BHUBANESWAR: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued a notice to Wonderla Holidays Limited in connection with allegations of forest land encroachment and violations of environmental regulations linked to its amusement park project in Odisha. The tribunal has also served notices to several government departments and officials, including the Chief Secretary of Odisha, seeking responses…
Bhubaneswar: The Orissa High Court has held that NEET candidates cannot claim “dual educational privileges” by combining academic qualifications from different educational boards to obtain eligibility benefits for MBBS admissions under reserved categories. The court dismissed a petition filed by a candidate who sought to combine marks obtained from the Odisha State Board and the…
Bhubaneswar: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has revised its forecast for the 2026 Southwest Monsoon season, predicting that India is likely to receive rainfall amounting to 90 per cent of the Long Period Average (LPA). The forecast was issued as part of the weather agency’s second outlook for the Southwest Monsoon. The revised estimate is…
BHUBANESWAR: The Odisha government has decided to bring all bus stands currently managed by Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) under the jurisdiction of the Commerce and Transport Department as part of the newly approved “Atal Bus Stand” (ABS) scheme aimed at modernising and standardising public transport infrastructure across the state. According to a recent resolution issued…
Bhubaneswar: Odisha’s rich Jagannath tradition is set to reach a wider national and global audience through an ambitious animated feature film titled Mahaprabhu Jagannath, which will release across more than 300 screens in India. The multilingual film, scheduled for release in Hindi, Odia, and Telugu, will mark the launch of the proposed “Sanatan Universe” —…
Bhubaneswar: Authorities at Nandankanan Zoological Park and Sambalpur Zoo have introduced extensive summer heat mitigation measures to protect animals and birds from rising temperatures and severe heat wave conditions across Odisha. Zoo officials said special arrangements have been made to ensure animal comfort and prevent heat-related stress during the peak summer season. As part of…
Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has intensified efforts to promote rural and experiential tourism through a large-scale curated homestay initiative aimed at generating local livelihoods and offering tourists authentic cultural immersion experiences across the state. Under the Odisha Homestay Establishment Scheme-2025, the Tourism Department has identified 61 gram panchayats across 19 districts for the development of…
Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Power Transmission Corporation Limited (OPTCL) has cancelled the leave of all electricity department employees across the state in view of the sharp rise in power demand during the ongoing heat wave conditions. According to official instructions issued by OPTCL, all previously sanctioned leave has been withdrawn with immediate effect, except maternity leave…
Bhubaneswar: The Higher Education Department has clarified that employees working in Odisha’s public universities cannot be treated as government employees, stating that their service conditions are governed by individual university laws and regulations rather than general state government service rules. In an official clarification, the department stated that teaching and non-teaching staff of public universities…
Bhubaneswar: The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has added Bhubaneswar as a new examination centre for the Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination-2026 in a move aimed at reducing pressure on existing centres and improving accessibility for candidates. Bhubaneswar emerged as one of the most preferred among the newly introduced centres, receiving 10,656 applications from aspirants. The…