Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government will celebrate Odia Pakhya for the second consecutive year from April 1 to April 14, coinciding with Odisha Day (Utkal Dibas) and the Odia New Year (Pana Sankranti). The fortnight-long observance is aimed at promoting the Odia language, literature, culture, and traditions through a series of community-driven and government-supported activities across…
Bhubaneswar: The Madan Paliwal Miraj Sports Centre in Nathdwara, Rajasthan, has emerged as one of India’s most ambitious sports infrastructure projects, combining a 35,000-seat international-standard cricket stadium with an integrated luxury hospitality complex. Developed by the Miraj Group, the venue features 234 Radisson Blu hotel rooms, around 75 per cent of which offer direct views…
Bhubaneswar: The Economic Survey 2025–26, tabled in Parliament on January 29 by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, has raised serious concerns over rising digital addiction among children and recommended age-based restrictions on access to online platforms. Chief Economic Adviser (CEA) V. Anantha Nageswaran described digital platforms as “predatory by design,” arguing that their algorithms and features…
Bhubaneswar: The Supreme Court on Monday stayed the University Grants Commission’s (UGC) 2026 regulations on equity committees, observing that the provisions were vague and susceptible to misuse, with the potential to create social divisions. A bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant put the regulations on hold after noting concerns over their narrow scope. The…
Bhubaneswar: The University Grants Commission (UGC) may cease to exist in its current form as the Union government moves ahead with a sweeping overhaul of India’s higher education regulatory framework. The government has introduced the Developed India Education Foundation Bill, 2025 (also referred to as the VBEA Bill, 2025) in Parliament, proposing to replace existing…
Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government’s decision to increase expenditure on uniforms, shoes, and sweaters for Anganwadi children under the Malati Devi Prak Vidyalaya Paridhan Yojana reflects a subtle but important shift in early childhood welfare policy—from minimum compliance to quality assurance. At a fiscal level, the hike addresses a long-standing gap between sanctioned costs and market…
Bhubaneswar: India has submitted a dual bid to host two prestigious World Athletics events in 2028, signalling a significant step forward in the country’s international sporting ambitions. The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) has proposed Bhubaneswar as the host city for the World Athletics Indoor Championships and Ahmedabad for the World Athletics U20 Championships. As…
Bhubaneswar: Dipti Mahapatra has created history by becoming the first transgender individual in Odisha to be selected for a PhD under the Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) in the Odia language at Utkal University. Her achievement marks a significant milestone for academic inclusion and representation of transgender scholars in higher education. Mahapatra will pursue research focused…
Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has announced plans to set up dedicated shelter homes, to be called ‘Sahaya Gruha’, for differently-abled women and girls across the state under the existing SAHAYA scheme. The initiative aims to strengthen protection, care, and rehabilitation services for one of the most vulnerable sections of society. According to official sources, the…
Bhubaneswar: In a significant step to address school dropout rates, the Odisha government has announced a complete waiver of admission and examination fees for dropout and out-of-school children aged between 14 and 18 years. The decision aims to encourage students to resume their education through the State Institute of Open Schooling (SIOS). According to officials,…
