel personally welcomed the senior citizen members of ‘Pronam’ who attended the program.

”The Bengal constantly helps senior citizens through Pronam by organizing cultural programmes for not only promoting culture but also to create opportunities for recreation and engagement for their mental well being. One could see the success of the programme from the enthusiastic response of the audience. I think a very meaningful and noble work is being done with these senior citizens who now know they are not alone or neglected any more. I am glad I attended the programme and met so many loving Pronam members.”

The musical performances included melodious Rabindra sangeet songs by Smt Promita Mullick, Smt Debaroti Som, Sri Swapan Som, and beloved Pronam members Sri Abir Chatterjee and Sri Debashish Roy. Sri Sitanshu Roy and Sri Tarun Das provided instrumental accompaniment to make the evening even more enchanting.

Smt Priti Patel delighted ‘Pronam’ members with an excerpt from Rabindranath Tagore’s ‘Chitrangada’, accompanied by a beautiful song sung by Smt Promita Mullick. The senior citizens gave Ms Priti Patel a standing ovation in appreciation of her wonderful performance. Compere Chandan Mazumdar said, “When lovers of art unite, it seems that in the words of Tagore, ‘Music fills the infinite between two souls’.”

During the event, Smt Sushmita Sarkar and Sri Rabin Mazumdar recited Kabi Guru’s ‘Jhorer Kheya’ and ‘Africa’.

The program concluded with a performance of a final song by Mr Anindya Narayan Biswas. The elderly audience was mesmerized and thoroughly entertained and expressed their deepest gratitude to Pronam for a memorable evening.

The President of India, Smt Droupadi Murmu graced and addressed the convocation ceremony of Visva-Bharati at Santiniketan today (March 28, 2023).

Speaking on the occasion, the President said that Gurudeb Rabindranath Tagore left the comfort of the most important city of the Eastern hemisphere in the early 20th century and came to Santiniketan which was a remote area those days. There is a message for everyone, especially the young students, in this. Pioneers like Gurudeb choose difficulties over comfort to achieve larger objectives. The young students of Visva-Bharati have to focus on this learning from Gurudeb’s life that one has to come out of one’s comfort zone to be able to make a difference.

The President said that Gurudeb’s belief that nature is the best teacher is reflected in the way this institution has been designed. He wanted to liberate the process of education from the confines of conventional systems borrowed from the West. He was against the rigid structures and methods in which students were passive receivers and not active partners in learning. Through Visva-Bharati, he has given us the gift of a learning system which is close to nature, which blends spirituality and modern science, ethics and excellence, tradition and modernity. For Gurudeb, learning was boundaryless and boundless.

The President said that Gurudeb wanted education to promote creativity and individuality and not produce stereotypes and careerists. She was happy to note that Visva-Bharati has adhered to Gurudeb’s philosophy of education and produced many celebrated artists and creative individuals.

The President said that Gurudeb took pride in the Indian knowledge tradition. In our tradition, it is said – ‘Only that learning is meaningful which liberates’. She said that liberation from ignorance, narrow-mindedness, prejudice, negativity, greed and other such limitations is the real objective of education. She expressed confidence that students of Visva-Bharati would help build better communities wherever they choose to live and work.

Kolkata : DUDigital Global is pleased to announce the opening of a new Bangladesh Visa Information Centre at Kolkata Railway station in (Chitpur) Kolkata, India. The purpose of this centre is to facilitate and empower with the process to the visa Applicants of Indian citizens who wish to visit Bangladesh for business, tourism, or other purposes. The Bangladesh Visa Information Centre in Kolkata will be operated by DUDigital, a leading visa processing company, which already operates Bangladesh Visa Application centres in Kolkata and Siliguri. Existing Centres are located at 1st Floor, Plot No. 15 (Infinium Digispace) CP Block, Sector 5, Salt Lake in Kolkata and Shop No. 30 & 31,2nd Floor International Market, Sevok Road Near Pani Tanki More in Siliguri.

The opening of the Bangladesh Visa Information Centre in Kolkata is a major step forward in strengthening the bilateral relations between Bangladesh and India. It will make it easier for Indian citizens to obtain visas to Bangladesh, thereby increasing trade and tourism between the two countries.

