Nepathya Live in Siliguri marks the band’s debut performance in the city, a moment long anticipated by audiences across North Bengal, Sikkim, and the Eastern Himalayan region – where Nepathya’s songs have circulated for years through recordings, memory, and cultural inheritance, but never before through a Siliguri stage

The concert will be held at Utsodhaara Teesta Township, behind Kawakhali Ground, placing Siliguri – often described as a gateway city – at the center of a rare cross-border cultural convergence.

The event is presented by PVE Network, Club Gravity, and Mainali International Human Resources. PVE Network – owner of the IP Let’s Get Loud India Series, which featured Sajjan Raj Vaidya – is also serving as the curator for the Siliguri project, framing the concert as part of a broader vision for culturally rooted, regionally significant live music platforms in eastern India.

Over the years, Nepathya has distinguished itself as one of the region’s most formidable live acts. The band has performed hundreds of concerts across Nepal, India, Australia, Europe, Japan, and North America, frequently drawing crowds in the tens of thousands. In Nepal, their open-air shows have repeatedly ranked among the largest ticketed live music events staged by a homegrown band, noted for disciplined sound, minimal spectacle, and a strong sense of collective participation.

According to Bikesh Kayastha, Founder of PVE Network, the decision to bring Nepathya to Siliguri was driven by a belief that audiences in this part of the country have long been underserved when it comes to landmark live performances.

“The idea of bringing Nepathya to Siliguri came from a simple conviction – that people in and around this region deserve to experience a band of this stature live,” Mr. Kayastha said. “This is about extending the live concert experience to the eastern side of the country and raising the benchmark for production and presentation, so the audience here receives the same quality of experience seen elsewhere.”

Early indicators suggest that the Siliguri concert’s appeal extends well beyond the city. Fans from parts of Bhutan and Nepal are expected to attend, while within India, a significant volume of early inquiries has come from Mumbai, Bengaluru, New Delhi, and across the Northeast region, reflecting Nepathya’s enduring resonance among urban and diasporic audiences alike.

Following the announcement, Early Bird tickets were released online and have seen rapid uptake, with only a limited number now remaining. Tickets are available via the District by Zomato App and Web.

In an era when live music is increasingly driven by scale and speed, Nepathya’s first appearance in Siliguri stands apart – arriving deliberately, and carrying with it the weight of geography, memory, and shared cultural history.

Event Details:
Event: Nepathya Live in Siliguri
Date: 28 February 2026
Venue: Utsodhaara Teesta Township, behind Kawakhali Ground, Siliguri
Presented By: PVE Network | Club Gravity | Mainali International Human Resources
Tickets: Early Bird tickets [limited availability] on District by Zomato App & Web

Note: For the first time, Nepathya bring their voice to Siliguri and we are honoured to be a part of their journey as a Media Partner.

We have not charged any money from the organisers or the band for the promotion, and are promoting the event as a mark of respect for the legendary Nepathya band.

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This large-scale recruitment drive is for the appointment of Staff Nurses Grade-II across multiple categories.

Candidates interested can apply for the recruitment from 13 August 2025 on the board’s official website, www.hrb.wb.gov.in.

The application process will begin on 13 August 2025 (10:00 AM) and will remain open until 3 September 2025 (2:00 PM) through the official WBHRB website.

Please SHARE, someone in your timeline may benefit.

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PepsiCo, Coco-Cola, Kaisha Industries, Natural water Industries, Parle, Vinayaka Industries, Hornbill Industries, ITC, CG Foods, Perfetti Van Melle were revealed as the top 10 polluters of the Indian Himalayan Region for 2025 at the webinar ‘The Himalayan Cleanup Speaks: Insights to Action’ 8 August 2025 – Zero Waste Himalaya Day. The top polluters were identified through The Himalayan Cleanup audits were conducted across 8 mountain states in which 12500 volunteers cleaned 148 sites and audited 217854 plastic waste collected.

