Bhubaneswar: Rising prices are beginning to put greater pressure on household budgets in Odisha, with the state’s retail inflation rate climbing to 4.83% in July 2026, according to the latest figures. The increase marks the sharpest rise in retail inflation among Indian states over the past seven months, highlighting renewed price pressures across the state…
Bhubaneswar: Prof. Gobardhan Das, Member, NITI Aayog, attended the 30th Convocation Ceremony of Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Amritapuri Campus, as the Chief Guest on August 8, 2026, celebrating the achievements of graduating students as they prepare to begin a new phase of their lives. Addressing the graduates, Prof. Das emphasised that a strong sense of responsibility…
Bhubaneswar: YSR Kadapa district is transforming the delivery of school meals through its SMART Kitchen Initiative, combining modern infrastructure, technology, efficient logistics, sustainability and community participation to improve nutrition for children. Implemented under the Aspirational Districts and Aspirational Blocks Programmes, the initiative has established 38 SMART Kitchens across the district, serving nearly 1 lakh children…
Bhubaneswar : Bajaj Finance Limited, one of India’s leading non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) and a subsidiary of Bajaj Finserv Ltd., has taken its financial literacy initiative ‘Arth Sutra Samvad’ to rural Odisha, with programmes organised at the Baliput and Sutan Gram Panchayat offices in Puri district. The initiative is part of Bajaj Finance’s pan-India financial…
Bhubaneswar: Amazon India has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Directorate of Textiles, Odisha, to expand e-commerce opportunities for the state’s weavers and artisans. Under the partnership, more than 1.3 lakh weavers and artisans are expected to be onboarded onto Amazon Karigar, providing them with access to a wider national customer base and…
Bhubaneswar: The Lok Sabha on August 7, 2026, passed the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development (Amendment) Bill, 2026, after the legislation was approved by the Rajya Sabha on August 3. The amendment comes as the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development (MSMED) Act, 2006, completes two decades. The government said rapid technological changes, the…
Bhubaneswar: The Government of India has clarified that UPI payments will remain free for ordinary users, amid growing debate over proposed amendments to the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007 and the possibility of introducing a Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) on certain transactions. The government categorically stated that consumers making payments through UPI will not…
Bhubaneswar: India is preparing to introduce its first polymer (plastic) banknotes, with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) planning to roll out ₹10 and ₹20 polymer notes from April 2027, subject to the successful completion of nationwide field trials. For the pilot programme, the government has approved the printing of one billion ₹10 notes and…
Bhubaneswar: The Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI) inaugurated its 5th International Conference 2026 in Mauritius on 3 August 2026, in the august presence of the Chief Guest, Dr the Hon Mrs Jyoti Jeetun, Minister of Financial Services and Economic Planning, Republic of Mauritius, and Guest of Honour, Mr Anurag Srivastava, High Commissioner of India, Port Louis, Mauritius. Organised on the…
Bhubaneswar, July 28: The Odisha government has issued a new directive mandating prior approval for officials planning to travel outside the state or the country while away from their headquarters. Under the revised guidelines, officials must seek permission at least 21 days in advance before undertaking personal travel outside Odisha or abroad. Exceptions to the…