IIT-Kharagpur honours 372 doctorates
IIT Kharagpur on Tuesday awarded the highest number of PhD degrees in its history. The Institution conferred degrees on 372 PhD students, a substantial increase from last year’s figure of 295, said an official of the institution, which is ranked among the elite centres of learning across the globe. Apart from handing certificates to graduating students, the institute also honoured 20 of its former students with distinguished alumnus awards. The alumni of the prestigious institute feature top names in the corporate world, including former chief executive officer of Pepsico Indra Nooyi.
145 city roads crying for repairs, says civic body
At least 145 roads in Kolkata need immediate repairs, estimates Kolkata Municipal Corporation. Every year, as monsoon arrives and the roads crack up, baring potholes, agencies pass the buck and by the time the Durga Puja comes around, the broken portions of stretches are given cosmetic repairs. Roads in the city are in the custodianship of multiple agencies.
This year, the municipal corporation has allotted around R5 crore for patchwork on some of the potholed roads. An estimate is being prepared for some roads that require thorough repairs. While the agencies resort to a blame game as broken roads turn a death trap, the commuters and motorists have to bear the brunt of inconvenience. The potholed stretches turn particularly hazardous during monsoon, risking lives.
Old answer scripts for HS selection tests
The Higher Secondary selection tests will be conducted with old answer scripts, not the Question-cum-Answer Booklets (QCABs) that the students have to write on in the Plus II exams, scheduled next March, officials said. The West Bengal Council of Higher Secondary Education, which conducts the exam, will issue QCAB samples to the schools before the tests. Council officials said QCABs will not be used in this year’s selection tests, to be held internally by individual institutions. The decision has been so taken to avoid confusion and complications, officials said.
Inaugural Sikkim-Kolkata flight jinxed again
Lack of requisite infrastructure at Pakyong airport has yet again jinxed the lone flight from Sikkim to Kolkata. The flight, suspended in June, was set to be revived on October 1. Domestic carrier SpiceJet shelved its plan to launch the inaugural flight citing lack of facilities to enable flight operations in low visibility at the airstrip, located at a height of 4,600 feet. The airline has now set its sights on launching flight operations towards the end of October. Many fliers who booked tickets for the inaugural flight have taken refunds.