Zero Waste Himalaya and Integrated Mountain Initiative have been anchoring The Himalayan Cleanup since 2018, with a waste and brand audit to name the companies that pollute the Himalaya, and call them out to take responsibility for their plastic waste including designing out of the system. The call is also for the extended producer responsibility rule implementation with targeted focus for the Himalaya that recognises the importance and fragility of the landscape. 

The webinar’s context setting highlighted that existing policies and practices are not sensitive and sufficient to respond to the Himalayan waste crisis, and that there was a need to acknowledge the socio-ecological importance, fragility and challenges of the Himalaya. The need to shift the solution narrative beyond the broom, bin, landfill, burn and roll it downhill and to towards systemic solutions was stressed.The presentation on findings of THC 2025 by Ms. Priya Shrestha, member of Zero Waste Himalaya, highlighted that 217854 plastic waste collected was 93% of the total waste collected. 47% of the plastic waste collected was non-recyclable, thus challenging recycling as a complete solution. There has been a dramatic reduction in the   non-recyclable plastic collected in THC2025 compared to the past 6 years that needs a deeper trends analysis.  53% of plastic waste collected was recyclable and shows that the mountains are struggling with collecting and linking recyclable plastics for processing. 

Food packaging was consistently the highest trashed item at 93% of all plastics that shows the continued trend in the consumption of junk ultraprocessed food and the contribution of Big Food to the Himalayan waste crisis. 52% of food packaging audited was non-recyclable which highlights the limitations of recycling as a solution. 47.5 % of the food packaging was beverage bottles and 11% of it was the energy drink Sting, which had very high consumption among students, though it was not labelled as not recommended for children, pregnant women and lactating mothers. While Sting still topped the list, THC2025 showed an increase in the number of energy drinks . The food and waste intersect was highlighted as very concerning for mountain communities, as there is clear evidence showing that junk ultraprocessed food and beverage to be the leading cause of non-communicable diseases and contributing to mental ill health.

Along with the top 10 polluters, Nimoj Industries, Parshuram Packaged Drinking Water, Nestle, Fresho Beverages, Linggi Lehmo Beverages, Haldirams, Pran, Dabur, Mondelez, Reliance were found in the top 20 companies polluting the Indian Himalayan Region from the Himalayan Cleanup 2025. While the top global and national brands have continued their presence as top polluters, THC2025 showed a big jump of local brands and bottled water brands that calls on targeted localised actions to reduce their plastic pollution. RK Paul Chawang, Amyaa – Arunachal Pradesh; Shirshendu S Das, Midway Journey – Assam; Kamlesh Rai, Biruwa – Darjeeling/Kalimpong; Abdul Rashid Bhatt, Kashmir University – Jammu & Kashmir; Preeti Chauhan, Little Green World -Leh Ladakh; Yoyung Shaiza, Enfogal – Manipur; Subhashish Dasgupta, MIMDI – Meghalaya; Mery Chakma, Mizoram Waste Solutions – Mizoram; Niksungla, Living for Environment – Nagaland; Tshering Uden Bhutia, KCC, Sikkim shared their key insights across the Indian Himalayan Region anchoring the THC2025 in their respective states and regions. While there is a need to look at the Himalaya with focussed urgency, contextual nuances across the IHR including local plastic brands and plastic used in religious spaces have to be factored in too in response to the waste crisis. These reflections also committed to taking THC insights as well as the Zero Waste Himalaya movement further into their states and regions through engagement with educational institutions, communities and Swachh Bharat Missions. 

Representatives of GAIA Ambily Adithyan and Break Free from Plastic Miko Alino responded to THC results and insights bringing in National, South Asia and Global perspectives. Miko stressed the need to go beyond the visual narrative of waste as well as end of life management issues and explore multiple pathways including legal and human rights to redress plastic pollution. Curb on production and systemic changes that also ensures a just transition was shared and put into perspective with global negotiations that are underway to end plastic pollution. Ambily shared her continued surprise about the amount of recyclables collected that shows challenges in mountain waste management systems which is not experienced in the big cities. She shared about the inclusion of mountains in the draft EPR policy that was submitted. The need for expanding allies in the health, wellbeing and front of packaging labelling was also expressed. 