The Bangladesh Visa Information Centre in Kolkata will provide updated information and complete visa application process. Applicants can apply for Bangladesh Visa by visiting applications centre in Salt Lake, Kolkata and Siliguri by walk in, and they don’t require any prior appointment to submit their application. The centres will also provide a wide range of services, including visa application form filling, photograph taking, passport collection and delivery, and more. We hope that the opening of the Bangladesh Visa Information Centre in Kolkata will serve as a catalyst for increased travel and trade between Bangladesh and India. It is part of our ongoing commitment to improve the ease and convenience of travel between India and Bangladesh. We look forward to welcoming more visitors from India to Bangladesh.

DUDigital Global Limited focused and has served 6 Governments through our own 35 Visa Application Centres and some partnered 3,546 Application Centres, operating in 143 countries across the world. We deliver the highest quality of service through our own trained staff, utmost use of safe and secured technology and best in class infrastructure.

Three new age businesses including co-workingaggregator Stylework, HRtech We360.ai, and consumer brand Auntie Fung’s – presented their business pitch to the curated audience.

The Meetup held at the FAAD’s regional office in Kolkata, was led by Bikram Saraf and Rishi Nad. Both of them are startup enthusiasts and angel investors across various successful startups.

Kolkata is among the top ten startup hubs in India. With myriad investment opportunities, the city is rapidly growing as one of the leading startup investing ecosystems in India.

FAAD launched the Kolkata office to bridge the gap between the investment community and fledgling startups in the region. By helping early-stage investors find investible startups and entrepreneurs receive capital and network support, the network aims to foster growth and collaboration across the ecosystem.

FAAD Co-founder and Director Dr. Dinesh Singh, “FAAD is one of the finest go-to investor networks for pre-series A and Series A startups to build and grow their business ideas. With the launch of our Kolkata office the network wants to create value for both investors and startups in the eastern region by hosting networking tools and sessions for professionals to interact and gain insight into the startup ecosystem. These events are a great platform for aspiring entrepreneurs to grow their business ideas and receive the mentorship and financial assistance required for their success.”

FAADRegional Partner, Mr. Bikram Saraf,said, “We are delighted to expand our presence in Kolkata with the launch of our regional office. The city has immense potential for entrepreneurship and innovation, and we are excited to support and invest in promising startups in the region. The successful turnout at our recent Investor Meet is a testament to the growing interest and enthusiasm among investors in Kolkata. With our network of over 1600 investors, we are committed to fostering a thriving startup ecosystem in the region and beyond.”

Attendees had the chance to network with other investors, entrepreneurs, and financial experts to explore the potential of the startup sector in Kolkata. The meeting was highly successful and provided a boost to the startup culture in the city. With the launch of the Kolkata office, FAAD will be looking at hosting local investor meetups regularly to embrace serious investors in its ecosystem.

Recently FAAD has received approval of Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) for a category 1 INR 300 crore Alternative Investment Fund (AIF).

The first meet of the G 20 Working Group on Global Partnership for Financial Inclusion ended in Kolkata today.
Concluding sessions deliberated on building pathways for advancing Financial Inclusion and Productivity Gains.Overcoming finance barriers for SME sector was one of the major topics of discussion , said Chanchal C Sarkar, Advisor,Department of Economic Affairs.
Speaking on the priorities of the Group, he said, Digital Public Infrastructure and reducing cost of remittance were the two most important issues.
Mr Sarkar said that aspirations of developing countries will also get a voice under India’s Presidency.

Kolkata: The Chief Minister of West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee, on the Xmas eve joined the midnight mass and also formally inaugurated and crib-set and a special exhibition depicting The Rosary Way – a unique meditation on the life of Lord Jesus – in the presence of Archbishop of Kolkata, Rev Thomas D’Souza, Fr Franklin Menzes, Pro-Vicar, The Cathedral of the Most Holy Rosary, Mr Abhishek Banerjee, Member of Parliament, Mr Vineet Goyal, Kolkata Police Commissioner and Don Bosco Alumni members Mr Pramode Agarwal and Mr Subrata Ganguly.

The exhibits at the special exhibition, created by Church Art of Kolkata, displayed in front of the Cathedral of the Most Holy Rosary are most apt as 20 panels narrate the story of the announcement of Birth of Jesus till his Resurrection and the glorification of his Mother Mary.

“As in the past years, this year too, as Christians heed to the call of green Christmas, tradition recalls a Catholic Saint who returned to nature by promoting “presepio vivente” – a living Crib – depiction of the birth of Jesus as described in the gospels of Matthew and Luke,” said Fr Franklin Menezes, Pro-Vicar of The Cathedral of the Most Holy Rosary, Burrabazar. The Cathedral was founded on 1799.

