Bhubaneswar: In a move aimed at improving accessibility and convenience for vehicle owners, the State Transport Authority (STA) of Odisha has announced that e-challans for traffic violations can now be paid both online and offline. The decision is expected to benefit people who face difficulties with digital-only payment systems. The STA has instructed all Regional…
Bhubaneswar: Senior IAS officer Anu Garg has been appointed as the new Chief Secretary of Odisha, succeeding Manoj Ahuja, who is set to retire on December 31, 2025. With this appointment, Garg becomes the first woman to hold the state’s top bureaucratic post. A 1991-batch IAS officer, Garg is currently serving as Development Commissioner and…
Bhuabneswar: As the capital prepares to celebrate Christmas and usher in the New Year, the Commissionerate Police has rolled out an elaborate security plan to ensure peaceful festivities across Bhubaneswar. Twin City Commissioner of Police Suresh Dev Datta Singh on Monday announced the deployment of an additional 15 platoons of police personnel to maintain law…
Bhubaneswar: The Madras High Court has observed that the Bhagavad Gita is a work of “moral science” and an intrinsic part of “Bharatiya civilisation”, rather than a purely religious text. The remarks were made by Justice G R Swaminathan while hearing a petition filed by the Arsha Vidya Parampara Trust challenging an order of the…
Bhubaneswar: Bangladesh witnessed a renewed surge of political violence on Monday after Md. Motaleb Sikder (42), a central leader of the National Citizens Party (NCP) workers’ organisation, was shot at in Khulna, according to local media reports. Sikder serves as the Khulna divisional chief of the NCP and a central organiser of NCP Sramik Shakti….
Bhubaneswar: Bangladesh has once again descended into turmoil, with large-scale violence, arson attacks on media houses and rising political unrest pushing the country towards what observers describe as a state of near anarchy. The situation has triggered serious concern in New Delhi, prompting India to summon the Bangladeshi envoy and issue a strong protest over…
Bhubaneswar: Bollywood filmmaker Vikram Bhatt and his wife Shwetambari were sent to judicial custody on Tuesday in connection with an alleged ₹30-crore fraud case, after a local court denied them interim bail on medical grounds. The couple had been in police custody for seven days. Following the court’s order, Bhatt and his wife will now…
Bhubaneswar: The Supreme Court’s acceptance of a revised government definition of the Aravalli hills on November 20 has triggered widespread concern among environmental experts and citizen groups, who warn that the move could strip protection from nearly 90 per cent of the ancient hill range. Under the new definition, only landforms rising above 100 metres…
Bhubaneswar: Election Commission of India (ECI) officials on Tuesday said that more than 50 per cent of electors in West Bengal have submitted enumeration forms with progeny mapping, as part of the ongoing electoral roll verification exercise. However, the Commission has flagged major discrepancies in a significant number of these submissions. According to officials, the…
Bhubaneswar: Cinema has never been a neutral art form. From its earliest days, it has reflected power, politics, pain and patriotism. Dhurandhar, directed by Aditya Dhar, arrives firmly within this tradition — unapologetic, provocative and deeply polarising. The fierce debate it has ignited says as much about the times we live in as it does…