Jigme Bhutia, MD SBM (Sikilkim) mentioned that THC had been instrumental in informing local waste management strategies and hoped that the demand of EPR would lead to meaningful outcomes.

Mr Ramesh Negi, President IMI in his closing remarks reiterated the Himalayan agenda and called out the need for mountain sensitive policies and allocation of adequate resources. He called out a development paradigm for the Himalaya that is not extractive and polluting and congratulated the organisers and volunteers of THC for their stewardship.

Mr RP Gurung, founding member of Zero Waste Himalaya and Integrated Mountain Initiative thanked all the participants and speakers for THC2025. He called out the launch of the Plastic Freedom Challenge 2025 where individuals go without plastic for a week coming out of THC as well as calling out Independence Day Celebrations to be plastic free.

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The ceremony was graced by two distinguished guests: Apoorv Om, an award-winning hearing and speech-impaired artist and activist, and Rita Mathur, affectionately known as the “Trekker Granny.” Their presence added an inspiring dimension to the occasion, underscoring the message that adventure knows no limits of ability or age.

Apoorv Om, a National Youth Awardee and Fit India Ambassador was celebrated for his remarkable achievement of completing a two-week specialized adventure and survival skills course at HMI. Despite his impairments, Apoorv demonstrated extraordinary determination, participating in activities such as rock climbing and other team-building exercises.

In his address, delivered through a sign language interpreter, Apoorv expressed profound gratitude to HMI Principal Group Captain Jai Kishan and the dedicated instructors for their innovative approach and unwavering support.

The event also honored the achievements of Rita Mathur who was the chief guest of the event, a 69-year-old trekking enthusiast whose exploits include scaling Mount Kilimanjaro, completing the Annapurna Circuit, and trekking to Everest Base Camp. As the Chief Guest, Rita shared her journey of defying age stereotypes and emphasized the importance of fitness and environmental stewardship in adventure.

Group Captain Jai Kishan, Principal of HMI, presented the graduation badges to the BIPARD participants, marking their successful completion of the rigorous course. He also handed over tokens of appreciation to Apoorv Om and Rita Mathur, recognizing their exceptional contributions to promoting inclusivity and adventure sports.

In his address, the Principal praised the graduates for their perseverance and urged them to carry forward the lessons of resilience and teamwork into their future endeavors.

The BIPARD graduation ceremony was not just a celebration of technical mountaineering skills but also a platform to spotlight the power of inclusion and determination. The event concluded with the message, “May you climb from peak to peak,” symbolizing the limitless opportunities that await those with the courage to explore.

The inspiring stories of Apoorv Om and Rita Mathur left an indelible mark on attendees, reminding all that the human spirit is capable of extraordinary achievements when supported by vision, dedication, and an inclusive environment.

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The PIL was directed against non-holding of municipal elections to three Hill municipalities of Kalimpong, Kurseong and Mirik for more than two years since the term of the last elected Board of Councillors expired in April 2022, without assigning any reason for such “inaction”.

The petitioner submitted that the process for holding elections was initiated in 2022 but was abruptly stopped for reasons best known to the state.

Initially the court was heard complaining that elections to other bodies, panchayats, cooperative societies and even student union councils had not been held in the state. They almost sounded helpless, against the non-compliance of their orders by the WB State administration.

Anand Bhandari the lawyer for the petitioner, drew the attention of the High Court (HC) to the SC judgement in Kishan Singh Tomar vs Municipal Corporation of Ahmedabad [case no: Appeal (civil) 5756 of 2005, where the appellant had filed a Writ of Mandamus to direct the Municipal Corporation of Ahmedabad and Gujarat State Election Commission to take necessary steps for holding elections for constituting the municipal corporation before the expiry of its duration.

The Bench of CJ Sivagnanam observed, the grievance expressed by the petitioner is fully justified and there can be no quarrel with the legal position that elections need to be conducted as per constitutional mandate.