“The set of twenty pictures at the exhibition is a panoramic representation of the various turning points in Lord Jesus’ life considered sacred like birth, baptism, transfiguration, eucharist, crucifixion, resurrection, ascension, descent, assumption, coronation and so on,” said Mr Subrata Ganguly, curator of the exhibition and founder of creative arts firm Church Art.

“Nativity scenes exhibit figures representing the infant Jesus, his mother Mary, and Joseph. Other characters from the nativity story such as shepherds, the Magi, and angels may be displayed near the manger,” said Fr Dominic Gomes, Vicar General, Archdiocese of Calcutta, while commenting on the crib set at the Cathedral.

The Vatican has displayed a scene in St. Peter’s Square near its Christmas tree since 1982 and the Pope has for many years blessed the mangers of children assembled in St. Peter’s Square for a special ceremony. In 2015, the first ever crib set depicting Jesus’ birth from India, designed by Kolkata-based organization Church Art, was added to the International Nativity Museum of Bethlehem’s collection of 223 nativity representations from over 93 countries.

Kolkata : After proving its mettle in the Medical and Engineering Entrance Examinations and other National and International level entrance examinations, Allen Career Institute Private Limited is now starting its offline classes in cultural capital of India for the guidance of the students. The announcement about the center launch was done through the traditional rituals and ribbon cutting ceremony in the The Oberoi Grand, Kolkata.
Director, Allen Career Institute, Naveen Maheshwari, Senior Vice-President, Pankaj Birla, Vice-President, Pankaj Agarwal and other distinguished people of the Kolkata city, students and parents were present on the occasion.

Speaking on the occasion, Director Naveen Maheshwari said that the students of remote areas of west Bengal And Kolkata are performing very well in JEE, NEET, Olympiads, KVPY and NTSE and other examinations. If the students get better guidance they can perform better.

Allen Career Institute is now launching its offline classes in Kolkata for the career development of the Students. The batches for the medical and engineering entrance examinations of 2023-24 will start from April. Special Fees benefit will be offered to the students if admission is taken on or before 20th of January. Students will also be able to avail scholarships up to 90% on taking Allen Scholarship Admission Test (ASAT) & Allen Sharp.

The Senior Vice-President of Allen, Pankaj Birla said that Allen’s study centre in Kolkata will prove to be a boon for the Science students since earlier students of here had to go to Kota or other cities of India but now they will get benefit of 34 years of experienced coaching in Kolkata.Vice-President, Allen, Pankaj Agarwal said that students of Kolkata are passionate and if they will get guidance then they can produce best results. Now the benefit of Kota coaching will be available to the students of Kolkata and nearby areas in Kolkata.

Felicitated with Cash Award

Allen Career Institute, Director, Naveen Maheshwari felicitated Allen student AvilashMaduri with cash award of Rs 2 lacs for securing AIR-26 in NEET 2022. Avilash is classroom coaching student of Allen Durgapur which was already operational in West Bengal.

Catering both Career and Caring

Allen in Kolkata will be based on Care First principal. Allen Team will ensure safety guidance protocols. Priority will be given to the students’ health and overall development. Monitoring of the students and provide them the best education environment.

Students to get Quality Education

Number of students interested in becoming doctor and engineering is increasing every year. These students need quality education. Allen Career Institute Kota with its 34 years of experienced coaching is fulfilling dreams and aspirations of the student. Rural students will have to either move out for education or they compromise with the circumstances but now they will attain success instead of compromise.

Kolkata  :   Governor of West Bengal and Manipur, Shri La. Ganesan, formally laid the foundation laying stone for Institute of Chartered Accountants of India’s (ICAI) Centre of Excellence (CoE) at Rajarhat New Town, Kolkata, by unveiling a plaque. A Bhoomi Pooja ceremony was performed which was attended by the Hon’ble Governor of West Bengal, President, ICAI, CA (Dr.) Debashis Mitra, Vice-President, ICAI, CA Aniket Sunil Talati, ICAI members, guests and dignitaries.

“The Centre of Excellence, which would be an academic and research hub, is expected to be completed by the first half of 2024 with a capacity to handle five hundred students and other professionals. The CoE complex would be a green building with modern amenities and hostel facilities,” said CA (Dr) Debashis Mitra, President, ICAI.

“ICAI is planning to give free auditing tools to the members to combat the challenges of artificial intelligence and go for audit in a situation where the technology has to be changed and put in place a new ecosystem,” CA (Dr) Mitra said.

ICAI, established by an Act of Parliament in 1949, has nearly eight lac students and over 3.6 lac members at present.