New Odisha Age

ECI Announces Assembly Poll Schedule; Dry Days to Be Enforced Across Polling States

Bhubaneswar: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has announced the schedule for the 2026 General Elections to Legislative Assemblies in Assam, Kerala, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal, along with bye-elections in six states. The schedule was officially declared on March 15, 2026. Polling in Tamil Nadu and the first phase in West Bengal will…

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BDA Launches Massive Eviction Drive on 68 Acres in Bhubaneswar, 187 Structures Demolished on Day One

Bhubaneswar: The Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA) on Friday initiated one of its largest eviction drives to clear alleged encroachments on 68 acres of government land in Shampur mouza of Bhubaneswar. On the first day of the operation, authorities demolished 187 houses, including 31 under-construction structures, spread across eight acres under the jurisdiction of Bharatpur police…

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Young Athlete Runs 5,000 km Across India to Support Leprosy-Affected Children

Bhubaneswar: Twenty-three-year-old Indian-Australian athlete Om Satija will arrive in Kolkata this Saturday, having completed 2,500 km of an ambitious 5,000 km run across India — from Kanyakumari to Kashmir via Kolkata. His journey, The One India Run, aims to raise awareness and funds for leprosy-affected children supported by Udayan in Barrackpore. Now on Day 48 of a 100-day endurance challenge, Om is averaging 50 km a…

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Vaishali Rameshbabu Wins FIDE Women’s Candidates 2026, Earns World Championship Shot

Bhubaneswar: India’s Vaishali Rameshbabu created history by winning the FIDE Women’s Candidates Tournament 2026 in Cyprus, securing a place in the Women’s World Chess Championship later this year. Vaishali clinched the title with an impressive 8.5 points in the double round-robin event, sealing her victory with a crucial final-round win over Kateryna Lagno. Her consistent…

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Kangana Ranaut Backs Deepika Padukone in 8-Hour Shift Debate

Bhubaneswar: Actor Kangana Ranaut has extended support to Deepika Padukone amid the ongoing debate over regulated working hours in the film industry. Commenting on the discussion around 8-hour shifts, Kangana said Deepika has “earned that place” after years of hard work and success, asserting that top actors have the right to define their working conditions….

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‘Bhooth Bangla’ Brings Back Classic Comedy with a Supernatural Twist

Bhubaneswar: The much-anticipated reunion of Akshay Kumar, Priyadarshan, Paresh Rawal, and Rajpal Yadav in Bhooth Bangla delivers a blend of nostalgia, comedy, and supernatural intrigue. The film follows Arjun, a debt-ridden and spoiled heir who relocates to his grandfather’s eerie palace in Jaipur, only to uncover a dark mystery surrounding the disappearance of brides. The…

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FIR Filed Against Vedanta Chairman After Chhattisgarh Plant Blast Claims 20 Lives

Bhubaneswar: Chhattisgarh Police has registered an FIR against Anil Agarwal and others in connection with the deadly explosion at a Vedanta Limited power plant in Sakti district that claimed 20 lives. The incident occurred on April 14 at the plant in Singhitarai village, where a steel tube carrying high-pressure steam from the boiler to the…

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Odisha Begins Door-to-Door Digital Census Survey with 90,000+ Officials Deployed

Bhubaneswar: Odisha has entered the next phase of its digital census exercise, with large-scale door-to-door data collection commencing across the state on Thursday. Over 90,200 officials, including enumerators and 15,140 supervisors, have been deployed for the survey. Each enumerator is tasked with covering around 800 individuals across 200 to 220 households, collecting detailed demographic information…

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Massive Fire in Lucknow’s Vikas Nagar Destroys 280 Homes, Over 1,000 Left Homeless

Bhubaneswar: A major fire broke out in the Vikas Nagar area of Lucknow on Wednesday evening, destroying more than 280 makeshift homes and leaving over 1,000 people homeless, most of them migrant workers. The blaze reportedly started around 5:30 pm and spread rapidly through the densely packed settlement, triggering panic among residents. The situation worsened…

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FSSAI Orders Crackdown on Illegal Fruit Ripening Agents

Bhubaneswar: The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India has directed authorities across states to intensify enforcement against the use of illegal fruit ripening agents, reiterating a strict ban on harmful substances such as Calcium Carbide. The regulator has instructed all Food Safety Commissioners, Central Licensing Authorities, and Regional Directors to step up surveillance, conduct…

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