The bench also observed that the Supreme Court, while dealing with the appeal in the mentioned case, took note of Article 243U of the Constitution which deals with duration of municipalities.

The Supreme Court judgment reads, “… for the independent and effective functioning of the State Election Commission, where it feels that it is not receiving the cooperation of the concerned State Government in discharging its constitutional obligation of holding the elections to the Panchayats or Municipalities within the time mandated in the Constitution, it will be open to the State Election Commission to approach the High Courts, in the first instance, and thereafter the Supreme Court for a writ of mandamus or such other appropriate writ directing the concerned State Government to provide all necessary cooperation and assistance to the State Election Commission to enable the latter to fulfill the constitutional mandate.”

HC observed: “Despite the constitutional mandate and the observation of the Supreme Court, we find that the State of West Bengal has not taken any action to hold elections and form Board of Councillors for Kurseong and Kalimpong municipalities, and Mirik notified area.”

The court directed the Principal Secretary of Urban Development and Municipal Affairs department to consider the representation of the petitioner and “take a proper and legal decision bearing in mind constitutional mandate and the Supreme Court decision”.

“It is high time the state notifies the election to be conducted. The directions shall be complied with within six weeks from the date of order. The authority should also take note of the mandate under the relevant provisions of the West Bengal Municipal Act, 1993,” the court ordered.

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The students from Darjeeling hills, Terai and Dooars used to have hostel rooms given on priority, considering the actual distance needed to travel to NBU, difficul geographical conditions, physical remoteness of the place from where students would come etc. However, students allege that since the past few years, the NBU administration has only noted the distance denoted in the Google Map, without considering the actual time taken for reaching NBU, while allocating the hostel rooms.

Because of this, majority of the hill students are being deprived of hotel rooms by NBU authorities.

In their petition, the students have demanded “methodology applied while granting of hostels’ seat be changed from measuring geographical distance to time by which we mean that instead of distance calculated in the google map app you calculate the time in the same app (reasons already given in the earlier petitions).”

They have further noted that, “if this procedure is complicated to follow then we simply demand that seats in the hostel be reserved for the students of the hills in percentage corresponding to the number of hill student vis-a-vis the total amount of the student in the university, which will be around 50%.”

We request all hill based political parties, politicians affiliated with TMC, BJP, Congress and other national parties to also speak out.

This is why, we need a CENTRAL UNIVERSITY in the hills, so that our students are not deprived and discriminated against this way.

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On 7th March 2024, Indian Football Association (IFA) West Bengal sent a circular regarding the Inter-District Under-17 Football Championship 2024. This circular was received by GTA’s Gorkha Hill Football Association (GHFA). For some strange reason, this was not made public.

Meanwhile, Kalimpong received the same circular and immediately carried out a fair and transparent selection of players and started the training session for the tournament.

In Darjeeling, GHFA waited for two weeks until 20th March to finally mention that selection would take place for the under 17 team in response to the circular. The selected players, obviously would have no time to become familiar with each other and their coach, and were required to straightaway head to play against Kalimpong and Siliguri teams two days later on 22nd March.

The circular was kept under wraps and deserving and talented football players did not get an opportunity to participate in the selection process.

Instead, GHFA picked a team from a handful of boys they quietly notified. Eventually, a team of 20 children were sent to Kalimpong to represent Darjeeling district.

The Indian Football Association’s (IFA) circular mentioned that the players had to prove that they were born between 1st January 2008 and 31st December 2009. GHFA had the responsibility of ensuring children qualified and all documentation was completed. Surprisingly, only 6 of the 20 children met the requirements. The rest were rejected due to lack of proper documentation verifying their date of birth. Subsequently, the entire team was disqualified and they did not play a single game in this important tournament.

GHFA is headed by former footballer Mr Mahendra Subba, who took the responsibility, along with his officials to carry out the selection in a hush hush manner and send the team to Kalimpong. It is evident from this huge failure that this entire exercise was not just a wasted opportunity for our talented youths, but also showcased sheer incompetence of those, heading the GHFA.

