Bhubaneswar: A proposal to establish a National Commission for Men has reached Parliament after Ashok Kumar Mittal introduced the National Commission for Men Bill in the Rajya Sabha. The proposal cites the recent Ketan Agarwal case as a reminder that men can also become victims of crime and may require dedicated institutional support. According to…
Bhubaneswar: Ahead of Rath Yatra 2026, the Housing and Urban Development Department, Government of Odisha has prohibited the distribution of cooked food along Bada Danda, permitting only dry and packaged food items to be served to devotees during the festival. The decision has been taken to maintain strict sanitation, hygiene, and public health standards as…
Bhubaneswar: The Higher Education Department, Government of Odisha has directed all colleges across the state to establish a 500-metre drug-free zone around their campuses to promote a safe, healthy and conducive academic environment for students. Issued in accordance with the guidelines of the Narco Coordination Centre, the directive aims to shield students from the influence…
Bhubaneswar: The scale of destruction emerging from Venezuela is heartbreaking. Two powerful earthquakes, measuring 7.2 and 7.5 in magnitude, struck less than a minute apart west of the capital, Caracas, causing widespread damage, collapsing buildings and triggering frantic rescue efforts across affected regions. Families have been left searching through rubble for loved ones, while emergency…
Bhubaneswar: Residents of Puri will soon be able to avail a special darshan facility at the revered Jagannath Temple (Srimandir) through a new Aadhaar-based entry system designed to provide a more convenient and streamlined temple visit experience. The initiative is being developed in collaboration with the Odisha Computer Application Centre (OCAC) and aims to enable…
Bhubaneswar: In a significant move to promote Odisha’s culinary heritage and strengthen food-based tourism, the state government has issued detailed guidelines for Odia cuisine restaurants seeking incentives under the Odisha Tourism (Amendment) Policy, 2026. The new framework outlines eight key eligibility criteria that restaurants must fulfill to qualify for financial assistance and support from the…
Bhubaneswar: In a significant move aimed at strengthening drug safety and curbing self-medication, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has made it mandatory for consumers to obtain a doctor’s prescription before purchasing syrup-based medicines, including commonly used cough syrups. The decision follows an amendment to the Drugs Rules, 1945, through the Drugs (Fifth…
Bhubaneswar: The third edition of the Bhubaneswar Film Festival (BFF) is set to be held from June 25 to 28 at Jayadev Bhawan, bringing together a diverse selection of acclaimed films from various Indian languages as well as international cinema. The festival aims to celebrate the art of filmmaking, promote cultural exchange and provide a…
Bhubaneswar: Customs officials at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad have seized smuggled gold worth more than Rs 4.26 crore that was cleverly concealed inside a speaker box in an aircraft lavatory. The seizure was made on Friday aboard IndiGo flight 6E-1478, which had arrived from Dubai. Acting on specific intelligence, customs officers carried…
Bhubaneswar: Odisha Police has put in place an extensive security and crowd-management plan for the upcoming Debasnana Purnima celebrations in Puri, with 72 platoons of police personnel set to be deployed to ensure the smooth conduct of the annual ritual on June 29. Director General of Police Yogesh Bahadur Khurania recently reviewed the security, traffic,…