As per the circular, Rs 155 per head is allocated by IFA. If the children and coaches stay overnight (in Kalimpong/Siliguri or any other town/city), the IFA pays Rs 310 per head. Over and above this, Rs 5000 is allocated for each participating team for incidental charges. For 20 children and 3 officials, this works out to Rs 3,565 (155×23) + Rs 5,000, i.e. Rs 8,565.

Had GHFA genuinely cared for the children’s prospects in professional football, they would have made the circular public as soon as they received it. Just as the Kalimpong district folks did, they should have immediately announced this opportunity that would have allowed children from Darjeeling, Kurseong and our tea gardens and villages to come for the trials. GHFA should have made a fair selection process, ensured all documentation was in place, and given proper training to the entire team.

While players from the North East play for national clubs and even the national team, our children from Darjeeling don’t get an opportunity even though they are equally talented. Here was one good opportunity that would have opened the doors for the young players of our hill town. Sadly, nepotism and politics has ruined this one chance for them and shattered their young dreams. And this is true not only for football, but all other games.

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The Calcutta High Court Circuit Bench of Partha Sarathi Sen and Arijit Banerjee has finaly given bail to the nine youths Suraj Pradhan, Shyam Kami, Deoraj Lepcha, Mahindra Kami, Firoj Thapa, Ashbin Gurung, Dawa Sherpa @ Dawa Tempa Sherpa, Nabin Rai and Paras Mangar in a case filed in Darjeeling Sadar Police Station Case No. 214 of 2017 (relating to Amitava Malik case). Thanks to the two lawyers Pratap Khati and Vandana Rai who finally filed the bail petition on their behalf.

For the past 6 years, these six youths had been rotting in jail, while others implicated in the same case have been walking free. Noting this, the Court observed, “There is no certainty as to when in the present case, the trial shall commence or conclude. In view of the aforesaid decisions of the Hon’ble Apex Court, we are inclined to enlarge the petitioners on bail…”

Citing the precedents and orders from Supreme Court in the cases of Kashmira Singh – Vs.- State of Punjab, reported in (1977) 4 SCC 291, Akhtari Bi (Smt) – Vs. – State of Madhya Pradesh, reported in (2001) 4 SCC 355, Surinder Singh – Vs.- State of Punjab, reported in (2005) 7 SCC 387 and Hussain & Anr. – Vs. – Union of India, reported in (2017) 5 SCC 702, the High Court observed that “we cannot be unmindful of the importance of Article 21 of the Constitution of India and the principles of law laid down by the Hon’ble Supreme Court.”

According to Article 21 “Protection of Life and Personal Liberty: “No person shall be deprived of his life or personal liberty except according to procedure established by law.” This fundamental right is available to every person, citizens and foreigners alike.

The court further noted that, “If the trial has not commenced for a very long period of time after the petitioner is taken into custody, in this case more than six years, then in our view, the petitioner should be extended the privilege of bail, of-course on conditions.”

Granting bail, the court has ordered, “we direct that the petitioners, namely Suraj Pradhan, Shyam Kami, Deoraj Lepcha, Mahindra Kami, Firoj Thapa, Ashbin Gurung, Dawa Sherpa @ Dawa Tempa Sherpa, Nabin Rai and Paras Mangar shall be released on bail upon furnishing a bond of Rs.5,000/-each, with two registered sureties of like amount each, to the satisfaction of the learned Chief Judicial Magistrate, Darjeeling and on further condition that the present accused petitioners shall not leave the district Darjeeling unless permitted by the learned Trial Court and shall appear before the Trial Court on each date of substantive hearing subject to the provisions of Section 317 Cr.P.C. and shall not intimidate the witnesses and/or tamper with evidence and/or commit any cognizable offence in any manner whatsoever.”

Instructing the District Court to take up the trail expeditiously, the High Court orderd, “Considering the delay that has occurred in Darjeeling Sadar P.S. Case No.213 of 2017, learned Chief Judicial Magistrate, Darjeeling is hereby directed to take appropriate steps for splitting up the trial and for immediate commitment of the said case to the learned Sessions Judge after complying with all legal formalities.”

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Aiming at attracting tourists flocking to the hills for the annual festival introduced last year, the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR) will also introduce an evening joyride service of the heritage toy train on weekends during the festival to be held from November 12 to December 5, NFR Katihar Divisional Railway Manager SK Choudhury said.

“The festival at Ghoom station by DHR will have cultural programmes and performances by local and outside artists and visitors will also be able to buy products and savour the hills’ cuisine from stalls there,” he told PTI.

He said that DHR, which runs 12 joyrides on the Darjeeling-Ghoom-Darjeeling route daily during daytime, will introduce an evening service after sundown which will run on weekends during the three week-long festival.

“The evening joyride is aimed at the tourists who will be going to Darjeeling for the Ghoom festival,” Choudhury said.

Ghoom, the sleepy hill station, as is signified by its name, is situated around nine kilometres before Darjeeling town when one travels from Siliguri in the plains and is situated at an elevation of 7,300 feet, which is around 600 metres above the queen of hills.

Though every day of the festival will be packed with various programmes, the weekends will feature special shows as footfall of tourists go up then, he said.

The DRM said that there will also be talent hunt programmes for local singers and dancers during the festival.

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From multiple sources, we have come to know that the father had allegedly raped his own minor daughter multiple times.

As reported, the child had been taken to the Mirik BPHC on the 21st of June at around 6 A.M after she had complained of severe stomach ache. When examined by the on-duty doctor, the doctor found that the child was around 6 months into pregnancy. The doctor went on to perform the delivery only 30 mins after the victim arrived at the Hospital. The doctor had failed to contact the Police immediately.

While the baby could not be saved through the procedure, the victim’s health also started to deteriorate, following which, she was referred to “an institute of higher authority”. When the on-duty doctor, who had been working in the hospital for the last three years, was asked why he didn’t inform the police about the case, he responded that he “didn’t know that he had to”.

Dr. Tashi, the BMO in-charge of the BPHC, was also contacted for his comments about the case, where he expressed that he only came to know about the incident when later informed by the Rashtriya Bal Suraksha Karyakam officials and that he had no prior information regarding the same.

After being referred and discharged from the BPHC, the parents along with the victim went into hiding for a night, reportedly in Panighatta, and returned to Mirik again on the next day, where they were already being searched by those concerned and those who had come to know of the incident. The mother of the child, who claimed that she was not aware of the happening till the time, was guided and counseled by a concerned youth from the Mirik sub-division along with others and guided to file an FIR. Subsequently, an FIR was filed at Mirik Police station by the mother of the child (wife of the accused) on the 22nd of June and the accused was taken under custody.

The child and her mother were then sent to Siliguri as the former required medical attention. The child received treatment for around a week at the North Bengal Medical College and Hospital, after which she was taken to a shelter home by the Child Welfare Committee (CWC), Darjeeling, where she is still being kept.

While the CWC refused to place any comment regarding the case, we were informed by our sources that adequate steps had been taken by them to provide counseling to the victim, and also to two of her other sisters.

We tried to reach the investigating officer multiple times for comments, but he wasn’t reachable.

While the case is being investigated and is under trial, the victim was produced in the District Court on the 15th of July and her statement was recorded under Section 164 CRPC.

While we are utterly disgusted by the nature of the crime, we do appreciate Child Line Kurseong for the continuous pursuance of the case. We also appreciate the concerned youth from the Mirik sub-division, who made sure that the case was made to receive a proper course of investigation.

We also express our concerns about how the on-duty Doctor and Nurses at Mirik BPHC failed to live up to their legal and professional obligation and proceeded with the surgery without informing the Police, given that the victim was a minor. The remark by the on-duty doctor that he “did not know I had to do so”, raises some serious questions about his training and experiences, though he has been practicing there for the last 3 years. Not only has he failed to live on to the trust of the people, but he has also violated the law under the POCSO Act.

We hope that justice will prevail and that the case is sent to a fast-track court for speedy trail.

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